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CN-121985893-A - Hair care appliance

CN121985893ACN 121985893 ACN121985893 ACN 121985893ACN-121985893-A

Abstract

The hair care appliance (100) has an airflow generator (110) for directing air along an airflow path (124). The appliance (100) also has a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) module (112) having a first side (114) for absorbing heat and a second side (116) for emitting heat. The first side (114) is in thermal communication with the airflow passage (124) for absorbing heat from air in the airflow passage (124). A hair care appliance (200) is also provided having an air flow path (124) with a first branch (126) and a second branch (128). The heater (120) is in thermal communication with the second branch (128). The controller (120) is configured to switch the steering mechanism (134) between a first configuration for directing air along the first branch (126) and a second configuration for directing air along the second branch (128) in response to a user input selecting a desired temperature.

Inventors

  • C. Fiton

Assignees

  • 戴森技术有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20241010
Priority Date
20231013

Claims (14)

  1. 1. A hair care appliance comprising: an airflow assembly comprising an airflow generator configured to direct air along the airflow path towards a user in use; a thermoelectric cooler TEC module having a first side for absorbing heat and a second side for dissipating heat, at least the first side of the TEC module being in thermal communication with the airflow path for absorbing heat from air in the airflow path to cool air directed toward a user in use.
  2. 2. The hair care appliance of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to adjust power supplied to the TEC module in response to receiving a user input to control the TEC module to change a temperature of the first side and/or the second side based on the user input.
  3. 3. The hair care appliance of claim 2, further comprising a heater in thermal communication with the airflow path, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the power supplied to the heater to vary the temperature of the heater to heat the air within the airflow path.
  4. 4. A hair care appliance according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to: Activating the TEC module to cool air in the airflow path in response to receiving a user input selecting a first temperature, and The heater is activated to heat air in the airflow path in response to receiving a user input selecting a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature.
  5. 5. The hair care appliance of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the heater in response to receiving a user input selecting the first temperature.
  6. 6. The hair care appliance of claim 4 or 5, wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the TEC module in response to receiving a user input selecting a second temperature.
  7. 7. The hair care appliance of claim 4 or 5, wherein the second side of the TEC module is in thermal communication with the heater for emitting heat thereto.
  8. 8. The hair care appliance of any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the airflow pathway comprises a first branch and a second branch; Wherein the heater is in stronger thermal communication with the second branch than with the first branch for heating air in the second branch; Wherein the airflow assembly further comprises a steering mechanism configured to switch between a first configuration in which the steering mechanism directs air along the first branch and a second configuration in which the steering mechanism directs air along the second branch, and Wherein the controller is further configured to: responsive to receiving a user input selecting a first temperature, transitioning the steering mechanism to the first configuration, and In response to receiving a user input selecting a second temperature, the steering mechanism is transitioned to the second configuration.
  9. 9. The hair care appliance of claim 8, wherein the airflow pathway further comprises an engagement section upstream of the first and second branches, the engagement section comprising the steering mechanism.
  10. 10. The hair care appliance of claim 9, wherein the first side of the TEC module is in thermal communication with the engagement section of the airflow pathway to absorb heat from air in the engagement section.
  11. 11. The hair care appliance of claim 8 or 9, wherein a first side of the TEC module is in stronger thermal communication with the first branch than the second branch to absorb heat from air in the first branch.
  12. 12. The hair care appliance of any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the second side of the TEC module is in stronger thermal communication with the second branch than the first branch for dissipating heat into the air in the second branch.
  13. 13. The hair care appliance of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a phase change material PCM module in thermal communication with the second side of the TEC module for absorbing heat from the TEC module.
  14. 14. A hair care appliance comprising: an airflow assembly comprising an airflow generator configured to direct air along the airflow path towards a user in use; A heater in thermal communication with the airflow passage; a controller configured to adjust power supplied to the heater to change a temperature of the heater to heat air in the airflow passage; wherein the airflow path includes a first branch and a second branch; Wherein the heater is in stronger thermal communication with the second branch than with the first branch for heating air in the second branch; Wherein the airflow assembly further comprises a steering mechanism configured to switch between a first configuration in which the steering mechanism directs air along the first branch and a second configuration in which the steering mechanism directs air along the second branch; Wherein the controller is configured to: responsive to receiving a user input selecting a first temperature, transitioning the steering mechanism to the first configuration, and Responsive to receiving a user input selecting a second temperature, transitioning the steering mechanism to the second configuration; Wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature.

Description

Hair care appliance Background It is known for blowers to have a plurality of temperature settings for varying the temperature of a heater that heats the air flow through the blower. It is also known for blowers to include a "cold spray" setting, which when selected, turns off the heater so that the blower provides a cooler air flow. Cold spraying can be used to style hair to a particular style. Disclosure of Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a hair care appliance comprising an airflow assembly comprising an airflow generator and an airflow path, the airflow generator being configured to direct air along the airflow path towards a user in use, a thermoelectric cooler TEC module having a first side for absorbing heat and a second side for dissipating heat, at least the first side of the TEC module being in thermal communication with the airflow path for absorbing heat from air in the airflow path to cool the air directed towards the user in use. The TEC module helps cool the air in an active manner. This may provide advantages over existing appliances that rely solely on passive cooling (by turning off the heater and blowing unheated air over the heater). In these passive arrangements, the thermal mass of the heater limits the rate at which the air flow can be cooled, even after the heater is turned off, and the power consumption of the hair appliance (e.g., its motor) contributes to limiting the amount of heat that can reach the lowest temperature. By implementing a TEC module in thermal communication with the airflow path, the hair care appliance actively absorbs heat from the air in the airflow path, thereby supporting a faster reduction in temperature and/or allowing the airflow to reach a cooler temperature than existing appliances. For example, appliances may even reach temperatures below room temperature, which may be particularly desirable for users in hot climates (e.g., asia), who often find excess heat from the blower uncomfortable, and who may often use a "cold spray" setting purely as a means of cooling their body temperature. As used herein, the term "hair care appliance" may refer to any appliance for providing airflow to hair. For example, the hair care appliance may be embodied as a hair dryer, an air flow straightener, an air flow curler or a multi-styling appliance. As used herein, the term "thermoelectric cooler" or "TEC" refers generally to a solid state active heat pump that transfers heat from one side of the device to the other (i.e., from the first side to the second side) when electrical energy is applied to the TEC module (e.g., the semiconductor layer between the first side and the second side). The semiconductor layer may also be referred to as a "central region" or "central layer". The "first side" of the TEC module may also be referred to as the "cold side" or "heat sink side". The "second side" of the TEC module may also be referred to as the "hot side", "heat emitter side", or "heat ejector side". It should be appreciated that the temperature of these sides will vary in use (e.g., depending on the amount of power supplied to the TEC module), and thus the terms "cold side" and "hot side" are used purely as labels to refer to the relative temperature between these sides when power is supplied to the TEC module. When no power is supplied to the TEC module, both sides may be in thermal equilibrium, or the "cold side" may be hotter than the "hot side". The airflow generator may include a fan and a motor configured to move (spin ) the fan to direct air along the airflow path. The appliance may include means for powering the TEC module. The means for supplying may comprise a battery or an input for receiving mains power. Optionally, the hair care appliance further comprises a controller configured to adjust power supplied to the TEC module in response to receiving the user input to control the TEC module to change the temperature of the first side and/or the second side based on the user input. For example, the controller may be configured to turn the TEC module on or off in response to a received user input. The user input may include a desired temperature (e.g., hot, warm, cold). In some cases, the user input may also include a desired airflow rate (e.g., on/off, high/medium/low). The hair care appliance may include a user interface (e.g., on the housing) for receiving user input. For example, the user interface may include one or more buttons and/or a touch screen. Optionally, the hair care appliance further comprises a heater in thermal communication with the airflow path, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the power supplied to the heater to change the temperature of the heater for heating the air in the airflow path (e.g., change the temperature of the air). Thus, the hair care appliance can controllably adjust the air temperature in the air flow path over a range of temperatures (e.g., hot, warm, cold). The heater may