CN217364923U - hair care appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses a hair care appliance (10), comprising a casing; a fluid flow path extending from a fluid inlet (212) into the casing to a fluid outlet (202) of the casing; and a heater (80), wherein heating The shaper includes a heater element (82); a shaper (86) surrounding the heater element around the shaper; and an outer wall (180) extending around the heater element, the shaper providing a center of the heater without the heater element The heater element provides an intermediate region extending around the central region, and the former provides an outer region extending between the intermediate region and the outer wall without the heater element. The appliance includes an accessory (20) including a second fluid flow path extending from a second fluid inlet (20a) and a second fluid outlet (22), the second fluid inlet being in fluid communication with the fluid outlet of the housing, the accessory being along an axis Extending, the second fluid outlet extends at least partially along the axis.

Description

hair care appliance

This application is a divisional application for a utility model patent application with an application date of April 4, 2019, an application number of 2019900007134, and an invention name of "hair care appliance".

technical field

The utility model relates to a heater for hand-held appliances, especially for hair care appliances.

Background technique

In conventional heat styling appliances, air is drawn into the inlet by a fan unit, heated by a heater and directed towards the hair through the outlet. Typically, one appliance is provided with different attachments, each with a different outlet and therefore a different function, such as drying, curling or curling. Depending on the style desired, the air may or may not be heated. Accessories may include bristles that wrap the hair and hold it for styling.

The present invention seeks to provide a hair care appliance with improved performance.

Conventional heaters are formed in the shape of a truncated cone whose diameter varies along the entire length in order to heat the fluid flowing through the fluid outlet; each coil of the heater's resistance wire has a slightly different diameter.

Utility model content

The utility model provides a hair care appliance. The hair care appliance comprises a casing and a fluid flow path. The fluid flow path extends from a fluid inlet into the casing to a fluid outlet of the casing.

Accordingly, according to one aspect, the present invention provides a hair care appliance comprising: a housing; a fluid flow path extending from a fluid inlet into the housing to a fluid outlet of the housing; a heater, at least partially along the housing an extension, wherein the heater includes a heater element; a former around which the heater element surrounds; and an outer wall extending around the heater element, wherein the former provides a central region of the heater without the heater element , the heater element provides an intermediate region extending around the central region, and the former provides an outer region extending between the intermediate region and the outer wall without the heater element.

A former is a holder of insulating material such as mica, usually formed into sheets, which are then plugged together to provide a 3D structure on which the heating element is wound. The former ensures that the heating element (resistance wire made of metal, such as tungsten) is held in the desired position in order to separate each winding of the wire to avoid hot spots.

The resistance wire is shaped to undulate like a sine wave to maximize heat generation. The void area is the portion of the heater in the outer wall that does not have a resistance wire.

Preferably, the hair care appliance includes an accessory that can be attached to and removed from the appliance, and the accessory includes a second fluid flow path extending from a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet, the A second fluid inlet is in fluid communication with a fluid outlet of the housing, wherein the accessory extends along an axis, and the second fluid outlet extends at least partially along the axis.

Preferably, the axis along which the accessory extends is parallel to the axis along which the housing extends.

In contrast to conventional appliances where the shape of the heater is changed in an attempt to homogenize the temperature across the fluid outlet, in the present invention a temperature gradient has been introduced across the fluid outlet. This improves and minimizes the temperature gradient along the second fluid outlet (the accessory fluid outlet).

Preferably, the heater comprises regions of constant diameter. Preferably, the region of constant diameter is located at the inlet end of the heater, ie towards the fluid inlet of the appliance.

Preferably, the heater includes a region of varying diameter. Preferably, the area of varying diameter is located at the outlet end of the heater, ie towards the fluid outlet of the appliance. Preferably, the diameter increases from a constant diameter to a larger diameter.

By increasing the diameter over a length of heater length, the heating fluid in the middle zone mixes with the fluid in the outer zone. This provides a more uniform temperature distribution along the length of the second fluid outlet.

Also disclosed is a hair care appliance comprising: a housing; a fluid flow path from a fluid inlet into the housing to a fluid outlet of the housing; a fan unit extending at least partially along the housing, wherein internal flow guides are provided To direct fluid flow through the fluid flow path to the inlet of the fan unit.

Preferably, the inner flow guide includes a curved surface extending from the housing towards the fan unit. Preferably, the internal flow guide includes fins extending from the curved surface into the fluid flow path.

The fan unit includes a fan and a motor.

Also disclosed is a hair care appliance comprising: a housing; a fluid flow path from a fluid inlet into the housing to a fluid outlet of the housing; a fan unit extending at least partially along the housing, wherein another flow guide An inlet configured to direct fluid flow through the fluid flow path to the fan unit.

Preferably, the further flow guide extends from the housing towards the fan unit and curves around a portion of the inner diameter of the housing and between the housing and the fan unit.

Preferably, the further flow guide forms part of the seal.

Preferably, the housing includes an inner wall extending within the housing that includes a housing for the fan unit, and the seal includes a first branch surrounding the housing adjacent the housing. The inner wall extends.

Preferably, the seal further includes a second branch extending from the first branch toward the housing.

In a preferred embodiment, the appliance is a heat setting appliance.

Description of drawings

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows an example of an appliance according to the present invention;

Figure 2A shows a cross-section through the appliance of Figure 1;

Figure 2B shows an enlarged portion of the cross-section of Figure 2A;

Figure 3A shows a side view of a filter screen according to the present invention;

Figure 3B shows an isometric view of a filter screen according to the present invention through a cross section of the grid shown in Figure 3A;

4A and 4B show two isometric views of the internal flow guide;

5A and 5B show isometric views of the inner seal;

Figure 5C shows a cross section through the inner seal of Figures 5A and 5B;

Figure 6A shows an exploded isometric view of a portion of the switch mechanism;

Figure 6B shows the switch mechanism of Figure 6A assembled;

Figure 6C shows a cross section through the handle and switch mechanism of Figure 6A;

Figures 7A and 7B show side views of the internal components of the appliance;

Figure 8A shows components of a heater according to the present invention;

Figure 8B schematically shows a cross-section through the heater of Figure 8A; and

9A and 9B illustrate the manufacturing stages of the thermal fuse.

Detailed ways

Referring to Figures 1, 2A and 2B, an example of a handpiece 10 is shown. The appliance has a handle 210 and an attachment 20 for styling hair. To enable the user to create different shapes and to give the appliance multiple functions, the attachment 20 is removable and can be replaced with alternative attachments. Additionally, the accessory 20 can be removed for easy storage of the appliance when not in use. The handle 210 includes a UI (user interface) 230 that includes a number of different user action buttons 38, 138 that enable the user to select between a number of different heat and flow settings. The handle 210 includes the fan unit 70 and the heater 80 . The fan unit 70 has a motor 76 and a fan 78, which rotate when the motor is activated. In use, the fan unit 70 draws in fluid through the fluid inlet 212, the fluid follows the fluid flow path 100, passes the heater 80, which optionally heats the fluid, and then exits the fluid outlet 22 in the attachment 20.

The UI 230 has externally accessible user-operated buttons 38 , 138 that engage with internal switches located on the UI pad 232 . UI board 232 is also used to provide housing for various other components such as ionizer 40 .

The handle 210 has an outer wall 200 extending along the longitudinal axis XX from the fluid inlet 212 toward the fluid outlet 202 and an inner wall 220 that houses the fan unit 70 and the heater 80 . At the fluid inlet 212 , the inner wall 220 extends radially inward of the outer wall 200 . However, in this embodiment, the outer wall 200 does not extend to the fluid outlet 202, so for a portion 214 of the length of the handle 210, the inner wall 220 is the outer wall of the appliance 10. The diameter of the inner wall 220 is substantially the same as the diameter of the outer wall 200 for this portion of the length of the handle 210 .

The fluid inlet 212 of the handle 210 filters fluid entering the fluid flow path 100 . The outer wall 200 provides the filter grid 204 and the inner wall 220 provides the filter screen 224 . The filter screen 224 is thinner than the filter grid 204 and is adapted to trap dust and fluff. The filter grid 204 is removable so that the filter screen 224 can be cleaned periodically. Both filter grid 204 and filter screen 224 have an array of holes extending continuously radially around the circumference of handle 210 .

To help the user understand when the filter 224 needs to be cleaned, an indicator in the form of an LED 50 is provided (FIG. 2B). In this example, the LEDs are located on a PCB (printed circuit board) 120 provided within the handle 210 . Light pipes 52 extend from adjacent LEDs 50 within support ribs 216 toward outer wall 200 and holes 54 provided in outer wall 200 .

If the filter grill 204 is blocked, the fan unit 70 and especially the motor 76 will not work as expected when the appliance 10 is turned on. This is marked as an error and LED 50 is activated. In one embodiment, the LED 50 has three different modes: off to indicate no problem; on in a first color to indicate to the user that the filter needs cleaning; on in a second color to indicate to the user that there is a fault that cannot be corrected by the user , the product should therefore be returned or assistance should be sought, for example by calling the user helpline. The first color can be white, and it can flash to attract the user's attention. The second color may be red.

Once the fluid enters the appliance 10, it is directed through the PCB. The inner wall 220 conveniently provides a housing 222 for the PCB 120 , which limits the location of the PCB 120 . Since the PCB 120 has electrical components of different sizes and shapes mounted thereon, the inclusion of the PCB 120 in the housing 222 may reduce turbulence, noise, and pressure losses within the appliance 10 . At the downstream end 120b of the PCB, the inner wall 220 is bent towards the fan unit 70 around the end of the PCB 120 . The downstream end 120b is shaped to reduce separation of the flow from the surface of the housing 222 .

Referring now to Figures 3A and 3B, the PCB 120 includes an access port 122 that enables software updates to be applied to the appliance or to collect data from the appliance. To allow this to be achieved without disassembling the appliance 10, the filter screen 224 is provided with holes 228 that allow a connector (not shown) to be inserted into the access port 122. Apertures 228 are provided within frame 226 that defines and supports filter mesh 224 and are covered by cover 124 during normal use of the product so that fluid drawn into fluid inlet 212 must pass through filter mesh 204 and filter grille during use 204 Both. To utilize the access port 122, the filter grill 204 is removed, exposing the filter screen 224 and cover 124. The cover is removed using a tool such as an awl, allowing the data cable to be inserted into the access port 122 .

A grill 60 is provided between the PCB 120 and the fan unit 70 . The grill 60 is provided to homogenize the fluid flow before the fan unit 70, and its use reduces noise generated within the appliance. The grill 60 and the fan unit 70 have the same cross-sectional area and are both circular.

To accommodate the features of UI board 232 , fan unit 70 is off-center within handle 210 . Since the grille 60 is aligned with the fan unit 70, the grille 60 is also off-center. The handle 210 has an oval cross-section that accommodates the fan unit 70 and UI plate 232, so the fluid flow path 100 is not straight through the handle 210. The fluid flow path 100 is not parallel to the longitudinal axis X-X of the outer wall 200 . At fluid inlet 212, fluid enters fluid flow path 100 and is directed around housing 222 for PCB 120, creating two generally semicircular flows within the oval handle. A pair of reinforcing ribs 226 ( FIG. 2B ) extend from each side of the housing 222 of the PCB 120 toward the outer wall 200 to protect components housed on the PCB 120 in the event of damage to the outer wall 200 .

A gap 166 exists between the downstream end 120b of the housing 222 and the grid 60 and is provided to allow mixing of fluids flowing on either side of the PCB 120 . There is a velocity mismatch between the fluids flowing on either side of the PCB 120, and the space to allow these fluids to mix reduces the mismatch, then the grid 60 further homogenizes the flow and reduces the overall velocity.

To prevent fluid from impinging on the inner wall portion containing the UI plate 232, an inner flow guide including a curved wall portion 30 is provided. ( FIGS. 4A and 4B ) The curved wall portion 30 curves radially inward from the inner surface 200b of the outer wall 200 toward the fan unit 70 and grille 60 and directs fluid in the fluid flow path 100 toward the fan unit 70 . The curved wall portion 30 compresses the fluid flow path, thereby removing large eddies from the fluid. Since the fluid flowing within the fluid flow path 100 prior to the fan unit 70 has been guided by the housing 222 and the curved wall portion 30 of the PCB 120 , the grill 60 is provided to homogenize the flow compressed towards the fan unit 70 .

The inner flow guide includes two features to aid in the diversion of fluid flowing in the fluid flow path 100 , the curved wall portion 30 forming an arc extending between the inner surface 200b of the outer wall 200 and the grid 60 . The curvature of the arc deflects fluid flowing within the fluid flow path 100 so that it smoothly enters the grill 60 and then the fan unit 70 . The second feature includes a plurality of fins 32 extending from the curved wall portion 30 into the fluid flow path 100 . The fins 32 hold and straighten the flow as the flow is bent by the curved wall portion 30 . The fins 32 help reduce the introduction of turbulence as the flow is diverted to the grid 60 .

Internal flow guides are located on the same side as UI 230 and UI plate 232. On the opposite side of the handle 210, there is a small gap between the outer wall 200 and the inner wall 220, and this transition is controlled by another flow guide 36 (FIGS. 5A-5C). The other flow guide 36 curves in two dimensions; it curves around the inner surface 200b of the outer wall; and it curves between the outer wall 200 and the inner wall 220 , which provides the fan unit housing 218 . Another flow guide 36 provides a curved surface that directs flow in the fluid flow path 100 into the grill 60 and fan unit 70 .

In this embodiment, another flow guide 36 is provided as part of the seal 130 extending around the inner surface 200b of the outer wall 200 . The seal 130 is bifurcated or divergent, and a first branch 132 extends around the outer surface 220a of the inner wall at the downstream end of the fan unit housing 224 and a second branch 134 extends from the first branch 132 to interface with the inner surface of the outer wall 200 200b engages. The seal 130 prevents fluid flowing through the fluid flow path from flowing between the inner wall 220 and the outer wall 200 , thereby preventing recirculation around the fan unit 70 .

UI plate 232 is located in the cavity between outer wall 200 and inner wall 220 and is longitudinally spaced within the cavity in order to install user-operated buttons 38, 138 and on-off switch 150 in the available space (FIGS. 6A-6C).

An actuator 140 including an arm 144 extends between the button 138 and the switch 150 . The actuator 140 has protrusions 42 for engagement with the button 138 . The protrusions 42 are received within the housing 146 . Housing 146 has holes 48 through which protrusions 42 extend. Actuator 140 actually engages two switches (one not shown) that are offset along the length of arm 144, so the forces along the length of arm 144 are not necessarily balanced. To avoid any difficulties that may arise from displacement of the arm 144 and incorrect activation of one switch, the arm 144 is provided with a torsion spring 148 which pushes against the other and biases the arm 144 towards the switch 150 . A torsion spring 148 is located within the spring housing 142 that engages the arm 144 and UI board cover 236, which biases the arm 144 toward the switch 150 to ensure good engagement throughout life. UI plate cover 236 includes arms 238 that extend radially inward of UI plate cover 236 and radially inner surface 238a engages spring housing 142 .

UI plate cover 236 has three primary functions: first, to provide a securing surface for engagement with spring housing 142; Between the inner wall 220 and the UI board cover 236 or secured in a channel or recess 240 provided in the radially outer surface 238b of the UI board cover 236 .

Referring now to Figures 7A and 7B, in order to hold the UI board 232 in the correct position, a pair of clips 250 are provided. A pair of clips 250 engage both the UI board 232 and the inner wall 220 . One of a pair of clips 250 is provided on each side of the UI board 232, with one side extending parallel to the longitudinal axis X-X of the appliance. A pair of clips 250 includes a first recess (not shown) adapted to receive protrusion 252 from UI board 232 and a second recess (not shown) adapted to retain protrusion 254 extending outwardly from outer surface 220b of inner wall 220 . A pair of clips 250 are snap-fit into protrusions 252 and protrusions 254, respectively.

The fluid outlet 22 from the attachment 20 is elongated and extends along a substantial length of the attachment 20 . It is desirable to have a consistent flow exiting along the length of the fluid outlet 22 and a uniform or consistent temperature of the fluid exiting the length. This aids in drying and styling of hair when different sections of hair and tresses are in similar drying conditions. However, even when the fluid exiting the fluid outlet 22 is uniform along the length of the attachment 20, the temperature of the fluid exiting the fluid outlet 22 may vary significantly. The former is controlled by features within the attachment 20 (eg, turning vanes), while the latter is dependent on the heater and the fluid flow path through the inner wall 220 .

Heater 80 is formed from resistive wire 82 that forms undulations 84 or serrations and is then wrapped around a former 86 made of a heat resistant material such as mica. The insulating wall 180 extends around the periphery of the heater 80 . Where the heater is substantially cylindrical, the most efficient way to transfer heat to the fluid flowing through the heater 80 is to have the heater have a large diameter with the resistive wires 82 formed with a large pitch or depth of relief. This maximizes the surface contact between the fluid across the cross section of the heater 80 and the resistance wire 82 . However, the resistance wire 82 has a minimum radius because each undulation 84 must not touch the adjacent undulations. Therefore, there is a central portion 88 without the resistance wire 82 . This results in a hot area H and a cold area C within the cross-sectional area of the fluid flow path. This translates into a temperature gradient along the fluid outlet 22 of the accessory 20 . There is an outer ring of hot fluid and a central ring of cold fluid. The temperature of the fluid will be hottest at or near the end 20a of the accessory 20 adjacent the fluid outlet 202 of the handle 210, and the temperature will gradually decrease to the end of the accessory 20 remote from the fluid outlet 212 of the handle 210 Lowest at 20b.

The cold and hot fluids will also flow through the heater 80 at different velocities. The cold fluid has the least resistance through the heater due to friction from the surface of the sizer 86 , while the hot fluid is more constrained due to its interaction with the resistance wire 82 and the outer wall 180 surrounding the heater 80 . This difference in velocity and the fact that the hot fluid is the outer ring of fluid exiting the fluid outlet 202 results in a temperature change along the length of the fluid outlet 22 of the attachment 20 .

In order to adjust the temperature of the fluid exiting the fluid outlet 22 of the accessory 20 along the length of the fluid outlet 22, the temperature distribution of the handle 210 at the fluid outlet 202 must be changed. The inventors have found that having a power dense heater with a relatively small pitch sandwiched between unheated regions provides better control of the temperature over the entire length of the fluid outlet 22 of the attachment 20 . The first unheated area 182 is located in the center of the heater 80 and the second unheated area 184 is located between the resistance wire 82 and the outer wall 180 . This provides a temperature profile with less variation than before at each end 20a, 20b of the attachment 20 as it is cooler. Also having a hotter area near the center of the length of the attachment is beneficial for styling and drying as more hair is exposed to the heated fluid.

In order to further improve the temperature characteristics of the attachment 20, the heater 80 does not have a constant diameter. By determining that it is advantageous to have a space between the resistance wire 82 and the outer wall 180, the inventors have further recognized that this space can be utilized to provide a larger diameter heating fluid and promote mixing between the cold and heated fluids. Thus, the heater 80 has a first portion 110 of constant diameter and a second portion 112 extending toward the outer wall 180 . In this embodiment, the first portion 110 is adjacent to the fan unit 70 and the second portion 112 extends from the first portion 100 to the fluid outlet 202 of the handle 210 .

By extending the resistance wire 82 radially outward toward the outer wall 180, the cold fluid flowing between the outer wall 180 and the first portion 110 (ie, in the first unheated region 182) is forced to mix with the heated fluid. This provides a central cold zone C, an intermediate hot zone H, and then an outer warm zone W. The resulting temperature distribution is flatter, resulting in less variation along the length of the fluid outlet 22 of the attachment 20 .

It's not just the temperature of the fluid to consider. Temperature gradients and friction losses through the appliance can affect velocity, resulting in velocity gradients at fluid outlet 202 . As previously discussed, the central cooling zone C is less constrained by the heater 80 because the fluid interacts only with the former 86 and the thermal safety device. As the fluid in the hot zone H passes around each winding of the resistance wire 82, the fluid experiences more friction and therefore has a lower velocity than the fluid flowing through the cold zone C. The outer warm zone W has surfaces in the first portion 110 in contact with the outer wall 180 and the outer surface of the resistance wire 82, but no such surfaces in the second portion 112, in addition to that, the fluid flowing through the warm zone W flows through Some windings of resistance wire 82. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of the warm region W does not have to be the same as the cross-sectional area of the central cold region C.

With reference to Figures 8A and 8B, the features of the thermal safety system will now be discussed. There are three thermal safety devices: internal fuse 282 , outlet fuse 284 and bimetallic strip 286 . Internal fuse 282 and bimetal strip 286 are provided within heater 80 and attached to former 86, and this positioning is conventional. Bimetal strip 286 is the first and resettable switch to cut power to the heater if it begins to overheat, and internal fuse 282 is a non-resettable circuit breaker rated for a higher temperature than bimetal strip 282 .

Since the internal fuse 282 is located within the heater 80 , a problem between the internal fuse and the fluid outlet 202 may not be detected, so the outlet fuse 284 is provided and provided across the surface of the heater 80 . To accurately position the outlet fuse 284 relative to the heater, the outlet fuse 284 is first assembled orthogonal to its final position. 9A and 9B, in the first position 284a, the outlet fuse 284 extends away from the heater 80 from the connecting leg 286 parallel to the central axis of the heater 80. The connecting legs 286 are bent 90° to place the fuse 284 in the operating position 284b across the downstream face of the heater 80 . This simplifies the manufacture of the heater 80 and means that the fuse can be positioned in the operating position 284b at the end of assembling the heater when all windings of the resistance wire 82 are fixed in place.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to a heat setting device, the rotatable connector may be used in any hand-held appliance in which the appliance rotates relative to the user, including but not limited to straighteners and crimping devices such as pliers, rods or iron. In these embodiments, since no fluid flow is used during the styling process, the handle 210 will not include a fan unit, but rather a heater or heating surface for styling the hair.

Claims (9)

1. A hair care device, comprising: a housing; a fluid flow path extending from the fluid inlet into the housing to the fluid outlet of the housing; a fan unit extending at least partially along the housing, wherein the internal flow guide is arranged to guide fluid flowing through the fluid flow path to an inlet of the fan unit.

2. The hair care appliance of claim 1, wherein the internal flow guide comprises a curved surface extending from the housing toward the fan unit.

3. The hair care appliance of claim 2, wherein the internal flow guide comprises a fin extending from the curved surface into the fluid flow path.

4. A hair care appliance, comprising: a housing; a fluid flow path extending from the fluid inlet into the housing to the fluid outlet of the housing; a fan unit extending at least partially along the housing, wherein a further flow guide is provided to guide fluid flow through the fluid flow path to the inlet of the fan unit.

5. The hair care appliance of claim 4, wherein the further flow guide extends from the housing towards the fan unit, curves around a portion of the inner diameter of the housing and curves between the housing and the fan unit.

6. A hair care appliance according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the further flow guide forms part of the seal.

7. The hair care appliance of claim 6, wherein the housing includes an inner wall extending within the housing that includes a housing for the fan unit, and the seal includes a first branch that extends around the inner wall adjacent the housing.

8. The hair care appliance of claim 7, wherein the seal further comprises a second branch extending from the first branch toward the housing.

9. The hair care appliance of claim 4 or 5, wherein the hair care appliance is a heat setting device.

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