MXPA06005155A - Hair dryer attachment with axial and radial flow - Google Patents

Abstract

A hair dryer attachment is provided for use with a hand held hair dryer having a barrel with an outlet. The attachment has a substantially tubular body with a perforated sidewall having a generally uniform diameter. A first end of the attachment is configured for receiving the barrel, and a second end having an outlet is configured for dispensing air flow from the dryer. There are a plurality of openings along the length of said sidewall which are configured for permitting the radial ingress and egress of air flow to and from the attachment.

Description

ACCESSORY FOR HAIR DRYER WITH AXIAL AND RADIAL FLOW BACKGROUND The present invention relates to devices for combing hair and particularly to manual hair dryers of the type designed for use with accessories that alter the flow of air from the barrel of a manual hair dryer.

Hand dryers are well known for their use in combing hair and are commonly used by professional individuals and stylists. It is common for such dryers to be offered with combing accessories, such as, most without limitations, combs for combing the hair during drying, diffusers for diffusing or dissipating air flow from the outlet of the dryer barrel to reduce the speed of the hair. air emitted by the dryer and expand the air in a larger surface area and concentrators to concentrate and / or increase the velocity of the air emitted by the exit of the dryer barrel.

When the user or stylist wishes to use an accessory, it is usually pressed on the end of the barrel of the dryer and temporarily held there with a friction coupling or secured to the end of the barrel. U.S. Patent No. 6,775,922 to Langley et al., Which is hereby incorporated by reference, presents a clamping mechanism that offers coupling formations in the barrel and complementary formations in the mouth of the fitting.

Once the accessory is fixed to the manual dryer, the dryer can be turned on and the air flows from it, through the accessory and through the outlet. When the air flow at the outlet of the accessory is prevented or blocked, such as when the outlet is placed adjacent to the scalp, the hand dryer may overheat and cause the motor to shut off. Overheating of the dryer occurs when insufficient airflow escapes from the fixture and backpressure builds up inside the dryer.

In the diffuser attachment described in U.S. Patent No. 4,848,007 to Montagnino, to prevent overheating of the dryer, exhaust slots are provided to distribute hot air when the diffuser is turned off and to introduce cold air when the diffuser is turned on. . However, although the slots are used to prevent overheating of the dryer, the flow of air entering and exiting through the slots is not used for the purpose of drying the hair. The air intake and discharge is concentrated in a small portion of the diffuser. That is, the entry and exit of air into the slots is not constant along the side wall and is not used for a radial and constant drying of the hair, but merely to introduce cooler air into the hot diffuser or so that the Hot air comes out when the diffuser is off.

In a ventilation cannon known and described in United States Patent 6775,922 to Langley et al., The attachment has a plurality of holes and a blocked exit end. While the vent holes allow air to escape from the fitting during the operation of the dryer, which prevents the dryer from overheating, the radial airflow that escapes through the holes is too powerful for constant drying of air when the accessory is used with a professional model dryer. Although the configuration distributes air throughout the length of the fixture, the large amount of air emitted through the holes can greatly affect the hairstyle of the hair.

Thus, there is a need for an accessory for a manual hair dryer that prevents the dryer from overheating when the airflow is impeded at the exit, but also allows a constant drying of the hair at the positions along the length of the hair. accessory length.

SUMMARY According to the foregoing, the present hair dryer accessory is provided for use with a manual hair dryer having a barrel with outlet. The attachment has a substantially tubular body with a perforated side wall having a generally uniform diameter. A first end of the accessory is configured to receive the barrel, and a second end has an outlet configured to distribute the air flow coming from the dryer. Preferably there are a plurality of openings along the length of the side wall where they are configured to allow radial entry and egress of the air flow in and out of the fitting depending on whether there is a low pressure differential or a high differential. pressure in the accessory, respectively.

More specifically, in an exemplary vent gun accessory for use with a manual hair dryer having a barrel with an outlet, the fitting has a substantially tubular body. The tubular body has a perforated side wall that has a generally uniform diameter with openings. A first end of the fitting is configured to receive the barrel, and an outlet is configured to distribute the air flow. The fitting is configured so that when the outlet is substantially blocked, at least a portion of the air flowing into the fitting from the manual hair dryer flows radially outward through the openings, and when the outlet is not substantially blocked, air flows radially inward through the openings and exits through the outlet.

Another feature of the present invention is a combination of a manual hair dryer and an accessory. The hair dryer includes a frame and a generally tapered barrel with an outlet, the barrel being provided with at least one coupling formation for retaining the fitting therewith. In the accessory, at least one complementary formation is provided for releasably coupling the attachment with the corresponding coupling formation to removably secure the fitting to the barrel. In the preferred specimen, the complementary formation is arranged as a mouth of the corresponding fitting, and the mouth is generally open and configured to rest on the barrel between the at least one coupling formation and the outlet. The coupling formation is contained in a containment structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a hair dryer provided with the present accessory; Figure 2 is a vertical section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1 and in the indicated direction; Figure 3 is a top perspective view of the coupling in the barrel of the Figure i; and Figure 4 is a side view of the accessory of Figure 1 used in axial orientation toward the user's head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, a hair dryer suitable for use with the present accessory is generally designated 10 and includes a frame 12 with an air inlet 14, a handle 16, at least one switch 18 for controlling the heat and / or fan speed as is known in the art and a barrel 20 having an outlet 22. It is contemplated that the number and arrangement of the switches 18 may vary to suit the application as is known in the art. Also, it is contemplated that the barrel 20 is preferably generally cylindrical or oval when viewed from the front and / or slightly tapered as is common in the art. Other shapes of the barrel are contemplated depending on the application. If desired, a hanging hook 24 can be provided to suspend the dryer 10 when it is not being used. Also, it should be understood that the dryer 10 is provided with a fan, a heating element, wires and other internal components normally found in said products.

The dryer 10 is provided with an accessory for the vent barrel, generally designated 30. The fitting 30 is releasably attached to the barrel 20 and has a removable safety coupling that positively holds the fitting to the barrel to provide adequate support and to prevent undesired uncoupling of the dryer attachment 10. The peel-away safety coupling is presented in U.S. Patent No. 6,775,922 to Langley et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

In order to provide the desired releasable attachment coupling between the barrel 20 and the accessory 30, the present system includes a fastening system that includes at least one coupling formation 26 in the barrel 20 to retain an attachment for combing therein and at least a corresponding complementary formation 28 in the accessory 30. In the preferred example, the coupling formations 26 are radially extending studs and the complementary formations 28 are "J" -shaped bayonet cuts or holes arranged in the mouth 38 of the fitting. Thus, a bayonet-stud arrangement is provided, as is known in the mechanical art.

In the preferred specimen, there are four coupling formations 28 placed in increments of approximately 90 degrees around the barrel and aligned in a common plane, however the number and spacing of formations 26, 28 may vary to suit the application. With the preferred specimen, the accessory 30 can be placed on the dryer 10 in one of four orientations.

In the fixation arrangement of the present invention, the complementary formation 28 encloses the coupling formation 26 with the containment structure 29. The containment structure 29 is preferably flush with the exterior of the fitting 30 and extends over the groove of the complementary training 28. In this configuration the containment structure 29 strengthens the complementary formation 28 to prevent accidental deformation of the groove.

Another feature of the invention is that the barrel 20 of the dryer 10 is relatively short compared to conventional or "standard size" dryers employed by professional stylists and / or individuals. The length of the barrel 20 is measured from a first end 32 starting on a generally vertical line defined by a leading edge 34 on the handle 16 and in the present dryer 10 also represented by an optional ornamental height difference 36 on the frame 12 and the outlet 22. It will be appreciated that the fitting 30 forms a part of the barrel in general of the dryer 10 and as such shortens the functional length of the dryer while providing a variety of alternatives for hairstyles.

The mouth 38 is generally open, has a larger diameter at the first end 40 than a second end 42 which is adjacent to the functional portion 44 of the fitting 30. Also, the complementary formations 28 are placed almost adjacent to the first end 40. The mouth 38 is configured to be supported by the barrel 20 between the coupling formations 26 and the outlet 22. As such, the mouth 38 has a coupling that allows it to slide and rotate on the barrel 20 so that the user can install it. and stir with ease. At the same time, the mouth 38 is designed to be positively positioned in the barrel 20.

In addition to the coupling formations 26, 28 and the physical support provided by the close proximity of the barrel 20 to the mouth (better illustrated in Figure 2), the mouth 38 also optionally places the outlet 22 in a positive and constant manner. This position is obtained with an optional brake 46, which in the preferred specimen is a gap formed by the mouth 38 when it is fixed in the functional portion 44.

Referring now to Figures 1 through 4, the fitting 30 is referred to as a vent gun fitting having a substantially tubular body 50 provided with a perforated side wall 52 of generally constant diameter with rows of openings 54 The first end 38 of the fitting 30, also called the mouth, receives the barrel 20 and an outlet end 58 is configured to distribute the axial air flow. In addition, the accessory is preferably provided with a plurality of axially spaced annular radially spaced ribs 60 which are fixed to, or formed as an integral part of the side wall 52. The rows of generally and preferably circular apertures 54 preferably they are arranged on the side wall between the annular ribs 60.

Referring now to Figure 2, when the hand dryer 10 is positioned so that the air flow is not significantly impeded at the exit end 58, the air travels through the dryer barrel 20 and is restricted as enters the accessory 30. When the air enters a restriction area, its velocity increases and the pressure within the constriction decreases. This is known as the Venturi effect. The localized area of low pressure within the restriction (ie, accessory 30) causes ambient air to move from high pressure to low pressure, that is, the air flows from the outside of the side wall 52 through the openings 54 and into the fitting 30 where it is combined with the air coming from the dryer and exits at the end of the outlet 58. Since the flow of additional air is introduced into the system through the side wall 52, the openings 54 offer additional air flow dispensed at the end of the outlet 58, generally in the order of 5 to 10% more volumetric flow rate than the dryer By itself.In use, the accessory 30 creates a current of air under the hair, effectively sucking moisture from the hair strands into the interior of the accessory. The ribs 60 are designed to divide and separate the hair, the wicks of which are sucked towards the openings 54 in the side wall 52, and between the ribs. In addition to the combing action of the ribs 60 that separate the hair, the accessory 30 is designed to be used with a comb or brush.

In general, the use of the entire length of the side wall 52, the air is dried from the root to the tip, preferably without overheating or drying the scalp, which is referred to herein as radial drying. In radial drying, a mild alternative is provided for the relatively violent and aggressive turbulence associated with standard barrel dryers with high temperature speed setting and high fan speed. In addition, radial drying offers an alternative to hair drying with a concentrated flow at the end of outlet 58, which is referred to herein as axial drying (Figure 4). The present accessory 30 of the present invention is configured for both axial drying and radial drying.

In the present example, the openings 54 are arranged along the length of the side wall 52 and are preferably circular and preferably of various sizes depending on their position in the fitting 30. Preferably there are eight circular rows of openings 52 arranged transversely to the axis of the tubular body 50. In the preferred specimen, the first three rows located near the exit end 58 are the smallest, the diameter of the apertures 54S is approximately 3/16 of an inch, the last three rows located towards the mouth 38 are the largest, the diameter of the openings 54L is about 5/16 of an inch, and the two middle rows have a medium size, the diameter of the openings 54M is about 1 &4 inch in diameter . Also, there are preferably eight axial rows of the apertures 54. However, it is contemplated that other sizes, arrangements and shapes are contemplated.

Referring now to Figure 4, when the hand dryer 10 is positioned so that the air flow is clogged, such as by placing the outlet end 58 almost adjacent to the scalp, pressure builds up inside the fitting 30. In A conventional manual dryer 10 that uses the accessory, the higher pressure creates a situation where the dryer can overheat because the distribution of air flow is insufficient.

In this accessory 30, the openings 54 are configured to dispense the air flow while the dryer is turned on, and, further, is configured to consistently dispense air along the length of the side wall 52, for use with effectiveness of the air emitted for radial drying. When the fitting 30 is positioned so that the air flow is significantly blocked at the outlet end 58, such as by placing the outlet adjacent the scalp, a buildup of pressure is formed within the fitting 30. Instead of dispensing the air in an area located on the side wall 52, the fitting 30 is configured to dispense the air flow in a generally constant fashion over the entire length of the side wall for radial drying.

To distribute the air flow steadily within the fixture 30 to the environment generally along the length of the side wall 52, smaller openings 54S are placed in the side wall where more back pressure accumulates within the fixture and Larger 54L openings are placed where less back pressure accumulates. The medium-sized apertures 54M are placed in the side wall 52 where an average amount of back pressure accumulates.

Thus, it is observed that the present accessory for manual dryer provides capacity of a constant drying regardless of whether the output is impeded or not. The direction of the air flow in the openings 54 changes from ingress to egress depending on whether there is a low pressure or high pressure differential within the fixture 30 as compared to the environment (i.e., if the air flow is significantly impeded at the exit end 58). When there are no significant impediments, air is absorbed in the openings 54 and when there are significant impediments, the air exits through the openings. In addition, constant and radial hair drying may occur on the sidewall regardless of whether air enters or leaves the openings 54.While a particular instance of the present hair dryer accessory has been described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set out in the claims next.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS:

1. A vent gun accessory (30) for use with a hair dryer (10) having a barrel (20) with an outlet (22), said fitting comprises: a substantially tubular body (50) with a perforated side wall (52) which defines a generally uniform diameter along said tubular body, a first end (40) for receiving the barrel (20), and a second end with an outlet (58) configured to axially distribute the flow of air coming from the dryer; and a plurality of openings (54) along the length of said side wall (52) configured to allow radial entry of air to the fitting when there is a low pressure differential in the fitting and discharge when there is a high pressure differential. in the accessory.

2. The vent gun fitting of Claim 1 further includes a plurality of annular spaced ribs with radial projection (60) provided in said side wall (52).

3. The vent gun fitting of Claim 1 wherein the air flow velocity distributed from said outlet increases when there is radial air intake to the fitting through the openings (54).

4. The vent gun fitting of Claim 1 wherein said openings (54) have different sizes.

5. The vent gun fitting of Claim 4 wherein said openings (54) are smaller near said outlet (58) and larger toward the hand dryer (10).

6. The vent gun fitting of Claim 2 wherein said annular ribs (60) divide said openings (54) into transverse rows of openings, and where within each of the rows the openings have the same size.

7. The vent gun fitting of Claim 6 wherein said openings (54) in the first three rows disposed adjacent said outlet (58) are the smaller openings, wherein said second two rows of openings are the medium sized openings and wherein said three rows arranged adjacent to the manual dryer (10) are the largest openings.

8. The vent gun fitting of Claim 7 wherein said smaller apertures (54) have a diameter of approximately 3/16 of an inch.

9. The vent gun fitting of Claim 7 wherein said larger apertures (54) have a diameter of approximately 5/16 inch.

10. The vent gun fitting of Claim 1 wherein said outlet (58) is substantially blocked, at least a portion of the air flowing into said fitting (30) from the manual hair dryer flows radially outwardly through of said openings, and when the outlet is not substantially blocked, air flows radially inwardly through said openings and exits through said outlet.

11. The vent gun attachment of Claim 1 wherein said hair dryer (10) includes a frame (12) and a generally tapered barrel (20) with an outlet (22), said barrel being provided with at least one formation of coupling (26) for retaining said attachment there, wherein said accessory (30) is provided with at least one complementary engaging formation (28) for releasably coupling said corresponding coupling formation (26) to removably attach said accessory to said barrel, said at least one coupling formation is disposed in a mouth (38) of said corresponding fitting, said mouth being generally open and configured to be supported by said barrel between said at least one coupling formation and said outlet; wherein said coupling formation is contained in a retaining structure (29).