KR20140082717A - Water resistant electromechanical personal body-care device - Google Patents

Abstract

A handheld electromechanical device useful in mammalian body-care includes a single piece housing, integral insert, and a removable cover. The single piece housing has a single opening defined by the rim. The rim surrounds the rim area, and the single piece housing has a projected area substantially larger than the rim area. The integral insert is dimensioned to be insertable through an opening defined by the rim, and the integral insert has a frame with electromechanical elements interconnected in an electrical circuit thereon. The cover is arranged and configured to close the opening of the single piece housing.

Description

[0001] WATER RESISTANT ELECTROMECHANICAL PERSONAL BODY-CARE DEVICE [0002]

The present invention relates to a low-cost handheld type having a one-piece housing and a unitary insert comprising a frame and an electromechanical element disposed on the frame. To an electromechanical personal body-care device. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing and assembling the device and a kit comprising interchangeable components of such device.

Hand-held electromechanical personal body-care devices are known. Many of these devices have mechanisms for delivering motion, such as vibration, rotation, oscillation, etc., to a body surface, such as a person's face, elbow, and / or feet.

U.S. Patent No. 7,918,862 to Hull, Jr. et al. Discloses a water-resistant device including a switch assembly. This is a typical example of an injection-molded clamshell housing that includes structural features that allow electromechanical elements to be mounted on the housing. More particularly, the apparatus comprises a housing formed of a rigid lightweight plastic material, which is formed of two parts and can be attached along a seam. In addition to this seam between the housing portions, additional openings for the battery compartment and the power switch are formed in the housing. Each of these openings employs a water-resistant seal.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0222719 to Cowie et al. Is intended to disclose a facial care device having a tubular body that receives electromechanical elements. The tubular body is formed by mating inter-fitting semi-cylindrical sidewalls, and an outer skin is disposed on top. Thus, such a body would require sealing a number of seams or sealing the gasket to protect the internal electromechanical elements when intended for use in a wet environment.

Despite the teachings of the prior art, there is a continuing need for skin care devices that provide simple and reliable manufacturing, reliable protection against damage by water, and customization possibilities.

Thus, the inventors have found that separating the housing from the electromechanical elements of the hand-held personal body-care device increases manufacturing flexibility, reduces manufacturing costs, and reduces the likelihood of undesired penetration of liquids.

In particular, handheld electromechanical devices useful in mammalian body-care include a single piece housing, integral insert, and removable cover. The single piece housing has a single opening defined by the rim. The rim surrounds the rim area, and the single piece housing has a projected area substantially larger than the rim area. The integral insert is dimensioned to be insertable through an opening defined by the rim, and the integral insert has a frame with electromechanical elements interconnected in an electrical circuit thereon. The cover is arranged and configured to close the opening of the single piece housing.

≪ 1 >
1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
2,
Figure 2 is a side view of the housing of Figure 1;
3,
3 is a plan view of the housing of Fig. 1 showing the projected area of the housing;
<Fig. 4>
Figure 4 is an exploded side view of the device of Figure 1;
5,
Figure 5 is a detailed view of the integral insert of Figures 1 and 4;
6,
6 is an exploded side view of an alternative embodiment with an integral insert having a modified distal end;
7,
7 is a perspective view of the housing / insert and cover of Figs. 1-5, with the cover detached and rotated from the housing / insert to show the underside of the cover; Fig.
8,
8 is an exploded perspective view of a housing and a cover of an embodiment of the present invention having a plug-like cover;
9,
Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention having a shaft disposed through a cover.
<Fig. 10>
Figure 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of an insert and a housing of an embodiment of the present invention having a gasket disposed between the insert and the housing.
11)
Figure 11 is a side view of a preform useful in blow-molding the single-piece housing of Figure 2;
12,
12 is a schematic diagram of components of a kit including a plurality of integral inserts and single piece housings, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The foregoing discussion of the prior art suggests that a clear and simple solution to a water resistant electromechanical personal body-care device is still needed. In particular, plastic housings are often two-piece injection-molded clam shell structures. This provides ease in manufacturing structural elements that form the mounting surfaces for the electromechanical elements contained therein extending from the inner surface of the housing. However, when electromechanical elements are changed during the evolution of commercial products, injection molds must be changed, or there are significant structural constraints on design evolution. Alternatively, the change in the housing must be designed in relation to the mounting of the electromechanical elements. In addition, mounting the electromechanical elements directly on the housing provides direct paths to transfer unwanted movement to the gripping surfaces of the housing. Finally, the combination of multiple pieces of plastic to form an integral housing requires additional positioning to seal the structure from possible infiltration of liquids such as water.

Thus, the present inventors have separated the housing and the electromechanical elements to increase manufacturing flexibility, reduce manufacturing costs, and reduce the likelihood of undesired penetration of liquids. In particular, the inventors have found that a low-cost handheld device having a single piece housing, a single opening defined by the rim, an integral insert sized to be insertable through the opening, and a removable cover arranged and configured to engage the rim Shaped water-resistant electromechanical personal body-care device. The integral insert includes a frame on which the electromechanical elements interconnected in an electrical circuit are disposed. The removable cover has an exterior surface and the removable cover is arranged and configured to deliver at least one output of the electromechanical elements disposed within the housing.

As used in the specification and claims, the term "integral" and variations thereof refer to a collection of portions that are combined to form an overall.

As used in the specification and claims of the present application, the term " rim "and variations thereof refer to the edge of the structure defining the opening, which may be circular or other geometric shape.

As used in the specification and claims of the present application, the term " projected area "and variations thereof refer to the area of the projected portion of a three-dimensional object in plan view. When two or more projection areas are compared, the projection part is on the same plane.

As used in the specification and claims of the present application, the term "removable cover" and its variants are intended to cover the opening of a single piece housing without undue effort and / or damage to the cover, integral insert and single piece housing The cover being designed to be removably applied from the opening.

As shown in Figure 1, a first embodiment of the device of the present invention is a handheld water resistant electromechanical device 10 useful in mammalian personal body-care. The apparatus includes a single piece housing (20) that houses an integral insert (30) and has a cover (40). Preferably, the single piece housing 20, integral insert 30 and cover 40 are arranged and configured to resist the ingress of liquids into the apparatus. This can be done by selective use of gaskets as described below. Thus, the device can better resist the penetration of liquids into the device. In addition, the integral insert 30 is attached to at least one of the single piece housing 20 and the cover 40 to provide a more robust device.

As shown in Figure 2, the single piece housing 20 defines a volume enclosed by the housing, and the single piece housing has a single opening 21 defined by the rim 22. The single piece housing preferably has an ergonomic shape that facilitates gripping by a human hand. Handheld electromechanical devices are lightweight to prevent user fatigue during use. Preferably, the hand-held electromechanical device has a mass of less than about 450 grams; More preferably less than about 300 g; Most preferably less than about 150 grams. The single piece housing 20 is designed to provide a risk of poorly closed seams between the housing components present in the multi-part housing that can provide a satisfactory appearance and provide a path for the ingress of liquids into the device And has a substantially continuous outer wall for removal. The single opening greatly reduces the number and linear dimension (s) of the seams in the configuration of the electromechanical device. It may be desirable to provide a shoulder 23 proximate the opening 21. Thus, the rim 22 may extend from the shoulder 23 to allow the cover 40 to engage and fit over the rim 22 in this embodiment. A gasket 24 may be disposed around the rim 22. 2 and 10, the gasket 24 is an o-ring and the gasket provides an effective sealing seat for the gasket 24 to prevent ingress of liquids into the device 10. [ (Not shown). While circular openings and corresponding rims are shown in Figures 1-5, it will be appreciated that alternative geometric shapes are possible.

The single piece housing 20 preferably has a substantially smooth continuous inner surface for ease of manufacture and for improved mechanical isolation of the integral insert 30 from the housing 20. This smooth continuous inner surface also requires assembling the electromechanical elements on the frame of the integral insert, as discussed in more detail below. 3, the single piece housing 20 has a projected area PA _H (shown as cross-hatching within a thick perimeter defining the periphery of the projection) (Shown as cross-hatching in the opening in the opening) that is the area surrounded by the rim area RA. In this embodiment, the projected area PA is symmetrical on opposite sides of the plane perpendicular to the rim 22, but the projected area is not radially symmetric about the center of the rim 22. In alternate embodiments, the projected area may be radially symmetric about the center of the aperture 21, or may be symmetrical across a number of planes perpendicular to the rim, or the projected area may be isotropic Having a structure that is independent of the direction from the diameter).

The outer surface of the single piece housing may be smooth or may have surface features such as an emphasized grip area 26. The surface features may be formed during formation of the single piece housing, or may be added later. These surface features can include, without limitation, texturing, coloring, information, and the like. Surface features may be provided by known methods, for example by coating (e.g., printing and / or painting), by application of labels or other structures, by etching, by dyeing, and the like. Texture formation may be negligible, or may be sufficient to be noticeable on the inner surface of the housing. The single piece housing can be transparent so that the inside can be seen. This is useful for internal use of LEDs as status indicators. The housing is preferably rigid, but it may be helpful to have one or more flexible portions. Alternatively, the single piece housing may be more flexible. Partial or complete flexibility may be useful to incorporate a user-depressible switch by having a pump for bending the housing or dispensing liquids through the liquid (the same applies to the cap). The gaskets prevent penetration of liquids from the outside, but may be used to prevent liquids from escaping in other embodiments.

Figure 4 shows an exploded side view of the device of Figure 1 to show the relationship between the single piece housing 20, the integral insert 30 and the cover 40, Figure 5 shows the integral insert 30 and its Provides additional details of the components. Once again, the integral insert 30 includes a frame 31 on which the electromechanical elements interconnected in an electrical circuit are disposed. The frame 31 has a proximal portion 32 and a distal portion 33 disposed on the opposite side thereof. To secure the integral insert 30 to the housing 20 a flange 34 or other attachment surface may be used to secure the proximal end of the proximal end of the proximal end of the rim 22, And is at the end 33 thereof. The electromechanical elements are mounted on or placed within recesses in the frame 31. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the insert 30 includes a power source such as an electric motor 35 and a battery 36 interconnected in an electrical circuit, for example, with a wire or other electrical conduit do. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the circuit may be opened and closed by a switch, and the elements of the switch may be located on the cover.

The integral insert 30 is dimensioned to be insertable through the opening 21 and substantially received within the single piece housing 20. In the embodiment of Figures 1-5, the integral insert 30 has a projected area PA _I surrounded by the rim 22 (see Figure 4). It should be noted that this projected area does not include any portion of the mounting flange 34 that is to be secured to the rim 22 by interference fit or by overlap with a portion of the rim 22. In other words, the integral insert 30 is insertable into the opening 21 in a single linear movement without interference. In the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the integral insert 30 'has a projected area PA _I ' extending out of the aperture due to the lateral extension of the distal portion 33 '. Such an integral insert 30'is first inserted through the aperture 21 in the distal portion 33'and aligned with the remainder of the integral insert having a projected area surrounded by the rim, 'And is insertable into the opening 21 by inserting the remainder of the integral insert 30' through the rim 21.

The removable cover 40 engages the rim 22 to close the opening 21. 1 to 5, removable cover 40 is a cap that is arranged and configured to removably engage over rim 22. The cap also engages a gasket (24) disposed about the rim (22) to prevent ingress of liquids into the device (10). This sealing engagement protects the electromechanical elements from damage, including shorts that may occur when water or other liquids have penetrated the interior of the housing 20. In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5 and 7 and in the embodiment of Figure 10 discussed in further detail below, the cap includes an inner surface (not shown) disposed towards the integral insert 30 41 and an outer surface 42 that is disposed away from the opening 21. In addition, the cap has side walls 43 that surround the rim 22 and engage the gasket 24. The outer surface 42 may itself be a body-care element or it may be a platform or other structure wherein a body-care element 44, which is optional on the platform or other structure, May be disposed through an optional coupler 44a as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 12 / 770,994, filed April 30, Such optional body-care elements may be applied directly on the optional coupler 44a or on an external surface, or may have hook and loop systems, or attachment mechanisms such as adhesives, clamps, snaps, and the like.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5, the cover interacts with the insert to form a switch. This is illustrated in more detail in FIG. The integral insert 30 has a first electrical conductor 37a disposed on its proximal surface 32a and the inner surface 41 of the cap has a second electrical conductor 37b. The cap is preferably engaged with the rim 22 via a bayonet connector mechanism having one or more pins disposed on the frame and a matching "L" slot disposed on the inner walls 43 of the cap. All. The cap and / or rim is formed of a material that is sufficiently resilient to allow the cap and rim to be removably locked together. In this embodiment, the "L" slot includes (1) a second electrical conductor 37b on the cap, a first electrical conductor 37a disposed on the proximal surface 32a of the integral insert 30, (2) the second electrical conductor 37b on the cap is rotated so that either the first electrical conductor 37a or the battery 36 on the integral insert 30 is closed, Quot; off "position, which disengages the electrical circuit by disengaging one or both.

Elements of the bayonet coupling, such as pins and slots, are shown in the housing 20, the integral insert 30, and the cover 40, although the preceding paragraph describes a bayonet coupling between the cover 40 and the insert 30 ). &Lt; / RTI &gt;

Other embodiments may replace the rotary switch formed by the combination of the cover 40 and the insert 30 with a push-button switch operated by bending the housing and / or the cover.

In the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the cover is a plug 40 'arranged and configured to removably engage within the rim 22'. A gasket 45 such as an o-ring may be disposed around the plug 40 '. Once again, the o-ring can be placed in a groove dimensioned to provide an effective sealing sheet for the gasket 45 to prevent ingress of liquids into the device 10. [

9, the cover 40 "may include a hole 46 having a shaft gasket 47 and a movable shaft 48 disposed within the hole, Wherein the movable shaft 48 is operatively connected to a motor 35 mounted on the insert such that movement of the motor 35 from the exterior of the housing 20 to the body- The body-care element 44 can be rotated or swung in contact with the skin of the user. Other motion outputs are also possible. , And / or other translation movement mechanisms may interact with the movable platform 49.

As described above, it is desirable to configure the body-care device 10 to resist the ingress of liquids into the device to avoid damage to the electrical components contained within the device. Thus, the housing 20 is sealingly engaged with at least one of the integral insert 30 and the cover 40. The use of one or more gaskets 24, 45 between the cover 40 and the housing 20 has been described above. In addition to or instead of such a gasket, it may be desirable to seal the connection between the housing 20 and the integral insert 30. Thus, as shown in FIG. 10, a suitable gasket 38 may be disposed between the housing 20 and the integral insert 30. Such a gasket 38 may simply resist the ingress of liquids into the interior of the housing 20 or it may also damp the movement caused by the electromechanical elements disposed on the frame 31 and cause it to contact the housing 20, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; a &lt; / RTI &gt; However, if it is determined that the water resistance is not critical to the operation of the apparatus, one or more of the gaskets may be removed.

As will be appreciated from a review of the above paragraphs, the cover 40 is arranged and configured to deliver at least one output of electromechanical elements disposed within the housing. For example, in the embodiment of Figures 1-5, the oscillatory movement from the insert 30 may be transmitted to the outer surface 42 through the cover 40. [ 9, rotation or rocking motion from the insert can be transmitted to the skin-contacting element 48 through the cover 40 "via the movable shaft 48. In the embodiment of Fig. 10, The vibratory movement from the insert 30 can be isolated from the housing 20 and delivered directly to the skin-contacting element 48.

As discussed above, the single piece housing 20 defines the volume contained by the housing. When the opening 21 is closed by the cover 40, the volume enclosed by the single piece housing 20 is at least about 60% of the total volume contained by the single piece housing and the cover 40. Preferably, the volume enclosed by the single piece housing is at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 90%, of the total volume contained by the single piece housing 20 and cover 40.

The apparatus of the present invention is manufactured by forming a single piece housing, assembling the integral insert, inserting the integral insert into the housing, attaching the integral insert to the single piece housing, and removably applying the cover to the housing . Once again, the single piece housing defines a volume and has a single opening defined by the rim. The housing also has a substantially continuous outer wall, and the housing has a substantially larger projection area than the rim. Preferably, the housing has a shoulder and the rim extends over the shoulder. The rim may also have a gasket disposed thereabout. Thus, the apparatus can be made by forming a single piece housing with an opening defined by the rim and arranging the gasket around the rim.

The single piece housing can be formed by blow molding the thermoplastic preform to the desired final shape. Those skilled in the art will recognize how to design the preform dimensions to produce the desired final shape. For example, the single piece housing 20 shown in FIG. 2 may be produced from the blow-molding of the thermoplastic preform 50 shown in FIG. The preform 50 has the elements of the rim 22, such as already formed grooves 25 therein. These elements are retained during the blow-molding process.

The blow-molding process provides a single piece housing having a substantially continuous outer wall having a substantially smooth inner surface. Alternative molding processes include rotomolding. Once again, these processes can be repeated until the projected area PA is symmetrical and / or symmetrical on opposite sides of one or more planes perpendicular to the rim 22, or symmetrical about the center of the aperture 21 and / Lt; / RTI &gt; In sharp contrast to injection molding, the blow-molding process also allows a simple formation of the desired single-piece housings with a substantially larger projected area than the rim. If the single piece housing material is subject to conditions that could potentially change the dimensions of the apertures and / or structures that are critical to sealing engagement of the components of the rim-device, then the structure for maintaining these dimensions during the manufacturing process May be useful. For example, the process equipment may include elements that maintain the diameter of the rim after the formation of the preform, during the blow-molding process, and during the cooling cycle after the single piece housing is completed.

The integral insert also includes a frame on which the electromechanical elements interconnected in the electrical circuit are disposed. The frame may be formed of one or more structural elements, preferably plastic, that may be formed by any available means. For example, one or more elements of the frame may be injection molded plastic components forming mounting surfaces for a motor or other motion-generating device, battery or other power source, gear, shaft, and the like. The frame may also be disposed on top of the electrical connector and one or more switches or switch elements. The individual components of the integral insert are joined together to form a complete integral insert. Which is inserted through a single opening of the housing and attached to the opening. As discussed above, the integral insert 30 (such as that shown in Figure 4) can be inserted into the single piece housing 20 using a single linear movement. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the method may be implemented as a one-piece, one-piece type, in which the distal portion 33 'of the integral insert is aligned with the opening, the distal portion is inserted through the opening, It may be necessary to pivot the integral insert to align the rest of the insert and insert the remaining portion of the integral insert through the rim.

Optionally, a gasket and / or damping element may be disposed between the integral insert and the housing to further protect the electromechanical elements from penetration of the liquid and / or to inhibit the transfer of movement between the integral insert and the housing. have.

The method also includes the step of removably applying the cover to the housing to cover the opening of the housing. In one embodiment, the cover is a cap, and the step of removably applying the cover includes releasably engaging the cap on the rim. In another embodiment, the cover is a plug and the step of removably applying the cover includes releasably engaging the plug in the rim. If the cover is a plug, the method may include placing a gasket around the plug.

The integral insert 30 is attached to at least one of the single piece housing 20 and the cover 40 to provide a more robust device. Attachment can be permanent, temporary or detachable. Attachment can be done through known methods including, without limitation, welding, adhesives, and mechanical fastening (screws, snaps, interference fit, etc.). In some preferred embodiments, the integral insert is ultrasonically welded to a cover or a single piece housing.

The device of the present invention may be used in any desired body-care regimen. Known therapies include cleansing, peeling, skin microdermabrasion, massage, and the like. In embodiments involving optional body-care elements, the user selects an appropriate body-care element, applies it to the outer surface of the cover, applies water to the body-care element (where appropriate) And the body-care element can be applied to the desired location. After use, the body-care element can be removed and discarded. Thus, the body-care elements may be in the form of pads, brushes, sponges, poufs (gathered net of polymeric material), protrusions (for massaging etc.).

Another method of the present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing and / or allowing a user to select components of a handheld mechanical body-care system. The method includes forming a single piece housing defining a volume and having a single opening defined by the rim, an integral insert dimensioned to be insertable through a plurality of integral inserts through an opening defined by the rim Inserting the selected integral insert through a single opening in the housing and attaching the insert to the single piece housing, selecting a cover arranged and configured to interact with the selected integral insert from the plurality of covers, And removably applying the cover to close the single opening of the housing. Each of the plurality of integral inserts includes a frame on which the electromechanical elements interconnected in the electric circuit are disposed. Each of the plurality of different covers is arranged and configured to interact with one or more of a plurality of different integral inserts.

The single piece housing may have any shape or may be selected from a plurality of shapes and sizes and surface features as long as it is suitable for handheld consumer use. Additionally, the plurality of integral inserts may be selected from a supply of integral inserts having different electromechanical elements, sizes and / or shapes. Thus, the desired integral insert can provide different motions, different power levels and different characteristics as desired by the consumers. The plurality of covers may be selected from a source arranged and configured to interact with the various single piece housings and integral inserts. These covers may be caps, plugs, etc., as described above.

Thus, this method provides the flexibility for the manufacturer to provide customized and / or various hand-held electromechanical devices in a single manufacturing line. Alternatively, this allows the creation of kits of body-care devices and replaceable elements so that consumers have a variety of custom configurations within their homes.

As described above, at least two of the single piece housing, the integral insert and the cover are preferably sealingly engaged to resist ingress of liquids into the single piece housing. This can be accomplished by arranging the gasket around the rim, around the cover, and / or between the integral insert and the single piece housing. In addition, the aforementioned damping element can be provided between the integral insert and the single piece housing.

A kit having replaceable components includes a first component, which is a single piece housing, a second component, which is an integral insert, and a third component, which is a cover. The kit includes at least one of each of the first, second, and third components, and includes at least two components of one of the components. Thus, a kit may include a single piece housing and a plurality of integral inserts and corresponding covers, or the kit may include one integral insert and a plurality of single piece housings and corresponding covers. It may also be possible to have a single cover and a plurality of single piece housings and integral inserts, but this is likely to be rather uncommon. Finally, the kit may include a plurality of each of the three components.

An example of a kit is shown in Fig. The kit includes two integral inserts 101,102. Each integral insert 101, 102 has a respective cover 103, 104 associated therewith. The combination of the integral insert / cover can be combined with one of the four single piece housings 105, 106, 107, 108 (shown in phantom section). However, the integral insert 101 has a laterally extending portion 109 at its distal end, which interferes with two of the single-piece housings. Thus, such an integral insert 101 can be used with only single piece housings 105, 107, rather than single piece housings 108, 109 (as indicated by the arrows connecting the integral insert and the housing equivalence).

The foregoing description and embodiments are provided to provide a thorough, non-limiting understanding of the invention disclosed herein. Since many modifications and embodiments of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.

Claims (22)

A handheld electromechanical device useful in mammalian body-care,
a) a one-piece housing having a single opening defined by a rim and defining a predetermined volume, said rim surrounding a rim area, said single piece housing being substantially more The single piece housing having a large projection area;
b) an integral insert dimensioned to be insertable through the opening defined by the rim, the integral insert comprising a frame in which electromechanical elements interconnected in an electrical circuit are disposed thereon; And
and c) a removable cover arranged and configured to close the opening of the single piece housing and having an exterior surface. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the single piece housing, the integral insert and the cover are arranged and configured to resist ingress of liquids into the device. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the integral insert is attached to at least one of the single piece housing and the cover. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the removable cover is arranged and configured to transmit at least one output of the electromechanical elements disposed within the single piece housing through the outer surface of the cover. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the rim is circular. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the single piece housing has a shoulder and the rim extends over the shoulder. 7. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 6 wherein a gasket is disposed about the rim. 8. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 7, wherein the gasket is an o-ring. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the single piece housing has a projected area that is symmetrical on opposite sides of a plane perpendicular to the rim. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the single piece housing has a projection area that is isotropic about the rim. 2. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the integral insert has a projection area surrounded by the rim. 2. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the integral insert has a projected area extending beyond the rim area. 2. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical elements comprise an electrical circuit comprising a power source, a motor and at least one switch. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a battery. 2. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the removable cover comprises a cap arranged and configured for removable engagement on the rim. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the removable cover comprises a plug arranged and configured for removable engagement within the rim. 17. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 16, wherein a gasket is disposed about the plug. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein a gasket is disposed between the integral insert and the housing. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, wherein the integral insert is coupled to the single piece housing through a damping member to inhibit transmission of movement between the integral insert and the single piece housing. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises a hole having a gasket and a movable shaft disposed within the hole, the moveable shaft being operably connected to the motor to move movement from the motor to the housing, To the skin-contacting element disposed on the exterior of the skin-contact element. 16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the cap has an interior surface disposed toward the integral insert, the integral insert having switch contacts disposed on a proximal surface, the interior surface of the cap having an electrical conductor, Said cap having a first position in which said electrical conductor is spaced apart from said switch contacts disposed on said proximal surface of said integral insert and a second position in which said electrical conductor is on said proximal surface of said integral insert And a second position for closing the electrical circuit in electrical contact with the switch contacts disposed in the first position. The handheld electromechanical device of claim 1, further comprising surface features on the outer surface of the single piece housing.

Images