Hair curler

Claim 2

A hair curler having a cylindrical wall and having numerous means projecting from the cylindrical wall for retaining hair against the wall when wound thereon so that the hair and the curler can hold each other in position without resort to additional components cooperating with the cylindrical wall, said hair retaining means comprising numerous resilient hair retaining filamentary elements secured to and projecting integrally from said wall and distributed over at least a large part of the external area of the cylindrical wall, each of said filamentary elements including an upstanding portion and an overhang portion extending laterally from said upstanding portion to provide a space between the cylindrical wall and the overhang portion for hair retention, said filamentary hair retaining elements being disposed in parallel helical rows, said filamentary hair retaining elements being spaced from each other for cooperation individually with hair being wound on the hair curler, said filamentary elements being so distributed on said cylindrical wall within each helical row and between successive helical rows that said filamentary elements intersect substantially all circular paths around the hair curler in the area thereof occupied by the hair retaining means, whereby there is at least a high probability of the strands of hair wound about the cylindrical wall transversely thereto becoming engaged by one or more of said hair retaining filamentary elements.

Claim 3

A hair curler in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said laterally extending overhang portions includes (no more than a minimal reverse part) extending toward the cylindrical wall at the end of the overhang portion remote from the juncture of the latter with a related said first portion, for promoting easy removal of the curler from the hair.

Claim 4

A hair curler in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cylindrical wall consists essentially of a self-supporting nontextile plastic sheet whereby a curler having the features in claim 24 also has a cylindrical wall that is inherently free of the numerous interstices characterizing textile materials and accordingly is easily cleaned.

Claim 5

A hair curler in accordance with claim 1, wherein said overhang portions are disposed esSentially along their respective helical rows and thus are disposed at an acute angle to strands of hair when wound transversely about the cylindrical wall, thereby making it easier for each overhang to be deflected by hair being thus wound and the deflected overhangs thereafter tending to snap over the deflection-inducing strands of hair when the latter are wound against the cylindrical wall.

Claim 6

A hair curler in accordance with claim 1, wherein said overhang portions predominantly extend at acute angles to hair being wound about said cylindrical wall so that such strands of hair initially tend to induce lateral deflection of said overhang portions engaged thereby during the winding and so that the overhang portions thus deflected thereafter tend to snap over such strands of hair when the latter are wound against the cylindrical wall.

Claim 7

A hair curler having a cylindrical wall and numerous means for retaining hair against the cylindrical wall when wound thereon, said means being distributed as successive helical rows extending over at least a large part of the outer area of said cylindrical wall, a predominant proportion of said hair retaining means individually having a resilient, flexible filamentary element projecting from the outer surface of said cylindrical wall and including a first portion extending away from said cylindrical wall and an overhang portion extending laterally from said first portion so as to provide a space between said overhang portion and said cylindrical wall for receiving and retaining strands of hair wound about the curler, said overhang portions generally extending at acute angles to respective planes perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical wall and accordingly extending slantwise to hair being wound on the curler transversely to said cylindrical wall, whereby pressure of the hair against the overhang portions when being thus wound tends to deflect the overhand portions laterally which then tend to snap back to their original positions and thus to extend over wound strands of hair in hair retaining relationship individually and without mutual interference, said filamentary elements being so distributed on said cylindrical wall within each helical row and between successive helical rows that said filamentary elements intersect substantially all circular paths around the hair curler in the area thereof occupied by the hair retaining means.

Claim 8

A hair curler having a cylindrical wall and numerous means for retaining hair against the cylindrical wall when wound thereon, said means being distributed as successive helical rows extending over at least a large part of the outer area of said cylindrical wall, a predominant proportion of said hair retaining means individually having a resilient, flexible filamentary element projecting from the outer surface of said cylindrical wall and including a first portion extending away from said cylindrical wall and an overhang portion extending laterally from said first portion so as to provide a space between said overhang portion and said cylindrical wall for receiving and retaining strands of hair wound about the curler, said overhang portions generally extending at acute angles to respective planes perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical wall and accordingly extending slantwise to hair being wound on the curler transversely to said cylindrical wall, whereby pressure of the hair against the overhang portions when being thus wound tends to deflect the overhand portions laterally which then tend to snap back to their original positions and thus to extend over wound strands of hair in hair retaining relationship individually and without mutual interference, said filamentary elements being so distributed on said cylindrical wall within each helical row and between successive helical rows that said filamentary elements intersect substantially all circular paths around the hair curler in the area thereof occupied by the hair retaining means.

Claim 9

A hair curler in accordance with claim 6, wherein said numerous hair retaining means are mutually spaced apart and include respective bristles projecting integrally from said cylindrical valve, said bristles being companion to and laterally spaced from said first portions, respectively, and the ends of said bristles being adjacent to the free ends of said overhang portions remote from said first portions, respectively, said bristles partially closing off laterally the spaces under said overhang portions and inherently rendering hair retention more secure.

Claim 10

A hair curler having a cylindrical wall comprising a unitary layer of plastic sheet material, and numerous means for retaining hair against the cylindrical wall when wound thereon, said means being distributed over at least a large part of the outer area of said cylindrical wall, a predominant proportion of said hair retaining means individually having a resilient, flexible filamentary element projecting integrally from said unitary layer and including a first portion extending away from said layer and an overhang portion extending laterally from said first portion so as to provide a space between said overhang portion and said layer for receiving and retaining strands of hair wound about the curler, said overhang portion extending slantwise to a plane passing perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical wall, the slantwise extending overhang portion tending to be engaged and deflected by hair being wound transversely about the cylindrical wall and tending thereafter to snap over and to retain the wound hair, said flexible filamentary elements beIng spaced apart from each other so as to promote individual effectiveness thereof in being deflected by and snapping over the hair being wound on the curler, thereby to constitute a hair curler that is easily cleaned, and which is self-sufficient and may be used effectively without resort to additional holding devices such as clips, said means for retaining hair being disposed in helical rows about the cylindrical wall, said filamentary elements being so distributed on said cylindrical wall within each helical row and between successive helical rows that said filamentary elements intersect substantially all circular paths around the hair curler in the area thereof occupied by the hair retaining means, thereby developing a high probability that each strand of hair being wound transversely about the cylindrical wall will encounter a hair retaining means.

Claim 11

A hair curler having a cylindrical wall comprising a unitary layer of plastic sheet material, and numerous means for retaining hair against the cylindrical wall when wound thereon, said means being distributed over at least a large part of the outer area of said cylindrical wall, a predominant proportion of said hair retaining means individually having a resilient, flexible filamentary element projecting integrally from said unitary layer and including a first portion extending away from said layer and an overhang portion extending laterally from said first portion so as to provide a space between said overhang portion and said layer for receiving and retaining strands of hair wound about the curler, said overhang portion extending slantwise to a plane passing perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical wall, the slantwise extending overhang portion tending to be engaged and deflected by hair being wound transversely about the cylindrical wall and tending thereafter to snap over and to retain the wound hair, said flexible filamentary elements beIng spaced apart from each other so as to promote individual effectiveness thereof in being deflected by and snapping over the hair being wound on the curler, thereby to constitute a hair curler that is easily cleaned, and which is self-sufficient and may be used effectively without resort to additional holding devices such as clips, said means for retaining hair being disposed in helical rows about the cylindrical wall, said filamentary elements being so distributed on said cylindrical wall within each helical row and between successive helical rows that said filamentary elements intersect substantially all circular paths around the hair curler in the area thereof occupied by the hair retaining means, thereby developing a high probability that each strand of hair being wound transversely about the cylindrical wall will encounter a hair retaining means.

Claim 12

A hair curler in accordance with claim 8, wherein said means for retaining hair have the overhang portions thereof disposed essentially along helical rows, thereby developing a high probability that each strand of hair being wound transversely about the area of the cylindrical wall bearing said hair retaining means will encounter and initially deflect at least one of said overhang portions, thereafter to be retained by such overhang portion.

Claim 13

A hair curler having a cylindrical wall comprising a unitary layer of plastic sheet material, and numerous means for retaining hair against the cylindrical wall when wound thereon, said means being distributed over at least a large part of the outer area of said cylindrical wall, a predominant proportion of said hair retaining means individually having a resilient, flexible filamentary element projecting integrally from said unitary layer and including a first portion extending away from said layer and an overhang portion extending laterally from said first portion so as to provide a space between said overhang portion and said layer for receiving and retaining strands of hair wound about the curler, said overhang portion extending slantwise to a plane passing perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical wall, the slantwise extending overhang portion tending to be engaged and deflected by hair being wound transversely about the cylindrical wall and tending thereafter to snap over and to retain the wound hair; said flexible fragmentary elements being spaced apart from each other so as to promote individual effectiveness thereof in being deflected by and snapping over the hair being wound on the curler, thereby to constitute a hair curler that is easily cleaned, and which is self-sufficient and may be used effectively without resort to additional holding devices such as clips, said layer and said hair retaining means being in the form of a thermoplastic strip having said hair retaining means distributed thereon in parallel rows parallel to the longitudinal edges of the strip and said strip being arranged as a helix having the longitudinal edges thereof fused to each other to form said cylindrical wall, said cylindrical wall thereby being economically made in various diameters and having the hair retaining means disposed in parallel helical rows for enhancing further the probability of strands of hair engaging the hair retaining means when being wound on the curler.

Claim 14

A hair curler having a cylindrical wall comprising a unitary layer of plastic sheet material, and numerous means for retaining hair against the cylindrical wall when wound thereon, said means being distributed over at least a large part of the outer area of said cylindrical wall, a predominant proportion of said hair retaining means individually having a resilient, flexible filamentary element projecting integrally from said unitary layer and including a first portion extending away from said layer and an overhang portion extending laterally from said first portion so as to provide a space between said overhang portion and said layer for receiving and retaining strands of hair wound about the curler, said overhang portion extending slantwise to a plane passing perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical wall, the slantwise extending overhang portion tending to be engaged and deflected by hair being wound transversely about the cylindrical wall and tending thereafter to snap over and to retain the wound hair; said flexible fragmentary elements being spaced apart from each other so as to promote individual effectiveness thereof in being deflected by and snapping over the hair being wound on the curler, thereby to constitute a hair curler that is easily cleaned, and which is self-sufficient and may be used effectively without resort to additional holding devices such as clips, said layer and said hair retaining means being in the form of a thermoplastic strip having said hair retaining means distributed thereon in parallel rows parallel to the longitudinal edges of the strip and said strip being arranged as a helix having the longitudinal edges thereof fused to each other to form said cylindrical wall, said cylindrical wall thereby being economically made in various diameters and having the hair retaining means disposed in parallel helical rows for enhancing further the probability of strands of hair engaging the hair retaining means when being wound on the curler.

Claim 15

A hair curler in accordance with claim 10, wherein said overhang portions extend generally along respective ones of said rows, and said filamentary elements being so distributed on said cylindrical wall within each helical row and between successive helical rows that said filamentary elements intersect substantially all circular paths around the hair curler in the area thereof occupied by the hair retaining means.