Haircare appliance

Abstract

An attachment for a haircare appliance, the attachment having a main body including an air inlet and an air outlet. The attachment has a guide for directing airflow from the air outlet across a curved surface of the main body, such that airflow directed by the guide generates a first force to attract hair toward the curved surface, and a second force to push hair away from the curved surface. The main body is rotatable relative to the guide between a first position in which airflow exiting the air outlet is directed by the guide and a second position, in which airflow exiting the air outlet is not directed by the guide.

1 : An attachment for a haircare appliance, the attachment comprising:
 a main body comprising an air inlet and an air outlet; and   a guide for directing airflow from the air outlet across a curved surface of the main body, such that airflow directed by the guide generates a first force to attract hair toward the curved surface, and a second force to push hair away from the curved surface,   wherein the main body is rotatable relative to the guide between a first position in which airflow exiting the air outlet is directed by the guide and a second position, in which airflow exiting the air outlet is not directed by the guide.   
     
     
         2 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first position and the second position are 180 degrees apart from one another. 
     
     
         3 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the main body is generally cylindrical and configured to direct airflow exiting the air outlet in a radial direction. 
     
     
         4 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a user interface operable by a user to rotate the main body relative to the guide between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         5 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the user interface comprises a handle protruding from a distal end of the main body, wherein the handle is rigidly attached to the main body and is rotatable by a user to rotate the main body relative to the guide between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         6 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the guide comprises an inner casing arranged to contact the curved surface, wherein the inner casing defines an aperture corresponding to the air outlet. 
     
     
         7 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the guide comprises a first channel arranged to direct airflow in a first direction across the curved surface, and a second channel arranged to direct airflow in a second, opposite direction across the curved surface. 
     
     
         8 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first and second channels define rectangular slots, the rectangular slots extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the main body. 
     
     
         9 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first channel and the second channel each have a smaller open cross-sectional area than the air outlet. 
     
     
         10 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the haircare appliance comprises 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 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. 
     
     
         11 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 10 , 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 attachment. 
     
     
         12 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the retention mechanism comprises a first pair of magnetic elements configured to retain the switching member in the first switch position and a second pair of magnetic elements configured to retain the switching member in the second switch position. 
     
     
         13 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the switching member is comprised in the guide. 
     
     
         14 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the switching member is elongate, extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the main body, and is at least at long as a length of the air outlet. 
     
     
         15 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the guide comprises a first flat surface adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the first channel, and a second flat surface adjacent to and extending rearwardly from the second channel. 
     
     
         16 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a pair of guide walls for directing airflow along the curved surface, the pair of guide walls upstanding from the curved surface. 
     
     
         17 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the guide walls extend around the main body and the main body is configured to rotate within the pair of guide walls. 
     
     
         18 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a rib positioned such that the rib interacts with airflow in the first or second channel to align airflow. 
     
     
         19 : The attachment as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising
 a secondary housing extending at least partially between the main body and the guide; 
 the secondary housing comprising a second air outlet wherein the second air outlet aligns with the air outlet from the main body when the main body is in the second position. 
 
     
     
         20 : A haircare appliance comprising:
 a main body comprising an air inlet and an air outlet;   an airflow generator for generating an airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet; and   a guide for directing airflow from the air outlet across a curved surface of the main body, such that airflow directed by the guide generates a first force to attract hair toward the curved surface, and a second force to push hair away from the curved surface,   wherein the main body is rotatable relative to the guide between a first position in which airflow exiting the air outlet is directed by the guide and a second position, in which airflow exiting the air outlet is not directed by the guide.   
     
     
         21 : The haircare appliance as claimed in  claim 19 , comprising a handle unit within which the airflow generator is housed, and an attachment releasably attachable to the handle unit, the attachment comprising the main body and the guide.