Hair styling apparatus

Abstract

A hair styling apparatus comprises a hair containment member for encapsulating an amount of hair and a heating apparatus for heating the hair containment member and the amount of hair encapsulated therein. The hair containment member includes upper and lower surfaces, the amount of hair being encapsulated between the upper and lower surfaces. The heating apparatus comprises first and second arms, each arm having a handle portion coupled to a clamping portion, the arms being coupled to each other adjacent the handle portions, allowing the clamping portions to be moveable relative to each other between an open position and a closed position in which the device encapsulating the amount of hair may be held between the clamping portions. The clamping portion of at least one of the first and second arms houses a heater element With the clamping portion in the closed position the apparatus substantially seals the encapsulated hair during heating thereof against egress of moisture liberated from the encapsulated hair during said heating from the apparatus to the surrounding environment and wherein during cooling, with the heating apparatus removed from the hair containment member, said hair containment member confines substantially moisture between the upper and lower surfaces.

1 . A hair styling apparatus comprising:
 a hair containment member for encapsulating an amount of hair; and   a heating apparatus for heating the hair containment member and the amount of hair encapsulated therein,   wherein the hair containment member includes upper and lower surfaces, the amount of hair being encapsulated between the upper and lower surfaces,   wherein the heating apparatus comprises first and second arms, each arm having a handle portion coupled to a clamping portion, the arms being coupled to each other adjacent the handle portions, allowing the clamping portions to be moveable relative to each other between an open position and a closed position in which the device encapsulating the amount of hair may be held between the clamping portions,   wherein the clamping portion of at least one of the first and second arms houses a heater element and wherein with the clamping portion in the closed position the apparatus substantially seals the encapsulated hair during heating thereof against egress of moisture liberated from the encapsulated hair during said heating from the apparatus to the surrounding environment,   wherein during cooling, with the heating apparatus removed from the hair containment member, said hair containment member confines at least partially moisture between the upper and lower surfaces, and   wherein the said clamping portions of the heating apparatus in said closed position form a chamber, said heating apparatus including seal means comprising a sealing element mounted on at least one of the said clamping portions and adapted to seal the chamber when the heating apparatus is in the said closed position.   
     
     
         2 . A hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus is configured in its closed position to compress the hair containment member between opposing clamping surfaces of the respective clamping portions and to press the peripheral edge regions of upper and lower surfaces of the hair containment member against each other providing a peripheral seal around the hair containment member. 
     
     
         3 . A hair styling apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the hair containment member includes a connector portion extending between and connecting the upper and lower surfaces and wherein in closing the heating apparatus everts the connector portion. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the shape of the hair containment member is one of: circular and rectangular. 
     
     
         6 . A hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the hair containment member is formed of an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         7 . A hair styling apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the elastomeric material is silicone rubber. 
     
     
         8 . A hair styling apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the elastomer has a heat conductivity of between 0.18 and 0.8 W/m·K. 
     
     
         9 . A hair styling apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the combination of the shape and dimension of the hair containment member and the thermal conductivity of the elastomer are such that the temperature of hair contained in the hair curler does not exceed 100 C when subjected to a temperature in the range of 90 C to 235 C for a period of between 15 and 30 seconds. 
     
     
         10 . A hair styling apparatus according to,  claim 1  wherein each of the clamping portions of at least one of the first and second arms houses a heater element. 
     
     
         11 . A hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the clamping portion of the first arm houses a heater element and includes a concave shaped surface heatable by the heater element and the clamping portion of the second arm includes a convex shaped clamping surface, and wherein when the clamping portions are in a closed position, the heatable surface of the first arm and the clamping surface of the second arm press against and seal the upper and lower surfaces of the hair containment member. 
     
     
         12 . A hair styling device according to  claim 11 , further comprising a controller to control the temperature of the convex shaped clamping surface of the second arm. 
     
     
         13 . A hair styling device according to  claim 10 , wherein the temperature of the convex shaped clamping surface of the second arm can be heated to a temperature selected from the group comprising: 0° C., 70° C., 100° C., 220° C., 230° C., and 235° C. 
     
     
         14 . A hair styling device according to  claim 12 , wherein the controller controls the temperature of the heatable surface. 
     
     
         15 . A hair styling device according to  claim 12 , further comprising a temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the heatable surface and/or the clamping surface of the second arm. 
     
     
         16 . A hair styling device according to  claim 11 , wherein the heatable surface may be heated to a temperature of up to 235° C. 
     
     
         17 . A hair styling device according to  claim 11 , wherein the heatable surface is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of: aluminium, steel, and titanium. 
     
     
         18 . A method for forming a curl in hair using the hair styling apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 (a) encapsulating a section of hair in the hair containment member;   (b) heating a heatable surface of the heating apparatus;   (c) grasping the hair containment member between the clamping portions of the hair styling device;   (d) compressing the curl forming apparatus between the clamping surfaces of the heating apparatus for a predetermined period of time; and   (e) releasing the hair containment member from the heating apparatus;   (f) allowing the encapsulated section of hair to cool to a threshold temperature in the hair containment member.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the predetermined period of time is selected from the group consisting of: in the range of one of: 10 to 40 seconds; 10 to 30 seconds; 10 to 20 seconds; 10 to 15 seconds; 15 to 20 seconds; and 18 seconds. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 18 , further comprising an additional step of applying a product to the section of hair prior to step (a), the product selected from the group consisting of: a hair styling product and a heat protection product. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 18 , further comprising an additional step of applying a hair styling product and/or a heat protection product to the section of hair after step (a) and before step (b). 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein the product is a hair styling product that is a keratin based product. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein steps (c) to (f) are repeated at least once. 
     
     
         24 . A hair styling device according to  claim 11 , wherein the heatable surface is coated with a material selected from the group consisting of: ceramic, tourmaline and teflon.