DE202015101796U1 - Handpiece for hair removal with swivel head - Google Patents

Abstract

Hand-held device (1) for hair removal by means of light, the hand-held device (1) comprising a housing (2) and a lighthead (4) attached to the housing with a light source (6), a reflector (3) and a filter (5) the light head (4) forms a light exit opening which can be brought into contact with the skin of a user and wherein the light head (4) is pivotable relative to the housing (2) about at least one axis (7) with a swivel angle (α).

Description

The invention relates to a hand-held device for hair removal by means of light.

Such handheld devices are known as IPL devices, IPL being used as an abbreviation for Intense Pulse Light. Such a handset is for example in the DE 10 2005 053 469 A1 disclosed.

Since the light pulses produced by such devices, often filtered, are perceived as unpleasant for the human eye or, with correspondingly high intensity, can also pose a risk to vision, considerable efforts have been made to only impinge light pulses on complete coverage of the light exit surface produce. For example, by measuring the incidence of outside light in the head area of a device, such coverage can be ensured.

Nevertheless, in the case of known devices, manual tracking by the device user is always necessary in order to ensure optimal skin coverage, even for the treatment for hair removal. In particular, not easily accessible areas of the skin, such as the back of the legs, said tracking can be strenuous or not safe to carry out.

As an object of the invention, therefore, facilitation of tracking for achieving improved skin contact of the handset may be considered.

To solve the problem, a handset with the claim 1 is proposed. The features of the dependent claims may additionally enhance the invention.

In a first embodiment, a handheld hair removal device is proposed, the handset having a housing and a light head attached to the housing with a light source, a reflector, and a filter, the light head forming a light exit opening in contact with a user's skin can be brought and wherein the light head is pivotable relative to the housing about at least one axis with a pivot angle. By definition, a contact between the light exit opening and the skin is to be understood as meaning that an edge region which is present on the light head and which delimits the light exit opening is in contact with the skin.

The pivoting facilitates the handling of the handset especially in hard to reach places of the body, such as the back of the legs.

In one embodiment of the invention it is provided that the handset further comprises locking means with which the pivot angle can be determined. This embodiment can ensure, for example, for a particularly comfortable swing angle, their permanent statement. For example, can be determined for left-handed swivel angle, which are rather unsuitable for right-handed, or perceived as inappropriate.

In a further embodiment it is further provided that the handset further comprises return means with which a restoring force is formed which counteracts a manual adjustment of the pivot angle.

As restoring means, one or more springs can be provided in the simple case. More elaborate damping means such as elastomer can also be regarded as the claimed return means, since the restoring force does not have to be a constant, such as a spring constant, to counteract advantageously the manual adjustment.

In one aspect, the mentioned embodiment can be improved in that the restoring force is variable with an adjusting means. For example, the spring travel of a spring used as a return spring can be adjusted to change the restoring force.

Non-limiting examples and specific embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail in the drawings and described below. The disclosure of all cited references are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

It shows

1 a hand-held device in a front view;

2 a handset in a side view;

3 another handset in a partial view;

4 this in 3 shown handset in a partial front view and

5 another handset with two positions of the light head

The present invention will now be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Embodiments of the invention are shown. However, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for better clarity. Where used, dashed lines illustrate optional functions or operations unless otherwise specified.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. Singular forms used herein "a," "an," and "the" are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is further understood that the terms "comprises" or "comprising" when used in this specification refer to the presence of indicated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups or combinations thereof, but must not oppose the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups or combinations thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" means any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, as well as the absence of combinations when interpreted as an alternative ("or").

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, namely, the IPL field. It is further understood that words that are defined in commonly used dictionaries should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined.

Known functions or constructions are not described in detail for the sake of brevity and clarity.

This in 1 schematically shown handset 1 has a housing 2 on which a lighthead 4 is attached. The lighthead 4 Also includes a housing in which a light source 6 in the form of a flashlight, a reflector 3 and a filter 5 is provided in the form of a filter disc.

The filter is from the housing of the lighthead 4 Surrounded such that a light exit opening is formed, through which the light generated by the illuminant emerges and can irradiate a skin surface in a known per se. The light exit opening is brought into contact with the skin by the frontal edges of the housing of the lighthead 4 on the skin.

The lighthead 4 is about a pivot angle α about an axis lying in the normal direction to the longitudinal axis of the housing axis 7 pivotable. For this purpose, not shown hinge elements are used, which are attached directly or indirectly to the light head or to the housing. The pivot angle α can be in a range of +/- 20 degrees from a central position in which the longitudinal center axes of the light head and housing 2 coincide, be deflected. In 1 the lighthead swings 2 thus opposite the case 2 out of the picture plane or into it.

In 2 a side view of a hand-held device is shown. By means of a curved with a radius guide slot and guided therein a locking means 17 in the form of a thumbscrew, a desired pivot angle α can be adjusted. Further, a return means 8th shown in the form of a spring which forms a restoring force to counteract a manual adjustment of the pivot angle α in this case to the left. The restoring force is variable with an adjusting means, for example by the spring suspension is made displaceable, whereby you changed the spring travel and thus the spring force.

3 schematically shows an alternative embodiment in a partial side view. By the pivot angle designated by the arrow α, the lighthead 4 relative to the partially shown housing 2 be pivoted.

4 shows that with 3 described handset in a partial front view. With the further pivot angle β of the lighthead 4 sideways on the housing 2 be pivoted.

5 shows that with 3 described handset in a partial front view. 5 more precisely shows a first starting position of the light head 4 in which the swivel angle α is zero degrees, with solid lines. The pivot angle can be from the longitudinal center axis of the housing 2 be measured. In a shown with dashed lines swivel position of the light head 4 this is a maximum swing angle α of 20 Degree with respect to the longitudinal center axis of the housing 2 deflected.

The foregoing is intended to be illustrative of the present invention and should not be taken as limiting the same. The invention is defined by the following claims, wherein equivalents of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

handset

2

 casing

3

 reflector

4

 light head

5

filter

6

Lamp

7

axis

8th

Return means

17

 Locking means

α

swivel angle

β

swivel angle

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102005053469 A1 [0002]

Claims (4)

Handset ( 1 ) for hair removal by light, the hand-held device ( 1 ) comprising a housing ( 2 ) and a light head attached to the housing ( 4 ) with a light source ( 6 ), a reflector ( 3 ) and a filter ( 5 ), wherein the lighthead ( 4 ) forms a light exit opening which can be brought into contact with the skin of a user and wherein the light head ( 4 ) relative to the housing ( 2 ) around at least one axis ( 7 ) is pivotable with a pivot angle (α). Handset ( 1 ) according to claim 1, wherein the handset further comprises detecting means ( 17 ), with which the pivot angle (α) can be determined. Handset ( 1 ) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the handset further comprises return means ( 8th ), with which a restoring force is formed which counteracts a manual adjustment of the pivot angle (α). Handset ( 1 ) according to claim 3, wherein the restoring force is variable with an adjusting means.

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