Electronic controlled hair styling appliance with display device

Abstract

An appliance, in particular a hair styling appliance, having a programmable electronic control that controls operational features of the appliance and where the appliance is equipped with a display screen that provides a visual indication of the status of the operational features on the display.

1 . An appliance for styling hair comprising: 
 a handle portion and a styling portion;    a programmable electronic control for electronically controlling at least one operational feature of the appliance; and    a control panel having at least one input mechanism to set the at least one operational feature of the appliance; and    a display screen to indicate the operational status of the at least one operational feature of the appliance, wherein the display screen is located on the handle portion of the appliance.    
   
   
       2 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the hair styling appliance is a curling iron.  
   
   
       3 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the hair styling appliance is a styling iron.  
   
   
       4 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the hair styling appliance is a hair dryer.  
   
   
       5 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the hair styling appliance is a flat iron.  
   
   
       6 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the hair styling appliance is a crimping iron.  
   
   
       7 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the hair styling appliance is a spiral iron.  
   
   
       8 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the programmable electronic control includes a memory function to recall the last setting.  
   
   
       9 . The appliance of  claim 8  wherein the programmable electronic control includes a battery.  
   
   
       10 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the input mechanism comprises one or more buttons.  
   
   
       11 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the input mechanism comprises a dial.  
   
   
       12 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the input mechanism comprises a switch.  
   
   
       13 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the input mechanism comprises a touch pad.  
   
   
       14 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the at least one operational feature comprises a temperature setting.  
   
   
       15 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the at least one operational feature comprises a sleep mode.  
   
   
       16 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the at least one operational feature comprises a last-setting-recall mode.  
   
   
       17 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the at least one operational feature comprises a locking mode.  
   
   
       18 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the display screen is a liquid crystal display (LCD) device.  
   
   
       19 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the display screen is a light emitting diode (LED) device.  
   
   
       20 . An appliance for styling hair comprising: 
 a programmable logic control that controls the output temperature of the appliance; and    a control panel having an input mechanism that selects the desired output temperature of the appliance; and    an electronic display screen to indicate the output temperature of the appliance.    
   
   
       21 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the hair styling appliance is a curling iron.  
   
   
       22 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the hair styling appliance is a styling iron.  
   
   
       23 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the hair styling appliance is a hair dryer.  
   
   
       24 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the hair styling appliance is a flat iron.  
   
   
       25 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the hair styling appliance is a crimping iron.  
   
   
       26 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the hair styling appliance is a spiral iron.  
   
   
       27 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the hair styling appliance is a hair-setting tool.  
   
   
       28 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the programmable logic control comprises memory.  
   
   
       29 . The appliance of  claim 28  wherein the programmable logic control circuit comprises a battery.  
   
   
       30 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the programmable logic control controls at least one operational feature of the appliance in addition to temperature.  
   
   
       31 . The appliance of  claim 30  wherein the display screen indicates the status of the at least one additional operational feature of the appliance.  
   
   
       32 . The appliance of  claim 20  wherein the display screen is an LCD device.  
   
   
       33 . The appliance of  claim 17  wherein the display screen is an LED device.  
   
   
       34 . An appliance for styling hair comprising: 
 a programmable electronic control that electronically controls the output temperature of the appliance;    a control panel having at least one input mechanism that sets the desired output temperature of the appliance; and    an LCD screen that indicates the output temperature of the appliance.    
   
   
       35 . The appliance of  claim 34  wherein the programmable electronic control includes memory.  
   
   
       36 . The appliance of  claim 34  wherein the programmable electronic control comprises a battery.  
   
   
       37 . The appliance of  claim 34  wherein the programmable electronic control controls at least one operational parameter in addition to temperature.  
   
   
       38 . The appliance of  claim 37  wherein the at least one additional operational parameter is a sleep mode, a last-setting-recall mode, or a locking mode.  
   
   
       39 . The appliance of  claim 37  wherein the LCD screen indicates the status of the at least one operational parameter.