Ultrasonic Hair Dryer

Abstract

A device for drying hair includes a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet spaced from the air inlet to define an airflow path through the housing. The device also includes a fan disposed within the housing along the airflow path, a hairstyling implement disposed at the air outlet, and an ultrasonic transducer configured to generate ultrasonic vibrations. The transducer is coupled to the hairstyling implement to transmit the ultrasonic vibrations to the hair.

1 . A device for drying hair comprising:
 a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet spaced from the air inlet to define an airflow path through the housing;   a fan disposed within the housing along the airflow path;   a hairstyling implement disposed at the air outlet; and   an ultrasonic transducer configured to generate ultrasonic vibrations and coupled to the hairstyling implement to transmit the ultrasonic vibrations to the hair.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is disposed within the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is disposed within the hairstyling implement. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the hairstyling implement is detachably coupled to the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the hairstyling implement is configured as a diffuser. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the hairstyling implement includes a plurality of tines. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein adjacent tines of the plurality of tines are spaced from one another in accordance with a wavelength of the ultrasonic vibrations. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein each tine of the plurality of tines has a length in accordance with a wavelength of the ultrasonic vibrations. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the hairstyling implement has a length of about an integer multiple of a wavelength of the ultrasonic vibrations. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer includes a piezoelectric material to generate the ultrasonic vibrations, and wherein the hairstyling implement is made of a material having an acoustic impedance at about a midpoint between an acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric material and an acoustic impedance of the hair. 
     
     
         11 . A device for drying hair comprising:
 a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet spaced from the air inlet to define an airflow path through the housing;   a fan disposed within the housing along the airflow path; and   an ultrasonic vibration assembly including a first component comprising a piezoelectric material to generate ultrasonic vibrations and further including a second component coupled to the first component and disposed at the air outlet;   wherein the second component comprises a horn material having an acoustic impedance at about a midpoint between an acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric material and an acoustic impedance of the hair to transmit the ultrasonic vibrations to the hair.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the second component is configured as a hairstyling implement. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising a third component coupled to the first component by the second component, the third component being configured as a hairstyling implement. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the third component is made of a material having an acoustic impedance about equal to the acoustic impedance of the hair. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the second and third components are constructed of a common material. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the first component is disposed within the housing. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the first component is disposed within the second component. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the second component is detachably coupled to the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the second component is configured as a diffuser. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the second component includes a plurality of tines. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein adjacent tines of the plurality of tines are spaced from one another in accordance with a wavelength of the ultrasonic vibrations. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein each tine of the plurality of tines has a length in accordance with a wavelength of the ultrasonic vibrations. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the second component has a length of about an integer multiple of a wavelength of the ultrasonic vibrations.