CN116847756A - Device and method for drying and styling hair - Google Patents
Device and method for drying and styling hair Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CN116847756A CN116847756A CN202180094139.5A CN202180094139A CN116847756A CN 116847756 A CN116847756 A CN 116847756A CN 202180094139 A CN202180094139 A CN 202180094139A CN 116847756 A CN116847756 A CN 116847756A
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- hair
- air
- base portion
- head portion
- heat
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
- A45D20/00—Hair drying devices; Accessories therefor
- A45D20/48—Hair-drying combs or hair-drying brushes, with internal heating means
- A45D20/50—Hair-drying combs or hair-drying brushes, with internal heating means and provision for an air stream
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
- A45D20/00—Hair drying devices; Accessories therefor
- A45D20/04—Hot-air producers
- A45D20/08—Hot-air producers heated electrically
- A45D20/10—Hand-held drying devices, e.g. air douches
- A45D20/12—Details thereof or accessories therefor, e.g. nozzles, stands
Landscapes
- Cleaning And Drying Hair (AREA)
- Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)
Abstract
A device for drying and/or styling hair is disclosed. The device heats the user's hair using conduction and convection to dry wet or damp hair or to style the user's hair. The device has a body portion with a fan and a heater for generating a heated air flow. The heated air stream flows into a head portion having a base portion and a heat exchanger. Heat from the air heats the heat exchanger, which in turn heats the base portion. During use, the user's hair contacts the outer surface of the base portion and is heated by conduction. A vent is also provided in the base portion so that the heated air can also heat the user's hair by convection.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a device for styling the hair of a person (or imaginable animal), for example after shampooing or as part of a styling process. That is, the hair may be wet (or "towel dry") prior to use of the present invention, and then dried and styled using the present invention. Alternatively, the apparatus may be used to style dry hair. Such drying and styling of hair may be performed, for example, by a user on their own hair, or by a stylist. It should also be noted that the term "wet" as used herein is to be construed broadly to include not only hair that is wetted with water, but also hair that is wetted with a liquid other than water. For example, hair may be wetted with solvent-based colorants, and the present invention may be used to dry and/or style such wet hair.
Background
Conventional hand held hair dryers are well known which incorporate an electric fan to blow a stream of cold or hot air to dry a person's hair. The fan draws ambient air into the body of the hair dryer and blows an air stream toward the hair to be dried. When hot air is to be blown, it is common to use an electrical heating element contained within the body of the blower to heat the air flow before it leaves the blower. Alternatively, the blower may be equipped with a concentrator nozzle attachment to enhance and direct air flow, or with a diffuser attachment to more gently deliver air.
However, conventional blowers tend to be noisy, heavy and bulky. Furthermore, they can be awkward to use and can be difficult for a user (especially a home user who is handling his own hair) to achieve the desired effect, especially in styling hair while drying it. For example, hair dryers are commonly used with hair brushes or combs or another piece of styling apparatus to style hair during drying. The styling process may be, for example, straightening hair or providing hair with a "body and volume" feel "
(either before or after application of styling products such as mousses, gels, hair waxes, hair gels, etc., as desired). While manipulating the blower and brush (or comb, etc.) around the head can be tricky for the user and often requires a degree of skill to achieve the desired effect.
Thus, while the use of conventional hair dryers is the fastest way to dry hair, it can be very difficult and/or time consuming to produce the desired end result in terms of styling. For this purpose, the user must use brushes and/or additional hair styling tools.
As an alternative to conventional hair dryers, some people may use so-called "wet to straight" hair straighteners. These devices are used to dry and straighten hair by pulling wet hair between a pair of heating plates mounted on opposite arms of the device. These devices tend to use conductive heating of wet hair at high temperatures (typically 185 ℃ to 230 ℃), but may damage hair and/or may be perceived to damage hair due to cavitation (noise) sounds or the use of high temperatures near the wet hair denaturation temperature (denaturation temperature).
The hair may also be dried and styled using a hot air brush. While this type of product combines drying and styling capabilities in a single handheld device, these devices tend to dry hair relatively slowly. The user may first blow dry the hair using a conventional hair dryer and then switch to a hot air brush to perform the final drying and styling of the wet hair. Accordingly, there is a need for a more efficient hair styling apparatus that eliminates or reduces the need for separate equipment for drying hair, provides more efficient hair drying and styling, and is easy for the user to operate.
Another problem with hot air brushes is the uneven temperature distribution across the outer surface of the device. For example, the portion of the device loaded with wet or damp hair may cool relatively quickly, while the unloaded portion of the device remains relatively hot. Such temperature imbalance can lead to reduced drying and styling performance. Accordingly, there is a need for a hair styling apparatus that more effectively balances the temperature profile across the device.
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention provides an apparatus for drying and styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a main body portion; a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; a fan for sucking air into the apparatus and for blowing air toward the head portion; and at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream; wherein the head portion is configured to receive a heated air stream and the base portion is configured to be heated by the heated air stream and store heat from the heated air stream for subsequent transfer of the heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion.
The apparatus may control heating of the air by the at least one heater in response to a change in temperature of the base portion. One or more temperature sensors may be provided to sense temperature, and the controller may then vary the power applied to the heaters, the number of heaters used to heat the air, or the speed of the fan to increase or decrease the air temperature. For example, the device may increase the heat output of the at least one heater when the temperature of the base portion falls below a predetermined threshold. The heat output may be increased by increasing the heat provided by one heater or by powering an additional heater and/or by slowing down the fan such that it takes longer for air to pass through the heater, which results in the air being heated to a higher temperature.
The apparatus may further include: at least one sensor for sensing a temperature of the base portion; a first heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air flow; and a second heater configured to provide an enhanced function to provide additional heat to the air flow; wherein the apparatus is configured to control the second heater in response to a detected decrease in temperature of the base portion.
Typically, the base portion includes at least one and preferably a plurality of ventilation holes to allow heated air to flow out of the base portion to transfer heat from the heated air to the hair by convection. With this arrangement, the hair can be heated by conduction and convection, resulting in a more efficient drying apparatus.
The head portion may include a plenum (chamber); and the heated air flows from the plenum to the at least one vent.
In a preferred arrangement, the base portion comprises a plurality of thermally conductive elements on an outer surface of the base portion, wherein the thermally conductive elements are configured to be heated by the heated air flow and store heat from the heated air flow for subsequent transfer of the heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion. These heat conducting elements increase the total heated surface of the base portion and thus increase the amount of conductive heating that the device can provide. Typically, these heat conducting elements may increase the total surface area of the hair contacting surface by between 50% and 200%. In a preferred arrangement, the thermally conductive element is integrally formed with the base portion, for example by cast moulding. The heat conducting elements may have a fin-like or blade-like shape which facilitates their cutting through the hair of the user without being entangled by the hair. The specific heat capacity of the base portion (including the heat conductive element) is between 800J/kg ℃ and 1000J/kg ℃ (e.g., 900J/kg ℃); and a thermal conductivity between 90W/mk and 200W/mk. To provide reasonable heat storage, the mass of the base portion is preferably greater than about 50 grams. The mass of the base portion should not be too great, otherwise the device will become too heavy to be used for a long period of time. The inventors of the present invention have found that the mass of the base portion is preferably between about 100 grams and 140 grams.
By providing a base portion with a relatively high thermal mass, the device can provide a significant portion of its heating effect by conduction rather than by convection of heated air. In particular, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, more than 30%, preferably more than 50%, of the heating effect provided by the device is provided by conduction (through contact between the hair and the base portion) rather than by convection with heated air.
A heat exchanger may be provided that receives heated air from the plenum and directs the heated air to a plurality of ventilation holes. The heat exchanger assists in transferring heat from the heated air to the base portion. In a preferred arrangement, the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of radial fins.
In a preferred arrangement, the heat exchanger comprises: one or more air inlet channels for receiving heated air from the plenum; and one or more air outlet passages for directing heated air to the vent. The heated air flows along one of the air inlet passages before flowing through one of the air outlet passages. A mixing chamber may be provided that receives heated air from the air inlet passage and the air outlet passage receives heated air from the at least one mixing chamber. A mixing chamber may be provided at each end of the heat exchanger. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, as the heated air flows along the air inlet passage and then into the air outlet passage, some of the heat is released to the heat exchanger and the heat in the heat exchanger in turn flows into the base portion. The heat exchanger is preferably bonded to the base portion using a thermally conductive adhesive to maximize heat transfer from the heat exchanger to the base portion.
The mixing chamber may be provided at an end of the head portion near the main body, and the second mixing chamber is provided at an end of the head portion remote from the main body.
In a preferred arrangement, the heated air flows along the one or more air inlet passages towards the body portion and then flows in the one or more air inlet passages away from the body portion. The heated air also flows along the one or more air inlet passages away from the body portion and then flows in the one or more air inlet passages toward the body portion.
The heat conducting elements mounted on the base portion are preferably arranged in rows, and each row is preferably aligned with a respective air inlet channel. With this arrangement, the hottest part of the heated air is used to heat the portion of the base portion closest to the heat conducting element.
The head portion may take one of a number of different shapes. For example, a generally cylindrical head may be provided, or a head that is flatter and more like a conventional paddle brush may be provided. The head portion may be detachable from the body portion such that the function of the head portion may be changed according to different drying or styling processes. The head portion may be manufactured and sold separately from the body portion (which typically houses the fan, heater and control electronics).
A plurality of thermally insulated bristles may be disposed on the base portion to guide hair. These bristles help to prevent the user from touching the heated surface of the base portion or the heated thermally conductive element. They also help to apply some tension to the hair during use to help pull the hair onto the heated surface, thereby increasing the conductive heating provided by the device on the user's hair.
Typically, the fan and at least one heater are disposed in a body portion that may be shaped to facilitate grasping by a user. The heater is preferably positioned adjacent the head portion to reduce heating of the body portion.
The fan may be mounted to create a generally longitudinal flow of air from the main body portion into the plenum in the head portion.
The apparatus may comprise a first heater and a second heater, wherein the first heater is arranged to heat air flowing into the first portion of the head portion; wherein the second heater is arranged to heat air flowing into the second portion of the head portion; and wherein the first portion of the head portion is separate from the second portion of the head portion.
The first heater and the second heater may be independently controllable.
The first heater may be aligned with a first opening to the head portion to cause heated air to flow from the first heater into the first portion of the head portion, and the second heater may be aligned with a second opening to the head portion to cause heated air to flow from the second heater into the second portion of the head portion.
The apparatus may include a first fuse and a second fuse; wherein the first fuse is configured to prevent operation of the heater when the temperature at the heater exceeds a first predetermined threshold temperature; and wherein the second fuse is configured to prevent operation of the heater when the temperature in the head portion exceeds a second predetermined threshold temperature.
The heater may be provided in a main body portion of the apparatus.
The second predetermined threshold temperature may be lower than the first predetermined threshold temperature.
The base portion may include two base portion components coupled at a first thermal interface; the heat exchanger may include two heat exchanger components coupled at a second thermal interface; and the first thermal interface may be offset from the second thermal interface.
The device may further comprise a plurality of temperature sensors disposed in the head portion.
The temperature sensor may be arranged to detect a non-uniform heat distribution of the head portion.
The device may further comprise a motion sensor. The device may be configured to enter an idle mode based on measurements from the motion sensor; wherein, in the idle mode, the temperature of the base portion is maintained at an idle temperature; and wherein the idle temperature is lower than the operating temperature of the base portion for drying and/or styling hair.
The motion sensor may comprise a gyroscope or an accelerometer.
The device may be configured to enter an idle mode when the measurement from the motion sensor indicates that the device has not moved for a predetermined duration.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a main body portion; a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; a fan for sucking air into the apparatus and for blowing air toward the head portion; and at least one heater for providing thermal energy to cause the base portion and air drawn into or output from the fan to be heated; wherein the base portion is configured to store heat for subsequent transfer by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion.
The heater may be configured to heat air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream, wherein the head portion is configured to receive the heated air stream, and wherein the base portion is configured to be heated by the heated air stream to subsequently transfer heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion.
The heater may be configured to heat air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air flow, wherein the head portion is configured to receive the heated air flow, and wherein the heat exchanger in the head portion is configured to be heated by the heated air flow to transfer heat from the heat exchanger to the base portion and subsequently to the hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion by conduction.
The heater may be configured to heat the base portion by radiant heating, or the heater may be configured to heat a heat exchanger in the head portion by radiant heating to subsequently transfer heat to the base portion.
The air output from the fan may be heated by heat transferred to the air from the base portion or by heat transferred to the air from the heat exchanger.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for drying and styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a main body portion; a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion comprising a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair and a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the base portion, wherein the head portion has a proximal end and a distal end and is coupled to the body portion at the proximal end; a fan for drawing air into the device and for blowing air toward the proximal end of the head portion; at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream; wherein the proximal end of the head portion is configured to receive a heated air stream, wherein the heat exchanger extends between the proximal and distal ends of the head portion, and wherein the head portion further comprises a baffle positioned at the proximal end of the head portion and configured to cause the heated air stream to enter a central portion of the heat exchanger between the proximal and distal ends. The baffle prevents the heated air stream from entering the heat exchanger near the proximal end of the head portion, which prevents the proximal end of the heat exchanger (closest to the body portion) from becoming overheated compared to the rest of the heat exchanger.
Typically, the baffles extend over between about 10% and 40% of the heat exchanger. The baffle may be formed of a thermally insulating material.
A plurality of baffles may be provided, one at each end of the heat exchanger, to force heated air into the heat exchanger in a central region of the heat exchanger.
As an alternative to using baffles, the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger may be reduced at the proximal end of the heat exchanger. This may be achieved by reducing the surface area of the heat exchanger in the proximal region or by providing some thermal insulation around the components of the heat exchanger at the proximal end of the heat exchanger.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for drying and styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a main body portion; a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion comprising a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair and having one or more ventilation apertures; a fan for sucking air into the apparatus and for blowing air toward the head portion; at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream; and a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the heated air flow and the base portion, and wherein the heat exchanger forms a convoluted path (convoluted path) followed by the heated air flow to reach the one or more ventilation apertures.
The heat exchanger may include one or more air inlet channels and one or more air outlet channels, and the heat exchanger may cause the heated air to flow along one of the one or more air inlet channels and change direction and travel along one of the one or more air outlet channels to reach the vent. The heat exchanger is preferably arranged such that the flow direction of air in the air outlet channel is opposite to the flow direction of the corresponding air in the air inlet channel.
Typically, the heat exchanger includes proximal and distal ends, a plurality of air inlet passages and a plurality of air outlet passages extending between the proximal and distal ends; and each air inlet channel is configured to receive a portion of the heated air flow such that the heated air flows along the air inlet channel and into a first mixing chamber located at a proximal end of the heat exchanger, and the heated air flows along the air inlet channel and into a second mixing chamber located at a distal end of the heat exchanger; and the air outlet passage is configured to receive air from the first mixing chamber for flow along the air outlet passage away from the proximal end of the heat exchanger and to receive air from the second mixing chamber for flow along the air outlet passage away from the distal end of the heat exchanger. The head portion may include a plenum for receiving the heated air flow, a first baffle separating the first mixing chamber from the plenum of the head portion, and a second baffle separating the second mixing chamber from the plenum of the head portion, whereby the heated air from the plenum cannot reach the mixing chamber without flowing along the air inlet channel.
The base portion may include a plurality of heat conductive elements extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion, and the air inlet passage is aligned with the plurality of heat conductive elements such that heated air flowing along the air inlet passage is arranged to heat the base portion in the vicinity of the heat conductive elements. In a preferred arrangement, the plurality of heat conducting elements are arranged in rows on the surface of the base portion, and the air inlet passages are arranged in rows, the rows being aligned with the rows of the plurality of heat conducting elements.
Typically, the base portion includes a plurality of ventilation holes, and the air outlet channel is aligned with the plurality of ventilation holes such that heated air flowing along the air outlet channel is arranged to exit the device through the ventilation holes. In a preferred arrangement, a plurality of ventilation holes are arranged in rows on the surface of the base portion, and the air outlet passages are arranged in rows, the rows being aligned with the rows of ventilation holes.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for drying and styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a main body portion; a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; and a fan for sucking air into the apparatus and for blowing air toward the head portion; and at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream; wherein the base portion comprises: a plurality of ventilation holes for exhausting heated air from the apparatus; a plurality of bristles extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion; and a plurality of thermally conductive elements extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion; wherein the bristles and thermally conductive element are arranged to direct hair around the vent to prevent hair from clogging the vent during use.
The vent, the plurality of bristles and the plurality of thermally conductive elements are preferably arranged in a row, wherein the bristles are offset from the thermally conductive elements. The rows of bristles and the rows of thermally conductive elements may each form a regular array of bristles and thermally conductive elements. In a preferred arrangement, each thermally conductive element is surrounded by four bristles. Similarly, each bristle is preferably surrounded by four thermally conductive elements. Typically, each vent is positioned between a thermally conductive element and two bristles. In a preferred configuration, the ventilation holes and the heat conducting elements are arranged in rows transverse to the longitudinal axis of the head portion.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a main body portion; a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion defining an interior space and having an outer hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; a fan for sucking air into the apparatus and for blowing air toward the head portion; and at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream; wherein the base portion has a plurality of heat conductive elements extending from the external hair contacting surface, and wherein each of the heat conductive elements is coupled to a heat exchanger mounted within the head portion and configured to transfer heat from the heated air stream to the heat conductive elements.
The heat conducting element may be coupled to a common heat exchanger or a plurality of heat exchangers may be provided. The head portion further comprises a plenum that receives the heated air flow from the heater, and wherein the or each heat exchanger is configured to receive the heated air from the plenum.
The base portion may be formed from sheet material (in which case the base portion does not contribute in any significant way to the conductive heating of the user's hair (due to its lack of thermal mass), or the base portion may be cast, in which case the base portion may have sufficient thermal mass to contribute to the conductive heating of the user's hair.
As previously mentioned, the base portion may include one or more ventilation apertures through which the heated air stream exits the device. In this case, the or each heat exchanger is preferably configured such that the heated air flow follows a convoluted path to the one or more ventilation apertures.
The present invention also provides a hair styling apparatus comprising: a housing having an air inlet through which air can be drawn and one or more air outlets through which air can be output; and a fan mounted within the housing and configured to draw air into the housing through the air inlet and blow air toward the one or more air outlets; wherein the housing includes a shroud for covering at least a portion of the air inlet and a socket protruding through the air inlet beyond a distal end of the shroud.
The housing may be elongate and have a central axis, wherein the shield surrounds the central axis of the housing, and wherein the distal end of the shield is inclined relative to the central axis.
The socket may have a central opening through which a power cord may be passed to provide power to the hair styling device.
The air inlet may be formed by a gap between the shroud and the socket, and a filter may be provided in the air inlet.
The housing may further comprise a heater for heating the air before it is output from the one or more air outlets.
The shield may be integrally formed with the housing or may be a separate part that is connected to the housing.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; and at least one radiant heater for heating the base portion by radiant heating; wherein the base portion is configured to store heat from the radiant heater for subsequent transfer of the heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; a heat exchanger; and at least one radiant heater for heating the heat exchanger by radiant heating; wherein the heat exchanger is configured for transferring heat to the base portion; and wherein the base portion is configured to store heat from the heat exchanger for subsequent transfer of the heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface.
Drawings
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a hair styling apparatus;
FIG. 1b shows the hair styling device of FIG. 1a in use;
fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the device of fig. 1 a;
fig. 3 shows an overview of the head part of the device shown in fig. 1 a;
fig. 4 shows an overview of the base portion of the head portion shown in fig. 3;
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the heat exchanger of the head portion shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 shows the position of a portion of a heat exchanger within a head portion;
FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the head portion shown in FIG. 3, illustrating the flow of air from the central plenum and through the heat exchanger;
FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the head portion shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 9 shows one half of the head portion of the device with the heat exchanger removed;
FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken through the distal end of the head portion shown in FIG. 3, showing the mixing chamber of the head portion;
FIG. 11 shows a flow chart schematically illustrating the flow of heated air through the device if no mixing chamber is provided;
FIG. 12 shows a flow chart schematically illustrating the flow of heated air through the device when a mixing chamber is provided;
fig. 13 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-section of the head portion, illustrating the air flow between the inlet channel, the outlet channel and the mixing chamber;
fig. 14 shows an overview of an alternative configuration of the head portion;
fig. 15 illustrates an example of a bristle insert that may form part of the head portion shown in fig. 3;
fig. 16a and 16b show examples of the spacers;
FIG. 17 shows a detailed view of an outer surface of a portion of a head portion;
fig. 18a and 18b show schematic views of the arrangement of bristles and heated elements on the outer surface of a head portion;
FIG. 19 shows a graph plotting pressure versus flow rate when the device is loaded with wet hair, dry hair and unloaded hair;
FIGS. 20a and 20b illustrate exemplary shapes of heated elements on an outer surface of a head portion;
FIG. 21 is a graph showing exemplary curves having different values of parameter ρ;
FIG. 22 shows a detailed view of a heated surface element indicating three types of curves;
FIG. 23 shows a schematic block diagram of the hair styling apparatus of FIG. 1 a;
FIG. 24 shows a graph of temperature versus time for air temperature and surface temperature of the device;
FIG. 25 shows a plot of hair sample temperature versus drying time, useful for understanding the technical background of the present disclosure;
FIG. 26 shows a cross-sectional view of another alternative configuration of the head portion;
FIG. 27 shows an arrangement of fuses inside the device;
FIG. 28 shows a detailed view of the temperature sensor inside the head portion of the device;
fig. 29 shows a longitudinal section of the device, showing the arrangement of two heaters inside the device;
FIG. 30 shows a cross-sectional view of a head portion;
FIG. 31 shows a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a body portion of a device formed from two parts and a heat exchanger formed from a single part;
FIG. 32 shows another cross-sectional view of the head portion;
FIG. 33 shows a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a body portion of a device formed from two pieces and a heat exchanger formed from two pieces;
FIG. 34 shows another cross-sectional view of the head portion;
fig. 35 shows a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of the body portion of the device formed from two parts and the heat exchanger formed from two parts in a particularly advantageous arrangement;
FIG. 36a is a close-up side cross-sectional view of the proximal end of the device shown in FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of air inlets;
FIG. 36b is a close-up perspective view of the proximal end of the device shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 36c is a close-up side view of the proximal end of the device shown in FIG. 1, without the removable collar; and
fig. 36d shows an alternative filter that may be installed in the air inlet of the device shown in fig. 1.
In the drawings, like elements are denoted by like reference numerals throughout.
Detailed Description
The present embodiments represent the best modes known to the applicant for putting the invention into practice. However, they are not the only way to achieve this goal.
Fig. 1a is a perspective view of a combined hair drying/styling apparatus 10 in accordance with the presently preferred embodiment. The device 10 is operable to dry wet or damp hair while also being operable to style hair. Fig. 1b shows the device for drying and/or styling hair. As shown in fig. 1b, the device is a handheld and portable device. The styling process may be, for example, to provide a "fullness" to the hair (either before or after application of a styling product such as mousse, gel, hair wax, hair gel, etc., as desired).
The device includes a body (handle portion) 12 and a head portion 16. A control button or switch 14 may be provided on the device 10 to enable it to be turned on or off with an indicator light to indicate whether the power is on. The sound may also be played by a sound generator (not shown) when the device 10 is turned on and ready for use.
The head portion 16 includes a base portion 22 that can be heated such that hair contacting the outer surface of the base portion 22 is heated to facilitate styling. The base portion 22 has a plurality of thermally conductive surface elements 18 extending from an outer surface of the base portion 22. Advantageously, a thermally conductive path is formed around the perimeter of the base portion 22, allowing for more efficient balancing of temperature across the outer surface of the base portion 16. The head portion also has a relatively high thermal mass so that the head is capable of storing heat energy and transferring the heat energy to the user's hair when the user's hair is in contact with the head. The thermal mass of the head portion is typically between 180J/K and 220J/K (e.g., 205J/K).
In a preferred embodiment, the thermally conductive surface element 18 (also referred to herein as the "heated surface element" 18) is integrally formed with the base portion 22. The base portion and the heated surface element may be formed from one or more components made, for example, in a casting operation. However, it should be understood that the base portion 22 and the heated surface element 18 may be formed using any other suitable manufacturing method. The heated surface element 18 typically has a thermal conductivity between 90W/mK and 200W/mK (e.g., 160W/mK). The head portion 16 typically includes 250 to 350 heated surface elements (e.g., 304 heated surface elements). If no heated surface element is provided, the surface area of the outer surface of the head portion 16 is about 15000mm 2 . When provided with heated surface elements, the outer surface area of the head portion 16 is approximately 36000mm 2 . It will thus be appreciated that the heated surface element provides a greater increase in surface area of about 140% so that heat can be transferred to the hair more efficiently.
The head portion 16 also includes a plurality of bristles 20 extending through openings in the base portion 22, and a plurality of vents 40.
In use, as hair passes over the surface of the head portion 16, the outer surface of the base portion 22 and the heated surface element 18 transfer heat to the hair of the user, enabling the user to dry wet or damp hair more quickly. Advantageously, the heated surface element 18 increases the surface area of the hair-engageable base portion 22, thereby increasing the drying rate.
The heated air flows out of the vent holes 40, further increasing the drying rate. In use, the temperature of the outer surface of the base portion 22 including the heated surface element 18 may be about 120 ℃. The temperature of the heated air exiting the vent 40 may be between about 100 c and 150 c. This temperature enables an efficient drying of wet or damp hair while avoiding audible "hissing" and damage to the hair.
The bristles 20 guide the hair as it passes over the head portion 16 and enable the user to better control the styling of the hair. Furthermore, the combination of heat transfer from the base portion 22, flow of heated air from the vent 40, and bristle use enables the user to more easily style the hair, and enables a wider range of styling techniques to be used. The bristles 20 also prevent a user from contacting the heated surface of the base portion 22 and the heated surface element 18.
The combination of the heated outer surface of the base portion 22 and the flow of heated air from the vent 40 enables the hair to be dried more efficiently. Thus, a less powerful heater and/or fan assembly may be used while still achieving good drying performance.
Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the device 10. The dashed line L2 represents the longitudinal axis of the device. As shown in fig. 2, the device 10 includes a fan assembly 24 within the body 12 for delivering an air flow in a generally longitudinal direction within the device 10. Air from the main body 12 enters a central plenum 32 located within the head portion 16. A heater 30 is disposed between the fan assembly 24 and the head portion 16. As will be described later in more detail, a plurality of heaters 30 (e.g., two heaters 30) may be provided. The heater 30 heats the air before it enters the central plenum 32. Thus, it should be appreciated that the central plenum 32 receives a heated air flow from the body 12 of the device 10, as indicated by arrow D1. Alternatively, the heater 30 may be disposed before the fan assembly 24 such that the fan assembly 24 generates a heated air flow. However, providing a fan assembly at the distal end of the body 12 (away from the head portion 16) allows the fan to create an ambient temperature (or near ambient temperature) air flow over the printed circuit board assembly 28, thereby advantageously cooling the electronics. The temperature of the heated air flowing into the central plenum 32 may be, for example, between 200 ℃ and 500 ℃, typically about 200 ℃. However, in a typical heater that uses heating coils to form an air heater, the heater provides more heating toward the periphery of the air flow than at the center of the air flow. The temperature of the air toward the center of the plenum (i.e., near the central longitudinal axis of the device) may be significantly lower (e.g., near ambient temperature) than the temperature of the air toward the radial edges of the plenum 32 (e.g., 400 ℃). By creating turbulence inside the device to mix the heated air before it reaches the plenum of the head portion, the problems associated with such uneven heating may be reduced. For example, one or more mixing elements (e.g., turbulence inducing elements) may be disposed between the heater 30 and the plenum 32 (or within the plenum 32) to mix the heated air within the plenum 32.
The heater 30 may include an electrically powered heating coil (or other electrical heating element) operable to heat air drawn in by the fan assembly 24. Considering the air flow heating coil (or other heater element) and the fan 30, the overall power consumption of the device 10 is typically around 950W, which is significantly less than a conventional blower of 2000W. For example, the power usage required to maintain the base portion 22 at a temperature of 120 ℃ is approximately 600W. So-called "boost mode" which will be described in more detail later, an additional 300W (900W in total) may be used. The fan assembly may have a maximum power of about 15W.
In the example shown in fig. 2, a printed circuit board assembly 28 is disposed within the body 12. The device 10 is supplied with power by means of a power source located at the end of the body 12 remote from the head portion 16. In a presently preferred embodiment, the power source is an AC mains power source. However, in alternative embodiments, the power source may comprise one or more DC storage batteries or cells (which may be rechargeable, such as from mains or a DC power source via a charging cord), thereby making the device 10 a cordless product.
As shown in fig. 27, one or more fuses 271, 272 may be provided to prevent excessive temperature rise in the device when airflow through the device is restricted due to blockage (or partial blockage) of one or more vent holes 40. Fig. 27 also shows the positions of the two temperature sensors 280a, 280b, which will be described in more detail later. When an excessive amount of wet hair is placed on the head portion 16 of the device, a large number of the ventilation holes 40 may become completely or partially blocked, thereby reducing the flow of air through the device. If the heater 30 continues to operate, this reduction in airflow can result in a rapid increase in the temperature inside the device. In the example shown in fig. 27, the first fuse 271 is provided at a position of the heater 30 (for example, adjacent to the heating coil, but the first fuse 271 may be provided at any other suitable position). When the temperature at the location of the first fuse 271 exceeds the threshold temperature, the fuse activates and the heater 30 is prevented from operating. In a particularly advantageous example shown in fig. 27, a second fuse 272 is provided in the head portion 16 of the device. The inventors of the present invention have recognized that in the event that the airflow through the device is partially restricted, the temperature threshold of the first fuse 271 may not be exceeded, but the region of the head portion 16 of the device may still be heated to an undesirably high temperature. When the temperature in the head portion 16 exceeds a second threshold temperature, a second fuse 272 provided in the head portion 16 of the device activates and prevents the heater 30 from operating. The first fuse 271 and the second fuse 272 may each be directly connected to the power supply of the heater 30, thereby disconnecting power supplied to the heater when the temperature at the fuses is higher than the corresponding threshold temperature. For example, the fuses 271, 272 may be bimetal (bimetallic strips) which opens to disconnect power from the heater 30 when the temperature is above a respective threshold temperature.
The second fuse 272 may be disposed, for example, within one of the air inlet passage 46 or the air outlet passage 48 of the heat exchanger 44, as will be described in more detail below. The second fuse 272 is arranged such that the heated air does not flow directly from the heater 30 onto the second fuse 272. The second threshold temperature may be lower than the first threshold temperature. The second fuse 272 may be coated with or encased in a thermally insulating material, such as PTFE and/or polyimide. The second fuse 272 may be located in a mixing chamber within the head portion 16.
A plurality of second fuses 272 may be provided. One of the second fuses 272 may be disposed in the first air outlet channel 48, and the other of the second fuses 272 may be disposed in the second air outlet channel 48. The first air outlet passage 48 may be generally opposite the second air outlet passage 48 (e.g., on an opposite side of the head portion 16). Advantageously, the provision of a plurality of second fuses 272 in the head portion 16 helps to prevent the occurrence of: only a localized area of the head portion 16 exceeds the threshold temperature due to uneven loading of hair on the head portion 16.
The fan assembly 24 has an impeller and is typically also provided with a filter. In this example, air enters the interior of the device via an air inlet covered by a protective grille 26. Advantageously, the fan assembly 24 may include a brushless motor designed to operate at high speeds (e.g., in excess of 30,000 revolutions per minute) and low power (e.g., 15W maximum, 3W during normal operation), and may be driven by a DC power source. Such high speed low power parameters of the fan have been found to provide excellent drying performance, drying hair as fast as a 2000W conventional hair dryer, but with significantly lower power.
The head portion 16 includes a heat exchanger 44 arranged to receive heated air from the central plenum 32. Baffles 36 are provided at both ends of the central plenum 32 to prevent air from flowing into the heat exchanger 44 at the proximal and distal ends (relative to the body 12) of the central plenum 32. The baffle 36 may be formed of a thermally insulating material to further inhibit heat flow into the proximal and distal ends of the heat exchanger 44. Thus, it should be appreciated that the heated air flows into the heat exchanger 44 at a generally central region in the longitudinal direction of the head portion 16.
Each baffle 36 may prevent air from flowing into between 5% and 40% of the heat exchanger. Thus, the baffles 36 (the entire arrangement of baffles 36) may prevent air from flowing into between 10% and 80% of the heat exchanger, depending on the exact number and configuration of baffles 36 used.
The head portion 16 also includes an end grip 38. The end grip 38 may be formed of a thermally insulating material so that a user can comfortably grip the end grip 38 even when the head portion 16 is heated by a flow of heated air from the body 12 into the head portion 16. It should be understood that the housing of the body 12 and bristles 20 are also typically constructed of a thermally insulating material, such as a plastic having a low thermal conductivity.
Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of the head portion 16 of the device 10. The heated air enters the central plenum 32 of the head portion 16 from the body 12, as indicated by arrow D1. As shown, the head portion 16 includes a pair of base portions 22a and 22b that are connected together. In this example, each base portion 22 is formed from a respective single piece of material. For example, each base portion 22 may be formed from a respective single aluminum casting. However, as described in more detail later, the base portion 22 may alternatively be formed from two or more aluminum castings. The base portion 22 may be formed from about 120g of aluminum having a conductivity in the range of 90W/mk to 200W/mk, for example, 160W/mk. Advantageously, the use of a single piece of material allows for efficient transfer of heat from one side of the base portion 22 to the other. For example, if one area of the base portion 22 is cooled due to wet or damp hair, heat may flow efficiently from the other area of the base portion 22 into the cooling portion. The base portion is preferably made of multiple parts as this facilitates assembly of the bristles into the base portion 22. The various components of the base portions may be screwed together or glued together using a thermally conductive glue to facilitate heat transfer from one base portion to another. However, it should be understood that the base portion 22 may be formed as a single piece, although this complicates the manufacturing process. However, forming the base portion as a single piece does enable efficient heat distribution throughout the base portion. Thus, advantageously, the formation of "hot spots" (localized areas of high temperature) on the outer surface of the head portion 16 is reduced.
Fig. 4 shows a base portion 22 without bristles 20. As shown, the base portion 22 includes a plurality of heated surface elements, three of which are labeled 18a, 18b, and 18c. The base portion 22 is also provided with a plurality of holes 42. The holes 42 are arranged in rows along the longitudinal axis of the base portion between the rows of heated surface elements 18. As shown in fig. 3, bristles 20 extend from a number of apertures 42. In this example, bristles 20 extend from every other hole 42 along every row of holes 42. The cross-sectional dimension of each bristle 20 is smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the corresponding aperture 42 through which it extends so that air can flow around the bristles from the head portion 16. The remaining holes 42 will be referred to as vent holes 40 and are provided with dividers that divide each vent hole 40 into a pair of openings. Advantageously, the user may position the vent 40 to direct the exiting air toward the root of the hair to dry the root and create a root lift.
Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a heat exchanger 44 of the head portion 16 for transferring heat from the heated air into the base portion 22. Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section through the head portion 16 and illustrates the position of the heat exchanger 44 within the head portion 16. Fig. 6 also shows baffles 36a and 36b that ensure that heated air enters the heat exchanger 44 at a central region thereof.
As shown in fig. 5, in this example, the heat exchanger 44 is formed of two heat exchanger components 44a and 44b, the two heat exchanger components 44a and 44b being connected together at a flange 45. While the use of two heat exchanger components 44a and 44b allows for easier fabrication of the device, it should be understood that the heat exchanger components 44a and 44b may alternatively be provided as a single heat exchanger component 44.
The total surface area of the heat exchanger is typically 50000mm 2 And 70000mm 2 Between (e.g. 66000mm 2 ). Surface area of heat exchanger and outer portion of head portionThe ratio of surface areas is typically between 1.6 and 2.0 (e.g., 1.82).
The heat exchanger 44 includes a plurality of alternating air inlet passages 46 and air outlet passages 48. The air inlet passage 46 is arranged to receive heated air directly from the central plenum 32 within the head portion 16 in the region between the baffles 36a and 36 b. Each air inlet passage 46 is aligned with a respective row of heated surface elements 18 of the base portion 22 such that heat from the heated air can be efficiently transferred into the heated surface elements 18. Each air outlet passage is arranged adjacent a respective row of apertures 42 of the base portion 22 such that air can flow from the air outlet passages and out of the apertures 42 to exit the head portion 16.
As shown in fig. 5, each heat exchanger component 44a includes a set of radial fins, each radial fin being connected at an outer end to an adjacent fin by an outer heat transfer portion 50.
Each outer heat transfer portion 50 forms an outer connecting wall of the corresponding air inlet passage 46. Each radial fin is also connected at an inner end to another adjacent fin by an inner connecting wall 51. Each inner connecting wall 51 is a wall of the corresponding air outlet passage 48. While all of the fins are configured as part of the heat exchanger 44 in this example, this is not required. For example, for ease of manufacture, at least some of the fins may be formed as part of the base portion 22 (e.g., as part of a casting manufacturing process) for later assembly with the remaining components of the heat exchanger. The inner connecting wall 51 prevents air from flowing directly from the central plenum 32 into the air outlet channel 48. As will be described in greater detail below, the air inlet passages 46 are in fluid communication with one another at the distal and proximal ends of the heat exchanger 44 such that air may travel along the air inlet passages 46 and then enter the air outlet passages 48 and then escape from the device via the vent holes 40. The point at which each fin engages the base portion 22 (and is at which the outer heat transfer portion 50 engages the base portion 22) helps to maintain uniform heat exchange and air velocity in the head portion 16. Each of the air inlet channel and the air outlet channel may have a uniform (or near uniform) cross section.
Although in this example, the heat exchanger component 44 includes radial fins, it should be understood that the fins need not be radial, and any other suitable shape and configuration of surface (e.g., fins or vanes) may be used to separate at least one air inlet passage from at least one air outlet passage such that air flows through the air inlet passage before flowing through the air outlet passage.
The heat transfer portion 50 engages with the inner wall of the base portion 22, particularly at the portion of the base portion 22 where the heated surface elements extend. As the heated air flows through the air inlet passage, heat is transferred to the heat transfer portion 50, and heat is subsequently transferred (by conduction) from the heat transfer portion 50 to the base portion 22. In other words, the heated air flow through the heat exchanger 44 causes heat to be transferred to the base portion 22 for subsequent transfer of heat from the base portion 22 to the hair of the user. In another variation, as described in more detail later, the heat transfer portion 50 may be omitted, and heat may alternatively be transferred directly from the heated air stream to the base portion 22.
Fig. 7 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of head portion 16, illustrating the flow of air from central plenum 32 and through heat exchanger 44. The heated air flows in the direction indicated by arrow D10 from the body 12 of the device 10 into the central plenum 32 along the longitudinal direction of the device. As shown, air flows from the central plenum 32 in a generally transverse direction into the air inlet channels 46 of the heat exchanger 44. For the sake of completeness, it is noted that although the direction of air flow into the air inlet passage 46 may be referred to as "generally transverse" to the length of the head portion 16 (i.e., generally perpendicular to the longitudinal air flow from the main body 12 into the central plenum 32), it should be understood that the air flow may be at least partially angled relative to the transverse direction, for example, as the air begins to turn to angle as it flows longitudinally along the length of the air inlet passage.
Within the air inlet passage 46, air flows longitudinally toward the end of the head portion 16. A portion of the air within the air inlet passage 46 flows toward the end of the head portion 16 that is proximate to the body 12, and a portion of the air within the air inlet passage 46 flows toward the end of the head portion 16 that is distal from the body 12. As the heated air flows through the air inlet passage 46, heat from the air is transferred to the respective heat transfer portion 50 and from the heat transfer portion 50 to the base portion 22.
Air flows out of the proximal and distal ends of each air inlet passage 46 and into the mixing chambers 54a, 54b. The air received from the air inlet passage 46 into the mixing chambers 54a, 54b is mixed within the mixing chambers 54a, 54b. Air flows from the mixing chambers 54a, 54b into the air outlet passage 48 of the heat exchanger 44. Each air outlet passage is coupled to a respective row of apertures 42 of the base portion 22 for air flow from the air outlet passage 48 out of the apertures 42. Thus, it should be appreciated that the heat exchanger acts as an air directing structure for directing air from the central plenum 32 to the ventilation holes 40 via the air inlet passage 46, the air outlet passage 48, and the mixing chambers 54a, 54b. More specifically, the heat exchanger 44 directs air to flow in a first direction along the air inlet passage 46 along the longitudinal direction of the head portion 16 and then turns (within the mixing chamber 54) to flow in an opposite direction along the air outlet passage 48. This flow and counter-flow of heated air enables efficient and uniform heat transfer from the air to the heat exchanger 44.
Fig. 8 shows a cross section of the head portion at one of its distal or proximal ends, illustrating the air flow from the air inlet channel to the air outlet channel. The flow of air from the central plenum 32 into the air inlet channel 46 is illustrated by arrows A1 and A2. The curved arrows illustrate the flow of air from the air inlet passage 46 into the mixing chamber 54 and the flow of air from the mixing chamber 54 into the air outlet passage 48. As shown, each heat transfer portion 50 is disposed generally adjacent to a corresponding row of heated surface elements 18 on the outer surface of the head portion 16. Similarly, each air outlet passage 48 is disposed generally adjacent to a row of corresponding bristles 20 and vents 40.
As shown in fig. 8, the head portion 16 has a generally oval or elliptical shape in cross-section. Thus, it should be understood that the head portion 16 includes two regions having a first curvature (upper and lower regions of the head portion in fig. 8) and two additional regions having a second curvature that is greater than the first curvature (left and right regions of the head portion 16 in fig. 8). The upper and lower regions (with minimal curvature) are shaped to optimize the drying of the user's hair, and the left and right regions (with greater curvature) are shaped to optimize the styling of the user's hair. As will be discussed in more detail later, the shape of the heated surface element 18 is different in regions of different curvature of the head portion 16.
Fig. 9 shows one half of the head portion 16 of the device with the heat exchanger 44 removed. A lower surface 60 is shown beneath the corresponding row of heated surface elements 18, which lower surface engages the heat transfer portion 50 of the heat exchanger 44. Also shown are the outer walls 56a, 56b of the mixing chambers 54a, 54 b. Also shown is a dashed circle 61, which represents a particularly advantageous location for the placement of one or more temperature sensors. As will be described in more detail, a temperature sensor may be used to sense the temperature of the base portion 22. The indicated location is at the approximate center of the thermal mass of the base portion 22. Since the indicated area 61 is at the approximate center (in the longitudinal direction) of the base portion 22, this area of the base portion 22 is likely to transfer most of the heat to the hair by conduction.
Fig. 28 shows an example of a temperature sensor 280 operable to sense the temperature of the base portion 22. The head portion 16 may be provided with a plurality of temperature sensors 280, or alternatively may be provided with a single temperature sensor 280. Advantageously, a plurality of temperature sensors may be provided in the head portion 16 to detect non-uniform reduction in temperature that occurs when the head portion 16 is unevenly loaded with wet or damp hair. In this example, the temperature sensor 280 is a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor. However, it should be understood that any other suitable type of temperature sensor may be used. For example, an infrared temperature sensor may be used. As shown, in this example, a temperature sensor 280 is mounted in the head portion 16 of the device in thermal contact with the base portion 22. The heater 30 may be operated based on temperature readings from the sensor 280 to adjust the temperature of the base portion 22 and/or adjust the temperature of the air flowing out of the head portion 16. The arrangement shown in fig. 28 provides particularly efficient heat transfer between the base portion 22 and the sensor 280, allowing for a quick response to a decrease in temperature when the head portion 16 is loaded with wet hair (e.g., by turning on the heater 30, or by increasing the power output of the heater 30). In this example, the temperature sensor 280 is held on the base portion 22 by a holding member 282. The holding member 282 is secured to the base portion 22 with screws 281 and the holding member 282 presses the temperature sensor 280 against the base portion 22 to increase thermal contact with the base portion 22.
Fig. 10 shows the distal end (relative to the body 12) of the head portion 16, with the outer wall 56 not shown. The location of the mixing chamber 54 can be seen between the end of the head portion 16 and the heat exchanger 44. In this example, the baffle 36 forms an inner wall of the mixing chamber 54 and separates the mixing chamber 54 from the central plenum 32. Alternatively, the mixing chamber may be separated from the central plenum 32 by a transverse wall that spans the central plenum 32. In other words, a cover may be provided to separate the central plenum 32 from the mixing chamber 54.
Fig. 11 shows a flow chart schematically illustrating the flow of heated air through the device if the mixing chamber 54 is not provided. The flow of air is shown by the arrows. The width of the arrows indicates the corresponding temperature of the air, the hotter the air the wider the arrows. However, it should be understood that the arrow width need not be proportional to the actual temperature of the air that will flow through the device, but is provided for illustrative purposes only.
First, the fan assembly 24 creates an air flow over the heater 30, and the heater 30 creates heated air that is then delivered into the central plenum 32. The heated air flows from the central plenum 32 into the air inlet channels 46 of the heat exchanger 44.
As described above, each air inlet passage 46 is aligned with a respective row of heated surface elements 18 on the outer surface of the head portion 16 to transfer heat from the air within the air inlet passage to the respective heated surface elements 18 via the heat transfer portion 50 of the heat exchanger. In use, when a user places wet or damp hair on the outer surface of the head portion 16, some of the heated surface elements 18 will cool after contact with the wet/damp hair. This results in an increase in the heat transferred from the air within the respective air inlet passage 46. Since the user's hair may not be evenly distributed over the entire outer surface of the head portion 16, there may be a significant difference in the temperature of the air within each air inlet passage 46. In the example shown in fig. 11, the heated surface elements 18 corresponding to the two central air inlet passages 46 (represented by the dashed rectangle) have cooled, resulting in a decrease in the temperature of the air flowing along those passages 46. Temperature imbalances may also occur due to temperature differences in the air entering each air inlet passage 46 from the plenum 32. For example, air entering the plenum may be unevenly heated due to the configuration of the heater 30 (as described above), resulting in some air inlet passages 46 (e.g., inlet passages 46 indicated by dashed lines in fig. 11) receiving cooler air than other air inlet passages 46.
In the example shown in fig. 11, each air inlet passage 46 is directly coupled to a respective air outlet passage 48. No mixing chamber is provided. The cooler air from the central two air inlet passages 46 flows directly into the respective air outlet passages 48 and out of the respective vent holes 40. Thus, there is a central region on the outer surface of the head portion 16 where cooler air flows out of the vent holes 40. This region of cooler airflow is undesirable. For example, when the region of cooler air flow is in the same region as the user's hair on the surface of the head portion 16, the drying rate of the hair is reduced.
Fig. 12 shows a flow chart schematically illustrating the flow of heated air through the device 10 when the mixing chamber 54 is provided. The flow of air from the fan assembly 24 to the air inlet passage 46 is the same as in fig. 11 and will not be described here. In this example, unlike the example shown in fig. 11, air from the air inlet passage 46 flows into a pair of mixing chambers 54. As shown, the relatively low temperature air from the central air inlet passage 46 mixes with the higher temperature air from the other air inlet passages 46 within the mixing chamber 54. The mixed air flows into the air outlet passage 46 and out of the corresponding vent holes 40.
As air flows through the air inlet channels 46, heat is transferred to the air flowing through the adjacent air outlet channels 48. The cross-sectional areas and/or surface areas of the air inlet and outlet passages 46, 48 may be configured to achieve a desired level of heat transfer between the passages. The size of the channels may also be configured to provide a desired airflow rate out of a particular vent 40 (or set of vents 40) and to adjust the outer surface temperature of the base portion 22 in different areas. In this way, the different components of the heat exchanger can be made more efficient than the other components, allowing the different components of the base portion to reach different operating temperatures. This may help, for example, to make areas with higher curvature (and thus for styling hair) hotter than areas with lower curvature that are better for drying hair.
Although the temperature of the air exiting some of the vents 40 is lower than the corresponding vents 40 of fig. 11, the temperature of the air exiting the head portion 16 is advantageously more uniform. This helps to reduce hot spots in the air flowing out of the ventilation holes 40 which could damage the hair. Therefore, if the mixing chamber 54 is not provided, it may be desirable to reduce the hair heating power and thus the drying speed of the device.
It should be appreciated that since air flows into both mixing chambers of the device 10 (at the proximal and distal ends of the head portion) from a single air inlet channel, each "inlet channel" schematically shown in fig. 12 may be considered to represent one half of the physical air inlet channel of the device 10 through which air flows into the single mixing chamber 54.
Fig. 13 shows a schematic cross section of the head portion, illustrating the air flow between the inlet channel, the outlet channel and the mixing chamber. As shown, relatively hot air (represented by the wider solid arrows) flows from the central region of the air inlet passage 46 to the mixing chambers 54 disposed at either end of the air inlet passage 46. Because the air within the air inlet passages is thermally coupled to the respective heated surface elements 18, the air within the air inlet passages 46 cools as it flows to the mixing chamber 54 as heat is transferred to the heated surface elements 18. The cooling of the air within the air inlet passage is indicated by the decreasing width of the solid arrows towards the mixing chamber 54. Air from the air inlet passage 46 is mixed in the mixing chamber 54 before flowing into the air outlet passage 48. The mixed air having a relatively uniform temperature flows through the air outlet passage 48 and out the corresponding vent holes 40 provided between the bristles 20 on the outer surface of the head portion. As previously described, air may also flow from the air outlet passage through the gaps provided around each bristle.
In use, the head portion 16 will typically receive hair of about 35cm length. This corresponds to about 16g of dry hair (for most hairs) and about 25g of wet hair. The mass of the head portion 16 is approximately 230g, with 144g corresponding to the base portion. The ratio of the mass of the base portion to the mass of wet hair attached thereto is typically between 4 and 5 (e.g., 4.5). The inventors of the present invention have determined that this ratio range provides particularly effective drying and styling characteristics for the device 10.
Fig. 14 shows an overview of an alternative (simpler) configuration of the head portion 16. In this example, unlike the example shown in fig. 8, the heat exchanger 44 is not provided with the heat transfer portion 50. The heat exchanger simply comprises a plurality of radial fins 68. In this example, air flowing through the air inlet passage is in direct contact with the inner surface of the base portion 22 to transfer heat to the heater surface element 18. However, similar to the previous example, heated air enters the air inlet passage 46 from the central plenum 32 and flows into the mixing chamber 54 before flowing into the air outlet passage 48. While this simpler configuration of heat exchanger 44 has fewer parts, it is more difficult to manufacture than the configuration of heat exchanger 44 shown in fig. 5, which may be manufactured using conventional extrusion processes.
Fig. 15 shows an example of a bristle insert 21 that may be inserted into the base portion 22. The bristle insert 21 includes a base 64 to which the plurality of bristles 20 and the divider 62 are secured. In this example, the locations of the bristles 20 and the divider 62 alternate along the length of the base 64. The bristle insert 21 may be formed from a single piece of material. For example, the bristle insert 21 may be manufactured using plastic injection molding techniques. To assemble the head portion 16, the bristle insert 21 is inserted into the base portion 22 from the inner surface of the base portion 22. Each bristle 20 and divider 62 is inserted into a corresponding aperture 42 of the base portion 22 such that the bristle 20 protrudes from the outer surface of the base portion 22, and the divider 62 forms a vent 40 in the base portion 22.
The bristles 20 may be flexible bristles. Advantageously, the use of flexible bristles can impart more uniform tension to the hair fibers as they pass over the surface of the head portion 16. Alternatively, the bristles 20 may be hinged (connected) or pivotally connected (connected). The angular range of the hinged bristles may be, for example, 20 degrees. The flexible or hinged bristles 20 advantageously reduce the tension applied to the hair when the bristles encounter the "knots" of hair (and reduce so-called "snagging"), and may also reduce the risk of damaging the device 10 if the device 10 is dropped.
The inventors of the present invention have recognized that the holes 42 formed on the outer surface of the head portion 16, either by casting the base portion 22 or by punching (or other suitable manufacturing technique) in the base portion 22, are relatively large. When loaded with hair, these large holes are not optimal for air velocity and system resistance control. However, it is difficult and costly to manufacture smaller holes using casting or punching techniques. Advantageously, each divider 62 of the bristle insert 21 divides the corresponding aperture 42 of the base portion 22 into two smaller openings. Thus, the airflow characteristics of the holes 42 are improved. Of course, the same result can be obtained by forming larger holes for bristles and smaller holes for vent holes 40 in the base portion 22. However, this solution increases manufacturing costs because it is cheaper to form uniformly sized holes 42 in the base portion 22. The use of the divider 62 allows a larger aperture to be formed in the cast body portion of the head 16 that is less complex to manufacture, and then divided into smaller vent apertures 40 by the divider 62.
Fig. 16a and 16b show examples of dividers 62 that may be used. In the example shown in fig. 16a, the partition 62a has a rectangular cross section. In the example shown in fig. 16b, the partition wall of the partition 62b is concave. It should be appreciated that any other suitable shape of divider may be used to divide the aperture 42 into a plurality of smaller vent holes 40. Nor does each divider necessarily form two apertures. Alternatively, the divider 62 may be used to provide three or more openings or only a single opening. For example, the divider 62 may block the entire aperture 42 except for a small opening, such as the center, through the divider 62.
Fig. 17 shows a detailed view of the outer surface of the head portion 16 of a particularly advantageous arrangement of the heated surface elements 18, bristles 20 and dividers 62. In this arrangement, each divider 62 is positioned between a respective pair of heated surface elements 18 and between a respective pair of bristles 20. Each bristle is disposed between a respective pair of dividers 62 and is generally centered in a set of four heated surface elements 18. In other words, for a row of bristles 20 and dividers 62 disposed on a single bristle insert 21, each divider 62 is adjacent to (sandwiched between) two heated surface elements 18, while each bristle 20 is adjacent to the space between the heated surface elements 18.
When the user's hair passes over the outer surface of the head portion 16, there is a risk that some of the ventilation holes 40 will become blocked or partially blocked by the user's hair, reducing drying efficiency. The local air flow through the blocked or partially blocked vent holes 40 decreases while the air flow through the vent holes 40 in areas where no hair is loaded onto the device increases. While providing a more powerful fan may partially alleviate these problems, this would be an inefficient use of energy, would create additional noise, increase the size and cost of the device, and reduce the life and/or reliability of the motor. Advantageously, the arrangement of heated surface elements 18, bristles 20 and dividers 62 shown in fig. 17 reduces the risk of the vent holes being plugged or blocked, and thus eliminates the need for a more powerful fan.
Fig. 18a and 18b show schematic views of such preferred arrangements of bristles 20 and heated surface elements 18 on the outer surface of the head portion 16. The vent holes 40 formed by the dividers 62 positioned in the holes 42 are indicated by the dark dots labeled 40a and the openings formed around the base of the bristles 20 and the walls of the respective holes 40 through which the bristles extend are indicated by the shaded circles 40 b.
Fig. 18a is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary path of a strand or lock of hair 80 as it passes over the surface of the head portion 16. As shown, hair 80 is bent around bristles 20 and heated surface element 18. Advantageously, the arrangement of bristles 20 and heated surface elements 18 creates a triangular area 78 through which hair is unlikely to pass. Because of the provision of the vent holes 40a and openings 40b around the bristle bases within the triangular regions 78, the risk of the vent holes 40a and openings 40b being blocked by hair is reduced, thereby advantageously reducing pressure build up and reducing the load on the fan assembly 28. Furthermore, the device enables more efficient drying of the hair, since a relatively constant amount of air out of the opening is maintained. Another advantage of the arrangement of bristles 20 and heated surface elements 18 shown in fig. 18a is that the hair is divided into a "woven" pattern, increasing the surface area of the hair that is in contact with the hot air from the vents 40. This increases the drying rate and overall efficiency of the device.
Fig. 18b is a schematic diagram showing the preferred dimensions of the bristles 20, the dimensions of the heated surface elements 18, and the relative arrangement of the bristles 20 and heated surface elements 18, which may be varied to control the size and shape of the areas through which hair is unlikely to pass (in this example, triangular areas 78):
length L1: the width of the heated surface element 18 (substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head portion 16)
Length L2: the length of the heated surface element 18 (substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the head portion 16)
Length L3: diameter of the bristles 20
Length L4: spacing between bristles 20 of a single bristle insert 21 (i.e., spacing between adjacent bristles that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head portion 16)
Length L5: the spacing between adjacent bristle inserts 22 (i.e., the spacing between bristles that are substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the head portion 16). The length L5 is also the spacing between the rows of heated surface elements 18.
The length L1 is typically between 2mm and 3mm (e.g., 2.7 mm). The length L2 is typically between 4mm and 6mm (e.g., 5 mm). The length L3 is typically between 2mm and 3mm (e.g., 2.3 mm). The length L4 is typically between 4mm and 8mm (e.g., 6 mm). The length L5 is typically between 7mm and 11mm (e.g., 9.2 mm). The length of the head portion is typically between 100mm and 140mm (e.g. 120 mm). The width of the head portion is typically between 30mm and 50mm (e.g. 40 mm). The height of the head portion is typically between 20mm and 40mm (e.g. 30 mm).
Fig. 19 shows a graph plotting pressure versus flow when the device is loaded with wet hair, dry hair and unloaded hair. Advantageously, as shown, the particularly advantageous arrangement of bristles 20, apertures 40a, 40b and heated surface element 18 shown in FIG. 18b results in a relatively small increase in pressure when the device is loaded with wet or dry hair, as compared to when the device is not loaded with hair. In other words, the resistance changes relatively little when the device is loaded with hair. It is also noted that the airflow characteristics of the device are advantageously unaffected by whether the device is used for wet hair styling or dry hair styling.
Fig. 20a and 20b illustrate exemplary shapes of the heated surface element 18 on the outer surface of the head portion. In the example shown in fig. 20a, the heated surface element 18 has a triangular cross section and tapers to a point. Advantageously, the tapered shape of the heated surface element 18 allows the heated surface element 18 to "cut" into the hair. This reduces the resistance to hair being separated to both sides of the heated surface element 18. However, the inventors of the present invention have recognized that there is a risk of hair being trapped between the bristles 20 on the surface of the head portion 16 and the heated surface element 18, as shown by the "trapped" hair 76 shown in fig. 20 a. The trapped hair is prevented from engaging the surface of the base portion 22, thus reducing the amount of heat transferred to the hair 76.
Another advantageous feature of the shape of the heated surface elements 18 is that their lower portions have substantially parallel sides and the upper portions taper to a top end. Such a shape of the heated surface element 18 helps to reduce the risk of hair being trapped between the bristles 20 and the heated surface element 18, compared to, for example, arrangements in which the heated surface element tapers from the tip to the surface of the base portion 22. This is shown in fig. 20a and 20 b. Specifically, fig. 20a shows the case where the heated surface element 18 tapers from a tip to a base at the outer surface of the base portion 22. It can be seen that strands of hair 76 are more likely to be wedged between the heated surface element 18 and adjacent bristles 20 and do not contact the heated outer surface of the base portion 22 due to the tapered sides. In contrast, when the heated surface elements have substantially parallel sides, strands of hair may more easily enter between the heated surface elements and the bristles and contact the outer surface of the base portion 22. In this way, the surface area of the heated surface for heating the user's hair is maximized, which results in a more efficient heat transfer.
As shown in fig. 8, the shape of the heated surface element 18 is different in regions of different curvature of the head portion 16. For example, in the uppermost and lowermost portions of the head portion 16 in fig. 8 (regions of the head portion 16 having the lowest curvature, which may be referred to as "brushing zones"), the heated surface elements 18 are relatively elongate. In contrast, the heated surface elements 18 (and bristles 20) are relatively short on the sides of the head portion 16 (the region of the head portion having the highest curvature, which may be referred to as the "styling zone"). Advantageously, the longer heated surface element 18 in the brushing zone helps to accelerate drying of the user's hair.
The reduced length of the bristles 20 and heated surface elements 18 in the styling zone advantageously reduces the risk of hair becoming entangled as the brush is rolled around the hair as it passes between the bristles 20 and heated surface elements 18. Alternatively, or in addition, this problem may be alleviated by providing flexible or articulated (e.g., hinged) bristles 20.
Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an exemplary curve having different values of the parameter ρ. The parameter ρ is related to the dimensions X1 and X2 shown in the figure. The dot-dash lines form triangles. The solid line represents a smooth curve extending from the two vertices at the bottom of the triangle toward the vertex at the top. X2 is the height of the triangle. X1 is the distance from the base of the triangle to the peak of the corresponding smooth curve. The value of ρ is given by the following equation:
as shown, the curve of ρ > 0.5 is a hyperbola, the curve of ρ=0.5 is a parabolic curve, and the curve of ρ < 0.5 is an elliptic curve.
Fig. 22 shows three types of curves for defining the preferred shape of the heated surface element 18. As shown, the heated surface element 18 has three types of curves: "root curve" 74, "face curve" 72, and "side curve" 70. The inventors of the present invention have determined that for each of these curves, particularly advantageous values of ρ are as follows:
Root curve: ρ is more than 0.2 and less than 0.35
Surface curve: ρ is more than 0.3 and less than 0.45
Side curve: ρ is more than 0.5 and less than 0.7
Advantageously, these values of ρ achieve the following benefits compared to a simple parabolic curve:
effective bristle spacing increase
Base conduction area increase
The sharpness of the tip of the heated surface element 18 increases to allow better "cutting" into the hair
The "shoulders" (sholders) on the side curves are higher, increasing the conduction area
The above devices have been developed to provide hand-held portable devices that can be used to dry wet/damp hair and, once the hair is dry, can also be used to style the hair. The device provides a significant portion of its heating effect by conduction. Typically, at least 30% of the heating is by conduction. The amount of conductive heating provided by the device depends on the total area of the heating surface of the base portion (including the surface area of the heated element), the amount of hair loaded onto the device, and the pressure between the hair and the heating surface. The bristles help to increase this pressure by gripping the hair and pulling the hair onto the heated surface of the base portion.
Control system
Fig. 23 shows a block diagram of a power/control system 500 for the device 10. The system includes an AC/DC power supply 523 that derives power from the mains power input 502. Alternatively, power may be obtained from a 12V lithium ion battery 505, in which case the mains input 502 is used to charge the battery 505 via an AC to DC converter, which may be external or internal to the appliance. The AC/DC power source 523 may be configured to provide approximately 600 watts to the first heater 30-1 and 300 watts to the second heater 30-2.
The power supply unit 523 supplies 24V power to the fan assembly with a maximum power of 15W.
The mains power is provided to a power/temperature control module 514, which power/temperature control module 514 in turn powers the heater 30. The power/temperature control module 514 may employ one or more power semiconductor switching devices (triacs) to control the application of the AC mains voltage to the heater 30. During the warm-up phase, both heaters 30 may be powered to reduce the time it takes for the device 10 to reach the desired operating temperature. Similarly, if the surface temperature drops when wet hair is applied to the device 10, both heaters may be powered to provide a boost of heat (so-called "boost mode") to counteract the heat lost to the hair and increase the removal rate of bound water. At other times, only the first heater 1 may be powered to maintain the device 10 operating at the desired operating temperature. The apparatus may further include a mode of: wherein both heaters 30 are turned off (disabled) and a flow of cool air (air at or near ambient temperature) from the vent 40 is generated by the fan. This mode is a so-called "cool shot" mode, which can be used to set the styling of the hair. The cold shock mode may also be used to cool the head portion 16 if the head portion 16 is overheated.
Power from the power source 523 is also provided to the microcontroller/control unit 506 via a DC/DC power source 524. The microcontroller 506 is coupled to a non-volatile memory 508 that stores processor control code for the temperature control algorithm, and to a RAM 510. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of a variety of different control algorithms may be employed, including, but not limited to, switching control and proportional control. Alternatively, the control loop may include a feed-forward element that is responsive to another input parameter associated with the hair styling apparatus to improve temperature control, for example, by operation of the device. A user interface 512 is also coupled to the microcontroller 506, for example, to provide one or more user controls and/or output indications, such as light or audible alarms. One or more outputs may be utilized to indicate, for example, when the surface of the base portion 22 or the air flow exiting the vent 40 has reached a desired operating temperature.
For effective control of the heater 30, it is advantageous to make accurate measurements (directly or indirectly) of the temperature of the base portion 22 and the temperature of the air flowing out of the vent 40. However, in order to ensure safety for the user, it is important that the base portion (which may be made of a conductive material) is isolated from the power electronics of the device (the power electronics driving the heater 30). The inventors of the present invention have recognized that it is difficult to provide electrical isolation of the base portion 22 while also sensing the temperature of the base portion 22, as physical sensors located on the base portion 22 may potentially form electrical contact paths.
The solution provided by the operation of the present invention is to provide an isolation 522 between the microcontroller 506 and the temperature sensor 340. This may be accomplished using an optical isolator or by using a low voltage measurement circuit that is electrically isolated from the power electronics 523 that drive the heater 30.
Another alternative solution is to use an electrically insulating material to provide physical isolation between the sensor and the base portion 22. For example, an electrically insulating tape may be used.
Another alternative solution is to provide a non-contact sensor (e.g., an infrared sensor) to sense the temperature of the base portion 22. The non-contact sensor may be disposed in the body portion 12 of the device 10 so long as the sensor has a line of sight to the base portion 22.
Yet another alternative solution is to provide temperature measurement by conduction. For example, a heat pipe may be used to transfer heat from the base portion 22 to a sensor disposed in the body 12 of the device 10.
Heater control
The device 10 has two modes of operation, one for drying wet or damp hair and the other for styling dry hair. When drying hair, a lower maximum air and surface temperature is set to avoid user discomfort. When the device is used to style dry hair, a higher maximum air and surface temperature is set. Fig. 24 shows a temperature versus time plot of the air temperature and the surface temperature of the base portion 22 of the device when operating in the dry mode. The line labeled "air temperature" represents the temperature of the air flow exiting the vent 40. The line labeled "surface temperature" represents the outer surface temperature of the base portion 22. Two dashed lines representing temperatures of 120 ℃ and 150 ℃ are also shown.
Region (1) in the graph shows an initial period of time that results in a steady increase in surface and air temperature when the device 10 is on and both heaters 30 are energized. When the device is used with wet or damp hair (in dry mode), the heater 30 and fan assembly are controlled to prevent air temperatures exceeding about 150 ℃, thereby preventing discomfort or injury to the user's hair. The temperature of the base portion may be increased by increasing the heat output of the heater or by decreasing the fan speed. When the sensor detects that the air temperature has reached 150 ℃, the microcontroller 506 turns off the second heater 30-2 (while the first heater 30-1 remains energized). As shown, the surface temperature of the outer surface of the base portion may be maintained below about 120 ℃. When the device is used to style dry hair, the temperature of the outer surface of the base portion may be raised to a higher temperature of about 185℃ (by increasing the heat output of the heater 30, decreasing the fan speed of the fan assembly, or both). However, the inventors of the present invention have found that a lower temperature of around 145 ℃ is sufficient when operating in build mode.
Region (2) in the graph shows the period of time when the air and surface temperature reach equilibrium (equibrium). The first heater 30 remains energized while the second heater 30-2 is turned off.
Region (3) in the chart shows the period of time that wet or damp hair is placed on the surface of the base portion 22 resulting in a decrease in the temperature of the base portion 22. This temperature decrease is detected by the temperature sensor signal and, in response, the microcontroller 504 turns on the second heater 30-2. As a result, the air temperature rises back to 150 ℃ at the maximum, and the amount of heat transfer from the air to the base portion 22 increases. As a result, the surface temperature rises back to the equilibrium state.
Region (4) in the graph shows the period in which the surface temperature has recovered to the equilibrium temperature. Thus, the second heater 30-2 is turned off and the air temperature is reduced to its equilibrium temperature.
Exemplary embodiment-two heaters
An illustrative example in which the apparatus is provided with two heaters 30 will now be described with reference to fig. 29. It should be appreciated that any of the above examples may be modified to use the arrangement of heater 30 shown in fig. 29. As shown, the apparatus includes a first heater 291 and a second heater 292. The head portion 16 is divided into two halves by an interface 293. The heated air from the first heater 291 flows into the first plenum 32a in one half of the head portion 16. The heated air from the second heater 292 flows into the second plenum 32b in the other half of the head portion 16. In other words, the first heater 291 is arranged for flowing heated air from the first heater 291 into a respective portion of the head 16, and the second heater 292 is arranged for flowing heated air from the second heater 292 into a separate respective portion of the head. This may be accomplished by simply aligning the first and second heaters 291, 292 with corresponding openings provided in the head portion 16. Alternatively, one or more shutters or vanes may be provided to direct heated air from each heater into a respective portion of the head 16. Advantageously, the arrangement of two heaters and a separate head portion 16 allows the temperature of each half of the head portion to be independently adjusted, thereby improving performance and reducing the temperature differential between the two halves of the head portion 16. For example, a user may place wet hair on the upper half of the head 16 shown in fig. 29, resulting in a decrease in temperature on that side of the device. While this drop in temperature may be mitigated, for example, by increasing the power output of the heater 30 when only a single heater 30 is provided, this also results in a temperature rise at the unloaded half of the head 16, which may be undesirable (e.g., because it may cause a portion of the lower half of the head 16 to exceed the target threshold operating temperature). Advantageously, by providing two heaters 291, 292, the first heater 291 may be used to correct for temperature decreases occurring in the upper half of the head portion 16 while the second heater 292 is independently operated to control the temperature of the lower half of the head portion 16. Similarly, the second heater 292 may be used to correct for temperature decreases occurring in the lower half of the head portion 16 while the first heater 291 is independently operated to control the temperature of the upper half of the head portion 16.
In this example, each half of the head portion 16 is provided with a separate temperature sensor 280a, 280b, which has been described in detail above with reference to fig. 28. This arrangement of two temperature sensors allows the temperature of each half of the head portion 16 to be measured independently, so as to control the first and second heaters 291, 292 independently. For example, when the first temperature sensor 280a measures a temperature lower than the operating temperature of 120 ℃, the first heater 291 is independently controlled to return the temperature to the operating temperature. Similarly, when the second temperature sensor 280b measures a temperature lower than the operating temperature of 120 ℃, the second heater 291 is independently controlled to return the temperature to the operating temperature.
The upper temperature threshold may be set such that if either of the temperature sensors 280a, 280b detects a temperature above the upper temperature threshold, heating is disabled. The upper temperature threshold may be, for example, 140 ℃. The use of the upper temperature threshold prevents the other side of the head portion 16 from reaching excessive temperatures when one side of the head portion 16 is loaded with wet hair for a long period of time. The use of an upper temperature threshold is particularly advantageous when only one heater 30 is provided. However, while the use of the two independently controllable heaters 291, 292 described above ameliorates the problem of uneven temperature distribution caused by uneven loading of wet hair on the device, the upper temperature threshold may be used even when two independently controllable heaters 291, 292 are provided.
Although an arrangement of two temperature sensors 280a, 280b is shown in fig. 29, any other suitable arrangement of temperature sensors may be provided.
Although two heaters 291, 292 are provided in the example shown in fig. 29, it should be understood that three or more heaters may alternatively be provided, each for controlling the temperature of air flowing into a corresponding portion of the head 16.
Conventional hand held hair dryers are well known which incorporate an electric fan to blow a stream of cold or hot air to dry a person's hair. The fan draws ambient air into the body of the hair dryer and blows an air stream toward the hair to be dried. Any blockage of the air inlet or air outlet may cause the device to overheat. The air inlet 360 of the device 10 shown in fig. 1 (shown in more detail in fig. 36) is designed to reduce the likelihood of the air inlet 360 being blocked by a portion of the user's body, home furnishing, or fabric (such as the user's clothing, bed sheets, curtains, etc.). Fig. 36 is a cross-sectional view of the proximal end of the hair drying/styling apparatus of fig. 1; fig. 36b is a perspective view of the rear portion of the hair drying/styling apparatus 10 of fig. 1; and fig. 36c is a side view of the rear portion of the hair drying/styling apparatus 10 of fig. 1.
As shown in fig. 36, the air inlet 360 is formed as an annular opening surrounding a socket 363 that protrudes beyond a proximal end 366 of the body portion 12. Thus, the socket 363 makes it difficult for an item to close the entire air inlet 360. In addition, the proximal end 366 of the body portion 12 is also preferably inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the body portion 12, as this also helps reduce the likelihood of the entire air inlet 360 becoming blocked.
The socket 363 also provides a convenient location for guiding the power cord 364 to the interior of the body portion 12. The connection of the power cord to the socket 363 preferably allows the power cord 364 to freely rotate relative to the socket 363 as this facilitates manipulation of the device 10 by a user. The power cord 364 is also preferably detachable from the socket 363 and reattachable thereto. Of course, in a battery powered device, such a power cord 364 may not be necessary.
A filter 365 is provided in the annular gap between the socket 363 and the interior of the housing of the body portion 12. The filter used in the preferred embodiment has diamond shaped apertures, but other shaped apertures (such as the filter shown in fig. 36 d) may be used. In a preferred embodiment, the size of the apertures in the filter 365 need not be particularly small, as the fan assembly 24 is not designed as a high power fan. Thus, the fan assembly 24 does not draw substantial amounts of dust and debris into the main body 12. Specifically, the fan assembly 24 is designed to operate at a speed of approximately 24000 rpm. This is sufficient to produce a volumetric air flow rate of between 120 and 320 litres per minute. However, if a higher power fan 24 operating at a speed greater than about 60000rpm is used which can produce a volumetric air flow rate in the range 320 liters per minute to 1200+ liters, a filter having a smaller orifice size should be used to prevent dust and debris from being drawn into the body 12. Such a finer filter may be provided in addition to or as an alternative to the filter 365 shown in fig. 36.
To facilitate assembly of the device 10 and to provide a shield around the air inlet, a removable collar 362 is mounted on the proximal end 366 of the body portion 12. The collar 362 helps to slightly encase the air inlet 360 and, together with the protruding socket 363, makes it more difficult for the entire air inlet 360 to become blocked. The collar 362 facilitates assembly of the device because it is easier to couple the outer edge of the filter 365 to the housing of the body portion 12 without the collar 362. Once the filter 365 is snapped in place, the collar 362 may in turn be snapped to the proximal end 366 of the housing of the body portion 12. As can be seen in fig. 36a, the socket 363 extends beyond the proximal edge of the collar 362. As shown in fig. 36, the proximal edge of the collar may be flat and lie in a single plane, although this is certainly not required. Indeed, the collar 362 may not be a continuous collar surrounding the entire air inlet 360, and there may be multiple shrouds, each shroud covering a respective portion of the air inlet.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the air inlet design described above may be used with other hair styling devices, such as devices having two arms that are movable between an open position to receive hair and a closed configuration to clamp hair between the two arms.
Principle of the technology
The expressions "for drying hair", "drying hair", etc. as used herein should be taken to mean mainly the removal of "unbound" water present outside the hair when wet. This "unbound" water should be contrasted with "bound" water which is present inside individual hairs and which can interact when the hairs are hot-styling. In the context of the present invention, this "bound" water need not be removed when the hair is dried, although some removal of bound water may occur during the drying process. The bound water is typically further removed during the molding process.
Fig. 25 shows a plot of hair sample temperature versus drying time, useful for understanding the technical principles associated with the operation of the present invention. As the hair temperature increases, the hair undergoes a warming-up period, and then undergoes a first drying period and a second drying period, as described below. The first drying period mainly involves removal of unbound water, and the second drying period mainly involves removal of bound water.
"warm-up period": at this stage, the temperature of the hair is raised to the temperature of the drying period using a heater, in which a phase change of the liquid occurs (points a-B). The surfaces of the base portion and the heated surface element cannot be operated at temperatures exceeding 100 deg.c to 135 deg.c (nominal 120 deg.c) until cavitation of the water (hissing) occurs.
First drying period ": this stage is supported by the heated air stream to dry the unbound water on the hair (points B-C). Without the new heated air stream supporting evaporation, the hair will cool rapidly and the drying rate will slow down.
Second drying period ": this stage (points C-E) occurs when the bound water on the hair evaporates and is driven out of the hair fibers.
Shaping/straightening can be achieved when forces are applied to the fibers and both bound and unbound water is driven off.
Additional problems and solutions provided by the work of the present invention
In the work of the present invention, the inventors of the present invention considered the following problems (among others), and provided the following solutions:
problem 1-achieving rapid temperature equalization across the outer surface of a hair styling device
The inventors of the present invention have determined that achieving rapid temperature equalization across the heated surface of a hair styling device advantageously reduces the occurrence of "hot spots" that may damage the user's hair, and enables the hair to be dried more efficiently.
The present invention works to provide a solution that uses heated air within the head portion 16 of the device 10 to transfer heat to the heated surface element 18 having a relatively high specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity. The head portion also has a relatively high thermal mass so that the head can store thermal energy and deliver that thermal energy to the user's hair when the user's hair is in contact with the head. When an area of the surface of the hair styling device is cooled after contact with wet or damp hair, heat is rapidly transferred from the heated air. The relatively high specific heat capacity enables a relatively large amount of heat to be transferred to the wet hair while minimizing the temperature drop at the heated surface of the device.
Problem 2-minimizing the air temperature range of air blown against the user's hair
The inventors of the present invention have determined that it is beneficial to maintain drying efficiency to achieve a uniform air temperature of the air exiting the head portion 16 of the device 10. However, it is difficult to achieve a uniform air temperature due to the asymmetric loading of the moist or wet hair on the outer surface of the device 10. On the surface area where a large amount of wet or damp hair has been placed by the user, a local decrease in the device surface temperature and the air temperature leaving the ventilation holes 40 may occur.
The present invention works to provide a solution to providing a heat exchanger 44 for balancing the thermal load across different areas of the surface of the device 10. Thus, the outer surface temperature of the device may equilibrate across the head portion 16 and the temperature of the air flow exiting the vent 40 is more uniform.
Problem 3-reduce the resistance to air flow from the device out towards the user's hair.
The inventors of the present invention have determined that hair, particularly wet hair, has a large variation in air flow resistance, depending on the size and moisture content of this portion of hair. Accordingly, a solution is needed that prevents hair from clogging the ventilation holes and that prevents increased resistance to air flow from the device towards the user's hair.
The present invention works to provide a solution that provides an arrangement of bristles 20, heated surface elements 18 and vents 42 that creates an area where hair is less likely to pass over the surface of the device. In these areas air outlets are provided and are therefore less likely to be blocked by the user's hair. This also helps reduce heater power and the range of power requirements for regulating air temperature, thereby improving energy efficiency and reducing product size and cost.
This in turn enables the use of lower speed motors/fans by reducing the range of drag in the airflow requirements of the system, thereby helping to increase the energy efficiency of the fan and reduce sound and cost.
Problem 4 drying of hair root and root lifting
The inventors of the present invention have determined that it is desirable to dry the hair at the root, for example in order to create a root lift.
The present invention works by providing a vent 40 on the surface of the head portion 16 adjacent the bristles 20. The user may orient these vents 40 to direct the exiting heated air toward the hair root to dry the root and create a root lift.
Problem 5-refreshing the hair on a day without washing the hair
The inventors of the present invention have determined that users may wish to have their hair feel freshly washed and blow dried on a day when they have no time, ability or willingness to wash and dry their hair.
The operation of the present invention enables fragrance to be emitted into the air stream generated by the device 10 to freshen the hair, thereby providing a solution to this problem. To achieve this, a user-replaceable piezo atomizer and/or a simpler fragrance reservoir and wick may be used to achieve the exchange (liquid to gas) into the air stream and thereby onto the user's hair. For example, one or more fluid chambers may be provided in the head portion 16 or body 12 of the device 10, which may be refillable or replaceable, for storing a wetted product that may be dispensed automatically or by user input. A delivery actuator and mechanism for dispensing the wetted product may be provided. A sensor may be provided for sensing the amount of product remaining in the chamber and the user interface may provide feedback to the user informing the user of the product remaining in the chamber.
Problem 6 portability
The inventors of the present invention have determined that a consumer desires a product that is suitable for "on the go" use, for example away from home or in any situation away from a socket, for example in a bathroom.
By virtue of the above-described compact configuration of the heater 30 and fan assembly 24 in the device body, and the efficient use of electricity, the operation of the present invention enables the Low Voltage (LV) device 10 to be used for safe operation in a bathroom, and/or enables the device 10 to be used cordless (e.g., with a rechargeable battery) and/or to achieve a compact isolated power source.
Problem 7-preventing hair from being trapped between the bristles and the heated surface element
The inventors of the present invention have recognized that if the shape of the heated surface element is not carefully designed, there is a risk that hair will be trapped between the bristles on the surface of the head portion 16 and the heated surface element. The trapped hair is prevented from engaging the base portion 22, thus reducing the amount of heat transferred to the hair. However, it is also beneficial to have the heated surface element tapered to "cut" through the hair to minimize resistance to movement of the hair through the bristles 20 and the heated surface element 18.
The work of the present invention provides a solution to provide a heated surface element having substantially parallel side walls and a curved top portion. Advantageously, the parallel sidewalls reduce the risk of hair being trapped between the heated surface element 18 and the bristles 20. The curved top portion allows the heated surface element 18 to "cut" through the hair to minimize resistance to movement of the hair on the device.
Problem 8-reduction of harmonic generation
The inventors of the present invention have realized that harmonics generated by the device should be minimized.
The invention works by staggering the driving of the heater to reduce the number of times the current supplied to the heater is turned on and off, or from one current level to another.
Problem 9-providing efficient airflow from the vent
The inventors of the present invention have recognized that the holes 42 formed on the outer surface of the head portion 16, either by casting the base portion 22 or by punching holes in the base portion 22, are relatively large. These large holes are not optimal for air speed and system resistance control when loading hair. However, it is difficult and costly to manufacture smaller holes using casting or punching techniques.
The present invention works to provide a bristle insert that includes a divider 62 that divides the corresponding aperture 42 of the base portion 22 into one or more smaller openings. Thus, the airflow characteristics of the holes 42 are improved.
Problem 10-providing thermal equilibrium between the proximal and distal ends of the head portion
The inventors of the present invention have recognized that a temperature imbalance may occur between the proximal end (relative to the body 12) of the head portion 16 and the distal end of the head portion 16. In particular, the proximal end of the head portion 16 may become hotter than the distal end of the head portion 16. This can cause discomfort to the user because the user grasps the body of the device near the proximal end of the head portion 16.
The present invention works by providing a pair of baffles 36 between the central plenum 32 and the heat exchanger 44. One of the baffles 36 is disposed at the proximal end of the head portion 16 and the other baffle is disposed at the distal end of the head portion 16. Since the baffle 36 only allows heated air to enter the air inlet passage 46 of the heat exchanger in the generally central region of the head portion, the temperature imbalance across the length of the head portion 16 is reduced.
A pair of mixing chambers 54 disposed at the proximal and distal ends of the head portion may also help reduce temperature imbalance between the proximal and distal ends of the head portion 16.
Reducing the size of the air inlet passage 46 of the heat exchanger 44 at the proximal and distal ends of the head portion 16 may also help reduce temperature imbalance between the proximal and distal ends of the head portion 16.
Advantageously, the reduction of the temperature imbalance also increases the drying performance of the device. The maximum temperature limit of the outer surface of the device (to ensure user safety and to prevent wet hair "silk rattling") is about 120 to 125 ℃. In order to obtain maximum drying performance, the temperature of the outer surface of the base portion 22 should be maintained close to this temperature limit. If the peripheral region of the base portion 22 adjacent the body 12 is hotter than the rest of the base portion 22, that region will reach an upper temperature limit before the rest of the base portion 22, thereby limiting the maximum temperature of the rest of the base portion 22 (with which hair is more likely to engage) and reducing drying performance.
Problem 11-heating the outer surface of the head portion while minimizing the weight, cost and complexity of the device
The inventors of the present invention have recognized that while ceramic heater plates may in principle be used to heat the outer surface of the head portion 16, ceramic heaters are relatively expensive and add significant weight to the device. Furthermore, it is relatively difficult to provide a thermal interface with a curved surface (such as the surface of the base portion 22), which requires a more complex arrangement of electrical connections and fuses.
The work of the present invention provides a solution that utilizes a heated air stream to heat the outer surface of the head portion, thereby obviating the need for a ceramic heater.
Problem 12-reducing the volume of fan airflow and heating power required to make a compact and efficient device
The inventors of the present invention have recognized that drying hair with heated air is a very inefficient use of energy because most of the energy is lost to the atmosphere rather than transferred to the hair. Traditionally, blowers use high voltages and large volumetric flows to alleviate this problem. However, this requires a high RPM motor and fan components, increases the weight and cost of the device, increases noise levels, and reduces energy efficiency. Alternatively, the diameter of the fan may be increased to increase the flow rate. However, this will result in an increased circumference of the device, which is undesirable for easy ergonomic use of the device. In contrast, conductive heating is very efficient in drying hair and can be achieved in a fast drying, compact and quiet product. However, the amount of heat transferred by conduction is limited by the contact surface area. While increasing the circumference of the head portion 16 will increase the contact surface area, this will make the device less compact and thus reduce portability of the device.
The present invention works to provide a solution in which the heated surface element 18 is provided on the outer surface of the base portion 22. Advantageously, the heated surface element 18 increases the surface area available for conductive heat transfer to the hair, thereby improving energy efficiency and drying performance. The combination of the heated surface element 18 and the heated air exiting the vent 40 provides particularly good drying performance. More specifically, the present invention works to provide hair styling devices that achieve a drying rate of 0.57g per pass of the device through the hair. The device is operable to dry a substantial portion of the hair at 44 mm/s. This is a significantly better drying rate than currently available air brush drying devices and reduces the number of passes required to dry hair by approximately one half.
Modifications and alternatives
Detailed embodiments and some possible alternatives have been described above. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, many modifications and further substitutions may be made to the above-described embodiments while still benefiting from the invention embodied therein. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments and includes modifications apparent to those skilled in the art which fall within the scope of the appended claims.
While in the above example the cross-section of the head portion 16 of the device 10 is generally symmetrical, as shown for example in fig. 8, this is not required. For example, the head portion 16 may take the shape of a more conventional brush (e.g., a so-called "paddle" brush) in which bristles and heated surface elements are disposed on the upper surface of the device. In such an instance, the bristles 20 and heated surface element 18 may be disposed only on the curved region of the head portion 16.
While the heat exchanger 44 shown in fig. 5 has a "corrugated" or "square wave" type shape, it should be understood that other suitable configurations of heat exchangers may be used to direct the flow of air from the central plenum 32 to transfer heat to the heated surface elements 18 prior to the air being directed to the vent 40 (optionally, via the mixing chamber 54). For example, while the heat exchanger 44 shown in FIG. 5 has straight air inlet and air outlet passages, curved passages may be used.
Fig. 26 shows (in cross section) another alternative configuration of the head portion 16. In this example, as in the previous examples, heated surface elements 75 are provided to transfer heat to the hair. However, in this example, the outer surface 73 of the head portion is not directly connected to the heated surface element 75. Instead, the heated surface elements 73 protrude through corresponding apertures in the surface 73. In this example, the outer surface 73 may be formed of a thermally insulating material 73 (e.g., plastic or insulating foil) or a thermally conductive material (such as sheet metal). Heated surface elements 73 (which extend in rows along the head as previously described) still provide head 16 with sufficient thermal mass (150J/K to 250J/K) so that head 16 can provide conductive heating of hair for a sustained period of time to allow drying and styling of hair. The head, which includes only a relatively thin material 73, does not have the thermal mass required to store enough thermal energy to allow conductive heating for drying or styling purposes.
The heated surface element 75 extends from a structural support 77 inside the head portion 16. The heated surface element 75 is connected to the structural support 77 by a connecting member 79. The connection members 79 form walls of respective air inlet channels 83 and air outlet channels 81, the air inlet channels 83 and air outlet channels 81 extending along the length of the head 16 (into or out of the page) below the row of heated surface elements 75. Rows of bristles 20 are also supported by a support structure 77. As in the previous example, the heated air flows along the air inlet channel 83 (transferring heat to the heated surface element 75 adjacent thereto) before flowing along the air outlet channel and out through vents (not shown) provided in the surface 73. As in the previous examples, mixing chambers may be provided at the proximal and distal ends of the head between the air inlet channel 83 and the air outlet channel 81. The walls 79 defining the single air inlet channel 83 may form a separate heat exchanger that transfers heat to one or more surface elements 75 coupled to the heat exchanger; or separate heat exchangers may be joined together to form a heat exchanger structure similar to that shown in fig. 5 and described above.
Although in the above-described embodiment, a shutter is used to prevent the handle end (proximal end) of the head portion 16 from becoming overheated. The baffles help ensure that the heated air enters the heat exchanger at the central portion of the heat exchanger. In an alternative arrangement, the efficiency of the heat exchanger at its proximal end may be reduced such that end naturally heats up less than the rest of the heat exchanger. This may be achieved by reducing the surface area of the heat exchanger at its proximal end and/or by thermally insulating portions of the heat exchanger at its proximal end.
Any or all of the bristle insert 21, base portion 22, heat exchanger 44, and body 12 may be formed of unitary construction, such as by 3D printing.
While the bristle insert 21 comprising rows of bristles 20 and dividers 62 may be particularly easy to manufacture, it should be understood that individual bristles 20 and dividers 62 may alternatively be inserted into the apertures of the base portion 22.
Although in some of the examples described above, the apparatus 10 has been described above as including two heaters 30, this is not required. For example, three or more heaters 30 may be provided or only a single heater may be provided.
The device 10 may include one or more humidity sensors for determining the moisture content of hair on the surface of the device 10. The operation of the fan assembly 24 and heater 30 may then be controlled based on the measurements of the one or more humidity sensors. Alternatively, the moisture content of the hair may be inferred from a change in temperature of the base portion 22 or a change in temperature of the air flowing out of the ventilation holes 40.
The head portion 16 is reversibly detachable from the body 12. For example, the head portion 16 may be interchanged with another molding or drying accessory of the device 10.
In alternative configurations of the apparatus 10, the heated surface element 18 may be omitted. The bristles 20 may also be omitted or may be provided as retractable bristles 20 (e.g., by mechanical movement, by use of the device 10, or by electronic control retraction into the head portion 16).
In the above-described embodiments, the heat exchanger (in particular the layout of the air inlet channels and the air outlet channels) is designed to achieve the desired heating profile of the base portion 22. In a more complex arrangement, each channel may be provided with a valve actuator that can be opened and closed to vary the restriction on the flow of air along each channel. The valve may then be controlled by the microcontroller based on the sensed temperatures of the different portions of the base portion 22. Thus, if one region of the base portion is found to be hotter than another region, the microcontroller may open and close some of the valves to increase or decrease the heating provided to that particular region of the base portion 22.
In any of the above embodiments, the device may be provided with a motion sensor (e.g., a motion sensor disposed in the body 12 of the device). The motion sensor may be used to sense whether the user is currently using the device (by sensing movement of the device) or whether the device is idle (e.g., by sensing that the device has not been moved for a predetermined amount of time). The motion sensor may include a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a switch on a docking station where the device is placed, and/or may include any other suitable type of sensor. When the data from the motion sensor indicates that the device has not moved for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 1 minute), the device may be placed in an idle mode in which the temperature of the head portion 16 is reduced (e.g., by turning off the heater 30, or reducing the power output of the heater 30). In the idle mode, the temperature of the base portion 22 may be reduced to an idle mode temperature that is higher than ambient temperature but lower than the normal operating temperature for drying and/or styling hair. For example, the operating temperature may be 120 ℃, and the idle temperature may be 90 ℃.
When the data from the motion sensor indicates that the user has picked up the device, the heater 30 is then controlled to return the temperature of the base portion 22 to the operating temperature for drying and/or styling hair. Advantageously, the use of an idle mode increases the efficiency of the device and may also reduce damage due to thermal stresses that may be caused to a surface when the device is placed on the surface for a long period of time. When the device is in idle mode and the data from the motion sensor indicates that the user has picked up the device, the heater 30 (or heaters) may be operated in an "enhanced mode" to return the base portion 22 to an operating temperature (e.g., using the enhanced mode described above with reference to fig. 23). More generally, the one or more heaters 30 may be temporarily operated at a higher power output to increase the temperature of the base portion 22 from the idle temperature to an operating temperature for drying and/or styling hair.
In any of the above embodiments, the apparatus may include a base portion 22 and a heat exchanger 44 in combination. The base portion 22 and the heat exchanger 44 may be arranged such that they are not distinguishable as separate entities. For example, the base portion 22 may effectively provide the function of the heat exchanger 44 (the base portion 22 may include the heat exchanger 44).
The base portion 22 in any of the above embodiments may be formed from one or more cast base portion components. Similarly, the heat exchanger 44 may be formed from one or more cast heat exchanger components. A thermal interface material may be disposed between the base portion components and between the heat exchanger components. The thermal interface material may be, for example, epoxy, gel, or gap filler pad (gap pad). These thermal interface materials are designed to fill gaps between components to provide efficient heat transfer.
While the use of a single cast base portion 22 provides a more uniform heat distribution around the head of the device (due to the formation of a continuous ring of thermally conductive material around the periphery of the device), the assembly of two or more base portion components simplifies the manufacturing process. Similarly, while the use of a single cast heat exchanger 44 provides more efficient heat transfer, the assembly of two or more heat exchanger components simplifies the manufacturing process.
Fig. 30 shows a cross section of a device comprising two base part-parts 22a, 22b and a single heat exchanger part 44. The two base part members 22a, 22b are arranged for heat transfer between the base part members at the dashed line a30 for heat transfer around the head part 16 of the device. Fig. 31 shows a simplified schematic of the cross-section of fig. 30, wherein a single heat exchanger component 44 and two base portion components 22a, 22b are shown.
Fig. 32 shows a cross section of a device comprising two base part-parts 22a, 22b and two heat exchanger parts 44a, 44 b. The two base part members 22a, 22b are arranged for heat transfer between the base part members at the dashed line a32 for heat transfer around the head part 16 of the device. Similarly, the two heat exchanger components 44a, 44b are also arranged to transfer heat between the heat exchanger components at the dashed line a 32. Fig. 33 shows a simplified schematic of the cross section of fig. 33, wherein two heat exchanger parts 44a, 44b and two base part parts 22a, 22b are shown. In this example, the interface between the two base portion members 22a, 22b is adjacent (in this example, aligned with) the corresponding interface between the two heat exchanger members 44a, 44 b.
Fig. 34 shows a cross section of a device comprising two base part-parts 22a, 22b and two heat exchanger parts 44a, 44 b. The two base part members 22a, 22b are arranged for heat transfer between the base part members at the dashed line a34 for heat transfer around the head part 16 of the device. Similarly, two heat exchanger components 44a, 44b are arranged for heat transfer between the heat exchanger components at dashed line a 35. Fig. 35 shows a simplified schematic of the cross-section of fig. 35. In this particularly advantageous configuration, the interface between the two base portion parts 22a, 22b is offset 90 degrees from the interface between the two heat exchanger parts 44a, 44 b. This offset enables a more uniform heat distribution around the periphery of the device when one side of the head is loaded with wet hair. Of course, the offset need not be 90 degrees, and any offset between the interface of the heat exchanger component and the interface of the two base portions achieves the same advantages.
In the above embodiment, the air sucked into the device is heated using the resistance heater. In alternative embodiments, a radiant heater may be employed as the heater.
Although in the above embodiment, the heat exchanger 44 is described as being heated by heated air (convection heating), this is not required. Alternatively, the heat exchanger 44 and/or the base portion 22 may alternatively (or additionally) be heated by radiant heating. For example, radiant heating elements may be provided in the head portion 16 for heating the heat exchanger 44 and/or the base portion 22 for subsequent conductive heating of hair on the base portion 22. The radiant heating element may emit electromagnetic spectrum having peaks in the infrared region. The heat exchanger 44 and/or the base portion 22 may, in turn, heat the air flow from the fan to heat the hair of the user before the air flow exits the hair styling device. The radiant heater used in such embodiments may also heat the air stream.
Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words "comprise" and "include" and variations of the words, such as "comprises" and "comprising", mean "including but not limited to" and are not intended to (and do not) exclude other elements, integers or steps.
The disclosure of the present invention also includes the following numbered clauses:
clause 1. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion comprising a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair and a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the base portion, wherein the head portion has a proximal end and a distal end and is coupled to the body portion at the proximal end;
a fan for drawing air into the device and for blowing air toward the proximal end of the head portion;
at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream;
wherein the proximal end of the head portion is configured to receive a heated air stream, wherein the heat exchanger extends between the proximal and distal ends of the head portion, and wherein the head portion further comprises a baffle positioned at the proximal end of the head portion and configured to cause the heated air stream to enter a central portion of the heat exchanger between the proximal and distal ends.
Clause 2 the apparatus of clause 1, wherein the baffle is configured to prevent the heated air stream from entering the heat exchanger near the proximal end of the head portion.
Clause 3 the apparatus of clause 1 or 2, wherein the baffle extends over a portion of the heat exchanger.
Clause 4 the apparatus of clause 3, wherein the baffle extends over 5% to 40% of the heat exchanger.
Clause 5 the apparatus of any of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the baffle is formed of a thermally insulating material.
Clause 6 the apparatus of any of clauses 1-5, wherein the baffle is a first baffle, and further comprising a second baffle positioned at the distal end of the head portion and configured to prevent the heated air stream from entering the heat exchanger near the distal end of the head portion.
Clause 7. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion comprising a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair and having one or more ventilation apertures;
a fan for sucking air into the apparatus and for blowing air toward the head portion;
at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream; and
A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the heated air flow and the base portion, and wherein the heat exchanger forms a convoluted path followed by the heated air flow to reach the one or more ventilation holes.
The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the heat exchanger comprises one or more air inlet channels and one or more air outlet channels, and wherein the heat exchanger is arranged to flow the heated air along one of the one or more air inlet channels and redirect and travel along one of the one or more air outlet channels to reach the vent.
The apparatus of clause 9, wherein the heat exchanger is arranged such that the flow direction of air in the air outlet channel is opposite to the flow direction of the corresponding air in the air inlet channel.
The apparatus of any of clauses 7-9, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a proximal end and a distal end, and a plurality of air inlet passages and a plurality of air outlet passages extending between the proximal end and the distal end;
wherein each air inlet channel is configured to receive a portion of the heated air flow such that the heated air flows along the air inlet channel and into a first mixing chamber located at a proximal end of the heat exchanger, and the heated air flows along the air inlet channel and into a second mixing chamber located at a distal end of the heat exchanger; and
Wherein the air outlet passage is configured to receive air from the first mixing chamber for flow along the air outlet passage away from the proximal end of the heat exchanger and to receive air from the second mixing chamber for flow along the air outlet passage away from the distal end of the heat exchanger.
Clause 11 the device according to any of clauses 8 to 10, wherein the base portion comprises a plurality of thermally conductive elements extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion, and wherein the air inlet passage is aligned with the plurality of thermally conductive elements such that heated air flowing along the air inlet passage is arranged to heat the base portion in proximity to the thermally conductive elements.
The apparatus of clause 12, wherein the plurality of heat conducting elements are arranged in rows on the surface of the base portion, and wherein the air inlet passages are arranged in rows that are aligned with the rows of the plurality of heat conducting elements.
Clause 13 the device according to any of clauses 8 to 12, wherein the base portion comprises a plurality of vents, and wherein the air outlet channel is aligned with the plurality of vents such that heated air flowing along the air outlet channel is configured to exit the device through the vents.
The apparatus of clause 14, wherein a plurality of vent holes are arranged in rows on the surface of the base portion, and wherein the air outlet passages are arranged in rows that are aligned with the rows of vent holes.
Clause 15 the apparatus of clause 10 or any of the clauses dependent thereon, wherein the head portion has a plenum for receiving the heated air flow, a first baffle separating the first mixing chamber from the plenum of the head portion, and a second baffle separating the second mixing chamber from the plenum of the head portion, whereby the heated air from the plenum cannot reach the mixing chamber without flowing along the air inlet channel.
Clause 16. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; and
a fan for sucking air into the apparatus and for blowing air toward the head portion; and
at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream;
Wherein the base portion comprises:
a plurality of ventilation holes for exhausting heated air from the apparatus;
a plurality of bristles extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion; and
a plurality of thermally conductive elements extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion;
wherein the bristles and thermally conductive element are arranged to direct hair around the vent to prevent hair from clogging the vent during use.
Clause 17 the device of clause 16, wherein the vent, the plurality of bristles, and the plurality of thermally conductive elements are arranged in a row, wherein the bristles are offset from the thermally conductive elements.
Clause 18 the device of clause 17, wherein the rows of bristles and the rows of thermally conductive elements each form a regular array of bristles and thermally conductive elements.
The apparatus of any of clauses 16-18, wherein each thermally conductive element is surrounded by four bristles.
The apparatus of any of clauses 16-19, wherein each bristle is surrounded by four thermally conductive elements.
The apparatus of any one of clauses 16 to 20, wherein each vent is positioned between a thermally conductive element and two bristles.
The apparatus of any of clauses 16-21, wherein the vent holes and the thermally conductive elements are arranged in rows transverse to the longitudinal axis of the head portion.
Clause 23 an apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion defining an interior space and having an outer hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; and
a fan for sucking air into the apparatus and for blowing air toward the head portion; and
at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream;
wherein the base portion has a plurality of heat conductive elements extending from the external hair contacting surface, and wherein each of the heat conductive elements is coupled to a heat exchanger mounted within the head portion and configured to transfer heat from the heated air stream to the heat conductive elements.
Clause 24 the apparatus of clause 23, wherein each of the thermally conductive elements is coupled to a common heat exchanger.
The apparatus of clause 25, wherein the head portion includes a plenum that receives the heated air flow from the heater, and wherein the or each heat exchanger is configured to receive the heated air from the plenum.
The apparatus of any of clauses 23 to 25, wherein the base portion is formed from a sheet or casting.
The apparatus of any of clauses 23-26, wherein the base portion comprises one or more vents through which the heated air stream exits the apparatus.
The apparatus of clause 28, wherein the or each heat exchanger is configured to cause the heated air stream to follow a convoluted path to reach the one or more vents.
Clause 29. A head portion for a hair drying or styling device, the head portion comprising:
a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; and
a plenum chamber;
wherein the head portion is configured to receive a heated air flow into the plenum; and
wherein the base portion is configured to be heated by the heated air stream and to store heat from the heated air stream for subsequent transfer of the heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion.
Clause 30 a head portion for a hair drying or styling device, the head portion comprising:
A base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair, and
a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the base portion, wherein the head portion has a proximal end and a distal end, and the head portion is connectable at the proximal end to a body portion of the hair drying and styling device;
wherein the proximal end of the head portion is configured to receive a heated air stream, wherein the heat exchanger extends between the proximal and distal ends of the head portion, and wherein the head portion further comprises a baffle positioned at the proximal end of the head portion and configured to cause the heated air stream to enter a central portion of the heat exchanger between the proximal and distal ends.
Clause 31 a head portion for a hair drying or styling device, the head portion comprising:
a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; wherein the base portion comprises:
a plurality of ventilation holes for exhausting heated air from the head portion;
a plurality of bristles extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion; and
a plurality of thermally conductive elements extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion;
Wherein the bristles and conductive element are arranged to direct hair around the vent to prevent the hair from clogging the vent during use.
Clause 32 a head portion for a hair drying or styling device, the head portion comprising:
a base portion having an outer hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair;
a plurality of thermally conductive elements extending from the outer hair contacting surface of the base portion;
a plenum, wherein the head portion is configured to receive a heated air flow into the plenum; and
at least one heat exchanger mounted within the head portion and configured to transfer heat from the heated air stream to the thermally conductive element.
Claims (61)
1. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair;
a fan for drawing air into the device and for blowing air toward the head portion; and
at least one heater for providing thermal energy to cause the base portion and air drawn into or output from the fan to be heated;
Wherein the base portion is configured to store heat for subsequent transfer by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to control heating of air by the at least one heater in response to a change in temperature of the base portion.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to increase the heat output of the at least one heater when the temperature of the base portion falls below a predetermined threshold.
4. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base portion comprises at least one vent for flowing heated air out of the base portion to transfer heat from the heated air to hair.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein,
the head portion includes a plenum; and is also provided with
The apparatus is configured for flowing the heated air from the plenum to the at least one vent.
6. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the base portion comprises a plurality of thermally conductive elements on an outer surface of the base portion, wherein the thermally conductive elements are configured to be heated by a heated air flow and store heat from the heated air flow for subsequent transfer of heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 or 6, further comprising a heat exchanger configured to receive heated air from the plenum and direct the heated air to the plurality of ventilation holes.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein heat is transferred from the heated air to the base portion via the heat exchanger.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 or 8, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of radial fins.
10. The apparatus of any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
one or more air inlet channels for receiving the heated air from the plenum; and
one or more air outlet passages for directing the heated air to the vent.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to direct the heated air through one of the one or more air inlet passages before the heated air flows through the one of the one or more air outlet passages.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 or 11, further comprising at least one mixing chamber, wherein the at least one mixing chamber is configured to receive the heated air from the one or more air inlet channels, and the one or more air outlet channels are configured to receive the heated air from the at least one mixing chamber.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus comprises a first mixing chamber and a second mixing chamber, wherein the first mixing chamber is disposed at an end of the head portion proximate the body and the second mixing chamber is disposed at an end of the head portion distal from the body.
14. The apparatus of any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the heated air flows along the one or more air inlet channels toward the body portion and then flows in the one or more air inlet channels away from the body portion.
15. The apparatus of any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the heated air flows along the one or more air inlet channels away from the body portion and then flows in the one or more air inlet channels toward the body portion.
16. The apparatus of any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the base portion comprises a row of thermally conductive elements aligned with respective air inlet channels to transfer heat from the respective air inlet channels to the row of thermally conductive elements.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein heat is transferred from the heated air to the thermally conductive element via a thermally conductive member of the heat exchanger.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the thermally conductive member forms a wall of the air inlet passage.
19. The apparatus of any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein a total surface area of the thermally conductive elements is between 40% and 70% of a total outer surface area of the base portion.
20. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the head portion is substantially cylindrical.
21. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of thermally insulated bristles for guiding hair extend from the hair contacting surface.
22. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the specific heat capacity of the base portion is between 800J/kg ℃ and 1000J/kg ℃.
23. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the thermal conductivity of the base is between 90W/mk and 200W/mk.
24. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein heat is transferred directly from heated air within the head portion to the base portion.
25. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the fan and the at least one heater are disposed in the body portion.
26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the fan is configured to create a generally longitudinal flow of air from the main body portion into a plenum in the head portion.
27. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein heat is transferred from the base portion to hair by conduction and from the heated air to hair by convection.
28. The device of claim 27, wherein at least a majority of the heat transferred by the device to the hair is transferred by conduction.
29. The apparatus of claim 3 or any claim dependent thereon, further comprising:
at least one sensor for sensing a temperature of the base portion;
A first heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air flow; and
a second heater configured to provide an enhanced function to provide additional heat to the air stream;
wherein the apparatus is configured to control the second heater in response to a detected decrease in temperature of the base portion.
30. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of base portions, each base portion being configured to be heated by a heated air flow and to store heat from the heated air flow for subsequent transfer of heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surfaces of the base portions.
31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein each base portion takes the form of a thermally conductive element extending from an outer surface of the head portion.
32. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus comprises a first heater and a second heater;
wherein the first heater is arranged to heat air flowing into a first portion of the head portion;
wherein the second heater is arranged to heat air flowing into a second portion of the head portion;
And wherein the first portion of the head portion is independent of the second portion of the head portion.
33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the first heater and the second heater are independently controllable.
34. The apparatus of claim 32 or 33, wherein the first heater is aligned with a first opening to a head portion to flow heated air from the first heater into the first portion of the head portion; and
wherein the second heater is aligned with a second opening to the head portion such that heated air flows from the second heater into the second portion of the head portion.
35. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus comprises a first fuse and a second fuse;
wherein the first fuse is configured to prevent operation of the heater when a temperature at the heater exceeds a first predetermined threshold temperature; and
wherein the second fuse is configured to prevent operation of the heater when a temperature in the head portion exceeds a second predetermined threshold temperature.
36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the heater is disposed in the body portion of the apparatus, the first fuse is positioned adjacent to the heater in the body portion of the apparatus, and the second fuse is positioned in the head portion.
37. The apparatus of claim 35 or 36, wherein the second predetermined threshold temperature is lower than the first predetermined threshold temperature.
38. The apparatus of any one of claims 7 to 37, wherein the base portion comprises two base portion components coupled at a first thermal interface;
wherein the heat exchanger comprises two heat exchanger components coupled at a second thermal interface; and is also provided with
Wherein the first thermal interface is offset from the second thermal interface.
39. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors disposed in the head portion.
40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the temperature sensor is arranged for measuring a non-uniform thermal profile of the head portion.
41. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a motion sensor;
Wherein the device is configured to enter an idle mode based on measurements from the motion sensor;
wherein, in the idle mode, the temperature of the base portion is maintained at an idle temperature; and is also provided with
Wherein the idle temperature is lower than the operating temperature of the base portion for drying and/or styling hair.
42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the motion sensor comprises a gyroscope or an accelerometer.
43. A device as claimed in claim 41 or 42, wherein the device is configured to enter the idle mode when the measurement from the motion sensor indicates that the device has not moved for a predetermined duration.
44. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heater is configured to heat air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air flow,
wherein the head portion is configured to receive the heated air stream,
and wherein the base portion is configured to be heated by the heated air stream to subsequently transfer heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion.
45. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 43, wherein the heater is configured to heat air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air flow,
wherein the head portion is configured to receive the heated air stream,
and wherein a heat exchanger in the head portion is configured to be heated by the heated air stream to transfer heat from the heat exchanger to the base portion and subsequently to transfer heat by conduction to hair in contact with the hair contacting surface of the base portion.
46. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heater is configured to heat the base portion by radiant heating or the heater is configured to heat a heat exchanger in the head portion by radiant heating to subsequently transfer heat to the base portion.
47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the air output from the fan is heated by heat transferred to the air from the base portion or by heat transferred to the air from the heat exchanger.
48. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion comprising a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair and a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the base portion, wherein the head portion has a proximal end and a distal end and is coupled to the body portion at the proximal end;
a fan for drawing air into the device and for blowing air toward the proximal end of the head portion;
at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream;
wherein the proximal end of the head portion is configured to receive the heated air stream, wherein the heat exchanger extends between the proximal end and the distal end of the head portion, and wherein the head portion further comprises a baffle positioned at the proximal end of the head portion and configured to cause the heated air stream to enter a central portion of the heat exchanger between the proximal end and the distal end.
49. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising;
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion comprising a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair and a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the base portion, wherein the head portion has a proximal end and a distal end and is coupled to the body portion at the proximal end;
a fan for drawing air into the device and for blowing air toward the proximal end of the head portion;
at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream;
wherein the proximal end of the head portion is configured to receive the heated air stream, wherein the proximal end of the heat exchanger is adjacent the proximal end of the head portion, the proximal end of the heat exchanger having a lower heat exchange efficiency than the remainder of the heat exchanger.
50. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
A main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion comprising a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair and having one or more ventilation apertures;
a fan for drawing air into the device and for blowing air toward the head portion;
at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream; and
a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the heated air flow and the base portion, and wherein the heat exchanger forms a convoluted path followed by the heated air flow to reach the one or more ventilation holes.
51. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; and
a fan for drawing air into the device and for blowing air toward the head portion; and
At least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream;
wherein the base portion comprises:
a plurality of ventilation holes for exhausting the heated air from the device;
a plurality of bristles extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion; and
a plurality of thermally conductive elements extending from the hair contacting surface of the base portion;
wherein the bristles and the thermally conductive element are arranged to direct hair around the ventilation aperture to prevent hair from clogging the ventilation aperture during use.
52. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion defining an interior space and having an outer hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; and
a fan for drawing air into the device and for blowing air toward the head portion; and
at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream;
Wherein the base portion has a plurality of thermally conductive elements extending from the external hair contacting surface, and wherein each of the plurality of thermally conductive elements is coupled to a heat exchanger mounted within the head portion and configured to transfer heat from the heated air stream to the thermally conductive elements.
53. A hair styling device comprising:
a housing having an air inlet through which air can be drawn and one or more air outlets through which air can be output; and
a fan mounted within the housing and configured to draw air into the housing through the air inlet and blow air toward the one or more air outlets;
wherein the housing includes a shroud for covering at least a portion of the air inlet and a socket protruding through the air inlet beyond a distal end of the shroud.
54. The device of claim 53 wherein the housing is elongate and has a central axis, wherein the shield surrounds the central axis of the housing, and wherein the distal end of the shield is inclined relative to the central axis.
55. The device of claim 53 or 54, wherein the socket has a central opening through which a power cord can be passed to provide power to the hair styling device.
56. The device of any one of claims 53 to 55, wherein the air inlet is formed by a gap between the shroud and the socket, and wherein a filter is provided in the air inlet.
57. The device of any one of claims 53 to 56, wherein the housing further comprises a heater for heating the air prior to its output from the one or more air outlets.
58. The device of any one of claims 53 to 57, wherein the shroud is integrally formed with the housing or is a separate part connected to the housing.
59. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair; and
at least one radiant heater for heating the base portion by radiant heating;
wherein the base portion is configured to store heat from the radiant heater for subsequent transfer by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface.
60. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair;
a heat exchanger; and
at least one radiant heater for heating the heat exchanger by radiant heating;
wherein the heat exchanger is configured for transferring heat to the base portion; and is also provided with
Wherein the base portion is configured to store heat from the heat exchanger for subsequent transfer of heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface.
61. An apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:
a main body portion;
a head portion coupled to the body portion, the head portion including a base portion having a hair contacting surface for engaging a length of hair;
a fan for drawing air into the device and for blowing air toward the head portion; and
at least one heater for heating air drawn into or output from the fan to provide a heated air stream;
Wherein the head portion is configured to receive the heated air stream and the base portion is configured to be heated by the heated air stream and store heat from the heated air stream for subsequent transfer of heat by conduction to hair engaged with the hair contacting surface of the base portion.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2020306.3 | 2020-12-21 | ||
| GB2020306.3A GB2602162A (en) | 2020-12-21 | 2020-12-21 | Apparatus and method for drying and styling hair |
| PCT/GB2021/053399 WO2022136866A2 (en) | 2020-12-21 | 2021-12-21 | Apparatus and method for drying and styling hair |
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| Publication Number | Publication Date |
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| CN116847756A true CN116847756A (en) | 2023-10-03 |
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| CN202180094139.5A Pending CN116847756A (en) | 2020-12-21 | 2021-12-21 | Device and method for drying and styling hair |
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| US (1) | US20240057740A1 (en) |
| EP (1) | EP4262469A2 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN116847756A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU2021406047A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2602162A (en) |
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| CN116098361A (en) * | 2021-11-09 | 2023-05-12 | 莱克电气股份有限公司 | Hair care device |
| US20240237798A1 (en) * | 2023-01-17 | 2024-07-18 | Sharkninja Operating Llc | Hot Brush |
| WO2024155914A1 (en) * | 2023-01-19 | 2024-07-25 | Sharkninja Operating Llc | Hair care appliance with powered attachment |
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| EP0393018A1 (en) * | 1989-04-11 | 1990-10-17 | PTC Ceramics Heiz- und Regeltechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H. | Electrical hot air appliance |
| US20030052115A1 (en) * | 2001-09-20 | 2003-03-20 | Conair Corporation | Instant heat hot air curling iron |
| CN100443009C (en) * | 2002-08-01 | 2008-12-17 | 陈永坚 | Improved personal care device with thermal feedback and operating state display |
| US20050178400A1 (en) * | 2004-02-09 | 2005-08-18 | Fung Kam F. | Air hair styler with fan motor and heater in barrel |
| CN201822168U (en) * | 2010-10-29 | 2011-05-11 | 全宏磊 | Multifunctional hairdressing comb |
| SG2012069258A (en) * | 2012-09-18 | 2014-04-28 | Tai Wah Distributors Pte Ltd | Induction heated hair styling appliances and the heating unit therefor |
| US20170354533A1 (en) * | 2016-06-08 | 2017-12-14 | Larada Sciences, Inc. | Heated air ectoparasite treatment devices and related methods |
| GB2617756B (en) * | 2019-07-30 | 2024-05-08 | Jemella Ltd | Apparatus and method for drying and styling hair |
| CN111297027A (en) * | 2019-11-27 | 2020-06-19 | 杭州斯帕克工业设计有限公司 | Wind direction adjustable comb |
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- 2020-12-21 GB GB2020306.3A patent/GB2602162A/en active Pending
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2021
- 2021-12-21 US US18/259,025 patent/US20240057740A1/en active Pending
- 2021-12-21 AU AU2021406047A patent/AU2021406047A1/en active Pending
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- 2021-12-21 EP EP21844038.6A patent/EP4262469A2/en active Pending
- 2021-12-21 WO PCT/GB2021/053399 patent/WO2022136866A2/en active Application Filing
Also Published As
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|---|---|
| GB202020306D0 (en) | 2021-02-03 |
| WO2022136866A3 (en) | 2022-09-22 |
| WO2022136866A2 (en) | 2022-06-30 |
| US20240057740A1 (en) | 2024-02-22 |
| AU2021406047A1 (en) | 2023-07-06 |
| AU2021406047A9 (en) | 2024-06-20 |
| GB2602162A (en) | 2022-06-22 |
| EP4262469A2 (en) | 2023-10-25 |
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