WO2004008907A1

WO2004008907A1 - Hair removal device

Info

Publication number: WO2004008907A1
Application number: PCT/GB2003/003084
Authority: WO
Inventors: Desmond Mills; Anthony Grant
Original assignee: The Dezac Group Limited
Priority date: 2002-07-18
Filing date: 2003-07-16
Publication date: 2004-01-29
Also published as: GB2392091A; GB0216710D0; GB2392091B; AU2003254464A1

Abstract

A hair removal device, which is generally shown as (1), the device comprising a housing (2) having an aperture (3) at one end, which includes an aperture (4), through which arms (5) of a tweezer may extend. Pressing buttons (6a) and (6b) situated on the body of the housing (2) causes members to come into contact with the tweezer arms (5) and so that the tweezer arms are pushed towards one another. This causes the tweezer arms (5) to grip hair that is positioned between them. Power may be selectively supplied to the tweezer arms (5) by using a control (9) When the power is supplied to tweezer arms (5) that are gripping hair the power is transmitted to the hair with the result that it causes weakening of the hair consequently when the tweezer arms are retracted back into the housing, this weakened hair is pulled from its associated hair follicle. The hair removal device allows for selection of power modes, for example, being powered by a mains supply, by a battery or optionally, there being no power supplied so that the device can be used simply for plucking hairs from the body.

Description

Hair Removal Device

The present invention relates to a hair removal device, and in particular to a device that can be used with or without electric power as required by the user. Hair removal from the body is often required for cosmetic reasons. In some circumstances, hair may grow in areas such as the face where, in women, this is deemed unsightly. Consequently, devices and methods such as waxing and sugaring have been developed to remove hair but these methods only remove hair on a temporary basis. The hair follicles are undamaged and so hair can re-grow. Therefore, devices for permanent hair removal have been developed. Usually, such devices are electrically powered devices where hair removal is carried out by using a needle that is inserted into a hair follicle. A high frequency electric current is then delivered to the follicle via the needle to destroy the follicle itself and cauterise any blood supply to the follicle, so helping to prevent re growth of hair. The use of needles can be extremely irritating to the skin of an individual undergoing hair removal, which themselves are unsightly.

US Patent No. 4,174,714 in the name of Mehl, discloses a method and device for permanently impairing hair growth, which involves grasping reduced lengths of a hair between conductive hair engaging surfaces, and applying high frequency electrical waves to one of the conductive hair engaging surfaces. The hair engaging surfaces are held in firm engagement in a position against the skin while applying the high frequency electrical waves until the hair releases. Although this method works well, there is a need for an even more efficient method of permanent hair removal.

US Patent No. 5,221 ,280 to Gross et al, discusses an electric hair removal device which automatically applies electric current to a hair being gripped until the gripped hair is plucked, at which time the current automatically terminates.

However, such arrangements need a constant supply of energy and thereby have to have a mains connection for them to operate. This means that the device is difficult to use when no energy supply is present.

According to the invention there is provided a hair removal device, comprising a housing to be gripped by a user of the device said housing having an opening at an end through which a length of a pair of tweezers contained within a cavity of the device can be extended so that hair may be gripped by the tweezers, a current delivery circuit which can supply current to the tweezers, said power supply being activatable by a control, operated by the user, and a retracting mechanism, which can withdraw the tweezers into the cavity once the power supply has been delivered, characterised in that the electric delivery circuit is switchable between being powered by an external electrical power supply, by a battery supply associated with the device, or being non-powered the user.

Preferably, the tweezers comprise a pair of tweezer arms mounted within the housing, although it is envisaged that three or more tweezer arms may form the tweezers. Having, for example three or four arms may provide better grip of the hair and can provide more efficient delivery of an electric current to the hair grasped by the tweezers. This is due to there being a more even delivery of current to the hair follicle because there are more points of contact if there are more tweezer arms.

In a preferred embodiment, the retracting mechanism comprises a button protruding through the housing releasably connected to the tweezers. By having a releasable connection, the tweezers within the housing may be replaced by new tweezers. This may be desirable if the tweezers become worn or damaged, which may impair delivery of electrical current. Further, it is beneficial to have a means of removing the tweezers for general maintenance of the hair removal device.

It is envisaged that the hair removal device includes a sensor associated with the tweezers that can sense when a hair is gripped. If the sensor detects a hair, a signal can be sent to the power supply control automatically so that supply of electric current is activated.

Preferably the retracting mechanism comprises an eccentric cam, although it may be formed of a simple slide mechanism, which can be pushed away from the end of the device having the opening for retracting the tweezers or pushed towards said end when extending the tweezers prior to grasping one or more strands of hair. In use the tweezers are placed either side of a hair follicle and as the retracting mechanism, for example a button is pressed, it causes a rotation of the connected eccentric cam with the result that the attached tweezer arms are retracted within the housing.

It is envisaged that the arms of the tweezer are normally spring-biased to their open position. They are brought into a closed position to grip hair between adjacent faces of the tweezer arms. Then as the tweezers are retracted within the housing by the retracting mechanism, the pressure of the tweezer arms on the hair is increased as the sides of the housing press on the tweezer arms, thereby maintaining grip on the hair. This enables the hair to be efficiently removed from the hair follicle and pull it away from the skin because grip is maintained on the hair. Following release of the button the tweezer arms are sprung back to their original position. It is envisaged that electric current can be supplied to the tweezers when they are extended from the housing. However, power may be supplied when the tweezers are retracted. In this situation, as the tweezers are drawn within the housing, they form a connection with the electric circuit. As this happens, electric current flows down the tweezers to the hair follicle through the root causing a localised heating effect and chemical change which impairs future growth of the hair. The heating effect is also found to aid the physical removal of the hair by weakening the root. As the housing mounted button is pressed further the tweezer arms retract and pull the weakened hair from the skin. Preferably, the device includes a sensor associated with the tweezer whereby when a hair is gripped and current is applied across the hair, once a certain resistance is reached indicating that the hair is damaged, the current to the tweezers is automatically switched off.

Ideally, once damage is detected, the retracting mechanism is automatically activated to retract the tweezers into the cavity, thereby removing the hair from the follicle.

It is envisaged that the mechanism for switching between electric, and non electric use is a switch in the circuit supplying electrical power to the tweezers. This may be provided by a break in the circuit caused by movement of the tweezers.

Preferably, the switch mechanism includes a cut out whereby when the tweezers are not connected to any electrical supply, no charge from the battery in the tweezers can be supplied to the user. Further, it is envisaged that there may be a capacitor or battery within the housing that can store charge so that the hair removal device can operate without being plugged into a power supply, such as the mains supply.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures in which:

Figure 1 shows a top view of a hair removal device according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the device as shown in Figure 1 where the tweezers are in an extended position; and Figure 3 shows the device of Figure 2 in a retracted position.

As shown in Figure 1 , the hair removal device, which is generally shown as 1 comprises a housing 2, having with a first end 3 which includes an aperture 4 through which arms 5 of a tweezer may extend. The tweezer arms 5 may be brought into facing contact by pressing buttons 6a and 6b situated on either side of the housing which pass through the housing at right angles to the casing forming the housing and contact the tweezer arms of the device. The buttons 6a, 6b can be pressed radially inwards towards the tweezer arms 5 bringing the faces of the ends of the arms towards each other so that a hair may be graped by the tweezer. Tweezer arms 5 are moved axially along the housing so that the tweezer is extended from the housing 2 by pushing lug 7 back and forth along the axis of the housing. The degree of travel is limited by the length of the aperture in the housing along which the lug can travel. It is envisaged that there may be slots at an angle to the line of travel, (not shown) into which the lug may be pushed, so that the tweezers are held in a predetermined position. The device 1 has a socket 8 in the housing, preferably, towards the end of the housing furthest from the aperture. This is so that the plug is removed from the area where the user will handle the device, thereby decreasing the risk of th© user knocking connections to a power supply. The socket may be plugged into a mains supply during use or as a way of charging a battery contained in the housing. The supply of power to the device and to the tweezer arms 5, may be controlled using a control 9 on the housing which acts as an "on/off' control but there may also be an added current control 10, which is used to regulate the amount of current flowing to the device or to the tweezers 5, or when in charging mode, the a rechargable battery in the hair removal device 1. ecome heated and to transmit electrical energy to a hair held between the tweezers.

Once energy has transmitted, and the hair has become weakened, the device can use a sensor (not shown), associated with the tweezers to send where there is decreased resistance across the hair that is held by the tweezers 5. If there is adequate decrease in resistance, this would indicate that the hair has been damaged to such a degree that adequate current has been applied to the hair to weaken the hair follicle. At this stage, the current is switched off and the tweezers may be automatically retracted into the casing 2, thereby pulling the hair from its hair follicle. Figure 2 shows a sectional view of a hair removal device with the tweezers 5 extending from the opening 4. The tweezers comprise two arms which are held in space relationship by spring 5. Pressing on the members 6a 6b associated with the tweezer arms allows for depression of the tweezers to grasp a hair. The tweezer arms may be pushed forward and back from the opening by member 7 which can travel along the distance of aperture 12 which is bounded by stops to prevent excessive movement of the tweezers back and forth. The tweezer arms 5 are held in a resiliently spaced relationship by a spring 15. The tweezer arms 5 are biased towards the aperture 4, so as to be extended from the housing 2 by spring 13 positioned towards the end of the tweezer housing, distant from the opening 4 and the end of the spring abut on the end of the housing furthermost from the opening. At the end of the tweezer arms distant from the opening and in proximity to the spring is an electrical connection 14 comprising a leg having a contact extending from the axis of the leg. This contact passes along the inner wall of the housing past the part of the plug 8. When the leg and plug are in contact, electricity can flow to the tweezer arms 5 from an external power supply. As shown in Figure 3, when the tweezers are retracted into the casing 2, member 7 is moved away from the opening of the casing thereby pulling tweezer arms 5 back into the casing. This causes compression on the spring 3 at the distant end from the opening 4. As the spring is compressed, connection 14 is brought out of alignment with power supply 8 and this results in safety mechanism whereby when the tweezer is in the retracted position, no power supply is transmitted to the tweezers, thereby wasting energy.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be substituted therefor without departing from the principle and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A hair removal device, comprising a housing to be gripped by a user of the device, said housing having an opening through which a length of a pair of tweezers contained within a cavity of the device can be extended so that hair may be gripped by the tweezers, a current delivery circuit which can supply current to the tweezers, said current delivery circuit being activatable by a control operated by the user, and a retracting mechanism, which can withdraw the tweezers into the cavity once the current has been delivered, characterised in that the current delivery circuit is switchable between being powered by an external electrical power supply or by a battery supply associated with the device or being non-powered.

2. A hair removal device according to Claim 1 , wherein the tweezers is comprised of a plurality of tweezer arms held within the housing.

3. A hair removal device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the tweezers are spring biased so that the arms of the tweezers are held open prior to the hair being gripped by the tweezer arms.

4. A hair removal device according to any preceding claim wherein the tweezers are associated with a gripping mechanism to enable hair to be held by the tweezers, wherein the gripping mechanism is operated by a button protruding through the housing part of the mechanism coming into contact with or being connected to the tweezers, such that on pressing of the button, arms of the tweezers grip a hair positioned between said arms.

5. A hair removal device according to Claim 4 where in the tweezers within the housing are removable from said housing.

6. A hair removal device according to any preceding claim including a sensor to detect when hair has been gripped by the tweezers.

7. A hair removal device according to Claim 6 wherein when the sensor detects hair being gripped by the tweezers, a signal is sent to the power supply source and an electric current is supplied automatically to the tweezer arms gripping the hair.

8. A hair removal device according to any preceding claim including an eccentric cam to move the tweezers within the housing.

9. A hair removal device according to any of claims 1 to 7, including a slide mechanism to move the tweezers within the housing.

10. A hair removal device according to any preceding claim wherein power is supplied to the tweezers only when extended from the housing

11. A hair removal device according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein power is supplied to the tweezers when the tweezer arms are extended from the housing, the power continuing to be supplied when the tweezer arms are retracted within the housing.

12. A hair removal device according to any preceding claim including a cut-off associated with the tweezers, wherein when certain resistance is detected across the hair being gripped by a sensor associated with the cut-off, power to the tweezers is automatically switched off.

13. A hair removal device according to any preceding claim, wherein when a resistance value is detected indicating that hair being gripped by the tweezers is damaged, the retracting mechanism is automatically activated to withdraw the tweezers within the cavity of the hair removal device.

14. A hair removal device according to any preceding claim including a switch mechanism to enable switching between powered and manual use of the hair removal device.

15. A hair removal device according to Claim 13, wherein the switching is provided by breaking the circuit as a result of movement of the tweezers within the body of the cavity of the hair removal device.

16. A hair removal device according to any preceding claim including a cut out, wherein when the tweezers are not in use, no power can be supplied to the tweezers.

17. A hair removal device according to any preceding claim including charge storage device.

18. A hair removal device according to Claim^' 16 wherein the charge storage device is rechargeable.

19. A hair removal device as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying figures.