Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
  • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
  • A45D26/00—Hair-singeing apparatus; Apparatus for removing superfluous hair, e.g. tweezers
  • A45D26/0061—Hair-singeing apparatus; Apparatus for removing superfluous hair, e.g. tweezers with means for reducing pain during hair removal

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a hair removal device of the type comprising pliers intended to pluck unwanted unwanted hair from the human body, and it relates more particularly to such a device equipped with means for reducing the pain caused by the pulling out of the fur.
• This type of device generally comprises clamps in the form of blades or discs arranged on a rotary or oscillating roller, arranged in the upper part of a housing forming a gripping means, the roller being driven in movement by an electric motor arranged in the same case.
• the clamps are brought to close and open periodically so as to clamp the hairs close to the skin and, respectively, to evacuate the hairs pulled out by the movement of the roller.
• Hair removal by pulling out hair is a very effective method against regrowth, but often it causes significant pain before and / or after hair removal. This pain is due to the repeated pulls exerted on the hairs, or to the lesions or irritations of the hair follicles caused by the pulling out of the hairs.
• Theoretical and applied medical studies have shown that the painful skin messages from the nociceptors are transported to the central nervous system by nerve fibers and are controlled in the spinal cord before reaching the cerebral bark which emits the sensations of pain. .
• Tactile afferences from superficial and deep skin mechanoreceptors exert a powerful inhibitory effect on painful messages at the spinal level, in accordance with the theory of "spoiling control" by Melzack and Wall.
• depilatory devices In order to reduce the pain caused by tearing off, depilatory devices known in the prior art, use pain relieving devices to mechanical vibration stimulation of the skin simultaneously with or just before depilation.
• epilators comprising devices for vibrating stimulation of the skin have been proposed in documents such as EP 0 493 849, where a vibrating grid covers the hair removal means, or in EP 0 760 219 where the housing of the device comprises a vibrating frame or additional vibrating rollers, the frame or the rollers being arranged next to the gripper roller.
• These main vibrating means have the main disadvantages of masking the area to be depilated and of complex and therefore unreliable mechanisms for their training.
• WO 97/00032 has also proposed a rotary pliers epilator comprising a series of movable rollers pushed radially by centrifugal force and / or by springs, rollers which apply mechanical impulses to the skin in order to camouflage the pain caused by pulling out the hairs.
• a device with alternating movable pins is arranged next to the depilatory head, the pins making a rapid repeating strike perpendicular to the skin in order to reduce the pain.
• the solutions described prove to be complex, they require precision of execution and high costs for its components.
• document EP 0 861 615 describes an epilating device with oscillating tweezers, comprising means for stretching the skin and periodically loosening it. These means are in the form of two tension bars, at least one of which penetrates into the skin over a certain depth, in a movement perpendicular to the latter, in order to tighten the area of skin lying between said bars. This has the effect of mechanically stimulating the skin for only part of the period of head oscillation.
• the object of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks and to propose an epilator with pliers with pliers comprising a painkiller device intended to act mechanically on the zone to be epilated throughout the epilation operation and to stimulate effectively the superficial and deep cutaneous mechanoreceptors so as to generate the greatest possible analgesic sensory flow.
• Another object of the invention is to provide an epilating device comprising a pain relief device which is effective, of simple structure, reliable and economical to produce.
• a hair removal device comprising a housing which contains an electric motor driving a hair removal head consisting of at least one pliers and comprising a device intended to reduce the pain felt during depilation, said device being arranged next to the head to be depilated and comprising at least one lug protruding relative to the plane of the skin, owing to the fact that said lug is rotated about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the skin while the top of the lug describes a friction massage of a predetermined amplitude on the skin.
• the amplitude of the movement is determined by the radius described by the vertex of the lug rotating around its axis of rotation.
• the amplitude of this movement therefore defines the area of stimulated skin which is directly proportional to the sensory flow generated. We thus obtain a tangential stimulation and at the same time penetrating gradually, without hurting the skin.
• the moving lug thus manages to excite the two categories of receptors present in the dermis: the surface skin mechanoreceptors with rapid adaptation, or the Meissner corpuscles receptive to stimuli carried out on the surface of the skin, as well as the deep skin mechanoreceptors , slow adaptation which respond to the pressures exerted on the skin, called Paccini corpuscles.
• the painless skin messages are transmitted to the spinal cord continuously so that the latter manages to effectively control and mask the pain messages throughout the epilation.
• the pain relief device comprising a protruding lug driven in rotation
• the rotational movement is carried out continuously, without changing the direction of rotation.
• this rotational movement takes place alternately, in one direction and then in the other, but always keeping contact with the skin.
• a massage performed in a plane parallel to that of the skin is felt by the user to be more pleasant than an intermittent strike performed perpendicular to the skin.
• the movable lug is protruding with respect to the plane of the skin, it can penetrate the skin and gradually cause it to move, thereby increasing the initial effect due to friction massage.
• the intensity of the massage is a function of the roughness of the surface and the hardness of the material from which said lug is made.
• the intensity of the massage can thus easily be varied, in particular as a function of the sensitivity of the person using the device provided with such a pain relief device, by replacing an initial lug with another, the latter thus advantageously being able to be fixed so removable from its support.
• a massage fluid for example an oil, a fat, an ointment, and which is coated on the area of skin subjected to the treatment.
• said device comprises at least two lugs arranged side by side in an elongated zone covering substantially the length of the head to be depilated.
• the epilating head carrying pliers can be constituted by a roller supporting blades or discs arranged in pairs, side by side on the longitudinal axis of the roller, the latter being able to be driven in a rotary movement or oscillating around of its longitudinal axis.
• the epilation head can also be constituted by a belt carrying tweezers or a chain driving articulated modules carrying tweezers around an axis, etc.
• two or more lugs are arranged on an elongated zone covering substantially the length of the epilation head, in front and / or in the rear of the head.
• the pins can be arranged along a rectilinear, helical or staggered line, or according to any desired arrangement in order to better cover the length of the epilation area. It has been shown that the importance of the sensory flow is also a function of the stimulated skin surface, so several pins side by side cover more surface and stimulate the treated skin better. One can also consider arranging several pins in parallel rows or, at the limit, cover a certain surface of a certain shape: rectangular, oval, etc. by registering a sufficient number of movable lugs operating within a predefined perimeter.
• two adjacent pins are rotated in opposite directions.
• said device comprises a protective cover through which protrudes said lug, said cover defining with the periphery of the epilation head a passage plane for the skin.
• This protective cover is supported on the skin and prevents the skin and / or the hairs from penetrating inside the drive mechanism of the movable lug (s). It can be arranged on one side of the epilating head or on the periphery of the latter, also making it possible to guide the appliance in its movement on the skin. Said cover can be pivotally mounted relative to the epilation head or fixedly mounted relative to the latter, in order to better follow the reliefs of the skin.
• said device is arranged behind the epilation head as seen in relation to the normal direction of movement of the device on the skin.
• the frequency of the movement described by the top of said lug is greater than 50 Hz and it is preferably between 80 and 200 Hz.
• said lug is mounted so as to be eccentric on a rotating mobile disc.
• said lug is fixedly mounted on the periphery of a mobile disk in rotation, the longitudinal axis of the lug being parallel to the axis of rotation of the mobile disk.
• the eccentricity is obtained by an inclined mounting of the vertical axis of said lug relative to the axis of rotation of said disc, the lug being mounted fixed in the center of the movable disc.
• a vertical lug but mounted on an inclined axis of rotation of the drive gear.
• said disc is actuated by a toothed wheel receiving the movement of a neighboring wheel supporting a lug or it is actuated directly by a drive motor.
• This solution has the advantage of being able to transmit the torque from a drive member to the driven member or rotating disc simply and reliably, while obtaining the value necessary for the speed of rotation of the driven member, since the frequency of massage is directly proportional to the speed of rotation of the rotating disc.
• the movement of the mobile disc is obtained from a driving disc or driving wheel, from a gear train, or even by meshing with a neighboring toothed wheel.
• said lug is rigid to effectively stimulate the nerve endings of the skin, or it can also be semi-rigid, therefore flexing beyond a certain constraint in order to avoid injuring the bony areas covered with skin.
• the lug is fixed on a flexible support or that it is slidably mounted axially, by means of a return spring, in its support. The edge coming into contact with the skin has a rounded shape in order to offer more comfort in use.
• said lug is in the form of a sphere or has an end of contact with the skin in the form of a sphere.
• said lug has a smooth surface for contact with the skin.
• Such a surface provides more comfort in use by eliminating the risk of overheating caused by the friction of any roughness of the surface of the lug on the skin.
• said lug is made of an electrically conductive material, preferably metallic.
• a metallic material is more suitable for machining by polishing to obtain a very smooth surface, for example mirror polishing.
• a lug made of such a material can constitute an electrical stimulation electrode.
• said lug constitutes an electrode through which an electric current of predetermined intensity passes, providing electrical stimulation of the skin at the same time as the friction massage.
• the area to be epilated is subjected simultaneously to a double massage action: a first mechanical by rubbing and kneading of the skin and a second of electrostimulation with analgesic effect.
• said pin can be covered with an abrasive material or can move an exfoliation accessory in motion.
• an exfoliation device it is possible to obtain an exfoliation of the skin before depilation.
• each lug it is possible to envisage covering each lug with a removable cap in an abrasive material, the exfoliation being carried out following a circular movement parallel to the plane of the skin.
• an eccentric pin can cause an exfoliation accessory in a translational movement parallel to the skin.
• the accessory may include a member for transforming the rotation movement of the lug into a translational movement parallel to the skin, for example an oblong orifice for guiding the lug.
• said pain relief device is mounted integral with the epilating head, the assembly of the two being pivotally mounted relative to the housing of the appliance.
• Such a construction allows the epilation head and the pain relief device to adapt to the contours of the zone to be epilated, the stimulation therefore being carried out at the surface and at a constant depth, independently of the relief of the zone to be epilated.
• said device comprises means for rotating said said lugs which are driven by the electric motor driving the epilating head.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair removal device provided with a pain relief device according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows another perspective view of the hair removal device and its pain relief device, the housing and part of the protective parts being removed;
• FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a hair removal head with the pain relief device
• - Figure 4 is a view similar to the previous one, illustrating the epilation head and the drive system of the pain relief device;
• FIG. 5 shows a partial view similar to that of Figure 4, but having a depilation head comprising a pain relief device according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.
• a hair removal device which can be used with a pain relief device according to the invention is described in document FR 2 758 060 in the name of the applicant. It is however obvious that this device constitutes only one example of use, because the pain relief device of the invention can be mounted on any hair removal device, in particular with a rotary or oscillating roller with pliers.
• a hair removal device comprising a hair removal head in the form of a roller 1 rotatably mounted about an axis 2.
• the roller 1 comprises several pairs of pinching blades arranged side by side along the longitudinal axis of the roller 1.
• the pinch blades are actuated by a cam mechanism, the rotary roller 1 and the cam mechanism receiving the drive of an electric motor 4, via a gear train 3, all these components being arranged in the housing 5 of the hair removal device.
• the cams arranged on either side of the roller 1 cause the gripping blades to move in translation.
• a movable blade is likely to move away from an adjacent blade and, alternatively, to apply against it.
• the actuation in translation of the movable blade causes the closure, respectively the opening of the epilation forceps, in order to tighten the hairs, to pull them out, and to release them after pulling out, this as the rotation of the roller 1.
• the bristles of the epilating zone appearing in front of the passage zone of the roller 1 are torn off following the rotation of said roller.
• the epilating device also includes a pain-relieving device 10 comprising movable pins 12a, 12b, 12c, 12'a, 12'b, 12'c actuated in movement by drive means whose structure and the operation will be explained later.
• This movement is preferably a circular movement carried out continuously in a plane parallel to the plane of the skin.
• the pain relief device comprising one or more movable pins is arranged behind the epilation head in the direction of movement of the latter on the skin in order to give more visibility to the area of skin to be depilated.
• the pain relief device 10 comprises three movable pins 12a, 12b, 12c arranged side by side along a straight line parallel to the generatrix of the roller 1.
• Each lug 12a, 12b, 12c is fixed to the front face of a movable disc 16a, 16b, 16c whose longitudinal axis 13a, 13b, 13c of each lug is mounted parallel to the axis of rotation of said disc, but distant from the center of the disc by a certain value called eccentricity.
• the value of this eccentricity defines the amplitude of the massaging movement described by the lug.
• the value of the amplitude of the movement can be very variable, it has been established that to obtain an effective massaging effect it must preferably be between 0.1 and 3 mm.
• the pins 12'a, 12'b and 12'c are fixedly mounted in the center of each movable disc 16'a, 16'b, 16'c, but with their longitudinal axis 13'a, 13'b, 13'c mounted inclined relative to the axis of rotation of said movable disc.
• the amplitude of the movement described during the rotation of a movable disc is given by the projection in the plane of this disc of the top of each lug, this being preferably chosen in the range between 0.1 and 3 mm .
• the three movable discs 16a, 16b, 16c, respectively 16'a, 16'b, 16'c preferably have the same dimensions, but it is obvious that discs of different diameters can also be used, the value of l 'eccentricity of each lug 12a, 12b, 12c, 12'a, 12'b, 12'c can also be different from one disc to another.
• each disc 16a, 16b, 16c, 16'a, 16'b, 16'c is fixedly mounted at the end of a rotating pin 17 which supports a toothed wheel 18a, 18b, 18c at the opposite end.
• the toothed wheel 18a, 18b, 18c receives the rotational movement of an electric motor or of a rotating assembly by a meshing device.
• the electric motor 4 rotates a gear train 3 which, as best seen in Figures 4 and 5, rotates a cylindrical toothed wheel 22 secured to a drive shaft 20.
• L shaft 20 is rotated about its axis 21 which is perpendicular to the plane of the skin.
• the wheels 18a, 18b, 18c are located at the level of the gear train 3, their respective axes 17 being connected directly to the discs 16a, 16b, 16c, 16'a, 16'b, 16'c carrying the pins 12a, 12b, 12c, 12'a, 12'b, 12'c.
• an adequate massage frequency can be obtained by calculating the intermediate gears between the drive motor 4 and the toothed wheel 18a, 18b, 18c.
• the speed of the drive shaft of each wheel 18a, 18b, 18c is 7600 rot / min, which implies a massage frequency of the pins 12a, 12b, 12c, 12'a, 12'b, 12'c of approximately 130 Hz.
• All the components of the device 10 are carried by a frame 30 which is itself fixed to the support 8.
• the discs 16a, 16b, 16c, 16'a, 16'b, 16'c are capped by a protective cover 14 provided through orifices 15.
• the cover 14 bears on the skin and defines, with the generatrix of the roller 1 at the point of closure of the nipping blades, a passage plane on the skin.
• a lateral guide made of two parallel pads also fixed to the support 8 and laterally framing the roller 1.
• the front faces intended for contact with the skin are in the same plane as the front face of the cover 14.
• the pins 12a, 12b, 12c, 12'a, 12'b, 12'c protrude relative to this plan of a predetermined value, which can be variable according to the sensitivity of the person using it or according to the desired firmness of the massage.
• the pins 12a, 12b, 12c, 12'a, 12'b, 12'c protrude from said passage plane by a value between 0.5 and 4 mm.
• the pins 12a, 12b, 12c, 12'a, 12'b, 12'c can have a spherical, cylindrical or conical shape with rounded tip, for diameters varying between 1 and 10 mm, preferably between 3 and 5 mm. They can advantageously be made of a plastic material, preferably hard. Advantageously, it is possible to produce pins of spherical shape or in the form of a rod whose end in contact with the skin is a sphere.
• the material used is preferably metallic, for example stainless steel, or a hard metallized plastic.
• the surface is machined for a very precise finish, of the mirror polishing type. A smooth surface of said lug ensures pleasant contact with the skin avoiding any heating of the latter caused by friction.
• the roller 1 is pivotally mounted relative to the housing 5.
• the roller 1 and all of its components are mounted in a cradle 28 which is integral with the support 8.
• the device 10 is fixed by its frame 30 to the same support 8, as well as the lateral pads 24.
• the support 8 is pivotally mounted around a pivot axis 9 which is parallel to the axis 2 of rotation of the roller 1.
• the transmission of movement between the axis vertical of the driving pinion 6 and the train of cylindrical gears driving the roller 1 is made by a bevel gear 7 whose axis is parallel to the axis of rotation 2 of the roller 1.
• the side pads 24 and the cover 14 are brought into contact with the skin and moved thereon following its outline.
• the pivoting of their support 8 the pulling of the hairs is always done in a determined position, regardless of the inclination of the device on the skin, which increases the effectiveness of hair removal.
• the pins 12a, 12b, 12c, 12'a, 12'b, 12'c penetrate into the skin and rotate, while still being in contact with the skin, in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the skin. , around an axis of rotation which is substantially perpendicular to the latter. This results in a permanent massage and uniform stimulation of the depilated skin area with significant pain-relieving effects.
• the pins are spheres or balls made of an electrically conductive material, for example stainless steel and connected, via electrical conductors, to the positive and negative terminals of an electric current generator, by means of a unit control to adjust the intensity of the currents applied.
• two neighboring balls can be connected to the two negative and positive poles of the generator.
• all the balls are connected to the same pole constituting an electrode, negative or positive, the second electrode being able to be placed on the skin at a certain distance from the zone to be depilated.
• the intensity of the applied current can vary between 0 and 100 mA for a frequency between 0 and 120Hz.
• the area to be epilated is subjected simultaneously to a double massage action: a first mechanical by rubbing and kneading of the skin and a second of electrostimulation with analgesic effect.
• each disc may have one or more lugs, which could multiply the frequency of the massage obtained.
• the surface of each lug can be smooth or rough, two adjacent pins may have different roughness, or be made of different materials or, even be driven at different speeds relative to each other.
• pain-relieving means on the same device, for example by arranging the pain-relieving device of the invention next to a depilation head comprising rows of brushes and pins between two adjacent rows of pliers tweezers.
• dimples on the disc carrying the lug are able for example to be embedded in dimples implanted on the disc, which has the effect of further increasing the stimulation of the skin due mainly to the rubbing effect of the dimples on the skin.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Pain & Pain Management (AREA)
• Massaging Devices (AREA)
• Surgical Instruments (AREA)
• Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)
• Processing Of Meat And Fish (AREA)
• Finger-Pressure Massage (AREA)
• Percussion Or Vibration Massage (AREA)
• Dry Shavers And Clippers (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

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Publications (1)

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ID=8859043

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Cited By (3)

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Citations (1)

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• 2001
  • 2001-01-19 FR FR0100763A patent/FR2819699B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2002
  • 2002-01-14 WO PCT/FR2002/000126 patent/WO2002056724A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2002-01-14 EP EP02711950A patent/EP1351590B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-01-14 BR BRPI0206534-7A patent/BR0206534B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2002-01-14 AT AT02711950T patent/ATE323435T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2002-01-14 ES ES02711950T patent/ES2259077T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-01-14 DE DE60210740T patent/DE60210740T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-01-14 RU RU2003125366/12A patent/RU2277368C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation

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