Patent Publication Number: US-7584759-B2

Title: Hair dryer with brush

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a hair dryer with a brush used not only for combing, setting and/or drying a hair with humidified and warmed wind, but also for performing treatment of the hair with spraying minus ion (negative ion). 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Minus ion is defined as atmospheric molecules to which minus electrons are stuck and a several number of water molecules are included. Since a particle size of the minus ion is very small, when the minus ion taking the water molecules is adhered on a hair, it seeps into inside of the hair easily. Thus, it is generally said that the minus ion brings a desirable advantageous merit that the hair becomes moisture rustle. Furthermore, when the minus ion is sprayed to the hair in brushing particularly, it neutralizes static electricity which occurs in the hair due to blushing. Thus, it is generally said that spreading of the hair due to static electricity can be reduced and the hair can be gathered up. 
     In contrast, when the minus ion is heated, temperature of water molecules contained in the minus ion is increased to have a higher energy. Even when the minus ion adheres on a hair, the water molecules included in the minus ion becomes easily be evaporated to the air, again. Thus, the advantageous merit of the minus ion for making the hair moisture and rustle is reduced. 
     Hair care equipments, which utilize the above-mentioned action and characteristics of the minus ion, are put in practical use, conventionally. A conventional hair dryer with a brush and a minus ion generator, for example, shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-61736 is described with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the hair dryer  50  comprises a main body  60  and a brush unit  70  detachably mounted on the main body  60 . The main body  60  is comprised of a housing  61 , a motor  62 , a fan  63  rotated by the motor  62  and a heater  64 . The fan  63 , the motor  62  and the heater  64  are arranged in series in an inside of the housing  61  from an air inlet  65  to an air outlet  66 . 
     The brush unit  70  is mounted on the air outlet  66  of the housing  61 . The brush unit  70  has an array of bristles  71 , a minus ion generator  72  and an ion outlet  73  from which the minus ion is spread. The minus ion generator  72  is provided in an inside of the brush unit  70 . Air flow, which blows out from the air outlet  66  of the main body  61  of the main body  60 , proceeds into the inside of the brush unit  70 , and turns toward the array of the bristles  71  substantially at right angle. The air flow further blows out from gaps or holes formed between the bristles  71  toward, for example, hair. 
     The conventional hair dryer, however, has following problems. Since the ion outlet  73  is located on an implant face  74  of the array of the bristles  71 , the ion outlet  73  may be closed by hairs while the brushing. Thus, an area of the hair to which the minus ion is spread is limited, so that static electricity which occurs due to brushing is reduced only in a portion of the hair facing the ion outlet  73 . Consequently, the advantageous merit of the minus ion such as reduction of static electricity cannot be worked sufficiently. 
     Furthermore, the above-mentioned conventional hair dryer  50  has the minus ion generator  72  in the inside of the brush unit  70 , so that a load at a position remote from a grip portion of the main body  60  is increased in comparison with a case of using a brush unit with no minus ion generator. Thus, weight balance of the hair dryer  50  when the main body  60  of the hair dryer  50  is gripped by hand becomes worse, so that feeling of use in brushing becomes worse, too. 
     Still furthermore, since the ion outlet  73  is disposed at a position where the air flow passes. Thus, when the hair dryer  50  is used for heating the air flow, the minus ion generated by the minus ion generator  72  is heated too, so that temperature of water molecules included in the minus ion may be increased to have a higher energy. Even when the minus ion adheres on a hair, the water molecules included in the minus ion becomes easily be evaporated to the air, again. Thus, the advantageous merit of the minus ion for making the hair moisture and rustle cannot be brought out sufficiently. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A purpose of the present invention is to provide a hair dryer with a brush utilizing effect of minus ion in brushing, by which the effect of the minus ion can be brought out, and feeling of use in brushing can be improved. 
     A hair dryer with a brush in accordance with an aspect of the present invention comprises a main body and a brush unit detachably engaged with the main body. The main body has a housing serving as a grip portion, a fan for generating air flow disposed at a position in an inside of the housing, and a heater for heating the air flow disposed at a position of downstream side of the air flow in the inside of the housing. The brush unit has an array of bristles, and slots or opening formed between the bristles through which the air flow blows out. At least one minus ion generator is provided on the main body for generating minus ion. A plurality of ion outlet through which the minus ion is emitted and provided on the main body is provided in a manner so that each ion outlet is disposed outside of the air outlet of the main body. 
     By such a configuration, since the ion outlets are provided outside of the air outlet of the main body from which hot (or cold) air flow blows, at least a part of the minus ion emitted from the ion outlets directly proceeds to the hair without heated by the hot air flow. Furthermore, since a plurality of the ion outlets is provided, the minus ion can be sprayed to the hair widely without shielded by the hair passing through the bristles of the brush unit. Consequently, when the minus ion and water molecules included in the minus ion are sprayed to the hair, the temperatures of them are lower, and the energy of the water molecules is smaller, so that the water molecules adhered on the hair are not easily evaporated. The advantageous merit of the minus ion to hair treatment such as moisture and rustle can be increased. Still furthermore, since the minus ion generator is provided on the main body serving as a grip portion, the weight of the brush unit can be made lighter but the weight of the main body can be made heavier than those of the conventional hair dryer. The weight balance of the hair dryer can be improved, so that the feeling of use in brushing can be improved. Consequently, finish of hair treatment including the effect of the minus ion can be increased. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing a configuration of a hair dryer with a brush which can spray minus ion in brushing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view showing another configuration of a hair dryer with a brush in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing a configuration of a conventional hair dryer with a brush. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     A hair dryer with a brush in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the figures.  FIG. 1  shows a configuration of the hair dryer with a brush in the embodiment. 
     The hair dryer  1  comprises a main body  10  and a brush unit  20  detachably engaged with the main body  10 . The main body  10  is comprised of a housing  11 , a motor  12 , a fan  13  rotated by the motor  12  and a heater  14 . The fan  13 , the motor  12  and the heater  14  are arranged in series in an inside of the housing  11  from an air inlet  15  to an air outlet  16 . The housing  11  has a substantially tubular shape and serves as a grip portion  17  of the hair dryer  1 . 
     The brush unit  20  is mounted on the air outlet  16  of the housing  11 . The brush unit  20  has an array of bristles  21 . Air flow, which blows out from the air outlet  16  of the main body  11  of the main body  10 , proceeds into the inside of the brush unit  20 , and turns toward the array of the bristles  21  substantially at right angle. The air flow further blows out from gaps or holes formed between the bristles  21  toward, for example, hair. 
     A plurality of units of a minus ion generator  8  and an ion outlet  9  is provided on the main body  10 . In  FIG. 1 , two units of the minus ion generator  8  and the ion outlet  9  are illustrated as an example. Each ion outlet  9  is disposed outside of the heater  14  and the air outlet  16  of the main body  10 . In the embodiment, each unit of the minus ion generator  8  and the ion outlet  9  is formed on an outer face of the tubular shaped main body  11 . Minus ion is emitted to outward of the air flow blowing from the air outlet  16  of the main body  10  through the heater  14 . 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , one unit of the minus ion generator  8  and the ion outlet  9  is disposed at a position substantially on the same plane of an implant face  22  of the array of the bristles  21 , and the other one unit of the minus ion generator  8  and the ion outlet  9  is disposed at a position substantially on the same plane of outer rear face of the brush unit  20 . The minus ion emitted from the ion outlet  9  disposed near to the implant face  22  proceeds to front of the bristles  21 , so that the minus ion can be spread to the hair facing the implant face  22  of the bristles  21  without being heated by the hot air flow blowing from the gaps or holes between the bristles  21 . On the other hand, the minus ion emitted from the ion outlet  9  disposed far from the implant face  22  proceeds along the outer rear face of the brush unit  20 , so that the minus ion can be spread directly to the hair facing the front end of the brush unit  20 . 
     Since the ion outlets  9  provided on the main body  10  are not shielded by hair in brushing, it is possible to spray the minus ion to wider area of the hair than that in the conventional hair dryer  50  shown in  FIG. 3  in which the ion outlet  73  is provided on the implant face  74  of the array of the bristles  71 . Furthermore, since the ion outlet  9  is disposed outside of the air outlet  16  of the main body  10 , the minus ion emitted from the ion outlet  9  is rarely heated by the hot air flow blowing from the main body  10 . Consequently, reduction of the effect of minus ion to the hair due to heating can be prevented. Still furthermore, the units of the minus ion generator  8  and the ion outlet  9  are provided on the main body  10 , weight of the main body  10  increases, in contrast, weight of the brush unit  20  is not increased than those in the conventional hair dryer. Therefore, weight balance of the hair dryer  1  can be increased and feeling of use in brushing is increased. 
     Furthermore, a chargeable member  7  is provided to protrude from an outer face of a housing of each unit of the minus ion generator  8  and the ion outlet  9 . The chargeable member  7  is made of a material having a higher conductivity than that of a material of the ion outlet  9 . The chargeable member  7  is highly charged by the minus ion emitted from the ion outlet  9  than that of a member disposed near to the ion outlet  9 . Thus, it is possible to prevent the diffused distribution of the minus ion in a direction of protrusion of the chargeable member  7 . Consequently, the minus ion can be sprayed to desired direction with a desirable distribution, effectively and efficiently. The effect of the minus ion to the hair can be increased. 
     Shape of the chargeable member  7  is not limited in particular. It, however, is possible to limit the diffused dispersion of the minus ion toward the brush unit  20  as the area of the chargeable member  7  in a plane perpendicular to a center axis of the main body  10  in the longitudinal direction thereof becomes wider. 
     Still furthermore, a part of the housing  11  of the main body  10  serving as the grip portion  17  is made of a material having a higher conductivity than that of a material of the rest of the housing  11 . The housing of the unit of the minus ion generator  8  and the ion outlet  9  is, for example, integrally formed with the housing  11  of the main body  10 . By such a configuration, electric charge in the grip portion  17  of the main body  10  can be discharged through a hand gripping the main body  10  to the ground. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the electric charge on the housing in the vicinity of the ion outlet  9 , and to prevent the reduction of the quantity of the minus ion emitted from the ion outlet  9  due to the electric charge in the vicinity of the ion outlet  9 . Consequently, enough quantity of the minus ion can be emitted from the ion outlet  9 , and the effect of the minus ion to the hair can be increased. 
       FIG. 2  shows a modified configuration of the hair dryer with a brush in the embodiment. In this modification, a pair of units of the minus ion generator  8  and the ion outlet  9  is disposed at a position substantially on the same plane of side faces of the brush unit  20 . The bristles  21  are protruded substantially perpendicular to a plane on which a pair of units of the minus ion generator  8  and the ion outlet  9  is disposed. 
     By such a configuration, the minus ion emitted from the ion outlets  9  proceeds along the side face of the brush unit  20 , so that it is possible to spray the minus ion to the hair before and after passing the hair through the bristles  21 . Since the minus ion is spread to the hair before brushing, it is possible to make the hair rustle and to reduce the occurrence of the static electricity while the hair passes through the bristles  21 . Furthermore, since the minus ion is spread to the hair after brushing, it is possible to neutralize the remained static electricity on the hair, and to increase the feeling of moisture and rustle of the hair due to effect of the minus ion. Consequently, finish of hair treatment can be increased. 
     Still another modification is described. It is possible that a part of air flow generated by the fan  13  is emitted from the ion outlets  9  without passing through the heater  14 . Since a cold air flow, which is not heated by the heater  14 , is emitted with the minus ion from the ion outlet  9 , the temperatures of the minus ion and the water molecules included in the minus ion are lower, and the water molecules have small energy. When the water molecules are adhered on the hair, it needs a large energy for evaporating the water molecules to the air again. Thus, when the cold minus ion is spread to the hair, the water molecules remain on the hair without evaporation, so that the effect of the minus ion such as moisture and rustle can be increased. Furthermore, since the minus ion is spread to the hair with the cold air flow, the area, to which the minus ion is spread, becomes wider, and the advantageous merit of the minus ion to the hair can be increased. 
     In the examples shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the minus ion generator  8  is provided in each unit. It, however, is possible that elements of the minus ion generator  8  commonly usable such as a high voltage generating circuit are used in common for reducing cost, downsizing and weight saving. Still furthermore, the commonly usable elements can be disposed inside of the housing  11  of the main body  10 . 
     Furthermore, it is possible to use a brush unit  20  with a steam generating function. In such a case, it is possible to spray not only the minus ion but also the steam to the hair, so that the effect for applying moisture to the hair can be improved. 
     The present invention is not limited to the description and illustration of the above-mentioned embodiments. The hair dryer in accordance with the present invention comprises at least one minus ion generator provided on the main body for generating minus ion; and a plurality of ion outlet through which the minus ion is emitted and provided on the main body in a manner so that each ion outlet is disposed outside of the air outlet of the main body. 
     By such a configuration, since the ion outlets are provided outside of the air outlet of the main body from which hot (or cold) air flow blows, at least a part of the minus ion emitted from the ion outlets directly proceeds to the hair without heated by the hot air flow. Furthermore, since a plurality of the ion outlets is provided, the minus ion can be sprayed to the hair widely without shielded by the hair passing through the bristles of the brush unit. Consequently, when the minus ion and water molecules included in the minus ion are sprayed to the hair, the temperatures of them are lower, and the energy of the water molecules is smaller, so that the water molecules adhered on the hair are not easily evaporated. The advantageous merit of the minus ion to hair treatment such as moisture and rustle can be increased. Still furthermore, since the minus ion generator is provided on the main body serving as a grip portion, the weight of the brush unit can be made lighter but the weight of the main body can be made heavier than those of the conventional hair dryer. The weight balance of the hair dryer can be improved, so that the feeling of use in brushing can be improved. Consequently, finish of hair treatment including the effect of the minus ion can be increased. 
     Furthermore, it is possible that two ion outlets are provided in a manner so that one ion outlet is disposed at a position near to an implant face of the bristles, and the other ion outlet is disposed near to outer rear face of the brush unit opposite to the implant face of the bristles. By such a configuration, the minus ion emitted from one ion outlet proceeds forward the bristles of the brush unit, and the minus ion emitted from the other ion outlet proceeds backward of the brush unit opposite to the bristles. Thus, at least a part of the minus ion can be sprayed to the hair from a position near to the hair without being heated by hot air flow blowing from the brush unit. 
     Alternatively, it is possible that two ion outlets are provided in a manner so that each ion outlet is disposed at a position near to each side of an implant face of the bristles. By such a configuration, the minus ion emitted from both ion outlets proceeds along both sides of the bristles of the brush unit, so that the minus ion can be sprayed to the hair before and after brushing without being heated by the hot air flow blowing from the brush unit. 
     Still furthermore, it is possible that each ion outlet is formed in a manner to emit the minus ion toward the brush unit. By such a configuration, the minus ion emitted from each ion outlet can be sprayed to the hair effectively. 
     Still furthermore, it is possible further to comprise a plurality of chargeable members, each provided in a vicinity of the ion outlet, and made of a material having a higher conductivity than that of a material of the ion outlet. By such a configuration, since the chargeable member is highly charged by the minus ion emitted from the ion outlet than that of a member disposed near to the ion outlet. Thus, it is possible to prevent the diffused distribution of the minus ion in a direction of protrusion of the chargeable member. Consequently, the minus ion can be sprayed to desired direction with a desirable distribution, effectively and efficiently. 
     Still furthermore, it is possible that at least a portion of the housing of the main body serving as the grip portion is made of a material having a higher conductivity than that of a material of rest of the housing. By such a configuration, electric charge in the grip portion of the main body can be discharged through a hand gripping the main body to the ground. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the electric charge on the housing in the vicinity of the ion outlet, and to prevent the reduction of the quantity of the minus ion emitted from the ion outlet due to the electric charge in the vicinity of the ion outlet. Consequently, enough quantity of the minus ion can be emitted from the ion outlet. 
     Still furthermore, it is possible that at least a part of the minus ion generator is provided with each ion outlet. By such a configuration, the minus ion generated by the minus ion generator is effectively emitted from each ion outlet. 
     Still furthermore, it is possible that at least an element of the minus ion generator commonly usable is used in common for a plurality of minus ion generators. By such a configuration, the cost for the minus ion generator can be reduced and upsizing and increase of the weight of the main body due to the minus ion generator can be reduced. 
     Still furthermore, it is possible that the element commonly usable is provided in the inside of the housing of the main body. By such a configuration, the upsizing of the main body can be reduced and the weight balance of the main body can be improved. 
     This application is based on Japanese patent application 2004-176178 filed Jun. 14, 2004 in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by references. 
     Although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention, they should be construed as being included therein.