EP1962633B1 - Epilator and attachment for it - Google Patents

Abstract

The epilation device comprises an epilation roller (3) with pincer type clamping elements (4) around the circumference and a skin stimulation device (6) whose drive has control means so that the transverse movements of the stimulation elements in one row can be staggered relative to one another. The stimulation drive comprises a drive shaft with drive cams producing the staggered movements. Independent claim describes fitment (5) for epilation device which supports skin stimulation device on housing (7) which detachably fits on tool head.

Description

The present invention relates to an epilator for removing body hair with a rotatably driven epilating roller, which preferably has tweezer-like clamping elements for hair plucking at its periphery, and a stimulation device for skin stimulation upstream and / or downstream of the depilation roller, which has at least one series of stimulation elements approximately in the direction of the Epilierwalzendrehachse arranged one behind the other and are rotatably mounted respectively for rolling on the skin, wherein a stimulation drive for preferably oscillating transverse movement of the stimulation elements is provided transversely to its roll axis to the skin. The invention further relates to an attachment for an epilator, which has a rotatably driven epilation roller with preferably tweezer-shaped clamping elements for hair plucking on the roller circumference for removing body hair, with such a stimulation device and coupling means for coupling the attachment to the head of the epilator.

Epilators periodically pluck the body hairs to be removed by rotating epilating rollers on the circumference of which clamping elements are initially opened to capture the body hairs and then brought into their clamping position so that the hairs pinched by the clamping elements are plucked out by the rotational movement of the depilation roller. This is sometimes not quite pleasant, so that by means of suitable stimulation devices, the skin is stimulated before hair plucking or in the wake of hair plucking to dampen or cover the actual plucking pain and thus reduce the subjective pain sensation. Such stimulation devices are already known in various forms.

From the US 6,083,233 and the WO 97/00032 epilators are known whose stimulation device consists of a series of plungers, which are arranged side by side along the epilating and reciprocally driven, so that they each prick the skin for a short time, from which the body hairs are to be removed. Although with these stimulation elements in the form of plungers per se, a good skin stimulation can be achieved, can be caused by these plungers skin irritation, since the plunger are movable only in their longitudinal direction approximately perpendicular to the skin. As a result, at least at the time of impact with the skin, the skin is rubbed over it, since the epilator is continuously moved over the head during the epilation process.

In order to avoid this relative movement due to the device advancement, stimulation devices have already been proposed, the stimulation elements of which are rotatably mounted in such a way that they roll over the skin during the device advancement. A corresponding epilator shows, for example, the WO 99/44462 in which stimulation elements mounted on both sides of the epilating roller are provided so as to be rollable. On the one hand, a simple roller is rotatably mounted about an axis parallel to the Epilierwalzendrehachse axis, while on the other side of the epilating roller a number of gear-shaped stimulation elements are threaded one behind the other on an axis freely rotatable. The axes on which on the one hand the roller and the other hand, the gear or star-shaped stimulation elements are mounted, are themselves attached to a movable support, which allow a yielding of the stimulation elements at excessive pressure or adaptation to the skin with oblique placement. A similar arrangement of two rows of each rotatably mounted and thus unrollable stimulation elements shows the DE 199 32 884 C1 Here, too, the axes on which the stimulation elements are rotatably threaded, are attached to holders which are movably mounted on a substantially arcuately curved around the depilation roller around path. In addition, however, a drive is provided here for the said holders, which moves the holders back and forth, so that the stimulation elements when rolling on the skin experience an additional pulse substantially perpendicular to the skin, whereby the stimulation effect can be further improved. The stimulation elements have protruding nubs. The drive for the reciprocating movement of the axes carrying the stimulation elements is thereby derived from the depilation roller. An epilator with a similar stimulation device further shows the EP 1 044 624 B1 in which spiked rollers arranged as stimulation elements on opposite sides of the epilating roller are proposed.

On this basis, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved epilator of the type mentioned and an improved attachment therefor which avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and further develop the latter in an advantageous manner. Preferably, an increased stimulation of the skin should be achieved without causing skin irritation.

This object is achieved by an epilator according to claim 1 and an attachment for an epilator according to claim 21. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

In particular, the present invention refines the lateral movement of the stimulation elements towards the skin which causes additional stimulation pulses there. However, unlike the prior art, the stimulation elements of a row are not moved simultaneously toward and away from the skin. Instead, the stimulation elements are moved toward one another in a time-shifted manner towards the skin, so that stimulation pulses are generated on the skin in a temporally and locally offset manner. According to the invention, the stimulation drive for transverse movement of the stimulation elements has transverse to their Abrollachsen control means by which the transverse movements of the stimulation elements in a row are mutually time-delayed controllable. Compared to a stimulation movement, in which the entire row of stimulation elements is moved simultaneously, by the time-delayed transverse movement of individual stimulation elements or groups of stimulation elements increased skin stimulation can be achieved, which significantly reduces the subjective pain sensation by the actual epilation process. Nevertheless, there is no skin irritation, since the stimulation elements are freely rotatable, so that they can roll on the skin when they are moved away by the device feed over the skin.

In a development of the invention, the stimulation device can have two rows of stimulation elements which are arranged on opposite sides of the depilation roller. In this case, the stimulation elements within each row are preferably driven in a time-delayed manner with respect to each other in the aforementioned manner, so that the stimulation effect of each row of stimulation elements is increased.

The drive of the stimulation elements can basically be designed differently. For example, it would be possible to assign separate drive elements to individual stimulation elements or groups of stimulation elements, which are controlled arbitrarily in time, for example, in order thereby to achieve the time-shifted movement. In a further development of the invention, however, the stimulation elements are mechanically coupled together in a row with respect to their transverse movements. In this way, a predetermined desired time sequence of the stimulation movements of the individual stimulation elements to the skin can be achieved.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the stimulation drive for each of the rows of stimulation elements has a drive shaft with drive cams for staggered movement of the stimulation elements. The drive cams have an angular offset from each other, so that upon rotation of the drive shaft, the various Drive cams successively in a predetermined sequence according to their angular displacement drive the respective associated stimulation elements.

The coupling of the stimulation elements to said drive shaft can take place in various ways. According to one embodiment of the invention, the drive movement of the drive cam of the drive shaft via ram and / or rocker arm can be transmitted to the stimulation elements. Preferably, however, the stimulation elements are rotatably mounted on the drive cam. As a result, separate transmission elements such as the aforementioned plunger or rocker arms and a separate storage of the stimulation elements can be avoided. In addition, the actuating movement of the drive cams is transmitted directly and thus efficiently to the stimulation elements.

In particular, the drive shaft itself may be formed as a camshaft with integrally formed drive cams. Alternatively, a straight shaft, preferably a profiled shaft, may also be provided as a drive shaft on which the drive cams are mounted in a rotationally fixed manner. If the stimulation elements are rotatably mounted on the drive cam itself in the aforementioned manner, the drive cams form with their outer circumference a circular-cylindrical bearing surface which is arranged eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft and rotatably supports the stimulation elements.

The drive shaft can basically be driven actively or passively. Passive drive means that the drive shaft is formed free of a motor drive. In order nevertheless to achieve a drive movement, the drive shaft may have at least one rotatably connected thereto drive wheel, which drives the drive shaft by rolling on the skin when the head of the epilator and thus the attached stimulation device is moved by the device feed over the skin.

The drive wheel can simultaneously form a stimulation element, wherein the drive wheel preferably performs no eccentric movement to unroll evenly on the skin. It may be formed or arranged coaxially with the axis of rotation of the drive shaft for this purpose.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, a motor drive for the said drive shaft is provided, so that the drive shaft can be set externally energized in rotation. As a result, the rotational movement of the drive shaft is generated independently of the device feed and in the desired manner to the skin stimulation be adjusted. The motor drive for the drive shaft is advantageously designed such that the drive shaft with a frequency of 50 to 200 Hz can be driven. A particularly intensive skin stimulation can be surprisingly achieved when the drive shaft is driven at about 100 Hz drive frequency.

In principle, a drive separate from the depilation roller drive can be provided for the drive shaft of the stimulation device. In the case of a multi-row design of the stimulation device and the plurality of drive shafts then provided, such a separate drive may possibly be provided for each drive shaft. In a further development of the invention, however, the drive shafts can be coupled to the drive of the depilation roller. Preferably, each drive shaft can be driven by a drive pinion, which meshes with an epilator roller drive pinion. As a result, a translation or reduction between the epilating and the drive shafts can be achieved in a simple manner. It is understood that, if appropriate, a friction gear or a belt transmission can be used instead of a drive pinion. By a coupling gear with a drive pinion, however, a nearly wear-free and sufficiently high torque-transmitting coupling can be achieved.

In a further development of the invention, the described time-offset transverse movements of the individual stimulation elements or groups of stimulation elements on the skin can lead to a further translatory movement, i. be superimposed in addition to the rolling motion. According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, each or at least one row of the stimulation elements can each be mounted on a holder which in turn is itself movably mounted. As a result, the stimulation elements of the respective row can be moved in time-shifted manner with respect to one another in the aforementioned manner. In addition, however, they can all be moved together. In particular, the said holder is movably mounted transversely to the rolling axis of the stimulation elements, preferably in such a way that the entire row of stimulation elements can be moved towards or away from the skin.

In this way, on the one hand, compliance of the stimulation element series with respect to excessive contact pressure can be achieved, wherein the holder is preferably biased in one direction, in particular spring-applied to the skin by a spring device. On the other hand, an adjustment of the angle of attack of the Stimulationselementereihe to the skin or a corresponding angular offset can be compensated if the movable mounting of the holder also allows tilting movements in at least some extent.

Alternatively or additionally, the movable support of the holder carrying the stimulation element row can also be used, in particular, to apply a second stimulation movement essentially perpendicular to the skin. For this purpose, a holder drive is provided in a further development of the invention, by means of which the said holder is preferably driven in an oscillating manner. Accordingly, this embodiment is characterized by a superposition of two separate stimulation movements essentially perpendicular to the skin to be stimulated. On the one hand, temporally and locally offset stimulation pulses are generated on the skin by the time-delayed movement of the individual stimulation elements. On the other hand, the stimulation elements of a row simultaneously superimpose outgoing stimulation pulses on the skin.

The drive frequency of the holder can basically correspond to the drive frequency of the drive shaft with the drive cams. Preferably, however, the holder is driven at a different frequency than the drive shaft mounted on the support. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the holder is driven at a frequency of 50 to 200 Hz, with a frequency in the range of 100 to 200 Hz, in particular in conjunction with the aforementioned frequency of the drive shaft, a particularly good stimulation effect can be achieved.

Fig. 1:

eine perspektivische Teilansicht eines Epiliergeräts mit einer Stimulationsvorrichtung nach einer bevorzugten Ausführung der Erfindung, bei der auf beiden Seiten der Epilierwalze jeweils eine Reihe von hintereinander angeordneten, frei drehbar auf einer Kurbelwelle sitzenden Stimulationselemente vorgesehen sind,

Fig. 2:

eine perspektivische Teilansicht einer der Kurbelwellen des Epiliergeräts aus Fig. 1 und der darauf sitzenden, frei drehbar gelagerten Stimulationselemente,

Fig. 3:

eine Explosionsdarstellung der Antriebswelle aus Fig. 2,

Fig. 4:

eine Explosionsdarstellung einer Antriebswelle mit separaten Antriebsnocken nach einer alternativen Ausführung der Erfindung, und

Fig. 5:

einen Teilschnitt durch den Kopf des Epiliergeräts aus Fig. 1, der die bewegliche Lagerung der Antriebswellen zeigt.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments and associated drawings. In the drawings show:

Fig. 1:

a partial perspective view of an epilator with a stimulation device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which on both sides of the epilating roller each have a series of successively arranged, freely rotatably seated on a crankshaft stimulation elements are provided

Fig. 2:

a partial perspective view of one of the crankshafts of the epilator from Fig. 1 and the seated, freely rotatably mounted stimulation elements,

3:

an exploded view of the drive shaft Fig. 2 .

4:

an exploded view of a drive shaft with separate drive cam according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 5:

a partial section through the head of the epilator from Fig. 1 showing the movable bearing of the drive shafts.

The in FIG. 1 The head of an epilator 1 shown comprises a housing 2, on which an epilating roller 3 is rotatably mounted, which has at its periphery a plurality of tweezer-like clamping elements 4, which are distributed in a grid over the lateral surface of the depilation roller 3. The clamping elements 4 protrude coat surface side out of the body of Epilierwalze 3 out there to grab hair to remove, pinch and pluck. In this case, the clamping elements 4 are movably mounted in the interior of the depilation roller 3 in a conventional manner, wherein they pass through suitable recesses in the lateral surface of the depilation roller 4 through this. Not specifically shown is the lower part of the epilator 1, in the housing, a drive motor is received, which drives the depilation roller 3 via a drive train.

On the in FIG. 1 shown head of the epilator 1, the attachment 5 can be plugged, which carries a stimulation device 6 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The article 5 in this case comprises a substantially trough-shaped or clasp-shaped housing 7, which has adapted to the tool head of Epiliergerätes 1 connecting means 8 to be secured without wobble on the tool head of the epilator. The connection means 8 can be formed by the inner contour of the housing 7, which is adapted to the outer contour of the tool head such that the attachment 5 is positively plugged onto the tool head of the epilator 1, in particular locked there. As FIG. 1 shows, in the housing 7 of the attachment 5, a central recess 9 is provided, through which the depilation roller 3 is accessible or emerges from the over-striped housing 7 of the attachment 5.

On the housing 7 of the attachment 5, the two stimulation units 10 and 11 are fixed, which are arranged on opposite sides of the recess 9 and thus the depilation roller 3. Each of the stimulation units 10 and 11 comprises a plurality of wheel-shaped or annular stimulation elements 12, which are each arranged in a row substantially parallel to the depilation roller 3 one behind the other or next to one another (cf. FIG. 1 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the stimulation elements 12 are annular, but it could also other rolling elements, such as balls, star or gears, Rollers or similar unrollable elements, be. Advantageously, the stimulation elements have on their outer circumference radial projections, in particular in the form of cones, nubs or spines, as this FIG. 2 shows. As a result, the stimulation effect can be intensified, wherein different embodiments of the stimulation elements can also be mixed.

The stimulation elements 12 of each row are each mounted on a drive shaft 13, as this FIG. 2 shows. The drive shaft 13 is designed in the manner of a crankshaft and comprises eccentrically to the rotational axis of the drive shaft 13 arranged drive cam 14 on which the stimulation elements 12 are freely rotatably mounted. The drive shaft 13 may comprise differently cranked sections, as this FIG. 3 shows, so that the drive cams 14 are integrally formed integrally of the corresponding cranked shaft sections. If necessary, the drive shaft 13 can also be assembled in several pieces from correspondingly cranked sections.

Alternatively, the drive shaft 13 also, as this FIG. 4 shows, be a straight profile shaft, rotatably on the separately formed drive cam 14 sit. The drive cams define a relation to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft 13 eccentrically offset bearing seat on which the stimulation elements 11 are rotatably mounted.

Accordingly, the stimulation elements 12 on the one hand roll on the skin when the epilator is driven with the device feed over the skin. On the other hand, the stimulation elements 12 experience a stimulating transverse movement perpendicular to their rolling axis when the drive shaft 13 rotates. Since the drive cams, more precisely, the position of their point of maximum eccentricity, are angularly offset from each other, as this FIG. 2 shows, the stimulation elements 12 are offset from each other with respect to time pressed against the skin, so that temporally and locally offset stimulation pulses are generated on the skin.

In the illustrated embodiment, in each case a drive 15 for rotatably driving the two drive shafts 13 is provided. As FIG. 1 shows the drive 15 can be derived from the drive movement of the depilation roller 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive 15 comprises a coupling gear 16 in the form of a pinion gear, which may be driven by Epilierwalzenantrieb. At the front end of each drive shaft 13 is seated a drive pinion 17, which meshes with an intermediate pinion 18, which in turn meshes with a not specifically shown Epilierwalzenritzel. The connection to the Epilierwalzenantrieb is only one advantageous embodiment, if necessary, could also be a separate drive train for driving the stimulation elements or the drive shaft 13 may be provided for this purpose.

The drive shaft 13 together with the pinion gear 16 driving it are movably mounted on the housing 7 of the attachment 5. Preferably, said drive shaft 13 and the pinion gear 16 may be attached to a bracket 19 which is slidably guided on the housing 7. As FIG. 5 shows, the housing 7 of the article 5 while a shaft 20, in which the holder 19 is slidably guided. In this case, the shaft 20 advantageously defines a circular arc around the epilating roller axis 26 around curved path along which said holder 19 can be moved.

Between the bottom of the shaft 20 and the holder 19, a compression spring 21 is used, which biases the holder 19 and thus the drive shaft 13 with the stimulation elements 12 mounted thereon in the direction of the skin 22 to be epilated. This ensures that the stimulation elements 22 always rest against the surface of the skin 22 to be epilated, even when the angular position of the housing 2 of the depilation apparatus 1 is different.

By a holder drive 23, the holder 19 and thus the entire drive shaft 13 is driven to oscillate along the path defined by the shaft 20. As FIG. 5 For this purpose, at the two end regions of the epilating roller 3, a plurality of rib-shaped drivers 24 distributed in the illustrated embodiment 4 can be distributed around the circumference, which cooperate with two coupling elements each designed as leaf springs 25, which are provided on the holder 19. As FIG. 5 can be seen, the holder 19 is pressed by itself by the compression springs 21 upwards. However, if the drivers 24 remain attached to the leaf springs 25, the holder 19 is pressed downwards against the spring tension. If the drivers 24 are disengaged from the leaf springs 25, the compression springs 21 spring back, as a result of which the holder 19 and thus the drive shaft 13, together with all the stimulation elements 12, receives an impulse against the skin.

During the movements of the holder 19, the pinion gear 16 is moved accordingly. If the movement path defined by the shaft 20 is concentric with the axis of rotation 21 of the epilating roller 3, the pinion gear 16 can advantageously be attached to the epilating roller axis 21 seated Epilierwalzenritzel be coupled, since then no displacement between the axes of the meshing pinion occurs despite the movements of the holder 19.

Although in the illustrated embodiment, the stimulation device 6 is provided on a separate article 5, it is understood that the stimulation device 6 may also be part of the epilator 1 itself or its tool head, in which case it may be mounted on the housing 2, for example.

In a variant, the simulation elements are not submersible in the direction of the arrows 29, that is, without the spring 21, formed.

In a further variant, the holder 19 is divided into two, wherein an upper portion of the holder 19 is pivotally mounted about the pivot axis 27. This results in a (possibly additional) direction of movement of the simulation elements in the direction of arrow 28 (see Fig. 5 ).

Claims (25)

1. Epilator for removing body hair, having a depilating roller (3) which can be driven in rotation and, on its periphery, has preferably pincer-like clamping elements (4) for plucking hair, and also having a stimulation apparatus (6) for stimulating the skin, which stimulation apparatus is connected upstream and/or downstream of the depilating roller and has at least one row of stimulation elements (12) which are arranged one behind the other approximately in the direction of the rotation axis (26) of the depilating roller, wherein a stimulation drive (13, 16) for preferably oscillating lateral movement of the stimulation elements (12) is provided, and wherein the stimulation drive has control means (13, 14) by means of which the lateral movement of the stimulation elements (12) in one row can be controlled with a time delay in relation to one another, characterized in that the stimulation elements are each rotatably mounted in order to roll on the skin, and in that the lateral movement of the stimulation elements is provided transverse to their rolling axes on the skin.
2. Epilator according to the preceding claim, wherein the stimulation elements (12) in one row are mechanically coupled to one another in terms of their lateral movements.
3. Epilator according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the stimulation drive has a drive shaft (13) with drive cams (14) for time-delayed movement of the stimulation elements (12).
4. Epilator according to the preceding claim, wherein the stimulation elements (12) are rotatably mounted on the drive shaft (13).
5. Epilator according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the drive shaft (13) is in the form of a camshaft with integrally formed drive cams (14).
6. Epilator according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the drive shaft (13) is in the form of a straight shaft, preferably a profiled shaft, on which the separate drive cams (14) are seated in a rotationally fixed manner.
7. Epilator according to one of the preceding Claims 3 to 6, wherein the drive shaft (13) is free of a motorized drive.
8. Epilator according to the preceding claim, wherein the drive shaft (13) has at least one drive wheel which is connected to it in a rotationally fixed manner and drives the drive shaft by rolling on the skin.
9. Epilator according to the preceding claim, wherein the drive wheel forms a stimulation element and/or is formed coaxially to the rotation axis of the drive shaft.
10. Epilator according to one of Claims 3 to 6, wherein a motorized drive (16) is provided for the drive shaft (13).
11. Epilator according to the preceding claim, wherein the drive shaft (13) can be coupled to the drive of the depilating roller (3), preferably can be driven by a drive pinion (18) which meshes with a depilating roller drive pinion.
12. Epilator according to one of Claims 3 to 11, wherein the drive shaft (13) can be driven at a frequency of 50 to 200 Hz, preferably approximately 100 Hz.
13. Epilator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one row of stimulation elements (12) is mounted on a holder (19) which is mounted such that it can move transverse to the rolling axes of the stimulation elements (12).
14. Epilator according to the preceding claim, wherein the holder (19) is prestressed, preferably springloaded, in one direction.
15. Epilator according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the stimulation drive has a holder drive (23) for moving the holder (19), preferably in an oscillating manner.
16. Epilator according to the preceding claim, wherein the holder drive (23) can be coupled to the depilating roller drive.
17. Epilator according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the holder (19) can be driven at a frequency of 50 to 250 Hz, preferably approximately 100 to 200 Hz.
18. Epilator according to one of Claims 13 to 17, wherein the holder (19) is mounted such that it can move along a curved path which at least approximately follows the periphery of the depilating roller (3), preferably is curved concentrically around the rotation axis (26) of the depilating roller.
19. Epilator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive shaft (13) is rotatably mounted on the holder (19).
20. Epilator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein two rows of stimulation elements (12) are provided, which rows are preferably arranged on opposite sides of the depilating roller (3).
21. Attachment for an epilator which, for the purpose of removing body hair, has a depilating roller (3), which can be driven in rotation, with preferably pincer-like clamping elements (4) for plucking hair on the roller periphery, having coupling means (8) in order to be coupled to the epilator, which coupling means are matched to the epilator-side coupling means and/or an epilator contour, and also having a stimulation apparatus (6) for stimulating the skin, which stimulation apparatus has at least one row of stimulation elements (12) which are arranged approximately one behind the other, wherein a stimulation drive (13, 16) for preferably oscillating lateral movement of the stimulation elements is provided, and wherein the stimulation drive has control means (13, 14) by means of which the lateral movement of the stimulation elements (12) in one row can be controlled with a time delay in relation to one another, characterized in that the stimulation elements are each rotatably mounted in order to roll on the skin, and in that the lateral movement of the stimulation elements is provided transverse to their rolling axes on the skin.
22. Attachment according to the preceding claim, wherein the stimulation drive has a drive shaft (13) with drive cams (14) for moving the stimulation elements with a time delay.
23. Attachment according to the preceding claim, wherein the stimulation elements (12) are rotatably mounted on the drive cams (14).
24. Attachment according to one of Claims 21 to 23, wherein two rows of stimulation elements (12) are provided, which rows are arranged on opposite sides of a cutout (9) in the attachment body for accommodating the depilating roller (3).
25. Attachment according to one of Claims 21 to 24, wherein the stimulation apparatus also has features of at least one of Claims 5 to 19.

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