GB2626150A

GB2626150A - Hair care appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2626150A
Application number: GB2300410.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Callum Alexander Jacob; Alexander Hunt-Pain George; James Thoburn William; Andrew Tibbetts David
Original assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2023-01-11
Filing date: 2023-01-11
Publication date: 2024-07-17
Also published as: CN120456849A; WO2024150090A1

Abstract

A haircare appliance 10 has an airflow generator 22 for generating an airflow and an air outlet 66 for emitting the airflow from the haircare appliance. A sensor 68 is configured to sense one or more of a position and an orientation of an external accessory 16 relative to the haircare appliance and a control mechanism 28 is configured to control a parameter of the airflow at the air outlet based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory. A movable member 52 may be rotatable by a motor 30 to guide the airflow or alter the velocity of the airflow. There may be provided a valve mechanism (502, fig. 5A) wherein airflow through a moveable member 332 can cause rotation of the moveable member based on actuation of the valves. Further moveable members 54 may be provided which move the direction of the airflow in different directions to the first movable member 52. The sensor may be located in a releasably attachable nozzle. The external accessory 16 is also described. It may have a target 72 such as a magnet or an electromagnetic wave source thereon. It may also comprise an orientation sensor.

Description

HAIR CARE APPLIANCE

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a hair care appliance, attachment and external accessory,

Background

Traditionally hair care appliances can include multiple different styling attachments.

These styling attachments may direct airflow from an airflow generator in a main body to an outlet in multiple ways. To effectively style the hair, a user generally has to move the hair care appliance to control the direction of airflow from the outlet. To adapt features of the airflow itself, a user may toggle switches to choose temperature and airflow speed, often from pre-set options. In some cases, a user has to guess the appropriate time to make these changes. For example, guess when their hair is nearly dry to apply a cold shot (lower airflow) temperature to set a style. These issues, alone or in combination, can make hair styling difficult and frustrating for a user. It is an object of the present invention to at least partly mitigate some of these problems.

Summary

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a haircare appliance comprising: an airflow generator for generating an airflow; an air outlet for emitting the airflow from the haircare appliance; a sensor configured to sense one or more of a position and an orientation of an external accessory relative to the haircare appliance; and a control mechanism configured to control a parameter of the airflow at the air outlet based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory. Using the sensor to control the parameter of the airflow may allow for improved useability of the hair care appliance compared to an arrangement where no control of the airflow takes place in response to an external accessory. That is, the sensor may improve a styling experience of the user by customizing the parameter of the airflow based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the haircare appliance with respect to the external accessory.

The hair care appliance may track the external accessory via the sensor and control various parameters of the airflow accordingly. Controlling the parameter of the airflow at the outlet may include actuating the airflow on and off in addition or as an alternative to adjusting a present parameter.

The sensor senses the position and/or orientation of the external accessory relative to the sensor. The sensor may be mounted on an exterior of the hair care appliance. In some examples, hair care appliance may have multiple sensors which communicate to determine the position and or orientation of the external accessory.

The external accessory may comprise any of a brush, a comb, a hair clip, or a head band. The external accessory may be a wearable accessory for the user's hand.

The control mechanism may comprise a moveable member, the moveable member movable between a first and second position to at least one of guide the airflow in a first or second direction;; and provide airflow at the air outlet at respective first and second velocities Changing the airflow direction and or velocity may allow for more precise styling of hair in the sense that an accessory such as a bush can be effectively tracked by the airflow, removing reliance on the hand position of the user for example. The control mechanism may change the direction of the airflow to follow the position and or orientation of the external accessory for example.

Movement of the movable member between the first and second positions may change a cross-sectional area of the air outlet. For example, the air outlet may comprise a first cross-sectional area when the movable member is in its first position, and a second cross-sectional area less than the first cross-sectional area when the movable member is in its second position. Changing the cross-sectional area of the air outlet may change the airflow velocity at the air outlet.

The moveable member may be rotatable between the first and second position. Rotating the position of the movable member may rotate the direction of the airflow to match the external accessory. The rotation may occur concurrently with changing the outlet shape. This may be particularly advantageous when the hair care appliance comprises a concentrator, to ensure a concentrated airflow is primarily directed towards the external accessory. Further, the rotation may also give the user a visual indication of tracking the external accessory. While described throughout as rotating between a first and second position, it should be understood that the first position is merely a different position to the second position. That is, the moveable member may rotate from one position to any other position and then another further position, or back to the original first position. The moveable member may be rotatable about 360 degrees.

By way of example, the moveable member may comprise a housing which directs the airflow (concentrator, diffuser, etc), this housing may be rotatably attached to a fixed section of the hair care appliance (e.g., via a track about which the housing can rotate). By rotating part of the hair care appliance (i.e., the housing which directs airflow), the airflow direction can be altered based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory.

The control mechanism may comprise a valve arrangement comprising a plurality of valves spaced about the moveable member, wherein the airflow flows therethrough toward the outlet. The control mechanism may be configured to selectively actuate one or more of the plurality of valves based on the one or more of the position arid the orientation of the external accessory, such that the airflow through the moveable member causes a rotation between the first and second position based on an actuation of the plurality of valves.

A force of the airflow through selected valves causes the moveable member to rotate. For example, if the plurality of valves in a distinct area are open and the rest closed, the force of the airflow therethrough causes a rotational force. This may be a quieter method of changing the airflow compared with a motor. In addition, the motor could add more weight to the hair care appliance compared to the valve arrangement, and it may be preferable to reduce the weight of the hair care appliance more comfortable to hold for

example.

The control mechanism may comprise a motor configured to move the moveable member between the first and second position.

The motor may provide easier and or more precise control the rotation of part of the moveable member compared with the valves described above.

The outlet may comprise a further moveable member configured to move the direction of airflow out of the outlet between a third and fourth direction, the third and fourth direction in a different plane to the first and second direction In addition, or as an alternative to rotating the moveable member, the hair care appliance may oscillate the airflow in an up and down motion relative to the hair care appliance. Oscillating the airflow may allow the airflow direction to follow the position and or orientation of the external accessory in a different plane to that of a rotational movement. In other words, the further moveable member may move between an upper and lower position, so as to change the direction of the airflow in response to the determined position of the external accessory. In examples where the moveable member is rotatable the air direction of the airflow may be controllable in two axis.

The sensor may comprise at least one magnetic sensor configured to interact with a magnetic field of the external accessory to sense the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory relative to the hair care appliance.

The magnetic sensor may be a magnet for example. Using magnets and or magnetic sensors may allow for the position and or orientation of the external device to be sensed even if the external device is completely obscured by the user' s hair. Further, the use of a magnetic interaction to change the parameter of the airflow such as its direction may allow for a passive system, requiring little to no electrical input. That is, the magnet may be mechanically coupled with the moveable member, such that the magnet passively moves the moveable member between the first and second position. This can negate the need for a controller, reducing the power burden of the control mechanism.

In other words, a movement of the sensor may passively pull the moveable member into position.

The sensor may comprise an electromagnetic detector configured to detect electromagnetic waves from the external accessory.

Using electromagnetic waves may reduce the manufacturing costs of the hair care appliance as it may be easier to manufacture than other sensor options. Further, the electromagnetic waves may be visible light for example, which may additionally give the user of the hair care appliance visual indicators of the position and or orientation of the external accessory in relation to the hair care appliance In some cases, this may allow the user to learn, based on the emitted light, where to position and or orient either the external accessory or hair care appliance for improved styling.

The hair care appliance or the external accessory may include an LED which can be sensed by the sensor and used to calculate the position and or orientation of the external accessory. In some examples, the hair care appliance may include an array of LEDs. The array of LEDs may pulse (turn on and off) in a sequence which may be reflected by the external accessory. A relative brightness of a reflection may be sensed by the sensor and used to determine the relative position and or orientation of the external accessory.

The external accessory may reflect or produce the electromagnetic waves.

The hair care appliance may comprise an emitter configured to emit electromagnetic waves to the external accessory. Having both the electromagnetic emitter and detector on the hair care appliance allows both to be powered via the hair care appliance, as such the accessory does not necessarily require an electrical power source.

The sensor may comprise an orientation sensor configured to communicate with a further orientation sensor in the external accessory to determine the orientation of the external accessory relative to the hair care appliance.

The orientation sensor may determine acceleration and orientation of each device. The sensor or hair care appliance may comprise a receiver, configured to receive orientation information transmitted from the further orientation sensor on the external accessory. The data can then be used to determine the relative position and or orientation of the external device. To this end the sensor may include a controller configured to make these calculations and then feed them to the control mechanism, or a further controller thereof The controller may in some cases apply filtering methods, such as a Kalman filter, to improve the accuracy of one or both the sensor measurements.

Any of the above communications between a sensor on the hair care appliance, a further sensor on the external accessory, and/ or the controller may be via one or more of Bluetooth, RF-communication, and Wi-Fi, or a wired connection.

The control mechanism further may comprise a controller configured to: receive the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory from the sensor; compare the one or more of the position and the orientation to a respective one or more of a predetermined position and predetermined orientation to determine a distance between the one or more of the position and the orientation to the respective one or more of the predetermined position and the predetermined orientation; and control the moveable member between the first and second position if the determined distance is above a predetermined threshold value; or maintain the moveable member if the determined distance is below the predetermined threshold value.

Using the controller to compare the position and or orientation to the respective predetermined position and or orientation may allow the control mechanism to discount unnecessary movement, such as minor hand shaking of the user holding the hair care appliance. This may improve the ease of use for the user by reducing unwanted movements of the hair care appliance. The predetermined position and or orientation may be a previous position and or orientation sensed by the sensor. That is, the most recent previous position and or orientation. For example, the controller may compare a previously received position to a new position to determine the distance between them, if the distance is above the predetermined threshold value only then does the control mechanism control the moveable member. In this way, the controller may limit the changes to be based on an intended user movement of the external accessory.

In some examples the controller further controls a haptic device in a handle of the hair care appliance to provide haptic feedback based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory. In some examples the haptic device is an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) actuator, comprising an unbalanced weight attached to a motor shaft or a piezoelectric actuator. The haptic device providing haptic feedback may comprise the haptic device causing a vibration when the controller determines the determined distance is above the predetermined threshold value. This may support the user in positioning the external device and hair care appliance while the airflow parameter is changed. The haptic device may provide user feedback while the controller controls the position of the moveable member.

The haircare appliance may comprise a main body housing the airflow generator and a heater, and an attachment releasably connected to the main body, and the attachment may define the air outlet, and the attachment may comprise at least one of the sensor and the control mechanism. This may allow for the main body to couple with different attachments to be used with the same moveable member, for example different sizes of concentrator nozzles which can then all be rotated when attached to the main body.

There may be internal electrical connections between the attachment and the main body which allow for communication between the control mechanism and the sensor, and the internal electrical connections may also be releasably coupled. A releasable attachment between the attachment and main body may be a magnetic coupling for example.

The attachment may comprise a device for sending the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory to the main body, and the control mechanism may control one or more of the heater temperature and an airflow generator speed, based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory.

In some examples, the main body may further house an ioniser configured to ionise the airflow. In these examples, the control mechanism may additionally control the ioniser to ionise (or stop ionising) the airflow based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory.

The parameter of the airflow may comprise airflow speed or velocity; airflow temperature; airflow direction; airflow charge; or a combination thereof By way of example, the sensor being a certain distance from the external accessory may cause the hair care appliance to change the airflow speed to and from zero, in other words actuating the hair care appliance off and on. Further, proximity to the external accessory may cause the control mechanism to lower the airflow temperature, which may avoid damaging the hair for example. This may also in some cases reduce the energy usage of the device, which can be environmentally favourable.

Advantageously the attachment may be removably coupled with the main body such that it can be interchanged with other attachments for different styling functions. Suitable attachments may include magnetic strips, clips, or threaded engagements The coupling between the main body and the attachment may also provide electrical connection for any components within the attachment.

The hair care appliance further may comprise a user controllable interface to override or alter the control of the parameter of the airflow at the air outlet. In some cases, the user may prefer to customize or turn off the control mechanism to suit personal preference.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an attachment for a haircare appliance, wherein the attachment comprises: an inlet for receiving an airflow, and an outlet for directing the airflow towards a user's hair; a sensor configured to sense one or more of a position and an orientation of an external accessory relative to the attachment, a control mechanism configured to control a parameter of the airflow at the air outlet based on the one or more of the sensed position or orientation of the external accessory.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided an external accessory for use with the hair care appliance and/or the attachment above.

The external accessory may comprise a target, the target comprising at least one of: a magnet for producing a magnetic field to interact with the attachment; an electromagnetic wave source for emitting electromagnetic waves to the attachment; an electromagnetic wave reflector for reflecting electromagnetic waves to the attachment; and an orientation sensor configured to communicate with the attachment.

The target may be coupled to a body of the external accessory, and the external accessory may comprise a removable styling head. Having the target coupled to the body, means multiple different styling heads may be used in conjunction with the attachment with one common body. This may be cheaper to produce than multiple styling tools each comprising the target. For example, the removable styling head could be a brush head interchangeable with a comb head.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure la illustrates a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of the hair care appliance according to the present invention; Figure lb illustrates a block diagram of Figure la, Figure 2a illustrates a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of the hair care appliance according to the present invention; Figure 2b illustrates a block diagram of Figure 2a; Figure 3 illustrates a block diagram of a third embodiment of the hair care appliance according to the present invention; Figure 4a illustrates a schematic illustration of a fourth embodiment of the hair care appliance according to the present invention, Figure 4b illustrates a block diagram of Figure 4a; Figure 5a illustrates a first view of schematic illustration of an attachment of a fifth embodiment, and Figure 5b illustrates a further view of the illustration of Figure 5b.

Detailed Description

Figure la schematically illustrates a first embodiment of a hair care appliance 10 and an external accessory 16. The hair care appliance 10 comprises a main body 12, and an attachment 14 releasably attachable to the main body 12.

The main body 12 comprises a handle portion 18, a head portion 20, an airflow generator 22, a heater 24, user interface 26, a haptic device 27, a controller 28, a drive motor 30, and a clutch 32.

The handle portion 18 is generally cylindrical and hollow in form, and houses the airflow generator 22. The handle portion 18 has an air inlet 38 in the form of a plurality of perforations at a first end 40 of the handle portion 18.

S 10 15 20 25 The head portion 20 is generally cylindrical and hollow in form, and is disposed at a second end 42 of the handle portion 18, with a central axis of the head portion 20 orthogonal to a central axis of the handle portion 18 such that the main body 12 is generally T-shaped in form. The head portion 20 houses the heater 24, the controller 28, the drive motor 30, and the clutch 32. The head portion 20 comprises a bore 44 through which air is entrained, and a flow path heading towards an air outlet 46. The air outlet 46 is generally annular in form about a periphery of the bore 44. The head portion 20 further comprises an annular magnet (not shown) for releasably connecting the handle unit 12 to the attachment 14. The annular magnet is positioned around a circumference of the air outlet 46. The head portion 20 comprises a projection 48 that extends into the bore 44, with the drive motor 30 held within the bore 44 by the projection 48.

The user interface 26 is provided on the handle portion 18 and comprises an electronic interface with controls to turn the device on and off, and control one or both of a temperature, and flow rate of the airflow.

The haptic device 27 is positioned within the handle portion 18 and comprises an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) actuator, which vibrates the handle portion.

The controller 28 is responsible for controlling the airflow generator 22, the heater 24, the haptic device 27, the drive motor 30, and the clutch 32. For example, in response to inputs from the user interface 26, the controller 28 is configured to power on and off the airflow generator 22 and/or the heater 24. Additionally, the controller 28 is configured to control the power or speed of the airflow generator 22 in order to vary the flow rate of the airflow. Similarly, the controller 28 is configured to control the power of the heater 24 in order to vary the temperature of the airflow. The controller 28 further controls the haptic device 27 and drive motor 30 in response to sensed information from a sensor arrangement 68, as will be discussed in more detail hereafter.

The user interface 26 or head portion 20 may also include controls to instruct the controller 28 to enter a user override mode and not to control any of the airflow generator 22, the heater 24, the drive motor 30, and clutch 32 in response to the sensor arrangement 36. In such a user override mode, a user can manually control features of the attachment 14, as will be discussed in more detail hereafter.

The drive motor 30 is capable of driving a load at a rate in the region of 200-600rpm. The drive motor 30 comprises any appropriate motor, whether brushed or brushless, for imparting a rotational force to an output of the drive motor 30. Extending substantially coaxially with the central longitudinal axis of the bore 44 is the clutch 32. The clutch 32 is a connection mechanism for connecting the drive motor 30 to the attachment 14. The clutch 32 is configured to selectively disengage the drive motor 30 from the attachment, upon instruction from the controller 28, as a protective mechanism to the drive motor 30.

The attachment 14 is a concentrator and comprises an inlet body 50, a nozzle 52, an outlet body 54, a further drive motor 56, a light source 58, and sensor arrangement 60.

The inlet body 50 is generally annular and comprises a magnetic strip (not show) to magnetically couple with the head portion 20 at the air outlet 46. The inlet body 50 comprises an annular inlet (not shown) which, when the attachment is attached to the head portion 20, fluidically connects to the air outlet 46 The nozzle 52 is substantially hollow and tapers between the inlet body 50 at a first end toward an outlet end of the nozzle 52. The nozzle 52 is coupled to the inlet body 50 through tracks, which allows the nozzle 52 to rotate relative to the concentrator body 50 about an axis of rotation R that corresponds to an axis of rotation of an output of the drive motor 30. The nozzle 52 can therefore rotate between a plurality of different configurations.

The nozzle 52 has a rigid member 64 that extends rearwardly from the nozzle 52 and through the inlet body 50, such that the rigid member 64 protrudes rearwardly of the inlet body 50. The rigid member 64 has a length, and a connection member (not shown) that enables the rigid member to releasably couple to the clutch 32 (and so the drive motor 30) when the attachment 14 is attached to the main body 12 The outlet end of the nozzle 52 comprises an opening within which outlet body 54 is located. The outlet body 54 is generally cylindrical and hollow in form, and comprises first 62 and second 66 slots. The first slot 62 is in fluid communication with the nozzle 52 and is located generally opposite the second slot 66 on the outlet body 66. The second slot 66 defines an air outlet of the attachment 14. One or both of the first and second slots 62, 66 may have adjustable widths. In this example, the further drive motor 56 drives an occlusion member (not shown) to widen or narrow one or both of the first and second slots 62, 66.

The outlet body 54 is rotatably mounted within the outlet end of the nozzle by a rotational gear mechanism (not shown), with the outlet body 54 rotatable about a rotational axis S that is orthogonal to the rotational axis R of the nozzle 52.

The further drive motor 56 is mounted internally of the nozzle 52, and an output of the further drive motor 56 is coupled to the rotational gear mechanism such that the further drive motor 56 can cause rotation of the outlet body 54 relative to the nozzle 52. The further drive motor 56 is in communication with the controller 28.

The light source 58 comprises an LED, which forms part of a position sensing system for the external accessory 16. The light source 58 is mounted on the inlet body 50 at a position towards a region of the inlet body 50 that couples to the air outlet 46. The light source 58 is configured to emit light of a known wavelength toward the external accessory 16.

The sensor arrangement 60 comprises a light sensor 68 mounted on the inlet body 50, and a temperature sensor 70 mounted within the nozzle 52. Examples in which the light sensor 68 is mounted on the nozzle 52 (and so rotates with the nozzle 52) are also envisaged. The light sensor 68 is configured to sense wavelength values and intensity values of light from the light source 58 reflected by a target 72 on the external accessory 16. For example, the light sensor 68 may be a light dependent resistor or photo diode. The temperature sensor 70 takes temperature readings of the airflow within the nozzle. The light sensor 68 and the temperature sensor 70 are in individual communication (e.g., wireless communication such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RF-communication or wired communication) with the controller 28, so as to transmit their respective sensed values.

The external accessory 16 is a comb that has a target 72 attached thereto. The target 72 is formed of a light reflective material.

Figure lb is a block diagram of the connections of the various components described above and their respective connections during use of the hair care appliance 10. Upon activation of the hair care appliance 10 (by the user inputting a command to the user interface 26), the controller 28 controls the airflow generator 22 to draw an airflow through the air inlet 38 through the handle portion 18 and into the head portion 20. The airflow travels over the heater 24 and from the air outlet 46 into the attachment 14, which is attached to the main body 12. The airflow then travels through the attachment 24 and out of the second slot 66.

While the airflow is generated, the controller 28 controls the light source 58 to emit light of different wavelengths at a different angles with respect to the light source 58 (e.g., light in the red spectrum may be emitted between 45° to 90°, and light in the blue spectrum may be emitted between 91° and 1351. As a user manoeuvres the external accessory 16 relative to the hair care appliance 10, different wavelengths of light hit the target 72 dependent on the targets relative angle to the light source 58, and this light is reflected by the target 72. The light sensor 68 of the sensor arrangement 60 detects a wavelength and intensity of received reflected light and transmits these values to the controller 28.

The controller 28 then determines, based on the received wavelengths of reflected light the angle at which the external accessory 16 is to the light sensor. Using this determined relative angle, the controller 28 instructs the drive motor 30 and further drive motor 56 to rotate the nozzle 52 and the outlet body 54, respectively. In such a manner airflow through the second slot 66 is directed to the determined relative angle of the external accessory 16. The controller 28 can also further control the haptic device 27 to vibrate the handle portion 18 based on the determined relative angle. For example, if the controller determines the relative angle is above or below a range of angles, say between in either direction from the axis if rotation R, the controller 28 may control the haptic device 27 to vibrate.

Further, the controller 28 also receives the intensity value of the reflected light. The controller 28 calculates, using this value, a distance between the target 68 and the sensor arrangement 36. Based on the calculated distance, the controller 28 controls one or both of the airflow generator 22 and the heater 24 to change the airflow speed and/or temperature, respectively. For example, if the controller 28 determines that the calculated distance is below a pre-set threshold distance of say 15cm, the controller 28 lowers the temperature and air speed. Alternatively, or in addition if the controller 28 determines that the calculated distance is below a pre-set threshold distance of say 15cm, the controller 28 instructs the further drive motor 56 to widen the first and or second slot 62, 66 to lower the velocity of the airflow.

Instead of allowing the controller 28 to control the direction of the airflow from the attachment based on the sensor readings, the user may select the user override mode on the user interface 26. Upon selection of the user override mode, the controller 28 may instruct the clutch 32, to disengage with the rigid member 64 of the nozzle 52, and power down the light source 58 and sensor arrangement 36. Alternatively, in the user override mode the clutch 32 may still be engaged with the rigid member 64 of the nozzle 52, but rather than the controller 28 controlling movement of the nozzle 52 and/or outlet body 54, a user may manually control movement of the nozzle and/or outlet body via the user interface 26. This may still allow for targeted airflow, but here with the targeting being user controlled, as opposed to automatically controlled.

In the embodiment of Figures la and lb, either of the nozzle 52 and the outlet body 54 can be considered a movable member that is moved in response to a determined position and orientation of the external accessory 16. The controller 28 and drive motor 30 in combination can be considered a control mechanism. Other embodiments of hair care appliances with attachments that have movable members driven in response to sensed parameters are also envisaged.

Figure 2a shows a second embodiment of a hair care appliance 100. The hair care appliance 100 comprises amain body 101 and an attachment 103. An external accessory 105 is also illustrated.

The main body 101 is substantially similar to the main body 12 of the above-described embodiment of the hair care appliance 10.

The attachment 103 is also substantially similar to the attachment 14 of the above-described embodiment. However, in this embodiment the attachment 103 has a different sensor arrangement 106 which comprises a temperature sensor 107 and a magnetic flux sensor 108.

The temperature sensor 107 is mounted within the nozzle 52 and is configured to sense the temperature of the airflow within the nozzle 52. The magnetic flux sensor 108 is mounted on the nozzle 52 toward the outlet end, and positioned substantially above the midpoint of the outlet body 54. The magnetic flux sensor 108 is configured to detect changes in a magnetic field produced by an external accessory, which will be discussed in detail below. Both the magnetic flux sensor 108 and the temperature sensor 107 of the sensor arrangement 106 individually communicate their respective sensed values to the controller 28 through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RF-communication, or wired communication.

The external accessory 105 comprises a retrofittable magnet, in this case a magnetic strip 110, attached to the external accessory 105 with an adhesive tape Figure 2b is a block diagram of the connections of the various components described above and their respective connections during use of the hair care appliance 100. Upon activation of the hair care appliance 100 (by the user inputting a command to the user interface 26), the controller 28 controls the airflow generator 22 to draw an airflow through the air inlet 38 through the handle portion 18 and into the head portion 20 The airflow travels over the heater 24 and from the air outlet 46 into the attachment 103.

The airflow then travels through the attachment 24 and out of the second slot 66.

While the airflow is generated as a user manoeuvres the external accessory 105 relative to the hair care appliance 100. The sensor arrangement 106 and controller 28 work in a substantially the same manner as the first embodiment, other than in this example the sensor arrangement 106 detects magnetic flux readings from the magnet 110 (as opposed to reflected light) within the external accessory 105. In this example the sensor arrangement 106 measures the field intensity in three directions and through this determines the flux angle. Based on the flux angle and using Pythagoras' theorem the direction independent magnitude of the field is then calculated.

The controller 28 then determines through comparison of the determined values with a pre-programmed look-up table, which converts the sensed flux angle and field magnitude to a relative position and orientation of the external accessory 105. In some examples, the controller may use a formulaic approximation of the look-up table, or a machine learning algorithm, to determine the relative position and orientation of the external accessory 105.

Using this determined relative distance and orientation, the controller 28 instructs the drive motor 30 and further drive motor 56 to rotate the nozzle 52 and the outlet body 54, respectively. In such a manner airflow through the second slot 66 is directed to the determined relative position and orientation of the external accessory 105. As discussed above, the controller 28 may further control the slots 62, 66 to change the velocity of the airflow; and or the haptic device 27 to vibrate the handle portion 18.

Further, as discussed above, based on the sensed distance the controller 28 controls one or both of the airflow generator 22 and the heater 24 to change the airflow speed and/or temperature.

In the embodiment of Figures 2a and 2b, either of the nozzle 52 and the outlet body 54 can be considered a movable member that is moved in response to a determined position and orientation of the external accessory 16. The controller 28 and drive motor 30 in combination can be considered a control mechanism. Other embodiments of hair care appliances with attachments that have movable members driven in response to sensed parameters are also envisaged A third embodiment of the hair care appliance 200 is illustrated in a block diagram in Figure 3.

The hair care appliance 200 comprises a main body 201 and attachment 203. Both the main body 201 and attachment 203 are substantially similar to the second embodiment described above. In this embodiment however the sensor arrangement 206 is mounted within a main body 201 and not on the attachment.

The sensor arrangement 206 comprises a nine degrees of freedom sensor which is a combination of a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer, and senses a position and orientation in space. The sensor arrangement 206 transmits this sensed position and orientation in space to the controller 28 via a wired connection within the main body 201.

In this embodiment an external accessory 205 also comprises a further sensor arrangement 208 which is a nine degrees of freedom sensor. The further sensor arrangement 208 senses the position and orientation of the external accessory 205 in space. The further sensor arrangement 208 is configured to transmit the position and orientation of the external accessory 205 in space to the controller 28.

Upon activation of the hair care appliance 200 (by the user inputting a command to the user interface 26), the controller 28 controls the airflow generator 22 to draw an airflow through the air inlet 38 in the same manner as described above.

While the airflow is generated as a user manoeuvres the external accessory 205 relative to the hair care appliance 200. The sensor arrangement 206 and further sensor arrangement 208 transmit the position of the hair care appliance 200 and the external accessory to the controller 28. The controller 28 applies Kalman filtering to the sensed position of the external accessory 205 to account for small user movements. The controller 28 then calculates the relative distance and orientation of the external accessory with respect to the hair care appliance 200. Using this determined relative distance and orientation, the controller 28 instructs the drive motor 30 and further drive motor 56 to rotate the nozzle 52 and the outlet body 54, respectively. In such a manner airflow through the second slot 66 is directed to the determined relative position and orientation of the external accessory 205. As discussed in the above embodiments, the controller 28 may further control the slots 62, 66 to change the velocity of the airflow; and or the haptic device 27 to vibrate the handle portion 18.

Further, similarly to the embodiments discussed above, the controller 28 also controls the heater 24 and airflow generator 22 to change the temperature and speed of the airflow.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, either of the nozzle 52 and the outlet body 54 can be considered a movable member that is moved in response to a determined position and orientation of the external accessory 16. The controller 28 and drive motor 30 in combination can be considered a control mechanism. Other embodiments of hair care appliances with attachments that have movable members driven in response to sensed parameters are also envisaged.

The attachments of Figures la to 3 may be interchangeable on the same main body. That is the controller 28 may be capable of receiving sensed parameters from any of the above sensor arrangements, including combinations thereof A fourth embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 4a and 4b. Figure 4a schematically illustrates a first embodiment of a hair care appliance 300 and an external accessory 302. Figure 4b illustrates a black diagram of the components of the hair care appliance 300 and the external accessory 302.

As described in the above embodiments, the hair care appliance 300 comprises a main body 304, and an attachment 306 releasably attachable to the main body 304.

The main body 304 comprises a handle portion 308, a head portion 310, an airflow generator 312, a heater 314, user interface 316, a main body controller 318. The main body 304 has a similar structural arrangement to the embodiments described above.

However, in this embodiment, the main body 304 does not include a drive motor within a bore 326.

The user interface 316 is provided on the handle portion 308 and comprises an electronic interface with controls to turn the device on and off, and control one or both of a temperature, and flow rate of the airflow. The controller 318 is responsible for controlling the airflow generator 312, and the heater 314 in response to user inputs through the user interface 316.

The attachment 306 is a concentrator and comprises an inlet body 330, a nozzle 332, an outlet body 334, a first drive motor 336 and further drive motor 338, an attachment controller 340, and sensor arrangement 342.

The inlet body 330 is generally annular and comprises a magnetic strip (not shown) to magnetically couple with the head portion 310 at an air outlet 328. The inlet body 330 comprises an annular inlet (not shown) which, when the attachment is attached to the head portion 310, fluidically connects to the air outlet 328. The inlet body 330 comprises the first drive motor 336 which couples the inlet body 330 and the nozzle 332.

The first drive motor 336 comprises a first rotational gear mechanism such that the first drive motor 336 can cause rotation of the nozzle 332 relative to the inlet body 330 about rotation axis R. The first drive motor 336 is in communication with the attachment controller 340.

The nozzle 332 is substantially hollow and tapers between the inlet body 330 at a first end toward an outlet end of the nozzle 332. The nozzle 332 is coupled to the inlet body 330 through tracks, which allows the nozzle 332 to rotate relative to the concentrator body 330 about an axis of rotation R under the drive of the first drive motor 336. The nozzle 332 can therefore rotate between a plurality of different configurations.

The outlet end of the nozzle 332 comprises an opening within which outlet body 334 is located. The outlet body 334 is generally cylindrical and hollow in form, and comprises first 342 and second 346 slots. The first slot 342 is in fluid communication with the nozzle 332 and is located generally opposite the second slot 346 on the outlet body 346 The second slot 346 defines an air outlet of the attachment 306. The outlet body 334 is rotatably mounted within the outlet end of the nozzle by a second rotational gear mechanism (not shown), with the outlet body 334 rotatable about a rotational axis S that is orthogonal to the rotational axis R of the nozzle 332.

The further drive motor 338 is mounted internally of the nozzle 332, and an output of the further drive motor 338 is coupled to the rotational gear mechanism such that the further drive motor 338 can cause rotation of the outlet body 334 relative to the nozzle 332. The further drive motor 338 is in communication with the attachment controller 340.

The attachment controller 340 is housed within the nozzle 332 and is in communication (e.g., wireless communication such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RF-communication, or wired communication) with the first and further drive motors 336, 338. The attachment controller 340 controls the first and further drive motors 336, 338 to rotate based on information from the sensor arrangement 342, discussed in detail below. Further, the main body controller 318 and the attachment controller 340 are in wireless communication The sensor arrangement 342 comprises a nine degrees of freedom sensor which is a combination of a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer, and senses a position and orientation of the attachment 306 in space. The sensor arrangement 342 transmits this sensed position and orientation in space to the attachment controller 340.

In this embodiment the external accessory 302 also comprises a further sensor arrangement 344 which is a nine degrees of freedom sensor. The further sensor arrangement 344 senses the position and orientation of the external accessory 302 in space. The further sensor arrangement 344 is configured to transmit the position and orientation of the external accessory 302 in space to the attachment controller 340.

Figure 4b is a block diagram of the connections of the various components described above and their respective connections during use of the hair care appliance 300. Upon activation of the hair care appliance 300 (by the user inputting a command to the user interface 316), the main body controller 318 controls the airflow generator 312 to draw an airflow through the main body 304 to the attachment 306 and out of the second slot 346, as described above. The main body controller 318 also transmits a command to the attachment controller 340 to activate the sensor arrangement 342.

While the airflow is generated a user manoeuvres the external accessory 302 relative to the hair care appliance 300. The sensor arrangement 342 and further sensor arrangement 344 transmit the position of the hair care appliance 200 and the external accessory to the attachment controller 340. The attachment controller 340 is then able to calculate the relative distance arid orientation of the external accessory with respect to the attachment 306. Using this determined relative distance and orientation, the attachment controller 340 instructs the drive motor 336 and further drive motor 338 to rotate the nozzle 332 and the outlet body 334, respectively. In such a manner airflow through the second slot 346 is directed to the determined relative position and orientation of the external accessory 302.

Similarly, to the first embodiment the user may activate, via the user interface 316, a user override mode. Upon activation of the user override mode, the controller 240 instructs the sensor and further sensor arrangements 342, 344 to power down and then stops controlling the drive motors 336, 338 to rotate the nozzle 332 and outlet body 334, so that the hair care appliance can be used without the airflow targeting the external accessory 302.

In the embodiment of Figures 4a and 4b, either of the nozzle 332 and the outlet body 334 can be considered a movable member that is moved in response to a determined position and orientation of the external accessory 302. The drive motors 336, 338 act as control mechanisms for directing the airflow. Further, while the sensor arrangement of the fourth embodiment is described as using nine degrees of freedom sensors, any of the sensor arrangements described in the first through third embodiments may be used in conjunction with an attachment having a controller. While not shown, the embodiment of embodiment of Figures 4a and 4b may comprise a haptic device and adjustable slots, as described with reference to the embodiments of Figures la to 3.

A fifth embodiment is substantially the same as the fourth embodiment, except the attachment 306 comprises a valve arrangement 500 in place of the first drive motor. This valve arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5a and 5b which show the attachment 306 in isolation. Figure 5a is a schematic view of the attachment 306 looking along rotational axis R. The valve arrangement 500 comprises a plurality of valves 502 equally spaced about a blocking element 504 between the inlet body and the nozzle 332. The attachment controller 340 is configured to selectively open and close these valves 502. The position of the open valves dictates the flow path within the nozzle 332 toward the outlet of the second slot 346. This flow of air through the blocking element 504 will impact against the nozzle's interior and impart a force thereon. Because the nozzle 332 is rotatably coupled with the concentrator body 330 the force causes the nozzle 332 to rotate to align the airflow from the blocking element 504 with the outlet of the second slot 346. By way of example in the case the second slot 342 is rotated clockwise with respect to the open valves 502 in the blocking element 504 air will be redirected clockwise from the blocking element 504 to the second slot 342 within the nozzle 332. This direction of air will generate a counter clockwise reaction force on the nozzle 332 causing the nozzle 332 to rotate in a counter clockwise direction. This rotation will continue until the second slot 346 is aligned with the open valves 502 in the blocking element 504. At this point the air will no longer be being redirected and there will be no reaction force to cause the nozzle 332 to rotate The valve arrangement may also be used in conjunction with any of the sensor arrangements described above in any of the first to fourth embodiments.

The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples of the invention. Further embodiments of the invention are envisaged. For example, in the first embodiment, the light source is described as mounted on the attachment. In other embodiments, the light source may be mounted on the external accessory, or on the main body. The light source in any of these positions is configured such that the emitted light is in the same direction as the air flow from the outlet of the main body. Further, the light source may pulse on and off (or change in intensity), in place of emitting a constant light.

Any of the sensor arrangements described above may comprise a plurality of different sensors and different sensor combinations. For example, some embodiments may combine light sensors and magnetic sensors. The controller may be configured to determine the relative position and orientation of the external accessory through averaging different sensor readings. Furthermore, examples in which the attachment or main body comprises combinations of the above-described sensor arrangements are envisaged. In these examples, the controller may comprise different sensor modes for different external accessories. The user may therefore select a sensor mode via the user interface, or the controller may automatically detect the accessory type and select the associated mode.

While the above-described attachments have been described as having rotation in two axis, embodiments in which either the moveable member or further moveable member are omitted are also envisaged, such that the attachment has only a single rotation axis.

It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one embodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or any combination of any other of the embodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

CLAIMSA haircare appliance comprising.an airflow generator for generating an airflow; an air outlet for emitting the airflow from the haircare appliance; a sensor configured to sense one or more of a position and an orientation of an external accessory relative to the haircare appliance; and a control mechanism configured to control a parameter of the airflow at the air outlet based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory.
2. The haircare appliance of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism comprises a moveable member, the moveable member movable between a first and second position to at least one of: guide the airflow in a first or second direction respectively, and provide airflow at the air outlet at respective first and second velocities.
3. The haircare appliance of claim 2, wherein the moveable member is rotatable between the first and second position.
4 The haircare appliance of claim 3, wherein the control mechanism comprises a valve arrangement comprising a plurality of valves spaced about the moveable member, wherein the airflow flows therethrough toward the outlet; and wherein the control mechanism is configured to selectively actuate one or more of the plurality of valves based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory, such that the airflow through the moveable member causes a rotation between the first and second position based on an actuation of the plurality of valves.
The haircare appliance of claim 3, wherein the control mechanism comprises a motor configured to move the moveable member between the first and second position.
6. The haircare appliance of any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the outlet comprises a further moveable member configured to move the direction of airflow out of the outlet between a third and fourth direction, the third and fourth direction in a different plane to the first and second direction.
7. The haircare appliance of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sensor comprises at least one magnetic sensor configured to interact with a magnetic field of the external accessory to sense the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory relative to the hair care appliance.
8. The haircare appliance of any one of claims Ito 7, wherein the sensor comprises an electromagnetic detector configured to detect electromagnetic waves from the external accessory.
9. The haircare appliance of claim 8, wherein the hair care appliance comprises an emitter configured to emit electromagnetic waves to the external accessory.
10. The haircare appliance of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the sensor comprises an orientation sensor configured to communicate with a further orientation sensor in the external accessory to determine the orientation of the external accessory relative to the hair care appliance.
11. The haircare appliance of any of claims 2 to 10, wherein the control mechanism further comprises a controller configured to: receive the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory from the sensor, compare the one or more of the position and the orientation to a respective one or more of a predetermined position and predetermined orientation to determine a distance between the one or more of the position and the orientation to the respective one or more of the predetermined position and the predetermined orientation; and control the moveable member between the first and second position if the determined distance is above a predetermined threshold value; or maintain the moveable member if the determined distance is below the predetermined threshold value.
12 The hair care appliance of claim 11, wherein the controller further controls a haptic device in a handle of the hair care appliance to provide haptic feedback based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory.
13. A haircare appliance as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the haircare appliance comprises a main body housing the airflow generator and a heater, and an attachment releasably connected to the main body, and wherein the attachment defines the air outlet, and the attachment comprises at least one of the sensor and the control mechanism
14. The haircare appliance of claim 13, wherein the attachment comprises a device for sending the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory to the main body, and wherein the control mechanism controls one or more of the heater temperature and the airflow generator speed, based on the one or more of the position and the orientation of the external accessory.
15. The hair care appliance of any preceding claim, wherein the hair care appliance further comprises a user controllable interface to override or alter the control of the parameter of the airflow at the air outlet.
16. An attachment for a haircare appliance, wherein the attachment comprises: an inlet for receiving an airflow, and an outlet for directing the airflow towards a user's hair; a sensor configured to sense one or more of a position and an orientation of an external accessory relative to the attachment, a control mechanism configured to control a parameter of the airflow at the air outlet based on the one or more of the sensed position or orientation of the external accessory.
17. An external accessory for use with the hair care appliance as claimed in any of claims 1 to 15, or the attachment of claim 16
18. The external accessory of claim 17, wherein the external accessory comprises a target, the target comprising at least one of: a magnet for producing a magnetic field to interact with the attachment; an electromagnetic wave source for emitting electromagnetic waves to the attachment, an electromagnetic wave reflector for reflecting electromagnetic waves to the attachment; and an orientation sensor configured to communicate with the attachment.
19. The external accessory of claim 18, wherein the target is coupled to a body of the external accessory, and the external accessory comprises a removable styling head.