Hair iron

Abstract

This hair iron allows for easy selection of multiple operating modes using a single control knob. [Solution] The hair iron 1 comprises an iron section 6 with a built-in heater plate 7, a main body section 5 that supports the iron section 6, and a cylindrical operating knob 8 that can select from multiple operating modes. The operating knob 8 is capable of performing a first operation of rotating around an axis passing through the central axis P, a second operation of moving along the axial direction of the central axis P, and a third operation of moving in a direction intersecting (orthogonal) to the central axis P. It has a first detection element 11 that detects the rotation of the first operation, a second detection element 12 that detects the movement of the second operation, and a third detection element 13 that detects the movement of the third operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hair iron for styling hair.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a hair iron, there is known one including a rod-shaped grip portion and an iron portion rotatably provided on the tip side of the grip portion, and a power / temperature changeover switch, a rotation switch, and a rotation mode selection switch are provided at a predetermined position of the grip portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the hair iron described in Patent Document 1, the power / temperature changeover switch is slidably provided at the axial center of the grip portion and is used to switch on / off the power and the temperature of a heater built in the iron portion. The rotation switch is slidably provided in the left-right direction on the tip side of the grip portion and is used to rotate the iron portion in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The rotation mode selection switch is provided between the power / temperature changeover switch and the rotation switch and is used to select either a manual mode or an automatic mode for the rotation mode of the iron portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the hair iron described in Patent Document 1, by selectively operating a plurality of types of switches (power / temperature changeover switch, rotation switch, and rotation mode selection switch) provided at a predetermined position of the grip portion, the operation modes of various functions provided in the hair iron can be operated.

[0006] However, because the operating knobs for each of the multiple types of switches are located in different, dispersed positions on the grip, when selecting different operating modes consecutively, it is necessary to operate the operating knob of one switch, then move the finger position to operate the operating knob of another switch, which leaves room for improvement in terms of usability. In addition, because it is necessary to place the number of operating knobs corresponding to the multiple types of switches in designated positions on the grip, the proportion of the limited component installation space occupied by the operating knobs becomes large, which severely restricts the placement and layout of other components besides the operating knobs.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a hair iron that allows for easy selection of multiple operating modes using a single operating knob. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, one aspect of the present invention provides a hair iron comprising: an iron section containing a heating element; a main body section supporting the iron section; and a cylindrical operating knob capable of selecting a plurality of operating modes, wherein the operating knob is capable of performing a first operation of rotating around an axis passing through a central axis; a second operation of moving along the axial direction of the central axis; and a third operation of moving in a direction intersecting the central axis, and further comprises: a first detection element for detecting the rotation of the first operation; a second detection element for detecting the movement of the second operation; and a third detection element for detecting the movement of the third operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hair iron that allows for easy selection of multiple operating modes using a single operating knob. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a hair iron according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of a hair iron showing the arm member in the open position. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the control knob and the detection element. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing the positional relationship between the operating knob and the detection element. [Figure 5] This is a side view showing the positional relationship between the operating knob and the detection element in the modified example 1. [Figure 6] This is a front view showing the positional relationship between the operating knob and the detection element in the modified example 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hair iron according to an embodiment, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the hair iron showing the arm member in the open state.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hair iron 1 according to this embodiment includes a pair of arm members 2 and 3. These arm members 2 and 3 are connected at the base end 4 so as to be able to open and close, with their inner surfaces facing each other. A spring (not shown) is incorporated into the base end 4, and the pair of arm members 2 and 3 are biased in the opening direction by the elastic force of the spring.

[0014] Each of the pair of arm members 2 and 3 has a rear end body portion 5 that is continuous with the base end portion 4, and a front end iron portion 6 that is supported by the body portion 5. The iron portion 6 has a long plate-shaped heater plate 7, which is heated by a heater (not shown) built into the iron portion 6.

[0015] When no external force is applied to the arm members 2 and 3, the hair iron 1 is in an open state where the tips of the arm members 2 and 3 are separated from each other as shown in FIG. 2. Also, when the user grips the arm members 2 and 3 in the open state and applies an external force against the elastic force of the spring, the two arm members 2 and 3 come into contact with each other and the hair iron 1 is in a closed state as shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] When using the hair iron 1, the pair of arm members 2 and 3 are closed to sandwich the hair, and the hair is styled by the heat of the heated plate 7 that generates heat in this state. In the following description, one arm member will be referred to as the upper arm member 2, and the other arm member will be referred to as the lower arm member 3.

[0017] On the surface (inner surface) of the main body portion 5 of the lower arm member 3, a cylindrical operation knob 8 is disposed so as to extend linearly along the longitudinal direction of the iron portion 6. Although details will be described later, the operation knob 8 is used as an input means for determining a plurality of operation modes provided in the hair iron 1. Also, on the main body portion 5 between the iron portion 6 and the operation knob 8, a power switch 9 for turning on / off the power of the hair iron Ⅰ and a display portion 10 for displaying the temperature of the heated plate 7, mode information, etc. are disposed. The power switch 9 is arranged in the vicinity of the operation knob 8, and after the user turns on the power switch 9, the operation knob 8 can be operated with the movement of the finger minimized.

[0018] Inside the main body portion 5, a plurality of detection elements for detecting the operation of the operation knob 8 are arranged. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the operation knob 8 and the detection elements, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing the positional relationship between the operation knob 8 and the detection elements.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cylindrical operation knob 8 is supported by the main body 5 so that it can perform a first operation (arrow A in FIG. 3) of rotating around an axis passing through the central axis P, a second operation (arrow B in FIG. 3) of moving along the axial direction of the central axis P, and a third operation (arrow C in FIG. 3) of moving in a direction intersecting (orthogonal) to the central axis P. A first detection element 11 and a second detection element 12 are arranged on the same straight line passing through the central axis P of the operation knob 8, and a third detection element 13 is arranged at a lower position facing the outer peripheral surface of the operation knob 8.

[0020] The first detection element 11 is a device that detects the rotation of the first operation of the operation knob 8. For example, a mechanical rotary encoder having a rotary shaft 11a is used. The rotary shaft 11a of the first detection element 11 is fixed to the end face of the operation knob 8, and the operation knob 8 and the rotary shaft 11a rotate integrally. The first detection element 11 is mounted on a circuit board 14, and a flexible printed board having flexibility is used for this circuit board 14. Thereby, when the operation knob 8 moves along the axial direction of the central axis P, the first detection element 11 and the circuit board 14 also move integrally with the operation knob 8.

[0021] The second detection element 12 is a device that detects the movement of the second operation of the operation knob 8. For example, a push switch having a rod-shaped actuator 12a is used. The actuator 12a of the second detection element 12 is disposed opposite to the back surface of the circuit board 14 on which the first detection element 11 is mounted. Thereby, when the first detection element 11 and the circuit board 14 move integrally with the second operation of the operation knob 8, the actuator 12a is pressed against the circuit board 14, and the second detection element 12 is turned on. The second detection element 12 is mounted on a circuit board 15, and this circuit board 15 is supported at a predetermined position within the main body 5.

[0022] The third detection element 13 is a device that detects the movement of the third operation of the operation knob 8. For example, a push switch having a rod-shaped actuator 13a is used. The third detection element 13 is mounted on a circuit board 16, and the actuator 13a is disposed opposite to the outer peripheral surface of the operation knob 8.

[0023] Each of the circuit boards 14, 15, and 16 is connected to a control board (not shown) housed within the main body 5, and a connecting cable 20 is connected to the control board. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this connecting cable 20 is led out to the outside through the base end 4.

[0024] Here, the first detection element 11, the second detection element 12, and the third detection element 13 are each assigned a unique function. For example, in this embodiment, the first detection element 11 is assigned the function of selecting a menu, the second detection element 12 is assigned the function of setting the temperature control, and the third detection element 13 is assigned the function of setting the course menu.

[0025] When using the hair iron 1, if the user moves the operating knob 8 along the axis direction of the central axis P from the normal state (second operation), the first detection element 11 and the circuit board 14 move together with the operating knob 8, and the actuator 12a of the second detection element 12 is pressed against the circuit board 14. As a result, the second detection element 12 turns on and enters temperature control mode.

[0026] In this temperature control mode, when the user rotates the operation knob 8 around the central axis P (first operation), the rotation axis 11a of the first detection element 11 rotates in conjunction with the operation knob 8, and the first detection element 11 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the amount of rotation of the operation knob 8. This allows the temperature of the heater plate 7 to be set to a desired value, and the set temperature value is displayed on the display unit 10.

[0027] On the other hand, when the user moves the operation knob 8 downwards from the normal state (third operation), the actuator 13a of the third detection element 13 is pressed against the outer surface of the operation knob 8. As a result, the third detection element 13 is activated and enters course menu mode.

[0028] In this course menu mode, when the user rotates the operation knob 8 around the central axis P (first operation), the rotation axis 11a of the first detection element 11 rotates in conjunction with the operation knob 8, and the first detection element 11 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the amount of rotation of the operation knob 8. This allows the user to set the course menu to automatic mode or manual mode, and information corresponding to the set mode is displayed on the display unit 10.

[0029] The functions assigned to each detection element 11, 12, and 13 are not limited to the above embodiment and can be changed depending on the type of operating mode, etc. For example, the second detection element 12 may be assigned both temperature control and course menu setting functions, so that the first on-operation of the second detection element 12 sets it to temperature control mode and the second on-operation of the second detection element 12 sets it to course menu mode. Alternatively, the third detection element 13 may be given a menu confirmation function or a cancellation function, etc.

[0030] The hair iron 1 configured in this way according to this embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0031] The iron comprises an iron section 6 with a built-in heater plate 7 (heating element), a main body 5 that supports the iron section 6, and a cylindrical operating knob 8 that allows selection of multiple operating modes. The operating knob 8 is capable of performing three operations: a first operation of rotation around an axis passing through the central axis P, a second operation of movement along the axial direction of the central axis P, and a third operation of movement in a direction intersecting (orthogonal) to the central axis P. It has a first detection element 11 that detects the rotation of the first operation, a second detection element 12 that detects the movement of the second operation, and a third detection element 13 that detects the movement of the third operation. As a result, the operator can easily select multiple operating modes using a single operating knob 8, thereby improving operability. Furthermore, because the proportion of the operating knob 8 that occupies in the limited component installation space of the main body 5 is small, the power switch 9, display unit 10, etc. can be freely arranged in the desired position in the component installation space.

[0032] Furthermore, the hair iron 1 according to this embodiment includes an upper arm member 2 and a lower arm member 3 that are connected so as to be able to open and close with their inner surfaces facing each other, and the operating knob 8 is located on the inner surface of the lower arm member 3, and the power switch 9 is located near the operating knob 8. As a result, after turning on the power switch 9, the user can operate the operating knob 8 with minimal finger movement, and moreover, can operate the operating knob 8 by touch without having to visually check its position.

[0033] Next, a modified example of the hair iron 1 will be described. Figure 5 is a side view showing the positional relationship between the operating knob and each detection element in modified example 1.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, in Modification 1, the first detection element 11 and the second detection element 12 are positioned opposite each other with the operation knob 8 in between, and the rest of the configuration is basically the same as in the above embodiment.

[0035] In other words, the first detection element 11 and the second detection element 12 are arranged on the same straight line passing through the central axis P of the operating knob 8, facing each other on either side of the operating knob 8, and the third detection element 13 is positioned below the outer surface of the operating knob 8. Here, the first detection element 11 may be a mechanical rotary encoder directly connected to the operating knob 8, but in this modified example 1, a magnetic or optical rotary encoder capable of detecting the rotation of the first operation of the operating knob 8 without contact is used. As a result, when performing a second operation of the operating knob 8, the second detection element 12 can be activated simply by moving the operating knob 8 to the left in the figure, eliminating the need to move the operating knob 8 in the direction of the first detection element 11 (to the right in the figure), thus simplifying the support structure of the operating knob 8.

[0036] Figure 6 is a front view showing the positional relationship between the operating knob and each detection element in the modified example 2.

[0037] As shown in Figure 6, in the modified example 2, in addition to the first to third detection elements 11, 12, and 13, an electrostatic sensor 17 is arranged around the operation knob 8 (the first detection element 11 and the second detection element 12 are not shown). Here, the operation knob 8 is made of a conductive material such as stainless steel, and the outer surface of the operation knob 8 is a touch detection area. The electrostatic sensor 17 is a device that detects changes in capacitance of the touch detection area and is mounted on the circuit board 18. This makes it possible to detect when the user is in contact with the operation knob 8.

[0038] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. All technical matters included in the technical concept described in the claims are subject to the present invention. The embodiments described above are preferred examples, but those skilled in the art can realize various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements from the contents disclosed herein, and these are included in the technical scope described in the appended claims.

[0039] For example, in the above embodiment, a cylindrical operating knob 8 with a longer axial length than radial length is used, but it is also possible to use a disc-shaped operating knob 8 with a shorter axial length than radial length. In this case, the central axis of the operating knob 8 should be perpendicular to a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the ironing part 6, and the first detection element 11 and the second detection element 12 should be placed directly below the straight line passing through the central axis of the operating knob 8. Alternatively, the third detection element 13 should be placed below the peripheral edge away from the central axis of the operating knob 8, and the third detection element 13 should be operated by the oscillation operation of the third detection element 13.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first to third operations of the operation knob 8 are detected by separate first to third detection elements 11, 12, and 13, respectively. However, the first and second operations may be detected by a single detection element, or the first and third operations may be detected by a single detection element.

[0041] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a straightening iron that holds hair between a pair of arm members 2 and 3, it is not limited to this, and a curling iron with a cylindrical iron part at the tip of the grip part may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1. Hair iron 2. Upper arm member (arm member) 3. Lower arm member (arm member) 4 Proximal end 5 Main body 6. Ironing section 7. Heater plate (heating element) 8. Operation knobs 9 Power switch 10 Display section 11. Relevant to the first detection 11a Rotation axis 12. Second detection related 12a Actuator 13 Third detection element 13a Actuator 14, 15, 16, 18 Circuit boards 17. Electrostatic recovery

Claims

1. A hair iron comprising an iron section containing a heating element, a main body supporting the iron section, and a cylindrical operating knob capable of selecting multiple operating modes, The operating knob is capable of performing a first operation of rotating around an axis passing through the central axis, a second operation of moving along the axial direction of the central axis, and a third operation of moving in a direction intersecting the central axis. It includes a first detection element for detecting the rotation of the first operation, a second detection element for detecting the movement of the second operation, and a third detection element for detecting the movement of the third operation. A hair iron characterized by the following features.

2. In the hair iron according to claim 1, The first detection element and the second detection element are arranged on the same straight line passing through the central axis of the operation knob. The third detection element is positioned opposite the outer circumferential surface of the operating knob. A hair iron characterized by the following features.

3. In the hair iron according to claim 2, The first detection element has a rotating shaft connected to the operating knob, The second detection element detects the movement of the second operation via the first detection element. A hair iron characterized by the following features.

4. In the hair iron according to claim 2, The first detection element and the second detection element are positioned opposite each other with the operating knob in between. A hair iron characterized by the following features.

5. In the hair iron according to claim 4, The first detection element is a non-contact type rotation detector that detects the rotation of the first operation without contact. A hair iron characterized by the following features.

6. In the hair iron according to claim 1, At least the outer surface of the aforementioned operating knob is a touch detection section formed of a conductive material. The touch detection unit is equipped with an electrostatic sensor that detects changes in capacitance. A hair iron characterized by the following features.

7. In the hair iron according to claim 1, The arm member comprises the ironing part and the main body part, The pair of arm members are connected so as to be able to open and close with their inner surfaces facing each other. The operating knob is located on the inner surface of the arm member and extends linearly along the longitudinal direction of the iron part. A hair iron characterized by the following features.

8. In the hair iron according to claim 7, A power switch is located near the aforementioned operating knob. A hair iron characterized by the following features.

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