EP2116341B1 - Scissor unit for a rotation razor - Google Patents

Abstract

The scissor unit has a guiding element (11) elastically supported in a periphery of a rotation shaver head (12). The guiding element is elastically supported in a guide of the scissor unit, so that the guiding element is slidable in a vertical direction parallel to a rotation axis of the shaver head. The guiding element is formed according to type of a circular arc segment and is partially manufactured from elastic material, where a support of the guiding element is formed independent of a support of the shaver head.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is generally in the field of electric shavers, especially those having rotary shaving heads. More particularly, the invention relates to a shaving unit for an electric shaver having at least one rotary shaving head.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electric shavers of the type mentioned are usually used for daily shaving. Body hairs are e.g. cut off on the face or on the head until just above the skin. After a successful shave the hair is as good as no longer to feel. Conventional wet shaving with a razor usually results in a better result than a dry shave, as the powered blades of an electric razor are placed behind a shaving foil which prevents the knives from coming into direct contact with the skin. However, this shaving foil also ensures that a dry shave, despite the more frequent contact between razor and skin, leads to less skin irritation, which manifests itself in redness and burning. The shaving foil can also shave faster, since the risk of cutting in dry shaving is less even with moderate care than with wet shaving. Razors, especially electric shavers, are most commonly used for facial shaving in men. The thereby shaving area of the face, which lies essentially between the two ears, the nose and the Adam's apple, is difficult to shave, since it has many concave and convex surfaces and the skin is different there. While convex surfaces, for example on the skin over the mandibular bone, cause few problems during shaving, concave surfaces, for example below the chin at the transition to the neck, are more difficult to shave. In this area, the skin after shaving often feels irritated. This is especially true when electric shavers are used with rotating knives, so-called rotary knives.

Usually known devices of this type have two or three Rotationsrasierköpfe. A rotary shaving head essentially comprises a plurality of rotary knives arranged on a ring, the blades of which are arranged in a radial manner, and a shearing foil. The shear foil surrounds the rotary blades like a cylinder and covers them upwards towards a shear surface. The shear foil is substantially flat at the shear surface and abuts the surface of the skin when in use. The shear surfaces of the rotary shaving heads of the same apparatus are approximately coplanar with each other. In some known models, the rotary razor heads have rotary blades arranged in two or more concentric rings. The elongated openings of the foil are aligned so that they form a small angle with the cutting edges of the next rotating blade. As the rotary knives abut and rotate against the skin, the cutting edges of the rotary knives and the edges of the shaving foil openings slide closely past each other, cutting hair protruding through the apertures of the shaving foil. The openings of the foil also penetrate the sides of the foil. By this orientation whiskers pass through the openings to the rotary blades when the electric shaver is moved across the skin, however, even a small fold of skin can easily push under greater contact pressure in one of the openings of the foil and be injured.

Therefore, for example, reveal EP 1 353 782 B1 as well as US 2,246,459 a razor having rotary shaving heads additionally comprising a circular skin expansion element. The skin extensor tenses the skin in front of the rotational razor head, thereby preventing skin from getting into the openings of the shaving foil. It also sets up the whiskers before they get to the rotary knives. The skin expansion element is made of a more or less elastic material. This allows it to adapt to small bumps in the skin. However, since the skin expansion element is otherwise firmly connected to the Rotationsrasierkopf, this arrangement leads to a larger diameter of the Rotationsrasierkopfs. In narrow concave surfaces, such as between the chin and mouth, the Rotationsrasierkopf therefore comes with the skin either limited or only at elevated contact pressure in contact, or the diameter of the Rotationsrasierkopf must be chosen lower than usual. Both reduce a temporal efficiency of shaving, either because the user has nachrasieren several times to reach a satisfactory quality or the Shaving takes longer due to a reduced surface of the rotary shaving head.

Another arrangement is for example off US 4,038,748 known. To compensate for unevenness of facial structures and to achieve a uniform result on the entire skin surface, the Rotary Rasierköpfe are each sprung and tilted stored. In use, the rotary shaving heads are pressed directly onto the skin and adapt to the skin surface by tilting and resilient yielding. If the rotary shaver head glides over the skin, the force acting on the rotation shaving head is also opposite to that of the sliding direction. Since the rotational razor head is mounted at a certain distance from the skin, this force causes the rotational razor head to tilt such that a contact pressure at an edge of the rotational razor head which is forward in the direction of movement is higher than on the remaining shear surface. However, this creates increased friction between the skin and the edge, which is particularly irritating to the skin. This irritation of the skin also contributes to the skin irritation. Especially for users who are not yet used to shaving, this leads to a dry feeling after shaving, which is perceived as a tightening of the skin. The user may then opt for another electric shaving system, such as oscillating foil or wet shaver electric shavers.

Furthermore, the document discloses DE 695 06 517 T2 a shaving unit according to the preamble of claim 1. The known shaver comprises rotary shaving heads, each surrounded on all sides by a skin support rim. Each rotary shaving head has a circumferential shoulder at the edge, with which it is held in the skin support edge. Each rotary shaving head is resiliently mounted relative to the shaver. The skin support margins are pivotable in different directions relative to the razor together with or independently of the rotary razor heads.

Out US 6,317,983 Furthermore, a shaving unit according to the preamble of claim 1 is known. Thereafter, a shaving unit for an electric shaver comprises three rotary shaving heads. Each of the razor heads is surrounded by a ring-like guide member serving as a skin support. In one embodiment of the known shaving unit, the guide element is resiliently mounted in a channel-like guide of the shaving unit, so that it can be displaced under load in a vertical direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the associated rotary shaver head.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect, the invention provides a shaving unit for an electric shaver having at least one rotary shaving head, according to the subject-matter of independent claim 1.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a razor with such a shaving unit (claim 14).

Further aspects and features of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the following description of preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

• Fig. 1 Eine perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsbeispiels einer Schereinheit eines Rotationsrasierers mit drei Rotationsrasierköpfen;
• Fig. 2 eine schematische Darstellung des Funktionsschemas für eine Schereinheit nach einem erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsbeispiel;
• Fig. 3 eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Halterungselements eines erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsbeispiels mit drei Rotationsrasierköpfen und drei Führungselementen;
• Fig. 4 eine perspektivische Ansicht des Halterungselements nach Fig. 3, für drei Rotationsrasierköpfe, von denen einer beispielhaft dargestellt ist;
• Fig. 5 eine Schnittansicht des erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsbeispiels einer Schereinheit eines Rotationsrasierers wie in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 6 eine perspektivische Ansicht eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispiels einer Schereinheit eines Rotationsrasierers mit zwei Rasierköpfen;
• Fig.7 eine schematische Darstellung des Funktionsschemas für eine Schereinheit nach einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel;
• Fig. 8 eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Schereinheit eines erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsbeispiels mit drei Rotationsrasierköpfen; und
• Fig. 9 eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Schereinheit eines weiteren erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsbeispiels mit drei Rotationsrasierköpfen.

Further embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, of which show schematically:

• Fig. 1 A perspective view of an embodiment according to the invention of a shaving unit of a rotary shaver with three Rotationsrasierköpfen;
• Fig. 2 a schematic representation of the functional diagram for a shaving unit according to an embodiment of the invention;
• Fig. 3 a perspective view of a support member of an embodiment according to the invention with three Rotationsrasierköpfen and three guide elements;
• Fig. 4 a perspective view of the support member according to Fig. 3 for three rotary shaving heads, one of which is shown by way of example;
• Fig. 5 a sectional view of the inventive embodiment of a shaving unit of a rotary shaver as in Fig. 1 ;
• Fig. 6 a perspective view of another embodiment of a Shaving unit of a rotary shaver with two shaving heads;
• Figure 7 a schematic representation of the functional diagram for a shaving unit according to another embodiment;
• Fig. 8 a perspective view of a shaving unit of an embodiment according to the invention with three Rotationsrasierköpfen; and
• Fig. 9 a perspective view of a shaving unit of another embodiment of the invention with three Rotationsrasierköpfen.

The drawing is not necessarily to scale, some parts are shown only symbolically. Attention was paid to the principle of the invention. Like reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or similar parts in the embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment according to the invention a shaving unit of a rotary shaver. Before a detailed description of the Fig. 1 First of all, general explanations of the exemplary embodiments follow.

The shaving unit according to the invention is basically suitable for any type of rotary shaver, regardless of whether one, two, three or more rotary shaving heads are provided. Some embodiments are designed for an electric razor with two rotary shaving heads, which are each equipped with a guide element such that the guide element of a rotary shaver head is arranged on the side of the rotary shaver head facing away from the respective other rotary shaver head. In other embodiments, the shaving unit comprises three rotary shaving heads, the axes of rotation of which are mounted parallel or tiltable and are each provided with a guide element such that the guide element of each rotary shaving head is disposed on the side of the rotary shaving head facing away from the respective other shaving shaving heads.

According to a further embodiment, the axes of rotation of the Rotationsrasierköpfe are mounted parallel or tilted to each other. In some embodiments, the guide member is formed in the manner of a circular arc segment that spans only a portion of the periphery of the rotary shaver head.

According to a further embodiment, the bearing of the guide element is formed independently of the mounting of the rotary shaving head or heads.

In some other embodiments, the shaving unit includes at least one support member having a first support member supporting a rotary shaver head and a second support member formed as an extension of the first support member and coupled to the guide member at the free end thereof.

According to further embodiments, the support member comprises a central ring member for attachment to a fixed part of the shaving unit, of which in each case in pairs and approximately parallel two first and second support members for each rotary shaving head extend radially.

In some embodiments, the coupling of the guide member is configured such that movement of the guide member in one direction through the second support member and the first support member is transferred to a bearing of the rotary shaving head.

In some embodiments, the support member is resiliently connected to the guide member and / or the Rotationsrasierkopf.
In further embodiments, the first support member is configured to tilt and / or shift the rotary shaving head in response to movement of the guide member.

In some embodiments, the rotary razor head is configured, upon movement of the guide member to a most downwardly shifted portion of the guide member toward or from this portion of the guide member to tilt away.

In particular embodiments, the guide element is associated with a pin element and in each case a second holding part.

In further embodiments, the guide element is at least partially made of an elastic material. Preferably, the guide element contains few allergens.

Coming back to Fig. 1 This shows in more detail a first embodiment according to the invention of a shaving unit 3 with three Rotationsrasierköpfen 2, which is mounted on an electric shaver. Of the rotary shaving heads, only those parts of the shaving foils that come into contact with the skin are visible. Depending on a guide element 1 is arranged laterally in the periphery of each Rotationsrasierkopfes 2. The three Rotationsrasierköpfe 2 are arranged in a triangle that their axes of rotation in the rest position approximately parallel or slightly tilted run. Each guide element 1 is arranged on a rotary shaving head 2 at a side remote from the center of the triangle or from the other rotary shaving heads. In this embodiment, the guide elements each have the shape of a circular arc segment, which spans approximately half of the circumference of a Rotationsrasierkopfes 2. Below the shaving unit 3, a part of the body of the electric shaver can be seen, to which a handle attaches and on which are controls, power supply and a drive unit (not shown).

In the functional diagram of the embodiment of Fig. 2 are a Rotationsrasierkopf 2 and a guide element 1, which is mounted in a guide, exemplified in section. The rotary shaver head 2 and the guide element 1 are both coupled to a support element 4. The guide is shown schematically by an outer guide jaw 1a facing the guide element 1. In this embodiment, the support member 4 comprises a first support part 4a and a second support part 4b. The support member 4 is on the right side of Fig. 2 connected to a fixed portion 4c of the shaving unit. In one embodiment of the Shaving unit with multiple rotary shaving heads corresponds to the right side of Fig. 2 preferably a central area around which at least two rotary shaving heads are arranged.

The first support part 4a of the support member 4 supports the rotary shaver head 2 down to the electric shaver approximately to the handle. The first support part 4a is in this embodiment approximately centrally between the connection of the support member 4 with the shaving unit 3 and the second support member 4b. The support member 4b is connected to the guide member 1. The guide element 1 is located close to the edge of the shaving unit 3 and is arranged in a guide so that it can be moved in the vertical direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary shaver head or to the device axis. In a further embodiment, the guide element 1 can additionally tilt in the gap between the guide jaw 1a and the Rotationsrasierkopf 2 by a small angle, for example 1 ° to 5 ° to the axis of rotation to facilitate the vertical movement or to prevent jamming. As in Fig. 2 is shown schematically, the support member 4 with the support members 4a and 4b on resilient properties; It can be designed, for example, as a leaf spring. In this embodiment, the first adhering portion 4a and the second supporting portion 4b support the guide member 1 and the rotary shaving head 2 under bias, respectively.

When the shaver slides over the skin during shaving with adjacent rotary shaving heads 2, the laterally arranged guide elements 1 also come into contact with the skin surface. In this way, the stress on the skin at the edge 7 or at the edge 7 of a Rotationsrasierkopfes 2 is reduced, because this area is filled by the biased guide element 1 and thus wrinkling is largely avoided in this area. The skin is further biased by the guide member 1 before being acted upon by the rotary knives, at the location of the rotational razor head edge where the load during shaving is greatest.

Furthermore, the guide elements 1 come in contact with the Rotationsrasierköpfen 2 with any unevenness of the skin surface first. These bumps For example, they may be derived from bones or muscles underlying the surface of the skin, and may be expressed in convex and concave areas. As in Fig. 2 shown acts on contact with a concave unevenness on the guide member 1, a contact force F1. By the contact force F1, the guide element 1 is displaced in the vertical direction along a guide 1a downwards and acts on the second support part 4b. Since the two support members 4a and 4b are coupled together in this embodiment, the contact force F1 causes a reduction of the bias of the first support member 4a on the Rotationsrasierkopf 2. The Rotationsrasierkopf thus pushes weaker on the skin surface and then adapts to the unevenness better. In addition, a contact pressure F2 of this rotary shaver head 2 is reduced, while the contact pressure of the entire shaving unit with one or more further rotary shaving heads remains the same.

In a further embodiment, at a higher contact force F1, the rotary razor head is moved downwardly and / or tilted by a few degrees such that the rotary razor head adapts to the change in the skin surface. Both by reducing the bias voltage as well as by tilting or shifting reduced in some embodiments, a pressure on the edge 7 of the Rotationsrasierkopfs 2, in the vicinity of the guide member 1 is disposed on the skin. Thus, skin irritations are further reduced. Since less skin irritation occurs than with conventional rotary shaver systems, the user can shave with the razor as a whole with higher contact pressure. The shave becomes more thorough, i. Whiskers are cut deeper and the result is more satisfactory to the user. In addition, he can shave faster with the same attention, which shortens a total of shaving. Depending on the type of storage of Rotationsrasierkopfs 2 in the shaving unit of Rotationsrasierkopf is moved in the direction of its axis of rotation up or down and / or tilted at an angle to it. A similar effect is achieved when, in other embodiments, the rotary shaving head is pushed up on a side facing away from the guide element when the guide element is pressed downwards.

In further (discussed later) embodiments of the invention form the two support members 4a and 4b independently of one another bearings, so that the bearing of the guide member 1 is formed independently of the storage of Rotationsrasierkopfes 2, wherein the first support member 4a the Rotationsrasierkopf 2 and the second support member 4b, the guide member 1 resiliently supports. The guide element 1 is arranged in the guide 1a so that it can be displaced in the vertical direction along the axis of rotation of the Rotationsrasierkopfes 2. A force from one support part is not transmitted directly to the other. In one embodiment, only the second support part 4b, eg a helical spring, supports the guide element 1 in a resilient manner. In another embodiment, both support parts 4a and 4b respectively support the rotary shaver head 2 and the guide element 1 in a resilient manner. By the guide member 1, the skin is stretched before it reaches the Rotationsrasierkopf 2, resulting in a further improvement of a shaving feeling for the user. However, the guide element 1 does not hinder the shave in narrow areas, since it is moved downwards, so that the Rotationsrasierkopf 2 is limited only by its own radius in its effectiveness.

In Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a support member 4 of an embodiment according to the invention with three Rotationsrasierköpfen 2 and the associated guide elements 1 is shown. In the center of each Rotationsrasierkopfs 2 is a support 5. About the support 5, both the Rotationsrasierkopf 2 and the associated rotary blade (not shown) is supported downwards. In other embodiments, the support member 4 and the pads 5 may be made in one piece, or tasks of the pads 5 may be taken from the support member 4. Through the center of the pad 5, a drive train (not shown) is brought to the rotary knife. Therefore, the first and second support members 4a and 4b are guided in pairs on two sides of each support 5. In this embodiment, the support member 4 may also act when two Rotationsrasierköpfe 2 are side by side guided to a concave location of the skin surface.

By the separate arrangement of two each of a first and a second Holder part 4a and 4b on two approximately opposite sides of the support 5 can also be a lateral tilting of a guide member 1 in a suitable manner to a rotary shaving head 2 are transmitted. For example, the rotary shaving head 2 can be tilted laterally with its shearing surface to a concave curvature of the skin. As a result, advantages of the device according to the invention can be realized largely independently of a direction of movement of the shaving unit 3 on the skin surface. However, it is conceivable that Rotationsrasierköpfe 2 should tilt only in one direction. Then, for example, the two second support parts 4b may be connected in the vicinity of the guide element 1 and always transmit a movement of the guide element 1 approximately parallel. Also, other embodiments, each with only a first and second support member 4a and 4b for each rotary shaving head 2 conceivable. Fig. 4 shows the support member 4 from Fig. 3 only one rotary razor head 2 is shown. This embodiment of the support member 4 comprises a central ring member for attachment to the fixed part of the shaving unit 3, from which in each case in pairs and approximately parallel two first and second support members 4a and 4b for each Rotary Rasierkopf 2 extend radially. In each case a first and second support part 4a and 4b are integrally formed as a leaf spring. The support member 4 is also in one piece and can be prepared by punching out of a metal sheet but also by milling. Other, also multi-piece, embodiments of the support member 4 and the first and second support members 4a and 4b are also conceivable.

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view of the inventive embodiment of a shaving unit of a rotary shaver as in Fig. 1 , namely the shaving unit 3 with the rotary shaving heads 2, the supports 5, the associated guide elements 1 each mounted between guides 1 a, 1 b and the support member 4 on the electric shaver. The rotary blades (not shown) of the rotary shaving heads 2 are connected to the shaver via clutches. In each edition 5 is located in the middle of a recess through which a drive train is guided to the clutches. The drive trains are driven by a motor via a gearbox, which can be seen at the bottom. The guide member 1 and a support member 4 having a first support member 4 a, which acts on a Rotationsrasierkopf and a second support member 4 b, with the guide element 1 is in communication, are shown in their positions in the shaving unit 3. The guide member 1 is held in position on both sides by a guide each comprising an outer guide jaw 1a and an inner guide jaw 1b, but is slidable in a vertical direction, in FIG Fig. 5 in the direction down. The guide element has a certain play between the first and the second guide jaws 1a, 1b, which allows a smooth movement, but also a tilting of the guide element 1 in the guide by a few degrees both outwardly and inwardly. Thus, the guide element 1 can be moved parallel to the axis of rotation of the Rotationsrasierkopfs 2 and / or tilt at an angle by a few degrees to it. In this way, the guide element 1 can also adjust unevenness parallel to the direction of movement and pretension the skin before the Rotationsrasierkopf accordingly. Due to the pairwise arrangement of the second support parts 4b for each guide element 1, the contact pressure of the guide element 1 is adapted to a tilting in the transverse direction. The support member 4 provides over the second support members 4b for each type of displacement of the guide member 1, a restoring force in the unloaded state. However, the second guide jaw 1b is optional, just as the guide element can only be arranged between the first guide jaw 1a and the rotary shaving head 2 (see Fig. 2 ). Moreover, the rotary shaving head 2 may be in a movable engagement with the guide member 1 at a part of its lower edge directly. The guide element 1 can also be equipped with an additional spring (not shown). The shaving unit 3 is generally designed to be removable or hinged to clean inside or to be replaced if necessary.

In Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a shaving unit 3 of a rotary shaver with two Rotationsrasierköpfen 2 and two guide elements 1 is shown. A suitable support member 4, as in Fig. 4 for three Rotationsrasierköpfe 2 shown, comprises for this embodiment only two pairs of first and second support members 4a, 4b.

In order to enhance a skin tightening effect, the guide element 1 may have a surface with a special texture and shape and / or an elastic Material z. B. be made on rubber or silicone base. Such material should also meet certain requirements for possible allergic reactions.

A guide element 1 is configured in the illustrated embodiments as a circular arc segment. In other embodiments, it may be embodied in one piece or in several pieces as a pin element whose axes extend, for example, parallel to the described direction of movement of the guide element. In such an exemplary embodiment, a pin element is assigned to a respective second holder part 4b. The effect of skin tightening, as described above, may be completely or partially eliminated for a pin element.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic representation of the functional diagram of a shaving unit according to a further embodiment, in which a guide member 11 and a rotary shaver head 12 are mounted independently of each other. The rotary shaving head 12 is provided with a rotary blade (not shown) and is fixed to a shearing unit inner stationary portion 14c by a first support member in the form of a first spring 14a via a first support member 14A. The first spring is for example a leaf spring. This first spring 14c counteracts a force F2 exerted on the rotary shaving head 12. The guide member 11 is supported in this embodiment by a guide jaw 11 a to the side. A second support member in the form of a second spring 14b counteracts a force F1 on the guide member 11 from above. The second spring 14b is disposed on an outer support member 14B fixed to an outer stationary portion 14d of the shaving unit. The forces F1, F2 result from essentially the contact pressure with which a user presses the electric razor approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary shaving head 12 on the skin.

The guide member 11 is upstream of the movement of the Rotationsrasierkopfes 12 when used as intended. As a result of the sliding friction between a skin surface and the guide element, the skin is stretched in the region of an edge 17 of the rotational razor head 12. As already described above, this prevents skin folds on the edge 17 and the pressure of the skin the edge 17 of the rotary razor head 12 decreases, which reduces skin irritation. This allows to increase the pressing force of Rotationsrasierkopfs 12. In addition, the guide element 11, the hair on the skin. Both improve the result of a shave, because the hair can be shaved even shorter over the skin.

Due to the separate arrangement of the inner support member 14A and the outer support member 14B, the guide member 11 can escape elevations of the skin in the vicinity of concave areas, without significantly reducing the contact force of the Rotationsrasierkopfs.

The first and second springs 14a, 14b are different stiff in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the differently stiff springs 14a, 14b equalize the different sized skin contact surfaces of the rotational razor head 12 and the guide member 11, so that the pressures of the guide member 11 and the rotational razor head 12 are approximately equal to the skin surface, so that the guide member 11 and the Rotationsrasierkopf 12 are pressed about the same depth deep into the skin. In some embodiments, the first and second springs 14a, 14b are adapted to a skin type.

In one embodiment, particularly for very soft skin, the second spring 14b is more compliant than the first spring 14a, so that the guide member 11 is held on the skin surface without exerting significant pressure on the skin when the rotational razor head 12 engages with the skin usual contact force lies on the skin surface. Thus, the friction between the guide member 11 and the skin surface is low and the rotational razor head 12 can follow structures under the skin, such as bones or muscles that substantially determine the heights, depths, irregularities and shapes of the skin, without the guide member 11 the skin squeezes against one of these structures. This increases the comfort of shaving and avoids that skin wrinkles are pushed before the Rotationsrasierkopf 12.

In another embodiment, especially for solid or thick skin, the second spring 14b is stiff enough to the guide member 11 in the usual way Pressing force deeper into the skin to push as the Rotationsrasierkopf 12. With this embodiment, the skin is better protected from the edge 17, whereby skin irritation can be further reduced. This embodiment is particularly suitable for young users. Your skin is not yet used to daily shaving and especially prone to shaving irritations. Her skin is usually firmer and lies in front of the guide member 11 less easily folds. Inexperienced users also often exert too much pressure, which irritates the skin without improving the result of the shave. In this exemplary embodiment, the guide element 11 restricts the pressing force of the rotary razor head 12, so that the skin irritations remain low.

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a shaving unit of an embodiment according to the invention with three Rotationsrasierköpfen according to the above operating principle according to Fig. 7 , Together with the housing (not shown), the illustrated shaving unit 13 externally balances the shaving unit 3 Fig. 1 , Each rotary shaver head 12 is assigned a guide element 11 laterally. The guide elements 11 are circular-segment-shaped and surround part of the outer circumference of the rotary shaving heads 12 in the vicinity of the edge of the shaving unit 13.

In the embodiment shown here, the second spring 14b is realized in each case by coil springs 114b. The guide elements 11 are each supported by two spring-mounted end pieces 11c. Each guide member 11 is formed with an extension 11c at each of its lateral ends. The lugs 11 c are attached to the outside of the sides of the guide elements 11 and protrude in extension of the guide elements beyond the ends. The extensions 11 c support the guide elements 11 upwards against the housing. For each extension piece 11 c, a coil spring 114 b is provided, which connects the respectively associated guide member 11 with the outer support member 14 B and the guide member 11 is supported downwardly. Movements of the guide members 11 are bounded upwardly and to the sides (by the guides not shown) from the housing of the shaving unit and downwardly from the coil springs 114b.

The coil springs 114b are in one embodiment with their ends each mounted in blind holes in the lugs 11 c and the outer support member 14 B so that they are fixed between the outer support member 14 B and the lugs 11 c.

In another embodiment, the coil springs 114b on the support member 14B are each guided on a mandrel or without guidance attached to the support member 14B.

The outer support member 14B is attached to the edge of the shaving unit 13 on its housing or on the associated Elektrorasierergehäuse. The representation in Fig. 8 shows that the support member 14b according to the functional diagram of Fig. 7 can be performed as a narrow peripheral frame, so that in the center of the shaving unit 13 a lot of space for the accommodation of gears and bearings of the rotary shaving 12 is present. The ring-like configuration of the outer support member 14B allows the support member to be mounted in a circumferential groove on the inner circumference of the housing of the shaving unit 13 like an inner snap ring without further attachment means.

The guide elements 11 have at their upper edges a toothing 11d. The toothing 11d is suitable for shaping the friction between the guide elements 11 and the skin. With an edged design, the friction of the guide elements 11 is increased on the skin, which in particular increases the tension of the skin. A rounded toothing allows the guide elements 11 to slide more gently over the skin. If the electric shaver is to be used together with a liquid or foamy auxiliary, the toothing 11d is also suitable for evenly distributing the aid in front of the associated rotary shaver head 12.

Fig. 9 shows a further embodiment of a shaving unit 13 according to the functional diagram Fig. 7 , The embodiment compensates for the embodiment Fig. 8 but leaf springs 214b replace the coil springs 114b.

In one embodiment, the leaf springs 214b are formed during manufacture attached to the support member 14B by soldering or screwing. In another embodiment, the leaf springs 214b and the support member 14B are integral. To make this embodiment, the support member 14B is punched out of a sheet with the leaf springs 214b, and the leaf springs 214b are deep-drawn. In a preferred embodiment, punching and deep drawing take place in one operation. This embodiment is useful when the support member 14B is made of a metal such as spring steel or a copper or nickel alloy.

Although this invention has been described in terms of various particular embodiments, other embodiments that are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to be defined only by reference to the appended claims.

Claims (14)

1. A cutting unit for an electric razor with at least one rotary shaving head (2, 12), comprising at least one guide element (1, 11) in the periphery of the rotary shaving head (2, 12) which is mounted in a floating manner,
   wherein the guide element (1, 11) is mounted in a floating manner in a guide (1a, 1b, 11a) of the cutting unit so that it is displaceable in the vertical direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary shaving head (2, 12),
   characterized in that
   the guide element (1, 11) is designed in the manner of a circular arc segment which encompasses only part of the periphery of the rotary shaving head (2, 12).
2. A cutting unit according to claim 1, designed for an electric razor with two rotary shaving heads (2, 12) which are provided with one guide element (1, 11) in each case in such a way that the guide element (1, 11) of one rotary shaving head (2, 12) is arranged on the side of the rotary shaving head (2, 12) facing away from the other rotary shaving head (2, 12) in each case.
3. A cutting unit according to one of the preceding claims, designed for an electric razor with three rotary shaving heads (2, 12) which are provided with one guide element (1, 11) in each case in such a way that the guide element (1, 11) of each rotary shaving head (2, 12) is arranged on the side of the rotary shaving head (2, 12) facing away from the two other rotary shaving heads (2, 12) in each case.
4. A cutting unit according to one of claims 2 or 3, in which the axes of rotation of the rotary shaving heads (2, 12) are mounted so as to be capable of being tilted in parallel or towards one another.
5. A cutting unit according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the guide element (1, 11) is produced at least in part from a resilient material.
6. A cutting unit according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the mounting of the guide element (1, 11) is designed to be independent of the mounting of the rotary shaving head.
7. A cutting unit according to any one of the preceding claims, in which at least one spring (114b, 214b) supports the guide element (1, 11), wherein an outer retaining element (14B) which is connected to the cutting unit (3, 13) carries the spring (114b, 214b).
8. A cutting unit according to claim 7, in which the at least one spring is a helical spring (114b) or a leaf spring (214b).
9. A cutting unit according to claim 7, in which the at least one spring is a leaf spring (214b), and the outer retaining element (14B) and the at least one leaf spring (214b) are designed in one piece with each other.
10. A cutting unit according to any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the outer retaining element (14B) is designed in the form of a frame which surrounds in an annular manner an entire unit comprising gear mechanisms and mountings of the at least one rotary shaving head (2, 12).
11. A cutting unit according to any one of claims 7 to 10, in which the outer retaining element (14B) is arranged in a continuous groove on the internal periphery of a housing of the cutting unit (3, 13).
12. A cutting unit according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a spring mounting of the guide element (1, 11) is softer than a spring mounting of the rotary shaving head (2, 12).
13. A cutting unit according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the guide element (1, 11) has a set of teeth (11d) on a side which comes into contact with a surface of the skin under normal conditions of use.
14. A rotary razor with a cutting unit according to any one of the preceding claims.

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