US20090255143A1

US20090255143A1 - Electric Hair Dryer

Info

Publication number: US20090255143A1
Application number: US12/085,592
Authority: US
Inventors: Ki Hwal Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-11-29
Filing date: 2006-11-28
Publication date: 2009-10-15
Also published as: JP2009528850A; GB2449775A; KR200411438Y1; WO2007064126A1; GB0811721D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a functional hair dryer, which sufficiently utilizes heat emitted by a heater, such as a heater lamp, thus improving thermal efficiency, and eliminating harm occurring during the use of the hair dryer, and which prevents damage, such as the bursting of the heater, thus extending the lifespan of the hair dryer. The functional hair dryer of the present invention includes a main body (10) of the hair dryer having an air outlet (12) formed on a front thereof, and a heater (20) included in the main body (10), a blower being disposed behind the heater (20). The heater (20) includes a center connection portion (22), and a pair of inclined extension portions (24), which extend from both ends of the connection portion (22) to be inclined while extending away from each other toward front ends of the inclined extension portions (24).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a functional hair dryer, which sufficiently utilizes heat emitted by a heater, such as a heater lamp, thus improving thermal efficiency, and eliminating harm occurring during the use of the hair dryer, and which prevents damage, such as the bursting of the heater, thus extending the lifespan of the hair dryer.

BACKGROUND ART

In the prior art, a hair dryer using a halogen heater lamp was commercialized. Such a hair dryer is constructed so that a halogen heater lamp is included in a main body having an air outlet formed on the front thereof, a blower is provided behind the halogen heater lamp, and a heat radiation plate is installed on the outer circumference of the heater lamp. The hair dryer is operated to exhaust hot air through the operation of the halogen heater lamp and the blower, thus drying hair. The halogen heater lamp is constructed so that a heating element such as a tungsten filament is provided in a transparent quartz tube. Meanwhile, the circumference of the halogen heater lamp may be sandblasted or coated so as to cover the heater lamp in order to prevent light from being emitted from the halogen heater lamp.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

Since the heater lamp is constructed to have a U shape when viewed from the side, the area in which air and the heater lamp come into contact with each other is relatively small when air is blown by the blower. That is, since the amount of air that merely passes the heater lamp without coming into contact therewith is relatively large, the area in which air blown by the blower comes into contact with the heater lamp is relatively small. Therefore, the conventional hair dryer is disadvantageous in that, since heat emitted by the heater lamp is not sufficiently utilized, thermal efficiency is deteriorated.
Further, since a hair dryer employing a transparent halogen heater lamp emits ultraviolet rays and visible rays, it may negatively influence the eyes and skin of a human being when the human being uses the hair dryer. Further, such a hair dryer may injure the scalp and hair. Further, according to the circumstances, the heater lamp may be sandblasted or coated in order to reduce the amount of light emitted from the heater lamp. Such a hair dryer is problematic in that light and heat are confined in the heater lamp and are then forcibly released, so that there is some danger that the heater lamp may burst, and the likelihood that the lifespan of the hair dryer may be shortened.

Technical Solution

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a functional hair dryer having a new structure, which sufficiently utilizes heat radiated from a heater lamp, thus improving thermal efficiency, and eliminating harm occurring during the use of the hair dryer, which provides the natural negative ions and far infrared rays, thus improving the user's health, and which prevents damage, such as the bursting of a heater lamp, thus extending the lifespan of the hair dryer, and additionally improving the functionality and reliability of hair dryer products.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present invention, there are advantages in that, since the area in which a heater comes into contact with air, blown by the blower of a hair dryer while the air passes through a pair of inclined extension portions, which extend away from each other to be inclined, and a connection portion, is relatively wide compared to the prior art, so that thermal efficiency can be improved compared to the prior art, and since thermal efficiency can be improved using a relatively small amount of thermal capacity, energy efficiency can also be improved.
Further, the heater of the present invention is provided in a heater housing, and the heater housing is molded to have therein a plurality of honeycomb spaces, so that a scheme of heating a ceramic heater housing using heat generated by the heater and of exhausting hot air, like radiated heat, is used, and thus heat generated by the heater can be used without leaking to the outside. Accordingly, thermal efficiency can be maximized. Furthermore, the present invention is advantageous in that it can have a healthful influence on the body of a user because a heater housing made of a bioceramic material and a negative ion material generates pure far infrared rays and natural negative ions. Further, the present invention is advantageous in that it can maintain suitable moisture in the hair while preventing the scalp and hair from injury, thus being natural.
Further, the heater is constructed such that a heating element is included in a tube, produced in the form of a red quartz tube, and thus there is no need to sandblast or coat the heater in order to prevent light from being emitted from the heater. Therefore, the present invention is advantageous in that, since heat is not confined in the heater and is not forcibly released, there is no danger that a lamp-type heater may burst, and thus the lifespan of the hair dryer is extended.
Further, the present invention is constructed so that depressed grooves are formed in the circumference of a heater housing, and air holes are formed through the grooves, so that air blown by the blower of the hair dryer is supplied through the air holes that are formed through the grooves of the heater housing, thus preventing the outer surface of the heater housing from being overheated. Therefore, the present invention can use all of the cool air generated by the blower as hot air while preventing the deformation of the main body of the hair dryer, which is made of synthetic resin, that is, the melting of the main body caused by heat from the heater housing, thereby further improving thermal efficiency.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a functional hair dryer, the hair dryer comprising a main body 10 of the hair dryer having an air outlet 12 formed on the front thereof, and a halogen heater 20 included in the main body 10, a blower being disposed behind the heater, wherein the heater 20 comprises a center connection portion 22, and a pair of inclined extension portions 24, which extend from both ends of the connection portion 22 to be inclined while extending away from each other toward front ends of the inclined extension portions.

Mode for the Invention

A hair dryer according to the present invention is similar to a conventional hair dryer in that it includes the main body 10 of the hair dryer having an air outlet 12 formed therein, a halogen heater 20 included in the main body 10, and a blower arranged behind the heater 20 and included in the body 10.
In this case, the heater 20 is constructed to have the shape of a heater lamp including a connection portion 22 formed in the center thereof in an arc shape, and a pair of inclined extension portions 24, which extend from both ends of the connection portion 22 to be inclined while extending away from each other toward the front ends of the inclined extension portions. Here, the inclined extension portions 24 are arranged to be symmetrical around the center line of the heater 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the heater 20 having the above construction is installed such that a pair of inclined extension portions 24 is directed toward the air outlet 12 of the main body 10.
Therefore, the area in which air blown by the blower of the hair dryer comes into contact with the heater 20 while the air passes through the pair of inclined extension portions 24, which extend away from each other to be inclined, and the connection portion 22 in the heater 20, is relatively wide compared to the conventional hair dryer, so that heat radiated from the heater 20 can be sufficiently utilized. In this way, since the heat radiated from the heater 20 can be sufficiently utilized, thermal efficiency can be improved, and since thermal efficiency can be improved using a relatively small amount of thermal capacity, energy efficiency can also be improved.
Meanwhile, the heater 20 is constructed so that a heating element is included in a tube produced in the form of a red quartz tube. Therefore, when the hair dryer is used, almost no ultraviolet rays and visible rays are radiated from the heater 20, but a relatively large amount of pure far infrared rays are radiated instead, so that the heater 20 does not cause harm to the scalp, hair, eyes or skin of a human being.
In this case, the heater 20 is included in a heater housing 30. The heater housing 30 is produced in a cylindrical shape using a mixture of a bio-ceramic material and a negative ion material. Further, the heater housing 30 is molded to have therein a plurality of honeycomb spaces 32. Further, the spaces 32 in the heater housing 30 are formed to pass through the front and rear ends of the heater housing 30 so as to communicate with the air outlet 12 of the main body 10.
Therefore, the heater is covered with the heater housing 30 made of the mixture of the bioceramic material and the negative ion material, and the heater housing 30 is constructed to be heated using the heat from the heater. Accordingly, the present invention employs a scheme in which the heat generated by the heater heats the heater housing 30 without being exhausted outside the heater housing, and in which hot air is exhausted, like radiated heat, so that heat generated by the heater can be used without leaking to the outside, thus maximizing thermal efficiency. In addition, since the natural negative ions and pure far infrared rays can be radiated from the heater housing 30 and can be provided to the user, effects, such as improvement of the user's health, can be realized.
In this case, two separate bodies 31 a and 32 a of the heater housing 30 can be combined with each other, or can be combined into a single body, so that the heater 20 can be provided in the bodies 31 a and 32 a and can be coupled to the bodies 31 a and 32 a through a fastening means. Such a fastening means may be implemented using a well-known means. Therefore, the heater housing 30 is implemented so that two separate bodies 3 la and 32 a of the heater housing 30 can be detachably combined with each other, or is implemented using a single body, so that the heater 20 can be included in the heater housing 30, thus facilitating the assembly and disassembly operations.
Meanwhile, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing principal parts according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a partial side sectional view showing the state in which parts are installed in the hair dryer main body.
According to FIGS. 3 and 4, a heater housing 30 is constructed so that depressed grooves 35 are formed in the circumference of the heater housing 10, facing the inner wall surface of the main body 10 in the longitudinal direction of the heater housing.
The grooves 35 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at regular intervals in the radial direction of the heater housing 30. Therefore, air holes are formed between the main body 10 and the outersurface of the heater housing 30 through the grooves 35.
Accordingly, since relatively cool air from the blower is blown through the grooves 35 of the heater housing 30, cool air blown by the blower can be used as hot air and deformation, such as the melting of the hair dryer main body 10, made of synthetic resin, occurring due to the overheating of the outer surface of the ceramic heater housing 30, can be prevented, thus further improving thermal efficiency.
Although not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the heater 20 is included in the heater housing 30, similar to the case of FIGS. 1 and 2.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, the present invention provides a functional hair dryer having advantages in that, since the area in which a heater 20 comes into contact with air blown by the blower of a hair dryer while the air passes through a pair of inclined extension portions 24, which extend away from each other to be inclined, and a connection portion 22 in the heater 20 is relatively wide compared to a conventional hair dryer, thermal efficiency can be improved compared to the conventional hair dryer, and since thermal efficiency can be improved using a relatively small amount of thermal capacity, energy efficiency can be improved.

Claims

1. A functional hair dryer, comprising:

a main body (10) of the hair dryer having an air outlet (12) formed on a front thereof, and a heater (20) included in the main body (10), a blower being disposed behind the heater (20), wherein the heater (20) comprises a center connection portion (22), and a pair of inclined extension portions (24), which extend from both ends of the connection portion (22) to be inclined while extending away from each other toward front ends of the inclined extension portions (24).

2. The functional hair dryer according to claim 1, wherein the heater (20) is constructed in such a way that a heating element is included in a tube produced in a form of a red quartz tube.

3. The functional hair dryer according to claim 1, wherein the heater (20) is accommodated in a heating housing (30) made of a bioceramic material, the heater housing (30) including a plurality of spaces (32), communicating with the air outlet (12) of the main body (10) so that the spaces pass through the heater housing (30).

4. The functional hair dryer according to claim 3, wherein the heater housing (30) is made of a mixture of the bioceramic material and a negative ion material.

5. The functional hair dryer according to claim 3, wherein the heater housing (30) is constructed so that depressed grooves (35) are formed in a circumference of the heater housing (30), facing an inner wall surface of the main body (10) in a longitudinal direction of the heater housing (30), and are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at regular intervals in a radial direction of the heater housing (30).

6. The functional hair dryer according to claim 4, wherein the heater housing (30) is constructed so that depressed grooves (35) are formed in a circumference of the heater housing (30), facing an inner wall surface of the main body (10) in a longitudinal direction of the heater housing (30), and are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at regular intervals in a radial direction of the heater housing (30).