Patent Application
20160346942
The invention relates to a rotary shaver comprising at least an external cutting element, an internal cutting element being rotatable with respect to the external cutting element about an axis of rotation, and a disc-shaped element which covers at least part of the external cutting element.
Such rotary shavers are known, wherein part of a metal external cutting element is hidden from view by a disc-shaped cap to improve the appearance of the rotary shaver. The disc-shaped cap is provided on the metal external cutting element, whereby openings and/or apertures in the metal external cutting element are hidden from view by the disc-shaped element, and a nice appearance is obtained.
It is known to connect the disc-shaped cap to the metal external cutting element by means of glue.
The application of glue requires additional process steps, such as cleaning the surfaces to be glued together, applying the glue, curing the glue etc.
Another disadvantage is that after applying the glue, the metal external cutting element and the disc-shaped cap with the glue between them will be moved by a transport belt towards an oven to harden the glue. During this time the disc-shaped cap might shift with respect to the metal external cutting element and may become eccentric because the glue is still liquid.
EP 1 690 654 A1 discloses a rotary shaver having an external cutting element with a central circular aperture, into which a cap is fixed. At its lower side, the cap comprises an engaging hole which engages a tip end of a rotatable inner cutter of the rotary shaver. The engagement of the tip end of the inner cutter with the engaging hole of the cap prevents axial vibration of the inner cutter.
WO 2006/067710 discloses a rotary shaver having an external cutting element provided with a central tube, which serves as a bearing to rotatably mount an internal cutter member of the rotary shaver. The external cutting element is provided with a cover plate which serves aesthetic purposes and/or provides feature information. The cover plate includes an integrated outlet nozzle of an additive supply system of the shaver via which an additive can be supplied to the skin during operation. The outlet nozzle extends through the central tube of the external cutting element.
In view of the above, a general object of the present invention is to provide a rotary shaver wherein a disc-shaped element can easily be connected to the external cutting element.
According to a first aspect, the invention provides a rotary shaver of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph, wherein the external cutting element is at least provided with a passage, whilst the disc-shaped element is at least provided with a pen having a length, which pen is press-fitted in the passage, wherein the passage of the external cutting element and the pen of the disc-shaped element extend coaxially with the axis of rotation, and wherein between a wall of the passage and the pen at least one vent extends at least along the length of the pen and parallel to a central axis of the pen, and wherein the pen is provided with at least three ribs extending parallel to the central axis of the pen, wherein the at least one vent is located between adjacent ribs and the wall of the passage.
When connecting the disc-shaped element to the external cutting element, the pen of the disc-shaped element is inserted and pushed into the passage of the external cutting element, whereby a press-fit is obtained due to which the disc-shaped element is firmly connected to the external cutting element. To remove the disc-shaped element from the external cutting element a force needs to be applied to the disc-shaped element to pull the pen out of the passage.
During use of the rotary shaver, the disc-shaped element and the external cutting element might heat up. During this heating up, air in the passage near an end of the pen will expand. To avoid that the pen will be pushed out of the passage due to the expanded air, at least one vent extends at least lengthwise along the pen. Through the at least one vent, air can flow to relief the air pressure in the passage. By virtue of the at least one vent, the press-fit connection between the disc-shaped element and the external cutting element is maintained, also when the disc-shaped element and the external cutting element are heated up.
The ribs are suitable for providing a press-fit-connection between the disc-shaped element and the external cutting element. By having at least three ribs, preferably regularly spaced on the circumference of the pen, automatic centering of the disc-shaped element with respect to the external cutting element will occur. Furthermore, by virtue of such axially extending ribs, vents extending lengthwise of the pen will be present between adjacent ribs. By choosing the number of axially extending vents and the size of each vent, the contact area between the disc-shaped element and the external cutting element and the total size of the vents can be optimized.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides a rotary shaver, wherein the ribs extend radially with respect to the central axis of the pen.
By virtue of such radially extending ribs, vents extending lengthwise along the pen will be present between adjacent ribs.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides a rotary shaver, wherein the disc-shaped element is made of plastic.
Such a plastic disc-shaped element can easily be made, for example by injection moulding, in any required dimension and colour, so that the appearance of the rotary shaver can easily be amended or changed by the user by replacing the plastic disc-shaped element by a plastic disc-shaped element of another colour or another shape.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides a rotary shaver, wherein the disc-shaped element is in contact with the external cutting element by means of a raised ring-shaped rim extending between a side surface of the external cutting element facing the disc-shaped element and a side surface of the disc-shaped element facing the external cutting element, which raised ring-shaped rim has a height of at least 0.1 millimetre in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the pen and a width of less than 0.35 millimetre in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction.
Due to said ring-shaped rim between the disc-shaped element and the external cutting element, said elements are located at a distance from each other which is larger than 0.1 millimetre. With such a distance between the disc-shaped element and the external cutting element, no crevice corrosion will occur in the case that the external cutting element and/or the disc-shaped element are made of metal. Since the rim itself is less than 0.35 millimetre wide, there will be no crevice corrosion at the rim either. Surface irregularities at the rim will allow venting. If pressure builts up, the disc-shaped element will be elastically deformed and will be “lifted up” a little bit, allowing air to escape.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides a rotary shaver, wherein the external cutting element comprises a central bearing member for supporting the internal cutting element radially with respect to the axis of rotation, and wherein an internal chamber of said central bearing member constitutes the passage.
The internal chamber of the central bearing member will be hidden from view by the disc-shaped element after the pen of the disc-shaped element has been inserted into the passage.
The rotary shaver according to the invention will be further explained with reference to the drawings, wherein,
In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements.
The hair-cutting module 3 comprises three cutting units 6, which are arranged in a triangle formation. Within the scope of the present invention, the number of cutting units 6 may also be two or more than three. For the sake of completeness, it is noted that each of the cutting units 6 may be movably arranged to a certain extent, so as to facilitate each of them in following a contour of an area of skin to be shaved. For example, the cutting units 6 may be pivotable to a limited extent with respect to the central shaft member 4. Each cutting unit 6 comprises a metal external cutting element 7 which is arranged at a top side of the cutting unit 6, and which has a plurality of openings 8 for letting through hairs to be shaved off. The metal external cutting element 7 is pivotably connected to a base portion 9 of the cutting unit 6. Right underneath the external cutting element 7, on the inside of the cutting unit 6, a metal internal cutting element (not visible) is rotatably arranged. During operation, a central portion of the internal cutting element is pressed against the metal external cutting element 7 under spring force.
The internal cutting elements of the cutting unit 6 are driven, via gear wheels, by a main driving axle extending from a motor in the main housing 2 through the central shaft member 4 into the hair-cutting module 3.
The shaver 1 described so far is known from WO2011055323A1 and WO200810139A1, in the name of the current applicant.
The external cutting elements 7 of the cutting unit 6 are provided with plastic disc-shaped elements or caps 10, which have a decorative function.
The rim 15 is located near a circumferential edge 16 of the disc-shaped covering member 14. The rim 15 extends from a side surface of the disc-shaped covering element 14 facing the external cutting element 7 towards the main external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7 facing the disc-shaped cap 10. The rim 15 has a width W in a direction radial to the axis 12 of less than 0.35 millimetre, preferably as small as possible. The rim 15 has a height H in a direction parallel to the axis 12 of at least 0.1 millimetre. Due to the rim 15, the cylindrical disc-shaped covering member 14 is kept at a distance H from the main external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7.
Due to the dimensions of the width W of the rim 15 and the distance H between the cylindrical disc-shaped covering member 14 of the disc-shaped cap 10 and the main external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7, crevice corrosion between the disc-shaped cap 10 and the main external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7 is prevented.
At the axis 12, the disc-shaped cap 10 is provided with a pen 17 extending perpendicularly to the cylindrical disc-shaped covering member 14. The pen 17 is press-fitted in the passage 11 of the external cutting element 7 to connect the disc-shaped cap 10 to the external cutting element 7.
The pen 17 comprises a central rod 18 with a diameter 2*R1 between 1 and 2 millimetre, for example 1.1 millimetre.
The pen 17 comprises three ribs 19 extending in axial direction parallel to the central axis 12. Each rib 19 extends in radial direction to a radius R2 between 1 and 1.5 millimetre, for example 1.2 millimetre, a width WR between 0.3 and 0.6 millimetre, for example 0.5 millimetre and a height in axial direction between 1 and 3 millimetre, for example 1.5 millimetre. The height of the ribs 19 corresponds to the length of the pen 17.
The ribs 19 are regularly distributed over the circumference of the central rod 18 at an angle of 120 degrees between the ribs 19. Between each two adjacent ribs 19 an axially extending vent 20 is located, which vents 20 extend lengthwise along the pen 17 over the full length of the pen 17. Through the vents 20 air can flow through the passage 11 along the full length of the pen 17.
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The pen 117 comprises six ribs 119 extending in axial direction parallel to the central axis 12. Each rib 119 extends to a radius R2 between 1 and 1.5 millimetre, for example 1.2 millimetre, a width WR between 0.3 and 0.6 millimetre, for example 0.3 millimetre and a height in axial direction between 1 and 3 millimetre, for example 1.5 millimetre. The height of the ribs 119 corresponds to the length of the pen 117.
By applying more ribs 119, the forces on the wall 22 of the passage 11 are more uniformly distributed.
The ribs 119 are regularly distributed over the circumference of the central rod 18 at an angle of 60 degrees between the ribs 119. Between each two adjacent ribs 119 an axially extending vent 120 is located, which vents 120 extend lengthwise along the pen 117 over the full length of the pen 117. Through the vents 120 air can flow through the passage 11 along the full length of the pen 117.
The cylindrical main body 14 of the disc-shaped cap 10 can have a diameter between 5 and 15 millimetre, for example 10 millimetre, and can have a thickness between 0.3 and 1 millimetre, for example 0.6 millimetre.
The person skilled in the art will realize that the present invention is by no means limited to the preferred embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.
In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. 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.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14156303.1 | Feb 2014 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2015/051636 | 1/28/2015 | WO | 00 |
