Hair styling apparatus

Abstract

The application describes hair styling apparatus ( 1 ) for creating volume in a user's hair. The hair styling apparatus ( 1 ) comprises a heating member, a cooling member adjacent to the heating member, thermal insulation between the cooling member and the heating member and a tensioning member projecting from the heating member. The heating member comprises a heating contacting surface for heating hair in contact with the heating member. The cooling member has a cooling contacting surface for cooling hair in contact with the cooling member and the cooling member is cooled by an active cooling mechanism. The tensioning member tensions a user's hair against the heating contacting surface to improve heat transfer into a user's hair and applies stress to a user's hair as the hair contacts the cooling contacting surface adjacent the heating contacting surface whereby the hair is styled to create volume.

1 . Hair styling apparatus comprising:
 a heating member having a heating contacting surface for heating hair in contact with the heating member;   a cooling member adjacent to the heating member, wherein the cooling member has a cooling contacting surface for cooling hair in contact with the cooling member and the cooling member is cooled by an active cooling mechanism;   thermal insulation between the cooling member and the heating member; and   one or more tensioning members which project from the heating member and which, in use, tensions a user's hair.   
     
     
         2 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more tensioning members project from the heating member by between 6 mm and 50 mm and preferably by between 8 mm and 40 mm. 
     
     
         3 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of tensioning members which project from different portions of the heating member. 
     
     
         4 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of tensioning members comprises one or more rows of bristles. 
     
     
         5 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein each row of bristles comprises a base portion and a plurality of bristles that attach to the base portion. 
     
     
         6 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the heating member comprises one or more channels, each channel for receiving a respective base portion, and a plurality of cavities provided in the heating contacting surface and extending into a channel and through each of which a respective bristle can be inserted to attach to the base portion provided in the corresponding channel. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the active cooling mechanism is arranged to draw or blow air along a longitudinal axis of the hair styling apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a guard which at least partially surrounds the heating member and tensioning member. 
     
     
         11 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the guard comprises a plurality of spaced apart elements. 
     
     
         12 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein each element has a shape which tapers from the cooling member towards the tensioning element. 
     
     
         13 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the guard is thermally insulated from the heating member. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the tensioning member comprises a plurality of teeth or bristles. 
     
     
         16 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of teeth or bristles has a generally tapering shape which is widest adjacent the heating contacting surface. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the tensioning element is made from plastics, metal or ceramic. 
     
     
         25 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a styling mechanism that houses the heating member and the cooling member and wherein the heating contacting surface is provided on an upper surface of the styling mechanism and the cooling contacting surface is provided on a lower surface of the styling mechanism. 
     
     
         26 . Hair styling apparatus comprising:
 a handle for holding the apparatus;   a generally tubular styling mechanism;   a heating member provided within the styling mechanism and having a heating contacting surface for heating hair in contact with the heating member, the heating contacting surface being provided on an upper surface of the generally tubular styling mechanism;   a cooling member provided within the styling mechanism adjacent to the heating member, wherein the cooling member has a cooling contacting surface for cooling hair in contact with the cooling member, the cooling contacting surface being provided on a lower surface of the generally tubular styling mechanism and the cooling member being cooled by an active cooling mechanism; and   one or more tensioning members which project from the heating member and which, in use, tension a user's hair.   
     
     
         27 . Hair styling apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein the active cooling mechanism is arranged to blow or draw air along a longitudinal axis of the generally tubular styling mechanism past the cooling member. 
     
     
         28 . A method of styling hair comprising:
 providing a hair styling device having a generally tubular styling mechanism that houses a heating member having a heating contacting surface for heating hair in contact with the heating member and a cooling member having a cooling contacting surface for cooling hair in contact with the cooling member, the heating contacting surface being provided on an upper surface of the generally tubular styling mechanism and the cooling contacting surface being provided on a lower surface of the generally tubular styling mechanism and the cooling member being cooled by an active cooling mechanism;   heating hair to be styled by passing the hair to be styled over the heating contacting surface until the hair is above a glass transition temperature of the hair;   styling the hair by tensioning the hair using one or more tensioning members which project from the heating member; and   cooling the hair when tensioned by rotating the generally tubular styling mechanism so that the hair contacts the cooling contacting surface to set the hair in the desired style.