Handheld appliance

Abstract

A handheld appliance having a body and an attachment, the body including an outer tube and fluid flow path extending from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet within the outer tube and a printed circuit board (PCB) arranged within the fluid flow path wherein, the PCB is housed within a housing. The body may further include an inner wall and the inner wall provides the housing for the PCB and the fluid flow path may extend around the housing. The housing may be generally rectangular and may extend across an internal radius of the outer tube. The fluid flow path may extend around both sides of the housing. The housing may include a heat sink which may be in contact with the fluid flow path on one side and with components on the PCB on the other side.

1 . A handheld appliance comprising a body and an attachment, the body comprising an outer tube and a fluid flow path extending from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet within the outer tube and a printed circuit board (PCB) arranged within the fluid flow path, wherein the PCB is housed within a housing. 
     
     
         2 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises an inner wall and the inner wall provides the housing for the PCB. 
     
     
         3 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow path extends around the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the housing is rectangular and extends across an internal radius of the outer tube. 
     
     
         5 . The appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the fluid flow path extends around both sides of the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a heat sink. 
     
     
         7 . The appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the heat sink is in contact with the fluid flow path on one side and with components on the PCB on the other side. 
     
     
         8 . The appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the heat sink comprises a metal sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the metal sheet is sealed with respect to the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein an upstream end of the housing connects to an electrical connector in the body. 
     
     
         11 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein a downstream end of the housing curves round an end of the PCB. 
     
     
         12 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow path is split by the housing into a first and a second fluid flow path. 
     
     
         13 . The appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the first and the second fluid flow paths unite at a downstream end of the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed in two parts. 
     
     
         15 . The appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the housing forms part of an inner wall and the inner wall is formed in two parts. 
     
     
         16 . The appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the inner wall additionally houses a fan unit. 
     
     
         17 . The appliance of  claim 16 , wherein around the PCB the inner wall is rectangular and around the fan unit the inner wall is circular. 
     
     
         18 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the housing forms part of an inner wall and the fluid flow path extends between the inner wall and the outer tube around the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The appliance of  claim 18 , wherein a part of the inner wall forms a second housing for a fan unit, and wherein at the second housing the fluid flow path extends within the inner wall. 
     
     
         20 . The appliance of  claim 18 , wherein a part of the inner wall forms a third housing for a heater wherein at the third housing the fluid flow path extends within the inner wall. 
     
     
         21 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the appliance is a hair care appliance. 
     
     
         22 . The appliance of  claim 21 , wherein the hair care appliance is a hot styling appliance. 
     
     
         23 . A handheld appliance comprising a body and an attachment, the body comprising an outer tube and a fluid flow path extending from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet within the outer tube and an inner wall extending within the outer tube, wherein a part of the inner wall forms a housing for a PCB, and wherein at the housing the fluid flow path extends between the outer tube and the inner wall. 
     
     
         24 . The appliance of  claim 19 , wherein a part of the inner wall forms a second housing for a fan unit, and wherein at the second housing the fluid flow path extends within the inner wall.