Hair care appliance

Abstract

An attachment (100) for a hair care appliance (10) is disclosed, the attachment (100) comprising an annular portion (101) and a dome-shaped portion (102) removably attached to the annular portion (101). The annular portion (101) comprises an airflow channel (104) extending through the annular portion (101) and an air outlet (114) arranged to direct air into the airflow channel (104). The dome-shaped portion (102) at least partially restricts airflow exiting the airflow channel (104) when the dome-shaped portion (102) is attached to the annular portion (101).

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Hair care tools are typically used to treat or style hair, and some hair care tools can use airflow to treat or style hair. Summary of the Invention

[0002] According to a first aspect of the invention, an attachment for a hair care appliance is provided, the attachment comprising an annular portion and a dome-shaped portion removably attached to the annular portion. The annular portion includes an airflow channel extending through the annular portion and an air outlet arranged to guide air into the airflow channel. When the dome-shaped portion is attached to the annular portion, the dome-shaped portion at least partially restricts the airflow leaving the airflow channel.

[0003] The accessory of the present invention can advantageously and easily switch between two different modes of use. In the first mode of use, when the dome-shaped portion is separated from the annular portion, the accessory can be used as a hair dryer. In the first mode of use, airflow can be directed directly from the airflow channel of the annular portion to the user's hair.

[0004] In the second usage mode, when the dome-shaped portion is attached to the ring-shaped portion, the attachment can function as a diffuser. In this mode, the user can pass their hair through the airflow channels of the ring-shaped portion into the dome-shaped portion. This allows the dome-shaped portion to easily hold the user's hair in place, making it less likely that the user's hairstyle will be disrupted by airflow from the air outlet of the ring-shaped portion.

[0005] When the accessory is not in use, the dome-shaped portion can be easily nested within the annular portion in a stowed configuration, making the accessory more compact for storage.

[0006] An air outlet can be located within an airflow channel. The airflow emitted from the air outlet into the airflow channel can advantageously result in a secondary airflow by entraining air from the external environment (particularly from the area surrounding the airflow channel outside the accessory). This secondary airflow can be drawn into the airflow channel and combined with the airflow emanating from the air outlet, thereby increasing the total airflow projected through the airflow channel, which can improve the efficiency and / or speed of drying the user's hair.

[0007] The air outlet can be roughly annular. For example, the air outlet can extend in a ring around the airflow channel. This can improve the entrainment of air from the external environment, especially from the area around the airflow channel outside the accessory, to generate secondary airflow.

[0008] The airflow channel can be roughly circular or elliptical. This can improve the entrainment of air from the external environment, especially from the area around the airflow channel outside the accessory, to generate secondary airflow.

[0009] The annular portion may include an inner wall and an outer wall. An airflow passage may be defined by the inner wall. The inner and outer walls may define a duct between them for guiding air to an air outlet.

[0010] The air outlet can be configured to guide airflow along the surface of the inner wall. The surface of the inner wall can be shaped to further guide the airflow during use. For example, the surface of the inner wall can be generally curved. Therefore, the airflow can be guided to generally follow the curve of the surface. This may result in the airflow remaining in contact with the surface of the inner wall and being further guided away from the air outlet.

[0011] The air outlet can be defined by the gap between the inner and outer walls.

[0012] The air outlet may extend along at least a portion of the circumference of the inner wall. For example, the air outlet may extend along the circumference of the inner wall in a continuous loop.

[0013] The annular portion may include an air inlet that is fluidly connected to an outlet. The air inlet may be disposed in the outer wall. The inner and outer walls may define a conduit between them for fluidly connecting the air inlet to the air outlet.

[0014] The airflow channel may include multiple air outlets. In such an embodiment, an inner wall and an outer wall may define a duct therebetween for fluidly connecting an air inlet to multiple air outlets.

[0015] The airflow channel can extend from the first side of the annular section through the annular section to the second side of the annular section. The first side of the annular section can be approximately opposite to the second side of the annular section.

[0016] Air guided into the airflow channel can move from the first side to the second side. The diameter of the airflow channel at the second side can be larger than the diameter at the first side. This helps to generate a more diffuse airflow towards the second side within the airflow channel.

[0017] The second side of the annular portion may include a connector for removably attaching the dome-shaped portion to the annular portion.

[0018] The connector may include a magnetic connector. For example, the second side of the annular portion may include a magnet, and the dome-shaped portion may include a magnetic material arranged to engage the magnet. Alternatively, the dome-shaped portion may include a magnet, and the second side of the annular portion may include a magnetic material arranged to engage the magnet. In some embodiments, the second side of the annular portion may include a first magnet, and the dome-shaped portion may include a second magnet arranged to engage the first magnet.

[0019] The second side of the annular portion may include a recess configured to engage with the dome-shaped portion. For example, the dome-shaped portion may include a protrusion arranged to engage with the recess. In some embodiments, the protrusion may be arranged to form an interference fit with the recess. One or both of the recess and the protrusion may be generally annular.

[0020] Alternatively, the dome-shaped portion may include a recess configured to engage with a second side of the annular portion. For example, the second side of the annular portion may include a protrusion arranged to engage with the recess. In some embodiments, the protrusion may be arranged to form an interference fit with the recess. One or both of the recess and the protrusion may be generally annular.

[0021] The air outlet can be configured to direct air toward the second side of the annular portion. Thus, when the dome-shaped portion is attached to the second side of the annular portion, airflow can be directed into the dome-shaped portion to dry the user's hair in the second usage mode.

[0022] The air outlet can be located on or facing the first side. When the dome-shaped portion is attached to the annular portion during use, this increases the length of the airflow path from the air outlet to the dome-shaped portion, thereby improving the efficiency and / or speed of drying the user's hair in the second usage mode.

[0023] The dome-shaped portion may include one or more holes. One or more holes may be formed in the walls of the dome-shaped portion. The one or more holes in the walls allow air to flow out from the interior of the dome-shaped portion during use. For example, one or more holes may be configured to allow airflow to escape from the interior of the dome-shaped portion. The presence of one or more holes can help provide a more diffused airflow from the dome-shaped portion during use.

[0024] For example, there may be at least two, or at least four, or at least six, or at least eight, or at least ten, or at least 100, or at least 1000, or even at least 10,000 holes. One or more holes may be spaced apart around the walls or surfaces of the dome-shaped portion. For example, one or more holes may be spaced approximately equally or uniformly around the walls or surfaces of the dome-shaped portion.

[0025] In some embodiments, the dome-shaped portion (e.g., the walls or surface of the dome-shaped portion) may include a porous material. The porous material may include one or more pores. The porous material may suitably include a mesh. The porous material may be breathable, allowing air to flow through it. The porous material helps hold the user's hair in place while also providing a more diffused airflow from the dome-shaped portion during use. This allows the air in the dome-shaped portion to be heated to a higher temperature, improving the efficiency and / or speed of drying the user's hair.

[0026] When the dome-shaped portion is attached to the annular portion in a usage position (e.g., in the second usage mode), the dome-shaped portion can protrude outward from the airflow channel. In this way, the dome-shaped portion can provide a chamber for receiving the user's hair in the airflow channel that has been inserted into the annular portion in the second usage mode.

[0027] When the dome-shaped portion is attached to the annular portion in the retracted position, the dome-shaped portion can protrude inward into the airflow channel. In this way, when the dome-shaped portion is separated from the annular portion, it can be easily oriented so that it is located within or nested within the airflow channel of the annular portion. By making the accessory more compact, this advantageously makes it easier to store the accessory when not in use.

[0028] According to a second aspect of the invention, a hair care appliance is provided, comprising an airflow generator and an accessory according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0029] Hair care appliances may include a handle unit. The handle unit may house an airflow generator. Accessories may be configured to be detachably attached to the handle unit. For example, a ring-shaped portion may be configured to be detachably attached to the handle unit.

[0030] Hair care appliances can be configured such that air flows through the appliance along an airflow path. Appropriately, accessories can be located downstream of the airflow generator within the airflow path.

[0031] The attachment can be removably attached to the hair care appliance. For example, the annular portion of the attachment can be removably attached to the hair care appliance. In some embodiments, the air inlet of the annular portion can be removably attached to the hair care appliance. The air inlet can be arranged to receive airflow from an airflow generator when the attachment is attached to the hair care appliance in use.

[0032] The accessory can be removably attached to the hair care appliance via a bayonet connection. For example, both the accessory and the hair care appliance may include a bayonet mount provided with claws or pins. When the mounts on both the accessory and the hair care appliance engage and rotate relative to each other in a first rotational direction, the claws or pins can be releasably interlocked. When the mounts on both the accessory and the hair care appliance rotate in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, the claws or pins can disengage.

[0033] The accessory can communicate with the hair care appliance to modify its operation. For example, the accessory can communicate with an airflow generator to modify the airflow supplied to the accessory. The accessory can communicate with the hair care appliance to transmit information indicating the desired airflow rate. Based on this information, the airflow generator can be operated to provide the desired airflow rate.

[0034] The accessory may include an RFID tag containing information indicating the desired airflow rate. This information can be read from the RFID tag and transmitted to the airflow generator, causing the airflow generator to produce an airflow with the desired rate. Alternatively or additionally, the accessory may communicate with the hair care appliance via Bluetooth™ or other suitable wireless communication standards and / or via a wired connection.

[0035] Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprising” and “including,” and variations thereof, such as “comprising” and “including,” mean “including, but not limited to,” and do not exclude other components, integers, or steps. Furthermore, unless the context otherwise requires, the singular encompasses the plural: in particular, where the indefinite article is used, unless the context otherwise requires, the specification should be understood to consider both the plural and the singular.

[0036] Preferred features of each aspect of the invention may be described as in conjunction with any other aspect. Within the scope of this application, it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples, and alternatives set forth in the preceding paragraphs, claims, and / or the following description and drawings, particularly their respective features, may be employed independently or in any combination. That is, features of all embodiments and / or any embodiments may be combined in any manner and / or combination unless such features are incompatible. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 Hair care tools are shown;

[0038] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the handle unit of a hair care appliance;

[0039] Figure 3 The attached configuration is shown. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an accessory for a hair care device, having a ring-shaped portion and a dome-shaped portion;

[0040] Figure 4 Showing a separate configuration Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the annular portion of an accessory for a hair care device;

[0041] Figure 5 The diagram shows a configuration with an annular portion and a dome-shaped portion. Figure 3 Perspective view of the attachment;

[0042] Figure 6(a) shows Figure 3 A perspective view of an accessory having an annular portion and a dome-shaped portion in a stowed configuration;

[0043] Figure 6(b) shows an alternative perspective view of the appendix to Figure 6(a);

[0044] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of an alternative attachment with an annular portion and a dome-shaped portion in an attachment configuration is shown;

[0045] Figure 8 Showing a separate configuration Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the annular portion of the attachment;

[0046] Figure 9 The diagram shows a configuration with an annular portion and a dome-shaped portion. Figure 7 Perspective view of the attachment; and

[0047] Figure 10 It shows Figure 7 A perspective view of an accessory having an annular portion and a dome-shaped portion in a collapsed configuration. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Figure 1 A hair care appliance 10 is shown, which includes a handle unit 12 and an accessory 100 detachably attached to the handle unit 10. The accessory 100 includes an annular portion 101 and a dome-shaped portion 102 removably attached to the annular portion 101.

[0049] Handle unit 12 includes housing 14, airflow generator 16, heater 18, and control unit 20, such as Figure 2 As shown schematically in the diagram.

[0050] The housing 14 is tubular and includes an air inlet 22 and an air outlet 24. An airflow generator 16 draws airflow into the housing 14 through the air inlet 22 and discharges the airflow from the housing 14 through the air outlet 24. The airflow generator 16 is housed within the housing 14 and includes an impeller 26 driven by an electric motor 28. A heater 18 is also housed within the housing 14 and includes a heating element 30 to optionally heat the airflow.

[0051] The control unit 20 includes electronic circuitry for a user interface 32, a control module 34, and an RFID reader 25. The user interface 32 is disposed on the outer surface of the housing 14 and is used to turn the hair care appliance 10 on and off, select the flow rate (e.g., high, medium, and low), and select the airflow temperature (e.g., hot, medium, or cold).

[0052] In this example, the user interface 32 includes multiple slide switches. However, it is envisioned that the user interface 32 may additionally or alternatively include buttons, dials, and / or a touchscreen. The RFID reader 25 is used to query the RFID tag 136 included in the annular portion 101 (e.g., Figure 3 and Figure 4(As shown). Although RFID has been discussed here, it is conceivable that other forms of wireless or wired communication could be used.

[0053] The control module 34 is responsible for controlling the airflow generator 16 and the heater 18 in response to input from the user interface 32. For example, in response to input from the user interface 32, the control module 34 can control the power or speed of the airflow generator 16 to regulate the airflow rate, and control the power of the heater 18 to regulate the airflow temperature.

[0054] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of Annex 100 is shown. Annex 100 includes an annular portion 101 and a dome-shaped portion 102 removably attached to the annular portion 101. The annular portion 101 includes a generally circular airflow passage 104 defined by a curved inner wall 106. The annular portion 101 also includes an outer wall 107, which, together with the curved inner wall 106, forms a duct 108 surrounding the airflow passage 104.

[0055] The annular portion 101 has a first side 110 and a second side 112 opposite to the first side 110. An airflow passage 104 extends through the annular portion 101 from the first side 110 to the second side 112. The second side 112 of the annular portion 101 includes an annular recess 126a for removably attaching the annular portion 101 to the dome-shaped portion 102, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0056] Air outlet 114 is located in airflow channel 104, facing the first side 110 of annular portion 101. Air outlet 114 is defined by a gap between curved inner wall 106 and outer wall 107. Air outlet 114 extends around the entire perimeter 116 of airflow channel 104. In some examples, the width of air outlet 114 may vary around the perimeter 116 of airflow channel 104. This allows the airflow velocity exiting air outlet 114 to remain consistent throughout air outlet 114, regardless of distance from airflow generator 16.

[0057] An air inlet 118 for receiving airflow from the airflow generator 16 is located in the outer wall 107 of the annular portion 110. The air inlet 118 includes a bayonet mount 119 for attachment to the air outlet 24 of the handle unit 12 and provides an airflow path 121 from the housing 14 of the handle unit 12 to the conduit 108 of the annular portion 101. The dome-shaped portion 102 defines a generally bowl-shaped chamber 128 in which a user's hair can be received via an airflow passage 104 in the annular portion 101.

[0058] Chamber 128 includes a wall 130 along which airflow from air outlet 114 is guided, as indicated by arrow 132. The wall 130 of chamber 128 includes a plurality of evenly spaced holes 134 through which airflow entering chamber 128 from air outlet 114 subsequently exits chamber 128. Dome-shaped portion 102 also includes an annular protrusion 126b that engages with an annular recess 126a of annular portion 101, thereby allowing dome-shaped portion 102 to be removably attached to annular portion 101.

[0059] The annular portion 101 includes a sensor 136 configured to output a signal indicating the properties of hair within the chamber 128 during use. In this example, sensor 136 is a moisture sensor. In other examples, sensor 136 may be a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor. The signal output by sensor 136 is received by a control module 34 in the handle unit 12, which is configured to control the hair care appliance 10 in response to the signal from sensor 136. In some examples, sensor 136 may include an RFID tag to transmit information to an RFID reader 25 via RFID. In some examples, it is envisioned that other forms of communication may be utilized, including, for example, Bluetooth™ or Near Field Communication (NFC).

[0060] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the annular portion 101, which is separate from the dome-shaped portion 102, is shown.

[0061] In the first usage mode, such as Figure 5 As shown, the dome-shaped portion 102 is separated from the annular portion 101, and the air inlet 118 of the annular portion 101 is attached to the air outlet 24 of the handle unit 12 via a bayonet mount 119. The air outlet 24 and the air inlet 118 together form an airflow path from the airflow generator 16 of the handle unit 12 to the duct 108 of the annular portion 101. The airflow generator 16 directs the airflow into the duct 108, whereby the airflow exits the duct 108 through the air outlet 114. When the dome-shaped portion 102 separates from the annular portion 101, the exiting airflow flows along the curved inner wall 106 (e.g., ...). Figure 4 (As indicated by arrow 132 in the image), and exits from the airflow channel 104 at the second side 112 of the annular portion 101. The airflow emanating from the airflow channel 104 can be used to directly dry the user's hair.

[0062] The airflow emanating from the airflow passage 104 at the second side 112 of the air annular portion 101 generates a secondary airflow by entraining air from the first side 110 of the annular portion 101. This secondary airflow is drawn into the airflow passage 104 and combines with the airflow emanating from the air outlet 114 to provide an increased total airflow projected from the second side 112 of the annular portion 101. This increased total airflow can advantageously increase the speed at which the user's hair is dried in the first usage mode.

[0063] By engaging the annular protrusion 126b of the dome-shaped portion 102 with the annular recess 126a of the annular portion 101 to form a snap-fit ​​connection between the annular portion 101 and the dome-shaped portion 102, the hair care appliance 10 can be easily converted into a second usage mode.

[0064] In the second operating mode, the airflow generator 16 directs airflow into the duct 108, whereby the airflow exits the duct 108 through the air outlet 114. The exiting airflow flows along the curved inner wall 106 (e.g., Figure 3 (As indicated by arrow 132) and enters the chamber 128 of the dome-shaped portion 102. Then, the airflow flows along the wall 130 of the chamber 128 and exits the chamber 128 through a plurality of evenly spaced holes 134.

[0065] In the second usage mode, the user's hair is inserted into the chamber 128 of the dome-shaped portion 102 through the airflow channel 104 of the annular portion 101. The user's hair can be properly secured in the chamber 128, making it less likely to be disturbed by the airflow exiting from the air outlet 114 of the annular portion 101. Therefore, a relatively high airflow velocity can be used without significantly disturbing the user's hair, which can improve the efficiency and / or speed of drying the user's hair in the second usage mode. Furthermore, when the warm or hot airflow heated by the heater 18 enters the chamber 128, the ambient temperature inside the chamber 128 rises, which can help dry the user's hair.

[0066] When the hair care appliance 10 is not in use, the dome-shaped part 102 can be detached from the ring-shaped part 101, such as Figure 5 As shown, the dome-shaped portion 102 is rotated 180° and inserted into the airflow channel 104 of the annular portion 101, such that the dome-shaped portion 102 is nested in a collapsed configuration within the airflow channel 104 of the annular portion 101, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b). This makes the accessory 100 more compact, thereby making it easier to store the accessory 100.

[0067] Figures 7 to 10 Alternative Annex 200 is shown. Annex 200 has the same features as described above and is... Figure 1It has all the same features as Annex 100 shown in Figure 6, the only difference being that the dome-shaped portion 202 is flat-bottomed, thus defining the generally disc-shaped chamber 128. Figures 7 to 10 In the 200 series, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same features relative to Annex 100.

[0068] Another example is envisioned in which the hair care appliance 10 does not include a handle unit 12 and accessories 100, 200, but is a single unit, for example, in the form of the handle unit 12 and accessories 100, 200 combined as described above.

Claims

1. An attachment for a hair care appliance, the attachment comprising an annular portion and a dome-shaped portion removably attached to the annular portion, wherein the annular portion comprises: An airflow channel that extends through the annular portion; and An air outlet, the air outlet being arranged to direct air into the airflow channel; When the dome-shaped portion is attached to the annular portion, the dome-shaped portion at least partially restricts the airflow leaving the airflow channel.

2. The appendix according to claim 1, wherein, The air outlet is located in the airflow channel.

3. The appendix according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The air outlet is annular.

4. The appendix according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The airflow channel is circular or elliptical.

5. The appendix according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The annular portion includes an inner wall and an outer wall, and the airflow channel is defined by the inner wall.

6. The appendix according to claim 5, wherein, The air outlet is configured to guide airflow along the surface of the inner wall.

7. The appendix according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The air outlet is defined by the gap between the inner wall and the outer wall.

8. The appendix according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein, The air outlet extends along at least a portion of the circumference of the inner wall.

9. The appendix according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein, The annular portion includes an air inlet, and the inner wall and the outer wall define a conduit therebetween for fluidly connecting the air inlet to the air outlet.

10. The appendix according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The airflow channel extends from the first side to the second side through the annular portion.

11. The appendix according to claim 10, wherein, The air guided into the airflow channel moves in a direction from the first side to the second side, and wherein the diameter of the airflow channel on the second side is greater than the diameter of the airflow channel on the first side.

12. The appendix according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The second side includes a connector for removably attaching the dome-shaped portion to the annular portion.

13. The appendix according to claim 12, wherein, The connector includes a magnetic connector.

14. The appendix according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein, The second side includes a recess that is configured to engage with the dome-shaped portion in a snap-fit ​​connection.

15. The appendix according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein, The air outlet is configured to direct air toward the second side.

16. The appendix according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein, The air outlet is located on or toward the first side.

17. The appendix according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The dome-shaped portion includes multiple holes.

18. The appendix according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, When the dome-shaped portion is attached to the annular portion in the use position, the dome-shaped portion protrudes outward from the airflow channel.

19. The appendix according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, When the dome-shaped portion is attached to the annular portion in the retracted position, the dome-shaped portion protrudes inward into the airflow channel.

20. A hair care appliance comprising an airflow generator and an accessory according to any one of the preceding claims.

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