Hair steamer

Abstract

A hair steamer 10 for handheld use, the hair steamer 10 comprising a housing 12 which includes a curved hand-sized side 12a for fitting within a person’s hand, a reservoir 18 within the housing, a fil

Description

The present invention relates to a hair steamer for handheld use. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Hair styling and hair care are part of the daily routine of many people. There are various 5 different types of hair, but curly hair in particular can be more time-consuming to look after than other types. One of the most important steps in curly hair care is to ensure it receives enough moisture. Generally speaking, the most effective way to moisturise curly hair is through a steam treatment. Using steam has several benefits - it lifts the hair cuticle to allow 10 for deep hydration, and it promotes blood flow and circulation, thereby increasing hair growth. It can also be used to detangle and refresh curls. A conventional hair steamer in a hair salon is a bulky floor-standing item and tends to be too expensive for home use. The Q-Redew hair steamer is a newer type of hair i * steamer of a similar shape to a hair dryer. The Q-Redew hair steamer includes an CXI 15 elongate handle, a trigger on the underside of the handle, and a number of prongs, 'l““ emitting steam when the trigger is pressed. It is important not to place the prongs directly on the scalp or skin. Otherwise, it can cause discomfort, skin irritation and / or h- burns. CM The Q-Redew hair steamer is shaped like a hairdryer which can feel somewhat intuitive 20 to a new user, but does mean that it is still a relatively large item. It also means that the steam is emitted at a relatively large distance from the handle, so can be tricky to precisely move the device and apply steam to the intended section of hair. It is an object of the present invention to reduce or substantially obviate the aforementioned problems. 25 STATEMENT OF INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a hair steamer as claimed in claim 1. Optional features are set out in the dependent claims. The hair steamer is a small, handheld device that produces steam from the base 30 (rather than ends of the bristles) to reduce or avoid irritation of the scalp by the steam. This advantageously provides a lightweight device suitable for one-handed use in haircare for curlier hair textures, where the bristles can be safely engaged with the scalp. The device can be held almost entirely within the palm of your hand, and is small enough to fit in a travel bag. The bristles are spread out across most or all of the base 5 of the device, which is the side of the device that faces the user’s hair during use. Having the bristles directly opposite (and close to) the curved side being held by the user during use makes it easy to accurately position the device. The hair steamer can function as both a hairbrush and a hair steamer at the same time. This minimises the time required for haircare by a person styling or otherwise looking 10 after curly hair. Use of the device helps to moisturise curly hair, as well as promoting blood flow and circulation, and aiding detangling and restyling. For the purposes of this patent specification, the term ‘steam’ is intended to mean heated water vapour. That is, the body of the device is small enough to be easily held within a hand, with the 15 hand-sized side having a footprint substantially no larger than a human hand with the digits outstretched (with some leeway for gaps between the digits). The curved side of the housing may be convex or domed in order to fit within a palmar region (or the palm and the digits) of a person holding the device. The curved side may include a planar top and a curved region around the planar top. 20 This contrasts with conventional hair steamers which are sized and shaped more like a hair dryer, with a large portion of such a device being unable to fit completely within a person’s hand. On the other hand, the convex or domed side fits nicely within the hand during use, with the bristles facing away from the user’s open palm and fingers. For example, the hair steamer may be no more than about 15cm or 20cm in length 25 (being measured in a direction which in use corresponds to the length of the device longitudinally along the hand from fingers to wrist). The hair steamer may be no more than about 10cm or 15 cm in width (being measured in a direction which in use corresponds to the width of the device laterally across a palm). The handle may be on the convex or domed side of the housing. The handle may be 30 releasably connectable to the housing, such as near or at the apex of the curved side. The handle preferably overlies the brush, instead of being offset to one side like a hairbrush handle. The handle may have a screw connection to the housing. The hand-sized side of the housing may have an approximately or generally half-ellipsoidal or hemispherical exterior. The housing may be substantially fixed or static during use. This substantially avoids 5 having moving parts (aside from any flex in the bristles) which can unintentionally catch hair. The reservoir and / or the heating element may be disposed between the base and the curved side of the housing. The apertures are each positioned at or around a base end of respective bristles. This 10 can encourage steam from each aperture to travel along each bristle into the hair during use of the hair steamer. The base may include a plurality of raised areas. Each raised area may include one or more of the plurality of bristles. Each raised area may define a chamber within the base, optionally below the respective bristle. Each raised area may include one or 15 more of the plurality of apertures. These features are intended to reduce the likelihood of steam irritating or burning the scalp. It is believed that the raised areas (and corresponding lower areas of the base, in between the raised areas) allow better steam circulation during use, providing a space for hotter steam to move away from the scalp. 20 Each bristle may include a closed distal end for preventing the steam from exiting the bristle at the closed distal end. The distal end of the bristle may be rounded. Each bristle may be substantially conical in shape, tapering away from the base. This substantially avoids steam exiting the bristle directly at the scalp. The rounded end mitigates scratching of the bristle on the scalp. 25 Each aperture in the base may be substantially coaxial with one of the plurality of bristles. Aligning the apertures with the bristles provides a degree of control over the flow direction of steam immediately after exiting the base apertures. For example, a given aperture may be substantially coaxial with a central longitudinal axis of a respective 30 bristle. In another example, the apertures may be offset from each bristle. Where one aperture is aligned with a given bristle, that aperture may be wider than the base end of that bristle. Where multiple apertures in the base are aligned with a given bristle, each aperture in that set of apertures may be positioned around the bristle in an area which has a diameter which is wider than the base end of that bristle. That is, 5 the distance from aperture to aperture on opposite sides of the bristle should exceed the diameter of the base end of the bristle. The base end of each bristle may be substantially circular. Each aperture in the base may be non-circular, such as a square or another regular polygon, although rectangular and other profiles may be used. For example, the aperture(s) may be 10 substantially circular or arc-shaped or triangular for arrangement around the base of a particular bristle. An aperture in the base can therefore be coaxial with a bristle but portions of the aperture will still be disposed outside the base of the bristle for releasing steam around the bristle. LD 15 The handle may be on the opposite side of the housing to the brush. CM The handle includes a stem for fitting between a pair of fingers. The handle includes a cap which is wider than the stem. The handle may be considered to be substantially mushroom-shaped. This makes it more comfortable to hold the hair steamer for an extended period of time. 20 Control means may be provided for controlling the amount of steam released during use. The control means may include a valve and a control on the housing for operating the valve. The control may be disposed on the handle, such as on the cap. The rate of steam release from the base can therefore be adjusted as desired. The control may be a dial that adjusts the rate of steam release from the base, for example 25 by adjusting the degree to which the valve is open. The control means may control the transfer of water from the reservoir to the heating element. The control means may control the transfer of steam from the heating element or reservoir to the plurality of apertures. The control means may have a maximum limit which prevents excess water or steam throughput to ensure continued steam 30 generation. 27 01 25 The control may be a dial. The control may include two or more steam generation settings, e.g. high and low. In some cases, the control may include three or more steam generation settings, e.g. high, medium and low. In some cases, the control may provide variable control over the rate of steam generation or release from the base. 5 Setting the control or dial to a particular steam setting allows for continuous steam generation whilst shaping, styling or otherwise caring for hair when using the device. In the first case, limiting or controlling the transfer of water to the heating element provides control over the total amount of steam generated. In the second case, an excess of steam may be generated but the amount of steam which is released is 10 controlled. Each bristle may be spaced apart on the base from each other bristle. The bristles may be spaced apart from their nearest neighbours by at least about 1 cm, or at least about 1.5 cm, or by at least 2 cm or more. That is, the bristles may be widely spaced. Each bristle may be flexible or semi-rigid. That is, rigid on the application of a small 15 force, but flexing when the force exceeds a particular threshold. Each bristle may be resilient. Each bristle may be made of silicone. The brush may be made of silicone. Silicone is easy to clean and hygienic. The bristles may be integrally formed with the base. This ensures that the bristles and apertures are provided in a suitable predetermined alignment or arrangement. 20 A subset of the bristles may be substantially the same length for stably standing the hair steamer with the bristles in contact with a flat surface. The heating element may include a metal body or plate for receiving mains current. This allows for rapid electrical heating and consistent steam generation during use. Water droplets can be fed onto the surface of the body or plate and readily vapourised 25 into steam. However, it is also envisaged that a ceramic body could be used if suitable for electric or resistive heating. The device may include a mains power cable for heating the heating element. This avoids the need to include a battery in the device, which would add to the overall weight and require more effort to lift and move the device during use. The filling aperture or conduit may be provided on the opposite side of the housing to the brush. The housing may include a window portion or display for viewing the amount of water in the reservoir. The window may extend along the side of the housing, from around 5 the base towards the hand-sized side. It is therefore easy to see when the reservoir needs to be filled or re-filled. The reservoir may have a volume or capacity for containing water substantially in the range 100 ml to 500 ml. The reservoir may hold at least 150ml or 200ml of water. This provides enough water in the device for steaming a person’s hair whilst keeping the 10 device lightweight enough for comfortable one-handed operation. The position of the reservoir adjacent to the housing, which fits within the hand during use, means that greater control over the mass of the full reservoir is possible compared to a conventional hair steamer. The housing may be made from a heat-proof material or a substantially heat-insulating LO 15 material. This mitigates heat transfer from the heating element to the user’s hand C\l during use. The distance from a distal end of one of the bristles to the curved side of the housing may be substantially no greater than about 10 cm, or preferably no greater than about 8 cm. This assumes the measurement is taken along a longitudinal axis of the 20 respective bristle, which intersects the curved side. That is, the depth of the hair steamer from the bristle ends (e.g. a middle bristle) to the top / centre of the curved side may be no more than 10cm or so. This makes it easy to accurate position the hair steamer by hand, since it can be held with your hand in an open position (i.e. open-palmed). You can intuitively place your 25 hand where you want the device to apply steam, rather than concentrating on how to move your arm and rotate your wrist as you might when holding a hair dryer or similarly shaped device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it 30 may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a hair steamer; Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the hair steamer of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional illustration of part of a heating element and brush portion of another embodiment of hair steamer. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 5 Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, a handheld hair steamer is indicated generally at 10. The hair steamer 10 includes a housing (or casing) 12. The housing 12 is made of plastic in this embodiment, such as polypropylene (PP). The housing 12 is manufactured by injection moulding. In other embodiments, the housing may be made of a thermally-insulating material, or thermally insulated from other elements of the hair 10 steamer 10. The housing 12 includes a curved or domed side 12a which is generally shaped like half an ellipsoid. The housing side 12a is approximately hand-sized. That is, the top side 12a of the housing 12 is sized to fit substantially into an open hand (or an unclenched hand). The housing 12 also includes a circumferential sidewall 12b 15 connected to the convex side 12a. A push-fit or snap-fit handle connection 12c is provided on the top side 12a, offset from the centre. A filling aperture 12d is provided through the connection 12c. The hair steamer 10 is mains-powered and has a mains power cable 14 (partially illustrated) extending from a side of the housing 12 for powering the device. 20 A water reservoir or tank, indicated generally at 18, is provided within the housing 12. An oval aperture 16 is provided through the housing as a window for viewing the level of water within the reservoir 18. A fill line 20 is marked on the reservoir 18 near the top of the aperture 12c. The reservoir can hold 200ml in this embodiment, but may hold up to 500ml or as little as 100ml in other embodiments. 25 The reservoir 18 is made of plastic in this embodiment, such as polycarbonate (PC). The reservoir 18 is manufactured by injection moulding. The reservoir 18 includes an upper part 18a and a lower part 19a. The upper part 18a is translucent or transparent to allow the fill level to be determined through the window in the housing 12. The upper part 18a is shaped substantially similarly to the housing 12, for fitting snugly 30 within the housing 12. The upper part 18a has a curved or convex upper side 18b and a circumferential side wall 18c. There are also fixing points or connection areas (e.g. screw holes) spaced around the sidewall in integrally-formed recesses 18d. The lower part 19a is plate-like and is connected to the upper part 18a so as to provide a watertight seal. The lower part 19a includes a central planar plate 19b sized to fit within a perimeter of the upper part 18a, a sidewall 19c depending from a perimeter of the plate 19b, and a rim or flange 19d around the perimeter of the sidewall 19c. Fixing 5 means such as screws 20 may connect the rim 19d of the lower part to corresponding connection areas on the upper part 18a, e.g. via holes in the rim. An aperture 19e is provided through the lower part 18b for allowing water to exit the reservoir 18 during use. Another aperture 19f is provided as a filling aperture for allowing water into the reservoir 18. The apertures 19f, 12d are aligned with each other 10 or form a conduit into the reservoir 18. A valve arrangement, indicated generally at 22, is provided in a flow path out of the aperture 19f to control the rate at which water can exit the reservoir 18 during use. The valve 22 is outside the reservoir 18 in this embodiment. The valve 22 is rotatable to vary the amount of water that can pass through. The flow rate of the water should be 15 relatively low, such that liquid water cannot substantially accumulate at the heating LO Z? * element (see below). The valve 22 can be secured to the outside of the reservoir 18 C\J by fixing means such as screws 24. A handle 26 is attachable to the housing 12 at the handle connection 12c. The handle 26 is removable to provide access to pour water into the reservoir 18 via the filling CM 20 aperture. When the handle 26 is on the housing 12, the reservoir 18 is sealed at the filling aperture end. The handle 26 is made of plastic in this embodiment, such as polypropylene (PP). The handle 26 is manufactured by injection moulding. The handle 26 includes a stem portion 26a connected to the housing 12, and a cap portion 26b connected to the stem portion 26a. The stem portion 26a includes a stem 25 26c for connection to the housing 12. The stem 26c is thin enough to slot between a pair of fingers. The stem 26c widens upwardly to have an oval perimeter. The cap portion 26b is similarly oval-shaped for closing the open end of the stem portion 26a. Apertures through the cap portion 26b are provided for receiving an indicator light, a power switch or button, and a control or dial. 30 The portions 26a, 26b are secured together by releasable fixing means, such as screws, or by a snap-fit connection for example. The stem portion 26a can be secured to the housing by a snap-fit connection, or by screws 28 for example. It will be appreciated that the part or all of the handle may be releasably connected to the housing in other embodiments. For example, the handle may be screwed onto a corresponding portion of the housing in some embodiments, which can help prevent accidental leaks from the device. A PCB or electronic controller 30 is provided within the handle 26. The PCB 30 includes 5 a power switch or button 30a for turning the device on / off, and an indicator light 30b for indicating whether the device is on and / or whether it is ready to use. A control dial 32 is provided on top of the handle 26. The dial 32 is connected to the valve arrangement 22 via a rod or plunger 34. The dial 32 can be rotated to increase or decrease the amount of steam being released by the device. An O-ring is provided 10 beneath the dial 32. The rod 34 passes through the aperture 19e in the lower part of the reservoir 18 in order to connect to the valve arrangement 22. Considering the valve arrangement in more detail, the arrangement 22 includes two bodies each in the shape of a figure-of-eight. That is, two circular portions joined at the side, either directly or by a linear bridge. 15 A retainer cap is indicated generally at 36. The retainer cap 36 has a figure-of-eight body including first and second circular sections. Apertures 36a, 36b are provided in each of the circular sections. Four apertured flanges 36c are spaced around the retainer cap for receiving fixing means to secure the valve arrangement 22 to the reservoir 18. An apertured protrusion 36d on one of the circular sections is coaxial with 20 the relevant aperture 36b. A valve plug is indicated generally at 38. The valve plug 38 has a figure-of-eight body, smaller than that of the retainer cap 36, which includes first and second circular sections sized to fit within the respective circular sections of the retainer cap 36. The first circular section of the valve plug has a valve element 38a. The second circular 25 section of the valve plug has an aperture 38b and corresponding apertured protrusion 38c depending from the aperture 38b, through which the protrusion 36d and aperture 36b are arranged. Rotation of the rod 34 via the dial controls the relative orientation of the end of the rod 34 in that section, thereby controlling the amount of steam released. A heating element 40 is provided adjacent to the lower part 19a of the reservoir 18. 30 The heating element 40 is in the form of a steel plate (or another metal plate) in this embodiment. The steel plate is connected to the mains cable 14 for electrically heating the element 40. The plate 40 includes a central planar portion 40a, a sidewall 40b depending from a perimeter of the central planar portion 40a, and a rim or flange 40c around the perimeter of the sidewall 40b. Screw or bolt holes are provided through the rim 40c for receiving corresponding fixing means. An oval cut-out 40d is provided in the central planar portion 40a, and the rim or flange 40c forms a floor of the oval cutout region. The planar region 40a thus has a cross-section which is crescent-shaped. 5 An aperture 40e is provided through the floor of the oval cut-out region. A brush (or brush-like portion), indicated generally at 42, is provided adjacent to the underside of the heating element 40. The brush 42 includes a base 42a. The base 42a is substantially oval to correspond to the shape of the heating element 40. The base 42a is made of silicone in this embodiment. The base 42a is made by injection 10 moulding. The base 42a has a plurality of through apertures, some which are indicated at 42b. There are twenty-one apertures 42b in this embodiment, and the through apertures are square in cross-section. However, it will be appreciated that other sizes, shapes and numbers of apertures may be used in other embodiments. LO 15 The base 42a includes a peripheral sidewall 42c which seals against or adjacent to the C\l heating element 30. This provides a chamber in the steam flow path in which steam can accumulate and exit via the through apertures 42b during use. The base 42a includes a plurality of bristles, indicated generally at 44. The bristles 44 are widely spaced apart from each other across the underside (i.e. the outward facing 20 side) of the base 42a. The bristles 44 are arranged on substantially parallel axes. Rows of bristles 44 extend across the base 42a. Each bristle 44 may be considered to be an elongate protrusion. Each bristle 44 is substantially conical in shape, with a rounded distal end. Each bristle 44 is the same length in this embodiment, but in other embodiments there two sets of bristles where one set is longer than the other set. Each 25 bristle may be substantially hollow. Each bristle 44 is semi-rigid. Each bristle 44 can flex to an extent, under sufficient force, but is resilient enough to return to shape. In this embodiment, there are twenty-one bristles 44 corresponding to the twenty-one apertures 42b. Each bristle 44 is co-aligned with one of the through apertures 42b. Corners of each 30 aperture 42b surround the circular base of each bristle 44 and steam tends to exit generally along the bristle (or part of the length of the bristle). Each aperture 42b is wider than its corresponding bristle, as measured at the bristle base. Note that the four corners of a given aperture only appear to be separate apertures when seen around a bristle base at the exterior of the device. However, in other embodiments, multiple independent (non-linked) apertures may be provided per bristle, i.e. where the apertures are not part of a single aperture underneath the bristle. 10 15 20 25 30 Figure 3 illustrates a variant of part of the brush portion 42’ in cross-section. The heating element 40’ is spaced above the base 42a’ by a flow chamber 4T. The steam flow path is indicated by arrows S. In this embodiment, the base 42’ includes a plurality of raised areas 46’. The raised areas form secondary chambers 48’ which are connected to the main chamber 4T. A bristle 44’ and an aperture 42b’ are provided on each raised area 46’. In this embodiment, each bristle 44’ may tilt by flexing of the raised area 46’. The bristles may be solid in this embodiment. This variant may be provided in the hair steamer of Figures 1 and 2 in some embodiments. In use, the hair steamer 10 is filled with water and switched on. The dial is turned to adjust the amount of steam emitted. The valve arrangement 22 defines a water flow path from the reservoir 18 to the heating element 40. When the valve is partly or fully open, water can exit at a suitable rate from the reservoir 18 and into contact with the heated plate 40. The heated element 40 should be hot enough during use for water to vapourise on contact or shortly thereafter. The valve arrangement 22 also defines a steam flow path from the heating element 40 to the brush 42. The steam or heated water vapour can then pass through the aperture 36a and out of the second aperture 36b to reach the brush 42 and exit via the apertures 42b. Note that the water and steam flow paths may if desired be defined by separate components or conduits in other embodiments, rather than both the valve arrangement 22. It should also be noted that not every bristle needs to have a steam-emitting aperture, and not every steam-emitting aperture needs to be positioned beneath a bristle, although in the embodiment described above each bristle is positioned over an aperture. The embodiments described above are provided by way of example only, and various changes and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

10151. A hair steamer for handheld use, the hair steamer comprisinga housing which includes a curved side for fitting within a person’s hand and an opposing side which includes a brush, in which a handle extends away from the curved side of the housing, the handle including a stem for fitting between a pair of fingers, and a cap which is wider than the stem for fitting over the pair of fingers;a reservoir within the housing, and a filling aperture or conduit connected to the reservoir for filling the reservoir with water; anda heating element for in use generating steam from water from the reservoir;the brush including a base for receiving steam generated by the heating element, a plurality of spaced bristles extending from the base in a direction away from the housing, and a plurality of apertures in the base for releasing steam from the base during use, in which each aperture is positioned at or around a base end of one of the plurality of bristles.

2. A hair steamer as claimed in claim 1, in which the handle is releasably connectable to the housing.

3. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the curved side of CM 20 the housing is approximately hemispherical or half-ellipsoidal in shape.

4. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the base includes a plurality of raised areas, each raised area including at least one of the plurality of bristles and at least one of the plurality of apertures.

5. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which there is at least one 25 aperture in the base for every bristle on the base.

6. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each aperture in the base is coaxial with one of the plurality of bristles.

7. A hair steamer as claimed in claim 6, in which the sole aperture aligned with a given bristle is wider than the base end of that bristle, or in which the apertures30 aligned with a given bristle are positioned over an area which has a diameterwhich is wider than the base end of that bristle.27 01 258. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the handle extends in a direction perpendicularly away from the base of the brush.

9. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which control means is provided for controlling the amount of steam released during use, the control5 means comprising a valve and a control on the housing for operating the valveto control at least one of: the transfer of water from the reservoir to the heating element, and the transfer of steam to the plurality of apertures.

10. A hair steamer as claimed in claim 9, in which the control is disposed on the cap of the handle.10 11. A hair steamer as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, in which the control includesa rotatable dial.

12. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each bristle is flexible or semi-rigid.

13. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each bristle is 15 conical.

14. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each bristle is made of silicone and / or the brush is made of silicone.

15. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the bristles are integrally formed with the base.20 16. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least some of thebristles are the same length for stably standing the hair steamer with the bristles in contact with a flat surface.

17. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the heating element includes a metal plate or ceramic plate for receiving mains current.25 18. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the filling apertureor conduit is accessible for filling the reservoir with water by disconnecting the handle from the housing.

19. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the housing includes a window portion or display for viewing the amount of water in the reservoir.

20. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the reservoir has a capacity in the range 100 ml to 500 ml.

21. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the housing is made from a heat-proof material or a heat-insulating material.5 22. A hair steamer as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the distance from adistal end of one of the bristles to the curved side of the housing, taken along a longitudinal axis of that bristle, is no greater than 10 cm.27 01 25

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