GB2296867A

GB2296867A - Hand held electrical treatment devices

Info

Publication number: GB2296867A
Application number: GB9500535A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Robert Kenneth Redfarn
Original assignee: BEAUTIKO Ltd
Current assignee: BEAUTIKO Ltd
Priority date: 1995-01-11
Filing date: 1995-01-11
Publication date: 1996-07-17
Also published as: GB9500535D0

Abstract

The use of contact pads or hand-held electrodes for return current flow in electrical treatment devices such as epilation tweezers is avoided by making part of the sleeving 5, on the external surface of the handle 1 which holds the tweezers 2, electrically conductive 6 and using contact through that part of the surface to complete the circuit for the electrical treatment current. This arrangement may also be used with needle epilators.

Description

HAND-HELD ELECTRICAL TREATMENT DEVICES This invention relates to hand-held electrical treatment devices, particularly but not exclusively to epilation, needles and tweezers.

In various treatment processes, for example hair removal by electrolysis, the site of the treatment is determined by the application to the human body of a suitable handheld device. Thus, for example, in so-called needle electrolysis, the particular hair which is to be removed is treated by inserting a needle at the point where the hair enters the skin and an electrical current is then applied through the needle tip. In epilation apparatus using epilation tweezers, it is known to select the hair for removal by gripping it between the jaws of a pair of tweezers and then applying an electrical current through the jaws. The tweezers may subsequently be used in a purely mechanical fashion to grasp and pull the hair from the skin of the user once its adhesion within the hair follicle has been reduced or destroyed.Apparatus of this type is described, for example, in United States Patent Specification 5026369.

In order in such electrical treatment methods to have current flow through the contents of the hair follicle, it is necessary to provide a return path for the current.

Conventionally, this has been done by applying a contact pad, if necessary moistened with water or a conductive gel, to a separate part of the body of the person undergoing treatment. An alternative approach is to have the person from whom hairs are being extracted grip a conductive cylinder, for example, as shown in the United States patent specification noted above. Neither method is wholly satisfactory or liked by those undergoing treatment. The dislike is quite particular in the case of treatment being effected by the person being treated, and not, e.g., by a separate beautician. In such cases, a hand-held cylinder for the return current path is very inconvenient since users like to have one hand to operate the tweezers and the other to move and hold individual areas of skin.The use of pads is messy and additionally, and this is a particular consideration for home treatments, they require maintenance and, of course, add to the cost of the apparatus to start with. They also tend to become worn or damaged and require replacement.

I have now found that with appropriate design, an adequately conductive return path can be provided via the treatment device such as a hand-held needle or tweezer device directly.

According to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for specific location treatment of the human body by electrical means, the apparatus comprising a handle portion and, insulated therefrom, an electrically active portion adapted to contact part of the human body over a relatively small area, wherein at least a part of the handle portion designed to contact the hand of the user when the apparatus is in use is composed of an electrically conductive material or has an electrically conductive surface.

I have found that the contact between the thumb and/or fingers of the user is sufficient to provide a return current path, particularly in the case of tweezer type implements which, of course, must be gripped firmly in order to urge the jaws of the tweezers together. In a particularly preferred development, portions of the electrically active treatment implement may be surrounded by a moulding formed of a rubbery plastics material rendered conductive to electricity by the incorporation therein of appropriate conductive materials.

The detailed design of the apparatus may vary widely depending upon the particular application. The invention is illustrated, however, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a tweezer unit in accordance with the invention and Figure 2 is a longitudinal central section of such a unit.

Referring to the Figures, the tweezer unit consists of a moulded plastics body 1 formed in two halves which, when assembled together, act to clamp and hold a pair of metal tweezers with conductive legs 2, the ends of which project past insulating sleeves 3 around each leg 2.

The end of the casing 1 towards the tweezer tips has a surrounding hood 5 formed of electrically conductive rubbery plastics material and which may have some markings or surface relief at 6 designed to make contact with the ball of the user's thumb and first finger respectively.

The sleeve 5 is held to the casing 1 by a single threaded screw 8 which screws into a tag 9 located on the interior of the casing and to which is fixed, e.g., by soldering one conductor 10 of an electrical cable 11. The other conductor is fixed, for example, by soldering, to the end of tweezer legs 2 within the casing 1.

A pre-moulded resilient rubbery grommet and sleeve 12 is located where cable 11 enters the housing 1 in order to diminish the risk of breakage of the electrical conductors by excessive flexure.

In use, the two tips of the tweezer legs 2 are normally held sprung slightly apart. When it is desired to treat a hair, the user grasps the unit shown in Figures 1 and 2 and squeezes the jaws 2 together by applying pressure to opposite sides of sleeve 5. This makes adequate electrical contact with sleeve 5 to enable the current to flow from the tweezer tip, through the hair and hair follicle, into the body of the person, out of the body of the person at the point where their fingers and thumb contact sleeve 5, through sleeve 5, screw 8 and conductor 10.

Claims

1. Apparatus for specific location treatment of the human body by electrical means, the apparatus comprising a handle portion and, insulated therefrom, an electrically active portion adapted to contact part of the human body over a relatively small area, wherein at least a part of the handle portion designed to contact the hand of the user when the apparatus is in use is composed of an electrically conductive material or has an electrically conductive surface.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the electrically active portion is a tweezer type implement.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein portions of the electrically active treatment implement are surrounded by a moulding formed of a rubbery plastics material rendered conductive to electricity by the incorporation therein of appropriate conductive materials.

4. Apparatus for specific locating treatment of the human body by electrical means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.