Hair styling device

Abstract

The invention relates to a hair styling device (110), and in particular to a device which can be used to dry and/or style hair. The device is expected to be effective in partially straightening curly hair and also for drying and/or smoothing straight hair. The invention provides a hair styling device comprising a first panel (114) and a second panel (116), the second panel being movable relative to the first panel. The panels are spaced apart by a non-zero spacing (S) when closed together. The device has an electric motor, an impeller, an electric heating element and an air flow channel. The first panel has first apertures in communication with the air flow channel. The second panel has second apertures in communication with an exhaust channel. The first and second panels are corrugated to increase the surface area of the panels and to increase the path length for hair passing between the panels.

1 . A hair styling device comprising:
 a first panel:   a second panel, the second panel being movable relative to the first panel:   the device having an open condition in which the first and second panels are spaced apart by a first distance, and a closed condition in which the first and second panels are spaced apart by a second distance, the second distance being greater than zero and smaller than the first distance, the first and second panels facing one another in the closed condition;   an electric motor;   an impeller;   an electric heating element;   an air flow channel, at least a part of the impeller and at least a part of the heating element being in the air flow channel;   the first panel having a number of first apertures, the first apertures being in communication with the air flow channel;   the second panel having a number of second apertures;   an exhaust channel in communication with the second apertures,   the first and second panels being corrugated with peak(s) and trough(s) of the first panel facing corresponding trough(s) and peak(s) respectively of the second panel.   
     
     
         2 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1  in which the first and second panels in their closed condition are spaced apart by a distance of at least approximately 0.2 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1  in which the spacing between the first and second panels in the closed condition is adjustable. 
     
     
         4 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1  having a secondary heat source for at least one of the first and second panels. 
     
     
         5 . The hair styling device according to  claim 4  in which the secondary heat source is a ceramic heating element. 
     
     
         6 . The hair styling device according to  claim 4  in which the first and second panels are thermally conductive, and in which the secondary heat source is an electrical heating element located at an edge of the first and/or second panel. 
     
     
         7 . The hair styling device according to  claim 4  in which the secondary heat source is at least one infra-red radiator. 
     
     
         8 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1  in which the exhaust channel comprises one or more openings through which the air can pass out of the device. 
     
     
         9 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1  having an exhaust impeller in the exhaust channel. 
     
     
         10 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1  in which the combined cross-sectional area of the second apertures is at least as large as the combined cross-sectional area of the first apertures. 
     
     
         11 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1  in which the first apertures each have a size, shape and position and the second apertures each have a size, shape and position, and in which the size, shape and position of each second aperture match the size, shape and position of a respective first aperture. 
     
     
         12 . The hair styling device according to claim in which the cross-sectional area of the exhaust channel is at least as large as the combined cross-sectional area of the second apertures. 
     
     
         13 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1  in which the first panel is mounted to a first arm in which the second panel is mounted to a second arm. 
     
     
         14 . The hair styling device according to  claim 13  in which the first and second arms are hinged together at ends opposed to the panels. 
     
     
         15 . The hair styling device according to  claim 13  in which the air flow channel is located in the first arm and in which the first panel has a peak with a peak wavelength and a peak amplitude and a trough with a trough wavelength and a trough amplitude, the peak wavelength and/or peak amplitude being larger than the trough wavelength and/or trough amplitude respectively whereby to increase the cross-sectional area of the air flow channel. 
     
     
         16 . The hair styling device according to  claim 13  in which the first panel is movably mounted to the first arm. 
     
     
         17 . The hair styling device according to  claim 13  having at least one spacing element to maintain the desired spacing between the first and second panels in a closed condition. 
     
     
         18 . The hair styling device according to  claim 17  having at least one structural spacing element. 
     
     
         19 . The hair styling device according to  claim 17  having a magnetic spacing element comprising a first magnet mounted to the first panel and a second magnet carried by the second arm, the first and second magnets being arranged to repel each other when the first and second arms are in the closed condition. 
     
     
         20 . The hair styling device according to  claim 19  in which the second panel is movably mounted to the second arm, and in which the second magnet is mounted to the second panel. 
     
     
         21 . The hair styling device according to  claim 19  in which the first arm has a first resilient biasing element which biases the first panel towards the second panel. 
     
     
         22 . The hair styling device according to  claim 18  in which a first spacing element is located adjacent to an end of the first and second panels and a second spacing element is located adjacent to an opposing end of the first and second panels. 
     
     
         23 . The hair styling device according to  claim 1  in which at least one pressing element is located adjacent to a side edge of the first panel. 
     
     
         24 . The hair styling device according to  claim 23  in which the pressing element is approx. 2 mm wide. 
     
     
         25 . The hair styling device according to  claim 23  in which the pressing element acts to seal at least a part of a gap between the first and second panels in the closed condition.