Haircare appliance

Abstract

An attachment for a haircare appliance, the attachment having an air inlet, an air outlet. The attachment has a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, and a rib positioned such that the rib interacts with airflow exiting the air outlet to align the airflow exiting the air outlet. Airflow exiting the air outlet generates a first force to attract hair toward the curved surface, and a second force to push hair away from the curved surface.

1 . An attachment for a haircare appliance, the attachment comprising an air inlet, an air outlet, a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, and a rib positioned such that the rib interacts with airflow exiting the air outlet to align the airflow exiting the air outlet. 
     
     
         2 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein airflow exiting the air outlet generates a first force to attract hair toward the curved surface, and a second force to push hair away from the curved surface, and the rib is positioned to align airflow across the curved surface. 
     
     
         3 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rib is movable relative to the air outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rib is positioned to bisect airflow exiting the air outlet to align airflow. 
     
     
         5 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising connecting members for holding the rib in position in airflow exiting the air outlet. 
     
     
         6 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the connecting members are rigidly connected to the rib. 
     
     
         7 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the connecting members are equally spaced along a length of the rib. 
     
     
         8 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a channel for turning airflow exiting the air outlet turned towards the curved surface, wherein the rib is positioned to smooth airflow in the channel. 
     
     
         9 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a first channel for directing airflow in a first direction across the curved surface and a second channel for directing airflow in a second, opposite direction across the curved surface, and wherein the rib is movable relative to the air outlet to smooth airflow in the first and second channels. 
     
     
         10 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the first channel is arranged to direct airflow across a first region of the curved surface and the second channel is arranged to direct airflow across a second, different region of the curved surface, the first and second regions of the curved surface being adjacent to and downstream of opposite sides of the air outlet. 
     
     
         11 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 8 , comprising a switching member for switching airflow between the first and second channels, the switching member movable from a first switch position in which airflow passes through the first channel across the first region of the curved surface in a first direction and does not pass through the second channel, to a second switch position in which airflow passes through the second air outlet across the curved surface in a second, opposite direction and does not pass through the first channel. 
     
     
         12 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the rib is connected to the switching member such that a position of the rib relative to the first and second channels is different dependent on whether the switching member is in the first switch position or the second switch position. 
     
     
         13 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 11 , comprising a retention mechanism for retaining the switching member in one of the first and second switch positions in the absence of an applied force to the switching member by a user of the haircare appliance. 
     
     
         14 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the retention mechanism comprises a first pair of magnets configured to retain the switching member in the first switch position and a second pair of magnets configured to retain the switching member in the second switch position. 
     
     
         15 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a main body defining the air outlet and the curved surface, wherein the main body is rotatable relative to the rib between a first position in which airflow exiting the air outlet interacts with the rib and a second position, in which airflow exiting the air outlet does not interact with the rib. 
     
     
         16 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the main body is generally cylindrical and configured to direct airflow exiting the air outlet in a radial direction, and wherein the rib is for aligning airflow turning from the radial direction toward the curved surface when the main body is in the first position. 
     
     
         17 . The attachment as claimed in  claim 3 , comprising a user interface operable by a user to move the rib relative to the air outlet. 
     
     
         18 . A haircare appliance comprising an air inlet, an air outlet, an airflow generator for generating an airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet, a curved surface adjacent to and downstream of the air outlet, and a rib positioned such that the rib interacts with airflow exiting the air outlet to align the airflow exiting the air outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 18 , comprising a handle unit within which the airflow generator is housed, and an attachment releasably attachable to the handle unit, the attachment comprising the air outlet, the curved surface, and the rib.