JP3226032U - Hair dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hair dryer having a uniform flow velocity, reduced turbulence, reduced noise, and uniformized load around an annular ring at a fluid outlet. A hair dryer (10) includes a flow channel (400) extending from a fluid inlet (40) to a fluid outlet (440), a fan unit (70) for drawing the fluid into the flow channel, and a heater (80) for heating the fluid in the flow channel. The flowing fluid is slower than the flowing fluid in the fan unit. The heater is downstream of the fan unit, the cross-sectional area of the flow path varies along the flow path and is larger around the heater than around the fan unit. The fluid inlet resides within the hair dryer handle 20, the fluid outlet resides within the hair dryer body 30, and the flow path extends within the handle from the fluid inlet to the body. [Selection diagram] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a handheld device, and more particularly to a hair care device such as a hair dryer or a high temperature hair styling brush.

  Blowers, especially warm air blowers, are used for a variety of applications such as drying materials such as paints or hair, and cleaning or removing surface layers. A warm air blower such as a high temperature hair styling brush is also used to condition the hair from a wet state or a dry state.

  Generally, the body is provided with a motor and a fan for drawing in fluid to allow the fluid to be heated before being discharged from the body. Motors are vulnerable to foreign matter such as dust or hair, and are therefore typically provided with a filter at the fluid inlet to the blower. Conventionally, such devices include attachable and detachable nozzles that change the shape and velocity of the fluid flow exiting the device. Such nozzles can be used to concentrate the outflow of equipment or to spread the outflow, depending on the user's request at that time.

  According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a hair dryer.

  In a preferred embodiment, the hair dryer includes a primary fluid flow passage extending from the primary fluid inlet to the primary fluid outlet, a fan unit that draws the primary fluid into the primary fluid flow passage, and a heater that heats the primary fluid in the primary fluid flow passage. Including, the primary fluid flowing in the heater is slower than the primary fluid flowing in the fan unit.

  The heater is preferably located downstream of the fan unit.

  In a preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the primary fluid flow path varies along the primary fluid flow path.

  The cross-sectional area of the primary fluid flow passage is preferably larger around the heater than around the fan unit.

  In a preferred embodiment, the hair dryer includes a handle and the primary fluid inlet resides within the handle.

  The hair dryer preferably includes a body, the primary fluid outlet is within the body, and the primary fluid flow path extends within the handle from the primary fluid inlet to the body.

  In the preferred embodiment, the fan unit is located within the handle.

  The handle is preferably substantially orthogonal to the body.

  In a preferred embodiment, the primary fluid flow path flows in the handle in a first direction and in the body in a second direction.

  The first direction is preferably substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

  In a preferred embodiment, the primary fluid flowing through the primary fluid outlet is faster than the primary fluid flowing through the heater.

  The velocity of the primary fluid flowing into the primary fluid inlet is preferably similar to the velocity of the primary fluid flowing through the heater.

  In a preferred embodiment, the velocity of the primary fluid increases from the primary fluid inlet to the fan unit.

  The velocity of the primary fluid preferably decreases from the fan unit towards the body.

  In a preferred embodiment, the hair dryer includes a fluid flow path extending from a fluid inlet to the body to a fluid outlet from the body.

  The primary fluid flow path preferably surrounds the fluid flow path within the body.

  In a preferred embodiment, the body includes an inner duct that separates the primary fluid flow path and the fluid flow path.

  The heater preferably surrounds the inner duct.

  In the preferred embodiment, the heater extends along the inner duct.

  The hair dryer preferably comprises a high speed motor. A hair dryer includes a fan unit for producing an airflow, the fan unit including an air inlet, an air outlet, an impeller, and a motor for rotating the impeller to produce an airflow that travels from the air inlet to the air outlet. The motor has a rotor, which in use can rotate at a speed of at least 50,000 rpm. The rotor is preferably capable of rotating at a speed of at least 80,000 rpm. The rotor is preferably capable of rotating at speeds of up to 110,000 rpm. The hair dryer is an amplifying hair dryer, so the fan unit does not process all the flow exiting the hair dryer, i.e. part of the flow inside the hair dryer is converted into the fluid drawn into the hair dryer by the action of the motor. Accompany. The fan unit is preferably housed within the handle of the hair dryer.

The present invention provides a hair dryer having a fan unit including a high voltage motor. The pressure generated by the motor is preferably 1400 Pa to 2250 Pa. The motor that exist in the cross-sectional area of 25 mm ^2, the pressure is equal to the motor speed of the flow, and 84,000rpm~105,000rpm of 9.4~12l / s. Therefore, the motor is preferably in a grippable handle having a diameter of 35 mm to 42 mm.

  According to the invention, the thickness of the outer wall is preferably less than 2 mm, more preferably less than 1 mm. Ideally, this thickness is about 0.7 mm.

  In another aspect, the handle diameter is 20 mm to 60 mm, preferably 30 mm to 50 mm. Most preferably, the handle diameter is between 35 mm and 42 mm.

  According to the invention, a hair dryer has a handle containing a motor, the wall of the handle being lined with a material. Usually, the thickness of the lining material is 4 mm to 6 mm.

According to the present invention, a hair dryer includes a handle that houses a fan unit, the handle being lined with a lining material. The lining material preferably includes at least one of an inlet side silencer and an outlet side silencer. The length of the outlet-side silencer S _O from the downstream end of the fan unit to the downstream end of the handle 20 is preferably 100 mm or less. The length of the inlet-side silencer S _I from the upstream end of the fan unit to the downstream end of the inlet is preferably 10 mm to 200 mm. The ratio between the inlet silencer S _I and the outlet silencer S _O is preferably greater than 1.2. For a hair dryer 10 having a constant diameter handle 20, this ratio is preferably above 0.1.

  According to the present invention, the length Lx of the body from the fluid inlet to the upstream edge of the handle and the length Lz of the body from the downstream edge of the handle to the fluid outlet at the downstream end of the body have a fixed relationship. Ideally, Lz ≦ 40 mm and Lx ≦ 20 mm. It is preferable that 2Lx = Lz.

According to the invention, the hair dryer has a fixed relationship between the outer wall diameter d _a of the body and the inner duct diameter d _b . For hair dryers with a constant diameter handle, a ratio of d _b : d _a of 0.49 to 0.6 is preferred.

According to the present invention, the hair dryer has a handle non-constant or variable diameter, d _b: a ratio of d _a is preferably a 0.4 to 0.9.

According to the invention, the hair dryer has a fixed relationship between the body length l ₂ and the handle diameter d _h . The hair dryer has a handle fixed diameter, it is preferable the ratio of l ₂ pairs d _h is 1.9 to 2.5. The hair dryer has a handle non-constant or variable diameter, it is preferable the ratio of l ₂ pairs d _h is 1.9 to 2.5.

According to the invention, the hair dryer has a fixed relationship between the diameter d _a of the outer wall of the body and the diameter d _{h of the} handle. The hair dryer has a handle constant diameter, d _a: ratio of d _h is preferably a 1.6 to 3.4.

According to the invention, the hair dryer has a fixed relationship between the body length l ₂ and the body diameter d _a . In a hair dryer having a fan unit in the handle, it is preferable that the ratio of l ₂ : d _a is 1.1 to 1.6. In hair dryer fan unit is present in the handle heater is present in the body, l _2: the ratio of d _a is preferably a 0.8 to 1.6.

According to the invention, the hair dryer has a fixed relationship between the length l _{2 of the} body and the diameter d _{b of the} inner duct. The ratio of l ₂ : d _b is preferably 1.8 to 3.4. In a hair dryer having a heater inside the main body and a fan unit inside the handle, it is preferable that the ratio of l ₂ : d _{a be} 1 to 3.4.

  According to the invention, the hair dryer has an inner duct connected to the outer wall via a side wall. In one embodiment, the sidewall is orthogonal to the outer wall.

  According to the present invention, the hair dryer includes a handle and a body, and the flow in the primary fluid flow path of the body is 90 ° with respect to the flow in the primary fluid flow path of the handle. The primary fluid flow in the body is preferably parallel to the fluid flowing in the fluid flow path.

  According to the present invention, a hair dryer includes a body having an inner duct that includes a conical portion and a tubular portion, the radius r between the conical portion and the tubular portion of the inner duct being 0.5 mm to 50 mm.

  According to the present invention, a hair dryer includes a body having an inner duct that includes a conical portion and a tubular portion, the conical portion at least partially defining a fluid inlet and the tubular portion defining at least partially a fluid outlet, The inner duct increases in diameter from the conical section towards the fluid outlet.

  According to the present invention, a hair dryer includes a body having an outer wall, an inlet end, and an outlet end, the outlet end being provided with a chamfer, and the diameter of the outer wall is the center A of the outer wall at the chamfer. It decreases toward −A and the chamfer is 30 ° to 60 °. Ideally, the chamfer is 30 ° to 60 °. Preferably a front chamfer of 35 ° to 55 ° is provided, more preferably a front chamfer of 45 °.

  According to the present invention, a hair dryer has a body that includes a primary fluid outlet defined by a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface having an outer annular limit of the primary fluid outlet. And substantially parallel surfaces defining inner annular limits, respectively. Preferably, the body includes an inner duct and the first surface and the second surface are also substantially parallel to the inner duct.

  According to the present invention, a hair dryer has a body that includes a primary fluid outlet defined by a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface having an outer annular limit of the primary fluid outlet. And substantially parallel surfaces defining inner annular limits, respectively. The body preferably includes an inner duct, and the first surface and the second surface are preferably further sloped toward the inner duct adjacent the primary fluid outlet.

  According to the present invention, a hair dryer has a body that includes a primary fluid outlet defined by a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface having an outer annular limit of the primary fluid outlet. And substantially parallel surfaces defining inner annular limits, respectively. The body preferably includes an inner duct, and the first surface and the second surface are preferably further inclined adjacent the primary fluid outlet and away from the inner duct.

  In accordance with the present invention, a hair dryer includes a body having a tubular outer wall and a handle substantially orthogonal to the body, the body at least partially defined by a sidewall extending from the tubular outer wall toward a center of the tubular outer wall. Has a fluid inlet defined by, and the side wall makes an angle of 1 ° to 90 ° with the tubular outer wall. This angle is preferably between 30 ° and 60 °. More preferably, this angle is 45 °.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described as an example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a hair dryer according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the hair dryer shown in FIG. It is a side view of the inner wall of a hair dryer. It is sectional drawing of the inner duct of a hair dryer. It is a side view of a hair dryer. It is a rear end view of a hair dryer. It is another side view of a hair dryer. It is a front end view of a hair dryer. It is a bottom view of a hair dryer. It is a rear perspective view of a hair dryer. It is a graph which shows the length of the silencer in the handle of a hair dryer. FIG. 6 is an end view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is an end view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is an end view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is an end view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of a hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of a hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of a hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of a hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of a hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is an end view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is an end view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of a hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of a hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of a hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 17 is a corresponding end view of the alternative hair dryer shown in FIGS. 16a and 16b. FIG. 6 is a side view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 17 is a corresponding end view of the alternative hair dryer shown in FIGS. 16d and 16e. 1 is a side view of the inside of a hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of the inside of a hair dryer according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of the inside of a hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side view of the inside of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side view of the inside of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side view of the inside of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side view of the inside of another hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view showing another front chamfer of the hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view showing another front chamfer of the hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view showing an outlet structure of a hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a view showing another outlet configuration of the hair dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a view showing another outlet configuration of the hair dryer according to the present invention. It is a side view inside the hair dryer at the time of use. 3 is a graph of a velocity profile in a hair dryer according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows roughly the cross-sectional area of a primary fluid flow path.

  1 and 2 show a hair dryer 10 including a handle 20 and a body 30. The handle has a first end 22 connected to the body 30 and a second end 24 distal from the body 30 and including a primary fluid inlet 40. Electric power is supplied to the hair dryer 10 via a cable 50.

  The body 30 has a first end 32 and a second end 34 and can be considered as having two parts. A generally tubular first part 36 extends from the first end 32 and a second part 38 extends from the second end 34 and intersects the first part 36. The second part 38 is conical and changes in diameter along its length from the diameter of the first part 36 of the body 30 to the smaller diameter of the second end 34 of the body. In this example, the second part 38 has a constant slope and the angle α defined from the outer wall 360 of the first part 36 of the body 30 in this example is about 40 °.

  The handle 20 has an outer wall 200 that extends from the body 30 to the distal end 24 of the handle. At the distal end 24 of the handle, an end wall 210 extends across the outer wall 200. The cable 50 enters the hair dryer through this end wall 210. The primary fluid inlet 40 of the handle 20 has a first opening 42 that extends along and around the outer wall 200 of the handle and a second opening 46 that extends entirely through the end wall 210 of the handle 20. . The cable 50 is located approximately in the center of the end wall 210 and thus extends from the center of the handle 20. The end wall 210 is orthogonal to the outer wall 200 and the inner wall 220 of the handle.

  A fan unit 70 is provided upstream of the primary fluid inlet 40. The fan unit 70 includes a fan and a motor. The fan unit 70 draws fluid from the primary fluid inlet 40 toward the body 30 through the primary fluid flow path 400 extending from the primary fluid inlet 40 into the body 30, and the handle 20 and the body 30 are joined at 90. The primary fluid flow path 400 extends within the body 30 towards the second end 34 of the body and continues around the heater 80 to the primary fluid outlet 440, where the fluid drawn by the fan unit is now the primary fluid flow. Exit road 400. The primary fluid flow path 400 is not straight and travels in the handle 20 in a first direction and in the body 30 in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

  The body 30 includes an outer wall 360 and an inner duct 310. The primary fluid flow path 400 extends from the junction 90 between the handle 20 and the body 30 along the body, between the outer wall 360 and the duct 310 toward the primary fluid outlet 440 at the second end 34 of the body 30.

  Another fluid flow path is also provided in the body, which flow is not directly processed by the fan unit or heater but is sucked into the hair dryer by the action of the fan unit which produces the primary flow in the hair dryer. This fluid flow is taken into the hair dryer by the fluid flowing in the primary fluid flow path 400.

  The body first end 32 includes a fluid inlet 320 and the body second end 34 includes a fluid outlet 340. The fluid inlet 320 and the fluid outlet 340 are at least partially defined by a duct 310 that is an inner wall of the body 30 that extends along the body in the body. The fluid flow path 300 extends in the duct from the fluid inlet 320 to the fluid outlet 340. At the first end 32 of the body 30, a sidewall 350 extends between the outer wall 360 and the duct 310. The sidewall 350 at least partially defines the fluid inlet 320. At the second end 34 of the body, a gap is provided between the outer wall 360 and the duct, the gap defining the primary fluid outlet 440. The primary fluid outlet 440 is annular and surrounds the fluid flow path. The primary fluid outlet 440 can be inside to allow the primary fluid passage 400 to merge with the fluid passage 300 within the body 30. Alternatively, the primary fluid outlet 440 is on the outside and is discharged from the body 30 at the fluid outlet 340 separately from the fluid from the fluid flow path 300.

  The outer wall 360 of the body converges toward the duct 310 and the centerline AA of the body 30. The outer wall 360 converging towards the duct 310 has the advantage that the primary flow discharged from the primary fluid outlet 440 is directed towards the centerline AA of the body 30. The fluid discharged from the primary fluid outlet 440 causes some external entrainment 490 of fluid from the outside of the hair dryer due to the movement of the fluid from this primary outlet 440. This effect is enhanced by the outer wall 360 converging towards the duct 310. This is partly because the primary flow is concentrated rather than divergent, and partly because the outer wall 360 of the body 30 slopes towards the second end 34 of the hair dryer. This is because.

  Duct 310 is the inner wall of the hair dryer accessible from outside the hair dryer. Therefore, the duct 310 is the outer peripheral wall of the hair dryer. The duct 310 is recessed within the body 30, so that the side wall 350 connecting the outer wall 360 and the duct 310 forms an angle with the outer wall 360.

  Within the body 30 near the sidewall 350 and the fluid inlet 320 is a PCB 75 containing the hair dryer control electronics. The PCB 75 has a ring shape and extends around the duct 310 between the duct 310 and the outer wall 360. The PCB 75 is in fluid communication with the primary fluid flow path 400. The PCB 75 extends around the fluid flow path 300 and is separated from the fluid flow path 300 by a duct 310.

  The PCB 75 controls parameters such as the temperature of the heater 80 and the rotation speed of the fan unit 70. The PCB 75 is electrically connected to the heater 80, the fan unit 70, and the cable 50 by internal wiring (not shown). The PCB 75 is connected with control buttons 62 and 64 provided so that the user can select from various temperature settings and flow rates, for example.

  In use, the fluid is sucked into the primary fluid flow path 400 by the action of the fan unit 70, optionally heated by the heater 80, and discharged from the primary fluid outlet 440. This process flow causes the fluid to be taken into the fluid flow path 300 at the fluid inlet 320. This fluid joins the process stream at the second end 34 of the body. In the example shown in FIG. 2, this treated stream exits the primary fluid outlet 440 and the hair dryer as an annular stream that surrounds the entrained stream exiting the hair dryer through the fluid outlet 340. Thus, the fluid processed by the fan unit and heater is augmented by the entrained flow.

  The handle 20 has an outer wall 200 and an inner wall 250 that at least partially define a primary fluid flow path 400 therethrough. The inner wall 250 extends from the body 30 toward the second end 24 of the handle 20 at a downstream end 254. The handle 20 is tubular and the outer wall 200 of the handle 20 is a cylindrical sleeve made of any suitable material such as molded plastic or a rolled metal sheet such as aluminum, aluminum alloy or steel. The handle is connected to the body 30 at a first end 22 and is provided at the distal second end 24 with a primary fluid inlet 40. Primary fluid inlet 40 is the first means of filtering fluid entering primary fluid flow path 400.

  Referring to FIG. 3, the lining material 270 is located between the inner wall 250 and the outer wall 200. The lining material 270 is a foam or felt that at least reduces the noise generated when the fluid is drawn into the handle 20 by the fan unit 70 (has a sound deadening effect). For clarity, the lining material 270 is only shown around a portion of the inner wall 250. The inner wall 250 perforates at least partially along the length of the inner wall 250 to allow the lining material 270 to contact the fluid flowing within the primary fluid flow path 400, and thus to reduce noise. Includes section 256.

  The lining material 270 is provided to reduce noise generated when the fluid is drawn into the primary fluid inlet 40 by the action of the fan unit 70.

  The perforations 256 in the inner wall 220 have a diameter selected to most effectively attenuate noise. A diameter of 1 mm to 10 mm is suitable, a small diameter is advantageous for obtaining good acoustic power (reducing sounds above the human main range) and a large diameter is advantageous for high frequency attenuation. . The perforations preferably form at least 40% of the surface area of the inner walls 220,250.

  By disposing the lining material 270 behind the inner wall 250, a thicker lining material can be used than when the lining material 270 is guided so as to be exposed in the primary fluid flow path. This is because the diameter of the primary fluid flow path 400 is determined by the inner wall 250 that crushes the lining material 270 into the gap between the inner wall 250 and the outer wall 200 of the handle 20. Normally, the thickness of the lining material is 4 mm to 6 mm, but it is compressed between the outer wall 200 and the inner wall 250.

  An important feature of having a multi-layer handle 20 is that the noise reduction caused by the product can be improved using material properties. Air propagation noise generated by the fluid flowing into the fan unit 70 and the primary fluid flow path 400 is reduced by the lining material 270, but some noise is transmitted through the lining material 270.

  An additional feature required for the handle 20 is that it be sufficiently rigid to provide a grippable handle that does not readily undergo bending which causes a constraint in the primary fluid flow path. Therefore, materials such as aluminum or carbon fiber reinforced composites are ideal because they result in lighter weight and stiffer tubes. Alternatively, the outer wall is made of a plastic material. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that there are other materials that provide similar benefits.

  The thickness of the outer wall 200 is preferably less than 2 mm, more preferably less than 1 mm, so that the diameter of the handle 20 does not become too large for the user. Ideally, this thickness is about 0.7 mm. By making the outer wall 200 of the handle 20 relatively thin, the weight of the product is also reduced.

  The presence of high speed motors creates high frequency noise, some of which can irritate the human ear. However, high speed motors are advantageous when high frequencies can be damped more effectively.

  The diameter of the handle is ideally 20 mm to 60 mm, preferably 30 mm to 50 mm. Most preferably, the handle diameter is between 35 mm and 42 mm. The inventors have used a combination of materials for the handle 20 to maximize the noise reduction and provide a grippable handle. First, the outer layer 200 is rigid yet thin so that the thickness of the lining material 270 within the handle 20 is maximized to maximize the reduction of sound in the handle 20 by the sound deadening medium, ie, the lining material 270. Ideally, the lining material 270 or silencing media needed to damp high frequency noise (typically about 1.8 Khz to about 2 Khz) produced by a high speed motor is at least 6 mm.

  As can be seen with reference to FIG. 7, the length of the lining material 270 is also important. Ideally, the lining material 270 is present both upstream and downstream of the motor 70 as the motor makes noise as fluid enters and exits the motor.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a graph of the relationship between noise generated by the high speed motor in the handle 20 and the distance from the inlet 40 of the fan unit 70 is shown. In general, the longer the lining silencer, the more sound is attenuated, but there is a limit to how long the product can be made while maintaining its practicality. Therefore, in the hair dryer having the motor in the handle 20, the optimum position for the motor as seen from the noise side exists within the range of the length of the handle. As can be seen in the graph, the longer the inlet silencer, the more noise is attenuated and the inlet noise 280 decreases as the motor moves away from the inlet along the X axis. However, for a given handle length l _h , the longer the inlet silencer S _I , the shorter the outlet silencer S _O must be.

As for the outlet muffler S _O, for a given handle length l _h , the outlet noise muffler S _O has a minimum outlet noise level 282 when the motor is located at the inlet (value on the X-axis is zero). As the motor moves along the steering wheel, the length of the outlet silencer S _O decreases and the noise attenuation decreases, so the noise level rises. Therefore, the motor has an optimum distance from the inlet. In an amplified hair dryer in which the primary fluid flow path 400 flows from the handle 20 into the body 30, the shape and size of the primary fluid flow path changes from a circular cross section 400a in the handle to an annular or donut-shaped cross section 400b in the body. Therefore, a part of noise generated by the fluid emitted from the motor is attenuated by the fluid moving into the main body 30, so that the inlet silencer and the outlet silencer in the handle are not equal in terms of noise.

The noise output 284 that combines both the inlet silencer S _I and the outlet silencer S _O initially decreases as the motor moves away from the inlet, and the noise level of the inlet silencer S _I and the outlet silencer S _O are reduced. It is the compression value on the graph that rises again after reaching the optimum point where the noise level of and intersects.

The total hair dryer noise output 288 is the sum of the compression value 284 and the amplification value 286 that is the noise generated in the hair dryer body 30, which is not affected by the position of the motor in the handle 20. In this particular hair dryer 10, the optimum inlet silencer S _I is 70 mm-100 mm. However, this value will also change if, for example, any of the motor speed, handle diameter or inlet characteristics changes.

The length of the outlet-side silencer S _O from the downstream end 70b of the fan unit 70 to the downstream end 22 of the handle 20 is preferably 100 mm at the maximum. The length of the inlet-side silencer S _I from the upstream end 70a of the fan unit to the downstream end 40b of the inlet 40 is preferably 10 mm to 200 mm. The ratio between the inlet silencer S _I and the outlet silencer S _O is preferably greater than 1.2. For a hair dryer 10 having a constant diameter handle 20, this ratio is preferably above 0.1.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 11a-11d, the hair dryer 10 has a fixed relationship between the diameter d _a of the outer wall 360 of the body 30 and the diameter d _b of the inner duct 310. In a hair dryer 10 having a constant diameter handle 20 as shown in FIGS. 11c and 11d, the ratio of d _b : d _a is preferably 0.49-0.6. For a hair dryer 130 having a non-constant or variable diameter handle 20 as shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b, _a ratio of d _b : d _a of 0.4-0.9 is preferred.

  12, the length Lx of the body 30 from the fluid inlet 320 to the upstream edge of the handle 202 and the body 30 from the downstream edge 204 of the handle 20 to the fluid outlet 340 at the downstream end of the body 30. There is a fixed relationship with the length Lz of. Ideally, Lz ≦ 40 mm and Lx ≦ 20 mm. It is preferable that 2Lx = Lz.

Referring now to FIGS. 13a and 13b, the hair dryers 132, 134 have a fixed relationship between the length l ₂ of the body 30 and the diameter d _{h of the} handle 20. In the hair dryer 10 having a handle 20 of constant diameter, l _2: the ratio of d _h is preferably a 1.9 to 2.5. In the hair dryer 160 and 162 have a non-constant or variable diameter of the handle 164 as shown in Figure 13c and Figure 13d, l _2: the ratio of d _h is preferably a 1.9 to 2.5.

Referring now to Figures 14a and 14b, the hair dryers 136,138 have a fixed relationship between the diameter d _a of the outer wall 360 of the body 30 and the diameter d _{h of the} handle 20. For a hair dryer 10 having a handle 20 of constant diameter, it is preferred that the ratio of d _a : d _h be 1.6-3.4.

Referring now to FIGS. 15a-15c, the hair dryers 140 and 142 have a fixed relationship between the length l ₂ of the body 30 and the diameter d _{a of the} body 30. In the hair dryer 10 having the fan unit 70 in the handle 20, the ratio of l ₂ : d _a is preferably 1.1 to 1.6. As shown in FIG. 15c, the hair dryer 144 fan unit 70 is present in the handle 20 and the heater 80 is present in the body 30, l _2: the ratio of d _a is to be 0.8 to 1.6 preferable.

16a-16c, the hair dryers 146, 148 have a relationship between the length l ₂ of the body 30 and the diameter d _b of the inner duct 310. The ratio of l ₂ : d _b is preferably 1.8 to 3.4. 16d to 16f, in the hair dryers 150 and 152 in which the heater 80 is present in the main body 30 and the fan unit 70 is present in the handle 20, the ratio of l ₂ : d _a is 1 to 3.4. Is preferred.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the flow in the primary fluid flow path 400b of the main body 30 is 90 ° with respect to the flow in the primary fluid flow path 400a of the handle 20. The primary fluid flow in body 30 is parallel to the fluid flowing in fluid channel 300.

  2, 3b and 9, the inner duct 310 includes a generally tubular portion 312 extending from the fluid outlet 340 toward the fluid inlet 320, a generally tubular portion 312 and an outer wall 360 of the body 30. A generally conical portion 314 forming a connecting sidewall 350.

  The side wall 352 can also be orthogonal to the outer wall 360, as shown in FIG. 17a. In practice, the separate sidewalls 350, 352 may be omitted and the inner duct 354 may extend from the fluid inlet 320 in the form of a truncated cone towards the fluid outlet 340 like a gradually decreasing diameter cylinder.

  Referring to FIG. 18 a, the inner duct 354 a extends from the outer wall 360 at the first end 32 and curves toward the tube to form a circular duct at the second end 34. The shape produced by the inner duct 354a is a trumpet shape. FIG. 18b shows an inner duct 354a similar to that of FIG. 18a, but with the conical portion 358 of the inner duct 354a being short and the fluid inlet 320 being steep.

  The gradually curved inner duct is advantageous in that noise is reduced because less turbulence occurs when fluid enters the fluid flow path at the fluid inlet 320. The curved sidewalls are acoustically advantageous because the flow entrained within the fluid flow path 300 does not impinge on sharp edges that create vortices and enhance noise generation. The sidewall merges with the tubular portion of the inner duct 310.

  FIG. 18c shows the combination of the inner duct 354a and the flared bore 354c of FIG. 18a. The inner duct extends from the first end 32 to a transition point 364 (362) where the gradually decreasing diameter of the cylinder changes so as to increase slightly towards the second end 34. By flaring the inner duct in this manner, the amount of fluid taken into the fluid inlet 320 increases.

  FIG. 18d shows the combination of the conical portion 358 of FIG. 18b and the flared inner duct 354d. The flared portion can be lengthened by shortening the conical region of the inner duct 354d.

  In fact, the angle β between the outer wall 360 and the inner ducts 350, 354a, 354b, 354c and 354d may be selected between 1 ° and 90 °.

  Referring to FIGS. 18c and 18d in detail, the radius r between the conical portions 358, 362 of the inner ducts 354d, 354c and the tubular portion 312 can vary. This radius is preferably 0.5 mm to 50 mm.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 17b and 17c, the diameter of the inner duct 310 can be increased from the sidewall 366 toward the fluid outlet 340. This is advantageous because it increases the flow entrained through the fluid flow path 300. Therefore, the fan unit can be operated at a low speed to reduce the product noise in order to increase the total fluid discharge amount from the fluid outlet 340 and the primary fluid outlet 440, or to generate an equivalent total output. In FIG. 17c, the increase in the diameter of the inner duct 310 is more remarkable, which increases the amount of entrainment in the inner duct 310.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the length of the lining material within the handle 20 can vary. Length S _I of the inlet lining from the downstream end 40b to the upstream end 70a of the fan unit 70 of the inlet 40 is preferably 10 mm to 200 mm.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 19a and 19b, the front portion 38 (FIG. 2) of the hair dryer can have various chamfers 372, 374, 376. 372, 374, 376 are changes in the diameter of the outer wall 360 of the body 30. The diameter decreases towards the center AA of the outer wall 360. The front chamfers 372, 374, 376 affect external entrainment 490 of the hair dryer from outside due to movement of fluid from the primary outlet 440. Blunting the front surface of body 30 restricts both the flow of external entrainment 490 and the flow within fluid flow path 300. Ideally, the front chamfer is selected between 30 ° as shown in Figure 19a and 60 ° as shown in Figure 19b. The front chamfer is preferably 35 ° -55 °, more preferably 35 °, because it provides a reasonable amount of external entrainment 490.

  The direction of the flow exiting the primary fluid outlet will vary depending on the desired result. 20a, 20b and 20c show different air outlets for the primary fluid. Referring first to FIG. 20a, the primary fluid outlet 440 has substantially parallel first and second surfaces 442 and 444 that respectively define an outer annular limit and an inner annular limit of the primary fluid outlet 440. Substantially parallel first surface 442 and second surface 444 are also substantially parallel to inner duct 310. This configuration provides a balance between the outer entrained flow 490 and the inner entrained flow 492, the fluid drawn into the fluid flow path 300.

  In FIG. 20b, the primary fluid outlet 440a faces toward the center of the outer wall 360 of the body 30. In this example, the first surface 446 and the second surface 448 that define the primary fluid outlet 440a are substantially parallel to each other, but slope toward the inner duct 310. The primary fluid outlet 440a faces toward the center of the inner duct 310 and the outer wall 360. The fluid 494 discharged from the primary fluid outlet 440a is directed toward the fluid discharged from the fluid outlet 340, similar to the external entrained fluid 490. This concentrates the output from the hair dryer as all of the fluid is directed towards the entrained fluid flowing through the inner duct 310 and therefore the fluid jet discharged from the hair dryer is concentrated in a narrow cross-sectional area, further increasing the hair dryer. It feels strong. In this configuration, there is relatively more external entrained flow 490 and less internal entrained flow in the inner duct 310 than in the non-tilted example described with reference to Figure 20a.

  In FIG. 20c, the primary fluid outlet 440b is oriented away from the center of the outer wall 360 of the body 30. In this example, the first surface 450 and the second surface 452 defining the primary fluid outlet 440a are substantially parallel to each other, but slope away from the inner duct 310. The primary fluid outlet 440b is directed toward the outer wall 360. The fluid 496 discharged from the primary fluid outlet 440b is directed away from the fluid discharged from the fluid outlet 340 toward the external entrained fluid 490. This causes the hair dryer to feel less powerful, as all the fluid is directed outwards, thus spreading the output from the hair dryer and thus spreading the fluid jet exiting the hair dryer over a wider cross-sectional area. This configuration results in relatively less external entrained flow 490 and more internal entrained flow along the inner duct 310 than the non-tilted example described with reference to Figure 20a.

  FIG. 21 illustrates the accessibility of the control buttons on the hair dryer 10 and the ergonomic advantages of locating the control button 64 (see FIG. 2) on the sloped surface of the body of the hair dryer. Conventionally, when the hair dryer is normally gripped by the hand 500, the thumb is positioned around the handle to form a full or partial circle with the index finger 502. In this hair dryer 10, the thumb 504 can also be conventionally gripped, but the temperature and / or the flow within the hair dryer etc. can be set by the control button 64 located on the sidewall 350 forming part of the fluid inlet 320 at the rear of the product. You can also operate your thumb to change the. Thus, the user can change the settings on the hair dryer 10, perhaps without adjusting the grip other than by moving the thumb radially from the handle 20 to the sidewall 350. The sidewall 350 is preferably at an angle to the outer wall 360 of the body 30. This angle γ is ideally 1 ° to 90 °, and preferably 30 ° to 60 °. Most preferably, the angle γ is 45 °.

  FIG. 22 shows a graph of the velocity profile inside the hair dryer 10. At the fluid inlet 40, the fluid that has entered the fluid inlet 40 is at a relatively low speed (402), and when the fluid passes through the inlet side muffler, the cross-sectional area inside the handle 20 decreases, so the speed increases (404). Further, when the fluid enters the fan unit, the speed of the fluid flow path 400 passing through the motor and the impeller of the fan unit 70 is further restricted to increase the speed again (406). The speed is reduced (408) in the outlet silencer as the limit is relaxed again. As the fluid travels from the handle 20 into the body 30 of the hair dryer 10, a minimum velocity 410 is reached. This is because the body 30 has a larger cross-sectional area than the handle and acts as a fluid-filled plenum to decelerate the fluid. The velocity 410 in the body is similar to the velocity 402 at the inlet. As the fluid passes through the heater 80, the velocity is slightly increased (412) because the heating element slightly limits the fluid flow. As the fluid approaches the primary fluid outlet 440, the cross-sectional area within the body 30 decreases to the annular ring that defines the primary fluid outlet 440 and the velocity within the body increases (414) to a maximum velocity at the primary fluid outlet 440.

  Reducing the velocity of the fluid as it travels from the fan unit 70 to the heater 80 creates a plenum for the body 30 to stabilize the flow as it transitions from the circular flow 400a in the handle 20 to the annular flow 400b in the body 30. Plays a role in slowing the fluid to make the flow through the heater 80 more uniform, reducing velocity and turbulence, reducing noise caused by the hair dryer, and reducing the noise around the annular ring forming the primary fluid outlet 440. There are several benefits of uniform load.

The main reason the speed decreases from the fan unit speed 406 to the heater speed 412 is that the cross-sectional area of the fluid flow passage changes from the area A ₁ of the circular flow 400a in the handle to the cross-sectional area A ₂ of the annular flow 400b in the body 30. This is shown schematically in FIG. 22b, where A ₂ > A ₁ .

  Although the outer wall 200 of the handle 20 has been described as being made of rolled metal sheet, other manufacturing methods and materials may be used, including, but not limited to, extruded tubes and plastic extruded tubes. / Molded tubes or composite tubes such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

  Although the invention has been described in detail with respect to a hair dryer, the invention is applicable to any device that draws in fluid and directs the fluid to flow out of the device.

  This equipment can be used with or without a heater, and the fast outflow action of the fluid has a drying effect.

  Generally, the fluid flowing in the device is air, but it may be a different gas or a combination of one kind of gas, and it may affect the performance of the device or the object such as hair to which the output is directed and the styling of the device. Ameliorating additives can also be included.

  The invention is not limited to the detailed description given above. Modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

402 Speed of inlet 404 Speed of silencer on inlet side 406 Speed of fan unit 408 Speed of silencer on outlet side 410 Speed of main body 412 Speed of heater 414 Speed of primary fluid outlet 20 Handle 30 Body A ₁ Circular flow Area A ₂ Cross-sectional area of annular flow

Claims (5)

A hair dryer having a handle and a body,
The body includes an inner duct;
The inner duct includes a conical portion and a tubular portion,
The hair dryer, wherein a radius r between the conical portion and the tubular portion of the inner duct is 0.5 mm to 50 mm. A hair dryer having a handle and a body,
The body includes an inner duct;
The inner duct includes a conical portion and a tubular portion,
The conical portion at least partially defines a fluid inlet,
The tubular portion at least partially defines a fluid outlet,
The hair dryer, wherein the inner duct has an increasing diameter from the conical portion toward the fluid outlet. A hair dryer having a handle and a body,
The body includes an outer wall,
The outer wall of the body is a tubular outer wall,
The handle is substantially orthogonal to the body,
A fluid inlet is at least partially defined by a sidewall extending from the tubular outer wall toward a center of the tubular outer wall;
The hair dryer, wherein the side wall forms an angle of 1 ° to 90 ° with the tubular outer wall. The hair dryer according to claim 3, wherein the angle is 30 ° to 60 °. The hair dryer according to claim 4, wherein the angle is 45 °.

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