JP7614014B2 - dryer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dryer equipped with a discharge unit.

As an example of a prior art document for this type of dryer, the applicant's Patent Document 1 can be cited. In the hair dryer (dryer) of Patent Document 1, an air blowing unit, a heater unit, an ion generating device, and the like are arranged inside the main body case (air guide passage). The ion generating device is composed of a rectifier circuit, a pulse generating circuit, a transformer, a diode, and an electrode unit (discharge section), and the components other than the electrode unit are molded with resin to form a unit component. When a voltage boosted by the transformer is applied to the electrode unit, negative ions are generated by corona discharge, and the negative ions are blown out from the outlet together with the drying air generated by the air blowing unit. By adding negative ions to the drying air, moisture can be penetrated deep inside the hair, increasing the moisture content of the hair, and the condition inside the hair can be optimized while evaporating the moisture on the surface of the hair.

JP 2004-344354 A

In recent years, wearing a mask is recommended from the viewpoint of preventing infectious diseases such as viruses and bacteria. When a gauze or cloth sanitary mask (hereinafter simply referred to as a mask) is reused after use, it is washed or disinfected with an alcohol disinfectant in order to remove viruses and bacteria adhering to the mask, but there is still a possibility that viruses and bacteria remain on the mask. In order to quickly kill the remaining viruses and bacteria, it is preferable to remove the moisture contained in the mask as soon as possible after washing the mask. For this reason, it is effective to promote the drying of the mask by using wind from a hair dryer or the like. The inventors of the present invention have considered and studied whether it is possible to disinfect the viruses and bacteria remaining on the mask at the same time as drying the mask (the object to be treated), and have completed the present invention.

The present invention aims to provide a dryer that can more efficiently disinfect viruses, bacteria, etc.

The dryer of the present invention comprises an air guide duct 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 at one end, an air blower 16 arranged in the air guide duct 10 for feeding dry air toward the air outlet 9, and a discharger 19 provided in the main body case 1 for supplying ions and ozone to the dry air. The dryer is characterized in that the driving modes of the discharger 19 include a first mode in which ions are mainly generated, and a second mode in which a relatively larger amount of ozone is generated compared to the first mode.

The discharge unit 19 is driven by a drive unit 18, which includes a boost circuit 17 that boosts and outputs an input voltage, and in the second mode, a voltage larger than that in the first mode is applied to the discharge unit 19. The boost circuit 17 has multiple transformers 39 and 40 with different transformation ratios, and is configured so that the transformers 39 and 40 are selectively switched to change the voltage applied to the discharge unit 19 between large and small.

A treatment attachment 45 that contains the treatment object T to be sterilized is removably attached to the air outlet 9, and when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, dry air is supplied to the treatment object T contained within the treatment attachment 45. When the treatment attachment 45 is removed from the air outlet 9, the discharge unit 19 is driven in a first mode, and when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, the discharge unit 19 is driven in a second mode.

A heat source 20 for heating the dry air generated by the air blower 16 is provided in the air guide 10. The heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the second mode is configured to be greater than the heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the first mode.

A heat source 20 for heating the dry air generated by the air blower 16 is provided in the air guide 10. The heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the second mode is configured to be smaller than the heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the first mode.

The blow-out port 9 opens forward. The processing attachment 45 has a hollow container body 46 having surrounding walls 47 surrounding the front, back, left and right sides for accommodating the processing object T, and a mounting part 54 for mounting the processing attachment 45 to the blow-out port 9 is formed at the rear of the surrounding wall 47, and an inlet 56 for introducing the dry air blown out from the blow-out port 9 into the inside of the container body 46 is formed in the mounting part 54. The processing attachment 45 is provided with an airflow generating means 73 for generating an upward flow of the dry air introduced into the inside of the container body 46.

The container body 46 comprises a bottomed container-like cup body 49 having a cylindrical surrounding wall 47 and a bottom wall 48 that closes the lower opening of the surrounding wall 47, and a lid body 50 that opens and closes the upper opening of the cup body 49.

The airflow generating means 73 includes an upper opening 59 in the lid 50 that connects the inside and outside of the container 46.

The airflow generating means 73 is formed in front of the surrounding wall 47 and includes a deflection wall 74 consisting of an inclined wall that is inclined forward with respect to the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47.

The airflow generating means 73 is provided at the inlet 56 and includes a wing-shaped deflection wing 83 that directs the flow of dry air upward.

A lower opening 58 is provided in the bottom wall 48 of the container body 46, connecting the inside and outside of the container body 46.

The sum of the opening areas of the upper openings 59 is set to be larger than the sum of the opening areas of the lower openings 58.

In a plan view of the processing attachment 45, the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 is displaced to the left or right with respect to the central axis H of the inlet 56 so that the central axis H of the inlet 56 and the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 do not intersect.

The processing attachment 45 is equipped with a stand 77 that holds the processing attachment 45 in an upright position on the mounting surface.

The stand 77 includes a connector 78 that is connected to the lower end of the container body 46, and a number of legs 79 that extend downward from the connector 78. It is configured so that a gap G is formed between the bottom wall 48 of the container body 46 and the placement surface.

The lower end of the dry air inlet 56 is located above the upper surface of the bottom wall 48 of the cup body 49, and a recess 57 is provided in the bottom of the container body 46.

A holder 86 for holding the object to be treated T is provided inside the container body 46. The holder 86 is configured to be rotated around the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 by the dry air introduced from the inlet 56.

The holder 86 has a mesh cage-like cage body 91, and the object to be treated T is held inside the cage body 91.

The holder 86 includes a disk-shaped base wall 88 and a number of fins 89 that are erected at a predetermined interval on the periphery of the base wall 88 and receive the dry air introduced from the inlet 56. The object to be treated T is held in the internal space surrounded by the base wall 88 and the number of fins 89.

The holder 86 has a rod-shaped holding rod 93, and the processing object T is held in a wound state around the holding rod 93.

The dryer of the present invention has a driving mode of the discharge unit 19 arranged in the air guide 10, which has a first mode in which ions are mainly generated, and a second mode in which a relatively large amount of ozone is generated compared to the first mode. According to this, when drying hair, for example, the driving mode is set to the first mode, ions are generated by the discharge unit 19, and the moisture contained in the dry air is charged by the ions, so that dry air containing negative ions can be supplied to the hair. In addition, when sterilizing a treatment object T such as a mask, the driving mode is set to the second mode, ozone is generated by the discharge unit 19, and the ozone is supplied together with the dry air, so that the drying treatment and sterilization treatment of the treatment object T can be performed simultaneously. As described above, in the present invention, a sterilization function for the treatment object T is added to the dryer equipped with the discharge unit 19 in addition to the original drying function, so that the sterilization treatment of the treatment object T can be performed more efficiently. In addition, the object to be dried or treated T is not particularly limited as long as it is not affected by heat or ozone, such as hair or a mask, but may be the surface of the human body such as hands and feet, or small personal items such as shoes and bags. In addition, the drying air sent to the object to be dried or treated T may be either room temperature air or hot air heated by a heater or the like.

The drive unit 18 that drives the discharge unit 19 includes a boost circuit 17 that boosts and outputs the input voltage, and in the second mode, a voltage larger than that in the first mode is applied to the discharge unit 19. The boost circuit 17 also has multiple transformers 39 and 40 with different transformation ratios, and the transformers 39 and 40 are selectively switched to change the voltage applied to the discharge unit 19 from large to small. In this way, the drive mode of the drive unit 18 can be switched to the first mode or the second mode simply by selecting one of the transformers 39 and 40, and the occurrence of malfunctions of the drive unit 18 due to the complicated configuration of the boost circuit 17 can be suppressed. In addition, the drive unit 18 can be made smaller and less expensive. Incidentally, if a variable transformer that can change the transformation ratio stepwise or steplessly and an operating structure that changes the transformation ratio of the variable transformer are used to change the voltage applied to the discharge unit 19, the structure of the boost circuit becomes complicated, increasing the possibility of malfunction.

If the treatment attachment 45, which contains the treatment object T to be sterilized, is removably attached to the air outlet 9, and the treatment attachment 45 is configured to supply dry air to the treatment object T contained in the treatment attachment 45 when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, the dry air can be more efficiently supplied to the treatment object T contained in the treatment attachment 45, thereby improving the efficiency of the drying treatment and the sterilization treatment of the treatment object T using a dryer. In addition, if the discharge unit 19 is driven in the first mode when the treatment attachment 45 is removed from the air outlet 9, and the discharge unit 19 is driven in the second mode when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 is automatically switched from the first mode to the second mode by simply attaching the treatment attachment 45 to the air outlet 9, and dry air containing ozone can be supplied to the treatment object T. Therefore, the sterilization treatment of the treatment object T can be reliably performed without performing a separate dedicated operation.

The air guide 10 is provided with a heat source 20 that heats the dry air generated by the air blower 16. If the heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the second mode is configured to be greater than the heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the first mode, dry air at a higher temperature can be delivered in the second mode than in the first mode. This makes it possible to expect not only a sterilization effect derived from ozone in the second mode, but also a sterilization effect derived from heat. Improved drying efficiency in the second mode can also be expected.

The air guide 10 is provided with a heat source 20 that heats the dry air generated by the air blower 16. The heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the second mode is configured to be smaller than the heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the first mode. This allows the power consumption of the heat source 20 to be reduced compared to that during drying processing, so that the object to be treated T can be sterilized while suppressing power consumption.

The blow-out port 9 is open toward the front, and the processing attachment 45 can be configured to include a hollow container-like container body 46 having surrounding walls 47 surrounding the front, back, left and right sides of the processing object T. In addition, a mounting part 54 for mounting the processing attachment 45 to the blow-out port 9 is formed at the rear of the surrounding wall 47, and an inlet 56 for introducing the dry air blown out from the blow-out port 9 into the inside of the container body 46 is formed in the mounting part 54. Furthermore, the processing attachment 45 can be provided with an airflow generating means 73 that generates an upward flow in the dry air introduced into the inside of the container body 46. According to the processing attachment 45 provided with the airflow generating means 73 as described above, the upward flow of the dry air and the gravity acting on the processing object T can impart vertical movement to the processing object T contained in the container body 46. This prevents the dry air containing ozone from being concentrated in one part of the object to be treated T, and allows the dry air to be delivered over a wide area of the object to be treated T, making it possible to more efficiently sterilize the entire object to be treated T.

The container body 46 comprises a cup body 49 in the form of a bottomed container having a cylindrical surrounding wall 47 and a bottom wall 48 that closes the lower opening of the surrounding wall 47, and a lid body 50 that opens and closes the upper opening of the cup body 49. This allows the operation of inserting and removing the object to be treated T into and from the container body 46, and the operation of storing the object to be treated T in the container body 46 to be easily performed by opening and closing the lid body 50.

The airflow generating means 73 includes an upper opening 59 that is opened in the lid 50 and communicates the inside and outside of the container 46. With the airflow generating means 73 configured in this way, the dry air introduced into the container 46 from the inlet 56 can be discharged to the outside of the container 46 from the upper opening 59. In other words, an upward flow can be generated in the dry air introduced into the container 46. As described above, an upward flow can be generated in the dry air with a simple configuration of just forming the upper opening 59 in the lid 50, so that the increase in manufacturing costs of the dryer due to the provision of the airflow generating means 73 can be suppressed.

The airflow generating means 73 includes a deflection wall 74 formed in front of the surrounding wall 47 and consisting of an inclined wall that is inclined forward with respect to the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47. With the airflow generating means 73 configured in this way, the dry air introduced into the inside of the container body 46 from the inlet 56 can be deflected upward by the wall surface of the deflection wall 74. In other words, an upward flow can be generated in the dry air introduced into the container body 46. Therefore, an upward flow can be generated in the dry air with a simple configuration that only requires the provision of the deflection wall 74.

The airflow generating means 73 is provided at the inlet 56 and includes a wing-shaped deflection wing 83 that directs the flow of dry air upward. With the airflow generating means 73 configured in this way, the dry air flowing through the inlet 56 can be forcibly directed upward by the deflection wing 83, generating a larger upward flow of dry air inside the container body 46. In addition, since the airflow generating means 73 consisting of the upper opening 59 or deflection wall 74 is formed in the container body 46, the design freedom for the shape design of the container body 46 is reduced, but by providing the deflection wing 83, which is the airflow generating means 73, at the inlet 56 in this way, the design freedom for the shape design of the container body 46 is improved.

If a lower opening 58 that connects the inside and outside of the container body 46 is opened in the bottom wall 48 of the container body 46, the dry air can be discharged from the upper opening 59 to the outside of the container body 46 to generate an upward flow, and can also be discharged from the lower opening 58 to the outside of the container body 46 to give irregularity to the flow of dry air inside the container body 46, so that the dry air containing ozone can be prevented from being concentrated on a part of the object to be treated T, and the entire object to be treated T can be sterilized more efficiently. In addition, even if the upper opening 59 is blocked, the dry air can be discharged from the lower opening 58 to the outside of the container body 46, so that the dry air containing ozone can be reliably supplied to the object to be treated T.

When the sum of the opening areas of the upper openings 59 is set to be larger than the sum of the opening areas of the lower openings 58, most of the dry air can be discharged from the upper openings 59 to the outside of the container body 46. Therefore, even if the container body 46 has both the upper openings 59 and the lower openings 58, an upward flow of dry air can be reliably generated inside the container body 46.

When the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 is displaced to the left or right with respect to the central axis H of the inlet 56 so that the central axis H of the inlet 56 and the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 do not intersect in a plan view of the treatment attachment 45, the dry air introduced from the inlet 56 can be rotated along the inner surface of the surrounding wall 47 to generate a swirling flow inside the container body 46. This allows the treatment object T to be given a rotational movement, so that the dry air containing ozone can be evenly supplied to the treatment object T.

When the processing attachment 45 is equipped with a stand 77 that holds the processing attachment 45 in an upright position on the mounting surface, it becomes possible to perform sterilization processing on the processing object T in a hands-free state.

The stand 77 includes a connector 78 that is connected to the lower end of the container body 46, and a plurality of legs 79 that extend downward from the connector 78, and can be configured to form a gap G between the bottom wall 48 of the container body 46 and the mounting surface. In this manner, when a gap G is formed between the bottom wall 48 of the container body 46 and the mounting surface, it is possible to prevent the heat of the container body 46 from acting on the mounting surface.

When the lower end of the dry air inlet 56 is positioned above the upper surface of the bottom wall 48 of the cup body 49 and a recess 57 is provided in the bottom of the container body 46, the position of the object to be treated T inside the container body 46 can be temporarily held by the recess 57, so that the object to be treated T can be more reliably prevented from falling out of the inlet 56 to the outside when the processing attachment 45 is attached.

A holder 86 for holding the object T to be treated is provided inside the container body 46, and the holder 86 is configured to be rotated about the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 by dry air introduced from the inlet 56. This allows the dry air containing ozone to be evenly supplied to the object T to be treated held in the holder 86, making it possible to more accurately sterilize the entire object T to be treated.

The holder 86 is equipped with a mesh cage-like cage body 91, and the object to be treated T is held inside the cage body 91. The object to be treated T can be easily held by simply placing it inside the cage body 91, and dry air containing ozone can be reliably sent to the object to be treated T through the mesh.

The holder 86 is equipped with a disk-shaped base wall 88 and a number of fins 89 that are erected at a predetermined interval on the periphery of the base wall 88 and receive the dry air introduced from the inlet 56, and can be configured so that the object to be treated T is held in the internal space surrounded by the base wall 88 and the number of fins 89. In this way, the object to be treated T can be easily held by simply placing it in the internal space surrounded by the number of fins 89, and the dry air containing ozone can be reliably supplied to the object to be treated T through the gaps between adjacent fins 89. The holder 86 can also be reliably rotated by the wind pressure of the dry air acting on the fins 89.

The holder 86 can be configured to include a rod-shaped holding rod 93, and the object to be treated T can be held in a wound state around the holding rod 93. With this, even if the object to be treated T is a sheet such as a mask, the object to be treated T can be prevented from being wrinkled by winding the object to be treated T around the holding rod 93. Therefore, the sterilization process can be performed without damaging the shape of the object to be treated T such as a mask.

1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a main part of a dryer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the dryer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing the structure of a discharge unit. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the processing attachment taken along line AA of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of an electrical circuit of the dryer. 4 is a time chart showing an example of an operation of the dryer. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a dryer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional side view showing a main part of a dryer according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a main part of a dryer according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a main part of a dryer according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a main part of a dryer according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Figure 11. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a main part of a dryer according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 13. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a main part of a dryer according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Figure 15. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an outline of an electric circuit of a dryer according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing a dryer according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a main part of a dryer according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a main part of a dryer according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a side view showing a dryer according to Example 14 of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a partial side view showing a dryer according to Example 15 of the present invention. 23 is a time chart showing an example of an operation of the dryer according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.

(Example 1) Figures 1 to 6 show Example 1 in which the dryer according to the present invention is applied to a hair dryer. In this example, front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figures 2 and 4 and the indications of front, back, left, right, and up and down written near each arrow. In Figure 2, the hair dryer comprises a horizontally elongated cylindrical main body case 1 and a grip 2 that is foldably provided near the rear of the underside of the main body case 1. The grip 2 can be changed between a usage position facing downward and a storage position facing forward, and a detent mechanism allows it to be held in three positions: the usage position, the storage position, and an intermediate position that is approximately halfway between the two positions.

The grip 2 is provided with a power switch 3 for starting and stopping the operation of the hair dryer and for switching between hot and cold air modes. The power switch 3 is composed of a sliding switch body 4 and a slide knob 5 provided on the front of the grip 2 for sliding the switch body 4. The switch body 4 can be switched between three positions, in that order: cold air, weak hot air, and strong hot air, by sliding the slide knob 5 upward from the OFF position at the bottom end.

The rear end of the main body case 1 is provided with an air inlet 8 covered with a suction grill made of punching metal, and the front end is provided with a dry air outlet 9. An air guide 10 is formed inside the main body case 1 from the air inlet 8 to the outlet 9. The cross section of the air guide 10 is formed in a perfect circle. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 11 denotes an outlet grill made of a metal mesh body. A convergent nozzle 12 for converging and supplying dry air is attached to the outlet 9. This convergent nozzle 12 is configured to be detachable from the outlet 9. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 13 denotes an engagement protrusion that engages with the inner edge step of the outlet 9 to prevent the convergent nozzle 12 from coming off. This engagement protrusion 13 allows the nozzle 12 to be rotatably attached to the outlet 9 while preventing it from coming off.

The air guide 10 (main body case 1) is provided with a blower 16 that generates air (dry air), a drive unit 18 including a boost circuit 17, and a discharge unit 19 that is driven by the drive unit 18 and supplies ion species (ions) and ozone to the dry air. The blower 16, drive unit 18, and discharge unit 19 are arranged in the order shown from the upstream side to the downstream side along the central axis of the air guide 10. A heater (heat source) 20 made of a wound nichrome wire is arranged in the air guide 10 around the drive unit 18. The blower 16, drive unit 18, discharge unit 19, and heater 20 are fixed in the air guide 10 while being supported by an insulating frame 21 made of mica plates arranged in a cross shape. The blower 16 is composed of an axial flow type blower fan 22 and a fan motor 23 that rotates and drives the blower fan 22. As shown in Fig. 5, the fan motor 23 is configured to be driven at two different rotation speeds, high and low, with the rotation speed controlled by the motor control unit 24. Specifically, if the signal from the motor control unit 24 is a low-output signal, the fan motor 23 is driven at a low rotation speed of 4,000 rpm, and if the signal is a high-output signal, the fan motor 23 is driven at a high rotation speed of 5,500 rpm. The heater 20 is configured to be driven at two different heat outputs, a standard output and a high-temperature output with a higher heat output than the standard output, with the heat output controlled by the heater control unit 25. Specifically, if the signal from the heater control unit 25 is a low-output signal, the heater 20 is driven at a low output of 500 W, and if the signal is a high-output signal, the heater 20 is driven at a high output of 1,000 W. As described above, the switch body 4 can be switched to three positions in the order of cold air, weak hot air, and strong hot air by sliding the slide knob 5 upward from the OFF position at the bottom end, and in the cold air mode of the first position, the fan motor 23 is driven at a high rotation speed of 5,500 rpm, and the output of the heater 20 is zero. In the weak hot air mode of the second position, the fan motor 23 is driven at a low rotation speed of 4,000 rpm, and the heater 20 is driven at a low output of 500 W. In the strong hot air mode of the third position, the fan motor 23 is driven at a high rotation speed of 5,500 rpm, and the heater 20 is driven at a high output of 1,000 W. The heat source 20 may be an infrared lamp that generates heat and radiates infrared rays, in addition to a heater made of nichrome wire. In addition to the above-mentioned configuration in which the hair dryer has an intake port 8 at the rear end and a blower unit 16 consisting of a blower fan 22 and a fan motor 23, the hair dryer may have an intake port 8 on the left and right sides near the rear end of the main body case 1, and a blower unit 16 consisting of a sirocco fan that rotates around a horizontal axis (left-right axis) and a fan motor that drives it. Ion species such as oxygen molecules that are bonded with electrons generated in the discharge unit 19 combine with water molecules in the air to become ions (negative ions). Various types of discharge units can be used, such as one that is configured to generate only negative ions, or one that is configured to generate negative ions and positive ions simultaneously (including simultaneous generation and alternating generation). In addition, the discharge unit may condense moisture in the air on a discharge electrode, apply a high voltage to the discharge electrode, and perform Rayleigh splitting of the condensed moisture to generate negatively charged ions. The discharge unit may be any of the corona discharge, silent discharge, and plasma discharge types.

As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge unit 19 has a pair of electrodes 28 and 29 that generate ion species (ions) and/or ozone when a high voltage is applied. Specifically, the discharge unit 19 is composed of a needle-shaped discharge electrode 28 (one of the pair of electrodes), a crown-shaped counter electrode 29 (the other of the pair of electrodes) that is arranged around the outside of the discharge electrode 28, a cylindrical insulating tube 30 arranged between the two electrodes 28 and 29, and an electrode holder 31 to which the discharge electrode 28, the counter electrode 29, and the insulating tube 30 are fixed and supported by the insulating frame 21. An emission window 32 supported by the blowing grill 11 is provided on the front side of the discharge unit 19 (downstream side of the air guide 10). When a voltage is applied to the discharge electrode 28, a corona discharge occurs from the discharge electrode 28 to the counter electrode 29. The pair of electrodes may be needle-shaped and arranged so that the tips of the needles face each other, or the pair of electrodes may be rod-shaped and each electrode may be covered with a glass tube and arranged in parallel.

As shown in FIG. 5, the drive unit 18 is composed of a rectifier circuit 35 that performs half-wave rectification on the commercial power supply (100V AC), a pulse generating circuit 36 that converts the rectified current into a pulse current, a boost circuit 17 that increases the voltage of the pulse current, and a diode 38 provided between the boost circuit 17 and the discharge unit 19. The boost circuit 17 includes a first transformer 39 (transformer 39) having a relatively small transformation ratio, a second transformer 40 (transformer 40) having a relatively large transformation ratio, and a relay 41 provided between the pulse generating circuit 36 and the primary sides of both transformers 39 and 40 to selectively input the output of the pulse generating circuit 36 to either the first transformer 39 or the second transformer 40. One terminal of both transformers 39 and 40 is connected to the discharge electrode 28 via the diode 38 after being collected, and the other terminal is connected to the counter electrode 29 after being collected.

The relay 41 is a five-pole relay, and the circuit is switched by a relay switch 42 provided in the air guide 10. Normally, the relay switch 42 is off, and the output of the pulse generating circuit 36 is connected to the circuit on the first transformer 39 side. When the relay switch 42 is on, the output of the pulse generating circuit 36 is switched to the circuit on the second transformer 40 side. The first transformer 39 boosts the input voltage to 4 kV, and the second transformer 40 boosts the input voltage to 7 kV. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 43 denotes a timer that measures the on time of the relay switch 42.

The drive unit 18 is configured to drive the discharge unit 19 in two drive modes, a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the drive unit 18 is configured so that the output of the pulse generating circuit 36 is input to the first transformer 39 by the relay 41, a voltage of 4 kV is applied to the discharge unit 19, and ion species are mainly generated by corona discharge. In the first mode, a very small amount of ozone is generated along with the ion species. In the second mode, the drive unit 18 is configured so that the output of the pulse generating circuit 36 is input to the second transformer 40 by the relay 41, a voltage of 7 kV is applied to the discharge unit 19, and a relatively large amount of ozone is generated along with the ion species by corona discharge compared to the first mode. The ion species and ozone generated in the discharge unit 19 are supplied to the dry air in the air guide 10.

As described above, in the hair dryer of this embodiment, when the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 is the first mode, the dry air containing ion species can be sent to the object to be dried, so that the drying process can be performed efficiently on hair, etc. Also, when the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 is the second mode, a higher voltage can be applied to the discharge unit 19 than in the first mode, so that more ozone can be supplied to the dry air than when the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 is the first mode, and the sterilization process can be performed more efficiently on the object to be treated T. The first mode, in which ion species are mainly generated, is a mode in which the amount of ozone is extremely small compared to the amount of ion species, and the second mode, in which a relatively large amount of ozone is generated compared to the first mode, is a mode in which the amount of ozone increases regardless of the change in the amount of ion species when changing from the first mode to the second mode.

In order to reliably deliver the ozone contained in the dry air to the object T to be sterilized when the second mode is selected, the hair dryer of this embodiment is equipped with a treatment attachment 45 for accommodating the object T to be sterilized at the air outlet 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the treatment attachment 45 has a container body 46 capable of accommodating the object T to be sterilized, and when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, dry air is delivered from the air outlet 9 to the object T to be sterilized in the container body 46. The container body 46 has a cylindrical (tubular) surrounding wall 47 surrounding the front, back, left and right sides, a cup body 49 having a bottom wall 48 that closes the lower opening of the surrounding wall 47, and a lid body 50 that opens and closes the upper opening of the cup body 49. The surrounding wall 47 is formed in a tapered tube shape with a small diameter portion on the lower side and a large diameter portion on the upper side. The lid 50 is formed in a disk shape, and has four downward-facing engagement claws 51 on the front, back, left and right edges. When the lid 50 is placed over the cup body 49 from above, the engagement claws 51 engage with the outer step on the upper edge of the peripheral wall 47, closing the upper opening of the cup body 49. The upper opening of the cup body 49 can be opened by elastically deforming the engagement claws 51 to release the engagement with the outer step. The peripheral wall 47 can be formed into an elliptical or polygonal shape other than a cylindrical shape. In this case, the shape of the lid 50 is made to match the upper opening of the peripheral wall 47.

The container body 46 has a mounting section 54 formed at the rear of the surrounding wall 47, which is responsible for mounting the treatment attachment 45 to the air outlet 9. The mounting section 54 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter dimension larger than the opening dimension of the air outlet 9, and is provided with an insertion tube section 55 formed at its rear with an outer diameter dimension slightly smaller than the opening dimension of the air outlet 9. When the treatment attachment 45 is mounted to the air outlet 9, the insertion tube section 55 is inserted into the air outlet 9. The inside of the tube of the mounting section 54 is an inlet 56 that introduces the dry air blown out from the air outlet 9 into the inside of the container body 46, and the inside of the tube of the mounting section 54 is connected to the inside of the container body 46. The lower end of the inlet 56 is provided so as to be located above the upper surface of the bottom wall 48 of the container body 46, and a recessed section 57 is formed in the cup body 49 below the lower end of the inlet 56.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cup body 49 and the mounting part 54 are integrated in a state in which the central axis V of the peripheral wall 47 (cup body 49) is displaced rightward with respect to the central axis H of the inlet 56 so that the central axis H of the inlet 56, which is a horizontal axis, does not intersect with the central axis V of the peripheral wall 47 (cup body 49), which is a vertical axis, in a plan view of the processing attachment 45. By displacing the central axis V of the peripheral wall 47 rightward with respect to the central axis H of the inlet 56 in this way, the dry air introduced into the inside of the container body 46 from the inlet 56 can be made to flow along the left side and then the front side of the peripheral wall 47, generating a counterclockwise swirling flow in a plan view inside the container body 46. The central axis V of the peripheral wall 47 may be displaced leftward with respect to the central axis H of the inlet 56. In this case, a clockwise swirling flow in a plan view can be generated inside the container body 46.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom wall 48 of the cup body 49 has a lower opening 58 consisting of multiple circular holes of the same shape and size. The lid body 50 has an upper opening 59 consisting of multiple circular holes of the same shape and size. These upper and lower openings 58, 59 communicate the inside and outside of the container body 46. The lower opening 58 consists of one circular hole in the center of the bottom wall 48, four circular holes arranged on a concentric circle around the center of the bottom wall 48 outside the circular hole, and eight circular holes arranged on concentric circles outside the circular holes, for a total of 13 circular holes. The circular holes arranged on the concentric circle around the center of the bottom wall 48 are arranged at equal intervals. The round holes of the upper opening 59 are arranged in the same manner as the round holes of the lower opening 58, and consist of a total of 13 round holes, including one round hole provided at the center of the lid body 50, four round holes provided on a concentric circle around the center of the lid body 50 outside the first round hole, and eight round holes provided on a concentric circle outside the first round holes. The round holes provided on the concentric circle around the center of the lid body 50 are arranged at equal intervals. The diameter d1 of the round hole that constitutes the lower opening 58 is smaller than the diameter d2 of the round hole that constitutes the upper opening 59, so that the total opening area of the upper opening 59 is set to be larger than the total opening area of the lower opening 58. The hole shapes, number of holes, and hole positions of the lower opening 58 and the upper opening 59 do not have to be in the above-mentioned form and can be changed as appropriate.

Between the main body case 1 and the processing attachment 45, a posture regulation structure is provided for regulating the mounting posture of the processing attachment 45 relative to the main body case 1. The posture regulation structure includes a regulating groove 62 formed as a recess in the front end of the upper surface of the main body case 1, and a regulating piece 63 formed to protrude rearward at the rear end of the upper surface of the mounting part 54 of the processing attachment 45 and engage with the regulating groove 62. By aligning the regulating groove 62 with the regulating piece 63 and inserting the insertion tube part 55 into the air outlet 9, the processing attachment 45 is mounted to the main body case 1 in a non-rotatable state with the mounting posture regulated. Engagement protrusions 64 are formed on the left and right sides of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion tube part 55, and the engagement protrusions 64 engage with the inner edge step of the air outlet 9 to prevent the processing attachment 45 from coming off (see FIG. 2).

An ultraviolet LED 65 that irradiates ultraviolet light toward the inside of the container body 46 is provided on the upper peripheral wall 47 of the mounting portion 54, and the ultraviolet LED 65 is fixed in a mounting hole 66 that penetrates the rear side of the peripheral wall 47 from front to rear with its tip facing the inside of the container body 46. In FIG. 1, the reference numeral 67 denotes a cover that covers the outer opening of the mounting hole 66. In this way, the ultraviolet LED 65 that irradiates ultraviolet light toward the inside of the container body 46 is provided, so that the ultraviolet light can be irradiated onto the treatment object T contained in the container body 46 to sterilize viruses and bacteria. The posture regulation structure described above is provided as a power supply structure for the ultraviolet LED 65.

As shown in FIG. 3, a relay switch 42 is disposed adjacent to the front of the outlet grill 11 on the inside lower part of the outlet 9, and an operating piece 69 that corresponds to the relay switch 42 and that presses the switch 42 protrudes rearward from the lower part of the insertion tube portion 55. When the processing attachment 45 is attached to the main body case 1, the operating piece 69 presses the relay switch 42, and the switch 42 switches from an OFF state to an ON state. Note that the convergent nozzle 12 does not have a member equivalent to the operating piece 69 that presses the relay switch 42, and the relay switch 42 is not operated by attaching the convergent nozzle 12 to the outlet 9.

A pair of left and right connectors 68 for the ultraviolet LEDs 65 are arranged adjacent to the front side of the outlet grille 11 on the inside upper part of the air outlet 9, and a pair of left and right power supply pins 70 corresponding to the pair of connectors 68 are protruded rearward from the upper part of the insertion tube part 55. These connectors 68 and power supply pins 70 form a power supply structure for the ultraviolet LEDs 65. When the processing attachment 45 is attached to the main body case 1, the power supply pins 70 are connected to the connectors 68, and power is supplied to the ultraviolet LEDs 65. The connectors 68 are branched off from between the rectifier circuit 35 and the pulse generating circuit 36 of the drive unit 18 that drives the discharge part 19, and when the operation of the drive unit 18 stops, the power supply to the ultraviolet LEDs 65 is also stopped.

As described above, when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, the relay switch 42 is switched from the off state to the on state. As a result, the boost circuit 17 connected to the circuit on the first transformer 39 side is switched to the circuit on the second transformer 40 side, the drive mode of the drive unit 18 is changed from the first mode to the second mode, and the amount of ozone contained in the dry air is increased. Also, when the treatment attachment 45 attached to the air outlet 9 is separated, the relay switch 42 is switched from the on state to the off state. As a result, the boost circuit 17 connected to the circuit on the second transformer 40 side is switched to the circuit on the first transformer 39 side, the drive mode of the drive unit 18 is changed from the second mode to the first mode, and the amount of ozone contained in the dry air becomes small. In this way, by attaching or detaching the treatment attachment 45 to the air outlet 9, the drive mode of the drive unit 18 is automatically changed, and the dry air blown out from the air outlet 9 is switched between a state suitable for drying treatment and a state suitable for sterilization treatment.

The processing attachment 45 is provided with an airflow generating means 73 that generates an upward flow in the dry air introduced into the inside of the container body 46 from the inlet 56, and in this embodiment, two types of airflow generating means 73 are provided. First, the deflection wall 74 formed in the front part of the surrounding wall 47 and consisting of an inclined wall inclined forward with respect to the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 is used as the first airflow generating means 73. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the deflection wall 74, which is the first airflow generating means 73, is set to an obtuse angle when the angle θ is defined by the central axis H of the inlet 56 and the inner wall surface of the deflection wall 74 facing the mounting part 54 above the central axis H. The peripheral wall 47 of the cup body 49 is formed in a tapered cylindrical shape that expands in diameter toward the top, so that the front part of the peripheral wall 47 also serves as the deflection wall 74. The dry air introduced through the inlet 56 and coming into contact with the inclined wall formed in front of the surrounding wall 47, i.e., the deflection wall 74, is redirected upward, generating an upward airflow inside the container body 46.

Next, the upper opening 59 described above is the second airflow generating means 73. The dry air introduced from the inlet 56 tries to go out of the container body 46. The upper opening 59, which is the second airflow generating means 73, is opened in the lid body 50, so the dry air inside the container body 46 is discharged from the upper opening 59 to the outside of the container body 46. At this time, an upward airflow is generated inside the container body 46. Note that the lower opening 58 is opened in the bottom wall 48, but the total opening area of the upper opening 59 is set larger than the total opening area of the lower opening 58. When comparing the airflow resistance of both 58 and 59, the airflow resistance of the upper opening 59 is smaller, so more dry air is discharged from the upper opening 59 to the outside of the container body 46.

When dry air is introduced into the container body 46 through the inlet 56, a swirling and rising airflow is formed inside the container body 46 due to the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 being displaced to the right relative to the central axis H of the inlet 56 and the provision of the airflow generating means 73. The airflow and gravity acting on the object to be treated T causes the object to be treated T to move up and down while rotating inside the container body 46, so that dry air is evenly supplied to the entire object to be treated T.

The timing chart in Figure 6 shows an example of the control of a hair dryer when the power switch 3 is switched to strong hot air by sliding the slide knob 5 with the convergent nozzle 12 attached to the air outlet 9. At the first time point t1, based on the switching operation of the power switch 3 with the slide knob 5, the motor control unit 24, heater control unit 25, and drive unit 18 start driving the fan motor 23, heater 20, and discharge unit 19, respectively. At this time, the fan motor 23 is driven at a rotation speed for strong air, the heater 20 is driven at a standard heat output value, and the discharge unit 19 is driven in the first mode.

At the next time point t2, instead of the convergent nozzle 12, a processing attachment 45 containing a processing target T inside a container body 46 is attached to the blowing port 9, and the relay switch 42 is switched on accordingly. As a result of the relay switch 42 being switched on, the heat output value of the heater 20 is changed to high temperature, and the drive mode of the drive unit 18 is changed to the second mode. Furthermore, the power supply pin 70 is connected to the connector 68, and the ultraviolet LED 65 is turned on. Additionally, the timer 43 starts timing based on the relay switch 42 being switched on.

At the next time point t3, the timer 43 stops operating based on the fact that the time counted by the timer 43 has reached a predetermined time T1 (e.g., 1 minute). As a result, the motor control unit 24, heater control unit 25, and drive unit 18 stop operating, and the fan motor 23, heater 20, discharge unit 19, and UV LED 65 stop operating. The halt of operation of each part related to the halt of the timer 43 operation is compulsory, and therefore the power switch 3 (switch main body 4) remains on (strong hot air) and the operation of each part is halted.

As described above, the hair dryer of this embodiment has a first driving mode for the discharge unit 19 disposed in the air guide 10, in which ion species are mainly generated, and a second driving mode in which a relatively large amount of ozone is generated compared to the first driving mode. According to this, when drying hair, for example, the driving mode is set to the first driving mode, ion species are generated by the discharge unit 19, and the moisture contained in the dry air is charged by the ion species, so that dry air containing negative ions can be supplied to the hair. Also, when sterilizing daily necessities such as masks, handkerchiefs, and puffs, that is, such objects to be treated T, the driving mode is set to the second driving mode, ozone is generated by the discharge unit 19, and the ozone is supplied together with the dry air, so that the drying process and sterilization process of the object to be treated T can be performed simultaneously. As described above, in the hair dryer of this embodiment, a sterilization function for the object to be treated T is added to the dryer having the discharge unit 19 in addition to the original drying function, so that the sterilization process for the object to be treated T can be performed more efficiently.

The treatment attachment 45, which contains the treatment object T to be sterilized, is removably attached to the air outlet 9, and when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, dry air is supplied to the treatment object T contained in the treatment attachment 45. This allows dry air to be supplied more efficiently to the treatment object T contained in the treatment attachment 45, improving the efficiency of the drying treatment and the sterilization treatment of the treatment object T using a dryer. In addition, when the treatment attachment 45 is removed from the air outlet 9, the discharge unit 19 is driven in the first mode, and when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, the discharge unit 19 is driven in the second mode. Therefore, simply by attaching the treatment attachment 45 to the air outlet 9, the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 automatically switches from the first mode to the second mode, and dry air containing ozone can be supplied to the treatment object T. Therefore, sterilization of the treatment object T can be performed reliably without the need for a separate dedicated operation.

The heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the second mode is configured to be greater than the heat output of the heat source 20 when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the first mode, so that in the second mode, dry air with a higher temperature can be delivered than in the first mode. As a result, in the second mode, not only the sterilization effect derived from ozone but also the sterilization effect derived from heat can be expected. Improved drying efficiency in the second mode can also be expected.

The drive unit 18 that drives the discharge unit 19 includes a boost circuit 17 that boosts and outputs the input voltage, and in the second mode, a voltage larger than that in the first mode is applied to the discharge unit 19. The boost circuit 17 also has multiple transformers 39 and 40 with different transformation ratios, and the transformers 39 and 40 are selectively switched to change the voltage applied to the discharge unit 19 from large to small. This makes it possible to switch the drive mode of the drive unit 18 to the first mode or the second mode simply by selecting one of the transformers 39 and 40, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of malfunctions of the drive unit 18 caused by the complicated configuration of the boost circuit 17. It is also possible to realize a smaller and less expensive drive unit 18. Incidentally, if a variable transformer that can change the transformation ratio stepwise or steplessly and an operating structure that changes the transformation ratio of the variable transformer are used to change the voltage applied to the discharge unit 19, the structure of the boost circuit becomes complicated, increasing the possibility of malfunction.

The treatment attachment 45 is configured to include a hollow container-shaped container body 46 having surrounding walls 47 surrounding the front, back, left and right sides of the treatment object T, and a mounting part 54 for mounting the treatment attachment 45 to the blow-out port 9 is formed at the rear of the surrounding wall 47, and an inlet 56 for introducing the dry air blown out from the blow-out port 9 into the inside of the container body 46 is formed at the mounting part 54. The treatment attachment 45 is further provided with an airflow generating means 73 for generating an upward flow of the dry air introduced into the inside of the container body 46. According to the treatment attachment 45 provided with the airflow generating means 73 as described above, the upward flow of the dry air and the gravity acting on the treatment object T can impart vertical movement to the treatment object T contained in the container body 46, so that the dry air containing ozone can be prevented from being concentrated on a part of the treatment object T, and the dry air can be supplied over a wide area of the treatment object T. Therefore, the entire treatment object T can be sterilized more efficiently.

The container body 46 is provided with a cup body 49 in the form of a bottomed container having a cylindrical surrounding wall 47 and a bottom wall 48 that closes the lower opening of the surrounding wall 47, and a lid body 50 that opens and closes the upper opening of the cup body 49. This allows the processing object T to be easily inserted and removed from the container body 46, and the processing object T to be stored in the container body 46, by opening and closing the lid body 50.

The airflow generating means 73 includes an upper opening 59 that is opened in the lid 50 and connects the inside and outside of the container 46, so that the dry air introduced into the container 46 from the inlet 56 can be discharged to the outside of the container 46 from the upper opening 59. In other words, an upward flow can be generated in the dry air introduced into the container 46. As described above, an upward flow can be generated in the dry air with a simple configuration of just forming the upper opening 59 in the lid 50, so that the increase in manufacturing costs of the dryer due to the provision of the airflow generating means 73 can be suppressed.

The airflow generating means 73 is formed in front of the surrounding wall 47 and includes a deflection wall 74 that is an inclined wall that is inclined forward with respect to the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47. This allows the dry air introduced into the container body 46 from the inlet 56 to be deflected upward by the wall surface of the deflection wall 74. In other words, an upward flow can be generated in the dry air introduced into the container body 46. Therefore, an upward flow can be generated in the dry air with a simple configuration that only requires the deflection wall 74 to be provided.

The bottom wall 48 of the container body 46 is provided with a lower opening 58 that connects the inside and outside of the container body 46. The dry air is discharged from the upper opening 59 to the outside of the container body 46 to generate an upward flow, and is also discharged from the lower opening 58 to the outside of the container body 46, making it possible to give irregularity to the flow of dry air inside the container body 46. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the dry air containing ozone from being concentrated on a part of the object to be treated T, and to more efficiently sterilize the entire object to be treated T. In addition, even if the upper opening 59 is blocked, the dry air can be discharged from the lower opening 58 to the outside of the container body 46, so that the dry air containing ozone can be reliably supplied to the object to be treated T.

The total opening area of the upper openings 59 is set to be larger than the total opening area of the lower openings 58, so that most of the dry air can be discharged from the upper openings 59 to the outside of the container body 46. Even in a container body 46 that has both an upper opening 59 and a lower opening 58, an upward flow of dry air can be reliably generated inside the container body 46.

In a plan view of the treatment attachment 45, the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 is displaced to the left or right with respect to the central axis H of the inlet 56 so that the central axis H of the inlet 56 and the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 do not intersect. This allows the dry air introduced from the inlet 56 to rotate along the inner surface of the surrounding wall 47, generating a swirling flow inside the container body 46. This allows the treatment object T to be given a rotational movement, so that the dry air containing ozone can be evenly supplied to the treatment object T.

The lower end of the dry air inlet 56 is positioned above the upper surface of the bottom wall 48 of the cup body 49, and a recess 57 is provided in the bottom of the container body 46, so that the position of the object to be treated T inside the container body 46 can be temporarily held by the recess 57, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the object to be treated T from falling out of the inlet 56 to the outside when the processing attachment 45 is attached.

This hair dryer can disinfect and deodorize everyday items such as masks. By providing this hair dryer to society, we can contribute to achieving Goal 3 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations, which is to "Ensure good health and well-being for all."

(Example 2) FIG. 7 shows Example 2 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. This example differs from Example 1 in that the processing attachment 45 is provided with a stand 77. Other points are the same as in Example 1, so the same configurations, structures, and members are given the same reference numerals and their description is omitted. The same applies to each of the following examples. The stand 77 holds the processing attachment 45 in an upright position on the mounting surface, and is composed of a cylindrical connecting body 78 that is fitted to the lower end of the cup body 49 (container body 46) and four (multiple) legs 79 that extend downward from the connecting body 78. The upper inner surface of the connecting body 78 is a tapered surface, and the angle of the tapered surface is formed to match the taper angle of the outer peripheral surface of the surrounding wall 47. Thus, the stand 77 and the processing attachment 45 are configured to be detachable by fitting and engaging with each other. When the stand 77 is attached to the processing attachment 45, a gap G is formed between the bottom wall 48 of the cup body 49 and the placement surface. The length dimension of the legs 79 is set so that when the processing attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9 and the grip 2 is in an intermediate position, the lower end surface of each leg 79 and the lower end of the grip 2 abut the placement surface.

In the hair dryer of Example 2, the treatment attachment 45 is provided with a stand 77 that holds the treatment attachment 45 in an upright position on the mounting surface, so that the treatment object T can be sterilized in a hands-free state. In addition, a gap G is formed between the bottom wall 48 of the container body 46 and the mounting surface, so that the heat of the container body 46 can be prevented from acting on the mounting surface.

In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the stand 77 is configured to be detachable, but the stand 77 can be provided integrally with the processing attachment 45. In this case, the stand 77 is configured with a plurality of legs 79, and each leg 79 is configured to be able to swing between a use position facing downward and a storage position facing upward while in contact with the surrounding wall 47.

(Example 3) Figure 8 shows Example 3 of a hair dryer according to the present invention. The peripheral wall 47 of the cup body 49 in this example is formed in a straight cylindrical shape, and the bottom wall 48 is formed in a downwardly curved dish shape. The central axis V of the peripheral wall 47 is arranged so as to be inclined forward with respect to the vertical axis. This makes the front part of the peripheral wall 47 a deflection wall 74 consisting of an inclined wall. In addition, the downwardly curved bottom wall 48 forms a dish-shaped recessed portion 57. In this way, the peripheral wall 47 of the cup body 49 is not limited to being tapered cylindrical, and may be formed in a straight cylindrical shape.

The lid 50 is configured so that it can swing open and closed with the hinge 81 at the front edge as a fulcrum, and is held in the closed position by the engagement claw 51 at the rear edge. The UV LED 65 of the container 46 is omitted, and therefore the connector 68 and power supply pin 70 are also omitted. Because the connector 68 and power supply pin 70 are omitted, there is no need to specify the mounting position of the processing attachment 45 relative to the main case 1, so the restricting groove 62 and restricting piece 63 are also omitted. Therefore, the processing attachment 45 can rotate around the central axis H of the introduction port 56 relative to the main case 1. Since the processing attachment 45 can rotate relative to the main case 1, the relay switch 42 is designed to be pushed in by the rear end peripheral surface of the extended insertion tube portion 55.

(Example 4) Figure 9 shows Example 4 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. This example differs from Example 1 in the configuration of the deflection wall 74. In this example, the surrounding wall 47 of the cup body 49 is formed in a straight cylindrical shape, and the bottom wall 48 is formed in a downwardly curved dish shape. The central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 coincides with the vertical axis. The cup body 49 is provided at its front with an inclined plate 82 that is inclined forward with respect to the central axis V. The inclined plate 82 is provided on the left and right sides of the surrounding wall 47, and the inclined plate 82 is configured as the deflection wall 74, which is the airflow generating means 73. In this way, the deflection wall 74, which is an inclined wall, does not need to be part of the surrounding wall 47.

(Example 5) Figure 10 shows Example 5 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. In this example, the configuration of the airflow generating means 73 differs from that of the previous Examples 1 to 4. Specifically, the airflow generating means 73 in this example is composed of a wing-shaped deflection wing 83 that is provided at the inlet 56 and directs the flow of dry air upward. The deflection wing 83 is composed of a plate that extends to the left and right, and the downstream side of the dry air is located higher than the upstream side. As shown in Figure 10, four deflection wing blades 83 are provided at equal intervals at the inlet 56.

As described above, in the hair dryer of this embodiment 5, the airflow generating means 73 is configured with a wing-shaped deflection wing 83 that directs the flow of dry air provided at the inlet 56 upward, so that the dry air flowing through the inlet 56 can be forcibly directed upward by the deflection wing 83, and a larger upward flow of dry air can be generated inside the container body 46. In addition, since the airflow generating means 73 configured with the upper opening 59 or deflection wall 74 is formed in the container body 46, the design freedom for the shape design of the container body 46 is reduced, but by providing the deflection wing 83, which is the airflow generating means 73, at the inlet 56 in this way, the design freedom for the shape design of the container body 46 is improved.

(Example 6) Figures 11 and 12 show Example 6 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. This example differs from Example 1 in that a holder 86 for holding the object to be treated T is provided inside the container body 46. The holder 86 is configured to be rotated around the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 by the dry air introduced from the inlet 56. Specifically, the holder 86 includes a support shaft 87 rotatably supported by the bottom wall 48, a disk-shaped base wall 88 integrally formed at the upper end of the support shaft 87, a plurality of fins 89 erected at a predetermined interval on the periphery of the base wall 88, and a ring wall 90 connecting a group of these fins 89 at the upper end. Each fin 89 is a strip-shaped plate extending vertically, and is provided so that the edge portion on the center side is shifted in position in the clockwise direction with respect to a reference line extending radially from the center of the base wall 88 (see Figure 12). When the fins 89 facing the inlet 56 receive the swirling dry air, the holder 86 rotates counterclockwise due to the wind pressure of the dry air. The object to be treated T is held in the internal space surrounded by the base wall 88 and the multiple fins 89.

In the hair dryer of the sixth embodiment, a holder 86 for holding the object T to be treated is provided inside the container body 46, and the holder 86 is configured to rotate around the central axis V of the surrounding wall 47 with the dry air introduced from the inlet 56, so that the dry air containing ozone can be evenly supplied to the object T to be treated held by the holder 86, and the entire object T to be treated can be sterilized more accurately. In addition, the holder 86 is provided with a disk-shaped base wall 88 and a plurality of fins 89 that are erected at a predetermined interval on the periphery of the base wall 88 and receive the dry air introduced from the inlet 56, and is configured to hold the object T to be treated in the internal space surrounded by the base wall 88 and the plurality of fins 89. The object T to be treated can be easily held by simply placing it in the internal space surrounded by the plurality of fins 89. In addition, the dry air containing ozone can be reliably supplied to the object T to be treated through the gaps between the adjacent fins 89. The holder 86 can also be reliably rotated by the wind pressure of the dry air acting on the fins 89.

(Example 7) Figures 13 and 14 show Example 7 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. In this example, the configuration of the holder 86 is different from that of Example 6. Specifically, the holder 86 is provided with a support shaft 87 rotatably supported by the bottom wall 48, and a cage body 91 made of a bottomed cylindrical mesh cage with an opening at the top, which is integrally formed with the upper end of the support shaft 87. The object to be treated T is held inside the cage body 91. As described above, in this example, the part that holds the object to be treated T is the mesh cage-shaped cage body 91. In addition, the holder 86 is rotated by receiving the swirling dry air, and in order to rotate the holder 86 more reliably, a wind-receiving blade 92 made of multiple blades arranged radially is provided below the cage body 91.

In the hair dryer of Example 7 configured as described above, the holder 86 is configured to include a mesh cage-shaped cage body 91, so that the object to be treated T can be easily held by simply placing it inside the cage body 91. In addition, dry air containing ozone can be reliably sent to the object to be treated T through the mesh.

(Example 8) Figures 15 and 16 show Example 8 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. In this example, the configuration of the holder 86 is different from that of Example 6. The holder 86 is composed of a support shaft 87 rotatably supported by the bottom wall 48, a disk-shaped base wall 88 formed integrally with the upper end of the support shaft 87, a straight rod-shaped holding bar 93 extending upward from the center of the base wall 88, and a clip 94 provided at the upper end of the holding bar 93. The clip 94 is composed of a fixed claw 95 formed integrally with the holding bar 93, a movable claw 96 supported by the fixed claw 95 so as to be able to swing back and forth, and a biasing spring 97 that biases the tip of the movable claw 96 toward the fixed claw 95. The object to be treated T is wound around the holding bar 93 and is held in a fixed state by being clamped by the clip 94. The lower side of the object to be treated T is held by the base wall 88. Thus, in the hair dryer of this embodiment, the holder 86 that holds the object to be treated T is composed of a base wall 88, a holding rod 93, and a clip 94. The holder 86 is rotated by receiving the swirling dry air, and to rotate the holder 86 more reliably, a wind-receiving blade 92 consisting of multiple blades arranged radially below the base wall 88 is provided.

According to the hair dryer of Example 8 configured as described above, the holder 86 is configured to include a rod-shaped holding rod 93. Therefore, even if the object to be treated T is a sheet such as a mask, the object to be treated T can be prevented from being wrinkled by wrapping the object to be treated T around the holding rod 93. Therefore, the sterilization process can be performed without damaging the shape of the object to be treated T such as a mask.

(Example 9) Figure 17 shows Example 9 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. The hair dryer of this example differs from Example 1 in that the discharge unit 19 is composed of a first discharge unit 19A used when the first mode is selected and a second discharge unit 19B used when the second mode is selected. Specifically, the first discharge unit 19A has a first discharge electrode 28A and a first opposing electrode 29A, one terminal of the first transformer 39 is connected to the first discharge electrode 28A via a diode 38, and the other remaining terminal is connected to the first opposing electrode 29A. Similarly, the second discharge unit 19B has a second discharge electrode 28B and a second opposing electrode 29B, one terminal of the second transformer 40 is connected to the second discharge electrode 28B via a diode 38, and the other remaining terminal is connected to the second opposing electrode 29B. As described above, in this embodiment, the discharge unit 19 is provided with separate discharge units 19A, which is used when the first mode is selected, and 19B, which is used when the second mode is selected.

(Example 10) FIG. 18 shows Example 10 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. This example is a modified example of the processing attachment 45, in which the configuration of the processing attachment 45 is different from that of Example 1. The processing attachment 45 includes a funnel-shaped mounting part 54 that is detachably attached to the air outlet 9, a bag body 99 that contains the object to be processed T, and a feed hose 100 that connects the mounting part 54 and the bag body 99. In this example, the bag body 99 is configured as the container body 46. The inlet 56 is connected to the inside of the bag body 99 via the feed hose 100. The bag body 99 is made of a breathable mesh fabric and can be opened and closed with a line fastener (not shown). The object to be processed T is stored in the processing attachment 45 by opening the line fastener and storing it inside the bag body 99. Note that FIG. 18 shows a state in which the object to be processed T is covered on the outside of the bag body 99, and the processing attachment 45 of this example can also be used in such a form. The treatment attachment 45 configured as described above can perform sterilization treatment even on large treatment objects T, such as clothing.

(Example 11) FIG. 19 shows Example 11 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. In the previous Example 1, the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 was switched to the first mode or the second mode by the driving unit 18 that drives the discharge unit 19. In this example, the discharge electrode 28 and the counter electrode 29 of the discharge unit 19 are configured to be relatively movable, and the discharge unit 19 is switched to the first mode or the second mode depending on the arrangement of the electrodes 28 and 29. Specifically, in the first mode, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 of the discharge unit 19 is relatively large, and in the second mode, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 of the discharge unit 19 is relatively small. Since the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 is switched depending on the proximity distance between the electrodes 28 and 29, only the first transformer 39 is provided in the boost circuit 17 of the drive unit 18, and the relay 41 and the relay switch 42 are omitted. The insulating tube 30 is also omitted.

The electrode holder 31 has a cylindrical support tube 101 that slidably supports the counter electrode 29, and the counter electrode 29 can slide back and forth between a front separated position and a rear close position. The counter electrode 29 has a cylindrical tube wall 102 and a flange wall 103 that is integrally provided at the tip side of the tube wall 102, and the outer surface of the tube wall 102 is supported in sliding contact with the inner surface of the support tube 101. A return spring 104 made of a compression coil spring is provided between the support tube 101 and the flange wall 103, and one end (front end) of the return spring 104 is fixed to the rear surface of the flange wall 103, and the other end (rear end) is fixed to the bottom surface of a circular spring groove 105 formed as a recess in the front end surface of the support tube 101. In the normal state, the counter electrode 29 is held in the separated position by the biasing force of the return spring 104.

The treatment attachment 45 is provided with a cylindrical operating tube 106 supported by the insertion tube portion 55 of the mounting portion 54. The operating tube 106 is connected to the inner surface of the insertion tube portion 55 by a plurality of support arms 107 arranged radially, and is configured so that the counter electrode 29 can be pushed in when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9. Specifically, in the process of inserting and attaching the treatment attachment 45 to the air outlet 9, first, the rear end surface of the operating tube 106 comes into contact with the front end surface of the flange wall 103, and then the operating tube 106 pushes the counter electrode 29 backward. As a result, the counter electrode 29, which was in the separated position, is slid to the close position, and the discharge unit 19 is switched from the first mode to the second mode. When the treatment attachment 45 is separated from the air outlet 9, the opposing electrode 29 slides from the close position to the separated position due to the biasing force of the return spring 104, and the discharge unit 19 switches from the second mode to the first mode. Conversely, the discharge electrode 28 may be pulled forward by the operating tube 106 when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9.

(Example 12) Figure 20 shows Example 12 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. In the previous Example 11, the discharge unit 19 was switched between the first mode and the second mode by attaching and detaching the treatment attachment 45 to the air outlet 9, but in this example, the main body case 1 is provided with an operating unit 110 for displacing the discharge electrode 28 between the separated position and the close position. The counter electrode 29 is fitted and fixed to the tip of the support tube 101 of the electrode holder 31 with the tube wall 102 abutting the inner surface of the support tube 101 and the flange wall 103 abutting the tip surface of the support tube 101. The discharge electrode 28 is fixed to a cylindrical support block 111, which is supported by the support tube 101 and can be slid between the separated position on the rear side and the close position on the front side. In the normal state, the discharge electrode 28 is held in the separated position by the biasing force of the return spring 104, which is a tension coil spring provided between the main body case 1 and the support block 111.

The operation unit 110 includes a power switch 3. Specifically, the power switch 3 is provided near the front end of the top surface of the main body case 1, and the operation unit 110 includes a slide knob 5 of the power switch 3 and an operation rod 112 that is connected to the underside of the slide knob 5 and extends in the vertical direction to slide the discharge electrode 28 forward. As the slide knob 5 slides forward from the right end in FIG. 20, that is, the rear off position, the operation can be switched in the order of cold air, hot air drying, and hot air sterilization, and when sliding from hot air drying to hot air sterilization, the support block 111 is pushed forward by the operation rod 112. As a result, the discharge electrode 28, which was in the separated position, is slid and displaced to the close position, and the discharge unit 19 is switched from the first mode to the second mode. When the slide knob 5 is slid from hot air sterilization to hot air drying, the discharge electrode 28 is displaced from the close position to the distant position by the biasing force of the return spring 104, and the discharge unit 19 is switched from the second mode to the first mode. The sterilization treatment using the hair dryer of this embodiment may utilize the treatment attachment 45 of the previous embodiments 1, 3 to 8, and 10, or the dry air blown out from the blowing port 9 may be sent to the treatment object T directly or via the convergent nozzle 12.

Conversely, the operating unit 110 may be used to operate the opposing electrode 29 from a separated position to a close position. Alternatively, both electrodes 28 and 29 may be operated. The power switch 3 may be provided on the grip 2. In this case, it is advisable to provide a means for changing the direction of movement, such as a cam mechanism, that converts the up and down movement of the slide knob 5 into forward and backward movement. The operating unit 110 is provided integrally with the power switch 3, but the operating unit 110 can be provided separately from the power switch 3 in the main body case 1. In this case, it is advisable to provide a separate operating body in the main body case 1 that slides the operating rod 112 forward.

(Example 13) Example 13 of the hair dryer according to the present invention will be described. This example has the same basic structure as Example 12, and will be described based on FIG. 20. The main body case 1 is provided with an operating unit 110 for displacing the discharge electrode 28 (one of the pair of electrodes) between the separated position and the close position. The opposing electrode 29 (the other of the pair of electrodes) is fitted and fixed to the tip of the support tube 101 of the electrode holder 31 with the tube wall 102 abutting against the inner surface of the support tube 101 and the flange wall 103 abutting against the tip surface of the support tube 101. The discharge electrode 28 is fixed to a cylindrical support block 111, which is supported by the support tube 101 and can slide between the separated position on the rear side and the close position on the front side. In the normal state, the discharge electrode 28 is held in the separated position by the biasing force of a return spring 104, which is a tension coil spring provided between the main body case 1 and the support block 111.

The operation unit 110 is configured to include a power switch 3. Specifically, the power switch 3 is provided near the front end of the top surface of the main body case 1, and the operation unit 110 includes a slide knob 5 for the power switch 3 and an operating rod 112 that is connected to the underside of the slide knob 5 and extends in the vertical direction to slide the discharge electrode 28 forward. The slide knob 5 can be switched linearly and stepwise from the right end in FIG. 20, that is, the rear off position, forward to the first position (= weak wind in the first mode containing more ions (fan motor 23 at 4,000 rpm)), the second position (= strong wind in the first mode containing more ions (fan motor 23 at 5,500 rpm)), the third position (= weak wind in the second mode containing more ozone than the first mode (fan motor 23 at 4,000 rpm)), and the fourth position (= strong wind in the second mode containing more ozone than the first mode (fan motor 23 at 5,500 rpm)) in a state where the slide knob 5 is slid from the third position, which is the limit of forward movement, in a direction perpendicular to the linear sliding direction, that is, to the right or left by a predetermined distance. The slide knob 5 may be switched to the fourth position linearly or in an arc around the axis of the main body case 1. In addition to the power switch 3, the main body case 1 is provided with a tactile heater drive switch that sends a drive signal to the heater control unit 25 to turn on or off the output of the heater 20, and an operation knob for pushing the switch. Therefore, in any of the first to fourth positions, if the output of the heater 20 is in the off output state, cold dry air is blown out from the air outlet 9, but if the heater drive switch is pushed with the operation knob in the off output state of the heater 20, a drive signal for the heater 20 is sent from the heater drive switch to the heater control unit 25 and the output of the heater 20 is turned on, and in any of the first to fourth positions, the output of the heater 20 is turned on and hot dry air is blown out from the air outlet 9. In the on output state of the heater 20, the heater output is changed in each position. Specifically, the heater output is set to 500 W in the first and third positions, and to 1,000 W in the second and fourth positions. That is, the first and third positions are in the weak hot air mode, and the second and fourth positions are in the strong hot air mode. If the output of the heater 20 is turned off, the first and third positions are in the weak cold air mode, and the second and fourth positions are in the strong cold air mode. The output of the blower 16 is configured to be changeable between the first and second positions, and similarly, the output of the blower 16 is configured to be changeable between the third and fourth positions. In this embodiment, when the position is changed from the first and third positions to the second and fourth positions, the heater output is increased to set the hot air temperature blown out from the outlet 9 to be almost the same, but when the position is changed from the first and third positions to the second and fourth positions, the heater output can be increased to set the same output. In this case, the temperature of the hot air blown out from the outlet 9 is reduced, but in this case, the object to be dried (e.g., hair) can be dried comfortably without feeling heat even if the dryer is used for a long time. The drying time is not so long because the air volume is increased. Furthermore, when the position is changed from the first or third position to the second or fourth position, the heater output can be increased more than the increase in heater output in this embodiment. As a result, when the position is changed from the first or third position to the second or fourth position, the temperature of the hot air blown out from the air outlet 9 can be made higher than in the first or third position. Therefore, the drying time can be further shortened. The fan motor output and heater output can be set in various ways, not limited to the above.

When the slide knob 5 is slid to the first, second, third, and fourth positions, the support block 111 is pushed forward by the operating rod 112. As a result, the discharge electrode 28, which was in the separated position, is slid to the close position, and the discharge unit 19 is switched from the first mode to the second mode. In the first and second positions, the operating rod 112 does not push the support block 111 forward, but when it is slid from the second position to the third position, it is pushed forward, and the mode is changed from the first mode to the second mode. Even when it is slid from the third position to the fourth position, the operating rod 112 maintains the state in which the support block 111 is pushed forward, that is, the second mode is maintained. When the third position is slid to the second position, the discharge electrode 28 is displaced from the close position to the distant position by the biasing force of the return spring 104, and the discharge unit 19 is switched from the second mode to the first mode. The sterilization treatment using the hair dryer of this embodiment may utilize the treatment attachment 45 of the previous embodiments 1, 3 to 8, and 10, or the dry air blown out from the blowing port 9 may be sent to the treatment object T directly or via the convergent nozzle 12.

This embodiment is characterized in that the amount of ozone generated can be adjusted in the second mode. In other words, it is controlled so that more ozone is generated when a strong wind (wind) in the fourth position, which has a greater volume of wind than the weak wind (wind) in the third position, is blown out.

Specifically, for example, a unit on/off switch is provided on the input side of the drive unit 18 in FIG. 5, and a discharge control unit is further provided to drive this on/off switch. Of course, the transformer configuration and the discharge unit configuration are different when compared with this embodiment in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, there is one transformer, and the discharge unit is movable. In the third position of weak wind (wind), the discharge control unit sends a switching signal (on/off signal) to the on/off switch to drive the drive unit 18 intermittently. As a result, the discharge unit 19 is driven intermittently, and ozone is generated intermittently. The duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 is 30% (see FIG. 23(b)). In addition, in the fourth position of strong wind (wind), the discharge control unit sends a switching signal (on/off signal) to the on/off switch to drive the drive unit 18 intermittently, as in the third position. As a result, the discharge unit 19 is driven intermittently, and ozone is generated intermittently. The duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 is set to 50% (see FIG. 23(b)). That is, the amount of ozone generated is greater in the fourth position than in the third position. As a result, even if there is a distance to the object to be dried, if the mode is changed to the fourth position, it is possible to supply an air volume and an amount of ozone that are not inferior to those in the third position. In this way, by setting the duty ratio of the intermittent drive for driving the discharge unit 19 intermittently to be larger in the fourth position than in the third position, it is possible to increase the amount of ozone generated according to the increase in the air volume. In addition, the duty ratio of the intermittent drive for driving the discharge unit 19 intermittently can be arbitrarily changed on the software by setting a predetermined period and keeping the drive time (on output time) of the discharge unit 19 constant. In addition, since the transformer can be reduced to one and the amount of ozone can be adjusted by the software setting, it is also advantageous in terms of cost. For example, if multiple transformers with different output voltages are provided to change the amount of ozone and then selectively switched, the cost will increase. The above duty ratio is an example, and is not limited to this ratio as long as the fourth position is controlled to have a larger ratio than the third position.

In addition, the discharge control unit has different duty ratios for intermittently driving the discharge unit 19 when the heater 20 output is turned off and when the heater 20 output is turned on in the third and fourth positions. That is, the duty ratio for intermittently driving the discharge unit 19 when the heater 20 output is turned off is set to 30% in the third position and 50% in the fourth position as described above, but the duty ratio for intermittently driving the discharge unit 19 when the heater 20 output is turned on is set to 25% in the third position and 45% in the fourth position (see FIG. 23(a)). The reason for controlling the duty ratio for intermittently driving the discharge unit 19 to be larger when the heater 20 output is turned off than when the heater 20 output is turned on is to compensate for the fact that the efficiency of ozone generation of the discharge unit 19 decreases in a space with high humidity. Conversely, ozone is efficiently generated in a dry space. The above duty ratio is an example, and is not limited to the above ratio as long as the fourth position is controlled to have a larger ratio than the third position, and the duty ratio for both positions is smaller when the heater 20 is on than when the heater 20 is off, compared to when the heater 20 is off.

In the first mode, which generates a large amount of ions, as in the second mode, which generates a large amount of ozone, the ion species generated by the discharge unit 19 are efficiently generated in a dry space, so the discharge unit 19 is controlled in the same way as in the second mode (see Figures 23(a) and (b)). That is, in the first position, when the wind is weak (wind), the discharge control unit sends a switching signal (on-off signal) to the on-off switch to drive the drive unit 18 intermittently. As a result, the discharge unit 19 is driven intermittently, and ion species are generated intermittently. The duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 is 30% (see Figure 23(b)). In addition, in the second position, when the wind is strong (wind), the discharge control unit sends a switching signal (on-off signal) to the on-off switch to drive the drive unit 18 intermittently, as in the first position. As a result, the discharge unit 19 is driven intermittently, and ion species are generated intermittently. The duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 is set to 50% (see FIG. 23(b)). That is, the amount of ion species generated is greater in the second position than in the first position. As a result, even if there is a distance to the object to be dried, if the mode is changed to the second position, it is possible to supply an air volume and an amount of ion species that are not inferior to those in the first position. In this way, by setting the duty ratio of the intermittent drive for driving the discharge unit 19 intermittently to be larger in the second position than in the first position, it is possible to increase the amount of ion species generated in accordance with the increase in the air volume. In addition, the duty ratio of the intermittent drive for driving the discharge unit 19 intermittently can be arbitrarily changed on the software by setting a predetermined period and keeping the drive time (on output time) of the discharge unit 19 constant. In addition, since the transformer can be reduced to one and the amount of ion species can be adjusted by the software setting, it is also advantageous in terms of cost. For example, if multiple transformers with different output voltages are provided to change the amount of ion species and then selectively switched, the cost will increase. The above duty ratio is an example, and is not limited to this ratio as long as the ratio is controlled so that the second position has a larger ratio than the first position.

The discharge control unit has different duty ratios for intermittently driving the discharge unit 19 when the heater 20 output is turned off and when the heater 20 output is turned on in the first and second positions. In other words, the duty ratio for intermittently driving the discharge unit 19 when the heater 20 output is turned off is set to 30% in the first position and 50% in the second position as described above, but the duty ratio for intermittently driving the discharge unit 19 when the heater 20 output is turned on is set to 25% in the first position and 45% in the second position (see FIG. 23(a)). The reason for controlling the duty ratio of the intermittent drive to be larger when the heater 20 is in the off output state than when the heater 20 is in the on output state is to compensate for the fact that the efficiency of generating ion species of the discharge unit 19 decreases in a space with high humidity. Conversely, ion species are generated efficiently in a dry space. Depending on the structure of the discharge section 19, the types of ions generated there vary, and some ions have a sterilizing effect.

In this embodiment, the configuration has a first position, a second position, a third position, and a fourth position, but if a configuration specialized for ion species generation (including ion species with sterilizing effect) is adopted, it can be configured with the off position, the first position, and the second position. Also, if a configuration specialized for ozone generation is adopted, it can be configured with the off position, the third position, and the fourth position. Even in this case, the control method will be the same as in this embodiment.

The characteristics of the dryers (hair dryers, etc.) according to the above Examples 11, 12 and 13 can be expressed as follows:

An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and configured to blow dry air toward the air outlet 9;
a discharge unit 19 that is provided in the main body case 1 and supplies ion species (ions) and ozone to the drying air,
The driving modes of the discharge unit 19 include a first mode in which ion species (ions) are mainly generated, and a second mode in which a relatively larger amount of ozone is generated compared to the first mode,
The discharge unit 19 has a pair of electrodes 28 and 29 arranged adjacent to each other so as to be movable relative to each other.
A dryer configured such that in the first mode, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28, 29 is relatively large, and in the second mode, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28, 29 is relatively small.

According to the dryer configured as above, when drying hair, for example, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 is relatively large, ion species are generated in the discharge unit 19 in the first mode, and the moisture contained in the dry air is charged by the ion species, so that dry air containing negative ions can be sent to the hair. Also, when sterilizing a treatment object T such as a mask, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 is relatively small in the second mode, and ozone is generated in the discharge unit 19 in the second mode, and the ozone is sent to the mask together with the dry air, so that the mask can be dried and sterilized simultaneously. In addition, since the driving mode is changed depending on the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29, the electric circuit of a conventional hair dryer can be used as it is. If the amount of ozone generated in the second mode is low, it can also be used to dry hair, and in that case, a deodorizing effect on the scalp and the like can be expected in addition to drying. A flexible hose is attached to the air outlet 9, and a bag that can cover the head is provided at the end of the hose, so that hair can be dried. The bag has an open connection part that can be connected to the end of the hose so that the dry air does not leak, and an attachment part that is provided on the opposite side of the connection part and has a larger opening area than the connection part for attaching to the head. The attachment part is provided with an elastic body (such as an annular rubber made of a string-like rubber formed into a ring) for fitting to the head. The bag between the connection part and the attachment part has multiple small holes with an opening area smaller than the opening area of the connection part and the attachment part. By using the hose and the bag, the dry air containing ions or the dry air containing ozone that is delivered from the air outlet 9 can be efficiently delivered to the hair and scalp. The dry air containing ions or the dry air containing ozone that reaches the bag is discharged from the multiple small holes formed in the bag. The hose and the bag can be interpreted as an example of a treatment attachment 45.

An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and configured to blow dry air toward the air outlet 9;
a discharge unit 19 provided in the main body case 1 and supplying ion species and ozone to the drying air,
The driving modes of the discharge unit 19 include a first mode in which ion species are mainly generated, and a second mode in which a relatively larger amount of ozone is generated than in the first mode,
The discharge unit 19 has a discharge electrode 28 and a counter electrode 29 that are disposed adjacent to each other so as to be relatively movable.
A dryer configured such that in the first mode, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28, 29 is relatively large, and in the second mode, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28, 29 is relatively small.

According to the dryer configured as above, when drying hair, for example, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 is relatively large, ion species are generated in the discharge unit 19 in the first mode, and the moisture contained in the dry air is charged by the ion species, so that dry air containing negative ions can be sent to the hair. Also, when sterilizing a treatment object T such as a mask, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 is relatively small in the second mode, and ozone is generated in the discharge unit 19 in the second mode, and the ozone is sent to the mask together with the dry air, so that the mask can be dried and sterilized simultaneously. In addition, since the driving mode is changed depending on the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29, the electric circuit of a conventional hair dryer can be used as it is. If the amount of ozone generated in the second mode is low, it can also be used to dry hair, and in that case, a deodorizing effect on the scalp and the like can be expected in addition to drying.

A treatment attachment 45 for accommodating a treatment target T to be sterilized is removably attached to the air outlet 9,
When the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, dry air is supplied to the treatment object T accommodated in the treatment attachment 45.
The dryer is configured such that when the treatment attachment 45 is removed from the air outlet 9, the discharge part 19 is driven in a first mode, and when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, the discharge part 19 is driven in a second mode.

According to the dryer configured as described above, the treatment attachment 45 that contains the treatment object T to be sterilized is removably attached to the air outlet 9, and when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, dry air is supplied to the treatment object T contained in the treatment attachment 45. Therefore, dry air can be supplied more efficiently to the treatment object T contained in the treatment attachment 45, and the efficiency of the drying treatment and the sterilization treatment of the treatment object T using the dryer can be improved. In addition, when the treatment attachment 45 is removed from the air outlet 9, the discharge unit 19 is driven in the first mode, and when the treatment attachment 45 is attached to the air outlet 9, the discharge unit 19 is driven in the second mode. Therefore, simply by attaching the treatment attachment 45 to the air outlet 9, the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 is automatically switched from the first mode to the second mode, and dry air containing ozone can be supplied to the treatment object T. Therefore, sterilization of the treatment object T can be performed reliably without the need for a separate dedicated operation.

An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and configured to blow dry air toward the air outlet 9;
a discharge unit 19 provided in the main body case 1 and supplying ion species and ozone to the drying air,
The driving modes of the discharge unit 19 include a first mode in which ion species are mainly generated, and a second mode in which a relatively larger amount of ozone is generated than in the first mode,
The discharge unit 19 has a pair of electrodes 28 and 29 arranged adjacent to each other so as to be movable relative to each other.
In the first mode, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 is relatively large, and in the second mode, the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 is relatively small.
The dryer is provided with an operating unit 110 that displaces at least one of a pair of electrodes 28, 29 (a discharge electrode 28 and an opposing electrode 29) in the direction in which the electrodes 28, 29 move toward and away from each other (in the forward/backward direction) to change the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28, 29 to a first mode or a second mode.

The dryer configured as described above allows the user to select between dry air suitable for drying and dry air suitable for sterilization by operating the operation unit 110, so that dry air suitable for the purpose of treatment can be sent from the air outlet 9 to the target simply by operating the operation unit 110.

A dryer in which the operation unit 110 includes a power switch 3 that switches the operating state of the blower unit 16 and the discharge unit 19.

With a hair dryer configured as described above, the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 can be changed in conjunction with the power switch 3, so there is no need to provide a separate switch for switching modes in addition to the power switch 3, which simplifies the structure of the hair dryer and allows for a neater exterior design.

The device includes a blower unit 16 that supplies dry air and a discharge unit 19.
The output of the blower 16 can be changed to at least two levels: large and small.
The discharge unit 19 is configured to be driven intermittently.
This dryer is characterized in that the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is greater than the output (low output) of the blower unit 16, is set to be higher than the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is relatively small (low output).
To be more specific,
An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and supplying dry air toward the air outlet 9;
a discharge unit 19 for supplying ion species (ions) and/or ozone to the drying air,
The output of the blower 16 can be changed to at least two levels: large and small.
The discharge unit 19 is configured to be driven intermittently.
This dryer is characterized in that the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is greater than the output (low output) of the blower unit 16, is set to be higher than the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is relatively small (low output).

With the dryer configured as described above, the volume of the dry air can be adjusted according to the user's preference. Even if there is a distance to the object to be dried, if the blower unit 16 is set to a high output, it is possible to deliver a volume of air and an amount of ion species (ion amount) or ozone that is not inferior to that of a low output. In this way, by setting the duty ratio of the intermittent drive for driving the discharge unit 19 intermittently to a higher value at the time of high output compared to that at the time of low output of the blower unit 16, it is possible to increase the amount of ion species (ion) or ozone generated in accordance with the increase in the volume of air. In addition, since the number of transformers can be reduced to one and the amount of ion species (ion amount) or ozone generated from the discharge unit 19 can be adjusted by software settings, it is also advantageous in terms of cost. The discharge unit 19 may be of any of the following types: a type that mainly generates and supplies ion species (ion) for moisture supply, a type that mainly generates and supplies ion species (ion) for sterilization, or a type that generates and supplies ozone for sterilization and deodorization. Alternatively, the discharge unit 19 may be of the type that simultaneously generates and supplies ion species (ion) and ozone. In addition, "at least two levels of large and small" means that the output of the blower 16 includes three levels of large and small (meaning that the air volume is greater in level 2 than level 1, and that the air volume is greater in level 3 than level 2; hereinafter, four levels of large and small, five levels of large and small, etc. are considered in the same way). Therefore, the concept of "at least two levels of large and small" also includes a type in which the air volume is continuously adjusted, that is, a type in which the air volume is not switched in stages but is switched steplessly. Note that the power off, that is, zero output of the blower 16, is not counted as one level. If the output of the blower 16 has three levels of large and small, the discharger 19 can increase the amount of ion species (amount of ions) or the amount of ozone according to the increase in the air volume by setting the duty ratio of the intermittent drive for driving the discharger 19 intermittently to a larger value in stages accordingly. Dryers have various uses, such as hair dryers, shoe dryers, bathroom dryers, and dryers for drying clothes or bodies installed in changing rooms. The above content is also applicable to the following characteristic expressions.

The drying apparatus includes an air blower 16 for blowing dry air, a heat source 20 for heating the dry air, and a discharger 19.
The output of the blower 16 can be changed to at least two levels: large and small.
The discharge unit 19 is configured to be driven intermittently.
This dryer is characterized in that the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is greater than the output (low output) of the blower unit 16, is set to be higher than the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is relatively small (low output).
To be more specific,
An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and configured to blow dry air toward the air outlet 9;
A heat source 20 for heating the drying air;
a discharge unit 19 for supplying ion species (ions) and/or ozone to the drying air,
The output of the blower 16 can be changed to at least two levels: large and small.
The discharge unit 19 is configured to be driven intermittently.
This dryer is characterized in that the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is greater than the output (low output) of the blower unit 16, is set to be higher than the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is relatively small (low output).

The dryer configured as described above allows the volume of dry air to be adjusted according to the user's preference. Moreover, the dry air can be heated by the heat source 20, improving the drying capacity. Even if the object to be dried is far away, if the blower unit 16 is set to high output, it is possible to deliver a volume of air and an amount of ion species (amount of ions) or ozone that is comparable to that of a low output. In this way, by setting the duty ratio of the intermittent drive for intermittently driving the discharge unit 19 to be higher at high output compared to low output of the blower unit 16, it is possible to increase the amount of ion species (ions) or ozone generated in accordance with the increase in the volume of air. In addition, it is advantageous in terms of cost because it can be made into one transformer and the amount of ion species (amount of ions) or ozone generated from the discharge unit 19 can be adjusted by software settings.

The drying apparatus includes an air blower 16 for blowing dry air, a heat source 20 for heating the dry air, and a discharger 19.
The output of the blower 16 can be changed to at least two levels: large and small.
The discharge unit 19 is configured to be driven intermittently.
The duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is larger than the output (low output) of the blower unit 16 is set to be larger than the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is relatively small (low output),
The output of the heat source 20 can be turned on and off.
A dryer characterized in that the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the heat source 20 is at off output (zero output) is set to be larger than the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the heat source 20 is at on output.
To be more specific,
An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and supplying dry air toward the air outlet 9;
A heat source 20 for heating the drying air;
a discharge unit 19 for supplying ion species (ions) and/or ozone to the drying air,
The output of the blower 16 can be changed to at least two levels: large and small.
The discharge unit 19 is configured to be driven intermittently.
The duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is larger than the output (low output) of the blower unit 16 is set to be larger than the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the output (high output) of the blower unit 16 is relatively small (low output),
The output of the heat source 20 can be turned on and off.
A dryer characterized in that the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the heat source 20 is at off output (zero output) is set to be larger than the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the heat source 20 is at on output.

The dryer configured as described above allows the user to adjust the volume of the dry air according to their preference. Moreover, the dry air can be heated by the heat source 20, improving the drying capacity. Even if there is a distance to the object to be dried, if the blower unit 16 is set to a high output, it is possible to deliver a volume of air and an amount of ion species (ion amount) or ozone that is comparable to that of a low output. In this way, by setting the duty ratio of the intermittent drive for intermittently driving the discharge unit 19 to be larger at high output compared to low output of the blower unit 16, it is possible to increase the amount of ion species (ion) or ozone generated in accordance with the increase in the volume of air. In addition, the number of transformers can be reduced to one, and the amount of ion species (ion amount) or ozone generated by the discharge unit 19 can be adjusted by software settings, which is also advantageous in terms of cost. The discharge unit 19 needs to compensate for the decrease in the efficiency of generating ion species (ion) or ozone in a space with high humidity. The duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the heat source 20 is in the off output (zero output) is set to be larger than the duty ratio of the intermittent drive of the discharge unit 19 when the heat source 20 is in the on output, so that a decrease in the amount of ion species (amount of ions) or ozone generated by the discharge unit 19 can be suppressed.

In the above-mentioned Examples 12 and 13, the operating unit 110 was used to change the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 by moving the adjacent distance between the discharge electrode 28 and the counter electrode 29 closer and farther away. The configuration in which the operating unit 110 changes the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 can also be applied to the driving unit 18 of the discharge unit 19 adopted in Examples 1 to 10. Specifically, the hair dryer is provided with an operating unit 110 that is displaced in conjunction with a power switch 3 provided on the main body case 1 or the grip 2, and is configured so that the relay switch 42 can be switched between an off state and an on state by operating the power switch 3 with the operating unit 110. The operating piece 69 of the processing attachment 45 is omitted. According to this, the driving mode of the discharge unit 19 can be changed to the first mode or the second mode by selectively switching between the first transformer 39 with a small transformation ratio and the second transformer 40 with a large transformation ratio by operating the power switch 3 (operating unit 110). A dryer (hair dryer) with this configuration can be described as follows:

An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and configured to blow dry air toward the air outlet 9;
a discharge unit 19 that is provided in the main body case 1 and supplies ion species (ions) and ozone to the drying air,
The driving modes of the discharge unit 19 include a first mode in which ion species (ions) are mainly generated, and a second mode in which a relatively larger amount of ozone is generated compared to the first mode,
The discharge unit 19 is driven by a drive unit 18, and the drive unit 18 includes a boost circuit 17 that boosts an input voltage and outputs the boosted voltage. In the second mode, a voltage higher than that in the first mode is applied to the discharge unit 19.
The boost circuit 17 has a plurality of transformers 39 and 40 having different transformation ratios, and the transformers 39 and 40 are selectively switched to change the voltage applied to the discharge unit 19 between large and small.
an operating unit 110 is provided for switching the electric circuit of the boost circuit 17 to the first transformer 39 or the second transformer 40 to change the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 to the first mode or the second mode;
A dryer in which an operation unit (110) includes a power switch (3) for switching the operating states of a blower unit (16) and a discharge unit (19).

With a hair dryer configured as described above, the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 can be changed in conjunction with the power switch 3, so there is no need to provide a separate switch for switching modes in addition to the power switch 3, which simplifies the structure of the hair dryer and allows for a neater exterior design.

A dryer (such as a hair dryer) configured to change the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 using the operation unit 110 as described above can be expressed as follows:

An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and configured to blow dry air toward the air outlet 9;
a discharge unit 19 that is provided in the main body case 1 and supplies ion species (ions) and ozone to the drying air,
The driving modes of the discharge unit 19 include a first mode in which ion species (ions) are mainly generated, and a second mode in which a relatively larger amount of ozone is generated compared to the first mode,
The dryer is provided with an operation unit (110) for changing the drive mode of the discharge unit (19) to a first mode or a second mode.

The dryer configured as described above allows the user to select between dry air suitable for drying and dry air suitable for sterilization by operating the operation unit 110, so that dry air suitable for the purpose of treatment can be sent from the air outlet 9 to the target simply by operating the operation unit 110.

The operation unit 110 includes a power switch 3 that controls the driving states of the blower unit 16 and the discharge unit 19.
The power switch 3 includes a slide-type switch body 4 and a slide knob 5 for changing the position of the switch body 4.
A dryer in which the switch body 4 is configured to be switchable between at least three positions: a first position where the driving of the blower 16 is stopped, a second position where the blower 16 is driven and the discharger 19 is driven in a first mode, and a third position where the blower 16 is driven and the discharger 19 is driven in a second mode. The power switch 3 can also be configured to control the driving state of the heater (heat source) 20 in addition to the blower 16 and the discharger 19. The slide-type switch body 4 includes a switch structure that is operated in a rotary reciprocating manner as well as a structure that is operated in a linear reciprocating manner. Therefore, if the switch structure is operated in a rotary reciprocating manner, the slide knob 5 is configured as a dial type.

With a hair dryer configured as described above, the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 can be changed in conjunction with the power switch 3, so there is no need to provide a separate switch for switching modes in addition to the power switch 3, which simplifies the structure of the hair dryer and allows for a neater exterior design.

The switch body 4 can also be configured to have five positions: a position (off) where the operation of the air blower 16 is stopped; a position (cold ion air) where the air blower 16 is operated at a low speed and the discharge unit 19 is operated in the first mode; a position (weak ion hot air) where the air blower 16 is operated at a low speed, the heater 20 is operated, and the discharge unit 19 is operated in the first mode; a position (strong ion hot air) where the air blower 16 is operated at a high speed, the heater 20 is operated, and the discharge unit 19 is operated in the first mode; and a position (strong ozone hot air) where the air blower 16 is operated at a high speed, the heater 20 is operated, and the discharge unit 19 is operated in the second mode.

In the above-mentioned Examples 12 and 13, the discharge unit 19 is switched between the first mode and the second mode. However, as a modified example of Examples 12 and 13, for example, when the adjacent distance between the pair of electrodes 28 and 29 is set to a relatively different positional relationship, the amount of ion species generated can be changed, or the amount of ozone generated can be changed. In other words, in the first mode, the distance between the pair of electrodes can be changed in multiple stages, and in the second mode, the distance between the pair of electrodes can be changed in multiple stages.

This modified dryer (e.g., hair dryer) can be expressed as follows:
That is, an air guide passage 10 is formed inside the main body case 1 and has an air outlet 9 at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and configured to blow dry air toward the air outlet 9;
a discharge unit 19 provided in the main body case 1 and supplying ion species (ions) to the drying air,
The driving mode of the discharge unit 19 mainly includes a mode in which ion species (ions) are generated,
The discharge unit 19 has a pair of electrodes 28 and 29 arranged adjacent to each other so as to be movable relative to each other.
A dryer characterized in that the adjacent distance between both electrodes 28, 29 is configured to be changeable in a mode in which ion species (ions) are generated.

When drying hair, for example, with a dryer configured as described above, a small amount of ion species can be generated by making the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 relatively large, and a larger amount of ion species can be generated by making the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 relatively small, compared to when the adjacent distance is relatively large. Therefore, the moisture contained in the drying air can be charged by the ion species, and drying air containing an amount of negative ions (ions) according to the user's preference can be supplied to the hair.

In the above configuration,
A dryer comprising an operating unit (110) for changing the adjacent distance between a pair of electrodes (28, 29).

With a dryer configured as described above, the user can choose between generating a small amount of ion species or a larger amount of ion species by operating the operation unit 110, so that the amount of ion species, i.e., the amount of negative ions (ions), can be adjusted to suit the user's wishes with just a simple operation of the operation unit 110.

In the above configuration,
A dryer characterized in that the operation unit (110) is configured to include a power switch (3) for switching the operating states of the blower unit (16) and the discharge unit (19).

With a dryer configured as described above, the adjacent distance between the pair of electrodes 28 and 29 of the discharge section 19 can be changed in conjunction with the power switch 3, so there is no need to provide a separate switch for switching modes in addition to the power switch 3, which simplifies the structure of the dryer and allows for a neater exterior design.

Furthermore, the above modified dryer (hair dryer, etc.) can be expressed as follows.
That is, an air guide passage 10 is formed inside the main body case 1 and has an air outlet 9 at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and supplying dry air toward the air outlet 9;
a discharge unit 19 provided in the main body case 1 and supplying ozone to the drying air;
The driving mode of the discharge unit 19 mainly includes a mode in which ozone is generated,
The discharge unit 19 has a pair of electrodes 28 and 29 arranged adjacent to each other so as to be movable relative to each other.
A dryer characterized in that the adjacent distance between both electrodes 28, 29 is changeable in a mode in which ozone is generated.

When drying shoes or clothes, for example, a dryer configured as described above can generate a small amount of ozone by making the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 relatively large, and a larger amount of ozone can be generated by making the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 relatively small, compared to when the adjacent distance is relatively large. Therefore, it is possible to supply dry air containing an amount of ozone according to the user's preference.

In the above configuration,
A dryer comprising an operating unit (110) for changing the adjacent distance between a pair of electrodes (28, 29).

With a dryer configured as described above, the user can choose between generating a small amount of ozone or a larger amount of ozone by operating the operation unit 110, so the amount of ozone can be adjusted to suit the user's wishes with just a simple operation of the operation unit 110.

In the above configuration,
A dryer characterized in that the operation unit (110) is configured to include a power switch (3) for switching the operating states of the blower unit (16) and the discharge unit (19).

With a dryer configured as described above, the adjacent distance between the pair of electrodes 28 and 29 of the discharge section 19 can be changed in conjunction with the power switch 3, so there is no need to provide a separate switch for switching modes in addition to the power switch 3, which simplifies the structure of the dryer and allows for a neater exterior design.

In the above Examples 12 and 13 and the modified examples of Examples 12 and 13, technology related to a hair dryer is described, but this hair dryer falls within the category of household or commercial electrical appliances such as sterilizing deodorizers and air purifiers. Therefore, technology that can be considered an invention as an electrical appliance, not limited to a hair dryer, based on the description, can be expressed as follows.

That is,
An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and supplying air toward the air outlet 9;
A discharge unit 19 is provided in the main body case 1 and supplies ion species (ions) to the wind.
The driving mode of the discharge unit 19 mainly includes a mode in which ion species (ions) are generated,
The discharge unit 19 has a pair of electrodes 28 and 29 arranged adjacent to each other so as to be movable relative to each other.
An electric device characterized in that the adjacent distance between both electrodes 28, 29 is changeable in a mode in which ion species (ions) are generated.

When the electrical device configured as described above is used to supply ions (including sterilizing ions) to a space such as a living room, a toilet, or around the home to create an ion-containing space, a small amount of ion species can be generated by making the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 relatively large, and a larger amount of ion species can be generated by making the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 relatively small compared to when the adjacent distance is relatively large. Therefore, the moisture contained in the wind generated by the blower section can be charged by the ion species, and wind containing an amount of negative ions (ions) according to the user's preference can be sent to the space. The electrical device is not limited to a hair dryer or air purifier, but may also be a personal computer, a television, an electric fan, a circulator, etc.

In the above configuration,
An electrical device comprising an operating unit (110) for changing the adjacent distance between a pair of electrodes (28, 29).

With the electrical device configured as described above, the user can select between generating a small amount of ion species or a larger amount of ion species by operating the operation unit 110, so that the amount of ion species, i.e., the amount of negative ions (ions), can be adjusted to suit the user's wishes with just a simple operation of the operation unit 110.

In the above configuration,
An electrical device characterized in that an operation unit (110) is configured to include a power switch (3) for switching the operating states of a blower unit (16) and a discharge unit (19).

With an electrical device configured as described above, the adjacent distance between the pair of electrodes 28 and 29 of the discharge section 19 can be changed in conjunction with the power switch 3, so there is no need to provide a separate switch for switching modes in addition to the power switch 3, which simplifies the structure of the electrical device and allows for a neater exterior design.

moreover,
An air guide passage 10 formed inside the main body case 1 and having an air outlet 9 opened at one end thereof;
a blower section 16 arranged in the air guide passage 10 and supplying air toward the air outlet 9;
A discharge unit 19 is provided in the main body case 1 and supplies ozone to the wind.
The driving mode of the discharge unit 19 mainly includes a mode in which ozone is generated,
The discharge unit 19 has a pair of electrodes 28 and 29 arranged adjacent to each other so as to be movable relative to each other.
An electrical device characterized in that the adjacent distance between both electrodes 28, 29 is changeable in a mode in which ozone is generated.

When the electrical device configured as described above is used to supply ozone to a space such as a living room, a toilet, or personal surroundings to create a sterilized space containing ozone, a small amount of ozone can be generated by making the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 relatively large, and a larger amount of ozone can be generated by making the adjacent distance between the electrodes 28 and 29 relatively small compared to when the adjacent distance is relatively large. Therefore, it is possible to supply air containing an amount of ozone that suits the user's preference to the space.

In the above configuration,
An electrical device comprising an operating unit (110) for changing the adjacent distance between a pair of electrodes (28, 29).

With the electrical device configured as described above, the user can select between generating a small amount of ozone or a larger amount of ozone by operating the operation unit 110, so that the amount of ozone can be adjusted to suit the user's wishes with just a simple operation of the operation unit 110.

In the above configuration,
An electrical device characterized in that an operation unit (110) is configured to include a power switch (3) for switching the operating states of a blower unit (16) and a discharge unit (19).

With an electrical device configured as described above, the adjacent distance between the pair of electrodes 28 and 29 of the discharge section 19 can be changed in conjunction with the power switch 3, so there is no need to provide a separate switch for switching modes in addition to the power switch 3, which simplifies the structure of the electrical device and allows for a neater exterior design.

(Example 14) Figure 21 shows Example 14 in which the dryer of the present invention is applied to a hair bristles. The hair bristles are equipped with a vertically long cylindrical main body case 1 that also serves as a grip 2. A power switch 3 is located on the main body case 1, and a slide knob 5 is exposed on the periphery of the main body case 1. When drying hair, a blow brush or curl brush (not shown) is attached to the air outlet 9. In this way, the hair dryer (dryer) may include a case structure that does not have a grip 2.

The lower end of the main body case 1 is provided with an air inlet 8 covered with a suction grill made of a mesh body, and the upper end is provided with a dry air outlet 9. An air guide path 10 is formed inside the main body case 1, leading from the air inlet 8 to the outlet 9. In the air guide path 10, a blower 16, a drive unit 18, a heater (heat source) 20, a discharger 19, etc. are arranged in the listed order from upstream to downstream along the central axis of the air guide path 10.

The treatment attachment 45 includes a cylindrical mounting part 54, a rotating shaft 115 rotatably supported by the mounting part 54, a rotating cage 116 formed integrally with the upper end of the rotating shaft 115 and consisting of a cylindrical mesh cage with a bottom and an opening at the top, and a disk-shaped cage cover 117 that swings open and closes the upper opening of the rotating cage 116. In this embodiment, the rotating cage 116 and the cage cover 117 are configured as the container body 46. The rotating shaft 115 is supported by a boss 118 provided inside the tube of the mounting part 54, and the boss 118 is connected to the inner surface of the tube of the mounting part 54 by a plurality of radial support arms 119. An axial fan-type wind receiving blade 120 is provided on the rotating shaft 115 between the mounting part 54 and the rotating cage 116. The cage lid 117 has multiple ventilation openings 121 on its surface, can swing open and closed using hinges 122 at the front edge as a fulcrum, and is held in the closed position by engagement claws 123 at the rear edge.

By placing the object T to be treated in the rotating basket 116 (container body 46) and attaching the treatment attachment 45 to the air outlet 9, the relay switch 42 is pressed with the operating piece 69, and the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 is switched from the first mode to the second mode. Furthermore, the rotating basket 116 rotates as the wind-receiving blades 120 receive the dry air blown out of the air outlet 9 via the attachment part 54. In this way, the object T to be treated is rotated while dry air containing ozone is supplied to perform sterilization treatment. When the treatment attachment 45 attached to the air outlet 9 is separated, the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 is switched from the second mode to the first mode. In this way, the present invention can be applied to devices other than hair dryers.

(Example 15) Figure 22 shows Example 15 of the hair dryer according to the present invention. This example differs from Example 1 in that the discharge unit 19 is provided in the main body case 1 outside the air guide 10. Specifically, a bulge 126 that bulges upward from the circular air outlet 9 is formed at the front end of the main body case 1, and the inside of the bulge 126 is partitioned as a storage chamber 127 having an opening at the front that stores the discharge unit 19. When the convergent nozzle 12 is removed from the air outlet 9 or when the convergent nozzle 12 is attached to the air outlet 9, the ion species and ozone generated in the discharge unit 19 and released from the front opening of the storage chamber 127 are attracted to the flow of the dry air and supplied to the dry air by the Venturi effect caused by the speed of the dry air blown out from the air outlet 9 or the convergent nozzle 12. The mounting portion 54 of the treatment attachment 45 is formed in a shape corresponding to the air outlet 9 and the bulge portion 126, and when the treatment attachment 45 is mounted on the air outlet 9, the air outlet 9 and the front opening of the storage chamber 127 face the inlet 56. As a result, the ion species and ozone generated in the discharge portion 19 are released from the front opening of the storage chamber 127 to the inlet 56 and supplied to the dry air.

As described above, even if the discharge unit 19 is disposed outside the air guide passage 10, ion species and ozone can be supplied to the dry air. It is also possible to provide an opening that connects the air guide passage 10 to the storage chamber 127, and to configure the dry air fed through the air guide passage 10 to be blown forward through the storage chamber 127. In this case, the storage chamber 127 is configured as a secondary flow path for the dry air, and supplies ion species and ozone to the dry air flowing through the secondary flow path.

In each of the above embodiments, when the discharge unit 19 switches from the first mode to the second mode, the heat output of the heater 20 is changed from standard to high temperature, but the heat output of the heater 20 can also be changed from standard to low temperature. In this case, the heater control unit 25 is configured so that the heat output of the heater 20 can be driven at two types of heat output: standard output and low-temperature output with a lower heat generation amount than the standard output. When the relay switch 42 is switched on, the heat output value of the heater 20 is changed from standard to low temperature. With a hair dryer configured in this way, the power consumption of the heat source 20 can be reduced compared to that during drying processing, so the treatment target T can be sterilized while suppressing power consumption.

In each of the above embodiments, the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 can be changed by attaching or detaching the processing attachment 45 or by operating the operation unit 110, but a dedicated mode switch (operation unit 110) can be provided for changing the drive mode of the discharge unit 19 to the first mode or the second mode. Specifically, the hair dryer includes a main power supply that controls the drive state of the blower unit 16, a hot/cold switch that controls the drive state of the heat source 20 and the discharge unit 19, and a mode switch that changes the drive mode of the discharge unit 19.

When the main power supply is off, the air blower 16, heat source 20, and discharge unit 19 are stopped, and when the main power supply is switched on, the air blower 16 is driven. At this time, if the hot/cold switch is off, the heat source 20 and discharge unit 19 are stopped, and dry air at room temperature is blown out from the air outlet 9. On the other hand, if the hot/cold switch is on, the heat source 20 and discharge unit 19 are driven, and dry air that is heated and contains ion species and ozone generated by the discharge unit 19 is blown out from the air outlet 9. The discharge unit 19 is driven in a drive mode selected by the mode switch, and is switched to dry air suitable for drying processing or dry air suitable for sterilization processing.

The mode switch may include an operating member equivalent to the operating rod 112 in the previous embodiment 12. In a dryer in which the drive mode is changed by switching between the first transformer 39 and the second transformer 40 using the relay switch 42, the operating member is configured to turn the relay switch 42 on and off. In a dryer in which the drive mode is changed by moving the adjacent distance between the discharge electrode 28 and the counter electrode 29 closer and farther apart, the operating member is configured to move the discharge electrode 28 and/or the counter electrode 29 closer and farther apart.

In the dryer of the present invention, when the discharge unit 19 is driven in the second mode, it is possible to sterilize the surface of the human body by blowing dry air containing ozone directly onto hands and feet from the air outlet 9. It is also possible to sterilize small personal items such as shoes and bags, tableware, door handles, and faucet operating levers by blowing dry air containing ozone directly onto them from the air outlet 9.
The dryer of the present invention is not limited to one for drying hair, but can also be used as a dryer for the surfaces of the human body, such as hands and feet, and for animals, such as dogs and cats.

Reference Signs List 1: Main body case 9: Air outlet 10: Air guide passage 16: Air blower section 17: Boost circuit 18: Drive unit 19: Discharge section 20: Heat source (heater)
39 Transformer (first transformer)
40 Transformer (second transformer)
Description of the Related Art 45 Processing attachment 46 Container body 47 Surrounding wall 48 Bottom wall 49 Cup body 50 Lid body 54 Mounting portion 56 Inlet 57 Recessed portion 58 Lower opening 59 Upper opening 73 Airflow generating means 74 Deflection wall 77 Stand 78 Connecting body 79 Leg body 83 Deflection wing 86 Holding body 88 Base wall 89 Fin 91 Cage body 93 Holding rod G Gap H Central axis T of inlet Processing object θ Angle defined by the central axis T of the inlet and the wall surface of the deflection wall

Claims (5)

An air guide passage (10) formed inside the main body case (1) and having an air outlet (9) at one end;
an air blowing section (16) disposed in the air guide duct (10) and supplying dry air toward the air outlet (9);
a discharge unit (19) provided in the main body case (1) for supplying ions and ozone to the drying air;
The driving modes of the discharge unit (19) include a first mode in which ions are mainly generated, and a second mode in which a relatively larger amount of ozone is generated compared to the first mode ,
A treatment attachment (45) for accommodating a treatment target (T) to be sterilized is removably attached to the air outlet (9),
When the treatment attachment (45) is attached to the air outlet (9), dry air is supplied to the treatment object (T) accommodated in the treatment attachment (45),
The air outlet (9) opens forward,
The treatment attachment (45) is provided with a hollow vessel-like vessel body (46) having surrounding walls (47) surrounding the front, rear, left and right sides, for accommodating the treatment object (T),
A mounting portion (54) for mounting the treatment attachment (45) to the air outlet (9) is formed at the rear of the surrounding wall (47), and an inlet (56) for introducing the dry air blown out from the air outlet (9) into the container body (46) is formed at the mounting portion (54);
The treatment attachment (45) is provided with an airflow generating means (73) for generating an upward flow of the dry air introduced into the inside of the container body (46),
The dryer is characterized in that the container body (46) comprises a bottomed container-like cup body (49) having a cylindrical surrounding wall (47) and a bottom wall (48) that closes the lower opening of the surrounding wall (47), and a lid body (50) that opens and closes the upper opening of the cup body (49) . 2. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the airflow generating means (73) includes an upper opening (59) formed in the lid (50) and communicating the inside and outside of the container body (46) . 3. The dryer according to claim 2 , wherein a lower opening (58) is provided in a bottom wall (48) of the container body (46) for communicating the inside and outside of the container body (46) . 4. The dryer according to claim 3, wherein a total opening area of the upper openings (59) is set to be larger than a total opening area of the lower openings (58) . 2. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the dry air inlet (56) is located above an upper surface of the bottom wall (48) of the cup body (49), and a recess (57) is provided in the bottom of the container body (46) .