Electric hair straightening and waving iron

Abstract

A first jaw is fixed to the handle of the iron, with a second heated jaw and clamp connected by a pivot to the first jaw. Complementary flat surfaces on the first and second jaws allow hair to be straightened therebetween and complementary curved faces on the clamp and second jaw provide for hair held therebetween to be waved. Both jaws and the clamp have apertures in which a latch is received. The latch is moveable substantially parallel to the transverse axis of the pivot between a first position for connecting the second jaw and the clamp together for pivoting relative to the first jaw and a second position, for connecting the first and second jaws together, while permitting relative pivoting of the clamp.

1 . A hair styling iron comprising:
 a handle;   first and second elongate jaws extending from the handle and having respective inner and outer faces, the inner faces being of complementary shape and facing one another, at least one of the first and second jaws being heated;   a clamp having a clamp face of complementary shape to, and presented toward, the outer face of the second jaw;   a transversely-extending pivot connecting the second jaw and clamp to the first jaw for independent pivoting of the second jaw and the clamp relative to the first jaw and the handle;   latch apertures in the first jaw, the second jaw and the clamp;   a latch received in the latch apertures, the latch being moveable transversely between a first position and a second position,   buttons on transversely opposing sides of the handle for moving the latch; wherein
 in the first position, the latch connects the second jaw and the clamp together for pivoting relative to the first jaw, and, 
   in the second position, the latch connects the first and second jaws together, while permitting relative pivoting of the clamp.   
   
   
       2 . The iron of  claim 1  wherein the apertures in the first jaw and the clamp are slotted, each aperture having a narrow portion opening into a wide portion, and the latch is elongate, having at least one waist which, in the first and second positions, may be received in the narrow portion of the aperture in the first jaw and the clamp, respectively. 
   
   
       3 . The iron of  claim 2  wherein the latch has a cylindrical outer latch face and the aperture in the second jaw, and the wide portion of each slotted aperture has complementary cylindrical surfaces. 
   
   
       4 . The iron of  claim 2  wherein the latch extends substantially parallel to the pivot on an opposite side of the pivot from the jaws. 
   
   
       5 . The iron of  claim 1  wherein the inner faces of the jaws are substantially flat. 
   
   
       6 . The iron of  claim 1  wherein the outer faces of the jaws are convex and the clamp face is concave such that with the pivot in the second position, hair wound about both jaws can be held against the jaws by the clamp for waving. 
   
   
       7 . A hair styling iron comprising:
 a handle;   a first elongate jaw fixedly connected to the handle;   a second elongate jaw enclosing an electric element, the first and second jaws having respective inner and outer faces, the inner faces being of complementary shape and facing one another,   a clamp having a clamp face of complementary shape to, and presented toward, the outer face of the second jaw;   a transversely-extending pivot connecting the second jaw and the clamp to the first jaw for independent pivoting of the second jaw and the clamp relative to the first jaw and handle;   latch apertures in the first jaw, the second jaw and the clamp, the apertures in the first jaw and the clamp being slotted with having a narrow portion opening into a wide portion;   an elongate latch extending substantially parallel to the pivot, the latch being slidably received in the latch apertures for transverse movement between a first position and a second position, the latch having at least one waist;   first and second buttons on transversely opposing sides of the handle, whereby pressing the first or second button moves the latch to the first or second position, respectively, wherein   in the first position, the latch connects the second jaw and the clamp together, and the waist may be received in the narrow portion of the aperture in the first jaw, allowing the second jaw and the clamp to pivot relative to the first jaw; and,   in the second position, the latch connects the first and second jaws together, and the waist may be received in the narrow portion of the aperture in the clamp, allowing pivoting of the clamp relative to the first and second jaws.