EP1527710B1 - Blower device for personal care having an attachment for hair styling and / or drying - Google Patents

Abstract

A flat air outlet part (3) containing adjacent air outlet openings (2) and hair styling parts is secured to the main body (1) of the attachment. At least some of the hair styling parts are curved prongs and the air outlet part extends approximately parallel to the length axis for the device to which the attachment is fitted. The main body contains an air guiding device (8) with multiple guide surfaces (9) for ensuring an even distribution of hot air leaving the attachment.

Description

The present invention relates to an air-flow device of personal use with a tool for hair shaping and / or drying, in particular a hair dryer or a curling brush, with a base body and a plurality of air outlet openings having, planar air outlet element, which arranged a field of adjacent, on the air outlet element wearing distributed hair styling elements.

In order to be able to produce more volume in the hair with such a tool, the hair styling elements are designed as a form finger, with the downstream ends of the tool is placed on the head and moved in the hair. The hair is detected by the hair capture elements, between the elements in the direction of the air outlet element by a gentle circular motion, in which the hair on the hair capture elements along "creep" raised, and dried in this position, so that stand at the hairline and fullness in the hair arises. On the one hand, the ends of the hair styling elements should not rub too much on the scalp, so as not to cause any unpleasant sensation. On the other hand, the hair should already be captured and placed on the hairline of the hair styling elements in order to achieve the desired increase in volume.

From the EP 0 620 713 B1 is a device with a tool has become known, with which the state of the hair can be improved and the hair volume can be increased. For this purpose, the hair styling elements designed as shaping fingers have a special ratio of length to average diameter and are arranged in a predetermined pattern on concentric rings. The rod-shaped hair styling elements are arranged on the front side of a substantially mushroom-shaped base body, which forms an attachable to a hair dryer essay. This known tool can be improved in several ways. So it would be desirable to further improve the sensation on the scalp in the hair processing, on the other hand to capture the hair even more efficient in order to produce more volume.

From the CH 275627 is a comb known whose tines are executed either bent.

From the JP 11070016 A an air-flow device of personal need is known that a base body and a plurality of air outlet openings, surface air outlet element is provided which carries a field of adjacently arranged, distributed on the air outlet element hair styling elements. The exiting air flow is rather uneven on the air outlet openings in these rod-shaped hair dryer brushes distributed as the air flow is transported axially against the end wall of the body bounces, is swirled from there and thus exits over the axial length in very different intensity from the air outlet openings of the air outlet element. The hair collection elements are brush-like, so arranged for combing and order of the hair but not suitable for volume generation.

From the US 3,835,869 Furthermore, an air-flow device of the type mentioned above is known.

The present invention relates to a device according to the protection claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The device is characterized in that at least a portion of the hair styling elements are bent in the manner of pitchforks. In particular, the hair styling elements arranged on the outer edge of the field can be bent accordingly. As a result, the hair can be better detected and raised more efficiently at the hairline, which can be produced even more volume. In addition, the bent hair styling receive a greater yield compared to a straight push rod, which is counteracted too hard pressing on the scalp, so that when hair processing a more pleasant sensation on the scalp is formed. The air outlet element, which carries the hair-shaping elements, is preferably arranged on a flat side of the base body substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis.

In order to distribute the sweeping through the main body of the tool air flow evenly on the air outlet openings of the air outlet element can be arranged in a further development of the invention in the body a corresponding flow having a plurality of guide surfaces, which leads the device air flow substantially uniformly distributed to the air outlet openings of the air outlet element.

In a further development of the invention, hair-shaping elements arranged on opposite sides of the air outlet element are bent in opposite directions, in particular outwards in each case. This causes a better hair detection in both combing directions. The tool can be guided in opposite directions through the hair, with each lying in the direction of movement hair restoring elements pick up the hair.

Preferably, all the hair-shaping elements are bent, wherein in development of the invention only two bending directions are provided. In particular, the hair styling elements can be bent away symmetrically with respect to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the tool, preferably with respect to this plane also a symmetrical arrangement of the hair styling elements in a symmetrical grid is provided. This prevents entanglement of the hair when combing and on the other hand allows efficient hair detection in both combing directions.

Advantageously, the hair styling elements are bent in such a way that the free ends of the hair styling elements span a surface which is larger than the surface defined by the foot points of the hair styling elements on the air outlet element. By this downstream widening of the form finger field, the support surface is enlarged to the head side, the pressure better distributed and produces a correspondingly pleasant sensation on the scalp.

In order to prevent entanglement of the hair on the hair styling elements and to support a hair slide up to the air outlet element, it has been proven that the hair styling elements have a substantially rod-shaped, over the length substantially constant cross-section and free of angled ends and the like are formed. In a further development of the invention, the substantially rod-shaped hair styling elements can have at least one longitudinally extending rib. According to one embodiment, the hair-shaping elements may have in cross section a plurality of ribs projecting radially outward from a common center. The cross section of the hair styling elements may be formed in a cross shape.

In a further development of the invention, the hair styling elements are arranged in a plurality of parallel, substantially straight rows, wherein preferably the hair styling elements are arranged offset to each other in a first row to the hair styling elements in a second row in the longitudinal direction of the rows. The offset of the hair styling elements causes a finer detection of the hair.

The hair styling elements can have different lengths. A favorable form finger length is in the range between 2.5 cm and 10 cm. It has been found to be particularly favorable when the hair styling elements are between 3 cm and 5 cm long. In order to favor volume production even with short hair, the hair styling elements can have a ratio of average diameter to length in the range from 1: 5 to 1:20, in particular from about 1: 7 to 1:13.

In order to make the feeling on the scalp when moving the tool back and forth particularly pleasant, the free ends of the hair styling elements are not in a plane, but define a concave surface, which is substantially in the form of a spherical cap with the mean diameter of a human head. As a result, essentially all hair styling elements lie with their free ends on the scalp, so that the possible pressure during the reciprocation of the tool is better distributed. It may be provided hair styling elements of different lengths, in particular, lying on the outer edge of the field hair styling elements may have a greater length than lying in the center of the field hair styling elements. However, it could possibly also be provided that the air outlet element, on which the hair styling elements are arranged, is correspondingly contoured so that the desired shape of the surface defined by the free ends of the hair styling elements is achieved with hair styling elements of the same length. In a further development of the invention, however, the air outlet element is slightly convex, ie curved convexly outwardly, while defining the free ends of the hair styling elements arranged thereon a convexly inwardly curved surface in the manner described above. Preferably, the air outlet element is arched in a barrel shape about an axis parallel to the tool longitudinal axis.

The air outlet openings can be distributed in different arrangement over the air outlet element. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the air outlet element may have a lattice or reticulate structure, wherein the hair shaping elements sit in this case advantageously on the nodes of this grid or net-shaped structure. The distributed in the manner of a network on the air outlet element air outlet openings allow a uniform air outlet. Air outlet openings are preferably provided both within the field defined by the hair-shaping elements and around this field, so that all the hairs captured by the hair-shaping elements are acted upon by the air flow.

The guide surfaces are advantageously formed bent and / or kinked and may have an upstream portion which is inclined at an acute angle to the tool longitudinal axis. In addition to the uniform distribution of air can be avoided by the curved air outlet elements a stowage effect and the flow efficiency can be improved.

In order to better shape even bristly or poorly lying hair, the device through which the air flows can have a steam application device, with the aid of which steam can be added to the air stream in order to apply steam to the hair to be formed. Advantageously, the steam application device may comprise a steam wand, which may preferably extend in the interior of the main body of the tool parallel to the tool longitudinal axis. To more efficient to the radially emerging from the steam wand steam To direct the hair styling elements, the tool of the type mentioned in the body may have a Dampfabdeck- and / or guide device, which leads the steam emerging from the steam wand in the interior of the body to the air outlet element. It is understood that with such a Dampfabdeck- and / or Leitvorrichtung possibly even without the pitchfork curved configuration of the hair styling elements better hair shaping can be achieved. However, special advantages arise in the interaction of the previously described embodiment of the hair styling elements and the steam application.

The Dampfabdeck- or guide device may in particular have a trough-shaped or trough-shaped, preferably substantially substantially semi-cylindrical cover which extends around the steam rod extending in the interior of the body and covers it on the side facing away from the air outlet, so that the steam targeted the side of the steam wand facing the air outlet element emerges.

The flow guide, which distributes the air flow to the air outlet elements, may be an integral part of the Dampfabdeck- and / or guiding device, in particular be integrally formed on an outer side of the steam cover. The baffles of the spoiler device may extend according to an embodiment of the invention between the inner wall of the base body and the cover of the Dampfleitvorrichtung.

The main body of the tool can preferably form a replaceable attachment which can be placed on a hair dryer or styling bar. The main body may have a groove-shaped, preferably substantially semi-cylindrical cross-sectional contour, at a upstream end face a connection recess for connection to the air-flow device and be either closed at a downstream end side or may have an outlet opening for a steam applicator keypad.

The trained as an attachment tool is formed in several parts in development of the invention and can be connected from the items to an assembly preferably form-fitting, in particular by means of snap connections. In a further development of the invention, the assembly forming the tool consists of four individual parts. In this case, the air outlet element can form an integrally formed with the hair styling elements, preferably injection-molded plastic part, which can be inserted into a peripheral recess of the body. Another item may form the flow guide, which is preferably integrally formed integrally with the Dampfabdeck- or guide device, preferably injection molded from plastic, and in the Insertable body, preferably axially inserted. Finally, the main body, together with an end cap, forms the further individual parts. The cap closes the body frontally after the flow guide or the Dampfabdeck- and guide were used.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Explosionsdarstellung eines Werkzeugaufsatzes für Haartrockner bzw. Dampflockenbürsten zur Haarformung und -trocknung nach einem bevorzugten Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung,

Fig. 2

einen Längsschnitt durch das Werkzeug aus Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine Draufsicht auf das Werkzeug aus den vorhergehenden Figuren bzw. dessen Luftaustrittselement, und

Fig. 4

eine Stirnseitenansicht des Werkzeugs aus den vorhergehenden Figuren.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment and associated drawings. In the drawings show:

Fig. 1

an exploded perspective view of a tool attachment for hair dryer or Dampflockenbürsten hair shaping and drying according to a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2

a longitudinal section through the tool Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

a plan view of the tool from the preceding figures and its air outlet element, and

Fig. 4

an end view of the tool from the preceding figures.

The figures show a tool for hair shaping or drying in the form of a styling attachment or a so-called volumizer for an air-flow hair dryer with additional steam operation. The air-flow hair dryer with additional steam operation is not shown in the drawings. It is designed in the manner of a conventional hair dryer, which in addition has a parallel to the air flow exit direction arranged steam wand from which steam can be added to the air stream. For this purpose, the steam wand has at its frontal free end a steam applicator control panel, which by pressing in the axial direction into the steam wand causes a jet of steam to escape radially from the steam wand.

As FIG. 1 shows, attachable to such a hair dryer tool attachment with additional steam operation of a total of four items. The main body 1 is formed substantially in the form of a hollow half-cylinder, on one end side of a Stirnseitenwandung 18 is provided, in which a substantially cylindrical recess 15 is provided through which the aforementioned Dampfapplikator operating part, which provided at the free end of the steam wand is, can pass through. The opposite upstream side of the semi-cylindrical base body 1 can with a cap 17th closed or connected. As FIG. 1 shows this purpose on the semi-cylindrical base body 1 and the cap 17 each inside form-fitting acting snap connection means 19 are provided, which may consist of spring tongues and complementary locking recesses and locking projections. In the cap 17 an air flow inlet opening 14 is provided, which also forms a connection recess or connection means to put the tool attachment on the hair dryer device can. At the connection recess 14 snap connection means 21 are provided, by means of which the tool can be releasably locked to the device through which air flows. The connection recess or air inlet opening 14 on the one hand serves the purpose of allowing the air flow provided by the device to enter the interior of the base body. On the other hand, the main body 1 can be pushed onto the steam wand of the device.

Inside the main body 1 sits a flow guide 8, which is summarized together with a Dampfabdeckvorrichtung 11 to an insert. As FIG. 1 shows, it comprises a substantially semi-cylindrical vapor cover 12, at the edges of which air guide surfaces 9 are provided projecting radially outward. The cover 12 is inserted parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main body 1 in this, so that the cover 12 to the open flat side of the base body 1, on which the air outlet element 3 is mounted, is open. The steam cover 12 extends substantially coaxially to the main body longitudinal axis, so that it covers the air outlet element 3 facing away from the half of the steam wand when the tool is attached to the hair dryer and its steam wand. The guide surfaces 9 of the flow guide 8 extend between the steam cover 12 and the inner wall of the main body 1, as this FIG. 4 shows. In this case, the guide surfaces have an upstream section 22 which is inclined at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction of the tool, so that the air flow entering the base body 1 is conducted upwards to the air outlet element 3. As FIG. 1 shows, on both sides of the cover 12 a plurality of successively staggered fins 9 are provided. As a result, the air flow is evenly distributed to the outlet openings of the air outlet element 3. On a lower side of the cover 12, a plurality of webs extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool are provided, with which the unit comprising the flow guiding device 8 and the steam covering device 11 is connected to the main body 1.

The air outlet element 3 is seated in the circumferential recess 23 of the main body 1, which is bounded by its lateral surfaces and the end side wall 18 and the cap 17. As FIG. 1 shows, the air outlet element 3 has axially projecting tabs 24, with which the edges of the recess 23 are under attack. The tool can be assembled from the four individual parts in a simple manner. First, the unit consisting of flow guide 8 and steam cover 11 is inserted into the open body 1. Then, the air outlet element 3 is inserted into the recess 23. Finally, the still open end is closed with the cap 17.

The air outlet element 3 has a total lattice-shaped or net-like structure. The peripheral frame 25 carries truss-like struts 26, which fill the area within the frame 25 in the manner of a lattice work. Between the struts 26 remain air outlet openings 2 recessed. The open through the air outlet openings 2 surface is considerably larger than the area covered by the struts 26. The open area may account for more than _^2/3 of the total area of the air outlet element. 3

As FIGS. 1 and 3 show, sitting on the nodes of the reticulated structure of the air outlet element 3 formed as a shape finger hair styling elements 4, which initially project from the node points substantially perpendicular to the surface defined by the air outlet element 3. In order to improve the stability of the overall rod-shaped hair styling elements 4, these are provided with radially projecting longitudinal ribs, so that the cross section is cruciform overall. As FIG. 3 shows, the hair styling elements 4 are arranged in a total of four parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool rows. The hair-shaping elements 4 of the two inner rows are arranged at the same height in the longitudinal direction of the tool, but offset from the hair-shaping elements 4 of the two outer rows (cf. FIG. 3 ). As FIG. 4 shows, the hair styling elements 4 are all formed bent in the manner of the tines of a pitchfork. In this case, only two bending directions are provided for all hair styling elements 4. The two right-hand rows of hair-shaping elements 4, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the tool, are bent to the right, while the two left-hand rows of hair-shaping elements 4, bent in the longitudinal direction of the tool, are bent to the left (cf. FIG. 4 combined with FIG. 3 ). The hair styling elements 4 of the two outer rows are bent more than the hair styling elements 4 of the two inner rows. By the opposite bending of the hair styling elements 4, an efficient detection of the hair on the hairline is achieved in both Kämmrichtungen. As FIG. 4 shows, the free ends of the hair styling elements 4 are not arranged in a plane, but define a curved, concave surface whose concavity corresponds approximately to the curvature of a human skull.

Claims (25)

1. An air flow-through device for personal use, particularly a hair dryer or a curling brush, with an air flow-through tool for styling and/or drying hair, wherein the tool is provided with a base body (1) and a flat air outlet element (3) that features several air outlet openings (2) and carries a section of adjacently arranged hair styling elements (4) that are distributed over the air outlet element (3), wherein the air outlet element (3) is essentially arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, and wherein a flow guiding device (8) with several guiding surfaces (9) is arranged in the base body (1) and essentially distributes the air flow of the device uniformly over the air outlet openings (2) of the air outlet element (3), characterized in that at least part of the hair styling elements (4) are bent like pitchfork prongs, in that the hair styling elements (4) arranged on the opposite side of the air outlet element (3) are bent in opposite directions, and in that the hair styling elements (4) respectively have a length between 2.5 cm and 10 cm.
2. The device according to Claim 1, wherein the hair styling elements are realized and arranged in such a way that the hair can be pushed up order to increase its volume by means of a circular motion of the tool on the scalp hair.
3. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hair styling elements (4) are respectively bent outward on opposite sides of the air outlet element (3).
4. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein all hair styling elements (4) are bent and only two bending directions are provided.
5. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hair styling elements (4) are arranged in a grid symmetrically referred to a common plane and/or respectively bent away from the common plane.
6. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an area (5) defined by the free ends of the hair styling elements (4) is larger than an area (6) defined by the bases of the hair styling elements (4) on the air outlet element (3).
7. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cross section of the hair styling elements (4) features several ribs (7) that protrude radially outward from a common center, wherein said hair styling elements are realized, in particular, with a cruciform cross section.
8. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hair styling elements (4) have an essentially constant cross section over their length like a rod and/or are realized without bends, angled ends and the like.
9. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hair styling elements (4) are arranged in several parallel rows, wherein the hair styling elements (4) in a first row are offset relative to the hair styling elements (4) in a second row.
10. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein hair styling elements (4) of different lengths are provided.
11. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hair styling elements (4) respectively have a length between 3 cm and 5 cm.
12. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a ratio between the average diameter and the length of the hair styling elements (4) lies between 1:5 and 1:20, particularly about 1:7 to 1:13.
13. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the air outlet element (3) has a screen-shaped or net-shaped structure and the hair styling elements (4) are positioned on the nodes of the screen-shaped or net-shaped structure.
14. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the free ends of the hair styling elements (4) define a concave area that essentially has the shape of a calotte shell with the average diameter of a human head.
15. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the guiding surfaces (9) are realized in a bent and/or buckled fashion and feature an obliquely inclined section (10) that leads to the air outlet element (3).
16. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a steam covering and/or guiding device (11) provided in the base body (1) guides steam emerging from a steam rod in the interior of the base body (1) to the air outlet element (3).
17. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the steam covering and/or guiding device (11) comprises a channel-shaped or trough-shaped covering, preferably an essentially semicylindrical covering (12) that is arranged on the opposite side of the base body (1) referred to the air outlet element (3) essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis (13) of the tool.
18. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the flow guiding device (8) forms an integral part of the steam covering and/or guiding device (11) and, in particular, is integrally moulded onto an outer side of the covering (12).
19. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the guiding surfaces (9) of the flow guiding device (8) extend between an inner wall of the base body (1) and the covering (12) of the steam covering and/or guiding device (11).
20. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the base body (1) has a channel-shaped cross-sectional contour, preferably an essentially semicylindrical cross-sectional contour, wherein the base body features a connecting recess (14) for being connected to the air flow-through device on an upstream face, wherein the base body is closed on a downstream face or features an outlet opening (15) for a steam applicator operating element (16), and wherein the air outlet element (3) is arranged on a flat side of the base body (1).
21. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the air outlet element (3) is convexly curved outward, preferably such that it has a slight barrel-shaped curvature.
22. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein it forms an assembly consisting of four individual parts.
23. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the air outlet element (3) forms an individual part that is integrally realized in one piece with the hair styling elements (4), preferably an individual injection-moulded part of plastic that can be inserted into a peripheral recess of the base body (1), and/or that the flow guiding device (8) forms an individual part that is integrally realized in one piece with the steam covering and/or guiding device (11), preferably an individual injection-moulded part of plastic that can be inserted into the base body (1), preferably pushed therein in the axial direction, wherein the face of the base body (1) can be closed with a covering cap (17) after the insertion of the flow guiding device (8) and/or the steam covering and/or guiding device (11).
24. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the device features a steam rod that essentially extends parallel to the emerging air flow, and wherein said steam rod features steam outlet openings on its surface area and extends in the interior of the tool essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof.
25. The device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tool forms a removable attachment.

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