CN116648164A

CN116648164A - hair care appliance

Info

Publication number: CN116648164A
Application number: CN202180087287.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·皮尔; R·库尔顿
Original assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2020-12-23
Filing date: 2021-12-14
Publication date: 2023-08-25
Also published as: GB2602325A; GB202020489D0; GB2602325B; US20240049859A1; WO2022136833A1

Abstract

A hair care appliance (10) is disclosed, comprising: an air inlet (101); an air outlet (102); an air flow generator (16) for generating an air flow from the air inlet (101) to the air outlet (102), the air flow generator (16) being arranged in the housing (12); and a hair treatment chamber (103) for receiving hair, the air outlet (102) being configured to direct an air flow into the hair treatment chamber (103); wherein the hair treatment chamber (103) is movable from a first orientation relative to the housing (12) to a second orientation relative to the housing (12), the second orientation being different from the first orientation.

Description

Hair care appliance

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a hair care appliance and an accessory for a hair care appliance.

Background

Hair care appliances are commonly used to treat or style hair, and some hair care appliances may use an air stream to treat or style hair.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an accessory for a hair care appliance, the accessory comprising an air inlet, an air outlet for emitting an air flow and a hair treatment chamber for receiving hair, the air outlet being configured to direct the air flow into the hair treatment chamber; wherein the hair treatment chamber is movable from a first orientation relative to the air inlet to a second orientation relative to the air inlet, the second orientation being different from the first orientation.

The accessory according to the first aspect of the present invention may be advantageous in that it may allow a user to change the orientation of the hair treatment chamber to improve the user experience and comfort.

The air outlet is configured to direct an air flow into the hair treatment chamber when the hair treatment chamber is in the first orientation and the second orientation. In this way, the user can use the accessory in either the first or second orientation. The user may select which orientation is more comfortable, which may improve the user experience of the accessory and hair care appliance.

The air inlet and the air outlet may be provided at a first end of the housing. The air inlet may be disposed in the air flow path between the air flow generator and the air outlet. The air inlet may for example comprise an air inlet into an accessory forming part of a hair care appliance, which may comprise a further air inlet into the housing, the airflow generator being configured, in use, to generate an airflow from the further air inlet to the air outlet.

The hair treatment chamber may include a wall, an opening through which hair may be inserted into the hair treatment chamber, and a hole formed in the wall. In use, the apertures may enable air flow to escape from the interior of the hair treatment chamber without having to pass through openings through which hair is inserted into the hair treatment chamber. In the first orientation, the central axis of the housing may be parallel to the central axis of the opening. In the second orientation, the central axis of the housing may be perpendicular to the central axis of the opening. In this way, the first orientation and the second orientation may be offset from each other by 90 degrees. This may enable the housing to remain in parallel and orthogonal orientations relative to the user's head in use, which may increase usability and comfort.

The accessory may include a conduit providing a flow path between the air inlet and the air outlet. The conduit is deformable between a first position when the accessory is in the first orientation and a second position when the accessory is in the second orientation. The catheter may be resilient such that the catheter may return to its original shape after deformation. This may allow the catheter to deform so that the accessory changes between the first and second orientations, while also ensuring that the catheter does not permanently deform and may return to its original shape.

The catheter may include a tube configured with accordion folds (concerta). Advantageously, the duct with accordion folds can be compressed to a compact size, such that the compressed duct occupies less space in the accessory than a duct without accordion folds. Furthermore, the accordion-like folds provide structure to the duct such that compression of the duct does not restrict airflow through the duct. The conduit may also help ensure an airtight seal between the air inlet and the air outlet to reduce the amount of air escaping from the flow path or to prevent air escaping from the flow path. This helps to increase and/or maintain the performance of the accessory.

The catheter may deform from the first position to the second position in response to a force applied to the catheter. This may allow a user to simply and easily switch the accessory from the first configuration to the second configuration. For example, a user may apply a force to a first end of the catheter in a direction toward a second end of the catheter, which may cause the catheter to compress. The user may provide a force in the opposite direction to return the catheter to its original position and shape.

The conduit may include a retaining pin engageable with a portion of the hair treatment chamber to limit movement of the conduit away from the hair treatment chamber. This may help to ensure that the conduit remains in place relative to the hair treatment chamber, thereby helping to prevent the conduit from restricting air flow. Slots may be provided on the outer surface of the hair treatment chamber in which the retaining pins may be received.

The catheter may include a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may be in fluid communication with the air outlet and fixed relative to the air outlet. The second portion may be in fluid communication with the air inlet and fixed relative to the air inlet. The second portion is movable relative to the first portion between a first configuration and a second configuration. A seal may be provided between the first and second portions to provide a hermetic seal. The seal may take the form of an elastomeric material, such as rubber.

One of the first portion and the second portion may include a channel and the other of the second portion and the first portion may slide in the channel. For example, the channel may comprise an elongate slot in the first portion and the second portion may slide along the slot. The channel may limit movement of the second portion in at least one direction to ensure that the second portion remains in the correct position relative to the hair treatment chamber.

One of the first and second portions slidable in the channel may slide 90 degrees relative to the housing between the first and second orientations. A respective one of the first and second portions is slidable relative to the housing through an oblique angle between a first orientation and a second orientation. This may allow a plurality of positions to be adopted between one of the first and second portions and the housing.

Where the hair treatment chamber comprises a wall, an opening through which hair may be inserted into the hair treatment chamber, and a hole formed in the wall, the air outlet may be configured to direct, in use, an air flow away from the opening and towards the hole. Thus, in use, the airflow may initially be directed away from the user's head. This may reduce the direct heat applied to the user's head, which may increase the comfort of using the accessory, especially after prolonged use.

The air outlet may extend around at least a portion of the periphery of the hair treatment chamber. The air outlet may extend around the entire periphery of the hair treatment chamber. The air outlet may be an annular slot disposed about at least a portion of the periphery of the hair treatment chamber. The hair treatment chamber may comprise an edge defining the opening and the air outlet may be located on the edge such that in use the air flow is directed away from the periphery of the opening. The edge may be formed by a protrusion on a wall of the hair treatment chamber and the air outlet may be formed in the protrusion.

The width of the air outlet may vary around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber. Advantageously, this may allow the airflow rate to remain uniform around the entire air outlet regardless of distance from the airflow generator.

The hair treatment chamber may hold the user's hair in place during use such that the user's hair is less likely to be disturbed by the flow of air into the hair treatment chamber. In this way, a relatively high flow rate of air may be used without significantly disturbing the user's hair, which may increase the efficiency and/or speed of drying the user's hair. The flow rate may be at least 6 liters per second, at least 10 liters per second, or at least 13 liters per second.

The air outlet may be configured to direct the air flow substantially along the surface of the wall in use. The walls of the hair treatment chamber may be shaped to further direct the air flow in use. For example, the wall may be curved and the airflow may be directed to follow the curvature of the wall. This may cause the air flow to remain in contact with the wall and be directed further away from the opening. In use, the air flow may flow from the air outlet into the interior of the hair treatment chamber.

The hair treatment chamber, e.g., the walls of the hair treatment chamber, may be shaped to define a hemispherical interior. This helps to maximize the space available in the hair treatment chamber to receive the user's hair. The hair treatment chamber may be shaped to define a substantially annular interior shape. For example, the hair treatment chamber may be shaped such that the walls of the hair treatment chamber have a sharp tip in the center of the hair treatment chamber, the sharp tip being adjacent the opening. In the case where the hair treatment chamber has a substantially annular interior shape, the outer surface of the hair treatment chamber may define a substantially hemispherical surface. The annular shape of the hair treatment chamber may help direct the air flow to the user's head or root of the user's hair when in use in the second configuration. This may help to increase the efficiency of drying the user's hair.

The wall may comprise a porous material. The porous material may define pores. The porous material may be, for example, a mesh. The porous material may be breathable such that air may flow through the breathable material. The porous material may help to retain the user's hair within the hair care chamber while also confining air within the hair treatment chamber. In this way, the air in the hair treatment chamber may be heated to a higher temperature to increase the efficiency and/or speed of drying the user's hair.

The wall of the accessory may include a plurality of apertures. For example, there may be two, four, six, eight, ten, one hundred, one thousand or ten thousand holes. The plurality of apertures may be spaced around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber. In the first configuration, air flow through the plurality of apertures may be unrestricted, and in the second configuration, air flow through the plurality of apertures may be restricted. Providing a plurality of apertures may provide more diffuse airflow from the hair treatment chamber during use.

The accessory may include a sensor configured to output a signal indicative of a characteristic of hair within the hair treatment chamber. The signal may indicate that the user's hair is sufficiently dry, for example, an indication may be provided to the user based on the signal that the accessory and hair care appliance are out of use. For example, a visual indicator, such as a light, may be provided to the user when the signal indicates that their hair is sufficiently dry. The airflow generator may be configured to modify the airflow when the signal indicates that the user's hair is sufficiently dry. For example, the airflow generator may be configured to reduce the flow rate, or stop the generation of airflow, in response to the signal. Alternatively or additionally, the heater may be configured to modify the amount of heat provided to the airflow in response to the signal. For example, the heater may be configured to reduce the amount of heat provided to the airflow, or to stop heating the airflow, in response to the signal. This helps to prevent damage to the user's hair caused by excessive or unnecessary drying and/or heating.

The sensor may be located within or near the hair treatment chamber. Multiple sensors may be provided to provide redundancy in the event of a sensor failure.

The sensor may include any one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a sensor capable of spectral analysis, or a sensor capable of capacitive sensing of moisture.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a hair care appliance comprising:

an air inlet;

an air outlet;

an air flow generator for generating an air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet, the air flow generator being disposed in the housing; and

a hair treatment chamber for receiving hair, the air outlet configured to direct an air flow into the hair treatment chamber;

wherein the hair treatment chamber is movable from a first orientation relative to the housing to a second orientation relative to the housing, the second orientation being different from the first orientation.

The hair care appliance may include a handle unit, an airflow generator disposed within the handle unit, and an accessory including an air inlet, an air outlet, and a hair treatment chamber, the accessory being removably attached to the handle unit. Providing the above-described air outlet as part of a removable accessory may allow a user to selectively provide the functionality described herein.

The accessory may be used in a hair care appliance that includes an airflow generator disposed in a housing. The accessory may communicate with the handle unit or other component of the hair care appliance to modify the operation of the hair care appliance. For example, the accessory can communicate with the airflow generator to modify the airflow provided to the accessory. The accessory may communicate with the hair care appliance to transmit information indicative of a desired air flow rate. The airflow generator may operate based on this information to provide a desired airflow rate. The accessory may include an RFID tag that includes information indicating a desired airflow rate for the accessory. This information may be read from the RFID tag and transmitted to the airflow generator to cause the airflow generator to generate an airflow having a desired flow rate. Alternatively or additionally, the accessory may communicate with the hair care appliance via bluetooth or other suitable wireless communication standard and/or wired connection.

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

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a hair care appliance according to an example;

fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a handle unit of the hair care appliance of fig. 1;

fig. 3 shows a schematic view of an accessory of the hair care appliance of fig. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the accessory of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the accessory in a first orientation;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the accessory of FIG. 5 in a second orientation;

FIG. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a further accessory in a first orientation;

FIG. 8 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the accessory of FIG. 7 in a second orientation; and

fig. 9 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternative accessory.

Detailed Description

A hair care appliance according to the present invention is schematically shown in fig. 1 and generally designated 10.

The hair care appliance 10 includes a handle unit 12 and an accessory 100 removably attached to the handle unit 12.

As schematically seen in fig. 2, the handle unit 12 comprises a housing 14, an airflow generator 16, a heater 18 and a control unit 20.

The housing 14 is tubular and includes an air inlet 22 through which air flow is drawn into the housing 14 by the airflow generator 16 and an air outlet 24 through which air flow is exhausted from the housing 14. The airflow generator 16 is housed within the housing 14 and includes an impeller 26 driven by a motor 28. The heater 18 is also housed within the housing 14 and includes a heating element 30 to selectively heat the air flow.

The control unit 20 includes electronic circuitry for the user interface 32, the control module 34, and the RFID reader 24. A user interface 32 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 14 and is used to turn the hair care appliance 10 on and off, select flow rates (e.g., high, medium, and low), and select air flow temperatures (e.g., hot, medium, or cold). In the example of fig. 1, the user interface includes a plurality of slide switches, but other forms of user interface 32 are also contemplated, such as buttons, dials, or a touch screen. RFID reader 24 interrogates RFID tags that form part of accessory 100.

The control module 34 is responsible for controlling the airflow generator 16 and the heater 18 in response to inputs from the user interface 32. For example, in response to input from the user interface 32, the control module 34 may control the power or rate of the airflow generator 16 to adjust the flow rate of the airflow and control the power of the heater 18 to adjust the temperature of the airflow.

An example of an accessory 100 is schematically shown in fig. 3 and 4. Accessory 100 includes an air inlet 101, an air outlet 102, and a hair treatment chamber 103. The hair treatment chamber 103 is for receiving hair and includes an opening 105 through which hair can be inserted into the hair treatment chamber 103. The area between the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 is shown with a dashed line. Various forms of this region will be discussed below in connection with fig. 5-8.

The hair treatment chamber 103 further includes a wall 104 and a plurality of apertures 106 formed in the wall 104. In use, the apertures 106 enable air flow to escape from the interior of the hair treatment chamber 103 without having to pass through the opening 105, hair being inserted into the hair treatment chamber 103 through the opening 105.

The hair treatment chamber 103 defines a confined space in which a user's hair is placed. As the heated air enters the confined space, the ambient temperature within the hair treatment chamber 103 increases, which helps to dry the user's hair. Furthermore, because the hair treatment chamber 103 holds the user's hair in place during use, the user's hair is less likely to be disturbed by the air flow into the hair treatment chamber 103. In this way, a relatively high flow rate of air may be used without significantly disturbing the user's hair, which may increase the efficiency and/or speed of drying the user's hair. The flow rate may be at least 6 liters per second, at least 10 liters per second, or at least 13 liters per second.

The wall 104 of the hair treatment chamber 103 comprises a porous material 107. In the example shown in fig. 3, the porous material 107 is disposed in the pores 106 such that the non-porous wall 104 and the porous material 107 collectively define a boundary wall of the hair treatment chamber 103. In fig. 3, the porous material 107 is shown in a single well 106. In some examples, the porous material 107 is disposed in all of the pores 106. Alternatively, the porous material 107 is disposed in a selected number of the pores 106. The pores of the porous material 107 define additional pores in the walls. In the example of fig. 3, the porous material 107 is a mesh. Alternatively, any other suitable porous material 107 may be used.

The porous material 107 helps to retain the user's hair within the hair treatment chamber 103 while also confining air within the hair treatment chamber 103. In this way, the air in the hair treatment chamber 103 may be heated to a higher temperature to increase the efficiency and/or speed of drying the user's hair.

In the example of fig. 3 and 4 in combination with fig. 1, the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 of the accessory 100 are provided at a first end of the housing 14. The air inlet 101 is thus arranged in the air flow path between the air flow generator 16 and the air outlet 104. As shown in fig. 1, the handle unit 12 also has its own air inlet 22 into the housing 14. The airflow generator 16 is configured to generate, in use, an airflow from the air inlet 22 of the handle unit 12 through the air inlet 101 of the accessory 100 and to the air outlet 102.

In the example shown in fig. 3 and 4, the air outlet 102 extends around the entire periphery 109 of the hair treatment chamber 103. In other examples, the air outlet 102 extends around a portion of the periphery 109 of the hair treatment chamber 103.

The width of the air outlet 102 varies around the periphery 109 of the hair treatment chamber 103. This may allow the airflow rate to remain uniform around the entire air outlet 102 regardless of distance from the airflow generator 16. In some examples, the air outlets 102 have a uniform width around the entire periphery 109 of the hair treatment chamber 103.

The opening 105 shown in fig. 3 is generally circular, however other forms and shapes of the opening 105 are also contemplated. For example, the opening 105 may be substantially elliptical or semi-circular. In the example shown in fig. 3 and 4, hair treatment chamber 103 is shaped to define a hemispherical interior. In other examples, hair treatment chamber 103 is shaped to define any other suitable hollow interior in which hair may be received.

The accessory 100 includes a sensor 108, the sensor 109 being configured to output an indication of the interior of the hair treatment chamber 103 in useIs a signal of a characteristic of the hair. The sensor 108 shown in fig. 4 is a moisture sensor. In other examples, the sensor 108 is a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor. The signal output by the sensor 108 is received by the control module 34, and the control module 34 is configured to control the hair care appliance 10 in response to the signal from the sensor 108. In some examples, sensor 108 includes an RFID tag to transmit information to RFID reader 24 via RFID. In some examples, it is contemplated that other forms of communication may be utilized, including, for example, bluetooth ^TM Or Near Field Communication (NFC).

Similarly, although wireless communication methods between the sensor 108 and the control module 34 have been discussed so far, it should be understood that examples utilizing physical communication connections are also contemplated. For example, the handle unit 12 and the accessory 100 may include corresponding contacts that define a communication path when the accessory 100 is connected to the handle unit 12.

In some examples, the signal from sensor 108 indicates that the user's hair is sufficiently dry and provides an indication to the user to stop using hair care appliance 10 based on the signal. For example, when the signal indicates that their hair is sufficiently dry, a visual indicator, such as a light, is provided to the user. In some examples, the airflow generator 16 is configured to modify the airflow when the signal indicates that the user's hair is sufficiently dry. For example, the airflow generator 16 is configured to reduce the flow rate, or stop the generation of airflow, in response to the signal. In some examples, heater 18 is configured to modify the amount of heat provided to the airflow in response to the signal. For example, the heater 18 may be configured to reduce the amount of heat provided to the airflow, or to stop heating the airflow, in response to the signal. This helps to prevent damage to the user's hair caused by excessive or unnecessary drying and/or heating.

The air outlet 102 is configured to direct an air flow away from the opening 105 and towards the aperture 106 in use. When hair is inserted through opening 105 and the air flow is directed away from opening 105, the air flow may be directed away from the root of hair that is located in hair treatment chamber 103 during use. This may reduce the direct heat applied to the user's head, which may increase the comfort of using the hair care appliance 10, particularly after prolonged use.

The hair treatment chamber 103 is movable from a first orientation relative to the housing 12 to a second orientation relative to the housing 12. The second orientation of the hair treatment chamber 103 is different from the first orientation of the hair treatment chamber 103. In this way, the user can change the orientation of the hair treatment chamber 103 to improve comfort.

Fig. 5 shows the attachment 200 with the hair treatment chamber in a first orientation relative to the housing 12, and fig. 6 shows the attachment 200 with the hair treatment chamber 103 in a second orientation relative to the housing 12.

In the first orientation, the central axis of the housing 12 is perpendicular to the central axis of the opening 105, and in the second orientation, the central axis of the housing 12 is parallel to the central axis of the opening 105. In other examples, the housing 12 may be aligned with the opening 105 in other positions in the first and second orientations. In other words, the central axis of the housing 12 may be inclined relative to the central axis of the opening 105 in either or both of the first and second orientations.

The accessory 200 includes a conduit 201, the conduit 201 providing a flow path between the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102. To allow movement of the hair treatment chamber 103 between the first orientation and the second orientation, the conduit 201 is deformable between a first position (as shown in fig. 5) when the hair treatment chamber 103 is in the first orientation and a second position (as shown in fig. 6) when the hair treatment chamber 103 is in the second orientation.

In the example of fig. 5 and 6, the conduit 201 is a tube configured with accordion folds. In this way, the tubing can be compressed to a compact size such that the compressed tubing occupies less space in the hair care appliance than tubing without accordion folds. Furthermore, the accordion-like folds provide structure to the duct such that compression of the duct does not restrict airflow through the duct 201. The conduit 201 may also help ensure an airtight seal between the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 to reduce or prevent air from escaping from the flow path. This helps to increase and/or maintain the performance of the hair care appliance. In other examples, other forms of tubing are used that do not have accordion folds.

The catheter 201 is deformable from a first position to a second position in response to a force applied to the catheter 201. For example, a user may apply a force to the first end 202 of the catheter 201 in a direction toward the second end 203 of the catheter 201, which may cause the catheter 201 to compress. The user may provide a force in the opposite direction to return the catheter 201 to its original position and shape. This allows the user to simply and easily switch the hair care appliance from the first configuration to the second configuration.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the catheter 201 includes a retaining pin 204. The retaining pin 204 is configured to slide within a slot 205 formed on the outer surface of the hair treatment chamber 103. The retaining pin 204 may help retain the conduit 201 against the hair treatment chamber 103 by limiting movement of the conduit 201 in undesired directions. In other examples, the retaining pin 204 may be received by a different portion of the accessory 200.

Fig. 7 shows the additional attachment 300 with the hair treatment chamber 103 12 in a first orientation relative to the housing and fig. 8 shows the attachment 300 with the hair treatment chamber 103 in a second orientation.

As in the example of fig. 5 and 6, the attachment of fig. 7 and 8 includes a conduit 301 that provides a flow path from the air inlet 101 to the air outlet 102. The conduit 301 includes a first portion 302 in fluid communication with the air outlet 102 and fixed relative to the air outlet 102, and a second portion 303 in fluid communication with the air inlet 101 and fixed relative to the air inlet 101.

In the example of fig. 7 and 8, the second portion 303 of the conduit 301 is movable relative to the first portion 302 of the conduit 301 between a first configuration and a second configuration.

The first portion 302 includes a channel 304 and the second portion 303 is slidable in the channel 304. A passage 304 is formed on the outer surface of the hair treatment chamber 103. For example, the second portion 303 may be slidable between a first position in the channel 304 in the first configuration and a second position in the channel 304 in the second configuration. In other examples, the second portion 303 includes a channel 304 and the first portion 302 is slidable in the channel 304.

In the example shown in fig. 7 and 8, the second portion 303 is slidable 90 degrees relative to the housing 12 between the first orientation and the second orientation. In other examples, a respective one of the first portion 302 and the second portion 303 may be slid relative to the housing 12 by an oblique angle between the first orientation and the second orientation. This may allow a plurality of positions to be adopted between one of the first portion 302 and the second portion 303 and the housing 12.

A seal is disposed between the first portion 302 and the second portion 303 to help reduce or prevent airflow from escaping the flow path. The seal may comprise a deformable material, such as rubber or any other suitable sealing material. In some examples, the seal may include a plurality of bristles disposed on two opposite sides of the channel 304. The second portion 303 may slide between bristles, which may help provide a substantially airtight seal.

In the example shown in fig. 5-8, the air outlet 102 is configured to direct an air flow into the hair treatment chamber 103 when the hair treatment chamber 103 is in the first orientation and the second orientation. In other words, the user may use the hair care appliance 10 when the hair treatment chamber 103 is in the first orientation or the second orientation. The user may select which orientation is more comfortable, which may improve the user experience of the hair care appliance.

Fig. 9 shows an alternative accessory 400. The accessory 400 includes a first air inlet 401 and a second air inlet 402. The first air inlet 401 and the second air inlet 402 are in fluid communication with the air outlet 102. The first air inlet 401 and the second air inlet 402 are offset from each other by 90 degrees. In other examples, the first air inlet 401 and the second air inlet 402 are offset from each other at an oblique angle. The handle 12 is configured to be removably attached to the first air inlet 401 in a first configuration or to be removably attached to the second air inlet 402 in a second configuration. For example, a user may first attach the handle 12 to the first air inlet 401 such that an air flow is provided through the first air inlet 401 in a first orientation. The user may then detach the handle 12 from the first air inlet 401 and attach the handle 12 to the second air inlet 402 such that the airflow flows through the second air inlet 402 in a second orientation.

The first air inlet 401 and the second air inlet 402 comprise a first valve 403 and a second valve 404, respectively. The first valve 403 is configured to open when an air flow is provided to the first air inlet 401. The second valve 404 is configured to open when airflow is provided to the second air inlet 402. For example, when the handle is attached to the first air inlet 401, the first valve 403 is open, but the second valve 404 remains closed. This helps to prevent air from escaping from the second air outlet 402. The first valve 403 and the second valve 404 may comprise one-way valves or check valves.

Examples are also contemplated in which, instead of the hair care appliance 10 comprising the handle unit 12 and the accessory 100, 200, 300, 400, the hair care appliance 10 is a single piece unit, for example in the form of the previously described combination handle unit 12 and accessory 100, 200, 300, 400.

Claims

1. An accessory for a hair care appliance, the accessory comprising an air inlet, an air outlet for emitting an air flow, and a hair treatment chamber for receiving hair, the air outlet being configured to direct the air flow into the hair treatment chamber; wherein the hair treatment chamber is movable from a first orientation relative to the air inlet to a second orientation relative to the air inlet, the second orientation being different from the first orientation.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the hair treatment chamber comprises a wall; an opening through which hair can be inserted into the hair treatment chamber; and a hole formed in the wall.

3. An accessory according to claim 2, wherein the air outlet is configured to direct an air flow away from the opening and towards the aperture in use.

4. An accessory according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the wall comprises a porous material.

5. The accessory of claim 4, wherein the porous material defines the pores.

6. The accessory according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the accessory comprises a plurality of holes formed in the wall.

7. The accessory according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the air outlet is configured to direct an air flow into the hair treatment chamber when the hair treatment chamber is in the first and second orientations.

8. The accessory according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein in the first orientation, a central axis of the housing is parallel to a central axis of the opening, and in the second orientation, the central axis of the housing is perpendicular to the central axis of the opening.

9. The accessory according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the accessory comprises a conduit providing a flow path between the air inlet and the air outlet, wherein the conduit is deformable between a first position when the accessory is in the first orientation and a second position when the accessory is in the second orientation.

10. The accessory of claim 9, wherein the conduit comprises a tube configured with accordion folds.

11. The accessory of claim 9 or 10, wherein the catheter is deformable from the first position to the second position in response to a force applied to the catheter.

12. The accessory according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the conduit comprises a retaining pin engageable with a portion of the hair treatment chamber to limit movement of the conduit away from the hair treatment chamber.

13. The accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the accessory comprises a conduit providing a flow path from the air inlet to the air outlet, wherein the conduit comprises a first portion in fluid communication with the air outlet and fixed relative to the air outlet and a second portion in fluid communication with the air inlet and fixed relative to the air inlet, the second portion being movable relative to the first portion between the first configuration and the second configuration.

14. The accessory of claim 13, wherein one of the first portion and the second portion includes a channel in which the other of the second portion and the first portion is slidable.

15. The accessory of claim 14, wherein the one of the first and second portions that is slidable in the channel is slidable 90 degrees relative to the housing between the first and second orientations.

16. An accessory according to any preceding claim, wherein the accessory comprises a sensor configured to output, in use, a signal indicative of a characteristic of hair within the hair treatment chamber.

17. A hair care appliance comprising:

an air inlet;

an air outlet;

18. The hair care appliance of claim 17, wherein the hair care appliance comprises a handle unit and an accessory, the airflow generator disposed within the handle unit, the accessory comprising the air inlet, the air outlet, and the hair treatment chamber, the accessory being removably attached to the handle unit.