(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,124,914 B2 Yu (45) Date of Patent: Feb
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
USOO8124914B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,124,914 B2 Yu (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 28, 2012 (54) HAIR IRON WITH DIMPLED FACE PLATES 20046 R. $39, arballadaat: da et al.al... ........... 32: AND METHOD OF USE INSTYLNG HAIR 2005.0056631 A1 3, 2005 Cha 2005/0229.336 A1 10, 2005 Fondin et al. (76) Inventor: Kent Yu, Houston, TX (US) 2007/00293O2 A1 2/2007 RuSSO 2008/0127989 A1* 6/2008 Chapman et al. ............. 132,118 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 2008/0283.080 A1* 11/2008 Habibi .... ... 132,224 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 2009/01 14240 A1* 5/2009 Leung ........................... 132/224 U.S.C. 154(b) by 1001 days. FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS JP 2003-284608 A 10, 2003 (21) Appl. No.: 12/002,905 KR 10-2003-008558 A 11 2003 KR 10-0602870 B1 T 2006 (22) Filed: Dec. 19, 2007 KR 10-0602874 T 2006 * cited by examiner (65) Prior Publication Data Primary Examiner — Joseph M. Pelham US 2009/O159093 A1 Jun. 25, 2009 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Berliner & Associates (51) Int. Cl. A45D L/04 (2006.01) (57) ABSTRACT A45D L/06 (2006.01) An iron for styling hair containing opposed plates having (52) U.S. Cl. ......................... 219,225. 132/224; 132/272 confronting surfaces for clamping a section of hair therebe: (58) Field of Classification S h N tween wherein surface one or both of the plates, is formed O li s s eas tesearchhi st - - - - - O with a plurality of depressions, e.g., dimples, distributed over ee appl1cauon Ille Ior complete searcn n1Story. its surface. The depressions are of sizes that decrease from (56) References Cited opposite outer edges of the plate toward the centerline of the plate. At least one of the plates is heated to a temperature in the range of 380° to 450°F, whereby heat can be applied to the U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS section of hair while clamped between the plates. The plates 6,014,977 A * 1/2000 Friedman ...................... 132/232 are preferably formed of Zeolite and coated with tourmaline. 6,119,702 A 9, 2000 Habib The hair iron is used to facilitate coloring of hair in which 6, 199,558 B1* 3, 2001 Schmidt et al. ............... 132,211 6,223,753 B1* 5, 2001 LO ................................. 132/224 coloring is applied to the hair following which the hair is 6,798,982 B2 9, 2004 Ryu et al. rinsed and is wet, in which the hair iron is used on the wet hair 6,941.955 B2 * 9, 2005 Yao ............................... 132,225 So as to dry the hair, in lieu of a hair dryer, thereby putting an D516.242 S * 2, 2006 Habibi .. ... D28.35 end to all reactions in the coloring process. 7,271,368 B2 * 9, 2007 Yeung ...... 219,222 7,397,016 B2 * 7, 2008 Aoki etal 219,229 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent Feb. 28, 2012 Sheet 1 of 4 US 8,124,914 B2 U.S. Patent Feb. 28, 2012 Sheet 2 of 4 US 8,124,914 B2 U.S. Patent Feb. 28, 2012 Sheet 3 of 4 US 8,124,914 B2 Fig. 3 U.S. Patent Feb. 28, 2012 Sheet 4 of 4 US 8,124,914 B2 100 98 20 NAS2 NNA a SA ANG NAS N N SAYSA NS 4 US 8, 124,914 B2 1. 2 HARRON WITH DMPLIED FACE PLATES tion, thus producing greater luminosity, and Subjectively, AND METHOD OF USE INSTYLNG HAIR truer, more vibrant color. When the cuticle is damaged, refraction convolutes the natural balance of color and the FIELD OF THE INVENTION luminosity of the reflected light, resulting in a dull, muddied color. The invention relates to a curling iron and its method ofuse Problems in using current hair treating formulations in styling hair. include compromised cuticle, non-uniform distribution of pigment, and Surface bonding of pigment in coloring. In BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION addition, the distribution of the pigment granules within the 10 structure of the keratin surface will not reflect light uniformly There are two types of pigment that give hair its color, because of the refracted light, causing a dull color that lacks eumelanin (black) and pheomelanin(red). All humans have a natural luster. The compromised cuticle also leaves the pheomelanin in their hair. How dark it is depends on how Surface bonded pigment Vulnerable to decay because it is now much eumelanin is present. A low concentration of eumelanin exposed more easily to the elements in the hair will give blonde hair, more eumelanin will give it 15 Ammonia (or other basic materials of pH>8) is used in a brown color, and much higher amounts of eumelanin will permanent (oxidative) hair color. When the permanent hair result in black hair. Eumelanin in low concentrations causes a color and the developers come together, the action of ammo yellow tone, in higher concentrations creates a brown color. nia begins. Like all alkaline materials, the ammonia has the Also, in general, the more melanin present, the darker the hair tendency to separate the cuticle and allows the permanent hair color; less melanin, the lighter the hair color. Pheomelanin is color to penetrate the cortex of the hair. The ammonia has an more chemically stable than eumelanin, So it breaks down effect on the sulfur bonds of the hair. If the ammonia is too more slowly when oxidized. Bleach will cause darker hair to harsh, thus penetrating too deeply for too long, the hair will turn red as it is processing because it has broken down the lose more of the sulfur bonds than necessary. It will cause the eumelanin quickly but acts more slowly on the pheomelanin. hair to harden, lose weight and diameter. The higher the As the pheomelanin breaks down, the hair will then become 25 volume of the developer, the greater the amount of sulfur is orange, and then the chemicals turn it yellow. removed from the hair structure. This is one of the reasons All “permanent' hair color products and lighteners contain why developers are maintained at 30% volume or less for the both a developer, or, oxidizing agent, and an alkalizing ingre majority of hair coloring. dient as part of their ammonia or an ammonia Substitute. The Many people believe that continual styling over time and/ purpose of this is to raise the cuticle of the hair fiber so the tint 30 orheat damages the hair, but neither continual styling nor heat can penetrate, facilitate the formation of tints within the hair as such is damaging. It is over-styling and heat in the absence fiber, and bring about the lightening action of peroxide. When of moisture that damages hair. Styling for too long may the tint containing the alkalizing ingredient is combined with reduce moisture to unhealthy levels. Once essential moisture the developer (usually hydrogen peroxide), the developer in hair has been removed, the hair becomes extremely vul becomes alkaline and diffuses through the hair fiber, entering 35 nerable to temperature change in convective and conductive the cortex, where the melanin is located. The lightening situations. Styling under these conditions will cause hair to occurs when the alkaline peroxide breaks up the melanin and lose its elasticity and make the cuticle Vulnerable to barbing, replaces it with new color. opening, electrostatic effects, etc. Damage to the cuticle of The outer layer of the hair shaft, its cuticle, must be opened the hair will make it more breakable and will make pigment before permanent color can be deposited into the hair. Once 40 Vulnerable to chemical reactions, decay, and diffusion. Too the cuticle is open, the dye reacts with the inner portion of the much heat without significant moisture will more easily cre hair, the cortex, to deposit or remove the color. Most perma ate steam inside the hair shaft which in turn will burst hair by nent hair colors use a two-step process (usually occurring breaking it. simultaneously) which first removes the original color of the hair and then deposits a new color. It's essentially the same 45 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION process as lightening, except a colorant is then bonded within the hair shaft. Ammonia is the alkaline chemical that opens The present invention in the form of an improved hair iron the cuticle and allows the hair color to penetrate the cortex of overcomes the foregoing problems and provides a significant the hair. It also acts as a catalyst when the permanent hair paradigm shift in the history of hair color. It’s provides a color comes together with the peroxide. Peroxide is used as 50 relatively simple inclusion to already existing procedures, but the developer or oxidizing agent. The developer removes its necessity as a conclusion to the coloring process and its pre-existing color. Peroxide breaks chemical bonds in hair, ongoing use for the maintenance of an end user's color integ releasing Sulfur, which accounts for the characteristic odor of rity is a significant contribution to the art of hair coloring. In hair color. As the melanin is decolorized, a new permanent essence, the hair iron of the present invention and its use color is bonded to the hair cortex. Various types of alcohols 55 enables the preservation over time of the integrity of hair and conditioners may also be present in hair color. The con color so as to continue to reflect the true conception of the ditioners close the cuticle after coloring to seal in and protect original artwork created by the colorist.