Compact hairdryer

Description

casing, because then excessive heating of the casing can be uncomfortable or even dangerous for the user.

For all of the above, the present invention proposes a solution to the above and other problems, avoiding overheating of the casing and allowing a powerful and compact hair dryer to be obtained.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a compact hair dryer, as described in claim 1. The proposed compact hair dryer comprises, in a manner known per se:

• • a housing that houses a first duct, defined between a first air inlet and a first air outlet;
  • an air drive device contained in aforementioned first duct and configured to drive air from the first air inlet to the first air outlet, generating a first air flow through the first duct;
  • a heating device contained in the first duct and in contact with the first air flow.

Typically, the air drive device will be composed of an electric motor connected to rotating blades concentric to the first duct. When driven by the electric motor, the rotation of the rotating blades generates an air flow that crosses the first duct in a discharge direction from the first air inlet, which draws in cold air from the outside of the casing to the first air outlet, which expels a flow of hot air from the housing.

To heat the air, the first duct also contains a heating device, typically formed by electrical resistances held within the first duct. Typically, the electrical resistances will consist of a spring-shaped wire held between electrical insulating and high temperature resistant plates, parallel to the direction of air flow, for example, four, five or six plates arranged radially within the first duct, with the electric resistances held between the plates forming a square, pentagon or hexagon, or a polygonal helicoid with four, five or six sides. Another number of plates is also contemplated. The plates may be, for example, of mica or alumina.

The present invention further proposes, in a manner not known in the state of the art, that the housing houses a second duct around the first duct, concentric with it.

The second duct is defined between a second air inlet and a second air outlet defined around the first air outlet. This arrangement of the second air outlet concentric and adjacent to the first air outlet makes it possible to generate a second cooling air flow in the second duct by the induced suction, by the Venturi effect, by the first air flow coming out of the first air outlet. The second air flow will absorb cold air through the second air inlet and expel it through the second air outlet, taking heat from the second duct with it, so the second air flow will be a cooling flow.

The second air flow that passes through the second duct allows the second duct to be cooled, reducing the temperature of the walls of the casing that delimit aforementioned second duct, especially around the heating device. This makes it possible to avoid overheating of the housing, in particular the outer surface of the housing around the heating device.

This is especially useful when the housing is a tubular housing, lacking a handle, defined around the first duct and the second duct, since in such case the user must grip the hair dryer by the region of the housing that surrounds the heating device. Therefore, it is important to keep this portion of the case at a moderate temperature to avoid discomfort or even injury to the user.

Additionally, it is also proposed that the first duct can be internally lined, at least in the portion that contains the heating device, by a thermal insulation sheet, for example by an alumina thermal insulation sheet. This sheet will reduce the heat transmission from the first duct to the second duct, which, combined with the second cooling air flow, will allow the exterior temperature of the case to be maintained at acceptable levels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The above and other advantages and features will be better understood from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as illustrative and not limiting, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 show two perspective views of the hair dryer according to the same embodiment example;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of this same embodiment, but with the cable wrapped around it and fixed using the clamping configuration;

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal sectional perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show two perspective views of the first housing component;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show two perspective views of the second housing component;

FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal sectional exploded perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, showing the assembled first and second housing components and the third housing component, integrating the air drive device and the heating device, separated and ready for insertion into the rest of the housing;

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the first housing component in which the tabs providing attachment to the second housing component do not have a bayonet coupling configuration, but simply include a radial shoulder;

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the hair dryer, including an air flow directing complement associated with its air outlet;

FIG. 12 shows an exploded perspective view of the air flow directing complement separated into two halves, showing the disc-shaped ferromagnetic element that is housed in its center for magnetic coupling with the rest of the hair dryer;

FIG. 13 shows a longitudinal sectional perspective view showing the first and second assembled housing components, where it can be seen how one of the tabs of the first housing component, inserted into the second duct, has one end connected to an electrical switch which is housed within the second duct and connected to the second housing component by its intrados, so that the rotation of the first housing component with respect to the second housing component produces the rotation of the tab with respect to the electrical switch, allowing the actuation and/or regulation of the operation of the hair dryer via aforementioned rotation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The attached figures show illustrative and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention.

The proposed compact hair dryer comprises a housing (30) that houses a first duct (10), defined between a first air inlet (11) and a first air outlet (14). According to the preferred embodiment, the housing is a tubular housing without a handle, intended for the user to put their hand around it to grasp it.

Within the first duct (10), an air drive device (40) is arranged to drive air from the first air inlet (11) to the first air outlet (14), generating a first air flow through the first duct (10), and a heating device (50) contained in the first duct (10) and in contact with the first air flow, intended to heat the air flow that passes through the first duct (10), expelling a hot airflow through the first air outlet (14).

Typically, the air driving device (40) comprises an electric motor (41) connected to rotating blades (42).

The heating device (50) may consist, for example, of electric resistances that, when electricity passes through them, heat up, warming the air passing around them.

It is also proposed that the electrical resistances can be arranged around the electric motor (41), thus achieving a more compact configuration.

In addition to the first duct (10), the housing (30) also houses a second duct (20) around the first duct (10), concentric with it.

The second duct (20) is defined between a second air inlet (21) and a second air outlet (24) surrounding the first air outlet (14), adjacent and concentric to it, generating a second airflow in the second duct (20) through suction induced by the first airflow exiting the first air outlet (14). The second airflow passes through the second duct (20), cooling it.

It is also proposed that the first duct (10) can be lined internally, at least in the portion that contains the heating device (50), by a thermal insulation sheet (15) or by a thermal insulation sheet (15) of alumina.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the tubular casing may include two annular flanges (34) protuberant around it, spaced apart from each other, defining between them, around the tubular casing, a gripping area intended for holding the hair dryer by hand and/or a winding area intended for winding an electrical power cable for the hair dryer provided with a plug at its end. This makes it easier to store and transport the proposed hair dryer.

At least one of the annular flanges (34) may also include at least one flat region (35) configured to prevent the compact hair dryer from rolling when supported horizontally on a support. Preferably, at least one aforementioned flat region will be coated with an elastomeric material, such as silicone, offering anti-slip and shock-absorbing properties.

Additionally or alternatively at least one of the annular flanges (34) may include at least one clamping configuration (36) designed to retain inserted, in a releasable manner, a segment of the electrical cable or plug. This allows, after winding the cable around the tubular casing, its end to be retained by the clamping configuration (36), thus preventing the cable from unwinding during storage or transportation.

Preferably, the length of the cable will be defined to allow it to be wound around the winding area, with the cable end connected to the plug adjacent to the clamping configuration (36), allowing the cable to be retained wound around the winding area without excess cable.

The first air inlet (11) is preferably arranged at a first end of the tubular housing (30) and may be surrounded by a plurality of support feet (37) designed to hold the hair dryer upright on the first end without blocking the first air inlet (11). The support feet protrude from the plane that contains the first air inlet (11), and are separated from each other, so that when the hair dryer is placed, upright on the support feet (37), they will maintain the first air inlet (11) separated from the support surface and will allow the entry of air through the lateral separation between them, allowing the air flow to be maintained through the first duct even when the hair dryer is placed upright on the support feet (37), avoiding its overheating and allowing its use without hands. Preferably, the support feet will be coated, or formed, with an elastomeric material, such as silicone, offering anti-slip and shock-absorbing properties.

Preferably, the second air inlet (21) is arranged around the first air inlet (11), adjacent and concentric to it. In fact, in the embodiment shown in the Figures, the first entrance and the second entrance are coplanar and are covered by the same grille.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the first duct (10) comprises an anterior portion (12), which contains the first air inlet (11) and at least part of the air driving device (40), and a posterior portion (13), which contains the first air outlet (14) and the heating device (50), while the second duct (20) comprises an anterior portion (22), which contains the second air inlet (21) and surrounds the anterior portion (12) of the first duct (10), and a posterior portion (23), which contains the second air outlet (24) and surrounds the posterior portion (13) of the first duct (10).

Thus, the anterior portion (12) of the first duct (10) is housed within the anterior portion (22) of the second duct, and the posterior portion (13) of the first duct (10) is housed within the posterior portion (23) of the second duct (20), with the heating device (50) contained within the posterior portion (13) of the first duct (10).

In such a case, it is proposed that the housing (30) may be composed of a first housing component (31), made of a single piece of plastic that constitutes the posterior portion (23) of the second duct (20), and of a second housing component (32), made of a single piece of plastic, that constitutes the posterior portion (13) of the first duct (10) and the anterior portion (22) of the second duct (20) in staggered succession, defining a step between both anterior and posterior portions (13, 22) of the first and second ducts (10, 20), and including ventilation openings (25) in the step between both anterior and posterior portions (13, 22) of the first and second ducts (10, 20), which allows the anterior (22) and posterior (23) portions of the second duct (20) to communicate.

Inserting the end of the second housing component (32) that constitutes the posterior portion (13) of the first duct (10) into the first housing component (31) defines at least part of the second duct (20) between them. The second air flow can enter this second duct through the aforementioned ventilation openings.

The first and second housing components (31, 32) may be connected to each other using first coupling configurations protruding from the first housing component (31) inserted into second coupling configurations in the form of openings complementary to the first coupling configurations and provided in the step between the anterior and posterior portions (13, 22) of the first and second ducts (10, 20).

The first coupling configurations may be, for example, elastic tabs and/or tabs with lateral notches for a bayonet coupling and/or tabs with a thickening in their inserted portion.

It will be understood that the elastic tabs are tabs provided with a barbed configuration at their end and insertable within complementary openings, the tabs being configured to undergo elastic deformation during their insertion until reaching a complete insertion position, at which time the barbed configuration will be fixed to the corresponding complementary opening driven by the elastic force of the tab, requiring additional elastic deformation of the tab for its release.

It will also be understood that a bayonet coupling is a coupling that requires an insertion of a tab provided with a lateral notch into an opening, and a subsequent rotation, producing coupling of the lateral notch with an edge of the opening, preventing the extraction of the tab from the opening without first producing a rotation.

It will also be understood that the tabs with a thickening in their inserted portion, for example, a radial thickening towards the center of the housing will cooperate with an opening of variable width provided with a region of maximum width, provided to allow the insertion of the thickened portion of the tab, and a region of minimum width, provided to accommodate a non-thickened region of the tab preventing extraction of the thickened portion through it. The rotation of the first housing component (31) with respect to the second housing component (32) will produce the displacement of the tabs from the region of maximum width to the region of minimum width, retaining both housing components (31, 32) coupled, or will produce the displacement of the tabs from the region of minimum width to the region of maximum width, releasing both housing components (31, 32) allowing the extraction of the tabs from the openings.

In the present example, it is contemplated that the openings into which the tabs are inserted are the ventilation openings existing in the stepped joint between the two portions of the second housing component (32) with a different section.

For example, FIG. 6 shows the first housing component (31) provided with three tabs located at 120° around it, each with a corresponding lateral notch. In FIG. 8 the second housing component (32) can be seen in which the three ventilation openings existing in the stepped joint between the anterior and posterior portion can be seen, in which the three tabs described above will be inserted, providing a Bayonet coupling via a relative rotation between the first and the second housing component (31, 32).

Optionally, the housing (30) may also be composed of a third housing component (33), made of a single piece of plastic, which constitutes the anterior portion (12) of the first duct (10).

This third housing component (33) may be fixed in its position trapped between the rest of the housing (30) and a cover provided with a grille that closes the first and second air inlets (11, 21), and that may also include the support feet (37).

Aforementioned cover may be connected to the rest of the housing by releasable means, such as a threaded or bayonet coupling as described above.

It is also proposed that the thermal insulation sheet (15), which may be made of alumina, may be attached to the third housing component (33), as well as the air blower device (40) and/or the heating device (50). This allows easy and convenient assembly of all these components outside the housing, and their subsequent precise insertion within the assembly defined by the union of the first and second housing components (31, 32).

According to an embodiment of the invention, a control selector (60), in the form of a rotating ring surrounding the casing (30), may be included between the anterior (22) and posterior (23) portions of the second duct (20), configured to operate and/or configure the compact hair dryer's operation by its rotation. This control selector (60) is preferably flush with the casing's exterior surface.

The control selector (60) may be integral with the posterior portion (23) of the second duct (20), that is, it may be an integral part of the first housing component (31) being made of a single piece, requiring rotation integral with the control selector (60) and the posterior portion (23) of the second duct (20) with respect to the anterior portion (22) of the second duct (20) to activate and/or configure the operation of the compact hair dryer. According to the above, the operation and/or configuration of the compact hair dryer is carried out by rotating the entire first housing component (31), which integrates the posterior portion (23) of the second duct (20) and the control selector (60), with respect to the second housing component (32), which integrates the anterior portion (22) of the second duct (20).

According to one embodiment, the control selector (60) is mechanically connected to a control lever of an electrical switch (61) fixed to the intrados of the second housing component (32), within the second duct (20), so that the rotation of the control selector (60) relative to the second housing component (32), causes the movement of the control lever of the electric switch (61).

The control selector (60) may be integral with the first protuberant coupling configurations that connect the first housing component (31) with the second housing component (32). One of these protruding coupling configurations may have one end mechanically connected to the control lever of the electric switch (61), thus providing mechanical connection of the control selector (60) to the control lever of the electric switch.

This embodiment corresponds to the embodiment shown for example in FIGS. 5 and 6. According to this embodiment, the relative rotation between the first and second housing components (31, 32) is guided by the bayonet coupling that connects the first and second housing components (31, 32) with each other, through different degrees of insertion of the lateral notch. It is proposed to include a rotation limiter that, in the locked position, restricts the relative rotation between the first and second housing components (31, 32), allowing sufficient relative rotation between the first and second housing components (31, 32) to allow the activation and/or configuration of the operation of the hair dryer, but insufficient to produce the release of the first housing component (31) from the second housing component (32) without first removing the rotation limiter from the locking position.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the tabs that join the first housing component (31) with the second housing component (32) are housed within the anterior portion (22) of the second duct (20). One of these tabs, which in FIG. 6 is shown as a longer tab than the others, has its end connected to an electrical switch attached to the second housing component (32), also housed within the anterior portion (22) of the second duct (20), so that the rotation of the first housing component (31) produces the rotation of aforementioned tab with respect to the second housing component (32) within the anterior portion (22) of the second duct (20), operating the electrical switch that controls and/or regulates the operation of the hair dryer, for example, modifying the air speed and/or temperature.

It is also proposed that the first air outlet (14) may include a magnet or a ferromagnetic element for the magnetic coupling of an air flow directing complement (70) provided with a magnet or complementary ferromagnetic element, typically in its center.

FIG. 11 shows the hair dryer with an air flow directing complement (70) attached. In this embodiment, the air flow directing complement is a funnel-shaped insert with a circular inlet mouth, intended to cover the first air outlet or the first and the second air outlet, and an elliptical outlet mouth of smaller section than the circular inlet mouthpiece, which concentrates and accelerates the air flow.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the air flow directing complement forms an annular channel at least in the outlet mouth, including in its center an air flow blocker, concentrating and further accelerating the air.

The airflow blocker can be shaped like an inverted funnel to channel and concentrate the airflow without generating excessive turbulence. The blocker, at the end coinciding with the inlet mouth, includes in its center a magnet or a ferromagnetic element, for example a metal plate, for magnetic coupling with the magnet or ferromagnetic element included in the first air outlet of the hair dryer.