Drying equipment

Abstract

To provide a drying apparatus capable of effectively performing both drying and light irradiation. [Solution] The hair dryer 1 comprises a cylindrical main body housing 2 having an air intake port 21 and an air outlet port 22, a blower 7 disposed inside the main body housing 2, and an outer cover 35 that guides the airflow generated by the blower 7 toward the air outlet port 22. Inside the outer cover 35, there is a light-emitting element 26 that emits light in a direction intersecting the central axis O of the main body housing 2, and a reflector 27 that reflects the light emitted from the light-emitting element toward the outside of the air outlet port 22.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drying device for drying an object, and more specifically, to a hair dryer that dries hair and irradiates light onto the scalp.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, arc-shaped air outlets are respectively formed on the left and right of the outer edge side on the front surface of a cylindrical main body housing, and the air from a blower device arranged inside the main body housing is discharged forward from these air outlets. At the same time, a plurality of irradiation units for irradiating light are provided inside the formation position of the air outlet on the front surface of the main body housing, and a hair dryer is known that irradiates LED light toward the scalp from these irradiation units (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] And according to the hair dryer described in Patent Document 1 above, it becomes possible to part the hair with the air blown out from the left and right air outlets on the front surface of the main body housing, and it becomes possible to efficiently irradiate the scalp with LED light from a plurality of irradiation units arranged inside the air outlet. Therefore, it is said that the environment of the scalp can be adjusted while drying the hair on the scalp.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the hair dryer described in Patent Document 1, the air is blown out from the outlet into the outer area when viewed from the front of the main body housing, and light is irradiated from the irradiation unit into the inner area. This configuration may result in an imbalance between the area where air is discharged from the outlet and the area where light is irradiated from the irradiation unit. Therefore, there is room for improvement from the standpoint of effectively drying the hair and irradiating the scalp with light.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a drying apparatus capable of effectively performing both drying and light irradiation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, one aspect of the present invention provides a drying apparatus comprising: a cylindrical main housing having an air intake and an air outlet; a blower disposed within the main housing; and an air passage that guides the airflow generated by the blower toward the air outlet, characterized in that the air passage is provided with a light-emitting element that irradiates light in a direction intersecting the central axis of the main housing, and a reflector that reflects the light irradiated from the light-emitting element toward the outside of the air outlet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a drying apparatus that can effectively perform both drying and light irradiation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the hair dryer according to the embodiment, seen from the front. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the main part along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the hair dryer in Modification Example 1. [Figure 5]This is a cross-sectional view of the modified hair dryer 1 along the VV line in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a front view of the hair dryer in modified example 2. [Figure 7] This is a front view of the hair dryer in variation 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the drying apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, using a hair dryer as an example.

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hair dryer 1 according to the embodiment, viewed from the front; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line II-II in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line III-III in Figure 2. Note that in Figure 3, the handle 3, power cord 12, etc., are omitted from the illustration.

[0012] [Overall configuration of Hair Dryer 1] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the hair dryer 1 according to this embodiment mainly comprises a cylindrical main body housing 2, a handle portion 3 connected to the main body housing 2, a fan 4 for blowing air arranged inside the main body housing 2, a motor 5 for driving the fan 4, a light-emitting element 26 that emits light, and a reflector 27 that guides the light emitted from the light-emitting element 26 toward the front of the main body housing 2.

[0013] The main housing 2 has an air intake port 21 and an air outlet port 22 at opposite ends in the axial direction. The air intake port 21 is located at the rear end of the main housing 2, and air is drawn into the main housing 2 through this air intake port 21.

[0014] The fan 4 and the motor 5 constitute a blower device 7 that outputs the air sucked in from the air inlet 21 as an air current toward the air outlet 22. The motor 5 is a small motor such as a DC motor. The blower device 7 is arranged on the central axis O (see FIG. 2) of the main body housing 2 with the fan 4 facing the air inlet 21. Hereinafter, the upstream side of the air current generated by the blower device 7 (the side where the air inlet 21 is located with respect to the blower device 7) will be simply referred to as the "upstream side", and the downstream side of the air current (the side where the air outlet 22 is located with respect to the blower device 7) will be simply referred to as the "downstream side".

[0015] The handle portion 3 is provided with a push switch (not shown) for turning on / off the power supply and the like, and a slide switch (not shown) for performing switching operations of various operation modes such as a normal mode / a quick drying mode and a styling mode. Further, inside the handle portion 3, a circuit board (not shown) for a control circuit that controls the entire hair dryer 1 is housed, and electronic components such as switches and sensors are also mounted on this circuit board. A power cord 12 is connected to the circuit board, and this power cord 12 is led out to the outside from the lower end of the handle portion 3.

[0016] For example, when the push switch is turned on, the control circuit operates the motor 5 to discharge the air current generated by the blower device 7 from the air outlet 22. Further, when the slide switch is switched while the push switch is on, the control circuit switches the rotation speed of the motor 5 to low / high speed or operates the light emitter 26. When the light emitter 26 is operated, light is irradiated from the light emitter 26 while discharging wind from the air outlet 22.

[0017] The air inlet 21 is provided in an annular shape at the rear end portion of the main body housing 2, and the inside of the air inlet 21 is covered with a grill cover 24. Further, a mesh filter 23 is disposed on the downstream side of the grill cover 24. The mesh filter 23 makes it difficult for foreign matters such as dust and hair to enter the main body housing 2.

[0018] Inside the main body housing 2, a cylindrical housing 32 is provided. The cylindrical housing 32 is arranged along the direction of the central axis O of the main body housing 2. Inside the cylindrical housing 32, a fan 4 and a motor 5 that constitute the air blower 7 are housed. The upstream side of the cylindrical housing 32 is covered by the aforementioned mesh filter 23, and the downstream side of the cylindrical housing 32 is open. The air blown by the air blower 7 is discharged from the air outlet 22.

[0019] The main body housing 2 has an outer cover 35 and a front cover 36 that covers the downstream side with respect to the outer cover 35. The outer cover 35 is a cylindrical member arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the main body housing 2. The front cover 36 is an annular member that snap-fits with the outer cover 35. The outer cover 35 communicates with the cylindrical housing 32 and defines an air blowing passage for the air flow generated by the air blower 7.

[0020] In addition, in the examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, although not shown, a heater may be provided inside the main body housing 2, and when air is blown from the air blower 7 to the air outlet 22, the heater may be operated to heat the air inside the main body housing 2. Thereby, the heated air (warm air) is discharged from the air outlet 22. Also, when the heater is not operating, cold air is discharged from the air outlet 22. When a heater is provided inside the main body housing 2, the position of the heater may be on the upstream side or the downstream side of the air blower 7.

[0021] A filter 28 is provided on the inner peripheral surface side (the side where the central axis O is located) of the front cover 36, and further, an air outlet 22 is provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the filter 28. The air outlet 22 is configured as a through hole arranged on the central axis O. The upstream side of the air outlet 22 is covered by a dust-proof net 29.

[0022] The light-emitting element 26 is located inside the outer cover 35. The light-emitting element 26 is fixed to the outer cover 35 either directly or via a support member (not shown). The light-emitting element 26 emits light in a direction intersecting the central axis O. In the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3, the light-emitting element 26 emits light in a direction oblique to the central axis O. More specifically, the direction in which the light-emitting element 26 emits light is inclined downstream from the radial direction (direction perpendicular to the central axis O) at an angle α (see Figure 2).

[0023] The reflector 27 is fixed to the outer cover 35 either directly or via a support member (not shown). The reflector 27 is formed in a flat plate shape, and at least one of its surfaces is a reflective surface that reflects light emitted from the light emitter 26. Such a reflective surface is formed by polishing or mirror-finishing a metal such as aluminum. Alternatively, the support member that supports the reflector 27 may be made of a molded resin material, and the reflective surface of the reflector 27 may be formed by applying or plating a reflective material to its surface.

[0024] The reflector 27 is located inside the outer cover 35 and downstream of the light-emitting element 26. More specifically, the reflector 27 is located radially opposite to the light-emitting element 26 with respect to the central axis O, and its reflective surface is inclined toward the downstream side. As a result, the reflector 27 reflects the light emitted from the light-emitting element 26 outwards towards the outlet 22.

[0025] In the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3, the reflector 27 reflects the light emitted from the light emitter 26 in a direction that passes through the inner circumferential surface of the front cover 36. As described above, a filter 28 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the front cover 36, so the light reflected by the reflector 27 passes through the filter 28 and is emitted toward the front of the main housing 2. The filter 28 blocks the transmission of visible light from the light emitter 26 and transmits only infrared light.

[0026] The light-emitting elements 26 are provided at multiple locations opposite each other across the central axis O. In the example shown in Figure 3, four light-emitting elements 26 are provided inside the outer cover 35, and the light-emitting elements 26 are arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis O. Similarly, four reflectors 27 corresponding to the light-emitting elements 26 are provided inside the outer cover 35, and are arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis O. Note that the number of light-emitting elements 26 and reflectors 27 is not limited to four.

[0027] The heat source unit 30 is composed of a light emitter 26, a reflector 27, and a filter 28. The light emitter 26 is a radiating element that emits light of a predetermined wavelength (e.g., 700 to 1500 nm), and is, for example, an infrared light-emitting diode (LED). The reflector 27 guides the light emitted from the light emitter 26 toward the front of the main housing 2.

[0028] The reflector 27 allows for adjustment of the direction and angle of light emitted from the light emitter 26 by appropriately setting the shape and size of the reflective surface. In this embodiment, the emission spots of the light emitters 26, which are provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction of the main housing 2, are set to partially overlap.

[0029] The filter 28 is an optical element that transmits only light within a specific wavelength range of incident light, and does not transmit other light. It is installed in a position that blocks the inner circumferential surface of the front cover 36, that is, the downstream side of the outer cover 35. The filter 28 prevents the transmission of visible light from the light emitter 26, so that only infrared light is emitted towards the front of the main housing 2.

[0030] Infrared light is an electromagnetic wave with a longer wavelength than red visible light and a shorter wavelength than radio waves, and is divided into near-infrared, mid-infrared, and far-infrared depending on its wavelength. The filter 28 can direct only the near-infrared, mid-infrared, and far-infrared rays, which are included in the infrared spectrum, from the light emitted from the light emitter 26 towards the front of the main housing 2.

[0031] In the hair dryer 1 configured in this way, when the push switch is turned ON to operate the motor 5, the airflow W1 (dashed arrow) generated by the blower 7 flows from the intake port 21 through the inside of the cylindrical housing 32 and outer cover 35 towards the outlet port 22, as shown in Figure 2.

[0032] Furthermore, when the motor 5 is operated and airflow is generated from the blower 7, power is supplied to the heat source unit 30 to cause the light emitter 26 to emit light. The light emitted from the light emitter 26 is guided by the reflector 27 and heads towards the front filter 28. By passing through the filter 28, only infrared light is projected onto the front of the main housing 2. As a result, air is blown from the outlet 22 towards the user's hair, and the infrared light emitted from the light emitter 26 is projected onto the user's scalp.

[0033] In this way, air from the blower 7 is blown out from the outlet 22 located on the front of the main housing 2, and infrared light is irradiated from the heat source unit 30 located inside the outer cover 35, which is the air passage for the airflow generated by the blower 7. This allows for effective drying of the hair and irradiation of the scalp with light.

[0034] [Effects of the Embodiment] As described above, the hair dryer 1 according to this embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0035] An air outlet 22 is provided on the front of the main housing 2, and the light-emitting element 26 and reflector 27 are arranged inside the outer cover 35 (air passage) that guides the airflow toward the air outlet 22, so that the air outlet 22 and the heat source unit 30 are in close proximity. As a result, the wind (airflow W1) blown out from the air outlet 22 and the light emitted from the heat source unit 30 are evenly distributed over the user's head, effectively drying the hair and irradiating the scalp with light.

[0036] Furthermore, since the light is emitted from multiple light-emitting elements 26 located at opposing points across the central axis O, the radiation spots of the light-emitting elements 26 can be partially overlapped. This allows the light emitted from the heat source unit 30 to spread more evenly across the user's head.

[0037] [Example 1] Next, Modification 1 will be described. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the hair dryer 41 according to Modification 1, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the hair dryer 41 of Modification 1 along the VV line in Figure 4. Note that in Figure 5, the handle 3, power cord 12, etc. are omitted from the illustration.

[0038] In the modified hair dryer 41 shown in Figures 4 and 5, the air outlet 22 and filter 28 are located on the side of the main housing 2, rather than on the front. More specifically, the air outlet 22 and filter 28 are located on a part of the circumferential surface of the outer cover 35 that constitutes the main housing 2. The air outlet 22 is a through-hole that penetrates from the inner circumferential surface to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cover 35.

[0039] In Modification 1, the filter 28 is located around the air outlet 22 and transmits the light emitted by the light-emitting element 26 inside the main housing 2 to the side of the main housing 2. Although not shown in Figures 4 and 5, a dustproof net may be provided to cover the inner circumferential surface of the air outlet 22. Also, in Figure 4, three light-emitting elements 26 and reflectors 27 are arranged in a line along the central axis O, but the number of light-emitting elements 26 and reflectors 27 is not limited to three.

[0040] Furthermore, in the modified example 1, the light-emitting element 26 irradiates light in the radial direction (a direction perpendicular to the central axis O) of the main housing 2. The reflector 27 is formed as a conical curved surface with an opening at one end, and the outer surface of the reflector 27 is located inside the outer cover 35. The light-emitting element 26 is located at the inner bottom of the reflector 27. The inside of the reflector 27 is a reflective surface that guides the light irradiated from the light-emitting element 26 toward the opening at one end. The configuration for forming the reflective surface on the reflector 27 is the same as in the above embodiment.

[0041] The light emitter 26 and the reflector 27 are positioned radially opposite to the filter 28 with respect to the central axis O. As a result, the light emitted from the light emitter 26 is guided to the filter 28 by reflection from the reflector 27. Similar to the above embodiment, the filter 28 blocks the transmission of visible light from the light emitter 26. Therefore, only infrared light from the light emitter 26 can be directed toward the side of the main housing 2.

[0042] In the hair dryer 41 configured in this way, when the push switch is turned ON to operate the motor 5, as shown in Figure 2, the airflow W2 (dashed arrow) generated by the blower 7 passes from the intake port 21 through the inside of the cylindrical housing 32 and the outer cover 35 and heads towards the outlet 22 provided on the side of the main housing 2.

[0043] Furthermore, when the motor 5 is operated and airflow is generated from the blower 7, power is supplied to the heat source unit 30 to cause the light emitter 26 to emit light. The light emitted from the light emitter 26 is guided by the reflector 27 and heads towards the side filter 28. By passing through the filter 28, only infrared light is irradiated to the side of the main housing 2.

[0044] As described above, in the hair dryer 41 according to this modified example, since the air outlet 22 is provided on the side of the main body housing 2, the airflow W2 can be discharged toward the side of the main body housing 2, and the light emitted from the light-emitting element 26 (heat source unit 30) can be irradiated in the same direction as the airflow W2. For this reason, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0045] [Differentiation 2] Next, a modified example 2 will be described. Figure 6 is a front view of the hair dryer 51 according to modified example 2. In the hair dryer 51 of modified example 2 shown in Figure 6, the air outlet 22 is configured as a plurality of divided air outlets 22a extending radially from the central axis O of the main body housing 2. The internal configuration of the hair dryer 51, excluding the air outlet 22, is the same as that of the hair dryer 1 in the above embodiment. It is preferable to provide four divided air outlets 22a, the same number as the light-emitting elements 26. However, the number of divided air outlets 22a is not limited to four.

[0046] According to the modified hair dryer 51, since it has multiple divided air outlets 22a extending radially from the central axis O of the main body housing 2, the air blown out from the divided air outlets 22a and the light irradiated from the heat source unit 30 are distributed more evenly to the user's head, allowing for effective drying of the hair and light irradiation of the scalp.

[0047] [Difference 3] Next, Modification 3 will be described. Figure 6 is a front view of the hair dryer 61 according to Modification 3. In the hair dryer 61 of Modification 3 shown in Figure 7, the air outlet 22 is located on the inner circumferential surface side of the front cover 36, but extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis O and partitions the filter 28. The internal configuration of the hair dryer 61, excluding the air outlet 22, is the same as that of the hair dryer 1 in the above embodiment. Also, as in the above embodiment, the upstream side of the air outlet 22 is covered with a dustproof net 29. Note that in Figure 7, the air outlet 22 is located at a position off from the central axis O, but it is not limited to this and may be located on the central axis O.

[0048] In this modified hair dryer 61, an air outlet 22 is provided on the front of the main body housing 2, extending in a direction perpendicular to the central axis O and partitioning the filter 28. As a result, the air outlet 22 and the heat source unit 30 are in close proximity. This allows the airflow (airflow W1) blown out from the air outlet 22 and the light emitted from the heat source unit 30 to spread evenly over the user's head, effectively drying the hair and irradiating the scalp with light.

[0049] [Differentiation Example 4] In the modified example 4, the hair dryer (not shown) may not have the light-emitting element 26 on the main body housing 2 as in the embodiment described above, but may instead have the light-emitting element 26 on the handle portion 3. In this modified example as well, it is preferable that the light-emitting element 26 is arranged to emit light in a direction intersecting the central axis O, and that the air outlet 22 and the heat source unit 30 are in close proximity. This allows the airflow (airflow W1) blown out from the air outlet 22 and the light emitted from the heat source unit 30 to spread evenly over the user's head, effectively drying the hair and irradiating the scalp with light.

[0050] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. All technical matters included in the technical concept described in the claims are subject to the present invention. The embodiments described above are preferred examples, but those skilled in the art can realize various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements from the contents disclosed herein, and these are included in the technical scope described in the appended claims.

[0051] For example, the wavelength of light emitted from the light emitter 26 may be changed by varying the reflectivity of the reflective surface formed on the reflector 27. Alternatively, a window hole may be provided on the circumferential surface of the main housing 2, and ambient light may be taken in between the reflector 27 and the filter 28 through this window hole, thereby changing the amount of light emitted from the light emitter 26.

[0052] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a hair dryer 1 as an example of a drying device, the present invention is applicable to other drying devices as well. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 1, 41, 51, 61 Hair dryer 2 Main Housing 3. Handle section 4 Fans 5 Motors 7. Blower 14 Control circuits 21 Air intake 22 Air outlet 22a Split air outlet 26 Light-emitting element 27 Reflector 28 filters 30 Heat source units 32 Cylindrical housing 35 Outer cover 36 Front cover

Claims

1. A drying apparatus comprising a cylindrical main housing having an air intake and an air outlet, a blower device disposed within the main housing, and an air passage that guides the airflow generated by the blower device toward the air outlet, Inside the aforementioned air passage, A light-emitting element that emits light in a direction intersecting the central axis of the main housing, A reflector that reflects the light emitted from the light-emitting element toward the outside of the air outlet, A drying apparatus characterized by having a provision.

2. In the drying apparatus according to claim 1, The light-emitting elements are provided at multiple locations facing each other via the central axis of the main housing. A drying apparatus characterized by the following features.

3. In the drying apparatus according to claim 1, The air intake is provided on the rear side of the main housing, and the air outlet is provided on the side of the main housing. The reflector reflects the light emitted from the light-emitting element toward the side surface. A drying apparatus characterized by the following features.

4. In the drying apparatus according to claim 1, The aforementioned air outlet has a plurality of divided air outlets that extend radially from the central axis of the main housing. A drying apparatus characterized by the following features.

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