EP0642311A1

EP0642311A1 - Depilatory device.

Info

Publication number: EP0642311A1
Application number: EP94909930A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans-Eberhard Heintke; Achim Flesser
Original assignee: Braun GmbH
Current assignee: Braun GmbH
Priority date: 1993-03-24
Filing date: 1994-03-04
Publication date: 1995-03-15
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-04
Also published as: JP3437974B2; EP0642311B1; CN1106190A; ATE152889T1; CN1047727C; JPH07507477A; DE59402727D1; WO1994021151A1; HK1000343A1; TR27581A; DE4309406A1; US5702403A; DE4309406C2; DK0642311T3; ES2102214T3

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/EP94/00653 Sec. 371 Date Nov. 17, 1994 Sec. 102(e) Date Nov. 17, 1994 PCT Filed Mar. 4, 1994 PCT Pub. No. WO94/21151 PCT Pub. Date Sep. 29, 1994The invention is directed to an epilating appliance for the removal of human body hairs which is adapted to be held in a user's hand and guided over the sections of the skin to be treated. The epilating appliance includes a cylinder rotary about a center axis, the cylinder periphery being formed by at least one group of relatively fixed blades and at least one group Of relatively movable gripping elements. The blades and the gripping elements of a group are arranged adjacent to each other at least in pairs, and the groups are in successive arrangement on the cylinder when viewed in a direction of rotation of the cylinder. The gripping elements are adapted to approach each other and recede from each other at least in pairs, closing and, respectively, opening a gripping aperture in the process. Adjacent blades combine to form a groove of a width tapering in wedge or funnel shape, with at least one groove end section of reduced groove width being associated with one gripping aperture each.

Description

Epilation device

The invention relates to an epilation device for removing hair from the human body, which can be held in the hand of a user and guided over the areas of skin to be treated. The device has a cylinder rotatable about a central axis, the cylinder jacket of which is formed by at least one group of lamellae fixed relative to one another and at least one group of clamping elements movable relative to one another. The lamellae or clamping elements of a group are arranged at least in pairs next to each other and the groups are arranged one behind the other in relation to a direction of rotation of the cylinder. The clamping elements can be moved towards or away from one another at least in pairs with the opening or closing of a clamping gap.

Epilation devices of this or a similar type are already known, for example, from the publications US 4575902 A, US 4960422 A or US 5084055 A, which are incorporated into the disclosure content of the present application by express reference. There are basically two types of hair removal, namely removing the hair on the surface of the skin (depilation) and removing the hair with the hair root (epilation). Motor-driven epilation devices are based on the principle of grasping the hairs to be removed by means of periodically opening and closing tweezers-like clamping organs, pinching them and pulling the roots out of the skin. The latter process is realized in that the tweezer-like clamping elements are quickly moved away from the skin after the hair or hair has been pinched. This movement of the clamping elements away from the skin can be accomplished, for example, in that the clamping elements are part of a rotatable cylinder and are periodically moved towards and away from each other during the rotation of the cylinder. A general problem of the devices of the type mentioned at the outset is to increase the effectiveness and to reduce the pain sensation of the user when removing the hair.

The effectiveness of the epilation can be improved in particular by measures which ensure that the hair of the areas of the skin exaggerated by the epilation device are supplied specifically to the clamping gaps between the clamping elements. Not all hair is straight or perpendicular to the surface of the skin, but also grows out of the skin at an angle or lies flat on the surface of the skin. In order to ensure that the hair can be gripped by the clamping elements even under such unfavorable conditions, so-called threading aids can be provided for straightening and threading the hair into the clamping gaps. Such threading aids reduce the number of empty plucks, ie the closing of the empty clamping gap, and increase the effectiveness of the epilator. These measures to improve the effectiveness of the plucking system also lead to a reduction in the - very subjective - pain sensation of the user. A precise explanation of the physiological background of this finding is still open, but it can be assumed that the pain when simultaneously pulling out, for example, 10 hairs is not perceived by the user as a tenfold increase in pain when pulling out a single hair, since the pain-sensitive receptors distributed on the skin surface do not record all of the simultaneous plucking processes of closely lying hair as separate events. Regardless of what the exact theory for explaining these relationships may now look like, studies have shown that the more effectively the epilation device works, the lower the user's subjective pain sensation. In addition, the situation can also arise that Although distant hairs get into the clamping gap of the clamping elements, they are only partially grasped by them, plucked but not removed. Plucking of this type without removing the hair also increases the pain sensation of the user. For these reasons, increasing the effectiveness of the plucking system of the epilation device is a central problem.

There has been no lack of attempts in the past to improve the effectiveness of the epilation devices. For example, US 5084055 A describes an epilation device with the features mentioned at the beginning, in which an epilation cylinder rotatable about a central axis has a plurality of rows of clamping elements which are arranged on the cylinder jacket. On both sides of the clamping elements with respect to a direction of rotation of the cylinder, so-called protective blades are attached in the area of the cylinder jacket. On the one hand, these protective slats have the property of eliminating skin irritation caused by the rotating clamping elements. Another advantage of these protective slats is that the hair to be removed is combed to a certain extent and fed to the clamping gaps between the clamping elements. Although devices with such protective slats have proven themselves in practice, there is a desire to further increase the effectiveness of the epilation devices for the reasons set out above.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an epilation device with improved effectiveness. This object is essentially achieved in an epilation device with the features mentioned at the outset according to the invention in that adjacent lamellae each form a groove with a wedge-shaped or funnel-shaped groove width and at least one groove end section with a reduced groove width is assigned to a clamping gap. The epilation device according to the invention has, as practical studies also show, an increased effectiveness and causes less pain during use. This is due on the one hand to the funnel effect, ie the channeling and alignment of the hair to be removed to the individual clamping gaps. On account of the wedge-shaped or funnel-shaped decreasing groove width, the hair to be removed is grasped over a skin section corresponding to the largest groove width and in the narrowing groove is specifically supplied to a clamping gap assigned to a groove end section with a reduced groove width. Empty picking operations are thus reduced by this measure. Another positive effect of the wedge-shaped or funnel-shaped decreasing groove width is that the skin partially penetrating into the groove is curved to different degrees during the rotation of the cylinder due to the increasingly narrowing groove width. This curvature of the skin, which becomes ever stronger as the groove is rotated, leads to a skin tension effect with a hair straightening associated therewith, so that the hair to be removed can be gripped extremely securely by the pair of clamping elements adjoining the groove end section with a reduced groove width. So-called plucking processes, in which the hair to be removed is only insufficiently gripped by the clamping elements and is not removed, are therefore also reduced.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a clamping gap is assigned to each individual groove end section of reduced groove width. This measure has the advantage that all the hairs to be removed, which can be detected by the rotary cylinder along its longitudinal extent, are threaded into the groove end sections of the grooves with an enlarged groove width and are fed specifically to the clamping gaps of the several clamping elements.

A wedge-shaped or funnel-shaped decreasing groove width is realized in a structurally simple manner in that the lamellae have an essentially wedge-shaped, in particular increasing, thickness. According to a development of the invention, the lamella thickness in the area of the groove end section is substantially constant with a reduced width. The fact that the groove side walls run parallel to one another over the area of the relatively short groove end section and form a groove of constant groove width favors the targeted feeding of the hair into the clamping gap which adjoins the aii cit.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the clamping gap of adjacent clamping elements are assigned two groove end sections with a reduced groove width which open into the clamping gap on both sides thereof. This arrangement proves to be extremely advantageous for epilation devices in which the direction of rotation of the cylinder is reversible. Depending on the direction of rotation of the cylinder, the hair to be removed is fed to the clamping gap either through one or through the other of the grooves opening on both sides into the clamping gap.

The groove width advantageously assumes the greatest values in a jacket region diametrically opposite the clamping elements or in a central section of the jacket region located between groups of clamping elements.

In this as well as all other configurations, the lamellae are designed to be extremely thin in the area of the greatest groove width, so that the hair to be removed is gripped by the grooves practically over the entire area of the longitudinal extent of the cylinder, and the clamping is targeted by the wedge-shaped grooves ¬ columns of the clamping elements are supplied, with the clamping gaps covering only a fraction of the longitudinal extension of the cylinder. The number of hairs fed to the clamping gaps per unit length (based on the cylinder) is increased by the compressing or channeling effect of the wedge-shaped narrowing grooves, and in addition a targeted feeding of these hairs to the respective clamping gap is ensured. In particular for devices with n groups of lamellae and n groups of clamping elements with n-2, 3, ..., which are arranged alternately one behind the other on the cylinder jacket, it has proven to be advantageous that those of respectively adjacent lamellae of a group formed groove is assigned with its groove end portion each a clamping gap of adjacent clamping elements of the following group of clamping elements. It is therefore possible to assign a groove with a wedge-shaped or acute-angled groove width to each clamping gap formed by the clamping elements, even in the case of clamping elements arranged in several rows on the cylinder jacket. The advantage achievable with the invention can therefore also be achieved in epilation devices with several groups of clamping elements.

Characterized in that the lamellae of the nth group and the clamping elements of the nth group are offset on the lamellae of the (n + l) th and the clamping elements of the (n + l) th group on the cylinder jacket are, the hair to be removed at a single rotation of the cylinder through the different groups of clamping elements at different locations on the skin is detected, whereby the effectiveness is further increased in connection with the associated wedge-shaped tapering grooves.

The offset dimension of the lamellae or clamping elements of the nth group with respect to the (n + l) th group is advantageously dimensioned such that this dimension is equal to the mean groove spacing of adjacent grooves divided by n. This embodiment of the invention ensures a uniform distribution of the effective clamping gaps of the clamping elements in relation to the longitudinal extent of the cylinder.

According to an extremely advantageous development of the invention, one or more lamellae of one or more groups, at least in partial areas along the cylinder jacket, have one or several tooth-like recesses, which preferably extend to the groove base of the groove. These tooth-like recesses result in combing-in of the hair to be removed lying transversely to the grooves or lying flat on the skin, which is inserted into the groove through the individual webs of the slats, which may have different widths, between the recesses and then, as described above , are fed to the individual clamping gaps.

It has proven to be advantageous for the lamellae to have these tooth-like recesses in a groove end section with an enlarged groove width.

According to a further advantageous feature of the invention, partial sections of the lamellae are formed by rollers, in particular in the form of disks. Through the use of such, preferably freely rotatable, rollers, the friction between the skin and the cylinder and thus the risk of skin irritation are reduced, the guidance of the cylinder on the skin is improved, and hair lying on the skin surface is also straightened, if necessary, and then by means of of the grooves to be supplied specifically to the assigned clamping gaps.

The rollers are advantageously part of an axis which is arranged on the cylinder essentially freely rotatably parallel to the central axis. Because of this configuration, only two bearing points are to be provided on the cylinder for a plurality of adjacent rollers, the axis provided with the rollers preferably being able to be fixed to the cylinder by means of snap or locking means.

With regard to the functioning of the rollers in connection with the optimization of the structural dimensions, it has proven to be advantageous to have the axis at such a radial distance Arrange the center axis on the cylinder, which is smaller or approximately equal to the distance between the groove base and the center axis.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the lamellae of each group are part of a component with an essentially circular sector or circular segment-shaped profile which is arranged adjacent to the clamping elements on the cylinder or comprises these laterally.

Further features, advantages and possible uses of the invention result from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, which are shown in more detail in the drawing. All of the described and / or illustrated features, alone or in any combination, form the subject matter of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their relationship.

Show it:

1 shows an end view of the cylinder according to a first embodiment of the invention in a schematic representation,

2 is a partial side view of the cylinder jacket of the cylinder of FIG. 1,

3 is a development of the cylinder jacket of the cylinder of FIG. 1 in a partial representation,

4a, b is a partial view of the lamellar components of the cylinder of FIG. 1,

5 shows an end view of the component according to FIG. 4a,

6 shows a further embodiment of the component according to FIG. 4b, 7 shows an end view of the component according to FIG. 6,

8 shows a view of the component according to FIG. 4b in a further embodiment of the invention,

9 is a view of the rollers arranged on a frame according to FIG. 8,

10 shows an end view of the component according to FIG. 8, partly in section,

11a, b in a schematic representation a side and end view of the cylinder according to a further embodiment of the invention,

12a, b show a schematic representation of a side and end view of the cylinder according to another embodiment of the invention and

13 shows a development of the cylinder jacket according to FIGS. 11, 12

In the figures, exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown purely schematically with the omission of constructive details or details. An overview of the functional structure or the mode of operation of the epilation device, the type of actuation of the terminal lamellae and the drive of the rotary cylinder is given, for example, by the prior art mentioned at the beginning. The following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention relates essentially to the configuration of the cylinder with regard to the arrangement of the lamellae and their assignment to the clamping elements.

A rotary cylinder 10 is mounted in an epilation device (not shown in the figures) so that it can rotate about a central axis 12. The cylinder jacket 14 of the cylinder 10 is covered by one or more groups 20, 22 of fins 24, 25 and one or more groups 16, 18 of mutually movable clamping elements 26, 28 are formed. The slats 24, 25 and clamping elements 26, 28 of a group 20, 22, 16, 18 are arranged side by side in pairs or rows. The groups 20, 16, 22, 18 are arranged on the cylinder jacket 14 in relation to one another with respect to a direction of rotation 30, 32 of the cylinder IG, so that a row of clamping elements 26, 28 is followed by a row of lamellae 24, 25. The clamping elements 26, 28 can be moved in pairs towards and away from one another by opening or closing a clamping gap 34, 35.

Lamellae 24, 25 arranged adjacent to the cylinder 10 each form a groove 36. The groove 36 has a wedge-shaped or funnel-shaped decreasing groove width 38. A groove end section 44, 50 with a reduced groove width 38 is in each case assigned to a clamping gap 34, 35. The other groove end section 62 has an increased groove width 38. The fins 24, 25 are wedge-shaped with increasing thickness 46 with respect to the direction of rotation 30, 32 of the cylinder 10.

In the area of the groove end section 44, 50, the lamella thickness 48 is essentially constant, so that the groove 36 formed by two lamellae 24, 25 has a constant groove width 38 in the area of the groove end section 44, 50.

According to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, adjacent clamping elements 26, 28 are assigned two groove end sections 44, 50 with a reduced groove width 38. The groove end sections 44, 50 open out on both sides of the clamping elements 26, 28 into the clamping gap 34. In a jacket region 52 diametrically opposite the clamping elements 26, 28, the groove width 38 assumes the greatest values. According to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 3, two groups 20, 22 of lamellae 24, 25 and two groups 16, 18 of clamping elements 26, 28 are arranged alternately one behind the other on the cylinder jacket 14. In this case, the groove 36 formed by respectively adjacent lamellae 24, 25 of a group 20, 22 is assigned with its groove end section 44 to a clamping gap 34, 35 of adjacent clamping elements 26, 28 of the following group 16, 18 of clamping elements 26, 28. The groove width 38 in the groove end section 62 assumes the greatest values. As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 3 and 4, the lamellae of the first group 20 and the clamping elements 26, 28 of the first group 16 are offset from the lamellae 24, 25 of the second group 22 and the clamping elements 26, 28 of the second group 18 on the Cylinder jacket 14 arranged. The offset dimension 54 (FIG. 4) of the slats 24, 25 or clamping elements 26, 28 of the respective groups 16 to 22 is equal to the average groove spacing 55 of adjacent grooves 36 divided by two.

One or more fins 24, 25 of one or more groups 20, 22 have at least in partial areas 58 along the cylinder jacket 14 one or more tooth-like recesses 56, 57. The recesses 56, 57 generally extend as far as the groove base 60 of the groove 36. As is indicated, for example, in FIG. 12, the tooth-like recesses 56, 57 are arranged in a groove end section 62 with an enlarged groove width 38. However, it is also possible to provide the lamellae 24, 25 with tooth-like recesses 56, 57 over the entire length (FIGS. 6, 7).

As can be seen from FIGS. 8 to 10, partial sections 74 of the lamellae 24, 25 are formed by disk-shaped rollers 76. The rollers 76 are part of an axis 78 which is arranged essentially parallel to the central axis 12 of the cylinder 10 so that it can rotate freely. The axis 78 has one such a radial distance A to the central axis 12 of the cylinder 10, which is smaller or approximately equal to the distance A to the groove base 60 of the groove 36 and the central axis 12.

Depending on the number of groups 16 to 22 arranged on the cylinder 10, the fins 24, 25 of each group 20, 22 are part of a component 64, 66, 68 with a profile 70, 72 which is essentially in the shape of a sector of a circle or a circle adjacent to the clamping elements 26, 28 is arranged on the cylinder 10 (eg FIG. 1) or comprises the clamping elements 26, 28 laterally (eg FIG. 11b).

Claims

1. epilation device for removing hair from the human body, which can be held in a hand by a user and guided over the skin areas to be treated, with a cylinder (10) rotatable about a central axis (12), the cylinder jacket (14) of which by at least a group (20, 22) of plates (24, 25) fixed relative to one another and at least one group (16, 18) of clamping elements (26, 28) movable relative to one another is formed, the plates (24, 25) or clamping elements ( 26, 28) of a group (26, 28; 16, 18) lying at least in pairs next to each other and the groups (20, 16, 22, 18) arranged one behind the other in relation to a direction of rotation (30, 32) of the cylinder (10) wherein the clamping elements (26, 28) can be moved towards or away from one another at least in pairs while opening or closing a clamping gap (34, 35), characterized in that adjacent lamellae (24, 25) each have a groove (36) with a wedge or funnel shape ig extending groove width (38) and each a clamping gap (34, 35) is assigned at least one groove end portion (44, 50) with a reduced groove width (38).

2. epilation device according to claim 1, characterized in that each individual groove end portion (44, 50) reduced Nut¬ width (38) is assigned a clamping gap (34, 35).

3. epilation device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized gekennzeich¬ net that the lamellae (24, 25) have a substantially wedge-shaped thickness (44).

4. Epilation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lamella thickness (48) in the region of the groove end portion (44, 50) is substantially constant with a reduced width.

5. epilation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that adjacent clamping elements (26, 28) are assigned two groove end sections (44, 50) with a reduced groove width (38) which are on both sides of the clamping gap (34) flow into these.

6. Epilation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the groove width (38) in a diametrically opposite jacket region (52) of the clamping elements (26, 28) or in a between groups (16, 18) of clamping elements ( 26, 28) located central section (51) of the jacket area (52) assumes the greatest values.

7. epilation device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that n groups (20, 22) of lamellae (24, 25) and n groups (16, 18) of clamping elements (26, 28) with n - 2.3 , ... arranged alternately one behind the other on the cylinder jacket (14) and the groove (36) formed by respectively adjacent lamellae (24, 25) of a group (20, 22) with its groove end section (44) each having a clamping gap (34, 35) adjacent clamping elements (26, 28) of the following group (16, 18) of clamping elements (26, 28) is assigned.

8. epilation device according to claim 7, characterized in that the lamellae (24, 25) of the nth group (20, 22) and the clamping elements (26, 28) of the nth group (16, 18) offset to the lamellae (24, 25) of the (n + 1) -th (22, 20) and the clamping elements (26, 28) of the (n + 1) -th group (18, 16) are arranged on the cylinder jacket (14).

9. epilation device according to claim 8, characterized in that the offset dimension (54) of the slats (24, 25) or clamping elements (26, 28) of the nth group (16, 20) to the (n + l) th group (18, 22) is equal to the mean groove spacing (55) of adjacent grooves (36) divided by n.

10. Epilation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by. that one or more lamellae (24, 25) of one or more groups (20, 22) at least in partial areas (58) along the cylinder jacket (14) have one or more tooth-like recesses (56, 57) which preferably extend to the groove base (60) of the groove (36).

11. Epilation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lamellae (24, 25) have tooth-like recesses (56, 57) in a groove end section (62) with an enlarged groove width (38).

12. Epilation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that partial sections (74) of the slats (24, 25) are formed by in particular disc-shaped rollers (76).

13. epilation device according to claim 12, characterized in that the rollers (76) are part of an axis (78) which is arranged substantially parallel to the central axis (12) of the cylinder (10) on this freely rotatable.

14. epilation device according to claim 13, characterized in that the axis (78) is arranged at such a radial distance R to the central axis (12) of the cylinder (10) which is less than or approximately equal to the distance A between the groove base (16) the groove (36) and the central axis (12).

15. epilation device according to one of the preceding claims, d_a- characterized in that the lamellae (24, 25) of each group (20, 22) part of a component (64, 66, 68) with a substantially circular sector or circular segment-shaped profile (70th , 72), which is arranged adjacent to the clamping elements (26, 28) on the cylinder (10) or laterally comprises the clamping elements (26, 28).