Hair straightening and styling appliance

Abstract

A handheld hair styling appliance 1 has an electric motor 19, electric heat element 21, and hair engaging elements 10, 11, 12 including a set of stationary extending parts with respective shearing edges 40, 41 and a set of movable extending parts having respective shearing edges 31, 32, whereby when the moving parts move relative to and in proximity with the stationary parts, the respective shearing edges of each cooperate to compress strands of hair therebetween. The movable parts are spring-mounted to a carriage 29 and are urged into close proximity with the stationary parts, such that constant pressure is applied to hair strands positioned therebetween.

1 . A hair styling appliance comprising:
 a handle portion;   a head portion coaxially aligned with said handle portion on a first axis;   a hair engaging assembly comprising a stationary hair engaging member extending along a second axis which said second axis extends at a generally right angle from said first axis, and a dynamic hair engaging member extending along said second axis;   a stationary shearing edge defined on said stationary member; and   a dynamic shearing edge defined on said dynamic member, said stationary shearing edge and said dynamic shearing edge being positioned adjacent to each other such that a strand of hair can be positioned and compressed between said respective shearing edges.   
   
   
       2 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a spring for causing said dynamic shearing edge to be biased toward said stationary shearing edge.   
   
   
       3 . An appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein said spring resistance is selectively adjustable. 
   
   
       4 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 an electric motor;   an electric fan; and   control switches for selectively controlling each of said motor and said fan.   
   
   
       5 . An appliance according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 an angled surface on said dynamic member adapted to initially contact a user's hair and to guide force applied to said dynamic member by said hair in a direction against said spring in order to bias and move said dynamic member in a direction opposed to said spring.   
   
   
       6 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said stationary member has a central opening sized and shaped to receive said dynamic element at least partially therein, and said stationary shearing edge is defined by a surface along the inner edge of said central opening, and said dynamic shearing edge is defined by a surface along the outer edge of said dynamic element.