Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The field of the invention generally relates to hair dryers and, more specifically, relates to hand-held hair dryers.
Professional and retail hand-held hair dryers or blow dryers for drying hair are typically gun shaped. These gun-type hair dryers put the hand of the hair stylist in an awkward position. The hand and wrist is bent downward at an angle of about 35 degrees which creates stress on the wrist and fatigue on the shoulder due to the elevation. Professional and retail hand-held blow dryers for drying hair also typically have an air outlet with a round circumference that gives no specific direction of air flow. As a result, the air flow blows hair all over the head.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for hand-held hair dryer with improved ergonomics, ease of use, and/or performance.
Disclosed herein is a hand-held hair dryer which addresses one or more issues in the related art. According to one aspect of the invention, there is disclosed herein a hair dryer comprising, in combination, a body having an air inlet and an air outlet, a fan disposed inside the body for generating air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet, a heater disposed inside the body for heating the air flow, and an attachment engaged with the body in communication with the air outlet to receive the air flow therein. The attachment has a central axis, a surface concave in a cross-section perpendicular to the central axis and having a plurality of openings through which the air flow blows.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is disclosed herein a hair dryer comprising, in combination, a body having an air inlet and an air outlet, a fan disposed inside the body for generating air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet, a heater disposed inside the body for heating the air flow, and an attachment engaged with the body in communication with the air outlet to receive the air flow therein and having a plurality of openings through which the air flow blows. The body includes a base portion adapted to support the hair dryer in a vertical orientation on a horizontal support surface.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is disclosed herein a hair dryer comprising, in combination, a body having an air inlet and an air outlet, a fan disposed inside the body for generating air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet, a heater disposed inside the body for heating the air flow, and an attachment engaged with the body in communication with the air outlet to receive the air flow therein and having a plurality of openings through which the air flow blows and a central axis. The body includes a base portion having a central axis and adapted to support the hair dryer in a vertical orientation on a horizontal support surface. The air inlet is located at a lower end of the base portion and the base portion is provided with feet to space the air inlet above the support surface. The body includes a grip portion having a central axis and secured to an upper end of the base portion, and wherein the body forms a cylindrically-shaped hand grip about the central axis of the grip portion. The central axis of the attachment, the central axis of the grip portion and the central axis of the base portion are coaxial.
From the foregoing disclosure and the following more detailed description of various preferred embodiments it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a significant advance in the technology of hair dryers. Particularly, the invention disclosed herein provides an ergonomic hair dryer with improved performance and ease of use. Additional features and advantages of various preferred embodiments will be better understood in view of the detailed description provided below.
These and further features of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the following description and drawings, wherein:
It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the hand-held hair dryers as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, and shapes of the various components will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. Certain features of the illustrated embodiments have been enlarged or distorted relative to others to facilitate visualization and clear understanding. In particular, thin features may be thickened, for example, for clarity or illustration. All references to direction and position, unless otherwise indicated, refer to the orientation of the hair dryer illustrated in the drawings. In general, up or upward refers to an upward direction generally in the plane of the paper in
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, to those who have knowledge or experience in this area of technology, that many uses and design variations are possible for the improved hair dryers disclosed herein. The following detailed discussion of various alternative and preferred embodiments will illustrate the general principles of the invention with reference to preferred embodiments. Other embodiments suitable for other applications will be apparent to those skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure.
Referring now to the drawings,
As best shown in
The illustrated base portion 26 is adapted to rest on a horizontal support surface 28 such as a counter to support the hair dryer 10 in a vertical or upright position. A plurality of feet 42 is provided on the bottom side of the base portion 26 to provide an air gap between the air inlet 14 and the support surface 28 upon which the hair dryer 10 is supported. The illustrated base portion 26 includes three spaced apart feet 42 but any other suitable quantity can alternatively be utilized. The feet 42 can comprise rubber or any other suitable material which will not damage countertops. The illustrated base 26 also includes additional or auxiliary air inlets 44 located about the circumference of the side wall of the base portion 26 adjacent the bottom surface. The illustrated auxiliary air inlets 44 are in the form of horizontally extending slots but any other suitable configuration can alternatively be utilized.
The illustrated base portion 26 houses a blower assembly which includes the fan 18 and an electric motor 46 which rotates the fan 18 to pull air in through the air inlet 14 and out through the opening in the upper end. A power cord or cable 48 extends into the base portion 26 and is in electrical communication with the electric motor 46 via a main on-off switch 50. The illustrated power cable 48 extends through an opening in the side wall of the base portion 26 and is provided with a suitable grommet. Configured in this manner, the power cord 48 does not interfere with the blow dryer 10 being vertically supported by the base portion 26 on a countertop or other support surface 28.
As best shown in
As best shown in
The illustrated grip portion 30 forms the cylindrical-shaped handle or hand grip 32 on its outer surface which is coaxial with the grip portion 30. The hand grip 32 is sized so that it can be held in the hand of the user. The illustrated hand grip 32 has a diameter of about 2 inches but any other suitable size can alternatively be utilized. The hand grip 32 is preferably provided with a slip-resistant surface. The illustrated hand grip 32 is provided with a plurality of vertically extending and circumferentially spaced-apart fins or ribs 60. The illustrated hand grip 32 is provided with 190 ribs 60 but any other suitable quantity can alternatively be utilized. The illustrated ribs 60 are about 0.02 inches wide and about 0.05 inches deep and are spaced apart about 0.04 inches but any other suitable size and/or spacing can alternatively be utilized. The ribs 60 preferably comprise a resiliently deformable material so that they deform when the user grasps the hand grip 32. The ribs 60 can comprise silicone or any other suitable material.
The illustrated grip portion 30 houses the electric heater 20 which heats the air flow as it flow passes through the grip portion 30. A hot air on-off switch 62 communicates the heater 20 with the power cord 48. Preferably, power can be supplied to the heater 20 only when the electric motor 46 is powered and the fan 18 is driving the air flow past the heater 20. The hot air on-off switch 62 enables the use to turn the heater 20 on and off to start and stop the heating of air flowing through the hair dryer 10. Thus, either heated or unheated air can be selectively expelled from the hair dryer 10. The illustrated hot air on-off switch 62 is a push-button switch located at the front of the grip portion 30 near the top of the grip portion 30. It is noted, however, that any other suitable type of switch 62 can alternatively be utilized and/or any other suitable location for the switch 62 can alternatively be utilized.
As best shown in
The plurality of the spaced-apart openings 24 is provided in the concave surface 66 to allow the air flow to blow/project onto a person's hair. The illustrated openings 24 are each circular and of the same size but it is noted that any other suitable shape or size pattern can alternatively be utilized. The illustrated surface has 50 holes but any other suitable quantity can alternatively be utilized. The illustrated openings have a diameter of about 0.06 inches but any other suitable size can alternatively be utilized. Additionally, graduated obround slots 68 extend in the vertical direction in opposed vertically-extending, forward-facing, and laterally spaced-apart flat surfaces 70 located along lateral sides of the concave surface 66. The obround slots 68 increase in size in the vertical direction. The illustrated attachment 22 has 7 slots 68 on each side but any other suitable quantity of slots can alternatively be utilized. The illustrated slots 68 have a width of about 0.06 inches and lengths ranging from about 0.06 inches to about 0.193 inches long but any other suitable sizes can alternatively be utilized. The attachment 22 can comprise any suitable material such as plastic.
The hair dryer is sized for hand-held use. The hair dryer can have a total height of about 11.29 inches, a diameter of about 4 inches at the base portion 26, and a diameter of about 2 inches at the grip portion 30 but it is noted that any other suitable dimensions can alternatively be utilized.
As best shown in
As best shown in
It is apparent from the foregoing disclosure that the hair dryer 10 can be held by a stylist in a parallel position to the head, one hand on the hair dryer 10 and one hand on the brush 72 thus relieving stress on the wrist and lowering the shoulder. It is also apparent that an even stream of air flow which is concave in shape is provided to cooperate with a convex shape of a hair brush 72 and give hair more volume and direction. It is further apparent that the hair dryer 10 can be positioned in an upright position on a counter for hands-free operation. This is particularly useful for people who cannot lift their hands above their head.
From the foregoing disclosure and detailed description of certain preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications, additions and other alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the present invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the benefit to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
This Application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/247,987 filed on Oct. 2, 2009, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1751573 | bishinger | Mar 1930 | A |
2430751 | Woodyard et al. | Nov 1947 | A |
3584632 | Weidner et al. | Jun 1971 | A |
3724092 | McCleerey | Apr 1973 | A |
4486961 | Giesselbach et al. | Dec 1984 | A |
4904847 | Kosaka et al. | Feb 1990 | A |
4936027 | Tsuji | Jun 1990 | A |
5103577 | Michaels et al. | Apr 1992 | A |
7184655 | Dehli | Feb 2007 | B2 |
D560030 | Welch et al. | Jan 2008 | S |
7584759 | Yasuda et al. | Sep 2009 | B2 |
20040020070 | Ito | Feb 2004 | A1 |
20040047620 | Ruben | Mar 2004 | A1 |
20060027551 | Dehli | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20110079239 | Hall | Apr 2011 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20110079239 A1 | Apr 2011 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61247987 | Oct 2009 | US |