GB2298572A

GB2298572A - Portable vacuum apparatus for hair removal

Info

Publication number: GB2298572A
Application number: GB9604569A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cherry Anne Heath
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-03-06
Filing date: 1996-03-04
Publication date: 1996-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-04
Also published as: GB2298572B; GB9504461D0; GB9604569D0

Description

PORTABLE VACUUX APPARATUS The present invention relates to a portable vacuum apparatus which has a particular application in removing loose hairs from the neck region of a person whose hair has just been cut.

After the hair of a person has been cut, loose hairs fall down onto the neck region of the person.

Normally, the neck region is surrounded with a towel or suitable piece of material to prevent loose hairs from falling down into the space between the neck of the person and the collar of a shirt or other garment worn by the person. After the hair cutting has been completed the towel or piece of material is removed, taking with it most of the loose hairs which have fallen down. However, in many cases, some loose hairs remain on the neck region.

It is common practice to try to remove such remaining loose hairs with a brush. The operation of the brush tends to move the remaining loose hairs sideways or downwards and does not remove all the loose hairs.

It is known to use a portable vacuum apparatus for removing debris and like matter entrapped within a person's hair. Such apparatus includes a body with an inlet aperture and means for generating a vacuum within the body to create a stream of air flowing through the inlet aperture into the body. The apparatus is usually provided with a comb adjacent to the inlet aperture. In use, the comb is pushed into the hair so as to dislodge the debris or other matter which is then removed in the stream of air into the body of the apparatus. The apparatus is also usually provided with a filter or screen in the inlet aperture to prevent hair from entering into the body of the apparatus in the air stream. Such apparatus is not particularly suitable for removing unwanted loose hairs from the neck region of a person.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for removing unwanted loose hairs from the neck region of a person whose hair has just been cut.

The invention relates to a portable vacuum apparatus comprising a hollow body with an outer wall, an inlet aperture formed in the outer wall and means for generating a vacuum in the body so as to create a stream of air flowing through the inlet aperture into the body.

According to the invention the inlet aperture is shaped so as to fit closely onto the neck region of a person whereby, if the inlet aperture is placed on the neck region of a person, loose hairs on the neck region will flow in the stream of air through the inlet aperture into the body.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood an embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in cross section, of an apparatus according to the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of an inlet aperture region of the apparatus of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a front view of the inlet aperture region of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a plan view of an alternative form of the inlet aperture region of the apparatus of Figure 1, and Figure 5 is a side view in section and to a larger scale of part of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1.

With reference to Figure 1 the apparatus includes an elongate hollow body 1 having a front end 2 on the left and a rear end 3 on the right, as shown in Figure 1. The body has a handle 4 attached near the rear end 3. The body 1 has an outer wall 5 and an inlet aperture 6 formed in the wall 5 at the front end and an exit aperture 7 formed in the wall 5 at the rear end.

Within the body 1 is mounted an electric motor 11 driving fan blades 12. A control cable 13 couples the motor 11 to a switch 14 in the handle 4. The motor 11 is powered either by mains electricity supplied along a cable 15 or by a battery (not illustrated) located in the handle 4. When the motor 11 is operated, the fan blades 12 will create a vacuum within the body 1 so that a stream of air will flow through the inlet aperture 6 int the body and out through the exit aperture 7.

As illustrated in Figure 5 the body 1 is formed with a ring member 21 attached to the inner surface of the outer wall 5. The surface of the ring member 21 facing the front end of the body 1 is formed with an annular recess 22. The outer surface of the ring member 21 is formed with a rib 23 extending around the ring member 21.

The front portion 24 of the body 1 in which the inlet aperture 6 is formed is separate from the rest of the body and is adapted to be removable. The portion 24 is hollow with an outer wall 25. The end of the portion 24 remote from the inlet aperture 6 is shaped so as to fit closely over the outer surface of the ring member 21 and abuts against the front end of the outer wall 5. The portion 24 is retained in position by the rib 23 engaging in an annular recess 27 in the inner surface of the outer wall 25. The portion 24 may be flexible in the region of the inlet aperture 6.

A collecting bag 31 made from a porous material is removably located within the body 1. The opening 32 of the bag faces towards the inlet aperture 6 and includes an annular coil spring 33. The dimensions of the spring 33 are such that the spring fits closely into the annular recess 22 on the ring member 21. When the portion 24 is removed from the rest of the body 1, the collecting bag 31 can be inserted in position and retained by the spring 33 or removed and replaced, if desired.

Alternatively, the outer wall 5 can be provided with a flap (not illustrated) which can be opened to allow removal or insertion of the collecting bag 31.

A filter 34 can be located in the body 1 between the collecting bag 31 and the fan blades 12 to prevent loose hairs or other matter in the air stream from interfering with the operation of the fan blades 12 and the motor 11.

When the motor 11 is operated, the fan blades 12 generate a stream of air which flows through the inlet aperture 6 into the body 1, through the collecting bag 31 and the filter 34, if fitted, and out through the outlet aperture 7.

The inlet aperture 6 is illustrated in detail in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4. As shown in these Figures, in both side view and plan view the aperture 6 is concave. As shown in Figure 3, in end view the aperture 6 is oval in shape. As shown in Figure 2, the edges of the aperture 6 may be covered with a soft material 16, such as foam plastic or rubber. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, the soft material can be replaced by a soft brush 17.

The actual shape of the inlet aperture 6 is designed so that the edges of the aperture will fit closely onto the neck region of a person. As a result, any loose hairs on this neck region will be drawn into the body 1 of the apparatus by the air stream generated by the fan blades 12. As the air stream flows through the bag 31 the loose hairs will be trapped in the bag. The soft material 16 or the brush 17 will ensure that the edges of the aperture 6 will fit closely onto the neck region while allowing air to flow into the inlet aperture.

In operation, the apparatus can first be used with the body 1 horizontal and placed so that the inlet aperture 6 abuts firmly but gently onto the neck region of the person whose hair has just been cut and then moved over all the whole region so as to remove all the loose hairs. The apparatus can then be used with the body sybstanbtially vertical and placed so that the inlet aperture 6 is in the gap between the neck region and the collar of the shirt or other garmnent worn by the person so as to remove all the loose hairs which have dropped down into this gap.

Claims

1. Portable vacuum apparatus comprising a hollow body (1) with an outer wall (5), an inlet aperture (6) formed in said outer wall, and means (11, 12) for generating a vacuum in said body so as to create a stream of air flowing through said inlet aperture into said body, characterised in that said inlet aperture (6) is shaped so as to fit closely onto the neck region of a person, whereby, if the inlet aperture (6) is applied to the neck region of a person, loose hairs on the neck region will flow in said stream of air through said inlet aperture (6) into said body (1).

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which the portion of said outer wall (5) forming the edges of said inlet aperture is concave when viewed from above the apparatus.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the portion of said outer wall (5) forming the edges of said inlet aperture is concave when viewed from the side of the apparatus.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which said inlet aperture (6) is oval when viewed from the front of the apparatus.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the material (16, 17) forming the edges of said inlet aperture is soft.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 in which the material forming the edges of said inlet aperture is a foam material (16).

7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 in which the material forming the edges of said inlet aperture is a soft brush (17).

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the portion of the body (1) in which the inlet aperture is formed is flexible.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the portion (24) of the body (1) in which the inlet aperture is formed is removable from the rest of the body.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which said body (1) contains a collecting bag (31) through which said stream of air flows, so that loose hairs in said stream are collected in said collecting bag (31).

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 in which said collecting bag (31) is removable from within said body (1).

12. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11 comprising a spring device (33) for retaining said collecting bag within said body (1).

13. Portable vacuum apparatus substantially as described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

14. Portable vacuum apparatus substantially as described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.