WEAVE, WIG, AND HAIR EXTENSION DRYER

Abstract

A drying cabinet has a housing; a door; a carousel drying rack rotatably mounted within the housing; a heat protecting cap; a heating element; a blower mounted in a diagonal configuration; and a controller. The housing includes a top surface with a hole, a base, a front wall with a loading opening, a rear wall, and two sidewalls, forming an inner chamber. The door is hingedly mounted to the front wall, to close the loading opening. The drying rack is a ring having an upper surface, a lower surface, a perimeter, and suspension appendages extending from the lower surface. The cap has a handle and is removably mounted within the top hole. The controller is mounted within one of the sidewalls and has a user interface to selectively operate the heating element and/or the blower. The blower outputs air at a predetermined angle to spin the hair while drying it.

Claims

1. A drying apparatus, comprising: a housing defining an interior space; a carousel rack rotatably mounted within the housing, the carousel rack configured to hold a hair article; at least one blower configured to create vortex air flow; and a heating element.

2. The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one blower is mounted in a diagonal configuration within the housing.

3. The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carousel rack comprises suspension appendages configured to suspend hair articles, the suspension appendages selected from the group consisting of: clips, hooks, pins, and hangers.

4. The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vortex air flow causes rotational movement of the carousel rack.

5. The drying apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to operate the at least one blower and the heating element, the controller including a timer operative to automatically terminate operation after a preselected duration.

6. The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one blower comprises two or more blowers positioned to create the vortex air flow.

7. The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carousel rack is configured as a ring having a perimeter and a lower surface, and wherein suspension appendages extend from the lower surface.

8. The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hair article comprises natural hair fibers, synthetic hair fibers, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of drying a hair article using the drying apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising: positioning a hair article on the carousel rack; operating the at least one blower to create the vortex air flow within the housing to cause rotation of the carousel rack; and operating the heating element to heat air within the housing.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: setting a timer for a predetermined drying duration; and automatically terminating at least one of the operating the at least one blower and operating the heating element when the predetermined drying duration expires.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a weave, hair extension, and wig dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof, taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a dryer according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a dryer according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

[0012] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a dryer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

[0014] Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a weave, wig, and hair extension dryer that rotatably suspends the hair within a cabinet while blowing it dry.

[0015] The inventive dryer is sometimes referred to herein as the AIR DRYER. It is a self-contained unit comprising blowers that spin the hair while drying it efficiently in a fraction of the time taken with a prior art hand dryer. The dryer is advantageous to hair stylists as it may save time for their customers, increase their efficiency, and lessen their workload.

[0016] The drying cabinet is accessible via a door and houses a carousel drying rack (which may be referred to as a spindle), at least one heating element, and blowers (i.e., blow dryers) configured to cause a vortex. The diagonal configuration spins the hair suspended from the carousel drying rack in the heated cabinet to provide a drying system that is faster than using a commercially available handheld hair blow dryer. The dryer has a controller with a user interface and a timer, enabling use of the dryer unattended.

[0017] The inventive dryer may be manufactured by producing a cabinet with a door and installing two blowers diagonally-one at a top left, one at a bottom right. The blowers are adapted to output air at a predetermined angle. An oscillating or rotating carousel drying rack has a perimeter and a lower surface with suspension appendages such as clips, hooks, or the like to secure hair. The carousel drying rack may be installed at the top of the cabinet. A door of the cabinet keeps the contents contained and keeps the heat in. A controller having a timed switch may be electrically connected to, and may selectively operate (e.g., start and shut down), a heating element and the two blowers. The timer is operative to shut down the unit after a preselected time. An electrical cord may be electrically connected to the controller to provide power.

[0018] To use the dryer, a user may plug in the electrical cord, open the door to access a loading aperture, and attach wet hair or hair-like filament to the clips on the carousel drying rack. The user may close the door, turn the unit on, and set the timer. The blowers spin and dry the hair. When the timer shuts the dryer off, i.e., automatically disengages operation of the heating element(s), the blower(s), or both, the user may open the door, remove the dried hair or remove the carousel drying rack with the dried hair, close the door, and turn the unit off.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a weave, hair extension, and wig dryer 10 comprising a dryer cabinet 18 having a door 20 hingedly mounted to the cabinet and defining an interior or inner chamber 18B. The cabinet 18 includes a housing having a base, a front wall, a rear wall, two sidewalls, and a top surface. A rotating disc or carousel rack 14 rests within an aperture 18A in the top surface of the cabinet 18. The aperture 18A is sealed with a removable heat protecting cap 12 having a handle 12A. While not being limited to the illustrated position, blowers or fans 19 at a base of the interior direct airflow in a vortex pattern, driving the rotating disc 14 in a circular motion. A plug 24 and a control panel 22 on an exterior of the cabinet 18 enable the user to power and program the apparatus. The FIG. 1 illustrates placement of hair extensions 16 on the carousel rack 14 prior to use.

[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a dryer 26 according to another embodiment of the present invention, having a divided cabinet dryer 32, providing two oscillatory or rotational units 28 supporting rotating discs or carousel racks 30 stacked within the interior 32A. A mesh shelf 34 positioned horizontally midway along the interior 32A height separates an upper (or first) drying zone from a lower (or second) drying zone, while allowing air passage therethrough. A plug 38 and a control panel 36 are provided to power and program the apparatus.

[0021] A dryer 40 according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 4. The cabinet 46 interior 46A is divided into four sectors, each having heating elements 54 and an oscillatory supporting unit 42 supporting a rotating disc or carousel rack 44. An air-permeable vertical wall joins the top surface and the base of the housing and separates the left sectors from the laterally adjacent right sectors. Mesh shelves 48 separate the upper sectors from the lower sectors while allowing air passage therethrough. A plug 52 and a control panel 50 are provided to power and program the apparatus.

[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a dryer 56 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The dryer cabinet 62 interior 64B holds two hair vaults or drying compartments 64 mounted to pull-out racks or slidable shelves 66, in a stacked configuration. Each vault 64 has a rotating disc 60 resting within an aperture 64A covered by heat protecting cap 58 with a handle 58A. The vaults 64 are spaced from the walls of the dryer cabinet 62, forming an airspace operative to circulate airflow through the interior 64B. A plug 70 and a control panel 68 are provided to power and program the apparatus.

[0023] It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.