FR2482432A1 - HAIR DRYER - Google Patents

Abstract

THE HAIRDRYER ACCORDING TO THE PRESENT INVENTION INCLUDES A WIRE SLEEVE 27 WHICH PIVOTS INSIDE THE HOUSING 1 OF THE HAIRDRYER AROUND AN AXIS 29 AND WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ACTUATE A LINK OR TRANSMISSION ELEMENT 5B SWITCH 5 POWERING THE HEATING MEDIUM 22 AS WELL AS THE HAIRDRYER MOTOR 3, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH AS, WHEN WINDING THE HAIRDRYER'S POWER CORD 6 IN THE OUTSIDE PERIPHERAL GROOVE OR THROAT 7 THE DEVICE HEATING CAN NEVER BE SWITCHED ON BEFORE THE CORD IS COMPLETELY DEPLOYED. THEREFORE AVOIDING DAMAGE TO THE CORD WHILE THE LAYOUT OF THE ELEMENTS ENABLES THE COMPACTNESS OF THE HAIRDRYER TO BE INCREASED.

Description

Hair dryer.

The present invention relates to hair dryers and relates more particularly to a hair dryer of compact structure suitable for transport. It is conventional for hair dryers in general to have a characteristic configuration such as that shown in FIG. 8, as mentioned and described for example in US Pat. No. 3,889,693, and in this configuration, a body main DE cylindrical or disc-shaped containing an air blowing means comprising a motor and a fan has two projecting parts so as to have substantially the shape of an L, one of its parts constituting a handle G containing, on the one hand, a switch to which is connected an electric power supply cord C penetrating, at one of its ends, into part G and, on the other hand, a switch actuation button SB leaving the part Giet the second of these parts constituting a duct D for blowing an air flow by the blowing means through an electric heating means. In the present case, the overall configuration is not compact and, moreover, the cord must be wound around itself when the hair dryer is not in use, which further increases the volume of the hair dryer when it is storage and makes it inconvenient to carry for example when traveling. In addition, if the cord is wound on the main body and on the duct part, the switch operating button has no provision for

  be locked in its OPEN position so that this inter-

breaker may be opened by mistake and the cord damaged by the very hot air expelled. On the other hand, we have suggested a hair dryer with a compact shape having a groove or groove

external device intended to accommodate the power cord

  tation rolled up in this groove when the hair dryer is not used but, in this case too, no provision is

  designed to prevent inadvertent actuation of the inter-

  breaker while the cord is wound and, moreover, the wound cord can easily escape from the groove and no attempt has been made to improve the ease and stability with

  which the user can grasp and hold the hair dryer.

  The present invention proposes to eliminate the defects of

conventional hair dryers as described above.

  A main object of the present invention is therefore to provide a hair dryer of compact structure which makes it possible to easily store the power cord for the purpose of

storage and transport of the hair dryer.

Another object of the present invention is to pro-

lo cure a hair dryer with an extremely practical power cord winding means to accommodate the cord when the hair dryer is not in use and whose complete structure is however easy and stable to maintain

when we use it.

  Another object of the present invention is to pro-

  to cure a hair dryer that is compact while being safe

since one cannot mistakenly manipulate the inter-

  breaker thanks to the winding of the power cord on the hair dryer. Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact hair dryer having a safe structure suitable for preventing any incorrect operation of the switch due to the winding of the power cord on the hair dryer, the electrical connection between the cord and the switch

  that can be done easily.

  Other objects and advantages of the present invention

  will appear clearly in the description given below

  with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dryer

hair according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the hair dryer shown in Figure 1, one of the side walls forming the housing wall having been removed and some parts being shown in section; Figure 3 is a sectional view through III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the hair dryer of Figure 1 in its state o the components of the shoemaker have been disassembled; Figure 5 is a perspective view in the disassembled state of a switch, a power cord connector, a wire pagse sleeve, a switch operation button, a means movement transmission and one of the wall plates of a housing on which the button is mounted in the hair dryer of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a part view showing the

  relationship between the raised position of the sleeve

wire and the CLOSED position of the switch and of the movement transmission means against which the sleeve bears

  grommet in one embodiment of the hair dryer shown

felt in Figure 1; Figure 7 is an electrical circuit diagram of the hair dryer of Figure 1; and

  Figure 8 is a perspective view of a dryer

classic hair.

  The structure of the hair dryer according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. With regard to its outline, the hair dryer has a body of flat shape, practical to wear. In the present case, the flat body has a substantially U-shaped outline and generally comprises a housing 1 forming the body, an air blowing means comprising a fan 2 and a motor 3 housed in the housing 1, a heating means 4 comprising an electrical resistance, a switch 5 opening and closing an electrical circuit leading to both the blowing means and the heating means and a cord

  6 electric power supply connected to this switch.

  The housing 1 is formed by two split side plates 1a and 1b mounted in a substantially parallel manner and having substantially the same shape as each other and, in this case, peripheral wall elements 1a and 1b 'rising on the respective side plates forming a wall la, lb along a line parallel to the outer peripheral edge and recessed inward with respect to this edge, form an outer peripheral opening 7. The two side plates 1a, 1b have circular bosses 8 and 9 in

  parts opposite one another at the center of the rear part

rounded U-shaped profile, and an annular air inlet orifice 10 is formed along the peripheral edge of the respective circular bosses 8 and 9. A cylindrical portion 11 of relatively small diameter intended to receive the engine and rising in the interior space of the housing is integral with the interior surface of the boss 9 of the side plate 1b. The mutually assembled side plates 1a and 1b are coupled by means of a metal plate 12 having a cross section substantially in the shape of a U and having a certain elasticity; two projections 13 are provided in the part corresponding to the lower surface of the U-shaped plate 12 and, in the present case, these projections 13 are introduced into a pair of slots 14 provided in corresponding positions of the curved part of the walls peripherals 1a and 1b while the two final branch portions 15 of the plate 12 bear elastically against the internal surfaces of flanges 16 protruding slightly in the external peripheral groove 7 along the external peripheral edges of the side plates, so as to couple firmly the two side plates forming the wall. The presence of the flanges 16 slightly widens the outer peripheral edges of the housing 1, whereby the cord 6 wound in the groove 7 cannot easily escape from this groove and, moreover, the user can easily grasp with his fingers the shoemaker 1. On the other hand, the rectilinear part of the peripheral walls 1a and 1b 'opposite, on the axis of the U-shaped profile, to the curved part on which the fixing plate 12 is mounted is presented

  sensibleaent in the form of an L-element with L-shaped profile

both in its lateral end part forming the long leg of the L, an air blowing orifice 17 through which the internal space delimited by the peripheral walls la 'and lb' communicates with the outside while the part of end of the element lc7 located on the side where the air blowing orifice is located, is in the form of an assembly part 17a which assembles and maintains associated the end edges of the peripheral walls the 'and lb' respectively. The mounting part 17a of these L-shaped peripheral wall elements lc bears against the end edge of the peripheral wall and is fixed to the housing by means of a screw 18 passing through the element lc substantially in its middle part. and screwing into a nut 18b contained in a nut housing projecting from the two side plates la and lb so as to couple these two plates

to each other.

  In the present embodiment, the air blowing orifice 17 is formed eccentrically on one of the sides of the axis passing through the center of the curved part of the U-shaped housing, one end of the curved part located on the

same eccentric side of the peripheral walls la 'and lb' extend

  directly towards the assembly part 17a of the element lc but the other lateral end of the curved part is extended so as to form an arc to substantially reach the axis in order to present a shape substantially in Jet the part of lateral end constituting the shortest branch of the rectilinear element lc in the shape of L ends in

  so as to delimit an opening 7a between the part of ex-

end and a curved portion of the J-shaped peripheral wall to communicate the interior space of the housing, located on the side thereof which is opposite the orifice 17 for blowing air relative to the outside with

  through the outer peripheral groove 7.

  In the peripheral body of the engine receiving part 11, on one of the side plates, namely the plate 1b, of the housing, as can be seen in FIG. 2, two grooves 19 are formed, and a pair of plates or strips conductive 20, extending from a printed circuit board 4a of the heating means 4 mounted on the inner surface of the side plate 1b inside the air blowing orifice 1i, are arranged along the surface inside of the side plate to opposite positions in the direction of the diameter of the circular boss 9 in the receptor receiving part 11, this through the respective grooves l9, and the respective conductive plates 20 are elastic at the end separated from the interior surface. Engine 3 has two. terminals 21 diametrically opposite one another on the side facing the bottom of the motor receiving part 11, and these motor terminals 21 are respectively connected elastically to the ends of the conductive strips 20 (see FIG. 3) in the positions where they are introduced and fixed inside the receiving part 11 using an appropriate elastic mounting means. As the fan 2 of the blowing means, in the present case, a fan of the so-called "sirocco" type is used, and this fan is mounted, in its central part, on a shaft 3a of the motor so that the fan 2 is arranged around of the motor receiving part 11 and that it is surrounded by the curved part of the peripheral walls

the "and lb '.

The heating means 4 comprises a thin heating wire 22 which alternately extends from one side to the other between a pair of support plates 4a through numerous small holes 4b formed in these plates and is arranged in the path of the air current between the fan 2 and the air blowing orifice 17 so that the air current generated by the rotation of the fan 2 sweeps the heating wire 22 thus disposed and, when a electric current passes through this wire , the air stream is heated by the heat generated in the wire 22 and leaves the orifice 17 in the form of a very hot air stream but, when no electric current crosses the wire 22, the current d air is blown in the form of a cold air stream. One of the wings of a substantially U-shaped metal cover 4c mounted on the support plates 4a and shown in section below the heating wire 22 in FIG. 2 is arranged, in the present case, so as to extend between, on the one hand, the terminal edge of the curved part of the peripheral wall, substantially on the axis of the housing 1, and, on the other hand, the rectilinear peripheral wall element lc and this wing delimits the path of the air flow but the curved portion of the peripheral wall can replace, if extended, said wing of the cover. However, for thermal insulation reasons, it is preferable to delimit the path of the air flow with a cover

heating formed by an insulating metal plate.

  A sliding type switch 5 is used in

  the present case to open and close a circuit supplying in -

  electric current from both the heating wire 22 and the motor 3 or only the motor 3 via the wiring of the printed circuit board 4a, this switch being fixed to the side plate lb of the housing in a space delimited by the air flow path, the wall element

  rectilinear lc and the curved part of the peripheral wall.

  The operating lever Sa of the switch is arranged so that it is directed towards the other side plate 1a so that it can be actuated from the outside of the housing using an operating button 5-c mounted slidingly through a corresponding part of the side plate 1a. As can be seen in Figures 3 and 4, the operating button c is coupled to a switch cam 5b disposed on the inner surface of the side plate la; two hooks 24 of the operating button 5c extending in the housing through a hole 23 formed in the side plate la. are engaged with the other surface of the cam 5b through a hole 25 made in this cam; and two branches 32 provided on the other surface of the cam 5b support the operating lever Sa,

  on its front and rear sides in its sliding direction

sement. The switch lever Sa is actuated by the operating button 5c slidably mounted on the plate.

lateral la.

  The power cord 6 comprising a male plug

  26 connected at its free end is connected to its other end

  mite to the switch 5 which is itself connected to the heating and air blowing means. It is preferable that the cord 6 is first introduced through the body of a flexible tubular and flexible sensing sleeve and is connected at its end having passed through the sleeve to a connector 28 comprising a pair of exposed connection terminals. in opposite directions and to which the two wires of the cord are connected by being coated in one piece with said terminals by an insulating synthetic resin during molding. The terminals of the switch 5 located on the side of the current source are connected to a pair of current arrival plates 5d mounted relative to the side plate

248è432

  lb in the direction of the other side plate 1a on the support plate 4a and the connector-connector 28 connection terminals thus connected to the cord 6 are introduced elastically

  between these current arrival plates 5d so as to ef-

  make the electrical connection. The sleeve 27 is arranged so as to pass through the opening 7a of the peripheral groove 7 of the housing and a hinge pin 29, which is provided so as to project from the sleeve 27 in the direction of the two interior surfaces of the side plates 1a and lb at the end part on the side of the connector 28 and which is placed inside the housing, is supported by a support element 29a provided at a corresponding position on the inner surface of the side plate, so that the sleeve with the cord can pivot about the axis 29. The sleeve 27 is further provided with a stop arm 30 projecting inwardly from the

  bolier, from the lateral pivot end surface.

  On the other hand, the switch cam 5b of the operating button c cooperating with the switch operating lever 5a, comprises an arm 31 extending in the direction of the pivoting end of the sleeve substantially perpendicular to the to the directions of movement between the CLOSED and OPEN positions of the lever 5a so that, when the sleeve 27 has pivoted to a lying position o the body of the sleeve 27 with the cord rests against the curved part of the peripheral wall of the housing, in the OPEN position of the switch operating lever 5a, the stop arm 30 of the sleeve abuts, on its extended lateral surface, against a lateral surface (located on the OPEN position side) of the arm 31 of the switch cam 5b so as to block it, whereby the rotation of the sleeve 27 itself is avoided, particularly when the cord 6 is wound on the housing 1 inside the outer peripheral groove 7 and, at the same time, the if the movement of the switch cam 5 and of the switch operating lever 5a

  towards the CLOSED position thanks to the stop arm 30 of the sleeve 27.

  The electric circuit of this hair dryer is shown in Figure 7 o "P" designates the male plug 26 of the power cord 6, "S" designates the switch 5 of a three-position type, namely: a "OPEN" position, a "COLD" position in which the electric current is applied only to motor 3 to blow cold air and a "HOT" position in which current is applied to motor 3 and the heater 4 to blow very hot air, "Th" designates the temperature control thermostat connected between the heater 4 and

  switch 5, "Di" designates a rectifier. interlayer.

between motor 3 and switch 5, "M" denotes motor 3, R11R 'denotes a voltage division resistor and

  "R 2" designates the heating device 4.

  We will now describe the operation of the dryer.

  hair of this embodiment. First of all, the cord 6 is wound up wound in the outer peripheral groove 7 of the housing 1 so that the sleeve 27 can pivot and the plug 26 is plugged into an electrical outlet. If the user then slides the switch operating button 5c to the "CLOSED" position ("COLD" or "HOT" position) of the switch, the sleeve 27 and its stop arm 30 is pushed and driven in rotation by the arm 31 of the switch cam 5b and the state of FIG. 6 is obtained showing the switch and the sleeve in a

  first "CLOSED" position corresponding to the "COLD" position.

It will be understood that while the sleeve 27 is not stressed by any elastic means towards the lying position, the unwinding of the cord 6 allows the sleeve 27 to pivot or causes it to pivot so that its arm 30 is released from the arm 31 of the switch cam and the switch cam 5b can slide. In this pivoted state, the stop arm 30 of the sleeve 27 bears at its end against the end surface of the arm 31 of the switch cam 5b and the sleeve 27 separates from the curved part of the peripheral wall of the housing 1 so as to be in a raised position o it crosses the outer peripheral groove a5 7. Consequently, the sleeve 27 is prevented by the pi switch cam arm 31; move back towards the lying position from this raised position. The end surface of the arm 31 of the switch cam 5b has a length sufficient to be in contact with the end of the stop arm 30 of the sleeve even when the switch cam 5b and the lever a operate d 'switch have been moved further to the HOT position so that whatever the CLOSED position of the switch, the sleeve 27 is held in the raised position. In the "CLOSED" state of the switch, the cord 6 therefore does not wind directly against the peripheral wall of the housing 1 since, even if we try to wind the cord by mistake, it protrudes from the outer peripheral groove 7 together with the sleeve 27 and the user can easily notice that, in this state, the cord does not have to be wound. For this to be more positive, it is preferable that the sleeve 27 has a length sufficient to project from the peripheral edge of the housing 1 out of the peripheral groove

  outside 7 when it is in the raised position.

If one pushes then the button 5c of operation of inter-

  switch to the -OPEN position - after the hair dryer has been used, the arm 31 and the switch cam 5b separate or slide along the end of the stop arm 30 of the sleeve 27 which was in contact with the end of the arm 31 and with the game switch 5b and the operating lever 5a is moved to the OPEN position shown in Figure 2. In this regard, it is preferable that the parts other than the arm d 'stop 30 of the pivoting end of the sleeve 27 are designed so as not to come into contact with the arm 31 of the cam. When the switch 6 has thus been brought to the OPEN position, the sleeve 27 is released, at the end of its stop arm 30, from its engagement with the end of the arm 31 of the cam 5b of the switch, the stop arm 30 of the sleeve 27 can come towards the cam arm 31 on the CLOSING direction side thereof, whereby the sleeve 27 can pivot in the direction where it rests against the curved part of the peripheral wall of

housing 1. Therefore, in the OPEN position of the inter-

  breaker, the sleeve 27 can pivot to its position

  lying down, the cord 6 can be wound directly easy-

  ment on the peripheral wall inside the groove it external peripheral 7 of the housing, the stop arm 30 of the sleeve 27 and the arm 31 of the cam 5b of the switch bear against each other at their side edges, as can be seen in Figure 2, and closing the switch, in this state, is impossible. Although the relationship illustrated between, on the one hand, the arrangement of the switch 5, especially with regard to the directions of movement between the CLOSED and OPEN positions of the switch operating lever 5a and, on the other hand, the provisions of the articulation axis

  29 and the stop arm 30 of the sleeve 27 is most advanced

  tagger for efficient use of the internal space of the housing, the compactness of the complete hairdryer and easy winding of the cord, but the elements can be combined with each other in any other mutual arrangement and the switch itself is not limited to the sliding operation type illustrated. In any case, the switch and the sleeve are arranged close to each other and the means for controlling the CLOSING and OPENING operations of the switch to the rotation of the sleeve is made so as to allow the sleeve to turn to the lying position only when the switch is in the OPEN position and to keep the sleeve in the raised position when the switch is in the CLOSED position. To this end, it is necessary to reach, between the stop arm 30 of the sleeve 27 and the switch operating lever 5a, a relationship in which the stop arm of the sleeve in the lying position prevents the lever 5a switch operation in its OPEN position, to move to the CLOSED position According to the present invention, the compact hair dryer in which the power cord can be wound on the periphery of the body as described above Above, has the advantage that when the power cord is wound in the outer peripheral groove or groove of the housing, the switch cannot go to the CLOSED state and that, when the switch is in the state CLOSED, the cord cannot be wound normally in the peripheral groove

  external, thanks to which one can effectively avoid the damage-

magement of the cord by an incorrect operation of the switch and an accidental short-circuit due to this damage. In addition, because the switch, the grommet sleeve of the power cord, the means of electrical connection between

the switch and the cord and the connecting means function-

between the switch and the sleeve are efficiently arranged inside the space other than that

  occupied by the air supply means and the heating means

  air flow in the interior space between two flat side plates, the compactness of the hairdryer of the type mentioned is not affected. The electrical connection means and the functional connection means or motion transmission means can be brought into their connection and motion transmission positions respectively by

  the sleeve and they can be assembled easily and economically

  nomically. As the connection of the motor with the current supply means can be obtained simultaneously during the motor mounting operation, no soldering is necessary for the assembly, the thickness of the hair dryer can be less than an amount corresponding to the space required for welding and the thickness of the conductive wires

and the compactness of the hair dryer can be further improved.

It is understood that the above description has not

has been given purely by way of non-limiting illustration and that variants or modifications may be made therein

  made in the context of the present invention.

Claims (9)

1. Hair dryer in which an air flow, originating from an air blowing means rented in the interior space of a housing which further comprises an outer peripheral groove or groove delimited by a peripheral wall disposed set back parallel to the peripheral edges of two side plates arranged parallel opposite one another, is expelled through an air blowing orifice provided in said peripheral wall while being heated as required by a heating means, and a power cord connected to one end of   its conducting wires to said blowing and heating means air circulation by a switch actuated externally by means of an operating means so as to be moved for CLOSING and OPENING operation of switches can be wound on said peripheral wall inside said outer peripheral groove of said housing, the aforementioned hair dryer being characterized in that it comprises a sleeve which is pivotally mounted at one of its ends between said respective side plates of the housing so as to be able to pivot at its other end supporting said cord which passes through it between a lying position, X it bears against the peripheral wall of the housing and a raised position relative to the peripheral wall and which has a projection at said pivoting end, and a means of functional connection or transmission of movement engaged inside the case with said means   switch operation so as to cooperate with the-   said CLOSING and OPENING trips of said inter-   breaker and with said projection of said sleeve so as to ensure a mutual connection between the movements of CLOSING and OPENING of the switch operating means and said pivoting of the sleeve, the arrangement being such that, when the switch is in the OPEN position, said connecting means is in contact with the protrusion of the sleeve t: incubating in said lying position in which the cord is wound on the peripheral wall of the ra.iieere housing thus preventing the switch operating means and the connecting means to move in the direction of the CLOSED position and that, when the sleeve is in the raised position, said prevention of movement   to the CLOSED position is neutralized. 2. Hair dryer according to claim 1, charac-   terrified by the fact that said neutralization of said prevention of movement towards the CLOSED position is obtained by a sliding engagement of said projection of said sleeve with said connecting means and by the fact that said sliding engagement prevents the sleeve from pivoting backwards from   said raised position to said lying position. 3. Hair dryer according to claim 1, charac-   merited by the fact that said housing has a substantially U-shaped shape comprising a curved part in which is housed said air blowing means and a linear part in which is housed said heating means, the switch and the sleeve, and is formed- an air blowing orifice, said sleeve in said lying position resting against said wall   peripheral of the boot maker at the location of said curved part. 4. Hair dryer according to claim 1, charac- terrified by the fact that said side plates of said housing respectively have a flange protruding in said outer peripheral groove and that these flanges are arranged one opposite the other along the edge external device.   5. Hair dryer according to claim 1, charac-   terrified by the fact that said sleeve has a length allowing it to project at least partially from the peripheral edge of said side plates through said outer peripheral groove of said housing in said raised position. 6. Hair dryer according to claim 3, charac-   terrified by the fact that said peripheral wall of said housing has a substantially U-shaped shape similar to the housing and comprises   a curved part, parallel parts extending spec-   tively from each end of said curved part parallel to the axis of said U-shape and a transverse part to said axis and connecting said parallel parts to their extended ends, said air blowing orifice being formed in said transverse part of the peripheral wall on one side of the part with respect to said axis, and one of the parallel parts of the peripheral wall on the other side of said axis with respect to the air blowing orifice is open in a corresponding portion, this in a measurement allowing said sleeve to pivot between its above-mentioned lying position and its position mentioned above.   7. Hair dryer according to claim 1, charac- terrified by the fact that said connection means is provided, inside said housing, with a first arm coupled to said switch operating and actuating means which passes through one of the side plates of said housing at a position opposite to said switch and which is engaged with a sliding actuating operating lever of the switch and   with a second arm engaging said projection of said sleeve. 8. Hair dryer according to claim 7, charac-   terified by the fact that said second arm of said means of   bond extends in a direction cutting sensi-   perpendicularly the directions of sliding of said switch operating lever and that said projection of said sleeve cuts perpendicularly said directions of sliding of the switch operating lever in said lying position of the sleeve to obtain said engagement preventing movement of the connecting means and lever   switch operation but cuts the directions diagonally   sliding positions of the operating levers in said raised position in order to slidably engage the extended end surface of said second arm of the connecting means   to prevent said rotation of the sleeve.   9. Hair dryer according to claim 1, charac-   terrified by the fact that said switch comprises terminals situated on the current source side and connected to two elastic current supply plates mounted respectively opposite one another on the internal surface of one of said side plates of said shoemaker, two of the aforementioned conducting wires of said cord are supported at one of their ends by a connector formed of an insulating material and supporting two connection terminals directed respectively in opposite directions and are connected respectively to said connection terminals, and said connector is interposed between the two aforementioned current supply plates in a pivoting mounting direction of said sleeve relative to the interior surface of said side plate so as to connect the connection terminals to said current supply plates   thus effecting a connection between the cord and the inter- breaker.