Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
A hair dryer (10) having a housing (12) including an air inlet opening (16) and an air exit opening (18) for passage of an air stream, wherein a blower structure (21) and a heating means (27) are arranged in said housing (12), said air inlet opening (16) has associated to it a filter element (20), and said housing accommodates detecting means (32; 34) producing an output signal in dependence upon at least one temperature prevailing in said housing (12), characterized in that said filter element (20) is exchangeable, and that said detecting means (32; 34) are associated with a signaling device (40) actuatable on attainment of a predeterminable threshold value of said output signal and indicating to the user that said filter element (20) is highly contaminated.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
26 words
The hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said detecting means (32; 34) include a temperature sensor (44), in particular a PTC element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The hair dryer as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said detecting means (32; 34) are associated with said heating means (27) and are in particular mounted on a heater supporting structure (28).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
The hair dryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said detecting means (32; 34) are configured as a series circuitry comprising a series resistor (52) and a PTC element having a visual signal element (48), particularly a glow lamp, in parallel arrangement.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
The hair dryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a thermostatic switch (35) is provided causing de-energization of said hair dryer (10) when the temperature of said heating means (27) exceeds a predetermined limit, and that the threshold value for said signaling device (40) is adjustable to values lying below said limit temperature.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The hair dryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said detecting means (32; 34) are arranged in a section of said housing (12) proximate to said blower structure (21).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The hair dryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said detecting means (32; 34) are arranged in a section of said housing (12) between said filter element (20) and said blower structure (21), particularly the impeller (22).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The hair dryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said detecting means (32; 34) are formed of a heating element (46) and a temperature sensor (44) interconnected by a thermal coupling (56).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
The hair dryer as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said heating element (46) and said temperature sensor (44) are each configured preferably as a PTC element and are secured or connected to each other directly, with a signal element (50) being connected in series with said temperature sensor (44).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
The hair dryer as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said detecting means (32; 34) are associated with an integrating means (60) having a time constant of particularly 0.2 to 5 minutes, approximately, for suppressing output signals causing an only momentary activation of said signaling device (40).