Hair styling appliance

Abstract

An appliance used for styling or shaping of fiber that is comprised of at least two heatable plates with a longitudinally extending gap between adjacent plates. The gap between the plates allows for increased function of the appliance. The appliance may be a hair straightener, a crimping iron, a curling iron, clothes iron or any other appliance that uses heated plates and is used to shape or style fibers.

1 . An apparatus for treating a fiber with heat comprising:
 a first longitudinally extending arm and a second longitudinally extending arm, each having a first end and a second end, the arms being hingedly connected to each other adjacent their respective first ends for movement between an open fiber receiving position and a closed fiber treating position;   a heating area adjacent said second end of each arm, said heating area comprising at least two heatable surfaces and a non-heated area separating said at least two surfaces, said at least two heatable surfaces and said non-heated area being respectively opposed to one another when said arms are in said closed position thereof; and   a power supply for supplying power to heat said heatable surfaces,   wherein a fiber moving through said heating area when said arms are in said closed position is alternatively heated when traversing between said heatable surfaces and cooled when traversing said non-heated area.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one non-heated area comprises a longitudinally extending gap. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one non-heated area is comprised of an insulating material. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claims 1 , wherein said power supply includes at least one control for controlling the temperature of said heatable surfaces. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said heatable surfaces are connected to a single control to control the temperature of said heatable surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said heatable surfaces of said first arm are connected to a first control to control the temperature of said heatable surfaces on said first arm and said heatable surfaces of said second arm are connected to a second control to control the temperature of said heatable surfaces on said second arm and. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said controls are adapted to heat each heatable surface to a different relative temperature. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claims 1 , wherein said power supply includes a cord connectable to an electrical outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claims 1 , wherein said arms are normally biased towards said open position. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is a hair styling apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said hair styling apparatus is a hair straightener. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for treating fiber with heat comprising:
 a heating area having at least two heatable surfaces and a non-heated area separating said heatable surfaces;   a power supply for supplying power to heat said heatable surfaces,   wherein a fiber moving through said heating area is alternatively heated when traversing said heatable surfaces and cooled when traversing said non-heated area   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said apparatus is a clothes-iron. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said non-heated area is a longitudinally extending gap. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said non-heated area is comprised of an insulating material. 
     
     
         16 . A method of treating fiber comprising:
 passing the fiber across a first heated area;   passing the fiber across a thermally cooler area;   passing the fiber across a second heated area.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said first heated area comprises a first heated surface above the fiber and a second heated surface below the fiber. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said second heated area comprises a first heated surface above the fiber and a second heated surface below the fiber. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said thermally cooler area is a longitudinally extending gap. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said thermally cooler area is comprised of an insulating material.