Hair styling appliance

Abstract

A hair styling apparatus is provided and includes a first arm and a second arm pivotally coupled together and moveable between an open position and a closed position. An inner wall of the first arm is arranged to face an inner wall of the second arm. The first arm and the second arm are arranged to receive hair within a cavity therebetween. The cavity is formed between the first arm and the second arm in a closed position. At least one of the first arm and second arm include a plenum. The plenum includes an air inlet for receiving airflow from a fan unit and an air outlet configured to direct airflow towards the cavity.

1 . A hair styling apparatus comprising:
 a first arm and a second arm pivotally coupled together and moveable between an open position and a closed position, an inner wall of the first arm is arranged to face an inner wall of the second arm, wherein the first arm and the second arm are arranged to receive hair within a cavity therebetween, wherein the cavity is formed between the first arm and the second arm in the closed position, and wherein at least one of the first arm and second arm comprise a plenum, said plenum comprising an air inlet for receiving airflow from a fan unit and an air outlet configured to direct airflow towards the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet is configured to emit blade-like airflow towards the cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet is configured to direct laminar airflow towards the cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet is adapted to direct airflow into the cavity and towards an exhaust port, wherein the cavity functions as an expansion chamber for the incoming airflow, and wherein the exhaust port is for moisture droplets and the expanded airflow to exit the cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet comprises a channel from the plenum that terminates with an aperture into the cavity, and wherein hair received within the cavity is straightened primarily by high pressure airflow. 
     
     
         6 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet is located towards an upper portion of at least one of the first and second arms and directs airflow generally downwards. 
     
     
         7 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the airflow is laminar and vanes are located along the air outlet and angled to control the orientation of the laminar airflow. 
     
     
         8 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the hair styling apparatus is provided with a hair clamp comprising a pair of clamping members for gripping hair, each clamping member having a clamping face for contacting hair. 
     
     
         9 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein an airflow temperature in the cavity is around 130-170° C. and a temperature of the clamping face of each clamping member is lower than the temperature of the airflow. 
     
     
         10 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the airflow temperature in the cavity is between 140° C. and 160° C. 
     
     
         11 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the clamping face is free of heated plates. 
     
     
         12 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the clamping members comprises a resiliently deformable material with lower resistance to deformation towards a middle of a hair treatment section along its length, and wherein the hair treatment section comprises the inner wall of at least one of the arms, said wall having at least one aperture and the at least one aperture is the air outlet. 
     
     
         13 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein hair within the cavity but directly below the hair clamp has a freedom of movement within the volume of the cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the freedom of movement within the volume of the cavity is limited only by the hair clamp. 
     
     
         15 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the air outlet is located below the hair clamp. 
     
     
         16 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet is a slot, and wherein the slot is located in parallel alignment with a longitudinal axis of the first and/or second arms and is disposed in proximity to an upper edge of the arm. 
     
     
         17 . The hair styling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet comprises a channel between the plenum and the cavity, the inner wall of the first and/or second arms having a rounded configuration to change the direction of the airflow as it exits the plenum and enters the channel.