Hair care or hair styling device

Abstract

A hair care or hair styling device 1 comprises two arms 5, 5.1 arranged articulated to one another and movable relative to one another in the manner of tongs 5, 5.1, with the top sides of each of said arms, which face one another, each having a complementary styling surface 9, 9.1 for forming a hair styling space 10 between the styling surfaces 9, 9.1. By virtue of the articulated arrangement of the arms 5, 5.1 the hair styling space 10 can be opened and closed. Each of the arms 5, 5.1 is equipped with a flow passage 11, 11.1 for conducting a flow of hot air, wherein the component 8, 8.1 that forms the styling surface 9, 9.1 of each arm 5, 5.1 is arranged such that a flow of hot air conducted through the flow passage 11, 11.1 of said arm 5, 5.1 flows along the back side of the component 8, 8.1 that forms the styling surface 9, 9.1 for the purpose of heating said styling surface 9, 9.1. In a heat-conducting arrangement, at least one self-regulating heating element having a positive temperature coefficient—a PTC heating element 13, 13.1— is connected as an additional heating device to the component 8, 8.1 that forms the styling surface 9, 9.1 of at least one arm 5, 5.1, for the purpose of supplying heat to the styling surfaces 9, 9.1.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A hair care or hair styling device comprising:
 two arms articulated to one another and movable relative to one another in the manner of tongs;   facing surfaces of said arms each having a component supporting a styling surface, said styling surfaces being complementary, said styling surfaces forming a hair styling space between the styling surfaces;   the articulated arrangement of the arms allowing the hair styling space to be opened and closed;   each of said arms having a flow passage for hot air, wherein each of the components supporting a styling surface is located on the flow passage such that a flow of hot air conducted through the flow passage flows along the back side of the component supporting a styling surface, heating said styling surface; and   at least one self-regulating heating element having a positive temperature coefficient connected in a heat-conducting manner as an additional heating device to the component supporting the styling surface of at least one arm.   
     
     
         2 . The hair care or hair styling device of  claim 1 , wherein that the heating element is glued to the back side of the component supporting the styling surface. 
     
     
         3 . The hair care or hair styling device of  claim 1 , wherein the arms have different volumes and the heating element is attached to the component supporting the styling surface of the smaller arm. 
     
     
         4 . The hair care or hair styling device of  claim 1 , wherein the components supporting the styling surfaces of both arms are each equipped with a PTC heating element. 
     
     
         5 . The hair care or hair styling device of  claim 1 , wherein the flow passages have an opening in the region of unattached ends of the arms from the hot air flow fully or partially flows when the device is in use. 
     
     
         6 . The hair care or hair styling device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is part of a device that provides a flow of hot air. 
     
     
         7 . The hair care or hair styling device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is an attachment for a device that provides a flow of hot air. 
     
     
         8 . A method for operating a hair care or hair styling device comprising:
 providing at least one one styling element that is placed in contact with a strand of hair to be styled;   heating the styling element with a flow of hot air conducted along and/or through the styling element;   additionally heating the styling element by one or more heating elements, said heating elements self-regulating based upon the operation of the device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein both heat sources are used at the same time, wherein the hot air flow is heated to a temperature at which the styling element is heated to a predetermined temperature level, and the fluctuations in the temperature of the styling element are substantially balanced by the at least one additional electrical heating element. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein that for the purpose of heating the styling element, both heat sources are used at the same time, wherein the hot air flow is heated to a temperature at which the styling element is heated to a predetermined temperature level, and the at least one additional heating element is activated for the purpose of achieving peak temperatures.