Haircare attachment

Abstract

A haircare attachment comprises an air inlet for receiving an airflow and an elongate barrel comprising a tapered portion around which hair is wrapped during use. The tapered portion has one or more outlet slots that extend along a length of the tapered portion and through which the airflow is discharged. The tapered portion tapers from a first end to a second end, comprises a first intermediate position axially spaced from the first end by between one quarter and one third of an axial length of the tapered portion, and comprises a second intermediate position axially spaced from the second end by between one quarter and one third of the axial length of the tapered portion. The tapered portion has a taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position that is greater than or equal to 2.1 degrees. Also provided is a haircare appliance comprising the haircare attachment.

Description

[0001] HAIRCARE ATTACHMENT

[0002] BACKGROUND

[0003] A haircare appliance may comprise an attachment around which hair is wrapped to create curls. Air may be discharged from the attachment in order to encourage the hair to wrap around the attachment.

[0004] Wrapping hair around the attachment, in combination with the airflow, and optionally the application of heat (e.g. by the airflow being heated), promotes the formation of curls in the hair. The size of the curls formed in the hair corresponds to the diameter of barrel the hair is wrapped around.

[0005] SUMMARY

[0006] In a first aspect there is provided a haircare attachment comprising an air inlet for receiving an airflow; and an elongate barrel comprising a tapered portion around which hair is wrapped during use, the tapered portion having one or more outlet slots that extend along the length of the tapered portion and through which the airflow is discharged. The tapered portion tapers from a first end to a second end; the tapered portion comprises a first intermediate position axially spaced from the first end by between one quarter and one third of an axial length of the tapered portion; the tapered portion comprises a second intermediate position axially spaced from the second end by between one quarter and one third of the axial length of the tapered portion; and the tapered portion has a taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position that is greater than or equal to 2.1 degrees.

[0007] The tapered portion may therefore be regarded as having a base section that extends from the first end to the first intermediate position, an intermediate section that extends from the first intermediate position to the second intermediate position, and a tip section that extends from the second intermediate position to the second end. The base and tip sections of the attachment each have a length of between one quarter and one third of the axial length of the tapered portion, and the intermediate section has a taper angle of at least 2.1 degrees. As a result, the tapered portion is provided with base and tip sections, of sufficient lengths and of sufficiently differing diameters, such that hair can be wrapped around the base section to form larger curls in the main length of the hair and then around the tip section to form smaller curls proximate the root of the hair. The formation of the smaller curls at the root has been found to improve retention of the larger curls in the main length of the hair.

[0008] Larger curls can be aesthetically more desirable but are typically not well retained. Smaller curls, on the other hand, are generally better retained but are not always aesthetically desirable. With the present haircare attachment, the larger curls formed around the base section can be retained for longer periods by the formation of the smaller curls at the tip section.

[0009] The axial length of the tapered portion of the elongate barrel may be the distance between the first end of the tapered portion and the second end of the tapered portion, e.g. the distance along a longitudinal axis of the tapered portion of the elongate barrel between the first end and the second end.

[0010] The airflow may be discharged from each outlet slot in a direction substantially tangential to an external surface of the tapered portion at said outlet slot. In this way, because the tapered portion has a convex outer surface in the circumferential direction, the airflow out of the outlets may attach to the surface and remain attached (the Coanda effect), thereby flowing circumferentially around the tapered portion such as to promote the wrapping of hair around the barrel and subsequently the formation of curls in the hair.

[0011] The slots may extend along the length of the tapered portion (e.g. two opposite ends of a slot may be adjacent the first end and the second end of the tapered portion, respectively). Accordingly, the tapered portion may be provided with airflow-discharging slots along the whole of its axial length, and thus the whole of the tapered portion may be usable for providing curls in the hair. The angles and dimensions of the tapered portion and barrel discussed herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, may be taken to be referring to the angles and dimensions of an outer surface of the tapered portion / barrel.

[0012] The taper angle of the intermediate section may be constant or it may vary along the length of the intermediate section. Nevertheless, the taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position (i.e. measured with reference to the first and second intermediate positions) is at least 2.1 degrees. The taper angle between two positions spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the tapered portion may be taken as the angle between i) a line extending between the outer surface of the barrel at each of those two positions, and ii) the longitudinal axis of the tapered portion.

[0013] The taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position may be greater than or equal to 2.5 degrees, or greater than or equal to 2.7 degrees.

[0014] If the taper angle is too large, it may be difficult to wrap hair around the intermediate section because the hair will tend to slide down the barrel towards the tip section. Thus, it has been found to be beneficial for the taper angle of the intermediate section (i.e., the taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position) to be less than or equal to 4.7 degrees, such that the aforementioned sliding is less likely to occur. The taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position may be less than or equal to 3.7 degrees, or less than or equal to 3.0 degrees.

[0015] Thus it is desirable for the taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position to be between 2.1 degrees and 4.7 degrees. Sub-ranges of taper angles within this range may provide different balances between i) the improved retention of curls achieved by having a larger taper angle and thus larger difference in curl diameter provided between the base and the tip sections, and ii) the tendency of hair to slip down the tapered portion and thus the ease with which hair is styled. This balance between requirements i) and ii) is also applicable to the taper angles between other pairs of positions along the tapered portion. Where the cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tapered portion is circular, the diameter of the tapered portion at an axial position thereof is the outer diameter. Where said cross-section is not circular, e.g. it is ovular, or irregular, then the diameter of the tapered portion may be the effective diameter of the outer surface of the barrel at that position.

[0016] The tapered portion tapers from the first end to the second end. That is to say that the outer diameter of the tapered portion decreases from the first end to the second end. The tapered portion may taper over its entire length, or it may taper over just a part(s) of its length. For example, the base section and / or the tip section may be tapered and have a taper angle less than the taper angle of the intermediate portion. Alternatively, the base section and / or the tip section may not be tapered. Consequently, the diameter of the tapered portion at the first end may be greater than or equal to the diameter at the first intermediate position, and the diameter of the tapered portion at the second end may be less than or equal to the diameter at the second intermediate position. Irrespective, the diameter of the tapered portion at the first intermediate position is greater than the diameter at the second intermediate position.

[0017] If the taper angle of the base section and / or the tip section is less than the intermediate section, then it may be easier to wrap hair around the base section and / or tip section without hair sliding down the barrel from these sections. Such changes in taper angle may give a more distinct transition in curl size between the sections of the tapered portion.

[0018] The taper angle between the first end and the first intermediate position may be greater than the taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position. That is to say that the taper angle of the base section may be greater than the taper angle of the intermediate section. The diameter of the tapered portion is therefore larger along the base section. By having a larger diameter, a greater taper angle can be employed whilst still limiting the slipping of hair down the barrel. This is because the Coanda effect is easier to achieve around a barrel of larger diameter. Thus the taper angle in the base section can be made larger to provide a faster transition in curl size from large to small without making it difficult to wrap hair around the attachment.

[0019] For the same reasons as those provided above in connection with the intermediate section, the taper angle between the first end and the first intermediate position (i.e., the taper angle of the base section) may be less than or equal to 4.7 degrees. Moreover, the taper angle may be less than or equal to 3.7 degrees, or less than or equal to 3.0 degrees. Additional or alternatively, the taper angle between the first end and the first intermediate position may be greater than or equal to 2.1 degrees. Moreover, the taper angle may be greater than or equal to 2.5 degrees, or greater than or equal to 2.7 degrees.

[0020] The taper angle between the second intermediate position and the second end may be less than the taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position. That is to say that the taper angle of the tip section may be less than the taper angle of the intermediate section. The diameter of the tapered portion is therefore smaller along the tip section. By having a smaller diameter, a smaller taper angle is provided in order to allow hair to be wrapped around the barrel without slipping down the barrel. The Coanda effect is harder to achieve around a barrel of smaller diameter. By employing a smaller taper angle at the tip section, the hair may be better held in place.

[0021] The taper angle between the second intermediate position and the second end (i.e., the taper angle of the tip section) may be greater than or equal to 1.4 degrees. The tapered portion therefore continues to taper to a smaller diameter along the tip section. Consequently, the smallest curls are provided in that portion of the hair which wraps around the tip section, thereby improving curl retention. The taper angle between the second intermediate position and the second end may be greater than or equal to 1.8 degrees, or greater than or equal to 2.0 degrees.

[0022] The taper angle between the second intermediate position and the second end (i.e., the taper angle of the tip section) may be less than or equal to 3.7 degrees. As noted, the Coanda effect is harder to achieve around a barrel of smaller diameter. By employing a smaller taper angle at the tip section, the hair may be better held in place. The taper angle between the second intermediate position and the second end may be less than or equal to 3.2 degrees, or less than or equal to 3.0 degrees.

[0023] A taper angle between the first end and the second end may be greater than or equal to 2.4 degrees. In this way, the base and tip sections of the tapered portion are provided with sufficiently differing diameters such that larger curls formed at the base section may be better retained by the formation of smaller curls at the tip section. The taper angle between the first end and the second end may be greater than or equal to 2.6 degrees, or greater than or equal to 2.8 degrees. Additionally or alternatively, the taper angle between the first end and the second end may be less than or equal to 4.5 degrees, less than or equal to 3.5 degrees, or less than or equal to 3.0 degrees.

[0024] A diameter of the tapered portion at the first intermediate position may be less than or equal to 35.0 mm and / or greater than or equal to 25.0 mm. The diameter of the tapered portion at the first intermediate position being in this range is beneficial in providing relatively large curls in the main length of the hair that are considered more aesthetically appealing. Moreover, where the haircare attachment is configured to discharge airflow from the one or more outlet slots to assist in wrapping hair around the barrel using the Coanda effect, having a tapered portion with this diameter makes utilising the Coanda effect for this purpose easier than at smaller diameters. Where the diameter of the tapered portion at the first intermediate position is larger than 35.0 mm, this may mean that the taper angle between the first and second intermediate positions (i.e. in the intermediate section) and / or between the second intermediate position and the second end (i.e. in the tip section) needs to be larger than preferable in order to reduce the diameter of the tapered portion down to values that will provide smaller curls at the root (e.g. less than 25 mm) to aid retention of the larger curls. As discussed above, such large taper angles may make wrapping the hair around the tapered portion difficult, especially where the diameter of the tapered portion is small.

[0025] The diameter at the first intermediate position may be greater than or equal to 27.5 mm, and / or less than or equal to 32.5 mm. A diameter of the tapered portion at the second intermediate position may be less than or equal to 30.0 mm and / or greater than or equal to 22.0 mm. Having the tapered portion reduce to a diameter in this range at the second intermediate position is advantageous in that it still allows relatively large curls to be provided in the main length of the hair, but also is small enough that the curls that are provided by the tip section of the tapered portion are small enough that they contribute to improving the retention of the large curls formed by the base section and intermediate section. However, it is also important that the diameter of the tapered portion does not become too small, as then wrapping hair around the barrel using the Coanda effect become difficult because it is challenging to get the airflow to attach to the surface of the barrel.

[0026] The diameter at the second intermediate position may be less than or equal to 28.0 mm and / or greater than or equal to 24.0 mm.

[0027] A diameter of the tapered portion at the first end may be less than or equal to 40.0 mm and / or greater than or equal to 34 mm. Having a larger diameter has the advantage of forming larger curls at the base section of the tapered portion. However, if the diameter at the first end is excessive, the taper angle between the first end and the first intermediate position (i.e., the base section), between the first and second intermediate positions (i.e., the intermediate section), and / or between the second intermediate position and the second end (i.e., the tip section) may be larger than preferable in order to reduce the diameter of the tapered portion down to values that will provide smaller curls to aid retention. As discussed above, large taper angles may make wrapping and retention of the hair around the tapered portion difficult.

[0028] The diameter at the first end may be less than or equal to 38.0 mm and / or greater than or equal to 36.0 mm.

[0029] A diameter of the tapered portion at the second end may be less than or equal to 28.0 mm and / or greater than or equal to 16.0 mm. Tapering the barrel to a diameter in this range allows relatively small curls to be formed by the tip section to provide good retention of larger curls formed along the main length of the hair. The diameter of the tapered portion is not, however, excessively small, which might otherwise make wrapping of the hair around the barrel by the Coanda effect more difficult, as discussed above.

[0030] The diameter at the second end may be less than or equal to 25.0 mm and / or greater than or equal to 19.0 mm.

[0031] The axial length of the tapered portion may be greater than or equal to 120 mm and / or less than or equal to 180 mm. The axial length of the intermediate section (i.e., the axial distance between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position) may be greater than or equal to 40 mm and / or less than or equal to 90 mm. Moreover, the axial length of the intermediate section may be greater than or equal to 60 mm and / or less than or equal to 70 mm. Such lengths provide sufficient surface area around which to wrap relatively long hair, whilst also being ergonomic for a user because the haircare attachment does not extend too far away from the user’s head. Moreover, such lengths, in combination with the taper angles discussed above, result in diameters at the base and tip sections that facilitate the formation of larger curls in the base section and smaller curls in the tip section.

[0032] The first intermediate position may be axially spaced from the first end by around a third of the axial length of the tapered portion. The second intermediate position may be spaced from the second end by around a third of the axial length of the tapered portion. Such a spacing of the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position provides abase section of sufficient length to provide relatively large curls proximate the root of the hair, a tip section of sufficient length to provide small curls proximate the tip of the hair to aid with retention, and an intermediate section that provides a good gradual change in the size of the curls from the root to the tip.

[0033] The tapered portion may be concave from the first end to the second end (i.e. the outer surface may be concave in the longitudinal direction of the haircare attachment). A section or all of the tapered portion may be frustoconical.

[0034] The one or more outlet slots may be spaced around the tapered portion (e.g., in the circumferential direction, optionally equiangularly) and extend along a major portion of the tapered portion. Each outlet slot may extend between the first end and the second end of the tapered portion (i.e., each outlet slot may extend along the whole of the tapered portion in the length direction).

[0035] The one or more slots may extend linearly along the tapered portion or may extend helically along the tapered portion with respect to the longitudinal axis.

[0036] The attachment may further comprise one or more members that are movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the airflow is discharged from the outlet slots in a clockwise direction when the members are in the first position, and the airflow is discharged from the outlet slots in a counterclockwise direction when the members are in the second position. The outlet slots may comprise first outlets through which the airflow is discharged in a clockwise direction and second outlets through which the airflow is discharged in a counterclockwise direction. The members may occlude the airflow to the second outlets when in the first position, and occlude the airflow to the first outlets when in the second position.

[0037] The tapered portion of the barrel may comprise a hollow shell. The air inlet may provide the airflow into the interior of the hollow shell. The hollow shell may have one or more apertures therethrough, and the tapered portion may comprise one or more slats, each slat disposed in a respective aperture such as to provide an adjacent pair of first and second outlets. Each outlet may be provided between an edge of a slat and an adjacent surface of the hollow shell. Each pair of first and second outlets may be provided by opposite edges of a slat.

[0038] The attachment may comprise a user-actuated selector (e.g., a dial) for moving the one or more members between the first position and the second position. The selector may be configured to rotate the one or more members between the respective first positions and second positions (i.e., actuation of the selector may rotate the members).

[0039] In a second aspect there is provided a haircare appliance comprising a main unit having a blower, and the haircare attachment according to the first aspect attached to the main unit. The haircare attachment may be releasably attached to the main unit.

[0040] Any of the optional features set out above in relation to the first aspect are equally applicable to the second aspect.

[0041] The main unit may comprise a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, and a heater configured to heat the airflow between the air inlet and the air outlet of the housing.

[0042] The main unit may comprise a control unit for controlling the blower and / or the heater. The control unit may comprise user controls to receive a user input, and the control unit may control the blower and / or the heater in response to the user input.

[0043] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 illustrates a haircare appliance comprising a main unit and a haircare attachment releasably attachable thereto;

[0045] Figure 2 illustrates a simplified section through the main unit of Figure 1;

[0046] Figure 3 illustrates the haircare attachment of Figure 1; and

[0047] Figure 4 illustrates cross-sectional slices through the haircare attachment of Figure 3 in the plane A— A, wherein a valve assembly of the haircare attachment is in (a) a first position and (b) a second position.

[0048] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The haircare appliance 1 of Figure 1 comprises a main unit 200 and a haircare attachment 100 removably attachable to the main unit 200. Referring now to Figure 2, the main unit 200 comprises a housing 210 having an air inlet 212 and an air outlet 214, a blower 220, a heater 230 and a control unit 240.

[0050] The blower 220 is configured to draw air into the housing 210 via the air inlet 212 and expel that air out of the housing via the air outlet 214. That is, the blower 220 generates an airflow through the housing 210. The airflow passing through the housing 210 is typically heated using the heater 230.

[0051] The control unit 240 comprises user controls 242 configured to receive user inputs, and a control module 244 configured to control the blower 220 and the heater 230 based on the user inputs.

[0052] The haircare attachment 100 is releasably attachable to the main unit 200. The haircare attachment 100 comprises an air inlet for receiving an airflow and an elongate barrel extending along a longitudinal axis of the haircare attachment 100. The elongate barrel comprises a tapered portion having one or more outlet slots that extend along the length of the tapered portion and through which airflow is discharged during use of the haircare attachment 100.

[0053] During use, the airflow generated by the blower 220 exits the air outlet 214 of the housing 210 and flows into the haircare attachment 100 via the air inlet of the haircare attachment 100. From there, the airflow moves axially along the haircare attachment 100 and is discharged through the outlet slots in the barrel. The outlet slots are configured such that the airflow exits in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the haircare attachment 100.

[0054] The airflow discharged from the outlet slots attaches to the outer surface of the barrel by the Coanda effect. As a result, hair presented to the haircare attachment 100 is attracted to, and wraps around, the barrel. The haircare appliance 1 may therefore be used to curl hair. The diameter of the barrel dictates the size and shape of the resulting curls provided in the hair. The retention of curls in the hair is also influenced by the diameter of the barrel; the larger the diameter of the barrel, and thus the larger the size of the resulting curls, the poorer the retention of the curls (i.e. the sooner the hair returns to a non-curled state). Conversely, smaller diameter barrels provide better retention of curls. Users may prefer the aesthetics of a certain size of curl. This may depend on, for example, the properties of the user’s hair (e.g., length, thickness, stiffness, etc.).

[0055] Figure 3 illustrates in more detail the shape of the haircare attachment 100. As noted, the haircare attachment 100 comprises an air inlet 110 and one or more outlet slots 121 that extend along the length of a tapered portion 120. The haircare attachment 100 further comprises a connector 108 for interfacing with the main unit 200 provided at one end of the attachment 100, and a user-actuated dial 107 provided at the opposite end of the attachment 100.

[0056] The air inlet 110 is provided on an axial end face of the haircare attachment 100 at the same end as the connector 108 for attachment to the main unit 200. The air inlet 110 allows air to flow into a hollow bounded by the barrel. The outlet slots 121 through which air entering the attachment 100 is subsequently discharged extend along the length of the tapered portion 120.

[0057] The tapered portion 120 tapers from a first end 122 proximate the air inlet 110 to a second end 123 proximate the user-actuated dial 107. An axial length 10 of the tapered portion 120 between the first end 122 and the second end 123 is between 120 mm and 180 mm. In the particular example illustrated in Figure 3, the axial length 10 is about 150 mm. For the purposes of describing the geometry of the tapered portion 120, the tapered portion 120 can be split up into a base section 126 that extends from the first end 122 to a first intermediate position 124, an intermediate section 127 that extends from the first intermediate position 124 to a second intermediate position 125, and a tip section 128 that extends from the second intermediate position 125 to the second end 123. The first intermediate position 124 is defined as being axially spaced from the first end 122 by between one quarter and one third of the axial length 10 of the tapered portion 120. The second intermediate position 125 is defined as being spaced from the second end 123 by between one quarter and one third of the axial length of the tapered portion 120. Accordingly, the intermediate section 127 has a length 17 that is greater than or equal to a length 16 of the base section 126 and a length 18 of the tip section 128.

[0058] By providing a tapered portion 120 around which hair is wrapped, and by wrapping the hair such that a portion of the tress proximate the root of the hair is wrapped around the base section 126 and a portion of the tress proximate the tip of the hair is wrapped around the tip section 128, larger curls are formed in the hair by the base section 126 where the diameter of the tapered portion 120 is largest, whilst smaller curls are formed in the hair by the tip section 128 where the diameter of the tapered portion 120 is smallest. Providing smaller curls at the tips of the hair improves the retention of the larger curls.

[0059] In order to form smaller curls at the tips to improve curl retention whilst also forming larger curls at the roots of the hair, the diameter of the tapered portion 120 at the tip section 128 needs to be sufficiently smaller than the diameter at the base section 126. The present inventors have found that, by providing the intermediate section 127 with a taper angle that is greater than or equal to 2.1 degrees (for barrels having an axial length 10 of between 120 mm and 180 mm), the diameters of the barrel in the base section 126 and the tip section 127 are sufficiently different that the retention of large curls can be improved.

[0060] If the taper angle of the intermediate section 127 is too large, it can be difficult to hold hair around the intermediate section 127 and the hair may instead slide down the intermediate section 127 towards the tip section 128. Accordingly, the taper angle of the intermediate section 127 may be no greater than 4.7 degrees.

[0061] The taper angle of the intermediate section 127, that is to say the taper angle between the first intermediate position 124 and second intermediate position 125, may be chosen based on the desired balance between achieving good retention of larger curls and achieving a good hold of hair around the barrel. As noted, the taper angle of the intermediate section 127 may be no less than 2.1 degrees and no greater than 4.7 degrees. In some examples, the taper angle may be no less than 2.5 degrees, no less than 2.7 degrees, no greater than 3.7 degrees and / or no greater than 3.0 degrees.

[0062] The taper angle between different positions on the barrel is not the only factor influencing the ease with which hair can be wrapped around the barrel. Another factor influencing the ease of wrapping at a given position is the diameter of the barrel at that given position. This is because, as discussed above, the wrapping of air around the barrel is assisted by the airflow discharged from the slots attaching to the outer surface and flowing circumferentially around the barrel. The greater the radius of curvature of the outer surface of the barrel (i.e., the larger the diameter of the barrel), the more readily airflow attaches to the outer surface and thus the easier it is to wrap hair around the barrel.

[0063] Consequently, the diameter 13 of the barrel at the second end 123 may be greater than or equal to 16.0 mm, and more particularly greater than or equal to 19.0 mm. The diameter 15 of the barrel at the second intermediate position 125 is then larger than that at the second end 123. For example, the diameter 15 at the second intermediate position 125 may be greater than or equal to 22.0 mm, and more particularly greater than or equal to 24.0 mm. The diameter 14 of the barrel at the first intermediate position 124 is larger than that at the second intermediate position. For example, the diameter 14 at the first intermediate position 124 may be greater than or equal to 25.0 mm, and more particularly greater than or equal to 27.5 mm. The diameter 12 of the barrel at the first end 122 is larger than that at the first intermediate position 124. For example, the diameter 13 at the first end 122 may be greater than or equal to 34.0 mm, and more particularly greater than or equal to 36.0 mm.

[0064] On the other hand, if the diameter 13 of the barrel at the second end 123 is too large, the curls formed by the tip section 128 will be larger and thus retention of the curls will be poorer. Accordingly, the diameter 13 of the barrel at the second end 123 may be less than or equal to 28.0 mm, and more particularly less than or equal to 25.0 mm. The diameter 15 at the second intermediate position 125 may be less than or equal to 30.0 mm, and more particularly less than or equal to 28.0 mm. The diameter 14 at the first intermediate position 124 may be less than or equal to 35.0 mm, and more particularly less than or equal to 32.5 mm. And the diameter 12 at the first end 122 may be less than or equal to 40.0 mm, and more particularly less than or equal to 38.0 mm.

[0065] Accordingly, the base section 126 may have diameters of between 40.00 mm and 25.0 mm (more particularly between 38.00 mm and 27.5 mm) to create large curls in the hair, and the tip section 128 may have diameters of between 30.00 mm and 16.00 mm (more particularly between 28.00 mm and 19.0 mm) to create small curls to improve curl retention.

[0066] In the particular example illustrated in Figure 3, the base section 126, the intermediate section 127 and the tip section 128 have the same axial length of around 50 mm, and the same taper angle of around 3 degrees. The diameter 13 of the barrel is around 38 mm at the first end 122 and around 22.5 mm at the second end 123. Accordingly, the diameter of the barrel is around 32.8 mm at the first intermediate position 124 and around 27.7 mm at the second intermediate position 125.

[0067] In the example illustrated in Figure 3, the tapered portion 120 tapers over its entire length and has a constant taper angle. In other examples, the taper angles of the base section 126, the intermediate section 127 and / or the tip section 128 may differ. Moreover, within each section 126, 127, 128 the taper angle may vary. For example, the taper angle may decrease such that the outer surface of the barrel is concave in the longitudinal direction of the attachment 100. This is discussed further in relation to the Examples below.

[0068] Figure 4 illustrates cross-sectional slices in the section plane A— A in Figure 3. The Figure illustrates how the airflow discharged from the slot outlets 121 can be made to flow around the outer surface of the barrel in a clockwise and anti-clockwise manner. This then allows curls in both directions to be generated using a single haircare attachment 100.

[0069] In order to be able to discharge airflow in both a clockwise and anticlockwise direction, the outlet slots comprise first outlets 121a and second outlets 121b. The first outlets 121a are orientated on the outer surface of the barrel such that they face in the clockwise direction and the second outlets 121b are orientated on the outer surface of the barrel such that they face in the anti -clockwise direction. The outlets 121a, 121b are provided by the tapered portion 120 of the barrel comprising a hollow shell 101 that has a plurality of apertures 105 therethrough and a plurality of slats 102 disposed in the one or more apertures 105 such as to split each aperture 105 into an adjacent pair of outlets 121a, 121b. Each outlet 121a, 121b is provided between an edge of a slat 102 and an adjacent surface of the hollow shell 101. The geometry of the hollow shell 101 and slats 102 is such that each outlet 121a, 121b is orientated to discharge an airflow in a direction substantially tangential to the surface of the hollow shell 101 defining the outlet 121a, 121b,.

[0070] The attachment further comprises a cage 103 by which the slats 102 are mounted to the hollow shell 101.

[0071] The air inlet provides the airflow into the interior 106 of the hollow shell 101. The airflow subsequently flows out of the hollow shell 101 via either the first outlets 121a or the second outlets 121b. To control whether the airflow is discharged from the first outlets 121a or the second outlets 121b, the attachment further comprises a valve assembly having one or more valve elements 104 disposed inside the hollow shell 101.

[0072] The valve assembly is rotatable relative to the hollow shell 101 between a first position, shown in Figure 4(a), and a second position, shown in Figure 4(b). As shown in Figure 4(a), with the valve assembly in the first position, the second outlets 121b are occluded by the valve elements 104 whilst the first outlets 121a are not, and the airflow is discharged from the first slots 121a. In Figure 4(b), the valve assembly has been rotated anticlockwise to the second position in which the first outlets 121b are occluded by the valve elements 104 whilst the second outlets 121b are not, and the airflow is discharged from the second slots 121b.

[0073] As illustrated in Figure 3, the attachment 100 comprises a user-actuated dial 107 that is coupled to the valve assembly. Rotating the dial 107 clockwise and anticlockwise about the longitudinal axis of the attachment 100 likewise causes the valve assembly to rotate between the first position (Figure 4(a)) and the second position (Figure 4(b)).

[0074] Examples

[0075] Table 1 provides the dimensions of two examples of a haircare attachment according to the present disclosure and also provides the dimensions of two comparative examples of haircare attachments.

[0076] In Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the axial length of the tapered portion is 152 mm. The first intermediate diameter is the diameter of the outer surface of the barrel at the first intermediate position, which in the case of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, is one third of the axial length of the tapered portion from the first end; similarly, the second intermediate diameter is the diameter of the outer surface of the barrel at the second intermediate position, which in the case of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, is one third of the axial length of the tapered portion from the second end.

[0077] Example 1 has a constant taper angle of 2.9 across the base section (measured between the first end and the first intermediate position), the intermediate section (measured between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position), and the tip section (measured between the second intermediate position and the second end). Accordingly, Example 1 may correspond to a barrel like that illustrated in Figure 3, wherein the angle of the outer surface to the longitudinal axis is constant along the tapered portion between the first end and the second end and thus the tapered portion is substantially frustoconical.

[0078] In contrast, Example 2 has a profile wherein the taper angle is greatest in the base section, at 4.0 degrees, is then lower in the intermediate section at 2.4 degrees, and is lower again in the tip section at 1.6 degrees. Thus, the Example 2 attachment is concave in the longitudinal direction of the attachment. As discussed above in relation to Figure 3, a steeper taper angle can be accommodated in the base section where the diameter of the outer surface of the barrel is larger than in the intermediate section and / or the tip section because the effect of the larger taper angle in making the hair more difficult to wrap is counterbalanced by the larger diameter of the outer surface of the barrel improving attachment of the airflow to the outer surface.

[0079] At the typical length of 152 mm, the taper angles in the intermediate sections of Examples 1 and 2 provide tapered portions wherein the difference in diameter of the outer surface of the barrel between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position is large (e.g., around 5 mm). In this way, the curl size provided in the hair by the tip section is sufficiently small in comparison to those provided by the base section that the retention of the large curls in the hair is improved.

[0080] Turning to Comparative Examples 1 and 2, whilst these have large taper angles in the base section (5.5 degrees and 4.8 degrees, respectively), the taper angles in the intermediate section (i.e., between the first and second intermediate positions) are much lower than in Examples 1 and 2 discussed above, being 1.1 and 0.0 degrees for Comparative Examples 1 and 2, respectively. Consequently, the difference in the outer diameter of the barrel between the first intermediate position and second intermediate position (2 mm and 0 mm, respectively) is much smaller than in Examples 1 and 2.

[0081] The large taper angles in the base sections of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are unable to compensate for the small taper angles in the intermediate sections.

[0082] In Comparative Example 1, the tapered portion very quickly reduces in diameter within the base section such that only a small proportion of the axial length of the barrel has a large diameter (e.g., greater than or equal to around 30 mm) and most of the axial length (e.g. all of the tip and intermediate sections, and a portion of the base section) corresponds to smaller diameters (e.g. less than or equal to about 25 mm). Thus, Comparative Example 1 does not provide the preferred large curl style and thus there are very few larger curls for the smaller curls to improve the retention of. In Comparative Example 2, the tapered portion starts at a large diameter of 38.4 mm at the first end and quickly tapers down to 30 mm by the first intermediate position, but then does not taper any further along the axial length of the tapered portion. Thus, the diameter of the outer surface of the barrel remains at 30 mm up to the second end, i.e., the intermediate section and tip section are cylindrical. Thus, whilst Comparative Example 2 provides the hair with larger curls, it does not provide any smaller curls using the tip section in order to assist in retaining the larger curls.

[0083] Consequently, the curls provided by the tip sections of the attachments according to Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are of insufficiently different size to those provided by the base and intermediate sections of those attachments to both provide the large curls preferred by users and improve the retention of such large curls.

[0084] Table 1

Claims

CLAIMS1. A haircare attachment comprising: an air inlet for receiving an airflow; and an elongate barrel comprising a tapered portion around which hair is wrapped during use, the tapered portion having one or more outlet slots that extend along a length of the tapered portion and through which the airflow is discharged, wherein: the tapered portion tapers from a first end to a second end; the tapered portion comprises a first intermediate position axially spaced from the first end by between one quarter and one third of an axial length of the tapered portion; the tapered portion comprises a second intermediate position axially spaced from the second end by between one quarter and one third of the axial length of the tapered portion; and the tapered portion has a taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position that is greater than or equal to 2.1 degrees.

2. The haircare attachment according to claim 1, wherein the taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position is less than or equal to 4.7 degrees.

3. The haircare attachment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a taper angle between the first end and the first intermediate position and / or a taper angle between the second intermediate position and the second end is different to the taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position.

4. The haircare attachment according to claim 3, wherein the taper angle between the first end and the first intermediate position is greater than a taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position, and / or a taper angle between the second intermediate position and the second end is less than the taper angle between the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position.

5. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein a taper angle between the first end and the first intermediate position is greater than or equal to 2.1 degrees and / or less than or equal to 4.7 degrees.

6. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein a taper angle between the second intermediate position and the second end is greater than or equal to 1.4 degrees and / or less than or equal to 3.7 degrees.

7. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein a taper angle between the first end and the second end is greater than or equal to 2.4 degrees and / or less than or equal to 4.5 degrees.

8. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein a diameter of the tapered portion at the first intermediate position is less than or equal to 35.0 mm and / or greater than or equal to 25.0 mm.

9. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein a diameter of the tapered portion at the second intermediate position is less than or equal to 30.0 mm and / or greater than or equal to 22.0 mm.

10. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein a diameter of the tapered portion at the first end is greater than or equal to 34.0 mm and / or less than or equal to 40.0 mm.

11. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein a diameter of the tapered portion at the second end is greater than or equal to 16.0 mm and / or less than or equal to 28.0 mm.

12. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein the axial length of the tapered portion is greater than or equal to 120 mm and / or less than or equal to 180 mm.

13. The haircare atachment according to any preceding claim, wherein the first intermediate position is axially spaced from the first end and / or the second intermediate position is axially spaced from the second end by around a third of the axial length of the tapered portion.

14. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claims, wherein the outlet slots are spaced around the tapered portion and extend along a major portion of the tapered portion, and wherein optionally each of the outlet slots extends between the first end and the second end of the tapered portion.

15. The haircare attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein the tapered portion is frustoconical.

16. A haircare appliance comprising: a main unit having a blower; and the haircare attachment according to any preceding claim; wherein the haircare atachment is attached to the main unit, and wherein optionally the haircare attachment is releasably attached to the main unit.

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