HAIR DRYING DEVICE

[0001] This application is a Continuation-In-Part application of, under 35 U.S.C. §121, and claims priority to, under 35 U.S.C. §121, U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 13/687,989, entitled Hair Drying Device, by David M. Hadden, filed on Nov. 28, 2012. This invention claims priority, under 35 U.S.C. §120, to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/564,241 by David M. Hadden filed on Nov. 28, 2011, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to drying devices, specifically to a hair drying device.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] A blow dryer or hair dryer is an electromechanical device designed to blow cool or hot air over wet or damp hair, in order to accelerate the evaporation of water particles and dry the hair. Blow dryers allow to better control the shape and style of hair.

[0006] For molecules of water to evaporate, they must be located near the surface, be moving in the proper direction, and have sufficient kinetic energy to overcome liquid-phase intermolecular forces. Only a small proportion of the molecules meet these criteria, so the rate of water evaporation is limited. Since the kinetic energy of a molecule of water is proportional to its temperature, evaporation proceeds more quickly at higher temperatures. Water evaporation also proceeds more quickly with higher flow rates between its gaseous and liquid phases thus, both heat and air movement contribute to hair drying.

[0007] Most models use coils of wire that have a high electric resistivity and heat rapidly with an electric current. A fan usually blows ambient air past the hot coils resulting in heated air effective for drying. The heating element in most hairdryers is a bare, coiled wire that is wrapped around insulating mica heating boards. Nichrome wire is generally used in heating elements, because of two important properties: it is a poor conductor of electricity and it does not oxidize when heated. Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples of references related to the present invention are described below in their own words, and the supporting teachings of each reference are incorporated by reference herein:

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,943, issued to Nosenchuck, discloses an axial flow hair dryer comprises a main housing and an outer duct secured to the main housing with the axis of the outer duct coincident with the axis of the main housing and with the axial air outlet of the main housing disposed within the outer duct to form an annular air intake between the main housing and the outer duct. A first fan stage and first stator stage are disposed within the main housing and a second fan stage and second stator stage are disposed within the outer duct. A handle depending from the main housing holds a motor that is mounted using vibration-absorbing material to inhibit the propagation of noise generated by the motor. A flexible shaft connects the motor to a drive shaft that carries both fan stages. Resistance heating wires are wrapped around the vanes of the first stator stage to heat the air flowing through the hair dryer.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,030, issued to McCurtis et al., discloses a hood fitted with a fan in the crown that directs air flow upward from the hood interior. The hood has a liner that provides an air distribution plenum between hood and liner. Air flows from the plenum toward hair being dried from holes in the plenum. Some of the holes are, preferably, fitted with movable jets which can be rotated to provide the out flow pattern preferred for the particular hair style being dried.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,363, issued to Feldman, discloses a hot air generator having hand fastening means; projecting therefrom there is a rigid tube with a lower outlet, tilted so as to face the hair, and a rotatably mounted flexible hose, attached in the same manner at its other end and having a handgrip provided with an internal tube; the distal end of said internal tube can be alternately attached either to a brush intended for brushing purposes, having aeration holes in its body, or to a flat surface ironing accessory, said accessory being complemented by a similar and opposed accessory connected to the rigid tube, so that any of the two operations may be conducted with only one hand; the first operation by directing the air flow from the rigid tube towards the hair external layers while carrying out the styling and drying operations of the hair internal layers by means of the cylindrical brush, and the second operation, by contacting the flat area of the rigid tube ironing accessory, heated by the latter, with the external layers and pressing the flat portion of the opposing accessory with a sliding motion, which is heated from the handgrip.

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 7,039,301, issued to Aisenburg et al., discloses after washing, the hands are dried rapidly and comfortably by using a shaped high speed flow of heated air. The air flows in a direction controlled by an air outlet shaped to retain much of the exiting forceful air flow and temperature at a distance where the hands are dried. The air entrainment is controlled so that the properties of the air flow are not diluted by the air entrainment to a point where the drying performance is degraded. The forceful air flow blows off most of the loose water on the hands. The forceful air flow also reduces the stagnation boundary layers in the hands so that the evaporation removal of the remaining film of water is improved. These result in reduced drying time and comfort during and after drying.

[0012] U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2001/0017114, by Carol et al., discloses a wearable hair styling device in a case, attachable to a user. A hose connect on the case to affix a hose. A battery power supply connected to an electric motor and blower and heater are used to direct air through a hose.

[0013] The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages which include being limited in use, being limited in application, being difficult to use, being unable to straighten hair, being limited in motion, being limited in adjustability, failing to provide optimal settings, being too heavy, being too noisy, causing harm to stylists through repeated use, failing to produce sufficient airflow, failing to sufficiently heat air, being inflexible, being awkward to use, producing noise at an undesired high frequency, being unable to condition air with additives, causing the body of the hair dryer to get too hot, being single use/purpose, not permitting precise adjustment of the shape and/or direction of the heated airstream, not permitting a velocity profile of the heated air stream to be precisely adjusted, having an air stream that is too hot, not having selectability in the direction out of the device where the heated air stream exits, not properly mixing air in the air stream, not having substantially uniform airflow, having too slow a response to heating and cooling setting changes, not having a balanced handle, being too likely to set off a circuit breaker, causing strain to stylists using the dryer, being noisy and having too many parts.

[0014] What is needed is a hair drying device that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.

[0015] The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available hair drying devices. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a system, method, apparatus, device, and/or component(s) of/for hair treatment (drying, straightening, etc.) including one or more of the features, structures, functions, and/or operations described herein.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, there is a hair dryer. The hair dryer may include a blower. The hair dryer may include a dryer head that may have a narrow elongated nozzle that may be functionally coupled to the blower shaped to generate airflow in the form of a thin blade of air. The dryer head may include a second nozzle that may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the narrow elongated nozzle. The dryer head may include a selectably operable seal for each nozzle.

[0017] The hair dryer may include an airflow evening structure that may be functionally coupled to the nozzle that may more evenly distribute airflow of the thin blade of air when the hair dryer is in operation. The airflow evening structure may be a vane structure that may be disposed inside the dryer head and may be shaped to preferentially direct airflow to regions of the nozzle having reduced airflow than other regions when the vane structure is not in operation. The airflow evening structure may be a sleeve that may be rotatably coupled about the nozzle and may include a plurality of diversely shaped nozzle masks disposed about the sleeve. Each sleeve may be shaped to restrict airflow through the nozzle in varying modes.

[0018] The airflow evening structure may be a nozzle mask that may be disposed over the nozzle and may be shaped to restrict airflow in regions of the thin blade of air having excess airflow. The nozzle mask may include an elongated aperture of gradually increasing width over the length thereof. The nozzle mask may include a plurality of apertures disposed in an array. The plurality of apertures may be circular apertures of varying radii.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, there is a hair dryer. The hair dryer may include a blower. The hair dryer may include a dryer head that may have a narrow elongated nozzle that may be functionally coupled to the blower shaped to generate airflow in the form of a thin blade of air.

[0020] The hair dryer may include a sleeve that may be rotatably coupled about the nozzle and may include a plurality of diversely shaped nozzle masks that may be disposed about the sleeve, each may be shaped to restrict airflow through the nozzle in varying modes when the hair dryer is in operation. The dryer head may include a second nozzle that may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the narrow elongated nozzle. The dryer head may include a selectably operable seal for each nozzle. One of the plurality of nozzle masks may include a plurality of apertures disposed in an array. The plurality of apertures may be circular apertures of varying radii.

[0021] The hair dryer may include a vane structure that may be disposed inside the dryer head and may be shaped to preferentially direct airflow to regions of the nozzle having reduced airflow than other regions when the vane structure is not in operation. The vane structure may include a plurality of vanes that may be disposed in an array inside the dryer head. The plurality of vanes may be of graduating sizes along the length of the array. The second nozzle may be circular.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, there is a hair dryer. The hair dryer may include a blower. The hair dryer may include a dryer head that may have a narrow elongated nozzle that may be functionally coupled to the blower shaped to generate airflow in the form of a thin blade of air. The hair dryer may include a second nozzle that may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the narrow elongated nozzle. The hair dryer may include a selectably operable seal for each nozzle.

[0023] The hair dyer may include a plurality of vanes that may be disposed in an array inside the dryer head and may be shaped to preferentially direct airflow to regions of the nozzle having reduced airflow than other regions when the vane structure is not in operation.

[0024] The hair dryer may include a sleeve that may be rotatably coupled about the nozzle and may include a plurality of diversely shaped nozzle masks that may be disposed about the sleeve. Each sleeve may be shaped to restrict airflow through the nozzle in varying modes when the hair dryer is in operation. The sleeve may include a nozzle mask that may consist of a plurality of apertures disposed in an array.

[0025] Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0026] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

[0027] These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

[0038] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing(s), and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.

[0039] Many of the functional units described in this specification have been labeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

[0040] Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by various types of processors. An identified module of programmable or executable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions which may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identified module need not be physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joined logically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose for the module.

[0041] Indeed, a module and/or a program of executable code may be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated herein within modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.

[0042] The various system components and/or modules discussed herein may include one or more of the following: a host server or other computing systems including a processor for processing digital data; a memory coupled to said processor for storing digital data; an input digitizer coupled to the processor for inputting digital data; an application program stored in said memory and accessible by said processor for directing processing of digital data by said processor; a display device coupled to the processor and memory for displaying information derived from digital data processed by said processor; and a plurality of databases. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, any computers discussed herein may include an operating system (e.g., Windows Vista, NT, 95/98/2000, OS2; UNIX; Linux; Solaris; MacOS; and etc.) as well as various conventional support software and drivers typically associated with computers. The computers may be in a home or business environment with access to a network. In an exemplary embodiment, access is through the Internet through a commercially-available web-browser software package.

[0043] The present invention may be described herein in terms of functional block components, screen shots, user interaction, optional selections, various processing steps, and the like. Each of such described herein may be one or more modules in exemplary embodiments of the invention. It should be appreciated that such functional blocks may be realized by any number of hardware and/or software components configured to perform the specified functions. For example, the present invention may employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements, processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, and the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similarly, the software elements of the present invention may be implemented at the most basic level in machine language or with any programming or scripting language such as C, C++, Java, COBOL, assembler, PERL, Visual Basic, SQL Stored Procedures, AJAX, extensible markup language (XML), with the various algorithms being implemented with any combination of data structures, objects, processes, routines or other programming elements. Further, it should be noted that the present invention may employ any number of conventional techniques for data transmission, signaling, data processing, network control, and the like. Still further, the invention may detect or prevent security issues with a client-side scripting language, such as JavaScript, VBScript or the like.

[0044] Additionally, many of the functional units and/or modules herein are described as being “in communication” with other functional units and/or modules. Being “in communication” refers to any manner and/or way in which functional units and/or modules, such as, but not limited to, computers, laptop computers, PDAs, modules, and other types of hardware and/or software, may be in communication with each other. Some non-limiting examples include communicating, sending, and/or receiving data and metadata via: a network, a wireless network, software, instructions, circuitry, phone lines, internet lines, satellite signals, electric signals, electrical and magnetic fields and/or pulses, and/or so forth.

[0045] As used herein, the term “network” may include any electronic communications means which incorporates both hardware and software components of such. Communication among the parties in accordance with the present invention may be accomplished through any suitable communication channels, such as, for example, a telephone network, an extranet, an intranet, Internet, point of interaction device (point of sale device, personal digital assistant, cellular phone, kiosk, etc.), online communications, off-line communications, wireless communications, transponder communications, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), networked or linked devices and/or the like. Moreover, although the invention may be implemented with TCP/IP communications protocols, the invention may also be implemented using IPX, Appletalk, IP-6, NetBIOS, OSI or any number of existing or future protocols. If the network is in the nature of a public network, such as the Internet, it may be advantageous to presume the network to be insecure and open to eavesdroppers. Specific information related to the protocols, standards, and application software utilized in connection with the Internet is generally known to those skilled in the art and, as such, need not be detailed herein. See, for example, DILIP NAIK, INTERNET STANDARDS AND PROTOCOLS (1998); JAVA 2 COMPLETE, various authors, (Sybex 1999); DEBORAH RAY AND ERIC RAY, MASTERING HTML 4.0 (1997); and LOSHIN, TCP/IP CLEARLY EXPLAINED (1997), the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0046] Reference throughout this specification to an “embodiment,” an “example” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or combinations thereof described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases an “embodiment,” an “example,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, to different embodiments, or to one or more of the figures. Additionally, reference to the wording “embodiment,” “example” or the like, for two or more features, elements, etc. does not mean that the features are necessarily related, dissimilar, the same, etc.

[0047] Each statement of an embodiment, or example, is to be considered independent of any other statement of an embodiment despite any use of similar or identical language characterizing each embodiment. Therefore, where one embodiment is identified as “another embodiment,” the identified embodiment is independent of any other embodiments characterized by the language “another embodiment.” The features, functions, and the like described herein are considered to be able to be combined in whole or in part one with another as the claims and/or art may direct, either directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly.

[0048] As used herein, “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “is,” “are,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional unrecited elements or method steps. “Comprising” is to be interpreted as including the more restrictive terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of.”

[0049] FIGS. 1-5 illustrates a plurality of hair dryer wands, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1 shows wand assembly top view 1, wand assembly end view 2, wand assembly bottom view, and wand assembly side view 4.

[0050] In the illustrated wand assembly side view 4 hose connection 24 is made by sliding flexible hose 27 over wand main body air inlet 39 in wand main body 14. Note that flexible hose 27 is only shown in wand assembly end view 2 for clarity. Controls housing 11 is an integral part of wand main body 14 however, there is a gap 52 between controls housing 11 and wand main body 14 to allow rotating sleeve 12 to slide into position over wand main body 14. Rotating sleeve 12 is retained in position by retaining pin 13 which is press fitted into wand main body 14, which allows rotating sleeve 12 to rotate the length of keeper slot 9. Note that the length and width of keeper slot 9 may be adjusted to accommodate both lateral and rotational degrees of freedom necessary to accommodate alternate rotating sleeve 12 designs such as, but not limited to, alternate rotating sleeve and alternate rotating sleeve, which are discussed in FIG. 2.

[0051] The illustrated installed end cap 5 is friction fitted into the end of wand main body 14 with indexing so that it can only be inserted in one orientation and can easily be removed and replaced by a stylist. Hidden end view 59 shows parts that are part of installed end cap assembly 5 and will also be discussed in FIG. 3. Printed circuit board 10 mounts within controls housing 11 and contains control circuitry necessary to control the blower and heater, which are located in a remote blower module. A non-limiting example of a remote blower, hair dryer controls and other hair dryer systems, modules, structures, features and etc. may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/400,423 by Strollo et al., which reference is incorporated by reference herein in for its supporting teachings. Printed circuit board 10 also has various indicators, and controls mounted to it such as power on-off control 22, cold shot control 60, rotating heat control 16, rotating blower control 17, heat power LED indicator cluster 21, blower rate LED indicator cluster 20, on-off LED indicator 19, and cold shot LED indicator 18.

[0052] Controls guide 15 provides additional mechanical support for controls housing 11, which is cantilevered over rotating sleeve 12. Controls guide 15 also provides tactile feedback to the stylist making it easy to locate cold shot control 23, power on-off control 22, rotating heat control 16, and rotating blower control 17 by touch. Controls guide 15 also helps both protect power on-off control 22, cold shot control 15, rotating heat control 16, and rotating blower control 17 from damage, it also protects against accidental actuation of power on-off control 22 or cold shot control 60 or accidental rotation of rotating heat control 16 or rotating blower control 17.

[0053] Oblong hole opening 23 and slit opening 25 in rotating sleeve 12 are on opposite sides of rotating sleeve 12. Each can be rotated into position over opening in wand body 28 so that two shapes for outlet air can be used depending on the rotational position of rotating sleeve 12. It should be noted that the opening in wand body 28 can be of any desired shape and that shape shown is only one illustration of a multitude of possibilities. When rotating sleeve 12 is rotated to the position, which is shown in wand assembly bottom view, slit opening 25 controls the shape of outlet air 57. Pressure measurement point 58 is in the center of the diameter of wand main body 14 upstream of air flow before slit opening 25. Pressure measurement point 59 is also in the center of wand main body 14, but is downstream of slit opening 25.

[0054] Wand main body air inlet 39 has a cross sectional area of about 1 square inch. Although any ratio of inlet cross sectional area and outlet cross sectional area can be used, the pressure drop between pressure measurement point 58 and pressure measurement point 59 decreases as the ratio of inlet cross sectional area to outlet cross sectional area increases such as would occur if slit opening 25 the same length, but narrower. The advantage of a lower pressure differential is that the amount and velocity of air coming out of slit opening 25 will be more consistent along the length of the slit thus providing a more balanced velocity profile. Typically a ratio of at this velocity profile can be further improved by the shape of the slit opening 25 and by the use of aerodynamic deflectors, which will be discussed later. While any ratio of inlet cross section to outlet cross sectional area of one or greater can be used, ratios of between 1.2 and 2.0 are generally desired.

[0055] By using a remote blower it is possible to make a very small, lightweight wand that can be shaped to conveniently into the stylists hand such that it can be used comfortably and safely. While larger or smaller wands can be designed a desirable size would be a wand diameter 6 of roughly 1.3-inches and wand length 7 of roughly 7-inches. Even including the weight of flexible hose 27 the total weight of the wand and hose held 5 feet above the floor can be on the order of 8 ounces.

[0056] According to one embodiment of the invention, there is a hair dryer including a blower configured to force air through a dryer head having a nozzle. The nozzle may be a narrow elongated nozzle shaped to generate airflow in the form of a thin blade of air configured to concentrate the force of the air into a thin long region of high velocity air. Because the region is elongated, the blade of air has a high surface area to volume ratio, thus increasing its effectiveness at drying hair and also increasing the interaction with ambient air, thereby cooling the air forced out of the nozzle more quickly than would otherwise occur and thus reducing the effective temperature of the air blade at any given distance from the nozzle. This advantageously allows for higher than normal temperature air to be utilized without risking discomfort to the scalp/skin of the person whose hair Ito be dried.

[0057] The dryer head may include a second nozzle that may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the narrow elongated nozzle. The second nozzle may be of a traditional circular profile to provide a jet of air therethrough similar to that produced by typical hair dryers. The dryer head may include a selectably operable seal for each nozzle so that they can be utilized independently from one another.

[0058] Such a seal may simply be a set of covers that goes over each nozzle, such as but not limited to a cap or flip-cover, a rotatable sleeve with apertures, an end-cap assembly, an iris assembly, and the like and combinations thereof. Generally the seal will be airtight when so sealed so as to properly redirect airflow to the other nozzle region as appropriate. There may be structure and/or functional coupling between the seals such that only one may be closed at a time, such as but not limited to a stop flange on one seal that blocks sealing of the other seal when the first seal is closed.

[0059] The hair dryer may include an airflow evening structure that may be functionally coupled to the nozzle that may more evenly distribute airflow of the thin blade of air when the hair dryer is in operation. Airflow will generally be related to pressure variances within the dryer head and is also influenced by the shape/structure of the nozzle and airflow friction associated therewith. Wherein there is a simple elongated nozzle perpendicular to the airflow coming into the dryer head, Applicant's experience is that airflow generally dominates the middle region of the elongated nozzle and is reduced near the ends (where the frictional characteristics at the boundaries of the nozzle are enhanced). Wherein a more uniform airflow profile is desired, there is a structure within the airflow path that alters such characteristics so that a more even airflow profile is achieved. This advantageously creates a more even air blade with which a stylist may dry hair. Substantial evenness in airflow of the blade will result in even drying of lengths of hair, which will further decrease the time and effort required to dry hair.

[0060] The airflow evening structure may be any structure within the airflow path which modifies the airflow characteristics to produce even flow. Such may include structures to divert flow within the dryer head, structures to increase/decrease airflow frictional characteristics of materials within the airflow path (including friction enhancing/reducing layers and/or coatings), structures/devices to increase/decrease air pressure during operation at particular positions within the dryer head, vortex generators, turbulent flow generating structures, nozzle masks, obstructions and the like.

[0061] In particular, there may be a vane structure that may be disposed inside the dryer head and may be shaped to preferentially direct airflow to regions of the nozzle having reduced airflow than other regions when the vane structure is not in operation.

[0062] Another example of an airflow evening structure includes a nozzle mask. In particular, there may be a structure at the face of the nozzle which permits/restricts airflow in a way to counterbalance the natural unevenness of the airflow without the mask, thereby producing a more even air blade. A nozzle mask that may be disposed over the nozzle (i.e. in the path of the airflow/air blade) and may be shaped to restrict airflow in regions of the thin blade of air having excess airflow The mask may be selectably adjustable, such as but not limited to being slidably coupled to an exterior of the dryer head, being an aperture through a rotating sleeve disposed about the dryer head, and having a iris that may adjust one or more portions of the mask shape.

[0063] There may be a sleeve that may be rotatably coupled about the nozzle and may include a plurality of diversely shaped nozzle masks disposed about the sleeve. The sleeve may be coupled to the dryer head by a coupling structure that permits the sleeve to rotate about the dryer hear but does not permit the sleeve to slide off the end of the dryer head, such as but not limited to bearings, a captured tongue in groove, a cap over the end of the dryer head that traps the sleeve and the like and combinations thereof. Sleeves may be selectably removable and there may be a plurality of sleeves having differently shaped nozzle mask(s) thereon.

[0064] Each sleeve may be shaped to restrict airflow through the nozzle in varying modes. Accordingly, wherein uneven airflow of a particular variation is desired, the user may simply rotate the sleeve until the desired mask is in the path of the airflow and thus achieve the desired characteristic air blade. A nozzle mask may include an elongated aperture of gradually increasing width over the length thereof, such as wherein the airflow characteristics tend to favor air exiting the near (from the point-of-view of the traveling air) region of the nozzle. The nozzle mask may include a plurality of apertures disposed in an array (i.e. a set of distinct holes in a line). The plurality of apertures may be circular apertures of varying radii, thus producing different flow characteristics and if configured correctly, providing a more even air blade. Advantageously, a nozzle mask including a plurality of apertures instead of a single elongated aperture will have increased turbulent flow, thus further enhancing the beneficial cooling of the air blade when in use.

[0065] There is shown a rotating sleeve 12 in 4 different orthogonal views and a single view of an alternate rotating sleeve, and alternate rotating sleeve. A keeper slot keeper slot 9 is shown for reference.

[0066] The illustrated alternate slit opening 29 in alternate rotating sleeve demonstrates one method of velocity and air mass flow control that can be incorporated to attain unique velocity profiles. By increasing the slot width in the direction of pressure decrease a more balanced velocity profile can be maintained along alternate slit opening 29.

[0067] The illustrated alternate spaced openings 30 in alternate rotating sleeve provide another opportunity to control the velocity profile along the length of alternate rotating sleeve. It is obvious that many different shapes of openings are possible and that those shown are only representative examples. Oblong hole opening 23 appears in rotating sleeve 12, alternate rotating sleeve, and alternate rotating sleeve but these too can be of different shapes. It is also obvious that more openings around the diameter of any of the sleeves shown can be provided and that rotating sleeve 12 can be indexed so that they align with opening in wand body 28.

[0068] There is shown a top view 41 and side view 61, which are orthogonal projections of end cap assembly 5 removed from wand main body 14 to reveal aerodynamic deflector, aerodynamic deflector, and aerodynamic deflector, which are attached to aerodynamic deflector supports 46.

[0069] The illustrated deflectors help turn the air so it projects perpendicularly from slit opening 25. Said deflectors also help mix the air to create a more constant temperature profile along the length of slit opening 25. Other aerodynamic deflectors as can other shapes that can be used to cause turbulence, which can also aid in mixing of air.

[0070] Hidden details side view 26 shows how end cap assembly 5 is positioned within wand main body 14 and also how heater assembly 42 is positioned within wand main body 14.

[0071] View 73 shows an end view of turbulence end cap assembly 67, view 68 shows a top view of turbulence end cap assembly 67, and view 69 shows a bottom view of turbulence end cap assembly 67.

[0072] Vortex generators 70 are mounted to aerodynamic deflector support 46. Turbulence end cap 67 is open as shown by open areas 72 indicated by at its end as can be seen in view 73 and forms an outlet nozzle. Connecting struts 71 connect turbulence end cap assembly 67 to insert flange 74 and aerodynamic deflector support 46.

[0073] Heater support and heater support fit together orthogonally to form the structure that holds heater wire 36 as seen in end view 75. Additionally, it positions thermal barrier between heater wire 36 and the inside wall of wand main body 14 and mounts to wand main body 14 via mounting holes 33. Thermal barrier is supported inside wand main body 14 via a series of circumferential ribs 62 and is connected to thermal barrier B 35 via interleaving thermal barrier joint 51.

[0074] While the overall size of heater assembly 42 is small compared to many dryers, heater wire 36 is larger in diameter. Electronic controls (a control module) allow for the use of larger diameter wire, which can be operated at a hotter temperature while still maintaining necessary physical integrity and meeting approval agency requirements. The trade-off is a slightly slower cooling time when going to a cold shot. But this slight delay in cooling time is made up for by several other advantages including that gap between thermal barrier and thermal barrier and the inside of wand main body 14 can be reasonably large thus assuring that wand main body 14 doesn't become uncomfortably warm when holding. The control module is configured to effectuate the process described herein.

[0075] Since the unit has electronic controls and/or a control module, it's possible program the microprocessor such that, as the stylist reduces the temperature from a higher to a lower temperature, the heater is completely turned off until the lower temperature is obtained before applying a lower amount of power rather than just lowering the power directly to the new lower setting. The control module may include instructions for the same and may be functionally coupled to structure described herein the effect the same.

[0076] Conversely, because the total resistance of heater wire 36 in heater assembly 42 is very low, when the heater is initially turned on or when heat goes from a lower to a higher temperature a substantial amount of extra power can be added until the heater reaches the desired temperature. Because most circuit breakers allow for short bursts of high current without tripping, it is possible to apply two to four times the normal operating current for up to a second or more without blowing a fuse. This substantially shortens the time it takes a hair dryer to get up to temperature. While thermal feedback will also accomplish this both when increasing and decreasing temperatures, it is possible to tune the power applied during the transitions between temperature changes to both better match the overload trip characteristics of circuit breakers when increasing temperatures and create a sensation of faster cooling when decreasing temperatures by allowing the temperature to momentarily decrease slightly below the final quiescent value.

[0077] One of the reasons for not relying on feedback control alone is because the response time of the temperature sensor and the temperature it actually measures may be different than the overall temperature of the outlet air. By controlling the heater with a microprocessor during temperature transitions, it is possible in software-only to simulate different damping factors with simple software changes. This makes it possible to change heating coil designs and hand piece configurations with different overall thermal time constants and match them to any desired damping factor from substantially under-damped to substantially over-damped if required. There may be a module included within the hair dryer and/or hair dryer system that is functionally coupled to components of the system/dryer and includes instructions for carrying out the process described herein.

[0078] Another way to think of this is this. Consider getting in your car and pushing the accelerator to the position that you know it will be when the car is going 60 mph vs. floor boarding the car until it gets to 60 mph and then backing off to the 60 mph accelerator position. The more power your car has, the quicker it will get to 60 mph. If the total resistance of heater wire 36 is very low, then the amount of current that will flow when it's connected to power can be high. That's the same as having lots of horsepower. The converse is true when you slow down. That is rather than moving the accelerator to the position you know it will be in at the slower speed, if the accelerator is completely released until the car gets to the desired speed and then depressed to the position for the lower speed it take less time to achieve the slower desired speed.

[0079] One of the issues with professional hair dryers is that they sometimes trip circuit breakers as either the breaker has other loads on it or doesn't allow for startup current surges. In that case, the electronics in the dryer can have a secondary range of heater settings that lowers the power requirements and start up surge current by some pre-designated amount. While the dryer may not dry hair quite as fast this is a better option than constantly resetting a circuit breaker.

[0080] Since the dryer is controlled by a microprocessor it is possible to program the heater settings to the reduced power settings, suggested above, by sending it a signal via a small recessed switch that can only be pressed with the end of a straightened paper clip through a small hole so that it is out of the way and not accidently activated. Of course, other methods of activating or deactivating this feature can be used.

[0081] There is shown a first plan view 49 and a second plan view 50 of two variously configured hair dryer devices (wands).

[0082] Illustration 49 shows air velocity vectors measured normal to slit opening 25 at a distance which is roughly 3 inches for this example. Air velocity vectors illustrate the type of skewed flow seen when there are no internal flow deflectors such as shown in FIG. 3.

[0083] Illustration 50 shows air velocity vectors measured normal to slit opening 25 also at a distance. Air velocity vectors illustrate the more symmetric flow obtained when internal flow deflectors such as shown in FIG. 3. The velocity gradient across slit opening 25 can be adjusted depending on the shape and placement of flow detectors as shown in FIG. 3 and by the shape of the slit opening 25 in rotating sleeve 12. By reshaping slit opening 25 using the necking-down concept illustrated by slit opening 66 air velocity vectors 66 will show less change over the length of slit opening 66.

[0084] There is shown a first plan view 53 and a second plan view 54 of two variously configured hair dryer devices (wands).

[0085] Illustration 53 shows air velocity vectors C 55 measured normal to the end of wand main body 14 at a distance which is roughly 4-inches for this example. Air velocity vectors illustrate the flow obtained when turbulence end cap assembly 67 is installed and rotating sleeve 12 is rotated such that oblong hole opening 23 is aligned with opening in wand body 28.

[0086] Illustration 54 shows air velocity vectors measured normal to oblong hole opening 23, which is aligned with opening in wand body 28, also at a distance. Note that the air velocity profiles in illustration 53 and illustration 54 appear to be similar even though end cap assembly 5 is used in illustration 54 and turbulence end cap assembly 67 is used in illustration 53.

[0087] When the air traveling down through the heating coils is laminar the air streams that pass closest to the heater coils are hotter. These streams tend to stay in place even after they have exited the dryer a distance of several inches. This can create localized hot spots when drying hair. Turbulence is very efficient for mixing air streams, but the tradeoff is a small loss of efficiency. This is normally not a problem, but in most conventional dryers there is not enough room to create adequate turbulence and then re-direct the air from the time it exits the heater coils until it exits the dryer nozzle.

[0088] It is important to note that with enough tube length after the heater flow deflectors can be designed to create turbulent flow, which provides better mixing and therefore the temperature gradient over the exhaust area is more constant. It is important to note that entrainment begins immediately after air leaves the nozzle and that as the distance from the nozzle increases, the temperature gradient increases. This is true for either a slit type opening or the more traditional circular opening.

[0089] Low temperature gradients are especially important in the slit drying configuration because the stylist generally has blower either touching or very close to the hair as they move dryer down lengths of hair pulled between their fingers. If the heat isn't consistent across slit opening 25 some strands of hair will be hotter and others colder. This typically results in some strands getting over-dried in an attempt to get the under dried strands of hair dry. An experienced operator will know to move the blower from side-to-side on repeated passed.

[0090] FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a hair dryer wand, according to one embodiment of the invention. There is shown a hair dryer wand 100.

[0091] FIG. 7 is a pair of bottom perspective views of a pair of varying hair dryer wands, according to one embodiment of the invention. There is shown a hair dryer 100 and a hair dryer wand 102.

[0092] The illustrated hair dryer 100 includes a blower, the blower is not shown in FIG. 7. The hair dryer 100 includes a dryer head 110 having a narrow elongated nozzle 120 functionally coupled to the blower shaped to generate airflow in the form of a thin blade of air. The hair dryer 100 includes an airflow evening structure 125 functionally coupled to the nozzle 120 that more evenly distributes airflow of the thin blade of air when the hair dryer is in operation.

[0093] FIG. 7 also illustrated hair dryer 102 including a circular nozzle 106 for drying hair, according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0094] According to one embodiment of the invention, there is a hair dryer. The hair dryer may include a blower. The hair dryer may include a dryer head that may have a narrow elongated nozzle that may be functionally coupled to the blower shaped to generate airflow in the form of a thin blade of air.

[0095] The hair dryer may include a sleeve that may be rotatably coupled about the nozzle and may include a plurality of diversely shaped nozzle masks that may be disposed about the sleeve, each may be shaped to restrict airflow through the nozzle in varying modes when the hair dryer is in operation. The dryer head may include a second nozzle that may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the narrow elongated nozzle. The dryer head may include a selectably operable seal for each nozzle. One of the plurality of nozzle masks may include a plurality of apertures disposed in an array. The plurality of apertures may be circular apertures of varying radii.

[0096] The hair dryer may include a vane structure that may be disposed inside the dryer head and may be shaped to preferentially direct airflow to regions of the nozzle having reduced airflow than other regions when the vane structure is not in operation. The vane structure may include a plurality of vanes that may be disposed in an array inside the dryer head. The plurality of vanes may be of graduating sizes along the length of the array. The second nozzle may be circular.

[0097] According to one embodiment of the invention, there is a hair dryer. The hair dryer may include a blower. The hair dryer may include a dryer head that may have a narrow elongated nozzle that may be functionally coupled to the blower shaped to generate airflow in the form of a thin blade of air. The hair dryer may include a second nozzle that may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the narrow elongated nozzle. The hair dryer may include a selectably operable seal for each nozzle.

[0098] The hair dyer may include a plurality of vanes that may be disposed in an array inside the dryer head and may be shaped to preferentially direct airflow to regions of the nozzle having reduced airflow than other regions when the vane structure is not in operation.

[0099] FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of a plurality of nozzle masks of a hair dryer, according to one embodiment of the invention. There is shown a hair dryer including a sleeve 130 having a plurality of nozzle masks.

[0100] The illustrated hair dryer includes a dryer head having a narrow elongated nozzle that is functionally coupled to the blower shaped to generate airflow in the form of a thin blade of air. The dryer head includes a selectably operable seal for each nozzle.

[0101] The hair dryer includes an airflow evening structure functionally coupled to the nozzle that more evenly distribute airflow of the thin blade of air when the hair dryer is in operation. The hair dryer includes a sleeve 130 rotatably coupled about the nozzle and includes a plurality of diversely shaped nozzle masks 140 disposed about the sleeve, each may be shaped to restrict airflow through the nozzle in varying modes when the hair dryer is in operation. The sleeve 130 includes a nozzle mask 140 that consists of a plurality of apertures disposed in an array. The nozzle mask 150 includes an elongated aperture having an increasing or decreasing width of the aperture along the length thereof. The nozzle mask 160 includes an evenly distributed elongated aperture. The nozzle mask includes an elongated aperture of gradually increasing width over the length thereof. The nozzle mask includes a plurality of apertures disposed in an array. The plurality of apertures are circular apertures of varying radii.

[0102] FIG. 9 illustrates two side plan views of various hair dryer wands with varying air velocity profiles, according to one embodiment of the invention. There is shown a hair dryer 100 including various air velocity profiles 170.

[0103] The illustrated hair dryer 100 includes a plurality of varying air velocity profiles 170 based upon the type of nozzle mask 180 selected during operation of the hair dryer 100.

[0104] According to one embodiment of the invention, there is a hair dryer 100. The hair dryer 100 includes a blower. The hair dryer 100 include a dryer head 110 having a narrow elongated nozzle functionally coupled to the blower shaped to generate airflow in the form of a thin blade of air 185. The dryer head 110 may include a second nozzle that may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the narrow elongated nozzle. The dryer head may include a selectably operable seal for each nozzle.

[0105] The hair dryer 100 includes an airflow evening structure functionally coupled to the nozzle that more evenly distribute airflow of the thin blade of air 185 when the hair dryer 100 is in operation. The hair dryer may include a sleeve rotatably coupled about the nozzle and includes a plurality of diversely shaped nozzle masks that are disposed about the sleeve, each shaped to restrict airflow through the nozzle in varying modes when the hair dryer is in operation. The sleeve may include a nozzle mask that may consist of a plurality of apertures disposed in an array.

[0106] It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

[0107] For example, although the illustrated system includes a sleeve system for creating various aperture configurations, it is envisioned that other systems may be used, including but not limited to movable aperture covers, iris systems, adhesive covers, chokes, flexible (elastically and/or inelastically) aperture boundaries, and the like and combinations thereof.

[0108] It is also envisioned that airflow deflection structures may be adjustable, movable, removable, and or may vary from the illustrated examples.

[0109] It is expected that there could be numerous variations of the design of this invention. An example is that various embodiments may have other specific shapes, contours, ratios between sizes, angles and the like in order to meet particular desired performance characteristics.

[0110] Finally, it is envisioned that the components of the device may be constructed of a variety of materials, including but not limited to metals, woods, ceramics, plastics, rubbers, composites, and the like and combinations thereof.

[0111] Thus, while the present invention has been fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made, without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims. Further, it is contemplated that an embodiment may be limited to consist of or to consist essentially of one or more of the features, functions, structures, methods described herein.