US3780434A

US3780434A - Hair-clipping cutter system

Info

Publication number: US3780434A
Application number: US00139569A
Authority: US
Inventors: Boer J De; P Vaes
Original assignee: US Philips Corp
Current assignee: US Philips Corp
Priority date: 1970-05-28
Filing date: 1971-05-03
Publication date: 1973-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-25
Also published as: US3711805A; ES169236Y; ES169236U; NL7007686A; FR2090344B1; JPS536344B1; DE2121913C3; DE2121913B2; GB1293886A; FR2090344A1; DE2121913A1

Abstract

Displacement device for a hair-clipping cutter system for a dryshaving apparatus, the hair-clipping cutter system being displaceable by means of a sliding knob between an extended position and a retracted position in the direction of shifting of the sliding knob. The stroke of the sliding knob is smaller than the shifting distance of the cutter system.

Description

United States Patent [191 de Boer et al.

[ Dec. 25, 1973 HAlR-CLIPPING CUTTER SYSTEM Inventors: Jan de Boer; Petrus Jozephus Johannes Vaes, both of Oliemolenstraat, Drachten,

Netherlands I Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation, New

York, NY.

Filed: May 3, 1971 Appl. No.: 139,569

Foreign Application Priority Data May 28, 1970 Netherlands 7007686 US. Cl 30/34.], 30/43.], 74/110 Int. Cl. B26b 19/20, F1611 21/44 Field of Search 30/34.], 43.1, 20l,

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,917,824 l2/l969 Brauss 30/43.! X 3.552.007 l/l97l Yamada Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Assistant Examiner-Gary L. Smith Attorney-Frank R. Trifari [5 7] ABSTRACT Displacement device for a hair-clipping cutter system for a dry-shaving apparatus, the hair-clipping cutter system being displaceable by means of a sliding knob between an extended position and a retracted position in the direction of shifting of the sliding knob. The stroke of the sliding knob is smaller than the shifting distance of the cutter system.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUEB25I975 3.780.434

'

sum

3 or 3 INVENTORS JAN DE BOER PETRUS J.J VAES I LL L AGE T HAIR-CLIPPING CUTTER SYSTEM The invention relates to a hair-clipping cutter system of a hair-clipping device, in particular of a hair-clipping device for a dry-shaving apparatus, which cutter system is displaceable by means of a sliding knob through a distance between an extended position and a retracted position of the cutter system, during which'displacement the sliding knob operates at least one pin which is movable in the direction of displacement of the cutter system and is coupled thereto in a manner such that the distance through which the sliding knob is shifted to produce this displacement of the cutter system is not equal to the distance through which the cutter system is displaced. Such an arrangement is described in US. Pat. No. 3,413,718.

It is an object of the invention to provide a haircutting device, the cutter system of which in the operative position is readily displaceable over the area of the skin on which the hair is to be clipped without the user being inconvenienced by parts of the casing of the apparatus. This is of particular importance for dryshaving apparatus provided with hair-clipping devices in which in the known apparatus, the cutting members of the hair-clipping device generally protrude from the wall of the apparatus casing through a small distance only.

The invention is characterized in that the distance through which the cutter system is displaced is greater than the distance through which the sliding knob is shifted.

The effect of the invention is considerable in a dryshaving apparatus provided with a hair-clipping device in which the shaving head has an appreciable height and the cutting members of the hair-clipping device may be raised to the level of the cooperating shaving members.

The ease of manipulation of the hair-clipping device is increased when the pin is mounted in the sliding knob which is adapted to slide in the direction of displacement of the cutter system.

The invention if further characterized in that the pin, which is adapted to be shifted by the sliding knob, is coupled to a pivoting lever having unequal arms which intersect at an angle. The longer arm which is connected to the cutter system, in the extended position of the cutter system extends substantially in the direction of displacement of the cutter system, and in the retracted position extends substantially in a direction at right angles thereto. The shorter arm of this lever is supported by a spring, the tension of which varies during the displacement of the cutter system between the said positions, because during the sliding of the sliding knob through the sliding distance, this spring is operated by the pin so as to be given a higher tension during the first part of this sliding movement. At the beginning of the second part of the sliding movement the spring, which then is under the higher tension, is suddenly permitted to relax. This results in an appreciable increase of the stroke.

A preferred embodiment using one pin is characterized in that the pin forms the pivot of the unequalarmed lever, the unequal arms of which intersect at an obtuse angle, the longer arm being provided with a projection which is slidable in a slot in the cutter system. In this embodiment the stroke increase is achieved by an arrangement of simple construction which may readily be manufactured by mass-production methods.

Another preferred embodiment using two pins is characterized in that each of the two pins mounted in the sliding knob is journalled in a bar, each bar being hinged to the shorter arm of an unequal-armed lever the arms of which intersect one another at an acute angle. Each of the longer arms of these two levers are hinged to one end of an extension the other end of which is connected to the cutter system, these extensions being substantially aligned with the longer arms in the extended position and extending substantially parallel thereto in the retracted position.

This preferred embodiment provides a firmer mounting of the cutter system of the hair-clipping device, since in the extended position the cutter system is supported in two points by the rigidly arranged extensions.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings of two preferred embodiments, in which like elements are designated by corresponding reference numerals and in which irrelevant parts have been omitted, while further advantageous details will manifest themselves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment with the cutter system of the hair clipping device in the extended position, taken in the plane in which the cutters of this system move relative to one another,

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken at right angles to the sectional plane of FIG. I on the line Il-II of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the hair-clipper casing taken on the line IIIIII of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the hair-clipper casing of a preferred embodiment with the hair-clipping cutter system in the extended position,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the hair-clipper casing of FIG. 4 taken in the plane in which the hair-clipping cutters move relatively to one another.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A cutter system 1 of a hair-cutting device 2 is displaceable relative to shave housing H in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the

cutters

1A and 1A of the system 1 in a hair-clipper casing 3. The cutter system 1 is provided with an envelope 4 which follows the movement of the cutter system 1. The displacement of the cutter system 1 is simultaneous with the sliding movement of a sliding knob 5 over an outer wall of the hair-clipper casing 3, the direction of this sliding movement being parallel to the direction of the displacement of the cutter system 1.

In the sliding knob 5 of the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 there is mounted a pin 6 which also forms the pivot of an unequal-armed pivoting lever 7 which is pivotable in the plane in which the

cutters

1A and 1A of the system 1 move relative to one another. The movable cutter pivot about axis 1C, as actuated by lever 13 on pivot arm 1D. The arms of the lever 7 intersect at an obtuse angle.

In the extended position the shorter arm 8 of the lever 7 is resiliently supported by a spring 9 arranged in the hair-clipper casing, and in the retracted position of the cutter system this spring 9 also resiliently supports the shorter arm 8 of the lever 7, which engagement may be referred to as a spring engagement with bistable equilibrium.

The longer arm 10 of the lever 7 is provided at the end remote from the pivot 6 with a projection l 1 which is slidingly shiftable in a slot 12 formed in the cutter system 1, preferably in the envelope 4. The end of the shorter arm 8 of the lever 7 remote from the pivot 6 is also provided with a projection 13 which is slidingly shiftable in a slot 14 formed in a wall of the hair-clipper casing 3. The

slots

14 and 12 extend substantially parallel to one another in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of displacement of the cutter system 1. If now, starting from the situation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sliding knob is moved downwardly through a distance c (see FIG. 2) the following changes will be produced.

During this sliding movement, the longer arm 10 of the lever 7 describes an arc b (see FIG. 1), while the projection 11 moves in the slot 12 from right to left viewed in the plane of the drawing, and in doing so displaces the cutter system 1 through a distance a from an extended position to a retracted position, the distance a being appreciably greater than the distance c. During this sliding movement the projection 13 of the shorter arm 8, viewed in the plane of the drawing, will first move from left to right in the slot 14 and then from right to left, so that the final position of the projection 13 willbe about the same as its initial position.

During the first part of the sliding movement of the sliding knob 5 the projection 13 will increase the tension of the spring 9, this tension being a maximum at the instant at which the pin 6 and the projection 13 are at the same level, after which on further downward movement of the sliding knob 5 the spring will relax, so that the cutter system 1 during the second part of this sliding process will move with a highly accelerated movement. When the cutter system is moved from the retracted position to the extended position by means of the sliding knob 5, the said process will take place in reverse order, giving the impression that the hairclipping cutter system 1 springs from the casing 3.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the cutter system of the hairclipping device 22 is again displaceable through a distance a, while the sliding knob 25 operating the cutter system is shiftable through an appreciably smaller distance c. In this embodiment there are mounted in the sliding knob 25 two pins 26 and 26' which also form the pivots about which two auxiliary bars 15 and 15' are pivotable. These auxiliary bars 15 and'lS' are hinged to shorter arms 28 and 28' of the two unequal-

armed levers

27 and 27 which are arranged on the same level and in each of which the arms intersect at an acute pivoting angle. These levers 27 and 27' are pivotable in the cutting plane of the hair-clipping cutters about two pivots 16 and 16' mounted in the hair-clipper casing 23. During the pivotal movement of the

levers

27 and 27 their longer arms and 20' move either towards or away from one another.

A spring 29, which preferably takes the form of a wre spring, is tensioned between two

pins

17 and 17 in the shorter arms 28 and 28' of the levers 27 and 27'. The longer arms 20 and 20' are hinged to two extensions 18 and 18' the ends of which remote from the hinge connection are connected to the cutter system 1. In the extended position of the cutter system, in which the spring 29 resiliently supports the

shorter arms

28 and 28, these arms 28 and 28' are maintained in a locked position, since each of the longer arms 20 and 20' forms a rigid unit with the

respective extension

18 and 18. When in the situation shown in FIG. 6 the sliding knob 25 is shifted downwardly, the pins 26 and 26' with the

bars

15 and 15 press against the ends of the spring 29, so that this spring 29 will be curved more tightly and hence will be under a higher tension. The

pins

17 and 17 will move downwardly and towards each other until the highest tension of the spring is reached, which is obtained when the

pins

17 and 17 are at the same level as are the pivots l6 and 16', after which at the commencement of further downward shifting of the sliding knob 25 the spring 29 will suddenly be relaxed, entraining the shorter arms 28 and 28'. As a result, the

longer arms

20 and 20 are pivoted inwardly to the positions denoted by 20a and 20'a, the

extensions

18 and 18 assuming the positions denoted by 18a and l8'a.

When, with the cutter system retracted, the sliding knob is shifted upwards, the spring will first be given a higher tension from the position 29a and then, in the second half of the sliding movement, will suddenly be permitted to relax, so that the cutter system will effectively spring from the casing 20.

What is claimed is:

1. A hair-clipping device for combination with a dry shaver, the device having a first part fixed relative to said shaver and a second part displaceable linearly between retracted and extended positions relative to said first part, a bell-crank lever having a pivot axis and having unequal length, short and long arms, the first and second parts respectively having first and second slots therein, the end of the short arm slidably engaging said first slot and the end of the long arm engaging the second slot, and actuating means engaging said bell crank at its pivot axis, this means being movable linearly in the same direction of movement as said second part from said retracted to said extended positions, whereby said linear movement of the actuating means and bell crank moves the second part a greater linear distance in the same direction.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bell crank lever, (i) when in said extended position, has its long arm aligned generally in the direction of displacement and (ii) when in retracted position has its long arm aligned generally normal to said direction.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising spring means carried by said device to contact and urge said short arm selectively to one of said two retracted and extended positions this spring engagement thus being in bi-stable equilibrium.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said short and long arms define an obtuse angle between them.

5. A hair-clipping device for combination with a dry shaver, the device having a first part fixed relative to said shaver and a second part displaceable linearly between retracted and extended positions relative to said first part, a lever having a pivot point and first and second arms which extend from said point and which engage said first and second parts respectively, actuating means engaging said lever, this actuating means being movable linearly and thereby moving and pivoting said lever whose second arm moves said second part between said retracted and extended positions a greater linear distance than and in the same direction as linear movement of the actuating means.

pivot point, this means being movable linearly and thereby moving the pivot point of the lever only linearly, and pivoting said lever whose second arm moves said second part between said retracted and extended positions a greater linear distance than linear movement of the actuating means and bell crank pivot point.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent rim- Dated December 25, 1 973 Inventor) JAN 15E BOER; PETRUS JOZEPHUS JOHANNES VAES It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the T tle;

The Priority- Should read as follows:

Netherlands 7007687 May 28, 1970 Col. 3, line 61, "wre" should be --wire--- Claim 6, lir1e'8 "'of" should be --at-- signe and sealed this 18th day of June 197L (SEAL) Atte'st:

EDWARD M.FLET 2HER,"JR. Attesting Officer 0. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents

Claims

6. A hair-clipping device for combination with a dry shaver, the device having a first part fixed relative to said shaver and a second part displaceable only linearly between retracted and extended positions relative to said first part, a bell crank lever having first and second arms which extend from said pivot and which slidably and pivotably engage said first and second parts respectively, actuating means which engage said lever of its pivot point, this means being movable linearly and thereby moving the pivot point of the lever only linearly, and pivoting said lever whose second arm moves said second part between said retracted and extended positions a greater linear distance than linear movement of the actuating means and bell crank pivot point.