Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Discharging or preventing accumulation of electric charge
Patent
1997-01-21
1998-09-08
Fleming, Fritz
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Discharging or preventing accumulation of electric charge
361213, 392380, 392385, H05F 306
Patent
active
058054065
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention concerns a device for treating hair. The device comprises an electrically driven blower for generating a flow of air at at least one opening on the device with a view to drying said hair, as well as a unit for emitting ions from one or more emitters positioned in or close to said opening of the device.
It is well-known that many bodies can be charged electro-statically, and that electrically insulated objects can keep this charge for a long period of time. Since hair is electrically insulating, it may thus be charged with static electricity when treated e.g. with brushes, combs, towels or garments, and this static electricitry may subsequently be difficult to remove. This static electricity can make the hair stand on end, just as it becomes stiff and difficult to do as desired. Furthermore, the static electricity in the hair causes it to attract dust and therefore to become dirty more quickly. The problem occurs in particular when the hair, following washing, is dried by means of a hair dryer or the like which blows hot air against the hair, perhaps while it is being brushed.
It has previously been attempted to solve this problem by combining an electric hair dryer with a form of ion generator capable of emitting ions towards the hair, while the hair is being dried by means of the air flow from the hair dryer. If the emitted ions are of a polarity opposite to the one with which the hair is charged, the emitted ions neutralize the electrostatic charges in the hair if they are supplied to a sufficient extent. For example, British Patent Application 2 023 351 describes a device using a piezoelectric transducer for generating ions which can be sent towards the hair. However, it takes a relatively complicated mechanical device to operate such a piezoelectric transducer, and the transducers can lose their mechanical properties after some time, so that the piezoelectric effect ceases.
It is attempted to obviate these problems in British Patent Application GB 2 067 071 by using an ion generator which continuously emits a flow of ions of fixed polarity. This means that electric charges which may serve to neutralize the electrostatic charging of the hair, are actually transferred to the hair. However, the principle works only if the emitted ions are of a polarity opposite to that of the hair. Accordingly, it is necessary to know beforehand with which polarity the hair is charged, and this is not possible in practice, since it has been found that the polarity of the charges on the hair depends upon how the charging has occured. If e.g. a comb has been used for the hair, the polarity may depend upon the material of which the comb is made. If this polarity is not known in advance, this device thus involves the risk of emitting ions of the same polarity as the hair, which merely intensifies the charging of the hair which has already taken place.
Even if the right polarity of the emitted ions might perhaps have been selected, tests have shown that the problem is nevertheless not solved satisfactorily. If the hair is charged e.g. with negative charges, and positive ions are emitted from the ion generator in the hair dryer, the desired effect is achieved initially, since the emitted positive ions serve to neutralize some of the electric charges of the hair. This means that the electro-static charge of the hair moves toward zero, as desired. If, however, positive ions continue to be emitted after the charge of the hair has reached zero, the hair will now be charged with positive ions so that precisely the same problem as before the treatment was initiated, will arise after some time. The only difference is just that the hair is charged positively instead of negatively. Thus, this device gives the desired effect only if it is indicated when the electrostatic charge of the hair passes zero, and this is not possible in practice.
The object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described in the opening paragraph, capable of ensuring that the charge of the hair is essentially completely neutralized, n
REFERENCES:
patent: 4258408 (1981-03-01), Cantelli
patent: 4333123 (1982-06-01), Moulden
patent: 4498116 (1985-02-01), Saurenman
patent: 4689715 (1987-08-01), Halleck
patent: 4729057 (1988-03-01), Halleck
patent: 5055963 (1991-10-01), Partridge
patent: 5612849 (1997-03-01), Prehodka et al.
LandOfFree
Device for treating hair does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Device for treating hair, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for treating hair will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1288825