Patent Publication Number: US-2013252524-A1

Title: Beauty salon ventilator

Description:
FIELD 
     The present invention relates to ventilators for beauty salons, such as hair salons and salons offering manicure and pedicure services. 
     INTRODUCTION 
     A typical hair salon with an active business may have a few chairs within a limited space. The chemical odours emitted from hair dressing chemicals and vapours, present during bleaching, colouring, waving and spraying operations within such enclosed spaces can be strong, even to a casual visitor. Salon workers, clients and visitors may experience discomfort or even risk their health through exposure to such odours or chemicals. The chemical odours may linger in the space for many hours after the close of business. Cosmeticians working in and clients being serviced in manicure and pedicure salons are exposed to similar strong odors. 
     Hair dressing chemicals and vapours, present during bleaching, colouring, waving and spraying operations (hereinafter sometimes referred to collectively as “contaminants”), are absorbed into the blood stream of hairdressers via the skin and lungs. This long term accumulation in a mother may affect a foetus&#39; normal development especially when the mother is older and has been exposed to hair dressing chemicals for many years. The labels on hairdressing products such as acid perm, prewrap, waving lotion, activator, developer, neutralizer and acetone list at least  58  separate chemicals. Hairdressers, cosmeticians and clients are all exposed to vapours and gases from these products during salon procedures. 
     The American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) publications state that 7 of these chemicals have threshold limit values (TLVs) of from 0.2 to 5 mg/m 3  and 4 have (TLVs) of 5 to 300 ppm. ACGIH states that inhaling concentrations above these TLVs during a regular work week will adversely affect a person&#39;s health. 
     A review of 192 studies on “OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES of HAIRDRESSERS and BARBERS and PERSONAL USE of HAIR COLOURANTS” conducted from 1965 to 2008 in many countries evaluated the normal hairdressing practices of permanenting, dying, bleaching, lacquering and spraying. This review of the published studies resulted in an “Overall Evaluation”, stating, “Occupational Exposures as a Hairdresser are Probably Carcinogenic to Humans”. The review was conducted by Corbett 1999, 2000; Corbett at al.” 2004; Zviak C. Millequant J 2005 a, b. 
     To reduce the discomfort and potential hazards caused by the emission of chemicals and odours in hair salons and manicure and pedicure salons, a number of attempts have been made to provide improved ventilation to carry away the chemical vapours and odours or to remove contaminants and return cleaned air to the salon. However, such attempts typically do not address the need for ventilation at the point of application of the chemical gases released from products applied to hair, hands or feet. 
     Contaminated air removal systems for location adjacent to a person sitting in a hairdressing chair are known. For example, DE 10 2009 041 084 A1 to Weinberg discloses a U-shaped collar on a wheeled stand that is positioned around a client&#39;s head, tilted so as to align with the client&#39;s forehead at the front and the neck at the back. The collar is attached to a vacuum system that entrains air from around the head into nozzles in the collar. Particle filters in the nozzles capture particulates and liquid. An additional central absorption filter captures unpleasant smells. However, use of the system proposed by Weinberg could impede access to the client&#39;s hair by a hair salon worker thereby inconveniencing the worker and even leading to disuse of the system altogether. 
     An object of the present invention is to address the limitations and problems referred to above. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to the present invention there is provided a ventilator for a beauty salon having an overhead canopy for location above a chair for accommodating a client receiving beauty treatment. The canopy assembly has fan means for directing air in a downward flow towards the client, so as to entrain contaminants emanating from the beauty treatment. Suction means is provided for drawing away the downward flow of air from the canopy and entrained contaminants, the suction means having an inlet positioned to draw the flow of air and contaminants away from the client&#39;s face so as to minimize exposure of the client to the contaminants. In use, fresh air is pushed towards the client and hairdresser and the suction means pulls contaminated air away from the client and hairdresser. 
     In summary, the ventilator operates on a “push/pull” principle. Air is “pushed” downwardly from the overhead canopy and then “pulled” away by the suction means so as to minimize exposure of the client and salon worker to the contaminants. Preferably, the suction means draws off a greater volume of air than is supplied by the canopy assembly so that there is never a volume of excess air and contaminants in the location of the client. 
     Embodiments of the invention are capable of fulfilling the need of hair salons and manicure and pedicure salons to provide environments that are comfortable and safe in an economically efficient and viable manner. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a hair salon ventilator is disclosed comprising a detachable exhaust collar adapted to be located across the shoulders of a client seated in the hair salon chair, to permit contaminated air at the breathing zone of a hairdresser and a client to be drawn into the exhaust collar through at least one U-shaped air inlet in the exhaust collar. A fan may be connected to the exhaust collar via an air passage, to withdraw by suction the contaminated air through the exhaust collar, and forced through a filter provided in the air passage, and return the filtered air to the hair salon. 
     Preferably, the exhaust collar is configured to extend across the shoulders of the client seated in the hair salon chair, and downwardly over the person&#39;s shoulders to locations vertically below the cheek bone. 
     The exhaust collar may have a U-shaped air inlet covered by air permeable fabric. The air passage may comprise an air non-permeable fabric. Both fabrics are stain resistant and easily wiped clean. 
     Additional features or advantages of the invention are set forth in the description which follows, and will be evident to a person skilled in the art, or may be learned by practicing the invention. These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practicing of the invention. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, a particular preferred embodiment will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a partly exploded perspective view of a hair salon ventilator in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  showing the ventilator in use; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view from the right in  FIG. 2 , partly sectioned; and, 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  showing a ventilator in accordance with the invention in use in a manicure salon. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows the principal components of a ventilator for a hair salon. A chair for accommodating a client is generally indicated by reference numeral  20 , and an overhead canopy assembly  22  is located above the chair. Assembly  22  includes a fan  24  for directing air downwardly from the canopy assembly in a flow towards a client seated in the chair, as indicated by the arrows  26  in  FIG. 2 . 
     The chair has a back  28  behind which is fitted a duct  30  forming part of a suction arrangement for drawing away the downward flow of air from the canopy. An exhaust collar  32  provides an inlet to the duct  30  when the collar is coupled to the duct as shown in  FIG. 2 . Exhaust collar  32  and duct  30  are held to shape by LEXAN™ plastic parts inserted into the fabric hems.  FIG. 2  also shows that collar  32  is configured to fit over the shoulders of a client seated in the chair  20 . Collar  32  is hollow. Openings  34  in the collar behind and on both sides of the head of the client are provided to allow air to flow into the collar. These openings are provided with strips of air permeable fabric that are sewn in place. 
     In  FIG. 1 , the collar  32  is shown in an exploded position above and to one side of the duct  30 . Arrow  36  shows that the exhaust collar  32  can be simply “plugged in” to a corresponding opening  38  at the top end of duct  30  by virtue of inwardly inclined surface portions  32   a  at the lower end of the collar. The duct may be provided with a hinged flap (not shown) that can be used to close the open end of the duct when the exhaust collar  32  is not in place. 
     It can be seen that duct  30  is shaped so that its side walls taper inwardly in a downward direction to a tapered lower end portion of the duct, which is fitted internally with a fan  40 . Fan  40  discharges air forwardly below the seat  42  of the chair and into a chamber  44 , which has an air outlet  46  below the seat of the chair. A removable filter pack  48  is provided for removing contaminants from the air flow. Air leaving the filter is indicated by arrows  50  in  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  FIG. 3  shows in some detail the path of the air flow from canopy assembly  22  to outlet  46 . 
     Filter pack  48  comprises three filters arranged in series in the direction of air flow, namely inner and outer particle filters  48   a  and  48   c  and an intermediate activated media filter  48   b.  The two particle filters  48   a  and  48   c  are conventional pleated paper filters. Suitable pleated filters are available from American Air Filter International under the trade mark PERFECT PLEAT. 
     Activated media filter  48   b  comprises a metal cage or housing containing coated pellets engineered to remove specific contaminates from the air flow. In one example, the media may comprise a 50/50 mixture of two media types that are available from American Air Filter International under the trade marks SAAFoxidant and SAAFCarb MB respectively. SAAFoxidant media is engineered to remove up to 99.5% of specific gaseous contaminants from air streams while SAAFCarb MB media is specifically engineered to remove ammonia gas. This specific media mixture has been found effective for removing contaminants from air streams in hair salons but it should be understood that different media and media mixtures may also be effective. 
     The metal cage that houses the media is essentially a rectangular frame of sheet metal with open grills on both sides for permitting air flow through the filter. 
     The three filters  48   a,    48   b  and  48   c  are the same rectangular size and shape and are joined together to form a single unitary filter pack that is removably received in a fabric enclosure with an air permeable discharge face. The pack can be easily be removed and replaced as needed, and is disposable. 
     Indicated at  52  in each of  FIGS. 1 and 2  is a control box that is strapped to the outer side of the right-hand arm rest  54  of the chair  20 . 
     Cables  56  and  58  are shown leading from the control box rearwardly of the chair  20 . Cable  56  plugs into a main power supply (not shown) while cable  58  is threaded through base  60 , mast  64  and boom  66  to a plug and cable (not shown) supplying power to fan  24 . Canopy assembly  22  is supported in its overhead position above the chair  22  by a mast  64  that extends upwardly from base  60  and carries a boom  66  that extends from the mast to the canopy assembly  22 . Mast  64  is telescopically adjustable. 
     Boom  66  has an annular fitment  78  at its outer end and fan  24  is bolted to the fitment from below. Canopy  22   a  of the canopy assembly  22  is in turn attached to the underside of the fan and to distribution grille  76 . Opening  80  of fitment  78  provides an inlet to the fan and the fan discharges downwardly into the canopy  22   a.  A decorative fabric cover is provided to cover the outer surface of canopy  22   a  and is attached around the fan perimeter by a draw cord and clamp. 
     A client seated in the chair, or the hairdresser, can control the ventilator to provide an appropriate air flow from the overhead canopy assembly  22  and into the duct  30  by means of control knobs  68  and  70  provided on the control box  52 . Knob  72  is a main on/off switch. As noted previously, the air flow is preferably controlled so that the suction means represented by the exhaust collar  32 , the duct  30  and the fan  40  removes a volume of air that exceeds the volume of air directed downwardly from the overhead canopy assembly  22  (e.g. by a factor of 3). This ensures that there is no excess of contaminated air in the vicinity of the client or the hairdresser (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). 
     In  FIG. 3 , part of a canopy  22   a  of the canopy assembly  22  is shown broken away at  74  to show an air distribution grille  76  that is provided across the bottom (outlet) face of the canopy. The grille simply contacts an air permeable fabric face sewn to the decorative fabric. The decorative cover and air permeable fabric face assembly can easily be removed for cleaning and/or replacement as necessary when salon décor changes. 
     As noted previously, the downward air flow is kept away from the face of the client by virtue of the fact that the air inlets to the exhaust collar  32  are provided by openings at the side and rear of the head of the client. The outline indicated at  81  represents a hairdresser and illustrates the fact that he or she can, for the most part, stand back from the air flow and also avoid exposure to contaminants. 
     Finally,  FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of a ventilator for manicure salon. Normally, seating will be provided for two people, one the manicurist  84  and the other the client  82 . The ventilator has a canopy assembly that is essentially the same as the assembly shown in the previous figures and which accordingly is noted by reference numeral  22 ′. 
     In this embodiment, the client and manicurist are shown seated at a table  86  that is provided in its top  88  with an opening  90  which is closed by a grille  92  and below which is a fan  94  for drawing air downwardly through the opening. The fan  94  is located within ductwork  96  that has an air outlet  98  provided with a removable filter  100 . The principle is essentially the same as described in the context of a hair salon. Thus, air is directed downwardly from the canopy assembly  22 ′ and flows into the duct work  96  through the opening  90 , from where it is filtered and then returned to the salon. Fan  94  draws downwardly a volume of air that is greater than the volume provided by the canopy assembly  22 ′ so that, for the most part, the air and contaminants are kept away from the faces of both the client and the manicurist. 
     In a pedicure application, the arrangement shown in  FIG. 4  can be replicated with a foot support equivalent to table top  88   a  in a lower position convenient to support the client&#39;s feet. 
     Finally, it should be noted that the preceding description relates to particular preferred embodiments of the invention only and that modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted in particular that, while in the described embodiments, the air is filtered and returned to the room, in other embodiments, the air could be ducted to the outside or to appropriate air scrubbers. Also, the canopy assembly  22  could be suspended from the ceiling in the salon, instead of being supported from the floor. Also, the base  60  could be deleted and the mast  64  clamped to a wall or service island with the boom length made to suit positioning over the client&#39;s head.