Hair care unit

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention provides a hair care device (10) configured to be used when styling hair. The hair care device comprises a hollow body (101); an air inlet (102) through which air can enter the hollow body; and a hair receiving portion (103) located outside the hollow body, wherein the hair receiving portion comprises a plurality of air outlets (104) through which air can leave the hair care device. The hair care device also comprises a fan (105) configured to convey air from the air inlet to the air outlet. The hair receiving portion comprises a plurality of slats (106) arranged between corresponding pairs of air outlets at an obtuse angle to the hair receiving portion, wherein the slats and the air outlets are positioned along a straight line (109), and wherein the plurality of slats have a substantially circular surface (111) on the outside of the hollow body, such that an airflow is generated during use that moves mainly along the straight line of the hair receiving portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of hair care, in particular to the field of hair care units like hair care devices or accessories for hair care devices, more particularly to hair dryers. Background Art

[0002] Hair dryers are commonly used to dry hair. One disadvantage of current hair dryers is that two hands are usually required to style and dry the hair. Another disadvantage is that different attachments are required to produce different hairstyles. Examples of existing attachments are nozzles, brushes, combs, diffusers, etc.

[0003] US 3,837,581 describes a nozzle for a hair dryer having a cylindrical barrel terminating in a circular output port. The nozzle includes a cylindrical portion for frictionally engaging the output port end of the barrel, and a fluid acceleration section having an elliptical opening for providing a flat primary air flow. The acceleration section includes a pair of arcuate surfaces extending from the cylindrical section and defining the long sides of the oblong opening. The arcuate surface includes a slot for providing a secondary air flow substantially parallel to the main flow. In one embodiment, a louver plate extends above the slot to direct the secondary flow.

[0004] US2017 / 273422 discloses an attachment for a hair care appliance, the attachment comprising a body having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a fluid flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet, and at least one blade for guiding the fluid in the fluid flow path toward the fluid outlet, wherein the body comprises at least two extension plates, and the fluid outlet comprises a groove defined by an overlap between the at least two extension plates, and wherein at least one blade is positioned within the overlap between the at least two extension plates. The body may be elongated, may have a first end comprising a fluid inlet, and may extend along an axis. The fluid outlet may extend along an axis between the first end and the second end. The at least one blade may guide the fluid flowing in the fluid flow path from a first direction to a second direction. Summary of the invention

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a replaceable hair care unit.Embodiments of the present invention provide a hair dryer with increased ease of use, and a hair dryer configured for producing a variety of hairstyles without the use of accessories.

[0006] The hair care unit according to the present disclosure causes an airflow to have a direction substantially parallel to the hair care device. This airflow is caused by the so-called Coanda effect. The Coanda effect works according to the following mechanism. If a solid surface (such as a hair receiving surface) is placed close to and roughly parallel to the outgoing air, the removal of air from between the solid surface and the outgoing air causes the air pressure between the solid surface and the outgoing air to decrease. This reduction in air pressure cannot be balanced as quickly as the low-pressure area on the other side (open side) of the outgoing air. The pressure difference airflow is offset toward the nearby surface and then adheres to it. Because each incremental change in the direction of the surface produces the effect as described above, the outgoing air adheres better to the curved surface.

[0007] Therefore, the rounded surface of the slats of the hair care unit according to the present disclosure makes the outgoing air adhere to the hair receiving portion. Therefore, when using the hair care unit according to the present disclosure, the user may only need one hand to style his / her hair. In contrast, the air styling machine of the prior art blows away the hair, so that the user needs one hand to operate the air styling machine, while the other hand engages the hair with the styling part of the air styling machine.

[0008] According to a further embodiment, the hair care device comprises one or more heating elements for heating the air in the hollow body.Heating may be advantageous when drying and styling hair.

[0009] An advantage of this embodiment is that because the air will adhere to the air outlet, the hair will also adhere to the air outlet. As a result, the air heated by the heater will blow along the hair, as opposed to more traditional heaters that blow air through the hair. As a result of blowing along the hair, the hot air can follow the hair longer, which can increase the heating efficiency.

[0010] The hair receiving portion can adopt many different shapes, as long as it is flat or the slats are located on one or more straight lines.Preferably, the air flow generated is substantially parallel to the one or more straight lines.

[0011] According to a further embodiment, the hair receiving part comprises bristles.This embodiment is advantageous because, due to the Coanda effect, the hair can be blown into the bristles, which can make styling easier because only one hand is needed for styling.

[0012] According to other embodiments of the present invention, the hair care device may comprise a handle, wherein the hair receiving portion is substantially parallel to the handle. This embodiment is advantageous because this makes the mode of hair styling similar to the styling by a brush or comb, which can be an intuitive styling mode.

[0013] According to other embodiments of the present invention, at least some of the slats are rotatable around an axis parallel to the hair receiving part, or are rotatable around an axis parallel to the corresponding slats. The advantage of doing this is that the slats can be at a variable angle with the hair receiving part. By changing the angle of the slats, the airflow of the output can be changed. For example, the airflow can be more concentrated by closing the slats on some straight lines. The airflow can be made wider, and the shape of the airflow can be changed. The airflow of different shapes can be used for different hairstyles without the need for additional annex. However, even if embodiments of the present invention have the advantage of requiring fewer annex, one aspect of the present invention provides an annex for a hair care device. The advantage of the annex separated is that the user can more easily change according to the shape of the hair receiving part.

[0014] 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

[0015] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a hair care device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0016] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a hair care device according to a further embodiment of the present invention; and

[0017] Figure 3 A hair receiving part according to an embodiment of the invention is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Figure 1 A hair care device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. The hair care device 10 includes a hollow body 101 and an air inlet 102, through which air can enter the hollow body. The hair care device also includes a hair receiving portion 103, which includes a plurality of air outlets 104, through which air can leave the hair care device 10. The hair care device also includes a fan 105 and preferably a heating element 107. The fan is configured to transport air from the air inlet 102 to the air outlet 104. The heating element 107 is configured to heat the air. The hair receiving portion 103 includes a plurality of slats 106. These slats 106 are arranged at an obtuse angle to the hair receiving portion 103. Figure 1As shown, the slats 106 are positioned along a straight line in the direction of arrows 109. The slats 106 have a substantially circular surface 111 on the outside of the hollow body, thereby generating an air flow that moves mainly along the hair receiving portion in a direction parallel to the straight line of the hair receiving portion. The main direction of the air flow is represented by arrows 109 and 110. Arrow 110 represents the air discharged from the air outlet 104. Due to the above-mentioned Coanda effect, the air mainly adheres to the surface of the hair receiving portion 103. Arrow 109 represents the air from the outside of the hair care device. This air is dragged together with the air from the air outlet 104.

[0019] Figure 2 A hair care device 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. Figure 2 In, use Figure 1 The same number in Figure 2 The first number in the numbering is now called "2". Figure 1 similar, Figure 2 Shown is a hollow body 201, an air inlet 202, a hair receiving portion 203 including a plurality of air outlets 204, a fan 205, and a plurality of slats 206 along a straight line. The slats 206 have a substantially circular surface 211 on the outside of the hollow body. The hair care device 20 also includes a bristle 208, which is configured to be used for brushing hair. The hair care device 20 also includes a handle 210. The handle 210 is substantially parallel to the hair receiving portion 203. The advantage of this arrangement is that it is very similar to a common brush. Therefore, the hair care device can be used in a manner very similar to a common brush. Because the airflow generated is substantially parallel to the hair receiving portion 203, the user can style his or her hair with a single hand, and does not need a second hand to keep the hair close to the brush. Optionally, at least some slats 206 can rotate around an axis parallel to the hair receiving portion 203. For example, some slats 206 can be closed to produce a more concentrated airflow. Perhaps, slats 206 can be opened at different angles, so as to change the overall shape of the airflow.In this way, the airflow can be adapted to a desired hairstyle.

[0020] Figure 3 A hair receiving portion 30 according to an embodiment of the invention is schematically shown. The hair receiving portion may take a variety of shapes, such as a flat surface 312, a convex surface 315, a concave surface 316, or include multiple flat surfaces, such as forming a triangle 317. Although the shape of the hair receiving portion may vary, the slats are always arranged on straight lines 320. These lines represent the main directions of the airflow.

[0021] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A hair care unit (10, 20) configured to be used when styling hair, the hair care unit comprising: Hollow body (101, 201); an air inlet (102, 202) through which air can enter the hollow body; A hair receiving portion (103, 203) is located on the outside of the hollow body, wherein the hair receiving portion includes a plurality of slats (106, 206) to form a plurality of air outlets (104, 204) therebetween, through which air can leave the hollow body, wherein the plurality of slats (106, 206) are arranged between corresponding pairs of air outlets at an obtuse angle to the hair receiving portion, wherein the slats and the air outlets are positioned along a straight line (109, 320), and wherein the plurality of slats have a substantially circular surface (111, 211) on the outside of the hollow body, so that an airflow is generated during use that moves mainly along the hair receiving portion and along the straight line.

2. The hair care unit according to claim 1, wherein the hair receiving portion (103) is configured as a plane.

3. The hair care unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hair receiving portion (203) comprises bristles (208).

4. A hair care unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hair receiving portion comprises a plurality of planes (317).

5. A hair care unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hair receiving portion comprises a curved surface (315, 316).

6. A hair care unit according to the preceding claim 1 or 2, wherein the generated air flow is substantially parallel to the straight line (109).

7. A hair care unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least some of the slats (106, 206) are capable of rotating around an axis parallel to the hair receiving portion (103, 203), or wherein at least some of the slats are capable of rotating around an axis parallel to the corresponding slats.

8. A hair care device comprising: A hair care unit according to any one of the preceding claims, and A fan (105, 205) is configured to convey air from the air inlet to the air outlet.

9. The hair care device according to claim 8, further comprising a handle (210), wherein the hair receiving portion (203) is substantially parallel to the handle.

Images