Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
  • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
  • A45D26/00—Hair-singeing apparatus; Apparatus for removing superfluous hair, e.g. tweezers
  • A45D26/0061—Hair-singeing apparatus; Apparatus for removing superfluous hair, e.g. tweezers with means for reducing pain during hair removal
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2303/00—Details of devices using other cold materials; Details of devices using cold-storage bodies
  • F25D2303/08—Devices using cold storage material, i.e. ice or other freezable liquid
  • F25D2303/082—Devices using cold storage material, i.e. ice or other freezable liquid disposed in a cold storage element not forming part of a container for products to be cooled, e.g. ice pack or gel accumulator
  • F25D2303/0822—Details of the element
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D3/00—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies
  • F25D3/02—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies using ice, e.g. ice-boxes
  • F25D3/06—Movable containers
  • F25D3/08—Movable containers portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a cooling device for a personal care system, said cooling device comprising a cooling device housing and heat-conducting means for transferring cold from the interior of said cooling device housing to skin to be cooled, said heat-conducting means comprising a contact piece for contacting said skin.
• the present invention also relates to a personal care system comprising an active device having an active surface intended for treating skin and a cooling device having heat-conducting means for transferring cold to said skin, said heat-conducting means comprising a contact piece for contacting said skin.
• a cooling device as well as a personal care system of the type mentioned above are known from WO 03/065948 Al and shown in Figures la to lc, wherein the active device is a depilation device.
• the personal care system 10', 12' of Figures la to lc comprises a cooling device 10' and an active device 12' which is a depilation device having a rotating depilation cylinder 36'.
• the cooling device 10' comprises a cooling device housing 12' and is provided to cool the skin 20' during treatment to reduce pain.
• the cooling device 10' comprises a contact piece 18' for transferring cold stored within the cooling device housing 14' to skin 20' to be treated.
• the contact piece 18' is fixed rigidly with respect to the cooling device housing 14' and thereby also with respect to the active surface 32' of the depilation device 12' which is coupled to the cooling device 10'. If the appliance angle ⁇ ' is chosen correctly, as shown in Figure la, the known personal care system 10, 12 works perfectly. However, if the appliance angle ⁇ ' is not chosen correctly, as shown in Figures lb and lc, the good contact between the contact piece 18' and the skin 20' may be lost, as shown in Figure lb, or the good contact between the active surface 32' of the depilation device 12' and the skin 20' may be lost, as shown in Figure lc.
• a cooling device in accordance with the invention is characterized in that at least a part of said contact piece is movable with respect to said cooling device housing.
• said contact piece may be spring loaded in a direction essentially perpendicular to said skin to be cooled. This also helps to ensure the proper contact mentioned above. It is emphasized that in accordance with the most preferred embodiments of the cooling device in accordance with the invention, the contact piece is both pivotable around a shaft extending essentially perpendicularly to a preferred movement direction of said cooling device and spring loaded in a direction essentially perpendicular to said skin to be cooled.
• said heat-conducting means comprise a portion extending into an. area of said cooling device housing in which a cooling agent is provided.
• the cooling agent may for example be cooled down by placing the cooling device in a refrigerator, the heat- conducting means being suitable for transferring cold stored in that cooling agent to the skin to be treated.
• said cooling device housing comprises means for connecting said cooling device to an active device of said personal care system. These means may for example be realized by suitable snap-in connections or any other coupling means resulting in a preferably detachable connection between the cooling device and an active device.
• the cooling device in accordance with the invention may be used advantageously with an active device that is a depilation device.
• the invention is not limited to such an active device and the cooling device in accordance with the invention may for example also be used in connection with massage devices or circulation-stimulating devices having needle-like or pin-like treatment members.
• the cooling device in accordance with the invention may be used in combination with all treatment devices that cause less pain or simply a better feeling if the skin and/or the portions underlying the skin are cooled before, during, or after treatment.
• a personal care system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that at least a part of said contact piece is movable with respect to said active surface.
• said heat-conducting means comprise a portion extending into an area in which a cooling agent is provided.
• said active device comprises an active device housing and said cooling device comprises a cooling device housing, wherein said active device housing and said cooling device housing are separable.
• said active device may be a depilation device.
• Fig. la shows a cooling device and a personal care system in accordance with the prior art with the appliance angle chosen correctly
• Fig. lb shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. la with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a first direction
• Fig. lc shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. la with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a second direction
• Fig. 2a shows a first embodiment of a cooling device and a personal care system in accordance with the present invention with the appliance angle chosen correctly
• Fig. lb shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. la with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a first direction
• Fig. lc shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. la with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a second direction
• Fig. 2a shows a first embodiment of a cooling device and a personal care system in accordance with the present invention with the appliance angle chosen correctly
• Fig. la shows a cooling device and a personal care system in
• FIG. 2b shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. 2a with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a first direction
• Fig. 2c shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. 2a with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a second direction
• Fig. 3 a shows a second embodiment of a cooling device and a personal care system in accordance with the present invention with the appliance angle chosen correctly
• Fig. 3b shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. 3 a with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a first direction
• Fig. 3c shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. 3a with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a second direction
• FIG. 4a shows a third embodiment of a cooling device and a personal care system in accordance with the present invention with the appliance angle chosen correctly;
• Fig. 4b shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. 4a with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a first direction;
• Fig. 4c shows the cooling device and the personal care system of Fig. 4a with the appliance angle chosen not correctly in a second direction.
• cooling devices 10 are part of personal care systems 10, 12 which additionally comprise active devices 12.
• active devices 12 are depilation devices having rotating depilation cylinders 36 forming active surfaces 32 for treating skin 20.
• the housings of the depilation devices 12 and the housings 14 of the cooling devices 10 are detachably connected to each other by a snap-in connection 30.
• the respective cooling device 10 and the respective depilation device 12 are reconnected, and cold stored in the cooling agent may be used to cool the skin 20 during the depilation process.
• heat-conducting means 16, 18, of which a respective contact piece 18 is intended to get into contact with the skin 20 there are provided heat-conducting means 16, 18, of which a respective contact piece 18 is intended to get into contact with the skin 20.
• the contact pieces 18, the shaft 22 mentioned below, and the elements 16 extending into the cooling agent are made of a material that has good heat-conducting properties, like aluminum.
• FIG. 1 In operation, all embodiments of the personal care system 10, 12 are moved over the skin 20 in a preferred direction of movement 24 to carry out the depilation process. Simultaneously, the skin 20 is cooled by the respective contact piece 18.
• Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c show a first embodiment of the cooling device 10 and the personal care system 10, 12 in accordance with the present invention.
• the appliance angle is not optimal, i.e.
• the contact piece 18 in accordance with the first embodiment is pivotable around a shaft 22 extending essentially perpendicularly to the preferred direction of movement 24, i.e. parallel to the depilation cylinder 36.
• a spring 26 which preloads the contact piece 18 such that it makes proper contact with the skin 20 even if the appliance angle ⁇ is chosen as shown in Figure 2b.
• the spring 26 is further preloaded if the appliance angle is chosen as shown in Figure 2c to ensure a proper contact between the contact piece 18 and the skin 20.
• the contact piece 18 in accordance with the second embodiment is spring loaded and thus displaceable in a direction 28 essentially perpendicular to said skin 20 to be cooled, the spring (not shown in the drawings) being accommodated within the cooling device housing 14.
• the third embodiment provides a combination of the first and second embodiments, i.e. the contact piece is pivotable around the shaft 22 and is spring loaded and thus displaceable in the direction 28 essentially perpendicular to said skin 20 to be cooled.
• the first embodiment there is provided no spring 26.
• a spring for spring loading the contact piece 18 in the direction 28 there is provided a spring for spring loading the contact piece 18 in the direction 28, and again this spring is accommodated within the cooling device housing 14, but is not shown in the drawings.
• equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Pain & Pain Management (AREA)
• Thermotherapy And Cooling Therapy Devices (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=34970002

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

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Family Cites Families (5)

• 2005
  • 2005-06-02 EP EP05742793A patent/EP1758480A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2005-06-02 WO PCT/IB2005/051799 patent/WO2005122822A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2005-06-02 JP JP2007516082A patent/JP2008502403A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-06-02 CN CNA2005800193304A patent/CN1968618A/zh active Pending
  • 2005-06-02 US US11/629,606 patent/US20070227175A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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