HAIR TREATMENT ACCESSORY
A hair curling apparatus includes a handle, a barrel extending from the handle and a releasable hair clamp releasably mountable about the barrel. The hair clamp is selectively positionable between an operative condition mounted about the barrel and a non-operative condition released relative to the barrel.
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for treating hair, and, more particularly, relates to a hair curling apparatus having a removable hair clamp or spoon.
2. Background of the Related Art
Hair styling tools such as hair curling irons are well known in the art. Examples of hair curling irons are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,731,519 and 5,345,055, U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D469576, D457683, D580097 and D578707, the entire contents of each of these disclosures being incorporated herein. These devices or tools have proven to be quite effective for their intended uses.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure is directed to further improvements in hair styling or treating tools. In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a hair curling apparatus includes a handle, a barrel extending from the handle and a releasable hair clamp releasably mountable about the barrel. The hair clamp is selectively positionable between an operative condition mounted about the barrel and a non-operative condition released relative to the barrel. Thus, the user may operate the hair curling apparatus in two modes, a first mode, without the hair clamp and, a second mode, with the hair clamp.
The hair clamp includes a generally annular mount and a clamp element extending from the annular mount. The annular mount is positionable over the barrel when in the operative condition of the releasable hair clamp. The clamp element is adapted for movement relative to the annular mount and the barrel between an open position displaced from the barrel and an approximated position adjacent the barrel to engage hair. The handle may include a mounting bracket and the annular mount of the releasable hair clamp may include a locking latch. The locking latch is selectively movable between an engaged position in secured relation with the mounting bracket corresponding to the operative condition of the releasable hair clamp and a release position released from the mounting bracket corresponding to the non-operative condition of the releasable hair clamp. The locking latch may have a locking detent dimensioned to selectively engage and release the mounting bracket when the locking latch is in respective engaged and release positions. The mounting bracket may include a contoured surface which at least partially accommodating the locking latch when the locking latch is engaged with the mounting bracket.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described hereinbelow with references to the drawings, wherein:
Referring to the drawings and, in particular, to
With particular reference to
The barrel 104 is elongated having, e.g., a generally cylindrical or conical shape. The barrel 104 may incorporate ceramic heater technology such as the Tourmaline Ceramic™ Styling System technology made available through Conair of Stamford, Conn. The barrel 104 may include conventional heat plate or coils for heating the exterior hair contacting the surface of the barrel 104.
With reference now to
The annular mount 118 includes a latch 122 (
The clamp element 120 is pivotally mounted to the annular mount 118 through at least one, e.g., two diametrically opposed pivot pins 128 extending from the annular mount 118 and coupled to the clamp element 120. The clamp element 120 includes a manually engagable tab segment 130 and a hair clamp segment 132 depending from the tab segment 130. The tab segment 130 is displaced from the annular mount 118 to facilitate engagement by the user. The hair clamp segment 132 may define an inner contour generally approximating a segment of the outer contour of the barrel 104. The clamp element 120 is normally biased toward a closed position with hair clamp segment 132 adjacent the barrel 104 through a spring element 134. As best depicted in
The use of the curling iron apparatus 100 will now be discussed. In certain applications of hair treatment, the curling iron apparatus 100 will be used without the hair clamp 106 mounted about the barrel 104 whereby the barrel 104 will be utilized to treat, e.g., curl hair, by wrapping the hair about the barrel 104. With reference to
Removal of the hair clamp 106 may be effected by simply pulling on the hair clamp 106 whereby the locking detent 124 deflects outwardly releasing the mounting bracket 114. In the alternative, the locking detent 124 may be manually released by forcing the locking detent 124 in an outward direction with the finger of a user thereby causing the locking detent 124 to clear the locking ledge 116 of the mounting bracket 114, and then sliding the hair clamp 106 along and off the barrel 104.
Although the illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above description, disclosure, and Figures should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments. It is to be understood, therefore, that the disclosure is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure.
Claims
1. A hair curling apparatus, which comprises:
- a handle;
- a barrel extending from the handle;
- a releasable hair clamp selectively positionable between an operative condition mounted relative to the barrel and a non-operative condition released relative to the barrel, the hair clamp including a manually engageable tab segment and a clamp segment depending from the tab segment, the hair clamp being adapted to pivot when in the operative condition between an open position with the clamp segment displaced from the barrel and a closed position with the clamp segment adjacent the barrel to engage hair; and
- a locking latch independent of the tab segment and the clamp segment of the hair clamp, the locking latch being selectively movable between an engaged position in secured relation with the handle corresponding to the operative condition of the hair clamp and a release position released from the handle to permit positioning of the hair clamp to the non-operative condition thereof.
2. The hair curling apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hair clamp includes a generally annular mount positionable over the barrel when in the operative condition of the releasable hair clamp.
3. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the handle includes a mounting bracket and the annular mount of the releasable hair clamp includes the locking latch, the locking latch being selectively movable between the engaged position in secured relation with the mounting bracket corresponding to the operative condition of the releasable hair clamp and the release position released from the mounting bracket.
4. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the locking latch has a locking detent, the locking detent dimensioned to selectively engage and release the mounting bracket when the locking latch is in respective engaged and release positions.
5. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the mounting bracket includes a contoured surface, the contoured surface at least partially accommodating the locking latch when the locking latch is engaged with the mounting bracket.
6. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the locking latch is radially offset relative to the tab segment of the hair clamp.
7. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the locking latch is disposed in general diametrical opposed relation relative to the tab segment of the hair clamp.
8. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the locking latch is normally biased to the engaged position.
9. A hair curling apparatus, which comprises:
- a handle;
- a mounting bracket associated with the handle;
- a barrel extending from the handle;
- a hair clamp releasably mountable to the barrel, the hair clamp including: a generally annular mount positionable about the barrel; and a clamp element pivotally connected to the annular mount, the clamp element being adapted to pivot between an open position and a closed position; and
- an external locking latch connected to the annular mount, the locking latch being selectively movable between an engaged position in secured relation with the mounting bracket to secure the hair clamp relative to the barrel and a release position released from the mounting bracket to permit release of the hair clamp relative to the barrel.
10. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the locking latch is normally biased to the engaged position.
11. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the clamp element includes a manually engageable tab segment and a hair clamp segment depending from the tab segment.
12. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the locking latch is positioned in general diametrical opposed relation relative to the tab segment of the clamp element.
13. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the locking latch is radially offset relative to the tab segment of the clamp element.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 28, 2012
Publication Date: May 29, 2014
Applicant: Conair Corporation (Stamford, CT)
Inventor: Duane Charles Hein (Monroe, CT)
Application Number: 13/687,386
International Classification: A45D 1/00 (20060101);