Hair dryer apparatus and method
OwnerDonavan J. Alleninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method of drying hair in which an axial flow of heated air is diverged from the axis toward a circular array of flow nozzles at a selected flow velocity. The nozzles direct the heated air along a conical flow pattern such that the air is focused to a common point. When the circular array is positioned such that a hair-carrying surface, e.g., the scalp of a user, is located between the circular array and the common point, hair will be lifted to provide enhanced drying conditions. The circular array is located on a nozzle structure which may be integral with the housing of a hand-held hair dryer, or configured as a separable attachment.
Claims28
A hair dryer apparatus comprising:
- a housing defining an air intake and further defining a flow path therethrough;
- a fan located in said housing, said fan being operative to draw air into said air intake and force the air along said flow path;
- a nozzle structure located on said housing in fluid communication with the flow path, said nozzle structure including an array of flow orifices located on a face thereof and being situated about an axis;
- said nozzle structure being configured to define a flow path such that air forced into said nozzle structure is directed toward said array of flow orifices;
- and
- said array of flow orifices being configured to focus air passing therethrough towards a common point axially spaced from said face of said nozzle structure by a predetermined distance.
A hair dryer apparatus comprising:
- a housing defining a tubular air conduit forming a flow path therethrough;
- an air flow mechanism operative to move forced air along said tubular air conduit;
- a nozzle structure located at an end of said housing, said nozzle structure including a circular array of flow orifices;
- said nozzle structure being configured having an inverted conical portion to direct the forced air introduced into said nozzle structure toward said circular array of flow orifices;
- and
- said circular array of flow orifices being configured such that air passing therethrough will collectively follow a conical pattern.
A hair dryer apparatus for drying hair located on a hair-carrying surface, said apparatus comprising:
- a source of forced air;
- a nozzle structure in fluid communication with said source of forced air, said nozzle structure including an inverted conical portion having a circular array of flow orifices located about a base thereof such that forced air flowing past an apex of said inverted conical portion will be diverted toward said circular array of flow orifices;
- and
- respective flow orifices of said circular array being configured such that forced air passing therethrough will collectively follow a conical pattern toward a common point ahead of said nozzle structure.
A flow adapter for use with a hand-held hair dryer device, said adapter comprising:
- a body having a fluid opening at a first axial end thereof and a circular array of flow orifices at a second axial end thereof, said body further defining an internal flow cavity between said fluid opening and said circular array;
- said body configured to define an inverted conical portion having a base located adjacent to said circular array, said inverted conical portion integrally extending to an apex situated at a third axial location spaced from said second axial location in a direction toward said first axial location;
- and
- at least one air return passage being defined by said body, said air return passage extending obliquely with respect to a centerline axis of said inverted conical portion between an inner surface of said inverted conical portion and an outer surface of said body.
A method of drying hair located on a hair-carrying surface, said method comprising steps of:
- (a) providing a flow-directing body having an array of flow orifices located adjacent a base of an inverted conical portion, said inverted conical portion defining an apex along a centerline axis thereof, individual flow orifices in said array being angled toward a common point ahead of said flow-directing body along said centerline axis;
- (b) introducing heated air into said flow-directing body at a selected pressure such that the heated air is diverged from said centerline axis by said inverted conical portion and passes through said array of flow orifices toward said common point;
- and
- (c) situating said hair-carrying surface at a location between said common point and said flow-directing body such that heated air from said flow orifices reflects off of said hair-carrying surface and back toward said flow-directing body.
A dryer apparatus comprising:
- a source of pressurized fluid;
- a nozzle structure in fluid communication with said source of pressurized fluid, said nozzle structure including an inverted conical portion having a circular array of cylindrical flow nozzles located about a base thereof such that fluid flowing past an apex of said inverted conical portion will be diverted toward said circular array of flow nozzles;
- and
- respective flow nozzles of said circular array being configured such that fluid passing therethrough will collectively follow a conical pattern toward a common point ahead of said nozzle structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.