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EP-4740786-A1 - HAIR DRYER ATTACHMENT, HAIR TREATMENT ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF OPERATING A HAIR DRYER

EP4740786A1EP 4740786 A1EP4740786 A1EP 4740786A1EP-4740786-A1

Abstract

Provided is a hair dryer attachment (100) for attaching to a hair dryer (102), which hair dryer has an air inlet (104) for admitting air into the hair dryer, a fan unit (106), and an air outlet (108) for allowing the air admitted into the hair dryer to be blown by the fan unit out of the hair dryer. The hair dryer attachment comprises at least one air inflow path (110) configured to interface with the air inlet and to guide air into the air inlet when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer. Additionally provided is a hair treatment assembly (100, 102) comprising a hair dryer and such a hair dryer attachment. Further provided is a method of operating a hair dryer, in which method the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer.

Inventors

  • LELIEVELD, MARK JOHANNES

Assignees

  • Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241107

Claims (15)

  1. A hair dryer attachment (100) for attaching to a hair dryer (102), which hair dryer has an air inlet (104) for admitting air into the hair dryer, a fan unit (106), and an air outlet (108) for allowing the air admitted into the hair dryer to be blown by the fan unit out of the hair dryer, the hair dryer attachment comprising at least one air inflow path (110) configured to interface with the air inlet and to guide air into the air inlet when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer.
  2. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to claim 1, further comprising at least one air outlet path (116) for guiding, when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer (102), at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer via the air outlet (108) towards hair (HA), the at least one air outlet path being provided in addition to the at least one air inflow path (110).
  3. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to claim 2, wherein the at least one air outlet path (116) is arranged to guide at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer via the air outlet in first flow direction(s) (FD1) that is/are different from second flow direction(s) (FD2) along which the air is guided by the at least one air inflow path (110) to the air inlet (104).
  4. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to claim 2 or claim 3, comprising a nozzle (124), the at least one outlet path (116) being included in the nozzle and configured to provide a focused flow of at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer via the air outlet (108).
  5. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to claim 2 or claim 3, comprising a diffuser (130), the at least one outlet path (116) being included in the diffuser for diffusing at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer via the air outlet (108).
  6. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one air inflow path (110) comprises at least one air recirculation path configured to guide a portion of the air blown out of the hair dryer via the air outlet (108) back into the air inlet (104) when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer.
  7. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one air inflow path (110) comprises at least one ambient air path for guiding air, from outside the hair dryer attachment and the hair dryer, into the air inlet (104) when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer (102).
  8. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the hair dryer attachment is configured to attach to a front side (FS) of the hair dryer, the at least one air inflow path (110) being arranged to interface with the air inlet (104) at said front side.
  9. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a cavity (120) for receiving at least part (122) of the hair dryer, the at least part of the hair dryer having a rear side (RS) at which the air inlet (104) is provided and a front side (FS), facing away from the rear side, at which the air outlet (108) is provided, the at least one air inflow path (110) extending from in front of the cavity to behind the cavity so as to enable the at least one air inflow path to receive air at the front side and to interface with the air inlet at the rear side.
  10. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to claim 9 as according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the at least one air outlet path (116) is arranged in front of the cavity (120) and arranged to guide 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 is attached to the hair dryer (102).
  11. The hair dryer attachment (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising an air inlet grille (112), through which air inlet grille outside air is drawable into the at least one air inflow path (110), in a direction towards the air inlet (104), by operation of the fan unit (106) when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer (102).
  12. A hair treatment assembly (100, 102) comprising: a hair dryer (102) having an air inlet (104) for admitting air into the hair dryer, a fan unit (106), and an air outlet (108) for allowing the air admitted into the hair dryer to be blown by the fan unit out of the hair dryer; and the hair dryer attachment (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
  13. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) according to claim 12, wherein the hair dryer (102) comprises a heater (109) for heating air prior to the heated air exiting the hair dryer.
  14. The hair treatment assembly (100, 102) according to claim 13, wherein the hair dryer attachment is according to claim 6, and the hair treatment assembly comprises a heater control system configured to adjust operation of the heater (109) to compensate for the portion of the heated air blown out of the hair dryer (102) via the air outlet (108) being guided back into the air inlet (104) when the hair dryer attachment (100) is attached to the hair dryer.
  15. A method of operating a hair dryer (102), which hair dryer has an air inlet (104) for admitting air into the hair dryer, a fan unit (106), and an air outlet (108) for allowing the air admitted into the hair dryer to be blown by the fan unit out of the hair dryer, the method comprising: providing a hair dryer attachment (100) comprising at least one air inflow path (110); attaching the hair dryer attachment to the hair dryer so that the at least one air inflow path of the hair dryer attachment interfaces with the air inlet; and operating the fan unit so that air is guided by the at least one air inflow path into the air inlet.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a hair dryer attachment for attaching to a hair dryer, and to a hair treatment assembly comprising the hair dryer attachment and the hair dryer. Further provided is a method of operating a hair dryer, in which method a hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Known hair dryers generally comprise a housing, an air inlet allowing air to enter the housing, a fan to move the air from the air inlet via an air heater to an air outlet where heated air leaves the housing. It would be desirable to enhance energy efficiency of such known hair dryers and/or to provide such known hair dryers with new or improved hair treatment functionality. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is defined by the claims. According to examples in accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a hair dryer attachment for attaching to a hair dryer, which hair dryer has an air inlet for admitting air into the hair dryer, a fan unit, and an air outlet for allowing the air admitted into the hair dryer to be blown by the fan unit out of the hair dryer, the hair dryer attachment comprising at least one air inflow path configured to interface with the air inlet and to guide air into the air inlet when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer. The term "interface" in this context may refer to an arrangement of the air inflow path(s) and the air inlet in which a downstream end of the at least one air inflow path meets, e.g. faces, the air inlet when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer. The air inflow path(s) can take any suitable form provided that the air inflow path(s) is/are able to interface with the air inlet and guide air into the air inlet when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer. The air inflow path(s) can, for example, be in the form of air inflow channel(s) defined in the hair dryer attachment. Such air inflow channel(s) may, for instance, be closed channel(s), in other words air inflow duct(s). Alternatively, the air inflow channel(s) may be open channel(s) that extend(s) to reach the air inlet and is/are shaped to guide the air into the air inlet. The fluid connection established between the air inflow path(s) and the air inlet when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer can provide various technical benefits. Depending on precisely how the air inflow path(s) are arranged, the air inflow path(s) can confer functionality, e.g. hair styling functionality, that is not already provided by the hair dryer by itself, can help to minimize hair flying away during drying/styling, and/or can assist drying, e.g. together with volumizing, of the hair. Alternatively or additionally, the air inflow path(s) can confer enhanced energy efficiency, or else assist the hair dryer to provide a hotter air flow, by the air inflow channel(s) recirculating a portion of the air blown from the air outlet back into the air inlet. In some embodiments, the hair dryer attachment further comprises at least one air outlet path for guiding, when the hair dryer attachment is attached to the hair dryer, at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer via the air outlet towards hair, with the at least one air outlet path being provided in addition to the at least one air inflow path. Thus, the hair dryer attachment can assist to control outflow of air towards the hair, as well as controlling inflow of air into the air inlet via the at least one air inflow path. The at least one air outlet path may be arranged to guide at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer via the air outlet in first flow direction(s) that is/are different from second flow direction(s) along which the air is guided by the at least one air inflow path to the air inlet. Thus, the hair dryer attachment can be regarded as combining two different, e.g. oppositely, directed air flows, which are respectively matched with the air flows entering and exiting the hair dryer via the air inlet and the air outlet. In other words, the hair dryer attachment can link with the air inlet and the air outlet to create a suction and blowing force within the same hair dryer attachment. In some embodiments, the hair dryer attachment comprises a nozzle, with the at least one outlet path being included in the nozzle and configured to provide a focused flow of at least some of the air blown out of the hair dryer via the air outlet. Such a nozzle-comprising attachment can facilitate hair styling. This functionality may benefit, for instance, from the air inflow channel(s) recirculating a portion of air blown from the air outlet back into the air inlet, since the latter may assist to provide a hotter air flow which, when focused by the nozzle, assists hair styling. In other embodiments, the hair dryer attachment comprises a diffuser, with the at least one outlet path being included in the diffuser for diffusing at least some of