Patent Application
20250017348
The invention relates to a depilating device comprising a depilating body which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the depilating body and which is provided with at least one hair-catching space, wherein the size of the at least one hair-catching space in the longitudinal direction is variable through compression and extension of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction, an actuating mechanism configured to act on the depilating body so as to cause compression and extension of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction during rotational movement of the depilating body about the rotation axis, and a driving mechanism configured to drive the depilating body so as to perform the rotational movement about the rotation axis, wherein the driving mechanism comprises a rotatable drive shaft coupled to the depilating body for imposing rotational movement on the depilating body, and wherein the driving mechanism is configured to also drive the actuating mechanism so as to cause compression and extension of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction.
A depilating device as described here before is known from WO 2021/130385 A1. In the known depilating device, the actuating mechanism includes a force-inducing member which is compressible and extendable in the longitudinal direction and which is configured to determine the level of a force exerted by the actuating mechanism on the depilating body in the longitudinal direction when the size of the force-inducing member in the longitudinal direction is varied while the at least one hair-catching space of the depilating body is in a closed condition. A practical example of the force-inducing member is a spring. As a result of the presence of the force-inducing member in the actuating mechanism, the hair-clamping force is no longer determined by a force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the depilating body only, but also by a force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the force-inducing member. This means that a configuration is obtained in which the design of the depilating body can be adapted so as to have optimal hair-catching functionality of the depilating body and in which the design of the force-inducing member can be adapted so as to have optimal hair-clamping functionality of the depilating body as well. At the same time, it is possible to have a construction of the depilating device that is producible within acceptable and realistic production tolerances, while the force by the force-inducing member stays within an acceptable bandwidth to be able to clamp the hairs and pull them out of the skin, and to not cut the hairs by too much force.
In an embodiment, the actuating mechanism of the depilating device known from WO 2021/130385 A1 comprises two actuating members which are both movable in the longitudinal direction, wherein a first one of the actuating members is at a position closer to the depilating body in the longitudinal direction than a second one of the actuating members, and wherein the force-inducing member is at a position of coupling the actuating members to each other. Further, each of the actuating members is bush-shaped and at a position for surrounding a portion of the drive shaft. For the purpose of enabling transfer of torque from the drive shaft to each of the actuating members while also allowing movement of the actuating members in the longitudinal direction, each of the actuating members comprises a groove extending in the longitudinal direction, and the drive shaft is provided with respective projecting pins accommodated in the respective grooves.
Although the depilating device known from WO 2021/130385 A1 functions well to perform the intended depilating function, there is room for improvements to the design of the depilating device. The use of groove-pin combinations as described here before involves generation of friction forces and noise, and the groove-pin combinations are susceptible to wear. It is an object of the invention to provide a new type of depilating device in which the disadvantages of the use of groove-pin combinations are avoided or at least decreased.
Another document know in the art WO 94/14355 discloses a rotary hair plucker depilatory device having an exposed hair plucker head, protruding from a hand-held housing, conformed by a cylindrical helicoidally coiled strip mounted on a rotary shaft and arranged to open and close plurality of annular gaps during rotation to trap and pluck skin hair.
The invention provides a depilating device which comprises the following:
According to the invention, torque transfer from the drive shaft to the actuating mechanism while also allowing relative longitudinal movement as necessary for causing the compression and extension of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction takes place through a connection between the drive shaft and the actuating mechanism which has resilient properties. As compared to the known groove-pin connection, the resilient connection involves hardly any friction and can even be referred to as frictionless, is of a less noisy character and hardly susceptible to wear, because there is no need for components in a sliding configuration, while the resilient connection can be designed such that the torque transfer as necessary and the freedom of movement in the longitudinal direction are maintained. In practical embodiments, it may be so that the connecting arrangement comprises at least one resilient member. For example, it is practical if the connecting arrangement comprises at least one bellows or at least one leaf spring.
It may especially be advantageous if the connecting arrangement comprises a spring arrangement including two leaf springs which are coupled together in a rectangular shape, as this may increase robustness of the resilient connection so that excessive bending and tilting effects in the resilient connection can be avoided without a need for taking other movement delimiting measures such as using stops.
In a basic design of the resilient connection, at least one leaf spring is applied which is directly fixed to both the actuating mechanism and the drive shaft, in which case torque transmittal can be realized with minimal losses.
In the context of the invention, when the connecting arrangement comprises at least one leaf spring, many designs of the at least one leaf spring are feasible. According to a practical possibility, the at least one leaf spring is arranged so as to encompass a portion of the drive shaft or a portion of a component of the actuating mechanism. In that case, it is especially beneficial if the at least one leaf spring is shaped like a disc having a circular outer periphery, wherein further the at least one leaf spring may be provided with a central hole for allowing the drive shaft or the component of the actuating mechanism to pass through and slots so as to have the resilience/flexibility as appropriate in view of the torque transmittal to be realized and possible other requirements following from intended operation of the depilating device.
In the practical case that the connecting arrangement comprises at least one resilient member, the possibility of the connecting arrangement further comprising at least one non-resilient connecting member exists, although it may be practical to use at least one leaf spring which is directly fixed to both the actuating mechanism and the drive shaft, as explained here before. In the case that at least one leaf spring is used and the at least one leaf spring is shaped like a disc having a circular outer periphery, it may be practical if a type of non-resilient connecting member is used which comprises at least two legs, wherein ends of the respective legs are connected to a leaf spring at the position of an outer peripheral area of the leaf spring.
The arrangement of the depilating body in the depilating device may be such that one end of the depilating body is a fixed end having a fixed position in the longitudinal direction, and preferably also in a direction about the rotation axis, and the other end of the depilating body is a movable end having a variable position in the longitudinal direction, wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to act on the depilating body at the side of the movable end thereof. When the at least one hair-catching space of the depilating body is closed and the actuating mechanism acts to subject the depilating body to forces in a direction associated with compressing the depilating body, the depilating body is fixed in place and the hair-clamping force is effectively built up. Further, having a fixed part of the depilating body facilitates positioning the depilating body relative to skin to be subjected to a depilating action.
In the context of the invention, it is possible to realize a link between the function of causing compression and extension of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction and the function of rotating the depilating body in a mechanical way. For example, it may be beneficial if the depilating device comprises a movement-imposing arrangement including a cam and cam follower, wherein one of the cam and cam follower has a fixed position in the depilating device, and wherein the other one of the cam and cam follower is integrated in or fixed to one of the actuating mechanism and the connecting arrangement. In such a configuration, movement of at least one component of the actuating mechanism in the longitudinal direction is automatically induced as the drive shaft rotates, in a predetermined way following from the design of the cam and cam follower. The design of the moving-imposing arrangement may be chosen such as to realize a speed of closing the at least one hair-catching space of the depilating body which is high enough for achieving good hair-catching results and consequently achieving good depilation results, and which is low enough to not incur high (peak) forces in the depilating device. The above-mentioned link between the function of causing compression and extension of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction and the function of rotating the depilating body may either be fixed or tunable. In the latter case, the movement-imposing arrangement may include a suitable actuator and a mechanism allowing a user of the depilating device to adjust the moments of opening and closing the at least one hair-catching space of the depilating body during the rotations of the depilating body.
In conformity to what is known from WO 2021/130385 A1, it is advantageous if the actuating mechanism includes a force-inducing member which is compressible and extendable in the longitudinal direction and which is configured to determine the level of a force exerted by the actuating mechanism on the depilating body in the longitudinal direction when the size of the force-inducing member in the longitudinal direction is varied while the at least one hair-catching space of the depilating body is in a closed condition.
As explained earlier, by having a force-inducing member in the actuating mechanism, it is achieved that the hair-clamping force is not determined by a force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the depilating body only, but also by a force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the force-inducing member, so that a configuration is obtained in which the design of the depilating body can be adapted so as to have optimal hair-catching functionality of the depilating body and in which the design of the force-inducing member can be adapted so as to have optimal hair-clamping functionality of the depilating body as well. The fact is that having the force-inducing member offers the possibility of letting the hair-clamping force in the depilating body mainly be determined by the force-inducing member of the actuating mechanism, so that the hair-clamping force is practically not influenced by the amount of hairs caught in the depilating body. In a conventional case of the hair-clamping force being determined by the constitution of the depilating body itself, the hair-clamping force increases with the number of hairs in the depilating body. This effect can be counteracted when the actuating mechanism is equipped with the force-inducing member, as in that case, there is no longer a need for the hair-clamping force to be directly determined at the position where the hairs are present in the depilating body. Instead, it is possible to use the force-inducing member for determining the level of a force exerted by the actuating mechanism on the depilating body in the longitudinal direction when the size of the force-inducing member in the longitudinal direction is varied while the at least one hair-catching space of the depilating body is in a closed condition, which force yields the hair-clamping force under the conditions as mentioned. Further, when the force-inducing member of the actuating mechanism is relied on for setting the level of the hair-clamping force in the depilating body, indeed, variations in dimensions of the depilating body due to tolerances are compensated for, so that a predetermined level of the hair-clamping force may always be realized in practice. Thus, on the basis of the invention, consistency of performance is increased when depilating devices are manufactured in mass amounts. The design of the force-inducing member can be adapted so as to have sufficient tolerance spread for the components to be produced via known and proven production techniques.
It is noted that in the context of the present description, a force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension is to be understood as a characteristic of a body indicating a relation between a level of force generated in the body and a level of displacement of the body in the form of extension or compression of the body or, stated the other way around, as a characteristic of a body indicating a level of force to be exerted on the body for producing a certain displacement of the body in the form of extension or compression of the body. The force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of a body is also referred to as the stiffness of the body in case the body is of the type having resilient/elastic/flexible properties.
An advantageous effect of the hair-clamping force mainly being determined by the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the optional force-inducing member instead of the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the depilating body is especially obtained if the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the force-inducing member is significantly stronger than a force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the depilating body. The fact is that in such a case, when the actuating mechanism acts to compress the depilating body, this is done with practically no force until the at least one hair-catching space of the depilating body is closed. From that moment on, the level of forces acting at the position of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction is determined by the force-inducing member on the basis of the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension thereof, wherein the influence of the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the depilating body on the level of the forces is only minimal. This has effect on the forces acting in the depilating body in the longitudinal direction and thereby on the chance of holding on to the hairs and not letting the hairs slip out of the at least one hair-catching space. It is noted that by a stronger force-displacement characteristic is meant a force-displacement characteristic relating higher force to the same displacement.
Another notable advantage of the application of a force-inducing member in the actuating mechanism of the depilating device is that this involves a possibility of adapting the operation of the depilating device to actual circumstances. For example, in a case of grease being present on skin, it is desirable to increase the hair-clamping force in order to compensate for the reduced friction force involved in such a case. In the context of the invention, this can be done if the force-inducing member is of a type having an adjustable force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension in the longitudinal direction. Thus, it is practical to equip the actuating mechanism with such a type of force-inducing member. With reference to the example of needing to increase the hair-clamping force, this involves adjustment of the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension in such a way that a certain displacement involves a higher level of force.
The force-inducing member may be of any suitable type. In this first place, it is noted that the force-inducing member may be a passive force-inducing member, and may be of a type which is commonly denoted as resilient, elastic and/or flexible, wherein the force-inducing member may comprise a piece of resilient/elastic material such as rubber, or a spring, for example. In respect of the option of the force-inducing member comprising a spring, the spring may be of any suitable type, such as a coil spring which is normally closed or normally opened, and the option of adjusting the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the force-inducing member may involve the depilating device comprising an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust the spring constant of the spring. According to a further advantageous option, the depilating device may comprise an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust pre-tension of the spring. In the second place, the force-inducing member may be an active force-inducing member designed to perform the force-inducing function in an activated, energized condition, and may comprise a solenoid, for example.
In a practical embodiment of the depilating device according to the invention, the actuating mechanism comprises two actuating members which are both movable in the longitudinal direction, a first one of the actuating members being at a position closer to the depilating body in the longitudinal direction than a second one of the actuating members, wherein the force-inducing member is at a position of coupling the actuating members to each other. In such a configuration, the first one of the actuating members may be arranged to directly contact the depilating body. Also, the actuating members are preferably rigid in comparison to the force-inducing member, in which case the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the combination of the actuating members and the force-inducing member is determined by the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the force-inducing member. Further, when the actuating mechanism comprises two actuating members as mentioned, it may be practical if each of the actuating members is bush-shaped and at a position for surrounding a portion of the drive shaft. Inducing the two different movements of the depilating body, i.e. the rotational movement and the longitudinal compressing/extending movement, by means of separate components contributes to the overall accuracy of the depilating device.
The depilating body may be of any suitable design. Practical examples are a linear coil spring and a linear arrangement of discs. The size of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction can be chosen freely, and the same is applicable to the number of hair-catching spaces. In the exemplary case of a coil spring, the number of windings may be chosen so as to be only two or an appropriate higher number, whatever the case may be. A small number of windings may be practical if the depilating device is intended to be used as a facial depilating device, as especially in such a case, it may be desired to prevent blockage of vision by the depilating body as much as possible and it may be appropriate for the depilating device to be capable of depilating only one hair or not many more hairs at a time. Further, in the exemplary case of a coil spring, it is possible to have a conventional circular cross-section of the spring's wire, but it is also possible to have another cross-section such as a square or rectangular cross-section in order to increase the range of hair lengths of hairs to be caught by the depilating body. The invention covers both the option of a coil spring being normally opened, in which case the actuating mechanism acts to actively compress the coil spring, and the option of a coil spring being normally closed, in which case the actuating mechanism acts to actively extend the coil spring.
In the case that the actuating mechanism comprises the two actuating members and the force-inducing member comprises a coil spring, it is practical if the coil spring extends between supporting surfaces of the actuating members in the longitudinal direction. Transfer of forces in the longitudinal direction may take place through the end points of the first and last coils of the coil spring, but as that leads to forces which are off-centre, it is advantageous if the supporting surfaces of the actuating members are oriented relative to the longitudinal direction according to the pitch angle of the coil spring. If this measure is applied, it is further advantageous if a rotation delimiting mechanism configured to delimit rotation of the actuating members relative to each other in a direction about the rotation axis is included in the depilating device. In this way, it is avoided that the supporting surfaces of the actuating members can be rotated relative to each other to a notable extent, which may otherwise be done by a user of the depilating device taking hold of at least one of the actuating members, assuming a design of the depilating device in which at least one of the actuating members is accessible from outside of the depilating device. The fact is that as a result of the supporting surfaces of the actuating members being oriented relative to the longitudinal direction according to the pitch angle of the coil spring, rotation of the supporting surfaces relative to each other would lead to relative displacement of the supporting surfaces and thereby of disturbance of the longitudinal settings of the depilating device and the longitudinal forces associated therewith, including the hair-clamping force. Also, the longitudinal dimension of the at least one hair-catching space could be decreased, which involves a lower chance of catching hairs to be pulled out of the skin.
In a practical embodiment, the rotation delimiting mechanism comprises at least one of stop surfaces at an actuating member and stop surfaces at the connecting arrangement. In order to not introduce friction during normal operation, it is advantageous if the rotation delimiting mechanism is designed such that the stop surfaces are not in contact with each other during normal operation. This can be achieved by designing the rotation delimiting mechanism such that in a default/rest position of the rotation delimiting mechanism, space is present between stop surfaces at the actuating member and stop surfaces at the connecting arrangement which are arranged so that they can be moved towards and away from each other in the direction about the rotation axis.
The concept of the supporting surfaces of the actuating members being oriented relative to the longitudinal direction according to the pitch angle of the coil spring can be put to practice independent from the concept of the depilating device being equipped with a connecting arrangement which is configured to connect the actuating mechanism to the drive shaft in a resilient fashion. In view thereof, the invention also relates to a depilating device comprising a depilating body which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the depilating body and which is provided with at least one hair-catching space, wherein the size of the at least one hair-catching space in the longitudinal direction is variable through compression and extension of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction, and an actuating mechanism configured to act on the depilating body so as to cause compression and extension of the depilating body in the longitudinal direction during rotational movement of the depilating body about the rotation axis, wherein the actuating mechanism includes a force-inducing member which is compressible and extendable in the longitudinal direction and which is configured to determine the level of a force exerted by the actuating mechanism on the depilating body in the longitudinal direction when the size of the force-inducing member in the longitudinal direction is varied while the at least one hair-catching space of the depilating body is in a closed condition, wherein the actuating mechanism comprises two actuating members which are both movable in the longitudinal direction, a first one of the actuating members being at a position closer to the depilating body in the longitudinal direction than a second one of the actuating members, wherein the force-inducing member is at a position of coupling the actuating members to each other, wherein the force-inducing member comprises a coil spring, wherein the coil spring extends between supporting surfaces of the actuating members in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the supporting surfaces of the actuating members are oriented relative to the longitudinal direction according to the pitch angle of the coil spring. Among other things, the above-mentioned option of having the rotation delimiting mechanism is equally applicable to the depilating device according to this definition.
The above-described and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the following detailed description of various embodiments of a depilating device comprising a depilating body and an actuating mechanism configured to act on the depilating body so as to cause hair-catching spaces of the depilating body to continually open and close during operation of the depilating device.
The invention and aspects of relevant background art will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the figures, in which equal or similar parts are indicated by the same reference signs, and in which:
The depilating device 1 is configured to be used for the purpose of performing a hair removing operation on skin. In view thereof, the depilating device 1 comprises a depilating body 10 which is intended to actually interact with the hairs to be plucked from the skin. For the purpose of catching and clamping the hairs, the depilating body 10 is provided with at least one hair-catching space 11. The depilating body 10 is designed so as to be compressible and extendable in a longitudinal direction L, and may comprise a coil spring, for example. The longitudinal direction L is indicated by means of a double-headed arrow in
Besides the depilating body 10, the depilating device 1 comprises a driving mechanism 20 which is configured to drive the depilating body so as to actually perform a rotational movement about the rotation axis R during operation of the depilating device 1. In the shown example, the driving mechanism 20 comprises a drive shaft 21 which is also rotatable about the rotation axis R and an electric motor 22 for driving the drive shaft 21, wherein the depilating body 10 is arranged on the drive shaft 21 at the position of an end portion of the drive shaft 21 so that when the drive shaft 21 is driven by the electric motor 22, the depilating body 20 rotates along with the drive shaft 21.
Further, the depilating device 1 comprises an actuating mechanism 30 which is configured to act on the depilating body 10 so as to vary the size of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L during rotational movement of the depilating body 10 about the rotation axis R. In the shown example, one end of the depilating body 10 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 21 and has a fixed position in the longitudinal direction L as a result thereof. In this configuration, the actuating mechanism 30 is arranged so as to interact with the other end of the depilating body 10 for the purpose of displacing the other end of the depilating body 10 with respect to the drive shaft 21 in the longitudinal direction L. In the following, the first-mentioned end of the depilating body 10 will be referred to as fixed end of the depilating body 10, and the other end of the depilating body 10 will be referred to as movable end of the depilating body 10.
The actuating mechanism 30 comprises a first actuating member 31 which is shaped like a bush extending in the longitudinal direction L, and which is arranged to surround a portion of the drive shaft 21 adjacent to the end portion supporting the depilating body 10, wherein the first actuating member 31 is slidable on the drive shaft 21 in the longitudinal direction L and is positioned so as to contact the movable end of the depilating body 10. Further, the actuating mechanism 30 comprises a second actuating member 32 which is shaped like a bush extending in the longitudinal direction L, and which is arranged to surround a portion of the drive shaft 21 which is further away from the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L than the portion of the drive shaft 21 surrounded by the first actuating member 31, wherein the second actuating member 32 is also slidable arranged on the drive shaft 21 in the longitudinal direction L. Still further, the actuating mechanism 30 comprises a force-inducing member 33 which is at a position of coupling the actuating members 31, 32 to each other, i.e. a position between the actuating members 31, 32 in the longitudinal direction L. In the shown example, the force-inducing member 33 comprises a coil spring which is arranged so as to surround the drive shaft 21, which coil spring may be a normally-closed coil spring or a normally-opened coil spring. The force-inducing member 33 is covered by a cylindrical cover 34 surrounding the force-inducing member 33 and overlapping with end portions of the actuating members 31, 32 as well, wherein the cylindrical cover 34 is connected to the second actuating member 32.
The present description is equally applicable when the force-inducing member 33 does not comprise a coil spring but another component or combination of components which is designed so as to be compressible and extendable in the longitudinal direction L. The actuating members 31, 32 and the force-inducing member 33 may be provided as three separate components joined together, which does not alter the fact that other options are possible as well, such as an option of the actuating members 31, 32 and the force-inducing member 33 being part of a single integral entirety having different zones, wherein an intermediate zone may have another force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension than the two other zones at the respective sides of the intermediate zone, or wherein only two zones of different flexibility are present. In the latter case, it may especially be practical if the first actuating member 31 is flexible and the second actuating member 32 is (more) rigid, wherein the actuating members 31, 32 are joined and the force-inducing member 33 is integrated in the first actuating member 31, as it were.
At the position of the other end of the second actuating member 32 than the end which is associated with the force-inducing member 33, a movement-imposing arrangement 40 including a cam 41 and cam follower 42 is present in the depilating device 1. The movement-imposing arrangement 40 is configured to impose movement in the longitudinal direction L on the second actuating member 32 when the drive shaft 21 rotates. To that end, one of the cam 41 and cam follower 42 has a fixed position in the depilating device 1, and the other one of the cam 41 and cam follower 42 is attached to the second actuating member 32. In the shown example, the cam follower 42 has the fixed position in the depilating device 1, and the cam 41 is attached to the second actuating member 32.
The length of the depilating body 10 may be chosen freely, depending on intended use of the depilating device 1. When the depilating body 10 comprises a coil spring, the number of windings of the coil spring can be chosen freely, and also the shape of the cross-section of the spring's wire can be chosen freely. Further, the material of the depilating body 10 can be treated material (material subjected to treatment such as mechanical treatment, chemical treatment or heat treatment) so as to have defined/improved grip of the depilating body 10 on the hairs. The depilating body 10 can be rotational symmetrical so that the depilating device 1 is effective in any position relative to skin to be subjected to a depilating action. The drive shaft 21 may be connected directly to the electric motor 22, or through a suitable gearbox system, for example.
With reference to the above explanation of design aspects of the depilating device 1, it is now described how the various components of the depilating device 1 function to enable the depilating device 1 to perform a depilating action during operation thereof. Operation of the depilating device 1 involves actuation of the electric motor 22, as a result of which the drive shaft 21 is driven so as to rotate about the rotation axis R. The rotational movement of the drive shaft 21 causes both a rotational movement of the depilating body 10 about the rotation axis R and cyclic variation of the size of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L. The rotational movement of the depilating body 10 about the rotation axis R follows directly from the arrangement of the depilating body 10 on the drive shaft 21. The process of alternately causing compression and extension of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L follows from the movement-imposing arrangement 40 dictating the position of the second actuation member 32 in the longitudinal direction L. The fact is that as the drive shaft 21 rotates about the rotation axis R, the position of the cam 41 of the movement-imposing arrangement 40 in the longitudinal direction L is varied under the influence of contact to the cam follower 42, and so is the position of the second actuating member 32 in the longitudinal direction L.
As long as the at least one hair-catching space 11 of the depilating body 10 is not in the closed condition, the variation of the position of the second actuating member 32 brings about a similar variation of the position of the first actuating member 31, through the force-inducing member 33. On the basis of the fact that the first actuating member 31 acts on the depilating body 10, rotation of the drive shaft 21 about the rotation axis R eventually brings about variation of the position of the movable end of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L, besides the rotation of the depilating body 10 about the rotation axis R. The displacement path followed by the movable end of the depilating body 10 in the process is determined by the design of the movement-imposing arrangement 40, and so is the relation between the number of times the depilating body 10 is compressed and extended per revolution. When the at least one hair-catching space 11 of the depilating body 10 is closed, variation of the position of the movable end of the depilating body 10 and the position of the first actuating member 31 is no longer allowed, and the second actuating member 32 performs a movement in the longitudinal direction L relative to the first actuating member 31, which relative movement is allowed due to the presence of the force-inducing member 33 in the actuating mechanism 30. In the process, a force exerted on the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L by the actuating mechanism 30 is determined by the constitution of the force-inducing member 33, particularly the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the force-inducing member 33, and it is this force that determines a hair-clamping force at the position of the hair-catching space 11.
As a result of the cycle of compressing and extending the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L, the size of the at least one hair-catching space 11 in the depilating body 10 is alternately reduced and increased in the longitudinal direction L, such that the hair-catching space 11 is alternately put to the above-mentioned closed condition and an opened condition. When the depilating body 10 is held at a position close to skin from which hairs protrude, hairs are caught in the hair-catching space 11 during a period that the condition of the hair-catching space 11 changes from the opened condition to the closed position. When the hair-catching space 11 is in the closed position, the hairs are fixed in place in the hair-catching space 11 under the influence of a clamping force acting on the hairs in the longitudinal direction L. Assuming that the hair-clamping force is higher than the holding force exerted on the hairs at the position of the skin, the hairs are pulled out of the skin as a result of the rotational movement of the depilating body 10. On the basis of the presence of the force-inducing member 33 in the actuating mechanism 30 of the depilating device 1, it is possible to have an accurately defined hair-clamping force under all circumstances, and also to compensate for manufacturing tolerances of the depilating body 10, while the design of the depilating body 10 can be chosen so as to achieve optimal hair catching.
The aspect of compensating for manufacturing tolerances of the depilating body 10 is advantageous because if the force-inducing member 33 would not be present in the depilating device 1, it might occur that the movement-imposing arrangement 40 still acts to put the at least one hair-catching space 11 to the closed position while the hair-catching space 11 has already reached the closed position, in which case forces acting in the depilating device 1 increase to unforeseen high levels, or it might occur that the movement-imposing arrangement 40 is already at a maximum position for compressing the depilating body 10 while the hair-catching space 11 is still not fully closed, in which case the depilating body 10 cannot be effective in performing its depilating function.
The aspect of allowing for having an accurately defined hair-clamping force under all circumstances is particularly obtained when the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the force-inducing member 33 is significantly stronger than the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the depilating body 10. In fact, in the shown example, it is sufficient if the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the depilating body 10 is such that the depilating body 10 is capable of pushing back the components of the actuating mechanism 30 when the movement-imposing arrangement 40 offers space for doing so.
An advantageous option existing in the context of the depilating device 1 is an option of tuning the force-inducing member 33, i.e. adjusting the force-displacement characteristic of compression and extension of the force-inducing member 33, as such option allows for having different modes of the depilating device 1, wherein an appropriate one of the modes may be set in dependency on environmental conditions such as soiling of the skin with grease. Also, a possibility of setting pre-tension of the force-inducing member 33 to an appropriate value is feasible.
Notable aspects of the depilating device 1 known from WO 2021/130385 A1 are summarized as follows. A depilating device 1 comprises a depilating body 10 which is rotatable about a rotation axis R extending in a longitudinal direction L with respect to the depilating body 10 and which is provided with at least one hair-catching space 11. The depilating device 1 further comprises an actuating mechanism 30 configured to act on the depilating body 10 so as to cause compression and extension of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L during rotational movement of the depilating body 10 about the rotation axis R, for the purpose of varying the size of the at least one hair-catching space 11 of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L, wherein the actuating mechanism 30 includes a force-inducing member 31 which is compressible and extendable in the longitudinal direction L and which has a function in determining the level of a hair-clamping force in the depilating body 10.
In the foregoing, it is explained that it is possible to realize a link between the function of causing compression and extension of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L and the function of rotating the depilating body 10 in a mechanical way. In this respect, it is indicated that in the above-described known case of the depilating device 1 comprising a rotatable drive shaft 21 coupled to the depilating body 10 and bush-shaped actuating members 31, 32 surrounding respective portions of the drive shaft 21, it may be beneficial if the depilating device 1 comprises a movement-imposing arrangement 40 including a cam 41 and cam follower 42, wherein one of the cam 41 and cam follower 42 has a fixed position in the depilating device 1, and wherein the other one of the cam 41 and cam follower 42 is attached to the second actuating member 32. Further, it is indicated that in such a configuration, movement of the actuating members 31, 32 in the longitudinal direction L is automatically induced as the drive shaft 21 rotates, in a predetermined way following from the design of the cam 41 and cam follower 42.
A first further concept relates to possible details of the movement-imposing arrangement 40 including the cam 41 and the cam follower 42. In general, using such an arrangement 40 without any further measures involves disadvantages. The fact is that the total construction comprises several components all having their own tolerances. Due to height tolerances of the cam 41, and in combination with length tolerances of the actuating members 31, 32, using a mechanical cam drive principle for inducing a reciprocating movement of the actuating members 31, 32 while at the same time having rotary movement of the actuating members 31, 32 results in realizing more or less travel from open to close at the position of the depilating body 10. Also, more or less force on the depilating body 10 when the at least one hair-catching space 11 of the depilating body 10 is in the closed condition is obtained. Assuming that the depilating body 10 comprises a coil spring, if the force is too high, the coils of the spring will ‘cut’ the hairs before trying to pull out the hairs. If the force is too low, there is not enough friction between the coils of the spring and the hairs in order to effectively pull the hairs out of the skin. The concept embodied in the depilating device 1 known from WO 2021/130385 A1 involves a force-controlling solution in the form of the force-inducing member 33 arranged between the first actuating member 31 and the second actuating member 32. With reference to
The functionality of applying the required hair-clamping force to the depilating body 10 is achieved by means of an additional part which is screwed to the leaf spring 51 at the position of another number of the holes 58 located in the outer ring 57 of the leaf spring 51. This part is shown in
In
It follows from the forgoing that according to the first further concept, the force-inducing member 33 comprises a leaf spring 51, and that the cam follower 42 is attached to the leaf spring 51. In order to prevent frictional forces which would otherwise follow from deformation of the leaf spring 51 and an associated tilted orientation of the wheel holder 43 and the wheel 44 of the cam follower 42, the track 45 of the cam 41 has a tilted orientation instead of a perpendicular orientation to the rotation axis R, which tilted orientation may vary in a direction around the rotation axis R so as to be adapted to various deformation degrees of the leaf spring 51 at different positions in the direction around the rotation axis R, as explained. In this way, it can be achieved that the forces acting at the position of the wheel 44 on the track 45 of the cam 41 are always perpendicular to the track 45. Beneficial effects are that power loss of the drive system due to friction can be kept to a minimum and that wear of an outer peripheral surface of the wheel 44 and its countersurface in the wheel holder 43 can be kept to a minimum as well so that travel of the wheel 44 in the longitudinal direction L and thereby the level of the hair-clamping force are preserved throughout the lifetime of the depilating device 2.
It is noted that the present disclosure includes variations of the leaf spring 51 which can be readily conceived by a person skilled in the art, such as variations relating to the number of screw holes 58 in the leaf spring 51. The concept of a cam 41 having a tilted track 45 can be applied in any context where a cam drive system is used and the cam follower 42 may be subjected to tilting influences.
A second further concept relates to an alternative to using a generally disc-shaped spring leaf 51 in the depilating device and providing the cam 41 with a banked track 45. In this respect, relevant details of a depilating device 3 according to a second alternative embodiment are now explained with reference to
The spring arrangement 60 is diagrammatically shown in
It follows from the forgoing that according to the second further concept, the wheel 44 of the cam follower 42 is held by a spring arrangement 60 including two interconnected leaf springs 61, 62 in parallellogram configuration. In particular, the spring arrangement 60 is designed such that tilting of the wheel 44 is avoided and it is possible to have a conventional, non-banked design of the track 45 of the cam 41. Various embodiments of the spring arrangement 60 are feasible, including an embodiment in which the spring arrangement 60 is designed as a single component, existing only of a single bent leaf spring.
A third further concept relates to an alternative of the cam drive system for dictating the movement of the pushing bush 35 in the longitudinal direction L. The applied force between the wheel 44 of the cam follower 42 and the track 45 of the cam 41 that needs to be provided is linked to the required hair-clamping force in the depilating body 10. Further, forces from other drive elements need to be overcome. Expecially the link to the hair-clamping force may probably give rise to a situation in which peak torque demand and cam load in the longitudinal direction L via the wheel 44 are so high that excessive wear is generated over the lifetime of the depilating device. In view thereof, another drive system is provided, with the specific goal of reducing the overall cam force in order to reduce friction and to thereby reduce wear. In addition, sound production can be reduced when less friction and thereby less torque are needed.
With reference to
On the basis of the above-described layout of the hinging lever mechanism 70, it is achieved that as the drive shaft portion 71 rotates, movement of the roller element 78 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L is induced, in a way that is determined by the outline of the radial cam 72. In the process, the lever system 75 is moved between a most outstretched configuration as shown in
The above-mentioned ratio with which the hinging lever mechanism 70 translates the required hair-clamping force and required movement in the longitudinal direction L into a radial force and movement in the longitudinal direction L is dependent on the lengths of the lever arms 76, 77 and the cam design with varying diameters of the radial cam 72. It is the pretensioned spring acting on the input sleeve element 74 which provides a force that is used in generating the hair-clamping force as required. The spring characteristics of both this pretensioned spring and the leaf spring 79 pressing the roller element 78 against the radial cam 72 can be chosen so that appropriate dynamics and functionalies can be obtained.
It follows from the forgoing that according to the third further concept, a hinging lever mechanism 70 is applied as the movement-imposing arrangement which is configured to impose movement in the longitudinal direction L on the pushing bush 35. By having this type of movement-imposing arrangement, wear behavior can be improved as compared to a cam drive system involving cam forces acting in the longitudinal direction. Various possibilities of applying the hinging lever mechanism 70 are feasible, including a possibility according to which the above-described setup of non-rotating lever arms 76, 77 and rotating cam 72 can be inverted, particularly a possibility according to which the lever arms 76, 77 rotate and the shaft 71 extends inside a ‘negative’ cam profile, i.e. a cam profile provided in an interior surface of a ring element arranged to surround the shaft 71.
A fourth further concept relates to an alternative way of realizing the intended operation of the depilating body 10 by enabling the compression and extension of the depilating body 10 and realizing the hair-clamping force required in the compressed condition of the depilating body 10. In this respect, relevant details of a depilating device 4 according to a third alternative embodiment are now explained with reference to
In the depilating device 4 according to the third alternative embodiment, the cam drive system is replaced for a specific setup with permanent magnets as illustrated in
The pushing bush 35 is rotatable along with the drive shaft 21 and is also slidable on the drive shaft 21. During the sliding movement, the pushing bush 35 acts to compress and release the depilating body 10. For the purpose of driving the pushing bush 35 to perform the sliding movement, the depilating device 4 according to the third alternative embodiment is equipped with a magnet assembly 80. In the shown example, the magnet assembly 80 comprises a tubular magnet 81 which is arranged on a part of the pushing bush 35 surrounding the bellows 36. In particular, a steel sleeve 82 is arranged on the part of the pushing bush 35 as mentioned, and the tubular magnet 81 is arranged on the steel sleeve 82. Further, the magnet assembly 81 comprises a steel tubular carrier part 83 which is fixed to the housing part 101 and which may have a function in shielding the environment from magnetic fields besides a function of carrying two tubular magnets 84, 85 arranged alongside each other. An inner diameter of the magnets 84, 85 in the carrier part 83, which will hereinafter be referred to as outer magnets 84, 85, is slightly larger than an outer diameter of the magnet 81 on the pushing bush 35, which will hereinafter be referred to as inner magnet 81, so that a small air gap is present between the outer magnets 84, 85 and the inner magnet 81. A dimension of the inner magnet 81 in the longitudinal direction L is comparable to a dimension of each of the outer magnets 84, 85 in the longitudinal direction L.
When the drive shaft 21 is rotated, the inner magnet 81 is rotated as well, whereas the outer magnets 84, 85 are stationary. All of the magnets 81, 84, 85 are provided as a single piece, one half of the piece having north polarity, and the other half of the piece having south polarity. The design of the magnets 81, 84, 85 is illustrated in
The forces acting on the pushing bush 35 in the longitudinal direction L during rotation of the drive shaft 21 are determined by the magnetic flux. As mentioned in the foregoing, the pushing bush 35 acts on the depilating body 10 so as to compress and release the depilating body 10 and to provide the hair-clamping force. An advantage of using the magnet assembly 80 resides in the absence of mechanical friction, so that less driving torque is needed.
The design of the magnets 81, 84, 85 with the two halves of different polarity is not essential in the sense that alternatives are possible as long as there is a sequence of alternating polarities. Thus, it is also possible for the magnets 81, 84, 85 to comprise two quarters of north polarity and two quarters of south polarity, for example, wherein each of the quarters of north polarity is arranged between quarters of south polarity, as seen in the peripheral direction of the magnets 81, 84, 85, and wherein, consequently, each of the quarters of south polarity is arranged between quarters of north polarity.
Applying a magnet assembly 80 as a means for enabling the actuating mechanism 30 to act on the depilating body 10 in a way as envisaged can be done without applying a cam drive system, as suggested in the foregoing, but that does not alter the fact that the present concept also covers an option of applying both a magnetic drive system and a cam drive system. If such option is put to practice, it is advantageous to design the respective depilating device in such a way that the forces needed for operation of the depilating body 10 as intended are controlled by the magnetic drive system while translation/displacement aspects are controlled by the cam drive system. The benefit is that the movement of compressing and extending of the depilating body 10 is much more controlled with less (micro-)vibration.
A fifth further concept relates to the depilating body 10. In the foregoing, a linear coil spring and a linear arrangement of discs are mentioned as practical examples of the depilating body 10. It can be derived from
Further, it is noted that it is not necessary for the coil spring to be of the linear type. Instead, it is possible that the pitch of the coil spring differs along the length of the spring, as illustrated in
It follows from the foregoing that in case a coil spring is provided for use as the depilating body 10, it is not necessary for the coil spring to have a design in which the outer diameter of the coil spring is constant along the length of the spring, and it is not necessary for the coil spring to be of the linear type either.
In view of the fact that the springs shown in
A sixth further concept is also a concept which relates to the depilating body 10. In this respect, it is noted that the difference between the smallest length of the depilating body 10 in the compressed condition and the largest length of the depilating body 10 in the extended condition, which difference is also referred to as stroke, needs to be small if the depilating body 10 comprises a linear coil spring. The fact is that when a hair is caught in a tweezer of the depilating body 10, i.e. a portion of the depilating body 10 including a hair-catching space 11 and winding portions delimiting the hair-catching space 11, and that tweezer is near the movable end of the coil spring, both windings are moved in the direction of the fixed end of the coil spring when the spring is compressed to grab the hair and hold it while pulling it out of the skin. If the upward displacement as mentioned is 1.5 mm, for example, this might actually be longer than the hair which is caught. Thus, in such a case, it may happen that the hair has left the tweezer before the tweezer was able to apply the hair-clamping force to the hair. In general, it is true that the smaller the stroke, the shorter the hair that can be pulled out. Further, the length of the stroke is limited by mechanical aspects of the driving mechanism.
The longer the stroke, the more force will be needed for compressing and extending the coil spring and the more vibration will be generated, leading to wear, shorter battery life and nuisance to the user due to vibration in the hand and on the skin. This is another reason why it is beneficial to have a small stroke. However, a consequence of a small stroke is that it is possible to only use a small number of windings, which involves a very small length of the coil spring in the fully compressed condition of the spring, such as a length which is as small as about 2 mm. This is not appealing to users who would generally like to have an effective depilating system of sufficient length.
A further consideration in respect of the use of a linear coil spring as the depilating body 10 is that it may be practical if a diameter of an end portion of the actuating member contacting the movable end of the coil spring is somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the spring at the movable end. However, this means that skin which is subjected to a depilating action by means of the coil spring cannot directly touch the first one or two coils which are near the movable end, so that the coil spring is less effective in its ability to catch (short) hairs at the position of those coils. Further, taking into account the fact that a practical value of the wire thickness of the coil spring may be in a range of about 0.2 to 1 mm, the coils are close to each other, probably closer to each other than hairs on human skin to each other. This implies that having two tweezers right next to each other might be less effective than relying on a first and a fifth tweezer, for example.
In view of the foregoing, embodiments of the depilating body 10 are proposed in which the depilating body 10 comprises a coil spring in which the pitch differs per winding or per set of windings. For example, it may be beneficial to have several windings produced with a pitch similar to the wire thickness. The coils then lay flat on each other, whereas in a different location of the coil spring, the pitch is larger. The tweezers are then either set further apart from at least one end of the coil spring or further apart from each other.
A first example of a coil spring in which the pitch differs per winding or per set of windings is illustrated in
A second example of a coil spring in which the pitch differs per winding or per set of windings is illustrated in
A third example of a coil spring in which the pitch differs per winding or per set of windings is illustrated in
In view of the fact that the springs shown in
A seventh further concept is also a concept which relates to the depilating body 10. As explained in the foregoing, the depilating body 10 is compressed and extended during operation. Assuming that the depilating body 10 compresses a coil spring, the fact is that in order for a depilating action to function properly, the hair-clamping force needs to be evenly distributed along the entire periphery of the spring. If that is the case, indeed, the force of the coils of the coil spring acting on each other is the same at any angular position on the coil spring, i.e. at any position around the rotation axis R.
In general, a coil spring is made from a wire which has been wound so as to obtain the coil spring, and the wire has two ends. At each of the two ends, the coil spring is capable of contacting a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L only through an end portion of the outer coil (i.e. end coil, first/last coil), and not through the entire outer coil as would be desirable so as to realize the even distribution of the hair-clamping force mentioned in the foregoing. Several measures are now proposed to alleviate this problem.
A first possible measure involves performing a grinding action on the outer coil so as to remove material from the outer coil and to thereby shape the outer coil such that the coil spring is capable of contacting a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L through the entire outer coil. This possibility is illustrated in
A second possible measure involves adapting the design of the element which is supposed to contact an end of the coil spring. In particular, such an element can be provided with a recess of increasing depth in the peripheral direction as illustrated in
A third possible measure involves taking into account certain requirements in the process of winding the spring's wire in order to manufacture the coil spring. In the context of the present concept, it has been found that on the basis of the flexibility of the coil spring and the associated capability of the coils to dislocate slightly from each other under the influence of force in the longitudinal direction L, the spring can be made to contact a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction along approximately half of the outer coil, namely when the outer coil is in a range of 60% to 90% of a full coil, preferably in a range of 70% to 80% of a full coil. This is illustrated in
In view of the fact that the springs shown in
An eighth further concept relates to the design of the central shaft 21 at the position of the depilating body 10.
When the depilating body 10 pressed on the skin in a depilating action, reaction forces exerted on the depilating body 10 by the skin are counteracted by the central shaft 21 inside the depilating body 10. With reference to
In the first place, when a hair 200 is positioned in a hair-catching space 11 of the depilating body 10, as indicated in
In the second place, extracted hairs, dirt picked up from the skin, make-up picked up from the skin, etc. accumulate between the central shaft 21 and the depilating body 10 and may get stuck there. The more the narrow gap between the central shaft 21 and the depilating body 10 gets clogged, the more difficult it gets to remove hairs 200.
In view of the foregoing, it is proposed to adapt the design of the central shaft 21 at the position of the depilating body 10, particularly to provide the respective portion of the central shaft 21 with recesses 27, as shown in
In
By providing the central axis 21 with recesses 27, it is achieved that hairs 200 can stick in between the coils of the depilating body 10 further so that extraction effectiveness is increased. Extracted hairs 200 which are captured in the recesses 27 can be removed by the user with the help of a brush or the like after use of the depilating device.
A ninth further concept relates to the option of the actuating mechanism 30 comprising a first actuating member 31 and a second actuating member 32 with the force-inducing member 33 at a position of coupling the actuating members 31, 32 to each other, combined with the option of the force-inducing member 33 comprising a coil spring. In this respect, relevant details of a depilating device 5 according to a fourth alternative embodiment are now explained with reference to
In the depilating device 5 according to the fourth alternative embodiment, the coil spring of the force-inducing member 33 extends between supporting surfaces 38, 39 of the actuating members 31, 32 in the longitudinal direction L. The force-inducing member 33 has two functions, namely a function in transfer of rotational torque in the depilating device 5, and a function in transfer of longitudinal force in the depilating device 5. In view thereof, the end points of the coil spring are arranged so as to push on tabs, as can be seen in respect of the end point which is present at the side of the first actuating member 31 in
On the basis of the adapted orientation of the supporting surfaces 38, 39, line contacts are obtained between the coil spring and the first actuating member 31 at the one end of the coil spring, and between the coil spring and the second actuating member 32 at the other end of the coil spring.
A consequence of the adapted orientation of the supporting surfaces 38, 39 is that when the end points of the coil spring do not rest against the tabs, which may happen when at least one of the actuating members 31, 32 is accessible from outside of the depilating device 5 and is twisted from a default/predetermined position by a user of the depilating device 5 for some reason or by accident, the actuating members 31, 32 are forced further away from each other, for as long as the ends of the coil spring slide over the supporting surfaces 38, 39. This relative displacement of the actuating members 31, 32 leads to a more compressed extended condition of the depilating body 10 and to higher longitudinal force in the compressed condition of the depilating body 10. The consequences are decreased chance of grabbing hairs due to less space between coils in the extended position of the depilating body 10, and increased chance of cutting hairs due to too much force between coils when grabbing hairs. Both consequences are undesirable, and therefore measures are taken to prevent rotation of the supporting surfaces 38, 39 relative to each other. In particular, these measures involve providing a rotation delimiting mechanism 90 configured to delimit rotation of the actuating members 31, 32 relative to each other in a direction about the rotation axis R.
Numerous possibilities exist when it comes to the design of the rotation delimiting mechanism 90. In the present example, use is made of the fact that the connecting arrangement 50 of the depilating device 5 comprises both a leaf spring 51 and a non-resilient connecting member 65 comprising two legs 66, 67, wherein ends of the respective legs 66, 67 are connected to the leaf spring 51 at the position of an outer peripheral area of the leaf spring 51. As illustrates in
As mentioned in the foregoing, the connecting arrangement 50 of the depilating device 5 comprises a combination of a leaf spring 51 and a non-resilient connecting member 65. The design of the leaf spring 51 is similar to the design of the leaf spring 51 as described in the context of the depilating device 2 according to the first alternative embodiment with reference to
The present disclosure includes any possible combination of the above-described further concepts which can be readily conceived by a person skilled in the art. The present disclosure also includes any possible application of one or more of the above-described further concepts in the general context of a depilating device comprising i) a depilating body 10 which is rotatable about a rotation axis R extending in a longitudinal direction L with respect to the depilating body 10 and which is provided with at least one hair-catching space 11, wherein the size of the at least one hair-catching space 11 in the longitudinal direction L is variable through compression and extension of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L, and ii) an actuating mechanism 30 configured to act on the depilating body 10 so as to cause compression and extension of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L during rotational movement of the depilating body 10 about the rotation axis R and to realize a hair-clamping force in the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L when the at least one hair-catching space 11 of the depilating body 10 is in a closed condition.
It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the invention is not limited to the examples discussed in the foregoing, but that several amendments and modifications thereof are possible without deviating from the scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such amendments and modifications insofar they come within the scope of the claims or the equivalents thereof. While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the figures and the description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary only, and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The drawings are schematic, wherein details which are not required for understanding the invention may have been omitted, and not necessarily to scale.
Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by a person skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the figures, the description and the attached claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
Elements and aspects discussed for or in relation with a particular embodiment may be suitably combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Thus, the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
The terms “comprise” and “include” as used in this text will be understood by a person skilled in the art as covering the term “consist of”. Hence, the term “comprise” or “include” may in respect of an embodiment mean “consist of”, but may in another embodiment mean “contain/have/be equipped with at least the defined species and optionally one or more other species”.
Notable aspects of the invention are summarized as follows. A depilating device 2, 3, 4 comprises a depilating body 10 which is rotatable about a rotation axis R extending in a longitudinal direction L with respect to the depilating body 10, an actuating mechanism 30 configured to act on the depilating body 10 so as to cause compression and extension of the depilating body 10 in the longitudinal direction L during rotational movement of the depilating body 10 about the rotation axis R, and a driving mechanism 20 configured to drive the depilating body 10 and to also drive the actuating mechanism 30. The actuating mechanism 30 is connected to a drive shaft 21 of the driving mechanism 20 in a resilient fashion, such as through at least one leaf spring 51, 61, 62, which contributes to minimizing friction and noise in the depilating device 2, 3, 4 and which may also support one of compression and extension of the depilating body 10.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21211624.8 | Dec 2021 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/083749 | 11/30/2022 | WO |
