HAIR CARE DEVICE

• US 20110005539A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Honnefeller, Katja, Bachmann, Christine, Klöppel-Riech, Michael, Vu, Phong, Seng, Jürgen, Nicolin, Gisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,448,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 132/118
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 20/50 and provision for an air stream
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/202 Ionisation
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 24/10 combined with additional devices
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0024 with means generating ions
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/104 Hair brush

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hair care device (1) with a handle (3), a function head (4) having a hair treatment means, preferably comprising a bristle and/or a tooth field and/or air blower outlet means, as well as with an ion discharging device (8) for releasing ions, which has at least one ion outlet (9) and can be actuated by an actuating switch (10). According to the invention, the hair care device is characterized in that a closure device (11) for closing the ion outlet is provided, which can be actuated by the actuating switch.

Claims

1. A hair care device with a handle (3), a function head (4) having hair treatment means (5), preferably comprising a bristle and/or tooth field (6) and/or air blower outlet means (7), as well as with an ion discharging device (8) for releasing ions, which has at least one ion outlet (9) and can be actuated by an actuating switch (10), characterized in that a closure device (11) is provided for closing the ion outlet (9), which can be actuated by the actuating switch (10).

2. The hair care device according to the preceding claim, wherein the closure device (11) has a closure element (12), which is attached in a moving manner, which can be moved onto and/or over the ion outlet (9).

3. The hair care device according to the preceding claim, wherein the closure element (12) is connected to the actuating switch (10) and/or is formed by the actuating switch (10).

4. The hair care device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the closure device (11) provides for a moving attachment of the ion outlet (9), which is retractable in a device housing (2).

5. The hair care device according to the preceding claim, wherein the ion outlet (9) is designed as a swiveling flap.

6. The hair care device according to either of the two preceding claims, wherein the ion outlet (9), which is attached in a moving manner, is connected to the actuating switch (10) and/or is formed by the actuating switch (10) and/or is integrated in the actuating switch (10).

7. The hair care device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein pretension means (13) for pretensioning the closure device (11) in an open position as well as detachable holding means (14) for holding the closure device (11) in the closed position are allocated to the closure device (11).

8. The hair care device according to the preceding claim in conjunction with claims 2 and 4, wherein the holding means (14) are formed by the closure element (12), which is attached in a moving manner, which can be moved over the ion outlet (9), which is retractable into the device housing (2).

9. The hair care device according to claim 8, wherein the holding means (14) can be detached by applying excess pressure to the closure element (12) and/or the ion outlet (9) beyond the closed position.

10. The hair care device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the closure device (11) has cleaning agent (15) for cleaning the ion discharging device (8).

11. The hair care device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the actuating switch (10) has auxiliary function switching means for actuating auxiliary device functions, preferably lighting means.

12. The hair care device according to the preceding claim, wherein, in a first position of the actuating switch (10), the closure device (11) is closed and the ion discharging device (8) is switched off, in a second position of the actuating switch (10), the closure device (11) is open and the ion discharging device (8) is switched off, and, in a third position of the actuating switch (10), the closure device (11) is open and the ion discharging device (8) is switched on.

13. The hair care device according to the preceding claim, wherein a first actuating element (18) of the actuating switch (10) is attached to a second actuating element (19) of the actuating switch (10), in a moving manner, such that both actuating elements (18, 19) can move together due to movement of the second actuating element (19) and the first actuating element (18) can additionally be moved relative to the second actuating element (19).

14. The hair care device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a modular device construction is provided with multiple device modules, which are separated from one another, wherein the function head (4) and the ion discharging device (8) are arranged on various device modules.

15. The hair care device according to the preceding claim, wherein the device module having the function had (4) is designed so as to be free of electric fixtures.