Abstract:
A hair dryer in accord with the invention includes a hood, two staggered or asymmetrically placed fans in a base, and an airflow conduit therebetween. The hood of the device may also have an adjustable vent for regulating the amount of air delivered to the head. Moreover, the hood may be secured to the base so as to close the device into a compact form for carrying and storage.

Description:
This Application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application, Serial No. 60/115,265 filed Jan. 8, 1999. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to devices for drying the hair. More particularly, the present invention relates to hair dryers having a hood within which the user&#39;s head is placed. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Devices for drying the hair are well known in the art. It is also known in the art to provide hair dryers having hoods or bonnets that serve to direct the heated air used to dry the hair and scalp. The term hood is used herein to describe a rigid, dome-shaped receptacle that has a double-walled construction, wherein the inner wall has one or more air-discharge apertures. 
     Typically, a hood-type hair dryer includes a motor-driven fan unit for creating an air flow within the hair dryer, a device for heating the airflow (e.g., a heating coil), a hood within which the user&#39;s head is positioned, and a conduit directing the heated airflow into the hood. 
     The amount of time needed to dry a given amount of hair varies as a function of the both the temperature and volume of the air delivered by the hair dryer. The temperature of the air delivered by a hair dryer is limited by the comfort of the user to about 150° F., since experience shows that temperatures above 150° F. cause the hair that dries first to become uncomfortably warm while the user waits for the remaining hair to dry. On the other hand, the temperature of the air should be at least about 100° F. in order to provide an acceptable drying time. 
     The flow rate of the air delivered by a hair dryer is a parameter that is given considerable attention. Some methods for increasing flow rate are more effective than others. For example, enlarging the air inlet to the fan does not correspondingly increase the flow rate of air delivered by the fan because larger air inlets create more turbulence in the airflow. Moreover, practical constraints, such as size and weight, limit the flow rate of air that a hair dryer can deliver. 
     Thus, there remains a need for a hair dryer that increases the volume of delivered air, while maintaining comfort and convenience for the user. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for drying hair. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a hair drying device that can deliver an increased flow rate of air. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a hair drying device that can deliver increased air volume and that allows that user to conveniently adjust the volume of air actually delivered. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hair drying device that is portable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A hair dryer incorporating the invention includes a hood, two staggered or asymmetrically placed fans in a base, and an airflow conduit therebetween. The hood of the device may also have an adjustable vent for regulating the amount of air delivered to the head. Moreover, the hood may be secured to the base so as to close the device into a compact form for carrying and storage. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a left-side, plan view of a device for drying hair according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 a  is a rear, plan view of the device of FIG. 1, having cross-section line A—A; 
     FIG. 2 b  is a right-side, cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 along cross-section line A—A; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the underside of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective, detail view of the top of he device of FIG. 1, illustrating the adjustable vent hereof; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective, detail view of the top of he base of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is plan, detail view illustrating the interior of the airflow duct in the base of the device of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 7 is a progressive, plan, cross-sectional view along line A—A of the device of FIG. 1, illustrating the transition from fully open to fully closed. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings, and in particular FIG. 1, there is provided a device for drying hair, according to the present invention, indicated generally as  1 . Device  1  comprises a hood  10 , a pivoting arm  12 , a telescoping arm  14 , and a base  16 . Hood  10  is pivotally coupled to pivoting arm  12  that is, in turn, pivotally supported on telescoping arm  14 . Telescoping arm  14  is attached to base  16 . Preferably, device  1  is constructed of a moldable material, such as a plastic. 
     FIG. 2 b  illustrates that hood  10  is a dome-shaped, generally single-walled receptacle that defines an interior space within which the user&#39;s head is placed. Hood  10  further comprises an exterior semi-spherical shell  11  and a partial inner wall  13  that, together, define a conduit  25 . As illustrated in FIG. 2 b  and FIG. 3, inner wall  13  has a plurality of apertures, referred to generally as  26 , that allow air to flow in a shower-like arrangement from conduit  15  into the interior space of hood  10 . 
     At the apex of hood  10 , there is provided a vent  20 . Vent  20  may be opened and closed for the purpose of regulating the flow rate of air from conduit  15  through the apertures  26 . Opening and closing vent  20  is accomplished by hand-turning disc  22 . Referring to FIG. 4, disc  22  has a plurality of vent holes, illustrated generally as  24 . Likewise, shell  11  has a plurality of holes (not shown) that may be alternately covered and uncovered by disc  22 . When vent  20  is in the open position, vents  24  are positioned over the holes in shell  11  and, thus, at least some of the airflow within conduit  15  is allowed to escape, instead of travelling through apertures  26 . By contrast, when disc  22  covers the holes in shell  11 , the fullest volume of air is delivered to the interior hood of  10 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, the base of hood  10  is provided with ledges  32  and  33 . Ledge  32  engages a sliding latch  18  for the purpose of locking hood  10  into the open position shown in FIG.  1 . Ledge  32  may also engage a fixed latch  30  located on base  16  for the purpose of securing hood  10  to base  16  (in a manner to be described below). Likewise, when hood  10  is secured to base  16 , ledge  33  engages a flexible latch  31  located on base  16 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 2 b , pivoting arm  12  is attached to hood  10  at hinge  15 . Sliding latch  18 , which is positioned on pivoting arm  12 , is adapted to releasably engage ledge  32 , whereby hood  10  can be releasably locked into the open position, as illustrated. Pivoting arm  12  has a generally tubular shape, therein forming a conduit  17 . Conduit  17  is directed into conduit  15  when hood  10  is in the open position. 
     Telescoping arm  14 , which is vertically adjustable, is connected to pivoting arm  12  at hinge  17 . Like pivoting arm  12 , fixed arm  14  has a generally tubular shape, therein forming a conduit  19 . Conduit  19  is directed into conduit  17  when hood  10  is in the open position. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 3, base  16  comprises an upwardly directed sleeve  34  integrally connected to a duct  40 . Sleeve  34  is adapted to receive telescoping arm  14 . Duct  40  also defines lower air inlets  42   a ,  42   b  and upper air inlet  48  (see FIG.  5 ). 
     Referring to FIG. 6, duct  40  has an elongated central axis and is adapted to contain fans  44   a ,  44   b  and electric heating element  46 . Fans  44   a ,  44   b  create individual airflows, the paths of which overlap to create a combined airflow within duct  40  that passes over heating element  46  and up through sleeve  34  into conduit  19 . 
     Fans  44   a  and  44   b  are staggered or asymmetrical relative to one another along the elongated central axis of duct  40 . Accordingly, fan  44   a  is closer to heating element  46  and fan  44   b  is farther from heating element  46 . Furthermore, the air flow paths from fans  44   a ,  44   b  overlap to create a combined airflow. The staggered arrangement further allows two fans to be fitted within duct  40 , while minimizing the amount of lateral space required. Accordingly, base  16  may also be relatively smaller. The staggered arrangement also minimizes turbulence within the combined airflow created by fans  44   a  and  44   b  because of the smaller cross section of duct  40 . 
     In operation, switch  35  (see FIG. 5) is moved from the “off” position to either the “Hi” or “Lo” positions and, thereby, fans  44   a  and  44   b  begin to rotate. The rotations of fans  44   a  and  44   b  create a combined airflow that pulls air into duct  40  from both above and below base  16 , through respective air inlets  48  and  42   a ,  42   b . Fans  44   a ,  44   b  then push the combined airflow through heating element  46 . The combined airflow next enters sleeve  34 , passes into conduit  19 , through conduits  17  and  15 , and, finally, into the interior of hood  10  through apertures  26 . Vent  20  may allow a portion of the combined airflow to escape through shell  11 , instead of apertures  26 , depending upon which position the user places vent  20 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates that the device of the present invention may be arranged in either an open position or in a closed position. To move device  1  from the closed position into the open position, flexible latch  31  is first pulled away from ledge  33 . Hood  10  is then tipped back using fixed clasp  30  as a fulcrum. Once ledge  33  clears flexible latch  31 , hood  10  may be pulled slightly away from fixed clasp  30 , thereby releasing ledge  32 . By continuing to pull hood  10  away from fixed clasp  30 , pivoting arm  12  extends from a nested, substantially horizontal position to a substantially upright position. At this time, ledge  32  is adjacent pivoting arm  12 . Thus, sliding latch  18  may by pushed against knob  32 , thereby holding hood  10  in position relative to pivoting arm  12 . In the open position, base  16  counterbalances hood  10 , so that device  1  stays in an upright position. The process is reversed to move device  1  from the open position to the closed position 
     The present invention having been described with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.