Hair dryer

Abstract

To suppress increase in body size while improving visibility of an air outlet.SOLUTION: A hair dryer (1) comprises an air outlet part (25) that includes: a plurality of air outlets (21) including a first air outlet (21A) and a second air outlet (21B) that are adjacent to each other; and a light-emitting part (26) installed so as to connect between the first air outlet (21A) and the second air outlet (21B) in front view of the air outlet part (25).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hair dryer. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, hair dryers in which light sources such as light-emitting elements are arranged around an air outlet from which air is blown out are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a hair dryer in which a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged around the outside of a single air outlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-119079 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, while the position of the air outlet can be easily recognized by the light emitting element, it is necessary to secure a space for arranging the light emitting element outside the single air outlet, which poses a problem of the main body size around the air outlet becoming larger.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional art, and aims to prevent the main body size from becoming larger while improving the visibility of the air outlet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a hair dryer according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a blowing section provided downstream of an air passage through which gas flows, and the blowing section includes a plurality of blowing outlets including a first blowing outlet and a second blowing outlet adjacent to each other, and a light-emitting section arranged to connect between the first blowing outlet and the second blowing outlet when viewed from the front of the blowing section. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the visibility of the air outlet while preventing the hair dryer from becoming large. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a hair dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hair dryer shown in FIG. 1 along the line AA. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the hair dryer. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view showing details of a blowing unit included in the hair dryer. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a DD end view of the blowing part shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a plan view showing an example of a light guide member included in the hair dryer shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 5 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing part which is a modified example of the blowing part shown in FIG. [Figure 8] 5 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing section which is another modified example of the blowing section shown in FIG. [Figure 9] 5 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing section which is another modified example of the blowing section shown in FIG. [Figure 10] 5 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing section which is another modified example of the blowing section shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 5 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing section which is another modified example of the blowing section shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Embodiment] (hair dryer) In the present disclosure, a hair dryer that can improve the visibility of the air outlet while suppressing an increase in the size of the main body is realized, but first, the hair dryer in the present disclosure will be described. In the present disclosure, a "hair dryer" refers to a device that can dry hair by a flow of gas (wind). Therefore, the hair dryer also includes a device that can dry other objects (e.g., pet hair) in addition to hair, and a device that can be used for purposes other than drying hair. The hair dryer in the present disclosure is an example of a handheld dryer.

[0010] The hair dryer includes, for example, a device capable of drying hair and blowing gas onto the skin to care for the skin. The temperature of the gas supplied by the hair dryer is not particularly limited. For example, the hair dryer may be capable of supplying at least one of hot air and cold air.

[0011] Here, "cold air" is not defined by an absolute temperature, but refers to air supplied without substantially heating the gas supplied by a heating means such as a heater. In contrast, "hot air" refers to air supplied by heating the gas supplied by a heating means such as a heater.

[0012] The type of gas is not particularly limited. Examples of preferred gases include air, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide. These gases are preferably gases in the temperature range in which the hair dryer is used.

[0013] (Overview of Hair Dryer 1) An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. Fig. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a hair dryer 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hair dryer 1 taken along line AA in Fig. 1.

[0014] 1, the hair dryer 1 includes a substantially cylindrical first body (first housing) 10 that is held by a user, and a substantially cylindrical second body (second housing) 20 that is connected to one end of the first body 10. Note that the shape of the first body 10 is not limited to a substantially cylindrical shape, and may be a polygonal columnar shape as long as it is columnar, and the corners of the polygonal columnar shape may be rounded.

[0015] In the drawings, the direction in which the first main body 10 extends is indicated as the Z direction, the direction perpendicular to the Z direction is indicated as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions is indicated as the Y direction.

[0016] The first body 10 has a shape that extends in one direction (Z direction in the figure) and has a gripping part 14 that is gripped by a user. The first body 10 is provided with an operation part 60 that is composed of a plurality of switches. In addition, the second body 20 is connected to one end of the first body 10, and a power cable 80 is connected to the other end of the first body 10.

[0017] An air intake 13 is disposed between the power cable 80 and the grip portion 14 in the first main body 10. The cross-sectional shape of the air intake 13 may be, for example, elongated or dot-shaped.

[0018] The second body 20 has a shape extending in a direction (Y direction in the figure) substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first body 10 extends, and one end of the second body 20 is closed. In contrast, a blowing section 25 is disposed at the other end of the second body 20. The blowing section 25 is provided with a plurality of blowing outlets 21. Gas passes from the air intake 13 through the first body 10 and the second body 20 to the blowing section 25. The blowing section 25 is also provided with a distance sensor 23 that measures the distance to the object to be dried, and a light-emitting section 26 that indicates the operating state of the hair dryer 1 with a hue or the like.

[0019] The distance sensor 23 may be, for example, of a TOF (Time Of Flight) type, and may have a light emitting section and a light receiving section made of semiconductor lasers. However, the distance sensor 23 is not limited to a TOF type, and may be of another type. The distance sensor 23 measures the distance from the position where the distance sensor 23 is provided to an object (at least a part of the human body (e.g., the scalp, hair, etc.) or a member) that exists in front of the distance sensor 23. When the hair is dried by the hair dryer 1, the distance sensor 23 measures the distance to the hair. Note that the distance sensor 23 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0020] The light-emitting portion 26 is a light-emitting region that illuminates the periphery of each air outlet 21 to make it easier to visually recognize the position of each air outlet 21. The light-emitting portion 26 is configured to emit light when irradiated with light from a light source 30, which will be described later.

[0021] The light emitting unit 26 is provided in a substantially annular shape so as to connect (join) adjacent air outlets 21 when viewed from the front of the air outlet unit 25, in other words, when viewed from the gas flow direction at the air outlet unit 25 (air outlets 21). This allows the light emitting unit 26 to clearly indicate the positions of the air outlets 21. This makes it easier for the user to know where the multiple air outlets 21 are located, and allows the user to consciously hold the hair dryer 1 in a position that is aligned with the hair flow direction.

[0022] The color of the light from the light-emitting unit 26 may change depending on the air temperature, such as red for hot air and blue for cold air, or may be the same color regardless of the air temperature. The light-emitting unit 26 will be described in detail later.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, the hair dryer 1 is provided therein with an ion generating unit 24 that supplies ions to the gas to be blown, and a cylindrical member 40. The ion generating unit 24 has an electrode 24A that protrudes toward the internal space 22 of the second main body 20 from a substrate provided on the back surface of the blowing section 25. Note that reference numeral 22 in Fig. 2 indicates the schematic shape of the internal space by a dashed line, and the cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 shows the schematic overall shape of the internal space including a space portion that is not actually shown.

[0024] The ion generating unit 24 is a unit that generates ions. The ion generating unit 24 may generate at least one of negative ions and positive ions, or may generate both. For example, the electrode 24A of the ion generating unit 24 may include a needle-shaped discharge electrode and a ring-shaped induction electrode that surrounds the periphery of the discharge electrode. In this case, a voltage is applied between the discharge electrode and the induction electrode to generate a corona discharge, and H + Positive ions such as (HO)m and O 2- It is also possible to generate both positive and negative ions such as (H2O)n. The generated positive ions and negative ions are released together with the air blown out from the air outlet 21. Note that the ion generating unit 24 is not essential and may not be provided.

[0025] The ion generating unit 24 according to one embodiment of the present invention is an example of a charged particle supply (generation) mechanism. The charged particle supply (generation) mechanism is a mechanism that supplies (generates) charged particles.

[0026] The term "charged particles" refers to particles that are not electrically neutral, or active species that have been activated to a non-electrically neutral state. Charged particles are not limited to particles that have an electric charge, and include, for example, particles such as atoms and molecules that have no electric charge but have unpaired electrons. Specifically, charged particles include, for example, ions with positive or negative charges, complexes of ions with positive or negative charges, radicals, electrons, protons, and the like.

[0027] The charged particle supply (generation) mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism that supplies (generates) only one type of charged particle, or may be a mechanism that supplies (generates) multiple types of charged particles. The charged particle supply (generation) mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism that supplies (generates) both positive ions or complexes of positive ions (for example, complexes in which positive ions are coordinated with polar molecules such as water molecules) and negative ions or complexes of negative ions (for example, complexes in which negative ions are coordinated with polar molecules such as water molecules). The charged particle supply (generation) mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism that supplies (generates) only one of the complexes of positive ions and negative ions.

[0028] The cylindrical member 40 is a cylindrical member that communicates from the first air passage 12 of the first main body 10 to the internal space 22 of the second main body 20. The cylindrical member 40 houses a heater 41 therein.

[0029] In the hair dryer 1, air sucked into the first air passage 12 from the air intake 13 is blown by the fan (electric blower) 11, heated by the heater 41 as necessary, and then blown out from the air outlet 21 as hot air or cold air to the object to be dried. Each air outlet 21 opens in a second direction 21a different from the first direction 15 in which the first air passage 12 extends. Therefore, hot air or cold air is blown out from each air outlet 21 in the second direction 21a. The angle between the first direction 15 and the second direction 21a may be 90°, but is not limited thereto. A substrate is disposed inside the first body 10 between the fan 11 and the air intake 13, and the substrate is cooled by the air flow generated by the rotation of the fan 11.

[0030] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the hair dryer 1. The hair dryer 1 includes a control unit 50 that controls each part of the hair dryer 1. The control unit 50 controls each part in accordance with a signal input operation from an operation unit 60, for example.

[0031] The operation unit 60 includes an ON / OFF switch 61, a one-shot cold air switch 62, a mode change switch 63, and an air volume change switch 64. When the ON / OFF switch 61 is turned on, power is supplied from the power cable 80 to each part of the hair dryer 1. When the ON / OFF switch 61 is turned off, power supply to each part of the hair dryer 1 is stopped. The one-shot cold air switch 62 transmits a signal notifying the control unit 50 that the switch has been operated every time the switch is operated. The control unit 50 alternately controls the heater 41 to be on / off every time the control unit 50 receives a signal from the one-shot cold air switch 62. Note that the control unit 50 may alternately connect and cut off the power from the power cable 80 to the heater 41 every time the one-shot cold air switch 62 is pressed, without going through the control unit 50. The mode change switch 63 and the air volume change switch 64 transmit a signal notifying the control unit 50 that the switch has been operated every time the switch is operated. The control unit 50 controls the rotation speed of the fan 11, the heat output of the heater 41, and the on / off of the ion generating unit 24 in accordance with signals from the mode change switch 63 and the airflow change switch 64. The control unit 50 also controls the light source 30 in accordance with the operating state of the hair dryer 1, and changes the color, brightness, etc. of the light-emitting unit 26.

[0032] (Blowout section 25) Fig. 4 is a front view showing details of blowing section 25. Fig. 5 is a DD end view of blowing section 25 shown in Fig. 4. Blowing section 25 is provided on the downstream side in the direction in which gas flows in second main body 20. Blowing section 25 is provided with two or more blowing outlets 21, and each blowing outlet 21 communicates with internal space 22 of second main body 20.

[0033] 4, in this embodiment, the blowing section 25 includes four blowing outlets 21: a first blowing outlet 21A, a second blowing outlet 21B, a third blowing outlet 21C, and a fourth blowing outlet 21D. The first to fourth blowing outlets 21A to 21D are arranged in annular fashion in this order. The area of ​​the blowing section 25 where no blowing outlet 21 exists is a closed area from which gas is not blown out, and a wall surface section 27 is provided on the central side (inner side) of the first to fourth blowing outlets 21A to 21D.

[0034] The centroids of the first to fourth air outlets 21A to 21D on the plane on which the air outlet 25 is arranged are represented by centroids P1 to P4. If the intersection of a line connecting the centroids P1 and P3 and a line connecting the centroids P2 and P4 is taken as centroid C, then centroid C roughly coincides with the center of the wall surface 27, and the distance sensor 23 is provided at the position of centroid C. In other words, in this embodiment, a polygon formed by connecting the centroids P1 to P4 with straight lines is a square (quadrilateral), and if the centroid of the square is taken as C, then centroid C roughly coincides with the center of the wall surface 27, and the distance sensor 23 is provided at the position of centroid C.

[0035] In the blowing section 25, the light emitting section 26 is provided so as to connect between the adjacent blowing outlets 21. In other words, the light emitting section 26 is provided so as to be at least partially located between the adjacent blowing outlets 21 in the arrangement direction of the multiple blowing outlets 21. In this embodiment, the light emitting section 26 is provided in four independent arc shapes so as to individually connect between the first blowing outlet 21A and the second blowing outlet 21B, between the second blowing outlet 21B and the third blowing outlet 21C, between the third blowing outlet 21C and the fourth blowing outlet 21D, and between the fourth blowing outlet 21D and the first blowing outlet 21A.

[0036] In this way, for example, the light emitting unit 26 is arranged so as to connect the first air outlet 21A and the second air outlet 21B, so that the size of the main body around the air outlet 25 can be made smaller than in a conventional configuration in which light emitting elements (light sources) are arranged in a row outside a single air outlet. Also, the positions of the first to fourth air outlets 21A to 21D can be grasped by the contrast (light and dark) between the light emitting unit 26 (light) and the air outlet 21 (dark). Therefore, the visibility of the multiple air outlets 21 can be improved while preventing the main body size from becoming large.

[0037] In this embodiment, the multiple air outlets 21 are arranged in a ring shape, and the light emitting units 26 are provided between every two adjacent air outlets 21 in the arrangement direction of the multiple air outlets 21. In other words, the multiple air outlets 21 and the multiple light emitting units 26 are arranged alternately in a ring shape. This allows the location of the air outlet 21 to be identified by the contrast between the light emitting units 26 and the air outlets 21 arranged in a ring shape.

[0038] The arrangement of the multiple air outlets 21 is not limited to a circular shape. The multiple air outlets 21 may be arranged in a straight line or other shapes. In addition, the air outlets 21 and the light-emitting unit 26 do not need to be connected without a gap, and there may be a gap (spacing) between the air outlets 21 and the light-emitting unit 26.

[0039] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the blowing section 25 includes a wall surface portion 27 located closer to the center than the plurality of blowing ports 21 in a front view of the blowing section 25, and a base portion 28 arranged at an interval on the back side of the wall surface portion 27 and having an annular side wall portion 28A surrounding the periphery of the wall surface portion 27. The wall surface portion 27 is a front panel of the blowing section 25, and is attached to the base portion 28 or the like. The wall surface portion 27 is provided with a rib 27A that extends in an L-shape toward the base portion 28 at its peripheral end portion, and this rib 27A is provided over the entire peripheral end portion and is annular. The base portion 28 is, for example, integral with the second main body 20, and constitutes a part of the second main body 20.

[0040] The blow-out section 25 includes a light source 30 such as an LED that emits light L to the light-emitting section 26. The light source 30 is provided on the back side of the wall surface section 27, that is, between the wall surface section 27 and the base section 28. By providing the light source 30 away from the blow-out opening 21 in this manner, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of malfunctions of the light source 30 caused by the heat of the warm air, compared to a conventional configuration in which a light source is provided around the blow-out opening.

[0041] In this embodiment, one light source 30 is provided between each of the four air outlets between the first air outlet 21A and the second air outlet 21B, between the second air outlet 21B and the third air outlet 21C, between the third air outlet 21C and the fourth air outlet 21D, and between the fourth air outlet 21D and the first air outlet 21A. That is, four light sources 30 are provided corresponding to the four arc-shaped light emitting units 26. As can be seen from FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the light source 30 is provided so that the direction of the optical axis of the light L emitted from the light source 30 passes through the middle between the first air outlet 21A and the fourth air outlet 21D. Similarly, each light source 30 is provided so that the direction of the optical axis of the light L emitted from the other light sources 30 passes through the middle between the two air outlets located on both sides of each light emitting unit 26 illuminated by each light source 30. This structure prevents one of the air outlet sides from being bright and the other from being dark, allowing the light emitting section 26 to emit light uniformly.

[0042] The light source 30 is mounted on a mounting board 29 arranged on the back side of the wall surface portion 27. The light source 30 is arranged in a direction that emits light L in a direction along the plate surface of the mounting board 29 (X direction). The blowing portion 25 also includes a light guide member 31 that guides the light L from the light source 30 to the light emitting portion 26, and the light guide member 31 is arranged between the light source 30 and the light emitting portion 26. This allows the light L from the light source 30, which is emitted in a direction along the plate surface of the mounting board 29, to be efficiently guided to the side wall portion 28A by the light guide member 31.

[0043] Side wall portion 28A is provided outside wall surface portion 27, in other words, outside multiple air outlets 21 and light-emitting portion 26. Side wall portion 28A may include reflecting portion 28B that reflects light L from light source 30 toward the side where gas is blown out from air outlet 21. Reflecting portion 28B may be, for example, an inclined surface formed by inclining the inner wall of side wall portion 28A toward the side where gas is blown out from air outlet 21. Thereby, light L from light source 30 is reflected by reflecting portion 28B, so that light-emitting portion 26 can emit light more brightly.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of the light guide member 31 shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the light guide member 31 has, for example, a substantially fan-shaped shape in a front view of the blowing unit 25. The light guide member 31 has an incident end 31A that receives light from the light source 30 and an exit end 31B that emits light to the light emitting unit 26, and the exit end 31B may be wider than the incident end 31A. This allows the light emitting unit 26 to emit light over a wider area. In this embodiment, one light guide member 31 is provided between each of the four blowing outlets between the first blowing outlet 21A and the second blowing outlet 21B, between the second blowing outlet 21B and the third blowing outlet 21C, between the third blowing outlet 21C and the fourth blowing outlet 21D, and between the fourth blowing outlet 21D and the first blowing outlet 21A. That is, four light guide members 31 are provided.

[0045] The light guide member 31 may have a shape in which the above-mentioned four substantially sector-shaped light guide members 31 are integrated together. That is, the light guide member 31 may have a shape other than a substantially sector shape. For example, the light guide member 31 may have a circular shape when viewed from the front of the blow-out unit 25. In this case, the circular light guide member 31 may have a recess for accommodating the light source 30 near its center. This allows the entire peripheral surface of the circular light guide member 31 to function as the emission end portion 31B, so that the light emitting unit 26 can emit light over a wider area.

[0046] Furthermore, the light guide member 31 may be disposed at a position where it is difficult to directly view from the outside. In this embodiment, the rib 27A extending in an L-shape at the peripheral end of the wall surface portion 27 makes the light guide member 31 difficult to view. This allows the light emitting portion 26 to be indirectly illuminated. As another configuration, the light guiding member 31 may be configured as an inclined surface inclined toward the opposite side to the wall surface portion 27 so that the light guiding member 31 is difficult to view from the outside. The light guiding member 31 may be disposed at a position where it is directly viewable from the outside.

[0047] Note that multiple light sources 30 may be placed directly at the position of the light-emitting unit 26 to cause the light-emitting unit 26 to emit light. In this case, however, it is necessary to use a large number of light sources 30 to cause the light-emitting unit 26 to emit light uniformly, and malfunctions of the light sources 30 caused by the heat of the warm air are more likely to occur than in this embodiment. Therefore, if it is desired to reduce malfunctions of the light sources 30 caused by the heat of the warm air, it is preferable to place the light sources 30 away from the air outlet 21 as in this embodiment, and guide the light L from the light sources 30 to cause the light-emitting unit 26 to emit light.

[0048] (Effect of hair dryer 1) Thus, the hair dryer 1 according to this embodiment includes the blowing section 25 provided downstream of the air passage through which the gas flows. The blowing section 25 includes a plurality of blowing outlets 21 including the first blowing outlet 21A and the second blowing outlet 21B adjacent to each other, and a light emitting section 26 arranged to connect between the first blowing outlet 21A and the second blowing outlet 21B when viewed from the front of the blowing section 25.

[0049] In the hair dryer 1, the light emitting unit 26 is arranged so as to connect the first air outlet 21A and the second air outlet 21B, so that the size of the main body around the air outlet can be made smaller than in a conventional configuration in which light emitting elements are arranged in a row outside a single air outlet. Also, the position of the air outlet 21 can be grasped by the contrast (light and dark) between the light emitting unit 26 (light) and the air outlet 21 (dark). Therefore, according to this embodiment, the visibility of the air outlet 21 is improved while the size of the main body is prevented from becoming large, and the maneuverability of the hair dryer 1 can be improved.

[0050] [Modifications] Fig. 7 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing unit 251 which is a modified example of the blowing unit 25 shown in Fig. 4. As in the blowing unit 251 shown in Fig. 7, the number of blowing outlets 21 may be two. Furthermore, the light emitting unit 26 may be provided surrounding each of the multiple blowing outlets 21. This allows the entire periphery of the blowing outlets 21 to be illuminated, making it easier to visually confirm the position of each blowing outlet 21.

[0051] Fig. 8 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing section 252 which is another modified example of the blowing section 25 shown in Fig. 4. As in the blowing section 252 shown in Fig. 8, the number of blowing outlets 21 may be three. Also, the light emitting section 26 may be provided to connect adjacent blowing outlets 21 among the three blowing outlets 21 arranged in a ring shape and to surround each of the blowing outlets 21. In this way, the light emitting section 26 can emit light in a ring shape and illuminate the entire periphery of the blowing outlet 21, making it easy to visually confirm the position of each blowing outlet 21.

[0052] FIG. 9 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing section 253 which is another modified example of the blowing section 25 shown in FIG. 4. As in the blowing section 253 shown in FIG. 9, the number of blowing outlets 21 may be five. In the illustrated example, the five blowing outlets 21 are arranged in a cross shape. Specifically, the multiple blowing outlets 21 may be arranged to include four outer blowing outlets 21E arranged in a ring shape and one inner blowing outlet 21F located inside the four outer blowing outlets 21E. In addition, the light emitting section 26 may be provided so as to connect between the outer blowing outlet 21E and the inner blowing outlet 21F which are adjacent to each other. This allows the light emitting section 26 to emit light radially from the inner blowing outlet 21F as the center. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the light emitting section 26 may be provided so as to connect between the adjacent blowing outlets 21 of the four outer blowing outlets 21E arranged in a ring shape.

[0053] Fig. 10 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing unit 254 which is another modified example of the blowing unit 25 shown in Fig. 4. As in the blowing unit 254 shown in Fig. 10, the light emitting units 26 may be provided in parallel to each other across the respective blowing outlets 21 so as to individually connect one end and the other end of each of the plurality of blowing outlets 21 arranged in a straight line. This allows the blowing outlets 21 to be located in an area sandwiched between the light emitting units 26, making it easier to visually confirm the position of each blowing outlet 21.

[0054] Fig. 11 is a front view showing a main part of a blowing section 255 which is another modified example of the blowing section 25 shown in Fig. 4. As in the blowing section 255 shown in Fig. 11, the light emitting section 26 may be provided between every two adjacent blowing outlets 21 among the three blowing outlets 21 arranged in a ring shape. In this way, the three blowing outlets 21 and the three light emitting sections 26 may be arranged alternately in a ring shape.

[0055] 11, there may be a gap (spacing) between the air outlet 21 and the light emitting section 26. In other words, the light emitting section 26 only needs to be provided between two adjacent air outlets 21 among the plurality of air outlets 21 so as to extend in a direction connecting the two air outlets 21 (for example, having a longitudinal direction), and the air outlet 21 and the light emitting section 26 do not need to be connected. Even in this case, the air outlet 21 is located in a region sandwiched between the light emitting sections 26 in the annular arrangement direction, so that the position of each air outlet 21 can be easily visually recognized.

[0056] 〔summary〕 The hair dryer according to aspect 1 of the present invention comprises a blowing section provided downstream of an air passage through which gas flows, the blowing section including a plurality of blowing outlets including a first blowing outlet and a second blowing outlet adjacent to each other, and a light-emitting section arranged to connect between the first blowing outlet and the second blowing outlet when viewed from the front of the blowing section.

[0057] In the above configuration, the light emitting unit is arranged to connect the first and second air outlets, so the size of the main body around the air outlet can be made smaller than in a conventional configuration in which a light emitting element is arranged outside a single air outlet. Also, the position of the air outlet can be grasped by the contrast (light and dark) between the light emitting unit (light) and the air outlet (dark). Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the main body size from becoming larger while improving the visibility of the air outlet.

[0058] In the hair dryer according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in the first aspect, the multiple air outlets may be arranged in a circular shape, and the light-emitting unit may be provided between every two adjacent air outlets in the arrangement direction of the multiple air outlets.

[0059] According to the above configuration, for example, by arranging a plurality of air outlets and a plurality of light-emitting elements alternately in a ring shape, the location of the air outlet can be ascertained by the contrast between the air outlets and the light-emitting elements arranged in a ring shape.

[0060] In the hair dryer according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the light emitting section may be provided surrounding each of the plurality of air outlets.

[0061] According to this configuration, the entire periphery of the air outlets can be illuminated, making it easier to visually confirm the position of each air outlet.

[0062] In the hair dryer according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in any one of aspects 1 to 3, the blowing section may further include a wall section located more centrally than the plurality of blowing outlets when viewed from the front, and may further include a light source provided on the back side of the wall section and emitting light to the light-emitting section.

[0063] In the above configuration, the light source is provided away from the air outlet, and therefore, compared to a conventional configuration in which the light sources are arranged in a row around the air outlet, the above configuration can reduce the occurrence of malfunctions of the light source caused by the heat of the hot air.

[0064] In the hair dryer according to aspect 5 of the present invention, in accordance with aspect 4, the blowing section further includes a side wall section located outside the wall section when viewed from the front, and the side wall section may have a reflective section that reflects light from the light source toward the side where gas is blown out from the blowing outlet.

[0065] According to this configuration, the light from the light source is reflected by the reflecting portion, so that the light emitting portion can emit light more brightly.

[0066] In the hair dryer according to aspect 6 of the present invention, in aspect 4 or 5, the blowing section may further include a light-guiding member provided between the light source and the light-emitting section, which guides light from the light source to the light-emitting section.

[0067] According to the above configuration, the light from the light source can be efficiently guided to the light emitting portion.

[0068] In the hair dryer according to aspect 7 of the present invention, in aspect 6, the light-guiding member has an incident end into which light from the light source is incident and an exit end into which light is emitted to the light-emitting element, and the exit end may be wider than the incident end when viewed from the front.

[0069] According to the above configuration, the light emitting portion can emit light over a wider area.

[0070] In a hair dryer according to aspect 8 of the present invention, in accordance with aspect 1, the multiple air outlets may include a plurality of outer air outlets arranged in a ring shape and an inner air outlet located within the plurality of outer air outlets, and the light-emitting unit may be arranged to connect between the multiple outer air outlets and the inner air outlet.

[0071] According to this configuration, the light emitting portion can emit light radially from the inner air outlet.

[0072] In the hair dryer according to aspect 9 of the present invention, in any one of aspects 4 to 7, the blowing section is arranged on the back side of the wall section and further includes a mounting board on which the light source is mounted, and the light source may emit light in a direction along the plate surface of the mounting board.

[0073] According to the above configuration, light emitted from the light source in a direction along the surface of the mounting board can be guided to the light emitting portion, causing the reflecting portion to emit light.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the embodiment. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1: Hair dryer 21:Air outlet 21A: 1st air outlet (air outlet) 21B: 2nd outlet (outlet) 21C: 3rd outlet (outlet) 21D: 4th outlet (outlet) 21E: Outside air outlet (air outlet) 21F: Inner air outlet (air outlet) 25, 251-255: Outlet section 26: Light emitting part 27: Wall section 28A: Side wall part 28B:Reflector 29: Mounting board 30:Light source 31: Light guide member 31A:Incidence end 31B: Output end

Claims

1. A blowing section is provided on the downstream side of an air passage through which the gas flows, The blowing unit includes: A plurality of air outlets including a first air outlet and a second air outlet adjacent to each other; a light emitting unit arranged to connect the first air outlet and the second air outlet when viewed from the front of the air outlet unit; Including a hair dryer.

2. The plurality of air outlets are arranged in a circular shape, The hair dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitting section is provided between every two of the air outlets adjacent to each other in an arrangement direction of the plurality of air outlets.

3. The hair dryer according to claim 2 , wherein the light emitting section is provided surrounding each of the plurality of air outlets.

4. The hair dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitting section is provided surrounding each of the plurality of air outlets.

5. The air outlet portion further includes a wall portion located closer to the center than the plurality of air outlets in the front view, The hair dryer according to claim 1 , further comprising a light source provided on a rear side of the wall portion and configured to emit light to the light emitting portion.

6. The blowing portion further includes a side wall portion located outside the wall portion in the front view, The hair dryer according to claim 5 , wherein the side wall portion has a reflecting portion that reflects the light from the light source toward a side where the gas is blown out from the air outlet.

7. The hair dryer according to claim 5 , wherein the blowing unit further includes a light guiding member provided between the light source and the light emitting unit and configured to guide the light from the light source to the light emitting unit.

8. the light guide member has an incident end portion to which light from the light source is incident and an exit end portion to which light is emitted to the light emitting portion, The hair dryer according to claim 7 , wherein the exit end is wider than the entrance end when viewed from the front.

9. The plurality of air outlets include a plurality of outer air outlets arranged in a circular shape and an inner air outlet located inside the plurality of outer air outlets, The hair dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light emitting unit is provided so as to connect between the plurality of outer air outlets and the inner air outlet.

10. The blowing unit is disposed on a rear side of the wall unit and further includes a mounting board on which the light source is mounted, The hair dryer according to claim 5 , wherein the light source emits light in a direction along a surface of the mounting board.

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