Hair curler/hair brush

Abstract

An improved hair curler/hair brush device that converts from a curling iron to a hair brush with the addition of a hollow tube that slides over the curling iron barrel that has bristles thereon for brushing the hair. A radiant energy heat source is placed within the barrel of the curling iron. A plurality of perforations in the barrel allow radiant energy from the heat source to escape the barrel to the hair of the user. Openings in the hollow tube that forms the hair brush are in substantial alignment with the perforations in the barrel to enable radiant energy from the heat source to escape the barrel and the hollow tube to the hair of the user during brushing of the hair. A non-heat conducting end cap is rotatably mounted to the outer end of the barrel to enable both hands of the user to be used simultaneously to manipulate the device. The device can be both portable (cordless) or non-portable (power cord attached).

1 . A method of improving a hair curling iron/hair brush having a non-heat conducting handle, a barrel attached to the handle, a heat source in the barrel, and an elongated hair clip for curling the hair; the curling iron being convertible to a hair brush by sliding a hollow tube, having a wall with an interior surface and an exterior surface with bristles associated with the exterior surface and with at least some openings formed in the wall of the hollow tube, over the curling iron barrel and hair clip for attachment thereto to form a hair brush for brushing the hair of the user; the improvement comprising the steps of: 
 forming the heat source in the barrel as a radiant energy heat source;    forming a plurality of perforations in the barrel to allow radiant energy to escape to the hair of the user during curling the hair with the curling iron; and    causing at least some of the openings in the hollow tube, when slid over the barrel, to be in alignment with at least some of the perforations in the barrel to enable the radiant energy to escape to the hair of the user during brushing of the hair with the hair brush.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 affixing a rotatable end cap on the end of the barrel opposite the handle for enabling both hands of the user to be used to manipulate movement of the curling iron/hair brush.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 providing a DC power source in the handle of the curling iron to provide power to the radiant energy heat source and cause the curling iron/hair brush to be portable.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of; 
 coupling an external AC power source to the curling iron/hair brush for providing power to the radiant energy heat source for the curling iron/hair brush.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising the steps of: 
 providing batteries as a DC power source in the handle of the curling iron/hair brush to provide power to the radiant energy heat source;    coupling an AC/DC converter between the associated AC power source and the DC power source for providing DC power to the curling iron/hair brush; and    coupling at least one switch between the radiant energy heat source and a selected one of the AC/DC converter and DC power source to select one of charging the batteries and powering the radiant energy heat source with the AC/DC converter.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of forming the power source in the barrel as a radiant heat source further comprises the steps of: 
 placing a ceramic heat conducting rod within the barrel of the curling iron/hair brush, the ceramic rod having opposing inner and outer ends; and    associating a length of radiant energy generating resistance wire with the ceramic heat conducting rod, the length of wire having opposing first and second ends and having sufficient resistance to cause the desired radiant energy to be generated and radiated through the perforations in the barrel to the hair during use of the curling iron and through the aligned tube openings and barrel perforations during use of the hair brush.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising the steps of: 
 forming the ceramic heat conducting rod as a unitary element; and    wrapping a length of nickel-chromium wire, as the resistance wire heat generating source, for generating radiant energy along the length of the ceramic rod from the inner end to the outer end.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising the steps of: 
 associating electrical connectors with the opposing first and second ends of the resistance wire;    forming an elongated orifice through the center of the length of the ceramic rod to accommodate an electrical conductor having inner and outer ends with the outer end coupled to the connector associated with the outer opposing end of the length of resistance wire; and    selectively coupling the power source to the inner end of the electrical conductor and to the electrical connector associated with the inner opposing end of the length of resistance wire.    
   
   
       9 . An improved hair curling iron/hair brush having a non-heat conducting handle, a barrel, a heat source within the barrel, and an elongated hair clip for curling the hair; the curling iron being convertible to a hair brush by sliding a hollow tube, having an interior surface and an exterior surface with openings formed in the hollow tube and having bristles associated with the exterior surface, over the curling iron barrel and elongated hair clip for attachment thereto to form a hair brush for use in brushing the hair of the user; the improved hair curling iron/hair brush comprising: 
 a radiant energy generating device in the curling iron barrel for use as the heat source;    a plurality of perforations in the curling iron barrel to allow radiant energy to escape to the hair of the user during use of the curling iron to curl the hair; and    at least some of the openings in the hollow tube being in alignment with at least some of the perforations in the curling iron barrel to enable the generated radiant energy to escape to the hair of the user during use of the hair brush.    
   
   
       10 . The convertible hair curler of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 a rotatable non-heat conducting end cap on the end of the barrel opposite the handle for a enabling both hands of the user to manipulate movement of the curling iron/hair brush.    
   
   
       11 . The convertible hair curler of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 a DC power source in the handle of the curling iron to provide power to the radiant energy heat source and cause the curling iron/hair brush to be portable. during operation thereof.    
   
   
       12 . The convertible hair curler of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 batteries as the DC power source located in the handle of the curling iron/hair brush to provide power to the radiant energy heat source;    an AC power source; and    an AC/DC converter coupled between the AC power source and the DC power source for enabling the curling iron/hair brush to receive power for a selected one of charging of the batteries and powering the radiant energy heat source.    
   
   
       13 . The convertible hair curler of  claim 12  further comprising a switch for selectively coupling the AC/DC converter to a desired one of charging the batteries and powering the load.  
   
   
       14 . The convertible hair curler of  claim 9  wherein the radiant heat source further comprises: 
 a ceramic heat conducting rod within the barrel of the curling iron/hair brush, the ceramic rod having an inner end and an outer end; and    a length of radiant energy generating resistance wire associated with the ceramic heating conducting rod, the length of wire having opposing outer and inner ends and having sufficient resistance to cause the desired radiant energy to be generated and radiated through the perforations in the barrel to the hair during use of the curling iron and through the aligned tube openings and barrel perforations during use of the hair brush.    
   
   
       15 . Apparatus as in  claim 14  further comprising: 
 a unitary ceramic heat conducting rod having an inner end and an outer end; and    a length of nickel-chromium wire as the radiant energy generating resistive wire being wrapped about the length of the ceramic rod from the inner end to the outer end.    
   
   
       16 . Apparatus as in  claim 15  further comprising: 
 electrical connectors associated with opposing inner and outer ends of the resistance wire;    an elongated orifice formed through the center of the length of the ceramic rod to accommodate an electrical conductor having inner and outer ends with the outer end coupled to the connector associated with one of the opposing first and second ends of the length of resistance wire; and    a DC power source selectively coupled between the inner end of the electrical conductor and to the electrical connector associated with the other opposing end of the length of resistance wire.