EP4072372B1

EP4072372B1 - Haircare unit

Info

Publication number: EP4072372B1
Application number: EP20816235.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mark Johannes Lelieveld
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2019-12-12
Filing date: 2020-12-04
Publication date: 2023-03-15
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-04
Also published as: BR112022011249A2; KR20220113490A; EP4072372A1; CN114786527A; EP3834654A1; US20220408895A1; WO2021115947A1; JP7151021B1; ES2946035T3; PL4072372T3; JP2022544881A

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of haircare, in particular to the field of haircare units like haircare devices or attachments for haircare devices, and even more particular to hairdryers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hair dryers are commonly used for drying hair. One of the disadvantages with current hair dryers is that usually two hands are needed to style and dry the hair. Another disadvantage is that different attachments are needed for creating different hairstyles. Examples of existing attachments are nozzles, brushes, combs, diffusers etc.
US 3,837,581 describes a nozzle for a hair dryer having a cylindrical barrel terminating in a circular output port. The nozzle includes a cylindrical section for frictionally engaging the output port end of the barrel, and a fluid accelerating section having an oblong opening for providing a flat main stream of air. The accelerating section includes a pair of arcuate surfaces, which extend from the cylindrical section and define the long sides of the oblong opening. The arcuate surfaces include slots for providing auxiliary streams of air substantially parallel to the main stream. In one embodiment louver boards extend over the slots for directing the auxiliary streams.
US 2017/273422 discloses an attachment for a hair care appliance includes a body having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a fluid flow path extending between the inlet and outlet and at least one vane for directing fluid within the fluid flow path towards the fluid outlet, wherein the body includes at least two extended plates and the fluid outlet includes a slot defined by an overlap between the at least two extended plates, and wherein the at least one vane is positioned within the overlap between the at least two extended plates. The body may be elongate, may have a first end including the fluid inlet, and may extend along an axis. The fluid outlet may extend along the axis between the first end and a second end. The at least one vane may direct fluid flowing in the fluid flow path from a first direction to a second direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide an alternative haircare unit. Embodiments of the invention provide a hair dryer with an increased ease of use, and a hair dryer which is configured to be used for creating multiple styles without the use of attachments.
The invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments.
The features claimed in claim 1 result in an airflow having a direction substantially parallel to the haircare device. This airflow is caused by the so-called coanda effect. The coanda effect works according to the following mechanism. If a solid surface, like the hair receiving surface, is placed close, and approximately parallel to the outgoing air, removal of air from between the solid surface and the outgoing air causes a reduction in air pressure between the solid surface and the outgoing air. This reduction in air pressure cannot be balanced as rapidly as the low pressure region on the other (open) side of the outgoing air. The pressure difference airstream to deviate towards the nearby surface, and then to adhere to it. The outgoing air adheres even better to curved surfaces because each incremental change in direction of the surface brings about the effects as described above.
The rounded surface of the slats according to claim 1 therefore cause the outgoing air to adhere to the hair receiving portion. Therefore, when using haircare unit according to claim 1, a user may only need one hand for styling his / her hair. In contrast, a prior art air styler blows hair away, so that a user needs one hand to handle the air styler, and another hand to make the hair engage with the styling part of the air styler.
According to further embodiments, the haircare device comprises one or more heating elements for heating the air in the hollow body. Heating may be advantages when drying and styling hair.
An advantage of this embodiment is that, because the air will stick to the air outlet, the hair will also stick to the air outlet. As a result, air warmed by the heater will blow along the hair, opposed to more conventional heater which blow air through the hair. As a result of blowing air along the hair, the hot air may be along the hair longer, which may increase the heating efficiency.
The hair receiving portion can take many different shapes, as long as it is flat or the slats are positioned in one or multiple straight lines. Preferably, the generated airflow is substantially parallel to the one or more straight lines.
According to further embodiments the hair receiving portion comprises bristles. This embodiment is advantageous, because due to the coanda effect the hair may be blown in the bristles, which may make styling easier, because only a single hand may be needed for the styling.
According to further embodiments of the invention, the haircare device may comprise a handle, wherein the hair receiving portion is substantially parallel to the handle. This embodiment is advantageous, because this makes the way of hair styling similar to styling by means of a brush or comb, which may be an intuitive way of styling.
According to further embodiments of the invention at least some of the slats are rotatable around an axis parallel to the hair receiving portion or rotatable around an axis parallel to the respective slat. The advantage of this is that the slats can be under a variable angle with the hair receiving portion. By changing the angles of the slats the outgoing airstream can be altered. It can be made more focused, e.g. by closing slats in some of the straight lines. It can be made wider and the shape of the airstream can be changed. Different shapes of airstreams could be used for different hairstyles without the need of further attachments. However, even though embodiments of the invention can have the advantage that fewer attachments are needed, one aspect of the invention provides an attachment for a haircare device. The advantage of separate attachments is that the user can more easily vary with the shape of hair receiving portions.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows a haircare device according to embodiments of the invention and
Fig. 2 diagrammatically shows a haircare device according to further embodiments of the invention and
Fig. 3 diagrammatically shows hair receiving portions according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows a haircare device 10 according to embodiments of the invention. The haircare device 10 comprises a hollow body 101, and an air inlet 102 through which air can enter the hollow body. The haircare device further comprises a hair receiving portion 103 comprising multiple air outlets 104 through which air can exit the haircare device 10. The haircare device further comprises a fan 105 and preferably a heating element 107. The fan is configured for transporting air from the air inlet 102 to the air outlets 104. The heating element 107 is configured for heating the air. The hair receiving portion 103 comprises multiple slats 106. These slats 106 are arranged under an obtuse angle with the hair receiving portion 103. As shown in Fig. 1, the slats 106 are positioned along one straight line in the direction of arrows 109. The slats 106 have substantially rounded surfaces 111 on the outside of the hollow body such that in an airflow is generated that moves predominantly along the hair receiving portion in a direction parallel to the straight line of the hair receiving portion. The dominant direction of the air flow is indicated by arrows 109 and 110. Arrows 110 indicate the air exiting from the air outlets 104. Because of the above-explained coanda effect, the air predominantly sticks to the surface of the hair receiving portion 103. Arrows 109 indicate the air coming from the outside of the haircare device. This air is dragged along with the air from the air outlets 104.
Fig. 2 diagrammatically shows a haircare device 20 according to further embodiments of the invention. In Fig. 2 the same numbering is used as in Fig. 1, although the first digit of the number is now referred to as "2" from Fig. 2. Like in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 depicts a hollow body 201, an air inlet 202, a hair receiving portion 203 comprising multiple air outlets 204, a fan 205, multiple slats 206 along a straight line. The slats 206 have a substantially rounded surface 211 on the outside of the hollow body. The haircare device 20 further comprises bristles 208, configured for brushing the hair. The haircare device 20 further comprises a handle 210. The handle 210 is substantially parallel to the hair receiving portion 203. The advantage of this arrangement is that it is very similar to an ordinary brush. The haircare device can therefore be used in a very similar manner as the ordinary brush. Because the generated airflow is substantially parallel to the hair receiving portion 203, the user may be capable to style his or her hair with one single hand and may not need a second hand to keep the hair close to the brush. Optionally, at least some of the slats 206 are rotatable around an axis parallel to the hair receiving portion 203. For example, some of the slats 206 may be closed to create a more focused airflow. Alternatively, the slats 206 may be opened under a different angle in order to alter the overall shape of the airflow. In this way, the airflow may be adapted to the desired hairstyle.
Fig. 3 diagrammatically shows hair receiving portions 30 according to embodiments of the invention. The hair receiving portion can take multiple shapes, like for example flat 312, convex 315, concave 316, or comprising multiple flat surfaces, resulting for example in a triangle shape 317. Although the shape of the hair receiving portion can vary, the slats are always arranged in straight lines 320. These lines indicate the predominant direction of the airflow.
Whilst the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustrations and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

A haircare unit (10, 20) configured to be used when styling hair, the hair care unit comprising:
a hollow body (101, 201);

an air inlet (102, 202) through which air can enter the hollow body;

a hair receiving portion (103, 203) on the outside of the hollow body, wherein the hair receiving portion comprises multiple air outlets (104, 204) through which air can exit the hollow body; and multiple slats (106, 206) provided between respective pairs of air outlets under an obtuse angle with the hair receiving portion, characterized in that the slats and the air outlets are positioned along a straight line (109, 320), and wherein the multiple slats have substantially rounded surfaces (111, 211)) on the outside of the hollow body such that in use an airflow is generated that moves predominantly along the hair receiving portion along the straight line.
A haircare unit according to claim 1, wherein the hair receiving portion (103) is configured as a flat surface.
A haircare unit according to any of the preceding claims wherein the hair receiving portion (203) comprises bristles (208).
A haircare unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hair receiving portion comprises multiple flat surfaces (317).
A haircare unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hair receiving portion comprises a curved surface (315, 316).
A haircare unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the generated airflow is substantially parallel to the straight line (109).
A haircare unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least some of the slats (106, 206) are rotatable around an axis parallel to the hair receiving portion (103, 203) or wherein at least some of the slats are rotatable around an axis parallel to the respective slats.
A haircare device comprising:
a haircare unit as claimed in any of the preceding claims, and

a fan (105, 205) configured for transporting air from the air inlet to the air outlets.
A haircare device according to claim 8, further comprising a handle (210), wherein the hair-receiving portion (203) is substantially parallel to the handle.