Diffuser and hair dryer having a diffuser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11844408-B2
Application number	US-202017077915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Apr 10, 2020
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A diffuser includes a diffusing case having a rear side removably coupled to a main body of a hair dryer. Gas discharged from the main body is introduced into the diffusing case through a gas inlet hole defined at the rear side. The gas introduced into the diffusing case is discharged from a front side of the diffusing case. The diffusing case has a concave or curved structure such that an inner diameter of the diffusing case increases in a forward direction. A guide frame provided inside the diffusing case to guide a flow of the introduced gas includes a diffusion portion or protrusion provided to face the gas inlet hole to diffuse the gas introduced through the gas inlet hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A diffuser for a hair dryer, comprising:
a case having a rear side, a front side, and an inlet provided at the rear side, wherein a cross-sectional area of the case increases from the rear side toward the front side, and the rear side is configured to be coupled to and removed from a main body of a hair dryer such that fluid discharged from the main body is introduced through the inlet and discharged toward the front side;
a guide frame provided inside the case to guide a flow of the fluid introduced through the inlet, the guide frame having a diffusion guide aligning with the inlet and having a shape configured to diffuse fluid introduced from the inlet outward; and
a cover provided at the front side of the case, wherein the cover includes:
a discharge hole through which fluid introduced into the case is discharged; and
at least one bristle protruding forward and configured to massage a scalp.

2. The diffuser of claim 1 , wherein a rear surface of the diffusion guide includes a dome protruding toward the inlet, the dome having a cross-sectional area that decreases from the rear surface toward the inlet.

3. The diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the guide frame includes a plurality of ring-shaped openings that surround the diffusion guide, the diffusion guide being provided at a center of the plurality of openings, and wherein the plurality of openings have different diameters so as to divide flows of fluid introduced through the inlet from each other.

4. The diffuser of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of openings has a diameter larger than a diameter of the inlet.

5. The diffuser of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of openings include a first opening and a second opening, and the guide frame further includes:
a first guide formed in a ring shape and surrounding the diffusion guide, wherein the first opening is defined between the first guide and the diffusion guide; and
a second guide formed in a ring shape and surrounding the diffusion guide and the first guide, wherein the second opening is defined between the first guide and the second guide.

6. The diffuser of claim 5 , wherein the second opening has an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the inlet.

7. The diffuser of claim 5 , wherein the first guide is positioned to be farther forward than the diffusion section, and the second guide is positioned to be farther forward than the first guide.

8. The diffuser of claim 7 , further comprising:
a light frame provided in front of the guide frame and having a plurality of openings aligning with the plurality of openings of the guide frame so as not to obstruct a flow of fluid, the light frame having at least one light emitting diode configured to irradiate light toward the front side of the case.

9. The diffuser of claim 5 , wherein the guide frame further includes at least one rib extending along a radial direction of the guide frame to connect the diffusion guide, the first guide, and the second guide to each other.

10. A hair dryer including the diffuser of claim 1 .

11. A hair dryer, comprising:
a main body including an outlet through which fluid is discharged;
a handle extending from the main body; and
a diffuser including:
a case having a front side and a rear side, the rear side configured to be coupled to and removed from the main body, wherein a cross-sectional area of the case increases from the rear side to the front side,
an inlet provided at the rear side and configured to align with the outlet when the case is coupled to the main body so that fluid discharged from the outlet is introduced to an inside of the case via the inlet to be discharged from the front side of the case;
a guide frame provided inside the case, the guide frame having a diffusion guide facing the inlet and configured to diffuse fluid introduced through the inlet in a radial direction of the diffusion guide; and
a cover provided at the front side of the case, wherein the cover includes:
a discharge hole through which fluid introduced into the case is discharged; and
at least one bristle protruding forward and configured to massage a scalp.

12. The hair dryer of claim 11 , wherein the outlet of the main body includes:
an inner opening; and
an outer opening having a ring shape that surrounds the inner opening, wherein the fluid is discharged through the inner and outer openings, wherein the diffusion guide faces the inner opening and has a diameter larger than a diameter of the inner opening to diffuse fluid introduced from the inner opening.

13. The hair dryer of claim 12 , wherein a diameter of the inlet is equal to or greater than a diameter of the outer opening so that fluid discharged from the inner and outer openings of the outlet flows through the inlet into the case.

14. The hair dryer of claim 13 , wherein the guide frame further includes:
an inner ring surrounding and radially spaced apart from the diffusion guide such that the diffuser guide is provided at a center of the first ring, wherein an inner flow path is defined between the inner ring and the diffusion guide; and
an outer ring surrounding and radially spaced apart from the inner ring such that the diffusion guide is provided at a center of the outer ring, wherein an outer flow path is defined between the outer ring and the inner ring, wherein:
the diameter of the diffusion guide is less than an inner diameter of the outer opening of the outlet, and the outer opening is positioned to align with at least a portion of the inner flow path in a front-rear direction.

15. The hair dryer of claim 14 , wherein the outer flow path has an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the outer opening so that fluid introduced through the inner and outer openings is diffused radially outward and forward.

16. The hair dryer of claim 12 , wherein a rear of the diffusion guide is curved to protrude toward the inner opening and has a curvature configured to diffuse fluid introduced from the inner opening radially outward.

17. The hair dryer of claim 12 , further comprising a guide cone provided inside of the inner opening, a diameter of the guide cone decreasing from a rear to a front, wherein the diameter of the guide cone is less than a diameter of the inner opening to define a ring-shaped space therebetween.

18. A diffuser configured to be coupled to and removed from a hair dryer, comprising:
an outer shell having concave shape defining a cavity that is configured to surround at least a portion of a human head;
an inlet configured to align with an outlet of a hair dryer;
a flange surrounding the inlet, the flange having a coupling structure configured to coupled to and be removed from an end of the hair dryer defining the outlet; and
a guide frame provided inside of the outer shell and configured to align with the inlet, the guide frame having:
a curved surface at a side of the guide frame facing the inlet, the curved surface configured to align with a center of the inlet,
a first slot surrounding the curved surface, and
a second slot spaced apart from and surrounding the first slot, the second slot being positioned closer to an outer edge of the guide frame than a center of the guide frame such that fluid flowing through the inlet is diffused outward from the curved surface to flow through the first and second slots, wherein the center of the guide frame is closer to the inlet than the outer edge of the guide frame.

19. The diffuser of claim 18 , further comprising:
an inner shell configured to be provided within

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Kyoungtae
• Kim Hyunchul
• Ku Yunhee
• Park Rayoung
• Kim Dongwon

Classifications

• A45D20/122 Primary

  Diffusers, e.g. for variable air flow · CPC title

• A45D20/26

  Guiding the air; Controlling the air quantity · CPC title

• A45D2200/205

  Radiation, e.g. UV, infrared · CPC title

• A61H39/04

  Devices for pressing such points, e.g. Shiatsu {or Acupressure}(Massage or pressure on general areas A61H9/00 - A61H23/00) · CPC title

• A61N5/0617

  Hair treatment · CPC title