EP2853361A1 - Electric razor with integrated cooling - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrically driven razor and an associated charging station, wherein the shaving head (3) arranged on a shaver housing (2) has at least one drivable shearing or cutting part (4, 5) and at least one electrically actuable active thermoelement (7 ) is provided, which is thermally coupled with its relative to the ambient temperature cooled side with a passive cooling element (6; 16). In this case, the passive cooling element (6; 16) with at least one free end section (20, 21) is arranged on or in the region of the shaving head (3) such that it comes into contact with the skin of a user during shaving operation.

Description

The present invention relates to an electrically driven razor with a razor housing and a shaving head arranged thereon, on which at least one shearing or cutting part drivable by an electric motor arranged in the shaver housing is movably mounted.

Electric razors are well known in the art as such. These typically have a shearing or cutting head on which translating, oscillating or rotatably mounted cutting devices are attached. Typical cutting devices have a perforated or perforated upper blade and a lower blade, upper and lower blades are movable relative to each other by means of the electric drive, so that when hair enters the holes of the upper blade they can be cut by the cutter.

A majority of users of such electric razors registered during the shaving a feeling of warmth on the skin to be shaved. This is often perceived as unpleasant by the user and is associated with skin irritation. The noticeable heat is generated in particular by mechanical friction of the upper and lower blades.

For example, different coolants for electrically operated razors have already been described in the prior art. The US 3,364,568 describes, for example, the use of an electrically operable cooling element, which is thermally coupled via contact plates with the outer shaving foil or with the upper blade of the shearing or cutting head. In this way, those parts of the razor which come into contact with the skin of the user during shaving can be actively cooled.

A similar approach is in the DE 101 47 286 A1 described. There is also provided to blow by means of a blower cold air from an electric cooling element on the skin area to be shaved.

The cooling by means of a cool air flow, however, is also perceived by the user as unpleasant and disturbing. The cooling of a skin knife which comes into contact position with the skin to be shaved, such as a shearing foil, is problematic in practical terms since the perforated foil is not particularly well suited for heat conduction, in particular because of its holey configuration.

It should also be noted that a trained as a shear foil upper blade is in the operation of the shaver anyway subject to heating. If one wanted to achieve a cooling effect perceptible on the skin by means of a shearing foil, the already existing heating of the shaving foil would have to be counteracted by means of an active cooling and an additional cooling function would be made available so that the user could experience a cooling effect at all. The use of a cutting element which heats up during operation of the razor as a cooling element for skin areas is disadvantageous to that extent.

From the CH 390722 A For example, there is known a shaver cooling device containing a plurality of Peltier elements. These thermocouples should contact the skin during shaving with their so-called cold spots without the interposition of another (passive) cooling element and thereby cool. These Peltier elements are each electrically isolated from each other circumferentially around the shearing system around. They must each be electrically connected to the voltage source and moreover each individual Peltier element must also be electrically insulated from the skin, for example by a corresponding lacquer, in order to prevent short-circuiting of the Peltier elements via the skin. As a result, of course, the heat transfer is deteriorated. In addition, such a structure is extremely complicated and expensive.

The present invention is based on the object to provide an improved and effective cooling concept for an electrically driven razor. The coolant to be provided on the razor should work as energy-efficiently as possible and be able to be integrated into existing razor geometries and be cost-effective to implement.

The problem underlying the invention is achieved by means of an electrically driven razor according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the respective subclaims.

The electric razor according to the invention has a razor housing and a shear or cutting head arranged on the razor housing. At least one movably mounted shear or cutting part is arranged on this, which is oscillatingly or rotatably drivable by an electric motor located in the shaver housing. Furthermore, the shaver has an electrically operable active thermocouple, which in operation has a relation to the ambient temperature cooled and a respect to the ambient temperature heatable side.

With the actively coolable side of the thermocouple, a passive cooling element is thermally coupled, which comes to rest with at least one free end portion on or in the region of the shaving or cutting head of the razor so that it comes into shaving with the skin of a user to the plant. It is essential here that the cooling element is designed exclusively for heat or temperature transfer and not as a functional part of the razor or of the shearing or cutting part.

It is provided that the passive cooling element is to be formed separately and independently of such functional parts of the razor, which are provided for shortening hair and designed for this purpose. The passive cooling element is designed with regard to its construction and its external shape to a fast and efficient heat transfer. It has at least external dimensions which correspond approximately to the dimensions of the upper and lower blades; but with the difference that the passive cooling element is designed as a solid solid.

In particular, by its massive design, the passive cooling element can provide a comparison with the prior art optimized and improved heat transfer between the actively coolable thermocouple and the skin area to be cooled available. Thermal conduction losses between the active thermocouple and the area of the skin to be cooled can be minimized in this way, so that a significantly improved cooling result on the skin can be achieved by using comparable energies compared with a cooling mechanism which cools the shaving foil of a razor, for example. By the use of the passive cooling element as Connection between the active thermocouple and the skin is the use of standard thermocouples, in particular commercially available electrothermal transducer possible and there is no need to use specially manufactured thermocouples.

According to a first advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the passive cooling element with its, the active thermocouple end facing away from the shear and / or the shaving head at least partially laterally includes or encloses. In this case, provision is made in particular for this exposed and coolable end section of the passive cooling element to be set back relative to the cutting devices arranged on the shearing or cutting part.

It follows that the free end of the passive cooling element when sliding along a skin area to be shaved is preceded and / or lagged by a cutting part equipped with upper and lower blades.

The at least slightly recessed arrangement of the cooling element relative to the cutting or cutting part arranged on the cutting device can ensure sufficient contact and pressure between the cutting device and the skin area to be shaved. The distance between the passive cooling element and the at least one cutting part is preferably selected such that a skin area to be shaved can enter into contact with the cutting device as well as with the passive cooling element during a shaving operation.

It is particularly advantageous if the shearing or cutting part does not come to rest exactly parallel to the surface normal of the skin area to be shaved on the skin, but if the razor and its shearing or cutting part at least slightly oblique to the surface normal of the skin area along this led which is predominantly the case in a typical shaving operation in practice.

In particular, in such an at least slightly inclined or oblique orientation of the shearing or cutting part, or the entire shaver housing relative to the surface normal of the skin, the at least slightly recessed relative to the cutting device cooling element with the corresponding skin area for cooling the same can easily come to rest.

It is provided in particular that the cooling element with its free, the user's skin during operation of the razor end portion facing the shear or cutting part, or the entire shaving head completely or at least partially on or includes. It can be provided in particular that the cooling element is formed in this area as a kind of cooling web or cooling strand.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the passive cooling element has a rounded projection in the region of the shaving head at least at its free end portion or is designed overall as a rounded cooling web or cooling strand. The passive cooling element may extend in this area, in particular parallel to the longitudinal extension of the at least one cutting part, or of the at least one upper blade.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the passive cooling element is formed at least in sections as a mechanical receptacle for at least one spring element, which provides a resilient suspension of the cutting device or parts thereof on the shaving head or on the shearing or cutting part available. In that regard, it is conceivable to integrate the cooling element in a housing portion of the shear or cutting part. It is also possible and within the scope of the invention that via the resilient suspension heat transfer to the shear or cutting part can be done.

However, the predominant cooling effect is provided by the direct abutment position between the free end portions of the passive cooling element with the skin area to be shaved.

Furthermore, it is within the scope of the invention to support the entire shaving head spring loaded relative to the shaver housing, in which case the passive cooling element may be either rigidly connected to the shaver housing or with the shaving head.

According to a further additional or alternative embodiment, the passive cooling element may have at least one outwardly directed projection which comes to rest between a cutting part provided with a shearing foil as the upper blade and a middle cutter of the shaving head. It can be provided in particular that the cooling element is fork-shaped and two substantially has mutually parallel projections, which are each located between one side of the central cutter and a left and right of it arranged shear or cutting part.

In this embodiment, it is provided in particular that the cooling element is arranged exclusively between at least two, viewed in cross-section, outer shear or cutting parts and possibly laterally encloses a central cutter.

In the context of the invention it is further provided that the active thermocouple is designed as a Peltier element and is electrically connected to a separate, decoupled from the electric motor of the razor power source. In particular, it is provided that both the power source for the motor and the power source for the cooling in the form of accumulators form, which do not affect each other. In fact, when implementing the thermocouple as a Peltier element, it should be noted that its power consumption can be significantly higher than the current consumption of the electric motor.

By providing two independent accumulators increased reliability is created at least for the shaving, while may be waived if excessive use without intermediate charging of accumulators on the cooling function if necessary. With particularly long intervals between two battery charging cycles, a long-lasting shaving function can be ensured despite a not insignificant power consumption of the Peltier element. The cooling function is thus not at the expense of the shaver operating life of the razor.

Instead of a classic Peltier element, various other semiconductor elements utilizing the Seebeck effect can also be used accordingly.

Furthermore, it is provided that the active thermocouple is thermally coupled with a relative to the ambient temperature heating side with a heat sink. The heat sink heats up during operation of the thermocouple, while the passive heat sink, which is arranged on the other side of the thermocouple, undergoes cooling. It is provided in particular, to arrange the active thermocouple as well as the heat sink in the region of the base housing of the razor, while the passive cooling element, a cooling path between the active thermocouple and thermally overcomes the formed on the shaving head cooling bar, cooling bar or a cooling flange.

The arrangement of the heat sink on the outside of the shaver housing has the advantage that the heat supplied to the heat sink during operation of the thermocouple can be relatively easily, quickly and efficiently delivered to the environment.

Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided to arrange the heat sink in the middle of the razor housing or even embed functional parts of the razor for reasons of space in the heat sink.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided to provide the razor with cooling air supply means with which the heat sink, which heats up during operation, can be actively cooled. For this purpose, it is conceivable to provide a fan and a cooling air duct, by means of which the cooling body can be acted upon during operation with cooling air.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the heat sink has a latent heat storage. The latent heat storage is provided with a so-called phase transition material, which exploits the enthalpy reversible thermodynamic state changes of the material, or the latent heat storage medium. The latent heat storage medium, for example, perform a phase transition between solid and liquid. As a suitable latent heat storage material are in particular paraffins or special salts, possibly even water into consideration.

In this case, provision may be made, in particular, for the housing of the latent heat accumulator to be at least partially transparent, and to be illuminated from the interior of the shaver housing. As a result of a phase transition, the optical transmission behavior of the heat storage material may change, so that the user can also be provided an optical control option with regard to the state of the latent heat storage.

In addition to training as latent heat storage is basically a filled with water heatsink conceivable. In this case, the relatively large heat capacity and / or heat of fusion can be exploited by water.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the heat sink is designed to receive a liquid which evaporates due to the heat action achievable by the active thermocouple. So it could be provided to design the heat sink as a liquid or water evaporator by this has a good thermal conductivity and porous material which is soaked before shaving with about cold water. During operation of the thermocouple, this heat sink would experience heating, but heat can be withdrawn from the overall system due to the onset of evaporation of the water and the drying of this heat sink.

It is further provided that the temperature of the active thermocouple is adjustable adjustable by the user, and that the thermocouple is designed either for cooling and for heating the passive cooling element and correspondingly opposite to the heat sink. A reversal of the direction of the cooling effect can be particularly advantageous for actively cooling the heat sink, for example before the razor is put into operation, so that it is not heated to an excessively high temperature during operation.

Furthermore, by reversing the cooling effect, a heating of the thermally coupled with the shaving head passive cooling element can be achieved. Such heating is advantageous in connection with a cleaning procedure of the immediately adjacent shear and cutting parts, which are soaked, for example with the aid of a cleaning station with an aqueous or alcoholic cleaning fluid and better dried after cleaning under the action of the heat provided by the passive cooling element can be.

It is also conceivable to reverse the cooling circuit during such a cleaning procedure in order to heat up the cleaning liquid, for example, which may have an advantageous effect on the cleaning as such.

According to a further independent aspect, the invention relates to a charging station for an electrically driven razor, wherein the charging station has a receptacle for a razor housing and is equipped with charging means for charging at least one arranged in the razor housing electrical accumulator.

It is further provided that the electrical coupling means, such as in the form of spring-movable contact pins, not only provide a power supply for the batteries to be charged and located in the shaver housing accumulators, but also for coupling an arranged in the shaver housing active thermocouple of the shaver with a control and control unit of the charging station are formed. In this way, a razor parked in the charging station and provided with an active thermocouple, possibly also with a heat sink, can already be cooled to a predetermined temperature level in the charging station before the razor is put into operation.

In particular, the heat store or heat sink provided on the razor can be cooled. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the charging station is designed to dissipate energy from the heat sink, which has been heated up as a result of a shaving operation, and to convert it back into electrical energy. In this case, it can be provided, in particular, to return the stored heat from the heat sink via the Peltier element coupled thereto to the charging station and to use it for charging the batteries located in the housing of the razor.

The charging station or its control and regulating unit are in particular designed to cool a heat sink thermally coupled to the active thermocouple of the shaver by means of the thermocouple and at the same time a passive, thermally coupled to the thermocouple cooling element, which extends to or into a shaving head of Razor extends into it, to heat for cleaning purposes. Such coupled cooling or heating of the heat sink and cooling element can be advantageously integrated into a charging process of the razor or temporally coupled thereto.

Other objects, features and advantageous embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings with reference to the following embodiments. Here are all described as well as figuratively reproduced features both alone and any meaningful combination, the subject of the present invention; also independent of the patent claims and their references to each other.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines elektrischen Rasierers mit einem an ein Thermoelement gekoppelten passiven Kühlkörper,

Fig. 2

eine Ausgestaltung eines elektrischen Rasierers mit einem Latentwärmespeicher,

Fig. 3

eine weitere Ausgestaltung des Rasierers, wobei ein Mittelschneider des Scherkopfs von zwei Stegen eines passiven Kühlelements umfasst ist und

Fig. 4

eine praxisnahe Ausführung der Erfindung die sich durch optimale Effizienz der Kühleinrichtung auszeichnet.

Show it:

Fig. 1

1 is a schematic representation of an electric razor with a passive heat sink coupled to a thermocouple;

Fig. 2

an embodiment of an electric shaver with a latent heat storage,

Fig. 3

a further embodiment of the razor, wherein a central cutter of the shaving head is comprised of two webs of a passive cooling element, and

Fig. 4

a practical embodiment of the invention which is characterized by optimum efficiency of the cooling device.

The same reference numerals are used in the following description with reference to the figures for corresponding parts.

The in Fig. 1 Razor 1 shown schematically has a housing 2 and a shear or cutting head 3 arranged at the upper end portion of the housing 2. In the housing two independent accumulators 10, 11 are housed, wherein the accumulator 10 drives a motor 9, which is in mechanical operative connection with the shearing or cutting head 3 arranged shear or cutting parts 4, 5. The shearing and cutting parts 4, 5 are spring-loaded by means of compression springs 14 against a designed as a circumferential cooling strip passive cooling element 6.

The cooling element 6 has laterally of the electrically operated shear and cutting parts 4, 5 projecting and compared to the free end portions of the shearing parts 4, 5 recessed rounded projections or webs 20, 21, which should reach in shaving operation with the skin surfaces to be shaved in contact position. The passive cooling element 6 is within the razor housing 2 with an active electrically actuated Thermocouple 7, which may be formed as a Peltier element, thermally coupled.

The thermocouple 7 can be operated by means of a separate accumulator 11 in order to be able to provide a sufficiently long shaving power via the accumulator 10, independently of the cooling function of the shaver, which has a comparatively high energy requirement.

On the side facing away from the passive cooling element 6, a heat sink 8 is arranged on the thermocouple 7. After execution according to Fig. 1 has this heat sink to the outside facing cooling fins, which can be acted upon by a within the housing and by means of the motor 9 driven fan 13 and an adjoining cooling channel 12 with cooling air. The heat sink 8 and the cooling channel 12 can be designed so that a barely perceptible to the user airflow escapes from the housing 2, so that in the end the shaving comfort is impaired by the air flow to the user only imperceptibly.

The passive cooling element 6 may in particular be designed as a cooling strip or cooling flange and surround all shearing or cutting parts 4, 5 of the shearing or cutting head 3 of the shaver 1. As suitable materials for the passive cooling element 6, for example, aluminum or zinc comes into question, wherein the component 6 can be manufactured by means of aluminum or zinc die-cast. It is provided in particular that the passive cooling element 6 is designed as a solid component substantially without cavities in order to provide sufficient heat transfer available.

It is further provided that the at least partially circulating and the shaving head 3 laterally surrounding cooling element 6 with its rounded projections or cooling bars simultaneously acts as a kind of force limiting stop in operation of the shaver. Thus, the cooling strip, or the passive cooling element 6 may be formed such that it occupies the space between the cutting parts 4, 5 and / or acts as a holder for the cutting parts, in particular for the middle part 5.

The upwardly facing extensions 20, 21 of the passive cooling element 6 are in the in Fig. 1 shown basic position of the razor against the upper free end portions the shear and cutting parts 4, 5 reset a bit. Since the shearing and cutting parts 4, 5 are mounted spring-loaded, they can recede slightly at a counter-pressure applied by the skin to be shaved, so that the passive cooling element 6 comes with its web-like extensions 20, 21 with the skin to be shaved in investment position.

At the same time, compression of the spring elements 14 can be limited to a certain extent by the configuration of the cooling webs 20, 21, so that the choice of corresponding spring constants for the compression springs 14 and by the geometric configuration of the cooling strips 20, 21 and the cutting and shearing parts 4, 5 can be provided for shaving optimal contact pressure between the shear and cutting parts 4, 5 and the skin.

The incorporation of the Peltier element 7 in the shaver housing, particularly at a lateral edge of the shaver housing, provides effective shock protection for the Peltier element, particularly when the entire shaver slips off a user's hand and falls to the ground. This also favors the sealing of the device against dirt and water or moisture.

The embodiment according to Fig. 2 has a latent heat accumulator 18 instead of a cooling body 8 provided with cooling fins. The latent heat storage 18 may be filled, for example with paraffin and at least partially configured to be transparent. In addition, it is conceivable that the latent heat accumulator 18 or its housing is illuminated from the inside, so that upon liquefaction of the latent heat storage material during operation of the thermocouple 7 a perceptible for the user optical effect, the user the current operating state of the Peltier element. 7 and / or the latent heat storage can signal.

Instead of a latent heat storage is also conceivable to fill the heat sink 18 with water or form the heat sink itself as a porous material that receives a vaporizing in operation of the Peltier element 7 liquid, such as water.

By means of the Peltier element 7 is an individual, to the wishes and concerns of the user individually customizable cooling achievable. In particular, by means of a User adjustable actuator the cooling temperature of the heat sink 6 can be adjusted.

The use of a Peltier element as an active thermocouple also allows a reverse cooling or heating function. If the Peltier element is operated in an approximately pulsating or reversed manner, a heat store 18, 8 which has been heated up after the shaving operation can also be actively cooled. In addition, it is conceivable that those thermally coupled with the Peltier element 7 elements cooling element 6 and heat sink 8 to cool by itself to room temperature and thereby exploit the Seebeck effect to obtain electrical energy.

This is particularly advantageous when the razor 1, in particular after use, is stored in a charging station, which may possibly be coupled to a cleaning device. In that regard, it is conceivable that the electrical energy which can be generated by the Peltier element 7 can be transferred to the charging station and used there for charging the batteries 10, 11 of the razor 1. In addition, it is conceivable that the charging station cools the heat sink 8, 18 to a predetermined temperature by means of a dedicated control and regulating device before the razor is put into operation, so that a correspondingly large cooling capacity can be provided during operation of the razor.

In embodiments in which the charging station is equally provided with a cleaning device in which the shearing and cutting parts 4, 5 of the razor are immersed in a cleaning liquid, it is also conceivable to operate the cooling element 6, 16 as a heating element to the cleaning liquid , which surrounds the shear and cutting parts 4, 5, to heat, so that overall better cleaning performance can be achieved.

In FIG. 3 an alternative embodiment of a passive cooling element 16 is shown, which comprises with its free upwardly projecting, fork-shaped end portion a central cutter 5 of the shaving head. Instead of a circulating cooling line, as in the FIGS. 1 and 2 shown, the cooling element between the center cutter and the outside to come shear or cutting parts 4 is arranged. These but also the central cutter 5 are spring loaded on the shaving head and slidably mounted relative to the cooling element, so that when shaving the shear or Cutting parts 4 at least slightly by a back-apply from the skin of the user back pressure, whereby a direct contact of the cooling element 16 and skin can be achieved.

According to Fig. 4 drives the electric motor 9, the output shaft has an eccentric 25, via swing bridges 26 in a conventional manner, the movable shear elements of the cutting part 4 and the cutting part 5 at. The shaving head 3 facing front side of the housing 2 is designed as a heat sink 8, which is sealingly connected to the heat sink 18 formed as a heat sink or upper housing portion. The two components 8 and 18 are preferably made of aluminum and form the device chassis. This is on the one hand particularly stable, but can also record a significantly large amount of waste heat of the thermocouple 7, which is designed in particular as a Peltier element, and then deliver it to the environment.

In the area between the two shearing parts 4 at least one thermocouple 7 or several thermocouples in succession on the heat sink 8 and that with the warm side 27 attached. On the cold side 28 of the thermocouple 7, a beam-shaped passive cooling element or cooling strip 6 is arranged, which extends between the two parts of the shears 4 upwards. The vertical extent is chosen such that the upper end portion 29 can contact the skin to be shaved during shaving. The cooling bar 6 at the same time provides a mechanical protection bar for when the razor falls down once. The cutting part 5 is arranged within a groove of the cooling strip 6.

The shearing parts 4 and / or the cutting part 5 and / or the cooling strip 6 may be resiliently connected to the housing 2 in order to ensure optimum adaptation to the contour of the skin to be shaved.

Claims (13)

Electrically driven razor with a razor housing (2) and a shaving head (3) arranged on the shaver housing (2), on which at least one shearing or cutting part (4, 5) driven by an electric motor (9) arranged in the shaver housing (2) is mounted wherein at least one electrically actuatable active thermocouple (7) is provided, characterized in that a side of the thermocouple (7) which can be cooled relative to the ambient temperature is thermally coupled to a passive cooling element (6; 16), wherein the passive cooling element (6; 16) comes to lie with at least one free end portion (20, 21) on or in the region of the shaving head (3) in such a way that it comes into abutment with the skin of a user during shaving and that the entire shaving head is spring-loaded relative to the shaver housing, wherein the passive cooling element is either rigidly connected to the shaver housing or to the shaving head. A razor according to claim 1, wherein the passive cooling element (6; 16) laterally comprises the shearing or cutting part (4, 5) at least in sections. A razor according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the passive cooling element (6; 16) comes to rest with its free end section (20, 21) facing the skin of the user during operation of the razor relative to the shearing or cutting part (4, 5) , A razor according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the passive cooling element (6; 16) is designed as a receptacle for at least one spring element (14) which provides a resilient suspension of the shearing or cutting part (4, 5) on the shaving head (3) , A razor according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the passive cooling element (6; 16) in the region of the shaving head (3) has at least one rounded projection (20, 21) which extends parallel to the longitudinal extension of the at least one shearing or cutting part (4) , A razor according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the passive cooling element (16) has at least one outward projection which comes to lie between a foil cutter (4) and a central cutter (5) of the shaving head (3). A razor according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the active thermocouple (7) is formed as a Peltier element. A razor according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the active thermocouple (7) is thermally coupled to a heatsink (8; 18) with a side which heats up relative to the ambient temperature. A razor according to claim 8, wherein the heat sink (8) and by means of a cooling air supply means (12, 13) is coolable during operation of the razor. A razor according to one of the preceding claims 8 or 9, wherein the heat sink (18) has a latent heat storage. A razor according to one of the preceding claims 8 to 10, wherein the cooling body (8; 18) is designed to receive a liquid which evaporates due to the heat action which can be achieved by the active thermocouple (7). A razor according to one of the preceding claims 8 to 11, wherein the thermocouple (7) is coupled to the heat sink (8, 18) and / or to the cooling element (7) in a gas-tight and / or moisture-proof manner. A razor according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the temperature of the active thermocouple (7) is controllable and the thermocouple (7) is selectively configured for cooling as well as for heating the passive cooling element (6; 16).

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