Portable hand-held electric blow dryers are widely used devices for drying and styling the hair of users. Such a hair dryer typically includes a heating element, a fan, and means to direct hot air toward the head of a user. Such hair dryers generally have an elongated graspable handle section and a barrel section extending generally perpendicularly with respect to one another from a central section. The user holds the hair dryer by the handle and directs the barrel toward the damp hair so that the warm air impinges on it.
This mode of operation presents several drawbacks. For example, the user's arm may become tired after holding the drier up for a sustained period of time, notwithstanding the fact that commercially available driers are relatively lightweight. Moreover, since the user has to hold the blow drier in one hand adjacent his or her head, this severely limits the user's ability to style his or her hair during the drying operation. Many hair styles require the use of both hands to hold the hair in proper position while it is being combed and brushed so that the desired styling can be achieved. Additionally, it is difficult for a person who does not have full use of his or her arms because of some disability to fully use the conventional blow dryer.
The use of stands and wall mounting devices for blow dryers are known in the art. More specifically, hair drying stands and wall mounted devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of drying hair are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Some of the known holders, once the hand-held blow dryer has been fitted therein, do not allow for convenient adjustment of the height and directivity of the barrel. Some of the known holders do allow for adjustment of the height and directivity of the barrel but are difficult to assemble, complicated to use and/or costly to manufacture. Some of the known holders have too much gadgetry, e.g. wing nuts, using unhinging and repositioning of the device in order to obtain different air flow positions. Some of the known holders sit on a table top or counter, taking up valuable space, adding to clutter. Another problem with table top holders is that they do not allow the user to stand and optimally use the bathroom mirror. Some of the known holders use a goose-neck design, which allows a blow dryer to fall should the goose-neck succumb to gravity.
Additionally, some users wishing to save time prefer the option of multi-tasking, e.g. brushing teeth, applying make-up, while a steady stream of well directed air removes excess moisture from the hair, prior to styling the finishing touches. Other problems exist.
Known art related to hair dryer stands for hands free drying of hair includes D253,305, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,874,142, 5,064,154, 5,172,880, 5,174,531, 5,350,144, 5,636,815, 5,737,847, 5,832,624, 5,842,670, 5,937,537, 5,956,862, 5,970,622, D417,751, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,199,805, 6,390,424, 6,491,267, and D489,841.
Known art related to wall mounted holders for hair dryers includes the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,106, issued to Eplan on Sep. 30, 1980, discloses an apparatus for supporting an electrical hair drier or other hand-held electrical device having a hand grip portion and a barrel portion extending therefrom. The apparatus includes a bracket on which an arm is pivotably secured. A holder, having an elongated slot, is pivotably secured on the end of the arm. The holder includes a yoke at its free end. The drier is supported in the holder with its hand grip portion in the slot and its barrel portion supported in the yoke. Resilient straps are provided to releasably secure the device in place. The bracket is arranged to be secured to a support wall or other member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,695, issued to Sennott et al. on Jun. 12, 1984, discloses a hair dryer mount for suspending a conventional hair dryer and permitting the flow of air to be directed in a desired direction while leaving the user's hands free. The hair dryer mount includes a wall bracket, extension arms and a support which includes a strap which fits around the hair dryer and holds the hair dryer in a nest. The nest is connected through a trunnion and yolk to the end of an extension arm to provide a wrist type joint. The extension arms and the support are connected together with adjustable friction couplings to provide sufficient friction among the parts so that the assembled mount may hold the hair dryer suspended about the user's head. The hair dryer may be moved from one position to another without adjustment of the mount.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,439, issued to Rose on Jul. 24, 1984, discloses a two-part holder for an appliance, such as a manually operable hairdryer, includes a stationary wall mounted bracket as one part and a relatively movable appliance clamping portion as the other part. The clamping portion may be clamped about an appliance and quickly connected to and quickly removed from the stationary bracket without manipulating any fastening mechanism. An abutment projecting from the bracket retains the electric supply cord of an appliance out of the user's way.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,148, issued to Oliver on Jun. 16, 1987, discloses a holder device adapted to be affixed to a vertical wall accommodates an electric hair dryer having an elongated barrel and permits easy insertion of the dryer into and removal from the holder. The holder has a mounting bracket and an arm pivotably engaged by the bracket and adapted to be easily moved between a vertically pendant position and a horizontally disposed position. When the arm is in its horizontal position with the dryer engaged therein, the dryer may be utilized in a hands-free mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,447, issued to Strecker on Sep. 29, 1987, discloses a blow dryer holding device where the handle portion of a hair dryer is seated within a retainer and held positioned therein by abutment with a curved backstop depending from the retainer. The retainer and backstop are rigidified by a rib interfitted with and pivotally connected to a rigid projection from a base in alignment with a vertical pivot plane. The base is attached to a vertical support surface by at least two suction cups equally spaced from the pivot plane above the horizontal pivot axis about which the retainer is angularly adjusted to a desired oriented position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,313, issued to Gettleman on Dec. 15, 1987, discloses a hands free portable hair dryer holder designed to hold a portable hair dryer while in use, allowing a person to use their two free hands on the hair. A mechanism can be built within the holder which will automatically swing the hair dryer up and down while in use so as to prevent excessive heat at one spot on the hair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,090, issued to Hamilton on May 24, 1988, discloses an adjustable holder device for a hand held hair dryer allows rotational and vertical movement of the hair dryer according to the needs of the user. The device comprises a holder member having an open-sided receiving hole in one extremity dimensioned to receive a handle of a hair dryer and attachment means on another extremity. A wall mount base is also provided which is capable of being permanently attached to a wall with complimentary means for receiving the attachment means of the holder member in varying vertical positions.
U.S. Pat. No. D342,343, issued to Slivko on Dec. 14, 1993, illustrates a support for a hand held hair dryer or styling implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,825, issued to Ammon et al. on Jun. 9, 1998, discloses a hands free hair dryer and holder comprising a portable hair dryer. A structure is for supporting the portable hair dryer in a stationary adjustable manner, so that a person can position the portable hair dryer towards the hair, so that both hands are free to do other things while drying the hair.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,861, issued to Barnes on Sep. 28, 1999, discloses a wall mounted portable hair dryer holder which takes the form of a wall mounted bracket from which pivotly extends a flexible walled tube with the outer end of the tube being connected to a base ring. The main body section of the hair dryer, which is the fan and heater housing of the hair dryer, is to be fixedly secured to a mounting ring with this mounting ring being then pivotly mounted onto the base ring. The handle of the hair dryer is to be insertable through an enlarged center through hole between the base ring and the mounting ring. The result is the hair dryer can be moved practically to any desired position permitted by the flexible walled tube and then adjusted to any specific position by pivoting of the mounting ring relative to the base ring and also pivoting of the base ring relative to the flexible walled tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,923, issued to Case on May 16, 2000, discloses a hair dryer holder for holding a hair dryer so that a user's hands are free to perform other acts. The hair dryer holder includes a base and a generally U-shaped holding bracket adapted for holding a hair dryer. An adjustably extendable extension member connects the base to the holding bracket. The extension member has an extended position and a retracted position. The holding bracket and the base is positioned closer together when the extension member is positioned in the retracted position than when the extension member is positioned in the extended position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,229, issued to Thomas et al. on Feb. 20, 2001, discloses a hair dryer holder for adjustably holding a hair dryer, comprising a base for attaching the hair dryer holder to a surface, an extension member including a bottom portion fixed to the base and an arm member extending from the base, and a universal joint member coupled to the arm member and comprising a ball member juxtaposed between two cup members for rotation therein, the ball member configured for coupling to a nozzle of a hair dryer such that the nozzle can be positioned by the ball member.
U.S. Pat. No. D456,657 S, issued to Mar on May 7, 2002, illustrates a wall mounted, hands free blow dryer holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,686 B1, issued to Hill on Oct. 1, 2002, discloses a handheld dryer support device for supporting a handheld electric dryer at various angles without the user having to use one's hands. The handheld dryer support device includes a base member being adapted to be securely mounted to a structure; and also includes an arm assembly being pivotally mounted to the base member and including a plurality of elongate tubular members; and further includes a dryer support member being removably and securely attached to the arm assembly for supporting a handheld dryer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,467 B2, issued to Thomas et al. on Feb. 18, 2003, discloses a hair dryer holder for adjustably holding a hair dryer, comprising a base for attaching the hair dryer holder to a surface; an extension member including a bottom portion fixed to the base and an arm member extending from the base; and a cup member coupled to the arm member. The holder also includes a ball member disposed between the cup member and a plate member for rotation therein, the ball member is configured for coupling to a nozzle of a hair dryer such that the nozzle can be positioned by the ball member.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new wall mounted appliance holder. The inventive device includes a base member being adapted to be securely mounted to a structure, e.g. a wall, includes an arm assembly being pivotally mounted to the base member, and further includes an appliance holding member for supporting a handheld dryer, where the appliance holding member is pivotally attached to the arm assembly.
In these respects, the wall mounted appliance holder according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of supporting a handheld electric dryer at various angles without the user having to use one's hands. While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not utilize or disclose a wall mounted appliance holder utilizing an elbow-forearm-wrist-hand type of arrangement. This motion will be described in more detail herein.
One problem with U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,686, issued to Hill, is that it includes an arm assembly comprising a plurality of telescopic elongate tubular members which adds to the cost and complexity of the device, as well as adding to the instability of the device.
One problem with U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,695, issued to Sennott et al., is that is includes a pair of arms, with a first arm attached to a wall mount on one end and hingeably attached to a second arm on the other end, where the second arm is attached to a hair dryer holder. Not only does this arrangement add to the cost and complexity of the device, it also makes it difficult to hold a hair dryer in a stable position.
There is a need for a wall mounted appliance holder that is more stable and has less cost and complexity.
There is also a need for a wall mounted appliance holder that is more flexible in its use.
There is a need for a wall mounted appliance holder that is able to accommodate a variety of different kinds of blow dryers and which can suspend the blow dryer in any position relative to the user's head.
There is a need for a wall mounted appliance holder where the position of the blow dryer and the direction of the air flow may be easily changed from one position to another without having to disengage the support mechanism, move the blow dryer and then re-engage the mechanism.
There is a need for a wall mounted appliance holder that can be pushed from one position to another without need of adjusting the wall mounted appliance holder and which will stay in the desired position without further adjustment once it is put in place.
Therefore, a need exists for a wall mounted appliance holder with these attributes and functionalities. The wall mounted appliance holder according to embodiments of the invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art. It can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved wall mounted appliance holder which can be used commercially. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills these objectives.
The foregoing patent and other information reflect the state of the art of which the inventors are aware and are tendered with a view toward discharging the inventor's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be pertinent to the patentability of the present invention. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventor's claimed invention.