STEAM MIST APPARATUS FOR HOT COMBS AND HAIR DRYERS

• US 3,814,898 A
• Filed: 09/06/1972
• Issued: 06/04/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harvey Levine
• Original Assignee: Harvey Levine
• Inventors: Levine, Harvey
• Primary Examiner(s): Bartis, A.
• Application Number:
  US05/286,836
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 219/362,370,369,374,373,381,382,380,271-276,222-226 34/95-99,243 132/112,118,7,9 239/133-138 261/142 128/367,368,254-257
• US Class Current: 392/404
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 20/10 Hand-held drying devices, e.g. air douches
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 20/50 and provision for an air stream

Abstract

An elongated housing releasably coupled to the hot air outlet end of a handheld hot air blower unit mounts a small steam generator having an electrical heating element energized by the same power supply that energizes the blower unit. The steam generator is located within an air flow passage in the housing which conducts the hot air from the blower unit to a lateral air outlet opening in the housing. The heating element vaporizes water absorbed by a wicking material in contact therewith, the water being admitted to the generator under control of a manually actuated control value form a refillable reservoir cavity formed within the housing. The steam generated is injected into the hot air flowing through the passage prior to discharge thereof through the outlet opening. A comb or brush is inserted in the outlet opening.

Claims

1. In combination with a portable, hand-held power unit including means for establishing a flow of heated air and having one longitudinal end from which said flow of heated air is discharged, a hair treating device adapted to be releasably connected to said power unit, comprising an elongated housing enclosing a passage having an inlet and an outlet and through which said flow of heated air is conducted to atmosphere, a reservoir enclosed within said housing and containing a liquid, power activated vapor generating means mounted within said housing downstream of the passage inlet for rapidly converting the liquid into vapor, means including a manually actuated valve connecting the reservoir to the vapor generating means for controllably supplying the liquid to be converted into the vapor, means associated with the vapor generating means for injecting said vapor into said flow of heated air within the passage and coupling means mechanically connecting the housing inlet to the power unit at said one end and includiNg means for transmitting energy therefrom to the vapor generating means for operating the same.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the vapor generating means includes a casing mounted within the passage and connected to said manually actuated valve and the vapor injecting means, heating means enclosed within the casing and connected to the coupling means for energization by said energy, and wicking means enclosed within the casing in contact with the heating means for absorbing the liquid from which the vapor is derived.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said reservoir comprises a partition wall within said housing separating the passage from a cavity enclosing a body of said liquid, said partition wall including a first portion adjacent said inlet end of said passage and forming a converging section of the passage and a second portion forming an outlet section of the passage of smaller flow area within which the casing is mounted.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said valve means includes a valve body extending from the casing through the partition wall into the cavity, a valve actuator projecting from the valve body through the cavity externally of the housing and means biasing the valve actuator to a valve closing position.

5. A hair treating device comprising an elongated housing having an inlet end through which a flow of heated air is induced in one direction, an air passage extending from the inlet end to an outlet opening to which the air passage is connected from from which the heated air is discharged to atmosphere transverse to said one direction, a reservoir cavity within the housing and enclosing a body of liquid spaced from said outlet opening by the air passage, vapor generating means mounted within said air passage of the housing for instantaneously converting liquid received from the reservoir cavity into vapor, and means for discharging the vapor into the flow of a heated air within the passage, the vapor generating means including a casing mounted within the passage and connected to the discharging means and having an inlet communicating with said reservoir cavity, heating means enclosed within the casing, selectively controlled valve means associated with said inlet for admitting liquid from the reservoir cavity into the casing and wicking means enclosed within the casing in contact with the heating means for holding the liquid from which the vapor is derived.