Mist ejection unit and personal care device having such a unit

Abstract

In the context of a personal care device 100 having an air conduit portion 101 and an air flow generating mechanism configured to generate an outgoing air flow from the air conduit portion 101, a mist discharge portion 10 is provided that is configured to be arranged downstream of the air conduit portion 101. The discharge unit 10 serves to generate and release a mist of the care substance and comprises a container 40 configured to contain a quantity of the care substance. The container 40 is generally shaped as a hollow body at least partially surrounding an air space 13. For example, the container 40 can be either generally ring-shaped or generally C-shaped.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mist discharge unit used in a personal care device and a personal care device having the discharge unit.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of personal care, devices are known that are capable of both blowing air to a treatment area and supplying a care substance to the treatment area. Here, the care substance is discharged as a mist from a discharge unit. Examples of such devices are hair care devices such as hair dryers and skin care devices. In various known cases, the discharge unit is configured to be used as a removably arranged attachment of the personal care device.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] CN205624988U and CN214630580U disclose examples of discharge units used in hair dryers. Regarding the container of the discharge unit, CN205624988U discloses that the container is formed of a glass bottle containing essential oil, and this glass bottle protrudes upward from the rest of the discharge unit during use, whereby it is clearly visible as an add-on. CN214630580U discloses various options regarding the position of the container. According to one option, the container is at the central position within the discharge unit, which has the advantage that the container does not protrude outside the discharge unit. However, this has the drawback that the outgoing air flow is discharged from the annular region around the container and cannot be in a strong situation in the central region.

[0004] The present invention relates to the field of a discharge unit configured to be disposed downstream of an air duct portion of a personal care device. An object of the present invention is to find a method having an arrangement of a container such that the container does not protrude from the remaining portion of the discharge unit, and at the same time, to ensure a strong air delivery flow of the personal care device comparable to the air delivery flow obtained when the personal care device does not include the discharge unit.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In view of the above, the present invention provides a discharge unit for use in a personal care device having an air duct portion and an air flow generation mechanism configured to generate an air delivery flow from the air duct portion, the discharge unit being configured to be disposed downstream of the air duct portion, a functional portion configured to generate and discharge a mist of a care substance, and a container configured to contain a certain amount of the care substance, wherein the container has an outlet region for delivering the care substance to the functional portion, and the functional portion has an inlet region configured to receive the care substance from the outlet region of the container, the container is generally formed as a hollow body and at least partially surrounds an air space that is functional in the discharge unit so as to allow the air delivery flow to pass through the discharge unit at the position of the container.

[0006] From the above definition, according to the present invention, the container is generally formed as a hollow body that at least partially surrounds an air space that is functional in the discharge unit so that the outgoing air flow can pass through the discharge unit at the position of the container. Therefore, in the discharge unit designed based on the present invention, there is an air space and the container is located at a position that at least partially surrounds the air space, so that the container does not interfere with the air space. As a result, while avoiding an arrangement that protrudes outside the container, the outgoing air flow can be strengthened in the air space. In fact, the space available in the discharge unit is used wisely, and here, the conventional options for designing the container are not followed. Instead, the design of the container can be considered as a design in which the container is at least partially bent around the air space. It should be noted that in this design, it is fully possible to make a container having a volume sufficient to store the care substance. In other words, there is no need to reduce the volume compared to the conventional options where the container does not fit the combination of the internal position and the shape around the air space.

[0007] The present invention covers various options for the position of the air space within the discharge unit, including the option that the air space has a more or less central position in the discharge unit as seen in the projection in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the discharge unit (hereinafter referred to as the longitudinal direction). Further, the present invention covers various options for the shape of the container. According to a practical option, the container is generally ring-shaped and spreads 360° around the longitudinal axis, or generally C-shaped and spreads less than 360° around the longitudinal axis. Generally speaking, it is practical when the peripheral outer surface of the container has a shape that is generally convexly curved with respect to the longitudinal axis and the peripheral inner surface of the container has a shape that is generally concavely curved with respect to the longitudinal axis.

[0008] Advantageously, the ejection unit according to the present invention has a connection region for connecting to the downstream end of the air duct portion, where the connection region is substantially loop-shaped around the longitudinal axis of the ejection unit, and at least a major portion of the container is located inside the inner circumference of the connection region as seen in a projection in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The aforementioned connection may be a substantially airtight connection, in which case leakage of the delivered air flow at the location of the connection is avoided.

[0009] It is practical if the container is removably arranged within the ejection unit. This is because it can facilitate the replacement and / or filling of the container. For example, an embodiment of the ejection unit having a holder configured to receive and hold the container is feasible, where the holder substantially and snugly surrounds the container and has a wall portion configured to facilitate the receipt and removal of the container via a sliding movement of the container within the holder. According to another feasible option, the holder and the container are configured to magnetically couple to each other. When the container is removably arranged in the ejection unit, it is convenient if the container has a sealing portion configured to seal the outlet region when the container is removed from the ejection unit. An example of such a sealing portion is a foil seal.

[0010] Regarding the path of the care substance from the outlet region of the container to the inlet region of the functional unit, it should be noted that it is practical if this path is sealed to avoid loss / leakage of the care substance. This can be achieved when one of the inlet region of the functional unit and the outlet region of the container has a sealing ring configured to sealingly abut against the ring-shaped surface region of the other of the inlet region of the functional unit and the outlet region of the container.

[0011] The present invention covers both the option of a refillable container and the option of a (biodegradable) disposable container. In the case of the first option, referring to two practical possibilities, the container can be arranged to be removable or can have a cover element movable between an open state and a closed state, or the container can be made refillable through an opening that can serve as an outlet.

[0012] Advantageously, the functional part is configured to emit a mist of the care substance towards at least one of the air space and the region downstream of the air space. Depending on the exact design of the ejection unit, this can mean that the functional part is configured to emit the mist of the care substance in a direction other than the longitudinal direction. This can help to ensure a combined / mixed flow of air and care substance rather than separate flows of air and care substance side by side.

[0013] In the context of the present invention, the functional unit can have any suitable design. In particular, the functional unit can have any suitable type of nebulizer, such as a vibrating mesh piezoelectric nebulizer. In any case, it would be practical if the ejection unit has two electrodes configured to connect the functional part to the power system of the personal care device.

[0014] The ejection unit can be an integral part of the personal care device. However, if the ejection unit is configured to be used as a removable attachment of the personal care device, the user of the personal care device is provided with more usage options for the personal care device. According to one practical option applicable in the latter case, the ejection unit can be configured to magnetically couple to the air duct portion of the personal care device, which does not change the fact that a plurality of alternative / additional options are also covered by the present invention. When there is no need for treatment with the care substance, providing the user with the possibility to remove the ejection unit has the advantage that in such a case, a slim version of the personal care device can be used.

[0015] When aiming to realize the moisturizing function of the care substance, the care substance may simply be water. This does not change the fact that a plurality of other possibilities regarding the care substance ejected from the ejection unit are covered by the present invention. Generally speaking, the care substance can be any type of care substance, including those generally known and applied as hair care substances and those generally known and applied as skin care substances.

[0016] As shown above, the present invention further relates to a personal care device having an air duct portion, an air flow generation mechanism configured to generate an air flow sent out from the air duct portion, and an ejection unit as described above disposed downstream of the air duct portion. Practical examples of the personal care device according to the present invention are hair care devices such as hair dryers and skin care devices. In addition to the air flow generation mechanism and the ejection unit, the personal care device may include other useful elements, including a heater portion configured to heat the sent-out air flow. Here, such a heater portion can have any suitable design and may, for example, have one or more heating coils. In any case, the air flow generation mechanism may be of a type having at least one fan.

[0017] As described above, the ejection unit can be configured to be used as a removable attachment of a personal care device. In that case, the ejection unit and the remaining part of the personal care device including the air duct portion and the air flow generation mechanism can be provided as a set. Such a set may further include one or more other attachments in addition to the ejection unit.

[0018] From the viewpoints of aesthetics and ease of operation, it is advantageous if the peripheral outer surface of the ejection unit is at the same height as the peripheral outer surface of the air duct portion at its downstream end. Optionally arranging the container of the ejection unit inside the inner circumference of the connection region of the ejection unit can constitute an effective factor in this regard. The individual peripheral surfaces can have any suitable shape and may be generally circular or elliptical around the longitudinal axis, or may be square or rectangular around the longitudinal axis, and may have, for example, rounded edges.

[0019] The present invention also relates to a container of an ejection unit used in a personal care device having an air duct portion and an air flow generation mechanism configured to generate an air flow sent out from the air duct portion. This container is generally formed as a hollow body that at least partially surrounds an air space and is generally either ring-shaped or generally C-shaped.

[0020] The above-described aspects and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent by referring to the following detailed description of two practical embodiments of the ejection unit in the context of a hair care device as an example of a personal care device, and will be described with reference thereto.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

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[0022] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, equivalent or similar parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0023] 1 to 3 show diagrams of a hair care device 100 having a discharge unit 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The hair care device 100 shown is a hair dryer and has an air duct portion 101 and an air flow generation mechanism configured to generate an air flow sent out from the air duct portion 101. The hair care device 100 is a hand-held device and has a handle 102 that enables a user to pick up the hair care device 100 by hand.

[0024] The air flow generating mechanism is disposed inside the hair care device 100 and is thus not visible in FIGS. 1-3. The same applies to the heater part of the hair care device 100, which is useful for heating the outgoing air flow if the user desires. In FIGS. 1-3, the general direction of the outgoing air flow is indicated by arrows. At the downstream end 103 of the air duct part 101, the hair care device 100 has an outlet mesh 104 and an electrical connection area 105, as seen in FIG. 3. The discharge unit 10 is disposed downstream of the air duct part 101 and is configured to be coupled to the air duct part 101 at its downstream end 103. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the discharge unit 10 is configured to be used as a removable attachment of the hair care device 100. This attachment functions as a passage for the outgoing air flow from the air duct part 101. When attached to the hair care device 100, the discharge unit 10 and the hair care device 100 share the same longitudinal axis 11. As can also be seen from FIG. 1, the design of the discharge unit 10 is adapted to the design of the air duct part 101 such that when the discharge unit 10 is in the operating position of the hair care device 100, the peripheral outer surface 12 of the discharge unit 10 is at the same height as the peripheral outer surface 106 of the air duct part 101 at its downstream end 103. The hair care device 100 can be provided with any suitable means for releasably fixing the discharge unit 10 relative to the downstream end 103 of the air duct part 101.

[0025] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 4 to 6, the details of the discharge unit 10 are described below. First, the discharge unit 10 has a functional unit 20 configured to generate and discharge a mist of a hair care substance, which mist may be, for example, simply water or water with appropriate additives. In this embodiment, the functional unit 20 has a vibrating mesh type piezoelectric nebulizer 21 having a nebulizer outlet 22 from which a mist of a hair care substance is discharged during operation of the nebulizer 21. Second, the discharge unit 10 has a connection region 30 for substantially airtight connection to the downstream end 103 of the air duct portion 101, and the connection region 30 is ring-shaped around the longitudinal axis 11 of the discharge unit 10. Third, the discharge unit 10 has a container 40 configured to accommodate a certain amount of hair care substance. In this embodiment, the container 40 generally has a ring-shaped appearance and is configured to surround the air space 13 of the discharge unit 10. During operation of the hair care device 100 having the discharge unit 10, the delivered air flow flows through the air space 13 and exits the hair care device 100 at the downstream end 14 of the discharge unit 10. Further, the container 40 is located inside the inner circumference of the connection region 30 when viewed in projection in the direction of the longitudinal axis 11, that is, in the longitudinal direction.

[0026] The container 40 has an outlet region 41 through which a hair care substance is discharged toward the inlet region 23 of the functional unit 20 during operation. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the outlet region 41 has a tubular body 42, and the inlet region 23 of the functional unit 20 has a sealing ring 24 that functions to sealingly receive the free end of the tubular body 42. In this embodiment, the container 40 is removably arranged in the discharge unit 10. Note in this regard that the outlet region 41 can be provided with any suitable type of seal. The container 40 has a cover element 43 configured to be removable so as to enable the container 40 to be (re)filled with a care substance. The container 40 is suitable for receiving the care substance directly from a supply source or from within the container 40 the care substance in a sleeve having an outlet connectable to the outlet region 41 of the container 40.

[0027] As can be derived from FIGS. 4 to 6, the discharge unit 10 has three main elements, namely a container 40, an assembly 50 of a functional part 20 and a container holder 51, and a front cover piece 60. The container holder 51 has a wall part 52 configured to closely surround the container 40. Here, the shape of the peripheral inner surface 53 of the wall part 52 and the shape of the peripheral outer surface 44 of the container 40 are provided with corresponding bulges and notches and are adapted to each other. The reception of the container 40 in the container holder 51 and the removal of the container 40 from the container holder 51 can be established based on the sliding movement of the container 40 in the longitudinal direction in the container holder 51. Further, both the container 40 and the container holder 51 are provided with individual elements 45, 54 for fixing the container 40 at a predetermined position of the container holder 51 based on a snap connection. The assembly 50 of the functional part 20 and the container holder 51 further includes two electrodes 55, 56 for connecting the functional part 20 to the power supply system of the personal care device 100 via an electrical connection region 105 existing at the downstream end 103 of the air duct part 101.

[0028] The front cover piece 60 serves to accommodate the assembly 50 of the functional part 20 and the container holder 51, and has a connection region 30 and a mist outlet opening 61 located at the position of the nebulizer outlet 22. It should be noted that it is advantageous when the mist of the care substance is discharged from the nebulizer outlet 22 and the mist outlet opening 61 in the following manner. In this manner, the mist is discharged towards the region downstream of the air space 13, that is, towards the longitudinal axis 11, in a direction different from the longitudinal direction. This is because in that manner, the actual mixed combination of the dry air flow and the hair care substance can be supplied towards the same target position of the hair being treated.

[0029] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a discharge unit 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which is hereinafter referred to as an alternative discharge unit 10. The alternative discharge unit 10 has many features in common with the above-described discharge unit 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and hereinafter, only the prominent different features of the alternative discharge unit 10 will be described.

[0030] First, it should be noted that in the alternative discharge unit 10, the container 40 is configured to be removable on the assembly 50 of the functional part 20 and the ring-shaped container holder 51. On the other hand, compared with the discharge unit 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the front cover piece 60 is omitted. In fact, in the alternative discharge unit 10, when the container 40 is in a predetermined position within the discharge unit 10, the container 40 is disposed downstream of the container holder 51 above a part of the functional part 20. In view of the fact that the position of the container 40 is downstream of the container holder 51 rather than inside the container holder 51, a part of the peripheral outer surface 12 of the discharge unit 10 is constituted by the peripheral outer surface 44 of the container 40. According to a practical option, the container 40 is configured to be magnetically coupled to the container holder 51, where both the container 40 and the container holder 51 have one or more magnet pieces 46, 57 in appropriate positions. This makes the alternative discharge unit 10 very easy to use. Because having a magnetic type coupling enables easy removal and placement of the container 40 in the discharge unit 10.

[0031] Compared with the discharge unit 10 according to the first embodiment, the alternative discharge unit 10 has a simpler technical design. Here, in particular, the container 40 generally has a shape like a hollow annular ring, and the peripheral outer surface 44 of the container 40 has a smooth appearance. Generally, in the alternative discharge unit 10, there are more smooth surfaces than in the discharge unit 10 according to the first embodiment, which includes advantages not only regarding the aesthetics of the discharge unit 10 but also regarding, for example, cleanability.

[0032] Furthermore, it should be noted that in the alternative discharge unit 10, the functional part 20 is disposed outside the inner circumference of the connection region 30 when viewed in the longitudinal projection. The tubular body 42 of the outlet region 41 of the container 40 extends radially from the container 40, and the inlet region 23 of the functional part 20 is located on the upper side of the functional part 20. Conversely, in the discharge unit 10 according to the first embodiment, the tubular body 42 of the outlet region 41 of the container 40 extends in the longitudinal direction, and the inlet region 23 of the functional part 20 is located upstream of the functional part 20.

[0033] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples described above, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. The present invention is intended to be construed as including all such modifications and changes as long as they are within the scope of the claims or the equivalents thereof. Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the description, such illustrations and descriptions are merely illustrative or exemplary and not limiting. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The drawings are schematic, and details not necessary for understanding the present invention may be omitted and they are not necessarily to scale.

[0034] Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in light of the drawings, description, and appended claims for carrying out the claimed invention. In the claims, the term "comprising" does not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0035] For a particular embodiment, or aspects and elements discussed in relation thereto, can be appropriately combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments, unless otherwise indicated. Thus, the mere fact that certain means are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these means cannot be used advantageously.

[0036] The terms "having" and "including" as used herein will be understood by those skilled in the art to cover the term "consisting of". Thus, the terms "having" or "including" may mean "consisting of" in one embodiment, but may mean "including / having / comprising at least the specified species and one or more other species optionally" in another embodiment.

[0037] Possible modifications to the design of the above-described alternative dispensing unit 10 relate to the manner in which the functional unit 20 is arranged within the dispensing unit 10. For example, the position of the functional unit 20 may be an upper position instead of a lower position. As a result, when the container 40 is in a predetermined position of the dispensing unit 10, the container 40 is located under a part of the functional unit 20, where the outlet region 41 of the container 40 is on the upper side of the container 40 and the inlet region 23 of the functional unit 20 is on the lower side of the functional unit 20. In this regard, it should be noted that, generally, a pump unit or the like can be used to transport the care substance from the container 40 to the functional unit 20. On the other hand, in at least a plurality of possible embodiments of the dispensing unit 10, it is possible to rely on natural phenomena such as gravity, capillary action, and Venturi action for this purpose.

[0038] The term "mist of care substance" as used in this document should be understood to include droplets or drops of the care substance. From such a perspective, a possible alternative expression for this term is "spray of care substance".

[0039] The terms "downstream" and "upstream" as used in this document refer to the flow direction of the air delivery flow from the air duct portion 101 of the personal care device 100 through the air space 13 of the dispensing unit 10 at the operating position of the dispensing unit 10 in the personal care device 100.

[0040] Regarding the terms "ring" and "ring-shaped" as used in this document, it should be noted that the ring does not necessarily have a circular appearance. Furthermore, regarding the orientation of the elements, particularly with respect to terms assuming the normal operating direction of the elements as reflected in the figures, it should be noted that the use of such terms is not understood to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0041] Notable aspects of the present invention can be summarized as follows. In the context of a personal care device 100 having an air duct portion 101 and an air flow generation mechanism configured to generate an outgoing air flow from the air duct portion 101, a mist discharge unit 10 is provided that is configured to be disposed downstream of the air duct portion 101. The discharge unit 10 serves to generate and discharge a mist of a care substance and has a container 40 configured to contain an amount of the care substance. The container 40 is generally shaped as a hollow body that at least partially surrounds an air space 13. For example, the container 40 can be generally ring-shaped or generally C-shaped. In any case, it would be practical if the container 40 is configured to at least partially surround the air space 13 while spreading over at least 180° around the longitudinal axis 11 of the discharge unit 10.

Claims

1. A discharge unit for use in a personal care device, wherein the personal care device includes an air duct portion and an air flow generation mechanism for generating a delivery air flow from the air duct portion, the discharge unit being disposed downstream of the air duct portion, a functional unit for generating and discharging a mist of a care substance, a container for containing a certain amount of the care substance, - the container having an outlet region for delivering the care substance to the functional unit, the functional unit having an inlet region for receiving the care substance from the outlet region of the container, - the container generally being formed as a hollow body that at least partially surrounds an air space that is functional in the discharge unit so as to enable the delivery air flow to pass through the discharge unit at the location of the container, a connection region for connecting to a downstream end of the air duct portion, the connection region being substantially loop-shaped around the longitudinal axis of the discharge unit, and at least a major portion of the container being located inside the inner circumference of the connection region as viewed in a projection in the direction of the longitudinal axis, a discharge unit having the connection region.

2. The discharge unit according to claim 1, wherein the container is generally either ring-shaped or generally C-shaped.

3. The discharge unit according to claim 1, wherein the container is configured to be removable from the discharge unit.

4. The discharge unit according to claim 3, having a holder for receiving and holding the container, the holder at least partially snugly surrounding the container and including a wall portion that facilitates the receipt and removal of the container via a sliding movement of the container in the holder.

5. The discharge unit according to claim 3, having a holder for receiving and holding the container, and the holder and the container being magnetically coupled to each other.

6. The discharge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the container is removably disposed or has a cover element movable between an open state and a closed state.

7. The discharge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the functional unit discharges the mist of the care substance toward at least one of the air space and a region downstream of the air space.

8. The discharge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having two electrodes for connecting the functional unit to a power system of the personal care device.

9. The discharge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the discharge unit is used as a removable attachment of the personal care device.

10. The discharge unit according to claim 9, which is magnetically coupled to an air duct portion of the personal care device.

11. A personal care device, comprising: an air duct portion; an air flow generation mechanism that generates a delivery air flow from the air duct portion; and the discharge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5 disposed downstream of the air duct portion.

12. The personal care device according to claim 11, wherein a peripheral outer surface of the discharge unit is at the same height as a peripheral outer surface of the air duct portion at a downstream end portion.

13. The personal care device according to claim 11, further comprising a heater unit that heats the delivery air flow.

14. The personal care device according to claim 11, wherein the discharge unit has two electrodes that connect the functional unit to a power supply system of the personal care device.

15. The personal care device according to claim 11, wherein the discharge unit is used as a removable attachment of the personal care device.

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