Hair curler apparatus

Abstract

A hair curler having an inlet end having an air inlet, a longitudinally spaced apart second end, a longitudinal axis and a curler outlet shaped to direct air flow along an outlet vector that includes a tangential component and an air flow passage from the air inlet to the curler outlet. The curler outlet has an outlet duct extending from the air flow passage to an exterior. The outlet duct has an outlet end expansion zone

1 . A hair curler having an inlet end having an air inlet, a longitudinally spaced apart second end, a longitudinal axis and a curler outlet shaped to direct air flow along an outlet vector that includes a tangential component and an air flow passage from the air inlet to the curler outlet, the curler outlet including an outlet duct extending from the air flow passage to an exterior, the outlet duct including an outlet end expansion zone. 
     
     
         2 . The hair curler of  claim 1  comprising a first plurality of the curler outlets spaced apart from a second plurality of the curler outlets and a land portion located between the first and second plurality of the curler outlets. 
     
     
         3 . The hair curler of  claim 2  wherein the land portion is air impermeable. 
     
     
         4 . The hair curler of  claim 1  wherein the curler outlet comprises a set of the outlet ducts, each outlet duct including an outlet end expansion zone terminating at an outlet port, the plurality of outlet ports of the set are angularly positioned around the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         5 . The hair curler of  claim 4  wherein the outlet end expansion zone is formed between a radially inner wall and a radially outer wall, a spacing between the radially inner wall and the radially outer wall increasing along the outlet end expansion zone. 
     
     
         6 . The hair curler of  claim 4  comprising a first plurality of the curler outlets, a second plurality of the curler outlets, and a third plurality of the curler outlets, a first land portion positioned between the first and second plurality of the curler outlets and a second land portion positioned between the second and third plurality of the curler outlets. 
     
     
         7 . The hair curler of  claim 6  wherein the land portions are air impermeable. 
     
     
         8 . The hair curler of  claim 1  wherein the curler outlet directs air generally angularly along an outer surface of the hair curler whereby air which exits the curler outlet travels generally angularly along the outer surface. 
     
     
         9 . The hair curler of  claim 1  wherein the outlet duct extends from an inlet port to an outlet port, the outlet port has a radial outer side that is located radially outwardly of an adjacent land portion. 
     
     
         10 . The hair curler of  claim 9  wherein the air flow path incudes a passage interior the air curler and the inlet port is provided in a wall of the passage. 
     
     
         11 . The hair curler of  claim 1  wherein a transverse air flow area of the duct is at a maximum at the outlet end of the outlet end expansion zone. 
     
     
         12 . The hair curler of  claim 6  wherein the first plurality of the curler outlets is the plurality of the curler outlet closest to the inlet end of the hair curler, and the first plurality of the curler outlet directs air along an outlet vector whose only longitudinal component is directed away from the inlet end. 
     
     
         13 . The hair curler of  claim 12  wherein the second and third plurality of the curler outlets direct air along an outlet vector which includes a longitudinal component directed towards the inlet end. 
     
     
         14 . The hair curler of  claim 13  wherein the first land portion is bell-shaped along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         15 . The hair curler of  claim 6  wherein the first plurality of the curler outlets is the plurality of the curler outlets closest to the inlet end of the hair curler, the first plurality of the curler outlets directs air along a first outlet vector, the second plurality of the curler outlets directs air along a second outlet vector, the third plurality of the curler outlets directs air along a third outlet vector, and the first outlet vector has a magnitude that is less than at least one of the magnitude of the second outlet vector and the magnitude of the third outlet vector. 
     
     
         16 . The hair curler of  claim 15 , wherein the magnitude of the second outlet vector is greater than the magnitude of the first outlet vector, and the magnitude of the third outlet vector is greater than the magnitude of the first outlet vector. 
     
     
         17 . The hair curler of  claim 16  wherein the outlet ducts of the second plurality of the curler outlets have a minimum transverse air flow area that is greater than a minimum transverse air flow area of the outlet ducts of the first plurality of the curler outlets, and the outlet ducts of the third plurality of the curler outlets have a minimum transverse air flow area that is greater than the minimum transverse air flow area of the outlet ducts of the second plurality of the curler outlets. 
     
     
         18 . The hair curler of  claim 1  wherein the air flow path includes a venturi and a plurality of air inlets opening into the venturi from an exterior of the hair curler, the plurality of air inlets opening from a location at the inlet end of the hair curler. 
     
     
         19 . The hair curler of  claim 18  wherein the venturi is upstream of any of the curler outlets. 
     
     
         20 . The hair curler of  claim 19  wherein the venturi is at the inlet end of the hair curler.