Hair washing machine

Abstract

In order to realize a hair washing machine with which it is possible to achieve a wet state from a surface layer to a deep layer of hair and a scalp with a small amount of liquid, a hair washing machine 10 is provided with: a brush part 13 having a brush surface 13a on which a plurality of brush teeth 13b are arranged; a nozzle part 14 protruding from the brush surface 13a so as to be adjacent to the brush teeth 13b; and a gas-liquid supply part 15 that supplies a liquid and a gas to the nozzle part 14. The nozzle part 14 is: a two-fluid nozzle 14 that jets, from a same jetting port 28, the liquid supplied by the gas-liquid supply part 15 and the gas supplied by the gas-liquid supply part 15; or a nozzle or a nozzle set in which a liquid jetting port 51 that jets the liquid supplied by the gas-liquid supply part 15 and a gas jetting port 52 that jets the gas supplied by the gas-liquid supply part 15 such that the liquid jetted from the gas-liquid supply part 15 is diffused are disposed close to each other.

Description

Hair washing machine

[0001] The present invention relates to a hair washing machine or the like used for hair washing.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a scalp cleaner having a nozzle head provided with brush teeth and a nozzle brush. The nozzle head has a plurality of discharge ports for discharging washing water. The nozzle brush is formed in a pipe shape and is provided at each discharge port. The washing water discharged from the discharge port passes through the inside of the nozzle brush and reaches the opening at the tip of the nozzle brush, directly hitting the scalp. According to this scalp cleaner, even if the tip of the nozzle brush is slightly separated from the scalp while the hair is being combed by the nozzle brush, the return of the hair is prevented by the pipe-shaped nozzle brush, and since the opening is close to the scalp, the pulsating water flow (washing water) directly hits the scalp, enabling efficient washing. Also, it is possible to easily apply the washing water directly to the scalp.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-210238

[0004] By the way, conventional hair washing machines (such as the scalp cleaner described in Patent Document 1) do not consider washing hair with a small amount of liquid. In contrast, the inventor of the present application considered that if hair washing could be performed with a small amount of liquid such that hardly any liquid drips from the hair even when liquid is supplied to the hair (a large number of hairs covering the head), it would be possible to easily wash hair while wearing clothes outside the bathroom, making it easier to wash hair in various scenarios.

[0005] Here, if the hair does not become wet from the surface layer of the hair to the deep layer of the hair and the scalp (the scalp) during hair washing, the person who has washed their hair cannot feel a refreshed or pleasant feeling. However, it is not easy to make the hair wet from the surface layer to the deep layer and the scalp with a small amount of liquid.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to realize a hair washing machine that can make the hair wet from the surface layer to the deep layer and the scalp with a small amount of liquid.

[0007] As a result of diligent research, the inventors of the present invention conceived of a configuration in which a nozzle portion protruding from the brush surface adjacent to the brush teeth is provided on a brush surface in which multiple brush teeth are arranged, and a two-fluid nozzle is used as the nozzle portion. They confirmed that with this configuration, it is possible to comb the hair with multiple brush teeth while wetting the hair from the surface to the deep layers and the scalp with a small amount of liquid. Furthermore, they conceived of a configuration in which, in addition to a liquid spray nozzle, a gas spray nozzle is provided on the nozzle portion to spray gas so that the liquid sprayed from the liquid spray nozzle is diffused. They also confirmed that with this configuration, it is possible to comb the hair with multiple brush teeth while wetting the hair from the surface to the deep layers and the scalp with a small amount of liquid. Based on these research results, the first invention is a hair washing machine comprising a brush section having a brush surface on which a plurality of brush teeth are arranged, a nozzle section protruding from the brush surface adjacent to the brush teeth, and a gas-liquid supply section that supplies liquid and gas to the nozzle section, wherein the nozzle section is a two-fluid nozzle that sprays liquid supplied by the gas-liquid supply section and gas supplied by the gas-liquid supply section from the same nozzle, or a nozzle or nozzle set in which a liquid nozzle that sprays liquid supplied by the gas-liquid supply section and a gas nozzle that sprays gas supplied by the gas-liquid supply section so as to diffuse the liquid sprayed from the liquid nozzle are arranged in close proximity.

[0008] The second invention is the two-fluid nozzle in the first invention, which comprises a tip surface having an injection port formed therein for injecting liquid and gas, and a plurality of protrusions arranged circumferentially at intervals surrounding the injection port, each protruding from the tip surface.

[0009] The third invention is that, in the first invention, the gas-liquid supply unit has a liquid supply passage through which liquid flows from a liquid storage container to a two-fluid nozzle, a gas supply passage through which gas flows to be sent to the two-fluid nozzle, and a pump that supplies liquid to the liquid supply passage and gas to the gas supply passage. The two-fluid nozzle has a nozzle housing with an injection port formed at its tip, and an inner nozzle housed within the nozzle housing with the outlet of the liquid supply passage formed at its tip. The outlet of the liquid supply passage is configured to face the injection port. Inside the nozzle housing, a mortar-shaped recess is formed on the inlet side of the injection port, the tip of the inner nozzle is tapered and fits into the recess, a gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the inner nozzle and the slope of the recess, and the outlet of the gas supply passage is connected to the injection port through this gap.

[0010] The fourth invention is the two-fluid nozzle in the first invention, wherein the nozzle housing has a nozzle opening formed at its tip, and the outlet side of the nozzle is formed to widen as it approaches the outlet.

[0011] The fifth invention is that, in the first invention, the upper limit of the liquid ejection volume by the nozzle is 40 milliliters per minute.

[0012] The sixth invention is that, in the fifth invention, a diaphragm pump is used as the pump.

[0013] The seventh invention is that, in the first invention, only one nozzle constituting the nozzle portion is provided on the brush surface.

[0014] The eighth invention is that, in the seventh invention, the nozzle is positioned on the brush surface closer to the tip than to the center in its longitudinal direction.

[0015] The ninth invention is the first invention, further comprising a main body portion which is the part that the user of the hair washing machine grasps, and a tip portion which extends from the tip side of the main body portion and to which a brush portion is detachably attached.

[0016] In this invention, a nozzle portion is provided on a brush surface where multiple brush teeth are arranged, protruding from the brush surface adjacent to the brush teeth. The nozzle portion is either a two-fluid nozzle, or a nozzle or nozzle set that has a liquid nozzle in addition to a gas nozzle that sprays gas to diffuse the liquid sprayed from the liquid nozzle. In the former case, a small amount of liquid sprayed from the nozzle portion is widely diffused by the gas sprayed from the same nozzle. In the latter case, a small amount of liquid sprayed from the liquid nozzle is widely diffused by the gas sprayed from the gas nozzle. In either case, while combing the hair with multiple brush teeth, it is possible to wet the hair from the surface to the deep layers and the scalp with a small amount of liquid. According to this invention, it is possible to realize a hair washing machine that can wet the hair from the surface to the deep layers with a small amount of liquid. Furthermore, it is possible to achieve a hair washing that provides a refreshing and invigorating feeling with a small amount of liquid.

[0017] Figure 1(A) is a front view of the hair washing machine according to the embodiment, Figure 1(B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the hair washing machine of Figure 1(A) viewed from the side, and Figure 1(C) is an enlarged side view of the nozzle portion of the hair washing machine of Figure 1(A). Figure 2(A) is a perspective view of the device tip of the hair washing machine according to the embodiment, and Figure 2(B) is a view of the inside of the device tip of Figure 2(A) viewed from the rear. Figure 3(A) is a front view of the brush portion of the hair washing machine according to the embodiment, and Figure 3(B) is a side view of the brush portion of Figure 3(A). Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the two-fluid nozzle of the hair washing machine according to the embodiment. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the gas-liquid supply section and the cross-sectional structure of the two-fluid nozzle of the hair washing machine according to the embodiment. Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining how to use the hair washing machine according to the embodiment. Figure 7 is a front view of the hair washing machine according to the embodiment with the brush portion removed. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of the nozzle of the hair washing machine according to the first modified example of the embodiment.

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0019] [Configuration of the hair washing machine] The hair washing machine 10 according to this embodiment is a device that can perform hair washing that provides a refreshing and invigorating feeling with a small amount of water. As shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), the hair washing machine 10 comprises a device body 11 which is the part that the user holds, a device tip 12 provided on the front side of the device body 11, a brush part 13 which is detachably attached to the device tip 12, a nozzle part 14 which protrudes from the brush surface 13a of the brush part 13, a gas-liquid supply unit 15 which supplies water and air to the nozzle part 14, and a water bottle 20 provided on the bottom side of the device body 11. The brush part 13 has a brush surface 13a on which a plurality of brush teeth 13b are arranged in two dimensions. The nozzle part 14 is composed of a single two-fluid nozzle 14 (see Figure 4) which sprays water supplied by the gas-liquid supply unit 15 and air supplied by the gas-liquid supply unit 15 from the same nozzle 28. Note that of Figure 1(A) and Figure 1(B), only Figure 1(B) shows the schematic internal configuration of the main body 11 of the device.

[0020] The main body 11 of the device comprises a vertically elongated, cylindrical (for example, cylindrical) main casing 21. A pump 42 and the like are built into the main casing 21. A switch section 18 for operating the hair washing machine 10 is provided on the outer surface of the main body 11 of the device.

[0021] The device tip 12 extends from the front end of the device body 11 in the longitudinal direction of the device body 11. As shown in Figure 2(A), the device tip 12 has a tip casing 22 having a front surface 22a that curves forward. The tip casing 22 is a vertically elongated box, and its tip surface is formed in a semicircular shape. The tip casing 22 houses a control device 40 such as a circuit board and a battery 41. A two-fluid nozzle 14 is attached to the tip casing 22 so as to protrude from the front surface 22a.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2(B), a liquid supply pipe 16 and a gas supply pipe 17, respectively connected to the two-fluid nozzle 14, are arranged inside the tip casing 22. The liquid supply pipe 16 and the gas supply pipe 17 are covered by the rear cover 22b of the tip casing 22 (see Figure 2(A)). Figure 2(B) shows the state with the rear cover 22b removed.

[0023] The casing of the hair washing machine 10 consists of a main casing 21 and a tip casing 22, and the front casing and the rear casing are assembled to each other at the position of the dashed line D shown in Figure 1(B). In other words, the front part of the main casing 21 and the front part of the tip casing 22 are integrally formed and constitute the front casing. The rear part of the main casing 21 and the rear part of the tip casing 22 (rear cover 22b) are also integrally formed and constitute the rear casing. The pump 42 is attached to the front casing, and the control device 40 and battery 41 are attached to the rear casing.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3(A) and 3(B), the brush portion 13 comprises a brush plate-shaped portion 6 with a nozzle through-hole 3 formed therein, and a number of brush teeth 13b erected on the front surface (brush surface) 13a of the brush plate-shaped portion 6. In a front view, the brush plate-shaped portion 6 has a rectangular shape with rounded corners (for example, a vertically elongated rectangle), and in a side view, it is curved forward to form a curved surface that conforms to the outer surface of a human head. In this embodiment, the lengths of each brush tooth 13b are approximately equal. However, the lengths of the brush teeth 13b may be different.

[0025] In the brush section 13, only one nozzle through-hole 3 is formed. On the brush surface 13a, only one two-fluid nozzle 14 is provided as the nozzle 14 that constitutes the nozzle section 14. On the brush surface 13a, the nozzle through-hole 3 and the two-fluid nozzle 14 are positioned closer to the tip than the center in the longitudinal direction. Also, on the brush surface 13a, the nozzle through-hole 3 and the two-fluid nozzle 14 are positioned at the center in the width direction (short direction). On the brush surface 13a, in the longitudinal direction, more brush teeth 13b are provided on the opposite side (other end) of the nozzle through-hole 3 than on the tip side (one end).

[0026] In the brush section 13, a two-fluid nozzle 14 is provided adjacent to a plurality of brush teeth 13b. The two-fluid nozzle 14 is surrounded by a plurality (many) of brush teeth 13b arranged around it. The two-fluid nozzle 14 is surrounded from above, below, left, and right by rows of brush teeth 13b arranged in the width direction and rows of brush teeth 13b arranged in the length direction.

[0027] The two-fluid nozzle 14 is a nozzle that injects water and air from the same injection port 28. As shown in Figure 4, the two-fluid nozzle 14 comprises a tip surface (front surface of the tip portion 25c) on which the injection port 28 is formed, and a plurality of protrusions (projections) 29 that protrude from the tip surface and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction to surround the injection port 28. The protrusion length of each protrusion 29 is, for example, 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. The plurality of protrusions 29 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumference of the tip portion 25c. A gap 30 is formed between adjacent protrusions 29 in the circumferential direction.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the two-fluid nozzle 14 comprises a tapered nozzle housing 25 and a tapered inner nozzle 26 housed within the nozzle housing 25. The nozzle housing 25 is provided to protrude from the brush surface 13a. The protrusion length X1 of the nozzle housing 25 from the brush surface 13a (the protrusion length of the two-fluid nozzle 14) is shorter than the protrusion length of the longest brush tooth 13b. Furthermore, the protrusion length X1 is shorter than the length X2 of the brush tooth 13b adjacent to the two-fluid nozzle 14 (the length of the nozzle housing 25 in the protruding direction), and the difference between these lengths (X2 - X1) is, for example, 5 mm or less (preferably 3 mm or less) (see Figure 1(C)). Note that the protrusion length X1 of the nozzle housing 25 is the distance from the brush surface 13a to the tip of the protruding portion 29 in the protruding direction of the nozzle housing 25.

[0029] The nozzle housing 25 comprises a frustoconical (e.g., truncated cone) tip housing 25a and a cylindrical (e.g., cylindrical) base housing 25b integrated with the tip housing 25a. The tip housing 25a is formed continuously with the tip of the base housing 25b. In the tip housing 25a, a nozzle 28 is formed in the center of the tip portion 25c (see Figure 5). The tip portion 25c is the part of the tip housing 25a that partitions the tip side of the inner space 24, and is circular in shape when viewed from the front. In the tip portion 25c, a nozzle 28 is formed on a cylindrical projection 25d. The projection length of the projection 25d is smaller than the projection length of each projection 29. The base housing 25b is provided with a mounting portion 25e for fixing the nozzle housing 25 to the tip casing 22.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the inner nozzle 26 is a component formed in a tapered shape with a liquid outlet 35 formed at its tip. The two-fluid nozzle 14 is configured such that the liquid outlet 35 faces the injection port 28. On the outer surface of the inner nozzle 26, a first stepped surface 26a, a second stepped surface 26b, and a third stepped surface 26c are provided in order from the tip side, as the nozzle widens from the tip side towards the base side (base side).

[0031] In the inner nozzle 26, a liquid outlet 35 is formed at the nozzle tip 26d that protrudes from the first stepped surface 26a. The nozzle tip 26d is tapered and has a roughly frustoconical shape. The liquid outlet 35 is located at the center of the nozzle tip 26d when viewed from the front of the tip surface of the inner nozzle 26. In the inner nozzle 26, as shown in Figure 5, an inner flow path 33 extends from the liquid outlet 35 to the rear along the axis. The liquid outlet 35 corresponds to the outlet of the liquid supply path. The inner flow path 33 has a constricted section 33a where the flow path narrows as it approaches the liquid outlet 35. The constricted section 33a may be located slightly before the liquid outlet 35, or immediately before the liquid outlet 35, as shown in Figure 5.

[0032] In the inner nozzle 26, a gas outlet 36 is formed on the lower side than the liquid outlet 35. The gas outlet 36 opens into the bottom surface of a notch 26e, which is cut out from the rear portion of the second stepped surface 26b. In a front view of the tip surface of the inner nozzle 26, the gas outlet 36 is positioned closer to the outer circumference of the inner nozzle 26. In the inner nozzle 26, an outer flow path 34 extends rearward from the gas outlet 36. The gas outlet 36 corresponds to the outlet of the gas supply passage.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, a tapered inner space 24 is formed inside the nozzle housing 25. On the inner surface of the nozzle housing 25, a stepped surface is provided at the boundary between the tip housing 25a and the base housing 25b. The inner nozzle 26 is inserted into the inner space 24 from the rear opening of the nozzle housing 25 and is fixed to the nozzle housing 25 with the third stepped surface 26c pressed against the aforementioned stepped surface via a seal ring 27. Note that the brush teeth 13b are not shown in Figure 5.

[0034] Here, the nozzle opening 28 at the tip 25c of the nozzle housing 25 includes an inlet portion 28a that widens toward the inlet side, an outlet portion 28b that widens toward the outlet side, and an intermediate portion 28c between the inlet portion 28a and the outlet portion 28b.

[0035] The inlet portion 28a is formed by a mortar-shaped (tapered) recess formed on the inner surface of the tip portion 25c. When the inner nozzle 26 is fixed to the nozzle housing 25, the tip of the nozzle tip portion 26d is positioned within the nozzle housing 25, separated from the slope of the recess of the inlet portion 28a, and extends into the inlet portion 28a (into the recess). A gap G is formed between the slope of the recess of the inlet portion 28a and the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the nozzle tip portion 26d, allowing air from the inner space 24 to flow towards the nozzle opening 28. The gas outlet 36 is connected to the nozzle opening 28 via the inner space 24 and the gap G.

[0036] The outlet portion 28b is formed to widen as it approaches the outlet of the nozzle 28. The outlet portion 28b is formed by providing a radius (or chamfer) around the entire circumference of the edge of the nozzle 28. The outlet portion 28b is formed by a recess on the outer surface of the tip portion 25c. Compared to the inlet portion 28a, the outlet portion 28b has a smaller depth (the axial dimension of the nozzle 28) and a smaller diameter at its widest position.

[0037] The water bottle 20 comprises a lid portion 20a integrated with the bottom surface of the main body portion 11 of the device, and a container portion 20b that can be detachably attached to the lid portion 20a. The attachment structure of the container portion 20b to the lid portion 20a utilizes, for example, a screw structure. When the container portion 20b is attached to the lid portion 20a, the inside of the water bottle 20 becomes a sealed space.

[0038] The gas-liquid supply unit 15 includes liquid supply passages 16 and 33 through which water flows from the water bottle 20 to the two-fluid nozzle 14, gas supply passages 17 and 34 through which air flows to the two-fluid nozzle 14, and a pump 42 that supplies water to the liquid supply passages 16 and 33 and air to the gas supply passages 17 and 34. The liquid supply passage is composed of a liquid supply pipe 16 and an inner flow path 33. The gas supply passage is composed of a gas supply pipe 17 and an outer flow path 34.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, the discharge pipe 42a of the pump 42 penetrates the lid portion 20a. One end of the liquid supply pipe 16 opens near the bottom surface of the container portion 20b when the container portion 20b is attached to the lid portion 20a. When the container portion 20b filled with water is attached to the lid portion 20a, one end of the liquid supply pipe 16 is located below the water surface. The other end of the liquid supply pipe 16 is connected to the inlet of the inner flow path 33 of the inner nozzle 26.

[0040] One end of the gas supply pipe 17 is connected to the discharge pipe 42a of the pump 42. In other words, the gas supply pipe 17 branches off from the discharge pipe 42a. The other end of the gas supply pipe 17 is connected to the inlet of the outer flow path 34 of the inner nozzle 26.

[0041] Pump 42 is a pressurizing pump. Pump 42 is used as an air pump to discharge air. A portion of the air discharged by pump 42 is discharged into the inner space 24 from the gas outlet 36 via the gas supply passages 17 and 34, and the remainder is discharged into the water bottle 20 via the discharge pipe 42a that penetrates the lid 20a. When the container 20b filled with water is attached to the lid 20a, for example, the outlet end of the discharge pipe 42a is located above the water surface. A control device 40 and a battery 41 are connected to pump 42. Pump 42 is driven by power supplied from the battery 41. Pump 42 is also controlled by the control device 40. A diaphragm pump is used for pump 42. Other types of pumps may be used for pump 42.

[0042] [Hair washing method using a hair washing machine] The hair washing method using the hair washing machine 10 will be explained using the case of using a special cleaning solution as an example. In this case, the special cleaning solution is applied to the scalp and hair roots, and after the special cleaning solution is spread throughout the hair, the hair washing machine 10 is used. When using the hair washing machine 10, warm water is placed in the container part 20b of the water bottle 20, and the container part 20b is attached to the lid part 20a. The hair washing machine 10 allows the amount of liquid sprayed per hour from the two-fluid nozzle 14 to be adjusted by adjusting the output of the pump 42 by operating the flow rate adjustment button (not shown) on the switch part 18.

[0043] Here, the upper limit of the adjustable range for the liquid spray volume (the liquid spray volume when the output of pump 42 is 100%) is 40 milliliters / minute when the liquid spray volume is stable in an open space. This upper limit may also be 30 milliliters / minute or 25 milliliters / minute. By appropriately setting the upper limit, it is possible to suppress the dripping of liquid from the head during hair washing. The lower limit of the adjustable range for the liquid spray volume is, for example, 5 milliliters / minute. This lower limit may also be 10 milliliters / minute.

[0044] When the injection switch (not shown) of the switch unit 18 is pressed, the pump 42 is turned on / off. When the pump 42 operates, the air discharged from the pump 42 passes through the gas supply pipe 17 and the outer flow path 34, is discharged from the gas outlet 36 into the inner space 24, and is then ejected from the ejection port 28 through the gap G.

[0045] When the pump 42 operates, since the flow path areas of the ejection port 28 and the gas outlet 36 are small, the air discharged from the pump 42 is also sent into the sealed water bottle 20, thereby increasing the air pressure above the water surface. As a result, warm water is discharged from the water bottle 20 into the liquid supply pipe 16. The liquid contained in the water bottle 20 may be water instead of warm water.

[0046] The warm water discharged from the water bottle 20 passes through the liquid supply pipe 16 and the inner flow path 33 and is discharged from the liquid outlet 35. The warm water discharged from the liquid outlet 35 is ejected from the ejection port 28. In the nozzle housing 25, the warm water and the air are mixed when flowing through the ejection port 28 and are ejected from the ejection port 28. The warm water ejected from the ejection port 28 becomes misty.

[0047] When the user presses the injection switch with the finger of the hand holding the device main body 11, the pump 42 switches to the ON state. The injection of the gas-liquid mixture from the ejection port 28 continues until the injection switch is pressed again and switches to the OFF state. At that time, the hair is combed by the plurality of brush teeth 13b of the brush unit 13. As a result, misty warm water is ejected from the two-fluid nozzle 14 together with the air for the period during which the hair is combed by the brush unit 13. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, by slowly moving the brush unit 13 from the front side to the rear side of the head to comb the hair, the hair and the scalp gradually get wet from the place where the two-fluid nozzle 14 has passed. By combing the entire hair with the brush unit 13, the entire hair can be made wet (moistened) together with the scalp from the surface layer to the deep layer. However, almost no water drips from the hair. In FIG. 6, the user uses the hair washing machine 10 to wash the hair of another person, but the user may also use the hair washing machine 10 to wash their own hair.

[0048] After wetting the entire hair and skin, switch the hair washer 10 to the OFF state, and wipe off the dirt lifted by the dedicated cleaning liquid with a towel. Then, drying the hair with a dryer completes the hair washing.

[0049] In addition, the hair washer 10 of this embodiment can also be used in a state where the brush part 13 is removed in order to wet the skin of parts other than the scalp (for example, the upper body, the lower body, the face, the neck, etc.) (see FIG. 7). In this case, for example, water droplets are sprayed from the hair washer 10, and after wetting the skin, it is wiped off. As a result, a large amount of water does not drip from the skin, and the body and face can be washed.

[0050] [Effect of this embodiment] In this embodiment, in the brush surface 13a in which a plurality of brush teeth 13b are two-dimensionally arranged, a two-fluid nozzle 14 protruding from the brush surface 13a is provided so as to be adjacent to the plurality of brush teeth 13b. By using the two-fluid nozzle 14, a small amount of warm water sprayed from the injection port 28 is widely diffused by the air sprayed from the same injection port 28. According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a hair washer 10 that can wet the hair from the surface layer to the deep layer and the scalp with a small amount of water. And, with the hair washer 10, it is possible to realize hair washing that can feel a refreshing feeling and a sense of comfort with a small amount of water.

[0051] As a result, for a care recipient who has difficulty going to the bathroom (such as a bedridden person or a wheelchair user), a caregiver can easily wash the hair of the care recipient with a small amount of water on the bed or in the living room without wetting the surroundings while the care recipient is still dressed. This reduces the time required for hair washing and the burden of preparation and cleaning up. Also, in an emergency such as a disaster, hair washing can be easily performed while dressed outside the bathroom, and when enjoying the outdoors, hair washing can be easily performed while dressed without going to the bath. Also, a healthy person can easily wash their hair while dressed in the living room or their own room in daily life.

[0052] In this embodiment, since the outlet portion 28b of the nozzle 28 is widened, the water droplets and air discharged from the nozzle 28 are diffused along the edges (each R portion) of the nozzle 28. Also, at the tip surface of the two-fluid nozzle 14, gaps 30 are formed between adjacent protrusions 29 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, when combing the hair with the brush portion 13, when the tip surface of the two-fluid nozzle 14 approaches the scalp, the water droplets and air discharged from the nozzle 28 are sprayed in multiple directions through the gaps 30 between the protrusions 29. According to this embodiment, the water droplets discharged from the two-fluid nozzle 14 can be widely diffused.

[0053] In this embodiment, the protrusion length of the protrusion 25d on which the spray nozzle 28 is formed is smaller than the protrusion length of each protrusion 29, making it easier to maintain a certain distance between the scalp and the spray nozzle 28. As a result, the person having their hair washed can feel the water droplets blown by the air hitting their scalp, giving them a more refreshing feeling.

[0054] In this embodiment, the two-fluid nozzle 14 is positioned on the brush surface 13a closer to the tip than to the center in its longitudinal direction. The inventors of this application have tried various positions for the two-fluid nozzle 14 and found that when the two-fluid nozzle 14 is positioned closer to the tip, it is easier for the user to recognize where on the head the water is being sprayed compared to other positions. Therefore, by adopting this position, it is also easier to understand how to move the brush part 13 to wet the entire head of hair. According to this embodiment, the brush part 13 can be moved efficiently when wetting the hair from the surface to the deeper layers and the scalp with a small amount of water.

[0055] [First Modified Example of the Embodiment] In this modified example, the nozzle 14 is a single nozzle 14 comprising a liquid nozzle 51 for injecting water supplied by a gas-liquid supply unit 15, and a gas nozzle 52 for injecting air supplied by the gas-liquid supply unit 15 so that the water injected from the liquid nozzle 51 is diffused. The liquid nozzle 51 and the gas nozzle 52 are arranged in close proximity to each other.

[0056] The liquid nozzle 51 is located in the center of the tip surface of the nozzle 14. As shown in Figure 8, the liquid nozzle 51 is the outlet of the inner flow path 33 that extends along the axis of the nozzle 14. The liquid supply pipe 16 is connected to the inner flow path 33. The gas nozzle 52 is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the front of the tip surface of the nozzle 14. The gas nozzle 52 is the outlet of the cylindrical outer flow path 34 that extends to surround the inner flow path 33. The gas supply pipe 17 is connected to the outer flow path 34. Since the outlet side of the outer flow path 34 is inclined toward the axis of the nozzle 14, air from the outer flow path 34 is injected toward the water being injected from the liquid nozzle 51. Note that in Figure 8, the brush teeth 13b are omitted, as in Figure 5.

[0057] The nozzle 14 has a tip surface on which a liquid nozzle 51 and a gas nozzle 52 are formed, and a plurality of protrusions 29 that extend from the tip surface and are arranged to surround the liquid nozzle 51 and the gas nozzle 52. Furthermore, the amount of liquid injected per unit time from the liquid nozzle 51 can be adjusted by adjusting the output of the pump 42 by operating the flow rate adjustment button (not shown) on the switch unit 18. The upper and lower limits of the adjustable range of the liquid injection amount can be the same values ​​as in the embodiment described above.

[0058] According to this modified example, a small amount of warm water sprayed from the liquid nozzle 51 is widely diffused by the air sprayed from the gas nozzle 52, thereby realizing a hair washing machine 10 that can wet the hair from the surface to the deep layers and the scalp with a small amount of water.

[0059] [Second Modification of the Embodiment] In this modification, the nozzle section 14 is a nozzle set (for example, a set of a liquid nozzle having a liquid nozzle and a gas nozzle having a gas nozzle) comprising a liquid nozzle for injecting water supplied by a gas-liquid supply section 15 and a gas nozzle for injecting air supplied by the gas-liquid supply section 15 so that the water injected from the liquid nozzle is diffused. The liquid nozzle 51 and the gas nozzle 52 are arranged in close proximity to each other.

[0060] The liquid nozzle comprises a tip surface with a liquid injection port formed therein, and a plurality of protrusions that extend from the tip surface and surround the liquid injection port. The gas nozzle comprises a tip surface with a gas injection port formed therein, and a plurality of protrusions that extend from the tip surface and surround the gas injection port. Furthermore, the amount of liquid injected per unit time from the liquid injection port 51 can be adjusted by adjusting the output of the pump 42 by operating the flow rate adjustment button (not shown) on the switch unit 18. The upper and lower limits of the adjustable range of the liquid injection amount can be the same values ​​as in the embodiment described above.

[0061] According to this modified version, a small amount of warm water sprayed from the liquid nozzle is widely diffused by the air sprayed from the gas nozzle, thereby realizing a hair washing machine 10 that can wet the hair from the surface to the deep layers and the scalp with a small amount of water.

[0062] [Other Embodiments] In this embodiment, the nozzle portion 14 may be positioned at a location other than near the tip of the brush surface 13a. The nozzle portion 14 may also be composed of a plurality of nozzles (such as a two-fluid nozzle) 14.

[0063] In this embodiment, a separate pump may be provided for supplying water to the liquid supply pipe 16 and a separate pump for supplying air to the gas supply pipe 17.

[0064] In this embodiment, in addition to the water bottle 20, a separate tank for the special cleaning solution may be provided, and in addition to the nozzle section 14 for spraying water, a separate nozzle for spraying the special cleaning solution may also be provided. In this case, the hair washing machine 10 can be configured to switch between spraying the special cleaning solution and spraying water.

[0065] In this embodiment, the entire water bottle 20 may be separate from the main body 11 of the device. In this case, for example, a connection part to the water bottle 20 is provided on the liquid supply pipe 16, and the liquid supply pipe 16 is connected to the water bottle 20 when the hair washing machine 10 is in use.

[0066] In this embodiment, a heater may be provided to heat the water in the water bottle 20.

[0067] In this embodiment, the hair washing machine 10 may also be used as a brush for wetting the hair (for example, for styling, such as fixing bedhead).

[0068] This invention is applicable to hair washing machines and the like used for washing hair.

[0069] 10 Hair washing machine 11 Main body of the device 12 Front end of the device 13 Brush part 13a Brush surface 13b Brush teeth 14 Nozzle part, nozzle, two-fluid nozzle 15 Gas and liquid supply part 16 Liquid supply pipe 17 Gas supply pipe 20 Water bottle 28 Spray nozzle 42 Pump

Claims

1. A hair washing machine comprising: a brush section having a brush surface on which a plurality of brush teeth are arranged; a nozzle section protruding from the brush surface adjacent to the brush teeth; and a gas-liquid supply section for supplying liquid and gas to the nozzle section, wherein the nozzle section is a two-fluid nozzle that sprays liquid supplied by the gas-liquid supply section and gas supplied by the gas-liquid supply section from the same nozzle, or a nozzle or nozzle set in which a liquid nozzle for spraying liquid supplied by the gas-liquid supply section and a gas nozzle for spraying gas supplied by the gas-liquid supply section so as to diffuse the liquid sprayed from the liquid nozzle are arranged in close proximity.

2. The hair washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the two-fluid nozzle comprises a tip surface having an injection port for injecting liquid and gas, and a plurality of protrusions arranged circumferentially at intervals surrounding the injection port, each protruding from the tip surface.

3. The gas-liquid supply unit comprises a liquid supply passage through which liquid flows from a liquid storage container to the two-fluid nozzle, a gas supply passage through which gas flows to the two-fluid nozzle, and a pump that supplies liquid to the liquid supply passage and gas to the gas supply passage; the two-fluid nozzle comprises a nozzle housing with the nozzle opening formed at its tip, and an inner nozzle housed within the nozzle housing with the outlet of the liquid supply passage formed at its tip, configured such that the outlet of the liquid supply passage faces the nozzle opening; a mortar-shaped recess is formed within the nozzle housing on the inlet side of the nozzle opening, the tip of the inner nozzle is tapered and fits into the recess, a gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the inner nozzle and the slope of the recess, and the outlet of the gas supply passage is connected to the nozzle opening through the gap, as described in claim 1.

4. The hair washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the two-fluid nozzle has a nozzle housing in which the nozzle is formed at its tip, and the outlet side of the nozzle is formed to widen as it approaches the outlet.

5. The hair washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the upper limit of the liquid spray volume from the nozzle is 40 milliliters per minute.

6. The hair washing machine according to claim 5, wherein a diaphragm pump is used as the pump.

7. The hair washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the brush surface is provided with only one nozzle constituting the nozzle section.

8. The hair washing machine according to claim 7, wherein the nozzle is positioned on the brush surface closer to the tip than to the center in the longitudinal direction.

9. The hair washing machine according to claim 1, comprising a main body portion which is the part that the user of the hair washing machine grasps, and a tip portion which extends from the tip side of the main body portion and to which the brush portion is detachably attached.

Images