US3383778A

US3383778A - Mobile hair dryer

Info

Publication number: US3383778A
Application number: US596508A
Authority: US
Inventors: Shelby W Goodman
Original assignee: Shelby W. Goodman
Current assignee: SHELBY W GOODMAN
Priority date: 1966-11-23
Filing date: 1966-11-23
Publication date: 1968-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1985-05-21

Description

S. W. GOODMAN MOBILE HAIR DRYER 1NvENToR SHELBY Vl. GOODMAN BY W y l mfom/EY Filed NOV. 23, 1966 May 21, 1968 R ff E m nl United States Patent O 3,383,778 MBILE HAIR DRYER Shelby W. Goodman, Rte. 3, Box 141, Raleigh, N.C. 27609 Filed Nov. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 596,508 3 Claims. (Cl. 34-90) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE tIn abstract, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a standard hair drying -bonnet with flexible air hose connected to either a permanently mounted hot air port in a vehicle or to a removable adapter unit held in place over the window defroster unit of the vehicle by means of magnets, adhesive or similar securing means. The invention also contemplates the combined use of the defro-ster attachment and the hot air port to guarantee an adequate volume of warm air for hair drying purposes.

This invention relates to hair drying devices and more particularly to hair drying devices adapted to operate in conjunction with already available sources of warm air in vehicles.

In the past, various types of hair dryers have been developed for -use in conjunction with already avail-able sources of heat such as the exhaust side of vacuum cleaners, the exhaust ports of clothes dryer, the fan secti-ons of space heaters and the like. As yet, however, no one has discovered the readily avail-able source of #warm air available through heating and defrosting system of automobiles nor have they developed methods of readily tapping this source.

Applicant after much thought, study and research into the problems of hair drying has discovered, and in conjunction with that discovery developed, a system whereby readily adaptable ports can be provided for plugging a standard type hair dryer hose into special openings located either on the walls or instrument panel `ot' a vehicle. A modiiication of this adaptation has also been developed which incorporates the use of a standard bonnet type hair dryer and hose in conjunction with an adapter which may be placed over sources of warm air, such as the window defrosters of a vehicle. I'f neither of these two sources appear to be adequate due to the type of system with which they are being used, both may be connected to the standard hair dryer hose by means of a two-hose input, single hose output adapter thereby greatly increasing the volume of air available.

It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide means for kadapting a standard, readily available, combination bonnet type hair dryer and hose to the heating system of an automobile by providing a permanently mounted port adapted to receive the free end of said hose.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heater exhaust port adapted to releasably receive the hose from -a standard bonnet type hair dryer wherein the port includes an automatic means tor shutting off the o'w of air therefrom when the hose from the bonnet is disconnected from the port.

Another object ofthe present invention is to provide an air ilow deecting device adapted to be placed over openings in the heater and defroster system of a vehicle whereby a standard bonnet type hair dryer and hose may be connected thereto to use the heated gases from the vehicles system to dry the hair of the wearer of the bonnet.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a means for harnessing two or more readily available sources of Warm air to oper-ate a bonnet type hair dryer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a ice detlector for openings in the heater or defroster system of a vehicle lincluding readily releasable means tor holding the detlector in place during its use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention |will become apparent and obvious from a study of the yfollowing description and the accompanying drawings Iwhich are merely illustrative of the present in-vention.

In the drawings:

|FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a vehicle disclosing the various features of the present invention in operative relation to the user thereof;

FIG. 2 is a sectional perspective lof the dashboard of a vehicle disclosing the location of the various elements of the preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a section-al view taken through lines 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a Y-joint adapter lfor use 'with one embodiment of the present invention.

With further reference to the drawings, a vehicle, indicated generally at 10, is provided having a heater system schematically shown as 1\1. An intermediate hose 12 is operatively connected at one end to such system with its other end lixedly secured to port plate 11'3. To prevent the `warmed air from the heater 111 lfrom coming out of opening 14 of hose '12, a closure such as sliding door 15 is provided. If desired, door 15 may be either spring biased or gravity biased toward the closed position so that whenever the port is not being used for hair drying purposes as will be hereinafter described, it will move to the closed position which beautities the opening as 'well las prevents the exit of undesired lair during normal heater operation.

Even though the location of the port or opening |14 is disclosed as being mounted in the dash or instrument panel of the vehicle, it of course could be located in any other convenient location such as the oor, the fwall or even the roof of the vehicle; and additionally could be either in the Ifront seat, back seat or any other desired area.

An adapter or deflector unit 116 is provided having magnets 17 or similar holding means attached to the periphery 18 of main opening ='19. :Exhaust opening 20 is also provided in the unit to which hose 21 is attached. This unit is so constructed as to cover and thereby capture the -warm air being emitted from openings in the vehicles heating or defrosting system. Although it is primarily adapted for use over -the `window defrosting openings, it coul-d of course readily be used to channel air being emitted from the normal openings in the heater system.

The adapter unit may be constructed of either a relatively rigid material, soft pliable material -to -assist in conforming to various makes and models of vehicles or a combination of pliable material and relatively rigid material.

=In actual use and operation of the present invention, the user 22 thereof places a standard bonnet 4type -hair dryer 23 on his or her head. A hose .24 is connected to the bonnet in the ordinary fashion. If the vehicle is equipped with a permanently mounted port, as has been hereinabove described, the end of hose 24 may be plugged thereinto after the sliding door or closure 1'5' has adapter hose 21. The adapter unit 16 is Ithen placed over any of the standard openings in the heating or defrosting system of the vehicle; preferably one of the elong-ated window ydefrosting openings which are commonly provided. If the defroster system is used, it may be activated by manipulation of the standard defroster control (not shown) which will cause warm .air to rHow through delfroster opening 126, into adapter unit j16, out through -adapter hose 21, through bonnet hose 24 into bonnet 23 thereby accelerating the drying of the user's h-air.

lDue to the low output volume of air from the defroster and heating systems of particular types of vehicles, or Idue to the desire of the user to acquire extremely rapid drying, a combined use of both the port connection and the ladapter may be made by attaching one end of bonnet hose 24 to Y-joint 27 yand connecting the other two branches of such joint to

intermediate hoses

28 and 29 which are respectively connected to adapter 16 and port |14. `By manipulating both the heater and defroster controls (not shown), air being emitted from both of these systems may be channeled simultaneously 'from their sources by way of Y-joint 27, and bonnet hose 24 into bonnet 120 which surrounds the hair of the user.

Thus it is obvious that the present invention has the advantage of allowing great mobility of hair drying devices by providing means for connecting standard type hair drying bonnets and hoses to sources of heat which are readily available in most vehicles utilized by the traveling public. The present invention likewise has the ad* vantage of :being versatile and readily adaptable to varying situations encountered due to various styles and models of vehicles with 'which its use in contemplated. Additionally, the invention is inexpensive to manufacture and produce as Iwell as being easily connected and disconnected from varying sources of warmed air.

The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other Specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming Within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. lIn a hair drying device adapted to be used in conjunction with air outlets in both the built-in heating and the built-in defrosting systems of a vehicle, the improvement comprising: a deflector; an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said defiector; means for removably attaching said inlet opening over the air outlet of said defrosting system; a hollow, generally Y-shaped joint having t-wo inlet legs and one outlet leg; a hose communicatively connecting one of said inlet legs to the outlet opening in said defiector; .a second hose communicatively connected at one end to the second inlet leg of said joint; means for removably attaching the other end of said second hose to the air outlet of said heating system; a 'bonnet type cover encasing a portion of the head 0f the user thereof, said cover having an lair inlet opening provided therein; and a third hose communicatively connecting the outlet leg of Said joint to the inlet opening in said cover ywhereby all avail-able air may be channeled from the heating and defrosting systems of said vehicle simultaneously into said cover -to insure adequate pressure and volume of air ow to dry the hair of the user.

2. The device of claim I1 wherein the means for removably attaching the inlet opening of the deilector over the air outlet of the defrosting system is an adhesive above the periphery of such deilector inlet opening.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for removably attaching the inlet opening of the deector over the air outlet of the defrosting system is a plurality of magnets lfixedly secured about the peripnery of such inlet opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,165,615 7/1939 Cope 165-41 XR 2,277,568 3/1942 Tavernese 165-41 XR 2,800,285 7/1957 Muller et al. 98-24 XR 2,990,198 6/1961 Imming 285-9 2,996,255 S/l96l Boylan 98-2.4 XR 3,151,695 10/1964 Mintz 285-9 3,280,896 10/1966 Goodson et al.

vFREDERICK L. MATTESON, IR., Primary Examiner.

A. D. HERRMANN, Assistant Examiner.