Patent GB-1376674-A (GB)
Title: Hair dryer
IPC: A45D20/18
Filed: 1972-03-02
Abstract: 1376674 Hair dryers SUNBEAM CORP 2 March 1972 [24 March 1971] 9821/72 Heading A5R A portable hair drying appliance comprises a hair enclosing hat formed from layers 22, 23 of flexible material which in use define a manifold for supplying air to the hair via perforations 32 in inner layer 23, an opening 37 in the central crown portion of the hat having detachably mounted therein a motor driven blower unit 40 having a generally circular housing 41 to which the surrounding portion of hat is secured, a cover portion 42 of the housing extending outwardly of the opening 37 and an iner portion 43 extending within the hat, and an air inlet opening 45 provided in the cover portion, the blower unit having an annular air discharge 66 within the hat for delivering air into the manifold. The hat may have a plurality of air chambers which open adjacent the air discharge 66 and terminate at the edge of the hat formed by joining the layers 22, 23 along seams, one seam extending around the edge of the hat, or from a plurality of portions extending radially outwardly from the opening 37, air being delivered simultane-- ously from discharge 66 to all chambers. The cover portion 42 is secured at its edges to the outer layer 22, the inner portion 43 of the housing being between the outer and inner layers 22, 23, with a supporting member 120 attached beneath the unit to space it from the head of the user. In use, the space beween the layers 22, 23 inflates with air discharged from the housing 41, the inner layer 23 snugly enclosing the head of the user and the outer layer 22 inflating outwardly to support the blower unit 40. Housing 41 may be detachably secured by latching means to a supporting frame 38 which is sealed to the opening 37, the housing and frame abutting to prevent air leakage. Cover portion 42 may be of generally frustrum shape with air inlet opening 45 centrally positioned therein, an axial flow fan 50 being positioned within the cover portion, the inner portion 43 of the housing being generally cup-shaped and having a motor 67 supported on bottom wall 60 with its shaft 69 extending upwardly to drive the fan which draws air inwardly into the bottom of inner portion where the air reverses direction to pass upwardly across a generally circular air heater 90 between portions 42, 43 generally outwardly of motor 67, the heated air passing through air discharge 66 located immediately adjacent frame 38. A supporting flange of frame 38 engages flange 54 extending around the periphery of housing 41 and latching means comprising projections 55 spaced around the periphery of the housing engage holes 56 in frame 38 such that flexure of the frame separates the frame from the housing to remove the blower unit from the hat. The portions 42, 43 may be facing cup-faced members connected together with their edges spaced to form the annular air discharge 66. The blower unit may be mounted centrally within the housing with an annular heater encircling the blower and adjacent the annular air discharge. The heater, located between the blower and discharge, comprises a mica card 91 on which is mounted one or two elongate coils 95, 96 of resistance wire, the motor 67 and heater 90 being connected to an electrical power source by a power cord which passes through an opening in the cover and which may have a strain relief by clamping a portion of the cord against the outer wall of the cover portion.