How Automatic Rotating Curling Irons Capture and Wind Hair
A motorized hair styling tool that uses a rotating ring with tabs to automatically catch and wrap hair around a heated barrel.
Original patent title: “USRE48170E1 - Hair styling apparatuses and related methods”
A motorized hair styling tool that uses a rotating ring with tabs to automatically catch and wrap hair around a heated barrel. Granted to Kiss Nail Products Inc in 2020 with 23 claims and 5 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a curling iron that simplifies the process of wrapping hair around a hot barrel. Instead of manually twisting the hair, the device features a rotating ring (the rotating member) positioned at the end of the barrel. This ring has specific tabs or ridges that catch strands of hair and pull them around the heated surface as the ring spins. The design ensures that the retaining tabs stay spaced away from the barrel when not in use, and the entire system is built so the barrel can rotate while the handle remains stationary in the user's hand.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover traditional manual curling irons that lack a motorized rotating member.
- Does not cover hair styling tools that use suction or air-flow to wrap hair around a barrel.
- Does not cover devices where the retaining elements are permanently fixed to the barrel surface rather than on a separate rotating member.
- Does not cover flat irons or straighteners that use two plates to press hair.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in placing the hair-catching mechanism on a rotating ring that is physically separated from the heated barrel, allowing the hair to be wound automatically without the user having to manually rotate their wrist or the entire device.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Kiss Instawave automatic curling iron
Various motorized rotating hair curlers
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology addresses the ergonomic challenge of curling the back of one's head, where manual wrapping is difficult and prone to burns. By automating the winding process, it shifts the user's role from active styling to simply guiding the device. It represents a significant shift toward 'smart' beauty tools that reduce the skill level required to achieve professional-looking results at home.
Filed
August 24, 2018
Granted
August 25, 2020
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Kiss Products Inc. continues to be the primary entity utilizing this technology in their consumer hair care product line. Other beauty tech companies are also exploring similar motorized winding mechanisms to compete in the automated styling tool market.
Market impact
This patent helped solidify a sub-category of 'automatic' curling tools in the personal care market. It provided a clear intellectual property moat for the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, enabling them to market the 'hands-free' winding feature as a premium differentiator against standard manual curling irons.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a curling iron that simplifies the process of wrapping hair around a hot barrel. Instead of manually twisting the hair, the device features a rotating ring (the rotating member) positioned at the end of the barrel. This ring has specific tabs or ridges that catch strands of hair and pull them around the heated surface as the ring spins. The design ensures that the retaining tabs stay spaced away from the barrel when not in use, and the entire system is built so the barrel can rotate while the handle remains stationary in the user's hand.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in placing the hair-catching mechanism on a rotating ring that is physically separated from the heated barrel, allowing the hair to be wound automatically without the user having to manually rotate their wrist or the entire device.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover traditional manual curling irons that lack a motorized rotating member.
- Does not cover hair styling tools that use suction or air-flow to wrap hair around a barrel.
- Does not cover devices where the retaining elements are permanently fixed to the barrel surface rather than on a separate rotating member.
- Does not cover flat irons or straighteners that use two plates to press hair.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
16/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$129K – $412K
Midpoint $257K · 12.2 yr remaining · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Lee, K. H. (2020). How Automatic Rotating Curling Irons Capture and Wind Hair (U.S. Patent No. RE48,170). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE48170/airwrap-styler
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Automatic Rotating Curling Irons Capture and Wind Hair cover?
A motorized hair styling tool that uses a rotating ring with tabs to automatically catch and wrap hair around a heated barrel.
Who owns patent US RE48170?
Kiss Nail Products Inc owns this patent, granted in 2020.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on August 25, 2040, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US RE48170 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 5 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology addresses the ergonomic challenge of curling the back of one's head, where manual wrapping is difficult and prone to burns. By automating the winding process, it shifts the user's role from active styling to simply guiding the device. It represents a significant shift toward 'smart' beauty tools that reduce the skill level required to achieve professional-looking results at home.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover traditional manual curling irons that lack a motorized rotating member.
Patent monitoring