CA1157338A - Automatic temperature control system with manual off override for a catalytically heated curling device - Google Patents

Abstract

AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM WITH MANUAL OFF OVERRIDE
FOR A CATALYTICALLY HEATED CURLING DEVICE

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
An automatic temperature control system for a gas-powered catalytic curling iron. A bi-metal thermostat element positioned co-extensive to the tubular hair winding portion of a curling iron includes a tube and a rod located within the tube.
The tube and the rod have different co-efficients of thermal expansion. A control plate is adapted to control the axial movement of a valve stem. The bi-metal thermostat element is coupled to a first end of the control plate and a manual on/off selector means is coupled to the second end of the control plate.

Description

This inven-tion relates to hair~curling devices which are catalytically heated. More particularly, this invention relates to a curling device or curling iron which includes automatic temperature regulating means for the flow of vapori~ed fuel.
Prior art curling devices including catalysts are well Xnown, e.g. British Patent No. 419,825; and U.S. Patent Nos.

2,997,869; 3,563,251; and 3,913,592. These devices lacked automatic temperature control rendering them unsuitable.
In applicant's U.S. Patent No. 4,248,208, issued February 3, 1981, a catalytically heated curling device with automatic temperature control is described. In a specific embodiment in the co-pending case, the automatic temperature control system includes a typical bi-metal element which bends in response to increased temperature of the heating chamber until the bi~metal element is physically obstructed from bending by the inside of the heating chamber.
The specific embodiment of the co-pending application made it difficult to precisely and repeatably control the positioning of the associated valve stem and accordingly the temperature of the curling iron.
The present invention provides an automatic temperature control system which overcomes the difficulties associated with the prior art temperature systems while also providing a manual off override, all in a simple, straightforward manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a safe, efficient, easy-to-manufacture curling iron with a more precise .~

mg/`, - 2 -`

"~ ~ , , . , " ' i .

temperature control system and a manual ofr oYerride-¦ It i9 another ob~ect Or thia inventlon to provlde an improved automatic temperature control system which does not ,lrequire a complexlty of levers and springs to accomplish a pre-cise control with a manual off overrlde.
Briefly stated and according to an aspect Or this ¦ invention, the foregoing objects are achieved by providing ln a li ~¦catalytically powered curling an automatic temperature control ,¦ system which includes a control plate for controlling the axial ¦ movement of a valve stem. A bi-metal thermostat element is ¢omprised of a tube and a rod located within the tube. The tube ~.
and rod have different co-efficients of expansion. The thermo-stat element is connected to a first end of the control plate and , a manual on/off control coupled to the other end of the control ! plate.
¦ BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
,~ These inventions both as to their organization and prin-jl ciples Or operation, together with further objects and advantages il thereof, may better be understood by referring to the following detailed description of embodiments of the inventions taken in ' conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: ;
, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partially cut-away and i ! partially in section, in accordance with this invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view partially cut-away and partially in section, rotated 90 with respect to Fig. 1, in ¦ aocordance with this invention.
l Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view, partially ' ¦ in section, showing a detailed view of the ignition system Or I Fig. 2, in accordance with this invention.
' Il ' " - ' - ' ' ' ! -. . ..

~ v -3-,1 3 I!
~ .

~i ij Fig. 4 is a ~ide view, partially in section, Or a por- !
tion o~ the ignition syst`em shown in Fig. 3, in accordance with ! this invention.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged top view of an element of the ignition system of Fig. 3, in accordance with this invention.
Fig. 6 is a right side elevational view of the element ' of Flg. 5, in accordance with this invention.
~¦ Fig. 7 is an eniarged side elevational sectional view, showing a detailed view of the temperature control system of Fig.
, i, in accordance with this invention. !
s'- Fig. 8 i9 an enlarged side elevational se^tional view, of portions of the device shown in Fig. 2, in accordance with ' this invention.

3 Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along , line IX-IX of Fig.- 1, in accordance with this invention.
,~ Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of a control lever of Fig.
,~ 9, in accordance with this invention.
ii F$g. 11 is a right side elevational view of the control lever of Fig. 10, in accordance with this invention.
" Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII of Fig. 9, in accordance with this invention.
"
, Fig. 13 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the j vaporizer/valve assembly of Fig. 1, in accordance with this I¦ lnvention.
Ij - Fig. 14 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of an alternate embodiment Or the vaporizer/valve assembly of Fig. 1, , in accordance with this invention.
~1 Fig. 15 is an enlarged side elevational sectional view, ¦~ of components of a temperature control on/off system, in accord-¦1 ance with this invention.
! .
~,' . . , !
.~ ji -4-!j :

r ~i 1157338 ''' Il'' .
Flg. 16 i9 a righ~ slde elevational view of an embodl-ment similar to that Or Fig. 3, in accordance with this inven-tion.
i DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to Fig~. ~1 and 2, a curling iron geherally j designated by the numeral 11 includes a tube portion or barrel 12 and a gripping portion or handle 13. The free end, or first end, of the barrel 12 rorms a cool tip housing 14. The housing 14 may .
be formed of a plastic, s~ch as a polycarbonate, and is in gener-~! ally axial alignment with the barrel 12. The barrel 12, which is ,. ~ ~ _ preferably made of a heat conductive material, such as aluminum, I -is circular in cross-section and may include a plurality of holes ,1 or rows Or holes in a ~anner well known in the art to provide ¦ exhaust means for the consumed fuel/air mixture from the interior ¦ -lof the barrel 12.
! The other end Or the barrel 12 is connected, such as by ! a press fit or crimp 15 to a sleeve member or housing 16. The " housing 16 is further connected to the handle 13 by any means ~well known in the art, such as press fitting, screws, or the ¦like The hollow interior or reservoir 17 of the handle 13 Iforms a pressure vessel. The pressure vessel, which may be ,,formed of nylon or the like, includes a refill valve 18 disposed in an end plug 19, all as well known in the art. The refill valve 18 may be any well known valve system adapted to receive a ,! mating stem of a container of butane or the like. The reservoir 17 of the pressure vessel receives and retains fuel in a liquid state in the handle 13 of the curling iron 11.
. !l . . ~-; .
iî - . .. ¦ .
~!

''I .. .~ ~, ~ _ !

5'7338 ~ !
'I , The pressure vessel need not be permanently flxed to the !Ihousing 16 Or the curline iron ,1. The curling iron 11 may be !1 adapted so that the handle 13 which includes the reservoir 17 i8 i releasably attached to the housing 16 in order that a disposable Icartridge may be utilized. In general, the reservoir 17 holds ¦approximately 10 grams of ruel, in an exemplary embodiment, which l sufrices for a plurality of curling sPssions.
.I Disposed in the reservoir 17 of the pressure Yessel is a ¦
¦¦ wick member 20. Wick member 20 may be rormed as a lining cover-j ing the inner walls Or the pressure vessel. The wick ~ember 20 i may be made from a fibrous material, such as filtering paper, i textile materials, or other absorptive material.
Although the embodiment described herein discloses a ,¦curling iron with a fuel supply located at one end Or the cu-ling ¦I iron and an ignition system located at the other end Or the !i curling iron, the location Or such components may be juxtaposed i! or serve a dual function and still be within the scope Or this t ¦¦ invention. Further, although not shown in the drawings, a cover I for the barrel 12 Or the curling iron 11 may be provided.
!¦ Connected to the exterior Or the curling iron 11 is a j hair clip 21, best shown in Fig. 2. The hair clip 21 has 2 first portion 22 substantially conforming to the-shape Or the outer ¦ surface Or the barrel 12. A first portion 22 is integrally ¦~ formed with a second portion 23 which in turn is fastened to a button member 24 by means such as screw 25. First portion 22 is raised outward from the barrel 12 when its associated button ; member 2~ is compressed toward the handle 13 thereby overcoming the biasing force of a coil spring 26 located in the hollow of ¦ button member 24. The hair clip 21 is accordingl~ pivotably i `;
.',, .', '',. '. .
! . . !
6 -, .
~. !!. ' ' . i, .. ij ' . t.
.. . .

.

~ 1157338 ' . i mounted about pin 27 in a manner well known in the art. The ¦ first portion 22 and second portion 23 Or the hair clip 21 is '¦ preferably formed of a metal material. The button member 24 is 'i preferably formed of a plastic material.
The housing 16, which is formed of a plastic or the like . best seen in Figs. 7 and 8, defines a truncated conically shaped l cavity 28. At the widest portion Or the cavity 28, the diameter ,, Day be approximately 300~100~ths of an inch. The diameter de- !
pends upon the parameters of the system such as the size of the ¦
orifice of the no3zle and the velocity of the butane. j _ In fluid communication with the cavity 28 is a generally j cylindrical cavity 29 having an inside diameter such as ,~ 60/1000ths of an inch. Also within the housing 16 is a concen-~ trically aligned cavity 30 having an inside diameter greater than j that of cavity 29 such as approximately 250~1000ths Or an inch.
,j The cavities 30, 29, and 28 provide fluid communication to the interior of the barrel 12 for the gas released from valve stem 31 i !¦ through its orifice 32 located at the tip of the valve stem 31.
'¦ A gem (not shown), including an aperture having a diameter Or approximately 2.5/lOOOths of an inch, may be positioned in the ¦ tip Or the stem 31.
I In operation, the butane gas is released through the orifice 32 of valve stem 31 into the cavity 28. The orifice 32 in the tip of the valve stem 31 increases the velocity of the gas ¦ which lowers the pressure in the cavity 28 allowing air to be combined therewith. The air is pulled in to mix with the vapor-J¦ i~ed gas through various openings of the structure on the ca~ing '~ itself such as air channel 33 shown in Fig. 1. The vaporized il fuel/air mixture travels through cavities 29 and 30 and is intro-duced into the interior of the cylindrical barrel 12.

~7~ I ' !l . -. . .. ....... 1 .

1`1 ` . 11S7338 Il I . . .
i Positioned coextensively with the barrel 12 is a tube il 34- The tube 34 i9 preferably formed Or a material such as aluminum. ~he first end of She tube 34 is proximate to the , handle 13. The first end Or tube 34 is disposed in the cavity 30 of housing 16 and is held therein by means well known in the art ¦ such as by friction fit. The tube 34 has disposed about a por-tion of its outer surface an inner coil wire form 35 and an outer '~ coil wire form 36 best shown in ~ig. 2. ~oth coil wire forms 35 ,¦ and 36 are preferably made of a high temperature resistant wire.
! Wire forms 35 and 36 may be of different diameters. Alternati~e-ly, the diameters of the coil wire forms 35 and 36 may each be ,i approximately 20/1000ths Or an inch. Disposed between the tube ,¦ 3~ or the inner coil wire form 35, and the outer coil wire form 36 is a generally cylindrical catalyst member 37.
~, The portion of the tube 34 disposed inside the catalyst member 37 includes a plurality Or apertures such as holes or i slots to allow the vaporized fuel/air mixture to pass through the j , tube 3~ and react with the catalyst member 37. When a tube such ~ as tube 34 is used in this invention, it is preferable that no ii perforations, apertures or the like occur through the walls of the tube 3~ until the portion of the tube 34 is reached in which the fuel~air mixture ~Jill pass through the catalyst member 37.
¦ As an alternate embodiment, in place of the tube 34 w~th !
it~ perforations, the inner coil wire form 35 can be extended, , from iti end proximate the handle 13, in a tightly wound air im-¦ pervious fashion and positioned in frictional engagement within the wall of the cavity 30. In such an embodiment, several con- ¦ -~olutions or turns of the mid-portion of the inner coil wire form ¦
¦ 35 disposed inside the catalyst member 37 would be axially ex-panded to.permit the proper quantity of fuel/air mixture to react !l !

~!
. . ~

", ,, ~
.
- !~ . 1157338 I
., I . . . .
with the catalyst member 37 while providing sufficient support.
The end of the inner coil wire form 35 proximate the ¦icool tip housing 14 is wound in a tightly compressed and tapered j~ fashion to form a cap 33. A small aperture 39 is defined in the ¦¦cap 38 approximately coaxial with the axis of the tube 34. When ¦ithe vaporized fuel/air mi~ture passes through the tube 34, the !' cap 38 prevenSs most of the fuel~air mixture from escaping from ¦the free end of the tube 34. The fuel~air mixture is accordingly ~, ~orced through the catalyst member 37 to realize efficient burn- ¦
~! ing. The aperture 3g, although not necessary, is preferred'since ¦
¦ it aids in efficient ignition in a manner to be described below.
The cap 38 could also be formed from a piece of metal either separ2te or integral with the inner coil wire form 35 or as part ,Or the tube 34. Its formation as part of the inner coil wire ! form 35 is both inexpensive and convenient, and accordingly -il preferable. ' .
¦ The outer coil wire for~ 36 has a right end'convolution or turn 40 and a left end'convolution or turn 41 best seen in ! Fig. 2. The turns 40 and 41 are of a diameter such as to fit the , ,!inner diameter of the barrel 12. The outer coil wire form 36 ,I provides support and dimensional stability to the catalyst member I
l37 and to a bi-m¢tal thermostat element to be described subse- ¦ -quently. The turn 40 may be attached to, or substituted by, a spacer disposed between the housing 16 and the catalyst member 37. Such a spacer (not shown) may also act as a heat sink and ', aid in the positive alignment of the inner coil wire form 35 when ',,the inner coil wire form 35 is configured to substitute for the 'tube 34 in the manner previously described. In addition, such a '¦spacer may provide desirable heat transfer of the heat generated I . . . j i' ' 9 . - j, ,. . . . .
1, . , ........... , . !

1i . 1157~38 1-!!
!l l~' by the burniDg of the gas to barrel 12. Such a spacer may also ,j provide further structural positioning and support for the bi-metal thermostat element to be described subsequently.
j The number Or convolutions or turns between the turns 40 'i and 41 Or the outer coil wire form 36 should be of any convenient number, such as six, required to positively locate the outer surface of the catalyst member 37 without unnecessarily inter-, fering with the transfer of heat generated therein to the barrel 12. - ~
In a preferred embodiment, the catalyst member 37 is a ¦ _ ' collection of randomly oriented fibers formed of clear fused ¦
'l quartz from rock crystal or ceramic material. These fibers may be formed in a manner well known in the art, such as by the use i Or a spinneret. The resulting isotropic collection of unrelated J fibers, in a quantity such as in the order of 50 milligrams, '~ forms the base or substrate for treatment with a catalytic solu-~j tion in a manner well known in the art., Preferably, the cata-' lytic material contained in the catalytic solution will be a ' platinum or platinum~palladium compound. Once treated to form ! the catalyst member 37, a quantity of such fibers is positioned ' between the inner coil member 35 and the outer coil member 36 t t making sure that sufficient fiber material is used so that the ', path of the fuel/air mixture through the tube 34 will pass ,I through the catalytic member 37.
The combination of the inner coil wire form 35 ter~ina- ¦
~' ting in cap 38 and outer coil wire form 36 with its larger turnC~ j ~0 and i~1 provides proper support and positive placement Or the catalyst member 37. Further such a structure positively posi-tions the associated bi-metal thermostat element, with respect to .
1! ~ - 1 ~ 10~
!

.,, . . 1.
,..,, . ' . , I
the interior Or the barrel 12 between outer turns 40 and 41 and ~¦ the inner coil wire form 35. Still further, such a structure j! provides for an improvement over a sleeve type catalyst in that ¦¦ it provides for a more even diffusion of the fuel/air mixture ¦ through the catalyst member 37 toward the outer surface Or the 31 barrel 12 to prevent unwanted hot spots or uneven heating charac- t , t~eristics for the curling iron 11. This simple straightforw2rd structure allows the use of a randomly oriented fibrous material 3 impregnated with a catalyst to be efrectively utilized in a mass produced system.
Ij An additional benefit is achieved when the tube 34 or ~¦ its alternative inner coil wire form is ~ormed Or a low heat con-,I ductive material having a high heat capacity. If the barrel ! reaches too high a temperature in a manner to be described subse-I quently, the fuel supply for the curling iron may stop ror a ,¦ period Or time. When the flow restarts, the heat retained in the il tube or inner coil wire form under the catalyst member 37 will cause the oxidative catalytic reaction to begin again without the ~¦ need for an additional ignition spark or reignition process by ~aintaining the catalyst member 37 at a sufficiently higher ¦ temperature.
Another advantage exists when the inner coil wire ~orm i¦ 35 is used in place of the solid tube 34 in that a wound struc-!~ ture provides a more tortuous heat conduction path and aids in ¦I Xeeping the housing i6 cool.
I; The catalyst mounting structure defined above provides ¦ accuracy and reliabilitY with respect to the positioning Or the t l thermostat element. That is, the spatial relationship betueen the heating ohamber portion of the curling iron and the thermo-!
. ,~, ..... ` . . . .
11 -11- . I ~
ii ' !
, , : ~

, ~ .

- l 157338 stat is set so that the fibers making up the catalyst member 37, which heat up when the fuel is oxidized, will not likely come in contact with the thermostat element and provide a false reading.
Referring now to the vaporizer/valve system of the curling iron 11, it is noted that U.S. Patent No. 4,177,646 entitled "Liquified Gas Apparatus" assigned to S. T. Dupont, discloses liquified gas apparatus vaporizer-pressure reducer assemblies. The valve assembly of this patent is suitable for the curling iron disclosed herein.
Referring specifically to Fig. 13, a valve assembly is shown which includes an aluminum sleeve 42 pressed into a cavity formed in a housing 43 which may also be a wall of a pressure vessel containing a gas such as butane. Pressed into the sleeve 42 is a sintered metal plug 44 and a wick member 45. The wick member 45 is disposed in the interior reservoir of a pressure vessel and carries butane fuel or the like from the reservoir of a pressure vessel to the sintered metal plug 44. The sintered metal plug 44, which may be formed of stainless steel, acts as a vaporizer and its size, shape, and material define the maximum flow of fuel from an associated pressure vessel, all in a manner well known in the art.
Partially disposed in the cavity formed in housing 43 is a valve stem 46. Valve stem 46 may be formed of plastic, brass, or the like and includes a main passageway 47 and a nozzle passageway 48. Passageways 47 and 48 provide fluid communication from the downstream or exit surface of sintered metal plug 44 to the mouth of a tube or cavity as previously described. The diameter of the main passageway may be in the range of .03-.04 mg/l~ - 12 -,, ,:

11573~8 .
. ..
inch and that dr the nozzle passageway may be in the range~or 2-4J1000ths Or an inch. A gem (not shown) having a hole bored therethrough may be positioned in the tip end Or the valve stem ~6 to act as a nozzle passageway.
The valve stem 46, which is illustrated in its open position in Fig. 13, is axially movable in the cavity of housing 43 in response to the force transmitted to it from a lever or control plate 49 which is part of the automatic temperature control system to be described subsequently. Move~ent of plate 49 causes valve stem 46 to travel axially into the cavity Or housing 43 when the associated thermostat exceeds a predetermined i ~J~ -temperature or when the on/of- switch of the curling iron is placed in an "off" position.
Disposed on the upstream side of and fastened to the valve stem ~ember 46 is a fuel impervious rubber pad 5D made from ~
a material such as of a Viton rubber. Disposed downstream from t the fuel impervious pad 50 is an optional fuel filter member 51.
The filter member 51, which may be formed of a porous material, is press fit into a cavity of valve stem 46 to provide a filter- ¦
ing of the butane fuel if necessary. Completing the embodiment ' shown in Fig. 13, an "O" ring 52 is provided which is disposed about the valve stem 46 to prevent the downstream movement of the ~aporized fuel other than through the nozzle passageway 48.
In operation, the flow of the vaporized fuel from the exit surface of the sintered metal plug 44 follows a path as indicated by the arrows of Fig. 13 through a valve opening 53 around the pad 50, through filter 51, through a main passageway 47 to ultimately be dispensed from the tip end of nozzle passage-way 48. The shape of the pad 50 should be such that vaporized I .' , . . `;
.1, . ~ - ' ' ' .

~I 3 I , i! . . I

l 'I . 1 15 7~38 .' 11 , . I
.'' ¦~ fuel flow will occur when the pad is physically separated fro~ j llthe top Or the valve opening 53. Hhen the upstream side Or the ¦¦ pad 50 blocks Orr the valve opening 53, vaporized ruel flow will lj cease. Accordingly, when the upstream surface Or the pad 5~ ¦
il approaches the point of totally blocking Orr the vaporized fuel Il flow, reduction of vaporized fuel flow will result through the jl system. Thus the regulation of the vaporized fuel flow is accom-i! plished automatically in response to the temperature of the heating chamber.
Even when the vaporized fuel flow is cut off from the ¦ system after a period Or use, the catalytic operation Or the catalyst member 37 will continue to be "hot" for a period Or jj time. This is especially true when the tube or inner coil wire '¦ member 35 is made of a low thermally conductive material such as a metal having a high heat capacity. During such time, if fuel 1 is reintroduced to the catalytic member 37, which will happen ;I when the temperature Or the heating chamber or barrel decreases ij surriciently to cause a relaxation of the associated bi-metal ! thermostat element and thus an axial movement outwardly of the , associated valve stem, combustion will continue in a normal .~ manner without any need for reignition.
,~ Fig. 14 illustrates an alternative valve assembly which .! not only provides the on/off function of the embodiment of Fig.
¦¦ 13 when regulating the flow of vaporized fuel, but also provides a more controlled metering of vaporized fuel flow. Mounted in a cavity formed in a housing 55, which may also be a wall Or a ! pressure vessel, is a pressed fit aluminum sleeve 56 having a valve opening 57 disposed in its downstream side. Disposed in the sleeve 56, in a manner such as by press fitting, is a wick Il. , , .. 1`~

. ~ -14- ~
l .. ! ' !! ' ! -~
.

.

~,.. ' , .

," , I , , .
~member 58 composed o~ fiber, cloth, or the like. The wick member ¦ 58 delivers the liquid fuel in the reservoir Or an associated pressure vessel to the valve opening 57. A valve stem 59 rides freely in the cavity of housing 55 and is connected to a lever or I plate 60 by a locating groovè. Platè 60 is part Or the tempera-i¦ ture control system and causes an axially inward force to be i applied to the valve stem 59 when the temperature Or the associ-,j ated heating chamber exceeds a predetermined temperature or when ~; the associated oa/orf control is placed in its "off" position.
1- The valve stem 59 also includes a shoulder portion 61 ! positioned in the cavity Or the housing 55 by means of a control ~ nut 62. The control nut 62 is screwed into the threaded down-~¦ stream side of the cavity Or housing 55, its setting limiting the ' 'i outward travel Or the valve stem 59 and providing a maximum flow i jl setting by deforming a two-piece vaporizing means. The vaporiz-. ing means is made up Or two pieces Or an open cell foam such as a i ¦ polyether and comprises upstream vaporizing member 63 and down-stream vaporizing member 64. Disposed between the downstream vaporizing member 64 and the upstream vaporizing member 63 is a ;1 fuél impervious barrier or plunger 65 having an upstznding finger ~; portion 66 which is disposed in a passageway 67 of the valve stem ~j ~g. The passageway 67 leads, in a manner described previously, through a main passageway 68 and out the top of nozzle passageway ¦
169.
An "0" ring 70 is disposed about the lower portion Or the valve stem 59 to prevent fluid communication downstream Or ¦ the "0" ring 70 except through main passageway 68 and the nozzle ¦ passageway 69. The foam pads or vaporizing members 63 and 64 j insure a complete vaporization of the butane fuel from its liquid i! -15-!
~ .
.
~ - ~

: `:

f 1 157338 .
/, i! ' . .
¦ to gas state as the butane passes through their pores or cells.
¦ The amount of butane passing through the members 63 and 64 is ¦controlled by the downward pressure of valve stem 59 controlled ,l in turn by the automatic temperature control. This pressure ,l forces the gas through the nozzle passageway 69 and thereby producing a gas stream of sufficient velocity to aspirate air together witb the ~aporized gas into She mouth of a tube or ~cavity. The desired fuel/air mixture at the exit of the tube or ,¦cavity may preferably be on the order of ten or more parts of air to one part of vaporized fuel.
Thus in Fig. 14 the vaporized fuel flow, when the press-ure on the members 63 and 64 permits any flow, will travel in the ~direction of the arrows, through member 63, about the side of ! plunger 65, through member 64, through passage~lays 67 and 68, and !
,¦ through the end of nozzle passageway 69 to provide vaporized fuel `
~ in the manner previously described.
i As best seen in Figs. 1, 7, and 15, the above referred l`f to bi-metal thermostat element is provided in the form of 2 tube ¦
.~ 71 preferably made of brass and a rod 72 preferably made of steel I
~ disposed inside tube 71. The bi-metal thermostat element made up j !1 of tube 71 and rod 72 is positively mounted with respect to the '' heater portion of the curling iron 11 to achieve reliable temp-i erature control. That is, the bi-metal thermostat element is 1j positioned, as can be best seen in Fig. 7, a predetermined dis-¦1 tance from the interior wall of the barrel 12 between the turns ! 40 and ~1 of outer coil wire form 36 and the remaining turns of outer coil wire form 36. If a heat sink/spacer is used between the housing 16 and the coil wire forms, an aperture therethrough f will provide additional support to positively orient the bi-metal ¦

.

1~ I
.,, i' , , , j .

~"; 11573~8 thermostat element. Other manners of positively orientingthe bi-metal thermostat element may be employed. The use of the tube/rod bi-metal thermostat in a curling iron is shown in British Patent No. 1,517,600 assigned to Braun Aktiengesellschaft.
As can best be seen in Fig. 15, the tube 71 and rod 72, of the bi-metal thermostat element are fastened together at free end 73. For example, the steel rod 72 may be threaded into the brass tube 71 in a manner well known in the art. Other manners of affixing the free end of the bi-metal thermostat element such as by notching or crimping may also be utilized.
The tube 71 is also threaded into a clamping bushing or control nut 74 at its other end. The positioning of the tube 71 in the control nut 74 provides calibration to the system in a manner well known in the art. The control nut 74 is screwed into a threaded aperture or otherwise affixed to a mounting plate 75. The mounting plate 75 is attached to the housing 16 in a manner well known in the art. The rod 72 continues through the tube 71 affixed in the threaded aperture in the mounting plate 75 and through an aperture 76 in a lever or control plate 77. The control plate 77 is best seen in Figs. 10, 11, and 12.
More specifically, a domed portion 78 is formed on the first end 80 of control plate 77. An aperture 76 is defined in the center of the domed portion 78 to allow the end 79 of the rod 72 to pass therethrough. The end 79 of the rod 72 is allowed to move freely in a dire,ction toward the handle 13 of the curling iron 11. The end 79 of the rod 72 is prevented from freely moving in a direction toward the cool tip housing 14. At a mg/'O - 17 -`'' , . .
. ..
- - ' , .

1573~8 '' Il' . . I
Ipredetermined point, a force is exerted on the first end 80 Or ,jthe control plate 77 which then causes the plate 77 to pivot j~about a pivot point at pin 54 in a clockwise direction. A washer 89 and a clip 90 located at the end 79 of the rod 72 provide a 1, stop to control the free movement Or end 79 of the rod 72.

Il Referring to Pigs 9 through 12, the control plate 77 is !-jjshown with ltS first end 80 and second end B1. Disposed through .3 control plate 77 is a generally oval aperture 82, through which ,i is disposed a portion of the valve stem 31. Arms 83 and 84 Or t ' the control plate 77 engage a mating groove in the valve stem 31 'in a manner illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14. Accordin~ly, the ,¦movement of control plate 77 causes the axial displzcement of the I valve stem 31 and thereby controls the flow of vaporized fuel.
,' The control plate 77 is integrally formed in a generally U shape 1 with leg portions 85 and 86. Apertures 87 and 88 are formed in !, ' :
j the leg portions 85 and 86 respectively for receiving pin 54.
In operation, as the temperature sensed by the bi-~etal ~thermostat element increases, the brass tube 71, located closer ~7 to the heat source and with a higher coefficient of thermal j~ expansion than that of the steel rod 72, increases in length.
, Since the brass tube 71 is secured at both its ends, its expan-' sion pulls the inner steel rod 72 toward the cool tip housing 14 ~, of the curling iron 11. As the rod 72 is pulled, the washer 89 J,',attached to the end 79 of rod 72 abuts the crest of the dome por-tion 78 of the control plate 77. The end 80 of the control plate ¦l77 is caused to pivot in a clockwise direction about pin 54 and ¦¦thereby forcine the valve stem in a downward or "off" position.
ji As the bi-metal thermostat element recovers, i.e. cools, !, the brass tube 71 decreases in length and accordingly pushes the !1 . . . ..

il -t8-.... I, !
... ,j . , . I

.~

. ", , ~, .
jend 79 of rod 72 in a direction toward the handle 13 of the ¦curling rod 11. A~suming that the on/off manual control s~titch ¦~ 91, shoun in Fig. 9, is in the `'on" position, the end 80 Or ¦control plate 77 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction about 1I pin 54 due to the biasing force of coil spring 92, best sho~-n in ¦! Fig. 7. The spring 92, located under the end 81 of control plate ¦
~¦ 77, urges the end 81 of plate 77 toward the cool tip housing 14 ¦
jluntil the top of the domed portion 78 of control plate 77 abuts washer 89. As the end 81 of control p;ate 77 is urged upward, the connected Yalve stem 31 is lifted in an axial direction and vaporized ~uel flow is increased. I
~1 A control spring such as control spring 93 in Fig. 7 or sj alternatively control spring 94 shown in Fig. 15 acts in combin-ation with the on/off switch 91 best shown in Fig. 9. Referring ~¦ now to the control spring 93 shown in Fig. 7, the spring 93 is ror~ed of a piece of resilient metal and has a first arm 95 attached to the underside of mounting plate 75 and a second arm ¦ 96. The second arm 96 includes a bent portion 97 and an end 98.
Jj The first arm 95 and the second arm 96 are connected by plate 99 ,j which may be affixed to the curling iron 11 in a manner well ,I known in the art. The end 98 of arm 96 is positioned in an il arcuate recess 100 located on the underside of circumferentially Illocated on/off switch 91. As the switch 91 is turned from its j "off" position as shown in Figs. 7 and 9, the arcuate recess 100 ¦¦ travels in a direction toward the mounting plate 75 and accord-ingly, the end 98 of arm 96 travels therewith and releases ten-i sion on the upper surface of end 81 of control plate 77.
¦ In operation, in the "off" position, the bent portion 97 ~ of arm 96 provides a sufflcient force to the end 81 of control I -!-., I
I ~:- -19-.' ' 11 ' : , . ',1 .

, .
.

~1 1157338 ~'"', Il, - ' . :' ," ' .
plate 77 to overcome the force Or spring 92 and accordingly ~orce the valve stem 31 in an axially downward direction to cut o~f , fuel flow. This is accomplished without regard to the state Or I the bi-metal element and in a simple straightforward manner.
j This design avoids the necessity Or a complex lever and spring ; arrangement to control a valve stem by both a bi-metal therFostat element and an on~ofr switch. Further, this design uses a rod/tube bi-metal thermostat element which operates to move 2 ! Yalve stem in a plane parallel to the axis and motion Or the ;, bi-metal thermostat element all in a straightforward co~pact design.
,I Another example Or a control spring is that shown in 3 Fig. 15 as spring 94 with arms 101 and 102. Proximzte the f-ee 5 ! end of arm 101 is a humped portion 103 which abuts the underside i of the mounting plate 75. The end portion 104 of arm 102 is ,. !
, positioned in an arcuate recess located on the underside of the ontoff switch 91 in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 7.
,~ Springs 94 or 93 have no function during temperature , control. Only when an arm of the spring is positioned in the "off" position, as shown in Fig. 15, does it override the b - j . ~ I
metal thermostat element and cause the valve ste~ to move in an axially inward or down position to block the fuel flow. A temp- I ~
' erature control system with a cooperating independent on/off ¦¦ control is accordingly provided in a simple, straightforward, !
~¦ easy-to-manufacture system without the use of multiple leve~s and ¦
springs.
Summarizing the operation of the temperature control I system, the tube 71 reacts actively to the influence of temper-,i ature. That is, it undergoes considerable expansion while rod 72 !l -, . . . . .
~ !
~ 20- I
',1 , ' ' 'i / ~ 1157338 undergoes comparatively little expansion. The difrerence in ¦ length determines the control path, or path through which the free end 79 Or rod 72 is moved. The movement of valve stem 31 ,~ with respect to fixed valve seat 105 can be influenced both by ~! the rod 72 and the position of the on/off switch 91. When the ,¦ on~off switch 91 ia in the "on" position, a recess such as ar-cuate recess 100 moves toward the barrel 12 of the curling iron ,~ 11. In other words, the load on spring 9? iS relieved. When the switch 9l is moved to the "off" position, as shown in the draw-!¦ ings, the force of springs 93 or 94 overcomes that of spring 92 '~ wherein valve stem 31 mates with valve seat 105 and fuel flow ls ~' prevented. Thus the control plate 77, which is pivotally mounted I
ilin housing 16, has acting on its second lever arm or end 81, ~prings 93 or 94 and 92 and, on its first lever arm or end 80, abi-metal thermostat element 71, 72.
i' When the manual on~off switch 91 is placed into its l~off" position, the control plate 77 receives a force in the !¦ direction toward the fuel supply. This force overcomes the force lof the spring 92 thereby forcing the valve stem 31 in a downward ,!direction to shut off the fuel supply. That is, end 81 of the control plate 77 is pivoted in a clockwise direction about pin 54- In the "off" position, the end Or the control plate 77 ¦proximate the bi-metal thermostat element floats freely since the ¦control plate 77 is not connected to the bi-metal thermostat element, and thus the bi-metal thermostat element cannot act as a ~Istop to prevent the manual "off" override.
jj When the on/off switch 91 i3 placed in its "on" posi-tion, the arm of the spring 93 or 94, which is engaged in the '¦recess of on/off switch 91, is m~ved foward by riding in a slot.

! ' . . .
il -21-.. ~ ' I .

The end 81 of control plate 77 is urged by spring 92 to pivot ln a counterclockwise direction about pin 54 thereby causing move-ment of the associated valve stem 31 in an axially forward posi-tion. In the "on" position, if the bi-metal thermostat element is in an orientation in which it still has a memory of heat, the limit of travel of the valve stem 31 will accordingly be limited.
Thus with a fulcrum point or pivot between the tube/rod bi-metal thermostat e1ement and the valve stem, the motion of the ~ -bi-metal element is translated 180 to the motion of the valve stem. That is, the motion of the bi-metal ele0ent is opposite in I ~o direction and along a parallel axis to that of the valve stem.
This results in a compact bi-metal element structure with a manual "off" override in a straightforward design.
In order to insure immediate operational readiness in a reliable, straightforward, compact manner, an ignition device generally referred to as ignition system 106 shown in Fig. 2 is disposed in the cylindrical rod or barrel 12 upstream of the heating chamber.
i Referring to Fig. 3, an integral one-piece, metal, "U"
shaped frame member 107 is employed for mounting the various components of the ignition system. The frame member 107 com- ~
prises an upper portion 108, a lower portion 109 and a connecting j portion 110. The connecting portion 110 includes tabs 111 and 112 which are bent from upper and lower portions 108 and 109 .
respectively. The tabs 111 and 112, as well as the other parts of connecting portion 110 engage, in a detent snap fit arrange-ment, fingers, s~ch as fingers 113 and 114 of cool tip housing ' il , ' . '' I`' !! .' - ' - I -., 1.~ ' ' ' . I

j: ' . , I!

/

~/ j!i ` ~157338 .' ¦ A two-lobed, rotary member 115 preferably made Or pla~-tlc and best seen in Fig. 4 oomprises lobes 116 and 117 and i9 .- . positioned inside the cool tip housing 14. A knurled or grooved ,wheel 118 formed Or a plastic or the like is permanently affixed ,¦to the forward end Or the rotary member 115 for rotation there-with. A plug or cap member 119 made Or a flexible plastic or the illike is press fit into the center hole Or the wheel 118. h'hen -~¦ the wheel 118 is turned 1~0 by the user of the curling irGn, a . full cycle of the member 115 is achieved. That is, the per meter - thickness Or the two lobes of member 115 define an arcuate path ,1 120. The full travel of the arcuate path 120 by an indexing 'jmember to be described subsequently oonstitutes two cycles.
', Stated another way, the.travel Or an indexing member from the bottom of one lobe to the bottom of the other lobe constitutes ~ one cycle.
!~ The ignition system 106 comprises a flint sparker or friction wheel 121 with an attached ratchet member 122. The ratchet member 122 includes a plurality of sawtooth-like teeth concentrically disposed and attached about the periphery o~ the il friction wheel 121. A tube member 123 is disposed in the ~orward Il end of the barrel 12 of the curling iron 11 with its axis being the same as or parallel to the axis of the barrel 12. The tube ~ijmember 123 includes a plug 124 and a spring 125 which provides a ', biasing force to a flint 126 against the outer surface of the ¦ friction wheel 121. The tube member 123 is mounted in the curl-ing iron 11 and held in position through an aperture in the . connecting portion 110 Or frame member 107 and an aperture in ¦
~l integrally formed tab 127 Or the lower portion 109 of frame il member 107. ¦ , - ~I . I -~ ?
i -23- I ;

j, ,t --, ` ` `l ~ ` 1157338 ~ "Ihe friction wheel 121 with its ratchet member 122 is mounted on an axle mem~er 128 which is held in place by upper portion 108 and lower portion 109 of frame member 107. As seen in the embodiment of Fig. 16, a spacer 139 may be positioned about a portion Or the axle member 128 to provide proper align-. ment and mounting of the friction wheel 121. A spring member 140 ?j may also be positioned about a portion of the axle member 128 to , .
provide a force for the proper engagement between a linkage `! member 129 and the ratchet member 122.
j Linkage member 129 is best shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and includes a downwardly sloping arm 130 which acts as a pawl with respect to the ratchet member 122. The linkage member 129 de-fines a generally circular aperture 131 which is disposed about . j the axle member 128. The downward sloping arm 130 sequentially jengages the sloping teeth of ratchet member 122 which drives the friction wheel 121 when urged to rotate about a portion of axle member 128. Thus the arm 130 of linkage member 129 acts as a pawl and is sequenced from the peak of a tooth of the ratchet tmember 122 to the valley of an adjacent tooth. When the ratchet ,member 122 is rotated, with sufficient acceleration, a one tooth revolution by the arm 130, the attached friction wheel 121 ,strikes or rubs a portion of the flint 126 and causes a spark.
An aperture 132, best shown in Fig. 5, is engaged by the ¦
bent end 133 of an indexing member or cam follower 134. The cam follower 134 is mounted in an aperture in tab 135 of upper por-tion 108 of frame member 107 and is also positioned through an aperture in connecting portion 110. The cam follower 131',, is spring loaded by spring 136. Washer 137 abuts the right sid~e, as seen in Fig. 3, of the "U" shaped end 138 of cam follower 134.

,, 1.
1! -24- I , .. . .
, ' ;1, ' ' ' ' i , .

. I
I
,¦-The free tip of the "U" shaped end 138 rollows the arcuate path 120 of the two-lobed rotary member 115.
¦¦ Thus the cam follower 134 follows the arcuate path 120 due to the force br biasing spring 136. As the generally axial ! movement of the cam follower 134 travels the arcuate path 120 from the valley Or one lobe to the valley of the other lobe Or rotary member 115, the cam follower 134 will be accelerated toward the cap member 119. Accordingly, the linkage member 129 will be jerked about the axi~ of axle member 128 and urge the friction wheel 121 to rotate one tooth revolution. The friction I -, of the roughened surface of the friction wheel 121 with the flint ' 126 causes a spark.
,¦ The rotational axis Or the linkage member 129 and that j of the friction wheel 121 are to the longitudinal axis of the curling rod. This orientation provides for a compact ignition ,!system in a butane powered curling iron.
j In operation, to ignite a combustable gas such as bu-i tane, the ring or wheel 118 is rotated 180. Since the wheel 118 ,¦is affixed to the rotary member 115, the rotary member 115 is likewise turned. The direction of rotation may be either clock-! ~ise or counterclockwise depending on the chosen design. The end '1138 of the cam follower 134 abuts the ar~uate path 120 due to the rorce exerted by spring 136. The axial movement of the cam follower 134 causes the linkage member 129, rotatably mounted on ! axle member 128, to rotate. The pawl-like arm 130 causes a one jltooth revolution Or the ratchet member 122 and moves the friction ¦wheel 121 a short rotational amount about the axis Or axle member 128. The rlint 126, which is mounted in tube member 123, simul- i taneously rubs against the rotating friction wheel 121 in s~ch a I `;
i! - I
,!
~ 25-~i , , !

/ ~ llS~38 manner that sparks are struck which ignlte the gas mixture in the , chamber of the barrel 12. After the fuel/air mlxture has been - I ignited in the barrel Or the curling iron, catalytic combustion ! is initiated with the ruel continuouslY flowing through valve ,j stem 3~ which is under constant temperature control. When the ~! curling iron heats up, the fuel rlow is stopped. When the curl-ing iron cools sufriciently, the valve stem is axially displaced , fron its valve seat and ruel flow is initiated. This system is used in combination with the overriding manual on/off control in - the manner previously described.
" While various aspects of the inventions have been illus-,', trated by the foregoing detailed embodiments, it will be under-. stood tbat various substitutions of equivalents may be made ~ithout depar~ing from the spi~it and s-ope of the inventions.

.. . .

,~i - .

~1 .
-,j , .

... I,j . . 1, .
'1~ ' 1 i

Claims (11)

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A curling device having a tubular body defining a heating chamber therein and having first and second ends and a hair winding portion disposed between the first and second ends and surrounding the heating chamber, heating means including a catalyst means disposed in the heating chamber, a housing mounted proximate the tubular body including fuel supply means for stor-ing a fuel in a liquid state, and aspirating means coupled be-tween the fuel supply means and the heating chamber for vaporiz-ing the fuel and for mixing the vaporized fuel with air and for supplying a vaporized fuel/air mixture to the catalyst means, wherein the improvement comprises:
a control plate having first and second ends and adapted to control the axial movement of a valve stem and thereby control the flow of vaporized fuel;
temperature control means for automatically regulating the flow of vaporized fuel in response to the temperature of said heating chamber including a bi-metal thermostat element posi-tioned coextensive to the tubular body comprising a tube and a rod located within the tube, said tube and rod being firmly attached at a first end, said tube and rod having different co-efficients of thermal expansion so that said rod moves longi-tudinally relative to said tube in response to variations and temperature of said tube, said second end of said rod being coupled to said first end of said control plate; and manual on/off selector means including biasing means coupled to the curling device, said biasing means acting on said second end of said control plate.

2. The curling device as in claim 1 wherein said second end of said rod is coupled to said first end of said control plate through an aperture defined in said first end of said control plate, said second end of said rod including a stop means to allow unidirectional control of said first end of said control plate.

3. The curling devise as in claim 2 further including a pivot means for said control plate positioned between said first end of said control plate and the valve stem.

4. The curling device as in claim 2 wherein said bias-ing means includes a coil spring urging said second end of said control plate to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about said pivot means.

5. The curling device as in claim 4 wherein said bias-ing means further includes a spring means and said manual on/off selector means includes a manual selector having an on and off position, a portion of said spring means being movable in re-sponse to the movement of said manual selector wherein the posi-tioning of said manual selector in the off position causes said spring means to overcome said coil spring thereby urging said control plate about said pivot means in a clockwise direction thereby urging the axial displacement of the valve stem in a downward direction regardless of the thermal state of said bi-metal thermostat element.

6. The curling device as in claim 1 wherein the longi-tudinal displacement of said rod is translated 180° to the axial displacement of the valve stem.

7. The curling device as in claim 3 wherein the clock-wise rotation of said first end of said control plate about said pivot means causes an axial displacement of the movable valve stem toward the fuel supply means and a counterclockwise rotation of said first end of said control plate about said pivot means causes an axial displacement of said movable valve stem away from the fuel supply means.

8. The curling device as in claim 1 wherein said bi-metal thermostat element is on the same axis or parallel to the same axis as the motion of the valve stem.

9. An automatic temperature control system for a gas-powered catalytic curling iron having a tubular hair winding portion comprising:
a bi-metal thermostat element positioned co-extensive to the tubular hair winding portion and including a tube and a rod located within said tube, said tube and rod having different co-efficients of thermal expansion;
a control plate having first and second ends and adapted to control the axial movement of a valve stem means, said bi-metal thermostat element being coupled to said first end of said control plate; and a manual on/off selector means coupled to said second end of said control plate.

10. The system as in claim 9 wherein said tube and said rod are coupled at a first end and the second end of said rod is coupled to said first end of said control plate through an aper-ture defined in said first end of said control plate.

11. The system as in claim 10 further including a pivot point for said control plate located between said second end of said rod and the valve stem means.