EP0373032B1 - Depilation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to pluck-out superfluous hairs, a hand-held depilating appliance has a rotary drum which carries one or a number of rows of gripping blades so arranged as to project from the periphery of the drum and to extend in a direction parallel to its axis. Within or opposite to the recesses existing at the periphery of the rotary drum between the different rows of gripping blades, provision is made for skin protection blades having a circular external contour, the center of which coincides with the axis of the drum. These protective blades are disposed in planes perpendicular to the axis of the drum and are distributed over its entire length so as to constitute a virtual protection cylinder at the periphery of the depilating roller formed by the drum and the gripping blades.

Description

The present invention relates to small depilatory devices capable of being held in the hand to remove excess hair.

French patent 2,334,320 describes an apparatus of this kind in which there is provided a rotary roller intended to ensure the removal of the hairs to be eliminated. This roller is constituted by a helical spring whose turns are alternately separated, then tightened so that the bristles can engage between these turns, when the latter are separated, in order to be then pinched between them and torn off due to the rotation of the roller on itself.

However, the efficiency of this device is limited. This is essentially due to the fact that the bristles to be plucked can hardly engage between the turns of the rotary spring due to the helical conformation thereof. In addition, still due to this conformation of turns, the bristles are displaced in the transverse direction by them during the rotation of the tearing roller. However, this has the effect of hampering the engagement of the end of the bristles between the turns of the spring.

For its part, document EP-A-147,285 describes a depilatory device comprising a rotary depilation roller formed by a series of tearing discs arranged side by side and between which are provided movable pinching blades, at a rate of 'one between two neighboring discs. The arrangement is such that once per rotation these blades pinch, against one of the neighboring discs, the bristles which are engaged between the discs. Because the rotary tear-off members consist of discs having a continuous circular outline, the skin is prevented from engaging with inside the rotating roller, which avoids the risk of injury. However, this solution does not facilitate the engagement of the bristles between the discs of the rotary roller.

In a completely different field, there are devices for plucking poultry which also include a rotary tearing roller. Thus, FR 1,140,548 describes such an apparatus, the rotary roller of which is formed by tearing discs which pivot towards one another to pinch the feathers to be torn between them directly. But if such a solution were transposed to the field of hair removal devices, there would be a certain difficulty in engaging the hairs of human skin because they are very fine and extremely flexible, unlike poultry feathers.

Also in the field of poultry plumage, FR 667.265 describes an apparatus whose rotary tearing drum carries, at its periphery several rows of pairs of jaws which are arranged to open and close alternately in order to allow all first the engagement of the feather stems to be torn between these jaws, then their pinching by the latter. This roller is placed at a certain distance above a comb intended to slide on the surface of the skin of the poultry to be plucked, the stems of the feathers then engaging between the teeth of this comb to then be grasped by the rotary drum jaws. This comb ensures the retention of the skin during the plucking of the feathers, since this plucking requires a relatively large tensile force. However, this comb protects at the same time the skin of the poultry against any contact with the pinch jaws which are arranged projecting from the rotary drum. Besides, if such a comb did not exist, these jaws would strike the skin and cause extremely serious injuries. deep.

Given that the pinch jaws are arranged substantially in planes perpendicular to the axis of the rotary drum, the engagement of the stems of the feathers to be torn off takes place in good conditions. However, for the removal of excess hair existing on a person's skin, it is not possible to use a device similar to the plucking device mentioned above, for a number of reasons. The first of these lies in the fact that the comb, provided below the rotary drum, should be eliminated because it causes the drum to be too far apart from the skin, which would not allow it to grasp hairs which have a much shorter length than feather stems. However, if this comb were removed, then there would no longer be any skin protection against the pinch jaws carried by the rotary drum. However, as these jaws are projecting from the periphery of this drum, they would then strike the skin and cause extremely deep injuries.

This is why the present invention relates to a hair removal device which is designed both to obtain good efficiency of engagement and pinching of the hairs between the plucking organs and to ensure complete protection of the skin against any risk of injury due to the passage of the tearing devices against the skin.

For pulling out the hairs to be eliminated, this device comprises a rotary drum carrying one or more rows of pinching members projecting from the periphery of this drum and extending parallel to the axis thereof. However, this device is characterized in that in, or opposite the recessed intervals existing at the periphery of the drum rotating between the different rows of pinching members, there are provided skin protection blades, having a circular external contour whose center coincides with the axis of the rotating drum, these blades being arranged in planes perpendicular to the axis of the rotary drum and distributed over the entire length thereof, so as to constitute a sort of virtual protection cylinder at the periphery of the depilation roller formed by this rotary drum and the clamping jaws carried by it.

Thus, the present device makes it possible to obtain excellent protection of the skin against any risk of injury, while having maximum effectiveness in grasping the hairs between the gripping members carried by the rotary drum.

• ― les lames transversales sont agencées pour constituer des lames de protection en réalisant une sorte de cylindre de protection à la périphérie du rouleau rotatif,
• ― à leur périphérie, ces lames transversales présentent des échancrures ou discontinuités, aptes à faciliter le peignage des poils à pincer.

In an advantageous embodiment, the epilating device according to the invention comprises, for pulling out the hairs to be removed, a rotary drum carrying blades arranged transversely to the axis of the rotary drum and distributed over the entire length of that -ci, and pinch strips, located between these blades, and capable of pinching the hairs against them. However, this device is characterized in that:

• The transverse blades are arranged to constitute protective blades by making a sort of protective cylinder at the periphery of the rotary roller,
• - At their periphery, these transverse blades have indentations or discontinuities, capable of facilitating the combing of the hairs to be pinched.

• La figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective d'un appareil à épiler selon l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une vue schématique en coupe transversale du rouleau d'épilation prévu dans cet appareil.
• La figure 3 est une vue similaire qui illustre les conditions de travail d'un rouleau similaire qui serait dépourvu des lames de protection existant dans ce rouleau.
• La figure 4 est une vue schématique en coupe axiale du rouleau d'épilation prévu dans le présent appareil.
• Les figures 5 et 6 en sont des vues en coupe transversale, respectivement suivant les lignes V-V et VI-VI de la figure 4.
• La figure 7 est une vue similaire à la figure 5, mais qui illustre une autre forme de réalisation du rouleau d'épilation.
• La figure 8 est une vue partielle correspondante en coupe axiale.
• Les figures 9 à 11 sont des vues schématiques en coupe axiale illustrant différentes autres formes possibles de réalisation du rouleau d'épilation.

Moreover, the advantages and particularities of the present device will appear during the following description of some exemplary embodiments thereof. This description is given with reference to the accompanying drawings for information only, and in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a hair removal device according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the hair removal roller provided in this device.
• Figure 3 is a similar view which illustrates the working conditions of a similar roller which would be devoid of the protective blades existing in this roller.
• Figure 4 is a schematic view in axial section of the hair removal roller provided in this device.
• FIGS. 5 and 6 are views in cross section thereof, respectively along the lines VV and VI-VI of FIG. 4.
• Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5, but which illustrates another embodiment of the epilating roller.
• Figure 8 is a corresponding partial view in axial section.
• Figures 9 to 11 are schematic views in axial section illustrating various other possible embodiments of the hair removal roller.

The device shown in Figures 1 to 6 has a small housing 1 can be held by hand. At one of its ends, this housing carries a rotary depilation roller designated by the general reference 2. This roller projects through an opening 3 formed in the corresponding end of the housing. Thus this roller can be moved in contact with the skin S of a person, to pluck the superfluous hairs P therein.

This epilation roller comprises a drum 6 carried by a rotary shaft 4, the rotary drive of which is ensured by a small electric motor 5 housed inside the housing 1. This drum carries several rows of pinching jaws which protrude at its periphery and extend parallel to the axis of this drum. To simplify the drawing, Figures 4 to 6 show only two rows 7 of such jaws. These consist of flat strips 8a and 8b, of metal or any other suitable material which are arranged in planes perpendicular to the axis of the drum 6, being offset from each other in the axial direction. At their base, these strips are fixed, by snap-fastening or other means, to two separate actuating bars 10a and 10b. These strips are grouped in pairs of two strips 8a and 8b intended to be clamped periodically against each other, all the strips 8a being fixed on the same actuating strip 10a, while all the strips 8b are fixed on the other bar 10b. The ends of these bars are arranged opposite fixed cams 11a and 11b which are intended to actuate them to cause alternately the pinching of the strips 8a-8b and their separation, and this during the rotation of the epilation roller.

In accordance with the essential characteristic of the apparatus according to the invention, this roller comprises a series of protective blades intended to avoid any risk of contact of the pinching jaws with the skin and consequently any risk of injury to the latter. These protective blades are arranged and arranged so as to constitute in a way a virtual cylinder on the surface of the rotary depilation roller formed by the drum 6 and the pinching jaws, the section of this cylinder corresponding to the circle circumscribed around the jaws pinch 8a and 8b. These may advantageously include a circular external contour of the same curvature, and this at least in part, so as to be flush with the surface of the virtual cylinder thus formed. However, the outer edge of these jaws can also be arranged slightly set back relative to the area of this virtual cylinder.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, a series of protective blades 12 are provided, each of which takes the form of a flat washer having a circular external contour corresponding to the curvature of the cylinder. protection virtual to constitute. These blades are grouped in pairs by being arranged in the opposite direction as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 to constitute in a way a disk of continuous external contour placed in a plane perpendicular to the axis XY of the epilating roller. These blades are fixed on the periphery of the drum 6 by means of pins 13 or the like engaged in housings provided at the periphery of this drum.

The different pairs of protective blades 12 are offset in the axial direction relative to the position of the pinch strips 8a and 8b. As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of such protective blades can be provided between two successive pairs of gripping jaws 8a and 8b. Due to their arrangement, the discs formed by the blades 12 are located opposite the recessed gaps existing between the two rows 7 of pinch jaws 8a, 8b. Since such blades are provided over the entire length of the epilating roller, they form, around it, a sort of virtual cylinder intended to be placed in contact with the skin and capable of preventing any penetration thereof. inside the hair removal roller. This therefore avoids any risk of pinching or injury to the skin by the pinch strips 8a and 8b during their rotation.

The effectiveness of this protection is evident from the rest of Figures 5 and 6 as well as Figures 2 and 3. As it appears in Figures 5 and 6, the hair removal roller can be placed without any risk in direct contact with the skin S. In such a case it is the protective blades 12 which come into contact with the skin and consequently prevent the latter from engaging in the existing intervals, around the periphery of the drum 6, between two successive rows 7 of pinch jaws 8a and 8b. However if there were no such protective blades 12, we would be placed in the situation illustrated on Figure 3, situation in which the hair removal roller would be constituted by a rotary drum 16 carrying several rows 17 of pinch jaws projecting around its periphery. However, in such a case, these protruding jaws would strike the skin and cut into it. On the other hand, this is not the case in the case of the epilation roller of the device according to the invention. Indeed, even if this roller has a large number of rows 17 of gripping jaws, as is the case in the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the skin is protected by the blades 12 described above. Because of this perfect protection, it is possible to dispense with any grid or other intermediate protection element. Thus the pinch jaws can be placed in close proximity to the skin, which increases the effectiveness of the present device.

The protection provided by the blades 12 makes it possible to avoid any risk of pinching the moles, or of thin skins with the danger of entraining the skin. These strips 12 also have the advantage of protecting the skin against the shock of the pinching jaws during the rotation of the assembly. Indeed, it is essential to prevent the skin from being injured or pinched, or even simply irritated, when passing the pinch jaws at high speed, while the user presses the device on the skin for more efficiency. .

Given the axial offset of their position relative to that of the pinch jaws, the protective blades 12 leave an empty gap between two successive rows 7 of such jaws. Thus the bristles P, which are somehow combed by the protective blades 12, are caused to be placed in the empty intervals existing between two successive rows 7 of pinch jaws. Consequently these hairs very easily engage between these jaws to be then pinched, then torn off. This therefore ensures a very high efficiency for the present device.

With regard to the engagement of the bristles between the pinching blades, it should be observed that this is very greatly facilitated when the protective blades are formed by discs having notches, or else by circular sectors spaced apart from one another. other. Indeed, the existence of notches or intervals at the periphery of the virtual protection roller makes it possible to avoid that the application of the latter against the skin only has the effect of pressing the hairs thereon, as this would be the case with a roller constituted by circular disks having no discontinuity at their periphery. In the present case, the bristles can be raised at the moment of the passage of a discontinuity of the periphery of the roller and then they are combed by the protective blades, which ensures their orientation in the desired direction for their nipping by the nipping blades. .

The protective blades provided in the epilating roller of this device can be arranged in many other different ways provided that these blades are distributed in sufficient number over the entire length of the epilating roller and around its entire periphery, over 360 ° .

Thus, Figures 7 and 8 illustrate an embodiment in which there is also provided a succession of protective blades 12a and 12b in the form of arcs or circular semi-washers. However, these blades are not distributed by group of two blades arranged one opposite the other to form a complete circular disk as was the case in the previous example. Indeed in the embodiment according to Figures 7 and 8, the opposite blades 12a and 12b are offset in the axial direction. However, given the number of these blades over the entire length of the epilating roller, a kind of virtual protection cylinder is obtained as before.

In the embodiment according to Figures 7 and 8, the arrangement of the epilating roller has a number of other differences. Thus, the protective blades 12a and 12b are fixed, by means of pins 13a or the like, to an intermediate sleeve 18 surrounding a drum 19 carrying the gripping jaws 8a and 8b and the bars 10a and 10b actuating these jaws. Furthermore, the number of rows of the clamping jaws is in this case higher than previously. But again the number of these rows and the arrangement of the protective blades could be different.

Thus, instead of affecting the shape of circular semi-washers or arcs, the protective blades could have the shape of sectors of a circle. However, these blades could also be formed by circular segments spaced from one another, but angularly offset from one to the other to form a virtual protective cylinder around the clamping jaws.

Optionally, such circular segments could be arranged in the median plane of the gripping jaws of the same pair to fill, at least in part, the gap existing between the different rows 7 of gripping jaws. In such a case there would therefore be no axial offset of the protective blades with respect to the gripping jaws.

Figures 9 to 11 illustrate very schematically several other possibilities for the arrangement of protective blades 12b, 12c and 12d between gripping jaws 8b, 8c and 8d respectively. In the examples thus illustrated, the protective blades are constituted by circular segments occupying only part of the circumference of the epilating roller. However, these segments are offset both in the axial direction and in the angular direction so as to constitute a sort of virtual protection cylinder at the periphery of the depilation roller.

In these various examples, the protective blades provided are integral in rotation with the drum 6b, 6c or 6d carrying the gripping jaws. However, it would also be possible to provide protective blades having a fixed position and which would then be held by a fixed support, provided of course that the arrangement allows the rotation of the epilating roller and the tightening movements and opening of the clamping jaws. Optionally, all of the protective blades could be secured to a support mounted movable in translation parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum carrying the nipping blades. This mobile support would then be driven in translational movements, in one direction and in the other, to allow the protective blades to sweep the space where the skin could engage between the nipping blades. Such a protection assembly could also be mounted floating in translation by being subjected to the action of one or more springs for holding in place.

Possibly some of the protective blades, or all of these blades could be replaced by alignments of semi-rigid fingers, arranged in planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drum carrying the nipping blades.

As for the latter blades, they can be produced differently. Instead of being fixed, by snap-fastening or other means, to their actuating bar 10a, 10b, these jaws could be pivotally mounted at their base on the drum 6 their serving as a support, the actuating bars 10a and 10b then being coupled with these jaws so as to tilt them in one direction and in the other, respectively to tighten their nipping ends or move them apart.

Furthermore, instead of providing clamping jaws constituted by pairs of strips arranged in several rows on the periphery of a rotary drum, it would be possible to produce these jaws in the form of discs comprising, at their periphery, a series of protruding legs forming as many pinch jaws. Appropriate actuation means would then be provided to alternately cause these discs to tilt in one direction and in the other so as to pinch or separate their different gripping jaws. But, as in all the preceding cases, there would also exist protective blades with a circular external contour occupying the intervals existing between the different pinching jaws in order to constitute a virtual cylinder for protecting the skin avoiding any risk of pinching or injury of this one.

Claims (9)

1. A depilating apparatus comprising, for pulling-out hairs to be eliminated, a rotary drum (6) carrying one or several rows of pinching members (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e) arranged on the periphery of said drum and extending at right angles to the axis thereof, characterized in that there are provided in the intervals existing at the periphery of the rotary drum (6) or in registry therewith, between the different rows of pinching members (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e), skin protecting blades (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) presenting an external outline which is at least partly circular, and the center of which coincides with the axis of the rotary drum (6), said blades being disposed in planes perpendicular to the axis of the rotary drum and distributed over the whole length thereof, so as to constitute a kind of virtual protecting cylinder on the periphery of the depilating roller (2) formed by the said rotary drum (6) and the pinching jaws carried thereon.

2. A depilating apparatus comprising, for pulling out hairs to be eliminated, a rotary drum (6) carrying blades (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) disposed transversely of the rotary drum (6) axis and distributed over the whole length thereof, and thin pinching strips (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e) located between said blades and adapted for pinching the hairs against said blades, characterized in that:

― the transversal blades (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) are arranged for constituting protecting blades by forming a sort of protecting cylinder at the periphery of the rotary drum (6),

― these transversal blades (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) present on their periphery indentations or discontinuities adapted for facilitating the combing of the hairs to be pinched.

3. A depilating apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protection blades are constituted by flat half-discs (12) grouped in pairs while being disposed in registry with each other for forming discs with a continuous external outline, the positions of said discs being offset axially relatively to the pinching members (8a, 8b) in such manner that each disc will be placed between two successive members of a same row.

4. A depilating apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protection blades are constituted by portions of discs (12a, 12b) angularly offset from each other and disposed in planes which are offset relatively to the pinching members (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e) of the different rows, these portions of discs (12a, 12b) being simultaneously distributed over the whole length of the depilating roller (2) and over its whole periphery.

5. A depilating apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protection blades are constituted by circular segments, each one of which is disposed in the median plane of a pair of pinching members (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e) and in that each one of these segments occupies at least a part of the interval existing from one row to the next of such pinching members on the rotary drum (6).

6. A depilating apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protection blades are constituted by circular segments fixed by means of a fixed support and which are axially offset relatively to the pinching members carried by the rotary drum.

7. A depilating apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the pinching members are constituted by tongues provided so as to project beyond the periphery of parallel discs forming the rotary drum of the depilating roller.

8. A depilating apparatus according to Claim 1 and one of Claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the protection blades present on their periphery indentations or discontinuities adapted for facilitating the combing of the hairs to be pinched.

9. A depilating apparatus according to one of the previous Claims, characterized in that the protection blades are bound up with a support which is movable in translation along a parallel to the rotation axis of the drum carrying the pinching members, and in that the arrangement is such that this movable support is driven in a reciprocating motion which allows the protection blades to sweep across the space which exists between some of the pinching members.

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