Braid removal device

1 . A braid removal device for unraveling bundles of hair formed into a length of braided hair, the braid removal device comprising:

one or more debraiding head assemblies, each debraiding head assembly comprising:

a main body defining a space for receipt of a length of braided hair, and

a debraiding wheel, comprising a rotatable disk and a plurality of curved hooks extending radially outwardly from the rotatable disk, the debraiding wheel rotatably mountable to the main body at least partially within the space of the main body such that the rotatable disk and the plurality of hooks are jointly rotatable with respect to the main body about a wheel rotation axis;

a driving assembly, configured to drive the debraiding wheel rotationally about the wheel rotation axis; and

a grip portion, mountable to each debraiding head assembly of the one or more debraiding head assemblies;

wherein during use, the braid removal device is configured to adopt a working configuration in which each debraiding wheel of the one or more debraiding head assemblies is rotatably mounted to the main body of a respective one of the one or more debraiding head assemblies and the grip portion is mounted to each debraiding head assembly such that the grip portion carries each debraiding head assembly and enables a handheld operation of each debraiding head assembly by a user gripping the grip portion, and further in which the length of braided hair is positioned within the space of the main body of each debraiding head assembly, the driving assembly causing a rotation of the debraiding wheel of each debraiding head assembly with respect to the main body about the wheel rotation axis, and the length of braided hair is engaged by the plurality of hooks of the rotating, debraiding wheel to unravel the length of braided hair.

2 . The braid removal device of claim 1 , wherein each main body of the one or more debraiding head assemblies comprises a front opening, a left side opening and a right side opening, the left and right side openings extending from opposite ends of and at an angle with the front opening, wherein the front opening and left and right side openings provide access to the space of the main body, and further wherein, in the working configuration, the length of braided hair extends through the front and left and right side openings.

3 . The braid removal device of claim 2 , wherein each main body of the one or more debraiding head assemblies is rectangular, and the left and right side openings are substantially perpendicular to the front opening.

4 . The braid removal device of claim 2 , wherein, in the working configuration, the braid removal device is configured such that the length of braided hair is displaceable along a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the wheel rotation axis and is displaceable through the left and right side openings, along the space and along the front opening.

5 . The braid removal device of claim 1 , wherein the main body of each debraiding head assembly comprises first and second body portions attached to one another in a clamshell configuration, the space defined between the first and second body portions.

6 . The braid removal device of claim 5 , wherein the first and second body portions are pivotable with respect to one another to vary a size of the space.

7 . The braid removal device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more debraiding head assemblies are disconnectably mountable to the grip portion.

8 . The braid removal device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more debraiding head assemblies comprise two or more debraiding head assemblies interchangeably mountable to the grip portion.

9 . The braid removal device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of hooks of a respective debraiding wheel of each debraiding head assembly of the two or more debraiding head assemblies has a different configuration than the plurality of hooks of the respective debraiding wheel of another debraiding head assembly of the two or more debraiding head assemblies.

10 . The braid removal device of claim 1 , wherein each rotatable disk of the one or more debraiding head assemblies comprises a central hub, and the grip portion comprises a motor and a drive shaft, the drive shaft configured to be rotated by the motor and wherein the drive shaft is non-rotationally mountable to the central hub, and further wherein, in the working configuration, the drive shaft is non-rotationally mounted to the central hub and the rotatable disk is rotationally driven by the motor via the drive shaft and the central hub.

11 . The braid removal device of claim 10 , wherein the drive shaft is disconnectably mountable to the central hub.

12 . The braid removal device of claim 10 , wherein the grip portion is configured to receive at least one battery configured to electrically power the motor in the working configuration.

13 . The braid removal device of claim 1 , wherein the debraiding wheel of each debraiding head assembly is mountable to the main body of each debraiding head assembly entirely within the space of the main body, and further wherein, in the working configuration, the rotatable disk and the plurality of hooks are jointly rotatable entirely within the space of the main body of each debraiding head assembly.

14 . The braid removal device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of curved hooks are curved forward in a direction of rotation of the debraiding wheel with respect to the wheel rotation axis, and further wherein, in the working configuration, the debraiding wheel of each debraiding head assembly rotates about the wheel rotation axis in said direction of rotation.

15 . The braid removal device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of curved hooks are angularly spaced apart with one another along a periphery of the rotatable disk about the wheel rotation axis.

16 . The braid removal device of claim 1 , wherein the grip portion is elongate and formed along a longitudinal direction which is parallel to the wheel rotation axis in the working configuration.

17 . The braid removal device of claim 16 , wherein the grip portion is cylindrical and formed along a central longitudinal axis which is the same as the wheel rotation axis.

18 . The braid removal device of claim 1 , further comprising a controller and at least one speed sensor, wherein the speed sensor is configured to sense a speed of rotation of the debraiding wheel with respect to the main body about the wheel rotation axis, and further wherein the controller is configured to stop said rotation of the debraiding wheel of each debraiding head assembly responsively to detecting that the speed sensor has sensed a speed of rotation less than a predetermined threshold.

19 . A braid removal device for unraveling bundles of hair formed into a length of braided hair, the braid removal device comprising:

one or more debraiding head assemblies, each debraiding head assembly comprising:

a main body defining a space for receipt of a length of braided hair, and

a debraiding wheel, comprising a rotatable disk and a plurality of curved hooks extending radially outwardly from the rotatable disk, the debraiding wheel rotatably mountable to the main body at least partially within the space of the main body such that the rotatable disk and the plurality of hooks are jointly rotatable with respect to the main body in a direction of rotation about a wheel rotation axis, wherein the plurality of curved hooks are curved forward in the direction of rotation and are angularly spaced apart with one another along a periphery of the rotatable disk about the wheel rotation axis;

a driving assembly, configured to drive the debraiding wheel rotationally about the wheel rotation axis; and

a grip portion, mountable to each debraiding head assembly of the one or more debraiding head assemblies;

wherein during use, the braid removal device is configured to adopt a working configuration in which each debraiding wheel of the one or more debraiding head assemblies is rotatably mounted to the main body of a respective one or the one or more debraiding head assemblies and the grip portion is mounted to each debraiding head assembly such that the grip portion carries each debraiding head assembly and enables a handheld operation of each debraiding head assembly by a user gripping the grip portion, and further in which the length of braided hair is positioned within the space of the main body of each debraiding head assembly, the driving assembly causing a rotation of the debraiding wheel of each debraiding head assembly with respect to the main body in the direction of rotation about the wheel rotation axis, and the length of braided hair is engaged by the plurality of hooks of the rotating, debraiding wheel to unravel the length of braided hair.

20 . A braid removal device for unraveling bundles of hair formed into a length of braided hair, the braid removal device comprising:

one or more debraiding head assemblies, each debraiding head assembly comprising:

a main body defining a space for receipt of a length of braided hair, and

a debraiding wheel, comprising a rotatable disk and a plurality of curved hooks extending radially outwardly from the rotatable disk, the debraiding wheel rotatably mountable to the main body at least partially within the space of the main body such that the rotatable disk and the plurality of hooks are jointly rotatable with respect to the main body in a direction of rotation about a wheel rotation axis, wherein the plurality of curved hooks are curved forward in the direction of rotation and are angularly spaced apart with one another along a periphery of the rotatable disk about the wheel rotation axis;

a driving assembly, configured to drive the debraiding wheel rotationally about the wheel rotation axis; and

a grip portion, mountable to each debraiding head assembly of the one or more debraiding head assemblies, wherein the grip portion is elongate and formed along a longitudinal direction;

wherein during use, the braid removal device is configured to adopt a working configuration in which each debraiding wheel of the one or more debraiding head assemblies is rotatably mounted to the main body of a respective one of the one or more debraiding head assemblies and the grip portion is mounted to each debraiding head assembly, with the longitudinal direction parallel to the wheel rotation axis, such that the grip portion carries each debraiding head assembly and enables a handheld operation of each debraiding head assembly by a user gripping the grip portion, and further in which the length of braided hair is positioned within the space of the main body of each debraiding head assembly, the driving assembly causing a rotation of the debraiding wheel of each debraiding head assembly with respect to the main body in the direction of rotation about the wheel rotation axis, and the length of braided hair is engaged by the plurality of hooks of the rotating, debraiding wheel to unravel the length of braided hair.