Hair Curler

Abstract

A hair curler (1) includes a base body (2) including a center portion (3) being designed and arranged to support hair to be wound up. The hair curler (1) includes a first thermochromic substance (20) being designed and arranged to indicate a first temperature during a temperature increase of the hair curler (1) within a first temperature range by a first color change. The hair curler (1) includes a second thermochromic substance (35) being designed and arranged to indicate a lower second temperature during a temperature decrease of the hair curler (1) within a lower second temperature range by a second color change.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to co-pending German Patent Application No. DE 10 2008 007 539.6 entitled “Lockenwickler und seine Verwendung”, filed Feb. 5, 2008.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to a hair curler including a base body including a center portion being designed and arranged for winding up human hair to attain curls. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hair curler including thermochromic substances for indicating temperatures by a color change.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]A hair curler is known from German Patent Application No. DE 198 43 800 A1. The known hair curler includes a base body preferably being made of plastic and being surrounded by a cover made of plastic foam. The cover made of plastic foam may include a thermochromic substance which indicates a temperature by a color change during a temperature increase.[0004]Hair curlers of various shapes and designs a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The novel hair curler allows the user of the hair curler to easily make the correct decision when to stop blow-drying and how long to keep the hair curler in place before removing it. The novel hair curler is especially suitable for use at home. However, the novel hair curler may also be used by professionals in hairdresser's shops.

[0008]The novel hair curler includes a base body or a different portion including a first thermochromic substance and a second thermochromic substance. These thermochromic substances may be incorporated in the material of the base body such that the entire base body includes the thermochromic substances. However, it is also possible to only apply the thermochromic substances to a part of the base body. It is even possible to use the thermochromic substances at an element of the hair curler other than the base body, for example at a contact strip surrounding the base body or at a transverse pin serving to fix the base body to the head. The thermochromic substances may also be designed as coatings being applied to at least a part of the base body or to a different part of the hair curler. This especially applies if the material of the base body or of the different part of the hair curler is a comparatively hard plastic material or even metal. The thermochromic substances preferably are located at a part of the base body or of a different part of the hair curler which can be easily seen with the eye after having wound up hair. Consequently, especially the end portions of the base body are suitable for this purpose since these are the portions which are not covered by hair, but by which the hair curler is handled after having wound up the hair. It is also sufficient if only one of these end portions is covered with the thermochromic substances and the thermochromic plastic materials, respectively. It is also possible to arrange the first thermochromic substance in a first end portion of the hair curler and to arrange the second thermochromic substance in the second end portion of the hair curler. In this way, one end portion indicates the desired temperature during blow-drying, and the other end portion indicates the desired temperature during cooling down of the hair. The end portions may be designated in this way for easier handling by the user, for example by an inscription or a label.

[0011]The first thermochromic plastic is added to improve handling of blow-drying. The second thermochromic plastic is used to improve handing during cooling down. In this way, the ending of both processes is clearly indicated to the user by and color change easily visible with the eye.

Problems solved by technology

A problem during use of known hair curlers is the determination of the period of time during which the hair curler needs to be kept in place at the head after having wound up the hair.

If the unwinding process is started too early, there is the danger of the shape of the curls being destroyed and being negatively influenced, respectively.

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