Automatic hair styling device

A hair styling device comprising:

• a) a handle;
• b) an elongated, substantially cylindrical, heatable rod comprising a curling surface and supported by the handle, the rod having a proximate portion attached proximate to the handle and an opposed distal portion;
• c) a heater supported by the handle for heating the curling surface of the rod;
• d) a rotatable member supported by the handle and rotatable relative to the curling surface of the rod for wrapping a user's hair around and in contact with the curling surface of the rod;
• e) an opening in the rotatable member for receiving the user's hair;
• f) a motor housed within the handle for rotating the rotatable member;
• g) a rotation direction selection switch on the handle for selecting direction of the rotation of the rotatable member supported by the handle;
• h) three supports spaced apart from the curling surface of the rod, wherein the supports extend from the proximate portion of the rod to the distal portion of the rod and are connected together by an upper support element proximate to the distal portion of the rod, wherein there is sufficient spacing between the supports so substantially the entire curling surface of the rod is visible to a user;
• and
• i) three flexible, heat-resistant clamps, wherein each clamp comprises a distal portion fixedly and directly attached to one of the supports and a proximate end spaced apart from the rod by about 0.1 to about 3 mm prior to placement of the user's hair in the opening in the rotatable member, wherein the proximate end of each clamp can move bidirectionally and wherein each clamp is configured to clamp the user's hair against the curling surface of the rod that is heatable by the heater.