Combination manicuring and hair-drying appliance

Claim 2

A portable electric hair dryer comprising a lower housing member and an upper housing member which are assembled together to form a housing for motor-driven blower unit, said housing members each including a substantially flat body portion surrounded by upstanding peripheral sidewalls, the sidewalls of said two members abutting to form an enclosure, said housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, said air inlet being formed in said lower housing member adjacent said motor-driven blower unit, a flexible hose connected to said air outlet and a collapsible hair-drying cap adapted to be connected to said hose whereby said blower unit delivers air to said cap, a storage compartment in said housing for said hair-drying cap, an opening in said upper housing member providing access to said compartment for inserting and removing said cap, a manicure attachment including a flexible shaft and a plurality of nail-treating implements adapted for driving connection to said shaft, a hole in said housing into which said flexible shaft is inserted for detachable driving connection with the motor of said blower unit, an outwardly facing recess formed in the body portion of said upper housing member, said hole being positioned within said recess, means for supporting said flexible shaft and implements in stored position in said recess, and a cover pivoted to said upper housing member, said cover forming a closure for said recess and said storage compartment opening and being substantially coextensive with and overlying said body portion of said upper housing member, said air outlet being spaced from said recess and said storage compartment.

Claim 3

The portable hair dryer of claim 1 wherein said housing includes an additional storage compartment for storing said flexible hose, said storage compartments and said recess being formed and separated from each other by integral walls provided on said housing members.

Claim 4

The portable hair dryer of claim 1 having a latch for retaining said cover in a closed position with respect to said recess and storage compartment opening, said latch comprising a one-piece member captured in assembled relation to said housing between said housing members with a manually actuable portion extending outside of said housing, a retaining portion extending into engagement with said cover.

Claim 5

The hair dryer of claim 1 wherein upper housing member is formed with a channel extending partially around said recess, said cover being formed with inwardly directed flanges which are received in said channel, and hinge means in said channel for pivotally connecting said cover to said housing member.

Claim 6

The hair dryer of claim 1 wherein said recess is formed with integrally molded pockets for receiving said implements, a trim plate overlying said pockets to form with said upper housing member elongated and sidewardly facing passageways, spring means retained in each of said passageways by abutting portions of said pockets and said trim plate, said spring means engage said implements to retain them in stored position in said passageways.

Claim 7

A compact portable hair dryer and manicure set comprising a housing which is generally flat with a rectangular configuration and a loop handle on one of the long edges giving the housing the appearance of a ladies'' handbag, a motor-driven blower unit enclosed in said housing, an elongated flexible hose connected to the air outlet of said blower unit, a collapsible hair-drying cap with means for connecting it to the output end of said hose, a power cord for connecting said motor to an electrical outlet, a first storage compartment which is elongated and adapted to store said hose in an axially collapsed condition, a second storage compartment for storing said cap in a collapsed condition and said power cord, a manicure attachment including a flexible shaft and a plurality of nail-treating implements adapted for driving connection with said shaft, a third storage compartment for storing saId flexible shaft and said implements, an opening in said third compartment providing access to said motor-driven blower unit whereby said flexible shaft may be detachably connected to said motor for driving said implements, a hinged cover member which is substantially coextensive with one side of said housing and is pivoted thereto, said second and third compartments opening on said one side of said housing and said cover member providing a closure for said second and third compartments, and a sliding partition beneath said cover member, said partition being movable between a first position closing said second compartment and a second position closing said third compartment, said partition in said second position retaining said manicure attachment in stored condition while making available said cap and power cord for hair drying.

Claim 8

A compact portable hair dryer and manicure set comprising a housing which is generally flat with a rectangular configuration and a loop handle on one of the long edges giving the housing the appearance of a ladies'' handbag, a motor-driven blower unit enclosed in said housing, an elongated flexible hose connected to the air outlet of said blower unit, a collapsible hair-drying cap with means for connecting it to the output end of said hose, a power cord for connecting said motor to an electrical outlet, a first storage compartment which is elongated and adapted to store said hose in an axially collapsed condition, a second storage compartment for storing said cap in a collapsed condition and said power cord, a manicure attachment including a flexible shaft and a plurality of nail-treating implements adapted for driving connection with said shaft, a third storage compartment for storing saId flexible shaft and said implements, an opening in said third compartment providing access to said motor-driven blower unit whereby said flexible shaft may be detachably connected to said motor for driving said implements, a hinged cover member which is substantially coextensive with one side of said housing and is pivoted thereto, said second and third compartments opening on said one side of said housing and said cover member providing a closure for said second and third compartments, and a sliding partition beneath said cover member, said partition being movable between a first position closing said second compartment and a second position closing said third compartment, said partition in said second position retaining said manicure attachment in stored condition while making available said cap and power cord for hair drying.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 6 including an air passageway between said motor-driven blower unit and said third compartment to provide high-velocity air for use in drying nail polish, movable shutter means in said air passageway to shut off air flow through said passageway when not required for nail polish drying.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 6 wherein said cover comprises a substantially flat body portion inwardly extending sidewalls and a top wall, an elongated channel extending around said second and third compartments to receive said cover sidewalls and the hinge means for pivoting said cover with respect to said housing, said top wall extending over said one long edge, and latch means on said handle extending into engagement with said cover to retain it in the closed position.

Claim 11

A combination hair dryer and manicure apparatus comprising a motor-driven blower and heater assembly, said assembly including a mounting plate which supports said motor and said heater assembly, a plastic housing enclosing said assembly including means for rigidly attaching said plate to said housing, a plurality of nail-treating implements, a flexible drive shaft having a first end provided with means for detachably coupling selected ones of said implements thereto, a second end on said shaft having a bearing sleeve and a shaft end adapted for detachable driving connection with the armature shaft of said motor, an oversize hole in said housing through which said shaft extends into driving connection with said motor, a support sleeve cemented to said housing with a cylindrical passageway positioned coaxially with respect to said armature shaft, said support sleeve receiving said bearing sleeve and locating said second end of said flexible shaft coaxially with respect to said armature shaft independently of the position of said motor with respect to said housing.

Claim 12

A combination hair dryer and manicure apparatus comprising a motor-driven blower and heater assembly, said assembly including a mounting plate which supports said motor and said heater assembly, a plastic housing enclosing said assembly including means for rigidly attaching said plate to said housing, a plurality of nail-treating implements, a flexible drive shaft having a first end provided with means for detachably coupling selected ones of said implements thereto, a second end on said shaft having a bearing sleeve and a shaft end adapted for detachable driving connection with the armature shaft of said motor, an oversize hole in said housing through which said shaft extends into driving connection with said motor, a support sleeve cemented to said housing with a cylindrical passageway positioned coaxially with respect to said armature shaft, said support sleeve receiving said bearing sleeve and locating said second end of said flexible shaft coaxially with respect to said armature shaft independently of the position of said motor with respect to said housing.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 9 wherein said plastic housing comprises an upper housing member and a lower housing member, said mounting plate being received on and located by said lower housing member, said upper housing member have an outwardly facing recess formed therein for storing said flexible drive shaft and said nail-treating implements, said hole for said shaft and said support sleeve being positioned in said recess with said support sleeve being aligned with said armature shaft independently of the position of said upper housing member and said hole.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 10 wherein said mounting plate is seated on integrally molded walls on said lower housing member, said plate being retained in seated position on said walls by aligned walls on said upper housing member which engage the upper surface of said plate.

Claim 15

The hair dryer of claim 10 wherein said housing includes closure means for said discharge orifice, said closure means comprising an elongated shutter with manually operable means for moving said shutter into and out of obstructing relation with said orifice.

Claim 16

A portable electric hair dryer comprising a motor-driven blower enclosed in a housing, air inlet and air outlet means provided in said housing, air conduit means extending between said air inlet anD air outlet means and enclosing said blower, an electric resistance heater in said air conduit means between said blower and said air outlet means to heat the air circulated by said blower through said air conduit means from said air inlet to said air outlet means, a hair-drying hat for distributing warm air around the head for the purpose of drying the hair, duct means interconnecting said air outlet means in said housing with said hair-drying hat to deliver warm air to said hat, a nail polish dryer in said housing including a discharge orifice positioned to deliver air across a finger-supporting surface, a passageway extending from a position between said heater and said blower to said discharge orifice to deliver to said orifice air which is only slightly heated by said heater and which is of lower temperature than the air delivered through said duct to said hair-drying hat.

Claim 17

A portable electric hair dryer comprising a motor-driven blower enclosed in a housing, air inlet and air outlet means provided in said housing, air conduit means extending between said air inlet anD air outlet means and enclosing said blower, an electric resistance heater in said air conduit means between said blower and said air outlet means to heat the air circulated by said blower through said air conduit means from said air inlet to said air outlet means, a hair-drying hat for distributing warm air around the head for the purpose of drying the hair, duct means interconnecting said air outlet means in said housing with said hair-drying hat to deliver warm air to said hat, a nail polish dryer in said housing including a discharge orifice positioned to deliver air across a finger-supporting surface, a passageway extending from a position between said heater and said blower to said discharge orifice to deliver to said orifice air which is only slightly heated by said heater and which is of lower temperature than the air delivered through said duct to said hair-drying hat.

Claim 18

The hair dryer of claim 9 wherein said blower is positioned in a substantially flat cylindrical chamber the outer wall of which is defined by a fan scroll of gradually increasing radius, said scroll terminating in an outlet opening in which said heater is positioned, said passageway for the nail-polish-drying air opening into chamber adjacent said heater.