HAIR DRYER

Abstract

 In a hair dryer comprising a fan (F) for generating an air flow (A), an outer shell (OS), an inner shell (IS) around a hollow area, the inner shell (IS) having a hair inlet (HI) for allowing hair (H) to enter the hollow area, and a slot (S) for directing the air flow (A) from between the outer shell (OS) and the inner shell (IS) into the hollow area, a heater (Ht) is positioned between the outer shell (OS) and the inner shell (IS) to heat the air (A) before the air (A) enters the hollow area. Advantageously, the heater (Ht) includes a heating wire around the inner shell (IS). Preferably, the inner shell (IS) has an air outlet opening (AO), and the slot (S) is arranged to direct air flow into a direction from the hair inlet opening (HI) to the air outlet opening (AO). Advantageously, a handle (Hd) is positioned in parallel to a central axis of the outer shell (OS).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a hair dryer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A conventional hair dryer blows heated air out axially from the dryer body onto the user. Usually, some heated air is not reaching the hair and get wasted. Some heated air is over-heating the user's scalp or facial skin. The rest of the heated air although is aiming at the hair, but it is blowing hair away from the user, tangling the hair and at the same time reducing the contacting time between the heated air and the hair, thus has a very low drying efficiency. Usually it requires the user to use another hand to control the hair to improve the drying efficiency and to detangle the hair at the same time.

[0003] WO2019027211A1 discloses a hair dryer having the function of a curling iron such that the same is capable of styling hair while drying the same. More particularly, the hair dryer is structured such that a handle portion and a body portion are connected so as to intersect with each other. The handle portion comprises: a first housing having an air inlet formed through one side thereof and having a hollow first channel formed therein such that air flows along the same; and a blowing fan installed in the first housing so as to forcibly introduce outer air from the air inlet, thereby generating a flow of air along the first channel. The body portion comprises: a second housing having the shape of a hollow barrel, the second housing being connected so as to intersect with the other end portion of the first housing such that the same communicates with the first channel; a third housing coupled inside the second housing so as to constitute a double-barrel structure together with the second housing, the exterior of the third housing being spaced apart from the second housing by a predetermined interval, thereby forming a second channel, the third housing having a hollow third channel formed therein and having an opening provided through one side of the third channel as an air outlet; and multiple first discharge holes penetrating the third housing such that the second channel and the third channel communicate with each other, the inner wall surface of each first discharge hole having an inclination toward the air outlet. The air flowing through the third channel has a temperature sufficient to dry the hair by the third housing, which is a heating plate. A heat generating coil for heating the air flowing through the first channel may further be installed in the first housing to further improve the efficiency of the dry process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is, inter alia, an object of the invention to provide an improved hair dryer. The invention is defined by the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0005] One aspect of the invention provides a hair dryer comprising a fan, an outer shell, an inner shell around a hollow area, the inner shell having a hair inlet for allowing hair to enter the hollow area, and at least one slot for directing the air flow from between the outer shell and the inner shell into the hollow area. According to the invention, a heater between the outer shell and the inner shell to heat the air before the air enters the hollow area. Advantageously, the heater includes a heating wire around the inner shell. Preferably, the inner shell has a hair inlet opening and an air outlet opening, and the at least one slot is arranged to direct air flow into a direction from the hair inlet opening to the air outlet opening. Advantageously, a handle is positioned in parallel (but 180° turned) to a central axis of the outer shell.

[0006] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a hair dryer according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The embodiment of a hair dryer shown in Fig. 1 comprises a hollow cylindrical handle Hd with an air inlet opening AI near the base of the handle Hd, a body B that has an outer cylindrical shell OS and an inner cylindrical shell IS, with the ends of the two cylindrical shells OS, IS connected with closed surfaces, a hollow bridge connecting the hollow handle Hd to the hollow body B, and radial slot openings S on the inner shell IS of the body as air outlet to allow air to enter a hollow area enclosed by the inner shell IS. The motor and fan assembly F is residing inside the hollow handle Hd, sucking ambient air A through the air inlet opening AI into the hollow handle Hd, pushing the air A through the hollow bridge into a hollow area between the outer and inner shells OS, IS of the body, and air A leaves the body B from the radial slots S on the inner cylindrical shell IS. Air A is heated by the heater Ht residing between the inner and outer shell of the body. The slots S on the inner shell IS are designed to direct air flow to one direction only parallel to the axis of the cylindrical surface of the body B, allowing air to blow out from an air outlet AO of the dryer body B. In Fig. 1, hollow arrows indicate the air flow path. The radial slots S are designed in a way to direct air flow to one direction along the center hollow area, allowing hair H to be inserted from a low pressure opening HI (top entrance in Fig. 1). Once hair H is inserted, it can be dried by the heated air inside the hollow area and towards the outlet of the dryer.

[0009] The heater Ht is assembled between the inner shell IS and the outer shell OS of the dryer's body B. Because of the constant air flow inside the dryer, a conventional nichrome wire (coil heater, made from an alloy of nickel and chromium) can advantageously be used as the heater Ht for this dryer. Small mica plates can be secured on the inner surface of the inner shell and be used to support the nichrome coil heater Ht.

[0010] The motor controller board or any required PCBA can be placed at the air inlet area inside the handle Hd or inside the hollow bridge area, where it can be advantageously cooled by the air flow.

[0011] The fan F can be powered by means of a mains voltage, or by means of a battery that is preferably placed in the handle Hd where it can be cooled by the air flow.

[0012] While in Fig. 1, the handle Hd is shown parallel to the body B, which is believed to be ergonomically optimal, the handle Hd may be positioned perpendicular to the body B. While in Fig. 1, the inner and outer shells IS, OS are cylindrical, their cross-sections need not be circular and may have another shape, e.g. rectangular.

[0013] The new hollow hair dryer design allowing heated air flowing along the inner shell's outer surface and blowing the heated air out from one side, provides several benefits compared to a conventional hair dryer. First, hair H can be inserted into the hollow area in the center of the dryer's body B, and all the heated air can reach every strand of the hair, maximizing drying efficiency. Also, hair H can be dried in an isolated area, and heated air will not blow directly onto the scalp or the facial skin. A user will not need to use the other hand to detangle or hold the hair while drying because the air will flow along the hollow area and directed out axially, thus hair movement will be controlled in the hollow area.

[0014] This standalone dryer gives a similar air flow performance as a conventional hair dryer as all the air flow is directed to exit towards one side (towards the bottom in Fig. 1) of the dryer, and the temperature can be equivalent to a normal hair dryer as well as there is enough room for a long heater coil just like in a conventional hair dryer. The fan motor may be a high speed BLDC motor. Therefore, it would result in similar drying rate when used as a conventional hair dryer. This design also allows the user to put hair inside the hollow area for focus drying. One advantage of putting the heater H inside the hollow area between the inner and outer shells IS, OS compared to at the motor outlet in the handle Hd is the higher heating/flow restriction efficiency. To achieve a certain air stream temperature, a certain length of the heater coil is preferred. When putting the heater coils in a tight space (e.g. in the handle Hd at the fan motor outlet), it will significantly restrict the air flow, and thus decrease air flow performance. And when this weakened air flow exits the dryer, although using small opening slots at the air outlet AO can increase the air speed and pressure, it will still feel significantly weaker than if the heater Ht is spread out through the wind path in a bigger area. If, in accordance with embodiments of the invention, the heating coil Ht is spread out and put in a less restrictive area (i.e. in the body B between the inner and outer shells IS, OS), the air flow can be heated in a less restrictive way, and at the end when the flow is focused again at the air outlet AO, the air speed and pressure can be greatly increased and give the dryer a powerful feeling.

[0015] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. For example, where the claims mention "a slot", an embodiment may have one or more slots, and the notion slot S covers all forms of openings directing the air flow A from between the outer shell OS and the inner shell IS into the hollow area. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and/or by means of a suitably programmed processor. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. Measures recited in mutually different dependent claims may advantageously be used in combination.

Claims

1. Hair dryer comprising:

a fan (F) for generating an air flow (A);

an outer shell (OS);

an inner shell (IS) around a hollow area, the inner shell (IS) providing a hair inlet (HI) for allowing hair (H) to enter the hollow area, and a slot (S) for directing the air flow (A) from between the outer shell (OS) and the inner shell (IS) into the hollow area; and

a heater (Ht) between the outer shell (OS) and the inner shell (IS) to heat the air (A) before the air (A) enters the hollow area.

2. Hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heater (Ht) includes a heating wire around the inner shell (IS).

3. Hair dryer as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner shell (IS) provides an air outlet opening (AO), and wherein the slot (S) is arranged to direct air flow into a direction from the hair inlet opening (HI) to the air outlet opening (AO).

4. Hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, comprising a handle (Hd) positioned in parallel to a central axis of the inner shell (IS).

Drawing