Abstract: A hand held appliance, such as a hairdryer, includes a body having a fluid inlet for admitting fluid into the appliance, a fluid outlet, a duct lined with a material, and a primary fluid flow path extending from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet and through the duct. The material may be a foam or a felt and is a sound absorbing material, a vibration absorbing material, is an insulator, is tuned to resonant frequencies of the appliance. The primary fluid flow path may be non-linear. The duct may have a non-circular cross-section and may comprise a handle portion of the appliance, and the handle portion of the duct is lined with said material. A fan unit may be provided located upstream of the handle portion. The duct may comprise a first handle portion and a second handle portion of the appliance.

Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaning appliance includes a main body having a user operable handle, separating apparatus for separating dirt from a dirt-bearing air flow and a casing housing a fan unit for drawing the air flow through the separating apparatus. A support assembly is connected to the main body for allowing the appliance to be rolled along a surface using the handle. The support assembly includes a pair of domed-shaped wheels which each have a substantially circular rim. The overall size of the appliance is reduced by locating the casing between the wheels, and providing an air duct which extends between the rims of the wheels to convey the air flow from the separating apparatus to the casing.

Abstract: A domestic blender includes a receptacle and a tool. The receptacle has a bottom wall, a side wall defining an opening through which foodstuff material is introduced to the receptacle, and a longitudinal axis about which the side wall is disposed. A part of the side wall which is connected to the bottom wall has a cross-section in a plane which is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the cross-section having a shape in the form of at least part of a convex closed curve or a convex polygon with a non-unitary aspect ratio, such as an ellipse. The tool has a shaft and a processing member for engaging foodstuff material, the processing member being disposed on the shaft such that the processing member is located within the receptacle. The tool is rotatable about a rotational axis which is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

Abstract: A domestic blender includes a receptacle, a tool located within the receptacle, and a base upon which the receptacle is detachably mounted. The receptacle has a bottom wall, a side wall defining an opening through which foodstuff material is introduced to the receptacle, and a longitudinal axis about which the side wall is disposed. The tool has a shaft which passes through an aperture located in the bottom wall of the receptacle, and a processing member for engaging foodstuff material. The base has a motor for rotating the tool about a rotational axis. The motor has an output shaft which is collinear with the rotational axis of the tool, which is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle by an angle in the range from 15 to 75°.

Abstract: A domestic blender includes a receptacle having a bottom wall, a side wall defining an opening through which foodstuff material is introduced to the receptacle, and a longitudinal axis about which the side wall is disposed. The bottom wall has a wall surface having a segment with one of a frustoconical shape, a faceted shape, a convex shape and a concave shape, the shape of the segment of the wall surface having an axis of symmetry which is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle so that an end of the segment which adjoins the side wall has a substantially circular shape. The blender also includes a rotatable tool having a processing member for engaging foodstuff material, the processing member being located within the receptacle adjacent to the segment of the wall surface.

Abstract: A domestic blender includes a receptacle and a tool located within the receptacle. The receptacle has a bottom wall, a side wall defining an opening through which foodstuff material is introduced to the receptacle, and a longitudinal axis about which the side wall extends. A wall surface of the bottom wall includes a curved segment having a shape with a vertex which is spaced from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle. The tool includes a processing member located adjacent to the curved segment of the wall surface. The tool is rotatable about a rotational axis which passes through the vertex and is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

Abstract: A domestic blender has a receptacle and a tool. The receptacle has a bottom wall, a side wall defining an opening through which foodstuff material is introduced to the receptacle, and a longitudinal axis about which the side wall is disposed. The tool has a processing member located within the receptacle adjacent to the bottom wall, extending outwardly from a rotational axis of the tool passing through the bottom wall and being inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle. The processing member is rotatable about the rotational axis to describe a swept volume having a cross-section defined by the intersection of the swept volume with a plane extending through and containing both the longitudinal axis and the rotational axis, the cross-section having a first section having a lateral surface substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, and a second section having a lateral surface substantially parallel to that axis.

Abstract: A hand held appliance, such as a hairdryer, includes a body, a fluid flow path extending through the body from a fluid inlet through which a fluid flow enters the appliance to a fluid outlet for emitting the fluid flow from the appliance, a primary fluid flow path extending at least partially through the body from a second fluid inlet through which a primary fluid flow enters the appliance to a second fluid outlet, and a heater located in the body for heating fluid passing through the primary fluid flow path, wherein the heater is inaccessible from the fluid inlet. The heater may be inaccessible from the second fluid inlet. The second fluid inlet may be located in the body. The fluid inlet may be spaced from the second fluid inlet.

Abstract: A wall-mountable hand dryer arranged for drying one side of a user's hands at a time. The dryer has two nozzle sections—one for each hand—which nozzle sections are positioned towards the front of the dryer so that they are spaced away from the wall in use. The nozzle sections each extend to span the width of a user's open hand and are arranged for directing drying air down onto the front or back of said hand as it is inserted lengthwise underneath the nozzle sections from the front of the dryer. The left-hand nozzle section is banked to the right and the right-hand nozzle section is banked to the left such that the user may bank his hands accordingly in use—this makes the drying action comfortable for the user.

Abstract: An arrangement incorporates a sink and a hand dryer which extends over the sink. The hand dryer is of the type which uses an air-knife mechanically to wipe the water from the user's hands. The hand dryer comprising two elongate air-knife discharge outlets—each outlet discharging a respective air-knife down onto a hand of the user—the air-knife outlets being arranged side-by-side over the basin of the sink. Each air-knife outlet is arranged on an angle such that the inboard end the air-knife outlet is below the outboard end of the air-knife outlet.

Abstract: An arrangement comprises a sink and a sink fixture. The fixture has a water spout arranged to project over the basin of the sink, the water spout having a water nozzle arranged for connection through the spout to a water supply. The fixture also incorporates an elongate air-knife discharge outlet connected to an air supply for discharging an air-knife onto a user's hand. The air-knife discharge outlet is angled downwards so that the air-knife is directed down into the basin of the sink.

Abstract: An upright surface treating appliance includes a main body, a surface treating head connected to a yoke, and a stand. To provide a compact appliance the yoke and the stand are pivotable independently relative to the main body about a common pivot axis. This can also enable the yoke and the stand to be rotatably connected to the main body using one or more common connectors or bearings.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hair care appliance comprising a body having a duct which may at least partially define a fluid flow path through the body, an outer wall extending about the duct and a side wall extending between the duct and the outer wall, wherein a control switch is provided on the side wall and wherein the outer wall, side wall and the duct are all external walls of the appliance. The body has an inlet end and an outlet end and the side wall is at the inlet end. The side wall may at least partially define a fluid inlet into the fluid flow path. The duct may be recessed within the outer wall at the inlet end. A handle may be provided and may have a second control switch which may be located on the handle adjacent to the inlet end of the body.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hair care appliance comprising a body, a fluid flow path extending through the body from an inlet through which a fluid flow enters the appliance to an outlet for emitting the fluid flow from a front end of the body, and an attachment for adjusting at least one parameter of fluid emitted from the appliance, the attachment comprising an upstream end for attaching to the appliance, wherein one or both of the front end of the body and the upstream end of the attachment comprises at least one magnet. The front end may comprise an end wall extending radially inwards of the body and comprising the at least one magnet or a plurality of magnets radially spaced about the end wall or a ring of magnetic material extending around the end wall. The upstream end may comprise a plurality of magnets radially spaced about an end face.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hair care appliance comprising a body, a fluid flow path extending through the body from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet and a PCB extending about the fluid flow path. The PCB may be annular. The PCB may be isolated from the fluid flow path. The PCB may comprise a first layer and a second layer. The first layer may extend substantially continuously about the fluid flow path and the second layer may extend partially about the fluid flow path. The second layer may be adjacent the first layer and may be downstream of the first layer. The body may comprise a duct and the fluid flow path extends through the duct. The PCB may extend about the duct. The body may comprise a primary fluid flow path extending about the duct which may be in fluid communication with the PCB.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hair care appliance comprising a body comprising an outer wall, and a handle comprising an outer wall and a wall disposed within the outer wall wherein, the outer wall of the body and the wall of the handle are formed as a single unit. The outer wall may extend about the wall and partially along the wall. The wall may comprise an access aperture and a hatch for closing the access aperture which the outer wall may extend over. The outer wall may extend about the wall for substantially the whole length of the wall. The handle may comprise a primary fluid inlet disposed at and/or near the distal end of the handle from the body which may comprise at least one aperture extending around and along the outer wall. Also disclosed is a hand held appliance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hair care appliance comprising a handle, the handle comprising a wall and an outer wall wherein the wall defines a primary fluid flow path that extends from a primary fluid inlet into the appliance and the outer wall is an external surface of the appliance. The outer wall may extend substantially continuously around and along the wall. An insulating layer may be provided between the wall and the outer wall, the insulating layer is may be substantially continuous around and along the wall and may mitigate one or more of noise, vibration and heat produced by the appliance. The handle may include a fan unit for drawing fluid into the primary fluid inlet and along the primary fluid flow path.

Abstract: An attachment for a vacuum cleaning appliance, the attachment including a head divided into a first rotatable member and a second rotatable member, each rotatable member comprising means for sweeping dirt from a surface, a conduit connectable to a vacuum cleaning appliance for conveying an air flow from the head towards the appliance, a drive mechanism for rotating the head about a first axis while simultaneously rotating the first rotatable member about a second axis and the second rotatable member about a third axis, each of the second axis and the third axis being angled to the first axis, and means for dislodging dirt from the sweeping means with rotation of the head about the first axis so that dislodged dirt may become entrained within the air flow.

Abstract: A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner has a rotating brush bar driven by an air-cooled motor, which is mounted inside the cleaner head with at least a section of the motor being located inside the brush bar. To cool the motor in use, an external casing of the motor is provided a plurality of air-cooling holes comprising at least one air intake and at least one air exhaust. These cooling holes are connected—intake to exhaust—to form one or more air-cooling paths through the inside of the motor. Each air intake is connected to an upstream clean air inlet by a stationary—not rotating—intake duct, and each air exhaust is similarly connected to a downstream clean air outlet by a stationary—not rotating—exhaust duct. This avoids the problems associated with using the rotating brush bar itself as a duct for carrying cooling air to the motor.

Abstract: A receptacle of a hand washing station includes a heat exchanger having an external surface for thermally contacting a relatively hot fluid and an internal surface for thermally contacting a relatively cold fluid. The external surface of the heat exchanger forms at least part of the external surface of the receptacle.