Abstract:
A portable hands free hair dryer that gently dries the hair of a user The hair dyer comprises a flexible bonnet having heating coils disposed within, a fan blowing unit, and an air hose connecting the two. When the device is powered on, the heating coils warm the area around the user&#39;s hair and scalp, and the fan blows air up through the air hose into the bonnet. Warm air in the bonnet is blown around, drying the user&#39;s hair. The fan unit is a small portable unit that can be clipped to a user&#39;s clothing, and may be used while cordless or plugged into a wall socket. In either manner of use, the device dries the user&#39;s hair without the need for user participation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a portable hair care product. More specifically, it relates to a hands free portable hair dryer that operates off a battery. The device has a bonnet that is placed on the users head and is connected via a section of tubing to a battery pack. Coils in the device heat air that travels into the bonnet, warming and drying the user&#39;s hair. The user does not need to hold onto the hair dryer device while it is in operation. Thus the present invention is a convenient hair drying tool that will be appreciated by busy women who wish to dry their hair while performing other tasks. 
         [0003]    Every morning, women around the world spend significant amounts of time on drying and styling their hair. Conventional hair dryers comprise a handheld unit that blows hot air out of a nozzle. Using conventional hairdryers in the morning before work is a tedious and time consuming event because each section of hair must be individually dried. Air blown out of the nozzle is directed in a single direction, making it difficult to dry multiple sections of hair at once. Diffusing attachments can be secured to the nozzle to disperse the outgoing air. This increases the amount of hair that can be dried at once, but does not dry the entire head. The attention and hand control needed to dry each section of hair with a handheld hair dryer prevents the user from performing other tasks such as getting dressed, preparing lunch, or putting on make-up. 
         [0004]    Power needs of conventional handheld hair dryers make it difficult for women to perform other tasks while drying their hair. The unit is usually powered via an ac/dc connection with a wall outlet. This means that the user is tethered to an area immediately surrounding the wall outlet and must cease hair drying if she wishes to complete other tasks. For example, allowing others to use the restroom, checking on children, and answering the phone, may all necessitate that the user stop drying her air and leave the area for a time. A battery powered hair dryer is needed that does not require the use of a person&#39;s hands, so that the user may move freely and perform other tasks while the hair is drying. 
         [0005]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0006]    The present invention is a portable hands free hair dryer. It comprises a drying bonnet secured to a battery powered fan via an air hose. Heating coils disposed throughout the device heat air traveling up the air hose and into the bonnet. In this way, the user&#39;s hair is dried within the bonnet by the incoming air. The heating coils may be integrated into the bonnet itself or may be disposed along the air hose to heat air as it rises. To reduce the risk of burning the scalp, air holes are disposed along the bonnet to allow ventilation. The prior art does not disclose a portable hands free hair drying device that have heating coils disposed throughout a bonnet and the air hose intake. 
         [0007]    Hands free hair dryers that use bonnets, air hoses, and a fan pack are known in the art. Sanders, U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,190 teaches a hair dryer having a bonnet that covers the user&#39;s scalp and is connected to a fan via an sir hose. The fan housing is attached to a belt that removably secures to a user&#39;s waist. Unlike the present invention, Sanders utilizes heating coils disposed within the connection between the air hose and the fan pack, does not include apertures in the bonnet to vent air, and is powered by an ac/dc connection to a wall outlet. A similar hair dryer is taught by Zellous, U.S. Pat. No. 7,096,597. The Zellous device comprises a large battery powered fan back pack unit attached to an air hose and a bonnet. Air holes are disposed along the bonnet to allow venting of hot air. Two straps extend from the top of the backpack unit to the bottom, to facilitate removable securement of the unit to a user&#39;s shoulders. The user can walk around with the backpack unit secured over the shoulders and the bonnet attached to her head. The present invention differs from the Zellous device in that the fan pack is small and can be clipped onto any part of a user&#39;s upper torso or waist, and becomes the present invention heats air as it enters the hose and bonnet, rather than heating the air within the fan pack. 
         [0008]    Variations on the above devices include a cordless hair dryer with an air hose and bonnet attachment. Coats, U.S. Pat. No. 7,380,347 teaches a battery powered cordless hair dryer that includes an air hose and bonnet that can be secured to the hair dryer nozzle. Though this device does have air holes to vent heat, like the present invention, it suffers from several drawbacks. The air hose is detachable, creating potential for heat loss through the unsecured connection, and the heating coils are disposed near the fan, rather than within the bonnet or the air hose itself. The present invention addresses these issues and provides coils around the bonnet area to heat area around the scalp gently, rather than blowing overly heated air into the bonnet where it can potentially damage the scalp. 
         [0009]    Another variation is taught by Waters, U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,498. The Waters device is a bonnet having an air heating unit disposed along the bottom. When the user wears the device, the air heating unit rests at the bottom of the user&#39;s neck and two air ducts extending through the bonnet carry warm air into the bonnet. A control unit is secured to the heating unit by two straps that extend around a user&#39;s neck. The control unit rests on the bottom of the front of a user&#39;s neck and counterbalances the heating unit. A power cord extends from the control unit and is plugged into a wall outlet. This device therefore is not highly portable because the user is tethered to a power outlet. The present invention on the other hand, is battery controlled and highly portable. 
         [0010]    These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. They do not teach a fully hands free, portable hair dryer that directs heat onto the scalp area and blows air into the bonnet to distribute heat onto the hair. The present invention solves these problems by disposing heating coils throughout the bonnet to heat the area around the air. It substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing portable hands free hair dryer devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of portable hair dryer devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new heating coil system wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when safely drying the hair 
         [0012]    The present invention is a portable hands free hair dryer that permits users to participate in other tasks while drying their hair. A bonnet is secured to a battery powered fan pack via an air hose. A power switch disposed on the fan unit toggles power flow and fan speed. When the fan unit is powered on, air blows up the air hose into the bonnet. Heating coils disposed within the bonnet and/or air hose heat the air as it enters the bonnet and creates a heated environment around the scalp. To reduce the risk of over hearing the scalp, air holes are disposed throughout the bonnet to vent excess air. 
         [0013]    The bonnet is placed over a user&#39;s head and pulled down over the hair line. Hair is tucked up into the bonnet to ensure proper drying. The fan unit can be attached to a belt, pant waist, or shirt via a clip disposed on the fan unit. Users can then toggle the power and intensity of air flow via the power switch. Once the device is in place and operating as desired, the user is free to walk about, performing other tasks. 
         [0014]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved portable hair drying device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
         [0015]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable hair dryer having heating coils disposed through the bonnet and air hose to heat the air around the user&#39;s scalp. 
         [0016]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a bonnet having air holes that facilitate venting of excess hot hair and thereby reduces the likelihood of scalp damage. 
         [0017]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable hair dryer with a fan unit that clips on to any portion of a user&#39;s upper torso clothing. 
         [0018]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable hair dryer that allows a user to perform other tasks while their hair is drying. 
         [0019]    Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the portable hair dryer device in use. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the portable hair dryer device. The bonnet is secured to an air hose that secured at an opposing end to a battery powered fan unit. 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a cross-section of the portable hair dryer device with heating coils shown. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a partial perspective and partial cross-section view of the portable hair dryer device. The air hose is shown in cross-section with the heating coil rings shown. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a general diagram of the fan unit and removable power cord. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the portable hair dryer device. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for drying a user&#39;s hair, The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a woman wearing the bonnet of the present invention. The user  200  has the headpiece  100  on her head with the bonnet  103  covering her hair. Venting apertures  101  are disposed along the upper surface of the bonnet to permit venting of hot air. The air hose  110  is secured to the rear of the headpiece and extends downward over the user&#39;s shoulder. Air flows through the air hose up into the bonnet where it is warmed by heating coils in the bonnet or air hose before passing over the user&#39;s hair. Repeated exposure of the hair to warm air gently dries the user&#39;s hair. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a perspective view of the portable hair dryer device. The headpiece  100  is a flexible, multi-layer bonnet  103  with venting apertures  101  scattered across the surface. The venting apertures may extend through the outer and inner layer of the flexible bonnet or alternatively may extend through only the top layer. In either case, the inner layer should be non-insulating, while the outer layer has insulator properties to trap heat within the bonnet. An air hose  110  is connected to the headpiece by an upper connection ring  111 . It is preferable that the hose is detachable to facilitate easy cleaning of the bonnet. Threaded connections or snap-in connections may be used to connect the air hose to the headpiece. Alternatively, the hose may be permanently connected to the flexible bonnet. At the bottom end, the air hose is connected to a portable fan unit  120 . A small fan  112  is contained within the unit to blow air up through the air hose into the flexible bonnet. The fan may be a rotary fan, of other air intake device. 
         [0029]    A first embodiment of the heating coil configuration is shown in  FIG. 3 . A series of heating coils  123  is disposed between the layers of the flexible bonnet  103 . In the figure an exemplary configuration of coils is shown as a web disposed on lateral sides of the bonnet. The coils may also be configured in small circles around the venting apertures  101 . An elastic bonnet headband  102  forms the lower boundary of the headpiece, where no heating coils are located. These heating coils may be any small gauge wire coil known in the art. An electrical connection runs between the heating coils through the upper connection ring  111  and down through the air hose. Use of heating coils to heat the air over the user&#39;s scalp is preferable to air that is heated at the time it is blown into the air hose, because creation of a general heating environment near the scalp promotes gentle heating of the hair instead of prolonged exposure to the hot dry air presented by air heated near the fan. The present invention heats the area nearest to the head and then uses air to blow the heat around, gently drying and airing the hair out. In this manner, the present invention provides a drying method that is less damaging to the user&#39;s hair when used for a prolonged period. 
         [0030]    An alternative configuration of heating coils within the device is shown in  FIG. 4 . The bonnet  103  is secured via the upper securing ring  111  to the air hose which has a plurality of heating rings  1112  disposed along its length. Small coil rings in the air hose heat the air as it rises through the hose and enters the bonnet. Unlike the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the air is heated as it moves through the air hose rather than being heated at the destination. This may necessitate the use of heating coils having a greater surface area or stronger heat output, to ensure that air is warmed as it moves In this embodiment, the bonnet may or may not have heating coils disposed therein 
         [0031]    Turning finally to  FIG. 5  there is shown a general diagram of the fan unit. The fan unit  120  houses the fan  121  and battery power source  123 . It is connected to the air hose via a lower connection ring  126 . Air is pulled in through slots in the side of the unit and pushed up into the air hose by the fan. A power button  122  is disposed on a side of the fan unit housing and is electrically connected to the unit&#39;s internal components. Turning the power button to an “ON” position initiates the warming of the heating coils and blowing of air into the air hose. The power button should have multiple selection settings including power on/off, low fan speed, medium fan speed, and high fan speed. Setting options are important because different hair types dry at different rates. Users must be able to toggle the intensity of air flowing into the bonnet to dry their particular hair type. Rocker switches, slides, and depressible buttons may be used, so long as the user is provided with multiple setting options. Optionally, the fan unit may have a clip that can be fastened to pants, a pocket, a belt, or a shirt. In an alternative embodiment, a heating selection button may be disposed on the fan unit that provides “LOW” and “HIGH” heat options to a user. These heat options determine the strength of the heat output by the heating coils. 
         [0032]    Also disposed on the side of the fan unit  120  is a power connection port  124 . A power cord connector dongle  131  is plugged into the port to electrically connect the unit to an ac/dc electrical plug. The plug  130  can be inserted into a wall outlet to facilitate the flow of electricity to the fan unit. The device may be used while plugged in, or while disengaged from the power adapter. In a preferred embodiment the battery in the fan unit is recharged whenever the power adapter is connected to the unit and a power outlet. 
         [0033]    In use an individual clips the fan unit onto her pants or shirt so that it securely in place. She then places the flexible bonnet on her head and tucks her hair under the elastic headband and up into the bonnet. The headband can be adjusted for comfort but should extend down below the user&#39;s hairline to ensure that all hair is properly dried. Next, the user turns the fan on via the power button and adjusts the button until the desired fan speed is selected. If the embodiment of the device in use also includes a heat selection button, the user makes a heat selection. The device&#39;s heating coils warm up and air is blown through the air hose into the bonnet. While her hair is drying, the user is free to engage in other activities. After the hair is done drying, the user turns off the fan unit and removes the bonnet. The device is highly compactable making it easy to stow in between uses. 
         [0034]    The present invention is a portable hands free hair dryer that provides an easy and convenient way for people to dry their hair will performing other activities. A flexible, comfortable bonnet is provided that covers a user&#39;s hair and has an opening connected to an air hose to allow warm air to flood the bonnet. Air is blown up through the air hose by a fan unit disposed at an opposing end of the air hose. The hair within the bonnet is gently warmed and dried by the warm air flow. Users can toggle the intensity of air blown through the hose into the bonnet as needed. The invention is a substantial improvement over prior devices because the use of heating coils in the bonnet and/or air hose warms the air gently rather than creating high intensity, high heat air flows that can damage the user&#39;s hair. It will be appreciate d by busy people who frequently need to wash and dry their hair. 
         [0035]    To this point, the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
         [0036]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.