US3636626A

US3636626A - Dry shaver

Info

Publication number: US3636626A
Application number: US852306A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frans Zuurveen
Original assignee: US Philips Corp
Current assignee: US Philips Corp
Priority date: 1968-08-31
Filing date: 1969-08-22
Publication date: 1972-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-25
Also published as: NL6812448A; FR2017136A1; DE1942106A1; GB1281836A

Abstract

A dry shaver having a single shaft actuating at least two shaving heads formed by concentric shear plates adapted to be elevated and depressed relative to each other, each shear plate provided with a cooperating rotary cutter member resiliently maintained in engagement with the associated shear plate by separate springs between each two cutter members, the shear plates being coupled to one another in their extreme raised and depressed positions.

Description

United States Patent Zuurveen 1 51 Jan. 25, 1972 [54] DRY SHAVER 3,136,055 6/1964 Kobler et al. ..30/43.1

3,233,323 2 1966 ..3O 3. [72] Inventor: Frans Zuurveen, Emmasingel, Eindhoven, Drelssen l4 6 x Netherlands FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 Assigneer Philips Corporation, New York, NY 784,909 10 1957 Great Britain ..30 43.5

[22] Filed: 1969 Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon [21] Appl. No.: 852,306 Assistant ExaminerR. C Riordon Attorney-Frank R. Trifari [30] Foreign Application Priorlty Data 57 ABSTRACT Aug. 31, 1968 Netherlands ..68l2448 A y Shaver having a Single Shaft actuating at least two Shaw ing heads formed by concentric shear plates adapted to be [52] CI 30/154651 elevated and depressed relative to each other, each shear late 51 Int Cl B26b 19/14 P provided with a cooperating rotary cutter member resiliently [58] FueldoiSearch ..30/43.1,43.3,43.4,43.5, t h t d h I t b 30/416 43-7 418 439] 3465] main ame n engagement wit t e assocrae s ear pae y separate springs between each two cutter members, the shear plates being coupled to one another in their extreme raised [56] References cued and de ressed ositions.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 2,526,153 10/1950 Page ..30/43.91

PATENTEU M26197? 3536526 sum 1 or 2 INVENTOK FRANS ZUURVEEN BY PATENTED mes 1972-

SHEET

2 or 2 INVENTOR.

FRANS Z UURVEEN DRY SHAVER The invention relates to a dryshaving apparatus having a casing with a longitudinal axis, a single driving shaft, and at least two depressible shaving heads which are actuated by the driving shaft and are positioned successively adjacent in a transverse direction to the axis, each shaving head comprising a shear plate which is provided with hair passage apertures and is defined in cross section by two, spaced U-shaped parts, a cooperating cutter member which is arranged to be driven and is resiliently maintained in engagement with the respective shear plate, while the shear plates are coupled to each other and are displaceable upward to their extreme raised positions and downward to their depressed positions.

Each user of a dry-shaving apparatus occasionally tends to depress the depressible shaving heads as far as possible. When a known apparatus is handled in such manner the shaving heads are liable to become relatively disarranged, which may give rise to the possibility of injury to the user.

It is an object of the invention to eliminate this disadvantage and the invention is distinguished in that the shear plates are coupled when in their extreme depressed positions. An embodiment is characterized in that the shear plate of a shaving head is movable axially and substantially vertically with respect to the shear plate of one of the adjoining shaving heads; this movement is between two stops which are spaced axially and are provided on one lateral wall of each pair of adjacent surfaces of the respective adjoining shear plates.

In another embodiment a lateral wall of a shear plate of a shaving head is provided with circumferentially spaced slots with studs provided on the adjoining lateral wall of the shear plate of the respective adjoining shaving head, the studs being slidingly and fittingly displaceable relative to said slots. In this highly advantageous embodiment a relative rotary movement of the shaving heads is prevented.

An additional advantage of the invention consists in its property that the shaving heads when pressed against the parts of the face to be shaved are capable of adapting themselves to the various shapes of these parts in a manner such that during shaving a large part of the shear plates are in continuous engagement with these parts. This property of the invention is characterized in that the shaving heads in their extreme raised positions are spaced from one another successively upwardly and in their extreme depressedpositions are spaced from one another successively downwardly while in the extreme raised position the centrally situated shaving head is spaced from a motor actuating the apparatus by the greatest distance and in the extreme depressed position the outermost shaving head occupies this remotest position.

The invention will be described more fully with reference to a drawing, which shows an embodiment and from which further advantageous features will become apparent and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the invention,

FIGS. 2 and 3 show schematically and in detail the coupling between the shear plates,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spring system to be used, and

FIG. 5 is a schematic elevation of two positions which the shaving heads may occupy with respect to one another.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a holder 1 which embraces a group of depressible shaving heads 2, 3, 4 and 5 which are actuated by a driving shaft 6. A lower part 7 of noncircular cross section of the driving shaft 6 is coupled with a motor drive shaft 8 for rotary motion. Each of the shaving heads 2, 3, 4 and 5 comprises a

cutter member

9, 10, 11 and 12 which consists of a blade-carrying holder part l3, l4, l5 and 16 which is provided with at least one blade arm l7, 18, 19 and 20, respectively. The cutter members of the outer shaving heads usually comprise a greater number of blade arms than the cutter members of the central shaving heads. Each shaving

head

2, 3, 4 and 5 also comprises a

shear plate

21, 22, 23 and 24, respectively, which is provided with hair passage apertures and has in cross section, two spaced substantially U-shaped parts.

The

shear plates

21, 22 and 23 are each movably arranged between two stops which are spaced from one another in the axial direction and which are provided on one lateral wall of each pair of adjoining shaving heads 22, 23 and 24, respectively, the outermost shear plate being arranged so as to be movable upward and downward in the axial direction between two stops provided on the inner wall of the holder 1.

The

cutter members

9, 10, 11 and 12 are coupled for rotary motion with an upper part of the driving shaft 6 shaped in the form of a coupling pin 25. The

holder parts

13, 14, I5 and 16 are resiliently supported by a spring system comprising independent but series-operating springs 26, 27, 28 and 29. The spring 26 is helical, and the

springs

27, 28 and 29 are uniformpitch conical compression springs. Obviously, other springs or spring systems may be substitutedfor the above-mentioned springs. Thus, for example, each spring may consist of a spring system 31 which comprises at least three parallel-operating leaf-springs 30 (FIG. 4). Such a spring system provides the advantage that in the case of a comparativelyslight depression a comparatively slight increase of the thrust force to be exerted by the spring system 31 is obtainable. I

The driving shaft 6 is resiliently arranged by means of a helical spring 33 surrounding a middle part 32 of this shaft '6. This helical spring 33 exerts a thrust force upon the free upper end of the motor-coupling shaft 8 and upon the lower surface of the coupling pin 25. The upper surface 34 of the coupling pin 25 is urged against the lower surface of the central shear plate 21. The coupling pin 25 passes with a certain amount of clearance through central apertures provided in the blade-carrying

holder parts

13, 14, 15 and 16 of the

cutter members

9, 10, 11 and 12, respectively.

With respect to the shear plates coupled for rotary motion, it should be noted that a lateral wall 35 (FIG. 2) of a shear plate of a shaving head is provided with slots 36 which are circumferentially spaced and extend substantially axially, and in which studs 38 provided on the adjoining lateral wall (FIG. 3) of the shear plate of the respective adjoining shaving head are displaceable axially with a sliding fit, while the inner wall part of the holder 1 at the level of the outermost shaving head 5 is designed substantially as the other, nonadjoining lateral wall of the shear plate 24 of this shaving head 5. V

In their extreme raised positions 39 (FIG. 5) the shear plates2l, 22, 23 and 24 are spaced from one another in the axial direction, the central shear plate 21 being spaced by the greatest distance from the motor (not shown) which actuates the apparatus, while the

shear plates

21, 22, 23 and 24 in their extreme depressed positions 40 are spaced from one another in the axial, the outennost shear plate 24 then being spaced from the motor by thegreatestdistance. Between these

extreme positions

39 and 40 of the

shear plates

24, 23, 22 and 21 these shear plates are capable of adapting themselves to the shapes of the parts of the face to be shaved, with the result that during shaving a comparatively large area of engagement is continuously obtained. g

The shaving heads shown in FIG. l are disposed concentrically about one another. Obviously, the invention is not restricted to such an embodiment provided with a rotary drive. The invention may also be applied to shaving apparatuses provided with a reciprocating drive.

I claim:

1. In a dry shaver including a casing with upper and lower parts along a longitudinal axis, a single drive shaft, and at least two concentric shaving heads, each shaving head comprising a shear plate which has hair-receiving apertures and is mounted in the casing for axial movement upward to its top position and downward to its depressed position, and a cutter associated with each plate and driven by the drive shaft, the shaver further including a plurality of series-operating springs, one engaging and urging each cutter upward into resilient engagement with its corresponding shear plate which is urged thereby to its top position, the casing restraining the first shear plate in its top and depressed positions, the remaining shear plates being successively adjacent to the first and successively coupled together for restraining each shear plate in its respective top and depressed positions.

2. In a dry shaver including a casing having top and bottom parts, a single central drive shaft having first and second parts, first and second concentric cutters driven by said first part of the shaft, first and second concentric shear plates with hairreceiving apertures, one associated with each of the corresponding cutters, and each mounted in the casing for axial movement upward to a top position and downward to a depressed position, a first spring between said second part of the shaft and the first cutter urging same and its associated shear plate upward, a second compressed spring between the cutters urging adjacent cutters and their associated shear plates axially apart, the casing further comprising axially spaced stop means for limiting the first shear plate between top and depressed positions, and further stop means between adjacent shear plates for limiting axial movement of each relative to the other between top and depressed positions.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the central shear plate, of said plurality of concentric shear plates, is spaced higher from the lower part of the casing than the other shear plates, when all are in their top positions.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first shear plate is most remote from the central axis and one spring of said spring system extends between a part of the casing and the lower surface of the cutter associated with this first shear plate, and all the cutters are successively adjacent, and another spring of said spring system is disposed between each pair of adjacent cutters.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the casing and the first shear plate have one edge each of a pair of adjacent edges, and each two, adjacent shear plates have one edge each of a pair of adjacent edges, and said means for coupling the shear plates comprises a pair of axially spaced stops on one of each of said pairs of edges and an element movable between said stops on the other of each of said pairs of edges.

6. [n a dry shaver including a casing with upper and lower parts along a longitudinal axis, a single drive shaft, and at least two shaving heads, each shaving head comprising a shear plate which has hair-receiving apertures and is mounted in the casing for axial movement upward to its top position and downward to its depressed position, and a cutter associated with each plate and driven by the drive shaft, the shaver further including a plurality of series-operating springs, one engaging and urging each cutter upward into resilient engagement with its corresponding shear plate which is urged thereby to its top position, the casing restraining the first shear plate in its top and depressed positions, the remaining shear plates being successively adjacent to the first and successively coupled together for restraining each shear plate in its respective top and depressed positions.

7. [n a dry shaver including a casing with a single drive shaft having a coupling part and a drive part and at least two axially spaced cutters driven by said drive part of the shaft, shear plates with hair-receiving apertures, one associated with each cutter and mounted in the casing for axial movement upward to its top position and downward to its depressed position, a first spring between the coupling part of the shaft and one cutter, urging same and its associated shear plate upward, another spring between each two adjacent cutters urging them and their associated shear plates axially apart and means for coupling all the shear plates successively together and to the housing for restraining these plates in their respective top and depressed positions.

8. In a dry shaver including a casing with upper and lower parts along a longitudinal axis, a single drive shaft, and at least two concentric shaving heads, each shaving head comprising a shear plate which has hair-receiving apertures and is mounted in the casing for axial movement upward to its top position and depression to its bottom position, and a cutter associated with each plate and driven by the drive shaft, the shaver further including a spring system comprising a plurality of sefies-connected s rings, one engaging1 and urging each cutter upward into resr rent engagement wit its corresponding shear plate which is urged to its top position, the casing restraining the first shear plate in its top position, the remaining shear plates being successively adjacent to the first and successively coupled together for restraining each shear plate in its respective top position.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the drive shaft is coaxial with said concentric shear plates and corresponding cutters, and said spring system comprises uniform-pitch conical springs disposed about said shaft.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each spring comprises an arrangement of three parallel-connected leaf springs.

Claims

2. In a dry shaver including a casing having top and bottom parts, a single central drive shaft having first and second parts, first and second concentric cutters driven by said first part of the shaft, first and second concentric shear plates with hair-receiving apertures, one associated with each of the corresponding cutters, and each mounted in the casing for axial movement upward to a top position and downward to a depressed position, a first spring between said second part of the shaft and the first cutter urging same and its associated shear plate upward, a second compressed spring between the cutters urging adjacent cutters and their associated shear plates axially apart, the casing further comprising axially spaced stop means for limiting the first shear plate between top and depressed positions, and further stop means between adjacent shear plates for limiting axial movement of each relative to the other between top and depressed positions.

6. In a dry shaver including a casing with upper and lower parts along a longitudinal axis, a single drive shaft, and at least two shaving heads, each shaving head comprising a shear plate which has hair-receiving apertures and is mounted in the casing for axial movement upward to its top position and downward to its depressed position, and a cutter associated with each plate and drivEn by the drive shaft, the shaver further including a plurality of series-operating springs, one engaging and urging each cutter upward into resilient engagement with its corresponding shear plate which is urged thereby to its top position, the casing restraining the first shear plate in its top and depressed positions, the remaining shear plates being successively adjacent to the first and successively coupled together for restraining each shear plate in its respective top and depressed positions.

7. In a dry shaver including a casing with a single drive shaft having a coupling part and a drive part and at least two axially spaced cutters driven by said drive part of the shaft, shear plates with hair-receiving apertures, one associated with each cutter and mounted in the casing for axial movement upward to its top position and downward to its depressed position, a first spring between the coupling part of the shaft and one cutter, urging same and its associated shear plate upward, another spring between each two adjacent cutters urging them and their associated shear plates axially apart and means for coupling all the shear plates successively together and to the housing for restraining these plates in their respective top and depressed positions.

8. In a dry shaver including a casing with upper and lower parts along a longitudinal axis, a single drive shaft, and at least two concentric shaving heads, each shaving head comprising a shear plate which has hair-receiving apertures and is mounted in the casing for axial movement upward to its top position and depression to its bottom position, and a cutter associated with each plate and driven by the drive shaft, the shaver further including a spring system comprising a plurality of series-connected springs, one engaging and urging each cutter upward into resilient engagement with its corresponding shear plate which is urged to its top position, the casing restraining the first shear plate in its top position, the remaining shear plates being successively adjacent to the first and successively coupled together for restraining each shear plate in its respective top position.