Curling iron apparatus with releasable clamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9232839-B2
Application number	US-201414199059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2014
Priority date	Mar 6, 2014
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

A hair curling apparatus includes a handle, a barrel depending from the handle, and dimensioned to accommodate a lock of hair wrapped thereabout and a clamp releasably mounted relative to one of the barrel or the handle. The clamp includes a spoon which is adapted to move relative to the one of the barrel or the handle between a closed position and an open position. The spoon engages the lock of hair when in the closed position. The curling iron apparatus has both clamp and clampless capabilities, thus providing the user with styling flexibility.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hair curling apparatus, which comprises:
a handle;
a barrel depending from the handle and defining a longitudinal barrel axis, the barrel dimensioned to accommodate a lock of hair wrapped thereabout; and
a clamp releasably mounted relative to one of the barrel or the handle, the clamp including:
a spoon mount dimensioned to releasably couple with the one of the barrel or the handle, the spoon mount having a mount base and a lock, the mount base including first and second spaced depending legs defining a gap therebetween for at least partially accommodating the one of the barrel or the handle, the lock being pivotally mounted to the first depending leg and adapted to pivot between a release position and a secured position, wherein, in the secured position, the lock securely engages the second depending leg thereby securing the spoon mount to the one of the barrel or the handle; and
a spoon mounted to the spoon mount and adapted to move relative to the one of the barrel or the handle between a closed position and an open position, the spoon engaging the lock of hair when in the closed position;

wherein one of the barrel and the mount base includes a key and the other of the barrel and the mount base includes a key slot dimensioned to receive the key when the clamp is mounted to the barrel.

2. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the spoon mount is dimensioned to releasably couple with the barrel, the spoon pivotally mounted to the spoon mount.

3. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the lock includes a lock detent and the second depending leg of the mount base includes a lock shelf, the lock detent dimensioned to engage the lock shelf when in the secured position of the lock.

4. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the barrel defines a recessed barrel segment having a reduced cross-section, the first and second depending legs of the mount base at least partially accommodated within the recessed barrel segment when the clamp is mounted to the barrel.

5. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the first and second depending legs each define a longitudinal dimension approximating a longitudinal dimension of the recessed barrel segment.

6. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the spoon is adapted for pivotal movement between the closed position and the open position thereof.

7. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the spoon is normally biased to the closed position by a spring.

8. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the key and the key slot are dimensioned to cooperate to prevent rotational movement of the spoon mount relative to the barrel upon positioning of the mount base within the recessed barrel segment.

9. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the lock is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis, the pivot axis being substantially parallel to the longitudinal barrel axis.

10. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the lock is free from bias toward both the release position and the secured position.

11. A hair curling apparatus, which comprises:
a handle;
a barrel depending from the handle and defining a longitudinal barrel axis, the barrel dimensioned to accommodate a lock of hair wrapped thereabout; and
a spoon adapted to move relative to the barrel between a closed position and an open position, the spoon engaging the lock of hair when in the closed position; and
a spoon mount to which the spoon is mounted, the spoon mount including a mount base and a lock, the mount base having first and second spaced depending legs dimensioned to at least partially accommodate the barrel, the lock being pivotally mounted to the first depending leg and having a lock detent, the lock adapted to pivot between a release position permitting removal of the spoon mount and the spoon from the barrel and a secured position where the lock detent of the first depending leg engages a lock shelf of the second depending leg thereby securing the spoon mount to the barrel.

12. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the barrel includes a recessed barrel segment adjacent the handle defining a reduced cross-sectional dimension or diameter relative to a corresponding cross-sectional dimension or diameter of a remaining segment of the barrel, the recessed barrel segment of the barrel dimensioned to at least partially accommodate the mount base.

13. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the first and second depending legs are dimensioned and positioned to receive the recessed barrel segment upon positioning of the mount base within the recessed barrel segment.

14. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the first and second depending legs each define a longitudinal dimension approximating a longitudinal dimension of the recessed barrel segment.

15. The hair curling apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the lock is adapted to pivot about a pivot axis between the release position and the secured position, the pivot axis in general parallel relation with the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

16. A hair curling apparatus, which comprises:
a handle;
a barrel depending from the handle and defining a longitudinal barrel axis, the barrel dimensioned to accommodate a lock of hair wrapped thereabout, the barrel including a recessed barrel segment adjacent the handle defining a reduced cross-sectional dimension or diameter relative to a corresponding cross-sectional dimension or diameter of a remaining segment of the barrel;
a spoon adapted to move relative to the barrel between a closed position and an open position, the spoon engaging the lock of hair when in the closed position; and
a spoon mount to which the spoon is mounted, the spoon mount including a mount base and a lock, the mount base having first and second spaced depending legs dimensioned to be received within the recessed barrel segment of the barrel upon positioning of the mount base within the recessed barrel segment, the first and second depending legs each defining a longitudinal dimension approximating a longitudinal dimension of the recessed barrel segment, the lock being pivotally mounted to the first depending leg and having a lock detent, the second depending leg includes a lock shelf, the lock adapted to pivot between a release position permitting removal of the spoon mount and the spoon from the barrel and a secured position where the lock detent engages the lock shelf thereby securing the spoon mount to the barrel.

Assignees

• Conair

Inventors

• Hein Duane Charles

Classifications

• A45D1/14

  the jaws being separable from each other · CPC title

• A45D1/10

  with a rotatable handle sleeve · CPC title

• A45D2001/045

  the power being supplied by batteries · CPC title

• A45D1/04 Primary

  by electricity · CPC title

• A45D1/28

  with means for controlling or indicating the temperature · CPC title