EP1497083B1 - Electric device comprising an electric power element and a fluidic circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is directed to an electrical appliance, in particular an appliance for hair removal or hair care, with at least one electric power unit, an electric circuit connected thereto and including an On/Off switch, and a fluid circuit feeding a fluid from a reservoir to an application site which is open to atmosphere and where fluid is withdrawn from the fluid circuit, wherein the On/Off switch, in overcoming an actuator travel, is switchable between two end positions and is coupled to an actuator of a shutoff valve of the fluid circuit.

Description

The invention relates to an electrical appliance, in particular a hair removal and / or care device, comprising at least one electrical power element, an electrical circuit connected thereto, an on / off switch, a liquid circuit, a liquid from a container to one to the atmosphere promotes open application site, is removed at the liquid from the liquid circuit.

Such an electrical appliance is known in the form of an electric shaver from DE 199 07 025 A1. The known device has an electric motor arranged in a housing, which drives both the shaving system of the shaver and a pumping device. This pumping device promotes a shaving and / or care liquid to an application element, from which it can be delivered to the skin or hair to be shaved. Although with the switching off of the shearing system, the conveyor is stopped, so that no further liquid is conveyed from the container, however, can leak through the feed tube, which connects the liquid container with the application site directly, at least at longer overhead level of the shaver liquid. Also, over the liquid from the container to the atmosphere leading throttle body may possibly undesirable liquid leak.

The invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide a generic electrical appliance, which is prevented in a particularly simple manner with very low structural complexity and by means of a minimal number of components in a completely secure manner unintentional leakage of liquid from the liquid circuit.

This object is achieved in that the on / off switch is coupled by overcoming a switching path between two end positions, in particular between two stable end positions, switchable and coupled to an actuator of a check valve of the fluid circuit.

This invention can be used in a variety of electrical appliances, which in addition to the circuit have a fluid circuit. These include electric shavers with the possibility of liquid application, epilators with such an application option, steam irons, coffee or espresso machines or even liquid-applied hair dryer or curling irons.

As an on / off switch is preferably used as a bistable pressure switch, which has a slide control for controlling the switching path. This pressure switch with slide controls, as they are known, for example, for generating the extension movement of ballpoint pen refills, offer the advantage that they produce a noticeable switching path despite compact design, which can then be effectively tapped for actuating the check valve.

A particularly simple construction and störungsunanfällige embodiment of the invention provides that the check valve is designed as a clamping element that can clamp together as an elastic hose formed portion of the liquid circuit in dependence on the switch position or release.

A further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the check valve is designed as a seat valve or as a slide valve, in particular as a 2/2-way valve. The advantage of this embodiment is that it has a particularly accurate control and switching characteristic and that the opening and closing behavior of such valves has no hysteresis and / or aging effects.

The on / off switch can be made particularly simple and with very few components, if it is acted upon by a switching spring, which itself is formed as part of an electrical switching contact of the switch. Advantageously, then the switch contact itself is made of an elastically resilient material, e.g. Spring bronze, made.

Advantageously, the on / off switch is coupled to a shift rod, one end of which forms the blocking element of the check valve. In order to guarantee a particularly safe operation, it is advantageous if the shift rod is loaded by a spring element. In this case, a leakage of liquid is ensured even with defective components of the switching chain when the spring element acts on the check valve in the closing direction. This additional spring element relieves the switching spring and allows the use of a two-part shift rod whose manufacturing tolerances can be absorbed by the additional spring.

Other objects, features, advantages and applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. All described or illustrated features form alone or in any Combination the subject of the present invention; regardless of their summary in the claims or their dependency.

Fig. 1

eine Ausführungsform der Erfindung als Trockenrasierer mit einer Applikationsstelle für Flüssigkeit,

Fig. 2

zeigt in stark vereinfachter, schematischer Darstellungsweise den Aufbau dieses Ausführungsbeispiels und

Fig. 3

zeigt eine detaillierte Darstellung eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispiels der Erfindung.

Fig. 4

zeigt eine Schnittzeichnung durch ein Sitzventil.

This shows:

Fig. 1

an embodiment of the invention as a dry shaver with a liquid application site,

Fig. 2

shows in a highly simplified, schematic representation of the structure of this embodiment and

Fig. 3

shows a detailed illustration of another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4

shows a sectional drawing through a seat valve.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a dry shaver with a view of the back of the housing 1 and one of the two narrow sides 2 of the housing 1. At the upper end of the housing 1, a shaving head 3 is provided, on which in turn a liquid dispensing device 4 is provided. On the narrow side 2 of the housing, a liquid container 5 is arranged. This liquid container may be fixed or detachably connected to the housing. According to the invention, it is also possible to arrange the liquid container within the housing fixed or interchangeable. By the liquid dispensing device 5 can be independent of position and doses applied a corresponding shaving and / or lubricating fluid during shaving, which can be significantly increased shaving comfort.

The shaving head 3 consists in a manner known per se of a central central cutter 6 for shaving longer hair, which is arranged between two curved shear foil 7, which work together with lower knives not graphically illustrated for shaving short hair. The shear films 7 and the center cutter 6 are mounted in a removable frame 8. The liquid dispensing device 4 is attached to this removable frame 8, so that it is ensured that the application of the liquid always takes place in the immediate vicinity of the shaving surface. The housing 1 takes in addition to the liquid container 5 and an electric motor 10, which serves both the oscillating drive of the lower blade of the shaving head and the drive of a pump 11, wherein the drive of the pump can be done both directly and indirectly. Also, it is possible according to the invention that the pump 11 is driven via a separately associated electric motor. The pump 11 is part of a fluid system connected to the fluid delivery device 4, which is shown in Fig. 2 and on which it is explained in more detail.

The pump 11 serves the operation of the liquid circuit and delivers liquid from the liquid container 5 to the liquid dispensing device 4. The pump 11 has for this purpose an inlet 12 and an outlet 13 with integrated throttle point. This throttle limits the operating pressure in the fluid system. The inlet 11 is connected via a first fluid line 14 with the application pocket 15 of the liquid dispensing device 4, which is formed as an elongated recess in an applicator 16. The connection of this first liquid line 14 to the application pocket 15 takes place in the left end section in the drawing.

The pump 11 is advantageously disposed within the liquid container 5, which is designed as a replacement cartridge and is replaced after consumption of the liquid to a new one.

Depending on the already done consumption of liquid, the liquid container 5 is filled up to a certain level 17 with liquid 18, wherein the area below the maximum level for better bonding of the liquid can be filled with a storage material. Open-cell sintered materials are particularly suitable for this purpose. Just above the bottom 19 of the liquid container 5, a riser 20, which forms part of the second liquid line 21, opens. The Füssigkeitsleitung 21 leads to the application pocket 15 and is connected to the end portion shown in the drawing on the right.

Firmly pressed into the applicator pocket 15, the application element 22 is arranged such that it projects beyond the applicator housing 16 with its upper region, on which an application surface 23 is formed. The press fit between the application element 22 and the applicator housing 16 is interrupted only by at least one secondary air channel 24 with a precisely defined flow cross-section. The application element 22 may be made of a wick-like material or of a sintered metal or plastic material. Due to its open porosity, it has a capillary action for liquids, which leads to a complete wetting. For the operation of the fluid system, it is important that the cross section of the secondary air channel 24 is exactly matched to the throttle point in the pump outlet 13.

In Fig. 2, the on / off switch 25 is shown in the off position. Thus, it can be seen that in this position, the contact lug 26 has a distance with respect to the contact element 27. In this case, the contact element 27 is connected with the interposition of the electric motor 10 to the negative pole of a power source, while the contact lug 26 is connected to the positive pole. By the switching spring 28, the push button 29 of the on / off switch 25 is charged in the off position. The contact lug 26 and the switching spring 29 are integrally formed and made of an elastic material. At its end facing away from the pushbutton 29, the switching spring 28 is held under prestress in the housing-fixed clamping 24. If the pushbutton 29 is actuated in the switch-on direction (that is to the right in FIG. 2), then the switch spring is moved counter to its biasing direction, this movement is simultaneously transmitted to the contact lug 26, which shifts in the direction of the contact element 27 and this electrically contacted in a conductive manner. In this way, the electrical circuit is closed and the motor is turned on.

To the push button 29, a shift rod 30 is connected, which is remote from the pushbutton 29 end designed as a clamping wedge 31. Between this clamping wedge 31 and its pressing piece 32, the second liquid line 21 is performed, which is formed like a hose at least in the region of the clamping wedge 31. This hose-like training is carried out with an elastic under low forces compressible tubing. The shift rod 33 is loaded by a spring 33, which is supported fixed to the housing.

In the switched-off position shown in Fig. 2, on the one hand, the electric motor 10 is turned off and the liquid line 21 is pressed by the clamping wedge 31 so pressed against the pressure piece 32 that no liquid can pass this point. Only when pressing the push button 29, the push button moves including the shift rod 30 to the right, so that not only the electrical contact between the contact lug 26 and the contact element 27 is closed, but also the clamping wedge 31 is displaced against the force of the spring 33 and the Flow cross-section between this and the pressing piece 32 is released.

This ensures that no liquid can escape from the liquid container 5 even in an overhead position of the electric shaver. Since the throttle point of the fluid system in the pump outlet 13, ie within the fluid circuit is arranged, and therefore no pressure relief valve must be provided to the outside, the fluid circuit is completely closed in the device state of the atmosphere. In this case, the switched-off pump 11 prevents leakage via the first fluid line 14.

When the motor 10 of the electric razor is turned on by the on / off switch 25, it drives both the lower blades of the shaving head 3 and the pump 11. The pump 11 then sucks in air from the applicator pocket 15 via the first fluid line 14. First, the applicator pocket 15 is liquid-free, as is the application element 22, so that the aspirated air can flow in via the pores of the application element as well as via the secondary air passage. This air is forced through the outlet 13 of the pump 11 and the throttle point arranged there in the liquid container 5, wherein the pressure increase caused thereby promotes liquid 18 via the riser 20 and the second liquid line 21 into the applicator 15.

After the liquid has reached the application bag 15, a liquid flow is established in the lower region of this pocket, that is to say between the junctions of the first and the second liquid line. Due to its Kapilarwirkung the incoming liquid is distributed throughout the application element 22 and conveyed to the application surface 23. The portion of the liquid which can no longer be absorbed by the application element 22 is sucked off via the first liquid line 14 from the pump 11 and supplied to the liquid container 5 again.

As long as the application element is still relatively dry and its pores are mainly open, a very large amount of air is sucked in by the pump 11, which results in a very rapid pressure rise in the liquid container 5. This in turn leads to a very rapid transport of the liquid 18 in the application bag 15. As the volume of liquid delivered to the application element 22 increases, its pores gradually fill, and the secondary air channel 24 is gradually closed by liquid. From this moment on, an operating state occurs in which initially no additional air can be sucked into the fluid system. The applicator pockets 15 can then not overflow, but it is merely a liquid circuit circulated. Only when a certain amount of liquid has been released via the application surface 23, air can be sucked into the system again through correspondingly emptied pores or through a newly released secondary air channel 24. This sucked air volume then replaces the amount of liquid dispensed. The circulation system thus ensures that during operation the application element 22 is always adequately wetted and supplied with liquid 18.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the on / off switch 25 and the shut-off element coupled to it for the liquid line 21. The on / off switch consists of a push button 29 which is coupled to a first shift gate 35. This first shift gate 35 is also located in a fixed link guide 36 as the second shift gate 37, between the first shift gate 35 and an end piece 38 of the on / off switch 25. The tail 38 is rotatably guided in the teeth of the slide guide 36 and has on its repellent from the push button 29 end of an integrally formed shift rod 30. The shift gates 35 and 37 have facing annular circumferential Stirnverzahnungsabschnitte having Verzahnungsgipfel and Verzahnungstäter. The second shift gate 37 is rotatable relative to the first shift gate 35 and the end piece 38 about the axis of symmetry. Depending on whether the two teeth peaks are on top of each other or whether the gears mesh with each other, a distance defining the switching path between the first shift gate 35 and the end piece 38 is established. Such switching scenes are known, for example, from the actuation of ballpoint pen refills for generating the extension movement of these refills.

Fig. 3 shows the off position of the on / off switch 25, i. the distance between the first shift gate 35 and the end piece 38 is the least possible, since the teeth of the first and second shift gate are in each other. In this state, the contact between the contact lug 26 and the contact element 27 is opened. The push button 29 is surrounded by a diaphragm 39 which is sealingly connected both with it and the housing 1. The end piece 38 is resiliently biased by the switching spring 28 in the direction of the push button 29.

As already explained with reference to FIG. 2, switching spring 28 and contact lug 26 are made in one piece and clamped on the housing. To the shift rod 30, an intermediate part 40 connects, which is biased by the spring 33 in the direction of the shift rod 30. The intermediate part 40 has at its end remote from the shift rod 30 end portion on a clamping wedge 31 which engages behind the tubular elastic portion of the second liquid line 21. Due to the bias of the spring 33, this clamping wedge 31 is pressed so strong on the liquid line 21 to the left that he compresses them and closes the fluid passage. The liquid line 21 is thereby pressed by the clamping wedge 31 -an to the trained as a hose guide link pinching piece 32. Both the shift rod 30 and the intermediate part 40 are mounted longitudinally displaceably in the housing 1.

Now, if the push button 29 is pressed a first time, so the second shift gate 37 rotates by a certain angle relative to the first shift gate 35, so that the two teeth peaks come to rest on each other. Characterized an additional, the switching path defining distance is made between the push button 29 and the end piece 38. Due to the displacement of the end piece 38 in the sliding guide 36 against the force of the switching spring 28, the electrical contact between the contact lug 26 and the contact element 27 is closed on the one hand, in addition, the shift rod 30 is displaced to the right. This then shifts the intermediate part 40 and the clamping wedge 31 against the force of the spring 33 also to the right, so that the clamping of the second liquid line 21 is repealed. If the push button is pressed again, so again turns off the state shown in Fig. 3, in which on the one hand the electrical contact is opened and the clamping of the liquid line 21 is closed.

The switching valve 45 shown in Fig. 4 is integrated in an alternative embodiment of the invention in the second liquid line 21, wherein the free end 46 of the arcuate connecting pipe 47, the switching valve 45 connects to the container, while the free end 48 of the substantially tubular valve closing element 49 is connected by means of the second liquid line 21 with the applicator 15 of the liquid dispenser 4. The valve closing element 49 is guided in the valve housing 50 in a through hole 51, from which it protrudes with the end 48. The valve closing element 49 opposite end of the through hole 51 is closed by an elastomeric sealing seat 52. By applying the valve closing element 49 to the sealing seat 52, the central bore 53 of the valve closing element can be closed. In this state, the connection between the liquid container 5 and the liquid dispenser 4 is interrupted.

On the outer contour of the valve closing element 29, a peripheral groove 54 is formed in the region of the end 48, in which the coupling fork 55 engages, which is formed as part of the actuating head 56. The actuating head 56 in turn is connected to the shift rod 30 - see Fig. 2 - connected.

A leg spring 57 is held on a beam-like projection 58 of the valve housing 50, wherein the coil-like center part of this leg spring 57 surrounds the projection 58. The first leg 59 of the leg spring 57 elastically loads the actuating head 56 in a direction which is the closing of the coupled valve closing element 49 causes. For this purpose, the end of the second leg 60 is supported on a stop 61 of the valve housing 50. In the illustration of FIG. 4, the switching valve 45 is opened because the mounting head 56 has been displaced by the shift rod 30 upon actuation of the push button 29 against the force of the leg spring 57 and thus the valve closure member 49 has been moved in a direction away from the sealing seat 52 direction. The first leg 59 or the fastening head 56 then abuts against the stop 63 in an end position. When turned off by the push button 29 eliminates the pressure force through the shift rod 30 so that the actuating head 56 driven by the pressure force of the leg spring 57 is moved back and thus the valve closure member 49 is pressed onto the sealing seat 52. The connection between the liquid container 5 and the liquid dispensing device 4 is thus closed again.

In contrast to the hose clamp according to FIGS. 2 and 3, the switching valve 45 according to FIG. 4 dispenses with the sealing function by a deformation of the elastomeric hose part, resulting in a more accurate switching with active opening of the valve 45. The use of the leg spring 57 allows a large switching path of the valve, which is necessary when the operation with considerable overstroke by a link control with a shift gate of FIG. 3 - see there the first shift gate 35, slide guide 36, second shift gate 37 and tail 38 - should be done.

The protruding up to the groove 54 from the valve housing 50 portion of the valve closing element 49 is encapsulated by an elastomeric bellows 62. This bellows 62 also serves as - although with a small spring force - acting in the opening direction valve spring. As a result, the switching valve 54 operates particularly free of play, whereby extremely small switching paths can be realized.

Claims (9)

1. An electrical appliance, in particular an appliance for hair removal or hair care, with at least one electric power unit (10), an electric circuit connected thereto and including an On/Off switch (25), and a fluid circuit (11, 14, 15, 21) feeding a fluid (18) from a reservoir (5) to an application site (23) which is open to atmosphere and where fluid is withdrawn from the fluid circuit, characterized in that the On/Off switch (25), in overcoming an actuator travel, is switchable between two end positions and is coupled to an actuator (30) of a shutoff valve (31, 32) of the fluid circuit.
2. The electrical appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the On/Off switch (25) is constructed as a bistable pressure switch having a cam control (35, 36, 37, 38) for controlling the actuator travel.
3. The electrical appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shutoff valve is realized as a clamping element (31, 32) capable of clamping together or releasing an elastic hose section of the fluid circuit.
4. The electrical appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shutoff valve is constructed as a seat valve (45).
5. The electrical appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shutoff valve is constructed as a slide valve, in particular as a 2/2 directional control valve.
6. The electrical appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the On/Off switch (25) is acted upon by an interrupter spring (28) which is part of an electric switching contact (26).
7. The electrical appliance as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the On/Off switch (25) is coupled to an actuating rod (30) one end of which forms the shutoff element (31) of the shutoff valve.
8. The electrical appliance as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the actuating rod (30) is loaded by a spring element (33).
9. The electrical appliance as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the spring element (33) loads the actuating rod (30) in the closing direction of the shutoff valve (31, 32).

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