Patent Application
20220330674
This invention relates to personal care products, and more particularly those products comprising both skin treatment and/or hair removal.
The present application is related to co-pending application Ser. No. 63/177,257 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.
Personal care products described in the prior art are 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 other prior art, wet shaving razors have linear blades or electric shavers have cutter systems comprising of shearing blades that move beneath a foil with apertures to cut hairs. It is advantageous to remove debris such as cut hairs and shave preparations collected around the cutting edges of these products not only for hygiene reasons but to allow the product to continue performing efficiently and over a long period of time.
The prior art provides for removal of debris such as hair and shave preparation compositions by allowing fluid (e.g., water) to flow between the blades. However, the disadvantage in many of these products is that the area provided for debris removal is inadequate. For instance, in wet shavers, the area provided for removing debris is within the razor cartridge and in particular, the span between the blades which is very small and oftentimes not all the debris can be removed with rinsing. Users resort to tapping the blades against a hard surface such as a sink. The debris that is stuck between blades affects the subsequent shave performance of the cartridge which can cause unwanted nicks and cuts. In the prior art reference U.S. Pat. No. 10,500,743, which discloses a dry shaver, hair dust is collected in an encapsulated chamber and while two rinse openings are provided beneath the chamber for water to flow through for removal of hair dust, valves are installed within the encapsulated chamber covering these rinse channels, thereby limiting the direction of flow and making the system complex and ultimately inefficient at removing the collected hair dust.
Further, many of the prior art shavers are specifically designed to remove hair and thus generally are not optimized for effective skin treatment purposes.
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 products generally do not provide a system for rinsing skin flakes and other debris, inclusive of hair.
The metallic foils in the art are generally formed and shaped 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 or the back resulting in inefficient treatment that takes a long time to complete.
It is desirable to provide an optimized system for debris removal in a personal care product that is optimized for both skin treatment and hair removal.
It is desirable to provide a debris removal structure in a personal care product optimized for both skin treatment and hair removal that comprises structural features such as a flat treatment surface for good skin contact across extended flat body sites.
The present invention is directed to a personal care product including an upper product end, a housing at the upper product end, the housing including a top opening and an outer wall, a treatment sheet disposed over the top opening of the housing; and one or more windows disposed in the outer wall of the housing.
In accordance with novel aspects of the present invention, fluid is capable of flowing through the one or more windows or through a plurality of apertures in the treatment sheet, or any combination thereof. Fluid flows in a direction parallel to the treatment sheet into the one or more windows, out of the one or more windows, or any combination thereof. The fluid is water. The fluid flow removes debris from a lower surface of the treatment sheet, a cavity of the housing, or both.
In other aspects of the present invention, the one or more windows comprise a shape that is identical to at least one other of the one or more windows. The one or more windows includes two or three windows. Further, at least one of the one or more windows includes a polygonal shape or a round shape.
In accordance with another aspect, the one or more windows comprise two opposing windows. At least one of the one or more windows includes rounded corners.
In other aspects of the present invention, the outer wall is along an outer surface of the upper end of the personal care product and that the treatment sheet is visible from the one or more windows. Further, the treatment sheet includes a plurality of apertures.
In another aspect, the housing includes a floor surface. The floor surface is flat or shaped. The shaped floor surface includes a dome or a cone shape. The shape of the shaped floor surface does not obstruct the one or more windows.
In the present invention, the housing of the upper product end can be releasable from a lower product end of the personal care product.
Still further, the housing includes a substantially cylindrical shape, and includes a cavity.
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. 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 comprises a treatment sheet with apertures disposed over an opening at the top of a housing at the upper end of the product. The housing comprises a cavity surrounded by a wall that comprises windows in the outer wall of the housing. The windows provide entry areas for rinsing fluid (e.g., water) for removing or rinsing away debris after use of the personal care product. The flow path through the windows and the apertures of the treatment sheet is multi-directional.
In addition, a frame member retains the treatment sheet on the housing portion of the personal care product. If tabs are present along the outer surface of the frame member, they can assist in securing the treatment sheet to the housing by being inserted into notches on upper ledges of the housing windows.
The treatment sheet at the top of the housing comprises a plurality of apertures. The apertures comprise non-straight sections along their inner perimeters. Portions of the inner perimeter of each aperture are being 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, i.e., fractures with little elastic deformation and without significant plastic deformation and thus they cannot be formed into e.g., a domed or convex shape but are planar sheets. This type of planar treatment surface increases the treatment efficiency, such as the removal of hair or dermaplaning of skin on extended flat surfaces of skin such as legs, chest and back.
The term “product” as used herein includes an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper and lower ends are either permanently or releasably coupled together. The upper end of the product of the present invention generally includes, but is not limited to, a treatment, a housing, sheet, and a frame member.
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. The treatment sheet substrate can be comprised of a silicon material and the cutting edges can be comprised of a diamond material.
The term “housing” as used herein may include, but is not limited to, a structure at the upper end of a product. The housing in the present invention carries a treatment sheet and preferably comprises a cavity having windows bound by columns or struts. The housing generally has a substantially cylindrical shape though any feasible shape is contemplated by the present invention.
The term “debris” as used in accordance with the present invention may include, but is not limited to, dead skin cells, hairs (e.g., including terminal and 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 prior and during use.
The term “cavity” as used herein signifies an open region or volume of the housing. The cavity preferably is a volume portion formed directly beneath the treatment sheet where debris from the use of the personal care product is collected, and removed easily (e.g., by rinsing with water). The debris may cling to the lower surface of the treatment sheet or fall into the cavity. The debris is removed from the lower surface of the treatment sheet of the cavity by flowing water, pressurized air, or by tapping the debris out through openings in the housing wall, or other feasible methods.
In the present invention, as shown in
The cavity may comprise a height H2 of at least about one-fifteenth, or larger if feasible,
of the height H1 (shown in
The term “window” or “windows” as used herein signifies the openings or apertures in the housing wall. Desirably the windows are cut out of, or formed integrally with, the outer wall of the housing. The windows may be formed such that they are not too far inward of the lower product end (e.g., the handle) so as to provide as large a cavity as possible. Desirably, the windows are formed along a surface that extends from the lower product end of the personal care product. The windows are flanked by columns or struts formed in the housing outer wall. The term “columns” and “struts” may be used interchangeably herein and generally flank the windows.
The windows are in communication with the cavity inside the housing. In this way, for instance, rinsing fluid can freely flow through one side of the windows through the cavity to the other side of the windows on the outside of the upper product end. Thus, when the personal care product is used and debris (e.g., cut hairs, dead skin cells, etc.) is collected from the action of the treatment sheet, the debris will be collected proximal to the treatment sheet (e.g., on the lower surface 42 of the treatment sheet), the debris located inside the cavity can easily be removed through the windows. Water or other cleaning fluids are preferred for removal of the debris, though other techniques such as pressurized air can also be used with the present invention windows. The size, shape, and location of the windows will be described in detail herein.
Described herein are polygonal and round shaped windows, however, any permutations of shapes and sizes of the housing windows are contemplated in the present invention. It follows that struts or columns that flank the windows may also have any shape, conformal to the windows or otherwise. Moreover, any feasible pattern and location of the windows or struts in the housing is also contemplated in the present invention.
The term “frame member” refers to a component on a personal care product, utilized in aligning and retaining the treatment sheet and as a skin contacting surface. The treatment sheet is aligned and disposed on an upper surface of the housing of the personal care product. For ease of understanding, the frame member can be considered to be a “frame” such as those used for photographs, and the treatment sheet can be considered to be the “glass” behind the frame. Using this metaphor, the shape of the frame member is preferably the same shape of the outer perimeter of the treatment sheet, but slightly larger.
The present invention contemplates an embodiment of a personal care product as shown in
Windows 260 are openings in the side wall 210 of the housing of the present invention allowing for the removal of debris of cut hairs, shave preparation, dead skin cells, etc., that is collected during the operation of the personal care product. These windows 260 will be described in detail below.
The housing also comprises an upper surface 214 with an inner perimeter 206 that surrounds the top opening 205 and a housing wall 210.
Tabs 550, if present on the frame member 50, can also be bent to extend around or into the housing wall 210 and into the housing windows 260. Tabs 550 are shown in
The housing windows 260 serve to aid in rinsing the debris such as dead skin cells, shave preparation, or hairs (e.g., vellus hairs) produced or accumulated during use of the personal care product 10. Several embodiments of window shapes, sizes, and locations are described herein.
Referring to
Also shown in
Desirably, the windows 260 formed between the struts 220 have rounded corners 268 at the interface of the strut and the ledge 262 or the floor surface 280. By not being sharp (e.g., 90 degree) corners, the rounded corners 268 advantageously allow debris (e.g., collected under the treatment sheet 40 during use) to be removed easily out the windows by not remaining stuck in sharp corners.
Turning to
Cavity 290 in
Additionally, the frame member 50 of the embodiment in
Desirably, the number of windows is equal to the number of tabs, though any number of contemplated windows and tabs are contemplated in the present invention. Several embodiments of window shapes, sizes, and locations are described below.
In
In
It is noted that the windows 260a, 260b, 260c desirably have rounded corners 268. By not having sharp edges, the debris is removed easier by the rinsing fluid and does not remain stuck in the cavity 290 at the sharp edges of the windows
Housing 20 also has an upper surface 214, one or more struts 220, and a floor surface 280. The columns 220 are disposed between the carrier 230 and the base 240 forming windows 260a, 260b, and 260c in the housing while also effectively forming part of the windows' “frame.” The floor surface 280 is shown as a flat, planar surface much like a floor in a home. The advantage of having a flat housing floor surface 280 is that window 260a on the left side of the housing has a “view” across to the other windows, 260b or 260c on rear and right sides of the housing. As debris is accumulated in the cavity 290 (e.g., beneath the treatment sheet 40), this “view” allows rinsing fluids like water to flow without obstruction from one window to another rinsing away the debris. Further, as this floor surface 280 is a flat, solid surface, adjacent to the lower product end 12, it blocks any debris from getting into the handle interior. The present invention contemplates that the floor surface 280 of the housing may be comprised of any shaped surface as opposed to a flat surface, embodiments of which will be described below.
Turning now to
In
In
In
While the floor surface 280 has been described thus far as being flat and solid (e.g., much like a floor in a home), the present invention contemplates a floor surface having one or more curved surfaces. For instance, several shapes may be incorporated onto the floor surface of the personal care product housing of the present invention. Turning to
In a second alternate embodiment shown in
In a third alternate embodiment shown in
Any other feasible arrangements of windows and other components in the personal care product 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.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63177205 | Apr 2021 | US |
