EP2222200A1

EP2222200A1 - Nozzle for hair dryer with thermal insulating elements

Info

Publication number: EP2222200A1
Application number: EP07866834A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Renato Morgandi; Arturo Morgandi
Original assignee: Tenacta Group SpA
Current assignee: Tenacta Group SpA
Priority date: 2007-12-20
Filing date: 2007-12-20
Publication date: 2010-09-01
Also published as: WO2009081426A4; WO2009081426A1

Abstract

Hairdryer device, in particular air> flow conveyance mouth (1), to attach to the hot air flow outlet section, comprising a nearly cylindrical body (2) with a circular section inlet (2') and a tapered end (2'), and a portion (3), integral with the body (2) and communicating therewith and having an outlet section (3'). with extended shape with one dimension predominating with respect' to the other, characterised by the presence on its external surface of at least one relief band (4,6,7), such that, in the attachment zone of the relief band, the device is equipped with a lower thermal conductivity, due to the greater thickness and/or attachment of- material which is more insulating than the device material. Said bands permit not directly touching' the hot surface of the mouth (I)'. They achieve the effect of attaining a lower temperature which prevents the possibility of being burnt.

Description

NOZZLE FOR HAIR DRYER WITH THERMAL INSULATING ELEMENTS

DESCRIPTION

A hairdryer device forms the object of the present finding, in particular a conveyance mouth of the hot air flow, perfected in its thermal insulation characteristics.

Conveyance mouths for hairdryers are known at the state of the art and are normally found on the market, both for the home and professional. The object which these accessories must fulfil is that of concentrating the air flow, mainly hot air, from a circular section such as the outlet of the hairdryer to a narrow and extended section in order to better hit the hair tuft to be fashioned. For example, the patent application EP 1417907 has as object a hairdryer and a series of accessories including a mouth. The accessory is attached onto the support and is fixed by means of appropriate couplers. The mouth has flattened form in its terminal part and allows concentrating the outlet air flow in a specific point, also increasing its speed. According to a further example, such as that described in the patent application US 2007/0137060, one particular accessory, to attach to a hairdryer diffuser, is elastically fixed to the diffuser and is composed of a flexible ^'material of conical form. The diffuser is provided with lateral openings from which it is possible to insert hair treatment products, so that they can be applied in nebulised form on the hair.

Numerous other embodiments of conveyance mouths for hairdryers are commercially available. They achieve their basic object which, as said, is that of conveying the air flow onto a nearly rectangular section, with high ratio between its sides.

Nevertheless, sufficient importance has never been given to the handling of these mouths, which in the normal use of concentrating the hot air flow are subjected to an increase of their temperature. In particular, the parts which most greatly exhibit this heat concentration phenomenon are the external side walls, parts which come into contact with the hand of the user during adjustment and/or orientation and/or removal of the accessory. The mouths of known type, therefore, have this type of drawback which causes discomfort for the user's hands in contact with the hot walls. Consequently, the user, not being able to support such temperature, must await the cooling of the mouth itself, with an inevitable loss of time.

Of equal importance is the disadvantage induced by the smooth surface of the mouths of known type: with such configuration, the disassembly operation of this device from the hairdryer body results difficult. In fact, due to the different expansion of the hair dryer body and the mouth, greater interference is created between them after several minutes of use, while the smooth surface of the mouth does not permit the user to transmit a sufficient grip force. One object of the finding, object of the present invention, is that of providing a solution to the technical problem of thermal insulation, i.e. define a hairdryer device also for anti-burn function. The finding, object of the present invention, is thus a hairdryer device, in particular a conveyance mouth with the characteristics specified in claims 1 and 2.

More in particular, said device, in the preferential form of a conveyance mouth, is equipped on the external surface with one or more insulating relief bands with anti-burn function. Said bands permit not directly touching the hot surface of the mouth, and in any case due to the greater thickness which they create and/or due to a more insulating material composing them, they achieve the effect of attaining on their external surface, in contact with the user hands, a lower temperature which prevents the possibility of being burnt.

According to another object, the same reliefs applied on the mouth facilitate the disassembly operations, as well as those of the orientation and adjustment of the accessory. Clearly, the device is not limited to the single mouth but it can be any other accessory (for example, a diffuser) to be attached to the end of the hairdryer and consequently subjected to the same drawbacks. Only as an example below is reference made to a conveyance mouth. These and other advantages will be evident from the detailed description of the invention, which will make specific reference to the tables 1/2 and 2/2 in which several preferential absolutely non-limiting embodiments of the present finding are represented. In particular: • Fig. 1 shows, in perspective view, a first embodiment of a hairdryer mouth according to the invention, equipped with a plurality of bands in the form of longitudinal reliefs;

• Fig. 2 represents the mouth of Fig. 1 in three-dimensional view; • Fig. 3 shows, in three-dimensional view, a second embodiment of a hairdryer mouth according to the invention, equipped with a plurality of bands obtained on a ring nut integral with the mouth;

• Fig. 4 shows, in three-dimensional view, a third embodiment of the finding in which the bands are attached both as longitudinal reliefs and on a ring nut integral with the mouth;

• Fig. 5, finally, represents a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the finding similar to the preceding embodiments but also equipped with "spire-like" reliefs. With reference to the aforesaid figures, the hairdryer mouth according to the invention is generically indicated with 1. It comprises a nearly cylindrical body 2 with a circular section inlet 2' for the hot air flow coming from the hairdryer, and with a tapered end 2" whose figure can be geometrically obtained, for example, by intersecting the cylinder 2 with two tilted surfaces, symmetric with respect to a diameter surface of the cylinder, or by superimposing a frustoconical element on the cylinder 2. The mouth also comprises a portion 3 of appropriate shape but with one dimension reduced with respect to the other two (thus of "flattened" form), integral with the body 2 and in communication therewith, so that the air flow can move from the cylindrical body 2 to the portion 3. Said portion 3 has an outlet section 3' of extended form, with one dimension predominating with respect to the other and bordered by two straight sides in the direction of the predominating direction and by two curved sides in the transverse direction.

With this conformation, the hairdryer mouth carries out the main function of conveying the hot air flow from the circular hairdryer outlet section to its terminal section, which as seen is narrow and extended.

During use, the mouth is subjected to the hot air flow and increases in temperature; thus it cannot be handled by the user without the same burning himself. This occurrence is much more common than one could imagine, above all in the case of professional hairdryer use by men or women hairdressers. In these cases, it is quite often necessary to change the hairdryer accessory (mouth, diffuser or other suitable device) for hair fashioning needs. Inevitably, in all of these cases, in order to avoid burning it is necessary to wait a certain time period sufficient for the lowering of the mouth temperature - to the detriment of working efficiency. The idea of the finding is therefore that of improving the thermal insulation of the mouth. This is carried out by equipping the same with one or more raised bands of any shape and size. According to a first embodiment (Figs. 1 and 2) the mouth is equipped with a plurality of longitudinal reliefs 4 of different length, preferably grouped according to two diametrically opposed groups. A second embodiment (Fig. 3) instead provides for the use of a circular ring nut 5 to be attached on the circular end of the mouth, that which is mounted on the hairdryer, and equipped with a plurality of reliefs 6 parallel to the axis of the ring nut, along the entire circumference of the ring nut itself. A third embodiment (Fig. 4) is, naturally, the combination of the first two: the mouth will be equipped with both longitudinal reliefs 4 attached directly on the walls of the same and with the ring nut 5 with the axial reliefs 6. Finally, a further embodiment is that illustrated in Fig. 5, where the mouth is also equipped with "spire" form reliefs 7 positioned at the tapered portion of the cylindrical body 2, five in number, according to a non- limiting idea.

Of course, the above-presented embodiments are only a few non- limiting embodiments of the finding. Said raised bands can be made directly on the walls of the mouth, with various shapes and heights (for example, narrow and extended) or they can wind around the mouth section, taking on a circular form. Alternatively, they can be subsequently attached with shapes, heights and materials which are different from the material used for the production of the mouth, with the object of increasing the insulation, or they can be co-injected, during the moulding process, with different materials, or finally they can be inserted in the mouth production mould as insert.

Clearly, the advantages of this finding are not limited only to professional use of the hairdryer. Also during use of the hairdryer by non-specialised personnel or private individual users, it is possible to inadvertently touch the hot parts of the conveyer. With the above-described expedients, also in case of contact with the surface of the mouth, the user will not be subjected to overly high temperatures. Another benefit deriving from the attachment of such bands is the improvement of the user hand grip of the mouth during adjustment or orientation or removal of the device. By working on the shape and materials employed, it is possible to increase and concentrate the force transmitted during handling. The particular form of the spires in the case of narrow and extended or circular sections, or the use of soft materials such as rubber or silicone can improve the user hand grip. These expedients ensure a perfect coupling of the parts and a firm anchoring. Finally, this mouth type also has anti- scratch function, above all if the above-mentioned soft materials are employed, since it prevents ruining particularly delicate surfaces and support surfaces.

Claims

1) Hairdryer device, to attach to the outlet section of the hot air flow, in particular a conveyance mouth or a diffuser or another similar device, characterised by the presence, on its external surface, of at least one relief band (4, 6, 7), of any shape and size, of the same material of the accessory or of another suitable material, such that, in the attachment zone of the relief band, the device is equipped with a lower thermal conductivity, due to the greater thickness and/or attachment of material which is more insulating than the device base material.

2) Hairdryer mouth (1), to attach to the outlet section of the hot air flow from the hairdryer, comprising a nearly cylindrical body (2) with circular section inlet (2') and a tapered end (2"), and a portion (3) integral with the body (2) and in communication therewith and having an outlet section 3' with extended shape with one dimension predominating over the other, characterised by the presence, on its external surface, of at least one relief band (4, 6, 7), of any shape and size, of the same material as the device or of another suitable material, such that, in the attachment zone of the relief band, the device is equipped with a lower thermal conductivity, due to the greater thickness and/or attachment of material which is more insulating than the device material.

3) Mouth according to claim 2, where said at least one relief band has a narrow and extended form.

4) Mouth according to claim 2, where said at least one relief band has a circular form which winds around the surface of the mouth. 5) Mouth according to claim 2 or 3, where said at least one relief band is composed of a plurality of longitudinal reliefs

(4).

6) Mouth according to claim 5, where said longitudinal reliefs have different length from each other and are grouped together according to two diametrically opposed groups.

7) Mouth according to claim 2 or 4, where said at least one relief band is obtained by attaching a circular ring nut (5) on the circular end of the mouth, equipped with a plurality of reliefs (6) parallel to the axis of the ring nut. 8) Mouth according to one of the claims 5 - 7, equipped with a plurality of longitudinal reliefs (4) and a ring nut (5) with a plurality of reliefs (6) parallel to the axis of the ring nut.

9) Mouth according to claim 8, also equipped with spire-shaped reliefs (7) positioned at the tapered portion of the cylindrical body (2).

10) Mouth according to claim 9, where said spires (7) are five in number.

1 1) Mouth according to one of the claims 2 - 10, where said at least one relief band is co-injected, during the mouth moulding process. 12) Mouth according to one of the claims 2 - 10, where said at least one relief band is inserted in the mouth production mould as an insert.

13) Mouth according to one of the claims 2 - 12, characterised by the use of soft materials, in particular rubber or silicone.

14) Hairdryer device according to claim 1 for use for anti-burn function and/or for grip improvement for its handling and/or for anti-scratch purposes.

15) Hairdryer mouth according to one of the claims 2-13 for use for anti-burn function and/or for grip improvement for its handling and/or for anti-scratch purposes.