Field of the invention

This invention relates to a hairdrier.

The invention

According to the invention, a hairdrier adapted for hand holding and having an air intake remotely situated from a nozzle through which in use a stream of air is ejected for drying the hair, includes means located between the air intake and the nozzle for deflecting a portion of the air taken in through the air intake laterally outwards in a direction transverse to the direction of the stream of air ejected by the nozzle.

The hairdrier in accordance with the invention is especially intended, in the case of use by a hairdresser or hairdresser's assistant to dry a client's hair, at the same time to release cooling air towards the face of the hairdresser or assistant to provide a cooling effect in the hot atmosphere of a hair salon.

Generally, in the case of a hairdrier having an elongate body adapted for axial through flow of air, being provided with the air intake at the rear end and the nozzle at the front end, and a handle projecting laterally from said body at or towards its rear end, the body will also be provided with a grille exposed to the through flow of air and for release of the cooling air at or adjacent the rear

end of the -body generally on the opposite side thereof from which the handle projects.

Preferably, just forwardly of the air release grille, the body includes an interior projection intruding into the path of the through flow air and for reflecting a portion of said air back rearwardly into the region of the body immediately inside the grille.

The grille preferably takes the form of an array of slots in the hairdrier body. In one arrangement, a plurality of rows of slots are provided, each slot extending longitudinally of the hairdrier body and the rows extending around a part of the circum erence of the body on the side thereof opposite to the handle.

Description of embodiment

A hairdrier in accordance with the invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the drier;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof; and

Figure 3 is a rear end view.

Referring to the drawings, a hairdrier has an elongate body 10 and a handle 12. The. body and handle are jointly formed in two parts connected together, as is conventional and indicated by the line of split 14.

The body has a rear end air intake 16 and a front end nozzle 18, whereby in use there is an axial through flow

of air through the body from air intake to nozzle, produced in conventional manner by a motor driven fan (not shown) .

Generally opposite the handle 12, the body 10 is provided with an air release grille in the form of an array of slots 20. These slots extend along substantially the entire length of the part of the composite body and handle to the rear of the split 14 and over a circumferential arc opposite to the position of the handle of about 70 - 90 degrees.

Just forwardly of the split 14, the body is formed with an internal flange 22 projecting into the path of the axial air flow. This flange, preferably of the same order of arcuate extent as the grille 20, reflects air entering at the intake 16 back rearwardly to the region of the interior of the body just inside the grille.

When the hairdrier is equipped with heating elements for heating the axial air flow prior to ejection through the nozzle 18, these will obviously be situated substantially forwardly towards the nozzle from the reflector 22, so as to ensure that substantially no heat is imparted to the portion of the air to be released through the grille 20.

The arrows 2k in Figure 3 give a general 'indication of the outflow of air through the grille 20 when the hairdrier is in use.

Assuming the drier to be used by a hairdresser for drying a client's hair in the conventional manner, the aforesaid outflow of air 24 from the grille is directed towards the face of the hairdresser to provide a cooling effect in the

hot atmosphere of the salon.

If desired, the hairdrier body may be provided with a manually displaceable slotted plate by movement of which the grille 20 can be closed, or possibly only partially opened.