A new combination hair dryer and vacuum for permitting the drying of hair and vacuuming of debris with the same device. The inventive device includes a housing has a tubular main member and a handle member. The tubular main member has a hollow interior, and opposite first and second ends each having an opening into the hollow interior of the main member. A motor is disposed in the hollow interior of the main member and mounted to the main member. An impeller is disposed in the hollow interior of the main member, the impeller is rotatably mounted to the motor such that the impeller is rotated by the motor when the motor is energized. The handle member is extended from the main member and has a main portion and a trap portion that defines a hollow compartment. The trap portion of is detachably coupled from the main portion of the handle member. The housing has an opening between the hollow interior of the main member and the compartment of the trap portion of the handle member. A valve member is disposed in the hollow interior of the main member, the valve member is pivotally coupled to the housing to permit selective closing of the opening.

A warning system for a hair dryer to warn the user when the air inlet of the dryer has become clogged with hair or other particles, the dryer including an air filter in the inlet, an air-actuated whistle having an air inlet end and an air outlet end, the whistle being mounted in the air inlet with the air inlet end outside the filter and the air outlet end inside the filter. Air will pass through the whistle when the inlet has become clogged, causing it to blow, and thereby warning the user that the inlet has become clogged. This occurs when the air pressure differential between the two sides of the filter reaches a predetermined level.

The Hair Straightening Nozzle of the present invention includes a nozzle suitable for attachment to a typical hand-held hair blow dryer, and is formed with two parallel rows of teeth disposed on opposite sides of the nozzle such that the air from the hair blow dryer passes from the nozzle, through the nozzle opening, and between the two rows of teeth. A heating bar is located between the rows of teeth and in the stream of heated air, and is formed of a heat-conducting material, such as steel. The heating bar, heated by the heated air passing through the nozzle, extends slightly higher than the base of the teeth, such that as the teeth are pulled through the hair, the hair passes over the heating bar and the heated bar straightens the hair.

A manually operable device that is used to cut a synthetic material and also singe the end of this newly cut material to prevent it from unravelling. This tool incorporates a separate crimping assembly, cutting assembly, and burning assembly for each of these steps. The crimping assembly holds the material in place during the cutting and burning stages and also aids in fusing the melted ends of the material into a uniform mass. The cutting assembly cuts the material where desired, trims any stray fibers from the cut and/or fused end, and also removes any excess burn from this fused end. The burning assembly, connected to a reservoir, burns a flammable fluid so as to burn or singe the material placed thereover.

The invention, in the preferred embodiment, comprises a heat-shrink gun for eat-shrink applications in potentially explosive or flammable conditions, by using a non-electic non-flame producing, and non-sparking heat source. A hand-held housing has a nozzle attached thereto. A heat transfer element is attached within the housing and extends into the nozzle. The space within the nozzle formed between the heat transfer element and the nozzle defines an air heating chamber. A chemically reactive heat cartridge, contained within the heat transfer element, is activated via a striking force. The heat cartridge radiates heat along the heat transfer element into the air heating chamber. Air under pressure is supplied to the air heating chamber and exits the nozzle as hot air under pressure.