Hair drier

Abstract: A drier has a drier body (11) and a stand for supporting the body. The drier body comprises a drier head (20) having a heater (61) and a blast fan (63) driven by a motor disposed from an intake port toward a discharge port side, and incorporates a collecting mechanism in the discharge port (32). A grip (17) capable of pivotally supporting the drier head (20) is provided with a switch (16) for changing operations of the fan (63) and the heater (61). The stand comprises a receptacle (21) capable of detachably containing the grip (17) and provided with a mechanism (13) for adjusting the height of the grip (17) therein and a container formed integrally with the receptacle for supporting the drier head (20).

Description: This invention relates to a drier for use for example in drying the hair. Such driers can be used manually, ie; held in the hand, or in combination with a stand. A hair drier normally comprises a blower part and a grip part, and a user holds the grip part in one hand to use the drier. The blower part in known hair driers houses a blast fan and a heating mechanism disposed in that order from an intake port to a discharge port of its housing. In such an arrangement, a fast blast cannot always be heated uniformly, and thus uneven temperature distribution may result in the blast. United States Specification No. 1,809,458 discloses a hair drier in which a heating element and a fan are disposed within a tapered tubular shield. In use, air is drawn around the heating element, then past the fan, and discharged out the narrower end of the shield. However, the intensity of the discharged air cannot be varied. Another hair drier is described in French Specification No. 1,546,750 in which a pair of trough-shaped shutters are provided within the drier body near the air outlet. The shutters may be pivoted to manipulate the air flow. British Specification No. 2,123,688 also discloses a hair drier including means for controlling the air flow through the housing. A pair of valve members are pivotably mounted in the path of the air. A rotatable actuator extends through the housing and projections formed on the valve members engage curved grooves in one end of the actuator. The present invention is directed at a hair drier in which the drier body has the heating mechanism and the blast fan disposed in that order from the intake port toward the discharge port. According to the invention, the hair drier body includes a plurality of substantially planar blades provided on the discharge side of the fan, the blades being pivotable about parallel axes traversing the flow path of air along and through the cylindrical member, each axis lying in the plane of the respective blade, and a blade operating mechanism for moving the blades between a parallel orientation and a convergent orientation, thereby enabling air discharged from the port to be intensified, with each end of a tension coil spring mounted on a respective end portion of each of a pair of blades for biasing the blades towards the convergent orientation. The discharge port will preferably be about 90 mm in diameter so as to enable the discharge of a large quantity of air. Reference is directed to our European Patent Application No.88306407.3 (Publication No. 0 318 133). In that Application, a hair drier is disclosed which comprises a drier body and a stand for supporting same. The drier body comprises a drier head provided with an intake port and a discharge port, and has a blast fan, a motor for driving the blast fan and an air heating mechanism disposed between the intake and discharge ports. A grip supports the hair drier head on a pivoted joint, and is provided with a switch for operating the motor and the air heating mechanism. The stand comprises a generally cylindrical receptacle for detachably containing the grip, and a container formed integrally with the receptacle. The switch is a sliding switch, and adapted so as to be turned to an off position as the drier is folded away or stowed. The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view, partly cutaway, showing a hair drier body in an embodiment of the invention mounted on a stand; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the hair drier head and grip just prior to mounting on the stand; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a height adjusting mechanism in a portion of the stand; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of Figure 3 but with the height adjusting mechanism in a different orientation; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view showing the operating switch for the hair drier; Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 5 but showing the switch with the drier head folded against the grip; Figure 7 is a detail view showing the relation between a rib and a plate member in a switch described with reference to Figures 5 and 6; Figure 8 is a partly cutaway front view showing the construction of the pivotal joint between the drier head and the grip; Figure 9 is an electric circuit diagram for the drier; Figure 10 is a sectional side view showing the internal constructions of the hair drier head; Figures 11 and 12 are drawings illustrating the temperature distribution of hot air discharged from hair driers; Figure 13 is a front view, partly in section, showing a collecting mechanism used in the embodiment illustrated; Figure 14 is a sectional side view of the collecting mechanism of Figure 13; Figures 15 and 16 illustrate the action of a retaining spring mounted on a folding part of the hair drier head in the embodiment illustrated; and Figures 17 and 18 are plan and sectional side views showing how the hair drier head can be constructed for oscillating motion on the stand. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, a hair drier is provided with a body 11 and a stand 12 for retaining the drier body 11. The stand 12 is provided with an adjusting device 13 for adjusting the height of the drier body 11 when it is inserted therein, and a storage space 15 for a power cord 14. Instead of the power cord 14, toilet sets of accessories may be contained in the space 15. The drier body 11 comprises an almost square pole handle 17 as a grip with the power cord 14 connected to the lower end and a changeover switch 16 disposed thereon, and a drier head 20 having a bracket 19 foldable and turnable round a boss 18 on an upper end of the handle 17. The drier head 20 further contains an electric heater and a blast fan. The stand 12 comprises a cylinder 21 for receiving the grip 17, a cylindrical container 22 with a diameter the same as or somewhat larger than that of the drier head 20, and a cylinder 23 for coupling the container 22 and the cylinder 21 horizontally together. The coupling cylinder 23, the container 22 and the cylinder 21 define a continuous notched grooved 24 for passage of the power cord therethrough. The space 15 is defined by the container 22 and the coupling cylinder 23. The end of the groove 24 on cylinder 21 is enlarged to form an opening 25 to expose the switch 16 on the grip 17. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cylinder 21 has an inner wall 26 of substantially trapezoidal cross-section. The height adjusting device 13 exploits this feature, and comprised a guide slot 27 for an adjusting knob 28 formed on a side wall 21a of the cylinder 21. The adjusting knob 28 is shiftable horizontally along the slot 27, and has a projection 29 extending inwardly therefrom. Thus, in the position shown in Figure 3, the projection 29 blocks the passage of the grip 17 into the cylinder 21 and supports the grip at an elevated position. In the position shown in Figure 4 however, the grip 17 is unimpeded, and can assume a lower position, as shown in Figure 1. When the drier illustrated is used by hand, the body and grip are removed from the stand, and the user holds the grip 17. Alternatively, the grip 17 remains in the cylinder 21 of the stand 12, and the drier head 20 swung around the boss 18 to expose the power cord 14. A supply plug 31 on the end of the power cord 14 is drawn out of the top of the container 22 to connect to a power supply. The power cord 14 can thus be withdrawn through the notched groove 24, enabling the grip 17 to be removed from the cylinder 21 of the stand 12, even when the plug 31 is connected. When using the drier mounted on the stand, for example on a desk or table, the changeover switch 16 is exposed in the opening 25 on the cylinder 21, and is ready for ON/OFF operation in this position. The angle of the drier head 20 can be set arbitrarily by pivoting the drier head 20 round the boss 18. For storage, the grip 17 is folded to the drier head 20 as shown in Figure 1, and the adjusting knob 28 is set in the position shown in Figure 4. The drier head 20 will then cover the top of the container 22 with the power cord 14 contained therein, thus realizing a compact and tidy assembly. The grip will be loosely confined in the cylinder 21 which effectively locates the drier head on the container 22 and thereby prevents the drier body 11 from coming off the stand 12. In this storage orientation the cylinder 21 can be used as a handle, and the drier can be carried very easily by inserting a hand in a space 33 formed between the container 22 and the cylinder 21. Height adjusting mechanism In order to use the drier on a desk or table, as described above, but at a higher level, the grip 17 of the hair drier body 11 is lifted from the stand 12, and the adjusting knob 28 of the height adjusting device 13 shifted rightward to the position shown in Figure 3. When the grip 17 is then returned to the cylinder 21, the bottom surface of the grip 17 comes in contact with the projection 29, and the grip 17 is supported on the projection 29. Thus, the height of the hair drier body 11 can be adjusted between two levels by the device 13, thereby accommodating different sitting heights. The changeover switch 16 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7. The changeover switch 16 has a sliding switch knob 16a formed integrally with a plate member 34 for sliding against an inner wall shell of the handle 17. The switch can be changed between OFF, COOL, WEAK, and STRONG positions by sliding the switch knob 16a vertically. When the switch 16 is turned to the STRONG position, an upper end 16c of the plate member 34 is extended almost as high as the centre of an upper end portion 35 of the grip 17. As shown in Figure 7, the upper end 16c of the plate member 34 is formed with a hook protrudes from a slit 36 provided on a side wall surface of the handle 17. Reference numeral 37 denotes a rib projecting from an inner wall of the bracket 19 in parallel with a boss 38, having an L-shaped section. When the hair drier is used, the rib 37 is separated from the upper end 16c of the plate member 34. The switch knob 16a can then be operated to slide arbitrarily in the range STRONG to OFF while the drier is used. When the head 20 and grip 17 are folded together for storage the rib 37 rotates with the hair drier head 20 and comes into contact with the upper end 16c of the plate member. With further movement, the upper end 16c of the plate member is depressed, and when the hair drier head 20 is folded completely the switch knob 16a is shifted as STRONG → WEAK → COOL → OFF to the position shown in Figure 6, and thus the power is disconnected. The rib 37 is preset to shift the plate member 34 by a distance corresponding to the distance in which the switch knob 16a shifts from the position STRONG to OFF. Thus, problems that might arise from careless operation of the changeover switch 16 when the drier is in the storage orientation, such as thermal deformation or fire of the stand 12, can be prevented. In assembling the grip 17 and the drier head 20, first the boss 38 is fitted in a through hole 39 of the handle 17 as shown in a main part sectional view of Figure 8. A boss 40 is then fitted likewise in the through hole 39, right and left side members 19a, 19b are paired up, and a bolt 41 locked at the boss 38 is mounted through the boss 40. Thus the hair drier head 20 is supported rotatably to the handle 17. A lead wire 42 connects the motor and the heater to the switch 16. Figure 9 is a circuit diagram of the above-described embodiment, in which a switch 43 controls the operation of a motor 44 and a heater 46 through a diode 45, a thermostat 47, a temperature fuse 48, a dropper resistance 49, a diode 50, and a capacitor 51. This configuration is identical with an electric circuit of the prior art hair drier. Construction of heating mechanism and blast fan Figure 10 is a sectional side view of the hair drier body. In Figure 10, a heater 61, a motor 62, a blast fan 63 are disposed in that order from an intake side opening 60 in the hair drier head 20 to a discharge port 32. The heater 61 is for heating the air to be discharged, and is fixed spirally on a guide plate 64 provided on an inner wall of the hair drier head 20. The motor 62 is for driving the blast fan 63 and disposed almost at the centre of the heater 61. Reference numeral 65 denotes a collecting mechanism which will be described hereinlater. This arrangement of the heater 61 and the blast fan 63 is opposite to that of the prior art. Figure 11 represents the temperature distribution of the hot air coming out of the discharge port 32 in the drier illustrated, and Figure 12 represents a temperature distribution of the hot air coming out of the discharge port of a comparable prior art hair drier. First, in Figure 11 the ordinate axis on the right side graph corresponds with a diameter of the discharge port 32 in the configuration of heater, motor and blast fan shown on the left, indicating a distribution of the hot air temperature. As will be apparent from the graph, the hot air temperature is almost constant around 90°C, ensuring uniform temperature of the hot air to be obtained. In the prior art hair drier of Figure 12 (the blast fan 70 being disposed nearer to intake side opening side than th heater 71), hot air temperature changes from about 60°C to about 120°C between the central portion of the discharge port 72 and the outer peripheral zones as indicated by the right side graph, and thus it is understood that a uniform temperature of hot air is not obtainable. As described, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, air is taken in from the intake side opening 60 simultaneously with rotation of the blast fan 63, and when the heater 61 is actuated, the air taken in through heat conduction is heated. The hot air is uneven in temperature at this point in time. However, the hot air is stirred to an even temperature when passing through the blast fan 63, and the hot air is thus uniform in temperature as it leaves the discharge port 32. To set the highest temperature of the hot air at 120°C, for example, on the prior art hair drier a large quantity of air flow will be necessary for the control not exceeding 120°C in view of the unevenness in temperature distribution. However, because the temperature of the hot air is stabilized in the hair drier according to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a lesser air flow or blast is required. Accordingly, the blast and sound volume can be minimized. A fin 66 for straightening the flow of a hot air and also for sending the hot air efficiently is provided between the blast fan 63 and the discharge port 32. The discharge port 32 is formed to have a large aperture of about 90 mm diameter so as to shorten the drying time, and accommodate large air flows therethrough. Collecting mechanism The collecting mechanism of the illustrated embodiment will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Reference 73 denotes an angle bar disposed on the inside of a discharge port frame 74, which is fixed on the frame 74 with a holding screw 75. Holes 76, 77 for rotatably supporting a shutter described hereinafter are provided on the angle bar 73. Reference numeral 78 denotes an angle bar fixed on the frame 74 at a position opposite to the angle bar 73, which is provided with holes 79, 80 as in the case of angle bar 73. References 81, 82 denote semicircular shutters working as blades provided like shelves within the hair drier body head 20 on the inside of the discharge port 32. The shutter 81 has two supporting points 83, 84 on one end portion, and the shutter 82 also has two supporting points 85, 86. The supporting points 83, 84 and 85, 86 function as the centres on which the shutters 81, 82 are fitted in the holes 76, 79 and the holes 77, 80 respectively. Then, a tension coil spring 87 for energizing the shutter 81 in the direction indicated by arrow A and the shutter 82 in the direction indicated by arrow B is mounted on both end portions of the shutter 81 and the shutter 82. Reference 88 denotes a shutter shifting member movable along the angle bar 73, which retains the shutters 81, 82 horizontally (in the direction parallel with the blast) when it comes leftward of the supporting point 83, but allows the shutters 81, 82 to converge (in the direction condensing the blast) by virtue of the tensile force of the coil spring 87 when it comes rightward of the supporting point 83. The shutter shifting member 88 has a knob 30 formed integrally therewith, and the knob 30 projects from a slot 90 provided on the hair drier head 20. The shutters 81, 82 are shifted through the shutter shifting member 88 simultaneously with sliding the knob 30, thus changing angles of the shutters 81, 82. Whether the blast is sent out generally or intensively can thereby be selected. The knob 30 is held on the head 20 by projection 91. The collecting mechanism enables the air flow to be discharged generally or intensively simply by operating the knob 30. Accordingly, a separate collecting nozzle is not required. Because it is part of the drier head assembly, the collecting mechanism can be set more efficiently, and the drier as a whole is more compact because a space for storing a separate collecting nozzle is not needed. Construction of hair drier head and grip Figures 15 and 16 are side views showing the pivotal joint between the hair drier head 20, and the grip 17. As can be seen, the grip 17 is coupled to the drier head 20 via a bracket 19 and pivotal relative thereto about the bosses 38 and 40 (see Figure 8). A torsion spring 120 is laid between a handle side hole 121 provided near the through hole 39 of the handle 17 and a bracket side hole 122 provided on an inner wall portion of the bracket 19. In the position shown in Figure 15, a force in the direction indicated by arrow C is applied to the drier head 20 according to a reaction force of the torsion spring 120, which maintains the angle between the hair drier head 20 and the handle 17 at around 90°. As the hair drier head 20 is moved to the position shown in Figure 16 from that of Figure 15, the torsion spring 120 bends through an equilibrium position to one where a force in the direction indicated by arrow D is applied to the hair drier head 20. Thus once folded, the hair drier head 20 and the handle 17 are kept folded and so retained in the compact orientation shown in Figure 1. Thus, by using a torsion spring of the type shown, in place of an extension spring, for example, which has been used hitherto, the hair drier head 20 can be located in either operative or folded positions relative to the grip, and so retained without additional fittings being needed. Many variations for the embodiment of the invention just described are possible. For example, the stand 12 may omit the coupling cylinder 23 such that the cylinder 21 and the cylindrical container 22 are unified. The height adjusting device 13 may be realized from constructing the cylinder 21 as an expansive fixed cylinder or an expansive moving cylinder. Oscillating structure of hair drier head Provision may be made for the orientation of the cylinder 21 in which the grip 17 is received to be changed automatically, thus making the hair drier head 20 oscillate. Figures 17 and 18 show how this can be done. In Figures 17 and 18 a stand 130 comprises a cylinder 131 for containing the grip 17, and a stand base 133 having a container 132. The cylinder 131 is mounted on the base 133 by means of a shaft 134 depending from its base, which has a slide groove 135 formed therein for receiving a slide post 140. The stand base 133 has a shaft support 136 for supporting the shaft 134 on the upper surface and is fitted with an electric motor 137 and a battery 138 therefor. The motor 137 has a reduction unit and rotates an external shaft thereof slowly. A disc cam 139 is fixed on the external shaft of the motor 137, and the slide post 140 is formed integrally on an upper surface of the cam. A switch 141 for operating the motor 137, and having a switch knob 142 selectively connects the battery 138 to the motor 137 via a lead wire 143. A projection 144 keeps the cylinder 131 vertical. When the switch knob 142 is turned to an ON position, the motor 137 rotates, and the cam shaft 140 turns. When the cam shaft 140 turns, the slide groove 135 makes pendulous movements (arrows E, F), and the cylinder 131 oscillates about the shaft 134. In this way, a user may obtain an air flow from the drier head at different angles without moving his head. While an external power source might be used instead of the battery 138, this would require an additional power lead. Accordingly, the use of a battery is preferred.

Claims: A hair drier having a hair drier body (11) and a grip (17) wherein the hair drier body comprises a cylindrical member (20) with an intake port (60) and a discharge port (32), a heating mechanism (61) and a blast fan (63) are disposed in that order in the cylindrical member from the intake port to the discharge port, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the hair drier body (11) includes a plurality of substantially planar blades (81,82,104,105) provided on the discharge side of the fan (63), the blades being pivotable about parallel axes traversing the flow path of air along and through the cylindrical member (20), each axis lying in the plane of the respective blade; and a blade operating mechanism for moving the blades between a parallel orientation and a convergent orientation, thereby enabling air discharged from the port (32) to be intensified, with each end of a tension coil spring (87) mounted on a respective end portion of each of a pair of blades (81,82) for biasing the blades towards the convergent orientation. A hair drier according to Claim 1 wherein at least one fin (66) for straightening the air flow is provided between the blast fan (63) and the planar blades (81,82,104,105).

Inventors: KOSAKA GENJI, MATOBA KEIKO, KOSAKA, GENJI, MATOBA, KEIKO
Applicants: SHARP KK, SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A45D20
IPC codes: A45D20