Multi-Angle Adjustable Curling Iron

Abstract

A curling iron providing angular adjustment of a heatable wand to a handle is disclosed. The curling iron comprises a pivot joint between the elongated handle and the elongated heatable wand. A manual detent is biased to constrain the pivot joint against rotation, thereby locking the elongated heatable wand in a selected position relative to the handle, and to release the wand for adjustment to another position. Release and adjustment may be performed by operating a manual control to release the pivot joint and rotating a wheel of the pivot joint to adjust angle of the wand relative to the handle. Alternatively, a single manual control can be manipulated to both release the pivot joint and also adjust the angle of the wand.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A curling iron providing angular adjustment of a heatable wand to a handle, the curling iron comprising:
 an elongated handle having a longitudinal axis;   an elongated heatable wand;   a pivot joint between the elongated handle and the elongated heatable wand, the pivot joint comprising an axle pin anchored within the elongated handle and a pivot wheel rotatable about the axle pin, wherein
 the elongated heatable wand is fixed to the pivot wheel, and 
 the pivot wheel is at least partially exposed to finger contact proximate the elongated handle; and 
   a manual detent biased to constrain the pivot wheel against rotation about the axle pin and manually releasable to permit the pivot wheel to rotate about the axle pin.   
     
     
         2 . The curling iron of  claim 1 , wherein
 the pivot wheel comprises a circumferential surface and a plurality of recesses in the circumferential surface, and   the manual detent comprises a protuberance configured and dimensioned to partially occupy each one of the recesses, and a biasing member arranged to bias the protuberance to occupy one of the recesses.   
     
     
         3 . The curling iron of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot wheel is exposed to finger contact on one side of the elongated handle, and the manual detent comprises a finger contact surface on another side of the elongated handle, wherein pressure against the finger contact surface of the manual detent withdraws the protuberance from that one of the recesses occupied by the protuberance. 
     
     
         4 . The curling iron of  claim 3 , wherein the detent responds to finger pressure withdrawing the protuberance from the recess in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle. 
     
     
         5 . The curling iron of  claim 3 , wherein the biasing member comprises a spring seated at one end in the elongated handle. 
     
     
         6 . The curling iron of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot wheel has diameters greater than any diameter of the elongated handle. 
     
     
         7 . The curling iron of  claim 6 , wherein the pivot wheel has diameters greater than any diameter of the heatable wand. 
     
     
         8 . The curling iron of  claim 1 , wherein the heatable wand includes an electrical resistance heating element, and the curling iron further comprises electrical circuitry connected to the electrical resistance heating element and a switch controlling electrical power to the electrical resistance heating element, the switch having a switch operator accessible from the elongated handle. 
     
     
         9 . The curling iron of  claim 8 , wherein the electrical circuitry includes a power cord terminating in a pronged plug. 
     
     
         10 . The curling iron of  claim 8 , further comprising a temperature sensor in heat sensing relation to the electrical resistance heating element, and a temperature indicator visible to view. 
     
     
         11 . The curling iron of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot joint can accommodate angular adjustment of the heatable wand within a one hundred eighty degree range relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle. 
     
     
         12 . The curling iron of  claim 11 , wherein the one hundred eighty degree range extends ninety degrees from the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle in one direction, and ninety degrees from the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle in an opposed direction. 
     
     
         13 . The curling iron of  claim 1 , wherein the heatable wand is adjustable to any one of a plurality of discrete selectable positions relative to the elongated handle. 
     
     
         14 . The curling iron of  claim 13 , wherein the heatable wand has a longitudinal axis, and in one of the selectable positions, the longitudinal axis of the heatable wand is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle. 
     
     
         15 . A curling iron providing angular adjustment of a heatable wand to a elongated handle, the curling iron comprising:
 an elongated handle having a longitudinal axis;   a heatable wand;   a pivot joint between the elongated handle and the heatable wand, the pivot joint comprising an axle pin anchored within the elongated handle and a pivot wheel rotatable about the axle pin, wherein the heatable wand is fixed to the pivot wheel; and   a manual detent biased to constrain the pivot wheel against rotation about the axle pin and manually releasable to permit the pivot wheel to rotate about the axle pin, and connected to the pivot wheel to rotate the pivot wheel about the axle pin.   
     
     
         16 . The curling iron of  claim 15 , wherein
 the pivot wheel comprises a circumferential surface and a plurality of recesses in the circumferential surface, and   the manual detent comprises a protuberance configured and dimensioned to partially occupy each one of the recesses, and a biasing member arranged to bias the protuberance to occupy one of the recesses.   
     
     
         17 . The curling iron of  claim 15 , wherein the heatable wand includes an electrical resistance heating element, and the curling iron further comprises electrical circuitry connected to the electrical resistance heating element and a switch controlling electrical power to the electrical resistance heating element, the switch having a switch operator accessible from the elongated handle. 
     
     
         18 . The curling iron of  claim 17 , further comprising a temperature sensor in heat sensing relation to the electrical resistance heating element, and a temperature indicator visible to view. 
     
     
         19 . The curling iron of  claim 15 , wherein the pivot joint can accommodate angular adjustment of the heatable wand within a one hundred eighty degree range relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle. 
     
     
         20 . The curling iron of  claim 19 , wherein the heatable wand is adjustable to any one of a plurality of discrete selectable positions relative to the elongated handle.