Haircare appliance

Abstract

An attachment for a haircare appliance, the attachment including an air inlet, an air outlet for emitting the airflow. The attachment has a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, and a flat surface adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the air outlet. A haircare appliance having an air inlet, an air outlet, and an airflow generator for generating an airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet. The haircare appliance has a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, and a flat surface adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the air outlet.

1 : An attachment for a haircare appliance, the attachment comprising an air inlet, an air outlet for emitting the airflow, a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, and a flat surface adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the air outlet. 
     
     
         2 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the attachment is configured such that airflow exiting the air outlet generates a first force to attract hair toward the curved surface, and a second force to push hair away from the curved surface. 
     
     
         3 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flat surface comprises a height in the region of 2 mm to 5 mm. 
     
     
         4 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flat surface is obliquely angled relative to a plane of the air outlet. 
     
     
         5 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the curved surface comprises a radius of curvature in the region of 16 mm to 60 mm. 
     
     
         6 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the curved surface comprises an arc length of at least 95 degrees from the air outlet. 
     
     
         7 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet comprises an open cross-sectional area in the region of 140 mm 2  to 450 mm 2 . 
     
     
         8 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet comprises a width in the region of 70 mm to 90 mm. 
     
     
         9 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet comprises a height in the region of 2 mm to 5 mm. 
     
     
         10 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a radius of curvature of the curved surface to an arc length of the curved surface is in the region of 0.04 to 0.63. 
     
     
         11 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the attachment comprises a pair of guide walls for guiding airflow along the curved surface, the pair of guide walls upstanding from the curved surface. 
     
     
         12 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet comprises a fixed air outlet. 
     
     
         13 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the attachment comprises a hollow body, the air outlet defined in the hollow body, and the curved surface projects outwardly from the hollow body. 
     
     
         14 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the attachment comprises a single air outlet. 
     
     
         15 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet comprises a first air outlet located on a first side of the attachment, and a second air outlet located on a second side of the attachment opposite to the first side of the attachment, the curved surface is adjacent to and downstream of each of the first and second air outlets, and the attachment comprises a first flat surface adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the first air outlet, and a second flat surface adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the second air outlet. 
     
     
         16 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the attachment comprises a switching mechanism for switching the attachment from a first configuration in which airflow passes through the first air outlet and does not pass through the second air outlet, to a second configuration in which airflow passes through the second air outlet and does not pass through the first air outlet. 
     
     
         17 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the switching mechanism is actuable to move the attachment between the first and second configurations under action of gravity. 
     
     
         18 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the attachment comprises an internal baffle for turning airflow from the airflow generator toward the air outlet. 
     
     
         19 : A haircare appliance comprising an air inlet, an air outlet, an airflow generator for generating an airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet, a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, and a flat surface adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the air outlet. 
     
     
         20 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the airflow generator is configured to generate airflow at a flow rate in the region of 8 L/s to 14 L/s. 
     
     
         21 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the haircare appliance is configured such that airflow at the air outlet comprises a velocity in the region of 30 m/s to 45 m/s. 
     
     
         22 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein a ratio of flow rate of airflow generated by the airflow generator to an open cross-sectional area of the air outlet is in the region of 0.01 to 0.10. 
     
     
         23 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein a ratio of a radius of curvature of the curved surface to a velocity of airflow at the air outlet is in the region of 0.33 to 2.00. 
     
     
         24 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein a ratio of a velocity of airflow at the air outlet to a flow rate of airflow generated by the airflow generator is in the region of 2.14 to 5.63. 
     
     
         25 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the haircare appliance comprises a handle unit within which the airflow generator is housed, and an attachment releasably attachable to the handle unit, the attachment comprising the air outlet, the curved surface, and the flat surface.