Patent Application
20140330289
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of cosmetic cleaning machines which are used to gently perform dermabrasion on facial skin, apply makeup and clean pores in the skin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following 11 prior art patent and published patent applications are the closest prior art to the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,695 issued to Sanjay Aiyar on Dec. 5, 1995 for “Motorized Brush” (hereafter the “Aiyar Patent”);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,289 issued to Linda S. Herbert on Jun. 11, 2002 for “Skin Cleaning Device” (hereafter the “Herbert Patent”);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,983 issued to Roger G. Ignon on Oct. 7, 2003 for “Apparatus and Method for Skin/Surface Abrasion” (hereafter the “Ignon Patent”);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 6,981,953 issued to Fu-Chung Ko on Jan. 3, 2006 for “Dual-Functional Massage Bar Used In Bath” (hereafter the “Ko Patent”);
5. United States Published Patent Application No. 2007/0066919 to Jean-Louis Gueret on Mar. 22, 2007 for “Massage Device And Method” (hereafter the “Gueret Published Patent Application”);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,981 issued to Gabriel Bernaz on May 6, 2008 for “Device for Dermabrasion” (hereafter the “Bernaz Patent”);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 7,384,405 issued to Dean L. Rhoades on Jun. 10, 2008 for “Oxygenating Cosmetic Instrument Having Various Numbers of Heads” (hereafter the “'405 Rhoades Patent”);
8. U.S. Pat. No. 7,572,238 issued to Dean L. Rhoades on Aug. 11, 2009 for “Handheld Sonic Microdermabrasion Porous Applicator” (hereafter the “'238 Rhoades Patent”);
9. United States Published Patent Application No. 2011/0270274 to Raymond J. Hull, Jr. on Nov. 3, 2011 for “Handheld, Personal Skin Care Systems With Detachable Skin Care Elements” (hereafter the “Hull Published Patent Application”);
10. U.S. Pat. No. 8,157,465 issued to Nicolas Duru Apr. 17, 2012 for “Applicator and a Kit Including Such An Applicator” (hereafter the “Duru Patent”);
11. United States Published Patent Application No. 2012/0233798 to Gerald K. Brewer et al. and assigned to Pacific Bioscience Laboratories, Inc. on Sep. 20, 2012 for “Brushhead For Electric Skin Brush Appliance” (hereafter the “Brewer Published Patent Application”).
The Aiyar Patent discloses a motorized brush which imparts vibrational motion to a scrubbing brush head. The brush includes a water-tight housing, in which a small electric motor is mounted. The motor includes an eccentric weight mounted to its drive shaft. In use, the motor is energized, causing the eccentric weight to be rotated. The eccentric weight vibrates the brush head without rotating it. This vibrational motion provides an effective scrubbing action without the necessity for complex sealing mechanisms connecting the brush head to the motor shaft.
The Herbert Patent discloses a skin cleaning device for removing dirt, oils and dead skin. The skin cleaning device includes a housing having a first end and a second end. The first end has a cavity extending therein. A motor is positioned in the housing and is located generally adjacent to the second end. A shaft is mechanically coupled to the motor and extends through the second end of the housing. The motor is adapted for rotating the shaft. The shaft has a free end defining a female coupler. A power supply is operationally coupled to the motor. A disc has a first side and a second side. The first side has a convex shape. A male coupler is integrally attached to the second side and is generally centrally located on the second side of the disc. The male coupler is removably insertable into the female coupler for releasably attaching the disc to the shaft. A plurality of cleaning pads each has a peripheral edge. An elastic member is attached to and extends around the peripheral edge such that each of the pads forms a sock positionable over the first side of the disc. The motor rotates the disc such that the pads may be used for cleaning skin of the user.
The Ignon Patent discloses a dermabrasion hand-piece adapted for use to abrade the skin of a patient which includes a housing extending along an axis between a proximal end and a distal end. Portions of the housing define a hole at the distal end with an abrasion element disposed in the housing in proximity to the hole. The housing is adapted for connection to a vacuum source to pull a portion of the skin through the hole and to move the skin portion into contact with the abrasion element. Movement of the abrader relative to the skin abrades tissue from the skin portion extending through the hole. The abrader can be provided in the form of a roller or blade moveable relative to the housing to abrade the skin. The abrasion element can be selected from a series of elements each having different abrasion characteristics and can be mounted in either the cap or the base of the housing.
The attachment mechanisms are retained by suction.
The Ko Patent discloses a dual-functional massage bar used in a bath which includes a main body which is combined by a pair of corresponding halves having a plurality of balls disposed spaced apart on one side, a piece of first Velcro® attached to the other side opposite to the balls for engaging a piece of sponge which has a piece of second Velcro on its underside engaged with the piece of the first Velcro®, an externally threaded tubular adapter on the rear end of the main body in which is a motor and a vibrator, a tube having internal threads screwed onto the tubular adapter with a pair sealing rings engaged therein between, a pair of batteries disposed into the tube and the adapter and biased by a spring and three switch buttons spacedly disposed on the front side of the main body and protected by a piece of thin membrane. The piece of sponge may be replaced by a brush and/or a piece of cloth.
The Gueret Published Patent Application deals with a massage member and Paragraphs 0055 through 0062 state the following:
It is also possible for the massage member 4 to be mounted removably, thereby making it possible, for example, for the user to clean the massage member 4 more easily, or to select the massage member 4 as a function of the treatment to be performed.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, the massage member 4 may be configured in such a manner as to be fastened in an interchangeable manner on the handle 2, by snap-fastening on the frame 3, for example. At the periphery, the massage member 4 may include a bead 9 that may be configured to snap-fasten in an annular groove 10 formed on an inside surface of the frame 3.
By including a massage member 4 that may be removably-fastenable, the user may use a single handle 2 and a plurality of massage members 4 including different characteristics, the user being able to select the massage member 4 that may be suitable for a particular region of the body or of the face, and/or that may be suitable for a type of treatment to be performed, for example, stimulating blood circulation, lymphatic drainage, dermabrasion, or applying a composition.
For example, the massage members 4 associated with the handle 2 may include portions in relief 7 that are different.
FIG. 7 illustrates the possibility of the handle 2 including a removable frame 3. The massage member 4 may then be capable of being connected in a non-removable manner to the frame 3.
The user may thus replace a frame 3 provided with a massage member 4 with another frame 3 provided with a different massage member.
For example, the frame 3 may be fastened in a removable manner on the body 11 of the handle by co-operating portions in relief 12 and 13.”
The Bernaz Patent discloses the concept of having removable abrasive pieces as disclosed in Column 2 Lines 49 through 58 which read as follows: Advantageously, the abrasive surface is carried on a removable piece of rigid or flexible material on the oscillating support. Thus, the device can include several interchangeable pieces each with a different abrasive surface and/or of a different size. For example, one can have several interchangeable pieces having an identical abrasive surface, but with different lengths adapted to skin treatment on different parts of the body, and/or several interchangeable pieces with different abrasive surfaces designed to produce a more or less pronounced microabrasion.”
The '405 Rhoades Patent discloses an apparatus including a handle capable of manipulation by a human hand, and one or more head portions to mate to various types of treatment attachments, which may be moved over an area of skin and/or body part by a motion generator moving the head portions, and/or by a user manipulating the handle. Various suitable attachments include applicator attachments having abrasive surfaces, oxygenating attachments having pores through which oxygen may travel, brush attachments for cleaning and polishing, thermal attachments for heating and cooling, and light radiating attachments. The motion generator may move the attachments by vibrating, spinning, oscillating, or propagating sonic waves through the head portions. Thus, attachments may be attached and removed from the head portions to treating skin and/or body parts by abrasion, cleaning, polishing, lighting, or oxygenation. Moreover, during treatment abrasive composition, cleaning solution, and/or polishing solution may be applied to the skin and/or body part.
The '238 Rhoades Patent again is a handheld sonic microdermabrasion porous applicator. It discloses a composition including a base and a plurality of abrasive particles. An apparatus including a head, and an applicator coupled to the head, the applicator having dimensions suitable for contacting localized areas of human skin. A method including applying a composition to an area of human skin, the composition comprising a base and a plurality of abrasive particles, and manipulating the composition over the area of human skin with a handle-operated instrument.
The Hull Published Patent Application discloses in Paragraphs 28 through 31 the following:
The Duru Patent discloses: an applicator for applying a composition to the human body, the applicator comprising: a support that is configured to be mounted in removable manner on an appliance that enables movement to be transmitted to said support; a reservoir that is secured to the support and that contains the composition, the reservoir being defined, at least in part, by at least one closure element; an applicator element that is secured to the support at least during use; and an opener element that is suitable for acting on the closure element in order to put the reservoir and the applicator element into communication.
The Brewer Published Patent Application discloses the brushhead which is used in a power skin brush appliance which includes a drive system having a single drive member. The brushhead includes a base assembly mountable to the drive system with an optional outer annular fixed portion and an inner portion which in operation oscillates back and forth at a selected sonic frequency through a selected angle in response to action of the drive system. Mounted on the outer portion is a first group of filament tufts. Mounted on the oscillating portion are three concentric groups of filament tufts. Each oscillating group of filament tufts includes two annular rings of filament tufts. The filament tufts in the oscillating filament tuft groups have a selected physical characteristic which in one embodiment is diameter, which differs between the respective oscillating filament tuft groups sufficiently to produce a differential stiffness between the filaments thereof to in turn produce an out of phase motion of the tips of the filaments between the three oscillating filament tuft groups.
The present invention is a rotating handheld motorized hand-piece having a mechanical rotatable coupling shaft with a coupling member at its distal end onto which interchangeable cleaning and exfoliating members are retained, which includes the combination of a retaining cup having a retaining cup opening removably affixed onto the rotatable coupling shaft of the motorized hand-piece. On its opposite side the retaining cup has a removable mating means such as hook or loop fastener. The interchangeable components are affixed to a base which has a mating hook and loop fastener on a first surface of the base and the exfoliating member affixed to the opposite side of the base. Therefore, the present invention is a device which enables interchangeable components to be removably affixed to the motorized hand-piece. The interchangeable components include a base with a mating hook or loop fastener on one side and a microdermabrasion brush on the other side, or the base having mating hook and loop fastener on one side and a latex sponge for moisturizing cream and makeup application retained on the other side, or the base having a mating hook and loop fastener on one side and another hook or loop fastener on the other side to removably retain a deep cleaning pad. The pad has a Velcro® attachment so that the pads can be used for as long as they are usable and then discarded and only the pads need to be replaced and not the entire brush assembly.
Therefore, the key features are the combination of a interfacing cup which is coupled to the coupling member on the hand-piece and has a hook and loop fastener which can removably retain a base selected from the group consisting of: a base having a mating hook and loop fastener on one side of the base and an exfoliating brush on the other side of the base, a mating hook and loop fastener on one side of the base and a latex sponge to apply moisturizing cream and makeup on the other side of the base, and a mating hook and loop fastener on one side of the abase base and a hook and loop attachment to removably retain deep cleansing pads embedded on the other side of the base.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a motorized hand-piece and a mechanically rotatable coupling shaft onto which a removable coupling member or permanently affixed coupling member is coupled on one side and a retaining means to removably retain a base with a mating hook and loop fastener on one side and a facial cleansing apparatus on the other side which is comprised of the group selected from a microdermabrasion exfoliating brush which rotates to remove an upper layer of dead skin when a motor to which the rotatable coupling shaft is connected by a gear assembly is energized, a latex sponge for moisturizing cream and makeup application retained in a sponge retaining cup coupled to a coupling member on the rotatable shaft so that the latex sponge rotates to apply moisturizing cream and to also apply makeup when a motor to which the rotatable coupling shaft is connected by a gear assembly is energized, and an interchangeable cleaning and exfoliating members is retained, which includes a hook and loop fastening member retained within a retaining member and which removably retains a deep cleansing pad for cleansing the skin, the deep cleansing pad removable and replaceable with a new pad so that only the deep cleansing pad needs to be replaced instead of the entire hook and loop assembly.
Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
Referring particularly to the drawings for the purpose of illustration only and not limitation, there is illustrated:
Although specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but a small number of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the present invention as further defined in the appended claims.
The power source member 530 is electrically connected to a motor 550 which is usually a DC motor which in turn is connected to a shaft 560 with at least one gear 570 at the distal end 564 of the shaft remote from the proximal end 562 of the shaft connected to the motor 550. The hand-piece exterior shell 510 can be any desired shape to facilitate the hand-piece being held in one hand. The hand-piece 500 usually includes a raised section 512 having a flat upper surface base 514 surrounding an opening 518 through which a mechanical rotatable coupling shaft 580 extends through its distal end 584. At its proximal end 582 within chamber 520, the proximal end 582 of the mechanical rotatable coupling shaft 580 has at least one gear 586 which is intermeshed with the at least one gear 570 of the motor 550 so that as gear 570 rotates when the motor 550 is energized, the mechanical rotatable coupling shaft 580 is caused to rotate so that it imparts a rotating motion which is parallel to the upper surface 514 of hand-piece 500 to an object affixed to a coupling member 588 at the distal end 584 of the mechanical rotatable coupling shaft 580. The hand-piece 500 also includes an on/off switch 590 (see
When depressed, the on/off switch 590 closes an electric circuit connecting the motor 550 to the source of power 530 and the intermesh movement of the respective at least one gears 570 and 586 causes rotational motion of the mechanical rotatable coupling shaft 580. The rotational motion of the mechanical rotatable coupling shaft 580 can be clockwise or counter-clockwise. The on-off switch 590 can also have a programmed chip or other mechanism which causes the mechanical rotatable coupling shaft 580 to rotate clockwise when depressed once, rotate counter-clockwise if depressed a second time, and open the electrical connection between the motor 550 and source of power 530 and turn the motor 550 off when depressed an additional time. Therefore, the options are to have the mechanical rotatable coupling shaft 580 rotate in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction or to rotate in only one of the directions.
The hand-piece 550 has been described in detail to illustrate one hand-piece to be used with the present invention. Any other hand-piece is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The key requirements are a rotating coupling shaft to which an object is connected, a source of power, a motor and a switch which turns the motor on and off and when the motor is on, the rotatable coupling shaft rotates in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
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The latex sponge base assembly 200 includes a retaining member 210 retaining the latex sponge 220 having an upper surface 222 which is used to apply moisturizer and makeup 600 to skin when the moisturizer and/or makeup is placed onto the upper surface 222 of the latex sponge.
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Of course the present invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment, or any specific use, disclosed herein, since the same may be modified in various particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention hereinabove shown and described of which the apparatus or method shown is intended only for illustration and disclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modifications in which this invention might be embodied or operated.
