A HAIRDRESSING DEVICE FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for use in hairdressing and more particularly to a combing device preferably but not exclusively for use with a hair dryer. PRIOR ART

It is common practice to use a hair dryer in conjunction with a comb or brush. The brush or comb is held in one hand and the hair dryer is operated with the other hand. The problem with this means of drying or shaping hair is that it is difficult to get the blast of hot hair to the roots of the hair to complete the drying action. Thus, there is a danger that the hot air blows about the surface of the hair causing rapid drying of the outer end of each strand whilst failing to effectively dry the strand at the root. There are also situations where it is desirable to have a free hand and there are already on the market hair dryers that embrace a brush or comb that is attached to the dryer adjacent the air outlet so that a single hand can be used to both dry, comb/brush the hair.

However, these devices suffer from a problem that the brush and/or comb does not assist in directing the hot air and thus fuzziness at the outer ends and excessive dampness of the roots is still a prevalent drawback to this type of equipmen .

There is also a problem in ensuring that when using conditioners, gels or other lotions commonly used in hairdressing, that these lotions get to the root of each strand of hair. Application by hand and then use of a comb or brush can ensure thorough dispersion of the lotion but it is a time consuming exercise.

Conventional hair dryers aim to direct large volumes of hot air at or around the hair and scalp thereby consuming large quantities of electrical power. Consequently, the power requirements of conventional hair dryers have rendered the design of cordless or battery operated hair dryers impractical.

It is these problems that have brought about the present invention. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a combing device comprising a hollow shank with a plurality of hollow teeth extending laterally therefrom whereby fluid can flow through the shank and out of the teeth.

Preferably, each tooth is axially rotatable and has an outer surface with a plurality of perforations allowing fluid flow. The device may be attachable to a hair dryer whereby hot air can be blown through the shank and out of the perforations of the teeth. In a further embodiment, the device may be attached to a source of hairdressing lotion that can be pumped under pressure through the hollow shank and released via the teeth.

According to the present invention, there is further provided a cordless hair dryer comprising a housing carrying electrical power source coupled to an electrical heating element and an electrical fan, and a combing element comprising a hollow shank with a plurality of hollow teeth extending laterally therefrom whereby in use the fan causes a current of hot air to flow along the shank and out of the teeth. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hair dryer incorporating a combing device of one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view through one teeth of the device shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of a cordless hair dryer.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of one tooth shown in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the hair dryer, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of another form of combing device. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figures 1 and 2 illustrates a combing device 10 that comprises a hollow cylindrical shank 11 with a plurality of radially extending longitudinally spaced teeth 12. The teeth 12 are in fluid communication with the interior of the hollow shank 11. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the combing device 10 forms part of an electric hair dryer 20 having a pistol grip 21, an on/off switch 22 and an electrical cable 23.

The design of each tooth 12 is shown in more detail with reference to Figure 2. The tooth 12 is moulded in plastics to have a closed smoothly curved end 30, an axially extending throughway 31 that terminates in a flanged end coupling 32 in the form of a pair of spaced discs 33, 34 with an annular gap 35 therebetween around which locates the adjacent wall 36 of the body of the shank 11 of the hair dryer 20. The flanged location 32 of the end of the tooth 12 on the body of the hair dryer is such that the tooth is a free running fit against the body of the hair dryer so that it is free to axially rotate. Although not shown in the drawing, it is understood that a variety of means may be used to attach each tooth to the body of the hair dryer whilst at the same time allowing axial rotation. It is further understood that these means could include suitable bearings or bearing surfaces to ensure a smooth free running fit. The tooth 12 is of circular cross section and its wall is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed slots 40 and 41 adjacent the closed end 30 and a pair of smaller slots 42, 43 or apertures further up the length of the tooth 12. The slots 40, 41 and apertures 42, 43 are designed to allow smooth distribution of air that is blown by the fan of the hair dryer through the shank 11 and down the throughway 31 of each tooth.

The rear of the hollow shank is provided with an air inlet grille 25 and it is understood, though not shown, that the hollow shank 11 would include an electrical heating element and a fan that have the effect of drawing air into the spigot through the grille 25 and forcing the air out of the assembly through the slots 40, 41 and apertures 42, 43 in the teeth 12. It is understood that the combing device 10 may be designed so that it can be

attached to an existing hair dryer or as shown in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the combing device may be in the form of a hair dryer 20. The teeth act as do the teeth of a comb and are thus, similarly spaced and may be of slightly tapering cross-section. However, the important aspect of these teeth is that they are hollow and they operate to disperse the hot air from the hair dryer. The hair dryer can thus be used both as a dryer and a comb in the one hand with the hot air being dissipated to the roots of each strand of hair. This feature ensures a much more even and precise drying operation than would be the case with a conventional hair dryer and a hand held conventional brush or comb.

Figures 3 to 5 illustrate a cordless hair dryer 110 that forms a second embodiment of the invention. The cordless hair dryer 110 is, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, of substantially elongate cylindrical configuration having a cylindrical handheld gripping portion 121 that merges into a head portion 122 that includes an elongate hollow shank 111 which acts as an airway and communicates with a series of equally spaced laterally extending teeth 112. The teeth are arranged to be a snap fit into a base structure 125 so that they are individually axially rotatable. The teeth are arranged spaced apart in a single row. The body of the hair dryer includes an electrically operated fan 130 at one end which is in communication with an airway 132 which contains an electrically operated heating element 133 to exit into the hollow shank 111. A sliding switch 138 is positioned on the upper portion of the outer casing and the switch controls operation of both the fan 130 and the •heating element 133.

The underside of the hair dryer is provided with a substantially rectangular cut out 140 into which is arranged to be located a power pack 141 of rectangular configuration. A suitable spring loaded electrical

connector 142 with electrical connections 143 and 144 are positioned at one end of the cut-out 140 to ensure electrical interconnection between the power pack 141 and the" electrical circuitry of the hair dryer. As shown in Figure 5, the power pack 141 is arranged to contain either a series of replaceable dry cell batteries providing a voltage output of approximately 7.5 volts or six SUB C rechargeable nickel cadmium batteries that provide a voltage output of 7.2 volts. The power pack with the nickel cadmium batteries is arranged to be rechargeable by fitting it into a charging unit (not shown) which is arranged to carry two power packs and to be charged through a conventional source of mains electricity.

In an option illustrated in Figure 5, it is further understood that the power pack 141 may also be in the form of a step-down transformer allowing direct connection to the mains electricity through a lead 146 or alternatively connection to a vehicle 12 volt power source such as that offered through the cigarette lighter of a vehicle. The power pack in this case would step-down the voltage from 12 volts to approximately 7.2 volts. With this design of power pack, the hair dryer could be used in a conventional corded mode or in a battery operated or a rechargeable cordless mode as well as powered by a vehicle power source.

In a further embodiment not illustrated in the drawings the power pack can be arranged as an annular collar which would contain either dry cell batteries or rechargeable batteries. This collar would be a sliding fit onto the handle of the hair dryer to a position where electrical contact is made. It is understood that a number .of other shapes and sizes of suitable power packs are envisaged by this invention in its broadest aspect.

The teeth 112 of the hair dryer are shown in more detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Each tooth comprises an elongate cylindrical body closed at the other

end 151 and the inner end 152. The inner end 152 of each tooth is provided with an outwardly extending spigot 153 which terminates in a bulbous end portion 154. The bulbous end portion is arranged to be a snap fit into a suitably profiled recess 155 provided in the base structure 125 of the hair dryer. The snap fit of each tooth as a ball and socket joint into the base structure of the hair dryer not only allows simple removability of the teeth for cleaning purposes but allows each tooth to be axially rotatable. The shank portion of each tooth is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed elongate slots 156 at the inner end which act as air inlet apertures and a pair of diametrically opposed elongate slots 157 at the other end acting as exit passageways. As shown in Figure 3, air flows through the hollow shank 111 to enter the teeth 112 via the inlet slots 156 to exit the teeth towards the closed end via the exit slots 157. The teeth are constructed of rigid metal or plastics and the spacing of the teeth is arranged so that the teeth can operate in the same manner as a comb.

It is understood that the precise design, location and inclination of the slots and apertures in the teeth would vary depending on the end use of the product. A number of modifications are envisaged such as angling the slots and apertures to ensure that the air leaves each tooth in an upward direction to reduce the danger of burning the scalp. It is further understood that although in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 a single row of teeth is illustrated, a number of other variations may be incorporated into the hair dryer such as the provision of a plurality rows of teeth. Furthermore, whilst the teeth shown in Figures 1 and 3 are comparatively rigid it is understood that the teeth may be designed to have inherent flexibility to allow the teeth to flex and rotate as they

are drawn through the hair. The axial rotatability of the teeth ensures a more even and thorough distribution of air during the drying operation. Furthermore, since the teeth can rotate as the hair dryer is drawn through the hair, there is less likelihood of knotting or catching of the teeth on the hair and thus contributing to a smoother and more efficient combing operation. The thorough and even distribution of air to both the roots and free ends of hair allows the power output of the hair dryer to be substantially reduced thus making the hair dryer more suitable for use in a cordless hair dryer which operates on batteries both of the dry cell or rechargeable type. The fact that the hot air can be directed along the whole length of each strand of hair does away with the necessity for having a very strong blast of hot air and also reduces the likelihood of burning of the scalp which can be a problem when one person is using a hair dryer on another perso .

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, a forming comb 60 is illustrated which comprises a cylindrical shank 61 with a plurality of radially extending tentacles/teeth 62 projecting outwardly around an elongate surface of the shank 61. The tentacles 62 are spaced in rows so that there are tentacles spaced all round the outer surface of the shank. In this embodiment, each tentacle 62 has diametrically opposed elongate slots 64 in its cylindrical wall. Each tooth/tentacle is axially rotatable in the same manner as the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5. This combing device can be moved longitudinally through the hair or axially rotated to form waves and curls in the hair. The flexible tentacles 62 ensure that a small current of hot air is directed towards the root of each strand of hair thus, providing a much more efficient and effective means of simultaneously drying and forming the hair.

In a further embodiment not illustrated in the drawings, it is understood that the combing device may be attached to a source of hairdressing lotion such as conditioner or gel. The source of lotion would include means to force the lotion into the shank so that it oozes out of the holes in the teeth. Use of this device allows thorough penetration of the lotion throughout the hair as the device combs the hair and ensures that the lotion reaches the roots of each strand of hair.

In a further embodiment not shown in the drawings, the device can be incorporated within a conventional diffuser which is in the form of a bell-shaped cowling on the outlet of the hair dryer. The cowl would include a plurality of radially extending teeth of the kind described above to again ensure that as the device is used as a comb, the hot air is dissipated directly to the roots of each strand of hair via the exit apertures in the teeth.

It is further understood that although in the preferred embodiment all the hot air is directed through the hollow teeth, it is understood that the dryer could be designed so that only a proportion of the hot air is directed through the teeth and that the remaining air leaves the hair dryer through more conventional outlet ducts.