Hair Dryer

Abstract

A hair-drying apparatus for long hair and/or the hair on the scalp of a user's head in which suction-blower means communicate with justapositionable manifolds forming an elongated chamber for receiving hair herebetween and the hair is laid down so that split hairs are laid down due to the natural movement of the air, the apparatus incorporating filtering and heating means and including an air scoop communicating with one of the manifolds and a head-manifold for drying hair on the scalp; and means for adjusting the head-manifold to the position of a user.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to hair drying apparatus and that particularly adapted to dry one's long hair as well as that on a person's scalp.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The problems of drying long hair has been under consideration over the years. Illustrations of various prior art apparatus are shown, for example, by United States Letters Patent to MACHADO -- No. 495,558 issued Apr. 18, 1893; WIRTH -- U.S. Pat. No. 1,514,495, issued Nov. 4, 1924; in British Patents to HORNUNG, No. 22,463 of 1902 and BULLOCK, No. 1030,172 of May 18, 1966, and German patents to MARTH, No. 95,503, of 1897-1898; HORNUNG, No. 130,146; and URBACH, No. 146,644.

Long hair styles have once again become fashionable and are worn by all sexes. Over the years, the technology and research in hair and hair drying, as well as improvements in mechanical components, has enabled hair stylists to be much more aware of the problems unsolved, consider comfort of the individual and consider the amount of time for drying the hair.

Split ends or split hairs are important factors, and microscopic examination of a strand of hair reveals many filaments protecting from the longitudinal axis of the hair strand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved long hair drying apparatus in which a suction-blower communicates with a pair of juxtapositionable manifolds; one manifold facilitating the combining and brushing of wet hair thereon and the manifolds form a hair chamber in which the circulation of air therebetween drys and lays down loose hairs whereby long hair dried therein, depending on the hair thickness, weight, porosity, and wetness of the hair, takes from about 10 to 25 minutes and in which the hair maintains a sheen and appearance resulting from the hair split ends being dried while lying along the longitudinal axis of the hair.

Another feature of the invention relates to adjustable means incorporated with the displacable manifold which dries the hair or a person's scalp permitting all hair styles to be dried on the present apparatus thus providing versatility to the apparatus as well as providing an air-exchange feature circulating fresh air through the dryer.

These, together with other and more specific objects and advantages, will become apparent from a consideration of the following description of an overplay embodiment when taken in consideration with the drawings for a part thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a sside elevational view of the apparatus of the invention illustrated in relation to a person whose hair is being dried, portions being broken away to show details, and illustration by phantom lines alternate adjustable positions of the head-hood;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus in FIG. 1 along the hinged manifold in an "open" position;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the apparatus in an "open" position showing details of the "fixed" manifold on which long hair is laid and combed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the plane of line 4--4 of FIG. 1 with portions broken away;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the plane of the 5--5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevational view of a control panel incorporated on one of the manifolds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Before referring to the drawing in detail, the apparatus can be constructed of any suitable material, i.e., plastic, glass fiber reinforced plastic, metal panels, etc. The apparatus is indicated generally at 10 and comprises a generally rectangular lower housing member 12 conveniently incorporating suitable casters 14. The housing member 12 includes a vertically extending manifold portion 16 which is hollow and includes a generally hollow chamber 18 defined by an upper foraminous panel 20 which in the exemplary embodiment is at about a 15.degree. angle with respect to the vertical, however, this angle can vary. The upper end of the manifold portion 16 is slightly contoured or convex at 22 for conveniently accommodating the nape of a person's neck; see FIG. 1. The person using the drying apparatus will be seated forwardly of the manifold portion 16 and the foraminous panel 20 conveniently comprises means whereby the hair stylist can readily brush the person P's wet hair into a straight oriented position in which it will be dried. Secured in longitudinally bordering relationship to the elongated foraminous panel 20 are suitable sealing elements 23 (only one shown in FIG. 1) which seal in air being circulated through the manifold portion 16.

Hinged on a transverse hinge 24 at the rear upper edge of the housing member 12 is a second hollow manifold member 25 which is generally triangular in side elevation and which is complimentary to the manifold portion 16. The 2nd manifold member includes side panels 26, 28 depending below at their lower edges, beneath a foraminous panel 30 and which will form with the panel 20 a hair-receiving chamber 32 in which the long, combed hair will be received in the attitude in which it will be dried.

The chamber 32 forms at its upper end an opening 34 which permits fresh air to be introduced into the drier. The manifold member 25 is limited in its pivotal movement when in an "open" position, i.e., to the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The means for limiting pivotal movement comprising a contoured stop-track element 36 anchored at 38 on the side of the housing member and including a rearwardly extending guide track 40 reciprocably receiving therein a lateral pin 41 fixed to the lower end of the manifold member 25 (a pair of the contoured stop-track elements can be utilized on the relatively hinged parts).

The housing member 12 includes therein a suction-blower means 42 comprising a centrifugal or "squirl-cage" fan, however, the suction blower means can comprise a central suction-blower of an enlarged capacity whereby a bank or plurality of the dryers can be serviced by a single suction-blower. The suction-blower includes a housing 44 having an axial inlet opening 46 communicating with a drum-type rotor, suitably journaled in the housing and driven by an electrically energized rotor 48. The rotor 48 discharges air centrifugally through opening 50 to an outlet chamber 52; see FIG. 4, which includes therein heater means 54 comprising resistance wires 56 and over which forced air is passed and tempered. The outlet chamber 52 includes flanged outlet portions 58 to which are secured by clamps 60 inlet ends of expansible or accordion-type conduits 62 which are suitably connected at 64 (see FIG. 2) to the manifold member 25.

In the absence of further explanation, air forced from the suction blower means 42 passes through the conduits 62 to the manifold member 25, through foraminous panel 30 into chamber 32 where the hair has previously been combed and brushed; through the hair and the foraminous panel 20 into chamber 18 and then into the inlet opening 46 of the suction-blower housing 44.

The drying can be effected in approximately 10 minutes, and it will be observed that the direction of movement of air, see direction arrows on FIG. 1, causes the manifold member 25 to be urged into the "closing direction," and because split hairs when wet, are combed and laid on panel 20, it has been found that the hair when dried in the manner just described, not only does the hair have an unusual sheen, but the hair retains this sheen over an extraordinary period of time and maintains this straight condition. This unusual result is apparently due in part to the fact that the hair is pressed or drawn down onto panel 20 during the normal movement of air, and the split hair filaments are dried along the longitudinal axis of its respective hair strand; this reinforces the hair strand along its length and, since it is not appreciably disturbed while drying, the hair is maintained in its straight condition over an unusual length of time. The apparatus is likewise adapted for producing styles including waves or curls which can be effected by finger waving the wet hair, forming pin curls, or applying suitable hair rollers by the hair stylist.

The housing 12 includes between the chamber 18 and the inlet opening 46; supported on a suitable support ledge 66, an intermediate filter element 68 of any suitable construction which will filter all air drawn into the opening 46 and loose hair etc. so that the air is maintained in a debris-free condition; the filter element 68 will be changed or cleaned periodically.

In addition to drying long hair, the apparatus includes means for drying the hair at the person's head. Integral with the upper panel 70 of manifold 25 is a tubular sleeve 72; see FIG. 5, which telescopically receives a sleeve 74 having an angled lower end 76 forming a scoop opening in the direction air enters the manifold 25 from the conduits 62. The sleeve 74 is vertically adjustable and has one end 77 connected at 78 to a flexible tape 80 which is threaded through an opening 82 into an apertured housing 84 in which the tape is convoluted at 80'; suitable clutch means 86 is provided whereby the sleeve 74 (see dotted line position) is retained in an adjusted position and the tape 80 is readily rewound as the tape moves upwardly during upward movement of the sleeve from the position illustrated in FIG. 5.

Telescopically connected to the upper end 74' of the sleeve 74 is a complimentary tubular sleeve 88 retained thereon by a threaded screw 90 having an enlarged handle 92 received in a suitable tapped opening in sleeve portion 74'; the sleeve 88 incorporates a slot 94 affording sufficient adjustment relative to the person P's head. The sleeve 88 incorporates a handle 96 providing the hair stylist means for readily raising and lowering the manifold and attachments thereon. The sleeve 88 includes at 98 a transverse hinge 100 and to which is pivoted a head-hood manifold means 102 permitting the manifold 25 to overly manifold portion 16 (when drying short hair, to permit the person P to be readily seated, move away from the dryer etc. The head-manifold means includes the usual inner foraminous head plate 104; the head manifold 102 will suitably seal on the end of conduit 88 when it is in the solid line position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

Referring to FIG. 6 without showing the detailed wiring circuits, a control panel 106 incorporates a timer 108, heat control 110, switch 112 as well as light 114 of a green color to indicate that all conditions are proper for drying, and a light 116 (red for example) to indicate an overheat condition, for example. Suitable audible signal means can be incorporated in the apparatus.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Dryer apparatus for drying long hair comprising in combination:

a housing member;

suction-blower means operatively connected to said housing member, and having inlet and outlet portions;

said housing member including an elongated first manifold having a foraminous hair-receiving plate for receiving hair to be dried thereon;

said first manifold communicating with the inlet portion of said suction-blower means whereby hair laid thereon is drawn onto said hair receiving plate; and

an elongated second manifold displacably mounted on said housing member and including a flat, foraminous hair-engaging plate for juxtaposition over said first manifold and forming therewith a hair receiving chamber;

said second manifold communicating with the outlet portion of said suction-blower means whereby air is circulated between said manifolds when they are juxtaposed;

said first manifold, foraminous plate being disposed substantially vertically for receiving long hair as it depends from a person's head, said second manifold being hinged to said housing member and being substantially complimentary to said first manifold;

said manifolds including marginal longitudinal seals for confining the air in said chamber, said chamber forming an upper opening through which fresh air is introduced between the manifolds.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said first manifold is hinged to said housing on a horizontal pivot axis at an outer, lower portion of said second manifold.

3. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said housing member and second manifold includes a contoured stop track- and abutment for limiting the pivotal movement of said second manifold relative to said first manifold.

4. The structure as claimed in claim 1 including expansible conduit means connected between said second manifold and the outlet portion of said suction-blower means.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 1 including air-filter means, interposed between said first manifold and said inlet portion for catching loose hair and the like as hair is dried.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said first manifold includes a contoured upper edge portion for accomodating the nape of a user's neck.

7. The structure as claimed in claim 1 including heater means in said housing member intermediately of said suction-blower outlet and said second manifold for tempering the air passing therebetween.

8. The structure as claimed in claim 1 including head hood means communicating with and receiving a portion of air forced through said second manifold and including a foraminous head-manifold for drying the hair on a user's head.

9. The structure as claimed in claim 8 including extendable conduit means connecting said head-hood manifold to said second manifold.

10. The structure as claimed in claim 9 including an extensible retraction-spring assembly operatively connected to said extensible conduit means for facilitating adjustment of said extensible conduit means.

11. The structure as claimed in claim 8 including an inlet scoop depending into said second manifold and connected to said head-hood manifold, said inlet scoop having an opening directed towards the outlet portion of said suction-blower means.