EP2239107A1 - Suction Hair-Clipper - Google Patents

Abstract

The trimmer has a coupling unit arranged near a front end of an elongated tubular body (2) for coupling a cutting block (3) to the body in a removable manner. An electrical connection tab (14) is arranged near a rear end of the body for coupling a suction block (4) to the body in a removable manner. The suction block establishes depression inside the body in a storage zone (R) comprised between the blocks. The tubular body and/or the cutting block define a front suction slot communicating with the storage zone.

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of hand-held body mowers used for mowing hair or hair.

In the above field, it is known for example from a US patent application US 2006/0230619 , a body mower comprising an elongate body incorporating, at the front, a cutting block and, at the rear, a suction unit. The cutting block then comprises a cutting head driven by an electric cutting motor, while the suction unit comprises a turbine driven by a suction motor separate from the cutting motor. The suction block is adapted to achieve a vacuum in a removable drawer interposed between the suction unit and a suction sleeve opening above the cutting head. The cutting and suction blocks as well as the body form a monobloc assembly from which the reservoir drawer can be detached in order to empty it after a sequence of use of the mower.

Such a mower gives full satisfaction with regard to its function of cutting and suction of hairs or cut hair, at the upper part of the cutting head. However, this mower is not fully satisfactory with respect to the cleaning of the device, insofar as the latter has multiple corners where the hairs sucked are likely to come and lodge and difficult to remove.

It therefore appears the need for a new type of mower that offers an improved cleaning potential compared to mowers of the prior art, allowing the user to easily remove all the hair likely to be deposited, both to inside the tank than outside the tank.

In order to achieve this object, the invention relates to a hand-held body mower comprising an elongated body equipped at the front of a cutting block and, at the rear, a suction unit. According to the invention, the mower is characterized in that the body is in the form of an elongated tube comprising near its front end coupling means of the cutting block and in the vicinity its rear end coupling means of the suction block, at least one of the two coupling means being removably mounted near one end, the suction block being adapted to establish a vacuum at the inside the body at least in a reservoir zone between the cutting and suction blocks, the tubular body and / or the cutting block being adapted to define at least one suction mouth communicating with the reservoir zone.

According to the invention, the body may comprise, in the vicinity of its rear end, means for coupling in a removable manner to the suction block; and, alternatively or additionally, the body may comprise in the vicinity of its front end means of releasably coupling the cutting block.

The realization of the mower according to the invention in at least two or three separate monoblock elements namely, the cutting head, the tubular body and the suction block, the blocks being removably adapted to the tubular body, allows by dismantling the assembly, it is easy to clean each of the constitutive elements of the mower, without there being in the tubular body, in particular in its part serving as a reservoir, recesses in which hair or cut hairs would be likely to become embedded or hang. In addition, since the body is a simple tube, it can be easily cleaned with water without the risk of damaging other components of the mower that have been detached.

In the same way, it is possible to realize, the cutting block and / or suction each in the form of a monobloc assembly that can also be passed to the water without risk of damaging the constituents. Within the meaning of the invention, the one-piece character of the cutting and suction blocks does not exclude that they are constituted by an assembly, of different components, removable with suitable tools but in normal condition of use their monobloc character corresponds to the fact that they can each be handled, by the end user of the mower, as a whole without risk of dislocation and separation of the elements that compose them. In this respect, the monoblock character of the cutting block does not exclude that the cutting head can form an easily separable subassembly, without tools, the rest of the cutting block in particular to facilitate maintenance or change.

The cutting block may, for example, include a cutting head driven by an electric cutting motor while the suction unit then comprises a turbine driven by an electric suction motor separate from the cutting motor.

According to the invention, the power supply of the cutting and suction motors can be carried out in different ways, so it can be envisaged that the cutting block and the suction block, or one of them only, enclose electric batteries capable of supplying the cutting and suction motors without any connection to an external power source.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the suction unit comprises means of connection to a source of electricity.

In the context of this embodiment, the tubular body may then comprise at least two electrical conductors extending along the body between, on the one hand, a pair of front connectors, integral with the tubular body, for connection to two complementary connectors of the cutting block and, secondly, a second pair of rear connectors, integral with the tubular body, for connection to two complementary connectors of the suction unit.

The conductors integrated in the tubular body and the associated connectors make it possible to establish an electrical connection between the suction block and the cutting block in order to supply and / or control the cutting motor. It should be noted that such electrical conductors can also be implemented when the power of the cutting and suction motors is provided by means of batteries. The electrical conductors can then ensure a transfer of energy between the cutting block and the suction unit according to the position of the batteries. The conductors may also allow control of the cutting motor and / or the suction motor from a controller located on the other block. Electrical conductors can also ensure the transfer of energy as part of the charging of the batteries. Of course, the tubular body could comprise more than two electrical conductors and their connectors, front and rear, associated to achieve as many electrical connections as necessary between the cutting block and the suction block.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the electrical conductors may be located inside and on both sides of the tubular body.

According to one characteristic of the invention, the suction unit may comprise means for controlling the operation of the cutting and suction motors.

To prevent fouling of the turbine, the suction unit may also include, at a suction opening facing the reservoir zone, a filter for stopping the hairs and / or hair sucked.

In order to allow a user of the mower to control the level of filling of the reservoir zone, the tubular body may comprise at least one window for viewing the contents of the reservoir zone.

According to the invention, the cutting head is made in any appropriate manner such as for example in the form of a head adapted to ensure a shave of the beard.

According to another possible embodiment of the invention, the cutting head is designed for mowing hair or bristles and comprises a fixed toothed blade and an oscillating toothed blade driven by the cutting motor. The cutting block and / or the body can then define a front suction mouth located above the oscillating toothed blade.

The position of the front suction mouth above the oscillating toothed blade effectively ensures suction of most of the hair or hairs cut, as and when mowing. It should be noted that, according to an alternative embodiment, the cutting head formed by the fixed blade and the oscillating blade, can be removably adapted to the cutting block to facilitate the maintenance operations of the assembly.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the cutting block and / or the body can also define a rear suction mouth located at the rear of the cutting head. The implementation of such a rear suction mouth allows in particular to recover a portion of the cut hairs that would have remained on the user, during the implementation of the mower.

In a preferred embodiment but not strictly necessary, the rear suction mouth will have a passage section smaller than the passage section of the front suction mouth to favor the suction of the front mouth which is located in the area where accumulate the most hairs or hair cut during the implementation of the mower.

Of course, the various forms, variants and features of the invention may be associated with each other in various combinations to the extent that they are not incompatible or exclusive of each other.

• La figure 1 est une perspective schématique d'ensemble d'une tondeuse à aspiration intégrée selon l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une vue schématique du corps tubulaire de la tondeuse après démontage des blocs de coupe et d'aspiration.
• La figure 3 est une perspective schématique du bloc de coupe sous ensemble constitutif de la tondeuse telle qu'illustrée à la figure 1.
• La figure 4 est une vue schématique en perspective du bloc d'aspiration sous ensemble constitutif de la tondeuse telle qu'illustrée à la figure 1.
• La figure 5 est une coupe schématique de la partie avant de la tondeuse montrant la position relative du bloc de coupe et du corps tubulaire visant à définir des bouches d'aspiration avant et arrière.

Furthermore, various other features of the invention appear from the attached description, made with reference to the drawings which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment of a hand mower body according to the invention.

• The figure 1 is a schematic overall perspective of a mower with integrated suction according to the invention.
• The figure 2 is a schematic view of the tubular body of the mower after disassembly of the cutting and suction blocks.
• The figure 3 is a schematic perspective of the cutting block as a constituent assembly of the mower as illustrated in FIG. figure 1 .
• The figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the suction unit as a constituent assembly of the mower as shown in FIG. figure 1 .
• The figure 5 is a schematic section of the front part of the mower showing the relative position of the cutting block and the tubular body to define front and rear suction mouths.

A hand-held body mower according to the invention, as illustrated in FIG. figure 1 and referred to as a whole by reference 1, includes a body elongate 2, equipped at the front of a cutting block 3 and at the rear of a suction block 4.

As shown more particularly in figure 2 , the body 2 is in the form of an elongate tube open at its two front ends 5 and rear 6 and closed at its longitudinal peripheral wall. According to the illustrated example, the tubular body 2 is formed of a frame 7 made of opaque material, such as a rigid plastic material. The armature 7 comprises, at the rear 6 of the body 2, a rigid peripheral belt 8 from which two longitudinal arms 9 and 10 extend forwardly. The longitudinal arms 9 and 10 are located on either side of the body 2 being substantially facing each other. The longitudinal arms 9 and 10 have at their front end coupling means 11, 12 of the cutting block 3, as will appear later. The armature 7 is furthermore equipped with two lugs 13 and 14 for electrical connection which extend from the belt 8 towards the rear and whose function will subsequently appear.

The tubular body 2 further comprises shells 15 and 16, partly at least translucent or transparent. The shells 15 and 16 are permanently attached to the longitudinal arms 9 and 10, as well as to the rear waistband 8, so as to close the peripheral longitudinal wall of the tubular body 2 which then forms a rigid one-piece assembly. It will be noted that, according to the illustrated example, the tubular body 2 has a slightly arched shape to provide a good grip to a user.

The mower 1 further comprises a cutting block 3 which is intended to be coupled to the tubular body 2 so as to be easily removable without tools. For this purpose, the block 3 is made in the form of a one-piece assembly comprising most of the systems necessary for cutting or mowing hair or hair. According to the illustrated example, the cutting block 3 comprises a cutting head 20 consisting of a fixed toothed blade 21 associated with an oscillating toothed blade 22, the blade 22 is then driven by an electric cutting motor 23. Such a shape The embodiment of the cutting system of a body mower is well known to those skilled in the art and therefore does not require further descriptions. Moreover, it should be noted that the cutting head will be preferably but not necessarily, removably fitted on the cutting block 3 by a fastening system, also well known to those skilled in the art, to ensure efficient maintenance and cleaning of the cutting head in the dismounting by hand without tools.

All the constituents of the cutting block 3 are, according to the illustrated example, integrated onto or fitted into a shell forming the outer casing of the cutting block 3. In order to allow reliable fixing, while being removable without tools, from the block 3 on the tubular body 2, the cutting block 3 comprises two fixing studs 25 which project from its outer surface being located on either side of the cutting block 3. Only the fixing stud left 25 is visible at the figure 3 . According to the illustrated example, each stud 25 has an elongated U-shaped shape intended to engage in a U-shaped indentation 26, of complementary shape, arranged in each of the arms 9 and 10 of the tubular body 2. The studs 25 are elastically deformable so as to fade to come and fit into each notch corresponding U 26. In order to ensure good immobilization in translation of the cutting head 20, each U-shaped recess 26 comprises two lugs 27 which engage in two complementary housing 28 of the corresponding stud 25. Thus, the coupling means, formed of the studs 25 and notches 26, allow the user of the mower to assemble and disassemble, easily and without tools, the cutting block 3 and the tubular body 2, the elasticity the constituent material of the arms 9 and 10 ensuring the reliability of this assembly. Of course, the coupling means of the cutting block 3 on the tubular body 2 could be made in any other way to the extent that they allow disassembly of the cutting block 3 without tools.

In the same way as the cutting block 3, the suction block 4 forms a unitary unit or monobloc intended to be adapted to the tubular body 2, while being easily removable without tools. According to the illustrated example, the coupling means of the body 2 and the suction unit 4 comprise lugs 29 arranged on the suction block 4 and intended to engage in complementary grooves, not visible in the figures, so as to form a lockable bayonet system by a quarter-turn rotation of the suction block 4 relative to the body 2.

The suction block 4 is intended to establish a depression within the tubular body 2. Thus, the suction unit comprises a suction chamber 30 which is open, at a suction opening 31, towards the the inside of the tubular body 2 on the one hand, and which is open towards the outside at a discharge opening 32, on the other hand. The suction unit 4 further comprises a turbine 33 which is rotated by an electric suction motor 34, so as to suck the air through the opening 31 to push it out of the mower by the opening 32. According to the illustrated example, the suction opening 31 is associated with a filter 34 'which comprises a cage of substantially frustoconical shape 35 whose openings are closed by a plastic or metal grid not visible at the figure 4 . This grid then has a mesh size adapted to stop pieces of hair or hair of a length of the order of a few millimeters without, however, induce excessive pressure loss. The suction unit 4 is also equipped with connection means to an external source of electrical energy. The connection means may for example comprise a cord 36 for connection to a low voltage transformer not shown. According to the illustrated example, the suction unit 4 also comprises means for controlling the operation of the mower, such as for example a switch 37.

The mower 1 according to the invention is thus formed by the assembly of the three subassemblies described above which are the tubular body 2, the cutting block 3 and the suction block 4.

When a user wishes to implement the mower 1, it actuates the switch 37 which controls the power supply of the suction motor 34. In order to allow simultaneous control of the supply of the cutting motor 23, the tubular body comprises in each of the longitudinal arms 9 and 10, an electrical conductor 40, 41. The two conductors 40 and 41 then extend along the body between a pair of front connectors 42, 43 and a pair of rear connectors 44, 45. According to the illustrated example, the connectors 42 and 43 are made in the form of pins each forming a male connector intended to cooperate with a complementary female connector 48 of the cutting block 3. The rear connectors 44 and 45 are each formed in the form of a tongue each carried by the inner face of one of the two tabs 13 and 14. Each tab 44, 45 is then intended to bear on a complementary contact 49 of the suction head 4 during locking of the latter on the body 2. Thus, thanks to the longitudinal conductors 40, 41 and at the associated contacts 42, 43, 44, 45, 48 and 49, the cutting motor 23 is supplied with electricity, so that it operates at the same time as the suction motor 34 so as to actuate the cutting head 20 .

Moreover, the rotation of the turbine 33, driven by the motor 34, establishes a depression throughout the tubular body 2 and in particular in a so-called reservoir zone R, situated between the cutting block 3 and the suction block 4.

In order to allow aspiration of at least a portion of the hairs cut by the cutting head 20, the suction block and the tubular body 2 are shaped so as to define a suction mouth before 55, located above the cutting head 20 as shown in figure 5 . The front suction port 55 communicates with the reservoir zone R via a front suction channel 56 extending between the cutting block 3 and the tubular body 2. In the same way, the cutting block 3 and the tubular body 2 define a rear suction mouth 57 located opposite the front suction mouth 55, with respect to the cutting block 3. The rear suction mouth 57 communicates with the reservoir zone R by via a rear suction channel 58 located between the wall of the tubular body 2 and the suction block 3. Thus, given the vacuum established by the suction block in the reservoir zone R, the Air sucked at the front and rear mouths 55 and 57 lead inside the tubular body 2 the pieces of hair or hair cut by the cutting head 20. It should be noted that in order to promote the suction at the front of the cutting head in relation to the back, the passage section of the b The front suction pipe 55 and the associated suction channel 56 will preferably be greater than that of the rear suction port 57 and the associated suction channel 58.

Moreover, insofar as the shells 15 and 16 are at least partly transparent or translucent, they each define a window for viewing the contents of the reservoir zone R, thus, when the user visually observes that the reservoir zone R is full. or after using the mower, it is easy to empty it by simply removing the cutting block 3 or the suction unit 4 in view of their removable nature without tools. In addition, by dismounting the entire mower, that is to say by separating the cutting block 3 and the suction block 4 of the tubular body 2, the user can easily proceed with the cleaning of all .

This embodiment of the mower in three functional blocks and separable structural further allows to optimize the volume of the reservoir zone by offering a capacity greater than that which is generally obtained by the solutions of the prior art for a mower with equivalent overall dimensions.

Of course, various modifications can be made to the mower according to the invention according to the scope of the claims.

Claims (13)

Hand-held body mower comprising an elongated body (2) equipped at the front of a cutting block (3) and, at the rear, a suction block (4) characterized in that: the body (2) is made in the form of an elongate tube comprising - close to its front end (5) means (11,12) for coupling the cutting block (3) and - close to its rear end (6) means (13,14) for coupling the suction block (4), at least one of the two coupling means (11, 12, 13, 14) being removably mounted near one of the ends (5, 6), the suction unit being adapted to establish a depression inside the body (2) at least in a reservoir zone (R) between the cutting (3) and suction (4) blocks, - The tubular body (2) and / or the cutting block (3) being adapted to define at least one suction mouth (55) communicating with the reservoir zone. Mower according to claim 1, wherein the body (2) comprises, in the vicinity of its rear end (6), means (13, 14) for detachably coupling the suction unit (4). Mower according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the body (2) comprises, in the vicinity of its front end (5), means (11, 12) for detachably coupling the cutting block (3). Mower according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction unit (4) comprises means (36) for connection to a source of electricity. Mower according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting block (3) comprises a cutting head (20) driven by an electric cutting motor (23) and the suction unit (4) comprises a turbine (33). ) driven by an electric suction motor (34) separate from the cutting motor (23). Mower according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the tubular body comprises at least two electrical conductors (40, 41) extending along the tubular body (2) between, on the one hand, a first pair of front connectors (42). , 43) for connection to two complementary connectors (48) of the cutting block (3) and secondly a second pair of rear connectors (44, 45) for connection to two complementary connectors (49) of the block of suction (4). Lawnmower according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the electrical conductors (40, 41) are located inside and on both sides of the tubular body (2). Mower according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that the suction unit (4) comprises means (37) for controlling the cutting (23) and suction (34) motors. Mower according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction unit (4) comprises, at a suction opening (31) facing the reservoir zone (R), a filter (34 ') stopping hair and / or hair sucked. Mower according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tubular body (2) comprises at least one window (15, 16) for viewing the contents of the reservoir zone (R). Mower according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting head (20) comprises a fixed toothed blade (21) and an oscillating toothed blade (22) driven by the cutting motor (23) and in that the cutting block (3) and / or the body define a front suction mouth (55) located above the oscillating toothed blade (22). Mower according to claim 10, characterized in that the cutting block (3) and / or the body define a rear suction mouth (57) at the rear of the cutting head (20). Mower according to claim 11, characterized in that the rear suction mouth (57) has a passage section smaller than the passage section of the front suction mouth (55).

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