Hair straightener

Abstract

A hair straightening and / or pressing device for straightening and / or pressing coarse, thick, ethnic, kinky or curly hair can include two arms connected pivotally at one end. The arms can have opposing surfaces that can be heated. The heated surfaces can be featureless or include features. One or both surfaces can have rows of closely spaced, parallel blade shaped tines extending across substantially the entire width of the surface from one side of the device to another side of the device. The hair straightening device can have at least two different temperature settings selectable by a user. In certain implementations, one temperature setting may be lower than the other two settings and at a temperature that is not optimal for straightening hair. The other two temperature settings may be set to a temperature that is optimal for straightening hair of different types.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 612,883 filed Mar. 19, 2012 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 613,257 filed Mar. 20, 2012, each of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]Some of the present embodiments relate to hair styling devices, for example, hair straightening devices and pressing irons for straightening and / or pressing hair.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]A variety of devices are available for styling hair, such as curling irons, curlers, flat irons, hair straighteners, blow dryers, etc. Many of these devices function by incorporating an internal or external heating source for heating a surface of the device that contacts the hair to treat or style it. Other devices, such as blow dryers, heat and blow a stream of air onto the hair.[0006]Thick, coarse, ethnic, curly, and / or kinky hair is particularly difficult to straig...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]An aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that certain configurations of the heating surfaces of pressing-type hair straightening devices with blades incorporated into one or more heated plates can provide better performance, requiring less time and fewer passes to obtain the desired straightening and / or pressing. For example, some known pressing-type hair straightening / pressing devices (e.g., typical flat plate iron) can include teeth or spikes.

[0008]Another aspect of at least one of the present inventions includes the realization that using heating blades greatly reduces sticking and tangling that is associated with hair straightening devices that include teeth. Thus, in some embodiments, a hair straightening device includes one or more heating portions with blade-shaped heated surfaces. Such a configuration has been found to reduce sticking and tangling, thereby making it easier to straighten and / or press to the desired degree, hair that is thick, coarse, ethnic, curly, and / or kinky.

[0009]Yet another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that some hair (e.g., thick, coarse, ethnic, curly, and / or kinky hair, etc.) can be more easily straightened with a pressing type hair straightener device if more than one temperature setting is used. Thus, for example, some hair that is particularly coarse, curly and / or kinky can be more difficult to straighten by passing a known pressing type straightening iron (e.g., the typical flat plate iron) over the hair. It has been found that starting with a first temperature, and then making additional passes over the hair with an iron incorporating a heated plate with blades can help obtain the desired straightness or pressing more quickly (e.g., with fewer passes).

Problems solved by technology

Thick, coarse, ethnic, curly, and / or kinky hair is particularly difficult to straighten properly with a typical flat plate iron type of hair-straightener.

In some instances, hair with these types of textures can cause sticking or tangling in the hair straightening device during straightening.

Thicker hair may also not be evenly or properly heated or straightened by the flat plate iron type device.

Thus, for example, some hair that is particularly coarse, curly and / or kinky can be more difficult to straighten by passing a known pressing type straightening iron (e.g., the typical flat plate iron) over the hair.

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