HAIRCARE APPLIANCE AND ATTACHMENT

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an attachment for a haircare appliance, wherein the attachment comprises: an airflow inlet for receiving an airflow from the haircare appliance; a wall defining an airflow outlet passageway, the airflow outlet passageway in fluid communication with the airflow inlet, wherein a peripheral edge of the wall defines an outlet through which airflow is exhausted from the airflow outlet passageway to ambient atmosphere; and a bleed passageway spaced from the airflow outlet passageway; wherein the wall comprises a bleed formation that fluidically connects the airflow outlet passageway to the bleed passageway.

When the outlet is blocked by an external object, such as hair or the like, airflow may be inhibited from leaving the attachment via the outlet. By providing a bleed passageway, and a bleed formation that fluidically connects the airflow outlet passageway to the bleed passageway, airflow can be redirected from the airflow outlet passageway in the event that the outlet is blocked by an external object. This can inhibit airflow from travelling in a reverse direction along the airflow outlet passageway, in a direction back toward the haircare appliance. If airflow were permitted to flow back toward the haircare appliance, then there is a risk that the airflow could enter and/or re-enter the haircare appliance, thereby presenting a risk damage to components that would otherwise not interact with the airflow in normal use and/or resulting in altered functionality of such components. Such risks may be mitigated by providing a bleed passageway, and a bleed formation that fluidically connects the airflow outlet passageway to the bleed passageway, in the manner claimed.

The attachment may comprise a further wall spaced from the wall, the bleed passageway may be defined between the wall and the further wall, and the further wall may define an outer wall of the attachment. Such a layout may enable the bleed passageway to function as a thermally insulative passageway that is located between the airflow outlet passageway and the further wall. This may lead to improved usability, for example by ensuring that heat carried by the airflow through the airflow outlet passageway in normal use is not transferred to the further wall, thereby enabling the further wall to be grasped by a user to manipulate the attachment. In normal use, there may be very little to no airflow through the bleed passageway. The bleed passageway may be located intermediate the wall and the further wall, with the bleed passageway and the airflow outlet passageway located on either side of the wall.

The airflow outlet passageway may be configured to guide airflow through the outlet in a first direction, and the bleed passageway may be configured to guide airflow in a second direction away from the first direction. If the outlet of the attachment is blocked, airflow may tend to travel in a direction away from the direction in which airflow normally travels through the airflow outlet passageway. As the bleed passageway is configured to guide airflow in the second direction, away from the first direction in which the airflow outlet passageway is configured to guide airflow through the outlet, the bleed passageway may be configured to guide airflow in the direction in which airflow may tend to travel when the outlet is blocked. This may minimise a number of direction changes the airflow takes when the outlet is blocked, which may minimise noise. The second direction may be substantially opposite to the first direction, for example with the first direction being from a rear of the attachment towards a front of the attachment, and the second direction being from the front of the attachment to the rear of the attachment.

Industries where the invention can be useful?

An estimate of the total addressable market?

Potential Customers/End Users. Who might benefit?