RU2377945C1 - Hair dryer device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: personal use articles.

SUBSTANCE: device contains a tubular housing with a duct for flow of the air stream that passes along the axis of the said housing, a fan mounted inside the housing, a tubular nozzle positioned on one axial end of the housing, communicating with the air flow duct and intended for outlet of the air stream delivered through the outlet end. The nozzle central axis is superimposed with the housing axis. The nozzle is designed in such a way that the inner space is divided into a number of separate passages with the held of a divider plane that passes radially through the central axis abovementioned. The nozzle abovementioned is additionally equipped with an air duct positioned outside the passages abovementioned. The housing contains an inner sleeve that serves to confine the air flow duct inside the housing and the outer air flow duct between the inner sleeve and the housing. The abovementioned passages are designed so that they accept the delivered air stream from the air flow duct. The air duct id designed so that it accepts the delivered air stream from the outer air flow duct. A heater installed inside one of the ducts of the abovementioned air flow duct and the abovementioned outer air flow duct.

EFFECT: device provides for the possibility to divide wet hair strands and enhances the possibility of the air stream impact onto a large area of hair cover for acceleration of the hair drying process.

7 cl, 10 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention is directed to a device for drying hair, more specifically to a device for drying hair with a nozzle specially designed to effectively separate wet hair strands to accelerate hair drying.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-137613 A discloses a device for drying hair with a nozzle containing grooves for straightening the air flow directed to the user's hair. Essentially, the nozzle is designed to increase the efficiency of hair drying, i.e. heat transfer Q per unit time, which is determined by the formula Q = HAΔT, where H = heat transfer coefficient, A = surface area of hair in contact with the air flow, ΔT = temperature difference between hair and heated air. To increase the transfer of heat Q per unit time to accelerate the drying of wet hair and ensure quick drying, an increase of at least one of the parameters: A or ΔT is required. However, an increase in ΔT is unacceptable, since for this it is necessary to increase the temperature of the heated air and supply an excessive amount of heat, as a result of which the user experiences unpleasant sensations and hair may be damaged. Therefore, the best solution is to increase the surface area of hair in contact with the air flow. To this end, the nozzle of a conventional hair dryer is designed in such a way as to increase the air flow rate. However, it has been found that simply increasing the air flow rate is ineffective to ensure separation of the wet hair strands and increasing the surface area of the hair in contact with the air flow, but rather leads to a loss of pressure in the nozzle. Accordingly, there was a need for effective separation of wet hair to increase the surface area of hair in contact with the air flow for quick drying of hair.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above problem, the inventors of the present invention have created a hair drying device with which wet hair can be effectively separated to increase drying ability. The hair drying device according to the present invention comprises a tubular body with an air flow passage extending along the axis of the body; a fan installed inside the housing to create a forced air flow directed through the channel for air flow; and a tubular nozzle located at one axial end of the housing and in communication with the channel for air flow. The central axis of the nozzle is aligned with the axis of the housing to discharge the pumped air stream from the outlet end of the nozzle. A distinctive feature of the present invention is that the nozzle is designed in such a way that its internal space is divided into many separate passages by a dividing plane passing radially through the central axis. With this design, a zone of weak air flow is formed, where the air flow is not directly released from the nozzle downstream of the dividing plane, and this zone is formed between the zones of strong flows, respectively created downstream of the individual passages, to allow for the discharge of pumped air directly from them streams. The presence of a zone of weak air flow between zones of strong currents can lead to the localization of individual zones of strong currents, so as to facilitate separation of wet hair and thus provide quick drying of the hair.

The nozzle should preferably comprise a baffle extending in the separation plane to divide the interior of the nozzle into two passes.

Thus, the area of weak airflow can be appropriately sized by using a partition of a suitable size relative to the size of each of the passages to achieve the optimum effect of separation of the wet strands of hair.

Each channel is preferably tapered so that its outlet is already at its opposite axial end to effectively provide a strong flow zone.

In addition, each of the passages is provided with an inner side wall defined by a partition making up the flat surface of a portion of the inner side wall downstream. The flat surface preferably extends parallel to the separation plane. It is established that due to the presence of a flat surface, the mutual influence of air flows, respectively released from the aisles, is effectively eliminated.

In a preferred embodiment, each of the passages is shaped so that the hole is oblong along the diameter of the nozzle so that the user can orient the nozzle in a direction in which air is effectively supplied depending on the style of the user's hair.

The nozzle may be further provided with an air duct located outside of the nozzle passages to direct additional air flow to accelerate hair drying.

The housing preferably comprises an inner sleeve to which the inner channel for air flow is limited, and also an outer channel for air flow between the inner sleeve and said body is limited. To this end, the passages are designed so that they receive an injected air flow through the channel for air flow inside the inner sleeve, while the air duct is designed so that it receives the injected air stream from the outer channel for the air flow. A heater is installed inside one of the channels (the channel for the air stream and the external channel for the air stream), preferably inside the channel for the air stream surrounded by an inner sleeve so as to simultaneously create a cold air stream in addition to the hot air stream to minimize damage caused by a hot air stream, whereby they also provide quick drying of the hair.

The air duct is preferably made so that its opening is already at the outlet end of the nozzle along the central axis than at its opposite axial end. Thus, using the nozzle, it is possible to provide additional air flow at an increased speed around individual air streams discharged from the passages to increase the efficiency of separation of wet hair strands. For this, the air duct can be made in such a way that it converges to a point downstream of the outlet end of the nozzle to increase the speed of the air flow discharged from the air duct to effectively separate the wet strands of hair, in combination with air flows directed from separate passages through localized areas of strong air currents.

These and other advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and its modifications in combination with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a hair dryer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

in FIG. 2 - horizontal section of a device for drying hair;

in FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a nozzle used in a hair dryer;

in FIG. 4 - horizontal section of the nozzle;

in FIG. 5 is a side view of the aforementioned nozzle;

in FIG. 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams that respectively show air flow rates at various points of the nozzle;

in FIG. 8 is a side view of a nozzle modification;

in FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another modification of the nozzle;

in FIG. 10 is a perspective view of yet another nozzle modification.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1-4 show a device for drying hair, made according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The device for drying hair contains a housing 10 of oblong shape along its axis and a handle 20 mounted at an angle to the housing 10. In the housing 10 there is a fan 30 in the form of an axial fan driven by an engine 32 to create an axial discharge air flow directed from the inlet 12 of air at the rear end of the housing 10 to the nozzle 60 located at the front end of the housing 10. The engine 32 is located downstream of the fan 30, and it is supported by a straightening lattice 34 containing baffles for straightening forced air flow. As best shown in FIG. 2, the housing 10 comprises a coaxial inner sleeve 40 located downstream of the fan and upstream of the nozzle 60, for restricting the channel 42 for the air flow leading to the nozzle and the external channel 14 for air flow between the sleeve 40 and the outer the casing of the housing 10. In the outer channel 14, the injected air flow enters through the hole 42 at the rear edge of the sleeve 40 to direct the pumped air flow to the nozzle 60. Inside the sleeve 40 is a heater 46 for heating the air flow directed through the channel 44 for providing hot air flow, and the heater is located upstream from the hole 42 so that it is possible to direct the flow of cold air through the outer channel 14. On the handle 20, a switch 22 is installed to turn on the fan 30, as well as the heater 46.

A sprayer 50 is also housed in the housing 10, which, as shown in FIG. 1 is located outside of the inner sleeve 40 and adjacent to the front upper end of the housing 10 for discharging fog from small particles of water through the outlet 15. The atomizer 50 comprises an emitter electrode 52 configured to condense water in the surrounding atmosphere and thereby he could transmit high voltage from a high voltage generator 54 for electrostatic spraying of water in the form of charged small particles of water.

The nozzle 60 is located on one axial end of the housing 10 downstream of the channel 44 for air flow, and the Central axis of the nozzle is aligned with the axis of the housing 10 and the nozzle contains a discharge end at its front end to release hot air and cold air. As best shown in FIG. 3 and 4, the nozzle 60 is in the form of a double pipe, consisting of a cylindrical outer pipe 62 and an inner pipe 63, coaxial with the outer pipe 62 and connected to it by circumferentially spaced apart ribs 61. An air duct 64 is defined between the outer pipe 62 and the inner pipe 63 for communication with the outer channel 14 for air flow near the rear edge of the air duct 64 for passing a stream of cold air from the outer channel 14. The inner pipe 63 is designed so that it is in communication with the channel 44 d I am the air at its rear edge for the passage of hot air flow from it. The inner space of the inner pipe 63 is divided into two passages 65 by means of a partition 66 lying in the separation plane S, passing radially through the central axis X of the nozzle. As shown in FIG. 4, the inner tube 63 is conical, tapering towards the outlet end so that the openings of the passages 65 are already at their outlet ends than at their rear ends. In addition, the outer pipe 62 is conical, tapering towards the outlet end so that the air duct 64 converges at a point located downstream of the outlet end.

The baffle 66 is oblong along the entire diameter of the inner pipe 63 and has a horizontal cross section, i.e. a cross section perpendicular to its length, which converges in the form of a closed sharp edge 69 at its rear axial edge. The inner pipe 63 contains a circular hole at its rear edge, the concentric axis of the sleeve 40 so that the flow of hot air from the sleeve 40 can be directed evenly into the inner pipe 63 and deflected at the sharp edge 69 so that it goes through separate passages 65 without occurrence turbulence. The partition 66 has an increased width W at its front open edge and is formed on its opposite sides at its front edge with flat surfaces 68, which respectively define the inner side surfaces of the passages 65 near the outlet end. The front open edge of the partition 66 is provided with a cap 67 containing a rounded protrusion. Since the passages 65 are separated from each other at their outlet ends by a partition 66 having a width W, hot air flows out of the passages respectively through local areas of strong flows downstream of the outlet end, while leaving a zone of weak air flow between areas of strong flows . This means that, with separate passages 65, local areas of strong flows are formed downstream of the outlet end to direct the flow of hot air, while through a partition 66 they form a zone of weak air flow, which separates the local areas of strong flows. In this way, zones of strong flows are locally formed around the zone of weak air flow to create a wave-like air flow of variable speed, with which wet hair strands are separated to increase the possibility of exposure to the hair with hot air and, thus, to accelerate hair drying. The air duct 64 surrounding the passages 65 is kept in communication with the external air flow channel 14 to release a cold air stream supplied from the body 10 in such a way as to generate a cold air stream around localized areas of strong currents, contributing to the separation of the wet hair strands in addition to elimination of hair damage due to heat. In this regard, taking into account the presence of flat surfaces 68 on the inner side of each passage near the outlet end, it is possible to exclude the mutual influence of individual air flows on each other directly at the outlet from the passages to realize an effective air flow passing through the strong flow zone in combination with a cone-shaped design passages 65. Each of the passages 65, bounded by an inner side wall and an arched outer side wall, is oblong and has a length along the length of the partition and menshennuyu width in a direction perpendicular to the length of the septum. Thus, the nozzle 60 is given a selective orientation to ensure optimal drying of hair, due to which the <user> can orient the nozzle relative to the style of his hairstyle for effective drying of the hair.

In FIG. 5-7 show the optimal ratio of some sizes of the nozzle 60, namely, a, b, c along the line P passing through the central axis X perpendicular to the dividing plane S; e and d along a line Q running parallel to the separation plane S and through a maximum passage length of 65; and f along a line R running parallel to the separation plane S and through the middle of the width of the air duct 64 on line P. Size a represents the distance from the central axis to the flat surface 68 of passage 65; dimension b represents the distance from the flat surface 68 to the outside of the passage 65, i.e. maximum width of the passage; dimension c represents the distance from the outside of the passage to the outside of the air duct 64. Size d represents the distance from the line P to the inner surface of the passage 65 along the line Q; dimension e represents the distance from the outside of the air duct 64 to the inner surface of the passage along the line Q; dimension f represents the distance from line P to the inner surface of the air duct 64 along line R.

In FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of air flow velocities along line P in sections a, b, and c along line P, where these sections are located on the abscissa axis. As can be seen from the diagram and as established, the optimal ratio should be as follows: a: b: c = 1: 3: 2. The size a should preferably be from 3 mm to 5 mm to accelerate the drying of the hair, which does not cause heating and discomfort for the user, and most preferably it should be 4 mm. Accordingly, the width W of the septum 66 (W = 2a) should preferably be from 6 mm to 10 mm, and most preferably 8 mm, to create strong flow zones sufficient to separate wet strands of hair.

In FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of air flow velocities along lines P, Q, and R relative to sections d, e, f with the dimensions shown in the diagram. The optimal ratio for effectively providing zones of strong flows is obtained from the diagram and should be d: e: f = 8: 1: 4. Size d is selected so that it is in the range from 15 mm to 17 mm and is associated with dimensions e and f that satisfy the above ratio.

Air duct 64 (although this is not shown in the drawings) can be made so that its opening tapers to the outlet end of the nozzle along the central axis and is smaller than its rear axial end to increase the speed of the air flow leaving the air duct 64, for increase the efficiency of separation of wet hair strands.

In FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a nozzle made according to a modification of the aforementioned embodiment, which is substantially similar to the aforementioned embodiment, except that a pair of air ducts 64 is formed from the sides outside of the passages 65 generally parallel to them. Other configurations and functions are identical to the aforementioned embodiment, therefore, repeated explanations are not given here. Identical parts are identified by the same reference numbers.

In FIG. 9 shows another modification of the nozzle, similar to the aforementioned embodiment, but only without an air duct. Identical parts are denoted by the same reference numbers, and repeated explanations are not given. In this modification, the nozzle is made in the form of two separate pipes separated by a partition 66, but their rear ends converge with the formation of a round hole for connection with the front end of the housing.

In FIG. 10 shows another modification of the nozzle, similar to the aforementioned embodiment, except that more than two passages are formed symmetrically around the central axis X. Identical parts are denoted by the same reference numbers. The nozzle 60 is divided into five passages 65, the corresponding rear ends of which are connected in one circular hole for connection with the front end of the housing. Each passage is made in such a way that it has a triangular cross-section smaller at the outlet end than at the rear end, the passages are arranged in a circle at a distance W from each other around the central axis X and are separated from each other by dividing planes S1-S5, each of which passes radially through the central axis X of the nozzle. In this case, the inner side wall of each passage is connected to the opposite inner side wall of the neighboring passage in such a way that it is a partition of width W. With this design, more than two zones of strong flows are formed downstream of the individual passages, where these zones are located circumferentially at a distance from each other and are separated by zones of weak air currents in such a way that a variable speed air stream is created, by which wet strands of hair can be effectively separated.

Although the present invention has been described with specific references to the aforementioned embodiments and modifications, it should not be interpreted as being limited to these embodiments and modifications, as it encompasses a combination of distinct features derived from the embodiments and modifications.

Claims (7)

1. A device for drying hair, comprising: a tubular body (10) with a channel (44) for air flow passing along the axis of said body; a fan (30) installed inside the housing to create a forced air flow directed through the channel for air flow; a tubular nozzle (60) located on one axial end of the housing, in communication with the channel for air flow, for the discharge of the injected air flow through the exhaust end, while the Central axis of the nozzle is aligned with the axis of the housing; the nozzle is designed in such a way that its inner space is divided into many separate passages (65) by a dividing plane (S) extending radially through the said central axis, and said nozzle is further provided with an air duct (64) located outside of said passages, characterized in that the housing contains an inner sleeve (40), which is limited inside the channel for air flow and is limited on the outside of the channel (14) for air flow between the inner sleeve and the housing; wherein said passages are configured so that they receive a forced air flow from the air flow channel; the air duct is designed so that it receives the injected air flow from the external channel for air flow; and a heater (46) located within one of the channels: said channel for air flow and said external channel for air flow. 2. The device according to claim 1, in which the air duct is made so that its opening at the outlet end along the central axis is narrower than the opening at the opposite axial end. 3. The device according to claim 2, in which the air duct is designed so that it converges at a point downstream of the outlet end of the nozzle. 4. The device according to claim 1, in which the nozzle contains a partition (66), which extends in the dividing plane in such a way that it divides the internal space into two passes. 5. The device according to claim 1, in which each of the passages is cone-shaped, and its opening at the outlet end is already open at its opposite axial end. 6. The device according to claim 4, in which each of the passages contains an inner side wall defined by a partition to form a flat surface (68) in the part of the inner side wall downstream, with the flat surface running parallel to the dividing plane. 7. The device according to claim 4, in which the hole of each of said passages is oblong along the diameter of said nozzle.

Images