This application is the U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2018/052032 filed Jan. 29, 2018, published as WO 2018/138302 on Aug. 2, 2018, which claims the benefit of European Patent Application Number 17153524.8 filed Jan. 27, 2017. These applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a shaving unit for a shaving apparatus comprising at least two cutting units. Further, the invention relates to a shaving apparatus comprising such a shaving unit.
Shaving units and apparatuses are used for shaving, in particular for shaving a men's skin in the lower facial region and the neck region. In such shaving units, hairs which are to be cut enter through the hair entry openings in the external cutting members and are then cut by shearing forces exerted by the rotary motion of the internal cutting members in relation to the external cutting members. The edges of the hair entry openings provide cutting edges, and the internal cutting members have cooperating cutting edges in relative motion to the cutting edges of the hair entry openings to effect said shearing forces.
The cut hairs are received by the hair collection chambers of the cutting units and are accumulated therein. It is generally known to frequently open the cutting units of such shaving apparatus to remove the cut hairs out of the hair collection chambers and to clean the internal cutting members. This, however, is an inconvenient cleaning procedure, because it is required to open the cutting units to have access to the hair collection chambers. In addition, particular components of the cutting units, such as the internal cutting members, may need to be removed from the cutting unit by the user in order to clean the cutting units, and need to be mounted again in the cutting units after cleaning thereof. These operations require some basic technical skills of the user.
U.S. 2006/0156550 A1 discloses a shaver with a specific cleaning function. The shaver has three cutting units which are mounted in a common housing or shaving head and which have a common hair collection chamber. The shaver comprises flush water entry openings provided in a bottom wall of the hair collection chamber. Flush water may be provided via a water inlet port arranged below the hair collection chamber and may enter the hair collection chamber via the flush water entry openings. An impeller is provided near each of the flush water entry openings. Each impeller is driven by a drive spindle, which is also used to drive a respective one of the internal cutting members of the shaver. The impellers generate a flow of flush water, which enters the hair collection chamber via the flush water entry openings and leaves the hair collection chamber via the hair entry openings provided in the external cutting members. By this water flow, the hair collection chamber can be cleaned from cut-off hairs and other shaving debris.
While the cleaning function of this known shaver has proven to produce a good cleaning effect of the hair collection chamber, it is required to integrate specific impellers component to produce a sufficient cleaning effect. The impellers require a certain space and, thus, limit the options for further design optimizations of the cutting units, in particular with respect to the ability of the cutting units to pivot and to follow the skin contours. Further, the additional components, like the impellers, increase the number of steps required for manufacturing and mounting the shaver and, thus, increase the costs of the shaver.
WO 2006/067713 A1 discloses a shaver comprising a shaving unit with a central support member. The central support member comprises a coupling member by means of which the shaving unit can be detachably coupled to a main housing of the shaver. The shaving unit comprises three cutting units which are supported by the central support member and which can each individually pivot relative to the central support member. The cutting units each comprise an external cutting member, an internal cutting member, and a housing accommodating the external cutting member and the internal cutting member. The coupling member accommodates a central drive shaft of the shaving unit, which drives a central gear wheel arranged in an upper portion of the central support member. Each cutting unit has a driven gear wheel coupled to its internal cutting member and driven by the central gear wheel. In one embodiment, the housings of the cutting units each have a substantially open bottom, which allows a good view on the cutting members and furthermore allows cut-off hairs to directly leave the cutting units via the open bottom into an open space surrounding the central support member. In another embodiment, the bottoms of the housings of the cutting units are closed, e.g. by means of small cups or discs, arranged to collect the cut-off hairs and prevent them from leaving the cutting units during shaving. The cups or discs may be detachably connected to the housings of the cutting units so as to allow collected hairs to be removed. A disadvantage of this embodiment is that, in order to clean the complete shaving unit, the cups or discs of all cutting units have to be opened and closed individually, and the hair collecting chamber of each cutting unit has to be cleaned individually.
It is object of the invention to provide a shaving unit and a shaving apparatus with an improved functionality for cleaning the shaving unit from cut-off hairs and other shaving debris.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a shaving unit for a shaving apparatus, comprising at least a first cutting unit and a second cutting unit, wherein the first cutting unit comprises a first external cutting member having a plurality of hair entry openings, a first internal cutting member which is rotatable relative to the first external cutting member about a first axis of rotation, and a first housing accommodating a first hair collection chamber; wherein the second cutting unit comprises a second external cutting member having a plurality of hair entry openings, a second internal cutting member which is rotatable relative to the second external cutting member about a second axis of rotation, and a second housing accommodating a second hair collection chamber; wherein the first housing and the second housing each comprise a bottom wall which comprises an opening which is in fluid communication with, respectively, the first hair collection chamber and the second hair collection chamber, wherein a sealing structure is provided between the opening and, respectively, the first hair collection chamber and the second hair collection chamber, said sealing structure being configured and arranged to prevent cut hairs from escaping from, respectively, the first hair collection chamber and the second hair collection chamber via the opening and to allow water to flush via the opening to, respectively, the first hair collection chamber and the second hair collection chamber.
According to the invention, the shaving unit comprises at least two cutting units and may in particular comprise three, four, five or even more cutting units. Each cutting unit comprises an external cutting member, which may be part of a cap structure and wherein a plurality of hair entry openings is provided. These hair entry openings may define a shaving track, which is preferably a circular shaving track. The hair entry openings may be provided as a plurality of openings, like circular bores or slit openings, preferably arranged in an annular surface region of the external cutting member.
The external cutting member has cutting edges provided at the hair entry openings, which interact with cutting edges provided on the internal cutting member which is rotatable relative to the external cutting member. By this rotation of the internal cutting member relative to the external cutting member, a shearing force is imparted by the cooperating cutting edges of the internal cutting member and the external cutting members on hairs which reach through the hair entry openings. This shearing or cutting force effects the shaving action.
Further, each cutting unit comprises a housing which accommodates a hair collection chamber wherein the cut hairs are to be collected. For this purpose, the hair collection chamber is arranged in such a position in relation to the internal cutting member and the external cutting member that hairs, which are cut by the interaction of the two cutting members, will be received in the hair collection chamber.
According to the invention, an individual hair collection chamber is accommodated in the housing of each of the cutting units. Thus, each of the cutting units has an individual hair collection chamber, separate from the hair collection chamber or chambers of the other cutting unit or units. In particular, as a result, the cutting units may be individually pivotal relative a central support member of the shaving unit about a pivot axis in order to achieve a skin-contour following property of the cutting units. I.e. each cutting unit may perform a pivotal motion relative to a central support member of the shaving unit independent of a pivotal motion or motions of the other cutting unit or cutting units.
According to the invention, the housing of each cutting unit accommodating the hair collection chamber comprises a bottom wall, and may further comprise side walls encompassing the hair collection chamber to laterally close the hair collection chamber and prevent cut-off hair to escape out of the hair collection chamber.
According to the invention, an opening is provided in the bottom wall of the housing of each cutting unit. The opening generally allows flush water to enter through the opening into the hair collection chamber via a flow path from the opening to the hair collection chamber. A sealing structure is however included in the flow path between the opening and the hair collection chamber. The sealing structure is configured and arranged such that cut-off hairs are prevented from escaping from the hair collection chamber to the opening via the sealing structure, and thus are kept inside the hair collection chamber. It is to be understood that the sealing structure will prevent cut-off hairs to escape through the sealing structure out of the hair collection chamber in such a way that the cut-off hairs are prevented from passing through the sealing structure or the passing of cut-off hairs through the sealing gap is minimized. This configuration may be accomplished e.g. by a certain maximum width of a flow path in the sealing structure, i.e. a width which is sufficiently small so that cut-off hair cannot pass the sealing structure, or by a minimum length of a flow path in the sealing structure such that cut-off hairs are prevented from passing through said flow path, or by a specific geometry of a flow path in the sealing structure, e.g. an angled flow path, a labyrinth flow path or the like.
While the sealing structure completely or predominantly prevents cut-off hairs to pass through in the direction from the hair collection chamber to the opening in the bottom wall of the housing, according to the invention the sealing structure is configured and arranged to allow flush water to enter the cutting unit via the opening in the bottom wall and to pass through the sealing structure into the hair collection chamber. The flush water generally is able to pass through the sealing structure into the hair collection chamber as a result of its liquid state and low viscosity. As a result, a flush water flow can be provided via the opening in the bottom wall of the housing into the hair collection chamber. Said flush water flow entering the opening and passing through the sealing structure may remove cut-off hairs and other shaving debris out of the hair collection chamber. The flush water flow comprising the cut-off hairs and the other shaving debris may easily pass through the hair entry openings of the external cutting member and thus leave the hair collection chamber during the cleaning procedure of the shaving unit. As a result, an efficient cleaning is effected using both the hydraulic forces of a flush water flow in the hair collection chamber and the gravity forces, in that the hair collection chamber may be flushed in an upside-down orientation of the shaving unit with the hair entry openings of the shaving track facing in a downward direction.
According to the invention, a flow path from the bottom side to the top side of the cutting units—with reference to an upright orientation of the shaving unit during a normal shaving procedure—may be established, effecting a quick and complete removal of cut-off hairs and other shaving debris out of the hair collection chamber. For an effective cleaning, the shaving unit or the shaving apparatus with the shaving unit coupled thereto may be held in an upside-down orientation to allow an easy access of the flush water into the openings in the bottom walls of the cutting units. The cleaning efficiency by such flush water may be improved by simultaneously putting the internal cutting members into rotation. However a cleaning operation may also be performed with the internal cutting members being stationary. Generally, a rotation of the internal cutting members will assist in cleaning the hair collection chambers from cut-off hairs. However, an efficient flow for such cleaning effect may be achieved by the flush water entering through the opening and passing through the cutting units by hydraulic and gravity forces only, i.e. without a rotational movement of the internal cutting members.
In a first preferred embodiment of the shaving unit according to the invention, the sealing structure comprises opposed sealing surfaces provided on, respectively, the first internal cutting member and the second internal cutting member and on, respectively, the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and at least one of said opposed sealing surfaces, and preferably the sealing structure, is symmetrical relative to, respectively, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation. According to this embodiment, a rotational symmetry of the sealing structure or at least one of the opposed sealing surfaces comprised in the sealing structure with respect to the axis of rotation of each cutting unit is provided. Such symmetry allows to establish the sealing structure between two parts of the cutting unit, in particular the internal cutting member and the housing, which are in rotational movement relative to each other, or allows to direct the flush water in an advantageous direction of flow into the hair collection chamber to effectively remove the cut-off hairs there from. Such a rotational symmetry may be provided by an annular sealing structure, e. g. having a ring-like geometry.
In a further preferred embodiment of the shaving unit according to the invention, the sealing structure is provided on a central carrying member of, respectively, the first internal cutting member and the second internal cutting member and on an edge structure of the opening in the bottom wall of, respectively, the first housing and the second housing cooperating with the central carrying member. According to this embodiment, in each cutting unit the sealing structure is provided between the internal cutting member and the opening in the bottom wall of the housing. The sealing structure may comprise a sealing gap between two components which are in relative motion to each other when the shaving unit is driven in operation. In particular, the sealing structure is established between a central carrying member, which serves to carry a cutting structure of the internal cutting member like a plurality of cutting edges provided at cutting blades or the like, and an edge structure around the opening in the bottom wall of the housing. In each cutting unit, said central carrying member cooperates to establish the sealing structure with the edge structure of the opening in the bottom wall of the housing. A sealing gap may be established between said edge structure and the central carrying member, such as to prevent cut-off hairs and other shaving debris from escaping out of the hair collection chamber via the opening and to allow flush water to enter via the opening into the hair collection chamber. The edge structure of the opening in the bottom wall may be a side wall of the opening, or a wall oriented substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and delimiting the opening in the bottom wall, or a wall oriented radially with respect to the axis of rotation. Preferably, the edge structure has a rotationally symmetric geometry relative to the axis of rotation of the respective cutting unit, such that a constant sealing gap is maintained during rotation of the internal cutting member in relation to the housing of the cutting unit.
In a preferred embodiment, the sealing structure comprises a first sealing gap which is symmetrical relative to and has a main direction of extension parallel to, respectively, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation, wherein the first sealing gap is bounded by a first sealing surface provided on the central carrying member of, respectively, the first internal cutting member and the second internal cutting member and by a second sealing surface provided on the edge structure of the opening in the bottom wall of, respectively, the first housing and the second housing co-operating with the central carrying member, and wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are symmetrical relative to and have a main direction of extension parallel to respectively, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation. According to this embodiment, a first sealing gap is provided which is arranged in a rotational symmetry relative to the axis of rotation of the cutting unit and is established between two sealing surfaces with a radial orientation relative to the axis of rotation. The first sealing gap is thus formed between two sealing surfaces with a main orientation perpendicular to the axis of rotation, wherein the orientation is to be understood to correspond to the direction of a surface normal of the sealing surface. It is to be understood that the first sealing gap is a part of the sealing structure and that the sealing structure may additionally comprise further sealing gaps. The first sealing gap is oriented to allow an axial shift of the two components establishing the first sealing gap between them, i.e. a shift parallel to the axis of rotation, to a certain extent without affecting the sealing function. The two components may in particular be the housing and the internal cutting member. Such an axial shift may e.g. result from wear of the internal cutting member or the external cutting member, and the orientation of the first sealing gap allows to maintain the functionality of the first sealing gap in case of such an axial shift of the internal cutting member relative to the housing of the cutting unit to compensate for such wear. As a result, the sealing function of the sealing structure is maintained during operation of the cutting unit over a long period of time, and wear of the internal and external cutting members will not reduce the sealing function and will not lead to an unwanted contact of the components providing the sealing structure.
In a further preferred embodiment, the first sealing gap, the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are annular. Such an annular geometry will allow a rotational movement of the internal cutting member relative to the housing without any change of the sealing geometry during such rotational movement. It is to be understood that such an annular geometry may comprise geometries which slightly deviate from a perfectly circular geometry, like e.g. an elliptical geometry.
In a still further preferred embodiment, a minimum distance between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface is in a range between 0.1 mm and 1.5 mm. It is to be generally understood that a minimum distance present between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface will define the sealing function of the sealing structure to a large extent. A minimum distance in a range between 0.1 mm and 1.5 mm has shown to both provide an effective sealing to prevent cut-off hairs from passing through the sealing structure and at the same time allow flush water to pass through the sealing structure. It is to be understood that said minimum distance may be provided in one section of the first sealing gap, whereas the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface may have a larger mutual distance than 1.5 mm in other sections of the first sealing gap. Further, it is to be understood that the upper limit of the minimum distance may be lower than 1.5 mm, such as e.g. 1.25 mm, 1.00 mm, 0.75 mm or 0.50 mm.
In a still further preferred embodiment, the sealing structure comprises a second sealing gap which is symmetrical relative to and has a main direction of extension perpendicular to, respectively, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation, wherein the second sealing gap is bounded by a third sealing surface provided on the central carrying member of, respectively, the first internal cutting member and the second internal cutting member and by a fourth sealing surface provided on the edge structure of the opening in the bottom wall of, respectively, the first housing and the second housing co-operating with the central carrying member, wherein the third sealing surface and the fourth sealing surface are symmetrical relative to and have a main direction of extension perpendicular to, respectively, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation. According to this embodiment, a second sealing gap is established between two sealing surfaces provided on the internal cutting member and the housing of the cutting unit, and said third and fourth sealing surfaces have a main direction of extension perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The second sealing gap is thus formed between two sealing surfaces with a main orientation parallel to the axis of rotation. The sealing surfaces may thus be axially oriented surfaces, but may alternatively be surfaces with a slightly oblique orientation, i.e. an orientation having a main axial component and a relatively small radial component. The orientation of a sealing surface is to be understood to correspond to the direction of a surface normal of the sealing surface. As a result of the second sealing gap, a part of the sealing structure is provided wherein the flow through the sealing structure is provided in a radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation or at least in a direction with a main radial component. It is to be understood that the second sealing gap may be adjacent to the first sealing gap, such that the first and second sealing gaps together form an L-like geometry, seen in a longitudinal sectional view of the cutting unit along the axis of rotation.
In embodiments comprising such a second sealing gap, it is particularly preferred that the second sealing gap, the third sealing surface and the fourth sealing surface are annular. By such an annular geometry of the second sealing gap a rotational movement of the internal cutting member relative to the housing of the cutting unit is allowed without a change of the sealing geometry of the second sealing gap.
In embodiments comprising such a second sealing gap, it is further preferred that a minimum distance between the third sealing surface and the fourth sealing surface is in a range between 0.1 mm and 1.5 mm. It is to be generally understood that a minimum distance present between the third sealing surface and the fourth sealing surface will define the sealing function of the second sealing gap of the sealing structure to a large extent. A minimum distance in a range between 0.1 mm and 1.5 mm has shown to both provide an effective sealing function to prevent cut-off hairs from passing through the sealing structure, and at the same time allow flush water to pass through the sealing structure. It is to be understood that said minimum distance may be provided in one section of the second sealing gap, whereas the third sealing surface and the fourth sealing surface have a larger mutual distance than 1.5 mm in other sections of the second sealing gap. Further, it is to be understood that the upper limit of the minimum distance may be lower than 1.5 mm, e.g. 1.25 mm, 1.00 mm, 0.75 mm or 0.50 mm. The minimum distance between the third sealing surface and the fourth sealing surface in the second sealing gap may be larger than the minimum distance between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface in the aforementioned first sealing gap.
In a further preferred embodiment of the shaving unit according to the invention, the first hair collection chamber and the second hair collection chamber are annularly arranged around the opening in the bottom wall of, respectively, the first housing and the second housing. According to this embodiment, in each cutting unit the hair collection chamber is arranged annularly around the opening in the bottom wall of the housing. The hair collection chamber may have a perfectly annular design around the axis of rotation, but the design may also deviate somewhat from such a perfectly annular design, for example to adapt the design of the hair collection chamber to a double, triple or quadruple arrangement of the cutting units adjacent to each other or in order to accommodate a pivoting structure for the cutting unit on the housing. Such a deviating design is to be understood to have an annular arrangement of the hair collection chamber around the axis of rotation of the cutting unit and around the opening of the housing, i.e. an arrangement wherein the hair collection chamber generally extends circumferentially around the opening such that any cut-off hairs falling from the external and internal cutting members in a downward direction is received by and collected in the hair collection chamber. Further, the annular arrangement of the hair collection chamber according to this embodiment results in an efficient flushing of the hair collection chamber by the annular inflow of the flush water through the opening and the distribution of the flush water flow in a radial direction into the hair collection chamber, with the flush water flow leaving the hair collection chamber via the hair entry openings.
In a further preferred embodiment of the shaving unit according to the invention, the first internal cutting member and the second internal cutting member are driven by, respectively, a first drive spindle and a second drive spindle extending through the opening in the bottom wall of, respectively, the first housing and the second housing. According to this embodiment, the opening in the bottom wall of the housing has a dual purpose. Beside the first function of providing access of flushing water for cleaning the cutting unit, a second function of the opening is to allow a coupling of the internal cutting member with the drive train of the shaving unit. This coupling is accomplished by a drive spindle which extends through the opening and couples with the internal cutting member to transfer a rotational movement and torque to the internal cutting member. It is to be understood that the flush water may pass through the opening laterally from the drive spindle in relation to a longitudinal axis of the drive spindle, such that the flush water passes through an annular gap between an inner wall delimiting the opening and the drive spindle.
Beside this, flush water may pass through the drive spindle itself in case the drive spindle is provided as a hollow component having openings allowing the flush water to enter into the drive spindle in positions of the drive spindle outside the housing of the cutting unit and to leave the drive spindle in positions of the drive spindle inside the housing of the cutting unit. This may further enhance the flush water flow and the flow volume to increase the cleaning effect.
It is to be understood further that the drive spindle may conduct a movement perpendicular to its longitudinal axis such as to follow a pivoting movement of the cutting unit. To allow such a movement of the drive spindle, a clearance between the drive spindle and the opening is provided such that the drive spindle will not come into contact with the inner wall of the opening in any pivoting position of the cutting unit.
In a further preferred embodiment of the shaving unit according to the invention, the shaving unit comprises a central support member comprising a coupling member by means of which the shaving unit can be releasably coupled to a main housing of the shaving apparatus, wherein the first drive spindle and the second drive spindle extend from a transmission unit to, respectively, the first cutting unit and the second cutting unit via an open space, which is present between the transmission unit and the first and the second cutting units and surrounds the central support member, and wherein the transmission unit is arranged between the coupling member and the open space. In this embodiment, the open space is to be understood to be open to the environment of the shaving unit and to thus allow a direct access for e.g. flush water from the environment into the open space. The drive spindles pass through the open space, and thus allow to arrange the transmission unit at a distance from the cutting units such that the open space between the transmission unit and the cutting units is sufficiently large for an easy supply of flush water via the open space into the openings in the bottom walls of the cutting units. The open space and the arrangement of the drive spindles extending from the transmission unit via the open space to the cutting units allow an efficient and convenient flushing of water through the openings provided in the bottom walls of the housings of the cutting units, since the water flow can be directed via the open space directly onto the bottom walls of the housings and thus directly enter into the opening in the bottom walls of the housings. The coupling member of the central support member may comprise a coupling structure for rigidly coupling the shaving unit to the main housing of a shaving apparatus accommodating a drive unit, like an electric motor. The central support member may comprise a transmission housing accommodating the transmission unit, and the coupling member may be provided at a lower side of the transmission housing. The transmission unit may have a suitable coupling element to couple a torque receiving part of the transmission unit to the drive unit of the main housing when the shaving unit is coupled to the main housing.
Generally, it is to be understood that the transmission unit may comprise transmission elements like a central transmission element engaging a first and a second driven transmission element which are coupled with, respectively, the first and the second cutting unit via, respectively, the first and the second drive spindle. Further driven transmission elements may be provided in the transmission unit in case corresponding further cutting units are incorporated in the shaving unit. The transmission elements may be gear wheels, like spur wheels, which are coupled to each other for torque transmission.
In a further preferred embodiment, the coupling member accommodates a central drive shaft arranged to drive the first and second drive spindles via a transmission assembly arranged in the transmission unit. According to this embodiment, the coupling member accommodates a central drive shaft which is adapted to be coupled to a drive unit, which is incorporated in the main housing of a shaving apparatus, when the shaving unit is coupled to the main housing by the coupling member. The central drive shaft is arranged to drive the first and second drive spindles via a transmission assembly, e.g. a gear assembly. Such a transmission assembly may comprise a central transmission element which is connected to the central drive shaft and arranged to drive corresponding first and second driven transmission elements, which are arranged laterally from the central transmission element with respect to the axis of rotation of the central transmission element and each connected to one of the respective drive spindles. The transmission assembly, incorporating said central transmission element and the driven transmission elements, is arranged in the transmission unit and may in particular be accommodated in a transmission housing to prevent flush water and debris from entering into the transmission unit.
In a further preferred embodiment, the first housing is pivotally mounted to the central support member by means of a first pivot axis and the second housing is pivotally mounted to the central support member by means of a second pivot axis. According to this embodiment, the cutting units are pivotal relative to the central support member in that the first housing and the second housing are coupled via a first pivot axis and second pivot axis, respectively, to the central support member. In particular, the cutting units may be individually and independently pivotal relative to the central support member, i.e. each cutting unit is able male a pivotal motion independent of a pivotal motion of the other cutting unit or units. The first and the second pivot axes may be parallel to each other or may even be coaxial, such that a compact design of the shaving unit can be realized by an arrangement of the two cutting units close to each other. In particular, the first and second pivot axes may be positioned between the first and the second cutting units, and the distance from the coinciding first and second pivot axes to the first axis of rotation may be identical to the distance of the coinciding first and second pivot axes from the second axis of rotation. It is to be understood that a coaxial arrangement of the first and second pivot axes does not influence a preferred independency of the pivotal motions of the cutting units about the first and second pivot axes.
A further aspect of the invention is a shaving apparatus comprising a main housing accommodating a motor, and comprising a shaving unit according to the invention as described beforehand, wherein the shaving unit is releasably coupled to the main housing. Said shaving apparatus may incorporate in said main housing a drive unit, like an electric motor, for driving the first and second cutting units and, if present, any further cutting unit when the shaving unit is coupled to the main housing. The shaving unit may comprise a centrally arranged coupling member by means of which the shaving unit can be releasably coupled to the main housing. The drive unit may drive the cutting units via a single central drive shaft accommodated in the coupling member of the shaving unit. The coupling member may comprise a suitable coupling structure adapted to mutually couple the main housing and the shaving unit. The coupling member may be provided on a central support member of the shaving unit which supports the cutting units.
It is to be understood that the shaving unit according to the invention and the shaving apparatus according to the invention may have similar and/or identical preferred embodiments, in particular, as defined in the dependent claims.
It is to be understood that a preferred embodiment of the present invention can also be any combination of the dependent claims or the above embodiments with the respective independent claim.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings:
With reference to
The first housing 20a of the first cutting unit 10a is pivotally mounted to the central support member 50 by means of a first primary pivot axis 1a, and the second housing 20b of the second cutting unit 10b is pivotally mounted to the central support member 50 by means of a second primary pivot axis 1b. In the embodiment shown in
As will be described further in detail in the following, the central support member 50 comprises a stationary portion, which comprises the coupling member 70, and a movable portion. The first and second housings 20a, 20b of the cutting units 10a, 10b are pivotal about the first and second primary pivot axes 1a, 1b relative to the movable portion of the central support member 50. The movable portion of the central support member 50 is pivotal relative to the stationary portion of the central support member 50 about a secondary pivot axis 3 as indicated in
As shown in
As shown in
The bearing pins 55, 55′ define the position of the coinciding primary pivot axes 1a, 1b relative to the housings 20a, 20b. The bearing pins 55, 55′ are arranged between the housings 20a, 20b, seen in directions parallel to the axes of rotation 6a, 6b of the cutting units 10a, 10b as e.g. in
The movable portion 51 of the central support member 50 is pivotally guided along a curved path 57 relative to the stationary portion 52 of the central support member 50. Seen in the cross-sectional view of the shaving unit in
As can be further seen in
Furthermore, the assembly of the cutting units 10a, 10b is biased into a neutral pivoted position relative to the secondary pivot axis 3 by a further spring element 23c. The further spring element 23c is arranged in the stationary portion 52 of the central support member 50 and exerts a biasing force on the movable portion 51 of the central support member 50. Starting from the neutral pivoted position relative to the secondary pivot axis 3 as shown in
The first cutting unit 110a and the second cutting unit 110b are pivotal relative to a central support member 150 of the shaving unit about, respectively, a first primary pivot axis 101a and a second primary pivot axis 101b. Like the first and second primary pivot axes 1a, 1b in the embodiment of the shaving unit shown in
The third cutting unit 110c is pivotal relative to the central support member 150 about a third primary pivot axis 102, which extends perpendicularly to the coinciding first and second pivot axes 101a, 101b. Seen in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation 106c of the third cutting unit 110c, the third primary pivot axis 102 is arranged between the shaving track 161c of the third cutting unit 110c and the axes of rotation 106a, 106b of the first and second cutting units 110a, 110b, as is shown in
In the embodiment of the shaving unit shown in
As shown in
Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in
The rotatable coupling component 472 and the central drive shaft 478 are parts of the drive train of the shaving unit. The central drive shaft 478 is connected to a central transmission element, embodied as a central gear wheel 473. Said central gear wheel 473 is rotatable about a central transmission axis 409, which corresponds to the main drive axis 9 described beforehand with reference to the embodiment shown in
A first driven transmission element and a second driven transmission element, embodied as, respectively, a first driven gear wheel 475a and a second driven gear wheel 475b, are arranged to be driven by the central gear wheel 473. The first and second driven gear wheels 475a, 475b are positioned adjacent to and on opposite sides of the central gear wheel 473 and each engage the central gear wheel 473 for torque transmission. The first driven gear wheel 475a and the second driven gear wheel 475b are positioned, relative to the central transmission axis 409, radially outwardly from the central gear wheel 473, and are each arranged in a slightly oblique orientation with respect to the central transmission axis 409. Thus, the first driven gear wheel 475a is rotatable about a first transmission axis 405a, which has a slightly oblique orientation with respect to the central transmission axis 409. Likewise, the second driven gear wheel 475b is rotatable about a second transmission axis 405b, which also has a slightly oblique orientation with respect to the central transmission axis 409. The first and second transmission axes 405a, 405b are symmetrically arranged with respect to the central transmission axis 409.
The first and second transmission axes 405a, 405b and the central transmission axis 409 are each arranged in a stationary position relative to the coupling member 470 and relative to the stationary portion 452 of the central support member 450 of the shaving unit. The central gear wheel 473 and the first and second driven gear wheels 475a, 475b are accommodated in a transmission housing 479, which is also arranged in a stationary position relative to the coupling member 470 and relative to the stationary portion 452 of the central support member 450 of the shaving unit. The central gear wheel 473 and the first and second driven gear wheels 475a, 475b are arranged as a transmission unit, accommodated in the transmission housing 479, between the coupling member 470 and the first and second cutting units 410a, 410b. Between the transmission housing 479 and the first and second cutting units 410a, 410b, an open space 490 is present which surrounds the central support member 450 as shown in
The internal cutting member 480a of the first cutting unit 410a is connected to the first driven gear wheel 475a by means of a first drive spindle 476a, and the internal cutting member 480b of the second cutting unit 410b is connected to the second driven gear wheel 475b by means of a second drive spindle 476b. The first drive spindle 476a extends from the transmission unit in the transmission housing 479 to the internal cutting member 480a of the first cutting unit 410a via the open space 490 and through the opening 425a in the bottom wall of the housing 420a of the first cutting unit 410a. Likewise, the second drive spindle 476b extends from the transmission unit in the transmission housing 479 to the internal cutting member 480b of the second cutting unit 410b via the open space 490 and through the opening 425b in the bottom wall of the housing 420b of the second cutting unit 410. The openings 425a, 425b in the bottom walls of the housings 420a, 420b of the first and second cutting units 410a, 410b shown in
The first and second driven gear wheels 475a, 475b are circumferentially provided and integrally formed on, respectively, a first cup-shaped rotatable carrier 474a and a second cup-shaped rotatable carrier 474b. A lower end portion of the first drive spindle 476a engages the first rotatable carrier 474a, and a lower end portion of the second drive spindle 476b engages the second rotatable carrier 474b. The lower end portions of the first and second drive spindles 476a, 476b are configured in such a manner that the drive spindles 476a, 476b can slide in the two opposite directions parallel to, respectively, the first transmission axis 405a and the second transmission axes 405b inside, respectively, the first cup-shaped rotatable carrier 474a and the second cup-shaped rotatable carrier 474b. A mechanical spring is arranged in each of the first and second drive spindles 476a, 476b, as shown in
Furthermore, the lower end portions of the first and second drive spindles 476a, 476b are configured in such a manner that the drive spindles 476a, 476b can pivot relative to, respectively, the first driven gear wheel 475a and the second driven gear wheel 475b to a limited extent about any axis perpendicular to, respectively, the first transmission axis 405a and the second transmission axes 405b. Finally, the lower end portions of the first and second drive spindles 476a, 476b are configured in such a manner that the first and second cup-shaped rotatable carriers 474a, 474b can transmit a driving torque to, respectively, the first drive spindle 476a and the second spindle 476b by engagement with the lower end portions thereof.
As further shown in
During operation, the internal cutting members 480a, 480b of the first and second cutting units 410a, 410b are driven into a rotational movement about the first and second axes of rotation 406a, 406b relative to the external cutting members 460a, 460b of the first and second cutting units 410a, 410b by the first and second drive spindles 476a, 476b, respectively. As described here before, the first and second drive spindles 476a, 476b are displaceable against a spring force in directions parallel to their spindle axes relative to, respectively, the first and second driven gear wheels 475a, 475b. Furthermore, as described here before, the first and second drive spindles 476a, 476b are pivotally arranged relative to, respectively, the first and second driven gear wheels 475a, 475b and relative to the internal cutting member 480a, 480b of, respectively, the first and second cutting units 410a. As a result, the first and second drive spindles 476a, 476b can follow pivotal movements of the first and second cutting units 410a, 410b about their primary pivot axis 1a, 1b as described with respect to the embodiment of the shaving unit of
In the embodiment of the shaving unit shown in
It is to be understood that, in embodiments of a shaving unit comprising three cutting units as e.g. shown in
The opening 425a is in fluid communication with the hair collecting chamber 427a. As a result, the hair collecting chamber 427a can be cleaned by providing a flow of a cleaning liquid, e.g. water, via the opening 425a into the hair collecting chamber 427a. Such a flow of e.g. water can be easily provided to the opening 425a via the open space 490 which is present between the transmission housing 479 and the cutting units 410a, 410b. To prevent cut hairs and other shaving debris from escaping from the hair collecting chamber 427a via the opening 425a into the open space 490 during normal use of the shaving unit, a sealing structure 465a is provided in the flow path between the opening 425a and the hair collecting chamber 427a. The sealing structure 465a is configured and arranged to prevent cut hairs from escaping from the hair collecting chamber 427a via the opening 425a, but to allow a cleaning liquid, in particular water, to flow or flush via the opening 425a into the hair collecting chamber 427a. An embodiment of the sealing structure 465a will be described in the following. It is to be understood that the second cutting unit 410b has a similar sealing structure.
As shown in detail in
In particular, the sealing structure 465a comprises a first sealing gap 467a, which is rotationally symmetrical relative to the axis of rotation 406a and has a main direction of extension parallel to the axis of rotation 406a. The first sealing gap 467a is bounded by a first sealing surface 468a of said opposed sealing surfaces, which is provided on the central carrying member 436a of the internal cutting member 480a, and by a second sealing surface 428a of said opposed sealing surfaces, which is provided on the edge structure 423a in the bottom wall 424a of the housing 420a. The first and second sealing surfaces 468a, 428a are each rotationally symmetrical relative to the axis of rotation 406a and each have a main direction of extension parallel to the axis of rotation 406a. In particular, the first and second sealing surfaces 468a, 428a and the first sealing gap 467a, bounded by the first and second sealing surfaces 468a, 428a, are each annular.
Further, the sealing structure 465a comprises a second sealing gap 469a, which is rotationally symmetrical relative to the axis of rotation 406a and has a main direction of extension perpendicular to the axis of rotation 406a. The second sealing gap 469a is bounded by a third sealing surface 466a of said opposed sealing surfaces, which is provided on the central carrying member 436a of the internal cutting member 480a, and by a fourth sealing surface 426a of said opposed sealing surfaces, which is provided on the edge structure 423a in the bottom wall 424a of the housing 420a. The third and fourth sealing surfaces 466a, 426a are each rotationally symmetrical relative to the axis of rotation 406a and each have a main direction of extension perpendicular to the axis of rotation 406a. In particular, the third and fourth sealing surfaces 466a, 426a and the second sealing gap 469a, bounded by the third and fourth sealing surfaces 466a, 426a, are each annular.
Seen in a cross-sectional view along the axis of rotation 406a, the axially oriented first sealing gap 467a and the radially oriented second sealing gap 469a together provide the sealing structure 465a with an L-shaped gap structure provided between the edge structure 423a and the central carrying member 436a, which is rotatable relative to the edge structure 423a about the axis of rotation 406a. In order to achieve an effective preventing of cut hairs from escaping from the hair collecting chamber 427a via the sealing structure 465a during a shaving procedure, while allowing an effective flow of water from the opening 425a via the sealing structure 465a into the hair collecting chamber 427a, a minimum distance between the first sealing surface 468a and the second sealing surface 428a, measured in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation 406a, is preferably in a range between 0.1 mm and 1.5 mm. For similar reasons, a minimum distance between the third sealing surface 466a and the fourth sealing surface 426a, measured in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation 406a, is preferably in a range between 0.1 mm and 1.5 mm. To further improve the sealing function of the sealing structure 465a, the first and second sealing gaps 467a, 469a may each converge, seen in a direction of the water flow from the central opening 425a to the hair collecting chamber 427a.
a-18b are detailed views of the first cutting unit 410a of the shaving unit of
As shown in
As further shown in
As shown in
Starting from the opened condition of the housing 520 with the external cutting member 560 and the internal cutting member 580 being held in their operating positions in the cover portion 530 by the holding component 517 as shown in
In particular, in this embodiment the abutment structure formed by the abutting surfaces 595 of the supporting elements 519a, 519b, 519c, 519d provides, in the closed condition of the housing 520 and in said axial direction, a form-locking engagement with the external cutting member 560, wherein the external cutting member 560 is locked in the axial direction between the abutting surfaces 595 and the cover portion 530. Preferably, the abutment structure also provides a form-locking engagement with the external cutting member 560 in radial directions perpendicular to the axis of rotation 506. For this purpose, in the embodiment shown in
It is to be understood that a direct support of the external cutting member 560 by the base portion 551 of the housing 520 in the axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation 506 may also be achieved by a supporting structure different from the supporting structure having the four supporting elements 519a, 519b, 519c, 519d as described here before. The supporting structure may have a different number of supporting elements, although in embodiments having a plurality of supporting elements at least three supporting elements are preferred for a stable support of the external cutting member. Instead of being provided on the bottom wall 524 of the base portion 551, the supporting structure may alternatively be provided on e.g. a side wall of the base portion 551, e.g. as a supporting surface extending circumferentially around the hair collecting chamber 527. A skilled person will be able to define suitable alternative embodiments wherein the supporting structure is provided in the base portion of the housing such as to support the external cutting member at least in the axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation in the closed condition of the housing of the cutting unit.
The invention further relates to a shaving apparatus comprising a main housing accommodating a motor and comprising a shaving unit as described here before. In particular, the shaving unit is or may be releasably coupled to the main housing by means of the coupling member 70, 170, 470. The main housing accommodating the motor and any further components of such a shaving apparatus, such as a rechargeable battery, user interface, and electrical control circuitry, are not shown in the figures and are not described in any further detail, as they are generally known to a person skilled in the art.
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.
Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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17153524 | Jan 2017 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2018/052032 | 1/29/2018 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2018/138302 | 8/2/2018 | WO | A |
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International Search Report and Written Opinion dated May 8, 2018 for International Application No. PCT/EP2018/052032 filed Jan. 29, 2018. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20190337171 A1 | Nov 2019 | US |