US 5,286,949 AGranted

Apparatus and method for heating and moistening hair rollers using steam and hair rollers for use therewith

OwnerRosemary Simonsinventor

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing heated hair rollers wherein the rollers are suspended vertically in a heating chamber of a housing, an amount of water is introduced into the chamber and heated to generate steam which surrounds the rollers and condenses thereon heating and moistening the rollers which may then be removed and applied to a person's hair. The rollers are suspended by a horizontal plate within the housing which defines a steam chamber between the plate and the bottom of the housing. The plate has a plurality of holes sized to allow passage of the rollers. Each hair roller has a head portion which is larger in diameter than the respective hole whereby the rollers are suspended from the plate within the steam chamber such that the head portion of each roller remains outside of the heating chamber to provide a relatively cool handle for easy manipulation of the heated and moistened rollers. Heating may be achieved by an electric heater in the housing but it is preferred that the apparatus be constructed out of microwave transparent materials and that heating of the water be carried out by placing the apparatus in an operating microwave oven.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A hair curling apparatus including a plurality of hair rollers in combination with means for heating and moistening said rollers, said heating and moistening means comprising a housing having a bottom and upstanding side walls forming an open top chamber, a removable and changeable hair roller support means in combination with said housing defining a steam chamber within said housing between said bottom and said hair roller support means, and bounded by said upstanding side walls, and having means to vertically suspend said hair rollers therefrom within said steam chamber said plurality of hair rollers being vertically suspended within said steam chamber by said hair roller support means and an openable lid covering said chamber,

wherein said hair roller support means comprises a horizontal plate having an upper surface and a lower surface and a plurality of holes therein sized to allow the passage of said rollers through said plate and means to support said plate above the bottom of said housing a distance sufficient to permit said rollers to be vertically suspended from said plate above the bottom of said housing and within said steam chamber, each of said rollers having means cooperating with said plate to effect their suspension whereby a portion of each roller is maintained above said plate and outside of said steam chamber, and wherein said steam chamber is capable of containing a quantity of liquid capable of being heated to boiling thereby generating steam within said steam chamber which condenses on said rollers to heat and moisten said rollers, whereby said housing, said hair roller support means and said lid cooperate to retain heat and moisture around said suspended rollers until their removal from said apparatus.

A hair curling apparatus including a plurality of hair rollers in combination with means for heating and moistening said rollers, said heating and moistening means comprising:

a) a housing having an open top, a bottom and upstanding side walls,
b) a chamber within said housing capable of containing a quantity of liquid capable of being heated by microwave energy,
c) a removable hair roller support means in said chamber in combination with said housing forming a steam chamber between said hair roller support means and the bottom of said housing and comprising means to vertically suspend said plurality of hair rollers within said steam chamber above the level of the liquid, and
d) a lid covering said open housing top and openable with respect to said housing chamber, said lid having vent means therein and capable of being opened in a manner to expose said hair rollers in a sequential manner;
wherein said hair roller support means comprises a horizontal plate positioned above the bottom of said housing and having a plurality of holes through which said hair rollers are inserted into said steam chamber, said rollers having an enlarged end the diameter of which is greater than that of said holes and which does not pass through whereby said rollers are vertically suspended from said plate within said steam chamber and wherein said apparatus and said rollers are constructed from materials transparent to microwave energy.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.