JP6903699B2 - Hair removal device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is driven, for example, by a handle accommodating a drive unit and an energy source, and a transmission that is pivotally supported by the handle and converts the rotational movement of the drive unit into the movement of the driven unit of at least one hair removal unit. With respect to a hair removal device comprising, for example, a dry shaver, a wet shaver, or a hair remover, comprising a head comprising at least one hair removal portion connected to the portion.

European Patent No. 2404716 (B1) extends parallel to the handle and the pivot axis and is capable of turning around the pivot axis, which allows the cutter to follow the contour of the user's skin. Disclosed is an electric shaver having a head having a cutter element, which can be.

The pivot of the head with respect to the handle is typically limited by the contact of the stop surface of the stop element with the counter-stop element. This limitation may be required to protect other components of the device during use or when the device is subject to external impact forces, such as when the device is dropped. However, the contact of the stop surface with the mating stop element may give the user unwanted tactile and / or audible feedback in the form of rattling noise and the impression of a hard end stop.

European Patent No. 2404716 (B1)

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair removal device that improves the sensation during use of the device. More specifically, a further object of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioned hair removal device including a hair removal head that is movable with respect to a handle, and noise during movement of the head can be suppressed, avoided, or suppressed. It will be reduced.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the hair removal device is pivotally supported by a handle that houses at least a drive and an energy source, and removes at least one hair from the drive, eg, rotational or linear motion. The head comprises at least one hair removal section connected to the drive section by a transmission that converts the movement of the driven section of the section. The pivot of the head with respect to the handle is limited by the contact of at least one stop surface of at least one stop element with at least one mating stop element. At least one stopping element is manufactured by multi-component injection molding with a first plastic material and at least one second plastic material that is softer than the first plastic material, and at least one stopping surface is a second. Manufactured from plastic materials.

Multi-component injection molding is a very efficient way to produce components of a variety of materials with material properties tailored to their individual requirements. For example, a combination of a harder or stiffer plastic material that withstands a mechanical load and a softer plastic material allows for damping of abutments that limit the pivot of the head to the handle. This can enhance user comfort and improve the sensation of using the device. Further, the softer plastic material can relieve the mechanical load when the device receives an external impact force, for example when the device is dropped. By providing such multipurpose components, the cost and effort for device production and assembly by reducing the number of components compared to separate components, each performing only one function. Contributes to reducing.

It is a schematic perspective view of the device by embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic side view of the component of the device of FIG. It is a schematic side view detailed view of the device of FIG. It is a schematic side view detailed view of the device of FIG.

Before explaining the advantageous embodiments of the present invention with respect to FIGS. 1 to 4, various aspects of the present invention will be described in more detail. These aspects disclose further features, advantages and potential uses of the invention that may be combined in any useful combination. All features described and / or shown in the figures are the subject of the invention, regardless of the claims and / or the grouping of features in the references behind them.

The at least one stopping element is manufactured by multi-component injection molding with a first plastic material and at least one second plastic material that is softer than the first plastic material. For the present disclosure, the stop element can be manufactured by two-component injection molding, which comprises only a first plastic material and a second plastic material. However, it may be desirable to use three or more different plastic materials, especially if the stopping element has additional functionality. For example, the softer second plastic material may be a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or (liquid) silicone rubber (LSR). The first plastic material is typically a thermoplastic material that is rigid at ambient temperature, such as polypropylene (PP) or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

The hair removal device may include components that should be sealed against humidity, such as an outer and inner housing that seals and seals the drive and / or energy source. The at least one stopping element may be part of a shell or shell assembly that seals at least a portion of the hair removal device to the environment. In other words, the stopping element may be part of the outer or inner housing. Preferably, the at least one stopping element comprises at least one sealing portion made from a second plastic material, such as a sealing lip. According to an independent aspect of the present disclosure, the components of the hair removal device are manufactured by two-component injection molding or multi-component injection molding, and the softer material serves as a stopping element in addition to performing a sealing function. To fulfill the function of.

Alternatively or in addition to the sealing function, the at least one stopping element may include at least one soft rib made from a second plastic material, the soft rib abutting the soft rib. Add urging force to the components. The component in contact with the soft rib may be a shaft, which removes a gap between the shaft and additional parts hinged to the shaft.

The at least one stopping element can include a separate area made of a softer second plastic material. Alternatively, the regions made of the softer second plastic material may be connected to each other to form a common piece of the second plastic material. Preferably, at least one stop surface and at least one sealing portion are connected to each other by a web made from a second plastic material.

As mentioned above, the head of the hair removal device is pivotally supported by the handle of the device. If the device is a shaver that contains a cutter element that moves substantially longitudinally in use, the pivot of the head with respect to the handle is, for example, a swivel axis that is substantially parallel to the direction of longitudinal movement of the cutter element. It may be a turning motion centered on. Alternatively or further, the pivot of the head with respect to the handle may be, for example, a tilt about a tilt axis that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of longitudinal movement of the cutter element. Further, the head or cutter element may be movable in a direction parallel to the main extension of the handle, which is, for example, a movement that plunges into the handle.

According to embodiments, the head may be pivotally supported by the handle by a support of the handle and at least two levers that are hinged to the head, respectively. The lever can form a so-called four-bar mechanism that allows the head to tilt with respect to the handle. For example, at least one of the levers is a metal component that may have a substantially U-shaped cross section. A portion of the handle support may be a stop element with at least one stop surface made from a second plastic material for each lever. Further, each lever may include a portion forming at least one mating stop element. According to a further aspect, the support of the handle is a lid that seals and seals the inner housing of the handle, which houses the drive unit and the energy source.

Additional or alternative, the head can be pivotally supported on the steering wheel around the swivel axis. The head may include a frame supported by at least one, for example, two swivel bearings aligned with the swivel axis. The contact of the frame with the components constrained by the handle with respect to rotation about the swivel axis can limit the pivot of the head with respect to the handle around the swivel axis. For example, a component constrained to a handle with respect to rotation about a swivel axis is, for example, a plate-shaped head, where at least one stop surface made from a second plastic material is on the plate. It is provided in. The head portion or plate may have an opening for receiving the drive shaft of the transmission. Furthermore, at least two levers may be hinged pivotally to the head portion, or to an additional base plate constrained to the head portion. The additional base plate may include two arms, each arm having one of a swivel bearing.

The hair removal device may be a dry shaver, a wet shaver, or a hair remover. For example, a hair removal device includes at least one hair removal unit having a lower cutter with multiple blades and a foil-type upper cutter. The transmission may be connected to the lower cutter to drive the lower cutter in translational motion with respect to the upper cutter. Additional or alternative, the at least one hair remover may include two or more combs that move relative to each other to cut or remove hair.

Next, returning to the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, a hair removal device 1 including a handle 2 and a head 3 having a plurality of hair removal portions 4 and 5 is shown in FIG. The two hair removal portions 4 each include a foil-type upper cutter and a lower cutter (not shown) having a plurality of blades that move axially with respect to the foil-type upper cutter in order to shear the hair during use. including. The hair removal section 5 includes two comb sections that move relative to each other to cut the hair.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the handle 2 has an elongated shape that defines the main axis of the hair removal device 1. The handle 2 can accommodate components such as a drive unit 6, an energy source, such as a rechargeable battery, a control unit, and the like. This is schematically shown by the dashed line in FIG.

The head 3 is supported by the handle 2 so that the head 3 can move relative to the handle 2 which allows the hair removal portion to follow the contour of the user's skin. This is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2, where the components of the head 3 and the handle 2 are omitted. The handle 2 includes, for example, a drive unit 6 and a support 7 which may be a lid that seals an internal space accommodating an energy source. Four levers are pivotally hinged to the support 7, and the two levers may be connected to each other to form, for example, U-shaped lever portions 8a and 8b. The lever is further hinged by the lever to a base plate 9 that is tilted to the left and right of FIG. 2 with respect to the support 7, that is, can be pivoted. For example, the lever portion may be a sheet-shaped metal part.

The base plate 9 includes two arms 10 each having a swivel bearing 11, which is located, for example, on a swivel axis I that is substantially perpendicular to the spindle of the handle 2. The hair removing portions 4 and 5 are mounted in the frame 12 which is pivotally supported by the arm 10 by the swivel bearing 11. In combination with the lever portions 8a and 8b, the swivel bearing 11 allows the frame 12 to be attached to the support 7 in a gimbal-like manner, whereby the swivel motion centered on the swivel axis I and the swivel axis I can be attached. Tilt around a substantially vertical axis is possible.

The frame 12 may be received in the casing of the head 3 as shown in FIG. 1, or may be a part of the casing of the head 3. Further, the hair removing portions 4 and 5 may be movable with respect to the casing of the frame 12 and / or the head 3 in the entry direction substantially parallel to the main extending portion of the handle 2.

The pivotal movement of the lever can be limited by the lever abutting the support 7 and / or the base plate 9. In the example shown in FIG. 3, each lever includes a nose 13 in the vicinity of an end facing away from the hair removal portions 4, 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the nose 13 of the left lever portion 8a abuts on the support 7, which limits the inclination of the base plate 9 to the right. Similarly, the nose 13 of the right lever portion 8b is considered to come into contact with the support 7 when the base plate is tilted to the left. In this way, the support 7 defines a stop element, and the nose 13 defines a counterpart stop element that also limits the pivot of the head 3 with respect to the handle 2.

The support 7 is, for example, a component of the hair removal device 1 that must bear the mechanical load caused by the support of the head 3. Therefore, the support 7 is mainly made of a rigid material. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the support 7 is manufactured by two-component injection molding using a first rigid plastic material and a second softer plastic material. At least the area of the support 7 in contact with each nose 13 of the lever for limiting the pivot of the head 3 with respect to the handle 2, i.e. the stop surface 14 of the support 7, is a second softer plastic material, eg. , Consists of thermoplastic elastomer. In other words, the support 7 is one component, but the support 7 is a stop surface 14 for contact with at least two different materials, namely the rigid first plastic material and the nose 13. Consists of a softer second plastic material that forms. This provides a soft stop between the nose 13 and the support 7, which suppresses the generation of unwanted noise or the sensation of a hard stop.

Additional or alternative, a stop surface made from a second softer plastic material may be provided on the lever and / or frame 12.

Similarly, FIG. 4 shows the interface between the frame 12 and the base plate 9, including the soft stop. More specifically, the frame 12 has an edge or protrusion that contacts the base plate 9 or a separate plate 15 attached to the base plate 9 when the base plate 9 swivels about the swivel axis I as shown in FIG. A part is provided. This contact between the plate 15 defining the stop element and the frame 12 defining the mating stop element limits the pivot of the head 3 with respect to the handle 2 around the swivel axis I. The plate 15 is manufactured by two-component injection molding using a first rigid plastic material and a second softer plastic material. At a minimum, the area of the plate 15 that contacts each portion of the frame 12 to limit the pivot of the head 3 with respect to the handle 2, i.e. the stop surface 16 of the plate 15, is a second softer plastic material, eg, It consists of a thermoplastic elastomer. Again, this provides a soft stop that limits the pivot of the head 3 with respect to the handle 2.

Although the plate 15 is shown in FIG. 4 as a separate component constrained to the base plate 9, the stop surface 16 may be provided directly on the base plate 9. As a further alternative or addition to the above embodiment, the base plate 9 or plate 15 for which a stop surface made of a second softer plastic material limits the pivot of the head 3 with respect to the frame 12, eg, the handle 2. It may be provided on the edge or the protrusion in contact with the plastic.

A component manufactured by two-component injection molding using a first rigid plastic material and a second softer plastic material, ie, the support 7 and / or the plate 15, has additional functions and / or a second. It may have an additional area of softer plastic material.

For example, the support 7 may be, for example, a lid that seals and closes the drive unit 6 and / or the inner housing that houses the energy source. For this purpose, the support may be provided with a sealing lip 18 made of a second softer plastic material for sealing the lid (support 7) against other inner housing components. Good. In an alternative embodiment not shown, the sealing lip 18 may be another part of a second softer plastic material that is not directly connected to the stop surface 16. Alternatively, the sealing lip is used to distribute a second softer plastic material during injection molding, eg, a stop surface by a web of a second softer plastic material such as channel 17. It may be connected to 16.

As a further example, the base plate 9 and / or plate 15 may be a lid that seals and closes the head 3 to the environment. For this purpose, the base plate 9 and / or plate 15 is provided with a sealing lip (not shown) made of a second softer plastic material for sealing the lid to other parts of the head 3. You may. Again, the stop surface 14 may be another portion of the second softer plastic material, or may be connected to the sealing lip by a web of the second softer plastic material.

As a further example, the second softer plastic material may have a portion formed as a soft rib 19 provided on the base plate 9 and / or plate 15. The soft rib 19 may be arranged so as to act on one of the lever portions 8a and 8b connecting the base plate 9 and / or the plate 15 to the support 7. More specifically, the soft rib 19 may be arranged so that it is slightly compressed upon contact with the pivot shaft 20, whereby the shaft 20, lever portions 8a, 8b and the base plate 9 and / or The gap between the plate 15 and the plate 15 is removed. Again, the stop surface 14 may be another portion of the second softer plastic material, or may be connected to the soft rib 19 by a web of the second softer plastic material.

Thus, the electric dry shaver is equipped with a movable shaver head and is manufactured from a material that is softer than the stop element, and therefore, when the shaver head reaches the extreme end position, it softens the contact, the other side. The turning range is limited by the stopping element having the stopping element. Therefore, even if the shaver head reaches the end position, the movement of the shaver head causes almost no noise. Advantageously, the counterpart stop element made from a soft material such as TPE is made in a multi-component injection molding process. The portion provided with the soft mating stop element comprises a second functional soft component portion on either the same side as the mating stopping element or on the opposite side of the same portion. This second functional soft component portion is provided to provide a purpose different from the stopping or mating stopping element, i.e., a sealing rib (lib) or a pretension protruding rib. Works to do. Thus, the soft material mating stop is not only cost-effectively provided by the multi-component injection molding process, but the material also serves a dual function in the same part.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein should not be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numbers listed. Instead, unless otherwise indicated, each such dimension is intended to mean both the enumerated values and the functionally equivalent range surrounding the values. For example, the dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm".

1 Hair removal device 2 Handle 3 Head 4 Hair removal part 5 Hair removal part 6 Drive part 7 Support 8a, b Lever part 9 Base plate 10 Arm 11 Swivel bearing 12 Frame 13 Nose 14 Stop surface 15 Plate 16 Stop surface 17 Channel 18 Seal Stopper Lip 19 Soft Rib 20 Pivot Axis I Swing Axis

Claims (13)

The handle (2) accommodating the drive unit and the energy source and the handle (2) are pivotally supported, and the movement of the drive unit is the movement of the driven unit of at least one hair removal unit (4, 5). A hair removal device comprising a head (3) including the at least one hair removal unit (4, 5) connected to the drive unit by a transmission that converts to the handle (2). The pivot of the head (3) is in contact with at least one mating stop element (8a, 8b, 12) of at least one stop surface (14, 16) of at least one stop element (7, 15). The at least one stopping element (7, 15), limited by contact, is manufactured by multi-component injection molding with a first plastic material and a second plastic material that is softer than the first plastic material. at least one stop surface (14, 16) is produced from the second plastics material,
The head (3) is hinged to the supports (7, 12) of the handle (2) and the head (3), respectively, by at least two levers (8a, 8b). It is supported by (2) so that it can be pivotally supported.
At least a portion of the support (7) of the handle (2) is the stop element having at least one stop surface (14) manufactured from the second plastic material for each lever (8a, 8b). (7), each lever (8a, 8b) is a hair removal device including a portion forming the at least one mating stop element. The hair removal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one stopping element (7, 15) is manufactured by two-component injection molding. The hair removal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first plastic material is polypropylene or polybutylene terephthalate, and / or the second plastic material is a thermoplastic elastomer or liquid silicone rubber. The at least one stop element (7, 15) is a part of a shell or shell assembly that seals at least a part of the hair removal device (1) with respect to the environment, and the at least one stop element (7, 15). 7, 15) is the hair removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising at least one sealing portion (18) manufactured from the second plastic material. The at least one stopping element (7, 15) includes at least one soft rib (19) manufactured from the second plastic material, and the soft rib (19) corresponds to the soft rib (19). The hair removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which exerts an urging force on the component (20) in contact with the hair removal device. The at least one stop surface (14, 16) and the at least one sealing portion (18) and / or the soft rib (19) are provided by a web (17) made of the second plastic material. The hair removal device according to claim 4 or 5, which is connected to each other. The support (7) of the handle (2) is a lid that seals and seals the inner housing of the handle (2), and the inner housing accommodates the drive unit (6) and the energy source. The hair removal device according to claim 1. The hair removal device according to any one of claims 1 or 7 , wherein at least one of the levers (8a, 8b) is a metal part and / or has a substantially U-shaped cross section. .. The head (3) was pivotally supported by the handle (2) about the swivel axis (I), and the head (3) was pivotally supported on the swivel axis (I). The frame (12) is included, and the frame (12) comes into contact with a component (9, 15) constrained by the handle (2) with respect to rotation about the turning axis (I). The hair removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the pivot of the head (3) with respect to the handle (2) centered on the turning axis (I) is restricted. The component (9, 15) constrained to the handle (2) with respect to rotation about the swivel axis (I) is a head portion having an opening for receiving the drive shaft of the transmission, and the first at least one stop surface made from two plastic material (16) is provided in the head portion (9, 15), depilatory device according to claim 9. Said at least two levers (8a, 8b), said head portion (15) or is pivotally hinged to a further base plate is constrained (9) to said head portion (15), according to claim 10 Hair removal device described in. The hair removal device according to claim 11 , wherein the additional base plate (9) includes two arms (10), each arm (10) having one of a swivel bearing (11). The at least one hair removal portion (4, 5) of the head (3) includes a lower cutter having a plurality of blades and a foil type upper cutter, and the transmission uses the lower cutter in translational motion with respect to the upper cutter. The hair removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , which is connected to the lower cutter so as to be driven.

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