1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric shaver in which a head portion holding a shaving-blade unit including an inner blade and an outer blade is supported to be swingable in predetermined directions with respect to a gripper portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-315978 discloses an electric shaver of the above-mentioned kind, which includes not only a shaving-blade unit including an inner blade and an outer blade but also an edge-trimmer-blade unit.
The electric shaver includes a gripper portion to be held by the user's hand and a head portion configured to hold the shaving-blade unit, and supported to be swingable in the anteroposterior directions with respect to the gripper portion. Moreover, the electric shaver includes the edge-trimmer-blade unit in an upper-side portion on the back-side surface of the gripper portion. A switching knob is provided in the gripper portion to switch the edge-trimmer-blade unit between a ready-for-use state (a popped-up state) and a stored state.
In the conventional electric shaver, however, the edge-trimmer-blade unit is provided in the upper-side portion on the back-side surface of the gripper portion, and thus its blade edge is away from the shaving-blade unit located in the top end of the head portion that swings in the anteroposterior directions. For this reason, the conventional electric shaver has a drawback of imposing a difficulty on a user in placing the edge-trimmer-blade unit on the exact point to be shaved.
An object of the present invention, made to solve the above-mentioned problem, is to provide an electric shaver in which an edge-trimmer-blade unit is provided in a head portion swinging in predetermined directions, thereby being capable of making the edge-trimmer-blade unit easier to use.
An aspect of the present invention is an electric shaver including: a gripper portion to be held by the user's hand; and a head portion configured to hold a shaving-blade unit and supported to be swingable in predetermined directions with respect to the gripper portion, wherein the head portion is provided with an edge-trimmer-blade unit.
Some embodiments of the present invention will be described below by referring to the drawings.
As
The gripper portion 2 includes a gripper main body 3 and a gripper connecting portion 4. The gripper main body 3 is made of a synthetic resin, and includes a front-side surface 3b, a back-side surface 3c, and an upper-side surface 3a. The upper-side surface 3a slopes downwards from the front-side surface 3b to the back-side surface 3c. The gripper connecting portion 4 is made of a synthetic resin, and protrudes obliquely upwards to the rear from the upper-side surface 3a of the gripper main body 3.
A recessed portion 4b is formed at the center, in the anteroposterior directions, of an upper-side surface 4a of the gripper connecting portion 4. A lateral swing mechanism 8 is provided in the recessed portion 4b, and is configured to swing the head portion 6 in the lateral directions with respect to the gripper portion 2. An anteroposterior swing mechanism 9 is provided between the lateral swing mechanism 8 and the head portion 6, and is configured to swing the head portion 6 in the anteroposterior directions with respect to the gripper portion 2.
In addition, as
In addition, a recessed portion 5 is formed in a back-side surface 4c of the gripper connecting portion 4 of the gripper portion 2. An operation element 30 that is made of a synthetic resin is provided in the recessed portion 5. The operation element 30 is capable of sliding back and forth in directions that is substantially parallel with a bottom surface 5a of the recessed portion 5. Hereafter, the directions will be referred to as the sliding-motion directions X. With the reciprocating motions, the operation element 30 is configured to switch the states of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 between a state where the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 is ready for use (i.e., popped-up state, a state where a plane that is parallel to a principal surface of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 intersects with a plane that is parallel to the back-side surface 6c of the head portion 6 in this embodiment) and a state where the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 is retracted to be stored (i.e., folded-up state, a state where the principal surface of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 is substantially parallel with the back-side surface 6c of the head portion 6). Note that in the following description, a direction in which the operation element 30 comes closer to the head portion 6 is referred to as the forward direction in the sliding-motion direction X, whereas a direction in which the operation element 30 goes away from the head portion 6 is referred to as the backward direction in the sliding-motion direction X.
As
As
As
As
As
Leading-end protruding portions 32a, 32a are formed respectively in the backward portions, backward in the sliding-motion direction X, of the first-click elastic legs 32, 32. Before the user operates the operation element 30, that is, while the operation element 30 is at the ordinary position (third position) shown in
In addition, at the time of a first operation (first click) of the operation element 30, that is, when the operation element 30 slides forward in the sliding-motion direction X from the ordinary position and reaches a first-click position shown in
In this state, as
In addition, at the time of a second operation (second click) of the operation element 30, that is, when the operation element 30 slides further forward in the sliding-motion direction X from the first-click position and reaches a second-click position (a fourth position) shown in
In this state, as
As
In addition, as
As
Since the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 is provided in the recessed portion 7 of the head portion 6 in such a manner as to be capable of being retracted freely to be stored and of being popped up freely, the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 becomes easier to use. In particular, since the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 is provided in the head portion 6, which is close to the blade surfaces of the outer blades 11, 12 of the shaving-blade unit 10, the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 becomes even easier to use.
In addition, since the operation element 30 to switch the states of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 between the ready-for-use state and the stored state is provided in the gripper portion 2, the operation element 30 can be kept away and separated from the head portion 6. Accordingly, even with the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20, the head portion 6 can be made smaller in size.
In addition, the head portion 6 is locked with respect to the gripper portion 2 by the first operation (first click) of the operation element 30, and the edge-trimmer-blade unit is switched to the ready-for-use state by the second operation (second click) of the operation element 30. Accordingly, the locking of the head portion 6 and the switching of the state of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 to the ready-for-use state can be done simply and reliably using the single operation element 30. Consequently, the electric shaver 1 can be manufactured at even lower cost and the head portion 6 can be made even smaller in size.
In addition, the head portion 6 is locked with respect to the gripper portion 2 simultaneously with the switching of the state of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 to the ready-for-use state by the operation of the operation element 30. Accordingly, the point that the operation element 30 has to operate on can be limited to a single point within the recessed portion 5 of the gripper connecting portion 4 of the gripper portion 2. Consequently, the head portion 6 can be made smaller in size. In addition, the switching of the state of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 to or from the ready-for-use state and the operation of locking or unlocking the head portion 6 can be done simultaneously by the operation of the single operation element 30.
The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an operation element 30′ configured to switch the state of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 between the ready-for-use state and the stored state is provided in the head portion 6. The other portions in the configuration of the second embodiment are identical to their respective counterparts in the configuration of the first embodiment. So, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment are given to the identical constituent portions in the second embodiment, and no detailed description for the identical portions will be given.
In this second embodiment, the operation element 30′ configured to switch the state of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 between the ready-for-use state and the stored state is provided in the head portion 6. Accordingly, there is no operation portion in the gripper portion 2, and thereby the gripper portion 2 becomes easier to grip. In addition, the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 and the operation element 30′ are provided in the head portion 6, so that the driving portion such as the driving lever of the edge-trimmer-blade unit 20 can be stably engaged appropriately when necessary.
The preferred embodiments described herein are illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention may be practiced or embodied in other ways without departing from the spirit or essential character thereof.
A first aspect of the present invention provides an electric shaver including: a gripper portion to be held by the user's hand; and a head portion configured to include a shaving blade and supported to be swingable in predetermined directions with respect to the gripper portion. In the electric shaver, the head portion includes an edge-trimmer-blade unit.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the edge-trimmer-blade unit is provided in the head portion, the edge-trimmer-blade unit can be made easier to use. In particular, since the edge-trimmer-blade unit is provided in the head portion that is close to the blade surfaces of the shaving-blade unit, the electric shaver can be made even easier to use.
A second aspect of the present invention provides the electric shaver according to the first aspect with the following additional feature. The gripper portion includes an operation element configured to switch the edge-trimmer-blade unit between a ready-for-use state and a stored state.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the operation element is provided in the gripper portion, the operation element can be separated or placed at a position away from the head portion. Consequently, even with the edge-trimmer-blade unit, the head portion can be made smaller in size.
A third aspect of the present invention provides the electric shaver according to the second aspect with the following additional features. The head portion is locked with respect to the gripper portion by a first operation of the operation element. The edge-trimmer-blade unit is switched to the ready-for-use state by a second operation of the operation element.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the locking of the head portion and the switching of the state of the edge-trimmer-blade unit to and from the ready-for-use state can be done using only the single operation element. Consequently, the electric shaver can be manufactured at lower cost and the head portion can be made even smaller in size.
A fourth aspect of the present invention provides the electric shaver according to the second aspect with the following additional feature. The head portion is locked in the position with respect to the gripper portion simultaneously with the switching of the edge-trimmer-blade unit to the ready-for-use state by the operation of the operation element.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the operation point of the operation element can be limited to a single point, the head portion can be made smaller in size. In addition, the operation of switching the state of the edge-trimmer-blade unit to and from the ready-for-use state and the operation of locking and unlocking the head portion can be done simultaneously by the operation of the single operation element.
A fifth aspect of the present invention provides the electric shaver according to the first aspect with the following additional feature. The head portion includes an operation element configured to switch the edge-trimmer-blade unit between a ready-for-use state and a stored state.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the provision of the operation element in the head portion can eliminate the operation portion from the gripper portion. Consequently, the gripper portion can be made easier to grip. In addition, since the edge-trimmer-blade unit and the operation element are provided in the head portion, the driving portion of the edge-trimmer-blade unit can be stably fitted appropriately when necessary.
A sixth aspect of the present invention provides the electric shaver according to the second aspect with the following additional features. The edge-trimmer-blade unit is linked to a handle arm slidable on the head portion, in such a manner that the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the stored state when the handle arm is at a first position and that the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the ready-for-use state when the handle arm is at a second position. The operation element is slidable on the gripper portion between a third position and a fourth position. The third position is where the operation element allows the head portion to swing with respect to the gripper portion and the handle arm to be located at the first position. The fourth position is where the operation element engages with the handle arm so as to hold the handle arm at the second position.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the handle arm provided in the head portion can be moved to the second position by sliding the operation element provided in the gripper portion to the fourth position. Consequently, even if the operation element is provided separately at a position away from the head portion, the edge-trimmer-blade unit can be made ready for use by a simple operation.
The present disclosure relates to subject matters contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-006374, filed on Jan. 15, 2009, the disclosures of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2009-006374 | Jan 2009 | JP | national |
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