GB2527028A

GB2527028A - Hairdryer

Info

Publication number: GB2527028A
Application number: GB1407090.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert John Watkins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-04-22
Filing date: 2014-04-22
Publication date: 2015-12-16
Also published as: GB201407090D0

Abstract

A hairdryer 100 that comprises a fan assembly 104 within a casing 102 that is arranged to draw air from an inlet 106 through the casing to an outlet 108. The hairdryer includes a motor 110 for driving the fan assembly and a drive transmission 112 that mechanically couples the motor to the fan assembly. The fan assembly is spaced from the motor and is driven indirectly by the motor via the drive transmission. The hairdryer may have a handle 114 with motor located within the handle.

Description

HAIRDRYER

The present invention relates to hairdryers and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with hairdryers that operate in a relatively quiet manner.

Conventional hairdryers have a casing within which is mounted an air heating element, a fan assembly, and an electric motor for driving the fan assembly. Air is drawn into the casing by the fan assembly and is heated by the heating element. The heated air is then expelled from the casing and may be directed appropriately in order to dry a person's hair. In these known hairdryers, the fan assembly is typically mounted directly on the rotor of the motor. However, in these arrangements, any vibrations generated by the motor are imparted to the fan, which in turn transmits vibrations to the air that flows through the casing. Furthermore, the motor is generally mounted in the path of air that flows through the casing, and so a significant amount of air passes over the vibrating motor. These effects contribute considerably to the amount of noise generated by known hairdryers.

It is a principal aim of this invention to provide hairdryers that are relatively more quiet in operation than the known hairdryers. However, further benefits of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

According to this invention there is provided a hairdryer comprising: -a casing having an inlet and an outlet; -a fan assembly within the casing, the fan assembly arranged to draw air from the inlet through the casing to the outlet; -a motor for driving the fan assembly; and -a drive transmission that mechanically couples the motor to the fan assembly, the fan assembly being spaced from the motor and being driven indirectly by the motor via the drive transmission.

As will be appreciated, by spacing the fan assembly from the motor and driving the fan assembly indirectly via a drive transmission, the amplitude of vibrations imparted to the fan from the motor is reduced. Subsequently, the amplitude of vibrations transmitted to the air flow from the fan is also reduced.

Furthermore, since the motor and fan assembly are indirectly coupled, the motor can be placed away from the fan, for example in a location in which the vibrations imparted from the motor directly to the air flow are reduced. Thus, the present invention can significantly reduce the amount of noise generated by the hairdryer in use.

In particularly preferred embodiments, the motor is located within the handle of the hairdryer. In this way, the motor is remote from the fan and is not within the air flow path through the casing. This can reduce the amount of noise generated by the hairdryer further and, since the motor is not in the casing, can also minimise the bulkiness of the casing. The motor may be mounted within or on a damping material, such as rubber, so as to minimise vibration and noise further. In these embodiments, the handle preferably has a base that is remote from the casing, with the motor being located at or towards the base of the handle. This can minimise the effect that the motor has on the noise generated by the air flow through the hairdryer. The hairdryer may also be configured such that it can be stood on the base of the handle, with the weight of the motor acting as ballast to reduce the risk of the hairdryer being knocked over.

In preferred embodiments the drive transmission comprises a belt transmission. However, the drive transmission may also or instead comprise a chain transmission and/or a gear transmission. The drive transmission is preferably mechanically coupled between a rotor of the motor and a fan spindle of the fan assembly.

In preferred embodiments, the hairdryer further comprises a user operable speed control that is connected to the motor or drive transmission.

The speed control allows a user to select one of at least two different fan speed settings for the fan assembly. The speed control may comprise any form of actuator including a button or switch, such as a rocker switch, sliding switch, rotating switch, etc. In preferred embodiments, the hairdryer comprises one or more air heating elements within the casing. The one or more air heating elements may include one or more ceramic and/or tourmaline treated heating elements.

Tourmaline treated heating elements are known to produce negative ions, which can reduce static in the user's hair and aid the hair drying process.

Alternatively or additionally, the one or more air heating elements may comprise one or more metallic heating elements.

In preferred embodiments, the hairdryer further comprises a user operable temperature control connected to the one or more heating elements.

The temperature control allows a user to select between at least two different air heating temperature settings for the one or more heating elements. The temperature control may comprise any form of actuator including a button or switch, such as a rocker switch, sliding switch, rotating switch, etc. As will be appreciated, in other embodiments, the hairdryer may not have any heating elements, with ambient temperature air being expelled therefrom.

In some embodiments, the fan assembly may comprise at least two fans.

In these embodiments, the drive transmission may be arranged such that the motor can simultaneously rotate at least two fans at the same or different speeds. The drive transmission may be arranged such that the motor can simultaneously rotate at least two fans in opposite directions. These embodiments are particularly advantageous in that the speed of the motor can be reduced without compromising the air flow from the hairdryer. The lower the speed of the motor, the less noise generated therefrom. Furthermore, these arrangements allow greater versatility in controlling the speed of the air flow.

These embodiments may be realised, for example, with a speed reducing/increasing/reversing gearing between the respective fan spindles for the at least two fans. These embodiments may also or instead be realised, for example, with separate and different belt, chain and/or gear transmissions mechanically coupled to the respective fan spindles for the at least two fans.

In preferred embodiments, the hairdryer further comprises an AC or DC electrical supply that powers the motor. The heating element may also be powered by the AC or DC supply. The power cable for the electrical supply may connect to the hairdryer at a side of handle, rather than at the base of the handle, to allow the hairdryer readily to be stood on the base.

In other embodiments, the hairdryer may comprise a battery that powers the motor. The battery may be a rechargeable battery and may be located in the handle of the hairdryer. The handle of the hairdryer may be configured to locate on a recharging station for the hairdryer. Alternatively, the battery may be removable for charging on a recharging station. In these battery powered embodiments, the heating element may be heated using a replaceable or refillable gas canister, which may also be located in the handle of the hairdryer.

It will be appreciated that the angle and pitch of the fan blades may also have an effect on the noise generated by the hairdryer. The fan with the most appropriate configuration may be selected in order further to reduce the noise generated by operation of the hairdryer.

The hairdryer may further comprise an air diffuser having arms extending from a central hub and appropriately angled to achieve optimum airflow and minimal noise. The arms of the diffuser, where provided, may be angled in an opposite direction to the blades of the fan.

By way of example only, embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a part sectional view of a hairdryer according to a first embodiment of this invention; Figure 2 is a part sectional view of a hairdryer according to a second embodiment of this invention; and Figure 3 is a part sectional view of a hairdryer according to a third embodiment of this invention.

Figure 1 shows a hairdryer 100 comprising a casing 102. The casing 102 has an air inlet 106, which is covered by a protective grill (not shown) to prevent hair being drawn in, and an air outlet 108, which has a grid (not shown) to prevent the insertion of objects such as fingers, etc. The hairdryer 100 comprises a fan assembly 104 within the casing 102.

The fan assembly is arranged to draw air from the inlet 106 through the casing 102 to the outlet 108, and thereafter expel the air towards the user's hair. In this embodiment, the fan assembly 104 comprises a single fan mounted to a fan spindle 118.

The hairdryer 100 also comprises a handle 114 having a flat base 116 that is remote from the casing 102. The hairdryer 100 can be stood on the base 116 of the handle 114. A motor 110 that drives the fan assembly 104 is housed within the handle 114, at the base 116 of the handle 104. The rotor 120 of the motor 110 is mechanically coupled to the spindle 118 of the fan assembly 104 by a drive transmission 112. In this embodiment, the drive transmission 112 comprises a belt 122 that is coupled both to the spindle 118 of the fan assembly 104 and the rotor 120 of the motor 110. Thus, the fan assembly 104 is spaced from the motor 110 and is indirectly driven by the motor 110 via the drive transmission 112. This minimises the amplitude of vibrations of the motor 120 that are imparted to the flow of air through the casing 102. Locating the motor at the base 116 of the handle 114 also helps to stabilise the hairdryer 100 when stood on the base 116.

The hairdryer 100 also comprises an air heating element 124 within the casing 102. In this embodiment, the heating element 124 is formed from ceramic material that has been treated with tourmaline. The hairdryer 100 also comprises an air diffuser 132 to enhance air flow through the hairdryer 100.

The diffuser typically comprises 8 to 10 arms (not shown) which are fixed to a central hub and which extend outwardly from the hub towards the inner periphery of the casing 102.

The hairdryer 100 also comprises an on/off switch in the form of a first rocker switch 126, a user operable speed control in the form of a second rocker switch 128, and a user operable temperature control in the form of a third rocker switch 130. The speed control rocker switch 128 is electrically connected to the motor 110 via a power and control circuit 138 and allows the user to select one of two different motor speeds for rotating the fan of the fan assembly 104.

Similarly, the temperature control rocker switch 130 is electrically connected to the heating element 124 via the power and control circuit 138 and allows the user to select one of two different air heating temperature settings for the heating element 124.

The hairdryer 100 also comprises an AC electrical supply 134 that is used to power the motor 110 and heating element 124 via the power and control circuit 138. The AC electrical supply 134 is provided on the side of the handle 114, rather than the base 116, so that the hairdryer 100 can readily be stood on the base 116.

Figure 2 shows an alternative hairdryer 200 to that shown in figure 1.

The hairdryers shown in figures 1 and 2 are substantially the same and therefore have many identical features. Detailed description of the identical features is not needed and will not be repeated herein. Instead, identical features to those found in figure 1 can be identified in figure 2 by adding 100 to the reference numeral used in figure 1.

In this embodiment, the fan assembly 204 of the hairdryer 200 comprises two fans 204a and 204b, which are simultaneously rotated at different speeds by the motor 210. This is achieved by a speed reducing gear 236 provided between the respective spindles 218a and 218b of the fans 204a and 204b. A similar arrangement, with an appropriate rotation reversing gear between the respective spindles 218a and 218b of the fans 204a and 204b, can be used to rotate the fans 204a and 204b in different directions.

Figure 3 shows an alternative hairdryer 300 to that shown in figure 1.

Again, the hairdryers shown in figures 1 and 3 are substantially the same and therefore have many identical features. Detailed description of the identical features is again not needed and will not be repeated herein. Instead, identical features to those found in figure 1 can be identified in figure 3 by adding 200 to the reference numeral used in figure 1.

As with Figure 2, in this embodiment, the fan assembly 304 of the hairdryer 300 comprises two fans 304a and 304b, which are simultaneously rotated at different speeds by the motor 310. However, in this embodiment, this is achieved by providing two belts 322a and 322b coupled from the rotor 320 to the respective spindles 318a and 318b of the fans 304a and 304b, with different sized belt couplings being provided on the spindles 318a and 318b. A similar arrangement, with one of the belts 322a and 322b being crossed-over into a figure of eight, can be used to rotate the fans 304a and 304b in different directions.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A hairdryer comprising: -a casing having an inlet and an outlet; -a fan assembly within the casing, the fan assembly arranged to draw air from the inlet through the casing to the outlet; -a motor for driving the fan assembly; and -a drive transmission that mechanically couples the motor to the fan assembly, the fan assembly being spaced from the motor and being driven indirectly by the motor via the drive transmission.
2. A hairdryer as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a handle, the motor being located within the handle.
3. A hairdryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the handle has a base that is remote from the casing, the motor being located at or towards the base of the handle.
4. A hairdryer as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hairdryer is configured to be stood on the base of the handle.
5. A hairdryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive transmission comprises a belt, chain and/or gear transmission.
6. A hairdryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the drive transmission is mechanically coupled between a rotor of the motor and a fan spindle of the fan assembly.
7. A hairdryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a user operable speed control connected to the motor or drive transmission, the speed control allowing a user to select one of at least two different fan speed settings for the fan assembly.
8. A hairdryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more air heating elements within the casing.
9. A hairdryer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more air heating elements comprises one or more ceramic and/or tourmaline treated heating elements.
10. A hairdryer as claimed in claim 8 or 9, further comprising a user operable temperature control connected to the one or more heating elements, the temperature control allowing a user to select between at least two different air heating temperature settings for the one or more heating elements.
11. A hairdryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fan assembly comprises at least two fans.
12. A hairdryer as claimed in claim 11, wherein the drive transmission is arranged such that the motor can simultaneously rotate at least two of the fans at different speeds.
13. A hairdryer as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein the drive transmission is arranged such that the motor can simultaneously rotate at least two of the fans in opposite directions.
14. A hairdryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an AC electrical supply, the motor being powered by the AC electrical supply.
15. A hairdryer as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a battery, the motor being powered by the battery.
16. A hairdryer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1.