EP4039125B1

EP4039125B1 - Hairdryer

Info

Publication number: EP4039125B1
Application number: EP22020027.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Arturo Morgandi
Original assignee: Tenacta Group SpA
Current assignee: Tenacta Group SpA
Priority date: 2021-02-03
Filing date: 2022-01-30
Publication date: 2023-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2042-01-30
Also published as: CN114847612A; CN114847612B; ES2971004T3; EP4039125A1

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention refers to a hairdrying device; in particular, the present invention relates to a hairdrying device provided with a depression at its rear part.

State of art.

Hair dryers have been known for some time, typically provided with a main body wherein an air duct, a motor and a fan are housed, to facilitate the airflow inside the duct, from the air inlet to the air outlet. Such hairdryers are typically also provided with a heating element to heat the air inside said duct and with a handle allowing the user to grab the hairdryer with one hand.
The Applicant of this patent application has highlighted the fact that often the handle used in the hair dryers known in the art is not suitable for self-use, i.e. when a user uses the hairdryer on himself.
In fact, typically the self-use of a hairdryer by a user also involves the use of a brush to create a fold in the hair during the hairdrying phasef. In this context, when the user tends to make the hair fold on the left if he is right-handed or, vice versa, when the user tends to make the hair fold on the right if he is left-handed, or when the user passes the brush behind the neck, not always the typical hair dryer handle is suitable to be held by the user. In fact, the user tends to grip the hairdryer in various parts other than the typical grip, with the tendency to try to grip the hairdryer also in the front part, which is typically the hairdryer hottest part, with the strong risk to get burned.
Therefore, the Applicant has found the need to create a hairdryer equipped with an alternative handle that allows a user to grip the hairdryer in total safety and to use it effectively in any situation, even in association with a brush.
The Applicant has also found the need to create a hairdryer equipped with an ergonomic handle.
The document CN 101 779 856 A discloses a hairdryer according to the preamble of claim 1. The document GB 2 226 953 A discloses a hairdryer with a handle comprising a concavity as described in claim 1.

Summary of the invention

The present invention relates to a device for drying hair such as the one indicated in claim 1.
The Applicant of the present application has in fact surprisingly found that the above technical problem can be solved in an effective and reliable way by means of a device for drying hair consisting of a main body provided with an external body, an air inlet placed at the device rear part and an air outlet located at the device front part, wherein said main body further comprises: a duct adapted to allow the air to flow from said inlet to said air outlet, at least one fan adapted to facilitate the flow of air inside said duct, and at least one cap.
In the hairdrying device of the present invention, said cap (or dome) is constituted by a substantially spherical or hemispherical portion adapted to at least partially surround said fan and by a substantially cylindrical terminal portion facing said air inlet, wherein said terminal portion has a smaller diameter than the diameter of said cap substantially spherical or hemispherical portion.
Furthermore, the portion of said body located outside said main body at said terminal portion of said cap is provided with a depression formed in said body having a concavity shape facing outwards and arranged along substantially the entire circular portion of said external body at said terminal portion of said cap.
The hairdrying device of the present invention is characterized in that said concavity consists of a) a first portion facing towards said device front part, b) a second portion facing towards said device rear part, and c) a central portion intermediate between said first and second portion wherein the change in slope of said concavity, wherein the diameter D1 in said first portion decreases in the direction from said device front part towards said central portion, the diameter D2 in said second portion increases from said central portion towards said device rear part so that the diameter D3 at said central portion is smaller than both the diameter D1 in said first portion and the diameter D2 in said second portion.
This allows the hairdryer body to be provided with a depression located on the hairdryer back, where the air is typically cold or much less hot, the latter being usable by the user as an alternative handle to the traditional handle of a hairdryer, thus providing the hairdryer with improved ergonomics.
In this way, the user can decide at his/her convenience which handle to use safely, and with a secure grip, according to operational needs.
According to a preferred embodiment, said diameter D1 is from 101% to 150%, preferably between 110% and 140%, with respect to said diameter D3, and said diameter D2 is from 101% to 150%, preferably between 110% and 140%, with respect to said diameter D3.
In this way, said concavity is provided with a significant slope which further favors the grip by the user, contrary to some devices known in the art wherein there is no depression provided with such a concavity.
According to a preferred embodiment, said diameter D1 is between 35 mm and 100 mm, preferably between 45 mm and 90 mm, said diameter D2 is between 35 mm and 100 mm, preferably between 45 mm and 90 mm, and said diameter D3 is comprised between 30 mm and 70 mm, preferably between 40 mm and 60 mm.
In this way, the diameter D3 at the concavity slope change area varies in an appropriate range to the typical dimensions of the user's hand fingers, thus allowing a user to grasp the device of the present invention with his own hand. Furthermore, the aforementioned ranges within which the diameters D1 and D2 dimensions vary allow both such diameters D1 and D2 to be always greater than the diameter D3.
According to a preferred embodiment, the distance D along the device longitudinal direction between the point facing said device front part where said concavity begins and the point facing said device rear part where said concavity ends is between 20 mm and 60 mm, preferably between 25 mm and 50 mm.
In this way, this distance D between the starting point and the end point of the concavity allows to obtain a depression in proximity of said substantially cylindrical terminal portion facing said air inlet such as to have sufficient space and at the same time not too large to facilitate the insertion of a user's hand into this depression to easily grip the device of the present invention.
According to a preferred embodiment, said central intermediate portion between said first and second portion wherein the slope change of said concavity is present is positioned substantially at the intermediate point between the point facing towards said device front part where said concavity starts and the point facing said device rear part where said concavity ends.
In this way, the concavity is arranged symmetrically between the point where the concavity begins and the point where the concavity ends, although in other embodiments the concavity could be arranged asymmetrically.
According to a preferred embodiment, said depression is made with a material different from the rest of the body, so that it is more prehensile.
According to a preferred embodiment, said depression is made of a transparent material or of a different color from the body.
In this way, the user is facilitated in identifying the depression area that serves as an additional handle.
According to a preferred embodiment, said depression is made with a smooth or rubbery material.
In this way, the grip by the user is further facilitated.
According to the invention, said depression is arranged along substantially the entire circular portion of said external body located at said terminal portion of said cap.
In this way the user can grasp the device of the present invention at any point of the depression obtained in the external body.
According to a preferred embodiment, said depression consists of a groove provided with a concavity facing outwards.
In this way, the grip by the user is further facilitated, by inserting a few fingers in said groove.
According to a preferred embodiment, the portion of said concavity facing said device rear part has a greater slope than the concavity portion facing said device front part.
According to another alternative embodiment, said concavity portion facing said device rear part has a slope less than or equal to the concavity portion facing said device front part.
In this way, the more or less accentuated concavity towards the front or towards the rear of the hairdrying device of the present invention further favors the grip by the user.
According to a preferred embodiment, said cap terminal portion is constituted by a protuberance of the substantially spherical or hemispherical shaped portion facing the device rear part.
According to a preferred embodiment, said terminal portion (protuberance) and said portion of substantially spherical or hemispherical shape which constitute said cap are integral with each other so as to form the cap with a single body. In an alternative embodiment, said two portions are distinct elements connected to each other, performing the same function as the cap in a single piece.
According to a preferred embodiment, the internal portion of said cap is smooth.
According to an alternative embodiment, the internal portion of said cap is provided with a plurality of raised ribs or fins, suitable for reducing noise.
According to a preferred embodiment, the hairdrying device of the present invention also comprises a filter placed at the inlet for the air.
In this way, the filter prevents particles and dirt from entering the device of the present invention through the air inlet.
According to a preferred embodiment, the diameter of said cap terminal portion is less than or equal to the diameter of said filter.
In this way, said particles are further prevented from accessing the cap inside.
According to a preferred embodiment, said terminal portion is substantially circular in shape, internally hollow.
According to another preferred embodiment, the internal part of said end portion is provided with a plurality of channels designed to put said air inlet in communication with the internal part of said substantially spherical or hemispherical portion of the cap.
In this way, it is possible to optimally direct the air flow towards the cap inside.
According to a preferred embodiment, each of said channels is cylindrical in shape, or hourglass shape (i.e. substantially cylindrical in shape with a taper at the central portion), parallelepiped, or the like.
According to a preferred embodiment, said channels are arranged substantially parallel to each other.
In this way the air flow is distributed evenly.
According to a preferred embodiment, said fan is of the centrifugal type designed to suck the air along the device central axis, where the device central axis means the axis parallel to the flow of the sucked air.
In this way, the suction area is thus half or less than the diameter of the fan itself.
According to a preferred embodiment, the hairdrying device of the present invention further comprises at its inside a motor adapted to activate said fan.
According to a preferred embodiment, the hairdrying device of the present invention also comprises at least one heating element suitable for heating the air inside said duct.
According to a preferred embodiment, said at least one heating element consists of at least one flexible sheet having a substantially conical or frusto-conical shape provided with a plurality of electrical resistances fixed in a uniform manner to said sheet.
In this way, the heating element is able to substantially occupy the entire front portion of the device of the present invention.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be better highlighted by examining the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, illustrated by way of non-limiting indication, with the support of the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the hairdrying device of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the cap internal part visible in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the device rear part of Fig. 1, wherein the depression is visible;
Fig. 4 is a detail view of the rear part of a second embodiment of the device of the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 only in that the depression is less accentuated;
Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the internal part of another shape of cap which differs from the cap shown in Fig. 2 only by the fact that it has a plurality of grooves;
Fig. 6 is a side view of a fourth embodiment of the hairdrying device of the present invention which differs from the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 only in that it has the cap shown in Fig. 5 instead of the cap shown in Fig. 2.

Detailed description

The following detailed description refers to particular embodiments of the hairdrying device of the present invention.
Referring in particular to Figs. 1-3, a first embodiment of a hairdrying device 1 of the present invention is shown.
With particular reference to Fig. 1, a side view of the device 1 is shown which comprises a main body, an air inlet 3 located at the rear part P of the device 1, an air outlet 4 located at the front part A of the device 1, and a body 2 external to the main body.
In the main body there are also a duct 5 adapted to make the air flow from the inlet 3 to the outlet 4, a fan 6 able to facilitate the flow of air inside the duct 5, a motor 9 which activates the fan 6 and a heating element 10 adapted to heat the air inside the duct 5.
The fan 6 is of the centrifugal type, that is, capable of sucking the air along the central axis of the device 1, that is the axis parallel to the flow of the sucked air; the heating element 10 consists of at least one flexible sheet of substantially conical or frusto-conical shape provided with a plurality of electrical resistances uniformly fixed around the sheet so that the heating element 10 substantially occupies the entire front portion A at the inside the device 1.
A substantially hemispherical portion 7a of a cap 7 is arranged around the fan 6 (see the details of the cap 7 in Fig. 2); the internal portion 14 of the substantially hemispherical portion 7a of the cap 7 is substantially smooth, without no parts in relief.
The cap 7 also has a terminal portion 7b, consisting of a substantially cylindrical protuberance 7b which detaches from the substantially hemispherical portion 7a towards the air inlet 3. The diameter of the terminal portion 7b is smaller than the diameter of the hemispherical portion 7a of the cap 7.
Furthermore, in the rear part P the main body comprises a filter 12, located at the air inlet 3, which prevents particles and dirt from entering the device 1 through the inlet 3. The diameter of the portion terminal 7b of the cap 7 is less than or equal to the diameter of the filter 12.
The terminal portion 7b in the embodiment shown in detail in Fig. 2 is provided with a plurality of channels 8 which put the air inlet 3 in communication with the internal part of the substantially hemispherical portion 7a of the cap 7, so as to optimally direct the air flow towards the inside of the cap 7. The channels 8 can have a cylindrical shape, or even be hourglass-shaped (i.e. substantially cylindrical in shape with a taper at the central portion), parallelepiped, or similar. They are preferably arranged parallel to each other so as to distribute the air flow uniformly.
The configuration shown in Fig. 1, realized by means of a fan 6 of the centrifugal type, that is, able to suck the air along the central axis of the device 1, and by means of the protuberance 7b (of the cap 7) located in the rear area P of the device 1 between the fan 6 and the air inlet 3, allows air to be aspirated through the protuberance 7b provided with a smaller diameter than the fan 6 surrounded by the substantially hemispherical portion 7a (of the cap 7).
This particular configuration of the fan 6 and of the cap 7 allows the body 2 of the hairdryer 1 to be shaped with a depression 11 placed at the terminal portion 7b of the cap 7 in the rear part P of the hairdryer (see in Fig. 3 the detail of the device rear part 1), where the air is typically much less hot than the front portion A since it has not yet been heated by the heating element 10. The depression 11 consists of a concavity facing outwards and arranged along substantially the whole circular portion of the body 2 at the terminal portion 7b of the cap 7.
The depression 11 obtained in the body 2 in the rear part P of the hairdryer 1, where the air is typically cold or in any case much less hot, can thus be used by the user as an alternative handle to the traditional handle 13 of a hairdryer, thus providing the hairdryer 1 improved ergonomics.
In this way, the user can decide at his/her convenience, depending on the operational needs, which handle to use among the depression 11 and the traditional handle 13, safely and with a secure grip.
The depression concavity 11 consists of a concavity portion 11a facing the front A of the device 1, a concavity portion 11b facing the rear P of the device 1 and an intermediate central portion 11c between the first and the second portion 11a, 11b wherein the concavity slope change is present.
The diameter D1 in the first portion 11a decreases in the direction from the front A of the device 1 towards the central portion 11c, the diameter D2 in the second portion 11b increases from the central portion 11c towards the rear P of the device 1 so that the diameter D3 at the central portion 11c is smaller than both the diameter D1 in the first portion and the diameter D2 in the second portion 11b.
For example, in the configuration shown in Figs. 1-3, the diameter D1 (measured in the portion 11a at the point facing the front A of the device 1 where the concavity 11 begins) is equal to 76 mm; the diameter D2 (measured in the portion 11b at the point facing the rear part B of the device 1 where the concavity 11 ends) is equal to 72 mm, and the diameter D3 measured at the central portion 11c is equal to 58 mm.
In this way, the diameter D3 at the concavity slope change area is of the appropriate size so that the user can grasp the device 1 with his own hand.
Furthermore, the diameter D1 is approximately 130% of the diameter D3, and the diameter D2 is approximately 125% of the diameter D3. Therefore, the concavity 11 appears to be provided with a significant slope which further favors the grip by the user, contrary to some devices known in the art wherein there is no depression at all provided with such a concavity.
Furthermore, in the configuration shown in Figs. 1-3, the distance D along the longitudinal direction of the device 1 between the point facing the front A of the device 1 where the concavity 11 begins and the point facing the rear B of the device 1 where the concavity 11 ends is equal to about 40 mm.
In this way, this distance D allows for a sufficiently small space, and at the same time not too large, to allow the user to easily grip the device 1.
The central portion 11c where the concavity slope change is present is arranged in a substantially symmetrical manner with respect to the first portion 11a and the second portion 11b, even if in other embodiments the concavity could be arranged asymmetrically.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, both the slope portion 11a and the slope portion 11b of the concavity are reduced with respect to the slopes of the corresponding portions shown in Fig. 1 and 3, but still relevant. In fact, while the diameter D3 is substantially the same as that of Fig. 1-3, the diameter D1 and the diameter D2 shown in Fig. 4 are respectively equal to about 70 mm and 65 mm, or respectively about 125% and 115 % of diameter D3. Thus, an angle is formed at the curvature change between the two concavity portions of 11a and 11b which is reduced compared to that shown in Fig. 1 and 3, but which also allows the user to grip the device in a safe and effective way.
Fig. 5 shows in detail an alternative embodiment of the cap 7 which differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 only in that the internal portion 14 of the substantially hemispherical portion 7a of the cap 7 is provided with a plurality of grooves 15 or raised fins, instead of being substantially smooth like that of Fig. 2. Each groove 15 is arranged along a circumference of the internal portion 14 so that the plurality of grooves 15 form a series of concentric barriers, suitable for reducing noise air passing through the cap 7.
Fig. 6 shows a side view of an alternative embodiment of the device 1, which differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 only in having the cap shown in Fig. 5 instead of the cap shown in Fig. 2. For the sake of simplicity, Fig. 6 only shows the references to the grooves 15 present inside the substantially hemispherical portion 7a of the cap 7 also shown in Fig. 5, while the references to all the other components of the device 1 have not been reported, as they are identical to those of Fig. 1.
Of course, many modifications and variations of the described preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art while still remaining within the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims.
Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described, illustrated only by way of non-limiting example, but is defined by the following claims.

Claims

Hairdrying device (1) consisting of a main body equipped with an external body (2), an air inlet (3) located at the rear part (P) of the device (1) and a air outlet (4) located at the front part (A) of the device (1), and wherein said main body also comprises: a duct (5) allowing the air to flow from said inlet (3) to said air outlet (4), at least one fan (6) adapted to facilitate the flow of air inside said duct (5), and
at least one cap (7),

wherein

said cap (7) is constituted by a substantially spherical or hemispherical portion (7a) adapted to at least partially surround said fan (6) and by a substantially cylindrical terminal portion (7b) facing towards said air inlet (3), wherein said terminal portion (7b) has a smaller diameter than the diameter of said substantially spherical or hemispherical portion (7a) of the cap (7), and

the portion of said body (2) located outside of said main body at said terminal portion (7b) of said cap (7) is provided with a depression (11) formed in said body (2), in the shape of a concavity (11) facing outwards and arranged along substantially the entire circular portion of said external body (2) at said end portion (7b) of said cap (7),

characterized in that said concavity (11) consists of a) a first portion (11a) facing said front part (A) of the device (1), b) a second portion (11b) facing said rear part (B) of the device (1), and c) a central portion (11c) intermediate between said first and second portion (11a, 11b) wherein there is a slope change of said concavity (11), wherein the diameter (D1) in said first portion (11a) decreases in the direction from said front part (A) of the device (1) towards said central portion (11c), the diameter (D2) in said second portion (11b) increases from said central portion (11c) towards said rear part (P) of the device (1) so that the diameter (D3) at said central part (11c) is smaller than both the diameter (D1) in said first portion (11a) and the diameter (D2) in said second portion (11b).
Hairdrying device (1) according to claim 1 wherein said diameter (D1) in said first portion (11a) is from 101% to 150%, preferably between 110% and 140%, with respect to said diameter (D3) at said central part (11c) and wherein said diameter (D2) in said second portion (11b) is 101 % to 150%, preferably between 110% and 140%, with respect to said diameter (D3) at said central part (11c).
Hairdrying device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said diameter (D1) in said first portion (11a) is comprised between 35 mm and 100 mm, preferably between 45 mm and 90 mm, said diameter (D2) in said second portion (11b) is comprised between 35 mm and 100 mm, preferably between 45 mm and 90 mm, and said diameter (D3) at said central part (11c) is between 30 mm and 70 mm, preferably between 40 mm and 60 mm.
Hair drying device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the distance (D) along the longitudinal direction of the device (1) between the point facing said front part (A) of the device (1) where said concavity starts and the point facing said rear part (B) of the device (1) where said concavity ends is comprised between 20 mm and 60 mm, preferably between 25 mm and 50 mm.
Hairdrying device (1) according to any of the previous claims also including a filter (12) placed at the air inlet (3).
Hairdrying device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the diameter of said end portion (7b) of the cap (7) is less than or equal to the diameter of said filter (12).
Hairdrying device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said terminal portion (7b) is internally hollow or is provided with a plurality of channels (8) adapted to put in communication said air inlet (3) with the internal part of said substantially spherical or hemispherical portion (7a) of the cap (7).
Hairdrying device (1) according to any of the previous claims wherein said fan (6) is of the centrifugal type designed to suck air along the axis parallel to the flow of the sucked air.
Hairdrying device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims which further comprises inside it a motor (9) adapted to activate said fan (6).
Hairdrying device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims which further comprises at least one heating element (10) adapted to heat the air inside said duct (5), wherein said at least one heating element (10) consists of at least one flexible sheet having a substantially conical or frusto-conical shape provided with a plurality of electrical resistances fixed uniformly around said sheet.