U.S. patent number 3,868,495 [Application Number 05/421,112] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-25 for electric hair drying device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Firth Cleveland Limited. Invention is credited to Hugh E. T. Dyer.
United States Patent |
3,868,495 |
Dyer |
February 25, 1975 |
ELECTRIC HAIR DRYING DEVICE
Abstract
An electric hair dryer includes an elongated cylindrical casing
having an air inlet at one end and another air inlet intermediate
the two ends of the casing. An axial flow fan is located adjacent
each inlet, with the fans being of opposite hand so as to produce
opposed air flows within the casing. An air outlet is provided in
the peripheral wall of the casing between the fans and an electric
heating unit is provided in the casing between the fans and the
outlet whereby air is drawn into the casing by the fans through the
inlets, heated and ejected through the outlet. The casing may be in
the form of two semi-cylindrical shells joined along their
longitudinal edges. The axial flow fans and an electric driving
motor therefor are carried by one of the shells independently of
the other shell. The electric heating unit includes a frame
assembly having a disc with a diameter equal to the inner diameter
of the casing to separate the air flow of the first impeller from
the air flow of the second impeller.
Inventors: |
Dyer; Hugh E. T. (Dorset,
EN) |
Assignee: |
Firth Cleveland Limited
(London, EN)
|
Family
ID: |
10474890 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/421,112 |
Filed: |
December 3, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 2, 1972 [GB] |
|
|
55789/72 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
392/384; 34/97;
132/112; 165/122; 415/102 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05B
3/16 (20130101); A45D 20/10 (20130101); A45D
20/50 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45D
20/10 (20060101); A45D 20/00 (20060101); A45D
20/50 (20060101); H05B 3/16 (20060101); H05b
001/00 (); A45d 020/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;219/366-371,373,379,380
;34/96-101,243,97 ;415/98,101,102 ;165/122 ;132/112-116,118,9
;128/256,257 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bartis; A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Pennie & Edmonds
Claims
I claim:
1. A hair dryer comprising
an elongate hollow cylindrical casing including
a first substantially semi-cylindrical shell, and
a second substantially semi-cylindrical shell,
said casing defining a first air inlet at one end and a second air
inlet intermediate the length of the casing, and an air outlet in
the wall of one said shell intermediate the two inlets,
a motor mounted in the other said shell at a location between the
second inlet and that end of the casing remote from the first
inlet,
a first, axial flow, fan impeller mounted adjacent the first inlet,
said impeller including
blades of one hand,
a second, axial flow, fan impeller mounted adjacent the second
inlet said impeller including
blades of the opposite hand to those of the first impeller,
a shaft coupling the motor to the impellers, and
a heating unit disposed intermediate the impellers and
including
a frame assembly incorporating
a disc having a diameter equal to that of the interior of the
casing, and
heater elements mounted on the frame assembly.
2. In a blower device,
an elongate hollow casing comprising
a first substantially semi-cylindrical shell, and,
a second substantially semi-cylindrical shell,
said shells mating at their longitudinal edges,
a first fan impeller located adjacent one end of the casing and
carried by said first shell independently of said second shell,
a second fan impeller spaced axially of the casing from the first
fan impeller and carried by said one shell independently of said
second shell,
the first and second fan impellers being arranged to produce
opposed air flows within the casing,
said casing defining a first air inlet at one end, and
a second air inlet intermediate the length of the casing,
driving means for the impellers carried by said one shell
independently of said second shell, and
said casing having an outlet for air flows produced by said fan
impellers between the inlets.
Description
This invention relates to blower devices, for example hair
dryers.
According to the present invention there is provided in a blower
device, an elongate hollow casing, a first fan impeller located
adjacent one end of the casing, a second fan impeller spaced
axially of the casing from the first fan impeller, the first and
second impellers being arranged to produce opposed air flows within
the casing, and drive means for the impellers, said casing having
an outlet for the air flows produced by said fan impellers.
Further according to the present invention there is provided a hair
dryer comprising an elongate hollow cylindrical casing including a
first substantially semi-cylindrical shell and a second
substantially semi-cylindrical shell, said casing defining a first
air inlet at one end and a second air inlet intermediate the length
of the casing, and an air outlet in the wall of one said shell
intermediate the two inlets, a motor mounted in the other said
shell at a location between the second inlet and that end of the
casing remote from the first inlet, a first, axial flow, fan
impeller mounted adjacent the first inlet, said impeller including
blades of one hand, a second, axial flow, fan impeller mounted
adjacent the second inlet said impeller including blades of the
opposite hand to those of the first impeller, a shaft coupling the
motor to the impellers, and a heating unit disposed intermediate
the impellers and including a frame assembly incorporating a disc
having a diameter equal to that of the interior of the casing, and
heater elements mounted on the frame assembly.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with
reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a hair
dryer in accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of heating unit for
the hair dryer of FIG. 1.
Referring now to FIG. 1 the hair dryer comprises a cylindrical
hollow casing 10 arranged to be held in the hand and formed from
two semi-cylindrical shells 12, 14 which are arranged to mate at
longitudinal edges. An electric motor 16, switch 18, and terminal
block 20 are mounted in a lower (as shown) portion of the casing
10, a drive shaft 22 of the motor 16 extending upwardly from the
motor and lying on the longitudinal axis of the casing. An upper
(as shown) end portion of the shaft 22 is journalled in a
self-aligning bearing 24 carried by a projection 25 of the casing
10.
The upper end of the casing is open and forms a first air inlet 30.
A second, annular, air inlet 32 is formed in the casing immediately
above the motor 16. A first, axial flow, fan impeller 34 is mounted
on the drive shaft 22 just below the first inlet 30 and above the
bearing 24, and a second, axial flow, fan impeller 36 is mounted on
the drive shaft 22 just above the second inlet 32. The blades 38,
40 of the impellers 34, 36 are of opposite hand so that rotation of
the impellers causes air to be drawn into the casing through the
respective adjacent inlets 30, 32.
An air outlet 42 is formed in one semi-cylindrical shell 14 of the
casing in the portion thereof lying between the impellers. As
shown, the outlet is in the form of two rows of parallel slots 44,
the slots extending transversely to the casing axis. Preferably,
bristles 46 arranged in semi-annular rows are located between
adjacent slots in each row.
A heating unit 50 for heating the air prior to discharge from the
outlet 42 is mounted in the casing between the impellers 34, 36 and
comprises a frame assembly 52 carrying helical heating elements 54.
The heating elements 54 extend longitudinally of the casing and
each element 54 is supported at its end portions and its central
portion by transverse plate members 56. The plate members forming
parts of the frame assembly also serve to direct the air flow
within the casing towards the outlet 42. Preferably, the central
plate member 56 is in the form of a disc having a diameter equal to
the internal diameter of the casing in order substantially to
isolate the air flows of the two impellers.
In a modified form of heating unit as shown in FIG. 2, heating
elements 60 are helically wound on longitudinal support strips 62
which are carried by a single plate member 64, preferably, this
plate member 64 is in the form of a disc which acts substantially
to isolate the air flows of the two impellers.
As shown, the motor 16, switch 18, terminal block 20, and the
projection carrying the self-aligning bearing 24 are mounted within
one semi-cylindrical shell 12 of the casing, and the outlet 42 is
formed in the other shell 14.
The operation of the hair dryer is largely self-explanatory, air
being drawn in by the opposite-handed impellers 34, 36 through
respective inlets 30, 32, heated by the elements 54 or 60 and
delivered through the outlet 42.
The features of the hereinbefore described hair dryer ensure a
better air flow distribution through the outlet 42 because of the
use of two impellers, and the bristles 46, although optional ensure
that the hair being dried is constantly re-distributed and is thus
all subjected to the action of the hot air. The disposition of a
fan impeller 34 and one air inlet 30 adjacent the motor 16 will aid
in cooling the motor, and indeed to some degree air passing through
impeller 34 will be pre-heated. At the same time the handle (lower)
portion of the casing will be cooled and thus more comfortable to
hold.
The arrangement of the casing in two semi-cylindrical shells
considerably simplifies assembly and the arrangement of all the
working parts in one shell aids in the detection of any faults.
* * * * *