Hair straightening apparatus

Abstract

A hair straightening apparatus is provided. The hair straightening apparatus includes an upper clamping member and a lower clamping member attached to the upper clamping member at a hinge. A lower heating element extends from the lower clamping member. The lower heating element also includes a top heating surface and an opposing bottom heating surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hair straightening apparatus comprising:
 an upper clamping member;   a lower clamping member attached to the upper clamping member at a hinge; and   a lower heating element extending from the lower clamping member;   wherein the lower heating element comprises a top heating surface and an opposing bottom heating surface.   
     
     
         2 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper heating element extending from the upper clamping member, the upper heating element having an upper heating surface, wherein the top heating surface and the upper heating surface face each other. 
     
     
         3 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the upper heating surface extends along a length of the upper heating element. 
     
     
         4 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the upper heating surface and the top heating surface come into contact when the upper clamping member and the lower clamping member are in a closed position. 
     
     
         5 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a comb portion attached to the upper heating element having comb tines, the comb tines protruding beyond the bottom heating surface when the upper clamping member and the lower clamping member are in a closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the comb portion comprises first and second combs extending along opposing sides of a length of the upper heating element. 
     
     
         7 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein one or more protrusions extend from the upper heating element. 
     
     
         8 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the comb portion comprises one or more grooves that interlock with the one or more protrusions when the upper heating element is inserted into the comb portion. 
     
     
         9 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first comb and the second comb separately attach to the upper heating element. 
     
     
         10 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a latch extending from the upper clamping member towards the lower clamping member; and   a latch receiving groove in the lower clamping member for receiving the latch.   
     
     
         11 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the latch comprises an arcuate leading edge. 
     
     
         12 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein a notched recess in the latch receives a rim of the latch receiving groove, locking the latch within the latch receiving groove. 
     
     
         13 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a lock release button slidable along a longitudinal axis of the hair straightening apparatus, wherein the lock release button disengages the latch from the latch receiving groove. 
     
     
         14 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the lower heating element comprises a flat top heating surface and a flat bottom heating surface and the upper heating element comprises a flat heating element. 
     
     
         15 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the lower heating element comprises a flat top heating surface and an arcuate bottom heating surface and the upper heating element comprises a flat heating element. 
     
     
         16 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the lower heating element comprises an arcuate top heating surface and a flat bottom heating surface and the upper heating element comprises an arcuate heating element. 
     
     
         17 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the arcuate top heating surface is a convex surface and the arcuate heating element is a concave surface. 
     
     
         18 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the upper heating element comprises an arcuate upper heating surface and a flat heating element, the arcuate upper heating surface extending in a direction opposite to the flat heating element. 
     
     
         19 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the lower heating element comprises a flat top heating surface and an arcuate bottom heating surface, wherein the flat heating element and the flat top heating surface face each other. 
     
     
         20 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a first double-sided comb portion attached to the upper heating element, the first double-sided comb portion comprising a first upper comb portion extending in a direction opposite to a first lower comb portion;   a second double-sided comb portion attached to the upper heating element, the second double-sided comb portion comprising a second upper comb portion extending in a direction opposite to a second lower comb portion.   
     
     
         21 . A hair straightening apparatus comprising:
 an upper clamping member;   a lower clamping member attached to the upper clamping member at a hinge;   an upper heating element extending from the upper clamping member;   a lower heating element extending from the lower clamping member;   a latch extending from the upper clamping member towards the lower clamping member; and   a latch receiving groove in the lower clamping member for receiving the latch.   
     
     
         22 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the latch comprises an arcuate leading edge. 
     
     
         23 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein a notched recess in the latch receives a rim of the latch receiving groove, locking the latch within the latch receiving groove. 
     
     
         24 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a lock release button slidable along a longitudinal axis of the hair straightening apparatus, wherein the lock release button disengages the latch from the latch receiving groove. 
     
     
         25 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a comb portion extending along a length of the upper heating element, the comb portion attached to the upper heating element. 
     
     
         26 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein comb tines protrude from the comb portion beyond the bottom heating surface when the upper clamping member and the lower clamping member are in a closed position. 
     
     
         27 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the comb portion comprises first and second combs extending along a length of the upper heating element. 
     
     
         28 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein one or more protrusions extend from the upper heating element. 
     
     
         29 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the comb portion comprises one or more grooves that interlock with the one or more protrusions when the upper heating element is inserted into the comb portion. 
     
     
         30 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the first and second combs separately attach to the upper heating element. 
     
     
         31 . A hair straightening apparatus comprising:
 an upper clamping member;   a lower clamping member attached to the upper clamping member at a hinge;   an upper heating element extending from the upper clamping member, the upper heating element having one or more protrusions extending along a length of the upper heating element;   a lower heating element extending from the lower clamping member;   a comb portion attached to the upper heating element;   wherein the comb portion comprises one or more grooves interlocking with the one or more protrusions when the comb portion is attached to the upper heating element.   
     
     
         32 . The hair straightening apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the upper heating element comprises an upper heating surface, the upper heating surface having a width less than a width of the upper heating element.