Hair styling device

Abstract

A hair styling device comprises a hair brush portion and an air mover portion comprising a heating element and a fan. The hair brush portion comprises a hollow brush head. The hollow brush head comprises bristles and apertures to allow air to exit the brush head in the region of the bristles. The brush head comprises at least one baffle arranged within the hollow brush head and extending radially inwardly from an inner wall thereof so as to peel off air from the periphery of the flow through the hollow brush head and direct it through the apertures.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A hair brush portion for a hair styling device comprising an air mover portion comprising a heating element and a fan;
 the hair brush portion comprising a hollow brush head;   the hollow brush head comprising bristles and apertures to allow air to exit the brush head in the region of the bristles;   the brush head comprising at least one baffle arranged within the hollow brush head and extending radially inwardly from an inner wall thereof so as to peel off air from the periphery of the flow through the hollow brush head and direct it through the apertures.   
     
     
         2 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 1  wherein the brush head is cylindrical and wherein the hollow brush head has a central longitudinal axis extending therethrough and the at least one baffle is disposed outside the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one baffle is a frustoconical baffle. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 2  wherein the at least one baffle is disposed at an acute angle to the central axis, wherein the baffle is curved and wherein the curvature of the baffle is such that the acute angle of the baffle to the central axis increases outwardly. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 1 , wherein the bristles are arranged along the length of the hollow brush head and extend further towards the distal end of the brush head than the apertures, wherein the apertures are elongate slots and are arranged longitudinally. 
     
     
         9 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 1 , wherein the brush head has an open proximal end, from which it receives air and a closed distal end; wherein the bristles extend along the length of the brush head between the proximal end and the distal end and wherein the at least one baffle is disposed adjacent to the inner wall of the brush head in the region of the third of the bristles closer to the proximal end. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 9  wherein the baffle is arranged such that as it extends inwardly, it extends towards the proximal end of the brush head. 
     
     
         12 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 1 , wherein the hollow brush head comprises at least one further baffle. 
     
     
         13 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 12  wherein the hollow brush head comprises only the at least one baffle and one further baffle. 
     
     
         14 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 12  wherein the further baffle is disposed in line with the central longitudinal axis so as to direct air from the centre of the flow towards the inner wall of the brush head and out of the apertures. 
     
     
         15 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 12  wherein the further baffle is disposed at an acute angle to the central axis, wherein the further baffle is conical and curved, and the curvature of the further baffle is such that the acute angle of the baffle to the central axis increases outwardly. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 12  wherein the further baffle extends radially inwardly and towards the proximal end of the brush head from the periphery and wherein the further baffle extends across the entire inside of the hollow brush head. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 12  wherein the further baffle is disposed adjacent to the inner wall of the brush head in the region of the half of the bristles closer to the distal end. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 1 , wherein at least some or all of the bristles comprise a first portion which tapers from the base and a second portion which is narrow relative to the first, relatively wide, portion and extends from the first portion to the free end;
 the bristles being arranged in two or more spaced apart, offset, rows wherein centre lines of the rows are spaced apart such that at least part of the first portion of bristles in one row extends between adjacent bristles in an adjacent row; and/or,   when viewed perpendicular to the rows, the width of the first portion of the bristles in one row is, over part of their length, the same or greater than the space between adjacent bristles in an adjacent row so as to partially occlude the space between bristles in an adjacent row; and the bristles are sized and arranged so that, in use, the second portion serves to penetrate and divide hair between the bristles and the first portion of the bristles enables tension to be applied to the hair when hair flows between the bristles.   
     
     
         25 . A hair brush portion according to  claim 24  wherein the first and second portions of the bristles are resiliently flexible and the second portion of the bristles is more flexible than the first; wherein each first portion has a non-circular transverse cross-section at its base which gradually transitions to a substantially circular cross-section at the point where it meets the second portion, and the second portion has a substantially circular cross-section over all or substantially all of its length. 
     
     
         26 . A hair styling device comprising an air mover portion comprising a heating element and a fan and a hair brush portion according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         27 . A hair styling device comprising an air mover portion comprising a heating element and a fan and a hair brush portion; the hair brush portion comprising a hollow handle and a hollow brush head; the hollow brush head comprising bristles and apertures to allow air to exit the brush head in the region of the bristles; the brush head being provided on the hollow handle at a distal end thereof; and the handle having a grip part around which, in use, a user wraps his/her hand; wherein, in use, hot air passing through the handle passes within an inner tube, with an outer tube forming the handle and a gap between the inner and outer tubes; wherein ambient air is provided in the gap between the inner and outer tubes. 
     
     
         28 . A hair styling device according to  claim 27  wherein at least some or all of the bristles comprise a first portion which tapers from the base and a second portion which is narrow relative to the first, relatively wide, portion and extends from the first portion to the free end; the bristles being arranged in two or more spaced apart, offset, rows wherein centre lines of the rows are spaced apart such that at least part of the first portion of bristles in one row extends between adjacent bristles in an adjacent row; and/or, when viewed perpendicular to the rows, the width of the first portion of the bristles in one row is, over part of their length, the same or greater than the space between adjacent bristles in an adjacent row so as to partially occlude the space between bristles in an adjacent row; and the bristles are sized and arranged so that, in use, the second portion serves to penetrate and divide hair between the bristles and the first portion of the bristles enables tension to be applied to the hair when hair flows between the bristles. 
     
     
         29 . A hair styling device according to  claim 27  wherein the ambient air is forced between in the inner and outer tubes wherein the inner tube is a nozzle; the nozzle forming part of the air mover portion and through which air passes from an inlet to an outlet and wherein the air mover portion is configured to divert unheated air between the handle and the nozzle, outside the nozzle, but inside the handle, in the gap therebetween. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A hair styling device according to  claim 29 , wherein the nozzle or handle is provided with heat insulation on its interior wherein the heat insulation comprises a heat insulating tube, wherein the heat insulating tube is a mica tube. 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled)