1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to personal grooming devices and more particularly to a personal grooming mirror.
2. Background
A variety of mirrors intended for use in connection with personal grooming matters have been disclosed in the prior art. The prior art teaches a variety of personal grooming mirrors that provide light. See for instance U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,987 to Kipping, U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,145 to McManus and U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,488 to Horn.
The prior art also teaches a variety of means for suspending a personal grooming mirror while in use. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,559 to Odell and U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,065 to Wyman, (suction cups), U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,277 to Broussard, (clipping to the showerhead) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,578 to Finnigan, (hanging from a shower curtain rod). The prior art also describes a variety of personal grooming mirrors that are intended for use in humid conditions, for instance a shower. In most cases, defogging of the mirror is addressed by fluid connection of the mirror assembly to the hot water supply of the shower allowing a flow of heated water through a cavity or compartment of the mirror assembly. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,298 to Gottlieb, U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,003 to Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,635 to Christianson, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,157 to Christianson. In at least one instance the mirror includes materials or coatings applied to the surface of a mirror to eliminate fogging. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,578 to Finnigan. The prior art also teaches defogging by providing a reservoir that is filled with a hot liquid in order to heat the mirror and make it condensate-free. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,961 to Kladitis and U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,559 to Odell.
In an attempt to provide for a personal grooming mirror that may be used in a shower environment, movement or portability of the mirror is impeded by measures taken to reduce fogging, either by fixing the mirror to the plumbing, either physically or hydraulically, or by fixing to a structure surrounding the shower in the case of shower rods and the like. Where the device provides for the possibility of handheld function, little or no consideration is given to device configuration from the standpoint of ergonomics or how the mirror might best interface with the anatomy of the hand to provide for a comfortable and secure grip. Additionally, while the prior art has addressed the problem of reducing fogging of the mirror or condensation of water on the surface of the mirror, there still exists a problem of water both condensed from the immediate atmosphere and from spray from the showerhead accumulating on the mirror thereby reducing or impairing the quality of a reflected image. Similarly, a shortcoming is found in the fact that when light is provided for in a personal grooming mirror, the result is added weight and decreased portability. In like manner, measures taken to provide a softer less direct light, typically by use of optics including diffusers, result in increased weight and diminished portability.
The present invention is directed to a personal grooming mirror including a housing, the housing configured to include a grip aperture formed in the housing. In the preferred embodiment, a mirror is fixed with respect to the housing, in such a manner that it is replaceable and interchangeable with mirrors having a variety of levels of magnification or other optical qualities. Alternately a metal-backed mirror may be used in the present invention. A metal-backed mirror provides an additional advantage of top side heating of the mirror in hot water to reduce fogging and condensation. In one embodiment of the invention, the mirror includes a water repellant coating.
The housing is preferably formed so that one or more water flow channels extend from a periphery of the viewable portion of the mirror to a peripheral edge of the housing to facilitate movement of water from the surface of the mirror. The housing and the flow channels are configured so that when the personal grooming mirror is held in a substantially horizontal orientation with the mirror surface facing upward, the housing will retain water, preferably hot water, for the purpose of top side heating of the mirror.
The preferred embodiment of the personal grooming mirror also includes an ergonomic configuration with a grip assist aperture. The grip assist aperture is configured to fit about the base of a user's thumb with the mirror resting in the palm of the hand with opposing fingers griping the mirror about the peripheral edges. Alternately, one or more digits may be placed through the grip assist aperture with the thumb in opposing orientation to the digits placed through the grip assist aperture. In a preferred embodiment, the body of the personal grooming mirror is formed of a molded plastic with a “rubberized” edge surround to increase friction and enhance grip-ability of the personal grooming mirror. The housing is configured to include a cavity for receiving the mirror, which is inserted in the cavity and is held in contact against a mirror display aperture formed in a surface of the housing. Alternately, the housing may be formed of a lightweight metal preferably aluminum, again with a “rubberized” edge surround. An all metal housing would increase thermal capacity and transfer providing improved defogging.
The preferred embodiment of the personal grooming mirror also includes a low voltage solid state light source, for instance a light emitting diode or light emitting polymer, enclosed at least partially within the device housing. In the preferred embodiment, a light emitting diode (LED) element is mounted in the housing at an angle in the range of 30°-60° relative to a plane in which the mirror lies, to provide an “indirect” light. Due to the relatively direct nature of light emitting from an LED, i.e. a conical output beam on the order of 30°, (15° off axis of the conical output beam in any direction), by angling the axis of the conical output beam of the LED, for instance to 45°, light cast within the conical output beam would not impinge directly on the face of a user holding the mirror at an angle that is substantially parallel to a plane of the face.
The present invention is also directed to a personal grooming mirror system that includes a mirror docking station. The mirror docking station is adapted to permit attachment to a surface, for example a shower wall. The docking station is configured having a mirror support that is configured for relatively close tolerance fit within the grip assist aperture of the personal grooming mirror housing. In a preferred embodiment, the mirror support is also configured to hold a shaving razor.
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In the preferred embodiment of the invention, personal grooming mirror 20 includes light source 33 attached to circuit board 30. Switch 31, control circuit 32, power source 34 and light source 33 are all connected to circuit board 30 and are in electrical communication with one another. In the preferred embodiment, light source 33 comprises a light emitting diode. Light source 33 is energized when back panel 28 is depressed as indicated by the arrow P, shown in
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The foregoing description of the illustrated embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form or to exemplary embodiment(s) and implementation(s) disclosed. Numerous modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. Process steps described might be interchangeable with other steps in order to achieve the same result. At least one preferred embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and a best mode of practical application, thereby to enable others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use or implementation contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather means “one or more.” Moreover, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the following claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, sixth paragraph unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for . . . ”