U.S. patent application number 14/963225 was filed with the patent office on 2016-06-16 for hair care device.
The applicant listed for this patent is SANFAT ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED. Invention is credited to Keitoku MORITA, Masanori TERAMOTO, MingFeng YANG.
Application Number | 20160166037 14/963225 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54782575 |
Filed Date | 2016-06-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160166037 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TERAMOTO; Masanori ; et
al. |
June 16, 2016 |
HAIR CARE DEVICE
Abstract
A hair iron, which is one embodiment of the hair care device of
the present disclosure, includes a heater, a blower fan, and a
regenerable drying agent. When air blown by the blower fan is
heated by the heater and then passes through the drying agent
heated by the heater, moisture absorbed by the drying agent is then
released, and the released moisture is blown against hair of the
user. After the desorption of moisture from the drying agent, and
then after sufficient absorption of moisture from air, the drying
agent can be heated again to release moisture.
Inventors: |
TERAMOTO; Masanori;
(Dongguan City, CN) ; MORITA; Keitoku; (Dongguan
City, CN) ; YANG; MingFeng; (Dongguan City,
CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SANFAT ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED |
Hong Kong |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
54782575 |
Appl. No.: |
14/963225 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/269 ;
132/271 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 1/06 20130101; A45D
1/04 20130101; A45D 20/10 20130101; A45D 20/12 20130101; A45D 2/001
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A45D 20/12 20060101
A45D020/12; A45D 2/00 20060101 A45D002/00; A45D 1/04 20060101
A45D001/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 10, 2014 |
JP |
2014249765 |
Claims
1. A hair care device comprising: a fan configured to blow air; a
regenerable drying agent; and a heater configured to heat the air
blown by the fan and to heat the regenerable drying agent, wherein
the air heated by the heater passes through the regenerable drying
agent configured to pass the air heated by the heater.
2. The hair care device according to claim 1, wherein the drying
agent comprises a zeolite.
3. The hair care device according to claim 1, wherein the drying
agent comprises alumina and silica.
4. The hair care device according to claim 1, wherein the drying
agent comprises silica gel.
5. The hair care device according to claim 1, wherein the drying
agent comprises a clay-based drying agent.
6. The hair care device according to claim 1, wherein the hair care
device is configured so as to be capable of setting a temperature
of the drying agent during use to greater than or equal to
150.degree. C.
7. The hair care device according to claim 1, further comprising: a
first clamping component; and a second clamping component, wherein
the hair care device is a hair iron.
8. The hair care device according to claim 1, wherein the hair care
device is a hair iron.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No.
2014-249765, filed on Dec. 10, 2014. The entire specification,
claims, and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-249765
are incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD
[0002] This application relates generally to a hair care device
that can supply moisture to hair without the providing of a liquid
reservoir, and more particularly, to a hair iron.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A hair care device such as a hair dryer, hair iron or roll
brush is equipped to wave, curl or straighten hair by using a
heater to heat air, and by then blowing the heated air against the
hair so as to dry the hair, or by using a heated clamping component
in direct contact with the hair. However, the hair care device
damages the hair due to the use of heat. In particular, a hair iron
clamps the hair using two clamping components maintained at a high
temperature of 120.degree. C. to 190.degree. C., and the hair is
heated very quickly by a high temperature heating portion. That is
to say, due to direct contact of the high temperature clamping
components with the hair, repeated hair styling using the hair iron
greatly damages the hair. Damaged hair is the major cause of loss
of gloss and resilience, hair frizzing, and difficulty in handling
of curly hair. Thus moisture retention or the supplying of moisture
to the hair to prevent hair damage is important when using a hair
iron.
[0004] The supplying of moisture to the hair is attempted in
various types of previously developed hair care devices. For
example, in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Kokai
Publication No. 2009-136576, a hair dryer as a hair care device is
disclosed that is suitable for increasing the spraying pressure of
a steam generator to partially concentrate and apply steam. This
hair dryer is equipped with a steam generator. This steam generator
is equipped with a liquid storage chamber capable of receiving heat
from a heater and capable of storing liquid, a steam spray opening
for spraying the steam volatilized in the liquid storage chamber,
and an open-close valve for opening and closing the steam spray
opening. Due to this configuration, steam pressure within the steam
generator can be increased by closing the open-close valve, and
then the open-close valve can be opened to vigorously spray high
pressure steam. The hair dryer disclosed in Unexamined Japanese
Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 2009-136576 is thus
suitable for concentrated application of steam to part of the
hair.
[0005] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No.
2013-102826 discloses a hair dryer as a hair care device capable of
preventing electrical charging of the hair and capable of supplying
sufficient moisture to the hair, by imparting positive and negative
ions to the hair. This hair dryer is equipped with: a blower fan, a
heater, an ion generator capable of generating
H.sup.+(H.sub.2O).sub.m as positive ions (in which m is a positive
integer) and O.sub.2.sup.-(H.sub.2O).sub.n as negative ions (in
which n is a positive integer), an operational part for selection
of operation in permeation mode for promoting permeation into the
hair of positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator,
and a control part for controlling a heater while operating the ion
generator and the blower fan such that temperature of air blown
from a blowing opening becomes a predetermined promotion
temperature for promotion of permeation into the hair of moisture
accompanied by the positive and negative ions generated by the ion
generator.
[0006] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No.
2014-97214 discloses a hair iron that is capable of supplying
heated vapor according to properties of hair so as to
advantageously set the hair. This hair iron has a first clamping
part having a first hair clamping surface and a second clamping
part having a second hair clamping surface, and is configured such
that the hair is clamped between the first hair clamping surface
and the second hair clamping surface. At least one of the first
hair clamping surface and the second hair clamping surface is
equipped with a heater for heating the clamped hair. At least one
of the first hair clamping surface and the second hair clamping
surface is equipped with a superheated vapor generator for
generating vapor by heating a liquid and then further heating the
vapor to generate superheated vapor, and is equipped with a
discharge opening for delivering the generated superheated vapor to
the clamped hair. Due to configuration in this manner, the hair
iron disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Kokai
Publication No. 2014-97214 is capable of setting hair in a form
desired by the user by the use of superheated vapor regardless of
the condition of the hair of the user.
[0007] In order to generate steam, the hair dryer of Unexamined
Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 2009-136576 is
required to be equipped with a steam generator that has the liquid
storage chamber, the steam spray opening and the open-close valve.
Also, when the user uses the hair dryer, the user is required to
store water in the liquid storage chamber. That is to say, in
addition to requiring the securing of space for arrangement of the
steam generator, the hair dryer of Unexamined Japanese Patent
Application Kokai Publication No. 2009-136576 requires a complex
mechanism for heating water in the chamber in order to spray high
pressure steam through the open-close valve from the steam spray
opening. Furthermore, the user is required to perform the
troublesome operation of storing water in the liquid storage
chamber when using the hair dryer.
[0008] The hair dryer of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application
Kokai Publication No. 2013-102826 has as required components: the
ion generator for generation of positive and negative ions, the
operational part for selection of operation in permeation mode for
promoting permeation into the hair of positive and negative ions
generated by the ion generator and a control part for controlling a
heater while operating the ion generator and the blower fan such
that temperature of air blown from the blowing opening becomes the
predetermined promotion temperature for promotion of permeation
into the hair of moisture accompanied by the positive and negative
ions generated by the ion generator. Thus in order to supply
moisture to the hair, the hair dryer of Unexamined Japanese Patent
Application Kokai Publication No. 2013-102826 requires the special
structure that is the ion generator, operational part and control
part.
[0009] The hair dryer of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application
Kokai Publication No. 2014-97214 must be equipped with the liquid
reservoir for storage of liquid and a superheated vapor generator
for heating the liquid to generate steam and further heating the
generated vapor to generate superheated vapor. Thus the hair iron
of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No.
2014-97214 requires the securing of space for arrangement of the
liquid reservoir and the heated vapor generator, and requires a
complex mechanism for heating liquid in the chamber for heating the
liquid, generating steam and further heating the vapor to generate
the superheated vapor. Furthermore, the user is required to perform
the troublesome operation of storing water in the liquid storage
chamber when using the hair dryer.
[0010] In this manner, a conventional hair care device is incapable
of supplying moisture to hair unless a special structure is
provided that includes components such as the liquid storage
chamber, steam generator, ion generator, operational part, control
part and superheated vapor generator. The securing of space for
this structure is required in order to provide this special
structure, and miniaturization of the hair care device is
difficult. Furthermore, the type of hair care device that generates
a vapor from water stored in a liquid storage chamber requires
complex mechanisms such as a mechanism for preventing leakage of
water and a mechanism for generating a suitable vapor from water.
In addition, this type of hair care device requires that the user
perform the troublesome operation of storing water in the liquid
reservoir when using the hair care device. An objective of the
present disclosure is to provide a hair care device that does not
require the arrangement of the special structure, that is capable
of miniaturization, and that does not require of the user the
troublesome operation of storing water in the liquid reservoir when
using the hair care device.
SUMMARY
[0011] The hair care device of the present disclosure includes a
hair care device comprising: a fan configured to blow air; a
regenerable drying agent; and a heater configured to heat the air
blown by the fan and to heat the regenerable drying agent, wherein
the air heated by the heater passes through the regenerable drying
agent configured to pass the air heated by the heater. During use
of this hair care device, a stream of air blown by the fan is
heated by the heater, and the stream of air passes through the
regenerable drying agent heated by the heater, and thus moisture is
released from the drying agent.
[0012] In the hair care device of the present disclosure,
furthermore, the drying agent can include a zeolite.
[0013] In the hair care device of the present disclosure, the
drying agent can include alumina and silica.
[0014] In the hair care device of the present disclosure, the
drying agent can include silica gel.
[0015] In the hair care device of the present disclosure, the
drying agent can include a clay-based drying agent.
[0016] In the hair care device of the present disclosure, the hair
care device can be configured so as to be capable of setting a
temperature of the drying agent during use to greater than or equal
to 150.degree. C. By this means, moisture can be efficiently
generated from the zeolite.
[0017] The hair care device of the present disclosure further
includes a first clamping component and a second clamping
component, and the hair care device is capable of use as a hair
iron.
[0018] The hair care device of the present disclosure is capable of
use as a hair dryer.
[0019] The hair care device of the present disclosure internally
retains a regenerable drying agent, and an air stream generated
during use blows moisture generated from a heated drying agent
against the hair of the user to supply moisture to the hair. The
regenerable drying agent takes up from the air in one day the
necessary amount of moisture, and thus the hair care device can be
used daily without the user performing the operation of refilling a
liquid tank with water. Furthermore, since the hair care device of
the present disclosure does not require the arrangement of specific
structures of a conventional device, such as the liquid storage
chamber, steam generator, ion generator, operational part, control
part and superheated vapor generator, the hair care device becomes
easily handled, and space for such a specific structure becomes
unnecessary so that the hair care device can be miniaturized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] A more complete understanding of this application can be
obtained when the following detailed description is considered in
conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a left side view of the hair iron of the present
disclosure;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a backside view of the hair iron of the present
disclosure;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the hair iron of the present
disclosure, in which the second clamping component is open;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a top view of the hair iron of the present
disclosure;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the hair iron of the
present disclosure;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a graph showing moisture release characteristics
of the hair iron of the present disclosure;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a graph showing moisture absorption
characteristics of various types of drying agents;
[0028] FIG. 8 is a graph showing moisture release characteristics
of various types of drying agents at 150.degree. C.; and
[0029] FIG. 9 is a graph showing moisture release characteristics
of various types of drying agents at 200.degree. C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] A hair iron is explained below as an example of the hair
care device of the present disclosure. As shown in a left side view
of FIG. 1, a backside view of FIG. 2 and a top view of FIG. 4, a
hair iron 8 is equipped with a handle 20 for the user to hold the
hair iron, a first clamping component 16 arranged at the upper
portion of the handle 20, and a second clamping component 18
coupled through a hinge 26 to the first clamping component 16. A
handle 30 and a stand 28 are arranged on the second clamping
component 18. A cool tip 15 is arranged at the distal tip of the
first clamping component 16, multiple blowing openings 32 are
arranged at the side portion of the first clamping component 16,
and an electrical power cord 38 is arranged at the lower portion of
the first clamping component 16. An air intake opening 34 for
intake of air is arranged in the upper portion of the handle 20,
and an electrical power switch 40 is arranged at a side face of the
handle 20. Distance from the tip of the cool tip 15 to the
connection between the handle 20 and the electrical power cord 38
is 33 cm; cool tip 15 height is 4 cm and maximum diameter is 4 cm;
and length of the handle 20 is 16 cm.
[0031] The cross-sectional drawing of FIG. 5 shows internal
structure of the hair iron 8. In the handle 20, a control board 42
is arranged connected to the electrical power cord 38, and a blower
fan 36 is arranged near the air intake opening 34. A plate-like
heater 14 is arranged at the interior of the first clamping
component 16.
[0032] A drying agent is arranged in drying agent retainers 12a,
12b and 12c at the periphery of the heater 14. For a cross section
line A-A' of the drying agent retainer 12a in FIG. 5, the cross
section is indicated to the right and adjacent to the cross section
line A-A'. As can be understood from the figure, the drying agent
is arranged in the entire lateral cross section in the drying agent
retainer 12a. Similarly, for a cross section line B-B' of the
drying agent retainer 12b, the cross section is indicated to the
right and adjacent to the cross section line B-B'. In this cross
section, the drying agent is arranged at both sides of the heater
14. Similarly, for a cross section line C-C' of the drying agent
retainer 12c, the cross section is indicated to the right and
adjacent to the cross section line C-C', although in this cross
section, the drying agent is arranged at the periphery of an air
flow tube 33.
[0033] A drying agent such as SIBLET (tradename, manufactured by
Tokai Chemical Industries Inc.), silica gel, clay-based drying
agents and zeolites can be used as the regenerable drying agent of
the hair care device of the present disclosure. SIBLET is a tablet
type drying agent produced by tableting a porous, amorphous
substance (natural silica-alumina clay, mineral name =allophane)
that includes Al.sub.2O.sub.3SiO.sub.2nH.sub.2O as the major
ingredient. SIBLET is chemically stable and has high moisture
absorption capacity. Silica gel is manufactured by using sulfuric
acid to neutralize sodium silicate. Silica gel is a drying agent
that has a sponge-like porous molecular structure and is
regenerated by heating to 150.degree. C. to 180.degree. C. The
clay-based drying agent is a drying agent produced using as a raw
material the mineral bentonite or the clay mineral montmorillonite.
Zeolites are drying agents that, among aluminosilicates, have
relatively large voids in the crystal structure.
[0034] In a first example, "SIBLET AS 1306", which is a tableted
type allophane drying agent produced by Tokai Chemical Industries
Inc., was used by forming a powder from a portion of 20 tablets,
and then placing the drying agent in drying agent retainers 12a,
12b and 12c. A single tablet of SIBLET AS1306 weighs 1 g, is 6 mm
thick, and is 13 mm in diameter. Moisture release characteristics
of a hair iron of the present disclosure using SIBLET AS1306 as the
regenerable drying agent are explained below using Table 1 and FIG.
6. Furthermore, as drying agents other than SIBLET AS1206 as the
regenerable drying agent, the inventors also used SIBLET ASW3012
(30 mm diameter, 12 mm thickness, 10 g weight) and plate-like
molded synthetic zeolite drying agent MS SELAM-W10G (60.times.40
mm, 4 mm thickness, 10 g weight). A comparison of characteristics
of these drying agents is explained below using FIGS. 7 to 9.
[0035] Operation of the hair iron 8 of the present disclosure is
explained next. When the user turns the electrical power switch 40
on, via the electrical power cord 38 and the control board 42,
electrical current is sent to the heater 14 and the blower fan 36.
By operation of the blower fan 36, air is taken in by the air
intake opening 34 and is sent through the air flow tube 33 to the
heater 14. Moisture is released from the drying agent when the
drying agent arranged in the drying agent retainers 12a, 12b and
12c is heated to a temperature greater than or equal to 150.degree.
C. by heating by the heater 14. This released moisture is blown out
from the multiple blowing openings 32 arranged at both sides of the
first clamping component 16 and is supplied as moisture to the hair
of the user. As explained below concerning FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, during
a single use, the drying agent is capable of supplying moisture to
the hair for at least 60 minutes. When the user finishes using the
hair iron 8, turns the electrical power switch 40 off, and then
when temperature of the drying agent decreases, the drying agent
begins to absorb moisture from the air. The drying agent, as
explained below concerning FIG. 7, is capable of absorption of 20
percent by weight moisture, that is, regeneration, during 24 h, and
thus the user is able to use the hair iron 8 on the following day.
That is to say, the user is not required to perform the troublesome
operation of storing water in the liquid reservoir, as is required
by the conventional hair care device, and the hair iron 8 can be
used each day for at least 60 minutes.
[0036] When using the hair iron 8, the user presses the handle 30,
opens the second clamping component 18 (FIG. 3), and curls the hair
by clamping the hair between the first clamping component 16 and
the second clamping component 18. During this curling operation,
while the user uses the right hand to hold the handle 20 and the
handle 30 and uses the left hand to grab the cool tip 15, the user
rotates the hair iron 8. The cool tip 15 is configured so that the
contact area of the fingers is small so that no interference occurs
even when grasped by the fingers.
[0037] The first clamping component 16 and the second clamping
component 18 reach a temperature during use that is greater than or
equal to 140.degree. C., and thus there is danger of burning or
melting of a desk when the hair iron 8 is carelessly placed on the
desk. The stand 28 is arranged on the hair iron 8 in order to avoid
this danger. As indicated in FIG. 3, during use of the hair iron 8,
the stand 28 is retracted toward the handle 20 so as not to
interfere with use of the hair iron 8. Moreover, when the hair iron
8 during use is placed on an object such as a desk, as indicated in
FIG. 1, the stand 28 projects from the second clamping component
18, and direct contact of the second clamping component 18 with the
desk is prevented.
[0038] Table 1 shows moisture release characteristics of the hair
iron of the present disclosure using 20 tablets of "SIBLET AS
1306", produced by Tokai Chemical Co., Ltd., as the regenerable
drying agent. FIG. 6 is a graph of the moisture release
characteristics. This figures indicates the amount and change of
discharged moisture due to setting the hair iron of the present
disclosure to 150.degree. C.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Change of weight Elapsed time (minutes)
Initial weight 5 10 20 30 60 460 458.4 457.6 457.4 456.9 456.2
Released moisture amount Elapsed time (minutes) 0 5 10 20 30 60 0
1.6 2.4 2.6 3.1 3.8
[0039] As can be understood from the data indicated in Table 1 and
FIG. 6, a large amount of moisture was released from the start of
moisture release until 30 minutes had elapsed, and a relatively
small amount of moisture was released after 30 minutes and up to 60
minutes elapsed time. That is to say, the hair iron of the present
disclosure was shown to be capable of a single continuous use for
60 minutes.
[0040] FIG. 7 shows results of a moisture absorption testing
performed at 30.degree. C. and 45% relative humidity using a single
type of drying agent selected from among three types, that is from
among zeolite (MS SELAM-W10G), SIBLET AS3012 and SIBLET AS1306.
Although the absorbed moisture for all of the drying agents was
about 20 percent by weight when 48 h had elapsed, during the
initial three hours, the zeolite and SIBLET AS1306 absorbed 10
percent by weight moisture, and in contrast, the SIBLET AS3012 had
only absorbed 5 percent by weight moisture. However, after 24 h had
elapsed, each of the drying agents had absorbed at least 18 percent
by weight moisture.
[0041] FIG. 8 shows results of moisture release testing at
150.degree. C. using a single type of drying agent selected from
among three types, that is from among zeolite (MS SELAM-W10G),
SIBLET AS3012 and SIBLET AS1306. According to these results, when
60 minutes had elapsed, the SIBLET AS 1306 had release nearly the
entire amount of moisture, 20 percent by weight, and in contrast,
the zeolite had only released 6 percent by weight moisture and
retained 14 percent by weight moisture, and the SIBLET AS3012 had
released 12.5 percent by weight moisture and retained 7.5 percent
by weight moisture. After 480 minutes (8 h) had elapsed, although
nearly the entire amount of moisture of had been released from the
SIBLET AS3012 and the SIBLET AS1306, the zeolite still retained 7
percent by weight moisture.
[0042] FIG. 9, shows results of moisture release testing at
200.degree. C. using a single type of drying agent, either SIBLET
AS3012 or SIBLET AS1306. According to these results, although the
entire amount of moisture was released from these drying agents
after 180 minutes (3 h) had elapsed, after 60 minutes had elapsed,
the SIBLET AS3012 retained 2 percent by weight moisture, and the
SIBLET AS 1306 retained 1 percent by weight moisture. According to
these results, in comparison to SIBLET AS3012, SIBLET AS1306 is
understood to release a greater amount of moisture at 60 minutes,
which is a practical time interval of use.
[0043] In the above explanation, although the hair iron was used as
an embodiment to explain the hair care device of the present
disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to hair irons,
and of course the present disclosure can be used appropriately for
devices such as hair dryers and round brushes.
[0044] The foregoing describes some example embodiments for
explanatory purposes. Although the foregoing discussion has
presented specific embodiments, persons skilled in the art will
recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without
departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in
an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. This detailed
description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and
the scope of the invention is defined only by the included claims,
along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are
entitled.
* * * * *