EP2863859A1

EP2863859A1 - Vibrator

Info

Publication number: EP2863859A1
Application number: EP13727163.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael Dills
Original assignee: Amor Gummiwaren GmbH
Current assignee: Amor Gummiwaren GmbH
Priority date: 2012-06-22
Filing date: 2013-06-06
Publication date: 2015-04-29
Also published as: US20150335520A1; DE102012105466B4; WO2013189744A1; DE102012105466A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a vibrator (1) comprising a vibrator part (3) and an operating part (5) which is connected to the vibrator part (3). The vibrator (1) has an electric motor (7) which is used as a vibration generator, an energy store, and a control unit (13), and the operating part (5) has a housing (17) and at least one operating element (15, 16). The vibrator (1) is characterized in that the vibrator (1) additionally has a wireless data communication device (20) which is connected to the control unit (13), and a camera element (19) is integrated into the operating part (5), said camera element being connected to the wireless data communication device. The wireless data communication device (20) is designed to transmit data generated by the camera element (19) to a remote display device.

Description

vibrator

The present invention relates to a vibrator according to the preamble of claim 1. Vibrators are adult toys used for sexual stimulation, massage or medical applications in a person. For this purpose, the vibrator generates vibrations or, in general, vibrations and / or movements, which are usually generated by an electric motor with imbalance. In order to stimulate a person using the vibrator, the vibrator is brought into contact with particularly sensitive parts of the body, for example with the external or internal sex organs. For this purpose, the vibrator is placed on these body parts or introduced into this, for example, vaginal. The vibrations generated by the vibrator irritate the affected body parts. Such vibrators are described for example in DE 20 2009 008 634 U1 or DE 20 2009 007 125 U1.

Today, the erotic industry makes a large part of their sales via the Internet, especially by providing photos and videos for a fee. In the process, an interaction between the customer and the service provider is increasingly being used, for example through the communication via webcams or smartphones with appropriate application programs (apps), whereby the customer receives video and audio signals from a service provider over the Internet in real time. With the further development of the technical possibilities, new communication and interaction possibilities between customer and service provider are being sought via the Internet medium. The use of a vibrator by the service provider is a popular option.

US 2007/0055096 A1 discloses a vibrator with a control device and a Bluetooth communication device, whereby the vibrator is suitable for establishing a connection with a Bluetooth device such as a telephone, a PC or a television and for audio / video data from or to play on this device.

DE 20 2010 013 764 U1 discloses a vibrator with a camera firmly connected thereto. The single embodiment describes a plug-in at one end of the vibrator holder on which the camera is plugged. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a vibrator which opens up new possibilities for the data communication exchange and the interaction between customer and service provider and, in particular, enables the customer to observe the use of the vibrator and to control its function in real time.

This object is solved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims. According to the invention, a vibrator is provided with a vibrator part and an operating part connected to the vibrator part, the vibrator having an electric motor serving as a vibrator, an energy storage and a control unit, and wherein the control unit comprises a housing and at least one operating element, wherein the vibrator with the Control unit connected wireless data communication device up. It is characterized in that in the control panel, a camera element is integrated, which is connected to the wireless data communication device, the control panel having a protruding from the surface of the housing portion with window for the camera element, with the surface of the housing a liquid-resistant, substantially forms seamless transition, wherein the wireless Datenkommunikationseinrich- is adapted to transfer data generated by the camera element data to a remote display device. With the vibrator according to the invention, it is possible to transmit images or videos, in particular close-up shots of the environment of use, wirelessly to one or more remote display devices during use of the vibrator. The vibrator can thus be controlled, for example, with a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone via an application program (App).

The projecting area enlarges the field of view of the camera element, preferably in the direction of the vibrator part. Thus, for example, close-ups of the external genitals during use of the vibrator are possible.

Preferably, the functions or even the programming of the vibrator by means of the wireless data communication device from a remote control device can be controlled remotely. This has the technical effect that an observer not involved in the immediate use of the vibrator can control the use. Especially in connection with the image supplied by the camera element, new ones are offered here so far unknown interaction possibilities. It is also possible via the wireless data communication device from the outside, z. B. from an app to play certain programs for the vibrator function in the controller of the vibrator. With particular advantage, the at least one operating element is designed as a rotary wheel integrated in the housing of the operating part. The rotary wheel controls, for example, the vibration intensity and can serve as an on and off switch of the vibrator. The rotary wheel integrated into the control unit has proved to be a particularly cost-effective and reliable variant of an operating element, and it is also reliable in function and simple in its construction. In particular, it has a reliable operability in the state of reduced fine motor skills during an excitation phase and a good haptic even in extreme conditions such as darkness or with reduced surface adhesion caused by body or lubricating fluids. The rotary wheel closes advantageously liquid-tight with the surface of the control panel.

With further advantage, the control unit on the outside of the housing on two electrical charging contacts, which are formed liquid-tight. The material of the charging contacts is preferably corrosion-protected steel. With these charging contacts, the vibrator can be recharged in a simple manner in a suitably trained charger or a charging tray. Due to the liquid tightness, the high hygienic requirements for all external components of the vibrator are taken into account.

With further advantage, the control unit has at least one display area which is suitable for displaying the functional state of the vibrator. In this case, the display area can be designed as a pressure-sensitive switching or control element. This results in a particularly simple operation, because a pressing on the pressure-sensitive switching element changes the functional state of the vibrator and displays at the same time, for example by a corresponding illumination. This lighting is advantageously realized by the fact that the control panel has at least one light emitting diode (LED). LEDs provide cost-effective and energy-saving light sources, which can also be designed in a wide variety of colors. This color needs of customers of different types can be realized, which can be played for example as a predetermined color gradients from the outside via an app in the control device of the vibrator. Another advantage is the The outer shell of the vibrator is designed to be translucent in the region of the LEDs, ie the light from the LED can shine through the outer shell without the components being visible from the outside. With particular advantage, the wireless data communication device is designed as a Bluetooth or WLAN module. Such data transmission standards (eg Bluetooth 1 .0 to 4.0 with low energy) provide sufficiently high data transmission rates which are suitable for the transmission of photos or videos, if appropriate also in 3D, in addition to an audio signal. In particular, these standards are suitable for providing PAL, NTSC, DV or HDTV video data in real time so that interactive remote use is supported.

It has proved to be particularly advantageous that the control unit and the wireless data communication device are integrally formed. This results in a simple, space-saving construction of the control unit. The control unit can have a memory device which can serve, for example, for buffering the program, image and video data.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the vibrator according to the invention; FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a section of a further embodiment of the vibrator according to the invention; FIG. and

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of the vibrator according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of a vibrator 1 according to the invention, wherein some elements are shown in a cross-sectional view, others in plan view. The substantially cylindrical or rod-shaped vibrator 1 comprises a vibrator part 3 and an operating part 5 connected to the vibrator part, which adjoin one another in the middle section of the vibrator 1. The vibrator part 3 is at the front (in FIG. 1) left) is usually rounded and has inside an electric motor 7 with internal flywheel, which is arranged on the left in Fig. 1 and working as a vibration generator with imbalance causes the vibration of the vibrator 1, and arranged approximately in the middle of the vibrator energy storage. 9 In the preferred embodiment, the energy storage 9 is designed as a lithium-ion battery, which offers a favorable price / performance ratio and takes into account the somewhat increased power consumption due to the wireless data communication device. Of course, other types of energy storage can be used, such as nickel-cadmium batteries, lithium polymer memory or the like, which allow a total runtime of the vibrator with data communication function and camera element of a few hours. Between the electric motor 7 and energy storage 9, a polyethylene foam existing cavity filling 10 is arranged. The vibrator part surrounds a silicone shell 1 1, as it is commonly used in such vibrators. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, RTV silicone is used, which complies with the special hygiene regulations or guidelines. The silicone cover is smooth, but may have conventional configurations such as additional bulges or grooves or waves, etc.

The control unit 5 arranged on the right in FIG. 1 comprises a control unit 13 in the interior, at least one operating element 15, a housing 17 and a camera element 19. The operating part 5 is preferably made of a thermoplastic material, such as, for example. B. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) is formed. At the right end, the operating part 5 has a marking part 21 which, for example, is colored by the surface color of the housing 17 and preferably also made of ABS. The identification part 21 is exchangeable and may, for example, have a manufacturer's name or a logo. The control unit 13 is connected via electrical lines 14 to the energy storage 9, the electric motor 7 and the camera element 19. The electrical lines 14 may be designed as a cable band, in particular the connection between the camera element 19 and the control unit 13 are electrically connected to the control unit 13 are also two charging contacts 23 made of corrosion-resistant steel, which are guided liquid-tight on the outside of the housing 17. The connection between the control unit 13 and the charging contacts 23 does not necessarily have to be direct, as shown in FIG. 1, but can also run via flexible electrical lines.

On the lateral surface, the operating part 5 has, near the transition to the vibrator part 3, a projecting area 25 which is provided with an optical passage or window 26 is provided so that a field of view for the camera element 19 opens, facing in the direction of the front end of the vibrator. The protruding region 25 is preferably made of ABS and fitted in a recess of the housing 17 and forms with the surface of the housing 17 a liquid-resistant, substantially seamless transition. The protruding portion 25 is formed as a removable insert, preferably together with the window 26 and the camera element 19. The material of the window or optical passage 26 is preferably PMMA, PC or equivalent material. The camera element 19 comprises a commercially available optical sensor or chip with high photosensitivity, as used, for example, in mobile telephones. Integrated into this can be an optical or digital zoom function. Optionally, in addition to the optical sensor, a light source, such as LEDs for shooting in complete darkness may be formed. Even night-time shots with infrared light source and infrared sensor in the camera element 19 are possible.

The control unit 13 comprises a motherboard having wireless data communication means (not shown in FIG. 1) disposed thereon. The wireless data communication device in the preferred embodiment is a Bluetooth chip that provides sufficient communication bandwidth to wirelessly transmit images in real time from the camera element 19 to a remotely located display. As an example of such a display is called a mobile phone with Bluetooth function. Likewise, it is possible for the images to be sent from the wireless data communication device to a remote computer (PC, laptop, tablet computer or the like) or a suitably equipped Bluetooth bluetooth TV connected to the Internet and, for example, can transmit videos over a corresponding sized data line. The control device 13 may comprise one or more data memories 24 for load and function programs as well as for the (intermediate) storage of the data to be transmitted.

The control element 15 has a control panel insert made of solid, translucent TPE, below which a pressure-sensitive switching element or feeler element 12 is arranged, as described in detail with reference to FIG. 2. In this context, translucency refers to the fact that the control panel insert allows LEDs to be transilluminated, but external-internal viewing is not possible. With The control element 15 embodied as a feeler element 12 can be used, for example, to control various functional programs of the vibrator, and this is particularly simple because it can be operated with one hand with a short finger pressure. These function programs are preferably stored in the data memory 24 and can be externally loaded via the wireless data communication device 20 by means of an application program (app) of a remote device, eg a smartphone.

The charging of the energy store 9 via the charging contacts 23 takes place, for example, via a charging shell or charging attachment, which is connected via USB to a corresponding connection (type A, 5V,> 500 mAh) in order to be charged. Preferably, the charge attachment is magnetically held on the charging contacts.

In order to ensure the data transmission by means of the wireless data communication device and not to disturb, an electromagnetic shield towards the electric motor 7 is provided (not shown in Fig. 1). The energy storage 9 has an overvoltage protection, which protects the energy storage 9 from damage due to overcharging. Furthermore, for the vibration decoupling between the vibration part 3 and the camera element 19, buffer elements made of foam or a similar material can be arranged.

FIG. 2 shows the end of the vibrator 1 directed toward the operating part 5 in a further embodiment of the vibrator according to the invention. The cross-sectional view from FIG. 2 shows, in addition to the elements already described with reference to FIG. 1, in particular a further operating element which is designed as a rotary wheel 16. The advantage of the rotary wheel 16 is similar to the probe element that it can be operated in a very simple way with one hand and even with one finger.

The rotary wheel 16, preferably formed from ABS, has an axis 27 which is mounted with bearing elements 28 in the housing 17 of the control unit 5. The axis 27 is connected to a potentiometer 18 as an adjusting device, which is electrically connected via lines 14 to the control unit 13. Other current or voltage regulators may be used, such as transistors or other sensors. By means of latching elements (not shown), the axis 27 of the rotary wheel 16 can be latched in certain positions, which in turn correspond to the corresponding functional positions of the vibrator 1. The control logic of the rotary wheel 16 is for example in a memory module the control unit 13 stored. The bearing of the axis 27 of the rotary wheel 16 is sealed by O-rings, so that even with the rotary wheel results in a liquid-tight seal that meets the relevant standards. On the potentiometer 18 opposite portion of the axis 27, the control element 15 is arranged with probe element 12 and control panel insert. In Fig. 2 it can be seen that the probe element 12 is also connected via lines 14 to the control unit 13. The probe element 12 has a spring element and optionally a detent point in order to provide the user with a pleasant use with feedback. A designed as an LED lighting device 29, which is preferably arranged to save space on the motherboard, illuminates the control panel insert of the control element 15 evenly, which is formed of transparent TPE. Within the control panel 5 further LEDs may be arranged, for example, to illuminate the rotary knob 16 or other controls.

Firmly connected to the main board forming the control unit 13 is the wireless data communication device designed as a Bluetooth chip 20.

A frame element 22 serves to receive and fix the essential components in the interior of the vibrator 1. Thus, for example, the silicone shell 1 1 is glued to it and the controller 13, the energy storage device 9 and the potentiometer 18 connected thereto. The control panel 5 is sealed via an O-ring relative to the frame member 22 and screwed it. The surfaces of the silicone shell 1 1 and the control panel 5 and the inserts and protruding areas are essentially seamlessly into one another. The silicone cover sits on the control unit in a form-fitting manner, optionally with slight pressure. So that the vibrator meets the requirements for liquid resistance in accordance with protection class IP67 of DIN EN 60529 (dustproof and protection against temporary immersion), the silicone sheath can additionally be glued to the control panel.

It is understood that the arrangement and size of the individual components can be changed within the vibrator to save space and, for example, to allow a more compact design of the vibrator as a so-called minivibrator. Depending on the functional features of the vibrator, more than one pressure-sensitive switching element or probe element can be arranged on the control panel, for example, each one probe element by about 90 ° relative to the wheel ver versetzt, each probe element can have different illumination colors for different functional states.

Such a modified embodiment is shown in FIG. The essential design difference from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that the control device or main circuit board 13 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vibrator 1. Furthermore, in FIG. 3, a memory device 24 can be seen on the mainboard 13, which can serve for the temporary storage of programs and images or videos. The protruding area 25 with the camera element 19 and the optical passage or window 26 is slightly differently shaped than in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

With the object according to the invention, a vibrator is provided, which opens up new possibilities for data communication exchange and the interaction between customer and service provider and in particular enables the customer to observe the use of the vibrator and to control its function in real time.

Claims

claims

A vibrator (1) having a vibrator part (3) and a control part (5) connected to the vibrator part (3), the vibrator (1) having an electric motor (7) serving as a vibration generator, an energy store and a control unit (13) the operating part (5) has a housing (17) and at least one operating element (15, 16), and wherein the vibrator (1) has a wireless data communication device (20) which is connected to the control unit (13), characterized in that the operating part (5) a camera element (19) is integrated, which is connected to the wireless data communication device, the operating part (5) from the surface of the housing (17) protruding portion (25) with window for the camera element (19), which with the surface of the housing forms a fluid-tight, substantially seamless transition, wherein the wireless data communication device (20) is adapted to data generated by the camera element (19) to transfer to a remote display device.

Vibrator (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the functions of the vibrator (1) by means of the wireless data communication device (20) are remotely controllable from a remote device.

Vibrator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating element as in the housing (17) of the operating part (5) integrated rotary wheel (16) is formed. Vibrator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating part (5) on the outside of the housing (17) has two corrosion-protected, electrical charging contacts (23) which are formed liquid-tight.

Vibrator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating part (5) has at least one display region which is suitable for displaying the functional state of the vibrator (1).

Vibrator (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the display area as a pressure-sensitive switching element (12) is formed.

Vibrator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating part (5) has at least one light-emitting diode or LED (29).

Vibrator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wireless data communication device (20) is designed as a Bluetooth or WLAN module.

Vibrator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (13) and the wireless data communication device (20) are integrally formed.