Hair dryer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12004624-B2
Application number	US-202017077119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Apr 10, 2020
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A hair dryer includes a main body, a handle, and a diffuser. The diffuser includes a diffusing case. The main body is provided such that a front end of an outer wall surrounds the gas outlet, a first coupling portion coupled with the diffuser is provided at the front end, and the diffusing case includes a second coupling portion coupled to the first coupling portion while surrounding a gas inlet hole defined at a rear side. The first coupling portion includes a wireless power transmitter to wirelessly supply power to the diffuser, and the second coupling portion includes a wireless power receiver to wirelessly receive the power from the wireless power transmitter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hair dryer, comprising:
a main body including a front end;
an outlet provided at the front end and through which fluid is discharged;
a first coupler provided at the front end;
a wireless power transmitter provided on the first coupler, including magnetic induction coils for wireless power transmission, and configured to wirelessly transmit power;
a handle extending from the main body; and
a diffuser, including:
a case having a rear end configured to be removably coupled to the main body;
an inlet provided in the rear end of the case and configured to receive fluid discharged from the outlet when the rear side is coupled to the main body;
a second coupler provided at the rear end and configured to be coupled with the first coupler;
a wireless power receiver provided on the second coupler, including magnetic induction coils for wireless power reception, and configured to wirelessly receive power transmitted from the magnetic induction coils for wireless power transmission when the first and second couplers are coupled;
a proximity sensor to measure a distance from a target located in front of the case; and
a controller configured to control a light to irradiate light when the distance from the target measured by the proximity sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined distance.

2. The hair dryer of claim 1 , wherein the wireless power transmitter is embedded in an outer wall of the front end of the main body.

3. The hair dryer of claim 2 , wherein the wireless power receiver is embedded in an inner wall of the rear end of the case, the inner wall having an inner surface defining the inlet.

4. The hair dryer of claim 3 , wherein an inner surface of a coupling sleeve of the second coupler is configured to surround an outer surface of the outer wall of the front end of the main body when the first and second couplers are coupled.

5. The hair dryer of claim 3 , wherein the second coupler further includes:
a coupling sleeve extending rearward from the rear end; and
a magnetic force generator provided on an inner surface of the coupling sleeve and configured to be magnetically attracted to the front end of the main body.

6. The hair dryer of claim 5 , wherein the magnetic force generator is farther forward than the wireless power transmitter and radially outward of the wireless power receiver in a radial direction of the main body.

7. The hair dryer of claim 5 , wherein the front end of the main body contains a magnetic substance configured to be magnetically attracted to the magnetic force generator.

8. The hair dryer of claim 5 , wherein the front end of the main body includes a secondary magnetic force generator configured to be magnetically attracted to the magnetic force generator of the coupling sleeve.

9. The hair dryer of claim 8 , wherein the secondary magnetic force generator is embedded in the front end of the main body.

10. The hair dryer of claim 8 , wherein the secondary magnetic force generator is located radially outward of the wireless power transmitter in the front end of the main body.

11. The hair dryer of claim 8 , wherein, when the first and second couplers are coupled, at least a portion of the secondary magnetic force generator is provided to align with the magnetic force generator of the coupling sleeve along a radial direction of the outlet.

12. The hair dryer of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser further includes the light, which is provided inside of the case to irradiate light away from the inlet.

13. The hair dryer of claim 12 , wherein the light is electrically connected to the wireless power receiver to receive power from the wireless power receiver.

14. The hair dryer of claim 1 , wherein the wireless power receiver is electrically connected to the proximity sensor to transmit a signal representing a measurement of the proximity sensor to the wireless power transmitter, and wherein the controller is provided on the main body and receives the signal of the proximity sensor through the wireless power transmitter.

15. A diffuser for a hair dryer, comprising:
a case having a rear end;
an inlet provided at the rear end and configured to receive fluid;
a coupling sleeve provided at the rear end and surrounding the inlet, the coupling sleeve being configured to be insertably coupled with and removed from a hair dryer such that the inlet receives fluid discharged from the hair dryer;
a wireless power device including magnetic induction coils and provided on the coupling sleeve, the wireless power device being one of a wireless power receiver or a wireless power transceiver that is configured to wirelessly receive power; and
a magnetic force generator configured to generate a magnetic force to magnetically attract to the hair dryer, wherein the wireless power device is configured to power at least one of:
a light provided inside of the case and configured to emit light away from the inlet,
a proximity sensor configured to sense a distance to a target in front of the case, or
a moisture level sensor provided on a front side of the case to measure a moisture level in front of the case.

16. The diffuser of claim 15 , wherein the magnetic force generator is embedded in the coupling sleeve.

17. The diffuser of claim 15 , wherein the wireless power device is embedded in the coupling sleeve.

18. The diffuser of claim 15 , wherein the wireless power device is configured to transmit a signal of the proximity sensor or a signal of the moisture level sensor.

19. The diffuser of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the wireless power device and the magnetic force generator are aligned along a radial direction of the coupling sleeve.

20. A hair dryer comprising the diffuser of claim 15 .

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A61N2005/0644

  Handheld applicators · CPC title

• A61N2005/0626

  Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods · CPC title

• A45D2200/205

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

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• A61N5/0617

  Hair treatment · CPC title