GB2316610A

GB2316610A - Hair drier with independent liquid supply

Info

Publication number: GB2316610A
Application number: GB9618072A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tzung Sheng Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-08-29
Filing date: 1996-08-29
Publication date: 1998-03-04
Also published as: GB9618072D0

Abstract

A hand-held electric hair drier includes a motor 108 which drives a piston 110 via crank 109 to create a pulsating pressure in passage 107. Water or other hair treatment liquid contained in detachable vessel 105 is thereby drawn up dip tube 106 via a non-return valve (115, Fig 4B) and expelled through nozzle 103 which is also fitted with a non-return valve (Fig 4A). The vessel may alternatively be mounted in the drier handle. The motor 108 can be operated independently of the hair drier fan and heater.

Description

HAIR DRIER The present invention relates to hair driers.

A regular hair drier, as shown in Figure 1, is generally comprised of a barrel, an electric heater mounted inside the barrel, and an air fan disposed behind the electric heater and controlled by a switch to cause a current of air toward the electric heater. When using this structure of hair drier to dry the hair, the hair tends to be damaged by hot air if it is not properly moistened.

The present invention has been accomplished to provide a hair drier which eliminates the aforesaid problem.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a hair drier which can be controlled to spray a mist of fine drops of water for moistening the hair when drying.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the hair drier comprises an elongated air passageway in the barrel thereof at the bottom side, the air passageway having a front end terminating in a water nozzle in front of the barrel and a rear end, a receptacle mounted in the barrel at the bottom side, a water container coupled to the receptacle and having a dip tube inserted into the receptacle in communication with the air passageway, a motor mounted in a handle at one end of the barrel, a piston coupled to the motor by a crank and reciprocated by it in the rear end of the air passageway to induce a liquid from the water container into the air passageway and to drive the liquid out of the air passageway through the water nozzle. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the receptacle and the water container are installed in the handle of the hair driver on the inside, and therefore the water container is well protected.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.1 is a cutaway view of a hair drier according to the prior art; Fig.2 is an elevational view of a hair drier according to one embodiment of the present invention; Fig.3 is a cutaway view of the hair drier shown in Figure 2; Fig. 4A is a sectional view in an enlarged scale of ;e nozzle at tte front end of tile hair drier shown in Figure 2; Fig. 4R is a sectional view in an enlarged scale of the water container and the receptacle at the bottom side of the barrel of the hair drier shown in Figure 2; Fig. 4C is a sectional view in an enlarged scale of the motor, the crank, and the piston in the handle of te hair drier shown in Figure 2; Fig. SA is another cutaway view or the hair drier shown in Figure 2, showing the induction stroke of the piston; Fig. 53 is still another cutaway view of the hair drier shown in Figure 2, showing the exhaust stroke of the piston; Fig. 6A is an applied view of the present invention, showing a current of hot air driven out of the barrel; Fig. 63 is another applied view of the present invention, showing a mist of fine drops of water driven out of the barrel; Fig. 6C is still another applied view of the present invention, showing a current of hot air and a mist of fine drops of water driven out of the barrel; and Fig. 7 is a cutaway view of an alternate of the present invention, showing the receptacle an te detachable water bottle installed in tne handle on the inside.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Ref erring to Figure 2, the hair drier, referenced by 100, has a detachable water container 102 connected to the barrel 101 at the bottom side. Water in the detachable water container 102 can be see in the barrel 101, then pumped outwards to a nozzle 103 at the front end of the barrel 101, and then ejected out of the nozzle 103, and therefore a mist of fine drops of water is sprayed over the hair to prevent the hair rom being damaged by hot air.

Referring to Figure 3, an internally threaded receptacle 104 is made cn the barrel 101 of the hair drier 100 at the bottom slde, and a detachable water bottle 105 is mounted in the receptacle 104. The detachable water bottle 105 is mounted with a dip tube 106, which has a top end connected to a longitudinal air passageway 107 at the bottom side of the barrel 101. A motor 108 is mounted inside the handle of the hair drier 100. A piston 110 is coupled to the motor 100 by a crank 109, and reciprocated in the air passageway .107 at one end. When the piston 110 is reciprocated in the aix passageway 107 at one end, water is sucked in the aii passageway 107 from the detachable water bottle 105 anc then driven out of the nozzle 103. The nozzle 103, as shown in Figure 4A is mounted on the front end of the barrel 101 at the bottom side, having an inside annulax flange 111 at an inner side, a spring 112 mounted on the inside, and a stopper 113 forced backwards by the sprint 112 into engagement with the inside annular flange 111 tc stop the air passageway. The water bottle 105, as shown ir Figure 4B, is fastened to the internally threadec receptacle 104 at the bottom side of the barrel 101; the dip tube 114 is inserted into the detachable water bottle 105, having an expanded top end inserted through the receptacle 104 and connected to the air passageway 107, 2 steel ball 115 moved in the expanded top end, and a stoy flange 116 at inside the expanded top end at the top tc stop the steel ball 115 from escaping out of the dip tube 114 into the air passageway 107. When the steel ball 11C is moved upwards, the water passage between the detachable water bottle 105 and the air passageway 107 is opened.

Referring to Figure 4C, when the motor 108 is started, the crank 109 is driven to reciprocate the piston 110 ir the air passageway 107 at one end, thereby causing the piston 110 to induce air and to exhaust air alternatively.

Referring to Figures 5A and 5B, during the Induction stroke of the piston 110, the air inside the air passageway 107 is at a negative pressure state, the stopper 113 of the nozzle 103 is forced by the spring 112 inte engagement with the inside annular flange 113 to stop the air passageway 107, therefore outside air is prohibited rom passing through the nozzle 103 to the inside of the air passageway 107 and, a suction force is produced in the detachable water bottle 105 to suck the steel ball 115 of the dip tube 106 upwards and to draw water from the detachable water bottle 105 into tile air passageway 107 (see Figure 5A) ; during the exhaust stroke of the piston 110, the 'air inside the air passageway 107 is at a positive pressure state, the steel ball 115 is forced downwards by air pressure to stop the passage between the detachable water bottle 105 and the air passageway 107 to prevent reverse flow of water, the stopper 113 is forced outwards to compress the spring 112 and to let water be driven out of the air passageway 107 through the nozzle 103.

referring to Figures SA, 6B, and SC, when the switch at the front side of the handle of the air. drier is switched on, the air drier produces a current of hot ar fr drying the flair (see Figure 6A); when the switch at the back side of the handle of the hair drier is switched on, a mist of fine drops of water is driven out of the front end of the hair drier to moisten the hair (see Figure 63); when both switches are switched on, the current of hot air and a mist of fine drops of water are simultaneously driven out of the front end of the hair drier (see Figure 6C). Hair lotion, nutrient solution, hair style setting solution may be filled in the detachable water bottle Instead of water for treating the hair.

Figure 7 shows an alternate form of the present invention, in which the receptacle 104 and the detachable water bottle 105 are installed in the handle of the hair drier 100; the air passageway 107 has a rear end curved downwards to be receptacle 104; when the motor 108 is started, the piston 110 is reciprocated. by the crank 109, thereby causing a flow of water to be nduced from the detachable water bottle 105 into the air passageway 107 and then driven out of the air passageway 107 through the nozzle 103. Because the receptacle 104 and the detachable water bottle 105 are mounted inside the handle of the hair drier, the detachable water bottle 105 is well protected.

It is to be understood that the drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A hair drier of a the type comprising an neater controlled to produce heat, and a fan controlled to force heat from said electric heater out of the hair drier, the improvement comprising an elongated air passageway in a barrel thereof along its length at a bottom' side, said air passageway having a front end terminating in a water nozzle in front of said barrel and a rear end, a receptacle mounted in said barrel, a detachable water container coupled to said receptacle and having a dip tube inserted into said receptacle in communication with said air passageway, a motor mounted in a handle at one end of said barrel, a piston coupled to said motor by a crack and reciprocated by it In the rear end of said air passageway to induce a liquid from said water container into said air passageway and to drive the liquid out of said air passageway through said water nozzle.

2. The hair drier of claim 1 wherein said receptacle ana said detachable water container are installed in said handle on the inside.

3. The hair drier of claim I wherein said motor can be separately operated to reciprocate said piston, causing a fine drops of said liquid to be driven out of said water nozzle when the fan of the hair drier does no work, or simultaneously operated .^ reciprocate said piston, causing a fine drops of said liquid to be driven out of said water nozzle when the fan of the haiz drier is operated to force hot air out of the hair drier.

4. The hair drier of claim 1 wherein saic liquid can We a hair lotion, a hair loticn, a nutrient solution, or a hair style setting solution.

5. A hair drier comprising: a liquid reservoir; a passageway; means for delivering liquid into the passageway from the reservoir; and means for expelling the delivered liquid from the passageway through a nozzle into the path of air flowing from the fan in the hair drier.

6. A hair drier according to claim 5, in which the means for delivering liquid into the passageway lowers the pressure in the passageway relative to the pressure of liquid in the reservoir.

7. A hair drier according to claim 5 or 6, in which the means for expelling the delivered liquid increases the pressure in the passageway relative to ambient pressure.

8. A hair drier according to claim 6 or 7, in which the pressure in the passageway is varied by a pistonic arrangement.

9. A hair drier according to any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a valve interposed between the reservoir and the passageway, the valve being operable between a first position, allowing liquid to be delivered from the reservoir into the passageway, and second position, preventing liquid in the passageway from returning to the reservoir.

10. A hair dryer according to claim 9, in which the operation of the valve is controlled by differences between the pressure in the passageway and the pressure of liquid in the reservoir.

11. A hair drier according to any one of claims 5 to 10, further comprising a valve between the nozzle and the passageway, the valve being operable between a first position, allowing the delivered liquid to be expelled from the passageway through the nozzle, and a second position, substantially preventing the ingress of fluid into the passageway through the nozzle.

12. A hair drier according to claim 11, in which the operation of the valve between the nozzle and the passageway is controlled by variations in the pressure in the passageway.

13. A hair dryer according to any one of claims 5 to 12, in which the reservoir is accommodated in the handle of the hair drier.

14. A hair drier according to any one of claims 5 to 13, in which at least part of the passageway is aligned substantially parallel to the direction in which air is to flow from the hair drier.

15. A hair drier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, in the accompanying figures.