Hair styling apparatus having dual switch and lock actuator

Abstract

In a hair styling apparatus a heating assembly is operable to apply heat to hair. First and second arms are hingedly connected for selective movement relative to each other between an opened configuration and a closed configuration of the hair styling apparatus. The heating assembly includes a hair contact heating surface disposed on at least one of the first and second arms. An actuator is operatively connected to both an operating switch and a lock, with the actuator being moveable between a first position in which, concurrently, the switch is moved to the on position and the lock is moved to the unlocked position and a second position in which, concurrently, the switch is moved to the off position and the lock is moved to the locked position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hair styling apparatus comprising:
 a heating assembly for applying heat to hair;   first and second arms hingedly connected for selective movement relative to each other between an opened configuration and a closed configuration of the hair styling apparatus, the heating assembly including a hair contact heating surface disposed on at least one of the first and second arms;   an operating switch operatively connected to the heating assembly and positionable between an on position in which the heating assembly is on and an off position in which the-heating assembly is off;   a lock operatively connected to at least one of the first and second arms and positionable relative thereto between a locked position in which the first and second arms are locked in the closed configuration of the hair styling apparatus and an unlocked position in which the first and second arms are positionable relative to each other to the opened configuration of the hair styling apparatus; and   an actuator operatively connected to both the operating switch and the lock, the actuator being moveable between a first position in which, concurrently, the switch is moved to the on position and the lock is moved to the unlocked position and a second position in which, concurrently, the switch is moved to the off position and the lock is moved to the locked position.   
     
     
         2 . The hair styling apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the actuator is slidable relative to the first and second arms between the first and second positions of the actuator. 
     
     
         3 . The hair styling apparatus of  claim 2  wherein in the first position of the actuator, the actuator is also rotatable relative to the first and second arms whereby rotation of the actuator selectively controls the operating temperature of the heating assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The hair styling apparatus of  claim 3  wherein rotation of the actuator in a first direction increases the operating temperature of the heating assembly and rotation in a second, opposite direction decreases the operating temperature of the heating assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The hair styling apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the actuator is rotationally biased to a neutral position, rotation of the actuator in a first direction relative to the neutral position increasing the operating temperature of the heating assembly by a predetermined increment, the actuator returning to its neutral position thereafter such that rotating the actuator in the first direction a second time further increases the operating temperature of the heating assembly by the predetermined increment while rotating the actuator in the second direction decreases the operating temperature of the heating assembly by the predetermined increment. 
     
     
         6 . The hair styling apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the predetermined increment is in the range of 10° C. to 30° C. 
     
     
         7 . The hair styling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second arms each have a proximal end, the apparatus comprising a hinge adjacent the proximal end to pivotally connect the first and second arms, the actuator comprising an annular grip circumscribing the proximal ends of the first and second arms of the apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The hair styling apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the grip is grippable by a user of the apparatus to slidably position the grip and hence the actuator between the first and second positions of the actuator. 
     
     
         9 . The hair styling apparatus of  claim 7  wherein in the hinge is configured to bias the first and second arms to the opened configuration of the hair styling apparatus, in the second position of the actuator corresponding to the locked position of the lock, the lock being configured to block the first and second arms against movement relative thereto to the opened configuration of the hair styling apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . An actuator for a hair styling apparatus including a pair of working arms, at least one of the working arms having a heating member, the actuator comprising:
 a switch for turning the heating member on and off;   a grip; and   a switch actuator operatively connected to the grip such that movement of the grip results in movement of the switch actuator, the switch actuator comprising:
 a pair of longitudinally spaced ribs defining a switch opening configured to receive and actuate the switch, and 
 a lock structure comprising an angular locking interface configured to selectively inhibit separation of the working arms. 
   
     
     
         11 . The actuator of  claim 10  wherein the grip is selectively moveable in a linear manner. 
     
     
         12 . The actuator of  claim 10  wherein the grip further comprising a plurality of control electrodes for controlling temperature of the heating member. 
     
     
         13 . The actuator of  claim 10  wherein the lock structure includes an angular locking interface. 
     
     
         14 . The actuator of  claim 10  wherein the grip is rotatable and slideable. 
     
     
         15 . A method of unlocking a pair of arm members of a hair styling device, the method comprising sliding, in a linear manner, an actuator relative to the pair of arm members, the actuator moving a lock structure from an engaged position to a disengage position thereby allow separation of the arm members relative to each other, and simultaneously toggling a switch from an off position to an on position to thereby activate a heating assembly of at least one of the arm members. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein rotating the actuator in a first direction increases an operating temperature of the heating assembly and rotating the actuator in a second direction decreases the operating temperature of the heating assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the pair of arm members are hingedly connected for selective movement relative to each other between an opened configuration and a closed configuration of the hair styling apparatus, wherein sliding the actuator results in the pair of arm members moving about the hinge from the closed configuration to the open configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the hair styling device has a longitudinal axis and sliding the actuator comprises moving the actuator linearly along the longitudinal axis of the hair styling device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the sliding the actuator comprises pulling the actuator in an outward direction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein moving the lock structure causes the lock structure to move out of interfacing relationship with a blocking structure.