FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to hair dryers in general and attachments for hair dryers in particular.
BACKGROUND
Hair dryers are well known in the art to provide a flow of air that a user can utilize to dry wet hair. In many instances, the hair dryer also heats and/or ionizes the air prior to the air exiting the hair dryer. Hair dryers generally include an outlet that includes an opening with fixed dimensions where the heated air is expelled from the device. It is known in the art that altering one or more aspects of the airflow (e.g., speed, direction, type of flow, etc) at the device outlet can be accomplished by providing a removable hair dryer attachment thereon.
The disclosed embodiments of the present invention improve on the shortcomings of the prior art hair dryer attachments that are currently known.
SUMMARY
An attachment for a hair dryer that is intended to curl the user's hair during the drying process. The attachment includes a tubular first body, a tubular second body, a hair curling post, and a baffle. The tubular first body extends between a hair curling entrance and an attachment outlet, the first body also including an airflow entrance. The tubular second body that extends between an attachment entrance and a second body outlet, the second body outlet being coupled to the airflow entrance of the first body. The hair curling post extends through at least the inside of the first body. The baffle is operable to direct airflow through the first body in a generally circular manner about the hair curling post in a first direction at times the baffle is in a first position and in a second direction at times the baffle is in a second position.
One advantage of the present invention is that the user can curl his or her hair simultaneously during the drying process, as opposed to two separate processes.
Another advantage of the present invention is the user can move the baffle between a first position and a second position in order to select the direction of the curl.
These and other advantages will be apparent to one of skill in the art in light of the figures and detailed description provided herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of a hair dryer attachment of the present invention in the retracted position;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the hair dryer attachment of the present invention in the extended position;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a typical hair dryer;
FIG. 3A is an isometric view of a typical hair dryer with the hair dryer attachment of FIG. 1 replaceably coupled thereto;
FIG. 4A is a front view of the hair dryer attachment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4B is a rear view of the hair dryer attachment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4C is a top view of the hair dryer attachment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4D is a bottom view of the hair dryer attachment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 of the hair dryer attachment of FIG. 4C wherein the hair dryer attachment is in the retracted position;
FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 of the hair dryer attachment of FIG. 4C wherein the hair dryer attachment is in the extended position;
FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of the hair dryer attachment of FIG. 2 wherein the baffle is in the first rotated position;
FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of the hair dryer attachment of FIG. 2 wherein the baffle is in the second rotated position;
FIG. 7A is an isometric view of the inlet side of the baffle; and
FIG. 7B is an isometric view of the outlet side of the baffle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of the hair dryer attachment 10 is shown. The hair dryer attachment 10 includes first body 12 and a second body 14. The first body 12 is generally tubular in shape and includes a hair curling entrance 16, an airflow entrance 18, a hair curling post 20, and an attachment outlet 22. The second body 14 includes an attachment inlet 24 and a second body outlet 26. The second body 14 is connected to the first body 12 such that the second body outlet 26 is in fluid communication with the airflow entrance 18 of the first body 12. A baffle 28 is located in the second body 14.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 3A, the coupling of the hair dryer 100 and the hair dryer attachment 10 can be achieved by any acceptable means. For instance, the hair dryer attachment 10 can be press fit onto the hair dryer 100, the hair dryer attachment 10 and hair dryer 100 can include complementary connectors, and/or the hair dryer attachment 10 can be attached using a magnetic connection. In some embodiments, once attached, the hair dryer attachment 10 can rotate relative to the hair dryer 100 while attached; however, in other preferred embodiments, the hair dryer attachment 10 is not rotatable relative to the hair dryer 100 once attached. When attached, the attachment inlet 24 of the second body 14 of the hair dryer attachment 10 is in fluid communication with the hair dryer outlet 102.
Referring back now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first body 12 optionally can include an extender tube 30. The extender tube 30 is slidably coupled to the first body 12 such that the overall length of the first body 12 and the extender tube 30 combined can be adjusted, for example, to accommodate longer or short hair.
The first body 12 is coupled to the second body 14, in the embodiment shown, at an angle (A) of approximately 45-degrees. However, the present invention should not be considered so limited. Relative angles between 10-degrees and 80-degrees can be utilized.
Referring to FIGS. 4A-D, the second body 14 includes the attachment inlet 24 where air emerging from the hair dryer 100 enters the hair dryer attachment 10. In FIG. 4B, an inner support 32 is provided with openings 34 through which air can flow. The inner support 32 provides a support on which the baffle 28 (discussed infra.) is rotatably attached. The second body 14 is preferably tubular, with a circular interior cross-section. The actual dimensions of the second body 14 depend greatly on the hair dryer 100 to which the attachment 10 will be affixed. Airflow through the second body 14 terminates at the second body outlet 26 where the air leaves the second body 14 and enters the first body 12 through the airflow entrance 18.
The first body 12 extends between a hair curling entrance 16 and an attachment outlet 22. The attachment outlet 22 in some embodiment is located on the first body 12. In other embodiments, such as the one shown, the attachment outlet 22 is located on the extender tube 30.
Referring now to FIGS. 4A-D and 5A-B, a hair curling post 20 extends through the first body 12, preferably co-axial with a center axis of the first body 12. In some embodiments, the hair curling post 20 can also include an extender so that the length of the curling post 20 is adjustable along with the length of the first body 12 and the extender tube 30. The curling post 20 is coupled to a mount 38 at or near the hair curling entrance 16 that provides support from the first body 12. Other than the mount 38 and hair curling post 20, the hair curling entrance 16 is generally open to permit the user to insert wet hair through and into the first body 12. The curling post 20 is optionally also coupled to an attachment outlet cover 40 located at or near the attachment outlet 22. As shown in FIG. 4D, the attachment outlet cover 40 includes one or more outlet cover openings 42 through which air is permitted to exit the attachment 10. The attachment outlet cover 40 also provides an interior lower surface inside the first body 12 on which hair may rest during use.
Referring now to FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B, the baffle 28 is positioned inside the second body 14. The baffle 28 is rotatably coupled to the inner support 32 and is rotatable between a first position (FIG. 6A) and a second position (FIG. 6B). The baffle 28 includes a lever 36 that extends through the second body 14 so that it is accessible by the user. The user can manually slide the lever 36 to move the baffle 28 between the first and second positions. As shown in FIG. 7A, the baffle 28 includes a baffle inlet 44 that is preferably slightly smaller than the interior diameter of the second body 14. The baffle 28 tapers down to a smaller baffle outlet 46 that is offset from the center of the baffle 28 and located near the perimeter of the baffle 28 so that the air flowing out of the baffle outlet 46 is redirected and tends to flow in a generally circular or helical manner about the interior of the first and/or second body 12, 14 as it passes therethrough. Referring specifically to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the baffle outlet 46 is preferably located at or near where the second body outlet 26 meets the airflow entrance 18 of the first body 12. In some embodiments, the baffle outlet 46 may at least partially positioned in the first body 12.
Continuing to refer to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the baffle 28 can be moved between a first position (FIG. 6A) and a second position (FIG. 6B). In the first position, the airflow generally circles the hair curling post 20 in a counterclockwise direction (when the attachment is viewed from the end with the attachment outlet 22) as it moves through the first body 12. In the second position, the airflow generally circles the hair curling post 20 in a clockwise direction (when the attachment is viewed from the end with the attachment outlet 22) as it moves through the first body 12. The user can, therefore, select the direction of the airflow through the first body 12 and/or extender tube 30 by placing the baffle 28 in either the first or second position.
In operation, the user removably attaches the hair dryer attachment 10 to the hair dryer 100 such that the attachment inlet 24 is in fluid communication with the air emerging from the hair dryer 100. The user turns on the hair dryer 100 so that heated air is expelled from the hair dryer outlet 112 and into the hair dryer attachment 10 through the attachment inlet 24.
The airflow then passes through a portion of the second body 14, the openings 34 in the inner support 32, and into the inlet of the baffle. The airflow then exits the baffle 28 through the baffle outlet 46 where it travels through first body 12 and/or extender tube 30 in a generally circular manner about the hair curling post 20. The airflow exits the device through the openings in the attachment outlet cover 40.
The user drapes the wet hair into the first body 12 through the hair curling entrance 16 so that the wet hair dangles into the attachment 10 and enters the generally circular airflow. The circulating hot air flowing through the first body 12 and/or extender 30 tends to blow the wet hair such that it wraps around the hair curling post while it dries the hair.
The user optionally moves the baffle lever 36 to the first position (FIG. 6A) in order to achieve a counterclockwise curl (when the hair is view from the hair ends), or to the second position (FIG. 6A) in order to achieve a clockwise curl (when the hair is view from the hair ends).
Once the hair is dried, the user turns off the hair dryer 100 and removes the now dry and curled hair from the attachment 10.
One of skill in the art would know that additional embodiments, or variations to the above description can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20220202156
