Hair care device with optimized ion release

• US 8,448,649 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company), The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Kloeppel-Riech, Michael, Honnefeller, Katja, Soerensen, Olaf, Seng, Juergen, Hasenpflug, Timo, Smetana, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Robyn
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOBREGA, TATIANA L
• Application Number:
  US12/673,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20110315158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 132/118, 132/120, 132/126, 132/148, 132/219, 132/221, 132/272
• US Class Current: 132/148
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/04 by electricity
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 20/10 Hand-held drying devices, e.g. air douches
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 20/12 Details thereof or accessories therefor, e.g. nozzles, stands
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 20/50 and provision for an air stream
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 20/525 by an independent heating source
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/202 Ionisation
• 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), an operational head connected to the handle (3) having a hair treatment apparatus (5), in particular a bristle field and/or a comb tooth field, and an ion-producing apparatus (9) for producing ions on the hair, having at least one ion outlet (11). According to the invention, the hair care device (1) is characterized in that said hair care device has the feature of a back side (8) facing away from the hair treatment apparatus (5) and an ion-producing apparatus (9) for producing ions on the hair which has at least one switching unit, an ion source, an ion outlet (1) and a sheath surrounding the ion outlet (11). Said hair care device (1) has in addition a grounding surface for the removal/limiting of electronic loads, which is arranged on a part of the housing in the area of the ion outlet, wherein the ion source has a potential level of −10 to −3 KV relative to the potential level of the grounding surface, the sheath has a potential level of −2.5 to −1 KV or of 20% to 50% of the potential level of the ion source relative to the potential level of the grounding surface, and the back side (8) of the device has a potential level of −500 to −100V or from 2% to 10% of the potential level of the ion source relative to the potential level of the grounding surface.

Claims

1. A hair care device comprising:

a handle;

an operational head attached to the handle, where the operational head comprises a hair treatment apparatus comprising a bristle field and/or a comb tooth field;

a back side of the device facing away from the hair treatment apparatus;

an ion-producing apparatus having a high-voltage circuit for producing ions on the hair, having at least one switching unit, an ion source placed within a housing component where the housing component has an ion outlet, and

grounding surface for the removal/limiting of electrical charges, is arranged on an external surface of the housing component in a vicinity of the ion outlet and the grounding surface is in electrical connection with the grounding potential of the high-voltage circuit, wherein

the ion source has a potential level of −

10 to −

3 KV relative to the potential level of the grounding surface,

the housing component has a potential level of −

2.5 to −

1 KV relative to the potential level of the grounding surface, and

the back side of the device has a potential level of −

500 to −

100V relative to the potential level of the grounding surface.

2. The hair care device of claim 1, wherein the switching unit has the same potential level as the grounding surface.

3. The hair care device of claim 1, wherein the said back side of the device in the vicinity of the ion outlet is provided with at least one additional grounding surface.

4. The hair care device of claim 3, wherein the additional grounding surface is positioned downstream of the ion outlet.

5. The hair care device of claim 1, wherein the grounding surface comprises a metal surface.

6. The hair care device of claim 3, wherein an additional grounding surface is arranged on the operational head.

7. The hair care device of claim 6, wherein the grounding surface on the operational head encloses the hair treatment apparatus, at least in sections and/or is arranged directly adjacent to the hair treatment apparatus.

8. The hair care device claims of claim 1, wherein the housing component is in the form of a sheath.

9. The hair care device of claim 1, wherein the ion outlet is designed to be free of counter electrodes.

10. The hair care device of claim 1, wherein the ion outlet is arranged on the back side of the device facing away from the hair treatment apparatus.

11. The hair care device of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional ion outlet, wherein the ion outlets are arranged around the edges of the back side of the operational head in such a way that an ion cloud is generated over the back side of the operational head.

12. The hair care device of claim 11, wherein an energy storage device is provided to power the ion discharging device.

13. The hair care device of claim 12, wherein at least one of the operational head and the hair treatment apparatus is removably attached to the handle.

14. The hair care device of claim 1 comprising only one ion outlet.