ES2665393T3 - Hairdressing apparatus equipped with steam projection teeth - Google Patents

Abstract

Hairdressing apparatus (1) comprising a portable treatment unit (2) configured to treat the hair by heating which includes means of vaporization (11) and two arms (5, 6) configured to form a tape provided with two surfaces (8 , 9) facing each other that concomitantly allow the tightening of a strand of hair (14) comprising the first arm (5) a vaporization chamber (11), teeth (12) arranged next to each other configured to project steam on the hair and arranged in a longitudinal direction, and connection means (17) of the vaporization chamber to the teeth characterized in that the teeth (12) each comprise two opposingly oriented steam projection holes (15, 16) one in relation to the other according to the longitudinal direction, the adjacent steam projection holes of two alternative teeth being arranged facing each other.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Hairdressing apparatus equipped with steam projection teeth

The present invention relates to a hairdressing apparatus equipped with a steam treatment unit that is intended to treat the hair with steam with a view to its conditioning. In addition to the vaporization of the hair, the treatment unit of this hairdressing apparatus can also be configured to heat the hair with a view to its conditioning. Such a hairdressing apparatus allows, for example, according to its configuration, brushing, straightening, curling or embossing the hair.

Hairdressing apparatuses are known that allow straightening, curling or embossing of hair. Such a hairdressing apparatus comprises a portable treatment unit constituted in particular by two arms or jaws that each include a surface that can be flat or curved. The two arms are articulated together to form a clamp configured to grip the hair between the two arranged surfaces facing each other, during the approach of the two arms. These two arms also comprise an area of apprehension that allows the opening and closing of the clip as well as its manipulation during styling. At least one of these two surfaces includes a heating device that allows heat treatment of the hair during its treatment between the two surfaces. The straightening of a strand of hair is done by grasping the strand between the two surfaces and moving the closed clamp along this strand, from the root to the tip. The curl of a strand of hair is done by grasping the strand between the two surfaces and at least partially winding this strand around the surfaces, allowing heat to fix the curl of hair.

To improve the conditioning of the hair, it is known to use a steam treatment as a complement to the heat treatment, said steam being projected on the hair. For this purpose, the applicant has already developed a steam hairdressing apparatus that is described in the published patent application under number FR2967017A1. In addition to the technical characteristics described above, the hairdressing apparatus according to FR2967017A1 comprises a displaced base in relation to the portable treatment unit and connected thereto. The base comprises a water tank and a pump that allows, during its activation, to pump the water in the tank to feed the clamp. One of the arms of the portable treatment unit comprises a vaporization chamber equipped with a heating device. When the hairdressing apparatus has reached its optimum conditions of use and the user wishes to use steam for combing, the pump injects water into the vaporization chamber; This water is vaporized under the action of the heating device and then the steam is projected onto the hair by the projection means arranged on said arm. Thus, the clip allows the treatment of hair by heat and steam.

Patent application EP0659363A1 is also known which discloses a hairdressing apparatus comprising a comb whose first teeth each include two vaporization holes positioned facing each other in relation to the other and extending in the direction of the length of the comb. This comb also comprises second teeth arranged alternately with the first teeth, including these second teeth each of the two suction holes positioned facing each other relative to each other and extending in the direction of the length of the comb. Thus the vaporization holes in the first teeth are arranged respectively in front of the aspiration holes in the second adjacent teeth, which allows the second teeth to aspirate the steam projected by the first teeth.

EP 2 449 909A1, DE 38 00 954C1 and DE 577 468C also disclose hairdressing apparatus intended to treat hair with steam.

The present invention aims to optimize the treatment of hair by steam on a hairdressing apparatus. For this purpose, the invention relates to a hairdressing apparatus as defined in claim 1.

The vaporization means may be directly integrated in the arm or, be displaced in whole or in part on a base connected to said arm by a cord. Notably, according to the invention, the teeth are arranged next to each other and each comprise two steam projection holes oriented in opposition to each other according to the longitudinal direction, the steam projection holes being arranged facing each other. adjacent two adjacent teeth. The holes are arranged on the sides of the teeth of which the plane containing the side is generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the arm. Thus the projection holes arranged facing on two adjacent teeth allow a vaporization on the two sides of the hairs that pass between the teeth during styling, which improves the effect of the steam treatment of the hair. While in EP0659363A1 the vaporization is carried out on only one side of the hair that passes between the teeth.

In an embodiment of the hairdressing apparatus object of the invention, the portable treatment unit comprises a comb arranged adjacently along the teeth. Such comb allows to separate and untangle hair. Comb is understood as an element equipped with rigid or semi-rigid teeth arranged longitudinally one after the other, that is a row of natural or synthetic hairs that replace said comb teeth. This traditional comb differs from the row of teeth through which steam is extracted.

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According to this preferred embodiment of the hairdressing apparatus object of the invention, in a first conception, the teeth comprise heating means, which makes it possible to heat the hair that passes between said teeth and that are in contact with the surfaces of the heated teeth. as a complement to its vaporization.

In a preferred embodiment of the hairdressing apparatus object of the invention, the teeth are arranged downstream of the surface on the first arm, taking into account the direction of travel of the portable treatment unit during styling which must first be allowed place the treatment by vaporization of the hair and then its imprisonment.

Preferably, according to this second conception, the portable treatment unit comprises heating means of at least one of the two surfaces on the two arms. Thus the tuft of hair is heated during its treatment between the two surfaces. In a variant, the two surfaces of the two arms are equipped with heating means, which allows the hair to be heated on two opposite sides during their pinching between said surfaces. This optimizes the treatment of hair by heating.

According to this second conception and when the hairdressing apparatus is equipped with a comb, this comb is positioned between the surface of the first arm and the teeth. Thus, the teeth make a first separation of the hair from the tuft by vaporizing at the same time said hairs that pass between said teeth, on their two opposite sides. Then the comb makes a second separation of the hair which allows to refine their separation and untangle them, before they are caught between the two surfaces.

The hairdressing apparatus according to the invention having the aforementioned characteristics, can have different configurations. Thus, according to the invention, the hairdressing apparatus equipped with two arms can comprise the surfaces configured to allow straightening, curling and embossing of the hair. When the hairdressing device does not include more than a single arm, it can be configured to allow hair styling or brushing.

The following description shows the characteristics and advantages of the hairdressing apparatus according to the invention. This description is based on figures considered as non-limiting, among which:

Fig. 1 illustrates an overall view of an embodiment of the hair styling apparatus of the straightening type, the treatment unit comprising two arms that allow the tightening of a tuft of hair;

Fig. 2 illustrates in detail the active elements on one of the arms of the treatment unit of the hairdressing apparatus illustrated in fig. 1, arranged at the end of said arm;

Fig. 3 illustrates a sectional view of fig. 2 which highlights the conception of the teeth;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial view of fig. 3 showing several teeth in cut.

In fig. 1, the hairdressing apparatus 1 object of the invention is a hair straightener. This comprises a portable treatment unit 2 and a displaced base 3, connected to each other by means of a cord 4 that allows the portable treatment unit 2 to be supplied with electricity and water from the base 3. This base 3 comprises a water tank and a water circulation pump and is electrically powered by means of an electrical outlet. These characteristics are already known to those skilled in the art and appear, for example, in patent application FR2967017A1.

The portable treatment unit 2 comprises two arms 5, 6 - also called jaws - articulated with each other by means of a pivot joint 7, which makes it possible to constitute a clamp. The two arms 5, 6 each comprise on its internal face and at the level of its distal part 5a, 6a, a surface 8, 9. According to the embodiment of fig. 1, surfaces 8, 9 are flat, in the form of two plates and are also heating. Well understood can be considered variants with curved heating surfaces, such as, in particular, in hairdressing apparatus of the hair curling iron, that is to say corrugated heating surfaces, in particular, in hairdressing apparatus of the hair embossing type. Variants of embodiment may also be considered with only one of the two surfaces that is heating, the other surface contributing to the tightening of the tuft of hair for conditioning.

The two arms 5, 6 each comprise a proximal part 5b, 6b. These two proximal parts 5b, 6b can concomitantly be gripped with one hand, which allows the handling of the portable treatment unit 2 and the clamp closure when the two proximal parts 5b, 6b are tightened. During the closing of the clip, the surfaces 8, 9 facing each other come in contact with each other, which allows the tightening of a tuft of hair arranged between these two surfaces 8, 9. A spring 10 arranged between the two arms 5 , 6 in the vicinity of the pivot joint 7, allows the opening of the clamp when it is no longer tightened by hand.

As illustrated in fig. 1, the first arm 5 comprises at the level of its distal part 5a, vaporization means which are here a vaporization chamber 11 that allows the creation of steam that is intended to be projected onto the hair lock before this hair lock be caught between the two surfaces 8, 9 of the clamp in the closed position.

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In one embodiment, the portable treatment unit 2 of the hairdressing apparatus 1 according to the invention may resume technical characteristics similar to those described in the patent application FR2967017A1 filed by the applicant, as regards the use of the heating surfaces 8, 9 and the vaporization chamber 11, with all the advantages that such conception provides. Well understood, there are still variants that can be considered for these elements, without leaving the scope of the invention. Thus, the heating surfaces 8, 9 and the vaporization chamber 11 each comprise a heating device constituted by a thermistor of positive temperature coefficient, called CTP, and a temperature measuring device of the heating device constituted by a thermistor of negative temperature coefficient, called CTN. In a variant embodiment with only one of the two surfaces 8, 9 that is heated, the other surface contributing only to the tightening of the hair strand for conditioning, said treatment unit comprises only two thermistors of positive temperature coefficient and two thermistors of negative temperature coefficient, or in certain common variants, a single thermistor of negative temperature coefficient that measures the temperature of the two thermistors of positive temperature coefficient.

As illustrated in fig. 2, the first arm 5 of the portable treatment unit 2 comprises teeth 12 which are arranged side by side in a longitudinal direction defined by an axis x1. These teeth are arranged in proximity and along the surface 9, in the downstream part of this surface 9 on the first arm 5. During styling, the treatment unit 2 is displaced in the downstream direction illustrated by the arrow 13 in figs. 2 and 3, which first allows hair 14 to pass between the teeth and then, in a second moment, to be caught between the surfaces 8, 9 of the two arms 5, 6 in the closed position.

As illustrated in figs. 3 and 4, each tooth 12 comprises two holes 15, 16 that communicate by connecting means that can be a conduit 17 with the vaporization chamber 11. These holes 15, 16 are provided in the position of each other. Thus, as illustrated in fig. 4, the second hole 16a of a first tooth 12a is disposed in front of the first hole 15b of a second tooth 12b adjacent to the first tooth 12a. The same happens between all teeth 12, 12a, 12b adjacent to each other. When steam is created in the vaporization chamber 11, it penetrates in the direction of the arrow 18a into the duct 17 and then exits in the direction of the dates 18b, 18c through the holes 15, 16, 15b, 16a of each tooth 12, 12a, 12b, as illustrated in fig. 4. Thus, as illustrated in fig. 3, the hairs 14 arranged between two adjacent teeth 12a, 12b, receive steam projected in the direction of the dates 18b, 18c, which allows vaporizing the two opposite sides of the hairs 14 passing between said adjacent teeth 12a, 12b.

Design variants of the hairdressing apparatus 1 can be considered. A comb (not shown) can be arranged along an axis parallel to the axis X1 of the teeth 12, between said teeth 12 and the edge 9a of the surface 9 of the first arm 5, in the area 19 illustrated in fig. 2. This comb can comprise rigid or semi-rigid teeth, that is hairs of natural or synthetic material. In addition, this comb can be removably fixed or not in said area 19 indicated in fig. 3. For example, the comb can be molded directly into the material at the level of this zone 19 or the comb can be mounted on a slide on a strip arranged at the level of said zone 19. During combing, after the passage of the hair between the teeth 12 and their vaporization, the comb makes it possible to fine-tune the separation of the hair before it is pressed between the two surfaces 8, 9. The comb can be made entirely of plastic, for example thermoplastic, more particularly polybutylene terephthalate (PBT ).

Variations of conception can be considered in the context of the invention. A hairdressing apparatus can be conceived in which the teeth 12 are equipped with a specific heating device. For example, the arm 5 can comprise teeth 12 that have the aforementioned characteristics related to vaporization and, which are conceived of a material that has a good thermal conduction, these teeth 12 being connected to a thermistor of positive temperature coefficient, called CTP , allowing a thermistor of negative temperature coefficient, called CTN, the measurement of the temperature of the teeth 12. The teeth can leave the lid of the vaporization chamber that is heated by a CTP. It is thus possible to provide a hairdressing apparatus comprising both teeth 12 heaters and heating surfaces 8, 9. In this case the teeth 12 ensure, in addition to a vaporization of the hair 14, a preheating of these hairs 14 before their eventual combing and then their pinching and heating between the two heating surfaces 8, 9.

It is also possible to provide a single-arm hairdressing apparatus comprising teeth 12, which have the aforementioned characteristics. Such a hairdressing apparatus may have a complementary comb with teeth or hairs with a view to combing or brushing the hair. It can also have a heating treatment surface 8.

Several rows of teeth 12 can also be provided, depending on the configuration of the hairdressing apparatus 1.

Other features may be considerable without departing from the scope of the invention, in particular as regards the implementation of vaporization means on the hairdressing apparatus. As an example, one could provide for example a mini-water tank arranged directly on the arm 5 and delete the base 3. On the contrary, the thermistor of positive temperature coefficient could be displaced in base 3 so that it directly creates the steam in this base 3, and then route the steam to the vaporization chamber 11.

Claims (6)

1. Hairdressing apparatus (1) comprising a portable treatment unit (2) configured to treat hair by heating which includes means of vaporization (11) and two arms (5, 6) configured to form a tape provided with two surfaces (8, 9) facing each other that allow concomitantly the seizure of 5 a tuft of hair (14) the first arm (5) comprising a vaporization chamber (11), teeth (12) arranged next to each other configured to project steam on the hair and arranged in a longitudinal direction, and means of connection (17) of the vaporization chamber to the teeth characterized in that the teeth (12) each comprise two steam projection holes (15, 16) oriented in opposition to each other according to the longitudinal direction, being arranged facing the adjacent steam projection holes of 10 two alternative teeth. 2. The hairdressing apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the portable treatment unit (2) comprises a comb arranged adjacently along the teeth (12). 3. Hairdressing apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the teeth (12) comprise heating means. The hairdressing apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the treatment unit (2) Portable comprises heating means of at least one of the two surfaces (8, 9) on the two arms (5, 6). 5. Hairdressing apparatus (1) according to claim 4, wherein the two surfaces (8, 9) are equipped with heating means. 6. Hairdressing apparatus (1) according to one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the comb is positioned between the surface (9) of the first arm (5) and the teeth (12). 7. Hairdressing apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the surfaces (8, 9) are configured to allow hair straightening, curling and / or embossing.