Hair Dryer Diffuser Grille Segmentation for Airflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hair dryer diffusers do not effectively reduce the peak velocity of airflow and ensure even distribution of air, leading to inefficient hair drying and potential noise issues.
Innovation Solution
A diffuser design featuring an internal grille with frustoconical apertures between the air inlet and external grille, along with a baffle and annular air channel, to reduce airflow velocity and enhance evenness, and a grille with distinct regions of air outlets to further distribute airflow evenly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a conventional diffuser with a single grille is used, then the structure is simple, but the peak velocity of airflow is not effectively reduced and distribution is uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser is segmented into two distinct grilles: an external grille with air outlets and an internal grille with apertures positioned between the air inlet and external grille. This segmentation allows each grille to perform specific functions in reducing airflow velocity and improving distribution uniformity, effectively resolving the contradiction between velocity reduction and structural simplicity.
2Speed
If the airflow velocity is reduced through a larger air chamber cross-section, then the velocity decreases, but the distribution evenness is not improved
Solution Approach 1:
The internal grille acts as an intermediary component between the air inlet and the external grille. It features an array of apertures that further subdivide and redistribute the airflow, ensuring uniform velocity distribution across all air outlets. This intermediary structure addresses both velocity reduction and distribution evenness simultaneously.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a single grille design is used, then the device is simple to manufacture, but noise is not effectively reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The grille system is divided into external and internal grilles with different aperture configurations. The internal grille's apertures are specifically designed to reduce turbulence and noise generation, while the external grille provides the final air outlet structure. This segmented approach effectively reduces noise without excessive complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces peak airflow velocity, improves airflow evenness, and reduces noise, resulting in more efficient hair drying and better air distribution.
Implementation Method 1
The apertures preferably taper inwardly from a first, inlet surface, which faces the air inlet(s), towards a second, outlet surface which faces the external grille. In other words, the apertures are preferably frustoconical in shape
Implementation Method 2
the velocity of the airflow decreases as the cross-section of the air chamber increases
Implementation Method 3
The perimeter of the aperture on the inlet surface is preferably rounded, and has a curvature with a radius in the range from 0.2 to 0.4 mm. To reduce noise as air passes through the internal grille
Data Source
AI summary
A diffuser includes an air inlet for receiving an airflow from a hair dryer, a grille having a plurality of air outlets for emitting a first part of the airflow from the diffuser, and a plurality of projections upstanding from the grille for contacting the hair of a user and for emitting a second part of the airflow. Each of the projections has a respective air outlet located in an end portion of the projection which is remote from the grille. The projections are divided into a first set of projections and a second set of projections arranged about the first set of projections. The air outlets of the first set of projections are arranged to emit air towards the second set of projections, and the air outlets of the second set of projections face are arranged to emit air towards the first set of projections.