Haircare appliance

Abstract

An attachment for a haircare appliance, the attachment including an air inlet, an air outlet, a hollow body defining a flow path between the air inlet and the air outlet, and a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, the curved surface extending outwardly from the hollow. A haircare appliance having an air inlet, an air outlet, and an airflow generator for generating an airflow from the air outlet to the air outlet. The haircare appliance has a hollow body defining a flow path between the air inlet and the air outlet, and a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet. The curved surface extends outwardly from the hollow body.

1 : An attachment for a haircare appliance, the attachment comprising an air inlet, an air outlet, a hollow body defining a flow path between the air inlet and the air outlet, and a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, the curved surface extending outwardly from the hollow. 
     
     
         2 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a central axis of curvature of the curved surface is displaced from a central axis of the hollow body. 
     
     
         3 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the curved surface has a first end attached to the hollow body, and a second free end opposite to the first end. 
     
     
         4 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the curved surface is substantially smooth and uninterrupted in form. 
     
     
         5 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the attachment comprises a pair of guide walls located at edges of the curved surface. 
     
     
         6 : 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. 
     
     
         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 the curved surface comprises a radius of curvature in the region of 16 mm to 60 mm. 
     
     
         11 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the curved surface comprises an arc length of at least 95 degrees from the air outlet. 
     
     
         12 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         13 : 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. 
     
     
         14 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the haircare appliance comprises a flat surface adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the air outlet. 
     
     
         15 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet comprises a fixed air outlet. 
     
     
         16 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the haircare appliance comprises a single air outlet. 
     
     
         17 : A haircare appliance comprising an air inlet, an air outlet, an airflow generator for generating an airflow from the air outlet to the air outlet, a hollow body defining a flow path between the air inlet and the air outlet, and a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, the curved surface extending outwardly from the hollow body. 
     
     
         18 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 17 , 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 and the curved surface. 
     
     
         19 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 17 , 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. 
     
     
         20 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 17 , 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 17 , 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. 
     
     
         22 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 17 , 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.