US3501835A - Electric dry shaver with cutting head movable to shaving and cleaning positions and removable - Google Patents

Description

March24, 1970 M. A. MORET ET AL 3,501,835

' ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER WITH CUTTING HEAD MQVABLE To SHAVING-AND CLEANING POSITIONS AND REMOVABLE Filed Ndv. 1, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 anam March 24, 1970 M. A. MORET ET AL 3,501,835

ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER WITH CUTTING HEAD MOVABLE TO SHAVING AND CLEANING POSITIONS AND REMOVABLE Filed NOV. 1, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOK/VEYS wvswrazs, Mme 1 A. ma 5. c1400! P051527 ma m Wigwam March 24, 1970 A, MOR-ET ET AL 3,501,835

ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER WITH CuTTINC HEAD MOVABLE TO SHAVING AND CLEANING POSITIONS AND REMOVABLE Filed Nov. 1, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 M. A. MORET ET AL 3,501,835

SHAVING AND CLEANING POSITIONS AND REMOVABLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 m a a E .D E E. 1 4. mm 4 III M F I 1 A L .1 W

K EN? W W F March 24, 1970 ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER WITH CUTTING HEAD MOVABLE T0 Filed Nov. 1, 1967 March 24, 1970 M. A. MORET' ET'AL 3,501,835

ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER WITH CUTTING HEAD MOVABLE TO SHAVING AND CLEANING POSITIONS AND REMOVABLE Filed Nov. 1, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 M A l A z 2 T 12? A A wue/vraks,

M/CWAZ ,4. M062 7' {5 6214006 ROSSET ArmeA/A'rs United States Patent 3,501,835 ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER WITH CUTTING HEAD MOVABLE T0 SHAVING AND CLEANING POSI- TIONS AND REMOVABLE Michel A. Moret, Chene-Bourg, Geneva, and Claude R. Rosset, Chene-Thonex, Geneva, Switzerland, assignors to Etablissements AESUP, Vadux, Liechtenstein, a firm of Liechtenstein Filed Nov. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 679,874 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Nov. 2, 1966, 15,826/66 Int. Cl. B26b 19/02 US. Cl. 30-4332 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The cutting head is mounted for movement partially out of the casing with ends thereof exposed for cleaning, the movement disengaging the head from the driving means. Manually-actuated detent means holds the cutting head in either shaving or cleaning positions and, upon further movement, allows the cutting head to be removed.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides an electric dry shaver having simple and convenient means for allowing the cutting head to be cleaned, and to be removed if desired.

A cutting head is mounted at one end of a casing forming a handle and has at least one, and preferably several, shear combs and cooperating movable blades which are of the linearly-extending type with open ends allowing convenient cleaning when exposed. Driving means are mounted in the casing having a driving member for engaging the cutting head to reciprocate the movable blade or blades. The cutting head is mounted for movement toward and away from the casing to respective shaving and cleaning positions.

In the shaving position the cutting head is in engagement with the driving means, and the casing extends over the open ends of the cutters. In the cleaning position, however, the outward movement of the cutting heads leaves the ends exposed for convenient cleaning. The outward movement also disengages the cutting head from the driving means, so that accidental actuation of the driving means will not damage the cutting head. This might occur because of lack of precise positioning of cutting head and driving means when the former is moved, or due to brushes being used to clean the blades, etc.

In the preferred embodiment manually-operated detent means are used to limit outward movement of the cutting head in either shaving or cleaning positions, and the cutting head is spring-biased outwards to urge the head against the detents. As specifically described, the cutting head has a pair of legs extending in the direction of movement thereof, and these legs pass through openings in a pair of pushbutton plates mounted for lateral movement in the casing. The legs and openings have stepped sections which cooperate to form retents limiting outward movement of the cutting head, and both the legs and pushbutton plates are spring-biased toward their outer positions. In a first position of the pushbutton plates, specifically the outer position thereof, the cutting head is held in its shaving position. In a second position, with the pushbutton plates moved inwards, the first stepped sections allow the cutting head to move outwards until the second stepped sections engage and form detents limiting further movement. Advantageously, the legs and openings are dimensioned so that, upon further inward movement of the pushbutton plates to a third position, the legs can pass freely through the openings and allow the cutting head to be removed from the casing.

3,501,835 Patented Mar. 24, 1970 To prevent hair cuttings, dirt, etc. from getting into the driving mechanism when the cutting head is removed, the driving means is provided with a cover plate having slots therein through which the legs extend. The pushbutton plates are arranged so that, when the cutting head is removed and the pushbutton plates move outward, portions of the plates cover the slots.

The accompanying drawing represents by way of example one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the head of the body and FIGURE 1a is a View of A of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-section passing through the axis of symmetry of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exterior side view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a detail view of FIGURE 1 showing the removable cutting head and FIGURES 5a and 51; show details of the control push buttons in shaving and cleaning positions respectively.

FIGURE 6 is a detail of FIGURE 2 showing the removable head and FIGURE 6a is a detail of the control push buttons in removal position.

The electric razor shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises essentially a platic casing 1, an eccentric cam 2 mounted on a shaft 3 driven by a motor not shown, a support 4 pierced by a shaft 5 on which pivots a lever 6 engaging on the one hand with cam 2 and on the other hand with a slider 7 provided with claws 8 for driving the movable blades 18, this support 4 having slots through which pass securing legs 9 of the removable cutting head comprising the shaving elements. The position of the removable head is controlled by push buttons 11.

Since the handle of the razor, not shown, which contains the control elements and the driving motor for shaft 3 makes an angle of about degrees with the axis of symmetry of the shaving head (FIGURE 1), cam 2 has a curved surfaces 2a to avoid that same becomes wedged between the wings 6a of lever 6 (FIGURE 1a). Contact between cam 2 and the wings of lever 6 being practically continuous, the lever is made of a particularly heat resistant plastic material in order to avoid localized melting or a flowing of the plastic material.

Support 4 is made of a particularly heavy material to balance the weight of the motor contained in the handle in order that the centre of gravity of the shaver be located approximately on the level with the .hand of the user.

Slider 7 is maintained in place by a cover plate 12 having two fastening tongues 13 for mounting it in casing 1.

Cutting head 10, shown in detail in FIGURES 5 and 6, comprises five shear combs 14 welded on corresponding sections 15 secured on a plate 16 itself afiixed to a plate 17 provided with tongues which are bent to form securing legs 9. In each of these shear combs a movable blade 18 is driven in a reciprocating movement at the rotational frequency of the motor through stirrup 19 engaged by claws 8. The faces of combs 14 and of blades 18 in contact are provided with transverse slots 14a and 18a in order to form openings which cut the hairs of the user by shearing action.

Each of the securing legs 9 passes through a slot 12a made in the cover plate 12 and is engaged by a corresponding push button 11 slidably mounted in support 4. Each leg bears on one of the branches of a corresponding spring 20 wound in its middle part of a shaft 20 mounted in support 4.

Push buttons 11 are constituted by substantially rectangular plastic plates and are mounted in casing 1 between plate 12 and support 4. Each of these pushbutton plates is subjected to the urging of that branch of spring 20 which is not in contact with the corresponding leg 9. Push buttons 11 are provided with Windows 21 two of whose opposite sides have stepped sections I, II, III (FIGURES 4 to 6).

Each leg 9 is cut out in order to form three stepped sections I, II and III the width of which corresponds to the width of sections I, II, III forming window 21 of push button 11. Consequently push buttons 11 can occupy three different lateral positions which correspond to three different vertical positions for legs 9 indicated as position I, position II and position III in FIGURES and 6.

In the shaving position, the cutting head is entirely pushed into casing 1 and comb 14 lies on the level with the edge of the casing. As illustrated in FIG. 5a, part I of legs 9 will coincide with part I of windows 21 such that these legs will contact the lower edges of these windows through their part II. In this shaving position, I, the removable cutting head is axially locked in the shaver since springs 20 urge the head outward against the detents formed by the abutting edges of the legs 9 and push button plates 11 which limit the outward movement.

When push buttons 11 are partially pushed in block 4 by the user, they occupy position II in which the portion II of their window 21 lies on a level with legs 9 as illustrated in FIG. 5b. The legs will move up, under the urging of springs 20, until part III of the legs meets edge II of windows 21, thus forming detents which limit further outward movement. In this position, a part of removable head 10 will extend beyond the edge of casing 1 and comb 14 for example will occupy the position indicated in dotted lines on FIGURES l and 2. It will then be possible for the user to drive out the hairs enclosed in the removable head by simply blowing on the latter in a direction longitudinal to the shaving element. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, when cutting head 10 moves to its cleaning position stirrup 19 will be disengaged from the driving claw 8 so that the movable blade 18 cannot he accidentally driven. This is advantageous to prevent possible damage to the cutting head.

By fully pushing push button 11 against spring 20, part HI of window 21 will coincide with section III of legs 9, as illustrated in FIG. 6a, thus allowing the legs to pass freely through windows 21 under the urging of spring 20. Head 10 can then be removed from casing 1. When the head is removed, the push buttons 11 are urged outwardly by springs 20 and close the slots of cover plate 12 through which the legs normally pass, thus preventing the entry of hairs into the working parts.

To describe the operation it will be assumed that the shaver is ready for use, as illustrated in full lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. Cutting head 10 is retained in its innermost position with the detent steps between sections I and II of legs 9 (FIG. 5) lying just beneath sections I of the openings 21 in the pushbutton plates 11, as illustrated in FIG. 5a. Springs 20 (FIG. 2) bias the legs upward and the pushbutton plates outward to retain the cutting head in this first, or saving, position. Claws 8 of the driving mechanism are in engagement with the movable blades of the cutting head through stirrups 19, as shown in FIG. 2. As the drive shaft 3 rotates (FIG. 1), the cam 2 causes lever -6 to oscillate, thereby reciprocating the movable blades 18 in the cutting head. Accordingly the user can shave in the ordinary manner.

After shaving, the user presses pushbutton plates 11 inwards, thereby moving the openings 21 therein to the position shown in FIG. 5b wherein sections II of the legs pass upwards through sections II of openings 21 until the steps between II and III of the legs bear against the underside of plates 11. Springs 20 urge the legs upwards as soon as sections II allow the legs to move, and thereafter hold the legs and pushbutton plates in this second, or cleaning, position. The outward movement of the cutting head 10, illustrated in dot-dash lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, expose the ends of the shear combs 14 and movable blades 18 so that they can readily be cleaned by blowing, passing a small brush therethrough, etc. In this cleaning .4 position the cutting head is disengaged from claws 8 of the driving mechanism so that they cannot be accidentally driven during the cleaning operation. After cleaning, the user pushes the cutting head inwards until sections II of legs 9 pass beneath pushbutton plates 11, whereupon the outward biasing of the plates by springs 20 causes sections I of the openings 21 to engage sections I of the legs and hold them in shaving position.

To remove the cutting head 10, the user presses pushbutton plates 11 all the way in to the position illustrated in FIG. 6a. In this third position, sections III of legs 9 register with sections III of the plates and the legs are forced upwards by springs 20, thus freeing the cutting head. As the cutting head is removed, springs 20 urge the pushbutton plates 11 outward until their openings 21 pass by the slots 12a (FIG. 2) through which the legs were withdrawn, thereby closing the slots to prevent entry of hair cuttings, dirt, etc. into the driving mechanism beneath cover plate 12. To reinsert the cutting head, pushbutton plates 11 are pressed all the way into the position illustrated in FIG. 6a, the legs 9 of the cutting head inserted in slots 12a and the head pressed inward to its shaving or cleaning position as desired, and the pushbutton plates released.

It will be observed that these operations are easy to perform, and that the mechanism is very simple yet effective.

What is claimed is:

1. A dry shaver comprising (a) a casing forming a handle,

(b) a cutting head mounted in one end of said casing and having at least one linearly-extending shear comb and cooperating movable blade with open ends,

(0) driving means mounted in said casing having a driving member for engaging said cutting head to reciprocate said movable blade,

(d) said cutting head being mounted for movement toward and away from said casing to respective shaving and cleaning positions,

(e) said cutting head being in engagement with said driving member in the shaving position thereof and out of engagement therewith in the cleaning position thereof,

(f) said casing extending over the open ends of said shear comb and cutting blade in the shaving position of said head and leaving the open ends exposed in the cleaning position thereof,

(g) and manually actuable means accessible from the exterior of said casing for holding said cutting head in said shaving position in a first position thereof and for moving the cutting head to said cleaning position in a second position thereof and holding the head in the cleaning position.

2. A dry shaver according to claim 1 in which said manually actuable means includes relatively moveable detent members mounted on said cutting head and casing, respectively, with one of said detent members manually movable from the exterior of the casing, said detent members having cooperating detent sections limiting outward movement of the cutting head in said first and second positions, and spring means for urging the cutting head outwardly against said detent sections.

3. A dry shaver according to claim 2 in which said detent members have sections dimensioned to free said cutting head for removal from said casing in a third position of the detent members.

4. A dry shaver according to claim 1 in which said manually operable means includes a pair of legs attached to said cutting head and extending in the direction of movement there, and a pair of pushbutton plate members mounted in said casing for lateral movement therein, said pushbutton plate members having respective openings therein through which respective legs pass, said openings and said legs being stepped to form detent sections limiting outward movement of the cutting head to said shaving and cleaning position in respective first and second positions of said pushbutton plate members, and spring means for urging said legs and pushbutton plate members outwardly.

5. A dry shaver according to claim 4 in which said openings and legs are dimensioned to allow passage of the legs through the openings in a third position of said pushbutton plate members for removal of the cutting head from the casing.

6. A dry shaver according to claim 5 including a cover plate Over said driving means through which said driving member extends, said cover plate having respective slots through which said legs extend to engage said pushbutton plate members, said pushbutton plate members being mounted adjacent the inner surface of said cover plate References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Bruecker 30-416 Kobler et a1. 3034.2 Kobler et a1. 30-43.1

Driessen 30--43.2 Tolmie et al. 3043.1 X

OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner 15 GARY F. GRAFEL, Assistant Examiner

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