KR20240033238A - Rotating accessories for blow-out hairstyling devices - Google Patents

Abstract

An air guiding accessory (1) designed to convert a substantially unidirectional first air stream (F1) of the hair styling device (2) into a second air stream (F2) scanning in a plurality of different directions, the air guiding accessory (1) comprising: , a stator 11 extending around the stator axis S-S' from the stator inlet surface PES to the stator outlet surface PSS, and from the rotor inlet surface PER to the rotor outlet surface PSR. A pneumatic drive device (121) comprising a rotor (12) extending to ), wherein the rotor 12 includes at least one rotor 12 extending around the stator axis S-S' along a scanning axis (R-R') forming an intersection angle (β) of 5 to 40 degrees. , wherein the intersection of the scanning axis (R-R') with the stator axis (S-S') is between the rotor inlet surface (PER) and the stator outlet surface (PSS). It is characterized by being included.

Description

Rotating accessories for blow-out hairstyling devices

The present invention relates to the field of blowing hairstyling appliances for hair shaping, such as hair dryers, for example, and accessories for directing or directing air in the appliances.

More precisely, the present invention relates to the field of air guiding accessories designed to be mounted on the air outlet of a hairstyling appliance that blows a substantially unidirectional first air stream, the accessory allowing the first air stream to be scanned in a plurality of different directions. It is designed to convert into a second airflow. Accessories of that type are commonly referred to as rotary or oscillating nozzles.

The invention also relates to the technical field of a hairstyling device blowing a substantially unidirectional first airflow, such as a hairdryer, and a hairstyling device comprising an accessory for directing the air as defined above.

Blow-air hairstyling devices, such as hair dryers, are well known and allow the user to dry and/or their own hair (if using the hairstyling device themselves) or random hair (if using the hairstyling device on a third party). Or it allows shaping. Most such devices include a motor that drives a propeller, which creates an airflow between the air inlet and air outlet, allowing air, often heated by an internal heating element, to diffuse onto the hair. Known devices traditionally have a handle that allows the user to hold the device by hand and a barrel that integrates the components mentioned above. Typically, the airflow discharged by such hairstyling devices is substantially unidirectional, i.e. the airflow is ejected in a single main direction, which is generally the longitudinal axis of the device barrel. The airflow discharged by the device is therefore concentrated and confined onto a relatively limited area of the hair. This reduces hair drying efficiency, and if the airflow is hot, there is a risk of hair damage or further burns.

Accordingly, if the user wishes to spread the air over different or larger areas of the hair, he will have to move the hairstyling device, for example by moving his wrist, in particular to apply a vibrating motion to the hairstyling device. On the other hand, such wrist movements are used by beauty professionals (e.g. hairdressers) who are well aware of the disadvantages of unidirectional airflow over a single and identical area of the hair, such as the limited drying effect as well as the risk of hair damage and even burns. ) is very commonly implemented. However, such exercise may cause fatigue in the user, especially if the user handles hair styling devices all day (e.g. a hairdresser). This causes fatigue to the user and further increases the risk of injury (eg, musculoskeletal disorders).

In an attempt to improve this situation, a US patent application published as US5473824 has been proposed. The document proposes an accessory for a hair dryer comprising a rotary element that is rotationally driven by the airflow of the hair styling device. The rotary element is further shifted from the airflow axis of the hairstyling device to direct the airflow in different directions along a circular trajectory. However, the solutions proposed in the literature still have room for improvement, especially in terms of the area to which the airflow is applied, the volume of the accessories and the performance of the airflow, and the trade-offs between these factors.

The present invention therefore aims at improving, refining and optimizing the known air blowing hairstyling devices and their accessories.

The object of the present invention is to propose an accessory for a blower hairstyling appliance that allows the user to expand the area treated by the airflow of the blower hairstyling appliance without having to make special efforts.

Another object of the present invention is to propose an accessory for a hairstyling device that is particularly effective regardless of the area or type of hair.

Another object of the invention is to make the device particularly simple to use, regardless of the area or type of hair being treated, not only for users who use the device themselves, but also for users who use the device on others (users who style other people's hair). , proposes intuitive, comfortable, and ergonomic accessories for blower-type hairstyling devices.

Another object of the invention is to propose a particularly safe accessory for blowing hairstyling appliances.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a particularly reliable and robust accessory for blower-type hairstyling appliances.

Another object of the invention is to propose an accessory for a blower-type hairstyling device that is particularly economical to design and manufacture.

The object of the present invention is also to propose a hairstyling device that provides the user with a large area to be treated by air currents without any special effort on the part of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a blower-type hairstyling device that is particularly effective regardless of the area or type of hair being treated.

Another object of the invention is to make the device particularly simple to use, regardless of the area or type of hair being treated, not only for users who use the device themselves, but also for users who use the device on others (users who style other people's hair). , proposes an intuitive, comfortable, and ergonomic blower-type hair styling device.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a particularly safe blower-type hairstyling device.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a particularly reliable and robust blowing hairstyling device.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a blower-type hairstyling device that is particularly economical to design and manufacture.

To achieve these objects, the present invention relates to an air guiding accessory designed to be mounted on an air outlet of a hairstyling appliance that blows a substantially unidirectional first air stream, said air guiding accessory It is designed to convert a secondary airflow into a plurality of different scanning directions.

Air-directing accessory means a part or assembly of parts that makes it possible to guide, direct, contain or diffuse an airflow, for example a nozzle or diffuser. Preferably, the accessory is separate from the hairstyling device and is removable. However, it is conceivable that the accessory would form an integrated part within the hairstyling device without departing from the scope of the invention.

A hairstyling device blowing a substantially unidirectional primary air stream is meant any device blowing air in a single main direction, for example in the case of a hair dryer. The direction of discharge of the first air stream is therefore generally parallel and coaxial with the main axis of the hairstyling device, as will be detailed below.

Accordingly, the hairstyling accessory may be configured to scan, cover or indicate a substantially unidirectional first airflow discharged by the hairstyling device into a multidirectional second airflow, i.e. several different directions which are advantageously neither parallel nor aligned with the direction of the first airflow. Enables conversion to a second airflow. This then results in an expansion (i.e. increase) of the area covered by the airflow, and thus the area treated by the airflow. Accordingly, users can treat a larger area of hair than when using only a hair styling device. Moreover, this increase in the processing area is realized without any special effort on the part of the user, since it is the accessory that allows the secondary airflow to automatically scan (or cover) in several directions. The user can thus keep the hairstyling device stationary, preventing fatigue and even injury associated with any movement of the arm and/or wrist holding the hairstyling device.

According to the invention, the air guiding accessory comprises an air inlet of the accessory designed to cooperate with the air outlet of the hairstyling device and an air outlet of the accessory capable of blowing the second air stream towards the user's head. In other words, the air inlet of the accessory to which the invention is directed is designed to cooperate substantially hermetically with the air outlet of the hairstyling device, for example by being designed to be mounted on the air outlet of the hairstyling device. The air outlet of the accessory for which the invention is intended is, on the contrary, a free outlet, i.e. an outlet that is not connected to either the hairstyling device or to any object, and is directed towards the surface to be treated, for example, but not limited to, the user's hair and/or It is designed to diffuse the secondary airflow towards the head.

According to the invention, the air guiding accessory comprises a stator extending along and around the stator axis from the stator inlet face to the stator outlet face. In other words, the stator is a rotating part. For example, the stator is cylindrical, which allows it to easily cooperate with the air outlet of the hairstyling device, which is itself generally cylindrical. The expressions “stator inlet surface” and “stator outlet surface” mean an imaginary plane defining the stator at its air inlet and air outlet positions, respectively. Accordingly, the first airflow penetrates into the stator through the stator inlet surface and is discharged through the stator outlet surface.

Preferably, the stator includes an air inlet of the accessory and is designed to be assembled on the air outlet of the hairstyling device. The stator is then fixed and floating when connected to the hair styling device. Advantageously, in that case the stator inlet surface comprises an air inlet of the accessory, and when the accessory is connected to the hairstyling appliance, the inlet surface of the stator, the air inlet of the accessory and the air outlet of the hairstyling appliance are parallel to each other. Preferably they match.

Preferably the accessory, more preferably the fixture, is designed to be assembled in a removable manner, i.e. non-permanently, onto the air outlet of the hairstyling device. Accordingly, the air guiding accessory is designed to be easily connected to, attached to, or conversely detached from or detached from the hairstyling device via its holder without any special effort on the part of the user. Furthermore, the user does not need to use special tools to assemble or disassemble the air induction accessory of the hair styling device for which the present invention is intended. This allows the user to use the hairstyling device without accessories together with other accessories, or to connect the accessory that is the subject of the present invention to other hairstyling devices.

According to the present invention, the air induction accessory is an aeraulic rotor that extends from the rotor inlet surface to the rotor outlet surface and is designed to rotate the rotor around the stator axis using the first airflow. ) includes a rotor including a driving device. That is, the rotor is a rotating part that rotates around the stator axis, and it is the unidirectional first airflow discharged by the hair styling device that provides the rotor with rotational movement. For this purpose, the rotor is preferably mounted in a pivot connection with the stator. The expressions “rotor inlet surface” and “rotor outlet surface” mean an imaginary plane defining the rotor at its air inlet and air outlet positions, respectively. Accordingly, the first airflow will penetrate into the rotor through the rotor inlet surface and the second airflow will exit the rotor through the rotor outlet surface. Pneumatic actuation device refers to any device that can convert airflow energy (in this case, the energy of the first air flow) into mechanical motion (in this case, rotation). Accordingly, by way of example and not limitation, a pneumatic drive device may include a propeller, a turbine, one or more blades, one or more vanes, etc. Accordingly, since the pneumatic drive device is located within the first air stream, it experiences some resistance to the passage of the first air stream, thereby causing the rotor to rotate about the stator axis. However, pneumatic drives are advantageously designed to limit disturbances in the airflow to a minimum (so as not to excessively fight the flow of the primary air stream) while ensuring good rotation of the rotor, as will be explained in detail below.

Advantageously, the rotor exit surface comprises an air outlet of the accessory. The accessory can then be advantageously defined by an air inlet of the accessory located on the stator and an air outlet of the accessory located on the rotor, as mentioned above.

According to the invention, the rotor comprises at least one part extending along and around the scanning axis, wherein the at least one part is designed to direct the second airflow in the plurality of different directions. In other words, the rotor includes a part of the rotor that allows changing the direction of the first airflow discharged by the hairstyling device, that is, an engraving part. Said at least one part may in particular comprise a cylinder or a cylindrical part inclined with respect to the stator axis. Accordingly, said at least one part is capable of converting the unidirectional first airflow of the hairstyling device into a multidirectional second airflow, i.e. into a second airflow scanning in a plurality of different directions thanks to the rotational movement of the rotor described above. will be. Preferably, the plurality of different directions being scanned take a circular trajectory, which makes it possible to increase the area covered by the air and thus increase the diameter in the area of any disk (to which the unidirectional first airflow is applied). increases with the disk area. Such parts may optionally form the entire rotor or only a portion of the rotor. The scanning axis refers to an axis along which the second airflow scans in several different directions around the axis when the rotor rotates. The scanning axis is then defined as a virtual axis along which the at least one portion extends around the axis. Like the rotor, the at least one part is preferably a rotating part.

According to the present invention, the scanning axis forms an intersection angle of 5 to 40 degrees with the stator axis. The angle between the axes therefore exceeds absolutely zero degrees, which makes it possible to obtain a multidirectional secondary airflow at the outlet of the accessory. In other words, due to the inclination between the rotor axis and the scanning axis, when the rotor, or more precisely, at least one rotating part of the rotor, rotates around the stator axis, the scanning axis, which follows a circular trajectory, is thus formed into a unidirectional first The airflow can be converted into a multidirectional second airflow. Accordingly, the farther the intersection angle between the scanning axis and the stator axis is from the 0 degree value (the axes are parallel or coincident), the larger the scanning angle becomes, thereby expanding the area of the hair scanned by the secondary airflow. However, the larger the scanning angle, the more the rotor is opposed to the airflow, thus reducing airflow performance and efficiency. In that case, the stress applied to the rotor also increases, resulting in the risk of premature wear of the rotor or the entire air guidance accessory. In addition, the noise emitted from the air induction accessories greatly increases, which reduces the ease of use of the air induction accessories. Finally, the volume of the air guidance fitting also increases with the crossing angle. Therefore, it is important to find an appropriate compromise between these various parameters. The inventors have determined that the best compromise between drying (or styling) efficiency, bulk, reliability and ease of use of air guidance accessories is obtained when the angle of intersection between the stator axis and the scanning axis is between 5 and 40 degrees.

Advantageously, the intersection angle is between 5 degrees and 25 degrees, preferably 18 degrees, or 20 degrees, or 22 degrees. Such a range of values for the intersection angle or each value is considered to be the best possible compromise between drying (or styling) performance, bulkiness, reliability and ease of use (especially at noise level) of the air induction accessory as described above. .

According to the invention, the stator and the rotor are located between the air inlet of the accessory and the air outlet of the accessory and are connected to each other by a substantially fluid-tight connection. Such connections are necessary to prevent or at least limit leakage of the first and/or second air streams. Preferably, the substantially sealed connection is designed to achieve airtightness between the stator and the rotor and includes a guiding device and a complementary guiding device positioned between the rotor inlet face and the stator outlet face. The complementary guiding device and the guiding device are each implemented, for example, as a shoulder of the rotor and an edge of the stator to be received therein. The rotor, which is a rotating part, preferably has a functional gap with the stator that allows the rotor to easily rotate about the axis of the stator. However, this functional gap should not unduly impede the fluid tightness between the stator and rotor.

According to the invention, the intersection of the scanning axis with the stator axis is comprised between the rotor inlet face and the stator outlet face. This makes it possible to very significantly limit the volume of the hairstyling accessory while ensuring the area scanned by the secondary airflow is as wide as possible. In fact, in the prior art, this intersection point is located downstream (in the direction of airflow) of the rotor inlet face and the stator outlet face, resulting in a particularly long and therefore bulky rotor. By locating the intersection of the scanning axis and the stator axis between the rotor inlet surface and the stator outlet surface, the inventors have provided excellent drying (or styling) performance, i.e., a large area scanned by the secondary air stream, The volume of air induction accessories has been significantly reduced.

According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the rotor inlet surface is located upstream of the stator outlet surface in the flow direction of the first air stream. In other words, the rotor inlet surface is located at the front of the stator outlet surface along the flow direction of the first airflow. This makes it possible to ensure overlap between rotor and stator and thus optimal assembly between these two parts and, particularly advantageously, to ensure a substantially fluid-tight connection.

Advantageously, the overlap length defined between the rotor inlet surface and the stator outlet surface is between 1 mm and 5 mm, advantageously approximately 3 mm. This length ensures good guidance of the rotation of the rotor relative to the stator and also makes it possible to significantly ensure tightness between stator and rotor while maintaining a limited volume of the air-guiding accessories.

Naturally, according to the invention the stator and the rotor are located between the air inlet of said accessory and the air outlet of said accessory and are connected to each other by a substantially fluid-tight connection, which provides first and/or second This is to prevent excessive loss of airflow.

According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the scanning axis and the stator axis intersect in a transition plane parallel to the rotor inlet surface, the stator axis being perpendicular to the transition plane. This means that the transition plane containing the intersection point is parallel to the rotor inlet surface and the stator outlet surface. The stator inlet surface, the rotor inlet surface and the stator outlet surface are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the stator axis. Such an arrangement between the planes ensures excellent airflow performance while ensuring a particularly simple and compact construction of the accessories.

Preferably, the distance between the transition plane and the rotor inlet surface is less than 5 mm, preferably between 0 and 2.5 mm, and in some cases 0 mm. Such a distance ensures the compactness of the air guidance accessories without affecting the airflow performance.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the rotor is cylindrical, thus enabling a particularly simple and compact design. This rotor shape can be easily mechanically connected to a stator, which is also cylindrical.

Alternatively, according to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotor is truncated, which makes it possible to accelerate the secondary airflow, as will be explained in detail below. Preferably, the cone angle of the rotor is advantageously between 5 and 20 degrees, preferably 16 degrees, or 14 degrees or 6 degrees, such values being the best compromise between air speed, accessory volume and airflow performance. Provides a compromise.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the stator comprises a hub carrier connected to the outer wall of the stator by at least one arm. Said at least one arm preferably makes it possible to hold the hub carrier along the stator axis at the center of the stator. In order to increase the rigidity of the stator and the hub carrier, the hub carrier is advantageously connected to the outer wall of the stator by three arms, preferably evenly distributed at 120° intervals around the hub carrier.

Preferably, the pneumatic drive device comprises a hub connected to the outer wall of the rotor by at least one blade. The term blade refers to any mechanical part or components having a shape that allows the conversion of airflow energy (i.e. derived from the airflow, in this case from the first airflow exiting the hairstyling device) into mechanical force. It means assembly. Accordingly, the blade may preferably have the shape of an inclined parallelepiped. The blades are advantageously arranged in the first airflow and connected on the one hand to the hub and on the other hand to the outer wall of the rotor. The blades then partially encounter the airflow passing within the rotor, resulting in rotation of the rotor as described above. Preferably, the hub is connected to the outer wall of the rotor by three blades, which enables good distribution of airflow force and optimizes rotational drive of the rotor. Then, the three blades are advantageously distributed at 120° intervals around the hub.

Advantageously, the hub is mounted in pivot connection with the hub carrier, so that the hub of the rotor and the hub carrier of the stator ensure good rotation between the rotor and the stator.

According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the air guiding accessory comprises a case at least around the rotor, the case being coupled to the stator and designed to protect the rotor from contact with the user. A case is any part or assembly of parts which forms a semi-closed housing, for example a skin, and which makes it possible to protect the rotor without interfering with it in its free rotation or without interfering with it in the diffusion of the secondary air currents. it means.

Preferably, the case is frustoconical with a case cone angle advantageously between 25 and 60 degrees, preferably 40 degrees. In fact, the truncated cone shape ensures free rotation of the rotor, has no or little effect on the diffusion of the secondary airflow, and has a relatively small volume. The angular range preferably selected by the designers of the invention provides the best possible compromise between compactness and influence on the secondary airflow, regardless of the shape and dimensions of the rotor as defined by the invention. The purpose of the case is to prevent or at least inhibit the user from contacting the rotor, particularly to prevent injury to the user. In reality, the rotor is a potentially hot, moving part.

The invention also relates to a hairstyling device blowing a first substantially unidirectional airflow, such as a hairdryer, and to a hairstyling device itself comprising an accessory for directing air as defined above.

Preferably, the air blowing hairstyling machine comprises a main axis parallel to the stator axis and preferably coincident with the stator axis. In other words, the stator is arranged parallel to, and preferably coincides with, the main axis of the hairstyling device. This makes it possible to provide a particularly compact hairstyling device (appliance and accessories). In addition, the hairstyling device is particularly ergonomic and intuitive for the user to use, since the air guidance accessories are naturally guided (via the fixture as mentioned earlier) to be positioned in a continuous line with the main axis of the hairstyling device. .

Figure 1 is a front view of a hairstyling device including a blower-type hairstyling device with an air induction accessory according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along the axis M-M' of the hairstyling device of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a detailed view of Figure 2 taken along a cross-sectional view of an accessory for air guidance according to a first embodiment;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view along the axis (MM') of the hairstyling device of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the axis M-M' of an air induction accessory according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the main planes and axes of Figure 3;
Figure 7 is a front schematic diagram of the trajectories drawn by the first air flow and the second air flow in Figure 1.
Figure 8a schematically shows the area treated and the temperature emitted by a hairstyling device with an accessory for air guidance according to the invention. This picture can be obtained through a thermal photograph of a surface disposed facing the air outlet of the air guidance accessory.
FIG. 8b shows the same as FIG. 8a , except that the hairstyling device does not have an air guiding accessory (therefore there is only a hairstyling device).

As can be seen in Figures 1 to 4, the present invention relates to an air guiding accessory (1) designed to be mounted on the air outlet (28) of a hairstyling device (2). The invention also relates to a hairstyling device comprising the hairstyling device (2) and the air guiding accessory (1).

The accessory 1 for air guidance comprises an air inlet 117 of the accessory designed to co-operate with an air outlet 28 of the hairstyling device 2, as can be seen in FIG. 3 . More precisely, when the accessory for air guidance 1 is mounted (assembled) on the air outlet 28 of the hairstyling device 2, the accessory air inlet 117 is connected to the air outlet of the hairstyling device 2 ( This is consistent with 28). The air induction accessory 1 also includes an air outlet 127 of the accessory that allows blowing the second airflow F2 in the direction of the user's head, as can be seen in FIG. 3 . The accessory air outlet 127 is for example circular to form a cylindrical or conical airflow.

The hairstyling device 2 is, according to the illustrated embodiments, a hairdryer and, as known per se, has an air inlet 21 of the device, a propeller 23 rotated by a motor 24 and a heating element ( 25). The heating element 25 is advantageously designed so that it can be activated or deactivated or even adjusted to different power levels according to techniques known to the person skilled in the art and which will therefore not be described in detail here. The various components extend longitudinally along the main axis F-F' as can be seen in Figure 2 and are located inside the main body 22, also called the barrel. The main body 22 is a hollow rotating body that is substantially frustoconical, as can be seen in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the air outlet 28 of the hairstyling device 2 represents the cross-section of the body 22 and therefore takes the shape of a disk.

The hairstyling device 2 makes it possible to generate a first air stream F1 , preferably hot, which blows out of the hairstyling device 2 via an air outlet 28 , which in particular includes a grille 26 . Several parameters related to the airflow, for example speed and/or temperature, can be adjusted by the user, in particular via the control device 291 . The control device is preferably mounted on a handle 29 attached to the body 22, which allows the user of the hairstyling device 2 to dry his hair (or the hair of a third party) or Makes it easy to hold and manipulate the hair styling device for styling. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the handle 29 (or handle) extends longitudinally along the handle axis M-M'. The handle axis is neither coincident nor parallel to the main axis (F-F'). For example, the handle axis (M-M') makes an angle of 50° to 90° with respect to the main axis (F-F').

The hairstyling device 2 will then blow a substantially unidirectional first airflow F1 in a manner known per se. As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the first airflow (F1) is parallel to the main axis (F-F'). The first air flow F1 is unidirectional insofar as it substantially takes the form of a cylinder with a diameter approximately corresponding to the diameter of the air outlet 28 . Accordingly, when the first air stream F1 encounters a surface, for example the hair of a user (or a person whose hair wishes to be dried), the area treated by the air stream substantially corresponds to the diameter of the air outlet 28. It is a disk with a diameter of

The air guiding accessory (1) includes a stator (11) as can be seen in the various figures. The stator 11 extends along and around the stator axis S-S' to form a hollow part. The stator 11 extends longitudinally along the stator axis S-S' from the stator entrance surface PES to the stator outlet surface PSS, as can be seen in Figure 3 or Figure 5. In other words, the stator 11 is a hollow part with a predetermined length. The stator 11 also extends around the stator axis S-S' to form a rotating hollow part.

According to the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 , the length of the stator 11 is between 5 mm and 30 mm, advantageously between 10 mm and 15 mm, for example almost 13 mm.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 5 , the length of the stator 11 is between 20 mm and 60 mm, advantageously between 30 mm and 40 mm, for example approximately 37 mm. Such length values each make it possible to ensure good air guidance while maintaining a relatively compact air guidance accessory (1).

According to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the stator 11 is cylindrical. The diameter is preferably between 40 mm and 70 mm, advantageously between 55 mm and 60 mm, for example approximately 57 mm. Accordingly, the stator 11 is a rotating hollow part comprising an outer wall of the stator 113 and having an axis S-S' (stator axis), as can be seen in particular in FIG. 3 . The outer wall 113 of the stator is thus connected to the air guiding accessory 1 and, more precisely, the stator 11 is attached (i.e. connected, fixed, assembled or mounted) on the air outlet 28 of the hairstyling device 2. ), it is possible to form a passage for the first airflow (F1) inside the stator (11).

As can be seen in the various figures, the stator 11 has an air inlet 117 of the accessory and is mounted on the air outlet 28 of the hairstyling device 2, preferably removably, i.e. non-permanently, temporarily. It is designed to be assembled, so that the user of the hairstyling device 2 and/or the air guiding accessory 1 can freely assemble or disassemble the elements together without any effort or special tools. For this purpose, various assembly means can be used without departing from the scope of the invention, such as for example annular clips, so-called "bayonet" systems, tight fittings, magnetic devices, etc.

1 to 4 , the air guiding accessory 1, more precisely the stator 11, is temporarily attached by means of an annular clip to the hairstyling device 2, more precisely on the air outlet 28. is assembled with For example, the outer wall of the stator 113 has a certain amount of elasticity so that it can be temporarily deformed at the moment it is attached to the hair styling device 2. In order to ensure good attachment of the air guiding accessory 1 on the hairstyling device 2, the stator 11 is provided with a first complementary device belonging to the hairstyling device 2, more precisely to the main body 22. and a first hook device (114) designed to cooperate with the hook device (224). The cooperation between the first hook device 114 and the first complementary hook device 224 is then realized elastically and temporarily when the air guiding accessory 1 is mounted on the hairstyling device 2 . As can be seen in Figure 3, first hook device 114 includes a circular hollow groove, while first complementary hook device 224 includes a circular solid rib.

As can be seen in Figure 3 or Figure 5, the stator 11 has at least one arm 1111, more precisely, a hub carrier 1112 connected to the outer wall of the stator 113 by three arms 1111. Includes. As can be seen in Figure 1, the three arms 1111 are distributed at 120° in the radial direction around the stator axis (S-S'). This makes it possible to ensure the rigidity of the component assembly of the stator 11, especially the assembly between the outer wall of the stator 113 and the hub carrier 1112. Each arm 1111 is formed as a parallelepiped component with the narrowest cross section within the first airflow F1 to limit airflow disturbances. The hub carrier 1112 is a hollow cylindrical part designed to accommodate a rotation inducing device 1113, such as a shaft or screw of the rotor 12, as will be described in detail below.

The air induction fitting 1 also includes a rotor 12 extending from the rotor inlet surface (PER) to the rotor outlet surface (PSR) as can be seen in the various figures. In other words, the rotor 12 extends longitudinally over a predetermined length between the rotor inlet surface (PER) and the rotor outlet surface (PSR).

1 to 4, the distance between the rotor inlet surface (PER) and the rotor outlet surface (PSR), i.e. the length of the rotor, is between 15 mm and 40 mm, advantageously between 22 mm and 28 mm.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the distance between the rotor inlet surface (PER) and the rotor outlet surface (PSR), that is, the length of the rotor, is 10 mm to 50 mm, preferably 17 mm to 35 mm.

As can be seen in the various figures, the rotor outlet surface (PSR) includes an accessory air outlet 127. When the air guidance accessory (1) is assembled on the hairstyling device (2), the path of the airflow is as follows. The first air stream F1 is discharged from the hairstyling device 2 through the air outlet 28 and through the air inlet 117 of the accessory (i.e. via the stator entrance surface PES) to the accessory for directing air ( 1) flows into the inside, circulates in a relatively closed manner between the rotor inlet surface (PER) and the stator outlet surface (PSS), and is converted into a multidirectional secondary airflow (F2), and the rotor outlet surface (PSR) (i.e. through the air outlet 127 of the accessory) is blown out from the air induction accessory (1). The rotor outlet surface (PSR) is not perpendicular to the stator axis (S-S'), i.e. forms an angle other than 90° (even different from 0°) with the stator axis (S-S'). . Therefore, the rotor outlet surface (PSR) is not parallel to the rotor inlet surface (PER). In other words, the rotor 12 is a component that is not symmetrical about the stator axis (S-S'). In other words, the length of the rotor 12 is not the same depending on rotation about the stator axis S-S'. Such specific shapes of the rotor 12 and the rotor exit surface PSR then allow defining the scanning axis R-R', as will be explained in detail below.

As shown in particular in FIGS. 3 and 5 , the rotor 12 also has an air flow designed to rotate the rotor 12 about the stator axis S-S' due to the first air flow F1. It includes a floating drive device (121). In other words, the rotor is designed to be automatically rotated by the first air flow F1 when the air guiding accessory 1 is connected to the hair styling device 2 as described above. More precisely, the pneumatic drive device 121 comprises a hub 1212 connected to the outer wall 125 of the rotor by at least one blade 1211, more precisely by three blades 1211. . The three blades 1211 are evenly distributed at 120° intervals in the radial direction to ensure excellent rigidity of the rotor 12 and the hub 1212. The profile of each blade 1211 is a “pseudo-NACA” type aircraft wing profile with an angle of incidence of 10°. The angle of incidence and profile of each blade 1211 was selected to obtain the best compromise between lift/drag ratio at typical speeds of hair styling devices. This means improved ease of use. In particular, each blade 1211 is designed to generate minimal load loss (finesse) and provide sufficient rotational torque (lift) to drive the rotor, i.e., to overcome inertia and friction. In addition, the designers of the invention have demonstrated very significantly the presence of induced suction thanks to the profile of each blade 1211. In other words, the profile of the blades 1211 makes it possible to generate a suction phenomenon that is then added to the first airflow F1. This in turn creates an additional free air flow, a guided air flow, which significantly contributes to limit the flow losses associated with the presence of the blades 1211 and/or arms 1111 and thus the overall performance of the air guiding accessory 1. contributes significantly to improving.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, rotor 12 has a cylindrical cross-section. This allows for a particularly simple and economical design.

However, one may prefer the embodiment of Figure 5 where the rotor is conical. More precisely, as can be seen in Figure 5, the rotor 12 has a cross-section defining a truncated cone. Accordingly, the rotor 12 has a cone angle γ that is not zero, contrary to the embodiment of FIG. 3 . The cone angle γ of the rotor 12 is 5 degrees to 20 degrees, preferably 16 degrees, 14 degrees, or 6 degrees, as shown in detail in the table below. In fact, the shape of the rotor 12, which is conical, makes it possible to accelerate the second air flow F2 and thus improve the drying and/or hairstyling performance, since the air speed is an important parameter for the drying efficiency of hairstyling accessories and devices. enable improvement.

As can be seen in various drawings, the rotor 12 is mounted in a pivot connection with the stator 11. More precisely, the hub 1212 is mounted in a pivot connection manner with the hub carrier 1112. As can be seen in Figures 3 or 5, the hub 1212 includes a second guiding device 1222, formed for example by a shoulder. The second guiding device 1222 belongs to, for example, the hub carrier 1112 and is inserted into the second complementary guiding device 1122 formed by boring processing. In this way, connections of rotary guiding and sliding pivot types are implemented. Any known fastening device, for example screws, clips, connecting pins, etc. (not shown), for blocking the axial translation of the rotor 12 relative to the stator 11 and for implementing said pivot connection. could be used. Naturally, the present invention is not limited to any of those mechanical mounting means well known to those skilled in the art.

Whatever the embodiment of the invention, the rotor 12 includes at least one portion extending along and around the scanning axis R-R'. This part plays a key role in the air induction accessory 1, which is the subject of the present invention, which converts the substantially unidirectional first airflow F1 into a plurality of second airflows F2 following a plurality of different directions during rotation of the rotor. This is because it is this part in particular that allows it to be converted to be oriented.

As can be seen in Figure 3 or Figure 5, the at least one portion includes a rotor exit surface (PSR). The scanning axis (R-R') is defined as an imaginary axis perpendicular to the rotor exit surface (PSR). The at least one part is then a rotating part extending along and around the scanning axis R-R'. Accordingly, the scanning axis (R-R') forms an intersection angle (β) other than 0° with the stator axis (S-S'). The intersection angle (β) will be understood to be the maximum angle that the scanning axis (R-R') can take while moving. In other words, the scanning axis (R-R') is neither coincident nor parallel to the stator axis (S-S'). Taking into account such non-zero angles and the fact that the rotor 12 is mounted for rotation relative to the stator 11 along the stator axis S-S', the scanning axis R- R') will be moved by a scanning movement along a circular trajectory around the stator axis (S-S'). The trajectory is schematically shown in Figure 7. Then, since each unidirectional component f1 of the first airflow F1 is now radially reoriented according to the component f2, the airflow is no longer unidirectional but, on the contrary, multidirectional. As such, the accessory that is the subject of the invention converts the first air stream F1 into a second air stream F2 scanning in a plurality of different directions, and thus the area treated by the air stream of the hairstyling device 2. It is designed to expand.

The scanning axis R-R' is shown by dashed lines at two of the extreme positions in Figures 3 and 5. The extreme positions are those with a crossing angle (β) equal to the stator axis (S-S'). The rotor exit surface (PSR) is also shown in Figures 3 and 5 by dashed lines at the two extreme positions. Therefore, it can be seen that the rotor outlet surface (PSR) and the scanning axis (R-R') are maintained perpendicular to each other. Accordingly, whatever the embodiment, it is understood that rotor 12 will scan a plurality of different positions over time between an initial position (shown as a solid line) and a final position (shown as a dashed line). Such scanning movement of the rotor results in scanning of the airflow along multiple directions, so that ultimately the substantially unidirectional first airflow F1 produces a second airflow F2 scanning a plurality of different directions. The result is converted to .

The intersection angle (β) is between 5 and 40 degrees, advantageously between 5 and 25 degrees, and preferably between 18 and 20 or 22 degrees. In practice, the respective values were determined by the designers of the present invention in order to ensure an accessory for air guidance (1) that satisfies the objectives set forth above, in particular by providing the best possible compromise between compactness, airflow performance and drying efficiency. It has been tested, verified and defined by

As can be seen in Figure 3 or Figure 5, the intersection of the scanning axis (R-R') with the stator axis (S-S') is between the rotor inlet surface (PER) and the stator outlet surface (PSS). included in As will be understood from FIGS. 3 and 5 , this makes it possible to ensure excellent compactness of the air guiding accessory 1 while providing a large area to be scanned by the second air flow F2. On the other hand, it is possible to define the scanning angle α between the extreme positions that the rotor 12 can take on either side of the scanning axis R-R'. The scanning angle (α) can be calculated according to the following formula:

[Formula 1] α = (β - (γ/ 2)) * 2

As can be seen in the various figures, the scanning axis (R-R') and the stator axis (S-S') intersect in a transition plane (T) parallel to the rotor entrance surface (PER), and the stator axis ( S-S') is perpendicular to the transition plane (T). More precisely, the distance d between the transition plane T and the rotor entrance surface PER is less than 7 mm, preferably between 0 and 5 mm.

Meanwhile, the designers of the air induction accessory 1, which is the subject of the present invention, carried out various measurements of the dryness index according to the IEC 61855 standard edition 1 (“household electrical hair care appliances - methods of measuring the performance”). The standards are well known to those skilled in the art and are frequently used to measure the dryness index of various hairstyling devices and thus the overall performance of the device. Various air induction accessories according to the embodiment of FIG. 5 were tested. Each accessory exhibits a different intersection angle (β). The results are compared to those of the device without accessories.

Accessories 2.1 Accessories 2.2 Accessories 2.3 No accessories Intersection angle (β) 20° 22° 18° 0° of rotor (12)
Cone angle (γ) 16° 6° 14° 0° Scanning angle (α) 24° 38° 22° 0° hair styling device power 1835W 1835W 1835W 1835W Hair styling device propeller speed 16320 tr/min 16230 tr/min 16260 tr/min 16485 tr/min Secondary air stream (F2) temperature at a distance of 2.5 cm from the accessory air outlet (127) 80.6℃ 81.6℃ 82.2℃ 80.5℃ at a distance of 10 cm from the accessory air outlet (127).
Secondary airflow (F2) temperature 74.2℃ 75.1℃ 75.9℃ 72.4℃ dryness index 5.32 g/min 4.83 g/min 4.84 g/min 5.44 g/min

The results show, for example, that for approximately the same dryness index, the accessory (2.1) can increase the diffusion range of the airflow by 24° compared to the device without the accessory. This allows the user to move the hair styling device 2 less, thereby greatly improving the user's convenience in use.

Figures 8a and 8b also schematically show the improvement of temperature uniformity and the enlargement of the area treated by the second air stream F2 coming from the air guidance accessory 1, which is the subject of the invention. Figure 8b schematically shows the heat footprint of the hairstyling device 2 without the air conduction accessory 1. A first, moderately hot disk (shown in grey) is identified, which has a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of the air outlet 28 of the hairstyling device 2. However, two hotter zones in the middle of the airflow (shown in black) are noteworthy. Such hotter zones are associated with the essential construction of the hairstyling device 2 and in particular with the positioning and operation of its heating elements. Such areas are relatively inconvenient for the user who has to manually move the hairstyling device 2 to equalize the airflow and expand the treatment area. In FIG. 8a , the thermal footprint of a hairstyling device 2 of FIG. 8b , but in this case equipped with an air induction accessory 1 as defined by the invention, is schematically shown. It is noted that, thanks to the scanning carried out by the rotor 12 as described above, the average diameter covered by the airflow has increased compared to the diameter in Figure 8b. It is also noted that since the airflow is continuously and automatically moved by the rotor 12 as described above, the temperature becomes much more uniform and the two hot zones disappear. Accordingly, the user no longer needs to manually move the hairstyling device 2. As a result, user convenience is improved and fatigue is reduced.

Naturally, to ensure good operation of the invention, the stator 11 and the rotor 12 are positioned between the air inlet 117 of the accessory and the air outlet 127 of the accessory and have a substantially fluid-tight connection 116, 126), which is to prevent any excessive loss of the first and/or second airflow F2 between the stator 11 and the rotor 12. As can be seen in FIG. 3 , the substantially fluid-tight connections 116 , 126 have a guiding device 116 belonging to the stator 11 on one side and a complementary guiding device belonging to the rotor 12 on the other side. Includes (126). The guiding device 116 more precisely comprises a circular edge designed to be introduced into the circular shoulder formed by the complementary guiding device 126 . In addition, the complementary guiding device 126, i.e. the shoulder according to the embodiment of FIG. 3, extends longitudinally along the stator axis S-S'. In other words, a part of the rotor 12 is put into the stator 11. Therefore, the rotor inlet surface (PER) is located upstream of the stator outlet surface (PSS) in the flow direction of the first airflow (F1). This makes it possible to ensure a good seal between the stator 11 and the rotor 12 and thus a good operation of the air guiding accessory 1. More precisely, the overlap length (L) defined between the rotor inlet surface (PER) and the stator outlet surface (PSS) is almost 3 mm, which not only ensures a good compromise between tightness/volume but also rotational guiding. . In practice the overlap length L should not be excessively long so as not to constrain the good rotation of the rotor 12 relative to the stator 11 . Also, without departing from the scope of the present invention, various devices well known to the person skilled in the art, for example O-rings (annular joints), can be used, in particular, for movable parts (in this case rotor 12) and stationary parts (in this case rotor 12). It may be possible to use devices that ensure the tightness of the mechanical connection between the stators (11) and at the same time take care that devices of this type do not interfere with the free rotation of the rotor (12).

According to the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the stator 11 is still a rotating hollow part, but its shape is more complex. In particular, the air guiding accessory 1, more precisely the stator 11, comprises a case 13 extending at least around the rotor 12. Optionally, case 13 may be an integral part of stator 11 or, conversely, may be a separate part. In the illustrated embodiment, case 13 is monolithic with stator 11, i.e. a monoblock with material continuity. In other words, the outer wall 113 of the stator forms the case 13. This facilitates assembly of the air guidance accessory (1). Therefore, the case 13 is designed to be bound to the stator 11 and protect the rotor 12 from contact with the user. The case 13 is advantageously shaped like a truncated cone with a case cone angle θ of 25 to 60 degrees, preferably 40 degrees, which keeps the air guiding accessory 1 relatively compact while still providing the rotor 12 ) to ensure good exercise. Accordingly, the rotor can freely perform scanning movements inside the case 13 while being completely protected from the outside. As such, case 13 is particularly useful in preventing users from contacting the moving (and potentially hot) rotor 12 with their hands, as well as their head, hair, etc. The case 13 then ensures the safety of use of the air guiding accessory 1, for example by preventing the risk of accidental contact between the moving rotor 12 and the user's hair and thus limiting any risk of the hair becoming entangled. will increase significantly. The case 13 will also increase the safety of the air guidance accessory 1 by protecting the rotor 12 when the air guidance accessory 1 falls.

Claims (15)

An air guiding accessory (1) designed to be mounted on an air outlet (28) of a hairstyling device (2) blowing a substantially unidirectional first air stream (F1), comprising:
The air induction accessory (1) is designed to convert the first air stream (F1) into a second air stream (F2) scanning in a plurality of different directions,
The air induction accessory (1) is:
- an air inlet (117) of the accessory designed to cooperate with an air outlet (28) of the hairstyling device (2), and
- an air outlet 127 of the accessory that allows the second airflow (F2) to be blown in the direction of the user's head, and
- a stator (11) extending circumferentially along the stator axis (S-S') from the stator inlet surface (PES) to the stator outlet surface (PSS), and
- a rotor (12) extending from the rotor inlet surface (PER) to the rotor outlet surface (PSR), which thanks to the first airflow (F1) moves the rotor (12) along the stator axis (S-S') A rotor, comprising an aeraulic drive device 121 designed to drive rotation around the
Including,
- the rotor 12 comprises at least one part extending along and around the scanning axis R-R', wherein the at least one part generates a second airflow along the plurality of different directions ( Designed to orient F2),
- the scanning axis (R-R') forms an intersection angle (β) of 5 to 40 degrees with the stator axis (S-S'),
- The stator 11 and the rotor 12 are located between the accessory air inlet 117 and the accessory air outlet 127 and are connected to each other by substantially fluid-tight connections 116, 126. , in accessories for air induction,
An accessory for air guidance, characterized in that the intersection of the scanning axis (R-R') and the stator axis (S-S') is included between the rotor inlet surface (PER) and the stator outlet surface (PSS). (One). According to paragraph 1,
Accessory (1) for air guidance, characterized in that the rotor inlet surface (PER) is located upstream of the stator outlet surface (PSS) in the flow direction of the first air stream (F1). According to paragraph 2,
Accessory (1) for air guidance, characterized in that the overlap length (L) defined between the rotor inlet surface (PER) and the stator outlet surface (PSS) is between 1 mm and 5 mm, and advantageously is approximately 3 mm. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Accessory (1) for air guidance, characterized in that the stator (11) has an accessory air inlet (117) and is designed for assembly, preferably removably, on the air outlet (28) of the hairstyling device (2). . According to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Accessory (1) for air guidance, characterized in that the rotor outlet surface (PSR) comprises an accessory air outlet (127). According to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The scanning axis (R-R') and the stator axis (S-S') intersect in a transition plane (T) parallel to the rotor entrance surface (PER), and the stator axis (S-S') Accessory (1) for air guidance, characterized in that it is perpendicular to the transition plane (T). According to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The air induction accessory (1), characterized in that the intersection angle (β) is 5 to 25 degrees, preferably 18 degrees, 20 degrees, or 22 degrees. According to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Accessory (1) for air guidance, characterized in that the rotor (12) has the shape of a truncated cone. According to clause 8,
An accessory (1) for air guidance, characterized in that the cone angle (γ) of the rotor (12) is 5 to 20 degrees, preferably 16 degrees, 14 degrees, or 6 degrees. According to any one of claims 1 to 9,
An accessory for air guidance, characterized in that the stator (11) includes a hub holder (1112) connected to the outer wall of the stator (113) by at least one arm (1111), preferably three arms (1111). (One). According to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The pneumatic drive device 121 is characterized in that it comprises a hub 1212 connected to the outer wall of the rotor 125 by at least one blade 1211, preferably by three blades 1211. , Accessories for air guidance (1). According to claims 10 and 11,
An accessory (1) for air induction, characterized in that the hub (1212) is mounted in a pivot connection with the hub holder (1112). According to any one of claims 1 to 12,
The air induction accessory comprises a case (13) at least around the rotor (12),
Accessory (1) for air guidance, characterized in that the case (13) is coupled to the stator (11) and is designed to protect the rotor (12) from contact with the user. According to clause 13,
Accessory (1) for air guidance, characterized in that the case (13) has the shape of a truncated cone with a case cone angle (θ) advantageously between 25 and 60 degrees, preferably 40 degrees. Comprising a hairstyling device (2) blowing a substantially unidirectional first airflow (F1), such as a hair dryer, and an accessory (1) for directing air according to any one of claims 1 to 14, Hair styling device.

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