Heat deflector for use with a hood-type hair dryer

Abstract

An air flow deflector for use with a hood-type hair dryer is a thick, resiliently compressible, unitary halo with an inner perimeter of length suited to surround and abut, preferably with tension, against the subject's head when the halo's inner perimeter is contoured approximately immediately below the subject's hair line. The halo deflects the flow of warm air away from exposed skin portions of the head, neck and shoulders and has an arcuate upturned extension on its front portion for deflecting air flow back to the interior of the hood of the dryer. In use, the halo is slid downwardly against tension over the top of the head of the subject to a position at least below the hairline and preferably resting around the neck and on the shoulders of the subject. After setting, the halo is slid upwardly and contoured to approximately immediately below the subject's hairline.

1 . For positioning on a subject's head, an air flow deflector comprising a thick, resiliently compressible, unitary halo having an inner perimeter of length suited for surrounding abutment against the subject's head with said inner perimeter contoured approximately immediately below a hair line of the subject. 
   
   
       2 . A deflector according to  claim 1 , said halo having an arcuate upturned extension on a front portion thereof. 
   
   
       3 . A deflector according to  claim 2 , said arcuate extension defining an approximately 90° arc. 
   
   
       4 . A deflector according to  claim 2 , said arcuate extension defining an approximately 180° arc. 
   
   
       5 . A deflector according to  claim 2 , said halo having wings extending outwardly from side portions of said halo, each said wing being oriented on said halo and of width and length sufficient to extend laterally above and span forwardly to be rearwardly across a corresponding ear of the subject. 
   
   
       6 . A deflector according to  claim 2 , said halo extending arcuately downwardly from approximately a rear half thereof to a trailing extremity of a rear portion thereof. 
   
   
       7 . For positioning immediately below a hairline of a subject and within an inner perimeter of a hood-type hair dryer in which the subject's head is to be oriented, an air flow deflector comprising a thick resiliently compressible, unitary halo having an inner perimeter sized so that said halo is under tension when the head of the subject is disposed therein and is released from tension when the subject's neck is disposed therein, an outer perimeter sized to fit within the inner perimeter of the dryer with the subject's head disposed in said halo and said halo being sufficiently flexible to follow approximately immediately below a contour of the subject's hairline. 
   
   
       8 . A deflector according to  claim 7 , said halo having an arcuate upturned extension on a front portion thereof. 
   
   
       9 . A deflector according to  claim 8 , said halo having wings extending outwardly from side portions thereof, each said wing being oriented on said halo and of width sufficient to extend laterally above and of length sufficient to forwardly to rearwardly span across a corresponding ear of the subject. 
   
   
       10 . A deflector according to  claim 7 , said halo extending slightly arcuately downwardly for approximately a rear half thereof to a trailing extremity of a rear portion thereof. 
   
   
       11 . For improving the efficiency of a hood-type hair dryer by use of a resiliently compressible unitary halo having an inner perimeter smaller than a hair line perimeter of a subject's head and larger than the subject's neck and an outer perimeter smaller than an inner perimeter of the hood of the hair dryer, a method comprising the steps of:
 sliding the halo downwardly against tension over the top of the head of the subject to a position at least below the hairline of the subject;   setting the hair of the haloed subject;   sliding the halo upwardly against tension to approximately the hairline of the hair-set subject; and   contouring the inner perimeter of the upwardly-slid halo to approximately immediately below the contour of the subject's hairline.   
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 11  further comprising the steps of:
 positioning the subject's head with the halo contoured to the subject's hairline within the inner perimeter of the dryer hood;   operating the dryer to dry the hair of the positioned subject; and   exiting the hair-dried subject from the hair dryer.   
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 12  further comprising the steps of sliding the halo upwardly over the top of the exited subject's head. 
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 12 , said step of setting comprising applying rollers to the subject's hair and said method further comprising the steps of:
 sliding the halo downwardly from the exited subject's hairline;   removing the rollers from the hair; and   sliding the halo upwardly over the top of the subject's head.   
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 12 , said step of sliding the halo downwardly from the exited subject's hairline comprising sliding the halo downwardly to rest around the neck and on the shoulders of the subject. 
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 11 , said step of sliding the halo downwardly comprising sliding the halo downwardly to rest around the neck and on the shoulders of the subject. 
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 12 , said halo having an arcuate upturned extension on a front portion thereof and said step of positioning further comprising positioning the extension within the inner perimeter of the hood.