GB1443761A - Hair dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

1443761 Hair dryers SCHICK INC 29 Nov 1973 [22 Dec 1972] 55461/73 Heading A5R A hair dryer 20 comprises a head mounting assembly 24 pivotally supporting a head assembly 22 which defines a region for receiving part of a user's head, said head mounting assembly 24 having an elongated conduit passing therethrough for directing air to a substantially annular plenum having means for directing air towards said region, and forming a continuous loop comprising a straight first portion 64 within the head mounting assembly and a C-shaped second portion 34 in the head assembly, means being provided for maintaining the two portions in pivotal alignment, counterbalancing means maintaining the head assembly 22 in any position relative to the head mounting assembly 24. Head mounting assembly 24 is pivoted on a base 28 so that the dryer is foldable. The two portions 64, 34 of the plenum are held in alignment by a bushing 70 which is secured to plenum portion 64 by resilient fingers (78) (Figure 2, not shown) carrying detents (80) which engage a flange (82) in plenum portion 64, and by a keying boss (103) (Figure 6, not shown) which extends into a locking notch (104) in head mounting assembly 24. The counterbalancing means comprise a spiral spring 74 the outer end of which has a slot (100) (Figure 9, not shown) engaged with the end 96 of a bracket 90 which is secured to the bottom wall 88 of head assembly 22. Spring 74 is coiled around, but not fixed to, a spring mounting spool 72 which is integral with bushing 70 and is thus secured to head mounting assembly 24. Keeper flange 73 retains spring 74 on spool 72. Spring 74, which may typically be made of two layers of stainless steel strip, is formed into a tightly wound spiral about 1 inch in diameter exerting an almost constant pull of about 7¢ lbs as it is unwound. When the dryer is completely folded, spring 74 is maximally unwound as shown in Figure 3, the unwound part being constrained to a fixed radius by two spring guides 110, thus ensuring that the force of the spring is circumferential. As the appliance is unfolded, spring 74 coils up on spring mounting spool 72 until the fully unfolded position shown in Figure 4 is reached. A counter balancing unit may be fitted at one or both ends of plenum portion 64, and, so that one type of bushing 70 is usable in either position, it is made symmetrical about the line C (Figure 4). The two spring guides 112, which serve no purpose in the position illustrated in Figure 3, come into use instead of the spring guides 110 if the bushing it fitted at the opposite end of plenum portion 64.