Hair styling device

Abstract

A hair styling device includes a base; and a plurality of pins having respective first ends connected to a first side of the base, and spaced from each other. The base and the pins are produced from a single-layer flexible workpiece. Two of the plurality of pins are connected to each other at respective second ends opposite to the first ends, thereby forming a bistable mechanism that is capable of switching between concave-convex positions in response to an external force, and at least another two of the plurality of pins have free second ends opposite to the first ends, thereby forming a second branch layered from the first branch. The first branch is switched to a concave position relative to the second branch to create a space for receiving or releasing hair, and switched to a convex position relative to the second branch to close the space for securing hair.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hair styling device, comprising:
 a base; and   a plurality of pins having respective first ends connected to a first side of the base, and spaced from each other,   wherein the base and the plurality of pins are produced from a single-layer flexible workpiece,   at least two of the plurality of pins are connected to each other at respective second ends opposite to the first ends, thereby forming a bistable mechanism that is capable of switching between concave-convex positions in response to an external force, and at least another two of the plurality of pins have free second ends opposite to the first ends, thereby forming a second branch layered from the first branch, and   the first branch is switched to a concave position relative to the second branch to create a space for receiving or releasing hair, and switched to a convex position relative to the second branch to close the space for securing hair.   
     
     
         2 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1 , wherein all the pins forming the second branch are disposed between the pins forming the first branch. 
     
     
         3 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pins forming the second branch are not all disposed between the pins forming the first branch. 
     
     
         4 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pins forming the second branch is a composite pin formed by connecting two of the plurality of pins at respective second ends opposite to the first ends, thereby forming a bistable mechanism that is capable of switching between concave-convex positions in response to an external force. 
     
     
         5 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1 , wherein shapes of the pins forming the second branch are selected from a group consisting of lines, curves, waves and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1 , wherein adjacent two of the pins forming the second branch have respective lateral extensive structures protruding toward each other, and the lateral extensive structures are deformable to retain a resilient force when compressed by hair entering the space between the first branch and the second branch, thereby further securing hair in the hair styling device. 
     
     
         7 . The hair styling device according to  claim 6 , wherein the lateral extensive structures are thinner than the pins connected thereto, and have conformable shapes to each other. 
     
     
         8 . The hair styling device according to  claim 6 , wherein lateral extensive structures are produced from the single-layer flexible workpiece together with the base and the plurality of pins. 
     
     
         9 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1 , further comprising mini-posts protruding from a specified surface of the pins forming the second branch. 
     
     
         10 . The hair styling device according to  claim 9 , further comprising mini-posts protruding from a specified surface of the pins forming the first branch. 
     
     
         11 . The hair styling device according to  claim 10 , wherein the specified surface of the pins forming the second branch is the surface facing the first branch, and the specified surface of the pins forming the first branch is the surface facing the second branch. 
     
     
         12 . The hair styling device according to  claim 10 , wherein the mini-posts protruding from the specified surface of the pins forming the first branch are and the mini-posts protruding from the specified surface of the pins forming the second branch are produced from the single-layer flexible workpiece together with the base and the plurality of pins. 
     
     
         13 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary structure connected to a second side of the base opposite to the first side, and disposed at a side of the second branch opposite to the first branch. 
     
     
         14 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the single-layer flexible workpiece is made of metal, plastic or paper. 
     
     
         15 . A method for producing a hair styling device as recited in  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing a metal sheet;   stamping the metal sheet to obtain the single-layer flexible workpiece defining with the base and the plurality of pins; and   connecting the at least two pins for forming the first branch.   
     
     
         16 . A method for producing a hair styling device as recited in  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing an injection-molded plastic sheet as the single-layer flexible workpiece defining with the base and the plurality of pins; and   connecting the at least two pins for forming the first branch.   
     
     
         17 . A method for producing a hair styling device as recited in  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing a 3D printed material sheet as the single-layer flexible workpiece defining with the base and the plurality of pins; and   connecting the at least two pins for forming the first branch.