Abstract: A diffuser for a hair dryer reduces the force of impact of air discharged from the hair dryer against the hair of a user. The diffuser includes a housing having an inlet port, an outlet port and a freely rotatable fan blade mounted within the housing. The inlet port is removably interconnected to the discharge nozzle of a hair dryer so that air discharged from the hair dryer enters the housing, strikes the fan, and causes it to rotate. The rotating fan disperses the discharged air into a plurality of diversely directed eddy currents which flow out of the outlet port. These less powerful eddy currents, which are applied to the hair of a user, will not upset the setting of hair.A screen can be interposed between the fan and the outlet port to prevent hair from becoming caught in the diffuser and to further disperse the eddy currents of air before they are discharged from the outlet port.

Abstract: A curling iron includes a tubular barrel extending forwardly from a hollow handle. The barrel contains an electric heating element and is provided with a spring-biased pivotable hair holding clamp conforming to the surface of the barrel. The barrel and clamp are pivotal as a unit about 180 degrees from the extended operative position into a folded storage position within the handle through a side opening in the handle. The opening is closed by a pair of inwardly pivotable doors which are spring-biased to an outward closed position conforming to the outer surface of the handle. Pivotal movement of the barrel from its extended position causes contacts on the barrel to separate from spring contact elements fixed in the handle to disconnect the heating element from its electric power source. As the barrel and clamp are folded into the handle through the opening, the doors are pushed inwardly out of the way so that the handle may receive the barrel and clamp for storage.

Abstract: A shower head is provided capable of producing a pulsating or steady spray. Water entering the shower head passes through a set of inlet orifices into a plenum chamber and drives a turbine-type rotor within the chamber. The rotor has water cutting vanes which alternately open and close one or more water outlets from the chamber. The water then passes from the water outlets to the user for pulsed spray, or is directed to smaller openings for steady spray.In the pulsed spray condition the total water outlet opening area is about four times the area of the inlet orifices to the plenum chamber, resulting in low back pressure, rapid rotation of the rotor and so pulsating spray. In the steady spray the smaller openings have a total area approximating that of the plenum inlet orifices, resulting in a high back pressure within the plenum chamber. This high back pressure causes the chamber to fill with water and serves to slow or stop rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: A shower head is provided which can, alternatively, provide a fine, steady stream of shower water or a coarser, pulsating stream of shower water to produce a massaging effect. All of the water stream is, initially, pulsed, but the pulsation is removed when a steady stream is desired.The incoming water enters the spinner of a Hero's engine axially; it causes rotation of the engine spinner as it leaves the tangentially directed exit spouts of the engine. The water then enters a chamber having a circular outlet cover plate carrying small peripheral holes and larger, more centrally located holes inside the periphery.A rotatable dial plate is positioned between the circular outer cover plate and the plenum chamber. This plate has holes in it which can be aligned with the large inner massaging holes, with channels leading to the outer peripheral holes, or at a position in between. The position of the dial plate is controlled by an associated control arm.

Abstract: A liquid feeding means including a reservoir for a liquid and a wick of absorbent material within the reservoir. A portion of the wick is exposed exteriorly of the reservoir for engagement by a heated element so as to produce steam. A tube having an inside diameter of capillary size is embedded in the wick and extends from its exposed portion toward the reservoir to transmit air into the reservoir as water from the reservoir is converted to steam.

Abstract: An assembly including a support plate carrying a contact member on each face. A power cord terminal has an electrically-conductive pin projecting through aligned holes in the support plate and contact members, and an electrically-conductive ring surrounding the pin and insulated from it. A spring cooperates with the pin to press the ring against one of the contact members and electrically connect the pin to the other contact member.This invention relates to an electrical swivel contact assembly which permits relative rotation between interconnected electrical terminals while permitting flow of electricity between the terminals.The invention will be described in connection with an electrically-heated curling iron. However, it is to be understood that the invention may be used advantageously with other hand-held electrical appliances, and other types of electrically-powered apparatus.When a curling iron is used, it is rotated about its longitudinal axis in order to coil hair around it.