Compact hair curling iron

;i "` t i BACKGROUND OF THE INV~NTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to hair curling irons and more particularly to curling irons having a heatable hair curling assembly which folds into . 5 a concave portion of a curling iron handle.

escrlption of the Prior Art Apparatus for curlin~ hair comprii3ing a tubular heat canducting : ~ v~f0/~ 61y-S~jap e~ member and a ~ L~ ompressive gripping element e~tending from one end of a handle and a plug connected to an electrical cord ex',' tending ~rom an opposite end of the handle are well known in the prior art i~ An external surface of the tubular member is heated to a temperature suitable for curling hair by a heating element in thermal contact with the , tubular member. A tress of hair is held against the tubuIar member by ~ , the compressive gripping element and then wrapped around the gripping l 15 1 element and the tubular member so that heat from the tubular member can.~ !!

cause the hair tre~ss to adopt ~he shape of the tubular member.

¦ At times, a user may ~ish to carry the curling iron in a pocket or purse to a place outside of the home. The length of the conventional curling iron consist~ng of the tubular member projacting from one end of i the handle could exceed more than 3~ cm~ It will be appreciate~ t~at a , long curling iron in combination with a cumbersome cora, which tends to become tangled and twisted~ presents an inconvenient package for easy transportation. An attempt to reduce the length of the curling iron by telescoping the tubular member into the handle is disclosed in German 2~ ' Patent No. 2,246,273 published March 8~ 1973, entltled "Curllng Iron~ : and standing in the name of Sadao Shimizo, Toyko, Japan.

However, the ~-~ . ,- .' . I ~ - 3 . j. ". ' '''',' ' ''' ' ' ' '1, ~0~9l)'1 2 - ~ prior ar~ does not discl.ose a por~able cllrling iron having a pl.lg and ~ubu.lar member arranged to fold into a concave portion of a curling iron l~andle, thus eliminating the need for a cumbersome cord and providing a convenient package for carrying in a purse or pocket.

Accordingly, a hair curling iron is disclosed in which a plug and tubular member are connected to a mounting member so that they may fold into a cuncave portion of a curling iron handle.

: 10 Summary of the Invention Broadly speaking, therefore~ the present invention provides a hair curling iron comprising: a tubular member for engaging the hair; an electrical heating element for heating the tubular member; mounting means having a cavity, a first end and a second end, the irst end being connected to one end of the tubular member; plug means for conducting current .` ~o the heating element, the plug means being pivotally connected to the mo.unting means in such a manner as to extend outwardly ; - from the mounting member for connection to a source of `~ electrical current in a first posi~ion and to withdraw within the cavity in the mounting means in a second position; and a handle having a concave portion, ~he handle being pivo~ally connected ~o the second end of the mounting means and arranged to fold over and cover the plug and tubular member with the mounting means and the tubular member being received in the concave handle portion when the plug is in the second position~ These and other featores of the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying i 30 drawings;

`. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal view, partially in section?

of a preferred embodimen~ of th:e invention.

4 ~ dap/~. . A .` ' ' ' ' ' ' ~65~ Figu~e 2 is a long:i~udinal view, partially in section, of the hair curling iron in a compact condition.

Figure 3 is a cross-section of the hair curling iron in a compact condition.

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'~ Description of the Preferred Embodi~ent ~ Referring to Fîgure 1~ there is shown a longitudinal view, ;j partially in section, of a hair curlihg iron 10 havin~ hair curling means : co~prising a heatable hair curling assembly and a mounting me~ber 21 exeending from an end 12 of a handle 13.

The h~ir curling a~se~ly 11, mo~ntin~ m~mb2r 21 and an electrical plug 14 are arranged to fold into a co~ca~e portio~ 15 of the handle 13 to provide a convenient package for carrylng in a pocket or purse (Figures 2 and 3).

The hair curling assembly 11 comprises a heat conducting tubular member 16 and an internally disposed pEior art electric heating element 17 for converting electrical energy to . ,~ ther~al euergy.

As an ex~mple, the heating element 17 may include a core 18 . . of heat conducting and elect~ically insulating material supporting a coil . . 19 of resistive wire.

The core lô is designed to provide a thermal path . ~ to the tubular member l6 by being in frictional contact with an internal ¦ 15 , wall 20 of the tubular member 16.

The hair curling assembly 11 is connected to one end 40 of a mounting member 21 having a cavity 22. The plug 14 is pivotally attached-to the mounting member 21 by a pivot pin 23 shown so tha~ . the plug 14 may pivotally move from a position ~here plug conductors 24 and 25 project ou~wardly from the-mounting member 21 (shc,~n in phantom) to a ~ 20 , posi~ion where the plug 14 and plug conductors 24 and 25 are received in : " th~ cavity 22. A cable ~6 is connected to provide a current conducting . ~ path bet~een the plug conductors 24 and 25 and the coil 19 of resistive ;' wire in the heating element 17.

' Th2 handle 13 is pivotally attached to an end 27 of the mounting - .' ~ 2~ ' member 21 by a pivot pin 28 so that the curling assembly 11 and plug 14 may .

i ' ~old or pivotally move into the handle concave portion 15, as shown in ~igures 2 and 3. When unfolded and ready for use, a locking assembly 29 is arranged to hold the handle 13 substantially col-inear with the curlîng . ...... . .-. I . ~ . .. . . ' i.

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assembly 11.

The locking assembly 29 comprises a slot 30 in the mounting t meF,ber 21t a slot 31 in the handle 13, and a lockinv bar 32 desiOned to slide for~ardly from the handle slot 31 to the mountin,7 member slot 30 to provide a brid~e between the mounting member 21 and handle 13.

The plug 14 is pivotally moved from the mounting member cavity 22 so that the plug conductors 24 and 25 project outwardly from the mounting, mem~er 21.

The coil 19 of resi~tive ~ire conducts current and generates heat when the , outwardly projecting plug conductors Z4 and 25 are connected to a source ~' of electrical energy such as a receptacle, not shown.

The heat generated 'i by the coil 19 is conducted to an external surface 33 of the tubular member 1` 16.

When the external surace 33 of the tubular member 16 reaches a ¦ temperatuxe suitable for curling hair, the plug 14 is disconnected from ! ~,, the receptacle.

Means for indicating a hair curl m g temperature include i' a temFerature sensitive disk 34 of thermally sensitive material which changescolor from red to black when the tubular member surface temperature exceeds ~ il 130C.

The disc 3~may be visibly displayed on a conformably-shaped clamp g ,, 35 pivotally connected to the'tubular member 16 near an end 36, The'clamp 35 ,~ i5 spring biase~ to normally be in frictional contact with tube surface 33 but Day be pivotally moved away from the'tube surface 33 by depressing an 2~ upraised clamp end 37. A tress o hair inserted between the'tubular member 16 and raised clamp 35 is held against the heated external surface 3~ of the ii tubular member 16 when pressure o~ the clamp end 37 is released.

The clamped I ' , tress of hair may be wound around the heated clamp 35 and tubular member 16 1 whereby the heated surfaces 35 and 33 cause the hair to become plastici~ed and adopt the shape of the tubular member 16.

Several tresses of hair may ' ~ be curled in this manner until the generated heat is finally di~sipated, whereupon the heat generating cycle discussed above may be repeated.

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After use, a tip 38 connected to an end 39 of the tubular member 16 and formed from heat insulating material, ;- such as polysulfone is grasped by a user while moving the locking bar 32 rearwardly toward the handle 13 out of the - mounting member groove 30 so that the curling assembly 11 and :- plug 14 may be folded into the handle concave portion 15.

It will be appreciated that when folded, the overall length of the curling iron 10 is substantially reduced and no cumbersome cord or projecting plug are present. In addition, the folded handle 13 protects the hair curling assembly 11 and plug 14 from damage while being transported.

One embodiment of the invention has been shown and described by way of example only. Various other embodiments and modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and will fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

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