Patent Application
20220330984
This invention relates to personal care products, and more particularly those products comprising both skin treatment and/or hair removal.
In the prior art there are personal care products for either skin treatment or hair removal. Some known prior art discloses shavers for removing hair having blades with apertures, whereby the apertures have sharp cutting edges. In many instances, the blades in these shavers are retained utilizing one or more retaining members. The retaining members of prior art references, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,604,983A and 4,984,365, retain foils in place by means of a unitary, generally annular, frame member which is arcuate or configured with a domed or convex surface to match the shape of the blades.
These blades are generally fabricated from metal. However, sharp cutting edges comprised of metal are prone to damage of the cutting edges during use, which requires regular replacement of the personal care product.
The foils, the selected materials and construction thereof, of these prior art shavers are specifically designed to remove hair and thus generally are not optimized for effective skin treatment purposes.
Other prior art discloses products for skin treatment that comprise either an abrasive surface such as skin files or graters such as US 2016/183978 whereby the foil is provided in a unitary arrangement that does not require a frame member.
Those personal care products optimized for, e.g. skin exfoliation or dermaplaning that comprise cutting edges are generally constructed from a metal foil with cutting edges that protrude beyond the surface of the foil. These protruding edges are uncomfortable and not effective and sharp enough for removing unwanted hair from the skin's surface.
The metallic foils in the art are generally formed and bowed to provide a convex or domed treatment surface for improving skin contact along curved skin surfaces. The disadvantage of this construction is that the skin contact area is minimal over extended flat body sites, such as the legs, chest or the back resulting in inefficient treatment that takes a long time to complete.
Clips disclosed in the art primarily aim to attach the treatment sheet to the personal care product. The clips of the prior art references utilize slots for mating with hooks in other shaver components or adhesive to retain the foil in place, respectively. Neither hooks and slots nor the use of adhesives can achieve the precise control of dimensions required for efficient and safe skin treatment and the mechanical stability to support foils fabricated from different materials which may include durable but brittle materials.
Furthermore, adhesives are not practical for manufacturing large quantities of sheet assemblies due to quality and automation difficulties. Other prior art clips used in wet shaving products are designed for retention of elongated, linear blades with cutting edges within a razor cartridge, such as for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,471B1, but these have the disadvantages that they retain the blades only at their ends, thereby providing limited support and excess clip material in areas of the cartridge not needing anything to be retained or protected.
The cutting edges of foils disclosed in the art are generally formed by coining and grinding of metal and are only present in the apertures. If durable, rigid materials such as ceramics or crystalline materials are used, processes such as etching may be employed to create the cutting edges.
It is desirable to provide a novel frame member for a personal care product having a novel treatment sheet comprising materials optimized for both skin treatment and hair removal.
It is also desirable to provide a novel frame member for a personal care product having a novel treatment sheet which is flat and rigid.
It is desirable to provide a novel frame member with features that provide robust construction with a novel treatment sheet that may be brittle.
It is desirable to provide a novel frame member for a personal care product that precisely sets the height of a novel treatment sheet and controls the flow of the skin over the treatment sheet.
The present invention is directed to a personal care product including an upper product end and a lower product end, a housing at the upper product end, the housing including a housing wall and one or more windows in the housing wall, a frame member including one or more tabs, the one or more tabs coupled to the one or more windows.
Further aspects include, wherein the one or more tabs extend from an outer wall of the frame member, wrap around an exterior of the housing wall, or the housing wall is an exterior wall on the housing.
In other aspects of the invention, the housing wall includes at least one notch, the at least one notch is formed in an upper ledge of the one or more windows, the one or more tabs extends into the at least one notch, or the one or more tabs is bent into the at least one notch.
In still further aspects, each of the one or more tabs includes a bent portion, a quantity of the one or more tabs equals a quantity of the one or more windows, or a quantity of the one or more tabs equals a quantity of the at least one notch.
In one present invention embodiment, the housing of the upper product end is releasable from the lower product end.
In one present invention embodiment, the frame member includes straight sections and corner sections. The one or more tabs can extend from straight sections.
Further still, the frame member has a top inner perimeter, the top inner perimeter including an inner fillet with a radius ranging from about 0.05 mm to about 0.3 mm. The one or more tabs have a length ranging from about 2 mm to about 6 mm and a width ranging from about 2 mm to about 5 mm.
The present invention is also directed to an embodiment providing a method for assembling a personal care product including the steps of providing a housing at an upper product end, the housing including, an upper surface, a housing top opening, a housing wall and one or more windows in the housing wall, providing a planar treatment sheet over the housing top opening and on the upper surface of the housing, the planar treatment sheet having a perimeter area, providing a frame member including one or more tabs, disposing the frame member on the perimeter area of the treatment sheet, joining the one or more tabs to the one or more windows.
In further aspects, the step of joining further includes bending the one of more tabs into the one or more windows of the housing, channeling the one or more tabs into one or more notches in the one or more windows of the housing, or both.
In this embodiment, the frame member is disposed over both an upper perimeter area of the treatment sheet and an upper surface of the housing.
In another aspect, the step of joining further includes providing a gap between an outer perimeter of the treatment sheet and a housing wall.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the claims.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as the present invention, it is believed that the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the present invention, a personal care product that comprises a treatment sheet and a frame member whereby the frame member retains and aligns the treatment sheet for optimal use and performance on the skin.
The term “frame member” as used herein refers to the component on a personal care product utilized in retaining the treatment sheet to an upper surface of a housing of a personal care product or to the component itself. The frame member of the present invention is preferably comprised of interconnected segments that connect to form a singular or unitary element having s no distal ends. The frame member can be formed into any connected shape as will be discussed in more detail below. The frame member of the present invention can be comprised of any material including but not limited to aluminum, stainless steel, or plastic. It was determined that these materials are desirable as materials for the frame member of the present invention based on their mechanical and non-corrosive properties. In a preferred embodiment, aluminum is used because it is readily manufacturable (e.g., hard enough for machined from solid or stamped but sufficiently ductile to bend without breaking and retain its shape after bending). Specifically, the present invention determined that aluminum grade of 5000 series is beneficial.
The housing portion of the personal care product comprises an opening at the top and the treatment sheet is disposed to cover the opening of the housing. The treatment sheet comprises a plurality of apertures. The apertures may comprise straight and non-straight sections along the inner perimeter. Portions of the inner perimeter of each aperture are sharpened to provide a cutting edge. More durable cutting edges can be produced from materials like ceramic or crystals like silicon, sapphire or diamond. These materials are not ductile like metal and often are brittle, so they cannot be formed into e.g. a domed or convex shape but are available in planar sheets. The planar treatment sheets offer the additional advantage over personal care devices in the prior art in that a planar treatment sheet type surface increases the treatment efficiency, such as the removal of hair, or planning of skin on extended flat surfaces of skin such as legs, chest or back.
The frame member of the present invention also provides a skin contacting upper surface. The frame member has an outer perimeter greater than the outer perimeter of the treatment sheet and an inner perimeter smaller than the outer perimeter of the treatment sheet. Tabs along the outer surface of the frame member secure a treatment sheet, described below, to the housing so that the frame member covers the outer perimeter and frames the treatment sheet The frame member holds the treatment sheet in place so that the treatment sheet is not displaced relative to the housing as the product is moved around on the skin to exfoliate skin or cut hairs. The frame member has a skin contacting surface that is raised above the upper surface of the treatment sheet to control the flow of the skin over the surface of the treatment sheet that comprises the apertures. The skin contacting surface of the frame member may be flat, rounded, or chamfered. The frame member provides an interface or mating surface with the treatment sheet to mechanically stabilize the treatment sheet. It has been found that the height difference between the skin contacting surface of the frame member and the surface of the treatment sheet is critical for maintaining safe skin flow over the product and good contact with the skin surface for efficient treatment and that tight mechanical clamping between the frame member and the treatment sheet cannot otherwise be achieved with prior art solutions such as adhesives or plastic hooks into slots.
The term “treatment sheet” in the personal care product of the present invention refers to a planar sheet comprising a plurality of apertures. The periphery or perimeter of the apertures comprise cutting edges, used for removing hair and exfoliation or other treatments on skin.
The treatment sheet is desirably flat. A “flat” material generally has planar surfaces without protrusions or indentations. As used herein, “flat” and “planar” can be used interchangeably.
The treatment sheet is also desirably rigid. A “rigid” material signifies that the material is not flexible and cannot be easily bent.
The function of the treatment sheet in the personal care product is to both remove hair and to treat the skin and this is achieved by the structure of the treatment sheet noted above.
The treatment sheet of the present invention is desirably comprised of a solid, non-corroding material. The treatment sheet can be comprised of amorphous materials such as glass, crystalline materials such as silicon, diamond, sapphire, polycrystalline materials such as silicon, ceramic, or metals (e.g., steel), or any combination thereof. These materials can be shaped into rigid planar treatment sheets with apertures. Despite their rigidity, these materials can be fairly brittle. A “brittle” material is a material that generally fractures under load with little elastic or plastic deformation. The treatment sheet comprised of these materials, such as silicon and diamond, could shatter or break into pieces if the personal care product is dropped, if it is contacted with force, or takes the impact of a large force. Accordingly, the present invention bolsters the stability of the treatment sheet by providing a frame member
Preferably, the treatment sheet substrate is comprised of a silicon material and the cutting edges are comprised of a diamond material.
Thus, the frame member can be considered a frame and the treatment sheet can be considered the glass behind the frame. Using this metaphor, the shape of the frame member preferably matches the shape of the outer perimeter of the treatment sheet, but slightly larger. As used herein, the terms “retaining member” and “frame member” can be used interchangeably.
While the treatment sheet is desirably comprised of a rigid (e.g., not bendable) material, the frame member of the present invention is desirably comprised of a material that can be formed and shaped without breaking and retains its shape after bending.
Any permutations of shapes of the treatment sheet, the frame member, the apertures, and sizes thereof are contemplated in the present invention. Moreover, any feasible pattern and location of apertures is also contemplated in the present invention.
The term “about” as used herein generally signifies approximately or around. When a range of numerals are given, e.g., “about 4 to about 40” is disclosed herein, the present invention contemplates +/−10 percent of each number. Thus, for clarity, if a reference is described as being “about 4 to about 40” signifies the range of “3.6 to 44” as being encompassed by the present invention since the range of 3.6 to 4.4 represents +/−10 percent of 4 and the range of 36 to 44 represents +/−10 percent of 40.
The present invention contemplates a frame member 50 having several embodiments shown as frame members 50A-50D of
The frame members 50A-50D of the present invention generally comprise a plurality of sections, which may be straight or curved, or a combination thereof. In each of the embodiments shown in
Turning to
The frame member 50a comprises an outer perimeter 570 having a plurality of outer perimeter corners 572. In the case of a hexagon, as shown in
In the present invention, the outer perimeter 570 of the frame member 50a is larger than the inner perimeter 560 of the frame member 50a. The outer perimeter 570 has a length that may generally range from about 55 mm to about 65 mm, and preferably is about 60 mm.
The inner perimeter 560 may generally range from about 50 mm to about 60 mm, and preferably is about 55 mm.
In
A cross-sectional view 500a of frame member 50a is shown in
As shown in this cross-sectional view 500a, the outer perimeter height 571 is measured and defined as the perpendicular distance from the uppermost surface at the upper perimeter 570 to the underside surface 525 of the frame member 50a. Inner perimeter height 561 is measured and defined as the perpendicular distance from the uppermost surface at the inner perimeter 560 shown in
As depicted in the cross-sectional view 500a, the outer perimeter height 571 of the frame member 50a taken at the outer perimeter 570 is the same as the inner perimeter height 561 taken at the inner perimeter 560. For frame member 50a in
Having a constant height is advantageous because during use, the personal care product of the present invention is turned in many directions (e.g., on facial skin) but regardless of the position, the product having a constant height at both inner and outer perimeters will engage the user's skin in a constant manner.
Also shown in cross-sectional view 500a of
In the present invention, the outer perimeters 570a and 570b of the frame member 50b are larger than the inner perimeters 560a and 560b of the frame member 50b. The outer perimeters 570a and 570b may each generally range from about 55 mm to about 65 mm, and preferably are about 60 mm. The inner perimeters 560a and 560b have a length that may generally range from about 50 mm to about 60 mm, and preferably is about 55 mm.
Upper surface 520 of frame member 50b is substantially flat as in
Thus, the top inner perimeter 560a on the skin contacting surface 520 of frame member 50b may be rounded by the inner fillet 512 having an inner fillet radius 514. The inner fillet radius 514 ranges from about 0.05 mm to about 0.3 mm.
The top outer perimeter 570a on the skin contacting surface 520 of frame member 50b may be rounded by the outer fillet 532 having an outer fillet radius 534. The outer fillet radius 534 ranges from about 0.05 mm to about 0.3 mm.
Having radii of curvature or rounded areas at the inner and outer fillets of the frame member of the present invention desirably provides maximum comfort and ease of use to a user as they use the personal care product by moving it any direction over the skin surface.
A cross-sectional view 500b of frame member 50b is shown in
As shown in cross-sectional view 500b, the outer perimeter height 571 is measured as the perpendicular distance from the uppermost surface at the top outer perimeter 570a to the underside surface 525 of the frame member 50b. Inner perimeter height 561 is measured and defined as the perpendicular distance from the uppermost surface at the top inner perimeter 560a shown in
Thus, even with rounded fillets 512 and 532, the outer perimeter height 571 of the frame member 50b taken at the top outer perimeter 570a is generally the same as the inner perimeter height 561 taken at the top inner perimeter 560a. For frame member 50b in
Also shown in cross-sectional view 500b of
A cross-sectional view 500c of frame member 50c is also shown in
However, unlike
The chamfered face or the downward slope 521 of frame member 50c enable a user's skin to smoothly flow down from the highest point of the frame member at the top outer perimeter 570a to the lower point at the top inner perimeter 560a.
Also shown in cross-sectional view 500c of
As noted above, each of the embodiments 50a, 50b and 50c of frame member 50 in
Turning now to
Referring now to
In
Any size and shape of the tabs 550 is contemplated in the present invention and can be designed in accordance with the housing and treatment sheet components. As such, wider or narrower or alternate shapes (not shown) of tabs can be operably utilized.
As will be described below, the tabs (e.g., the tab end section and tab bent portion) may engage, be joined to, or rest in recesses, notches or channels in the housing 20 and/or may similarly be disposed through windows in the housing.
A treatment sheet 40 according to the present invention is shown in
Each aperture 430 has an inner perimeter 431, a portion, or all, of which forms a cutting edge 435. It is these cutting edges 435, formed along perimeters of the treatment sheet apertures that perform the skin treatment and hair removal functions of the personal care product of the present invention. Cutting edges 435 are described further below with regard to
Importantly, and as shown in
Referring to
Housing windows 260 are open areas provided in the housing 20 and preferably formed in the housing wall 210. The housing windows 260 serve not only to aid the tabs 550 in framing and retaining the treatment sheet 40 on the housing 20 but also as an aid in rinsing the debris produced or accumulated during use of the personal care product 10. Debris may include dead skin cells, hairs (e.g., including vellus hair), treatment or shave preparations, dirt, oils, and other matter removed from the outer surface of the skin or applied to the surface of the skin during use.
Further benefits of the embodiments of frame member 50 of the present invention include, but are not limited to, providing an alignment or guiding outer edge on the skin through the use of the straight portions 54 on the upper perimeters to improve skin contact and flow, and generally framing and providing stability to the treatment sheet thereby reducing shattering of the brittle treatment sheet if dropped.
Referring now to
As noted above in conjunction with
A cross-sectional view 60b along plane B-B in
Unlike frame member 50a of
A cross-sectional view 60c along plane B-B in
Thus, perimeter portions of the treatment sheet 40, as shown in
A more detailed description of assembly of the housing 20, the treatment sheet 40 and the frame member 50 of the present invention is described below with regard to
In
The frame member 50 serves to retain the treatment sheet 40 in a precise, controlled position on the housing 20 by means of one or more tabs 550 which extend from the frame member 50 and bend under the housing to secure the treatment sheet 40. The bent tabs provide securement of the treatment sheet in the housing. Thus, even if the personal care product 10 is accidentally dropped during use, the treatment sheet is stable and held in place. In
There is a gap 536 between the underside 525 of the frame member and the housing uppermost surface 213 to ensure that the outer perimeter area 451 of the treatment sheet and the underside of the 525 of the frame member and the lower perimeter area 452 and the housing step surface 211 in close contact when the tabs of the frame member are bent and channeled into the notches during assembly of the product. The inward and upward shape of these notches generates a clamping force onto the sandwich when the tabs are wrapped around the outer housing wall 210 and channeled into the notches.
As shown in close-up view 80 in
As noted above, an angle 555 formed by the bent portion 552 is defined as the angle between the outer wall 530 of the frame member 50 and the roof of the notch 216 is greater than 90 degrees, preferably in the range of 95 to 135 degrees.
Though a hexagonal frame member shape has been shown and described herein, the size and shape of the frame member of the present invention can be any feasible shape. As noted above, since the frame member is disposed over the treatment sheet, the treatment sheet shape may generally be the same shape, though any feasible arrangement is contemplated in the present invention. For instance, referring to
A non-limiting method of manufacturing or assembling a personal care product having a frame member of the present invention is shown in the flow diagram of
Any other feasible arrangements of frame members and treatment sheets are also contemplated by the present invention.
The illustrations presented herein are not intended to be actual views of any particular substrate, apparatus (e.g., device, system, etc.), or method, but are merely idealized and/or schematic representations that are employed to describe and illustrate various embodiments of the disclosure.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.” The term “about” as used herein generally signifies approximately or around. As one example, when a range of numerals are given, e.g., if “about 4 to about 40” is or “4 to 40” is disclosed herein, the present invention contemplates the recited value of “4” and “40” and a functionally equivalent range surrounding each of the 4 and the 40, which can generally be plus or minus 10 percent of each number. Thus, for clarity, if a reference is described as being “4 to 40” this signifies it could be a functionally equivalent range of 4 and a functionally equivalent range of 40 or “about 4 to about 40.” The latter signifies the range of “3.6 to 44” as being encompassed by the present invention since the range of 3.6 to 4.4 represents plus and minus 10 percent of 4, respectively and the range of 36 to 44 represents plus and minus 10 percent of 40, respectively.
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application and any patent application or patent to which this application claims priority or benefit thereof, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover, in the appended claims, all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
The present application is related to co-pending application Ser. No. 63/177,194 filed on the same date and by the same Assignee as the present application, which are not admitted to being prior art with respect to the present invention by its mention in the cross-reference section. This co-pending application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63177199 | Apr 2021 | US |
