Hair care appliance which can be employed in a flexible manner
The present invention relates to a hair care or hair treatment device having a handle, a function head that can be connected to the handle and that has a hair treatment device, in particular a bristle and/or tooth field, and an ion-discharging device for discharging ions onto the hair having at least one ion outlet.
Recently, hair care devices, in particular hairbrushes, have become known that in addition to their primary function—in the case of a hairbrush, the combing, brushing, and styling of the hair—discharge ions as an additional application. Such ions are usually molecules charged with negative electrons. With the aid of such an ion application, the hair and hair care can be improved; in particular, a static charge on the hair and causing it to stand up can be avoided.
From US 2005/284495, a hair brush or hair dryer is known having an integrated brush attachment that has an ion outlet on a device back side, facing away from the bristle field, and on a device front side, bearing the bristle field, said outlets allowing ions to exit in the direction of the function head.
In such hair care devices having ion application, on the one hand, the ions should of course be discharged onto the hair in a targeted fashion, while on the other hand, the charging of the hair should not be concentrated in certain spots, but should be distributed as uniformly as possible. Here, the ion discharge is hindered not only by direct mechanical obstacles such as hair coming in front of the ion outlet, or the hand of the user getting in the way, but also by electrostatic counter-fields that can emanate from highly negatively charged components, which repel the negatively charged ions so to speak, or components having high positive charges, which have an attractive field-effect on the ions. Such charges can, for example, arise at the bristle field itself when the hair is brushed with it. In the area of the ion outlet, electrostatic fields can also form on the device housing, which can hinder the exit of the ions.
A further aspect that is to be improved in known hair care devices of the type named above is user safety, which can be impaired by the above-named strong charges at the device. Moreover, the device should enable various types of hair treatment, while being able to be held in different ways, while nonetheless always functioning efficiently and safely.
In line with this, the present invention is based on the object of creating an improved hair care device of the type named above that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and further develops the prior art in an advantageous manner. In particular, using simple means, a uniform, efficient discharge of ions onto the hair is to be achieved without impairing the flexibility of use and the user safety of the device.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a hair care device according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
Thus, it is proposed that the function head and the handle should each have an electrically conductive surface on the outside of a component, and the electrically conductive surface of the function head and the electrically conductive surface of the handle should be connected to one another in an electrically conductive fashion. These electrically conductive surfaces take on the electrical potential of the user of the hair treatment device. Having this potential available at the hair treatment device permits a more efficient handling of the hair.
For example, in this way suitable countermeasures can be used to remove an electrostatic charge and counter-fields at least on those parts of the hair care device standing in the way of the discharge of ions onto the hair or impairing the ion discharge. Without impairment by such electrostatic counter-fields, a uniformly distributed but nonetheless targeted and efficient ion charging of the hair can be achieved even using a simple design of the ion discharge device, which, in a simple embodiment of the invention, can make do with only a single ion outlet.
In principle, the electrically conductive surface can be fashioned in various ways. In particular, the grounding surface can be fashioned as a metallic surface attached to a non-conductive body or housing component of the function head and/or of the ion outlet, preferably made of plastic.
The body of the function part or of the ion outlet itself can in addition be fashioned as a plastic injection-molded part or as a plastic part manufactured in some other way.
With regard to the arrangement of the electrically conductive surfaces, various embodiments may be advantageous. On the function head, an advantageous arrangement may be to attach the electrically conductive surface to the hair treatment device, in particular to the bristle and/or tooth field. For example, the electrically conductive surface may form the bed, so to speak, bearing the bristles or teeth of the bristle field, or bearing the processing tool, which may also optionally be other treatment tools for the hair treatment device, designed differently. Alternatively or in addition to the above-named bristle and/or tooth field, the hair treatment device may, for example, also have a processing surface made of a material suitable for hair care, such as ceramic. Alternatively or in addition, a heating surface of a suitable shape may be provided, in particular a smooth, concave, and/or convexly curved processing surface.
Alternatively, or in addition to the above-named embodiment in which the electrically conductive surfaces are connected directly to the hair treatment device, at least the electrically conductive surface on the function head can also surround at least segments of the periphery of the hair treatment device, preferably annularly, and/or can be positioned immediately adjacent to the hair treatment device. In particular, a metallic strip can be provided as an electrically conductive surface around the hair treatment device on the function head. Here, the hair treatment device itself, i.e. for example the bristle and/or tooth field, or the housing body of the function head, can itself be made of non-conductive material. Advantageously, the electrically conductive surface on the function head is not provided in the immediate vicinity of the at least one ion outlet.
The electrically conductive surface advantageously can be situated on the edge next to the hair treatment device in the function head bearing the hair processing device. For example, the function head can have a body (which can be completely or partially non-conductive) having at least two side surfaces opposite one another, and each of the two side surfaces can have an electrically conductive surface. Alternatively or in addition, at least one additional, i.e. third, side surface can also have an electrically conductive surface. For example, the front surface of the body can have an electrically conductive surface.
Within the scope of the invention, the handle of the hair care device is intended to have an electrically conductive surface. This can also serve to conduct positive charges to the user of the hair care device. In this way, the user is protected from becoming charged. That is to say, the emission of negative ions can negatively charge the user. Through the contact surface on the handle, on the other hand, positive charges can be transferred to the user, compensating for the charging effect from the negative ions. This is advantageous in particular in an embodiment of the hair care device that does not have a mains connection, in particular an embodiment as a battery device and/or accumulator device. In such a non-mains device, the generation of the negative ions standardly also causes an equivalent degree of positive charge at the device, because the device, as a battery or accumulator device, lacks reference potential. Due to this positive charge at the device, a negative charging of the user can be compensated via the above-named electrically effective contact surface on the handle.
The electrically conductive surface of the handle and the electrically conductive surface of the function head can be electrically conductively connected to one another in any fashion. For example, the connection may be via a conductor formed as a metallic strip, a wire, or a stranded wire. The connection in each case can take place via a conductor that runs completely or partly on the external sides, on the inside or in the interior of components. For example, the electrically conductive surface of the function head and the electrically conductive surface of the handle can be electrically conductively connected via a conductor, and this conductor can run on the outside of the component of the function head and/or on the outside of the component of the handle. Alternatively, the electrically conductive surface of the function head and the electrically conductive surface of the handle can be electrically conductively connected via a conductor, and this conductor can run on the inside of the component and/or in the interior of the component of the function head and/or on the inside of the component and/or in the interior of the component of the handle. In particular, the conductor can be routed completely in the interior of the component.
The electrically conductive surface can also act as a grounding surface. The electrical potential of the user of the device then defines the grounding potential for the hair treatment device. Providing further grounding points on the hair treatment device can increase its efficiency.
The electrical grounding of the housing component over which the ion cloud is dispersed advantageously does not take place in the field of view of the ion cloud, but rather on a housing component side facing away from the ion outlet, in particular on an inner surface of the housing component.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, the device housing can be provided with an ion-guiding device or ion-controlling device in an area over which the ion cloud exiting from the ion outlet disperses, and/or in the vicinity of the ion outlet. Here, control of the ions can be achieved advantageously in that a plurality of separate housing components are provided in the vicinity of the ion outlet, of which at least one is grounded and at least one further one is ungrounded. While the ungrounded housing part becomes electrically charged and thus can deflect the ions, the ions can spread out unhindered over the grounded housing components, so that, with a suitable pattern of grounded and ungrounded housing components the distribution of the exiting ions can be appropriately controlled.
Depending on the particular application, such an ion-guiding device can be fashioned in various ways to produce different distribution patterns. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a pattern of grounded and ungrounded housing components can be provided in the vicinity of the ion outlet symmetrically around the longitudinal plane of the device, resulting in an overall symmetrical ion distribution. However, alternatively, to create a device intended for right-handed users or for left-handed users, for example, configurations are possible different from this symmetry relative to the longitudinal plane.
Due to the largely unimpaired ion discharge onto the hair achieved by the grounding surfaces and the charge fields on the device which are thereby removed or restricted, a particularly simple design of the ion discharge device can be achieved, in particular with regard to the arrangement of the ion outlet. In one embodiment of the invention in particular, the ions are emitted exclusively on the back of the device, facing away from the hair treatment device performing the primary function of the hair care device. Surprisingly, in this way an evenly distributed and nonetheless targeted ion discharge can be directed onto the hair. Until now, it was standardly sought to discharge at least a portion of the ions at the front of the device in the area of the hair care device, in order to bring the ions directly into the area to be treated, so to speak, because it was assumed that ions discharged at the back of the device would more or less miss the target, i.e. the hair to be cared for. In particular in connection with the above-described grounding surfaces and the removal or restriction of bothersome charge fields, discharging ions on the back of the device can result in a particularly uniform distribution, yet in a nearly complete discharge of the ions onto the hair, because the hair usually has a positive charge which attracts ions to compensate for the discharged ions. If no stronger disturbing fields are present at the hair care device to hinder ion discharge, this effect is sufficient. By positioning the ion outlet, or of all the ion outlets, on the back side of the device, the ion discharge takes place without mechanical interference from the user's hand or from strands of hair in front of the ion outlet.
In principle, a single ion outlet can be sufficient. If warranted, it is also possible to situate a plurality of ion outlets on the back side of the device. In both cases, the arrangement is preferably made symmetrical to the longitudinal plane of the hair care device. Preferably, the at least one ion outlet, or the plurality of ion outlets, are positioned in such a way that a main exit direction of the ions, or the sum of the main exit directions of the ions, is toward the plane of the back surface, or over the surface of the back symmetrical to the longitudinal plane. In this way, the main exit direction of the ion outlet is advantageously aligned essentially parallel to the back surface, so that the ions exit out over this, essentially parallel to the back side of the device. Alternatively or in addition, ions can be emitted at a slightly acute angle (upward). Here, the ion discharge can be inclined to the surface of the back side at an angle of preferably 0° to 45°, preferably 0° to 30°.
To achieve a uniform distribution of ions onto the hair, the at least one ion outlet is situated at the edge of the back surface of the device opposite the hair treatment device, so that an ion cloud forms over the back side of the function head.
If only a single ion outlet is present, this outlet is advantageously situated in the longitudinal plane itself. In the case of two ion outlets on the back side of the device, these can be situated so that they are at the same level relative to one another from the longitudinal plane, and preferably both can be inclined slightly in toward the longitudinal midplane. Alternatively, given two ion outlets on the back side of the device, they can be positioned opposite one another such that the two ion outlets are situated on opposite edges of the back surface of the function head and are directed toward one another so that the ions exit toward one another, so to speak.
The hair treatment device can be securely mounted to the function head, and can also be permanently integrated into the function head. Alternatively, the hair treatment device can advantageously be interchangeably attached to the function head, so that a function head can be connected to and used with various hair treatment devices. In addition to a bristle or tooth field, other hair treatment devices are also possible, including, for example: a heat treatment device, a heatable hair straightener, a warm air device, for example in the form of a hair dryer or a hot air brush. As a rule, such different hair treatment devices require different types of handling and ways of holding the device, so that it is advantageous to offer electrically conductive surfaces in the disclosed manner. Moreover, the stream of ions should be emitted in such a way that both its strength and its geometric distribution are compatible with a large number of function heads.
These and further features of the invention based on the claims and also on the following description and/or on the accompanying drawings, wherein the features can form the subject matter of the invention in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another, as well as individually, without regard to their summary in the claims. In the following, the invention is explained in more detail on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings.
Hair care device 1 shown in
Advantageously, hair care device 1 can have a modular design with several interchangeable components, wherein in particular the entire function head 4, and/or hair treatment device 5, can be fashioned separate from the main body of the device 2, in said manner. Here, positively fitting connections can advantageously be provided between the various components, for example as snap-in tongues and recesses, enabling the components to be removed and reinstalled without tools.
As
In the embodiment depicted, ion outlet 11 is fashioned as a nozzle or diffuser, and causes a directed exiting of ions; cf.
In the interior of the main body of the device 2, a power supply unit is housed, not specifically shown, which can preferably be fashioned as a battery device or accumulator device. Advantageously, hair care device 1 is fashioned so as to be energy self-sufficient; i.e., it does not have a permanent power adaptor to supply power from an electric outlet. Of course, a power cord can be plugged in, in order to charge the accumulators inside the main body of the device 2. Ion discharge device 9 is powered by said power supply to generate ions.
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A further electrically conductive surface 23 is provided on the handle of the device. Electrically conductive surface 23 is also advantageously made up of a metallic surface and/or a metallic coating applied on the handle, which is otherwise made of plastic.
Alternatively, or in addition, electrically conductive surface 21 on the function head side can also have a body with a metallic surface on the edge of bristle field 6, preferably as a metallic strip surrounding bristle field 6 annularly, or, as shown in
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Alternatively to the embodiment according to
Advantageously, the two ion outlets 11 can be inclined differently to the surface of the back side of the device. While the one ion outlet is oriented with its main exit direction 18 essentially parallel to the surface of the back side of the device 8, the other ion outlet 11 is inclined at a slightly acute angle to said surface of the back side of the device, preferably at an angle of 0° to 40°, in particular 10° to 30°. As
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In the embodiment according to
According to
In the embodiment according to
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Another embodiment is shown in
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Said ion outlet 11 is integrated into said housing component 108; in particular, the latter has a dome-shaped curvature in order to create space for exit opening 17 of ion outlet 11, which in the depicted embodiment is formed by a sleeve 170, preferably made of plastic, that surrounds the ion emitter at the outlet side; cf.
Instead of the full-surface grounding shown in
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Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2007 035 247.8 | Jul 2007 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP08/06123 | 7/25/2008 | WO | 00 | 3/2/2010 |