Hair dryer and stand combination

Abstract

 The invention provides a combination of a hand-held hair dryer unit 10 and a support stand 11 therefor which is designed such that the dryer unit can be supported in the stand in a position ready for use with the stand mounted on both a horizontal and a vertical surface. The stand incorporates mounting means for the dryer unit comprising a socket 26 into which the nozzle part 16 of the dryer unit is received. The axis 31 of the socket is angled with respect to the base 29 such that when the stand is mounted with its base on a vertical surface the socket is directed upwardly ready to receive and retain the dryer unit. The device is intended for large-scale users such as hotels, and its design enables it to be fitted in either vertical or horizontal modes without structural modifications.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to hair dryers, and more particularly to the combination of a hand-held hair dryer unit and a stand for supporting the dryer unit when not in use.

[0002] The invention is intended to provide a combined hair dryer unit and stand whereby the dryer unit may be supported by the stand in a ready position with the stand disposed on a horizontal surface such as a table and on a vertical surface such as a wall without the necessity of making structural modifications to the stand unit. The invention is particularly intended for large-scale users such as hotels.

[0003] According to the present invention, there is provided, in combination, a hand-held hair dryer unit and a support stand .therefor, the hair dryer unit comprising handle means, and said support stand comprising support means for supporting said hair dryer unit, said support stand-being adapted for mounting on both a horizontal and a vertical surface, in either of which positions said support means is operable to support said hair dryer unit with its handle means in a ready position.

[0004] Depending on the circumstances in which the assembly is intended to be used, it may be desirable to locate the stand on a flat horizontal surface such as a table, or on a flat vertical surface such as a wall. The invention provides a stand and hair dryer combination in which the hand-held hair dryer unit can be supported by the stand in both of these configurations, without structural modifications being made either to the stand or to the dryer unit.

[0005] Suitably, the support means for the hair dryer unit comprises an aperture formed in the stand which defines a socket adapted to receive that part of the hair dryer unit provided with the nozzle. Preferably, this nozzle part of the hair dryer unit is adapted to rest freely in the socket, although in one embodiment either the nozzle part of the hair dryer unit or the socket, or both, may taper towards one end such that the nozzle part becomes a friction fit in the socket when the nozzle part is fully in position therein. The aperture forming the socket is suitably formed in the face of the stand which is the upper surface when the stand is supported on a horizontal surface, and the front face when the stand is disposed on a vertical surface. Generally, the handle of the hair dryer unit extends substantially at right angles to the nozzle, and the hair dryer unit is supported by the stand with the handle thereof extending substantially parallel to said upper surface when the stand is disposed on a horizontal surface. When the stand is disposed on a vertical surface, the hair dryer unit can be fitted into the socket so that the handle extends substantially vertically downwardly.

[0006] Suitably, the nozzle of the hair dryer is substantially cylindrical and the aperture forming the socket is of complementary shape, although other shapes can be used, and interlocking sections may be employed in order to ensure positive engagement between the nozzle of the dryer and the socket. Safety locking means may also be provided for positively locating the dryer unit on the stand.

[0007] In one arrangement, the axis of the socket extends at an angle to the base of the support stand, whereby in a wall-mounted mode with the base of the stand secured to a vertical surface, the axis of the socket extends generally upwardly for receiving and supporting the hair dryer unit. Preferably, with this arrangement the stand is formed with a generally wedge-shaped profile, the upper wall of the stand extending generally at right angles to the axis of the socket; suitably the aperture is located near that end of the stand having the greatest depth.

[0008] Means may be provided for controlling and/or restricting an electrical power supply to the hair dryer unit. These means may comprise for example a spring-loaded trigger mechanism on the hair dryer unit, whereby the trigger will automatically return to the "off" position when it is released. In another arrangement, the support stand may be provided with a switch which is engaged by the body of the hair dryer unit when it is located in the aperture. With this arrangement, the hair dryer is switched on when it is removed from its stand, and switched off again when it is replaced. In a further arrangement, a timer device is located either in the stand or in the dryer unit operable to limit the power supply to the dryer to a predetermined timed period once it has been removed from the stand, or once. it has been switched on. Means may be provided for adjusting this timed period. A coin-operated mechanism may be provided to control the power supply to the unit. All these arrangements can be used separately or in any combination.

[0009] In order that the invention may be more fully understood, an embodiment in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hair dryer and stand combination with the hair dryer fitted into the stand and the stand supported on a horizontal surface;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same hair dryer/stand combination with the stand mounted on a vertical wall surface; and

Fig. 3 is an elevation and part-sectional view of the combination in the position shown in Fig. 1.

[0010] Referring to the drawings, these show a combined electrically operated hand-held hair dryer unit 10 and stand 11 which are intended for large-scale use in hotels and the like. The stand is intended for supporting the hair dryer either in a horizontal mode as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, in which the stand 11 rests on a horizontal surface such as a table, or alternatively in a vertical mode as shown in Fig. 2 where the base of the stand is secured to a vertical surface such as a wall.

[0011] The hair dryer,is of conventional construction and comprises a body 14 which incorporates a handle 15 and a nozzle 16. The body contains a small electric motor and an electric heating element, and the dryer is operable to blow hot air from the nozzle end 16. The dryer unit is connected electrically to the base 11 by means of a coiled cable 17 which is fitted into the free end of the handle 15 and which passes into the stand via a slot 18. When the stand is used in a wall-mounted mode, the coiled cable passes out of the stand via slot 19 located at the opposite end thereof, as shown in Fig. 2.

[0012] The hair dryer unit 10 is provided with a trigger 20 which is spring-loaded into an "off" position. When pressure is removed from the trigger 20, the trigger returns to this position and the hair dryer unit is automatically switched off. This prevents the dryer unit from being left on inadvertently.

[0013] The stand 11 is moulded from a suitable plastics material and the front or upper wall 23 is provided with a circular opening 24 which comprises the entrance to a tapering aperture 26 formed in the stand 11. This tapering aperture 26 forms a socket adapted to receive the nozzle end 16 of the hair dryer unit 10 so that the dryer unit can be supported within this aperture. As will be seen from Fig. 3, the axis 31 of this socket lies at an angle to the base 29 of the stand 11 so that the dryer is retained, when the stand is on a horizontal surface, with the handle 15 directed downwardly towards the support surface. As will be seen from Fig. 3, the wall 23 of the stand 11 is disposed generally at right-angles to the axis of the aperture 26 so that when the stand is on a flat horizontal surface, this upper wall extends substantially parallel to the handle 15 of the hair dryer unit 10. The nozzle end 16 fits freely within the aperture 26, and the hair dryer unit is located securely in this position with the stand 11 on a flat surface, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In order to improve stability, the stand is provided with feet 32 of a resilient material such as rubber, and in additior the base 29 may be made of a relatively heavy material in order to prevent the stand from being dragged off a table when the hair dryer unit is in use.

[0014] As will be seen from Fig. 2, the stand and hair dryer combination are designed so that they can also be mounted on a vertical wall surface with the hair dryer unit located securely in a "ready" position, i.e. in a position in which the handle can readily be gripped by a user. In this mode, the aperture 26 in the stand 11 is located at the lowest point of the wall 23, and the angle of the axis of this aperture to the base 29 ensures that in this mode, the aperture is directed upwardly, thus constituting a positive and safe locating socket for the hair dryer unit 10. As will be seen from Fig. 2, in this position the handle 15 of the hair dryer 10 is directed downwardly and the coiled cable 17 passes out of the stand casing through aperture 19. The stand is provided with fixing holes in its base for fixing to a wall surface, and the main supply cable may be passed into the base either through a suitable opening such as opening 18, or directly into the base via the wall.

[0015] As will be seen from Fig. 3, the bottom 34 of the aperture 26 is provided with a microswitch 35 which is operable to control the power supply to the hair dryer unit 10. When the hair dryer unit is removed from the stand 11, the power supply is switched on by the microswitch 35, and when it is replaced in the aperture 26, the power supply is switched off. This circuitry may be combined with a timer device located in the stand 11 which provides a timed supply to the hair dryer unit. These features may also be combined with the trigger switch 20, or alternatively this may be omitted.

[0016] Other items may be incorporated in the stand 11. For example, in order to prevent pilferage it may be desirable to utilise a hair dryer unit which operates on a different voltage from normal household mains voltage, and in this case a transformer may be located in the stand 11. A coin-operated mechanism may also be incorporated within the stand if it is required for users to pay for use of the dryer.

Claims

1. The combination of a hand-held hair dryer unit and a support stand therefor, the hair dryer unit comprising handle means, and said support stand comprising support means for supporting said hair dryer unit, said support stand being adapted for mounting on both a horizontal and a vertical surface, in either of which positions said support means is operable to support said hair dryer unit with its handle means in a ready position.

2. The combination as claimed in Claim 1, wherein connection means are provided in said support stand adapted for connection with an electricity supply, and said hair dryer unit comprises an electrically-operated unit connected to said connection means by a flexible electric lead.

3. The combination as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the hair dryer unit comprises a nozzle part, and said support means comprises an aperture in said support stand adapted to receive said nozzle part.

4. The combination as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said aperture comprises a socket of generally similar configuration as at least the free end of said nozzle part, and within which said nozzle part can be located.

5. The combination as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said support stand comprises a generally planar base surface and the axis of said socket extends at an acute angle to said surface, whereby in a wall-mounted mode with the base surface disposed against a generally vertical surface, the axis of said socket extends generally upwardly for receiving and supporting said hair dryer unit.

6. The combination as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5, further comprising switch means operable to control an electrical supply to said hair dryer unit.

7. The combination as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said switch means comprises a spring-loaded trigger mechanism on said hair dryer unit, which mechanism is biassed into the "off" position.

8. The combination as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said switch means comprises a switch disposed on said support stand which switch is biassed into the "on" position and which is held in the "off" position when the hair dryer unit is supported by the support stand.

Drawing