Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hair roller and to a hair roller kit.

Background of the Invention

Hair rollers are commonly used for treating or styling hair, for instance to shape or curl the hair. When rolled into a person’s hair, the hair can be heated to change the internal structure of the hair and cause the hair to curl. Hot hair rollers are pre-heated before being rolled into the hair where the heat stored in the thermal mass of the hot hair roller is transferred to the hair.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a hair roller. The hair roller comprises: a housing, an electrically-powered heater, an electrical energy source, and a controller. A section of hair can be wrapped onto the housing and, in use, the electrically-powered heater heats the hair roller to transfer heat to the hair wrapped around the housing. The electrical energy source is located within the housing and supplies electrical energy to the electrically-powered heater. The controller to controls the supply of electrical energy to the electrically-powered heater.

The electrical energy source may be a store of electrical energy. The electrical energy source is replenishable with electrical energy, such as by being recharged with electrical energy.

Heating the hair roller allows a user to have free hands once the hair roller is fixed in the user’s hair. By providing an electrical energy source within the housing, the electrically- powered heater can keep the hair roller at a desired hair-heating temperature for as long as the energy level of the electrical energy source permits. Thus, in contrast with preheated hot hair rollers, the thermal mass of the hair roller of the present invention does not limit the length of time that the hair roller remains hot enough to curl hair rolled onto the hair roller. Accordingly, there is no need to provide additional thermal mass in the hair roller to increase the thermal capacity of the hair roller, which is undesirable since increasing thermal mass means increasing the weight of the roller thereby making the roller uncomfortable on a user’s head. Furthermore, since the electrical energy is supplied from the energy source located within the housing, there is no requirement for an external electrical power supply that would undesirably make the hair roller cumbersome and awkward to use. Due to the onboard energy source for the heater, the hair roller can also be heated once the hair roller is placed into the hair that is to be treated meaning that the hair roller is cold on insertion. Thus, rather than the hair roller having to be pre-heated before being inserted, which can cause discomfort to a hair roller user or even bum their fingers.

The hair-heating temperature of the hair roller can be controlled in the present invention making the hair roller more versatile. Accordingly, a variety of heating profiles (heating to a range of temperatures over a heating period) can be implemented in the hair roller. In this way, the hair roller can accommodate different volumes of hair rolled onto the hair roller of the present invention. The hair roller can also accommodate different amounts of water content in hair rolled onto the hair roller of the present invention. During trials, it has been found that that hair roller of the present invention can be heated to and maintained at a range of temperatures over a longer period than for a pre-heated hair roller that relies on having enough thermal mass to store the required thermal energy. For preheated hair rollers, the temperature passively decreases once the pre-heated hair roller is removed from its heating source; in contrast, the hair roller of the present invention can be held at a desired temperature for as long as energy is available in the electrical energy source. Furthermore, the maximum temperatures to which the hair roller of the present invention can be heated to, and maintained at over the hair treating cycle, can be lower than the initial heated temperature of a pre-heated hair roller because the temperature of the hair roller of the present invention can be held at the heating temperature for the duration of the hair treating cycle. Accordingly, the treated hair will not be as damaged by the treatment when the hair roller of the present invention is used. Additionally, being able to control the hair-heating temperature means that the user’s fingers are not burnt during use of the hair roller in the hair, for instance if manipulation in situ is required.

The hair roller may comprise an electrical connector, the electrical connector connectable to an external electrical energy supply to facilitate recharging of the electrical energy source.

The hair roller may comprise a charging circuit to control the flow of electrical energy from the electrical connector to the electrical energy source to recharge the electrical energy source.

Since the electrical energy source is rechargeable through the electrical connector, there is no need to provide an external cable to power the heater of the hair roller. This makes the hair roller of the present invention less cumbersome and awkward to use. The hair roller of the present invention is therefore more comfortable for a user to wear. The hair roller of the present invention is also tidier than a hair roller with a power cable, which can be messier as part of a set of cabled hair rollers inserted in a user’s hair.

The electrically-powered heater may comprise a resistive heater. In other embodiments, the electrically-powered heater may comprise an inductive heating system comprising an inductor and a susceptor where the susceptor heats the hair roller, for instance by heating the housing.

The resistive heater may comprise a thin-film heater wrapped around the portion of housing on which the hair is rolled.

The hair roller may comprise an insulator wrapped around the housing to encapsulate the thin-film heater. The insulator may define an external surface of the hair roller. The insulator can protect the electrically-powered heater from damage and prevent a user contacting a heating element of the electrically-powered heater.

The electrical energy source may comprise a lithium-ion battery. The battery may provide a voltage of 3 V or higher. The battery may have a capacity of at least 700mAh. The battery may have a capacity of at least 1000m Ah. The battery may have a high continuous discharge of current of up to 10 A. The battery may deliver at least 10W continuous power.

The hair roller may comprise a control system to control the supply of electrical energy to the electrically-powered heater. The control system may comprise a user interface through which a user can set a heating duration and a heating temperature for the electrically-powered heater. The control system may comprise an on/off switch. The on/off switch may be incorporated in the user interface.

The control system may comprise a temperature monitoring unit to measure or react to the temperature of the housing or of the electrically-powered heater. The temperature monitoring unit allows the hair roller to be heated to, and controlled at, a specified temperature or temperature profile over a period of heating the electrically-powered heater.

The temperature monitoring unit may comprise a thermal switch. The thermal switch may comprise a bimetallic strip.

The control system may comprise a timer unit to control the duration for which electrical energy is supplied to the electrically-powered heater.

The control system may comprise a processor to control the supply of electrical energy to the electrically-powered heater from the electrical energy source.

In some embodiments, the control system may control the supply of electrical energy to heat the electrically-powered heater to between 40°C and 120°C for between 4 and 10 minutes. In some embodiments, the control system may control the supply of electrical energy to heat the electrically-powered heater to between 40°C and 120°C for between 4 and 7 minutes. In some embodiments, the control system may control the supply of electrical energy to initially deliver approximately 15W of power to the heater and then drop the power delivered to approximately 6W over a heating period of 10 minutes. In some embodiments, the control system may control the supply of electrical energy to initially deliver approximately 16W of power to the heater and then drop the power delivered to approximately 11 W over a heating period of 7 minutes.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a hair roller kit comprising: at least one hair roller according to the first aspect of the invention, and a hair roller charging device to charge the at least one hair roller. The hair roller kit may comprise a plurality of hair rollers, each according to the first aspect of the invention. The charging device comprises: an electrical energy supply to deliver electrical energy to the at least one hair roller to recharge the electrical energy source; and a charging connector through which the electrical energy from the second electrical energy source is deliverable to the electrical connector, wherein the charging connector is electrically connectable with the electrical connector.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a hair roller docking station comprising: one or more receiving docks and a charging module. The receiving docks are each configured to removably receive a hair roller. Each receiving dock comprises a charging connector configured to electrically connect to an electrical connector of the hair roller when the hair roller is received in the receiving dock. Electrical energy is deliverable through the charging connector. The charging module is configured to distribute the electrical energy to the charging connector of each receiving dock from an electrical energy supply. The hair roller comprises: an electrically-powered heater to, in use, heat the hair roller; a battery to supply stored electrical energy to the electrically-powered heater; and the electrical connector, the electrical connector to receive the electrical energy from the charging connector when the hair roller is received in the receiving dock. The docking station may comprise a controller to control the supply of the electrical energy to the charging connector of each receiving dock.

Each receiving dock may comprise a socket into which one hair roller from a plurality of hair rollers may be inserted.

Optional features of aspects of the present invention may be equally applied to other aspects of the invention, where appropriate. of the Drawings

Figure l is a schematic view of a hair roller according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view through the hair roller of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic circuit diagram including a control system for a hair roller according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a hair roller according to the present invention;

Figures 5 and 6 are graphs illustrating examples of heat profiles generated by an electrically-powered heater of a hair roller accordingly to the present invention;

Figure 7 is a schematic view of a hair roller kit according to the present invention comprising a plurality of hair rollers and a charging device;

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a docking station according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention A hair roller 10 according to the present invention is shown schematically in Figure 1. Hair can be rolled around the hair roller 10 so that the hair can be curled. The hair roller 10 is heatable so that heat is transferable to the hair rolled around the hair roller 10 thereby curling the hair and to fixing the hair in a curled shape.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the hair roller 10 is generally cylindrical in shape and extends from a first end 24 to a second end 26. The hair roller 10 has a cylindrical surface 22 that contacts hair rolled around the hair roller 10. When the hair roller is heated, heat is transferred to the hair from the cylindrical surface 22. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the hair roller 10 comprises a plurality of bristles 28 that aid in gripping the hair rolled onto the hair roller 10. Each bristle of the plurality of bristles 28 projects in an outwardly direction of the cylindrical surface 22. In another embodiment, the hair roller 10 is covered with a fibrous material forming the cylindrical surface 22 to reduce hair slipping around when wrapping hair around the hair roller 10. The hair roller 10 may, or may not, comprise the plurality of bristles 28 in the embodiment where the hair roller 10 is covered with a fibrous material.

The hair roller comprises a housing 20 that defines the general shape of the hair roller 10 on which a section of hair is wrappable, in this instance the cylindrical shape of the hair roller 10. The housing 20 defines an enclosure 21 for containing and protecting certain components of the hair roller 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 20 comprises a substantially hollow tube and an end cap located each of the first 24 and second 26 ends. The housing 20 may have a diameter of between 25mm and 50mm. The housing 20 may have a wall thickness of between 0.3mm and 2mm. The housing 20 comprises a material that can sustain being held at a temperature suitable for heat treating hair, for example a temperature of more than 150°C. The housing 20 may comprise a plastics material.

Figure 2 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view through the hair roller 10 of Figure 1. The hair roller 10 comprises an electrical energy source and an electrically- powered heater. The electrical energy source is located within the housing 20 and is arranged to, on demand, supply electrical energy to the electrically-powered heater. The electrically-powered heater is to heat the hair roller 10 so that the hair roller transfers heat to hair rolled around the hair roller 10.

The electrically-powered heater may comprise a resistive heater. As explained above, other electrically-powered heater configurations than a resistive heater may be implemented to heat the hair roller 10. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the electrically-powered heater comprises a resistive thin-film heater 14. Thin-film heaters include lightweight and flexible heaters that have a high tensile strength and a high resistance to tearing despite having a thickness that may be a fraction of a millimetre. Thin-film heaters can have a low thermal mass thereby reducing the overall weight of the hair roller 10, which can make the use of the hair roller 10 more comfortable for a user. Thin-film heaters have a resistive heating element that is supported on, or embedded within, a superstructure of the thin-film heater. For example, the resistive heating element may be supported on an insulating substrate, such as a polyimide substrate. The resistive heating element may be sandwiched between layers of an insulating material, such as layers of polyimide. The heating element of the thin-film heater 14 may comprise a cut metal shim, an etched foil resistor, or a printed resistor. The heating element circuit may have a tortuous, or snaking, path that allows control of the heat emitted by the thin-film heater 14. For instance, the heating element may emit more, or less, heat in one heating zone than in another zone thereby permitting the hair roller to be heated with a desired heating pattern. The heating element circuit may be laid out so that the hair roller 10 is heated evenly across the whole of the cylindrical surface 22. In one example, the heating element may be laid out in parallel lines that are connected at the ends. The heating element lines may be spaced apart from each other by between 0.3mm and 5mm, for example spaced apart by 0.4mm. The heating element of the thin-film heater 14 may comprise a single strip wrapped on to the housing 20 with small gap, such as 0.3mm, between each turn. The heating element of the thin-film heater 14 may comprise a shim that can substantially cover the area of the housing 20 working surface and have small slots, such as 0.3mm, cut into the shim. The thin-film heater 14 is a low-temperature heater, that is the heater is not configured to cause combustion by generating heat. The thin-film heater 14 is generally cylindrically shaped to match the housing 20. For instance, the flexible thin-film heater 14 is wrapped around the tubular housing 20. The thin-film heater 14 has electrical connections that pass through the housing 20 wall into the enclosure 21

An insulator 16 is wrapped around the housing 20 thereby encapsulating the thin-film heater 14 between the insulator 16 and the housing 20. The insulator 16 protects the thin-film heater 16 from damage and helps prevent a user contacting the heating element of the thin-film heater 14. The insulation 16 may be in addition to an insulating layer on top of the heating element of the thin-film heater 14. Alternatively, the insulator 16 may be the only insulating layer between the heating element of the thin- film heater 14 and external surface of the hair roller 10. The insulator 16 forms the external cylindrical surface 22 of the hair roller 10. Heat generated in the heater is therefore transferred through the insulator 16 to hair rolled onto the hair roller. The insulator may comprise any suitable material that can sustain being held at a temperature suitable for heat treating hair, the insulator 16 may comprise a plastics material, a metal, or a metal alloy, for example. It will be understood that in some embodiments, the insulator 16 is not present and the thin-film heater 14 can form the outer surface of the hair roller 10.

The electrical energy source is at least one battery 12 mounted within the enclosure 21 of the housing 20. A battery holder is provided in the enclosure 21 to secure the battery 12. In one embodiment, the battery 12 is a high-voltage, high-capacity lithium-ion battery. The battery 12 provides a voltage of higher than 3 V and has a capacity of at least 700mAh. In some examples, the battery 12 has a capacity of at least lOOOmAh. The battery 12 can have a high continuous discharge of current of up to 10A. The battery 12 can deliver at least 10W continuous power.

The hair roller 10 comprises a control system to control the supply of electrical energy to the electrically-powered heater. The control system comprises a user interface 32 through which a user may interact with the control system of the hair roller 10. As shown in Figure 1, the user interface 32 may be located at the first end 24 of the hair roller 10. The user interface 32 may comprise a set of buttons that allow a user to select such control settings as heating duration and heating temperature for the electrically- powered heater. For instance, the user interface 32 may comprise one or more of an on/off switch, heating temperature setting buttons, temperature indicators, timer selection buttons, and a display to convey information about the functional status of the hair roller 10. In some embodiments, the user interface 32 comprises a graphical user interface.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the control system may comprise temperature monitoring unit 34 that is mounted to the inside of the tubular housing 20 and that measures, or reacts to, the temperature of the housing 20, which is heated by electrically-powered heater in use. In some embodiments, the temperature monitoring unit is instead mounted to, or incorporated in, the electrically-powered heater itself. For example, the temperature monitoring unit may be a surface-mounted component of the thin-film heater 14. In some embodiments, the temperature monitoring unit 34 is a temperature sensor that provides a temperature measurement signal. In other embodiments, the temperature monitoring unit 34 is a thermal switch, for example a bimetallic strip, that opens and cuts off the supply of electrical energy to the heater when the desired heating temperature for hair on the hair roller has been exceeded.

The control system may comprise a timer unit that is configured to control the duration for which electrical energy is supplied to the electrically-powered heater thereby controlling the heating period of the hair roller. The user interface 32 may comprise a timer interface that allows the user to select the desired heating period. The timer unit may comprise a cut-off switch that opens and cuts off the supply of electrical energy to the heater once the heating period has elapsed.

In one embodiment, the user interface 32 is an on/off switch in which placing the switch in an on position allows electrical energy to be supplied to the electrically-powered heater. In another embodiment, the control system may comprise the on/off switch and the thermal switch. Another embodiment of a control system 40 is shown in the schematic circuit diagram of Figure 3. The control system 40 comprises a user on/off switch 42, a thermal switch 44, and a timer cut-off switch 46. The control system 40 is part of an electrical circuit 48 that connects the battery 12 and the thin-film heater 14.

Another embodiment of a control system 40 is illustrated in Figure 4, which shows a schematic diagram of a hair roller 10. The control system 40 comprises a processor 48 that can execute instructions that cause the processor 48 control certain functions of the hair roller 10, such as the supply of electrical energy to the electrically-powered heater 14 from the battery 12. In some examples, the control system 40 comprises a storage module 49 that is encodable with instructions executable by the processor 48. The storage module 49 may comprise non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with the instructions in machine readable form. The storage medium 49 may store additional data such as pre-determined desired heating temperatures and durations for hair. The storage medium 49 may store additional data such as desired heating temperatures and durations as set by a user through the user interface 32. The user interface 32 and temperature monitoring unit 34 (such as a temperature sensor) may be connected to the processor 48 so that the processor 48 can send and receive signals to control the functions of the hair roller 48. The processor 48 may comprise timer modules, comparative temperature modules (to compare the actual temperature of the heater with a desired temperature), and electrical energy control (i.e. cut-off control) modules that control the function of the hair roller 10.

As shown in Figure 1, the hair roller 10 comprises a circuit board 50 that supports circuitry connecting certain electrical components of the hair roller 10. Wire harnesses may be used to connect some components to each other and/or the circuit board. For instance, the user interface and temperature monitoring unit 34 may be wired to the circuit board.

The hair roller 10 comprises an electrical connector 18 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The electrical connector 18 is located at the first end 24 of the hair roller 10 adjacent to the user interface 32. It will be appreciated that the connector 18 and the user interface 32 could be located at opposing ends of the hair roller 10. The electrical connector is connectable to a supply of electrical energy external to the hair roller 10 so that electrical energy can be supplied to the hair roller 10 so that the battery 12 can be recharged, for instance after use of the hair roller 12 in a hair shaping session that depleted the battery 12 of electrical energy. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, the electrical connector 18 is mounted on the circuit board 50, although the electrical connector may instead be separate component.

The electrical connector 18 is configured to cooperate with, and electrically connect with, a charging connector through which electrical energy is deliverable to the electrical connector 18. In cooperating with one another, the electrical connector 18 and charging connector may comprise complementary male and female shapes that facilitate connecting the electrical connector 18 and charging connector together. As explained further below, the charging connector may be provided in a charging device that accommodates the hair roller 10 for battery 12 recharging. The electrical connector 18 and charging connector may comprise one or more electrical energy transfer pins through which the electrical energy can be transmitted. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 18 and charging connector may comprise additional connector pins that provide for the transmission of other electrical signals, such as control signals that may be exchanged between the control system 40 and the charging device.

The hair roller 40 may comprise a charging circuit 52 that delivers and controls the flow of electrical energy to the battery 12, for recharging the battery 12, upon connection of the electrical connector 18 and charging connector. The charging circuit may supply electrical energy to the battery 12 as soon as an electrical connection is made between the electrical connector 18 and charging connector (assuming the charging connector is itself connected to an energy supply). In some embodiments, the controller 40 of the hair roller 10 may detect an electrical connection has been made between the electrical connector 18 and charging connector and then control the supply of electrical energy to the battery 12 through charging circuit 52. In use, a user wraps a section of hair on the hair roller 10. Where present, the bristles 28 help to hold the section of hair in place on the hair roller 10. Where present, the fibrous material helps to hold the section of hair in place on the hair roller 10. In some cases, the user my use a clip to secure the section of hair to the hair roller 10. The hair roller 10 may be one of a plurality of hair rollers 10 that the user inserts into the hair. The user may switch on the plurality of hair rollers 10 using the user interface 32 once all are inserted into the hair or after each of the hair rollers 10 are inserted. Once switched on, the electrical energy source supplies electrical energy to the heater. The electrical energy may be supplied to provide a predetermined heating profile over a heating period. For example, the predetermined heating profile may comprise heating the electrically powered heater to between 40°C and 120°C for between 4 and 10 [period] minutes. In another example, the predetermined heating profile may comprise heating the electrically powered heater to between 40°C and 120°C for between 4 and 7 minutes. In some cases, the user may wait to remove the hair roller 10 until the hair roller 10 cools down over a cooling period that commences once the heating period has elapsed and the electrically-powered heater is switched off. For example, the user may wait between 10 and 20 minutes before removing the hair roller 10 from the hair. The control system 40 may control the supply of electrical energy to heat the electrically-powered heater thereby providing the predetermined heating profile over the heating period. For instance, may control the supply of electrical energy to deliver a certain power level to the heater to cause heating over a certain heating period.

Examples of heat profiles that may be implemented in the hair roller 10 of the present invention are shown in Figures 5 and 6. These figures plot the power delivered to the electrically-powered heater and the resulting temperature of the heater over a heating and cooling period.

For the first heat profile, illustrated in Figure 5, approximately 15W of power is initially delivered to the heater and then dropped to approximately 6W over a heating period of 10 minutes. A cooling period of 10 minutes follows for a heat profile of 20 minutes in total. As Figure 5 shows, this heat profile provides a temperate setting of 60°C over the majority of the heating period after an initial warm up period of approximately a minute and a half.

For the second heat profile, illustrated in Figure 6, approximately 16W of power is initially delivered to the heater and then dropped to approximately 11W over a heating period of 7 minutes. A cooling period of 13 minutes follows for a heat profile of 20 minutes in total. As Figure 6 shows, this heat profile provides a temperate setting of 80°C over the second half of the heating period after an initial warm up period of approximately three and half minutes.

As noted above, the hair roller 10 may one of a plurality of hair rollers 10. A user may use one, or any desired number of, hair rollers 10 to shape hair. A charging device may be provided the charge at least one hair roller 10 when not in use. The charging device may be capable of charging all the hair rollers 10 of the plurality of hair rollers 10 at the same time. The charging device and the plurality of hair rollers 10 together comprise a hair roller kit.

The charging device comprises a second electrical energy source to deliver electrical energy to the hair roller 10 to recharge the electrical energy source. The charging device comprises the charging connector, as described above, through which the electrical energy from the second electrical energy source is deliverable to the electrical connector 18.

The charging device may be a docking station 100 as shown in Figure 7. The docking station and the plurality of hair rollers 10 together comprise a hair roller kit 200.

The docking station 100 comprises a plurality of docks 102 that are each able to removably receive one hair roller 10 for charging. The docking station 100 is also able to store the plurality of hair rollers 10 when not in use. For instance, the docking station 100 may include a lid, not shown in Figure 7, that secures the hair rollers 10 in place in the docking station 100 when the hair rollers 10 are not in use. Each dock 102 comprises a charging connector 104 as described herein. In one embodiment, each dock 102 comprises a socket into which a hair roller 10 may be inserted. The socket may be configured to guide the hair roller 10 into a secure docking position and cause the electrical connector 18 of the hair roller 10 to electrically engage with the charging connector 104. For example, the first end 24 of the hair roller 10 may be inserted into the socket so that the electrical connector 18 electrically connects to the charging connector 104 and can then receive the electrical energy from the charging connector 104. The docking station 100 may comprise a power supply cord 106 that permits the docking station 100 to be connected to a mains power supply (i.e. an electrical energy supply), for instance the mains power supply of a user’s residence or place of business, to provide the second electrical energy source. The docking station 100 may comprise a charging module 108 that distributes electrical energy from the electrical energy supply to the charging connectors 104.

In some embodiments, the docking station 100 may comprise a controller 110 to control the functions of the docking station 100. The controller 110 may comprise a processor 112 that can execute instructions that cause the processor 112 control certain functions of the docking station 100, such detecting the presence of a hair roller 10 in one of the docks 102 and the supply of electrical energy to the charging connectors 104. The controller 110 may comprise a storage module 114 that is encodable with instructions executable by the processor 112. The storage module 114 may comprise non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with the instructions in machine readable form.

In certain embodiments, the controller 110 may control the charging module 106 to control delivery of electrical energy to the charging connectors 104 and therefore the delivery of electrical energy to the hair roller 10 for recharging the battery 12. As noted above, in some embodiments, the electrical connector 18 and the charging connector 104 may comprise additional connector pins that provide for the transmission of other electrical signals, such as control signals that may be exchanged between the control system 40 and the charging device. For instance, control signals may be exchanged between the control system 40 and the controller 110 of the docking station 100 so that the control system 40 cooperates with the controller 110. In some embodiments, the controller 110 of the docking station 100 may control the charging of the battery 12, for instance by controlling the charging circuit 52 of the hair roller 10.

In use, a user may insert each of the hair rollers 10, for example after treating hair with the hair rollers 10, into a corresponding one of the docks 102 thereby connecting the electrical connector 18 of the hair roller 10 with the corresponding charging connector 104 of the docking station 100. Upon electrical connection, electrical energy may be supplied through the electrical connector 18 to recharge the battery 12 as described herein. The docking station 100 may be provided with a plurality of indicators, each corresponding to one of the docks 102, that indicate when a hair roller 10 is present in the dock 102 and the battery 12 of that hair roller 12 is charging. In another embodiment, the user interface 32 of the hair roller 10 may comprise an indicator that indicates when the battery 12 of that hair roller 12 is charging. Once charged, a user may remove the hair roller 10 from the dock 102 and wrap a section of hair around the hair roller to shape the section of hair.

The invention is not limited to the detailed description given above. Variations will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.