Battery operated hair braider

Abstract

A hair braider kit. An individual grips a handle of a hair braider and moves a center “off” switch to a first conducting position. An electric motor is energized and a stop engages a rotatable body thereby to block rotation of the body and permit a planetary gear system to rotate individual hair twisting elements to form twisted hair strands. When the switch is moved to a second conductive position, the blocking element is removed so the rotatable body wraps the twisted strands over each other into a braid without any significant motion of the twister bodies with respect to the rotatable body. A stand supports the hair braider and facilitates the attachment of hair strands to the hair twisting elements.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:  
     
         1 . A hair braider for wrapping twisted hair strands about each other comprising: 
 A) a hollow handle extending along a main axis,    B) an electric drive mounted in said handle that rotates an output shaft positioned proximate one end of said handle about the main axis in a given direction,    C) a switch mounted to said handle and connected to said electric drive and having first and second conducting positions for energizing said electric drive to rotate in the given direction,    D) a rotatable body having a cavity and being mounted for rotation about the main axis relative to said handle at said one handle end,    E) a plurality of hair twisting elements mounted for rotation about individual twist axes that are parallel to and equidistantly spaced from the main axis and equiangularly spaced about said rotatable body,    F) a planetary gear system mounted in said rotatable body cavity and connected to said output shaft and to said hair twisting elements, and    G) a stop member connected to said switch for blocking rotation of said rotatable body when said switch is in the first conducting position whereby said twisting elements rotate about their respective axes in a direction opposite to the given direction, said rotatable body being enabled to rotate in the given direction about the main axis when said switch is in the second conducting position.    
     
     
         2 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 1  wherein electric drive comprises a battery operated dc motor and said switch controls the energization of said dc motor from said battery.  
     
     
         3 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 2  wherein said electric drive includes a speed reducer for rotating said output shaft and having an input shaft connected to said dc motor.  
     
     
         4 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 3  wherein said switch comprises a center-off switch with first and second end positions defining the first and second conducting positions.  
     
     
         5 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 4  wherein said switch additionally includes an actuator for said stop means.  
     
     
         6 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 1  wherein said switch comprises a center-off switch with first and second end positions defining the first and second conducting positions.  
     
     
         7 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 6  wherein said switch includes a switch actuator and a spring mounted on said actuator for interaction with said handle whereby said spring returns said switch to a center position.  
     
     
         8 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 6  wherein said switch includes a center terminal for connection to said electric drive and first and second spaced end terminals and a bridging conductor with contacts that bridge said center and first end terminals in the first conducting position and that bridges said center and second end terminals in the second conducting position.  
     
     
         9 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 1  wherein said planetary gear system includes a sun gear connected to said output shaft and a planet gear attached for rotating to each of said hair twisting elements.  
     
     
         10 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 9  wherein said switch comprises a center-off switch with a slider for moving a bridging contact to said first and second conducting positions.  
     
     
         11 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 10  wherein said rotatable body includes a transverse surface with a plurality of index holes and said slider additionally includes a stop pin for engaging one of said index holes when said slider moves to the first conducting position thereby to block rotation of said rotatable body when said motor is energized.  
     
     
         12 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 1  wherein said stop member includes first and second complementary elements mounted on said rotatable body and said switch, respectively, said complementary elements engaging to prevent rotation of said rotatable body when said electric drive produces output shaft rotation.  
     
     
         13 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 12  wherein said first complementary element comprises index holes in said rotatable body and said second complementary element comprises a pin for fitting in one of said index holes.  
     
     
         14 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 1  wherein said handle includes a comb, an axially extending receptacle formed therein for receiving said comb and a pivot interconnecting said comb and said handle whereby said comb can pivot from a storage position in said receptacle to a second position for use.  
     
     
         15 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 1  wherein said rotatable body includes angularly spaced index holes formed therein and said stop member includes a pin for fitting in one of said index holes when said switch is in the first conducting position.  
     
     
         16 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 15  wherein said switch includes a center terminal and a pair of end terminals, a bridge conductor, a slider that positions said bridge conductor and a spring attached to said slider and wherein said handle includes tabs for engaging opposite ends of said spring thereby to center said slider and space said bridge conductor from said contacts.  
     
     
         17 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 16  wherein said electric drive comprises a series motor circuit with battery supply and a dc motor with a motor output shaft, said series motor circuit being connected between the center terminal and each of the end terminals and wherein said slider includes a bridge conductor that completes a circuit between said center terminal and one of said end terminals in a first conducting position and between said center terminal and the other of said end terminals in the second conducting position.  
     
     
         18 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 17  wherein said electric drive includes a speed reducer connected to said output shaft and having an input attached to said dc motor output shaft.  
     
     
         19 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 17  wherein said planetary gear system includes a sun gear connected said output shaft and a planet gear attached to each of said hair twisting elements.  
     
     
         20 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 1  additionally comprising a stand having a receptacle for receiving said hollow handle at the end opposite said one end, said stand positioning said hair braider in a substantially upright orientation.  
     
     
         21 . A hair braider for wrapping twisted hair strands about each other comprising: 
 A) handle means extending along a main axis for defining a first cavity,    B) electrically operated means supported by said handle means in said first cavity for producing output shaft rotation in a given direction about the main axis proximate one end of said handle,    C) mechanically operated switch means attached to said handle means for energizing said electrically operated means at first and second conducting positions thereof,    D) rotatable body means mounted for rotation about the main axis on the one end of said handle means for forming a second cavity,    E) a plurality of hair twisting means mounted on said rotatable body means for rotation about twist axes that are parallel to and equidistantly spaced from the handle axis and equiangularly spaced about said rotatable body means,    F) planetary gear means in said second cavity for conveying said output shaft rotation to said hair twisting means, and    G) stop means connected to said switch means for blocking rotation of said rotatable body means when said switch means is in the first conducting position whereby said twisting means rotate in a direction opposite to the given direction about their respective axes, said rotatable body means being enabled to rotate in the given direction about the main axis when said switch means is in the second conducting position.    
     
     
         22 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 1  additionally comprising a stand having a receptacle for receiving said hollow handle at the end opposite said one end, said stand positioning said hair braider in a substantially upright orientation.  
     
     
         23 . A hair braider for wrapping twisted hair strands about other comprising: 
 A) an electrically operated hair braider with a plurality of hair twisting elements, each having a hair clamp extending from a rotatable body at one end of a handle, and    B) a stand with a receptacle that receives the other end of the handle to position said hair braider in an upright orientation thereby to facilitate the attachment of hair to the hair clamps.    
     
     
         24 . A hair braider as recited in  claim 23  wherein said stand comprises at least one additional storage receptacle.