JP7796036B2 - Hair dryer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a hair dryer.

Patent document 1 discloses a hair dryer equipped with an irradiation unit that irradiates the scalp with LED light to improve the scalp environment.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-102326

However, in the hair dryer of Patent Document 1, the LED light-emitting unit is located near the air outlet, and the LEDs are arranged around the periphery of the air outlet. This means that the LED light is irradiated around the area where the hair is brushed aside by the air blown out of the air outlet. This creates the problem that it is difficult to efficiently irradiate the LED light onto the area (scalp) where the hair is brushed aside by the air blowing.

One aspect of the present invention aims to realize a hair dryer that can efficiently irradiate light onto the area where air is blown.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a hair dryer that includes a main body, an air blowing unit provided within the main body, an air outlet for blowing air from the air blowing unit, and an irradiation unit for irradiating light, wherein the air outlets are formed on the left and right sides of the outer edge of the front of the main body, the irradiation unit is formed inside the position of the air outlet on the front of the main body, and a display unit is provided on the front of the main body, inside the irradiation unit, that displays the operating status of the hair dryer .

One aspect of the present invention makes it possible to realize a hair dryer that can efficiently irradiate light onto the area where air is blown.

1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a hair dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view showing the external configuration of the hair dryer shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hair dryer shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the main part of the hair dryer shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between the direction of airflow and the direction of light irradiation in the hair dryer shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the irradiation position of LED light in the hair dryer shown in FIG. 1. [0023]FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical parts are given the same symbols. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them will not be repeated.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.
(Overall structure of the hair dryer)
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a hair dryer 10 according to this embodiment. For convenience in describing the shapes and positional relationships of the components of the hair dryer 10, the hair dryer 10 will be defined by three coordinate axes, namely, the X (X1-X2) direction (left-right direction), the Y (Y1-Y2) direction (up-down direction), and the Z (Z1-Z2) direction (front-rear direction) as shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 2 shows the appearance of the hair dryer 10 shown in Figure 1 when viewed from the side (X2 side). Figure 3 shows a cross section of the hair dryer 10 shown in Figure 1 when viewed from the side (X2 side).

As shown in FIG. 1, the hair dryer 10 is primarily composed of a main body 11 and a handle 20. The main body 11 has an air outlet 12 on the front side (Z1 side) of the front portion 11a for blowing out air, and an air inlet 23 on the rear side (Z2 side) for drawing in air. Furthermore, the main body 11 has an internal air blowing mechanism (such as the air blower 150 (FIG. 3)) and an air outlet path (air blowing path). This allows the main body 11 to blow air drawn in through the air inlet 23 out of the air outlet 12 (specifically, the first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b). In addition to blowing hot and cold air, the hair dryer 10 may also generate charged particles (ions) and blow them onto the head.

As shown in Figure 3, the blower unit 150 has at least a centrifugal fan 151, a motor 153, and a motor fixing part 152. By driving the motor 153 and rotating the centrifugal fan 151, air is drawn in through the intake port 23 of the main body 11, heated or cooled inside, and then blown out from the outlet 12.

The air outlet 12 is composed of two air outlets, a first air outlet 12a and a second air outlet 12b, formed at the left and right (X1-X2) ends of the front portion 11a. That is, the first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b are formed on the left and right (X1-X2) outer edge sides of the front portion 11a of the main body 11.

The first air outlet 12a is formed in the vertical direction (Y direction) along the left (X1 side) edge of the front portion 11a when viewed from the front. The second air outlet 12b is formed in the vertical direction (Y direction) along the right (X2 side) edge of the front portion 11a when viewed from the front.

The first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b have openings that are elongated (vertically long) in the vertical direction (Y direction). More specifically, the first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b are formed in an arc shape along part of the outer periphery of the substantially circular front part 11a. Because the openings of the first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b have such shapes, when drying hair using the hair dryer 10, the longitudinal direction of each opening can be aligned with the growth direction of the hair at the treatment area.
The front surface 11a is provided with a display unit 30 and an irradiation unit 50 (first irradiation unit 50a, second irradiation unit 50b) formed inside the first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b. Details of the display unit 30, the first irradiation unit 50a, and the second irradiation unit 50b will be described later.

The grip portion 20 is located below the main body 11. The grip portion 20 is the part that the user holds when using the hair dryer 10. As shown in Figure 2, when the hair dryer 10 is viewed from the side (e.g., the X2 side), the grip portion 20 extends downward (towards the Y2 side) from approximately the center of the main body 11 in the front-to-rear direction (Z direction).

The Z1 side of the grip part 20 forms the front part 20a. The front part 20a of the grip part 20 is provided with the operation part 40. When using the hair dryer 10, the user operates the operation part 40 (specifically, the power switch 42) to start or stop the operation of the hair dryer 10. In addition, by operating the operation part 40 (specifically, the operation button 41), the type of air (hot air/cold air) and air volume blown out from the air outlet 12 can be adjusted. In addition, by operating the operation part 40 (specifically, the operation button 41), the operating mode of the hair dryer 10 can be switched.

A power cord 22 is attached to the lower part of the grip portion 20. In another aspect of the present invention, the hair dryer 10 may be a cordless type. In this case, for example, a primary or secondary battery is provided inside the main body 11 or the grip portion 20.

(About the external shape of the hair dryer)
Next, the external shape of the hair dryer 10 will be described.

As shown in Figure 2, the hair dryer 10 has a generally T-shape when viewed from the side. Also, as shown in Figure 1, the front side (Z1 side) of the hair dryer 10 is composed of a generally circular front portion 11a, a generally rectangular front portion 20a that is narrower than the front portion 11a, and an inclined surface 20b whose width gradually narrows from the front portion 11a toward the front portion 20a.

The display unit 30, first irradiation unit 50a, second irradiation unit 50b, and operation unit 40 are all located on the front side (Z1 side) of the hair dryer 10. Furthermore, at least one of the multiple operation buttons 41 that make up the operation unit 40 is located on the inclined surface 20b.

As shown in Figure 1, the approximately circular front portion 11a has a left end portion 13a located on the leftmost side when viewed from the Z1 side, a right end portion 13b located on the rightmost side, an upper end portion 14a located on the uppermost side, and a lower end portion 14b located on the lowermost side.

As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the front portion 11a has a curved, concave shape. Furthermore, in this curved, concave front portion 11a, the left-right (X-direction) ends (i.e., the left end 13a and the right end 13b) are located closer to the front (Z1 side) than the up-down (Y-direction) ends (i.e., the upper end 14a and the lower end 14b) in side and top (or bottom) views. In other words, the up-down (Y-direction) ends of the main body 11 are recessed further upstream (Z2 side) in the airflow than the left-right (X-direction) ends of the main body 11. Furthermore, in the concave front portion 11a, the lower end 14b is recessed further upstream (Z2 side) in the airflow than the upper end 14a in bottom view.

The display unit 30 is located near the center of the front surface 11a, recessed from the left-right (X-direction) ends 13a and 13b where the first and second air outlets 12a and 12b are located. The display unit 30 is also located on the lower end 14b side of the front surface 11a, which does not protrude forward (toward the Z1 side) from the upper end 14a.

This allows the user to view the contents of the display unit 30 when looking at the front portion 11a of the hair dryer 10 from diagonally forward, as shown in Figure 1. If the front portion 11a is flat, it may be difficult to view the information on the display unit 30, which is located between the first and second air outlets 12a and 12b, due to factors such as light reflection. In contrast, in this embodiment, the display unit 30 is located in a recessed portion of the front portion 11a, which has a curved, concave shape. This reduces the effects of light reflection, making it easier to view the display unit 30. This configuration also makes it possible to view the display unit 30 from a wider range of directions (e.g., from a steeply inclined oblique direction).

(Configuration of the front part of the hair dryer)
Next, the configuration of the front portion of the hair dryer 10 will be described with reference to Figure 4. The front portion of the hair dryer 10 is mainly composed of a front portion 11a of the main body 11, a front portion 20a of the grip portion 20, and an inclined surface 20b.

A first air outlet 12a is provided on the left side of the front portion 11a when viewed from the Z1 side, running along the outer periphery of the front portion 11a. A second air outlet 12b is provided on the right side of the front portion 11a when viewed from the Z1 side, running along the outer periphery of the front portion 11a. The first air outlet 12a extends vertically around the left end 13a. The second air outlet 2b extends vertically around the right end 13b.

The front portion 11a has a concave shape between the first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b. That is, the center portion of the front portion 11a (where the distance sensor 60 is formed) is recessed furthest to the rear (upstream in the airflow direction). In this embodiment, the center portion has a substantially flat shape.

A first irradiation unit 50a is provided between the first air outlet 12a and the central portion, and a second irradiation unit 50b is provided between the second air outlet 12b and the central portion. That is, the first irradiation unit 50a and the second irradiation unit 50b are formed inside the positions where the first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b are formed on the front surface 11a of the main body 11, respectively.
Furthermore, on the front surface 11a of the main body 11, a display unit 30 for displaying the operating state of the hair dryer 10 is provided inside the first irradiating unit 50a and the second irradiating unit 50b.
Below the center of the front surface 11a and on the outer periphery of the center, there are operation mode display sections 31 (31a to 31f) that display the operation mode, which constitute part of the display section 30, and above the center, there is a temperature display section 32. In this way, the display section 30 is disposed in a recessed position upstream in the air blowing direction from the air outlet 12, which is located at the downstream end of the air blowing path. In other words, the display section 30 is disposed in a recessed position in the front surface 11a.
Furthermore, a distance sensor 60 is formed at the center of the front part 11a. This distance sensor 60 measures the distance from the hair dryer 10 to the head of the user of the hair dryer 10. The measured value by the distance sensor 60 is used to control various operations of the hair dryer 10.

An operating unit 40 is provided on the inclined surface 20b located below the front surface 11a and on the front surface 20a of the grip portion 20. The operating unit 40 has multiple operating buttons 41 and a power switch 42.

(Regarding the display)
Next, we will explain the specific configuration of the display unit 30. The display unit 30 is located at the downstream end of the airflow path (i.e., the front surface 11 a). The display unit 30 is composed of an operation mode display unit 31 and a temperature display unit 32.

The operation mode display unit 31 is a display unit for displaying the various operation modes of the hair dryer 10, such as normal mode, quick dry mode, styling mode, and hair care mode (ion blow mode). In this embodiment, the operation mode display unit 31 is composed of six LED lamps 31a to 31f.

As shown in Figure 4, the multiple LED lamps 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f that make up the operation mode display unit 31 are arranged in a vertical row (Y direction) below the front part 11a. The user of the hair dryer 10 switches the operation mode of the hair dryer 10 by operating the operation button 41 of the operation unit 40. Then, the LED lamp among the multiple LED lamps 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f that corresponds to the selected current operation mode lights up.

In one example, when the operation mode of the hair dryer 10 is the normal mode, only the top LED lamp 31a is lit. When the operation mode of the hair dryer 10 is the quick dry mode, only the second LED lamp 31b from the top is lit. When the operation mode of the hair dryer 10 is the styling mode, only the third LED lamp 31c from the top is lit. When the operation mode of the hair dryer 10 is the hair care mode, only the bottom LED lamp 31d is lit. When the operation mode of the hair dryer 10 is the scalp care mode (1), only the LED lamp 31e is lit. When the operation mode of the hair dryer 10 is the scalp care mode (2), only the LED lamp 31f is lit.
The LED lamps 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f that make up the operation mode display unit 31 are arranged vertically in the approximate center of the front portion 11a, located between the first and second air outlets 12a and 12b, in the left-right direction (X direction). The LED lamps 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f are also arranged on an extension of a center line that passes through the approximate center of the front portion 20a. This allows the user to easily check which of the LED lamps 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f is lit. Therefore, the user can easily check the current operation mode while using the hair dryer 10.

The temperature display unit 32 indicates the temperature of the air blown out from the air outlet 12, such as hot air or cold air. The temperature display unit 32 displays the air temperature, for example, by color. Specifically, when hot air is blown out, the temperature display unit 32 turns red, and when cold air is blown out, the temperature display unit 32 turns blue.

In this case, the temperature display unit 32 is composed of a red LED lamp, a blue LED lamp, etc. When warm air is blown out from the air outlet 12, the red LED lamp lights up and emits a color. When cool air is blown out from the air outlet 12, the blue LED lamp lights up and emits a color. This allows the user to easily distinguish whether the air being blown out is warm air or cool air.

(Irradiation unit)
As shown in Fig. 4, the first irradiation unit 50a and the second irradiation unit 50b each include two red LEDs 51a (red light irradiation units) that irradiate red light and two blue LEDs 51b (blue light irradiation units) that irradiate blue light. In the first irradiation unit 50a and the second irradiation unit 50b, the red LEDs 51a and the blue LEDs 51b are arranged around the periphery of the display unit 30. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the red LEDs 51a and the blue LEDs 51b are arranged to sandwich the display unit 30 from the left and right (X1-X2) directions, but the arrangement is not limited to this.
The red LEDs 51a and blue LEDs 51b of the first irradiation unit 50a are arranged along the first air outlet 12a. Here, from the Y1 side to the Y2 side, the red LEDs 51a, blue LEDs 51b, blue LEDs 51b, and red LEDs 51a are arranged in a line at approximately equal intervals. That is, the two blue LEDs 51b are arranged adjacent to each other, and the two red LEDs 51a are arranged with two adjacent blue LEDs 51b interposed between them. Note that the red LEDs 51a and blue LEDs 51b may be arranged so that the centers of the LEDs are located on a straight line, or so that the centers of the LEDs are located on an arc-shaped virtual line that follows the arc-shaped first air outlet 12a.

Similarly, the red LEDs 51a and blue LEDs 51b of the second irradiation unit 50b are arranged along the second air outlet 12b. Here, as an example, the red LEDs 51a, blue LEDs 51b, blue LEDs 51b, and red LEDs 51a are arranged at approximately equal intervals from the Y1 side to the Y2 side. That is, the two blue LEDs 51b are arranged adjacent to each other, and the two red LEDs 51a are arranged with two adjacent blue LEDs 51b interposed between them. The red LEDs 51a and blue LEDs 51b may be arranged so that the centers of the LEDs are located on a straight line, or so that the centers of the LEDs are located on an arc-shaped virtual line along the arc-shaped second air outlet 12b.
The first and second irradiation units 50a and 50b are configured to irradiate LED light in the same direction as the airflow from the first and second air outlets 12a and 12b, respectively, so that the LED light irradiated from the first and second irradiation units 50a and 50b can be irradiated onto the scalp together with the airflow from the first and second air outlets 12a and 12b, as shown in FIG.

Here, the red LED light emitted from the red LED 51a is light in the wavelength range of 618 nm to 635 nm, and the blue LED light emitted from the blue LED 51b is light in the wavelength range of 405 nm to 415 nm. Irradiating either type of LED light onto the scalp is expected to improve the scalp environment.

As shown in Figure 5, the LED light emitted from the first irradiation unit 50a and the second irradiation unit 50b is irradiated onto the scalp together with the air blown out from the first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b. This has the effect of improving the scalp environment while drying or styling the hair on the scalp.

Furthermore, the hair dryer 10 configured as described above has the first irradiation unit 50a and the second irradiation unit 50b provided on the front surface 11a, inside the first air outlet 12a and the second air outlet 12b. This has the effect of keeping the external dimensions smaller than when the irradiation units are provided on the outside of the main body 11.

[Embodiment 2]
Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

The hair dryer of this embodiment has almost the same configuration as the hair dryer 10 of embodiment 1, but differs in that the optical axes of the red LED 51a and blue LED 51b of the first irradiation unit 50a and second irradiation unit 50b are tilted.

As shown in Figure 6, the optical axes of the red LED 51a and blue LED 51b provided in the hair dryer 10A according to this embodiment are adjusted so that red light and blue light can be effectively irradiated onto the scalp. For example, by adjusting the inclination of the optical axes of the red LED 51a and blue LED 51b, it is possible to irradiate light of each color within approximately the same range.

The inclination of the optical axis may be adjusted in advance based on the typical distance from the scalp to the hair dryer 10A when using the hair dryer 10A.

Alternatively, the red LED 51a and blue LED 51b may be supported movably, allowing the tilt of the optical axis to be adjusted according to the distance from the scalp to the hair dryer 10A. Specifically, the output value of the distance sensor 60 provided on the hair dryer 10A is used to move the red LED 51a and blue LED 51b, thereby adjusting the tilt of the optical axis of each of the red LED 51a and blue LED 51b.

As described above, by tilting the optical axes of the red LED 51a and the blue LED 51b, it is possible to effectively irradiate the scalp with the LED light emitted from the first irradiation unit 50a and the second irradiation unit 50b.

In the above embodiments, the number of red LEDs 51a and blue LEDs 51b included in the first irradiation unit 50a and the second irradiation unit 50b is two each, but this is not limited to this. Furthermore, the arrangement of the red LEDs 51a and blue LEDs 51b is not limited to the order of red LED 51a, blue LED 51b, blue LED 51b, red LED 51a.

For example, the first irradiation unit 50a may include one red LED 51a and one blue LED 51b, and the second irradiation unit 50b may also include one red LED 51a and one blue LED 51b. Alternatively, the first irradiation unit 50a and the second irradiation unit 50b may only include LEDs of the same color. For example, the first irradiation unit 50a may include two or more red LEDs 51a (or blue LEDs 51b), and the second irradiation unit 50b may also include two or more red LEDs 51a (or blue LEDs 51b).

〔summary〕
The hair dryer according to aspect 1 of the present invention includes a main body 11, an air blowing unit (air blowing mechanism) provided within the main body 11, an air outlet 12 for blowing out air from the air blowing unit (air blowing mechanism), and an irradiation unit 50 for irradiating light, wherein the air outlets 12 (first air outlet 12a and second air outlet 12b) are formed on the left and right sides of the outer edge of the front surface (front surface 11a) of the main body 11, and the irradiation unit 50 (first irradiation unit 50a, second irradiation unit 50b) are formed inward from the formation positions of the air outlets 12 (first air outlet 12a and second air outlet 12b) on the front surface of the main body 11.

With the above configuration, the irradiation unit is located inside the position of the air outlet on the front of the main body, allowing the air blown out from the air outlet to be efficiently directed toward the area irradiated with light by the irradiation unit. As a result, if the irradiated area is the scalp, the air blown out from the air outlet can brush aside the hair covering the scalp, allowing light to be efficiently directed toward the scalp. In other words, because the air outlets are separated into left and right sides when viewed from the front, the two air flows blown out from the hair dryer create a difference in air speed between the front position of each air outlet (high air speed area) and the intermediate position of each air outlet (low air speed area). This difference allows the hair to be brushed aside in three dimensions, allowing light to be efficiently directed toward the scalp.

A hair dryer according to aspect 2 of the present invention may be configured as in aspect 1 above, with a display unit 30 provided on the front (front unit 11a) of the main body unit 11, located inside the irradiation unit 50 (first irradiation unit 50a, second irradiation unit 50b), for displaying the operating status of the hair dryer.

With the above configuration, it is possible to understand the operating status simply by looking at the front of the hair dryer.

A hair dryer according to aspect 3 of the present invention may be such that, in aspect 2 above, the front surface (front surface 11a) of the main body 11 is recessed toward the center (central portion 15), and the display unit 30 is positioned in a recessed position on the front surface (front surface 11a).

According to the above configuration, the display unit 30 is provided in the recessed portion on the front surface, which has a curved concave shape, thereby reducing the effect of light reflection and making it easier to see the display unit.

A hair dryer according to aspect 4 of the present invention is the same as in aspect 2 or 3 above, in that the irradiation unit 50 (first irradiation unit 50a, second irradiation unit 50b) consists of multiple light sources (red LED 51a, blue LED 51b), and the multiple light sources (red LED 51a, blue LED 51b) may be arranged to surround the display unit 30.

The above configuration makes it easy to distinguish between light emitted from the display unit and light emitted from the illumination unit.

A hair dryer according to aspect 5 of the present invention is the same as in aspect 4 above, in that the light source (red LED 51a, blue LED 51b) may be at least one of a red light irradiation unit (red LED 51a) that emits red light or a blue light irradiation unit (blue LED 51b) that emits blue light.

A hair dryer according to aspect 6 of the present invention is the same as in aspect 5 above, wherein the plurality of light sources (red LEDs 51a, blue LEDs 51b) include at least two red light irradiators (red LEDs 51a) and at least two blue light irradiators (blue LEDs 51b) arranged in a row along the formation position of the air outlet 12 (first air outlet 12a, second air outlet 12b), and the blue light irradiators (blue LEDs 51b) may be arranged adjacent to each other, and the red light irradiator (red LED 51a) may be arranged outside the adjacent blue light irradiator (blue LED 51b).

With the above configuration, the scalp is irradiated with at least one color of light, red light from the red LED or blue light from the blue LED, which is expected to improve the scalp environment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, new technical features can be created by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

10 Hair dryer 10A Hair dryer 11 Main body 11a Front face 12 Air outlet 12a First air outlet 12b Second air outlet 13a Left end 13b Right end 14a Upper end 14b Lower end 20 Grip 20a Front face 20b Inclined surface 22 Power cord 23 Inlet 30 Display 31 Operation mode display 31a to 31f LED lamp 32 Temperature display 40 Operation unit 41 Operation button 42 Power switch 50a First irradiation unit 50b Second irradiation unit 51a Red LED
51b Blue LED
60 Distance sensor

Claims (5)

a main body;
a blower provided in the main body;
an air outlet for blowing out air from the air blowing unit;
A hair dryer including an irradiation unit that irradiates light,
The air outlets are formed on the left and right sides of the outer edge of the front surface of the main body,
the irradiation unit is formed on the front surface of the main body unit, inward from a position where the air outlet is formed ,
A hair dryer characterized in that a display unit that displays the operating status of the hair dryer is provided on the front of the main body unit, inside the irradiation unit . The front surface of the main body is recessed toward the center,
2. The hair dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit is disposed in a recessed position on the front surface. The irradiation unit includes a plurality of light sources,
3. The hair dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources are arranged so as to surround the display unit. 4. The hair dryer according to claim 3 , wherein the light source is at least one of a red light emitting section that emits red light and a blue light emitting section that emits blue light. The plurality of light sources include at least two red light emitting units and at least two blue light emitting units arranged in a vertical line along the position where the air outlet is formed,
The blue light irradiating units are arranged adjacent to each other,
5. The hair dryer according to claim 4 , wherein the red light emitting unit is disposed vertically outside the adjacent blue light emitting unit.