Abstract:
An attachment for a hair dryer has a hollow body portion with an upper end in fluid communication with a lower end, a lip connected to and extending upwardly from the upper end of the hollow body portion, and a nozzle extending through an opening in the lip. The nozzle has a connector for connecting the attachment to a hair dryer and a tip interior of the lip pointing generally downwardly toward the hollow body portion. The nozzle is rotatable such that the tip of the nozzle can be directionally adjusted. A baffle is affixed to an opening at the lower end of the hollow body portion.

Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/058,194, filed on Jun. 2, 2008, and entitled “HAIR DRYER ATTACHMENT.” 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the styling of hair. More particularly, the present invention relates the styling of hair using a hair dryer. More particularly, the present invention the relates to attachments for hair dryers. 
     2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98. 
     Hair dryers are typically used to accelerate the drying time of wet hair. Hair dryers typically have a handle and a tubular blower portion. The handle is used by the user to position the hair dryer near hair that is wet. A mechanical device in the hair dryer accelerates a flow of air through the tubular blower portion. The accelerated air exits an end of the tubular blower portion so as to blow high velocity air past wet hair. The high velocity of the air acts to accelerate the evaporation of water particles from wet hair. Hair dryers typically come with variable speeds. Thus, the user of a hair dryer can control the acceleration of air within the hair dryer, and thus the velocity of air exiting the end of the tubular blower portion of the hair dryer. Hair dryers are typically equipped with heating coils that heat the air passing through the hair dryer. The heated air also acts to accelerate the evaporation of water particles from wet hair. Hair dryers usually have the ability to turn the heating coils on or off as desired by the user. 
     Over time, people discovered that hair dryers can also be used to style hair. The various methods and techniques for using a hair dryer to style hair can be seen in any local or commercial barber shop. Many hairstylists have had successful and prosperous careers due to their ability to eloquently style the hair of customers. Hair styles have quickly become a way for people to express themselves and even to communicate various values. In fact, the styling of hair has even become a fashion phenomenon causing hair styles to change over time due to trends and popular social values. Thus, there is always a need for new ways to style hair. Various patents have issued relating to devices that control the flow of air while styling a person&#39;s hair. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,863, issued on Dec. 16, 1986 to Giordano, discloses a hair dryer outlet nozzle having a slit-like outlet opening that includes a forwardly and upwardly extending arcuate deflector of approximately half-circle form, which directs drying air away from the scalp and forms a vortex of drying air around a cylindrical brush upon which hair is wound during the drying process. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,159, issued on Mar. 10, 1998 to Dorber et al., discloses an air directing device for a hair dryer for acting upon the air stream exiting from the hair dryer in which an air directing member is configured as a substantially tubular body having an inlet opening and an outlet area. The air outlet area has individual orifices configured and positioned such that the exiting air stream is split into substantially independent free jets. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,037, issued on May 9, 2006 to Keong, discloses a diffuser for a handheld electric hair dryer that includes a base from which fingers extend. Each finger has a longitudinal through-passage through which hot air passes from the base. A thermal-capacitance element is attached to the base so as to moderate changes in temperature of air exhausted through the diffuser. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,673, issued on Sep. 8, 1981 to Wolter, discloses a diffuser attachment which is telescopically assembled to the air outlet end of a hand-held hair dryer and which is characterized by a forwardly flared body portion and by a diffuser plate concentrically mounted within the flared body portion and having a convex surface facing the flow of heated air from the hair dryer. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,919, issued on Jul. 16, 1985 to Harbolt et al., discloses an apparatus and method for dividing a flowing multi-phase fluid to provide at least two separate fluid streams wherein each fluid stream has substantially the same ratio of phases. The apparatus includes a fluid inlet chamber in fluid communication with at least two separate fluid outlet chambers. Fluid conduits connect the inlet chamber with the outlet chambers. Each of the conduits has a fluid conduit inlet opening communicating with the fluid inlet chamber and a fluid outlet opening communicating with one of the fluid outlet chambers. The fluid conduit inlet openings are arrayed in groups, wherein each group has at least two members, and the fluid conduits are adapted to provide that each fluid outlet chamber is in fluid communication with only one member of each group of fluid conduit inlet openings. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. D260,189, issued on Aug. 11, 1981 to Winkler, discloses a hair dryer attachment that is attached to an end of a hair dryer. The attachment has a tubular portion and a concave portion mounted to an end of the tubular portion. The concave portion has a hole in a wall thereof so that air from the tubular portion can pass through the concave portion. The concave portion has a cross section of a semi-circle. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. D380,540, issued Jul. 1, 1997 to Seatvet et al., discloses a portable heater-blower that attaches to an end of a hair dryer. The heater-blower has a first portion that is tubular and is mounted around the end of a hair dryer. A U-shaped portion is integrally formed at an end of the first portion so that air from the first portion passes into a first branch of the U-shaped portion and a second branch of the U-shaped portion. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. D265,598, issued on Jul. 27, 1982 to Ridatz, discloses a diffuser for a hair dryer. The diffuser is an ornamental design for a diffuser for a hair dryer that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,673. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that styles hair. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that styles hair using a hair dryer. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that quickly styles hair. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that styles hair by spinning the hair within a hair dryer attachment. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that can dry hair while styling the hair. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that has many configurations for styling hair. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that can be configured so as to provide a certain hair style. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an attachment for a hair dryer having a hollow body portion with openings at each end, a lip connected to and extending upwardly from the upper end of the hollow body portion, and a nozzle extending through an opening in the lip. The hollow body portion has an upper end in fluid communication with a lower end. The hollow body portion may be frusto-conical or spherical in shape. The nozzle has a first portion extending exterior of the lip and a second portion extending interior of the lip. The first portion has a connecting means for connecting the nozzle to a hair dryer. The connecting means may be formed of an elastomeric material. The second portion has an elbow thereon such that the tip of the second portion of the nozzle points generally downwardly interior of the lip toward the hollow body portion. The nozzle is rotatable such that the tip can be directionally adjusted. 
     There is a baffle affixed to the opening at the lower end of the hollow body portion. The baffle may be an annular ring which has an opening through the center thereof. The baffle may also be a circular disk having a plurality of holes formed therethrough. The present invention may have a second hollow body portion affixed to the lower end of the hollow body portion and in fluid communication with the hollow body portion. The upper end of the second hollow body portion is narrower than the lower end. 
     The present invention is also an attachment for a hair dryer having a hollow body portion with a frusto-conical shape and a nozzle extending through a wall of the hollow body portion. The hollow body portion has a wider upper end in fluid communication with a narrower lower end. The tip is suitably shaped to point downwardly toward the lower end of the hollow body portion. A baffle is affixed to the opening at the lower end of the hollow body portion. 
     The present invention is also an attachment for a hair dryer having a first tubular body portion with an upper end and a lower end, a lip affixed to and extending upwardly from the first tubular portion, a rotatable nozzle extending through the wall of the lip, and a second tubular body portion affixed to and in fluid communication with the first tubular body portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a side perspective view of the hair dryer attachment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a front elevational view of the hair dryer attachment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the hair dryer attachment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the hair dryer attachment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows a side perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the hair dryer attachment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a side perspective view of the hair dryer attachment  10  of the present invention. The hair dryer attachment  10  has a first portion  14  and a second portion  22 . The first portion  14  has a wall  16 . A nozzle  12  extends through the wall  16  of the first portion  14 . The nozzle  12  is positioned near a wide end  18  of the first portion  14 , and the nozzle  12  points generally toward the narrow end  20  of the first portion  14 . The narrow end  20  of the first portion  14  is in fluid communication with the narrow end  26  of the second portion  22 . Thus, the attachment  10  tapers from the wide end  18  of the first portion  14  to the narrow ends  20  and  26  of the first and second portions  14  and  22 , respectively. The attachment  10  then expands from the narrow ends  20  and  26  of the first portion  14  and the second portion  22 , respectively, to the wide end  24  of the second portion  22 . 
     The hair dryer  100  has a handle  102  and a tubular blower portion  101 . Air is accelerated in the hair dryer  100  and exits the end  103  of the tubular blower portion  101  into the nozzle  12 . Air flows out of the nozzle  12  in a direction generally towards the narrow end  20  of the first portion  14 . The air then flows from the narrow end  26  of the second portion  22  out of the wide end  24  of the second portion  22 . While in the attachment  10 , the accelerated air swirls inside the first portion  14  and second portion  22 . The swirling path of air that is accelerated by the hair dryer  100  is determined by the direction of the nozzle  12  and by the configuration of the first portion  14  and the second portion  22  of the hair dryer attachment  10 . The desired effect of the various shapes of the components of the hair dryer attachment  10  is to create a swirling or venturi effect. The first portion  14  of the attachment  10  is frusto-conical in shape. The second portion  22  of the attachment  10  is also frusto-conical in shape. The first portion  14  is longer than the second portion  22 . As used herein, frusto-conical can include a bowl shape and an irregular frusto-conical shape wherein the upper end is wider than the lower end. 
     The nozzle  12  is attached to the end  103  of the blower portion  101  of the hair dryer  12 . The nozzle  12  may be made of an elastomeric material adjacent the end  103  of the hair dryer  12  so as to allow for attachment of the nozzle  12  to hair dryers having blower portions  101  of varying sizes. The use of the elastomeric material allows for the attachment  10  to have a universal-fit feature. Alternatively, the nozzle  12  may have a configuration suitable for screwing onto an end  103  of a hair dryer. A specially-made hair dryer may also have a suitable shape for connection to the nozzle  12 . 
     Hair  104  is placed into the attachment  10  and can extend into the first portion  14  and the second portion  22 . The hair dryer  100  is then powered so as to accelerate air through the tubular blower portion  101 . The accelerated air exits the tubular blower portion  101  through end  103  and into the nozzle  12 . The nozzle  12  then causes the accelerated air to swirl within the first portion  14  and second portion  22 . The swirling air in the first portion  14  and the second portion  22  causes the hair  104  extending therethrough to swirl with the flow of air. As such, the present invention creates a very unique appearance of the hair  104 . The hair  104  is swirled as it is dried so as to create this unique appearance. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a side elevational view of the hair dryer attachment  10  of the present invention. The nozzle  12  is shown as extending through the wall  16  of the first portion  14  and pointing downwardly towards the narrow end  20  of the first portion  14 . The first portion  14  and the second portion  22  are comparable in size. Both the first portion  14  and the second portion  22  are frusto-conical in shape. The narrow end  20  of the first portion  14  is in fluid communication with the narrow end  26  of the second portion  22 . The nozzle  12  is shown in  FIG. 2  as oriented directly downwardly toward the narrow end  20  of the first portion  14 . 
     The present invention contemplates that the nozzle  12  can be rotatable so as to be oriented in any direction that is suitable for creating a swirling motion of air within the first portion  14  and the second portion  22 . In some cases, a user may desire the hair to be curled in opposite directions on opposite sides of the head. The rotatable feature allows the user to control the direction of the curling of the hair. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a side perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the hair dryer attachment  10  of the present invention. The nozzle  12  is shown as extending through a lip  32  that is mounted to the wide end  18  of the first portion  14 . The nozzle  12  points generally downwardly toward the narrow end  20  of the first portion  14 . The nozzle  12  may have an elbow or other suitable curvature so as to point generally downwardly. The first portion  14  and the second portion  22  are both frusto-conical in shape, yet the second portion  22  is substantially smaller than the first portion  14 . The narrow end  20  of the first portion  14  is in fluid communication with the narrow end  26  of the second portion  22 . A baffle  28  extends between the narrow end  26  of the second portion  22  and the narrow end  20  of the first portion  14 . The fluid connection between the first portion  14  and second portion  22  is a baffle  28  having one large hole  30  for the passage of air therethrough. In  FIG. 3 , air passes out of the nozzle  12 , along the surface of the lip  32 , and into the first portion  14 . The air then swirls in the first portion  14  from the wide end  18  to the narrow end  20 , passes through the baffle  28  and swirls from the narrow end  26  to the wide end  24  of the second portion  22 . The present invention contemplates that the hair dryer attachment  10  shown in  FIG. 3  can have the nozzle  12  mounted on the wall  16  of the first portion  14  instead of being mounted on the lip  32 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the hair dryer attachment  10  of the present invention. This embodiment shows only a first portion  14 . In certain cases, a second portion may be unnecessary. The first portion  14  has a baffle  28  at the narrow end  20  thereof. The baffle  28  has holes  30  formed therein. The holes  30  can be of any number and of any geometric shape suitable for creating a swirling motion of air within the first portion  14 . The embodiment of the baffle  28  shown in  FIG. 4  could be used as the baffle  28  in  FIG. 3 . A lip could also be added to the wide end  18  of the first portion  14  of this embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , there is shown another alternative embodiment of the hair dryer attachment  10  of the present invention. This embodiment shows a bowl-shaped configuration of the first portion  40 . As with the other embodiments, this embodiment has open ends  42  and  44 . The nozzle  48  has an interior portion  52  and an exterior portion  50 . The interior portion  52  directs airflow and the exterior portion  50  is attached to a hair dryer. The baffle  46  is show adjacent the open end  44 . 
     The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof. Various changes in the details of the illustrated construction can be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the true spirit of the invention. The present invention should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.