Patent Description:
Air diffusing device have been known for some time allowing the user to hair drying and at the same time to hair shaping or curling by using a brush or other devices suitable for use.

Typically, such a known in the art device is provided with an air inlet, a resistance suitable for heating the air entering the diffuser and a perforated surface which acts as an air outlet suitable for allowing the hot air passage through these holes in order to dry the hair.

This known in the art device typically remains in operation for a particularly long period, since the hair curling action takes a long time.

As a result, the hair is at risk of being damaged by being subjected to a hot air flow for a long period of time.

The Chinese utility model published under no. <CIT> describes a hair dryer wherein a first air duct is arranged on the air outlet surface of the fan; a second air duct is arranged on the air outlet surface of the fan; a part of the air flow generated by the rotation of the fan exits through the first air duct, a part of the air flow generated by the rotation of the fan exits through the second air duct, in the first air duct is arranged a duct heating element and the heating element heats the cold air flowing in the first air duct into hot air.

The Japanese patent application published with n. <CIT> discloses a hair dryer configured to divide the air flow into a hot air flow passage for blowing hot air and a cold air flow passage for blowing cold air by setting a heating element in an intermediate position between the fan and an outlet.

The Applicant of this patent application has found the need to create a diffuser capable of avoiding damage to the hair itself.

Furthermore, the Applicant of this patent application has found the need to create a diffuser easy to be gripped by the user.

The present invention relates to a air emitting device for hair treatment such as that indicated in claim <NUM>.

The Applicant of the present application has in fact surprisingly found that the above technical problem can be solved in an effective and reliable way by means of a air emitting device for hair treatment comprising an entry air area, a casing suitable for containing within it at least one heating element suitable for heating said air inside said casing, an outlet area for said air heated by said heating element, opposite to said entry air area, and an external body arranged around said casing.

The device of the present invention also comprises an interspace placed between said casing and said external body so that the air present in said interspace is not capable of being heated by said at least one heating element. The interspace also includes at least one outlet for said air not heated by said at least one heating element.

In this way, thanks to the presence of the at least one outlet for the air not heated by said at least one heating element, the hair subjected to treatment with the device of the present invention receives an air flow at a lower temperature because it is not directly heated by said heating element, such as to allow the hair treatment, such as for example the curl formation, without damaging the hair itself, contrary to what happens in the known in the art devices not having such an outlet for the air not heated by said heating element.

Said at least one outlet area for said air not heated by said at least one heating element is different from said outlet area for said air heated by said at least one heating element.

Said outlet area for said air heated by said heating element consists of a grid consisting of a substantially concave base surface provided with a plurality of holes for the exit of said air heated by said at least one heating element.

Said at least one outlet for said air not heated by said at least one heating element is arranged along the perimeter edge of a circular ring arranged around said grill for releasing said air heated by said at least one heating element.

The device of the present invention comprises a plurality of outlets for said air not heated by said at least one heating element uniformly arranged along said perimeter edge of said circular ring arranged around said grid.

In this way, the jets of air not heated by said at least one heating element through said plurality of outlets substantially surround the jets of air heated by said at least one heating element through the relative holes of said grid. Consequently, a hair lock placed at said grid and the relative circular ring arranged around it is substantially simultaneously subjected both to a jet of air heated by said at least one heating element and to a jet of air not heated by said at least a heating element, thus avoiding further damage to the hair and at the same time facilitating the curl formation.

According to a preferred embodiment, some or all of said plurality of outlets for said air not heated by said at least one heating element consist of longitudinal slots.

In this way, the longitudinal slots help to facilitate the distribution towards the hair lock to be treated by the air not heated by said heating element.

According to an alternative preferred embodiment, some or all of said plurality of outlets for said air not heated by said heating element consist of holes for the air passage.

According to a preferred embodiment, said grid is further provided with protuberances, also called "fingers", which extend substantially in the air flow direction.

According to a preferred embodiment, on said protuberances there are longitudinal openings to further facilitate the exit of the air heated by said at least one heating element.

In this way, said finger grid allows a better definition and support (tone) to curly or wavy hair and/or a greater volume.

According to a preferred embodiment, said protuberances are arranged so as to occupy two concentric circumferences.

According to an alternative preferred embodiment, said grid is of the shower type, i.e. constituted by a preferably concave base surface wherein there are a plurality of holes for the exit of the air heated by said at least one heating element, without the presence of protuberances as in the finger grid described above.

In this way, said shower grid allows for more natural drying that respects the natural hair movement.

According to a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention further comprises a fan suitable for channeling a part of said air introduced into the device towards said interspace and for channeling another part of said air in the area inside said casing to pass through said heating element.

In this way, a single fan is used to channel the air in two directions, one where the air is heated by said heating element and one where the air is not heated by said heating element.

According to a preferred embodiment, said at least one heating element consists of at least one sheet provided with a resistance or a plurality of electrical resistances fixed around it.

According to a preferred embodiment, said plurality of electrical resistances are uniformly distributed around said sheet.

According to a preferred embodiment, said sheet is a flexible sheet, such as for example a sheet of mica, preferably having a substantially conical or frusto-conical shape.

According to a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention further comprises a motor, adapted to drive said fan.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be better highlighted by examining the following detailed description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments, illustrated by way of non-limiting indication, with the support of the attached drawings, in which:.

The following detailed description refers to particular embodiments of the device of the present invention.

Referring in particular to <FIG>, a first embodiment of an air emitting device <NUM> for hair treatment of the present invention is shown.

With particular reference to <FIG>, a side sectional view of the device <NUM> is shown wherein the air inlet area <NUM>, the casing <NUM> suitable for containing at its inside the heating element <NUM> suitable for heating the air entering the casing <NUM>, the outlet area <NUM> for the air heated by the heating element <NUM>, opposite the air inlet area <NUM>, and an external body <NUM> arranged around the casing <NUM> are visible.

In <FIG> the interspace <NUM> placed between the casing <NUM> and the external body <NUM> is also visible; in this position, the interspace <NUM> remains separated from the heating element <NUM> so that the air present in the interspace <NUM> is not heated by the heating element <NUM>. In this way, the air present in the interspace <NUM> is at ambient temperature, or in any case not hot; consequently, the area used as a grip by the user is not hot, even if in correspondence with the heating element <NUM>. This allows the user to grip the hair device <NUM> without running the risk of coming into contact with particularly overheated parts.

In <FIG> a fan <NUM> driven by the motor <NUM> is also visible; the fan <NUM> allows a first part of the air introduced into the device <NUM> to be channeled towards the interspace <NUM> through the air inlet <NUM>, while a second part of the air is channeled by the fan <NUM> in the area inside the casing <NUM> to pass through the heating element <NUM>.

In this way, a single fan <NUM> is used to channel the air in two directions, one where the air is heated by the heating element <NUM>, and then exits the device <NUM> through the grid <NUM>, and one where the air is not heated by the heating element <NUM>.

The device <NUM> shown in <FIG> also contains, unlike similar known in the art devices, a plurality of outlets <NUM> of the interspace <NUM> for the air not heated by the heating element <NUM>. These additional outlets <NUM> allow the second part of the air, that one channeled by the fan <NUM> towards the interspace <NUM> and not heated by the heating element <NUM>, to reach the hair lock subjected to treatment, together with the hot air heated by the heating element <NUM> which, as seen above, comes out of the device <NUM> through the outlet area <NUM>. In this way, thanks to the jet of air not heated by the heating element <NUM> that comes out of the additional outlets <NUM>, the hair is less stressed than in the known in the art devices wherein the hair is subjected only to a hot air jet.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the outlets <NUM> for the air not heated by the heating element <NUM> consist of longitudinal slots 6a (better visible in <FIG>), to facilitate the distribution of the air not heated by the heating element <NUM> towards the hair lock to be treated. The slots 6a are uniformly arranged along the perimeter edge of a circular ring <NUM> arranged around the grid <NUM> for the escape of the air heated by the heating element <NUM>.

The heating element <NUM> consists for example of a flexible sheet, for example made of mica, provided with a resistance or a plurality of electrical resistances distributed evenly around the sheet and fixed to it.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the grid <NUM> consists of a substantially concave base surface in which there are holes for the exit of the air heated by the heating element <NUM> (better visible in <FIG>); the grid <NUM> is further provided with protuberances <NUM>, also called "fingers", which substantially extend in the direction of the air flow and are arranged so as to occupy two concentric circles arranged in the grid <NUM>.

The device <NUM> of <FIG> is also provided with a protection grid <NUM>, positioned above the grid <NUM> towards the inside of the device <NUM>, which acts as a safety or protective element to prevent the hair locks from being accidentally inserted inside the device <NUM> through the grid <NUM>, to come into contact with some electrical parts of the device <NUM>, such as for example the heating element <NUM> or other live parts.

In the top view of <FIG>, the device <NUM> of <FIG> also has a filter <NUM> that prevents particles and dirt from entering the device <NUM> through the air inlet area <NUM>.

The device <NUM> of the present invention has an overall "hourglass" shape, where the first portion A of the external body <NUM> progressively decreases from the air inlet area <NUM> to a portion of the sheet which constitutes the heating element <NUM>, for then gradually grow back in the second portion B of the external body <NUM> from a portion of the sheet which constitutes the heating element <NUM> up to the outlet area <NUM> for the air heated by the heating element <NUM>. The narrowest part C of the external body <NUM> of the device <NUM> is the central one in correspondence with the heating element <NUM>, which can be used as a grip by the user.

Referring in particular to <FIG>, a second embodiment of an air emitting device <NUM> for hair treatment of the present invention is shown.

The device <NUM> of the second embodiment shown in <FIG>,<FIG> differs from the device <NUM> of the first embodiment shown in <FIG> in that the outlets <NUM> for the air not heated by the heating element <NUM> consist of holes 6b (better visible in <FIG>) instead of longitudinal slots 6a. The holes 6b, like the slots 6a seen above with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, are also uniformly arranged along the perimeter edge of the circular ring <NUM> arranged around the grid <NUM> for the escape of the air heated by the heating element <NUM>.

Referring in particular to <FIG>, a third embodiment of a air emitting device <NUM> for hair treatment of the present invention is shown.

The device <NUM> of the third embodiment shown in <FIG>,<FIG> differs from the device <NUM> of the first embodiment shown in <FIG> for the sole fact that the grid <NUM> for the discharge of the air heated by the heating element <NUM> simply consists of a plurality of holes, in the absence of the protuberances <NUM>, thus assuming the configuration of a grid <NUM> in the shape of a "shower" (better visible in <FIG>). Vice versa, the outlets <NUM> for the air not heated by the heating element <NUM> also in this third embodiment (as in the first embodiment seen above with reference to <FIG>) consist of longitudinal slots 6a uniformly arranged along the perimeter edge of the circular ring <NUM> arranged around the grid <NUM> for the escape of the air heated by the heating element <NUM>.

Referring in particular to <FIG>, a fourth embodiment of an air emitting device <NUM> for hair treatment of the present invention is shown.

The device <NUM> of the fourth embodiment shown in <FIG> differs from the device <NUM> of the first embodiment shown in <FIG> for the sole fact of having a further possibility of user grip provided by the substantially cylindrical element <NUM> arranged on the outside of the external body <NUM> and connecting it at said narrow central portion C between said first portion A and said second portion B of the external body <NUM>, so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the device along the air flow line.

Of course, many modifications and variations of the described preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art while still remaining within the scope of the invention.

Claim 1:
Air emitting device (<NUM>) for hair treatment comprising an entry air area (<NUM>), a casing (<NUM>) adapted to contain therein at least one heating element (<NUM>) adapted to heat said air inside said casing (<NUM>), an outlet area (<NUM>) for said air heated by said heating element (<NUM>), opposite to said entry air area (<NUM>), an external body (<NUM>) arranged around said casing (<NUM>), an interspace (<NUM>) placed between said casing (<NUM>) and said external body (<NUM>) so that the air present in said interspace (<NUM>) is not suitable for being heated by said at least one heating element (<NUM>), wherein:
- said interspace (<NUM>) also comprises at least one outlet (<NUM>) for said air not heated by said at least one heating element (<NUM>),
- said outlet area (<NUM>) for said air heated by said heating element (<NUM>) consists of a grid (<NUM>) consisting of a substantially concave base surface provided with a plurality of holes for the escape of said heated air by said at least one heating element (<NUM>),
- said at least one outlet (<NUM>) for said air not heated by said at least one heating element (<NUM>) is arranged along the perimeter edge of a circular ring (<NUM>) arranged around said grid (<NUM>),
wherein the device (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of outlets (<NUM>) for said air not heated by said at least one heating element (<NUM>) uniformly arranged along said perimeter edge of said circular ring (<NUM>) of said grid (<NUM>).