Hair care appliance

Abstract

A first aspect of the present invention provides a hair care appliance including an airflow generator, a valve assembly including an air inlet configured to receive airflow from the airflow generator and a movable member, and an outlet. The movable member is movable to a first position in which the hair care appliance is in a first operative configuration and a second position in which the hair care appliance is in a second operative configuration in response to a force exerted on the movable member by an airflow from the air inlet within a predetermined range. The hair care appliance is in a second operating configuration different from the first operating configuration, and wherein the movable member is movable away from the first position and the second position in response to a force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet being outside a predetermined range. The valve assembly is configured to move the movable member from one of the first position and the second position to the other of the second position and the first position in response to a force exerted on the movable member by an airflow from the air inlet moving out of a predetermined range and then returning into the predetermined range.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Hair care appliances are commonly used to treat or style hair, and some hair care appliances can use airflow to treat or style hair. To provide versatility in treating and styling hair, some hair care appliances provide airflow at variable flow rates. Some hair care appliances include different attachments to provide different treatment or styling functions. SUMMARY

[0002] A first aspect of the present invention provides a hair care appliance comprising an airflow generator, a valve assembly comprising an air inlet configured to receive airflow from the airflow generator and a moveable member, and an outlet. The moveable member is moveable into a first position in which the hair care appliance is in a first operating configuration and a second position in which the hair care appliance is in a second operating configuration different from the first operating configuration in response to a force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet within a predetermined range, and wherein the moveable member is moveable away from the first and second positions in response to the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet outside the predetermined range. The valve assembly is configured to move the moveable member from one of the first and second positions to the other of the second and first positions in response to the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet moving outside the predetermined range and subsequently returning within the predetermined range.

[0003] The valve assembly can allow the hair care appliance to be used in different modes depending on the position of the moveable member. A multi-functional hair care appliance can be beneficial to a user to provide different hair care and / or styling performance with the same hair care appliance. A moveable member that is moveable by airflow can provide a more compact, lighter and cheaper hair care appliance compared to a hair care appliance with a drive motor or other additional mechanism to move the moveable member.

[0004] The airflow emitted from the outlet when the moveable member is in the first position can have one or more characteristics that are different from the airflow emitted from the outlet when the moveable member is in the second position. The characteristic can include at least one of a shape of the airflow emitted from the air outlet, a speed of the airflow at the air outlet and a direction of the airflow at the air outlet. This can allow the hair care appliance to provide different performance depending on the position of the moveable member, which can help to improve styling performance for different styling operations compared to a hair care appliance without a valve assembly.

[0005] The air inlet can receive the airflow directly or indirectly from the airflow generator. For example, the airflow can pass through an airflow heater configured to heat the airflow generated by the airflow generator before being received at the air inlet.

[0006] The force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet can change in response to a change in the airflow rate generated by the airflow generator. This can allow for a relatively simple arrangement for moving the moveable member between the first and second positions, in contrast to arrangements which require additional components (e.g. an occlusion) within the haircare appliance to change the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet.

[0007] The movement of the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet outside of the predetermined range and back within the predetermined range can result from a change in the airflow rate generated by the airflow generator. For example, the airflow generator can be turned off and then turned on again to move the moveable member between the first and second positions.

[0008] The moveable member can be configured to cycle between the first and second positions in response to successive instances of the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet moving outside of the predetermined range and back within the predetermined range. As such, the user can know which position the moveable member will move to next, which can also help the user to know which mode the haircare appliance will switch to based on the current mode of operation.

[0009] The moveable member can be moveable to one or more additional positions when the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet is within the predetermined range. In each of the one or more additional positions, the haircare appliance can be in a respective additional operating configuration which is different to each other operating configuration. This can further increase the number of modes in which the haircare appliance can operate.

[0010] In examples in which the moveable member is moveable to one or more additional positions, the moveable member can be configured to cycle through the available positions in a predetermined order. This can allow for a simple arrangement for moving the moveable member and / or a simple control system for moving the moveable member between positions to be used.

[0011] The moveable member can be moveable between the first and second positions in response to the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet decreasing below the predetermined range and subsequently increasing back within the predetermined range. This can facilitate rapid switching of the haircare appliance between different operating modes.

[0012] The decrease and subsequent increase in the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet can result from a pulsed decrease in the airflow output by the airflow generator. The pulse can have a duration of less than 1 second.

[0013] The movable member can move away from the first position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet decreasing from the predetermined range to a first decrease threshold, and move away from the second position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet decreasing from the predetermined range to a second decrease threshold. Thus, the movable member can remain in the first position or the second position until the force drops from the predetermined range to the respective first decrease threshold or second decrease threshold. This can allow the airflow generator to generate a range of air flow rates above the respective first or second decrease threshold without the movable member moving away from the first or second position.

[0014] By decreasing the force to move the movable member away from the first and second positions, rather than increasing the force, the hair styling sequence can not be adversely affected by changes in the airflow that move the movable member away from the first and second positions. Rather, a sudden increase in the airflow required to increase the force exerted on the movable member to move the movable member away from the first and second positions can affect the styling result that has been achieved.

[0015] The first decrease threshold and the second decrease threshold can be equal to each other. This can simplify the control system for moving the movable member between the first and second positions.

[0016] The first and second decrease thresholds can be greater than zero. Thus, the movable member can move away from the first and second positions without the airflow generator being switched off. This can facilitate faster switching between the first and second positions.

[0017] The first decrease threshold and the second decrease threshold can be 1 N or more. Thus, the movable member can be moved to the first or second position at a relatively low flow rate.

[0018] The first and second thresholds can be relative to a percentage of the air flow rate that the airflow generator produces when the hair care appliance is in use in the operating mode in which the movable member is in the first or second position. The first and second thresholds can be relative to a percentage of the maximum air flow rate that the airflow generator can produce in use.

[0019] The movable member can move to the first position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet increasing from below the predetermined range to a first increase threshold, and move to the second position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet increasing from below the predetermined range to a second increase threshold. Thus, the movable member can move to the first or second position when the airflow increases towards an air flow rate suitable for the operating mode associated with the respective first or second position.

[0020] The first and second increase thresholds can be equal to each other. This can simplify the control system for moving the movable member between the first and second positions. The first and second increase thresholds can be lower limits of a predetermined range.

[0021] During movement of the movable member between the first and second positions, the movable member can be movable to an intermediate position in response to a force applied on the movable member moving outside a predetermined range, the intermediate position being different from the first and second positions. This can allow the movable member to be more reliably positioned in the first and second positions by ensuring that the movable member moves to a known intermediate position after leaving one of the first and second positions and before moving to the other of the first and second positions.

[0022] With the movable member in the intermediate position, airflow can be allowed to pass through at least one of the first and second air paths. This can help to reduce air pressure within the valve assembly. This can also allow the hair care appliance to operate in another mode of operation.

[0023] With the movable member in one of the first or second positions, the movable member can be configured to move away from the one of the first or second positions and towards the intermediate position in response to a force applied on the movable member by airflow from the air inlet decreasing below a predetermined range. With the movable member in the intermediate position, the movable member can be configured to move away from the intermediate position and towards the first or second position in response to a force applied on the movable member by airflow from the air inlet increasing within a predetermined range. This can provide a simple way of moving the movable member away from the first and second positions and to the intermediate position and away from the intermediate position and to the first and second positions. By moving the movable member away from the first and second positions by decreasing force, the hair styling operation can not be adversely affected by changes in airflow moving the movable member away from the first and second positions compared to increasing force. Instead, a sudden increase in airflow required to increase the force applied on the movable member can affect the styling result already achieved.

[0024] The valve assembly can comprise a biasing element configured to bias the movable member away from the first position and away from the second position. This can increase the speed at which the movable member moves away from the first and second positions, which can facilitate fast switching between the first and second positions.

[0025] The biasing element can be configured to bias the movable member towards or to the intermediate position. The movable member can therefore be configured to remain in the intermediate position when the force applied on the movable member by airflow from the air inlet is below a predetermined range.

[0026] The valve assembly can be configured to move the moveable member to the first position in response to the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet increasing to within the predetermined range after the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet falls to a minimum threshold. Therefore, a user of the haircare appliance can determine the operating mode of the haircare appliance each time the airflow generator is turned on, regardless of the position of the moveable member before the airflow generator is turned off. Furthermore, because the initial position of the moveable member is known, the controller of the haircare appliance is able to determine which position the moveable member is in even after multiple switches between the first and second positions.

[0027] The minimum threshold can be zero.

[0028] The valve assembly can be configured to move the moveable member to an intermediate position if the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet is below the predetermined range after the airflow generator is turned on.

[0029] The haircare appliance can be configured to move the moveable member to the first position in response to the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet increasing to within the predetermined range after the force has been below the predetermined range for a predetermined time, regardless of the position of the moveable member before the force fell below the predetermined range. Therefore, a user of the haircare appliance can determine the operating mode of the haircare appliance after a period of inactivity, regardless of the position of the moveable member before the force fell below the predetermined range.

[0030] The haircare appliance can be configured to move the moveable member to the first position in response to the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet increasing to within the predetermined range after the force has been at or below an idle threshold for a predetermined time, the idle threshold being lower than the predetermined range, regardless of the position of the moveable member before the force fell below the idle threshold.

[0031] The moveable member can be in an intermediate position when the force is below the predetermined range or at the idle threshold.

[0032] The moveable member can comprise a central axis and be rotatable about the central axis between the first position and the second position. This can provide a space-saving arrangement within the valve assembly. Such an arrangement can also allow the moveable member to be moved between additional positions, for example between first and second positions, third and fourth positions. This can further increase the number of operating modes of the haircare appliance.

[0033] The moveable member can be moveable in a single rotational direction about the central axis. This can simplify the mechanism, for example a cam track and follower, used to move the moveable member between the first position and the second position.

[0034] The valve assembly can define a plurality of first positions and a plurality of second positions alternating around the central axis.

[0035] The central axis can be substantially parallel to a direction of airflow through the moveable member. This can provide a space saving arrangement. This can allow for a relatively non-tortuous path to be used between the air inlet and the moveable member compared to a valve assembly in which the central axis is not parallel to the direction of airflow through the moveable member. They can improve the performance of the haircare appliance.

[0036] The air emitted from the haircare appliance can have a first profile when the haircare appliance is in the first operational configuration and a second profile different to the first profile when the haircare appliance is in the second operational configuration. Thus, movement of the moveable member between the first and second positions can change the profile of the air emitted from the haircare attachment, which can increase the functionality of the haircare appliance. For example, the profile can be more concentrated when the haircare appliance is in the first operational configuration compared to when the haircare appliance is in the second operational configuration.

[0037] The haircare appliance can comprise a housing and a switch element moveable relative to the housing, and the switch element can be in a first position relative to the housing with the haircare appliance in the first configuration and the switch element can be in a second position relative to the housing with the haircare appliance in the second configuration, the first position being different to the second position.

[0038] The position of the switch element can change the direction of airflow through the haircare appliance. For example, the switch element can comprise one or more baffles, vanes and / or petals configured to selectively direct airflow through the haircare appliance in different directions.

[0039] The position of the switch element can change how the switch element interacts with hair. For example, the switch element can comprise a plurality of moveable protrusions and the housing can comprise a plurality of fixed protrusions, the plurality of moveable protrusions being spaced apart between the plurality of fixed protrusions. Moving the switch element between the first and second positions can comprise moving the plurality of moveable protrusions relative to the plurality of fixed protrusions to change a distance between each fixed protrusion and an adjacent moveable protrusion. The fixed and moveable protrusions can give the attachment a comb-like appearance. Changing the tension on the user’s hair located within the attachment can improve styling and user comfort compared to non-replaceable attachments. Changing the tension can also allow the attachment to adapt to different hair types. Changing the distance between adjacent protrusions can provide a change in tension. Furthermore, the visible movement of the protrusions can clearly indicate to the user that the tension is changing. Thus, this can allow the user to actively see the change, which can provide information (and in some cases reassurance) to the user.

[0040] The haircare appliance can define a first air path and a second air path different to the first air path. With the haircare appliance in the first operating position, the airflow can be biased towards the first air path, and with the haircare appliance in the second operating position, the airflow can be biased towards the second air path. The airflow can have different characteristics when emitted from the haircare appliance depending on whether it is passed along the first air path or the second air path, which can provide a more functional haircare appliance. By defining air paths, more repeatable air profiles can be achieved in use. The airflow can be biased towards the first or second airflow by the moveable member or another moveable element of the haircare appliance when the moveable member is in the respective first or second position. The first and second air flow paths can be defined by a valve assembly, which can allow the valve assembly to be used with different haircare appliance accessories.

[0041] When the haircare appliance is in the first configuration, the second air path can be blocked, for example by the moveable member, and the airflow through the first air path can be substantially unimpeded. When the haircare appliance is in the second configuration, the first air path can be blocked, for example by the moveable member, and the airflow through the second air path can be substantially unimpeded. This can help to increase the airflow along whichever of the first and second air paths is not blocked.

[0042] The moveable member can be deformable, and can deform to move between the first and second positions. This can provide a simple arrangement.

[0043] The moveable member can comprise a baffle, which can rotate about a pivot axis between the first and second positions. This can provide a simple arrangement which is relatively simple to manufacture and assemble compared to other mechanisms, such as cam tracks and followers.

[0044] The pivot axis can extend orthogonally to the direction of airflow through the baffle. This can provide a space saving arrangement.

[0045] The baffle can comprise a first member proximate to the pivot axis, and a second member rotatably connected to an end of the first member distal to the pivot axis. The valve assembly can comprise a pair of contact elements configured to move the second member relative to the first member when the baffle is moved to the first position and the second position. The contact elements can be configured to push the second member in a rotational direction opposite to a rotational direction of the first member when the baffle is moved to the first position or the second position. Thus, after moving from the first position or the second position to the intermediate position, the second member is angled towards the other one of the first position and the second position, such that a subsequent increase in force on the baffle, in particular on the second member, causes the baffle to move to the other one of the first position and the second position.

[0046] The second member can be rotatable relative to the first member about an axis parallel to the pivot axis.

[0047] The hair care appliance can comprise a lock to lock the movable member in a selected position. Thus, the hair care appliance can be operated in a position independent of the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet, the user being able to manually move and lock the movable member in a desired position.

[0048] The selected position can be one or more of the first position, the second position and the intermediate position. This can further increase the number of modes in which the hair care appliance can be operated.

[0049] The hair care appliance can comprise a controller configured to control the output of the airflow generator to move the movable member between the first and second positions based on one or more inputs. This can allow selective or automatic movement of the movable member between the first and second positions. For example, the hair care appliance can comprise a user interface, such as a switch or touch screen, with which a user can request a change in operating mode. For example, the hair care appliance can comprise a sensor configured to output a signal indicative of a hair styling parameter, and the controller can be configured to determine a required position of the movable member based on the signal.

[0050] The controller can be configured to determine a required position of the movable member and / or whether the output of the airflow generator needs to be changed based on one or more inputs. The one or more inputs can be indicative of an instruction to the controller to change the output of the airflow generator to move the movable member between the first and second positions without the controller performing a determination.

[0051] The hair care appliance can comprise at least one sensor configured to sense one or more of: a detected distance between an air outlet of the hair care appliance and hair being treated by the hair care appliance, a temperature of the hair being treated by the hair care appliance, an airflow temperature, a user input (e.g. a selected style), an amount of time the movable member is in one of the first position and the second position, a direction of the hair care appliance relative to a user, a speed of movement of the hair care appliance relative to the hair being treated by the hair care appliance, a hair moisture, and an appliance setting. This can allow the movable member to be moved automatically between the first position and the second position. For example, the controller can be configured to move the movable member from the first position to the second position based on a signal indicating that the moisture of the hair has dropped below a moisture threshold.

[0052] At least one of the one or more inputs can be received from a device remote from the hair care appliance, for example wirelessly from a smart device. This can allow a user to control the position of the movable member, for example by selecting a desired airflow profile at the air outlet.

[0053] The controller can be configured to cause the movable member to move in a predetermined order between the first position and the second position, or between any available positions of the movable member. Each temporally adjacent position of the movable member in the predetermined order can cause the hair care appliance to interact with the user’s hair in a different way. The predetermined order can cause the hair care appliance to perform a predetermined styling procedure.

[0054] The predetermined order can be a default mode of operation for a particular attachment attached to the hair care appliance, a default mode of operation for a particular set of settings of the hair care appliance, and / or can be a user-defined mode of operation, for example loaded into the hair care appliance via Bluetooth or other wired or wireless connection. This can provide autonomous and / or intelligent control of the output of the hair care appliance, which can provide improved ease of use and / or improved treatment of the user’s hair.

[0055] The hair care appliance can comprise a detector configured to output a position signal to the controller indicative of a position of the movable member. This can enable the controller to determine whether the air flow rate generated by the airflow generator needs to be changed to move the movable member between the first position and the second position, or that the movable member is already in the required position.

[0056] The hair care appliance can comprise a main body and an attachment for detachably connecting to the main body, wherein the airflow generator is comprised in the main body. The detachable attachment can increase the number of modes of operation of the hair care appliance. For example, different attachments can be connected to the main body for different hair treatments.

[0057] The accessory can comprise a controller and / or a detector, which can be configured to communicate with a control system comprised in the main body when the accessory is attached to the main body.

[0058] The valve assembly can be comprised in the accessory. This then provides a multi-functional accessory.

[0059] The accessory can comprise an intermediate accessory for detachable connection to the main body, and a hair treatment accessory for detachable connection to the intermediate accessory, wherein the intermediate accessory comprises the valve assembly and the hair treatment accessory is configured to receive, in use, the airflow emitted from the valve assembly. This can provide further multi-functionality with only one valve assembly.

[0060] The outlet can be comprised in the hair treatment accessory, and can be in fluid communication with the outlet of the intermediate accessory when the hair treatment accessory is attached to the intermediate accessory.

[0061] A second aspect of the application provides an accessory for a hair care appliance, the accessory comprising: a valve assembly comprising an air inlet configured to receive an airflow and a moveable member; and an outlet. The moveable member is moveable into a first position in which the valve assembly is in a first operating configuration and a second position in which the valve assembly is in a second operating configuration different to the first operating configuration, in response to a force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet being within a predetermined range, and wherein the moveable member is moveable away from the first and second positions in response to the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet being outside the predetermined range. The valve assembly is configured to move the moveable member from one of the first and second positions to the other of the second and first positions in response to the force exerted on the moveable member by the airflow from the air inlet moving outside the predetermined range and subsequently returning within the predetermined range.

[0062] The valve assembly of the accessory can have any of the features of the valve assembly of the hair care appliance of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0063] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a hair care appliance according to one example;

[0064] Figure 2a is Figure 1 is a perspective view of an accessory of the hair care appliance of

[0065] Figure 2b is Figure 2a is an end view of the accessory of

[0066] Figure 3 is Figure 2a is an exploded view of the accessory of

[0067] Figure 4aand Figure 4b is a cross-sectional view of the attachment of Figure 2a in a first configuration;

[0068] Figure 4c is a schematic view of the valve assembly of the attachment of Fig. 2, the attachment being in a first configuration;

[0069] Figure 5a and 5b is a cross-sectional view of the attachment of Figure 2a in a second configuration;

[0070] Figure 5c is a schematic view of the valve assembly of the attachment of Fig. 2, the attachment being in a second configuration and a third configuration;

[0071] Figure 6a and 6b is a cross-sectional view of the attachment of Figure 2a in a third configuration;

[0072] Figure 7a is a schematic view of the attachment of Figure 2a showing the air flow through the attachment in a first configuration; Figure 7a is a cross-sectional view of the attachment along line A-A of Figure 2b , Figure 7b is a cross-sectional view of the attachment along line B-B of Figure 2b , Figure 7c is a schematic slice view of the attachment, and Figure 7d is a perspective view of the attachment;

[0073] Figure 8a is a schematic view of the attachment of Figure 2a showing the air flow through the attachment in a second configuration; Figure 8a is a cross-sectional view of the attachment along line A-A of Figure 2b , Figure 8b is a cross-sectional view of the attachment along line B-B of Figure 2b , Figure 8c is a schematic slice view of the attachment, and Figure 8d is a perspective view of the attachment;

[0074] Figure 9a is a schematic view of the attachment of Figure 2a showing the air flow through the attachment in a third configuration; Figure 9a is a cross-sectional view of the attachment along line A-A of Figure 2b , Figure 9b is a cross-sectional view of the attachment along line B-B of Figure 2b , Figure 9c is a schematic slice view of the attachment, and Figure 9d is a perspective view of the attachment;

[0075] Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another hair care appliance according to an example;

[0076] Figure 11 is Figure 10 is a perspective view of an accessory of the hair care appliance of

[0077] Figure 12a and 12b are cross-sectional views of the accessory of Figure 11 in a first configuration and a second configuration, respectively;

[0078] Figure 13 is a perspective view of an accessory for a hair care appliance according to an example;

[0079] Figure 14 is a perspective view of an accessory of Figure 13

[0080] Figure 15a -d are schematic cross-sectional views of the accessory of Figure 13 in different configurations;

[0081] Figure 16a -c is a schematic cross-sectional view of an accessory for a hair care appliance according to an example;

[0082] Figure 17 is a schematic view of a valve assembly of another accessory according to an example; and

[0083] Figure 18a -d are schematic views of respective hair care appliances according to examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] Figure 1 A first embodiment of a hair care appliance 10 is shown schematically. The hair care appliance 10 comprises a main body 12 and an accessory 14 releasably attached to the main body 12. For the sake of clarity, the accessory 14 is shown separated from the main body 12 in Figure 1 .

[0085] The main body 12 comprises a handle portion 18, a head portion 20, an airflow generator 22, a heater 24, a user interface 26 and a controller 28.

[0086] The handle portion 18 is generally cylindrical and hollow in form and houses the airflow generator 22. The handle portion 18 has a plurality of apertures in the form of air inlets 38 at a first end 40 of the handle portion 18.

[0087] ​The head portion 20 is generally cylindrical and hollow in form and is disposed at a second end 42 of the handle portion 18 opposite the first end 40. The central axis B of the head portion 20 is orthogonal to the central axis A of the handle portion 18, such that the main body 12 is generally T-shaped in form. The head portion 20 houses the heater 24 and the controller 28. The head portion 20 defines a bore 44 coaxial with the central axis B of the head portion 20. The heater 24 and the air outlet 46 are generally annular in form around the periphery of the bore 44. The head portion 20 further comprises one or more magnets (not shown) for releasably connecting the handle unit 12 to the accessory 14. The one or more magnets are positioned around the circumference of the air outlet 46.

[0088] The user interface 26 is disposed on the handle portion 18 and comprises an electronic interface having controls for turning the device on and off, and controlling one or both of the temperature and flow rate of the air flow. The controller 28 is responsible for controlling the air flow generator 22 and the heater 24. For example, in response to input from the user interface 26, the controller 28 is configured to turn the air flow generator 22 and / or the heater 24 on and off. Additionally, the controller 28 is configured to control the power or speed of the air flow generator 22 in order to vary the flow rate of the air flow. Similarly, the controller 28 is configured to control the power of the heater 24 in order to vary the temperature of the air flow.

[0089] The accessory 14 in this example is a concentrator and will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 1 -9D. The accessory 14 has a longitudinal axis E. The accessory 14 comprises an annular collar 50, an accessory inlet 52, a neck 54 longitudinally adjacent the annular collar 50 along the longitudinal axis E, and a nozzle 56 attached to an end of the neck 54 opposite the annular collar 50.

[0090] In order to attach the accessory 14 to the main body 12, the annular collar 50 is inserted into the bore 44 at the end of the bore 44 where the air outlet 46 is located, as indicated by arrow D in Figure 1 When the accessory 14 is attached to the main body 12, the longitudinal axis E of the accessory 14 is coaxial with the central axis B of the head portion 20. When the accessory 14 is attached to the main body 12, the accessory 14 blocks the bore 44 of the head portion 20.

[0091] The neck 54 comprises a flange 53 extending radially from the periphery of the annular collar 50 and defining the accessory inlet 52. The accessory inlet 52 comprises a plurality of openings annularly disposed around the periphery of the annular collar 50. In the case where the accessory 14 is attached to the main body 12, the accessory inlet 52 is in fluid communication with the air outlet 46 of the head portion 20.

[0092] The neck 54 has a first neck end 66 adjacent the annular collar 50 and a second neck end 68 adjacent the nozzle 56. The neck 54 defines an internal cavity 69 disposed between the first neck end 66 and the second neck end 68. The internal cavity 69 is in fluid communication with the accessory inlet 52 and the nozzle 56. The internal cavity 69 has an internal diameter of about 40 mm. The interior of the annular collar 50 is not in fluid communication with the internal cavity 69 of the neck.

[0093] The second neck end 68 defines four arcuate lobes, generally designated 70, evenly disposed about the periphery of the second neck end 68, as best shown in Figure 3 FIG. 4. Each of the lobes 70 has an equal central angle about the longitudinal axis E, in this example, of about 80 degrees.

[0094] The inner wall 71 of each lobe 70 is disposed at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis E, with the second neck end 68 having a maximum internal radius of about 25 mm adjacent the nozzle 56. Adjacent lobes 70 are connected to respective dividing walls 72, which are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis E. Each dividing wall 72 is located at the periphery of the internal cavity 69, a distance or about 20 mm from the longitudinal axis E.

[0095] Each lobe 70 defines a respective neck outlet in fluid communication with the internal cavity 69. A first pair of lobes 70a are disposed diametrically opposite each other and are in fluid communication with the nozzle inlet 62. A second pair of lobes 70b are disposed diametrically opposite each other, each at 90 degrees to the first pair of lobes 70a, and each defines a peripheral outlet 74 in fluid communication with the exterior of the accessory 14. Each peripheral outlet 74 is in the form of an arcuate slot having a central angle of about 80 degrees.

[0096] The nozzle 56 has a first nozzle end 58 adjacent the neck 54 and a second nozzle end 60 opposite the first end 58 and distal from the neck 54. The first nozzle end 58 is generally circular and defines a nozzle inlet 62 in fluid communication with the internal cavity 69 of the neck 54. The nozzle inlet 62 has a maximum diameter of about 50 mm in the direction along the line A-A in Figure 2b FIG. 3. The first nozzle end 58 of the nozzle 56 defines a pair of arcuate notches 65 disposed diametrically opposite each other, as best shown in Figure 3 FIG. 4, and aligned with a respective one of the peripheral outlets 74. Opposing outer surfaces 63 of the nozzle 65 extend in the direction along the longitudinal axis E from the respective one of the notches 65 and generally converge toward the second nozzle end 60.

[0097] The second nozzle end 60 is generally rectangular, in this example oblong, and defines a nozzle outlet 64 in the form of a slot. The nozzle outlet 64 intersects the longitudinal axis E of the attachment 14 centrally and extends orthogonally to the longitudinal axis E. The height H1 of the nozzle outlet 64 is less than the diameter of the bore 44 of the head portion 20 and in this example is about 5mm. The length L1 of the nozzle outlet 64 is greater than the diameter of the bore 44 and in this example is about 60mm.

[0098] The attachment 14 comprises a valve assembly comprising a central cylinder 80 (as best shown in Figures 4a-6b Figure 4) defining a first cam surface 82, a moveable member 84 and an upper element 86 defining a second cam surface 88.

[0099] The central cylinder 80 forms part of the neck 54, is disposed in the internal cavity 69 towards the first neck end 66 of the neck 54 and is coaxial with the longitudinal axis E. The central cylinder 80 has an internal diameter of about 16mm and an external diameter of about 20mm. The central cylinder 80 extends within the internal cavity 69 towards the second neck end 68. The free end 81 of the central cylinder 80 defines the first cam surface 82, which is an undulating annular surface, generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis E and having four peaks and four troughs. The four peaks are arranged at 90 degrees to each other. The four troughs are arranged at 90 degrees to each other and each lies between two of the four peaks.

[0100] The upper element 86 comprises a cylindrical element 90 coaxial with the longitudinal axis E and the central cylinder 80. The cylindrical element 90 has an internal diameter of about 16mm and an external diameter of about 24mm. The first end 91 of the cylindrical element 90, which is closest to the central cylinder 80 along the longitudinal axis E, defines the second cam surface 88, which is an undulating annular surface, generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis E and having four peaks and four troughs. The four peaks are arranged at 90 degrees to each other. The four troughs are arranged at 90 degrees to each other and interspersed between the four peaks. The first cam surface 82 and the second cam surface 88 correspond to each other in shape such that if placed together they would fit together over substantially all of the first cam surface 82 and the second cam surface 88.

[0101] The upper element 86 further comprises four attachment arms 92 fixed to the end of the cylindrical element 90 opposite the second cam surface 88. The attachment arms 92 are arranged at 90 degrees to each other and extend radially outwardly from the cylindrical element 90. Each attachment arm 92 is elongate and is configured to engage with the second neck end 68 of the neck at a respective one of the partition walls 72. The upper element 86 is thus fixed in place relative to the neck 54 and hence relative to the central cylinder 80.

[0102] When assembled, the center cylinder 80 and the cylindrical element 90 are spaced apart from one another in a direction along the longitudinal axis E such that the first cam surface 82 and the second cam surface 88 define a cam track 93 therebetween. The cam track 93 has a width of about 2.5 mm.

[0103] The movable member 84 includes a center hub 94, an annular element 96, and four cam follower rods 98.

[0104] The center hub 94 is generally circular, coaxial with the longitudinal axis E, and has an outer diameter of about 15.5 mm. Thus, the center hub 94 can be received within the center cylinder 80 and the cylindrical element 90, which each have an inner diameter of about 16 mm.

[0105] The annular element 96 includes an outer wall 100 and a radial wall 102. The outer wall 100 has an outer diameter of about 39.5 mm, and thus can be accommodated within the inner cavity 69 of the neck 54. The outer wall 100 includes a pair of openings 104 diametrically opposed to one another. The pair of openings 104 each have a central angle of about 80 degrees.

[0106] The radial wall 102 extends radially inward from the outer wall 100 and toward the first neck end 66 of the neck 54. The radial wall 102 has an inner diameter of about 24.5 mm.

[0107] The cam follower rods 98 are arranged at 90 degrees to one another and extend radially from the center hub 94 to the outer wall 100 of the annular element 96 through the cam track 93. The cam follower rods 98 are rigid and have a diameter of about 2 mm. Thus, an annular gap 105 is formed between the center hub 94 and the radial wall 102, with the center hub 94 being positioned radially within the center cylinder 80 and the cylindrical element 90, and the annular element 96 being radially outward of the center cylinder 80 and the cylindrical element 90. The annular gap 105 has a width sufficient to receive the center cylinder 80 and the cylindrical element 90.

[0108] A spring 106 is located within the center cylinder 80 and is connected at a first end to the first neck end 66 of the neck 54 and at a second, opposite end to the center hub 94 of the movable member 84. The spring 106 biases the center hub 94 toward the first neck end 66 of the neck 54, and thus biases the cam follower rods 98 toward the valleys of the first cam surface 82.

[0109] The movable member 84 is movable relative to the remainder of the accessory 14 between an initial position, a first position, and a second position, as will now be described with reference to Figures 4a to 6b , Figure 4a , Figure 5a , and Figure 6a are shown in cross-section along the line A-A shown in Figure 2b . The accessory 14 is shown inFigure 4b , 5b and 6b are shown in cross-section along the line B-B shown in Figure 2b . Figure 4c and 5c are schematic views of the valve assembly, with the annular member 96 omitted for clarity, showing the cam follower 98 in the initial position and in the first and second positions within the cam track 93. The view is slightly flattened in order to show the three peaks of the first cam surface 82 and the three valleys of the second cam surface 88 in a two-dimensional image. Figure 4c and 5c are shown on the same page to help delineate the path of the cam follower 98 along the cam track 93 as the movable member 84 moves between the initial position and the first and second positions.

[0110] Figures 4a-4c shows the movable member 84 in the initial position. In the initial position, the cam follower 98 is positioned within the cam track 93 at a valley of the first cam surface 82 adjacent to a peak of the second cam surface 88. The annular element 96 is positioned within the internal cavity 69 of the neck 54 and does not longitudinally overlap the petals 70. An annular gap 108 is formed between the outer surface of the central cylinder 80 and the radial wall 102 of the movable member 84. The spring 106 biases the movable member to the first position.

[0111] Figures 5a-5c shows the movable member 84 in the first position. In the first position, the cam follower 98 is positioned within the cam track 93 at a valley of the second cam surface 88 adjacent to a peak of the first cam surface 82. The annular element 96 is positioned within the internal cavity 69 of the neck 54 but further from the first neck end 66 than when the movable member 84 is in the initial position. As a result, the annular element 96 longitudinally overlaps the petals 70.

[0112] In the first position, the radial wall 102 of the movable member 84 is in close proximity to or in contact with the cylindrical element 90 of the upper element 86, such that there is substantially no annular gap between the radial wall 102 and the cylindrical element 90. The pair of openings 104 of the annular element 96 are aligned with the first pair of petals 70a, such that the first pair of petals 70a are in fluid communication with the internal cavity 69 of the neck 54, as best shown in Figure 5a . The portion of the outer wall 100 that does not include the pair of openings 104 is aligned with and blocks the second pair of petals 70b, as best shown in Figure 5b , such that fluid communication between the internal cavity 69 and the second pair of petals 70b is prevented.

[0113] Figure 5c , 6aFigures 6a and 6b show the moveable member 84 in a second position. In the second position, the cam follower 98 is positioned within the cam track 93 at a valley of the second cam surface 88, which is adjacent to a peak of the first cam surface 82. The annular element 96 is positioned within the internal cavity 69 of the neck 54, but further from the first neck end 66 than when the moveable member 84 is in the initial position. Thus, the annular element 96 longitudinally overlaps the petals 70.

[0114] In the second position, the radial wall 102 of the moveable member 84 is in close proximity to, or in contact with, the cylindrical element 90 of the upper element 86, such that there is substantially no annular gap between the radial wall 102 and the cylindrical element 90. The pair of openings 104 of the annular element 96 are aligned with the second pair of petals 70, such that the second pair of petals are in fluid communication with the internal cavity 69 of the neck 54, as best shown in Figure 6b Figure 6a The portion of the outer wall 100 that does not include the pair of openings 104 is aligned with, and blocks, the first pair of petals 70a, as best shown in

[0115] Reference will now be made to Figures 7a to 9d the use of the hair care appliance 10 will be described. When the hair care appliance 10 is not in use, the moveable member 84 is biased to the initial position by the spring 106.

[0116] In use of the hair care appliance 10, with the attachment 14 attached to the head portion 20, operation of the airflow generator 22 draws air into the handle unit 18 via the aperture forming the inlet 38. The airflow is then emitted from the main body 12 via the air outlet 46. The airflow rate generated by the airflow generator 22 is controlled by the controller 28. The heater 24 is controlled by the controller 28 to selectively heat the airflow before it is emitted from the air outlet 46. On entering the attachment 14, the airflow passes through the internal cavity 66 of the neck 54 and is then expelled from the nozzle outlet 64 or one or more of the pair of peripheral outlets 68, depending on the position of the moveable element 84.

[0117] When the airflow enters the attachment 14 at a flow rate below a threshold flow rate (10 L / s in this example), the moveable member 84 is in the initial position, biased there by the spring 106, as the force exerted on the moveable member 84 is insufficient to overcome the biasing force exerted on the moveable member 84 by the spring 106. In Figures 7a-7d an in-use attachment in the initial position is depicted in Figure 7c is a schematic cutaway view of the second neck end 68 of the neck 54.

[0118] The airflow passes through the attachment 14, as Figures 7a-7d ​through the annular gap 108 between the outer surface of the central cylinder 80 and the radial wall 102 of the movable member 84. The airflow then passes through each of the lobes 70. Airflow passing through the first pair of lobes 70a enters the nozzle 56 via the nozzle inlet 62 and is emitted from the attachment 14 via the nozzle outlet 64. The airflow is emitted from the nozzle outlet 64 in a direction that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis E. Airflow passing through the second pair of lobes 70b is emitted from the attachment 14 through the peripheral outlet 74. The airflow emitted from the peripheral outlet 74 generally passes through the respective outer surface 73 of the nozzle 56 in a direction towards the nozzle outlet 64.

[0119] When the airflow enters the attachment 14 at or above the threshold flow rate, the force exerted on the movable member 84 by the spring 106 is overcome by the force exerted on the movable member 84 by the airflow. As a result, the cam follower 98 moves along the cam track 93 towards the peak of the first cam surface 82, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4c

[0120] The movable member 84 moves to a first or second position that is rotationally adjacent to an initial position of the movable member 84 prior to the attachment 14 just reaching the threshold flow rate. The movable member 84 always rotates in the same direction about the longitudinal axis E. Figures 8a-8d Figure 8c is a schematic cutaway view of the second neck end 68 of the neck 54.

[0121] When the movable member 84 moves to the first position, airflow passes through the attachment 14, as indicated by the arrow in Figures 8a-8d More specifically, the airflow passes through a pair of openings 104 in the annular element 96 and through the first pair of lobes 70a. The airflow then enters the nozzle 56 via the nozzle inlet 62 and is emitted from the attachment 14 via the nozzle outlet 64. The airflow is emitted from the nozzle outlet 64 in a direction that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis E at a flow rate that is higher than the airflow emitted from the nozzle outlet 64 when the movable member 84 is in the first position. The airflow is prevented from passing through the second pair of lobes 70b by the outer wall 100 of the annular element 96 and, therefore, from being emitted from the peripheral outlet 74.

[0122] The movable member 84 moves to a first or second position that is rotationally adjacent to an initial position of the movable member 84 prior to the attachment 14 just reaching the threshold flow rate. The movable member 84 always rotates in the same direction about the longitudinal axis E. Figures 9a-9d is a schematic cutaway view of the second neck end 68 of the neck 54. Figure 9c

[0123] When the movable member 84 moves to the second position, airflow passes through the attachment 14, as indicated by the arrow in Figures 9a-9d ​​​More specifically, the air flow passes through a pair of openings 104 in the annular element 96, through the second pair of petals 70b, and is discharged from the attachment 14 via the peripheral outlet 74. The air flow is prevented from passing through the first pair of petals 70a, and thus through the nozzle 56, by the outer wall 100 of the annular element 96. The air flow emitted from the peripheral outlet 74 generally passes through the corresponding outer surface 73 of the nozzle 56 in a direction toward the nozzle outlet 64 at a higher flow rate than the air flow emitted from the peripheral outlet 74 when the movable member 84 is in the first position.

[0124] Accordingly, different air flow profiles are emitted from the attachment 14 depending on the position of the movable member 84 relative to the remainder of the attachment 14. The movable member 84 and the cam track 93 together form a valve for selectively emitting air flow from the nozzle outlet 64 and / or the peripheral outlet 74.

[0125] The attachment 14 includes a detector 110, in this example a flow detector, disposed at the nozzle outlet 64 as shown. Figure 3 The detector 110 is communicatively coupled to the controller 28 and outputs a signal to the controller 28 indicative of which position the movable member 84 is in based on the flow rate at the nozzle outlet 64. It will be appreciated that additionally or alternatively any other suitable type of detector can be employed to indicate the position of the movable member 84 to the controller 28.

[0126] When the air flow rate is equal to or above the threshold flow rate, and thus the movable member 84 is in one of the first or second positions, a decrease in the air flow rate below the threshold flow rate causes the movable member 84 to move to the initial position rotationally adjacent to the first or second position the movable member 84 was in, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 5c The flow rate is then increased to or above the threshold flow rate causing the movable member 84 to move to the first or second position rotationally adjacent to the initial position the movable member 84 was in. Accordingly, the air profile emitted from the attachment 14 can be changed by briefly, temporarily decreasing the air flow rate.

[0127] Due to the shape of the cam track 93, the movable member 84 can cycle between the first and second positions in response to successive decreases in the flow rate below the threshold flow rate. In moving from one of the first or second positions to the rotationally adjacent first or second position via the intermediate initial position, the movable member 84 rotates 90 degrees about the longitudinal axis E such that the openings 104 are aligned with the first or second pair of petals 70a or 70b.

[0128] The controller 28 is configured to control the airflow generator 22 to change the position of the movable member 84 in response to one or more inputs. In this example, the controller 28 is configured to cause the movable member 84 to change position in response to a user actuating the user interface 26. In some examples, the controller 28 receives inputs wirelessly from an external device, for example a user’s smartphone. In some examples, the hair care appliance 10 comprises one or more sensors (not shown) to sense a characteristic of the hair being styled by the hair care appliance 10, and the controller 28 is configured to cause the movable member 84 to move to one of the initial position, the first position or the second position based on signals received from the one or more sensors. In some examples, the controller 28 is configured to cause the hair care appliance 10 to operate for a predetermined period of time with the movable member 84 in the first position, and after the predetermined period of time has elapsed, control the airflow generator 22 to cause the movable member 84 to move to the second position. The predetermined period of time is determined based on user inputs, for example hair type, hair length and desired hairstyle and / or signals received from one or more sensors of the hair care appliance.

[0129] Figure 10 A second attachment 214 for use with the main body 12 is shown schematically.

[0130] In this example, the attachment 214 is a diffuser bowl, and will be referred to as such Figures 10-13 for the sake of brevity. The attachment 214 is shown in perspective view in Figure 11 Fig. 6. The attachment 214 comprises an annular collar 250, a neck 253, a hair treatment bowl 254, a first set of manifolds 256 and a second set of manifolds 258. In this example, there are three manifolds in the first set of manifolds 256, evenly distributed around the perimeter of the hair treatment bowl 254, and there are three manifolds in the second set of manifolds 258. The manifolds in the second set of manifolds 258 are evenly distributed around the perimeter of the hair treatment bowl 254 and are arranged alternately with the first set of manifolds 256. The neck 253 is provided between the annular collar 250 and the hair treatment bowl 254.

[0131] The neck 253 is generally cylindrical and hollow in form, and comprises an annular air inlet 252 around the perimeter of the neck 253. To attach the attachment 214 to the main body 12, the annular collar 250 is inserted into the aperture 44 at the end of the aperture 44 where the air outlet 46 is located, as shown in Figure 10 Fig. 6. The attachment has a longitudinal axis F which is coaxial with the central axis B of the head portion 20 when the attachment is attached to the main body 12. When the attachment 214 is attached to the main body 12, the attachment 214 blocks the aperture 44 of the head portion 20, and the attachment inlet 252 is in fluid communication with the air outlet 46.

[0132] The annular inlet 252 is in fluid communication with the hollow interior 269 of the neck 253. The interior of the annular collar 250 is not in fluid communication with the hollow interior 269 of the neck.

[0133] The valve arrangement 260 is located within the hollow interior 269 of the neck 253. The valve arrangement 260 is rotatable within the neck 253 to direct airflow through either the first set of manifolds 256 or the second set of manifolds 258, which will be discussed in more detail below. A magnetic strip (not shown) extends annularly around the annular air inlet 252.

[0134] The first set of manifolds 256 extend away from the annular collar 250 towards the annular connection portion 264. Each manifold in the first set of manifolds 256 is substantially hollow in form and is open at an end away from the annular collar 250. The open end of each of the first set of manifolds 256 leads to the connection portion 264, which is capped by the annular rim 266. The connection portion 264 is in the form of an annular channel extending around the periphery of the hair treatment bowl 254. The annular rim 266 depends from the outer edge of the connection portion 264 and extends radially inwards. The annular outlet 268 is defined by the gap between the inner edge of the annular rim 266 and the inner edge of the connection portion 264, as best shown in Figure 12a and 12b .

[0135] The hair treatment bowl 254 is concave and comprises a wall 270 having a plurality of apertures 272 formed therein. The wall 270 depends from the inner edge of the connection portion 264 and the annular outlet 268 provides an opening fluidly connecting the first set of manifolds 256 to the hair treatment bowl 254.

[0136] The second set of manifolds 258 extend away from the annular collar 250 towards the connection portion 264 but have a shorter height than the corresponding height of the first set of manifolds 256, such that the second set of manifolds 258 do not reach the annular connection portion 264. Each manifold in the second set of manifolds 258 is hollow in form and comprises a plurality of apertures 274 directed towards the wall 270 of the hair treatment bowl 254, as best shown in Figure 12a and 12b .

[0137] The valve arrangement 260 is movable between an initial position, a first position and a second position. The valve arrangement 260 is substantially the same as the arrangement described with reference to the hair care appliance 10, having a moveable member 276 which is movable along a cam track (not shown) to move the valve arrangement 260 between the initial position, the first position and the second position. In this example, the moveable member has three openings 278 provided in an outer wall 280 of the moveable member 276. The openings 278 are evenly provided around the outer wall 280 and each has a central angle of approximately 50 degrees.

[0138] In the initial position, the moveable member 276 is within the neck 253, as best shown in Figure 10 Figure 6, such that the three openings 278 abut the peripheral wall of the neck 253. In the first position, the three openings 278 each align with a respective one of the three manifolds of the first set of manifolds 256, and the outer wall 280 blocks the inlet end 259 of each of the three manifolds of the second set of manifolds 258. The inlet end 259 is adjacent the neck 253. Thus, only the first set of manifolds 256 is in fluid communication with the hollow interior 266 of the neck 253. In the second position, the three openings 278 each align with a respective one of the three manifolds of the second set of manifolds 258, and the outer wall 280 blocks the inlet end 257 of each of the three manifolds of the first set of manifolds 256. The inlet end 257 is adjacent the neck 253. Thus, only the second set of manifolds 258 is in fluid communication with the hollow interior 266 of the neck 253. The moveable member 276 is rotatable about the central axis F by about 60 degrees to move from one of the first or second positions to the adjacent first or second position.

[0139] During operation of the hair care appliance with the attachment 214 attached to the main body 12, the user’s hair is placed in the hair treatment bowl 264, and the airflow generator 22 generates an airflow through the main body 12 and into the attachment 214. The valve arrangement 260 can operate in substantially the same way as the valve assembly of the attachment 14 described with reference to Figures 1 to 9d Figure 5. The valve arrangement 260 is biased to the initial position. Thus, when the airflow generator 22 is off or generating airflow at a rate below the minimum flow rate, the moveable member 278 is in the initial position. When the flow rate reaches the minimum flow rate, the force exerted on the moveable member 278 by the airflow causes the moveable member 278 to move to the first position. A reduction in the flow rate below the minimum flow rate causes the moveable member 278 to move back to the initial position, and a subsequent increase in the flow rate to the minimum flow rate causes the moveable member 278 to move to the second position. This reduction and subsequent increase in the flow rate causes the moveable member 278 to cycle between the first position and the second position in turn. The flow rate is controlled by the controller 28 to move the moveable member 278 between the initial position, the first position, and the second position.

[0140] With the moveable member 278 in the first position, the airflow is directed into the first set of manifolds 256, and into the hair treatment bowl 254 via the air outlet. The shape of the annular rim 266 directs the airflow into the bowl towards the neck 2530. The airflow exits the hair treatment bowl 254 via the apertures 272 in the wall 270 of the hair treatment bowl 254.

[0141] When the movable member 278 is in the second position, the airflow is directed into the second set of manifolds 258 and into the hair treatment bowl 254 through the holes in the manifold ends of the second set of manifolds and via the holes 272 in the wall 270 of the hair treatment bowl 254. The airflow enters the hair treatment bowl 254 in a direction away from the neck 253.

[0142] Thus, when the movable member 278 is in the first position and the second position, the airflow exits the hair treatment bowl 254 in opposite directions.

[0143] The attachment 214 includes a locking pin 290 disposed in the neck 253 at a periphery of the hollow interior 269 of the neck 253. The locking pin 290 is movable between a retracted position in which the locking pin 290 does not prevent movement of the movable member 278 between the initial position and the first and second positions, and an extended position in which the locking pin 290 prevents movement of the movable member from the first or second position to the initial position. The locking pin 290 is controllable by the controller 28 to selectively move between the retracted position and the extended position. In the extended position, the locking pin 290 locks the movable member 278 in whichever of the first position or the second position the movable member 278 is in when the locking pin is moved to the extended position. When in the extended position, the locking pin 290 prevents longitudinal movement of the movable member 278 within the neck 253. Thus, a drop in airflow below the minimum flow rate does not cause the movable member 278 to change position.

[0144] Although not shown in the example of Figures 1 to 9b , the attachment 14 can also include a locking member, such as the locking pin described above, to lock the movable member 78 in one of the first position or the second position.

[0145] Figure 13 and Figure 14 A perspective view of another attachment 314 for attachment to the main body 12 is shown. The attachment 314 is a concentrator, and will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 13 to 15d The attachment 314 has a longitudinal axis G. The attachment 314 includes an annular collar 350, an attachment inlet 352, a neck 354 longitudinally adjacent the annular collar 350 along the longitudinal axis G, a nozzle 356 attached to the neck 354 opposite the annular collar 350, and a valve assembly 400.

[0146] To attach the attachment 314 to the main body 12, the annular collar 350 is inserted into the hole 44 at an end of the hole 44 at which the air outlet 46 is located. When the attachment 314 is attached to the main body 12, the longitudinal axis G of the attachment 314 is coaxial with the central axis B of the head portion 20.

[0147] The neck 354 includes a flange 353 extending radially from the periphery of the annular collar 350 and defining an accessory inlet 352. The accessory inlet 352 is a generally annular opening surrounding the periphery of the annular collar 350. When the accessory 314 is attached to the body 12, the accessory inlet 352 is in fluid communication with the air outlet 46 of the head portion 20.

[0148] The neck 354 has a first neck end 366 adjacent to the annular collar 350 and a second neck end 368 adjacent to the nozzle 356. The neck 354 defines an inner cavity 369 disposed between the first neck end 366 and the second neck end 368. The inner cavity 369 is in fluid communication with the accessory inlet 352 and the nozzle 356. A first ridge 361a and a second ridge 361b are disposed diametrically at the periphery of the inner cavity 369. Each ridge 361a, 361b includes a surface that is angled toward the annular collar 350.

[0149] The nozzle 356 has a first nozzle end 358 adjacent to the neck 354 and a second nozzle end 360 opposite to and away from the neck 354. The first nozzle end 358 is generally circular. The second nozzle end 360 is generally rectangular or oblong and defines a nozzle outlet 364 in the form of a slot. The nozzle outlet 364 intersects the longitudinal axis G of the attachment 314 centrally and extends orthogonally to the longitudinal axis G. The nozzle 356 is generally hollow. The hollow interior is in fluid communication with the cavity 369 of the neck 354, and the hollow interior of the nozzle 356 is bisected by a central wall 365. The central wall 365 bisects the nozzle outlet 364, has a width extending across the length of the slot, and a length extending between the first end 358 and the second end 360 of the nozzle 356. Thus, the nozzle 356 defines a first air passage 366a and a second air passage 366b on opposite sides of the central wall 365.

[0150] Valve assembly 400 in Figure 15a -d is best represented Figure 15a -d is a schematic cross-sectional slice of Annex 314. Valve assembly 400 includes a movable member 402 in the form of a hinged valve disc, and a spring (not shown) for rotating the movable member 402 about a first pivot joint 408.

[0151] The movable member 402 includes a first arm 404, a second arm 406, a first pivot joint 408, and a second pivot joint 410 at a junction between the first arm 404 and the second arm 406. The first pivot joint 408 pivotably connects a first end of the first arm 404 to an end of the central wall 365 closest to the first end 358 of the nozzle 356. The second pivot joint 410 pivotably connects a second end of the first arm 404 (the second end being opposite the first end) and a first end of the second arm 406. A second end of the second arm 406 opposite the first end is free. The movable member 402 extends generally in a direction away from the nozzle 356.

[0152] The second pivot joint 410 is bistable and holds the second arm 406 relative to the first arm 404 in either a first angle Al (as shown in Figure 15a and Figure 15d ) or a second angle A2 (as shown in Figure 15b and Figure 15c ). In this example, the first angle is about 120 degrees and the second angle is about 240 degrees. The second pivot joint 410 resists the angle between the first arm 404 and the second arm 406 from decreasing below the first angle Al and increasing above the second angle A2.

[0153] A spring biases the movable member 402 to an initial position, as indicated by the arrow H in Figure 15b and 15d , where the movable member 410 in the initial position is shown in solid line. In the initial position, the first arm 404 is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis G and the second arm 406 is at either the first angle Al or the second angle A2 relative to the first arm 406.

[0154] The movable member 402 is movable from the initial position to a first position and a second position, as shown in Figure 15b and 15d , respectively.

[0155] In the first position, the movable member 402 is rotated relative to the central wall 365 such that the free end of the second arm 406 contacts the first ridge 361a at a perimeter of the inner cavity 369. The second arm 406 is parallel to the slope of the first ridge 361a and is at the second angle relative to the first arm 404. In the first position, the movable member 402 substantially blocks the first passage 366a. Thus, with the movable member 402 in the first position, there is substantially no fluid communication between the inner cavity 369 and the first passage 366a.

[0156] In the second position, the moveable member 402 is rotated relative to the central wall 365 such that the free end of the second arm 406 contacts the second ridge 361b at the periphery of the inner cavity 369. The second arm 406 is parallel to the slope of the second ridge 361b and is at a first angle relative to the first arm 404. In the second position, the moveable member 402 substantially blocks the second passage 366b. Thus, there is substantially no fluid communication between the inner cavity 369 and the second passage 366b with the moveable member 402 in the second position.

[0157] Reference will now be made to Figures 15a-15d The operation of the valve assembly 400 will now be described. In this example, prior to use of the valve assembly, the moveable member 402 is biased by the spring into the initial position, as shown in Figure 15a The second arm 406 is at a first angle Al relative to the first arm 404, although as will be described herein, in other examples, the second arm 406 can be at a second angle A2 relative to the first arm 404.

[0158] In use of the attachment 314, with the attachment 314 attached to the hair care appliance 12, 212, airflow enters the attachment 314 via the attachment inlet 352 and flows through the inner cavity 369 of the neck 354 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis G. The airflow exerts a force on the second arm 406 of the moveable member 402. The second arm 406 is at the first angle Al relative to the first arm 404 and is therefore inclined towards the first ridge 261a. As the second pivot joint 410 resists the angle between the first arm 404 and the second arm 406 from decreasing below the first angle Al, if the force exerted by the airflow exceeds the biasing force of the spring, then the moveable member 402 is caused to rotate about the first pivot joint 408. The rotation of the moveable member 402 causes the free end of the second arm 406 to contact the slope of the first ridge 361a. The first ridge 361a exerts sufficient force on the second arm 406 to cause the second pivot joint 410 to move to the other of the bistable positions such that the second arm 406 moves to the second angle A2 relative to the first arm 404. Thus, the moveable member 402 moves to the first position, as shown by the moveable member 402 shown in dashed lines in Figure 15a

[0159] If the force exerted by the airflow does not exceed the biasing force of the spring, then the moveable member 402 remains in the initial position and the airflow enters both the first passage 366a and the second passage 366b.

[0160] The attachment 314 is used with the moveable member 402 in the first position, as shown in Figure 15b The moveable member 402 blocks the first passage 366a such that air is directed along the second passage 366b before being emitted from the attachment 314 via the nozzle outlet 364. ​

[0161] When the airflow through the accessory 314 is reduced to a flow rate such that the force exerted by the airflow on the moveable member 402 is lower than the biasing force of the spring, the moveable member 402 moves from the first position back to the initial position. However, in the initial position, the second arm 404 is now at a second angle A2 relative to the first arm 406, as shown in Figure 15c .

[0162] A subsequent increase in the airflow rate such that the force exerted by the airflow again exceeds the biasing force of the spring causes the moveable member 402 to rotate about the first pivot joint 408. As the second arm 406 is at the second angle A2 relative to the first arm 404, the moveable member 402 rotates in the opposite direction about the first pivot joint 408 compared to when the moveable member 402 is in the initial position and the second arm 406 is at the first angle Al relative to the first arm 404. The rotation of the moveable member 402 causes the free end of the second arm 406 to contact the ramp of the second ridge 361b. The second ridge 361b exerts sufficient force on the second arm 406 to cause the second pivot joint 410 to move to the other of the bistable positions such that the second arm 406 moves to the first angle Al relative to the first arm 404. Thus, the moveable member 402 moves to the second position, as shown in Figure 15c .

[0163] The accessory 314 is used with the moveable member 402 in the Figure 15d second position, as shown. The moveable member 402 blocks the second channel 366b such that air is directed along the first channel 366a before being emitted from the accessory 314 via the nozzle outlet 364.

[0164] Thus, depending on the position of the moveable member 402, the airflow travels along different flow paths through the accessory 314. Whether the second arm 406 is at the first angle Al or the second angle A2 relative to the first arm 406 in the initial position depends on which of the first and second positions the moveable member 402 was in prior to being in the initial position. In use, the moveable member 402 cycles between the first and second positions in response to sequential reductions and subsequent increases in the flow rate into the accessory 314.

[0165] Figure 16a - a fourth accessory 414 is shown schematically for use with the main body 12. The accessory 414 has a longitudinal axis H. The accessory 414 comprises an annular collar (not shown), an accessory inlet (not shown), a neck 454 longitudinally adjacent the annular collar along the longitudinal axis H, and a pair of baffles 456 attached to an end of the neck 454 opposite the annular collar and defining an accessory outlet 464 therebetween.

[0166] The accessory 414 is used in the same way as the accessory 314 with reference toFigures 1-9d The accessory 14 is attached to the body 12 in the same manner as described and will not be described again for the sake of brevity.

[0167] The neck 454 defines an internal cavity 469 in fluid communication with the accessory inlet and the accessory outlet 464. The accessory 414 comprises a valve assembly 416 disposed in the internal cavity 469 of the neck 454, as Figure 17 schematically illustrated in FIG. 5. The valve assembly 416 is connected to a pair of flaps 456 by a connector 458.

[0168] The valve assembly 416 comprises a first cylinder 480 and a second cylinder 486 each having the same diameter and arranged adjacent to each other along a longitudinal axis of the valve assembly 416. The longitudinal axis extends in the direction indicated by arrow J in Figure 17 FIG. 4 and is coaxial with the longitudinal axis H of the accessory 414. The first cylinder 480 and the second cylinder 486 are fixed within the internal cavity 469 and cannot move relative to the neck 454.

[0169] In Figure 17 FIG. 5, the valve assembly 416 is illustrated in a schematic plan view, in three dimensions, the two dashed lines would intersect. The first cylinder 480 defines a first cam surface 482 facing the second cylinder 486. The first cam surface 482 defines a pair of valleys and a pair of peaks arranged alternately to each other. The pair of peaks have the same geometry to each other and are diametrically opposite to each other around the first cylinder 480. The second cylinder 486 defines a second cam surface 488 facing the first cylinder 480. The second cam surface 482 defines four valleys and four peaks arranged alternately to each other. Each peak has the same geometry to each other and are uniformly distributed at 90 degrees to each other around the second cylinder 486. The peaks of the second cam surface 488 longitudinally overlap the peaks of the first cam surface 482.

[0170] A cam track 493 is defined between the first cam surface 482 and the second cam surface 488. The valve assembly 416 further comprises two partitions 489 disposed in the cam track 493 between adjacent peaks of the first cam surface 482 and separated from the first cam surface 482 and the second cam surface 488. Each partition 489 has a first partition end 489a longitudinally overlapping a peak of the first cam surface 482 and a second partition end 489b longitudinally overlapping a peak of the second cam surface 488. The first partition end 489a is located on a first side of the respective peak of the second cam surface 482 and the second partition end 489b is located on a second side of the respective peak of the second cam surface 482.

[0171] The valve assembly 416 includes a cam follower 498 disposed in the cam track 493. In this example, the cam follower 498 is a linear rod that intersects the longitudinal axis J of the valve assembly 416 of the first cylinder 480 and the second cylinder 486 orthogonally and extends from one side of the cam track 493 to the other.

[0172] The cam follower 498 is movable within the cam track 493 between an initial position, an intermediate position, a first position, and a second position. The cam follower 498 is fixed to a connector 458, and the connector 458 is configured such that movement of the cam follower 498 between the initial position, the intermediate position, the first position, and the second position causes movement of the baffles 456 relative to the neck 454.

[0173] The connector 458 is configured such that when the cam follower 498 is in the initial position or the intermediate position, the baffles 456 are positioned parallel to each other and extend in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis H of the accessory 414, as shown in Figure 16a Accordingly, the attachment outlet 464 has a width that is approximately the same as the diameter of the neck 454.

[0174] The connector 458 is configured such that when the cam follower 498 is in the first position, the baffles 456 are tilted toward each other, as shown in Figure 16b Accordingly, the width of the attachment outlet 464 is less than the diameter of the neck 454, and less than the width of the attachment outlet 464 when the cam follower 498 is in the initial or intermediate position. Accordingly, the airflow emitted from the accessory in use is more focused when the cam follower 498 is in the first position than when the cam follower 498 is in the initial or intermediate position.

[0175] The connector 458 is configured such that when the cam follower 498 is in the second position, the baffles 456 are tilted away from each other, as shown in Figure 16c Accordingly, the width of the attachment outlet 464 is greater than the diameter of the neck 454, and greater than the width of the attachment outlet 464 when the cam follower 498 is in the first, initial, or intermediate position. Accordingly, the airflow emitted from the accessory in use is more diffuse when the cam follower 498 is in the second position than when the cam follower 498 is in the first, initial, or intermediate position.

[0176] When the accessory 414 is not in use, the cam follower 498 is biased to the initial position by a biaser (not shown). In the initial position, the cam follower 498 is located in a slot of the first cam surface 482. The initial position is denoted as L in Figure 17

[0177] ​In use of the attachment 414, the position of the cam follower rod 498 depends on the force exerted on the cam follower rod 498 by the airflow generated by the airflow generator 22. The movement of the cam follower rod 498 along the track 493 is indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 17 and will be described in more detail below.

[0178] When the airflow generator is turned on, if the airflow remains below the idle flow rate (4 L / s in this example), the cam follower rod 498 remains in the initial position L, as the force exerted on the cam follower rod 498 by the airflow is insufficient to overcome the bias. When the airflow generator is turned on, if the airflow increases to or above the idle flow rate, but is still below the operating flow rate (10 L / s in this example), the cam follower rod 498 moves from the initial position to a first intermediate position. In the first intermediate position, the cam follower rod 498 is adjacent the second partition end 489b and longitudinally between the slot of the first cam surface 482 and the slot of the second cam surface 488. The first intermediate position is indicated as M in Figure 17 In either of these cases, the baffle 456 remains in the position shown in Figure 16a .

[0179] When the airflow generator is turned on, if the airflow increases to or exceeds the operating flow rate, the cam follower rod 498 moves from the initial position via the intermediate position to the first position. In the first position, the cam follower rod 498 is in the pair of diametrically opposed slots of the second cam surface 488. The first position is indicated in Figure 17 In this case, the baffle 456 is caused to move to the position shown in Figure 16b . In moving from the initial position to the first position, the cam follower rod 498 rotates within the cam track 493 and around the second partition end 489b of the partition 489, such that the cam follower rod 498 rotationally overlaps the second end 489b of the partition 489.

[0180] The shape of the first cam surface 482, the position of the slot of the first cam surface 482 relative to the slot of the second cam surface 488, and the presence of the partition 489 ensure that, regardless of whether the cam follower rod 498 is in the first position or the second position before the airflow generator is turned off, when the airflow is increased to the operating flow rate when the airflow generator is turned on, the cam follower rod 498 always returns to the first position.

[0181] When the cam follower rod 498 is in the first position, the airflow is subsequently decreased from above the operating flow rate to the idle flow rate, causing the cam follower rod 498 to move away from the first position to a second intermediate position. In the second intermediate position, the cam follower rod 498 is adjacent the first partition end 489a and longitudinally between the slot of the first cam surface 482 and the slot of the second cam surface 488. The second intermediate position is indicated in Figure 17indicated as P. When moving from the first position to a second intermediate position, the cam follower 498 moves under the force exerted by the biaser in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis J of the valve assembly 416 towards the first cylinder 480. When the flow rate drops to the idle flow rate, the cam follower member 498 contacts the second end 489b of the partition 489 and then slides along the partition 489 to the first end 489a of the partition 489. Sliding along the partition 489 causes the cam follower rod 498 to rotate within the cam track 493 such that the cam follower rod 498 rotationally passes the peak of the second cam surface 488. In this case, the baffle 456 is moved back to the position shown. Figure 16a

[0182] When the cam follower rod 498 is in the second intermediate position, the subsequent increase in airflow from the idle flow rate to the operating flow rate causes the cam follower rod 498 to move from the second intermediate position to a second position. In the second position, the cam follower rod 498 is located in a diametrically opposite pair of grooves of the second cam surface 488 from the pair of grooves in which the cam follower rod 498 was located in the first position. The second position is indicated as Q. Figure 17 When moving from the second intermediate position to the second position, the cam follower 498 moves away from the first cylinder 480 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis J of the valve assembly 416. When the flow rate increases to the operating flow rate, the cam follower member 498 contacts the second cam surface 488 and then slides towards a corresponding pair of valleys of the second cam surface 488. Sliding along the second cam surface 488 causes the cam follower rod 498 to rotate within the cam track 493 such that the cam follower rod 498 rotationally passes the peak of the first cam surface 482. In this case, the baffle 456 is moved to the position shown. Figure 16c

[0183] When the cam follower rod 498 is in the second position, the subsequent decrease in airflow from above the operating flow rate to the idle flow rate causes the cam follower rod 498 to move away from the second position to the first intermediate position. When moving from the second position to the first intermediate position, the cam follower rod 498 moves under the force exerted by the biaser in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis J of the valve assembly 416 towards the first cylinder 480. When the flow rate drops to the idle flow rate, the cam follower member 498 contacts the first cam surface 482 and then slides towards a pair of valleys of the first cam surface 482. This sliding along the first cam surface 482 causes the cam follower rod 498 to rotate within the cam track 493 such that the cam follower rod 498 rotationally passes the peak of the second cam surface 488. In this case, the baffle 456 is moved back to the position shown. Figure 16a

[0184] ​​​With the cam follower 498 in any of the first intermediate position, the second intermediate position, the first position, or the second position, a reduction in airflow below the idle flow rate causes the cam follower 498 to return to the home position. Because the first cam surface 482 includes a pair of slots diametrically opposed to each other, the home position is the same even if the cam follower 498 is rotated 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis J of the valve assembly 416.

[0185] Accordingly, by fluctuations in airflow between the idle flow rate and the operating flow rate, the cam follower 498 cycles between the first position and the second position and always returns to the first position after the airflow through the attachment has been below the idle flow rate.

[0186] In an example, the hair care appliance including the attachment 414 is configured to return the cam follower 498 to the first position after a predetermined period of time with the airflow through the cam follower 498 in the intermediate position M, P.

[0187] In one example, the controller 28 of the main body 12 is programmed to return the cam follower member 498 to the first position if the flow rate has been at the idle flow rate for a predetermined period of time (3 seconds in this example). When the flow rate is increased to or above the operating flow rate after the predetermined time with the flow rate at the idle flow rate, the controller determines whether the cam follower member 498 is in the first position based on a signal from a sensor (not shown) of the attachment 414, and if the controller determines that the cam follower member 498 is not in the first position, the controller automatically pulses the flow rate down to the idle flow rate and back up to or above the operating flow rate to return the cam follower 498 to the first position.

[0188] In another example, if the cam follower 498 is in the first position just before the predetermined period of time, upon receiving an instruction to increase the flow rate to or above the operating flow rate after the predetermined time has elapsed with the flow rate at the idle flow rate, the controller 28 reduces the airflow below the idle flow rate and then increases the airflow to or above the operating flow rate.

[0189] Fifth attachment according to examples Figures 16a-17The described attachments are identical, except that another attachment is configured such that in a first position, the baffle is not parallel to the longitudinal axis and is angled to guide air in a first direction away from the longitudinal axis, and in a second position, the baffle is not parallel to the longitudinal axis and is angled to guide air in a second direction away from the longitudinal axis, the second direction being different from the first direction. In the example, in the first position, the baffle is at a 30-degree angle to the longitudinal axis, and in the second position, the baffle is at a -30-degree angle to the longitudinal axis. Therefore, depending on the position of the valve assembly, air is emitted from the other attachment in different directions. In some examples, the baffles are parallel to each other in the initial position, intermediate position, first position, and second position.

[0190] Figure 18a -d illustrates various schematic arrangements of hair care appliances according to examples. Each hair care appliance includes a body, an attachment, and a valve assembly. The valve assembly can be any valve assembly falling within the scope of this application and is therefore capable of moving between different positions in response to changes in airflow through the attachment, such as according to reference herein. Figures 1 to 17 One example of a valve assembly is described.

[0191] exist Figure 18a In the exemplary hair care appliance 510, a valve assembly 560 is included in the body 512, and an accessory 514 is removably attached to the body 512.

[0192] exist Figure 18b In the example, valve assembly 660 is included in attachment 614, and attachment 614 is removably attached to body 612.

[0193] exist Figure 18c In the example, accessory 712 and valve assembly 760 are included in body 712. That is, accessory 712 cannot be removed from body 712.

[0194] exist Figure 18d In the example, attachment 814 includes an intermediate attachment 816 removably attached to the body 812 and a distal attachment 818 removably attached to the intermediate attachment 816. Valve assembly 860 is included in the intermediate attachment 816.

[0195] It should be understood that while the example valve assembly can move between a first position and a second position in response to a decrease and subsequent increase in the force exerted by the airflow on the movable member, other example valve assemblies can move between a first position and a second position in response to an increase and subsequent decrease in the force exerted by the airflow on the movable member.

[0196] It should be understood that the valve assembly according to the example can be actuated to change the distribution of air emitted from the accessory in use without the need for a drive system to actuate the valve assembly.

[0197] It should be appreciated that the valve assemblies described herein can be used with any suitable type of accessory and are not limited to use in the accessory types described herein.

Claims

1. A hair care appliance comprising: an airflow generator; a valve assembly comprising an air inlet and a movable member, the air inlet configured to receive an airflow from the airflow generator; and an outlet, wherein: the movable member is movable to a first position in which the hair care appliance is in a first operating configuration and a second position in which the hair care appliance is in a second operating configuration different from the first operating configuration in response to a force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet being within a predetermined range, the movable member is movable away from the first position and the second position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet being outside the predetermined range, and the valve assembly is configured to move the movable member from one of the first position and the second position to the other of the second position and the first position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet moving outside the predetermined range and subsequently returning within the predetermined range.

2. A haircare appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the movable member is configured to cycle between the first position and the second position in response to successive instances of the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet moving outside the predetermined range and subsequently returning within the predetermined range.

3. A haircare appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, the movable member is movable between the first position and the second position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet decreasing below the predetermined range and subsequently increasing back within the predetermined range.

4. A haircare appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the movable member is movable to an intermediate position different from the first position and the second position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet moving outside the predetermined range during movement of the movable member between the first position and the second position.

5. A haircare appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein, the movable member is configured to move away from the one of the first position or the second position and towards the intermediate position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet decreasing below the predetermined range with the movable member in the one of the first position or the second position, and the movable member is configured to move away from the intermediate position and towards the first position or the second position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet increasing within the predetermined range with the movable member in the intermediate position.

6. A haircare appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the valve assembly is configured to move the movable member to the first position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet increasing within the predetermined range after the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet falling below a minimum threshold.

7. A hair care appliance according to any preceding claim, wherein, the hair care appliance is configured to move the movable member to the first position in response to the force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet increasing within the predetermined range after the force being below the predetermined range for a predetermined time regardless of the position of the movable member prior to the force falling below the predetermined range.

8. A haircare appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The movable member comprises a central axis and is rotatable about the central axis between the first position and the second position.

9. A haircare appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Air emitted from the hair care appliance has a first profile with the hair care appliance in the first operating configuration and a second profile different from the first profile with the hair care appliance in the second operating configuration.

10. A haircare appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a housing and a switch element movable relative to the housing, wherein, The switch element is in a first position relative to the housing with the hair care appliance in the first configuration and in a second position relative to the housing with the hair care appliance in the second configuration, the first position being different from the second position.

11. A haircare appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The hair care appliance defines a first air path and a second air path different from the first air path, wherein airflow is biased towards the first air path with the hair care appliance in the first operating position and biased towards the second air path with the hair care appliance in the second operating position.

12. A haircare appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The movable member comprises a baffle rotatable about a pivot axis between the first position and the second position.

13. The hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a lock to lock the movable member in a selected position.

14. A haircare appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The force exerted on the movable member by the airflow is changeable in response to a change in air flow rate produced by the airflow generator.

15. The hair care appliance according to claim 14, comprising a controller configured to control the output of the airflow generator based on one or more inputs to move the movable member between the first position and the second position.

16. The hair care appliance according to claim 15, comprising a detector configured to output a position signal to the controller indicative of the position of the movable member.

17. The hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a main body and an accessory for detachable connection to the main body, wherein the airflow generator is comprised in the main body.

18. A haircare appliance as claimed in claim 17, wherein, The valve assembly is comprised in the accessory.

19. A haircare appliance as claimed in claim 18, wherein, The accessory comprises: an intermediate accessory for detachable connection to a main body, and a hair treatment accessory for detachable connection to the intermediate accessory, wherein the intermediate accessory comprises the valve assembly and the hair care accessory is configured to receive, in use, airflow emitted from the valve assembly.

20. An accessory for a hair care appliance, the accessory comprising: a valve assembly comprising an air inlet configured to receive airflow and a movable member; and an outlet, wherein: the movable member is moveable to a first position in which the valve assembly is in a first operating configuration and a second position in which the valve assembly is in a second operating configuration different from the first operating configuration in response to a force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet within a predetermined range.

21. A hair care appliance comprising: a main body; an accessory for detachable connection to the main body, the accessory comprising: a valve assembly comprising an air inlet configured to receive airflow and a movable member; and an outlet, wherein: the movable member is moveable to a first position in which the valve assembly is in a first operating configuration and a second position in which the valve assembly is in a second operating configuration different from the first operating configuration in response to a force exerted on the movable member by the airflow from the air inlet within a predetermined range. The movable member is configured to move away from the first position and the second position in response to a force exerted on the movable member by airflow from the air inlet being outside a predetermined range, and The valve assembly is configured to move the movable member from one of the first position and the second position to the other of the second position and the first position in response to a force exerted on the movable member by airflow from the air inlet moving outside the predetermined range and subsequently returning to within the predetermined range.

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