GB1559423A

GB1559423A - Hand held hair dryers

Info

Publication number: GB1559423A
Application number: GB727477A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Gillette Co LLC
Current assignee: Gillette Co LLC
Priority date: 1978-02-21
Filing date: 1978-02-21
Publication date: 1980-01-16

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO HAND HELD HAIR DRIERS (71) We, THE GILLETTE COM PANY, a corporation organised and existing under the laws of the state of Delaware, United States of America, of Prudential Tower Building, Boston, Massachusetts, 02199, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to hand held hair dryers.

The majority of hand held dryers in current use fall into two main categories, those of"pistol-grip"type and those of the "rod"type.

The first category of dryers have a handle set roughly perpendicular to the axis of the main body of the dryer and are generally employed with separate styling aids, such as combs and brushes held in the other hand of the user.

The"rod"type are those in which the dryer has a generally elongated form, with one end constituting a handle and the other end being formed with radial outlets for heated air. With this type of dryer, styling aids can conveniently be detachably mounted on the body of the dryer and styling can be effected with one hand.

The present invention aims at providing a dryer which combines advantages of the two main known types. A hand held dryer in accordance with the invention comprises a main body defining an air outlet and housing a fan, fan motor and heating elements, and a handle member connected to the body for adjustment between a first operative position substantially in line with the body and air outlet, and an alternative operative position transverse to the body and outlet.

It has been proposed to provide a pistolgrip type hair dryer with a movable handle which can be adjusted between a first position transverse to the dryer outlet and a second position in which the handle is disposed parallel to and alongside the outlet nozzle. The handle is moved to the second position, in which the dryer can be operated, to render the dryer more compact, for example when it is not in use, and more convenient to use when connected by a flexible hose to a hood. However the handle cannot be brought into line with the dryer outlet nozzle to allow the dryer to be used in the manner of a rod type dryer.

The handle of the dryer of the present invention is preferably pivotally mounted for movement between the two operative positions, but it could instead be detached and remounted on the dryer body for adjustment.

In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the body has its air outlet at a forward end and an air inlet at the opposite, rear end, the fan motor and fan have a common axis extending from end-to-end of the body, and the handle is pivotally connected to the body for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the said common axis. Detent means are provided for holding the handle resiliently in the first and alternative operative positions.

This presently preferred form of hair dryer in accordance with the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figures 1 and 2 are rear perspective views of the dryer with the handle in different positions of adjustment ; and Figure 3 is a perspective view with the handle shown opened to reveal the detent means.

The hair dryer comprises a main body 1 and a handle 2 formed as separate injection mouldings and pivotally connected together for relative movement about a transverse axis 3 by circular protrusions 10 on the main body which engage in circular sockets 11 in the handle. Forwardly of the protrusion 10 the main body has a U-shaped slot 12 which forms a resiliently flexible finger 13 having a projecting pip 14 at its free end. The inside surface of fthe handle 2 which is provided with two circular depressions 15,16 arranged to receive the pip 14 in respective predetermined positions of the handle which are as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Thus the pip and depressions constitute a detent mechanism which serves to retain the handle in either of the two adjusted positions.

When the handle is not in either of the said positions the finger 12 is flexed inwardly and presses the pip against the handle. 0 : course, more recesses would be provided if required to give one or more intermediate settings for the handle which could then be indexed between the positions respectively shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The body 1 has a main axis 4 perpendicular to the axis 3 and has an air outlet at its forward end 5. The rear end of the body is of hemispherical form and is slotted at 6 to provide an air inlet, protected by a perforated screen 7 in known manner.

The body 1 houses an axial flow fan, fan motor and electrical resistance heating coils, c-axial with each other on the main axis 4.

In the interests of compactness, the heating coils are preferably disposed around the motor.

The handle is given a complementary part-spherical form where it confronts the body 1 and is slotted locally at 8 to permit free air flow to the inlet of the body in all positions of relative adjustment. The handle is conveniently provided with the usual control switch 9.

The dryer is shown in Figure 1 with the handle 2 set substantially at right angles to the main axis 4 of the body, so that the dryer has the familiar configuration of a pistol grip dryer.

In Figure 2, the handle is generally aligned with the body and main axis 4 to simulate a"rod"type of dryer, and will normally be adjusted to this form when styling attachments are mounted over the outlet.

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS : 1. A hand held hair dryer comprising a main body defining an air outlet and housing a fan, fan motor and heating elements, and a handle member connected to the body for adjustment between a first operative position substantially in line with the body and air outlet, and an alternative operative position transverse to the body and air outlet.
2. A hand held hair dryer according to claim I, wherein the handle member is continuously ajustable between the first and alternative operative positions.
3. A hand held hair dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the handle member is pivotally connected to the main body for pivotal movement between the first and alternative positions.
4. A hand held hair dryer according to claim 3, wherein the air outlet is at a forward end of the main body, an air outlet is provided in an opposite, rear end of the main body, the fan motor and fan have a common axis extending from end-to-end of the body, and the handle member is pivotal about an axis substantially perpendicular to the said common axis between the first and alternative operative positions.
5. A hand held hair dryer according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the handle member is provided with openings which permit free flow of air into the air mlet of the main body in all positions of the handle member.
6. A hand held hair dryer according to any preceding claim, wherein detent means is provided for retaining the handle in either of the first and alternative operative posi tions.
7. A hand held hair dryer according to claim 6, wherein the detent means inclues a spring finger on one of the main body and handle member and recess means on the other of the main body and handle for cooperation with the spring finger.
8. A hand held hair dryer substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.