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CN-121987022-A - Hair dryer attachment, hair treatment assembly and method of operating a hair dryer

CN121987022ACN 121987022 ACN121987022 ACN 121987022ACN-121987022-A

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to hair dryer attachments, hair treatment assemblies, and methods of operating hair dryers. A hairdryer attachment (100) for attachment to a hairdryer (102) is provided, the hairdryer having an air inlet (104) for allowing air to enter the hairdryer, a fan unit (106), and an air outlet (108) for allowing air entering the hairdryer to be blown out of the hairdryer by the fan unit. The hairdryer attachment comprises at least one air inflow passage (110) configured to interface with the air inlet and direct air into the air inlet when the hairdryer attachment is attached to the hairdryer. A hair treatment assembly (100, 102) is further provided, comprising a hair dryer and such a hair dryer attachment. A method of operating a hairdryer is also provided, in which method a hairdryer attachment is attached to a hairdryer.

Inventors

  • M.J. Leleveld
  • HUANG HAIYONG
  • GU JUN
  • TANG LIJUAN
  • KONG TAO

Assignees

  • 皇家飞利浦有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20251028
Priority Date
20241107

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A hair treatment assembly (100, 102), comprising: A hairdryer (102) having an air inlet (104), a fan unit (106) and an air outlet (108), the air inlet (104) for allowing air to enter the hairdryer and the air outlet for allowing the air allowed to enter the hairdryer to be blown out of the hairdryer by the fan unit, and A hairdryer attachment (100) for attachment to the hairdryer, the hairdryer attachment comprising at least one air inflow passage (110), the at least one air inflow passage (110) being configured to interface with the air inlet and to direct the air into the air inlet when the hairdryer attachment is attached to the hairdryer, the hairdryer attachment further comprising at least one air outlet passage (116) for directing at least some of the air blown from the hairdryer via the air outlet towards Hair (HA) when the hairdryer attachment is attached to the hairdryer, the at least one air outlet passage being provided in addition to the at least one air inflow passage.
  2. 2. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) of claim 1, wherein the at least one air outlet passage (116) is arranged to direct at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer (102) in a first flow direction (FD 1) via the air outlet, the first flow direction (FD 1) being different from a second flow direction (FD 2), the at least one air inflow passage (110) directing the air to the air inlet (104) along the second flow direction (FD 2).
  3. 3. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) of claim 1, comprising a nozzle (124) in which the at least one outlet passage (116) is included and configured to provide a focused flow of at least some air blown out of the hair dryer (102) via the air outlet (108).
  4. 4. A hair treatment assembly (100, 102) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one air inflow passage (110) is comprised in the nozzle (124) and is configured to provide a focusing suction force at the tip of the nozzle when the air is directed into the hair dryer (102) via the air inlet (104).
  5. 5. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) of claim 4, wherein the at least one air outlet passage (116) comprises at least one elongated outlet opening at a tip of the nozzle (124) for delivering the focused flow, and wherein the at least one air inflow passage (110) comprises at least one elongated inlet opening at the tip of the nozzle for providing the focused suction force, the at least one elongated outlet opening extending along the at least one elongated inlet opening.
  6. 6. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) of claim 1, comprising a diffuser (130) in which the at least one outlet passage (116) is included for diffusing at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer (102) via the air outlet (108).
  7. 7. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) of claim 1, wherein the at least one air inflow pathway (110) comprises at least one air recirculation pathway configured to direct a portion of air blown out of the hair dryer (102) back into the air inlet (104) via the air outlet (108) when the hair dryer attachment (100) is attached to the hair dryer.
  8. 8. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) of claim 1, wherein the at least one air inflow passageway (110) comprises at least one ambient air passageway for guiding the air from outside the hair dryer attachment (100) and the hair dryer (102) into the air inlet (104) when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer.
  9. 9. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the hair dryer attachment (100) is configured to be attached to a Front Side (FS) of the hair dryer (102), the at least one air inflow channel (110) being arranged to interface with the air inlet (104) at the front side.
  10. 10. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a cavity (120) for receiving at least a portion (122) of the hair dryer (102), the at least a portion of the hair dryer having a Rear Side (RS) provided with the air inlet (104) and a Front Side (FS) facing away from the rear side and provided with the air outlet (108), the at least one air inflow channel (110) extending from a front of the cavity to a rear of the cavity such that the at least one air inflow channel is capable of receiving air at the front side and interfacing with the air inlet at the rear side.
  11. 11. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) of claim 10, wherein the at least one air outlet passage (116) is arranged in front of the cavity (120) and is arranged to direct at least some of the air blown out of the air outlet (108) in a direction away from the cavity when the hair dryer attachment (100) is attached to the hair dryer (102).
  12. 12. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising an air inlet grille (112) through which, when the hair dryer attachment (100) is attached to the hair dryer (102), external air can be drawn into the at least one air inflow channel (110) in a direction towards the air inlet (104) by operation of the fan unit (106).
  13. 13. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the hair dryer (102) comprises a heater (109), the heater (109) being for heating the hot air before it leaves the hair dryer.
  14. 14. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) of claim 7, wherein the hair treatment assembly comprises a heater control system configured to adjust operation of the heater (109) to compensate for a portion of the heated air blown from the hair dryer (102) via the air outlet (108) being directed back into the air inlet (104) when the hair dryer attachment (100) is attached to the hair dryer.
  15. 15. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) of any of claims 1-8, wherein the hair dryer attachment comprises an attachment mechanism for attaching the hair dryer attachment to the hair dryer, the attachment mechanism configured such that attachment of the hair dryer attachment to the hair dryer results in the air inflow passageway (110) interfacing with the air inlet (104) and the air outlet passageway (116) interfacing with the air outlet (106).
  16. 16. A hairdryer attachment (100) for attachment to a hairdryer (102), the hairdryer having an air inlet (104) for allowing air to enter the hairdryer, a fan unit (106) and an air outlet (108), and the air outlet (108) for allowing the air allowed to enter the hairdryer to be blown out of the hairdryer by the fan unit, the hairdryer attachment comprising at least one air inflow channel (110), the at least one air inflow channel (110) being configured to interface with and direct the air into the air inlet when the hairdryer attachment is attached to the hairdryer, the hairdryer attachment further comprising at least one air outlet channel (116) for directing at least some air out towards Hair (HA) via the air outlet when the hairdryer attachment is attached to the hairdryer, the at least one air inflow channel being provided in addition to the at least one air inflow channel.
  17. 17. The hairdryer attachment (100) according to claim 16, wherein the at least one air outlet passage (116) is arranged to direct at least some of the air blown out of the hairdryer (102) in a first flow direction (FD 1) via the air outlet, the first flow direction (FD 1) being different from a second flow direction (FD 2), the at least one air inflow passage (110) directing the air to the air inlet (104) along the second flow direction (FD 2).
  18. 18. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to claim 16, comprising a nozzle (124), said at least one outlet passage (116) being included in said nozzle and configured to provide a focused flow of at least some air blown out of said hair dryer via said air outlet (108).
  19. 19. The hairdryer attachment (100) according to claim 18, wherein the at least one air inflow passageway (110) is included in the nozzle (124) and is configured to provide a focused suction force at a tip of the nozzle when the air is directed into the hairdryer (102) via the air inlet (104).
  20. 20. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to claim 19, wherein said at least one air outlet passage (116) comprises at least one elongated outlet opening at a tip of said nozzle (124) for delivering said focused flow, and wherein said at least one air inflow passage (110) comprises at least one elongated inlet opening at a tip of said nozzle for providing said focused suction force, said at least one elongated outlet opening extending along said at least one elongated inlet opening.

Description

Hair dryer attachment, hair treatment assembly and method of operating a hair dryer Technical Field The present invention relates to a hair dryer attachment for attachment to a hair dryer, and a hair treatment assembly comprising a hair dryer attachment and a hair dryer. A method of operating a hairdryer is also provided, in which method a hairdryer attachment is attached to a hairdryer. Background Known hairdryers generally include a housing, an air inlet that allows air to enter the housing, and a fan that moves air from the air inlet to an air outlet where hot air exits the housing via an air heater. It is desirable to increase the energy efficiency of such known hair dryers and/or to provide new or improved hair treatment functions to such known hair dryers. CN113786050B discloses a hair dryer comprising a main body assembly and a tail cover assembly, wherein the tail cover assembly is detachably attached to the air inlet of the main body. GB2083745A discloses a hair dryer in which the temperature of the air stream is automatically controlled by the temperature of the hair being dried. GB2543135A discloses a hairdryer nozzle comprising a nozzle having a first nozzle inlet, a second nozzle inlet, a first nozzle outlet and a second nozzle outlet. JPS55113408a discloses a hairdryer in which an air inlet passage and a hot air passage are coaxially arranged with a cylindrical partition therebetween. KR102159580B1 discloses a hair purifier capable of removing dust. Disclosure of Invention The invention is defined by the claims. According to an example of a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a hairdryer attachment for attachment to a hairdryer, the hairdryer having an air inlet for allowing air to enter the hairdryer, a fan unit, and an air outlet for allowing air admitted to the hairdryer to be blown out of the hairdryer by the fan unit, the hairdryer attachment comprising at least one air inflow passageway configured to interface with the air inlet and to direct air to the air inlet when the hairdryer attachment is attached to the hairdryer. In this context, the term "interface" may refer to an arrangement of air inflow passages and air inlets, wherein the downstream end of at least one air inflow passage meets (meets), e.g. faces, the air inlet when the hairdryer attachment is attached to the hairdryer. The air inflow passageway may take any suitable form so long as the air inflow passageway is capable of attaching to and directing air into the air inlet when the hairdryer attachment is attached to the hairdryer. The air inflow passage may be in the form of an air inflow passage defined in the hairdryer attachment, for example. Such one or more air inflow passages may for example be one or more closed passages, in other words one or more air inflow pipes. Alternatively, the one or more air inflow passages may be one or more open passages extending to the air inlet and shaped to direct air into the air inlet. The fluid attachment established between the air inflow passageway and the air inlet may provide various technical benefits when the hairdryer attachment is attached to the hairdryer. Depending on how precisely the air inflow channels are arranged, the air inflow channels may impart a function, such as a hair styling function, which is not provided by the hair dryer itself, and which may help to minimize fly-off of hair during drying/styling, and/or may help to dry the hair, e.g. together with an increase in the volume of the hair. Alternatively or additionally, one or more air inflow passages may impart enhanced energy efficiency by recirculating a portion of the air blown from the air outlet back into the air inlet through the one or more air inflow passages or assist the hairdryer in providing a warmer air stream. In some embodiments, the hair dryer attachment further comprises at least one air outlet passage for guiding at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer towards the hair via the air outlet when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer, wherein the at least one air outlet passage is provided in addition to the at least one air inflow passage. Thus, the hairdryer attachment may help control the outflow of air towards the hair, as well as the inflow of air into the air inlet via the at least one air inflow passageway. The at least one air outlet passage may be arranged for directing at least some of the air blown out of the hairdryer via the air outlet in one or more first flow directions different from one or more second flow directions along which the at least one air inflow passage is directed to the air inlet. Thus, the hairdryer attachment may be considered to combine two different, e.g. opposite, air streams, which respectively match the air streams entering the hairdryer via the air inlet and exiting the hairdryer via the air outlet. In other words, the hairdryer attachment may be linked with the air inlet and the air outlet to create both