Hair dryer

Abstract

We provide a hair dryer that suppresses the noise it generates. [Solution] The hair dryer 1 comprises an air blowing unit 12, a filter 16 positioned on the intake side of the air blowing unit 12 and having a plurality of first ventilation holes 16C, a first ventilation member 14A positioned between the air blowing unit 12 and the filter 16 and having a second ventilation hole 14E having a larger opening area than the first ventilation holes 16C, and a second ventilation member 14B having a second ventilation hole 14F.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional hair dryer. This hair dryer forms two suction ports, and a fan is provided at each suction port to increase the air volume by suction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the configuration as in Patent Document 1 is difficult, it is conceivable to ensure the required air volume by increasing the rotational speed of the fan (i.e., the rotational speed of the motor). However, when the rotational speed of the fan is increased, there is a concern that the wind noise of the fan and the vibration noise of the motor will increase in proportion to the rotational speed. Therefore, a technique for suppressing the wind noise and vibration noise even when the rotational speed of the fan is increased is desired.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional situation, and an object to be solved is to provide a hair dryer with suppressed generated noise.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The hair dryer of the present invention includes a blowing unit that blows air, a filter disposed on the intake side of the blowing unit and having a plurality of first ventilation holes formed therein, A ventilation member is disposed between the air blowing section and the filter, and has a plurality of second ventilation holes having a larger opening area than the first ventilation hole. It is equipped with.

[0007] This hair dryer prevents dust and debris from entering the air blower through a filter, while the second ventilation hole in the ventilation member regulates the airflow from the filter to the air blower. Here, the opening area is the area of ​​the shape (hole) when the surface of the member on which the shape (hole) is formed is viewed from the front.

[0008] Therefore, the hair dryer of the present invention can suppress the noise it generates. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a left side view showing the hair dryer of Example 1 with the gripping portion extended. [Figure 2] This is a left side view showing the hair dryer of Example 1 with the gripping part folded. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of the hair dryer of Example 1, with the left housing omitted and viewed from the front left. [Figure 4] This is an exploded perspective view showing the air blower, ventilation unit, and filter of Example 1. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the ventilation section of Example 1, seen from the front. [Figure 6] This is a partially enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the air blower, ventilation section, and filter. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0011] The opening shape of the second vent in the hair dryer of the present invention may be polygonal. In this case, when a configuration is made in which multiple second vents are arranged side by side, the area of ​​the region between adjacent second vents can be easily narrowed, and as a result the total opening area of ​​all the second vents in the ventilation member can be made larger, thereby preventing obstruction of the airflow from the filter to the blower.

[0012] In the hair dryer of the present invention, multiple ventilation members can be arranged in a line with spacing between them, while aligning the ventilation direction of the second ventilation hole. In this case, the effect of regulating the airflow in multiple stages can be expected.

[0013] In the hair dryer of the present invention, the air blowing section has an axial fan, and the direction of airflow of the ventilation member may be aligned with the rotation axis of the axial fan. In this case, the regulated airflow can be directed perpendicularly to the axial fan rotating around its rotation axis, thereby suppressing variations in how air hits each blade of the axial fan, and is expected to have the effect of equalizing the frequency of wind noise generated from each blade of the axial fan.

[0014] <Example 1> Embodiment 1 of the hair dryer of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of explanation, the side with the air outlet 11 of the air tunnel 10 is considered the front, and the side with the air intake 13 is considered the rear. The side on which the gripping part 30 extends from the air tunnel 10 is considered the bottom, and the opposite side is considered the top. In a front view from the front, the left side is considered the right side, and the right side is considered the left side. In the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system shown in each figure, the positive direction of the X axis is the "forward direction", the negative direction of the X axis is the "backward direction", the positive direction of the Y axis is the "right direction", the negative direction of the Y axis is the "left direction", the positive direction of the Z axis is the "up direction", and the negative direction of the Z axis is the "down direction".

[0015] <Structure of a hair dryer> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hair dryer 1 of Example 1 includes a wind tunnel section 10, a grip section 30, a first operation section 51, a second operation section 52, a third operation section 53, a fourth operation section 54, a power cord 70, and a display section 100. The wind tunnel section 10 is cylindrical and extends in the front-rear direction. An air outlet 11 is formed at the tip of the wind tunnel section 10. The air outlet 11 is coated with a ceramic that emits far infrared rays. An air inlet 13 is formed at the rear end of the wind tunnel section 10. The air inlet 13 is constituted by a cover member 13A in which a plurality of slits extending in the horizontal direction are formed. The air inlet 13 extends from the rear end surface of the wind tunnel section 10 to both side surfaces in the left-right direction of the wind tunnel section 10.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, the wind tunnel section 10 incorporates a blower section 12, a filter 16, a ventilation section 14, a heating section 15, an ion generation section (not shown), a temperature detection section (not shown), and a control section (not shown).

[0017] <Configuration of the blower section> The blower section 12 has a motor 12A and an axial flow fan 12B that rotates by this motor 12A (see FIG. 4). A brushless DC motor that is small and lightweight is used for the motor 12A. The motor 12A can be rotationally driven, for example, at a rotational speed of 100,000 rpm or more. Therefore, this hair dryer 1 can blow a strong wind with high wind speed and wind pressure from the wind tunnel section 10. The motor 12A is driven under PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control by the control section to control the drive.

[0018] The axial flow fan 12B is attached to the drive shaft of the motor 12A. The axial flow fan 12B is a so-called propeller fan. When the motor 12A rotationally drives and the axial flow fan 12B rotates, the blower section 12 blows air in the direction in which the drive shaft of the motor 12A extends.

[0019] <Configuration of the filter> As shown in FIG. 3, the filter 16 is disposed on the intake side of the blower unit 12. As shown in FIG. 4, the filter 16 has a disk portion 16A that extends orthogonally to the direction in which the drive shaft of the motor 12A extends, and a peripheral wall portion 16B that extends continuously from the outer peripheral edge of the disk portion 16A in a cylindrical shape toward the blower unit 12 (forward). The peripheral wall portion 16B is formed so as to gradually increase in diameter forward. A plurality of first ventilation holes 16C are formed through the disk portion 16A and the peripheral wall portion 16B in the plate thickness direction. The opening shape of each first ventilation hole 16C is circular. Here, the opening shape is the shape of the opening when the surface of the member on which the shape is formed is viewed from the front. The opening areas of each of the first ventilation holes 16C are the same.

[0020] <Configuration of Ventilation Port> The ventilation part 14 has a first ventilation member 14A that is a ventilation member, a second ventilation member 14B that is a ventilation member, and a sandwiched part 14C that is sandwiched between the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B. The ventilation part 14 is disposed between the blower unit 12 and the filter 16 (see FIG. 3). In the present embodiment, flat plates made of a stainless alloy are used for the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B. The outer shapes of the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B are circular shapes with the same diameter. At six locations on the outer peripheral edge portions of the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B, recessed portions 14D that are recessed radially inward are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. One of the recessed portions 14D of the first ventilation member 14A is a wide recessed portion 14N that is formed with a larger circumferential dimension than the other recessed portions 14D.

[0021] A plurality of second ventilation holes 14E are formed through the first ventilation member 14A in the plate thickness direction. The opening shape of each second ventilation hole 14E is a regular hexagonal shape that is a polygonal shape. Each second ventilation hole 14E is arranged in a honeycomb pattern. In the first ventilation member 14A, the direction of the corners of the virtual regular hexagon formed by connecting each recessed portion 14D is the same as the direction of the corners in each second ventilation hole 14E. The opening area of each second ventilation hole 14E is larger than the opening area of the first ventilation hole 16C.

[0022] Multiple second ventilation holes 14F are formed in the second ventilation member 14B, penetrating in the thickness direction. The opening shape of each second ventilation hole 14F is a regular hexagon, which is a polygonal shape. The second ventilation holes 14F are arranged in a honeycomb pattern. The second ventilation holes 14F formed in the second ventilation member 14B are the same shape as the second ventilation holes 14E formed in the first ventilation member 14A. A relief hole 14G is formed in the center of the second ventilation member 14B, penetrating in the thickness direction. The opening shape of the relief hole 14G is a regular hexagon. In the second ventilation member 14B, the orientation of the corners of the virtual regular hexagon formed by connecting each recess 14D is shifted by 30° from the orientation of the corners in each second ventilation hole 14F, and is the same orientation as the corners in the relief hole 14G. The opening area of ​​each second ventilation hole 14F is larger than the opening area of ​​the first ventilation hole 16C.

[0023] The clamped portion 14C is made of, for example, synthetic resin. The clamped portion 14C has an outer annular portion 14H, an inner annular portion 14J, and four connecting portions 14K. The outer annular portion 14H is ring-shaped. The outer diameter of the outer annular portion 14H is the same as the outer diameter of the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B. Six projections 14L are provided on one end face and six on the other end face of the outer annular portion 14H. One of the projections 14L provided on one end face is a wide projection 14M, which has a larger circumferential width dimension than the other projections 14L.

[0024] The inner annular portion 14J has a smaller diameter than the outer annular portion 14H. The inner annular portion 14J is arranged coaxially with respect to the outer annular portion 14H and inside the outer annular portion 14H. The four connecting portions 14K are arranged inside the outer annular portion 14H and outside the inner annular portion 14J, connecting the outer annular portion 14H and the inner annular portion 14J. The four connecting portions 14K are arranged at equal intervals from the outer circumferential surface of the inner annular portion 14J and extend radially. The inner annular portion 14J and the four connecting portions 14K have the function of preventing the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B from deforming when external force is inadvertently applied to them.

[0025] The first ventilation member 14A is attached to the clamped portion 14C from the rear. Specifically, the clamped portion 14C is oriented so that one end face with the wide projection 14M faces backward. Then, the wide recess 14N of the first ventilation member 14A is made to correspond to the wide projection 14M, and each projection 14L is fitted into each recess 14D, and each projection 14L is crushed and deformed by ultrasonic welding or the like. The circumferential orientation of the first ventilation member 14A with respect to the clamped portion 14C is uniquely determined by the wide recess 14N and the wide projection 14M.

[0026] The second ventilation member 14B is attached to the clamped portion 14C from the front. Specifically, each projection 14L is fitted into each recess 14D of the second ventilation member 14B, and each projection 14L is crushed and deformed by performing ultrasonic welding or the like. The second ventilation member 14B does not have a wide recess 14N, and the other end face of the clamped portion 14C does not have a wide projection 14M. Therefore, the circumferential orientation of the second ventilation member 14B relative to the clamped portion 14C is determined to be one of six. In this way, the ventilation section 14 is assembled. The first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B are arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction with a gap between them. The ventilation direction Vd in the second ventilation hole 14E of the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation hole 14F of the second ventilation member 14B are both oriented in the front-to-back direction (see Figure 6). In other words, the ventilation direction Vd is in the front-to-back direction.

[0027] When the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B, which are arranged side by side, are viewed from the front (ventilation direction Vd), as shown in Figure 5, the second ventilation hole 14E of the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation hole 14F of the second ventilation member 14B are offset from each other. Here, offset means that when viewed from the ventilation direction Vd, at least a portion of the edges constituting the second ventilation hole 14E of the first ventilation member 14A and the edges constituting the second ventilation hole 14F of the second ventilation member 14B appear to intersect.

[0028] Regardless of how the second ventilation member 14B is attached to the clamped portion 14C in the circumferential direction, the second ventilation hole 14E of the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation hole 14F of the second ventilation member 14B will not overlap. Here, "overlapping" means that when viewing the ventilation portion 14 from the ventilation direction Vd, all the edges constituting the second ventilation hole 14E of the first ventilation member 14A and all the edges constituting the second ventilation hole 14F of the second ventilation member 14B overlap.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the ventilation section 14 is positioned between the blower section 12 and the filter 16, with the second ventilation member 14B facing the blower section 12 and the first ventilation member 14A facing the filter 16. The first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B are positioned with their plate surfaces perpendicular to the drive shaft of the motor 12A of the blower section 12 (the rotation axis of the axial flow fan 12B). The ventilation direction Vd in the second ventilation hole 14E of the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation hole 14F of the second ventilation member 14B is aligned with the direction along the drive shaft of the motor 12A of the blower section 12 (the rotation axis of the axial flow fan 12B) (see Figure 6).

[0030] <Regarding the function of ventilation parts> When the motor 12A of the blower unit 12 starts rotating, the axial flow fan 12B rotates. As a result, the blower unit 12 starts blowing air forward. At this time, as shown in Figure 6, air flows into the filter 16 (disc portion 16A and peripheral wall portion 16B) from the outside of the filter 16 through the first vent hole 16C. The ease of air inflow into the peripheral wall portion 16B differs depending on its position in the circumferential direction. Specifically, since the intake port 13 extends from the rear end surface of the wind tunnel portion 10 and wraps around to both the left and right sides of the wind tunnel portion 10, air flows more easily into the left and right sides of the peripheral wall portion 16B than into the up and down sides. Therefore, the airflow inside the filter 16 becomes turbulent.

[0031] Then, air flows from the filter 16 to the ventilation section 14. Specifically, when air flows forward through the second ventilation hole 14E of the first ventilation member 14A of the ventilation section 14, the airflow that has passed forward through the second ventilation hole 14E becomes aligned in a forward direction.

[0032] Then, air flows forward through the second ventilation hole 14F of the second ventilation member 14B of the ventilation section 14. When air flows forward through the second ventilation member 14B, the airflow that has passed forward through the second ventilation hole 14F becomes more aligned forward than the airflow that has passed forward through the first ventilation member 14A, and becomes laminar flow. The laminar flow air is then sent forward from the blower section 12 by each blade of the axial flow fan 12B. The angle of the airflow with respect to the rotation direction of each blade of the axial flow fan 12B is generally uniform and forms a right angle. As a result, variations in the frequency of wind noise generated when each blade takes in air from the ventilation section 14 are suppressed, and wind noise generated from the axial flow fan 12B can be reduced.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the heating unit 15 is located at the front end of the wind tunnel 10. The heating unit 15 heats the air blown from the air blower 12. The heating unit 15 has a structure in which a heating wire 15B, such as a nichrome wire, is wound around a support plate 15A, which is made up of a pair of flat plates assembled in a cross shape with their respective plate surfaces perpendicular to each other.

[0034] The ion generating unit ionizes molecules in the air. In this hair dryer 1, the ions generated from the ion generating unit are combined with far-infrared rays emitted from the ceramic coating on the outlet 11, reaching the user's hair and suppressing static electricity while leaving the hair moisturized.

[0035] The temperature sensing unit comprises a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor. Each temperature sensor is composed of an NTC thermistor. The first temperature sensor is located inside the wind tunnel section 10, between the air blowing section 12 and the heating section 15. The first temperature sensor measures the temperature of the air (outside temperature) drawn in from the intake port 13. The second temperature sensor is located at the front end of the wind tunnel section 10. The second temperature sensor measures the internal temperature at the front end of the wind tunnel section 10.

[0036] The control unit is located inside the wind tunnel section 10, between the air blowing section 12 and the heating section 15. The control unit comprises a control board (not shown) and a plurality of electronic components mounted on the control board. The control unit controls the motor 12A of the air blowing section 12, the heating element 15B of the heating section 15, the ion generating section, and the LED elements of the display section 100 (described later) in response to operation signals from the first operation section 51, second operation section 52, and third operation section 53 (described later), and temperature signals from the temperature detected by the temperature sensing section.

[0037] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the gripping portion 30 has an upper gripping portion 30A and a lower gripping portion 30B, with the sliding surface 31 as the boundary. The upper gripping portion 30A is continuous with the lower surface of the wind tunnel portion 10 on the intake port 13 side. The lower gripping portion 30B is connected to the lower side of the upper gripping portion 30A. The sliding surface 31 is inclined downward from the front end to the rear end. The lower gripping portion 30B is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise around a rotation axis perpendicular to the sliding surface 31 relative to the upper gripping portion 30A. The gripping portion 30 can be deformed between an extended state and a folded state by rotating the lower gripping portion 30B.

[0038] The extended state of the gripping portion 30 is, as shown in Figure 1, a state in which the upper gripping portion 30A and the lower gripping portion 30B are extended in a straight line. In the extended state of the gripping portion 30, the outer circumferential surface of the upper gripping portion 30A and the outer circumferential surface of the lower gripping portion 30B are flush. In the extended state, the gripping portion 30 is inclined forward from the upper end to the lower end. The extended gripping portion 30 is approximately cylindrical in shape. The middle section of the extended gripping portion 30 is slightly thicker than the upper and lower ends. In the extended state of the gripping portion 30, the lower gripping portion 30B can be folded by rotating it counterclockwise relative to the upper gripping portion 30A.

[0039] The folded state of the gripping portion 30 is, as shown in Figure 2, a state in which the lower gripping portion 30B extends approximately parallel to the direction in which the wind tunnel portion 10 extends, forming a space S between the wind tunnel portion 10 and the lower gripping portion 30B into which the user's fingers can be inserted. When the gripping portion 30 is in the folded state, it extends when the lower gripping portion 30B is rotated clockwise relative to the upper gripping portion 30A. When changing between the extended and folded states of the gripping portion 30, the direction in which the lower gripping portion 30B is rotated relative to the upper gripping portion 30A is not limited to the rotation direction described above; for example, it may be rotated in the opposite direction to the rotation direction described above.

[0040] As shown in Figure 1, the gripping portion 30 is equipped with a cord bushing 33. When the gripping portion 30 is extended, the cord bushing 33 extends downward in a continuous manner from the lower end of the lower gripping portion 30B of the gripping portion 30. A hook portion 35 is provided on the upper front surface of the cord bushing 33. The power cord 70 passes through the cord bushing 33 and is continuous with the lower end of the lower gripping portion 30B. A power plug (not shown) is provided at the extended end of the power cord 70.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the first operating section 51 is located in the left-right center of the upper front surface of the lower gripping section 30B when the gripping section 30 is extended. The first operating section 51 is a switch that can slide vertically along the front surface of the lower gripping section 30B. The first operating section 51 can be held in one of three positions: the lower end position, the vertical center position, or the upper end position. The lower end position of the first operating section 51 is the "OFF" position, the vertical center position is the "COOL" position, and the upper end position is the "HOT" position.

[0042] When the first control unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is in the "OFF" position, the power is off and the operation is stopped. When the first control unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is in the "COOL" position, power is not supplied to the heating unit 15, but power is supplied to the air blowing unit 12 to blow room temperature air from the outlet 11. When the first control unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is in the "HOT" position, power is supplied to both the heating unit 15 and the air blowing unit 12 to blow hot air from the outlet 11. In other words, the first control unit 51 can start the hair dryer 1, stop it, and switch the air temperature.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second control unit 52 and the third control unit 53 are located side by side in the front-to-back direction on the left side of the wind tunnel section 10. The second control unit 52 and the third control unit 53 are elongated rectangular push buttons. The second control unit 52 is a mode button, and each time it is pressed, it alternately switches the airflow mode between HIGH mode and LOW mode. HIGH mode is an airflow mode in which the airflow volume and wind speed are both high, out of the two available wind strengths, and is blown from the outlet 11. LOW mode is an airflow mode in which the airflow volume and wind speed are both low, out of the two available wind strengths, and is blown from the outlet 11. In other words, the second control unit 52 can switch between wind strengths.

[0044] When the first control unit 51 is moved from the "OFF" position to the "COOL" position to start the hair dryer 1, and when the first control unit 51 is moved from the "OFF" position past the "COOL" position to the "HOT" position to start the hair dryer 1, it will blow air at "HIGH" speed. When the first control unit 51 is moved between the "COOL" position and the "HOT" position, the blowing mode that was active before the switch will continue.

[0045] The third control unit 53 is a sensing button and functions when the first control unit 51 is in the "HOT" position. The third control unit 53 does not function when the first control unit 51 is in the "COOL" position. There are two types of sensing programs: "SCALP" and "MOIST". Each time the third control unit 53 is pressed, it switches the sensing program in the following order: off, "SCALP", and then "MOIST".

[0046] When the sensing program "SCALP" is selected and executed, the hair dryer 1 controls the amount of power supplied to the heating unit 15 by determining the ambient temperature based on the temperature signal from the first temperature sensor, regardless of whether it is in HIGH mode or LOW mode, and alternately blows hot air and ambient temperature air from the outlet 11 so that the temperature of the object is within 50℃±5℃.

[0047] When the sensing program "MOIST" is selected and executed, the hair dryer 1 controls the amount of power supplied to the heating unit 15 by determining the ambient temperature based on the signal from the first temperature sensor, in both HIGH mode and LOW mode, and alternately blows hot air and ambient temperature air from the outlet 11 so that the temperature of the object is within 60℃±5℃.

[0048] When the sensing program is off, the hair dryer 1 blows hot air at 80°C to 90°C from the outlet 11 in both HIGH mode and LOW mode. In other words, the third control unit 53 can turn the sensing program of the hair dryer 1 on and off, and switch between modes.

[0049] As shown in Figure 1, the fourth operating section 54 is located in the center of the left-right direction on the front of the upper gripping section 30A when the gripping section 30 is extended. The fourth operating section 54 is a push button. The fourth operating section 54 is a cool button and functions when the first operating section 51 is in the "HOT" position. The fourth operating section 54 does not function when the first operating section 51 is in the "COOL" position. When the first operating section 51 is in the "HOT" position and the fourth operating section 54 is pressed, the hair dryer 1 continues to supply power to the blower section 12 while stopping the power supply to the heating section 15, and resumes power supply to the heating section 15 when the button is released. In other words, the fourth operating section 54 can switch the temperature of the airflow of the hair dryer 1.

[0050] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the display unit 100 is provided on the left side of the wind tunnel section 10. The display unit 100 includes an outer casing member 110 that covers the left side of the wind tunnel section 10, a light-diffusing member (not shown) provided inside the outer casing member 110, and an LED substrate (not shown) provided inside the light-diffusing member. The outer casing member 110 constitutes most of the outer shape of the left side of the wind tunnel section 10. When viewed from the outside, the surface of the outer casing member 110 has a mirror-like gloss when the power plug is not plugged into the outlet, and when the power plug is plugged into the outlet and the first operation unit 51 is in the "OFF" position and the power is OFF.

[0051] The display unit 100 extends forward from above the second operation unit 52 and the third operation unit 53, and its width in the vertical direction widens partway along the way. The outer casing member 110 has the translucent word "MODE" positioned above the second operation unit 52 and the translucent word "SENSE" positioned above the third operation unit 53. The outer casing member 110 has the translucent words "HIGH," "LOW," "MOIST," and "SCALP" positioned from top to bottom at the rear end of the vertical center. The display unit 100 and the words "MODE," "SENSE," "HIGH," "LOW," "MOIST," and "SCALP" cannot be seen from the outside when the corresponding LED elements are not lit.

[0052] The light-diffusing member is located inside the outer casing member 110. The light-diffusing member diffuses the light emitted from each LED element mounted on the LED substrate toward the outer casing member 110 within itself. Multiple LEDs are mounted on the mounting surface of the LED substrate, which faces outward (left side). These LEDs are located inside the display unit 100. The LEDs used include red-emitting LED elements, white-emitting LED elements, and blue-emitting LED elements. In addition, white-emitting LED elements are placed inside each of the letters "SENSE," "MODE," "HIGH," "LOW," "MOIST," and "SCALP." These LED elements are controlled by the control unit using PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control.

[0053] The hair dryer 1 lights up or flashes the LED elements located inside the letters "HIGH," "LOW," "MOIST," "SCALP," "SENSE," and "MODE" in each airflow state, displaying each letter on the left side of the air tunnel section 10.

[0054] <Regarding how each character lights up> For example, when the first control unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is in the "HOT" position and the airflow mode is in the HIGH mode, the letters "HIGH", "SENSE", and "MODE" are illuminated in white. For example, when the first control unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is in the "HOT" position and the airflow mode is in the LOW mode, the letters "LOW", "SENSE", and "MODE" are illuminated in white.

[0055] For example, when the hair dryer 1 is displaying the word "SENSE" illuminated in white, each time the third operation unit 53 is pressed, the sensing program switches in the following order: off, "SCALP", and then "MOIST". For example, when the sensing program "SCALP" is selected, the hair dryer 1 displays the word "SCALP" blinking in white, and when the sensing program "MOIST" is selected, the word "MOIST" blinks in white.

[0056] For example, if the first control unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is in the "COOL" position and the airflow mode is in the HIGH mode, the letters "HIGH" and "MODE" will light up in white. For example, if the first control unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is in the "COOL" position and the airflow mode is in the LOW mode, the letters "LOW" and "MODE" will light up in white.

[0057] For example, when the hair dryer 1 displays the word "MODE" illuminated in white, each time the second operation unit 52 is pressed, it alternately switches the airflow mode between HIGH mode and LOW mode. In this case, the hair dryer 1 displays either the word "HIGH" or "LOW" illuminated in white, depending on the airflow mode after the switch.

[0058] <Regarding the illumination method of the display unit> The hair dryer 1 illuminates the LED elements in the display unit 100 in a predetermined lighting pattern according to the airflow state, displaying the state of the airflow blown from the wind tunnel 10. For example, when the first operation unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is set to "HOT", the airflow mode is HIGH mode or LOW mode, and the sensing program is off, the display unit 100 shifts the position where the white-emitting LED elements and the red-emitting LED elements illuminate, moving from the rear end to the front end. Furthermore, when the wind speed mode is HIGH mode, the speed at which the position where the white-emitting LED elements and the red-emitting LED elements illuminate is shifted from the rear end to the front end is faster than when the wind speed mode is LOW mode.

[0059] When the first operation unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is set to "COOL" and the airflow mode is set to HIGH mode or LOW mode, the display unit 100 shifts the position of the white-emitting LED element and the blue-emitting LED element so that they move from the rear end to the front end. When the first operation unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is set to "COOL", as described above, the third operation unit 53 does not function and the sensing program is off. Also, when the airflow mode is set to HIGH mode, the speed at which the position of the white-emitting LED element and the blue-emitting LED element moves from the rear end to the front end is faster than when the airflow mode is set to LOW mode.

[0060] When the first operating unit 51 of the hair dryer 1 is set to "HOT", the airflow mode is set to HIGH mode or LOW mode, and the sensing program is set to "SCALP" or "MOIST", the display unit 100 shifts the position of the white-emitting LED element and the red-emitting LED element so that they move from the rear end to the front end, and then shifts the position of the white-emitting LED element and the blue-emitting LED element so that they move from the rear end to the front end. Furthermore, when the airflow mode is set to HIGH mode, the speed at which the position of the white-emitting LED element and the red (blue)-emitting LED element moves from the rear end to the front end is faster than when the airflow mode is set to LOW mode.

[0061] <Basic instructions for using a hair dryer> The basic usage of hair dryer 1 is explained below. First, the user confirms that the first control unit 51 is in the "OFF" position and plugs the power plug into the outlet. In this state, the display unit 100 and the LED elements corresponding to the characters "HIGH," "LOW," "MOIST," "SCALP," "SENSE," and "MODE" on the outer casing member 110 which constitutes most of the outer shape of the left side of the air tunnel unit 10 are not emitting light, and the display unit 100 and the characters "HIGH," "LOW," "MOIST," "SCALP," "SENSE," and "MODE" are not visible.

[0062] Next, the user moves the first control unit 51 to the "HOT" position. The hair dryer 1 then blows a strong breeze of 80°C to 90°C forward from the outlet 11. In this state, the hair dryer 1 displays the words "HIGH," "SENSE," and "MODE" in white, and rapidly changes the position where the white-emitting LED elements and red-emitting LED elements in the display unit 100 illuminate from the rear end to the front end.

[0063] In this fan-operated state, the user can press the second control unit 52 to switch the fan mode to LOW mode, or press the second control unit 52 again to switch the fan mode back to HIGH mode.

[0064] In this fan-blowing state, the user can continue supplying power to the fan unit 12 while stopping the power supply to the heating unit 15 by continuing to press the fourth control unit 54, and resume power supply to the heating unit 15 when they release the button. In other words, only while the fourth control unit 54 is pressed can the air blown from the outlet 11 be switched from warm air to room temperature air.

[0065] Next, the user presses the third operation unit 53 to set the sensing program to "SCALP" and dries the scalp and hair roots. In this state, the hair dryer 1 alternately blows warm air and room temperature air from the outlet 11 so that the temperature of the object is within 50℃±5℃. The blowing mode is the same as the blowing mode when the sensing program is set to "SCALP". The hair dryer 1 displays either "HIGH" or "LOW" in white depending on the blowing mode. The hair dryer 1 also displays the word "SCALP" in white, and the display unit 100 shifts the position of the white-emitting LED element and the red-emitting LED element so that they move from the rear end to the front end, and then shifts the position of the white-emitting LED element and the blue-emitting LED element so that they move from the rear end to the front end.

[0066] Next, the user presses the third operation unit 53 to switch the sensing program to "MOIST" and dries the hair from the middle to the ends. In this state, the hair dryer 1 alternately blows hot air and room temperature air from the outlet 11 so that the temperature of the object is within 60℃±5℃. The blowing mode is the same as the blowing mode when the sensing program is switched to "MOIST". The hair dryer 1 displays either "HIGH" or "LOW" in white light depending on the blowing mode. Also, the hair dryer 1 displays the word "SCALP" which has disappeared and the word "MOIST" which has blinked in white, and in the display unit 100, the position of the white-emitting LED element and the red-emitting LED element is shifted from the rear end to the front end, and then the position of the white-emitting LED element and the blue-emitting LED element is shifted from the rear end to the front end.

[0067] Finally, the user moves the first control unit 51 to the "COOL" position and, while running their fingers through their hair, applies room-temperature air to style it. In this state, the hair dryer 1 blows room-temperature air forward from the outlet 11. The airflow mode remains the same as when the first control unit 51 was moved to the "COOL" position. The hair dryer 1 displays either "HIGH" or "LOW" in white light depending on the airflow mode. In addition, the "SENSE" and "MOIST" texts disappear, and the display unit 100 shifts the position of the white-emitting LED element and the blue-emitting LED element so that they move from the rear end to the front end.

[0068] As described above, the hair dryer 1 of Embodiment 1 comprises an air blowing unit 12, a filter 16 positioned on the intake side of the air blowing unit 12 and having a plurality of first ventilation holes 16C, a first ventilation member 14A positioned between the air blowing unit 12 and the filter 16 and having a second ventilation hole 14E having a larger opening area than the first ventilation hole 16C, and a second ventilation member 14B having a second ventilation hole 14F.

[0069] The hair dryer 1 prevents dust and debris from entering the air blower 12 with the filter 16, while the second air holes 14E and 14F of the first air venting member 14A and the second air venting member 14B regulate the airflow from the filter 16 to the air blower 12.

[0070] Therefore, the hair dryer 1 can suppress the noise it generates.

[0071] The opening shape of the second vents 14E and 14F of the hair dryer 1 is a regular hexagon. Therefore, when multiple second vents 14E (14F) are arranged in a row, the area of ​​the region between adjacent second vents 14E (14F) can be easily narrowed, and as a result, the total opening area of ​​all second vents 14E (14F) of the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B can be made larger, thereby preventing obstruction of the airflow from the filter 16 to the air blower 12.

[0072] The first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B of the hair dryer 1 are arranged side by side with a gap between them, while aligning the ventilation direction Vd of the second ventilation hole 14E (14F). Therefore, it is expected that the effect of regulating the airflow in multiple stages can be expected.

[0073] In the hair dryer 1, the air blower 12 has an axial fan 12B, and the airflow direction Vd of the first ventilation member 14A and the second ventilation member 14B is aligned with the rotation axis of the axial fan 12B. Therefore, it is possible to direct the regulated airflow perpendicularly to the axial fan 12B that rotates around its rotation axis, thereby suppressing variations in how the air hits each blade of the axial fan 12B, and is expected to have the effect of equalizing the frequency of the wind noise generated from each blade of the axial fan 12B.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to Example 1 described above in the description and drawings, and the following examples are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The number of ventilation members is not limited to the number in Example 1 (2), but may be one or three or more. (2) Unlike in Example 1, a synthetic resin plate with multiple second ventilation holes penetrating in the thickness direction may be used as the ventilation member. In this case, since synthetic resin has lower rigidity than metal, the plate thickness may need to be set larger than when a stainless steel alloy plate is used as in Example 1. (3) Unlike in Example 1, the opening shape of the second ventilation hole may be a triangle, a square, or the like. Alternatively, the second ventilation hole may be a configuration in which polygons with different numbers of sides are arranged in combination. Alternatively, the second ventilation hole may be a configuration in which polygons of different sizes are arranged in combination. (4) Unlike in Example 1, the ventilation direction of the ventilation member may be slightly (by a few degrees) inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the axial fan. (5) Unlike in Example 1, the opening shape and size of the second ventilation hole of the first ventilation member may be different from the opening shape and size of the second ventilation hole of the second ventilation member. (6) Unlike in Example 1, when viewing the ventilation portion from the ventilation direction, all of the edges constituting the second ventilation hole of the first ventilation member and all of the edges constituting the second ventilation hole of the second ventilation member may overlap, or some may overlap and others may be offset. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1… Hair dryer 12 ... Air blower 12B...Axial flow fan 14A...First ventilation member (ventilation member) 14B...Second ventilation member (ventilation member) 14E, 14F…Second ventilation holes 16 ... filter 16C…First vent Vd ... ventilation direction

Claims

1. The air blower unit that blows air, A filter is provided on the intake side of the air blower and has a plurality of first ventilation holes formed therein. A ventilation member is disposed between the air blowing section and the filter, and has a plurality of second ventilation holes having a larger opening area than the first ventilation hole. A hair dryer equipped with [a specific feature].

2. The hair dryer according to claim 1, wherein the opening shape of the second ventilation hole is polygonal.

3. The hair dryer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the ventilation members are arranged in a line with spacing between them, while aligning the ventilation direction of the second ventilation hole.

4. The aforementioned blower unit has an axial flow fan, The hair dryer according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation direction of the ventilation member is aligned with the rotation axis of the axial flow fan.

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