Patent Grant
9072358
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of hair dryers, and more particularly, to devices having a rotating member for directing a circular flow of air from a hair dryer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A number of devices are known that direct air flow from a hair dryer. These devices include nozzle attachments or outlets that spin while deflecting air at an acute angle. The attachments are enabled to spin through the use of internal vanes that are pushed by the air exiting the hair dryer. The vanes are typically connected to and spin around a central point within the attachment. The direction of the air exiting the rotating attachment is thereby constantly changed, sometimes in a circular pattern. However, the air flow exiting from the attachment remains linear by nature, and the vanes only act to change how the linear flow is directed.
The present invention has been made to address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention relates to a rotating member for directing a circular flow of air from a portable hand-held hair dryer.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a rotating air directing apparatus for a barrel of a hair dryer is provided. The apparatus includes a tubular adapter member having an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The inlet opening is adapted to be removably coupled to the barrel of the hair dryer. The apparatus also includes a propeller member rotatably coupled to the tubular adapter member. The propeller member includes a plurality of curved vanes extending from a central cylinder. The apparatus further includes a nozzle member disposed adjacent to the outlet opening of the tubular adapter member and adapted to rotate with the propeller member. The nozzle member includes an angled tubular member having a nozzle opening disposed at an acute angle relative to the outlet opening of the tubular adapter member.
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or similar components may be designated by the same or similar reference numerals although they are illustrated in different drawings. Detailed descriptions of constructions or processes known in the art may be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention.
The rotating air directing apparatus is powered by the force of the air flowing from the hair dryer. The apparatus is designed and configured to create a moving, rotating pattern of heated air flow similar to that achieved when an operator manually manipulates the hair dryer relative to the hair to be dried. A rotating air directing apparatus, or a hair dryer assembly, according to an embodiment of the present invention, eliminates the need for the operator to continuously manipulate the hair dryer, thereby reducing operator fatigue.
Referring initially to
The shaft 104 is configured to extend within a propeller member 112 from a proximate end 114 and beyond a distal end 116 of the propeller member 112. More specifically, the shaft 104 extends through an aperture 118 that runs through a central cylinder 120 of the propeller member 112. The propeller member 112 includes a plurality of curved vanes 122, 124 and 126.
The rotating air directing apparatus may include two, three or more vanes. For example, as shown in
The plurality of curved vanes 122-126 also include a plurality of free edges. Each free edge is associated with a respective one of the curved vanes 122-126. The free edges are spaced apart from the central cylinder 120 of the propeller member 112.
The plurality of curved vanes 122-126 may also include a plurality of side edges that extend between a respective one of the fixed edges and a respective one of the free edges.
The curved vanes 122-126 are equally spaced apart and define a plurality of curved radial openings between adjacent curved vanes.
A washer 128, a second stopper 130 and a third stopper 132 are disposed over the central cylinder 120 of the propeller member 112. The second stopper 130 is substantially identical to the first stopper 102. More specifically, the central cylinder 120 passes through the washer 128 and the second stopper 130, such that the substantially circular outer periphery of the central cylinder 120 freely rotates within the substantially circular inner periphery of the washer 128 and a central aperture 134 of the second stopper 130.
The distal end 116 of the central cylinder 120 has flattened portions on the top and the bottom. These flattened portions coincide with flattened portions of an inner circumference of a central aperture 136 of the third stopper 132. The third stopper 132 is substantially identical to the first stopper 102 and the second stopper 130 with the exception of these flattened portions. Accordingly, the distal end 116 of the central cylinder 120 extends within the central aperture 136 of the third stopper 132 a distance that the flattened portions allow. Further, the flattened portions of both the distal end 116 and the central aperture 136 enable the third stopper 132 to rotate with the propeller member 112.
A nut 116 engages a distal end of the shaft 104 that extends beyond the central cylinder 120 and the third stopper 132. The distal end of the shaft 104 is grooved for engagement with the nut, and the head 110 of the shaft 104 may be turned by a screwdriver, for example, for assembly. Thus, the nut 116 allows the shaft 104 to run through the first stopper 102, the propeller member 112, the washer 128, the second stopper 130 and the third stopper 132. More specifically, the nut 116 secures the propeller member 112, the washer 128, and the second stopper 130, between the first stopper 102 and the third stopper 132.
The elements of the rotating air directing apparatus including and disposed between the first stopper 102 and the second stopper 130 are disposed within a tubular adapter member 140. The tubular adapter member 140 includes a proximate inlet end 142 and distal outlet end 144. The third stopper 132 is disposed within a nozzle member 146. The nozzle member 146 has an inlet end 148 and an outlet end 150.
The tubular adapter member 140 is adapted to be removably coupled to a barrel of a hair dryer. For example, an internal diameter of the tubular adapter member 140 may be dimensioned to fit over an outer diameter of the hair dryer barrel to provide a press-on or friction fit. Alternatively, an outer diameter of the tubular adapter member 140 may have dimensions that fit within an inner diameter of the hair dryer barrel to provide a press-on or friction fit. Other possible arrangements for providing a removable coupling between the tubular adapter member 140 and the barrel of the hair dryer include an engaging groove on one or both of the tubular adapter member 140 and the barrel of the hair dryer, a threaded fit and a clamping element.
The tubular adapter member 140 may be formed from a rigid, lightweight plastic material or any other suitable material or materials. The tubular adapter member 140 may have an outer diameter in a range between approximately 30 mm and 70 mm, for example, approximately 53 mm, and a length in a range between approximately 40 and 80 mm, for example, approximately 61 mm. However, the tubular adapter member 140 may be any suitable size for coupling to the hair dryer. A length of the tubular adapter member 140 may be in a range of approximately 60 to 100 mm, for example, 82 mm. However, the assembly may be any suitable length for achieving its intended purpose.
The inlet end 148 of the nozzle member 146 is disposed adjacent to the distal outlet opening 144 of the tubular adapter member 140 and is adapted to rotate independent of the tubular adapter member 140. The nozzle member 146 may be rigidly coupled to the propeller member 112 or may be formed integrally therewith to provide a single unitary structure. The nozzle member 146 includes an angled tubular member, which can have, for example, a semi-conical or frusto-conical shape.
The outlet end 150 of the nozzle member 146 is disposed at an acute angle relative to the distal outlet opening 144 of the tubular adapter member 140. Specifically, a imaginary perpendicular line passing through a center of the outlet end 150 of the nozzle member 146 forms an angle of less than ninety degrees with an imaginary perpendicular line passing through a center of the distal outlet opening 144. Due to the configuration of the angled nozzle opening, when the nozzle member 146 rotates, a moving, rotating pattern of heated air flow is created which is similar to that achieved by an operator manually manipulating the hair dryer relative to the hair to be dried. The nozzle member 146 may be formed from a rigid, lightweight plastic material or any other suitable material or materials.
Referring now to
The third stopper 132 and the nut 138 are disposed within the nozzle member 146. The third stopper member 132 has a substantially circular periphery with the exception of flattened regions on the top and bottom of the periphery. The periphery of the third stopper member 132 fits within a similarly shaped interior circumference of the nozzle member 146. The flattened portions of both the periphery of the third stopper member 132 and the interior circumference of the nozzle member 146 prevent the third stopper member 132 from rotating within the nozzle member 146, and allow the third stopper 132 member and the nozzle member 146 to rotate together.
As described above with respect to
Due to the circular shape of the interior periphery of central apertures in the first and second stoppers 102 and 130 and the circular exterior periphery of the central cylinder 120 of the propeller member 112, the central cylinder may rotate within the central apertures of the first and second stoppers 102 and 130. Thus, when first and second parts of the rotating air directing apparatus are assembled, the propeller member 112 is held between the first and second stoppers 102 and 130, and the propeller member 112 can rotate independent of the first and second stoppers 102 and 130.
Referring now to
Referring now to
A center line C/L1 is drawn through a center of the tubular adapter member 204. In an embodiment of the present invention a lowest point of the outlet opening 150 of the nozzle member 146 is illustrated as 7.3 mm below the center line C/L1, while a center line C/L2 of the opening of the nozzle member 146 is illustrated as 6.3 mm above the center line C/L1.
While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application is a Continuation-In-Part Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/088,005, filed on Apr. 15, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130014402 A1 | Jan 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13088005 | Apr 2011 | US |
| Child | 13564267 | US |
