EP4552811A1

EP4552811A1 - Shaving unit for an electric shaver with hair-cutting units surrounded by individually decouplable covering members

Info

Publication number: EP4552811A1
Application number: EP24150132.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Liangwei TAN; Wai Ho LI; Jun Zhang
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2023-11-13
Filing date: 2024-01-03
Publication date: 2025-05-14
Also published as: CN222079336U; CN119974073A

Abstract

The invention provides a shaving unit (5) for an electric shaver (1). The shaving unit (5) comprises two hair-cutting units (7a, 7b) retained in an operational position relative to a base member (19) by two retaining members (21a, 21b). The base member comprises two receiving members (23a, 23b) configured to receive and accommodate the hair-cutting units and the retaining members in their operational positions. The shaving unit comprises, for each receiving member, a covering member (29a, 29b) which is individually couplable to and decouplable from the base member independently from the covering member of the other receiving member and configured to surround and cover the respective receiving member.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a shaving unit for an electric shaver, comprising a base member, at least two hair-cutting units supported by the base member and, for each respective one of the hair-cutting units, a retaining member associated with the respective hair-cutting unit and configured to retain the respective hair-cutting unit in an operational position relative to the base member, wherein the base member comprises, for each respective one of the hair-cutting units, a receiving member associated with the respective hair-cutting unit and configured to receive and accommodate the respective hair-cutting unit and its associated retaining member in said operational position.
The invention further relates to an electric shaver comprising a main body accommodating an electric motor; and a shaving unit as described here before coupled to the main body such that each hair-cutting unit of the shaving unit is drivable by the electric motor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A shaving unit and an electric shaver as described in the section "field of the invention" are generally known. The hair-cutting units of the known shaving unit may comprise an external cutting member with hair-entry openings and an internal cutting member with a plurality of hair-cutting elements covered by the external cutting member. The external cutting member may be supported in a stationary or floating position relative to the base member. The internal cutting member is movable relative to the external cutting member, so that hairs penetrating the hair-entry openings of the external cutting member may be cut by the moving hair-cutting elements of the internal cutting member. The internal cutting member may be rotating or linearly reciprocating relative to the external cutting member.
A shaving unit as described in the section "field of the invention" with two hair-cutting units with rotating internal cutting members is disclosed by CN 214924649 U . This known shaving unit has a head cover with two openings in its upper wall which are configured to receive and accommodate the two hair-cutting units. The hair-cutting units are coupled to and supported by a holder comprising a separate retaining member for each hair-cutting unit. The holder is releasably couplable to an interior space of the head cover by means of a locking assembly so that, in the coupled condition of the holder, the hair-cutting units are supported by the head cover via the holder and retained in an operational position relative to the head cover.
A shaving unit as described in the section "field of the invention" with three hair-cutting units with rotating internal cutting members is disclosed by EP 3 107 698 B1 in the name of the applicant. This known shaving unit has a lower base member and an upper base member which is releasably coupled to the lower base member. The three hair-cutting units are arranged in and supported by the upper base member. For this purpose, the upper base member comprises, for each respective one of the three hair-cutting units, an annular skin-supporting member which is configured to receive and accommodate the respective hair-cutting unit. Each respective hair-cutting unit is retained within the annular skin-supporting member associated with the respective hair-cutting unit by means of a retainer, which is releasably couplable to the associated skin-supporting member. The retainer retains the respective hair-cutting unit in an operational position relative to the upper base member. The annular skin-supporting members are each pivotally mounted to the upper base member so that, during use, the orientations of the hair-cutting units may be adjusted to the local contours of the user's skin to remain proper contact between the hair-cutting units and the user's skin.
A disadvantage of the known shaving units as described here before is that the general appearance of the shaving units is immutable. Some users, however, might desire to be able to change the general appearance of the shaving unit to increase the experience of using the shaving unit and the electric shaver comprising the shaving unit. A change of the general appearance might, e.g., involve a change of the color or outer-surface texture of particular parts of the shaving unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shaving unit as described in the section "field of the invention" enabling the user to change the general appearance of the shaving unit in an easy and user-friendly manner. In particular, the user should be able to change the general appearance of the shaving unit without needing to disassemble the main parts of the shaving unit, in particular without needing to disassemble or remove the hair-cutting units.
According to a first aspect of the invention, to achieve the above-mentioned object a shaving unit having the features as mentioned in the section "field of the invention" here before is characterized in that the shaving unit comprises, for each respective one of the receiving members, a covering member which:

in a condition wherein the respective hair-cutting unit associated with the respective receiving member is retained in the operational position relative to the base member by the retaining member associated with the respective hair-cutting unit, is individually couplable to and decouplable from the base member independently from the covering member(s) of the other receiving member(s);
is configured and arranged to surround and cover the respective receiving member when the covering member is coupled to the base member; and
has an opening via which the respective hair-cutting unit, in its operational position relative to the base member, protrudes relative to the covering member when the covering member is coupled to the base member.

In a shaving unit according to the invention, a covering member is provided for each of the receiving members of the base member which receive and accommodate the hair-cutting units. In a condition wherein the hair-cutting units are retained in their operational positions relative to the base member by means of the retaining members, the covering members are each individually couplable to and decouplable from the base member independently from any other of the covering members. In other words, a user can decouple each covering member individually and separately from the base member while the hair-cutting units and the other covering member(s) remain in their operational positions within the shaving unit. Because the covering members are each configured to surround and cover a respective one of the receiving members when the covering member is coupled to the base member, the covering members determine to a considerable degree the general appearance of the shaving unit. Provided that the covering members each have said opening via which the respective hair-cutting unit protrudes relative to the covering member, i.e., in order to be able to contact the user's skin during use, the covering members may for the rest fully or substantially fully cover the receiving members in order to keep the receiving members out of the user's sight. Thus, by replacing one or more of the covering members by one or more covering members having a different appearance compared with the appearance of the replaced covering member(s), a user can easily change the general appearance of the shaving unit. Because, when decoupling the covering members, the main parts of the shaving unit, in particular the hair-cutting units, remain in their operational positions relative to the base member, the replacement of the covering members does not require any further disassembly of the shaving unit and, accordingly, can be performed by the user in an easy and user-friendly manner.
In order to enable the user to realize said different general appearances of the shaving unit, preferably the shaving unit comprises, for each respective one of the receiving members, at least two covering members that are each selectively couplable to the base member to surround and cover the respective receiving member, wherein the at least two covering members have mutually different colors, shapes and/or outer-surface textures. The shaving unit may be provided with a set of such mutually different covering members from which the user, based on his or her personal wishes, may select those specific covering members to be coupled to the base member. Thus, in the example of a shaving unit with two hair-cutting units, the user may, e.g., equip the shaving unit with two covering members having mutually different colors, which may provide a special user experience.
In an embodiment of the shaving unit according to the invention, each receiving member is arranged on a common carrier of the base member, and each covering member, when coupled to the base member to surround and cover a respective one of the receiving members, extends from the common carrier towards the respective hair-cutting unit associated with the respective receiving member. In this embodiment, since the covering members each extend from the common carrier of the base member to the respective hair-cutting unit which is usually arranged in an uppermost position on the base member, the covering members may determine the general appearance of the shaving unit to a relatively large degree. In particular, the common carrier may have a relatively small dimension in a main direction of extension of the covering members, so that the common carrier determines the general appearance of the shaving unit only to a relatively small degree. The common carrier may, e.g., be plate-shaped with the receiving members extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plate-shaped carrier. The common carrier may be releasably couplable to a main body of the electric shaver, so that the shaving unit, as a whole, is releasably couplable to the main body of the electric shaver. The user may thus remove the shaving unit from the main body of the electric shaver and couple a different functional unit to the main body, e.g., a nose trimmer unit or a beard trimmer unit, as is generally known to the person skilled in the art.
In a preferred embodiment of the shaving unit according to the invention, each covering member is couplable to the base member by means of a snap-fit connection. The snap-fit connections allow an easy and effortless decoupling and coupling of the covering members from and to the base member by the user.
In particular, each covering member may be couplable to the respective receiving member to surround and cover the respective receiving member. In such a case, snap-fit connections may be provided between the covering members and the receiving members.
In a shaving unit according to the invention, each hair-cutting unit may be of a rotary type wherein the hair-cutting unit comprises an external cutting member having an annular shaving area with hair-entry openings, and an internal cutting member which is covered by the external cutting member and rotatable relative to the external cutting member about a central axis of the hair-cutting unit. In a shaving unit with such rotary-type hair-cutting units, each covering member may have a mainly circularly cylindrical shape and, when coupled to the base member to surround and cover a respective one of the receiving members, may extend co-axially relative to the central axis of the hair-cutting unit associated with the respective receiving member. Such a mainly circularly cylindrical covering member will in general perfectly surround and cover the respective one of the receiving members associated with the covering member. The opening, via which the respective hair-cutting unit protrudes relative to the covering member, may be provided in an axial end portion of the circularly cylindrical covering member.
It is noted that the invention also covers shaving units having hair-cutting units of a different type than the rotary hair-cutting units as described herein before. A shaving unit according to the invention may, e.g., have at least two hair-cutting units of a linearly reciprocating type, wherein the external cutting member generally comprises an elongated foil with hair-entry openings and the internal cutting member is configured and arranged to linearly reciprocate relative to the external cutting member in two mutually opposite directions parallel to a direction of extension of the foil. It will be clear for the skilled person that, in such a shaving unit of the linearly reciprocating type, the receiving members and the covering members surrounding and covering the receiving members may generally have rectangular shapes in conformity with the circumferential shape of the foils of the external cutting members.
In a preferred embodiment of a shaving unit according to the invention, each retaining member is releasably couplable to the base member. This allows the user to decouple the retaining members from the base member, so that the user may remove the hair-cutting units retained by the retaining members from the shaving unit, e.g., to clean the hair-cutting units or replace the hair-cutting units when worn out.
In a particularly practical embodiment of the shaving unit according to the invention, the shaving unit comprises a common retaining structure for the hair-cutting units which includes the retaining members associated with the hair-cutting units. In this embodiment, the common retaining structure may comprise a central coupling portion which is releasably couplable to the base member and, for each respective one of the retaining members, a connecting element associated with the respective retaining member and connecting the respective retaining member to the central coupling portion. The connecting element of each respective retaining member may protrude from the central coupling portion into the receiving member associated with the respective retaining member when the central coupling portion is coupled to the base member. In this embodiment, a user may simply remove the hair-cutting units together from the shaving unit by decoupling the central coupling portion of the common retaining structure from the base member and removing the common retaining structure, with the hair-cutting units retained by the retaining members thereof, from the shaving unit. The connecting elements of the common retaining structure allow the operational positions of the hair-cutting units to be at a distance from the central coupling portion. This facilitates the placement of the hair-cutting units in their operational positions by the user, in particular when the receiving members of the base member are difficult for the user's fingers to access. Preferably, in this embodiment the central coupling portion is releasably couplable to the base member by means of a snap-fit connection, which will allow an easy and effortless decoupling and coupling of the common retaining structure from and to the base member by the user.
In embodiments of a shaving unit according to the invention wherein the retaining members are releasably couplable to the base member, preferably each hair-cutting unit is releasably couplable to the respective retaining member associated with the hair-cutting unit. This will enable the user to remove the retaining members, with the hair-cutting units retained thereon, from the shaving unit and subsequently to remove the hair-cutting units from the retaining members. This may facilitate the removal of the hair-cutting units from the shaving unit, in particular when each hair-cutting unit has two or more parts, e.g., an external cutting member and an internal cutting member.
In such embodiments wherein each hair-cutting unit is releasably couplable to the associated retaining member, and particularly when each hair-cutting unit is of a rotary type comprising an external cutting member having an annular shaving area with hair-entry openings and an internal cutting member which is covered by the external cutting member and rotatable relative to the external cutting member about a central axis of the hair-cutting unit, preferably each retaining member is configured to receive the respective hair-cutting unit associated with the retaining member into a coupled condition by a displacement of the respective hair-cutting unit relative to the retaining member in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the respective hair-cutting unit. In this manner each hair-cutting unit is couplable to and decouplable from the associated retaining member in a practical way. For this purpose, the external cutting member of each hair-cutting unit may comprise a circumferential flange, and each retaining member may comprise at least one guiding channel which, in the coupled condition of the respective hair-cutting unit associated with the retaining member, extends perpendicularly to the central axis of the respective hair-cutting unit to receive the flange of the external cutting member of the respective hair-cutting unit.
According to a second aspect of the invention, to achieve the above-mentioned object an electric shaver having the features as mentioned in the section "field of the invention" here before is characterized in that the shaving unit of the electric shaver is a shaving unit according to the invention as described here before. Preferably, the shaving unit is releasably coupled to the main body.
The above-described and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the following detailed description of embodiments of a shaving unit and an electric shaver with the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in greater detail with reference to the figures, in which equal or similar features are indicated by the same reference signs, and in which:

Figs. 1a-1c show an embodiment of an electric shaver according to the invention comprising a shaving unit according to the invention, wherein the shaving unit is shown with different sets of covering members;
Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the electric shaver of Figs. 1a-1c, wherein the main parts of the shaving unit are shown mutually separated;
Fig. 3 shows the electric shaver of Figs. 1a-1c with one of the covering members of the shaving unit decoupled from the shaving unit, and with the covering members shown in cross section along the line III-III in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 shows the electric shaver of Figs. 1a-1c with the shaving unit partially shown in cross section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 2 and decoupled from a main body of the electric shaver;
Fig. 5 shows the shaving unit of the electric shaver of Figs. 1a-1c with a common retaining structure for the hair-cutting units of the shaving unit decoupled from a base member of the shaving unit;
Fig. 6 shows the common retaining structure of the shaving unit of Fig. 5 with one of the hair-cutting units decoupled from the common retaining structure;
Fig. 7 shows a cross section of the shaving unit of the electric shaver of Figs. 1a-1c along the line VII-VII in Fig. 2;
Figs. 8a-8b show a coupling mechanism of the electric shaver of Figs. 1a-1c by means of which the shaving unit is releasably couplable to the main body of the electric shaver; and
Fig. 9 shows the electric shaver of Figs. 1a-1c with a nose trimmer unit coupled to the main body of the shaver.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Figs. 1a-1c show an embodiment of an electric shaver 1 according to the invention. The electric shaver 1 comprises a main body 3 which is configured to be held by a hand of a user. The main body 3 accommodates an electric motor, a battery configured to power the electric motor, and electronic components configured to control the electric motor. These parts of the electric shaver 1 accommodated by the main body 3 are well known to the skilled person and, therefore, are not shown in the figures and will not be described in further detail.
The electric shaver 1 comprises an embodiment of a shaving unit 5 according to the invention, which is coupled to the main body 3. In Fig. 2 the electric shaver 1 is shown in an exploded view, wherein the main parts of the shaving unit 5 are shown mutually separated. In this embodiment, the shaving unit 5 comprises two hair-cutting units 7a, 7b of a rotary type, which are well known to the skilled person and, therefore, will not be discussed in much detail. As shown in Fig. 2, each hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b comprises an external cutting member 9a, 9b having an annular shaving area 11a, 1 1b with hair-entry openings (not shown), and an internal cutting member 13a, 13b which, in an assembled condition of the shaving unit 5 as shown in Figs. 1a-1c, is covered by the external cutting member 9a, 9b and rotatable relative to the external cutting member 9a, 9b about a central axis 15a, 15b of the hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b. As shown in Fig. 2, the main body 3 has two drive spindles 17a, 17b which are rotatable by the electric motor in the main body 3. In the assembled condition of the electric shaver 1, with the shaving unit 5 coupled to the main body 3, each of the two drive spindles 17a, 17b engages with a respective one of the internal cutting members 13a, 13b such that the internal cutting members 13a, 13b are jointly rotatable by the electric motor.
As shown in Fig. 2, the shaving unit 5 comprises a base member 19 which is configured to support the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b in the assembled condition of the shaving unit 5. The shaving unit 5 further comprises, for each respective one of the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b, a retaining member 21a, 21b which is associated with the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b and configured to retain the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b in an operational position relative to the base member 19. The base member 19 comprises, for each respective one of the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b, a receiving member 23a, 23b which is associated with the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b and configured to receive and accommodate the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b and its associated retaining member 21a, 21b in said operational position in the assembled condition of the shaving unit 5. As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment each receiving member 23a, 23b has a partial circularly cylindrical wall 25 which surrounds a receiving space 27 for receiving and accommodating the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b together with its associated retaining member 21a, 21b.
As shown in Figs. 1a-1c and in Fig. 2, according to the present invention the shaving unit 5 comprises, for each respective one of the receiving members 23a, 23b of the base member 19, a covering member 29a, 29b. In a condition wherein the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b associated with the respective receiving member 23a, 23b is retained in the operational position relative to the base member 19 by the retaining member 21a, 21b associated with the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b as, e.g., shown in Fig. 1a, the covering member 29a, 29b associated with the respective receiving member 23a, 23b is individually couplable to and decouplable from the base member 19 independently from the covering member 29a, 29b of the other receiving member 23a, 23b. Furthermore, each covering member 29a, 29b is configured and arranged to surround and cover the respective receiving member 23a, 23b when the covering member 29a, 29b is coupled to the base member 19. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, each covering member 29a, 29b has an opening 31 via which the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b, in its operational position relative to the base member 19, protrudes relative to the covering member 29a, 29b when the covering member 29a, 29b is coupled to the base member 19, as shown in Figs. 1a-1c.
Because the covering members 29a, 29b are configured to surround and cover the receiving members 23a, 23b when the covering members 29a, 29b are coupled to the base member 19, the covering members 29a, 29b determine to a considerable degree the general appearance of the shaving unit 5, as shown in Figs. 1a-1c. The openings 31, via which the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b protrude relative to the covering members 29a, 29b, enable proper contact between the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b and the user's skin during use. Apart from the openings 31, the covering members 29a, 29b may fully or substantially fully cover the receiving members 23a, 23b in order to keep the receiving members 23a, 23b out of the user's sight in the assembled condition of the shaving unit 5. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1a-1c and Fig. 2, the covering members 29a, 29b each have a mainly circularly cylindrical shape, with the opening 31 being provided at an axial end portion of the covering member 29a, 29b. When the covering members 29a, 29b are coupled to the base member 19 to surround and cover the receiving members 23a, 23b, each covering member 29a, 29b extends co-axially relative to the central axis 15a, 15b of the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b associated with the respective receiving member 23a, 23b, as shown in Fig. 1a. As a result of their circularly cylindrical shapes, the covering members 29a, 29b will in general perfectly surround and cover the receiving members 23a, 23b.
In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1a-1c and Fig. 2, the extent to which the covering members 29a, 29b determine the general appearance of the shaving unit 5 is further increased as a result of the facts that the base member 19 has a common carrier 33, as shown in Fig. 2, onto which the receiving members 23a, 23b are arranged, and that the covering members 29a, 29b, when coupled to the base member 19 to surround and cover the receiving members 23a, 23b, each extend from the common carrier 33 towards the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b, as shown in Figs. 1a-1c. In particular, the common carrier 33 has a relatively small dimension in the axial direction of extension of the cylindrical covering members 29a, 29b when coupled to the base member 19, so that the common carrier 19 determines the general appearance of the shaving unit 5 only to a relatively small degree, as is visible in Figs. 1a-1c. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the common carrier 33 is substantially plate-shaped, and the receiving members 23a, 23b are integrally formed on the plate-shaped common carrier 33 and each extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plate-shaped common carrier 33.
Because according to the invention, for each respective one of the receiving members 23a, 23b of the base member 19 a separate covering member 29a, 29b is provided which is individually couplable to and decouplable from the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5 independently from the covering member 29a, 29b of the other receiving member 23a, 23b, a user of the electric shaver 1 can decouple each covering member 29a, 29b individually and separately from the base member 19 while the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b, the other covering member 29a, 29b and other parts of the shaving unit 5 remain in their assembled positions relative to the base member 19 within the shaving unit 5. In particular, the user may replace one of the covering members 29a, 29b or both covering members 29a, 29b by a covering member having a different appearance compared with the appearance of the replaced covering member 29a, 29b. For this purpose, in the embodiment shown in the figures the shaving unit 5 is, for each respective one of the receiving members 23a, 23b, provided with at least two covering members 29a, 29a'; 29b, 29b' which are each selectively couplable to the base member 19 to surround and cover the respective receiving member 23a, 23b. In particular, the at least two covering members 29a, 29a'; 29b, 29b' have mutually different colors, shapes, outer-surface textures and/or outer-surface decorations. Preferably, the shaving unit 5 may be provided with a plurality of such mutually different covering members from which the user, based on his or her personal wishes, may select those specific covering members to be coupled to the base member 19. As an example, Figs. 1a-1c show the shaving unit 5 in three different configurations, wherein the shaving unit 5 is respectively provided with a first set of covering members 29a, 29b (Fig. 1a), a second set of covering members 29a', 29b' (Fig. 1b), and a third set of covering members 29a", 29b" (Fig. 1c) having mutually different outer-surface textures. As shown in Figs. 1a-1c, the different sets of covering members 29a, 29b; 29a', 29b'; 29a", 29b" provide a special user experience as a result of the different appearances of the shaving unit 5. A user can thus easily change the general appearance of the shaving unit 5 without the need to disassemble any other parts of the shaving unit 5, in particular the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b.
It is noted that the invention also covers embodiments wherein the shaving unit is provided with three or more than three hair-cutting units of a rotary type. In such alternative embodiments, in general an individually removable covering member as described in detail herein before is provided for the receiving member of each hair-cutting unit. A skilled person will be readily able to realize a shaving unit with three or more hair-cutting units of a rotary-type and with three or more corresponding covering members based on the description of the embodiment of the shaving unit 5 with the two hair-cutting units 7a, 7b herein before.
To enable the user to decouple and couple the covering members 29a, 29b in an easily and effortless manner from and to the base member 19, in the embodiment shown in the figures each covering member 29a, 29b is couplable to the base member 19 by means of a snap-fit connection. In particular, in this embodiment the snap-fit connections are provided between the covering members 29a, 29b and the receiving members 23a, 23b of the base member 19, so that each covering member 29a, 29b is couplable directly to the respective receiving member 23a, 23b to surround and cover the respective receiving member 23a, 23b. The components of the snap-fit connections between the covering members 29a, 29b and the receiving members 23a, 23b are visible in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3, wherein Fig. 3 shows the electric shaver 1 in its assembled condition but with one of the covering members 29b decoupled from the shaving unit 5 and shows the covering members 29a, 29b in cross section along the line III-III in Fig. 2. The snap-fit connections each comprise a pair of balls 35 and a pair of elastically deformable slots 37 configured to receive and hold the balls 35. As shown in Fig. 2, the slots 37 are provided in diametrically opposite positions on the cylindrical wall 25 of each receiving member 23a, 23b. As shown in Fig. 3, the balls 35 are provided in diametrically opposite positions on an inner wall of each covering member 29a, 29b. It is noted that in Fig. 3 only one ball 35 of the pair of balls 35 is visible on each covering member 29a, 29b. Fig. 3 shows the covering member 29a in a condition coupled to the receiving member 23a, with the balls 35 of the covering member 29a in engagement with the corresponding slots 37 in the receiving member 23a. Fig. 3 shows the covering member 29b in a condition individually decoupled from the receiving member 23b. It is evident for the skilled person that the covering members 29a, 29b may be releasably couplable to another part of the base member 19, e.g., the common carrier 33, and that instead of the snap-fit connections another type of connecting structure may be applied between the covering members 29a, 29b and the base member 19, such as a bayonet coupling or similar releasable coupling structures.
Fig. 4 shows the electric shaver 1 with the shaving unit 5 decoupled from the main body 3. In this decoupled condition of the shaving unit 5, the user is able to remove the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b from the shaving unit 5, e.g., to clean the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b or to replace the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b when worn out. To enable the user to remove the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b from the shaving unit 5, each retaining member 21a, 21b is releasably couplable to the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5. Fig. 5 shows the shaving unit 5 with the retaining members 21a, 21b, together with the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b retained thereby, in a condition decoupled from the base member 19. As shown, in this embodiment the retaining members 21a, 21b are parts of and integrally formed on a common retaining structure 39 for the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b. This allows the user to simply remove the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b together from the shaving unit 5 by decoupling the common retaining structure 39, with the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b retained thereby, from the base member 19 and removing the common retaining structure 39 from the base member 19. It is however noted that, in alternative embodiments, the retaining members 21a, 21b may be embodied as separate components of the shaving unit 5 configured to separately retain the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b in their operational positions relative to the base member 19 and the receiving members 23a, 23b.
As shown in Fig. 5, the common retaining structure 39 of the shaving unit 5 comprises a central coupling portion 41 and, for each respective one of the retaining members 21a, 21b, a connecting element 43a, 43b associated with the respective retaining member 21a, 21b and connecting the respective retaining member 21a, 21b to the central coupling portion 41.
The central coupling portion 41 of the common retaining structure 39 is releasably couplable to the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the central coupling portion 41 is releasably couplable to the common carrier 33 of the base member 19 by means of a snap-fit connection. The components of the snap-fit connection between the central coupling portion 41 of the common retaining structure 39 and the common carrier 33 of the base member 19 are partially visible in the partial cross section of the shaving unit 5 shown in Fig. 4, which shows the common retaining structure 39 with the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b retained thereby in a condition coupled to the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5. The components of said snap-fit connection are shown in further detail in the enlarged view A of Fig. 4. As shown, said snap-fit connection comprises a boss 45 which is integrally formed on a bottom side of the common carrier 33 of the base member 19 in a central position between the receiving members 23a, 23b. Said snap-fit connection further comprises two bosses 47a, 47b which are each integrally formed on the central coupling portion 41 of the common retaining structure 39 in positions facing each other. Fig. 4 shows the boss 45 formed on the base member 19 snap-fitted with the bosses 47a, 47b formed on the common retaining structure 39, as a result of which the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b are retained in their operational positions relative to the base member 19 by the retaining members 21a, 21b of the common retaining structure 39. The snap-fit connection between the base member 19 and the common retaining structure 39 will allow an easy and effortless decoupling and coupling of the common retaining structure 39, together with the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b retained thereby, from and to the base member 19 by the user. It is however noted that alternative releasable coupling structures, which will be well-known to the skilled person, may be used to releasably couple the common retaining structure 39 to the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5.
When the central coupling portion 41 of the common retaining structure 39 is coupled to the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5 as shown in Fig. 4, the connecting elements 43a, 43b of the common retaining structure 39 each protrude from the central coupling portion 41 into a respective one of the receiving members 23a, 23b of the base member 19. The connecting elements 43a, 43b thus allow the operational positions of the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b to be at a distance from the central coupling portion 41. This facilitates the placement of the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b in their operational positions by the user, in particular when the receiving members 23a, 23b of the base member 19 are difficult to access for the user's fingers. In particular, the connecting elements 43a, 43b allow the receiving members 23a, 23b and the covering members 29a, 29b covering and surrounding the receiving members 23a, 23b to extend and protrude over a relatively long distance from the common carrier 33 of the base member 19, without obstructing the user to easily place and remove the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b when necessary. As a result, the covering members 29a, 29b may largely determine the appearance of the shaving unit 5.
Fig. 7 shows a cross section of the shaving unit 5 in its assembled condition and decoupled from the main body 3 of the electric shaver 1. In particular, Fig. 7 shows the common carrier 33 of the base member 19, with the receiving members 23a, 23b integrally formed on and extending from the common carrier 33, and with the boss 45 integrally formed on the bottom side of the common carrier 33. Fig. 7 further shows the central coupling portion 41, the retaining members 21a, 21b and the connecting elements 43a, 43b of the common retaining structure 39, with the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b retained in their operational positions relative to the base member 19 by means of the retaining members 21a, 21b, and with the two bosses 47a, 47b integrally formed on the central coupling portion 41 engaging the boss 45 formed on the common carrier 33. Fig. 7 also shows the covering members 29a, 29b surrounding and covering the receiving members 23a, 23b, with the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b protruding relative to the covering members 29a, 29b via the openings 31 and with the balls 35 provided on the covering members 29a, 29b engaging the slots 37 provided in the receiving members 23a, 23b.
In the embodiment shown in the figures, each hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b of the shaving unit 5 is releasably couplable to the respective retaining member 21a, 21b associated with the hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b in a manner to be described in detail herein after. As a result, the user can easily remove the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b from the shaving unit 5 by first removing the common retaining structure 39, with the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b retained thereon by the retaining members 21a, 21b, from the shaving unit 5 and by subsequently removing the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b from the retaining members 21a, 21b. It is however noted that the invention also covers embodiments wherein the hair-cutting units are not couplable to the retaining members. In such alternative embodiments, the retaining members may each be releasably couplable to the base member in such way that, when the retaining members are coupled to the base member, the hair-cutting units are merely enclosed between the retaining members and parts of the base member to which the retaining members are coupled, without being coupled to the retaining members.
In the condition shown in Fig. 5, wherein the shaving unit 5 is decoupled from the main body 3 of the electric shaver 1 and wherein the common retaining structure 39 is decoupled from the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5, the user can remove the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b from the common retaining structure 39 by decoupling the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b from the retaining members 21a, 21b. Fig. 6 shows the common retaining structure 39 with one of the hair-cutting units 7a coupled to the associated retaining member 21a and with the other hair-cutting unit 7b decoupled from the associated retaining member 21b. As shown in Fig. 6 for the retaining member 21b, each retaining member 21a, 21b is configured to receive the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b associated with the respective retaining member 21a, 21b into a coupled condition by a displacement of the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b relative to the retaining member 21a, 21b in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 15a, 15b of the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b, as indicated by the arrow D in Fig. 6. In the embodiment shown in the figures, for this purpose the retaining members 21a, 21b each comprise two guiding channels 49 which are arranged in diametrically opposite positions on the respective retaining member 21a, 21b, as shown in Fig. 6. When the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b is coupled to the respective retaining member 21a, 21b, the guiding channels 49 extend perpendicularly to the central axis 15a, 15b of the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b. The guiding channels 49 are configured and arranged to receive and hold a circumferential flange 51 which is provided on the external cutting member 9a, 9b of the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b.
Furthermore, the circumferential flange 51 of the external cutting member 9a, 9b of each hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b is provided with two recesses 53 arranged in diametrically opposite positions relative to the central axis 15a, 15b. It is noted that in Fig. 6 only one of the two recesses 53 in the flange 51 of the external cutting member 9b of the hair-cutting unit 7b is visible. The receiving members 21a, 21b each comprise an arresting element 55 which is configured and arranged to engage with one of the two recesses 53 in the flange 51 of the external cutting member 9a, 9b when the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b is coupled to the respective receiving member 21a, 21b. The engagement of the arresting elements 55 with the recesses 53 in the flanges 51 of the external cutting members 9a, 9b prevents rotation of the external cutting members 9a, 9b about the central axes 15a, 15b under the influence of contact with the rotating internal cutting members 13a, 13b during operation of the electric shaver 1.
Furthermore, the retaining members 21a, 21b each comprise a pair of elastically deformable arms 57, each having an end portion on which an abutment element 59 is provided. It is noted that in Fig. 6 only the arms 57 and the abutment elements 59 of the retaining member 21b are visible. When the user places the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b into the respective receiving member 21a, 21b, the abutment elements 59 will engage a lower side of the flange 51 of the external cutting member 9a, 9b of the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b. As a result, the arms 57 will be slightly deflected downwardly, so that the arms 57 will exert a biasing force on the flange 51 of the external cutting member 9a, 9b of the respective hair-cutting unit 7a, 7b via the abutment elements 59. Said biasing force assists to retain the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b in their operational positions within the receiving members 21a, 21b.
As mentioned herein before, the shaving unit 5 is releasably couplable to the main body 3 of the electric shaver 1. In the embodiment shown in the figures, in particular the common carrier 33 of the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5 is releasably couplable to the main body 3. Figs. 8a-8b show a coupling mechanism provided on the main body 3 and configured to cooperate with the common carrier 33 of the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5 to enable the shaving unit 5 to be coupled to and decoupled from the main body 3 by the user. The coupling mechanism comprises a sliding plate 61 which is provided with a push button 63 that can be operated by the user. The sliding plate 61 is provided on an upper wall 65 of the main body 3 and is guided relative to the upper wall 65 by means of a guiding structure, not indicated in the figures, so as to be displaceable in two opposite directions indicated by arrows S, S' in Figs. 8a-8b. The sliding plate 61 has two openings 67a, 67b through which the drive spindles 17a, 17b extend. The drive spindles 17a, 17b are not shown in Figs. 8a-8b. The coupling mechanism further has a spring, also not shown in the figures, arranged to bias the sliding plate 61 into a rest position as shown in Fig. 8a, wherein the push button 63 protrudes from the main body 3. The sliding plate 61 is provided with four latching elements 69a, 69b, 69c, 69d, which are arranged on a circumferential edge of the sliding plate 61. Figs. 8a-8b further show, in cross section, a circumferential flange 71 which is provided on the bottom side of the common carrier 33 of the base member 19. The circumferential flange 71 is also indicated in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 7. In the rest position of the sliding plate 61 as shown in Fig. 8a, the latching elements 69a-69d each engage a respective one of four latching recesses 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d which are provided on an inner side of the circumferential flange 71 of the common carrier 33, so that the shaving unit 5 is firmly coupled to the main body 3. The latching recesses 73a and 73d are also visible in Fig. 7. In order to decouple the shaving unit 5 from the main body 3, the user needs to press the push button 63 against the biasing force applied to the sliding plate 61, so that the sliding plate 61 will be displaced in the direction S from the rest position shown in Fig. 8a into the unlatching position shown in Fig. 8b. In said unlatching position of the sliding plate 61, the latching elements 69a-69d will each be released from the corresponding latching recesses 73a-73d, as shown in Fig. 8b, so that the user can remove the shaving unit 5 from the main body 3. It is noted that the push button 63 is only shown in Figs. 8a and 8b, and not shown in the other figures. It will be clear for the skilled person that, e.g., in the view on the electric shaver 1 as shown in Figs. 1a-1c, the push button 63 may be arranged centrally on the main body 3 in a position immediately below the common carrier 33 of the base member 19 of the shaving unit 5.
By decoupling the shaving unit 5 from the main body 3, the user is enabled to remove the common retaining structure 39 carrying the hair-cutting units 7a, 7b from the shaving unit 5, as described in detail herein before. Alternatively, the user may decouple the shaving unit 5 from the main body 3 in order to be able to couple a different functional unit to the main body 3, e.g., a nose trimmer unit 75. Fig. 9 shows the main body 3 with the nose trimmer unit 75 coupled thereto. Because such a nose trimmer unit is generally known to the skilled person, the nose trimmer unit 75 will not be described in detail herein. It is however noted that the main body 3 may have a separate drive shaft 77 to drive the nose trimmer unit 75 when coupled to the main body 3. The separate drive shaft 77 is partially visible in Figs. 2 and 4 and is arranged in a more central position on the upper wall 65 of the main body 3 as compared with the drive spindles 17a, 17b.
Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the principles and techniques described herein, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

A shaving unit (5) for an electric shaver (1), comprising a base member (19), at least two hair-cutting units (7a, 7b) supported by the base member and, for each respective one of the hair-cutting units, a retaining member (21a, 21b) associated with the respective hair-cutting unit and configured to retain the respective hair-cutting unit in an operational position relative to the base member, wherein the base member comprises, for each respective one of the hair-cutting units, a receiving member (23a, 23b) associated with the respective hair-cutting unit and configured to receive and accommodate the respective hair-cutting unit and its associated retaining member in said operational position;
characterized in that the shaving unit (5) comprises, for each respective one of the receiving members (23a, 23b), a covering member (29a, 29b) which:
- in a condition wherein the respective hair-cutting unit (7a, 7b) associated with the respective receiving member is retained in the operational position relative to the base member (19) by the retaining member (21a, 21b) associated with the respective hair-cutting unit, is individually couplable to and decouplable from the base member independently from the covering member(s) of the other receiving member(s);

- is configured and arranged to surround and cover the respective receiving member when the covering member is coupled to the base member; and

- has an opening (31) via which the respective hair-cutting unit, in its operational position relative to the base member, protrudes relative to the covering member when the covering member is coupled to the base member.
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in claim 1, comprising, for each respective one of the receiving members (23a, 23b), at least two covering members (29a, 29a', 29a"; 29b, 29b', 29b") that are each selectively couplable to the base member (19) to surround and cover the respective receiving member, wherein the at least two covering members have mutually different colors, shapes and/or outer-surface textures.
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein:
- each receiving member (23a, 23b) is arranged on a common carrier (33) of the base member (19); and

- each covering member (29a, 29b), when coupled to the base member to surround and cover a respective one of the receiving members, extends from the common carrier towards the respective hair-cutting unit (7a, 7b) associated with the respective receiving member.
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the common carrier (33) is releasably couplable to a main body (3) of the electric shaver (1).
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in any of the claims 1-4, wherein each covering member (29a, 29b) is couplable to the base member (19) by means of a snap-fit connection (35, 37).
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, wherein each covering member (29a, 29b) is couplable to the respective receiving member (23a, 23b) to surround and cover the respective receiving member.
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in any of the claims 1-6, wherein each hair-cutting unit (7a, 7b) comprises:
- an external cutting member (9a, 9b) having an annular shaving area (11a, 1 1b) with hair-entry openings; and

- an internal cutting member (13a, 13b) which is covered by the external cutting member and rotatable relative to the external cutting member about a central axis (15a, 15b) of the hair-cutting unit;
and wherein each covering member (29a, 29b) has a mainly circularly cylindrical shape and, when coupled to the base member (19) to surround and cover a respective one of the receiving members (23a, 23b), extends co-axially relative to the central axis of the hair-cutting unit associated with the respective receiving member.
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in any of the claims 1-6, wherein each retaining member (21a, 21b) is releasably couplable to the base member (19).
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the shaving unit (5) comprises a common retaining structure (39) for the hair-cutting units (7a, 7b) which includes the retaining members (21a, 21b) associated with the hair-cutting units, and wherein the common retaining structure comprises:
- a central coupling portion (41) which is releasably couplable to the base member (19); and

- for each respective one of the retaining members, a connecting element (43a, 43b) associated with the respective retaining member and connecting the respective retaining member to the central coupling portion;
wherein the connecting element of each respective retaining member protrudes from the central coupling portion into the receiving member (23a, 23b) associated with the respective retaining member when the central coupling portion is coupled to the base member.
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the central coupling portion (41) is releasably couplable to the base member (19) by means of a snap-fit connection (45, 47a, 47b).
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in any of the claims 8-10, wherein each hair-cutting unit (7a, 7b) is releasably couplable to the respective retaining member (21a, 21b) associated with the hair-cutting unit.
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in claim 11, wherein each hair-cutting unit (7a, 7b) comprises:
- an external cutting member (9a, 9b) having an annular shaving area (11a, 1 1b) with hair-entry openings; and

- an internal cutting member (13a, 13b) which is covered by the external cutting member and rotatable relative to the external cutting member about a central axis (15a, 15b) of the hair-cutting unit;
and wherein each retaining member (21a, 21b) is configured to receive the respective hair-cutting unit associated with the retaining member into a coupled condition by a displacement of the respective hair-cutting unit relative to the retaining member in a direction (D) perpendicular to the central axis of the respective hair-cutting unit.
The shaving unit (5) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the external cutting member (9a, 9b) of each hair-cutting unit (7a, 7b) comprises a circumferential flange (51), and wherein each retaining member (21a, 21b) comprises at least one guiding channel (49) which, in the coupled condition of the respective hair-cutting unit associated with the retaining member, extends perpendicularly to the central axis (15a, 15b) of the respective hair-cutting unit to receive the flange of the external cutting member of the respective hair-cutting unit.
An electric shaver (1) comprising:
- a main body (3) accommodating an electric motor; and

- a shaving unit (5) as claimed in any of the claims 1-13 coupled to the main body such that each hair-cutting unit (7a, 7b) of the shaving unit is drivable by the electric motor.
The electric shaver (1) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the shaving unit (5) is releasably coupled to the main body (3).