Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an attachment for a haircare appliance, and a haircare appliance.

Background of the Invention

Haircare appliances are generally used to treat or style hair, and some haircare appliances may treat or style hair using airflow.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an attachment for a haircare appliance, the attachment comprising: an air inlet, an air outlet, and a hair treatment chamber for receiving hair, the hair treatment chamber defined by a wall, and an opening through which hair is insertable into the hair treatment chamber, the hair treatment chamber in fluid communication with the air outlet, wherein the attachment is configured to direct airflow from the air outlet around the hair treatment chamber to generate a vortex in the hair treatment chamber.

The hair treatment chamber may hold the user’s hair in place during use such that the user’s hair is less likely to be disrupted by the flow of air into the hair treatment chamber. As such, relatively high flow rates of air can be used to dry and/or style the hair without significantly disrupting the user’s hair.

Inducing a vortex draws hair down into the hair treatment chamber which may help to place the hair on the wall at a rear of the chamber. The presence of the vortex may increase this effect compared to airflow that is directed towards the rear of the chamber in a substantially linear manner. In particular, generation of the vortex helps to gather curly hair in the chamber in a natural way, by drawing the hair around the vortex to maintain a curl in the hair. Inducing a vortex may also help to style curls in the direction that the vortex is spinning.

The attachment may be configured such that the vortex spins around a central axis of the hair treatment chamber. The opening may be substantially circular, which may help to ensure a relatively constant force is generated by the vortex around the hair treatment chamber. This also permits provision of a substantially smooth wall around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber which may help to reduce areas of high turbulence and/or eddy currents in the hair treatment chamber that may affect a strength of the vortex.

The haircare appliance may comprise a heater for heating hair received in the hair treatment chamber. For example, the heater may be for heating the airflow. Advantageously, as the hair treatment chamber defines a confined space, as hot air passes into the confined space the ambient temperature within the hair treatment chamber rises. This may help to increase the efficiency and/or speed of drying the hair of the user.

The wall comprise one or more apertures positioned away from the opening. As hair is inserted through the opening, and airflow is directed away from the opening, airflow may be directed away from the roots of the hair of the user. In use, the user may place their hair in the hair treatment chamber and place a periphery of the opening against their head. Airflow within the hair treatment chamber is directed away from the opening toward the aperture. As such, the airflow may initially be directed away from the head of the user in use. The apertures may permit the airflow to escape the hair treatment chamber at a position away from the opening, which may help to prevent hair in the hair treatment chamber being drawn upwards and out of the hair treatment chamber by airflow travelling towards the opening. The apertures may be configured to permit air to escape the hair treatment chamber via the apertures and help prevent hair from escaping the hair treatment chamber via the apertures.

The wall of the hair treatment chamber may comprise a porous material. The porous material may define the one or more apertures. The porous material may be, for example, a mesh. The porous material may be air permeable such that air can flow through the permeable material. The porous material may help to retain the hair of a user within the hair treatment chamber while also confining the air in the hair treatment chamber. As such, air in the hair treatment chamber may heat to higher temperatures to increase the efficiency and/or speed of drying the user’s hair.

For example, there may be two, four, six, eight, ten, 100, 1000 or 10,000 apertures. The apertures may be spaced about a periphery of the hair treatment chamber. Providing a plurality of apertures may provide more diffuse air flow from the hair treatment chamber in use.

The opening of the hair treatment chamber may be provided in a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the hair treatment chamber, for example a central longitudinal axis of the hair treatment chamber. In use, airflow may be directed from or proximate the air outlet in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the hair treatment chamber.

The hair treatment chamber, for example the wall of the hair treatment chamber, may be shaped to define a hemi-spherical interior.

The attachment may comprise a deflecting arrangement configured to direct the airflow away from the opening into the hair treatment chamber and around the hair treatment chamber. This may ensure that the airflow flows around the hair treatment chamber to generate the vortex, irrespective of the position and/or orientation of the air outlet relative to the hair treatment chamber. The deflecting arrangement may be configured to direct the airflow at angle of at least 10 degrees away from the opening into the hair treatment chamber. That is, at an angle of at least 10 degrees away from a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the hair treatment chamber. This may help to gather hair in the hair treatment chamber.

The deflecting arrangement may comprise a deflector positioned at the air outlet and configured to direct the airflow along the wall around a perimeter of the hair treatment chamber. This may help to induce the vortex and ensure that at least a majority of the airflow is directed in the direction that the vortex spins, i.e. , in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, in the hair treatment chamber. The deflector may also be configured to direct the airflow away from the opening into the hair treatment chamber, which may help prevent the airflow escaping the hair treatment chamber via the opening.

The deflecting arrangement may comprise a further deflector downstream of the outlet and configured to separate the airflow from the wall. This may help to induce the vortex and to limit turbulence in the hair treatment chamber.

The further deflector may be configured to direct the airflow away from the wall at an angle from 1 to 40 degrees. That is, upstream of the further deflector the airflow travels in a direction closer to parallel to the wall than downstream of the further deflector. Such a range has been found to provide particularly beneficial vortex characteristics, for example to reduce eddy currents within the hair treatment chamber.

The further deflector may be configured to direct the airflow away from the opening into the hair treatment chamber. That is, from a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the hair treatment chamber. This may help to ensure that the airflow does not escape the hair treatment chamber via the opening. The further deflector may be configured to direct the airflow at angle of at least 10 degrees away from the opening.

The deflecting arrangement may comprise a rim extending around a periphery of the hair treatment chamber and defining the opening, the rim comprising a guiding surface downstream of the air outlet, the guiding surface to direct the airflow away from the opening into the hair treatment chamber. This may help to ensure that the airflow does not escape the hair treatment chamber via the opening. The rim may extend around all of the periphery of the hair treatment chamber. This may further help to ensure that the airflow does not escape the hair treatment chamber via the opening.

The deflector and/or further deflector may be fixed to the rim. This may help to ensure that the deflector and/or further deflector are correctly positioned relative to the periphery of the hair treatment chamber.

The rim may define a channel, and the deflector and/or the further deflector may be fixed in position in the channel. This may help to prevent hair from being caught in the deflector or further deflector. This may also prevent a user from inadvertently contacting the deflector or further deflector, which may become hot if the airflow is heated.

The channel may extend around all of the periphery of the hair treatment chamber. This may help to balance airflow forces around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber.

The deflecting arrangement may comprise a deflecting element positioned between the air inlet and the air outlet and configured to direct the airflow along the wall around a perimeter of the hair treatment chamber. This may direct the airflow around the hair treatment chamber before the airflow is emitted from the air outlet, which may help to reduce turbulence caused by re-directing the airflow in the hair treatment chamber. A position of the deflecting element relative to the air inlet and/or the air outlet may affect the direction at which the airflow is emitted from the air outlet.

The deflecting element may be configured to split the airflow into streams of differing strength, the streams directed from the air outlet in different directions around the hair treatment chamber.

The wall may comprise an inner wall, an outer wall and a manifold positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall, the manifold configured to direct airflow between the inner and outer walls from the air inlet to the air outlet. This may provide a space-efficient arrangement, this maximising the size of the hair treatment chamber. This may permit the air inlet to be positioned at a rear of the hair treatment chamber, opposite the opening, which may provide an ergonomic arrangement when the attachment is in use with the haircare appliance.

In examples where the airflow is heated, passing the airflow between the inner and outer walls may impart heat to the inner wall, which may help in heating, and thus drying and/or styling hair in the hair treatment chamber.

The manifold may define a plurality of conduits each extending from the air inlet to a different point around a periphery of the hair treatment chamber to the other conduits of the plurality of conduits. A conduit opening at a distal end, relative to the air inlet, of each conduit may form part of the air outlet. The air outlet may thus be formed by a plurality of conduit openings around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber. By emitting the airflow into the hair treatment chamber via different conduit openings, the strength of the vortex may be increased without significantly increasing noise generated during use of the attachment and/or turbulence in the hair treatment chamber, compared to the air outlet being formed by a single orifice. The deflecting arrangement may comprise a deflector at each conduit opening. Providing a deflector at each conduit opening may further help to induce the vortex, compared to providing a single deflector.

Each deflector may be substantially identical in shape and may be in the same position relative to the respective conduit opening. That is, each deflector may be at the same orientation and location relative to a region of the wall proximate the respective conduit opening. This may help to ensure that airflow emitted from each conduit opening has substantially the same flow characteristics as airflow emitted from each other conduit opening, which may help to balance forces around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber and thus reduce turbulence.

The deflecting arrangement may comprise a further deflector downstream of each conduit opening. Providing a further deflector downstream of each conduit opening may further help to induce the vortex, compared to providing a single further deflector.

Each further deflector may be substantially identical in shape and may be located the same distance from the respective conduit opening as each other further deflector. This may help to ensure that airflow emitted from each conduit opening has substantially the same flow characteristics as airflow emitted from each other conduit opening, which may help to balance forces around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber and thus reduce turbulence.

The conduits in the plurality of conduits may be distributed evenly around the hair treatment chamber. This may help to balance forces around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber and thus reduce turbulence. In an example, the manifold comprises three conduits, each around 120 degrees apart from one another, three deflectors, one at each conduit opening, and three further deflectors, one downstream of each conduit opening. The conduits in the plurality of conduits may extend from a centre of a rear of the hair treatment chamber towards the opening, the rear of the hair treatment chamber at an opposite end of the hair treatment chamber to the opening. The conduits may each be equal in length, which may help to ensure that the airflow emitted from each conduit opening has substantially the same airflow characteristics at the airflows emitted from the other conduit openings.

The attachment may comprise a switching arrangement movable between a first position and a second position, wherein movement of the switching arrangement between the first and second positions causes a direction of spin of the vortex to change. Accordingly, hair can be styled in opposite directions dependent on the position of the switching arrangement. For example, curl direction can be switched dependent on the direction of spin of the vortex.

The switching arrangement may be operably connected to the deflecting arrangement such that movement of the switching member between the first and second positions causes movement of the deflecting arrangement relative to the air outlet, wherein, in the first position, a majority of the airflow is directed in a clockwise direction from the air outlet, and, in the second position, a majority of the airflow is directed in an anti-clockwise direction from the air outlet. Movement of the deflecting arrangement relative to the air outlet may provide a simple way to switch the direction of spin of the vortex.

The air outlet may be configured to simultaneously emit airflow in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction around the perimeter of the hair treatment chamber. That is, it may not be necessary for all of the airflow to be emitted in the same direction for a vortex to be generated in the hair treatment chamber. The proportion of airflow directed in each direction may help control a strength of the vortex. The deflector arrangement may be configured to alter a proportion of the airflow that is directed in each direction, dependent on whether the switching arrangement is in the first position or the second position. Movement of the switching arrangement between the first and second positions may alter the position of the deflector at the air outlet to alter the proportion of airflow that is directed in each direction. Movement of the switching arrangement between the first and second positions may cause movement of the deflector from one side of a centreline of the air outlet to a second side of the centreline of the air outlet to alter the proportion of airflow that is directed in each direction. The deflector may comprise first and second air-contacting surfaces angled relative to the air outlet, the first air-contacting surface configured to direct the airflow in a clockwise direction and the second air-contacting surface configured to direct airflow in an anti-clockwise direction.

Movement of the switching arrangement between the first and second positions may alter a distance between the further deflector and the air outlet to alter the proportion of airflow that is directed in each direction. In examples wherein the air outlet is formed of a plurality of conduit openings around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber and further deflectors are positioned between adjacent conduit openings, the further deflectors may comprise a first air-contacting surface to contact airflow from the conduit opening to the left of the further deflector and direct the airflow away from the wall, and a second air-contact surface to contact airflow from the conduit opening to the right of the further deflector and direct the airflow away from the wall.

Movement of the switching arrangement between the first and second positions may cause rotation of the deflecting arrangement around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber. This may help to permit smooth movement of the deflecting arrangement. This may also help to ensure that, in examples in which the deflecting arrangement comprising a plurality of deflectors and/or further deflectors, the deflectors and/or further deflectors are each moved relative to the respective conduit opening of the air outlet by the same amount. The switching arrangement may comprise a user interface actuable by a user to move the switching member between the first and second positions. This may provide a simple and intuitive way to change the direction of spin of the vortex. The user interface may be comprised in the deflecting arrangement, for example may be the rim of the deflecting arrangement, which may provide a simple assembly.

The switching arrangement may be automatically movable between the first and second positions, for example in response to the hairstyling device being reoriented during use. This may reduce the work required by the user and reduce the change of user error.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a haircare appliance comprising an attachment according to the first aspect of the present invention and an airflow generator for generating an airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet.

This may allow for a multi-functional appliance to which different attachments can be attached to the handle. The haircare appliance may be a hair dryer and/or a hair styling device. The airflow generator may be comprised in a handle unit of the haircare appliance. The haircare appliance may comprise a heater for heating the airflow. The heater may be comprised in the handle unit.

The attachment may communicate with the handle unit to modify operation of the haircare appliance. For example, the attachment may communicate with the airflow generator to modify the airflow provided to the attachment. The attachment may communicate with the haircare appliance to transfer information indicative of a desired air flow rate or airflow temperature. The airflow generator may be operated on the basis of the information to provide the desired airflow characteristics. The attachment may comprise an RFID tag which includes information indicative of the air flow rate desired for the attachment. This information may be read from the RFID tag and transmitted to the airflow generator to cause the airflow generator to generate airflow with the desired flow rate. Alternatively or additionally, the attachment may communicate with the haircare appliance by Bluetooth™ or other suitable wireless communication standard, and/or by a wired connection.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a haircare appliance comprising an air inlet, an air outlet, an airflow generator for generating an airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet, and a hair treatment chamber for receiving hair, the hair treatment chamber defined by a wall, and an opening through which hair is insertable into the hair treatment chamber, the hair treatment chamber in fluid communication with the air outlet, wherein the haircare appliance is configured to direct airflow from the air outlet around the hair treatment chamber to generate a vortex in the hair treatment chamber.

The haircare appliance may be a hair dryer and/or a hair styling device. The haircare appliance may be beneficial for drying and/or styling hair. The hair treatment chamber may hold the user’s hair in place during use such that the user’s hair is less likely to be disrupted by the flow of air into the hair treatment chamber. As such, relatively high flow rates of air can be used to dry and/or style the hair without significantly disrupting the user’s hair.

Inducing a vortex draws hair down into the hair treatment chamber may help to place the hair on the wall at a rear of the chamber. The presence of the vortex may increase this effect compared to airflow that is directed towards the rear of the chamber in a substantially linear manner. In particular, generation of the vortex helps to gather curly hair in the chamber in a natural way, by drawing the hair around the vortex to maintain a curl in the hair. Inducing a vortex may also help to style curls in the direction that the vortex is spinning. Optional features of aspects of the present invention may be equally applied to other aspects of the present invention, where appropriate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates a haircare appliance according to an example;

Figure 2 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a handle unit of the haircare appliance of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 illustrates a schematic view an attachment of the haircare appliance of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 illustrates a slice side view of the attachment of Figure 3 along the line AA shown in Figure 5;

Figure 5 illustrates a plan view of the attachment of Figure 3;

Figure 6 illustrates a slice plan view, along the line BB shown in Figure 4, of the attachment of Figure 3 in a first configuration;

Figure 7 illustrates a schematic flow of airflow through the attachment of Figure 1 when in the first configuration;

Figure 8 illustrates a slice plan view, along the line BB shown in Figure 4, of the attachment of Figure 3 in a second configuration; and

Figure 9 illustrates a schematic flow of airflow through the attachment of Figure 1 when in the second configuration. Detailed Description of the Invention

A haircare appliance according to the present invention, generally designated 10, is shown schematically in Figure 1 . The haircare appliance 10 comprises a handle unit 12, and an attachment 100 removably attachable to the handle unit 12. The handle unit 12 comprises a housing 14, an airflow generator 16, a heater 18, and a control unit 20, as can be seen schematically in Figure 2.

The housing 14 is tubular in shape, and comprises an inlet 22 through which an airflow is drawn into the housing 14 by the airflow generator 16, and an outlet 24 through which the airflow is discharged from the housing 14. The airflow generator 16 is housed within the housing 14, and comprises an impeller 26 driven by an electric motor 28. The heater 18 is also housed within the housing 14, and comprises heating elements 30 to optionally heat the airflow.

The control unit 20 comprises electronic circuitry for a user interface 32 and a control module 34. The user interface 32 is provided on an outer surface of the housing 14, and is used to power on and off the haircare appliance 10, to select a flow rate (for example high, medium and low), and to select an airflow temperature (for example hot, medium or cold). In the example of Figure 1 , the user interface comprises a plurality of sliding switches, but other forms of user interface 32, for example buttons, dials or touchscreens, are also envisaged.

The control module 34 is responsible for controlling the airflow generator 16, and the heater 18 in response to inputs from the user interface 32. For example, in response to inputs from the user interface 32, the control module 34 may control the power or the speed of the airflow generator 16 in order to adjust the airflow rate of the airflow, and the power of the heater 18 in order to adjust the temperature of the airflow. In other examples, the heater 18 is omitted. An example of the attachment 200 is described with reference to Figures 3 to 9. The attachment 200 is usable in a first configuration and a second configuration, as will be described herein.

The attachment 200 comprises an air inlet 202 and a manifold 220 in fluid communication with the air inlet 202. The attachment also comprises a deflecting arrangement 230 and a switching arrangement 250.

The air inlet 202 is in the form of an aperture and, when the attachment 200 is attached to the handle unit 12, is in fluid communication with the outlet 24 of the housing 14, and receives airflow generated by the airflow generator 16 in use. The manifold 220 feeds three conduits 222, 224, 226. The conduits 222, 224, 226 extend from the air inlet 202 to an opening at a respective distal end 223, 225, 227, and each conduit 222, 224, 226 has an inner wall 216 and an outer wall 218. The inner walls 216 conjoin at the distal ends 223, 225, 227 to form an inner annular wall 212, and the outer walls 218 conjoin at the distal ends 223, 225, 227 to form an outer annular wall 213.

The conduits 222,224,226 define a generally hemispherical hair treatment chamber 210. The hair treatment chamber 210 has an open end 206 and a rear end at which an apex 211 of the hair treatment chamber 210 is located. The air inlet 202 is positioned adjacent to the apex 211 outside of the hair treatment chamber 210. The openings at the distal ends 223, 225, 227 of the conduits 222, 224, 226 are disposed at a periphery of the hair treatment chamber 210 between the inner annular wall 212 and the outer annular wall 213 and together form an air outlet 204. The distal ends 223, 225, 227 are each 120 degrees apart from one another in this example, and are denoted by the dashed lines in Figures 6-9. The hair treatment chamber 210 is for receiving hair and, when the insert 300 is not attached to the main body 200, is in fluid communication with the air outlet 204. The outer annular wall 213 extends beyond the inner annular wall 212 and comprises a rim 208 that overhangs the inner annular wall 212 to define a channel 205 therebetween. The channel 205 extends around a periphery of the hair treatment chamber 210 and is in fluid communication with the air outlet 204. The rim 208 defines the open end 206 of the hair treatment chamber 210, through which hair is insertable into the hair treatment chamber 210. An underside of the rim 208 comprises a guiding surface 209 that defines a wall of the channel 205. The guiding surface 209 is shaped to direct airflow away from the open end 206 and along a periphery of the hair treatment chamber 210 toward the apex 211 , as best shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 4.

Slats 228 extend between adjacent conduits 222, 224, 226 in a direction around the periphery of the hair treatment chamber 210 and define apertures 214 therebetween. The apertures 214 permit airflow to escape the hair treatment chamber 210 via the apertures 214 whilst inhibiting objects from passing into the hair treatment chamber 210 between adjacent conduits 222, 224, 226.

A porous material (not shown) is disposed between adjacent conduits 222, 224, 226. The inner walls 216 of the conduits 222, 224, 226, the inner annular wall 212, which are each non-porous, and the porous material, define a boundary wall of the hair treatment chamber 210. In this example, the porous material is a mesh. Alternatively, any other suitably porous material can be used.

The deflecting arrangement 230 comprises three deflectors 232, the rim 208 and three further deflectors 238.

A deflector 232 is positioned adjacent to the distal end 223, 225, 227 of each conduit 222, 224, 226 and in the channel 205. Each deflector 232 interacts with airflow at the air outlet 204 to direct the airflow around the channel 205, as shown by the dashed arrows in Figures 6 to 9. Each of the deflectors 232 are substantially identical to one another, having first and second air-contacting surfaces 234, 236 angled relative to the air outlet 204. The deflectors 232 are movable around a periphery of the hair treatment chamber 210 between a first deflector position, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, and a second deflector position, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

The further deflectors 238 are positioned between adjacent distal ends 223, 225, 227 of the conduits 222, 224, 226 and in the channel 205. Each of the further deflectors 238 are substantially identical to one another, having first and second air-contacting surfaces 240, 242 angled relative to the wall 212. The first and second air-contacting surfaces 240, 242 are angled away from the wall 212 at an angle of around 5 degrees. The first and second air-contacting surfaces 240, 242 are angled away from the open end 206 by around 25 degrees away from a plane normal to a longitudinal axis 100 of the hair treatment chamber 210.

The rim 208 is movably mounted to the outer annular wall 213 and has an outer surface that a user can grip to rotate the rim 208 relative to the outer annular wall 213 about the open end 206. The deflectors 232 are rigidly attached to the rim 208 such that movement of the rim 208, between the first and second positions causes the deflectors 232 to move between the first and second deflector positions. The outer surface of the rim 208 and a mounting (not shown) between the rim 208 and the outer annular wall 213 thus form the switching arrangement 250.

In other examples, the switching arrangement comprises any other suitable user interface, for example a switch or toggle, operably connected to the deflectors 232 to move the deflectors 232 between the first and second deflector positions.

In use, hair is inserted through the open end 206 into the hair treatment chamber 210. The airflow generator 16 generates an airflow from the air inlet 22 of the handle unit 12, through the air inlet 202 of the attachment 200, through the conduits 222, 224, 226, and to the air outlet 204. The airflow is deflected by the deflectors 232 along the channel 205. The airflow is then directed away from the open end 206 and into the hair treatment chamber 210 by the guide surface 209 and by the further deflectors 238, and is separated from the walls of the channel 205 by the further deflectors 238. Directing the airflow in such a way generates a vortex in the hair treatment chamber 210 that spins around a central axis 100 of the hair treatment chamber 210.

The attachment 200 directs airflow away from the roots of the hair that is located within the hair treatment chamber 210 in use. For example, in use the user may place their hair in the hair treatment chamber 210 and place the rim 208 of the attachment 200 against their head, such that the periphery of the open end 206 is located adjacent to roots of hair contained within the hair treatment chamber 210. As airflow emitted from the air outlet 204 is directed into the hair treatment chamber 210 as a vortex, airflow may initially be directed away from the head of the user in use. This may reduce an amount of direct heat being applied to the user’s head which may increase the comfort of using the haircare appliance 10, particularly over an extended period of time.

Inducing the vortex draws hair down into the hair treatment chamber 210 to help place the hair on the wall 212 at a rear of the chamber 210. The presence of the vortex may increase this effect compared to airflow that is directed towards the rear of the chamber 210 along a more direct path. In particular, generation of the vortex helps to gather curly hair in the chamber 210 in a natural way, by drawing the hair around the vortex to maintain a curl in the hair. Inducing a vortex may also help to style curls in the direction that the vortex is spinning. It can be desirable to have curls styled in opposite directions on opposite sides of the head, which the switching arrangement may facilitate.

The hair treatment chamber 210 defines a confined space into which the user’s hair is placed. As hot air passes into the confined space, the ambient temperature within the hair treatment chamber 210 rises, which can help dry the hair of the user. Moreover, as the hair treatment chamber 210 holds the user’s hair in place during use, the user’s hair is less likely to be disrupted by the flow of air into the hair treatment chamber 210. As such, relatively high flow rates of air can be used without significantly disrupting the user’s hair, which may increase the efficiency and/or speed of drying the user’s hair and may improve the user’s final hair style. The flow rate may be at least 6 litres per second, at least 10 litres per second, or at least 13 litres per second.

In the first configuration, the switching arrangement is in the first position and the deflectors 232 are located at the first deflector position, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The first air-contacting surface 234 of each deflector 232 directs airflow in a clockwise direction along the channel 205 and airflow is inhibited from flowing in an anti-clockwise along the channel 205. The airflow then contacts the second air-contacting surface 242 of the further deflector 238 that is downstream from the respective distal end 223, 225, 227 in a clockwise direction, and is separated from the walls of the channel 205 and directed into the hair treatment chamber 210 by the second air-contacting surface 242. Accordingly, in the first configuration of the attachment 200, the vortex spins in a clockwise direction.

In the second configuration, the switching arrangement is in the second position and the deflectors 232 are located at the second deflector position, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. In the second deflector position, the second air-contacting surface 236 of each deflector 232 directs airflow in an anti-clockwise direction along the channel 205 and airflow is inhibited from flowing in a clockwise direction along the channel 205. The airflow then contacts the first air-contacting surface 240 of the further deflector 238 that is downstream from the respective distal end 223, 225, 227 in an anti-clockwise direction, and is separated from the walls of the channel 205 and directed into the hair treatment chamber 210 by the first aircontacting surface 240. Accordingly, in the second configuration of the attachment 200, the vortex spins in an anti- clockwise direction. By providing an attachment 200 capable of selectively generating a vortex in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, a user may use the attachment 200 to style curls in opposing directions.

Although this example shows that, in first and second deflector positions of the plurality of deflectors 232, substantially all of the airflow emitted from a conduit 22, 224, 226 is directed along the channel 205 in the same direction, this may not be the case in other examples; it may not be necessary for all of the airflow to be emitted in the same direction for a vortex to be generated in the hair treatment chamber 210. Accordingly, examples are envisaged in which a portion of the airflow emitted from the distal ends 223, 225, 227 of the conduits 222, 224, 226 is directed along the channel 205 in a clockwise direction, and a remainder of the airflow is directed along the channel 205 in an anti-clockwise direction. The proportion of airflow directed in each direction may dictate a strength of the vortex.

In other examples, the first and second air-contacting surfaces 234, 236 are angled away from the open end 206 to also help direct the airflow into the hair treatment chamber 210 towards the apex 211 .

Other examples are envisaged in which the further deflectors 238 are attached to the rim 208 and are thus movable about the open end 206 to change a distance between each further deflector 238 and the distal ends 223, 225, 227 that the further deflector 238 is positioned between. Such movement may alter the angle at which airflow is directed around the hair treatment chamber 210 by the further deflector 238.

Examples are envisaged in which the switching arrangement is omitted, so that the attachment 200 is configured to generate a vortex that spins in a pre-defined direction. Examples are also envisaged where, rather than the haircare appliance 10 comprising a handle unit 12 and an attachment 200, the haircare appliance 10 is a single-piece unit, for example in which the handle unit 12 and the attachment 200 are combined.