Hair curling roller

Abstract

The present application proposes a hair curling roller for curling hair wherein the hair curling roller is a concave cylindrical body having an oval cross-section and the area of the cross-section varies such that the cross-sectional area of the ends of the roller is greater than the cross-sectional area of the middle portion of the roller. The curling roller is optionally equipped with a hair retention structure that grabs or restricts the movement of the hair during the curling process, and the curling roller may be hollow or solid.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a hair roller, and more particularly to a hair roller having an oval cross-section and a symmetrically concave cylindrical profile. The hair roller may be heated or unheated. The hair roller may also have a hook and loop structure that is fully or partially attached to a surface of the hair roller.

[0002] The present disclosure also relates to a method for using the disclosed curling rollers to maximize the number of rollers that can be used on a given user, thereby maximizing the number of curls that will be produced on a given user, compared to standard rollers having a circular cross-section. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a method for forming ovular curls in a user's hair. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a method for forming an ovular curl in a section of hair, wherein the radius of the curl can vary in size depending on the distance from the scalp, e.g., the curl can have a maximum radius near the scalp, then narrow to its minimum radius halfway to the end of the hair, then widen to a medium radius at the end of the hair, and so on. Various embodiments include designing the curl radius so that the curl is maintained for a longer period of time than with a standard curling roller having a circular cross-section. Background Art

[0003] Standard curling rollers are cylindrical in shape, with the portion of the roller that contacts the user's hair (the "interactive portion" of the roller) having a circular cross-section of equal area. The curls formed using standard curling rollers are generic and unrecognizable, and due to their cylindrical shape, the curl styles that can be created using standard curling rollers are limited. Furthermore, during the curling process using standard curling rollers, sections of hair can easily "break out" of the roller's end. This often necessitates the use of end caps, clips, clamps, elastics, retaining objects, and other measures to prevent such hair from breaking out. This increases the cost and / or complexity of manufacturing the product.

[0004] Furthermore, the circular cross-section of a standard curling roller essentially means that the curling roller cannot be positioned closely to the user's scalp, so fewer rollers can be set up (and a fewer number of curls can be produced) than with the curling roller of the present invention.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a curling roller that can create unique hairstyles and a unique and varied curling effect. Furthermore, there is a need for a curling roller that can prevent hair from falling out during the rolling process, including a curling roller that can prevent hair from falling out during the rolling process without requiring additional components. Furthermore, users desire the ability to achieve more curls than standard curling rollers can produce. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a hair curling roller having a roller body for curling hair, the roller body being a concave cylindrical body having a length l and having an oval cross-section, wherein the area of the cross-section varies along the length l of the roller body. The roller body further has a first end, a second end, and a middle portion extending between the first and second ends of the roller body, and the area of the oval cross-section at the first end of the roller body and the area of the oval cross-section at the second end of the roller body are both greater than the area of the oval cross-section of the middle portion of the roller body.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the curling roller may further include a hair retention structure that clamps the hair and / or restricts the hair to a limited range of movement relative to the roller body. In the present invention, the hair retention structure may include bristles, hooks and / or loops, and / or grooves on all or a portion of the curling roller.

[0008] The present invention further provides that the curling roller may have a hollow roller body. In one embodiment of the present invention, the curling roller further includes a cushion material and / or a heat-conducting material, wherein the cushion material and / or the heat-conducting material is formed on the inner side of the hollow roller body or is otherwise attached to the inner side of the hollow roller body.

[0009] The present invention further provides that the curling roller can be solid. In one embodiment, the curling roller includes a plurality of channels distributed in the solid roller body for inserting or filling the channels with heater material, which can spontaneously emit heat and / or be heated after being placed in the channels. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The features, properties, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify corresponding parts of the present disclosure. It should be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only certain aspects of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope; the description may incorporate other equally effective aspects.

[0011] Figure 1A to Figure 1BAn example of the interactive parts of a prior art standard curling roller is illustrated, which shows the standard curling roller from a perspective view and a cross-sectional view.

[0012] Figures 2A to 2F An example of a concave oval curling roller of the present invention is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 3 An example of a concave oval curling roller having a hook and loop structure of the present invention is illustrated.

[0014] Figures 4A to 4B Examples of standard curling roller wrapping methods and the curl shapes produced by this method are illustrated.

[0015] Figures 5A to 5B Examples of the method of winding a concave oval curling roller of the present invention and the curl shapes produced by this method are illustrated.

[0016] Figures 6A to 6B A graphical representation is provided comparing the number of standard curling rollers that can be placed on a given user's head to the number of concave oval curling rollers of the present invention that can be placed on the same user's head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Various aspects of the present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure is for illustration and description purposes only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. It should be understood that any aspect of the present disclosure disclosed may be embodied by one or more elements of the claims.

[0018] In a standard curling roller, the interactive portion of the curling roller that comes into contact with the user's hair ("interacting portion") is cylindrical. Figure 1A As shown, the interaction portion of the standard curling roller 1 has a given length l and has a circular cross section with a radius r perpendicular to the length l. Figure 1B As shown in FIG, the radius r of the curling roller is uniform over the entire length l of the interaction portion.

[0019] Figures 2A to 2C An embodiment of a hair curling roller according to the present invention is illustrated. Figures 2A to 2C In the non-limiting embodiment shown, the concave oval curling roller 2 is a concave cylinder having two ends 210 and 230 and an inflection point 220 ( Figure 2A), the two ends 210 and 230 correspond to the ends of the concave oval curling roller 2, and the inflection point 220 is located between the ends 210 and 230 and is the portion of the concave oval curling roller 2 with the smallest oval cross-sectional area. In one embodiment, as Figures 2A to 2C As shown, the inflection point 220 of the concave oval curling roller 2 is located midway between the end 210 and the end 230. In other embodiments, the inflection point may be closer to one end than the other.

[0020] Figure 2B The cross-section of the concave oval curling roller 2 shown illustrates the oval shape of the curling roller. Figure 2B The top oval in FIG illustrates the shape and area of the cross section at the end 210 of the concave oval curling roller 2. The cross section at the end 210 has a given width w corresponding to the major axis of the oval. 1 and a given depth d corresponding to the minor axis of the oval 1 . Figure 2B The middle oval in FIG illustrates an example of a cross section at the inflection point 220 of the concave oval curling roller 2. The cross section at the inflection point 220 has a given width w corresponding to the major axis of the oval. 2 and a given depth d corresponding to the minor axis of the oval 2 . Figure 2B The bottom oval in FIG illustrates an example of a cross section at the end 230 of a concave oval curling roller 2. The cross section at the end 230 has a given width w corresponding to the major axis of the oval. 3 and a given depth d corresponding to the minor axis of the oval 3 .

[0021] In one embodiment of the concave oval curling roller 2 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. Figures 2A to 2C As shown, the size of the cross section at the end 210 is the same as the size of the cross section at the end 230, that is, w 1 =w 3 And d 1 =d 3 In other embodiments, the size of the cross section at end 210 may be different from the size of the cross section at end 230, i.e., 1 ≠w 3 And d 1 ≠d 3 .

[0022] Figure 2COther methods of describing the shape associated with the concave oval curling roller of the present invention are provided. If the dimensions of the cross section at end 210 are different than the dimensions of the cross section at end 230, then the concave oval curling roller 2 lacks symmetry about the x-axis. Alternatively, if the dimensions of the cross section at end 210 and end 230 are the same, then the concave oval curling roller 2 is symmetric about the x-axis. Additionally, if the inflection point 220 is located midway between end 210 and end 230, then the concave oval curling roller 2 is symmetric about the x-axis. If the inflection point 220 is closer to one end than the other, then the concave oval curling roller 2 lacks symmetry about the x-axis.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cross-section of the concave oval curling roller may be an "imperfect" oval, i.e., an asymmetrical elliptical shape, wherein the curve of one side of the ellipse is flatter than the curve of the other side. Non-limiting examples of imperfect oval shapes of the present invention are as follows: Figure 2D As shown, the imperfect oval 2 P The shape is similar to petals or leaves, rather than a perfect oval E The shape is similar to an egg. Application Figure 2C The frame structure of the concave oval roller with an imperfect oval cross section will be asymmetric about the z-axis.

[0024] In some embodiments, concavely oval curling rollers according to the present invention may have more than one concave portion. For example, the cross-section of a roller according to the present invention may begin as a large oval at one end of the roller, then narrow to a small oval, then widen back to another large oval at the midpoint of the roller, then narrow to another small oval, then widen back to another large oval at the end of the roller. Such a roller would have two concave portions. Other embodiments of the present invention may have concavely oval curling rollers having three, four, five, or more concave portions along the length of the roller. Figure 2E and Figure 2F is a non-limiting example of a concave oval curling roller having multiple concave portions (a "multi-concave oval curling roller"). Figure 2E Such a multi-concave oval curling roller 3 is depicted, having three concave portions (C1, C2, and C3). For roller 3, the dimensions of the cross section at end 210 are the same as: (i) the dimensions of the cross section at end 230 of the first concave portion C1; (ii) the dimensions of the cross section at end 240 of the second concave portion C2; and (iii) the dimensions of the cross section at end 250 of the third concave portion C2. Figure 2Fis another non-limiting example of a multi-concave oval curling roller 4 having two concave portions. For roller 4, the cross-sectional dimensions at end 210 and end 230 are the same, but these dimensions are different from the cross-sectional dimensions at end 240. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the size and shape of a multi-concave oval curling roller can vary widely, including but not limited to having concave portions of varying lengths (not shown) or having different cross-sectional dimensions at the ends of each concave portion (not shown).

[0025] The concave oval-shaped roller of the present invention can be solid or hollow. It can be made of plastic, foam, rubber, silicone, metal, mesh, cloth / fabric, or any other suitable material or combination of materials. The concave oval-shaped roller of the present invention can have a ventilated surface or a non-ventilated surface, or a surface having both ventilated and non-ventilated areas. In one embodiment, the concave oval-shaped roller is made of a lightweight material.

[0026] In some embodiments, the concave oval curling roller may also include a cushioning material added to the roller, or the roller itself may be made entirely or partially of a cushioning material. Such a cushioned roller provides comfort when the roller is used overnight or when the user leans their head against it during curling.

[0027] Optionally, the concave oval curling roller can have a heat-conducting material added to the roller, or the roller itself can be made entirely or partially of a heat-conducting material, including but not limited to metal or metallic materials. Heat-conducting rollers can help evenly heat the hair during the curling process; heat can be applied to the roller before the hair is curled, or heat can be applied to the hair or the roller after the hair is curled.

[0028] In another embodiment of the present invention, the concave oval roller may include one or more heating elements. For example, the roller may be a thermo-roller comprising a plurality of channels for inserting or filling a heater material therein. This heater material 55 can spontaneously emit heat and / or be heated after being arranged in the channel. Alternatively, the roller 50 may be a thermo-roller embedded with one or more heater elements (e.g., beads or any other suitable heater elements), which may be repeatedly heated by microwaves, ovens, electricity, steam, the sun, induction, batteries, rechargeable batteries or any other suitable heating source.

[0029] For heating operations, the concave oval rollers can be made of heat-resistant materials to prevent damage. Materials that can be used to retain heat, conduct heat, and dissipate heat in the rollers include, but are not limited to, ceramics, copper, aluminum, titanium, foil, iron, steel, carbon fiber, fiberglass, clay, porcelain, magnesium, brass, gold, silver, tungsten, and metal materials or alloys. For example, the heating device can be a microwave oven, oven, electricity, steam, solar energy, induction, batteries, rechargeable batteries, butane or similar vapor or liquid phases, or any other suitable heating source.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present invention, a heating sheet may be additionally used to improve heating efficiency. The heating sheet can spontaneously emit heat and / or be heated after being placed in the curling roller. The heating sheet can be wrapped around the inner or outer surface of the curling roller. The heating sheet material can be selected from any suitable material, including but not limited to ceramic, copper, aluminum, titanium, foil, iron, steel, carbon fiber, fiberglass, clay, magnesium, and metal materials.

[0031] Materials suitable for reflective foil technology, such as glass fiber fabric or cloth covered with a heat-reflective aluminum film, ceramic fiber paper, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) rope with a graphite coating, welding backing tape, etc., can also be used as heating sheets or heating materials in the present invention. Other examples include graphite, graphite gold foil, metal foil and metal.

[0032] In some embodiments of the present invention, the concave oval curling roller may further include a coupling member at one or both ends thereof, so that a handle can be attached to the coupling member of the roller to facilitate the curling operation, and so that the handle can be detached from the coupling member after the curling operation is completed.

[0033] The concave oval roller can be integrally formed from a single material. Alternatively, the roller can be formed from a plurality of layers formed from one or more types of material. In one non-limiting example, a foam layer forms the innermost portion of the roller and is covered by a metal layer, which is in turn covered by a plastic material.

[0034] In some embodiments, the concave oval curling roller can be made by injection molding (including integral molding), thereby further reducing production costs.

[0035] In some embodiments, the concave oval curling rollers of the present invention may have bristles and / or grooves on part or all of the surface of the roller. Figure 3As shown, the concave oval roller 3 has hooks and / or loops 310, such as Velcro, attached to or formed on the roller. The hooks and / or loops can cover all or part of the surface area of the roller, or can be arranged in a pattern. In some embodiments, the concave oval curling roller of the present invention has a combination of bristles, grooves, and / or hooks and / or loops that cover part or all of the surface of the roller. The bristles, grooves, and / or hooks and / or loops can physically grab the hair portion and provide friction to secure the hair to the roller.

[0036] While the concave oval curling rollers of the present invention can be used in conjunction with elastics, clips, clamps, hair nets, or other items that help hold hair to the roller, in some embodiments, a retainer is not required. Unlike standard curling rollers, the concave shape of the concave oval curling rollers of the present invention provides a natural barrier to hair slipping off the end of the roller. Furthermore, the use of bristles, grooves, and / or hooks and / or loops that frictionally secure the hair to the roller can eliminate the need for a retainer.

[0037] To create a curl using any curling roller, the user's hair, or more commonly, a section of the user's hair, is wrapped around the interactive portion of the curling roller. When the hair is released from the curling roller, the result is a curled hair. The profile of the curl and its visual effect depend on the shape of the curling roller and the method of wrapping the hair around it.

[0038] When the hair is released from a standard curling roller, e.g. Figures 4A to 4B As shown, this standard curling roller will produce a circular curl. Figure 4A As shown, if a user's hair is wrapped around the interactive portion of a standard curling roller by starting at one end 410 and proceeding to the other end (as indicated by the dotted arrows) without overlapping, the resulting curl 420 is uniform in diameter ( Figure 4B ). Alternatively, as Figure 4B As shown, a user's hair can be wrapped around a standard curling roller by starting in the middle 430 of the interactive section and wrapping each successive layer on top of the previous layer of hair. Whether wrapping starts exactly in the middle or slightly to one side or the other, the result is the same: each layer of hair wrapped around the interactive section of the standard curling roller is slightly larger than the previous layer of hair. The resulting curl 440 has a decreasing spiral shape, with the curl having the largest diameter (loosest) near the scalp and the smallest diameter (tightest) at the tail of the hair.

[0039] The concave oval curling roller of the present invention allows for a variety of curls with interesting visual effects compared to standard curling rollers. Figures 5A to 5B Two non-limiting examples of methods of curling hair using the concave oval curling rollers of the present invention are shown.

[0040] like Figure 5A As shown, in one method of the present invention, the user's hair is wrapped around a concave oval curling roller by starting at one end 510 of the roller and proceeding to the other end of the roller in a manner indicated by the dotted arrows without overlapping. The resulting curl 520 is oval in shape and has a unique profile, i.e., the curl is tightest along the length between the scalp and the tail of the hair. Figure 5A A stylist using the winding method described in

[15] can also shift the tightest portion of the curl by selecting a concave oval curling roller with an inflection point at a desired location on the roller. For example, if the inflection point is located in the middle of the roller, the resulting oval curl will resemble curl 520. In another non-limiting example, if the stylist uses a concave oval curling roller with an inflection point closer to the end of the concave oval curling roller, where the winding process begins, the tightest curl of the resulting oval curl will be closer to the scalp. Alternatively, if the stylist uses a concave oval curling roller with an inflection point closer to the end of the concave oval curling roller, where the winding process ends, the tightest curl of the resulting oval curl will be closer to the tail of the hair. In one example of the hair styling method of the present invention, hair is curled around concave oval curling rollers with different inflection points by starting to wrap a section of hair at one end of the roller and continuing to the other end. It will be appreciated that using a concave oval curling roller having multiple concave portions will produce a curl having multiple distinct areas of tightened curl along the length of the hair.

[0041] Figure 5B Another example of a method of curling hair according to the present invention is shown, in which a user's hair is wrapped around a concave oval roller 2 by wrapping each successive layer on top of the previous layer of hair, starting at the roller's midpoint 530. The resulting curl 540 is an oval spiral shape, with the oval curl being largest near the scalp and the oval curl being tightest at the tail of the hair.

[0042] The present invention also includes a method for increasing the number of curls that can be formed on a given surface area compared to using standard curling rollers. Figure 6AAs shown, using standard curling rollers, the amount of standard curling roller 1 that can fit snugly against user A's scalp is limited by the diameter (2r) of the standard curling roller. If the user desires more curl, in the past, the user's options were: (a) not curling the hair as close to the scalp as possible (which increases the area within which the rollers must fit together), or (b) switching to smaller standard curling rollers (i.e., smaller circumference). Both options are undesirable. Without curling the hair close to the scalp, the hair will have little volume at the root, and the sudden curl will appear unnatural. Choosing a smaller roller will result in a much different overall effect, and the tighter curl will be more prone to frizz.

[0043] In the present invention, Figures 6A to 6B As shown, if a user uses a concave oval curling roller instead of a standard curling roller, the user is able to maintain the overall size of the curl, i.e., keep the same circumference, and get more curl starting at the scalp. Figure 6A and Figure 6B In the embodiment, the concave oval curling roller 2 and the standard curling roller 1 have the same circumference. As shown in the figure, the number of concave oval curling rollers 2 that fit closely to the scalp A of a specific user (e.g. Figure 6B ) is greater than the number of standard curling rollers 1 that fit closely to the scalp A of the same user (as shown Figure 6A This is because the concave oval curling roller 2 can be positioned against the scalp so that the long radius of the oval cross-section is perpendicular to the scalp. The concave oval curling rollers can fit together more tightly and are limited only by the shorter radius of the oval roller.

[0044] Although the present invention has been described in terms of what are presently considered to be conceivable embodiments and examples, it will be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the disclosed embodiments and examples. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements. Furthermore, even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of the various aspects. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways that are not specifically recited in the claims or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may be directly dependent on only one claim, the disclosure of the various aspects includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set.

Claims

1. A hair curling roller, comprising a roller body for curling hair, The roller body is a concave cylinder having a length l and has an oval cross section, wherein The area of the cross section varies along the length l of the roller body; The roller body also has a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end of the roller body; The area of the oval cross-section of the first end of the roller body is greater than the area of the oval cross-section of the middle portion of the roller body; as well as The area of the oval cross-section of the second end of the roller body is larger than the area of the oval cross-section of the middle portion of the roller body.

2. The hair curling roller according to claim 1, characterized in that The middle portion of the roller body has an inflection point, and the area of the oval cross section at the inflection point is smaller than the areas of all other oval cross sections of the roller body.

3. The hair curling roller according to claim 1, wherein: The areas of all oval cross-sections from the first end of the roller body to the inflection point of the middle portion of the roller body are different, and the areas of all oval cross-sections from the inflection point of the middle portion of the roller body to the second end of the roller body are different.

4. The hair curling roller according to claim 1, wherein: The curling roller further comprises a hair retaining structure formed on or otherwise attached to the roller body, wherein the hair retaining structure clamps the hair and / or constrains the hair to a limited range of movement relative to the roller body.

5. The hair curling roller according to claim 4, characterized in that The hair holding structure includes bristles, hooks and / or loops, grooves, or a combination thereof.

6. The hair curling roller according to claim 1, wherein: The roller body is hollow.

7. The hair curling roller according to claim 6, characterized in that The curling roller further includes a cushioning material and / or a heat conductive material formed into or otherwise attached to the inside of the hollow roller body.

8. The hair curling roller according to claim 1, wherein: The roller body is solid.

9. The hair curling roller according to claim 8, characterized in that The curling roller further comprises a plurality of channels distributed in the solid roller body for inserting or filling heater materials therein, the heater materials being capable of spontaneously emitting heat and / or being heated after being arranged in the channels.

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