WO2024033756A1 - Accessoire pour appareil de soins capillaires - Google Patents

Accessoire pour appareil de soins capillaires Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024033756A1
WO2024033756A1 PCT/IB2023/057831 IB2023057831W WO2024033756A1 WO 2024033756 A1 WO2024033756 A1 WO 2024033756A1 IB 2023057831 W IB2023057831 W IB 2023057831W WO 2024033756 A1 WO2024033756 A1 WO 2024033756A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
hollow
protrusions
attachment
airflow
protrusion
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2023/057831
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Murray MCKENDRICK
Rory BEAUMONT
Robert Coulton
David TIBBETTS
Original Assignee
Dyson Technology Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Dyson Technology Limited filed Critical Dyson Technology Limited
Publication of WO2024033756A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024033756A1/fr

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
    • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
    • A45D20/00—Hair drying devices; Accessories therefor
    • A45D20/04—Hot-air producers
    • A45D20/08—Hot-air producers heated electrically
    • A45D20/10—Hand-held drying devices, e.g. air douches
    • A45D20/12—Details thereof or accessories therefor, e.g. nozzles, stands
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
    • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
    • A45D20/00—Hair drying devices; Accessories therefor
    • A45D20/48—Hair-drying combs or hair-drying brushes, with internal heating means
    • A45D20/50—Hair-drying combs or hair-drying brushes, with internal heating means and provision for an air stream
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
    • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
    • A45D20/00—Hair drying devices; Accessories therefor
    • A45D20/04—Hot-air producers
    • A45D20/08—Hot-air producers heated electrically
    • A45D20/10—Hand-held drying devices, e.g. air douches
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
    • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
    • A45D20/00—Hair drying devices; Accessories therefor
    • A45D20/04—Hot-air producers
    • A45D20/08—Hot-air producers heated electrically
    • A45D20/10—Hand-held drying devices, e.g. air douches
    • A45D20/12—Details thereof or accessories therefor, e.g. nozzles, stands
    • A45D20/122—Diffusers, e.g. for variable air flow

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an attachment for a hair care appliance, and a hair care appliance comprising such an attachment.
  • Haircare appliances are generally used to treat or style hair, and some haircare appliances may treat or style hair using airflow and/or heat. It may be desirable to provide sufficient airflow and/or heat to hair without providing discomfort to a user.
  • an attachment for a hair care appliance comprising an air inlet for receiving an airflow from the hair care appliance; a main body arranged to receive the airflow from the air inlet; and a plurality of protrusions arranged in a row, wherein at least some of the protrusions are hollow, each hollow protrusion extending from, and configured to receive airflow from, the main body, and comprising an air outlet, each air outlet comprising a through-hole in a surface of the respective hollow protrusion and arranged to emit the airflow in an emittance direction, the emittance direction non-orthogonal to the surface of the hollow protrusion around the through-hole, and the air outlet facing a neighbouring protrusion in the row.
  • the row of protrusions provides hair-engaging members with which a user can manipulate their hair in order to style the hair.
  • the row of protrusions may act as comb, enabling a user to comb their hair using the attachment.
  • airflow from the hair care appliance can be controlled to vent where required and in a specific direction. Because the air is not projected from a distance, for example with hair located between the protrusions, the air can maintain a high velocity and temperature before the air impinges on the hair, which may improve drying efficacy and evenness. Furthermore, ducting the air through the hollow protrusions may improve penetration of the drying air which further improves drying efficacy and evenness.
  • the air is emitted from air outlets which face a neighbouring protrusion in the row.
  • This means the flow of air can be limited to the space between neighbouring protrusions, as the neighbouring protrusion may act to at least partially block the airflow, or reduce the airflow.
  • this may reduce the airflow emitted directly towards the scalp or body, reducing thermal discomfort to the user. This may allow the hair care appliance to be run at a higher power, further improving drying time.
  • the flow of air is emitted in a direction which is non-orthogonal to the plane of the surface.
  • a bulk airflow direction may be non-orthogonal to the plane of the surface. This means the airflow directs hair at least partially along a surface of the hollow protrusions, providing directional styling control by ensuring hair is not blown directly away from the hollow protrusions and allowing the hollow protrusions to engage the hair.
  • Feeding hair into a hair care attachment against the flow of air can be challenging for the user and can result in disruption of hair adjacent to hair which has already been styled. By confining the airflow to within the hair-engaging members, this disruption is reduced, and usability of the hair care device is hence improved.
  • the hair engaging members may have a length greater than its maximal width and/or its maximal height. This may provide a geometry which allows the hair engaging members to penetrate within the body of the user’s hair.
  • At least one of the hollow protrusions may have a width that tapers along its height.
  • the hollow protrusion may have a cross section which has a first width along a first axis, a second width along a second axis, the first axis parallel to the second axis, the first axis, second axis and cross section lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of bulk airflow in the main body, the first width different to the second width.
  • This provides the hollow protrusions with a tapered cross-sectional profile which can reduce the physical resistance of the attachment to movement through the hair, as the taper provides a streamlining effect, thus reducing potential discomfort to the user.
  • the tapered cross-sectional profile can also guide airflow in a desired direction, to improve directional styling control.
  • Each of the hollow protrusions may have a width that tapers along its height.
  • At least one of the hollow protrusions may have a height that tapers along its length.
  • the hollow protrusion may have a cross section which has a first width along a first axis, a second width along a second axis, the first axis parallel to the second axis, the first axis and second axis lying in a plane substantially parallel to the direction of bulk airflow, the first axis closer to the main body than the second axis and the first width larger than the second width.
  • This provides the hollow protrusions with a tapered profile which can improve the penetration of the hollow protrusions into the hair, as the hollow protrusions are narrow in a first dimension at their far end and grow larger at the end nearest the hair care appliance. This may reduce physical resistance as the hollow protrusions move through the mass of hair, thus reducing discomfort to the user.
  • Each of the hollow protrusions may have a width that tapers along its height.
  • At least one of the hollow protrusions may comprise a plurality of airflow outlets. This can allow for greater flexibility and precision in the application of the air from the hair care appliance, and/ or to increase the total volume of air which can be delivered to the hair per unit time.
  • Each of the hollow protrusions may comprise a plurality of airflow outlets.
  • At least one plurality of airflow outlets may be positioned regularly along a hollow protrusion. This can ensure an even application of the airflow to the hair, which can ensure a uniform drying profile and also a uniform styling response, wherein the hair receives the same or similar airflow regardless of its position within the hair engaging members.
  • Each of the hollow protrusions may comprise a respective plurality of airflow outlets, the plurality of airflow outlets positioned regularly along the hollow protrusion.
  • At least one plurality of airflow outlets may be positioned along the hollow protrusion such that a number density of airflow outlets varies along a length of the hollow protrusion. This can allow the plurality of airflow outlets of a hollow protrusion to be distributed according to a desired surface distribution.
  • the number density refers to the number of airflow outlets per unit area. This allows the airflow outlets to be arranged to provide greater airflow to part of the hair, for example the root to provide greater lift during styling, and less airflow to other parts. Conversely, less airflow might be delivered to the root to reduce potential damage, and greater airflow delivered to the body of the hair to improve drying efficacy. This flexibility can be used to preferentially style and dry the hair in a certain way, according to the user’s needs.
  • Each of the hollow protrusions may comprise a respective plurality of airflow outlets, each plurality of airflow outlets positioned along the respective hollow protrusion such that the number density of airflow outlet varies along a length of the hollow protrusion.
  • At least one plurality of airflow outlets may be of a substantially similar geometry. This may allow for uniform behaviour of the attachment, where airflow is consistent throughout the hollow protrusions due to identical or substantially similar airflow outlets. This can improve the ease of use of the attachment for the user and reduce unwanted disruption to the styling control.
  • each airflow outlet may be dependent on its position along a length of the hollow protrusion. This can achieve a specific drying or styling profile during use, for example, by preferentially ducting air at the root of the hair. This can improve style control and improve drying efficacy.
  • the plurality of hollow protrusions may have a same length. This can improve the handling of the hair-engaging members through the hair as the structural uniformity of the hair-engaging members is improved, providing more consistent styling and more even drying from the air ducted through the hollow protrusions.
  • the hollow protrusions may be of the same length relative to the direction in which they respectively extend, and they may all extend in the same first direction of the bulk airflow in the hollow main body.
  • the row of protrusions may be substantially parallel to the plane of the airflow inlet. This can ensure the airflow received by each hollow protrusion is uniform across the plurality of hollow protrusions, as they each hollow protrusion is located the same distance from the airflow inlet. This can improve uniformity of airflow emitted from each hollow protrusion, which in turn can improve drying regularity and uniformity of style control.
  • the plurality of hollow protrusions may be equidistantly spaced along the row. This can improve the handling of the protrusions as they engage with the hair as they are more uniformly distributed, which can improve style control. This can also improve the regularity of airflow emitted into the hair by ensuring that airflow outlets are distributed regularly through the hair, which can also improve style control.
  • the plurality of protrusions may comprise a plurality of solid protrusions. These solid protrusions can provide for further hair engaging members which do not carry airflow received from the hair care device. This can allow for hair styling and control via the engagement of hair with protrusions but without potentially disrupting the hair due to excess airflow. Furthermore, solid protrusions may be provided in the row of hollow protrusions, for example in-between each hollow protrusion, to increase the density of hair-engaging members of the attachment, which can improve the tension of the attachment through the hair. This may be useful when manufacturing techniques impose a limit on the size and/or separation, and therefore density, of hollow protrusions which can be provided in an attachment. Each solid protrusion may extend from the main body in a direction of the bulk airflow in the hollow main body.
  • the solid protrusions may be substantially elongate in a direction of the bulk airflow in the hollow main body, such that they possess a geometry which allows the solid protrusions to penetrate within the body of the user’s hair.
  • the air outlets of the hollow protrusions may be at least partially facing a neighbouring solid protrusion.
  • the airflow from the hollow protrusion into the surrounding environment can therefore be reduced in a manner similar to that described for the neighbouring hollow protrusions, but here the additional protrusion being solid means that further airflow is not introduced, as the solid protrusions lacks air outlets.
  • the solid protrusions may have a substantially planar geometry in a plane parallel to the direction in which the solid protrusion extends. This allows the solid protrusions to pass through the hair easily in a first direction, such that the hair passes between the planar aspects of the protrusion but does not flow in a direction perpendicular to the planar aspects of the protrusion. This may improve the styling and control ability of the solid protrusions.
  • the solid protrusions may be positioned adjacent to a hollow protrusion, such that a planar face of the solid protrusion lies within and perpendicular to the airflow emitted by an airflow outlet of the hollow protrusion. This can restrict the extent to which the airflow reaches through the hair by providing a barrier within the airflow. This can limit the effect of the airflow to hair which is between the adjacent solid and hollow protrusions, reducing disruption to surrounding hair.
  • the solid protrusions may be the same length as the hollow protrusions, the length being relative to the direction in which the respective hollow protrusion extends. This can provide structural uniformity across the hair engaging members, improving the reliability of the control and styling the attachment provides.
  • Each of the solid protrusions may be positioned interstitially with respect to the plurality of hollow protrusions.
  • the alternating sequence of solid and hollow protrusions may begin and end with a solid protrusion. This may reduce disruption caused by air emitted by the hollow protrusions on hair lying outside the row of protrusions, as the boundaries of the hairengaging members are formed by solid protrusions, which do not emit air. This may improve control and styling performance of the attachment.
  • the row may be defined by a geometric centre of each protrusion lying substantially along a first axis. This can ensure structural regularity of the row such that no protrusions are offset or misaligned from one another, and thereby improve styling control.
  • a portion of the surface of each hollow protrusion may be free from air outlets, the portion free from air outlets facing a substantially different direction to any portions of the surface comprising air outlets, each surface portion free from air outlets of the plurality of hollow protrusions facing the same direction.
  • a common surface of the hollow protrusions does not emit airflow. This may reduce or remove airflow towards the scalp to thereby reduce thermal discomfort to the user. It may also reduce disruption to surrounding hair not currently engaged by the row of protrusions.
  • the hollow protrusions may comprise air outlets arranged to emit air in a direction parallel to the channels between the plurality of protrusions. This can provide additional directional airflow in the direction of combing to improve styling control or improve drying of the hair.
  • the protrusions may be movably attached to the main body on a pivot, such that they can be moved between an open and closed position. In an open position, a jet channel is opened between the main body and the protrusions which emits an airflow from the main body. In a closed position, airflow from the main body is only received by the hollow protrusions.
  • At least one protrusion may comprise a portion configured to re-direct airflow emitted from the air outlets of a hollow protrusion.
  • the portion may be angled towards a nearest end of the row of protrusions, such that air is directed towards peripheries of the row of protrusions and away from the centre of the row of protrusions. This may allow for the airflow from the attachment to be re-directed from a direction directly below the attachment such that, in use, a region of reduced airflow is provided which can reduce thermal discomfort to, for example, a user’s hand in the region of reduced airflow.
  • the portions may be provided on solid protrusions which neighbour hollow protrusions, and/or may be located on hollow protrusions in a position downstream of the air outlets. Protrusions may feature asymmetrical distributions of outlets to achieve this region of reduced airflow, whereby a dominant airflow provided from the outlets of one hollow protrusion determines a net airflow direction from a pair of neighbouring hollow protrusions
  • a haircare appliance comprising an attachment according to the first aspect of the present invention.
  • the attachment may be releasably attachable to the haircare appliance.
  • a haircare appliance comprising an air inlet; a handle unit in which an airflow generator is housed, the airflow generator for generating an airflow from the air inlet through the handle unit; and a plurality of protrusions arranged in a row, wherein at least some of the protrusions are hollow, each hollow protrusion: extending from, and configured to receive airflow from, the main body; and comprising an air outlet, each respective air outlet comprising a through-hole in a surface of the hollow protrusion and arranged to emit airflow in an emittance direction, the emittance direction non-orthogonal to a plane of the through-hole or to the surface of the hollow protrusion around the through-hole, and each respective air outlet facing a neighbouring protrusion in the row.
  • the haircare appliance may comprise a heater for heating the airflow. This may provide increased styling flexibility, and may, for example, enable the airflow to provide a drying function.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a haircare appliance according to the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a handle unit of the haircare appliance of Figure 1;
  • Figure 3 is a first perspective view of a first attachment of the haircare appliance of Figure 1;
  • Figure 4 is a second, cut-through view of the attachment of Figure 3, the attachment viewed at 180-degree rotation relative to Figure 3;
  • Figure 5a a schematic cross-sectional view of the attachment of Figure 4, the attachment viewed at 180-degree rotation relative to Figure 3
  • Figure 5b is a schematic cross-sectional view of a hollow protrusion of the attachment of Figure 4 in isolation, the hollow protrusion viewed at 180-degree rotation relative to Figure 3;
  • Figure 6a is a first perspective view of a second attachment of the haircare appliance of Figure 1;
  • Figure 6b is a schematic side view of the attachment of Figure 6a;
  • Figure 6c is a schematic cross-sectional view of a hollow protrusion of the attachment of Figure 6a in isolation;
  • Figure 7 is a first perspective view of a variation of the second attachment of Figure 6a.
  • Figure 8a is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third attachment of the haircare appliance of Figure 1;
  • Figure 8b is a schematic cross-sectional view of the attachment of Figure 8a engaging with a user’s scalp;
  • Figure 9a is a perspective view of a hollow protrusion of a fourth attachment of the haircare appliance of Figure 1;
  • Figure 9b is a perspective view of the fourth attachment comprising a row of the hollow protrusions of Figure 9a.
  • Figure 10a is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fifth attachment of the haircare appliance of Figure 1;
  • Figure 10b is a schematic cross-sectional view of hollow protrusions according to a variation of the fifth attachment.
  • Figure I la is a schematic perspective view of three haircare appliances with different orientations of attachments according to the present invention
  • Figure 11b is a schematic cross-section of a handle unit of the hair care appliances of Figure I la.
  • a haircare appliance according to the present invention is shown schematically in Figure 1.
  • the haircare appliance 10 comprises a handle unit 12, and an attachment 100 removably attachable to the handle unit 12.
  • the handle unit 12 is shown schematically in isolation in Figure 2, and comprises a handle portion 16, a head portion 18, an airflow generator 20 and a heater 22.
  • the handle portion 16 is generally cylindrical and hollow in form, and houses the airflow generator 20.
  • the handle portion 16 has an air inlet 24 in the form of a plurality of perforations at a first end 26 of the handle portion 16.
  • the head portion 18 is generally cylindrical and hollow in form, and is disposed at a second end 27 of the handle portion 16, with a central axis of the head portion 18 orthogonal to a central axis of the handle portion 16 such that the handle unit 12 is generally T-shaped in form.
  • the head portion 18 houses the heater 22.
  • the head portion 18 comprises a bore 28 through which air is entrained, and an air outlet 30.
  • the air outlet 30 is generally annular in form about a periphery of the bore 28.
  • the head portion 18 further comprises an annular magnet (not shown) for releasably connecting the handle unit 12 to the attachment 100.
  • the annular magnet extends annularly about the air outlet 30.
  • a first example of the attachment 100 is shown schematically in Figures 3, 4, and 5a- c.
  • Figure 4 is a cross-section of Figure 3 taken along axis X in a direction facing air inlet 101 (i.e. a cross-sectional plane orthogonal to L).
  • the attachment has been rotated 180 degrees about its length L relative to Figure 3 (see indicative direction arrow G).
  • the attachment 100 comprises an air inlet 101, a main body 103 arranged to receive an airflow from the air inletlOl, and a plurality of protrusions l l la-f, 112a-e extending from the main body 103 and arranged in a row. Some of these protrusions l l la-f are solid. Some of the protrusions in the row 112a-e are hollow. Each of the hollow protrusions 112a-e comprises a plurality of air outlets 114.
  • the air inlet 101 is annular to receive air from the annular outlet 30 of the haircare appliance 10.
  • a plurality of magnets (not shown) are disposed annularly about the air inlet 101 for attachment with the handle unit.
  • the main body 103 is hollow and defines a plenum through which air received at the air inlet can flow.
  • the hollow protrusions 112a-e receive air from the main body 103.
  • the protrusions 11 la-f, 112a-e are long and narrow. That is, they all extend by a same length L in a direction away from the main body (as marked up on figure 3), and have a width W and height H (as marked up on figure 5b) which lie in a plane orthogonal to the direction of L, hereafter referred to as the height-width plane.
  • the length L of the protrusion is greater than the maximum width W or height H.
  • the height of the protrusions 11 la-f, 112a-e tapers along their length. At the end closest to the main body 103 the height is larger than the height at the distal end of the protrusion furthest from the main body 103. This gives the protrusions a triangular cross-sectional profile in the height-length plane. In other examples, the protrusions 11 la-f, 112a-e may have other cross-sectional profiles in the height-length plane, such as unguiculate or arcuate.
  • the width W of the hollow protrusions 112a-e tapers along their height H, as can be seen in figure 5b. In other words, in the height- width cross-sectional plane, the width of the hollow protrusion is larger at one position along the height axis than at another position on the height axis.
  • the solid protrusions l l la-f are identical to one another and the hollow protrusions 112a-e are identical to one another.
  • the solid protrusions 11 la-f have substantially the same cross-sectional profile in the length-height plane as the hollow protrusions 112a- e, and the solid protrusions 11 la-f have different cross-sectional profiles to the hollow protrusions 112a-e in the height- width plane.
  • the plurality of protrusions l l la-f, 112a-e are arranged in a row, thereby forming a comb.
  • the centre of each protrusion l l la-f, 112a-e in the width-height plane are equidistantly spaced along the row.
  • Each protrusion is attached to, or emanates from, the main body from a point along an axis P, the axis P lying parallel to the plane of the air inlet 101, such that the row of protrusions 11 la-f, 112a-e is substantially parallel to the plane of the air inlet 101.
  • the row of protrusions alternates between solid protrusions l l la-f and hollow protrusions 112a-e, with each hollow protrusion 112a-e being neighboured by two solid protrusions 11 la-f.
  • hollow protrusion 112a is adjacent to solid protrusion 11 la on one side and 111b on the other side.
  • Solid protrusion 111b is adjacent to hollow protrusion 112a on one side and 112b on the other side.
  • the solid protrusions 11 la-f are therefore interstitially located with respect to the hollow protrusions 112a-e.
  • the row of protrusions in attachment 100 begins and ends with a solid protrusion 11 la,f.
  • the geometry and positions of the protrusions 110 are chosen in order to allow the protrusions 110 to penetrate into the mass of hair, engage with the hair, and reduce resistance to movement through the hair.
  • air from the haircare appliance 10 is received at the air inlet 101, passes through the main body 103 into the hollow protrusions, and emitted from the air outlets 114, whereupon it can aid in styling the hair and/or in drying the hair.
  • Figures 5a and 5b the air outlets 114 which are distributed across the surface of the hollow protrusions 112a-e will now be described in more detail.
  • each air outlet 114 of the plurality of air outlets comprises a through-hole in a surface of the respective hollow protrusion.
  • air outlets 120a-f described here are specific air outlets on the surface of hollow protrusion 112c
  • air outlets 120a-f are described to help illustrate features of any general air outlet 114 found on any hollow protrusion 112a-e.
  • the cross-section in Figure 5b is taken at a different position along the protrusion 112c than the cross-section in Figure 5a, and so Figure 5a displays air outlets 120a-d, whilst Figure 5b displays air outlets 120e,f.
  • the through-holes forming air outlets 120a-c,e do not meet the external surface of the hollow protrusion 112c orthogonally, as illustrated by the difference in directions of a - > - >
  • SA Surface Normal
  • ED Emittance Direction
  • Figure 5b for air outlet 120e
  • Figure 6c for an exemplary air outlet 214.
  • the through- holes meet the surface of the hollow protrusion at an angle such that, in use, air is emitted from the outlets 120a-c,e in a respective emittance direction which is non- orthogonal to the surface around the respective through-hole.
  • the emittance direction is the direction in which the bulk of the airflow will emerge from the air outlet.
  • the angle between the surface normal and the emittance direction for each air outlet may be the same, or may vary between air outlets, and may be dependent on the position of the respective air outlet along the hollow protrusion.
  • the through-hole is of constant size at internal and external surfaces of the hollow protrusion.
  • the through-hole may be smaller at the external surface than at the internal surface.
  • the shape of the through-hole as defined by the through-hole’s size at the internal and external surface of the hollow protrusion can be selected to determine the properties of the airflow emitted from the respective outlet. For example, funnelling the air through an outlet which gets smaller at the external surface can increase airflow velocity.
  • the properties of the airflow emitted by a specific air outlet can be dependent on the air outlet’s respective position in the hollow protrusion, and also dependent on the respective hollow protrusion’s position in the row.
  • At least some of the air outlets 114 face a neighbouring protrusion in the row.
  • air outlets 120a, b on hollow protrusion 112c face neighbouring solid protrusions 111c.
  • the neighbouring solid protrusion 111c acts as a barrier to airflow from the air outlets 120a, b. This can reduce airflow to hair which is not located between protrusions 111c, 112c which may otherwise disrupt the hair.
  • air outlet 120c faces neighbouring solid protrusion 11 Id, which acts as a barrier to airflow from the air outlet 120c.
  • the solid protrusion 111c effectively prevents airflow emitted by protrusion-facing air outlets of the neighbouring hollow protrusion 112b from disrupting the airflow emitted by outlets 120a, 120b of the other neighbouring hollow protrusion 112c, and vice versa. In this way, airflow in the channels between protrusions 112b, 112c may be made less turbulent, which can improve the control afforded to the user. Whilst this has been described with reference to hollow protrusions 112b, c and solid protrusion 111c, this effect is replicated for all neighbouring solid and hollow protrusions.
  • the air outlets 120d,f do not face a neighbouring protrusion. They face in a direction which is parallel to the height of the protrusion 112c.
  • the air outlets 120d,f and equivalently placed outlets on the remaining hollow protrusions provide further directional airflow to the hair in a direction which can be substantially similar to direction in which the hair will be combed by the row of protrusions l l la-f, 112a-e.
  • the plurality of air outlets 114 are distributed across the surfaces of the hollow protrusions 112. As seen in Figure 4, a portion 130 of the surface of each hollow protrusion is free from air outlets. The portion 130 free from air outlets faces a substantially different direction to the portions of the respective hollow protrusion which comprise air outlets, and each portion free from air outlets 130 on each hollow protrusion faces in the same direction. In this way, there is a direction relative to the row of protrusions 110 which does not emit airflow. In use, this allows the attachment to be oriented to minimise airflow incident upon the scalp which can reduce user discomfort.
  • the portion 130 may further comprise a thermal shield.
  • the thermal shield may be provided, for example, by a ribbed surface or an insulating material which effectively reduce the heat transfer from the attachment 100 if the portion 130 of the surface of the hollow protrusion comes into physical contact with the user’s scalp, for example, to reduce thermal discomfort to the user during use of the hair care appliance 10 and attachment 100.
  • FIG. 6a schematically shows a second example of an attachment 200 according to the present invention which comprises an air inlet 201, a main body 203, and a row of five hollow protrusions 212a-e.
  • the attachment 200 does not feature solid protrusions.
  • Each hollow protrusion 212a-e comprises a plurality of air outlets 214 wherein at least some air outlets face towards a neighbouring hollow protrusion 212.
  • Figure 6b shows the attachment 200 in side-view.
  • Figure 6c schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the hollow protrusion 212a as viewed in the height-width plane, cut along an axis Y. From Figure 6c it can be seen that air outlet 214 emits airflow in an emittance direction ED non-orthogonal to the surface of the hollow protrusion around the through-hole SN.
  • the hollow protrusions 212a-e emanate from respective positions along a path Q which is not parallel to the airflow inlet 201 and is not linear, but are of different respective lengths such that they terminate at their distal end along an axis D which is parallel to the airflow inlet 201.
  • the air outlets 114 had a circular geometry.
  • the outlets 214 have a rectangular geometry.
  • the size of the air outlets 214 vary depending on the respective position along the hollow protrusion 212a-e. Specifically, the height of the air outlets is substantially the same along the hollow protrusions 212a-e, but the lengths of the air outlets vary. Air outlets 214 nearer the main body 203 are shorter in length, and hence smaller in area, than outlets 214 towards the distal end.
  • each hollow protrusion 212 there are over fifty air outlets on each hollow protrusion 212. In other examples, there may be fewer, such as the example of Figures 3-5. In further examples, there may be more, such as 100 or 200 air outlets. Providing a larger plurality of air outlets may provide more diffuse air flow from the attachment 100. Because the air outlets are smaller at the end proximate the main body 203, and larger towards the distal end, the number density of outlets is higher at the end proximate the main body 203, and the number density decreases along the length of the hollow protrusion 212. In other examples, the number density of air outlets may remain constant along the length of the hollow protrusion, or may grow larger towards the distal end.
  • the flow velocity, rate, and/or flow volume can be varied along the length of a single protrusion to allow for preferential airflow at, for example, the base of the protrusion over the distal end of the protrusion.
  • the flow velocity, rate, and/or flow volume can additionally be varied across the row of hollow protrusions 212 to allow, for example, a hollow protrusion located nearer the centre of the row 212 to emit a greater flow volume, or at a higher flow velocity, than a hollow protrusion located near the peripheries of the row 212.
  • Figure 7 shows a variation of attachment 200, where the outlets 224 on the plurality of hollow protrusions 222 are only distributed on a partial portion of the surface. This provides for a portion of the hollow protrusion which can engage with the air but without emitting an airflow, which may provide favourable styling control by reducing disruption to the hair.
  • Figure 8a schematically shows an attachment 300 featuring an air inlet 301, main body 303 and hollow protrusions 312a, with remaining hollow protrusions 312-b-e not visible from this angle.
  • the hollow protrusions 312a-e are movably attached to a pivot 315. When the hollow protrusions 312a-e are pushed, they rotate at the pivot to open up a jet channel 320 between the main body 303 and the hollow protrusions 312a-e.
  • the hollow protrusions 312a-e may be pushed against the user’s scalp 330 to thereby open up the jet channel 320 and release an airflow 325 which is incident onto the user’s scalp 330. This can provide targeted drying to the roots of the hair.
  • Figure 9a schematically shows a hollow protrusion 412b with apertures 414.
  • the hollow protrusion 412b has a proximal end 450b which is shaped such that the proximal end 450b can be concatenated with proximal ends 450a, c-f of hollow protrusions 412a, c-f to form an attachment 400, schematically shown in Figure 9b.
  • Peripheral hollow protrusions 412a, f have proximal ends 450a, f which each comprise a projection 455 for attachment to a main body (not pictured).
  • each hollow protrusion 412a-f can be individually manufactured and the attachment 400 assembled later. This can ease the formation of the apertures 414 during manufacture because manufacturing tools used to form the apertures 414 are not physically obstructed by neighbouring protrusions.
  • FIG 10a schematically shows an attachment 1000, which is a variation of attachment 100, and a user’s hand 500 which, during use, may be handling the user’s hair below the attachment.
  • attachment 100b solid protrusion 1111k extends below the neighbouring hollow protrusions 1112k in the height direction, downstream of the bulk airflow emitted by the outlets of hollow protrusion 1112k.
  • a portion of the solid protrusion 1111k extending below the hollow protrusion 1112k is angled towards the hollow protrusion 1112k. This acts to guide the airflow A away from the user’s hand 500 during use, which can further reduce thermal discomfort.
  • the hollow protrusion 1112j functions in a similar way, having portions extending below the plurality of air outlets 1114j in the height direction, the portions being angled such that airflow A is directed away from the user’s hand 500.
  • downstream airflow guidance can be achieved by having asymmetric distribution of outlets on neighbouring hollow protrusions.
  • Figure 10b illustrates a row of hollow protrusions 1012a-e in which air outlets are arranged to produce airflow A which avoids a user’s hand 500.
  • the central hollow protrusion 1012c has more air outlets 1014c facing neighbouring hollow protrusion 1012d than neighbouring protrusion 1012d has air outlets 1014d-l facing the central hollow protrusion 1012c. This biases the airflow between the protrusions 1012c, 1012d such that a net airflow A is produced which avoids the user’s hand 500.
  • the hollow protrusion 1012d has more air outlets 1014d-2 facing neighbouring protrusion 1012e than the neighbouring protrusion 1012e has air outlets 1014e facing the hollow protrusion 1012d.
  • This configuration is mirrored in protrusions 1012a, b such that the airflow emitted by the protrusions avoids the user’s hand 500.
  • the effect of directing the downstream airflow from the attachment can be further enhanced by, or achieved instead by, controlling the strength of respective airflows received by each hollow protrusion from the main body.
  • the configurations in Figures 10a and Figure 10b can be combined or implemented individually according to the desired performance of the attachment.
  • Variations of the appliance according to the present invention are shown schematically in Figure I la.
  • the haircare appliance 10-a,b,c comprise a handle unit 12-a, and an attachment 100- a,b,c removably attachable to the handle unit 12-a.
  • Attachments 100-a, 100-b and 100- c are according to the invention described herein, and are illustrated here to highlight various orientations of attachments relative to the handle unit 12-a of the haircare appliance the attachment 100-a,b,c is being used with.
  • the handle unit 12-a is cylindrical and extends by a length in a direction perpendicular to its circular crosssection.
  • Attachment 100-a is orientated such that each protrusion of the attachment 100-a extends perpendicular to the length of the handle unit 12-a (see indicative axis L p-a).
  • the axis of the row of protrusions - that is, the axis from which the protrusions emanate - is aligned parallel to the length of the handle unit 12-a (see indicative axis R p -a)-
  • Attachment 100-b is aligned such that each protrusion of the attachment 100-b extends parallel to the length of the handle unit 12-a (see indicative axis L p-b and the axis of the row of protrusions is aligned perpendicular to the length of the handle unit 12-a (see indicative axis R p -b
  • Attachment 100-c is aligned such that each protrusion of the attachment 100-c extends perpendicular to the length of the handle unit 12-a (see indicative axis L p-c y and the axis of the row of protrusions is aligned perpendicular to the length of the handle unit 12-a (see indicative axis R p-C , going into the page).
  • the handle unit 12-a comprises a housing 14-a, an airflow generator 16-a, a heater 18- a, and a control unit 20-a, as can be seen schematically in Figure 1 lb.
  • the housing 14-a is tubular in shape, and comprises an air inlet 22-a through which an airflow is drawn into the housing 14-a by the airflow generator 16-a, and an air outlet 24-a through which the airflow is discharged from the housing 14-a.
  • the airflow generator 16-a is housed within the housing 14-a, and comprises an impeller 26-a driven by an electric motor 28-a.
  • the airflow generator is configured to generate airflow at a flow rate in the region of 8 to 18 L/S, for example in the region of 10 to 16L/s.
  • An appropriate airflow generator is the Dyson V9 Digital Motor, produced by Dyson Technology Limited.
  • the heater 18-a is also housed within the housing 14-a, and comprises heating elements 30-a to optionally heat the airflow.
  • the control unit 20-a comprises electronic circuitry for a user interface 32-a and a control module 34-a.
  • the user interface 32-a is provided on an outer surface of the housing 14-a, and is used to power on and off the haircare appliance 10-a,b,c, to select a flow rate (for example high, medium and low), and to select an airflow temperature (for example hot, medium or cold).
  • the user interface comprises a plurality of sliding switches, but other forms of user interface 32-a, for example buttons, dials or touchscreens, are also envisaged.
  • the control module 34-a is responsible for controlling the airflow generator 16-a, and the heater 18-a in response to inputs from the user interface 32-a. For example, in response to inputs from the user interface 32-a, the control module 34-a may control the power or the speed of the airflow generator 16 in order to adjust the airflow rate of the airflow, and the power of the heater 18-a in order to adjust the temperature of the airflow.
  • the protrusions may extend by various lengths.
  • all the hollow protrusions may extend by a first respective length whilst all the solid protrusions extend by a second respective length, where the first and second respective lengths are different.
  • the length of a protrusion may be dependent on its position in the row of protrusions, such as the length of protrusions increasing towards one end of the row.
  • the solid protrusions may have widths which taper along their height, like the hollow protrusions 112a-e.
  • the air outlets may have geometries such as w-sided polygonal or arbitrary shapes. The geometry of the outlets may be homogenous across the attachment, or may vary depending on the position of the respective outlets.
  • the distal ends of the protrusions may not lie along an axis which is parallel to the air inlet. They may lay along a path which is non-linear, or along a path which is linear but at an angle relative to the air inlet, for example.
  • the solid protrusions may have different cross-sectional profiles in the length-height plane than the hollow protrusions, and in other examples may have the same cross-sectional profile when viewed in the height-width plane. Furthermore, in some examples the solid protrusions may have an otherwise identical external geometry to the hollow protrusions, ignoring the presence of air outlets on the hollow protrusions.
  • the distance between air outlets may be the same throughout the plurality of outlets, or may vary depending on the position of the air outlet along the respective hollow protrusion.
  • the spacing between protrusions may vary dependent on the position in the row.
  • the spacing may also be dependent upon the type of protrusion.
  • the spacing between hollow protrusions relative to other hollow protrusions may be equidistant, whilst the spacing between solid protrusions and other solid protrusions may vary.
  • each solid protrusion may be different.
  • the geometry of a solid protrusion may be dependent on its position within the row of protrusions.
  • the hollow protrusions are identical to one another, but in other examples may be different to one another, and may have geometries which are dependent on their respective positions in the row of protrusions.
  • other sequences of hollow and solid protrusions are possible. For example, there may only be solid protrusions at the start and end of the row, with the remaining protrusions in the row being hollow protrusions.
  • the airflow may be heated by the haircare appliance to further improve drying or styling efficacy.
  • the haircare appliance 10 comprising a handle unit 12 and an attachment 100, 200, 300, 400 the haircare appliance 10 is a single-piece unit, for example taking the form of the combined handle unit 12 and attachment 100, 200, 300, 400 previously described.

Landscapes

  • Cleaning And Drying Hair (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un accessoire conçu pour un appareil de soins capillaires et incluant une entrée d'air pour recevoir un flux d'air provenant de l'appareil de soins capillaires, un corps principal agencé pour recevoir le flux d'air provenant de l'entrée d'air, et une pluralité de saillies agencées en une rangée. Au moins certaines des saillies sont creuses. Chaque saillie creuse s'étend à partir du corps principal et est conçue pour recevoir un flux d'air provenant du corps principal. Chaque saillie creuse comprend une sortie d'air. Chaque sortie d'air inclut un trou traversant dans une surface de la saillie creuse respective et est agencée pour émettre un flux d'air dans une direction d'émission non orthogonale à un plan du trou traversant ou à la surface de la saillie creuse autour du trou traversant. Chaque sortie d'air respective fait face à une saillie voisine dans la rangée.
PCT/IB2023/057831 2022-08-09 2023-08-02 Accessoire pour appareil de soins capillaires WO2024033756A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2211605.7A GB2621349A (en) 2022-08-09 2022-08-09 An attachment for a hair care appliance
GB2211605.7 2022-08-09

Publications (1)

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WO2024033756A1 true WO2024033756A1 (fr) 2024-02-15

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WO (1) WO2024033756A1 (fr)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5621980A (en) * 1995-03-29 1997-04-22 Kingsbury; Daniel B. Blow dryer attachment for volumizing and styling hair
CN202154217U (zh) * 2011-08-01 2012-03-07 祝清钢 实用干发梳
WO2013041805A1 (fr) * 2011-09-19 2013-03-28 Seb S.A. Accessoire de coiffure pour seche-cheveux
WO2013049518A1 (fr) * 2011-09-28 2013-04-04 Conair Coporation Appareil de coiffure ayant une nouvelle configuration de poil
CN208002330U (zh) * 2018-03-07 2018-10-26 李小龙 一种电吹风梳子
CN111134436A (zh) * 2018-11-05 2020-05-12 宁波方太厨具有限公司 一种干发梳
US20210007458A1 (en) * 2018-02-23 2021-01-14 Kan Holding As Hairdressing apparatus

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5621980A (en) * 1995-03-29 1997-04-22 Kingsbury; Daniel B. Blow dryer attachment for volumizing and styling hair
CN202154217U (zh) * 2011-08-01 2012-03-07 祝清钢 实用干发梳
WO2013041805A1 (fr) * 2011-09-19 2013-03-28 Seb S.A. Accessoire de coiffure pour seche-cheveux
WO2013049518A1 (fr) * 2011-09-28 2013-04-04 Conair Coporation Appareil de coiffure ayant une nouvelle configuration de poil
US20210007458A1 (en) * 2018-02-23 2021-01-14 Kan Holding As Hairdressing apparatus
CN208002330U (zh) * 2018-03-07 2018-10-26 李小龙 一种电吹风梳子
CN111134436A (zh) * 2018-11-05 2020-05-12 宁波方太厨具有限公司 一种干发梳

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GB2621349A (en) 2024-02-14

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