초록 ▼

A reusable self-heating hair roller includes a fluid holding body containing a supercoolable fluid. The fluid holding body may be implemented in many ways, including as non-permeable, incorruptible, air-tight film, bladder or casing. The supercoolable fluid, such as sodium acetate or equivalent, use

A reusable self-heating hair roller includes a fluid holding body containing a supercoolable fluid. The fluid holding body may be implemented in many ways, including as non-permeable, incorruptible, air-tight film, bladder or casing. The supercoolable fluid, such as sodium acetate or equivalent, uses thermochemistry to produce on command an exothermic crystallization process that generates the heat needed to style and or curl the hair. A nucleation initiator initiates a nucleation event that propagates the crystallization to harnesses the latent heat of fusion and create the heat. The nucleation initiator may be situated so that it is generally sequestered or otherwise held in a way where it is prevented from free floating within the supercoolable fluid, yet at the same time remains in full communication with the fluid.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A reusable self-heating hair roller comprising: a fluid holding body having a shape compatible with curling or otherwise styling hair;said body being elongated and having first and second closed end portions of substantially matching size, a wall portion extending between said end portions provid

1. A reusable self-heating hair roller comprising: a fluid holding body having a shape compatible with curling or otherwise styling hair;said body being elongated and having first and second closed end portions of substantially matching size, a wall portion extending between said end portions providing a hair wrapping region of said body, and a main cavity defined by said wall portion providing a fluid chamber that is closed at each end by said first and second end portions;a supercoolable fluid sealed within said fluid chamber in fluid contact with said wall portion of said body, said supercoolable fluid being capable of being supercooled to room temperature while remaining in a liquid state, said supercoolable fluid being further capable of undergoing exothermic crystallization in response to a nucleation event in order to generate heat for hair curling, with said hair curling heat only having to transfer through said wall portion of said body and directly into hair wrapped around said hair wrapping region without passing through any other material; anda nucleation initiator in said body in contact with said supercoolable fluid. 2. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said supercoolable fluid comprises a material selected from the group consisting of sodium acetate, either in pure form or diluted with another material. 3. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said nucleation initiator is sequestered in such a way it is not capable of free floating throughout all of said supercoolable fluid in said body. 4. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said nucleation initiator is sequestered in such a way it is not capable of free floating throughout all of said supercoolable fluid in said body and will be restricted to a location or orientation or a limited range of locations or orientations so that a user may access said nucleation initiator at a designated activation location on a wall or other surface portion of said fluid holding body without reliance on any visual cue or dependence on any specific up or down orientation of said hair roller. 5. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said nucleation initiator is sequestered in said fluid holding body so that it is maintained at either a fixed location, a fixed orientation relative to one or more rotational axes, a fixed location and a fixed orientation relative to one or more rotational axes, a limited range of location, a limited range of orientation relative to one or more rotational axes, a limited range of location and a limited range of orientation relative to one or more rotational axes, a limited range of location and a fixed orientation relative to one or more rotational axes, or a fixed location and a limited range of orientation relative to one or more rotational axes. 6. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said nucleation initiator is captured in a pocket in said fluid holding body. 7. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said nucleation initiator is mounted to a structure within said fluid holding body. 8. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said nucleation initiator is maintained at an end portion of said fluid holding body. 9. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said nucleation initiator is maintained at a middle portion of said fluid holding body. 10. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said nucleation initiator comprises a clicking device. 11. The hair roller of claim 1, further including a trigger on said fluid holding body that is arranged to allow activation of said nucleation initiator from outside said fluid holding body. 12. The hair roller of claim 11, wherein said trigger comprises a movable element or a deformable element that activates said nucleation initiator when said trigger is moved or deformed. 13. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said fluid holding body is selected from the group consisting of flexible structures, rigid structures and semi-rigid structures. 14. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said fluid holding body is generally cylindrical in shape. 15. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said fluid holding body comprises a flexible or semi-rigid bladder that holds said supercoolable fluid. 16. The hair roller of claim 15, wherein said bladder is supported by a rigid or semi-rigid support structure. 17. The hair roller of claim 16, wherein said support structure is internal to said bladder. 18. The hair roller of claim 16, wherein said support structure comprises a bendable wire. 19. The hair roller of claim 18, wherein said bendable wire is a non-resilient wire that retains its shape when bent so that said fluid holding body may be configured in different shapes. 20. The hair roller of claim 18, wherein said nucleation initiator comprises a clicker mounted to said bendable wire. 21. The hair roller of claim 18, wherein said nucleation initiator is mounted to a middle portion of said bendable wire. 22. The hair roller of claim 18, wherein said nucleation initiator is accessible from outside said fluid holding body by squeezing said flexible bladder. 23. The hair roller of claim 16, wherein said support structure comprises an apertured cage. 24. The hair roller of claim 23, wherein said flexible bladder is disposed inside said cage. 25. The hair roller of claim 24, wherein said flexible bladder has a hollow interior in which is disposed a heat-regulating post. 26. The hair roller of claim 23, wherein said flexible bladder has a hollow interior and is disposed outside said cage. 27. The hair roller of claim 26, further including a heat-regulating post disposed in said hollow interior. 28. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said fluid holding body comprises a rigid or semi-rigid casing. 29. The hair roller of claim 28, wherein said casing comprises said first and second end portions embodied as end members that are enlarged relative to said wall portion. 30. The hair roller of claim 29, further including a trigger mounted on one of said end members, and wherein said nucleation initiator is arranged to be activated by said trigger. 31. The hair roller of claim 30, wherein said nucleation initiator is mounted to said trigger or is positioned to be engaged by said trigger when said trigger is activated. 32. The hair roller of claim 30, wherein said trigger is configured such that activation thereof tends to decrease a fluid holding volume of said casing, and wherein said casing further includes a volume compensation component that compensates for said decrease in fluid holding volume caused by said trigger activation. 33. The hair roller of claim 1, wherein said fluid holding body comprises a volume control element whose size is selected to define a desired fluid holding volume of said fluid holding body in order to regulate a temperature output of said hair roller. 34. The hair roller of claim 1, further including a hair clasp for attaching said roller to a user's hair. 35. The hair roller of claim 1, in combination with a heating device that is operable to heat and re-energize said hair roller for subsequent reuse. 36. A method for using a hair roller to curl or style hair: said roller comprising: a fluid holding body having a shape compatible with curling or otherwise styling hair;said body being elongated and having first and second closed end portions of substantially matching size, a wall portion extending between said end portions providing a hair wrapping region of said body, and a main cavity defined by said wall portion providing a fluid chamber that is closed at each end by said first and second end portions;a supercoolable fluid sealed within said fluid chamber in fluid contact with said wall portion of said body, said supercoolable fluid being capable of being supercooled to room temperature while remaining in a liquid state, said supercoolable fluid being further capable of undergoing exothermic crystallization in response to a nucleation event in order to generate heat for hair curling, with said hair curling heat only having to transfer through said wall portion of said body and directly into hair wrapped around said hair wrapping region without passing through any other material; anda nucleation initiator in said body in contact with said supercoolable fluid;said method comprising: rolling said hair roller in a user's hair and activating said nucleation initiator to commence exothermic crystallization of said supercoolable fluid. 37. The method of claim 36 wherein said nucleation initiator is activated before rolling said hair roller in a user's hair. 38. The method of claim 36 wherein said nucleation initiator is activated after rolling said hair roller in a user's hair. 39. A reusable self-heating hair roller comprising: a rigid or semi-rigid fluid holding body having a generally cylindrical shape compatible with curling or otherwise styling hair;said body being elongated and of unitary construction, having first and second enlarged end members, a wall portion extending between said end members providing a hair wrapping region of said body, and a main cavity defined by said wall portion providing a fluid chamber;said first end member having a hollow interior that provides an opening for accessing a first end of said main cavity;said second end member having a solid configuration that includes an interior wall that closes a second end of said main cavity:a supercoolable fluid disposed in said fluid chamber in fluid contact with said wall portion of said body, said supercoolable fluid being capable of being supercooled to room temperature while remaining in a liquid state, said supercoolable fluid being further capable of undergoing exothermic crystallization in response to a nucleation event in order to generate heat for hair curling, with said hair curling heat only having to transfer through said wall portion of said body and directly into hair wrapped around said hair wrapping region without passing through any other material;a trigger mounted on said first end member and covering said hollow interior, said trigger being formed as a button-shaped member and acting as a seal that seals said main cavity at said first end member in order to retain said supercoolable fluid in said fluid chamber; anda nucleation initiator in said body in contact with said fluid and being sequestered in the vicinity of a designated activation location on said hair roller, said nucleation initiator being arranged to be actuated by said trigger.