Information
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Patent Grant
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6692505
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Patent Number
6,692,505
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Date Filed
Thursday, April 27, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, February 17, 200420 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Milano; Michael J.
- Nguyen; Victor
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A skin care device (1) includes a cleaning tool (18) which can be driven by a driving mechanism (8). The device also includes a drivable padding holder (19) and a padding configuration (31) retained by the padding holder (19). The configuration includes a padding interior (23), which is enveloped in a padding cover (24). The cover (24) may consist of a microfiber tissue material.
Description
The invention relates to a skin care device as defined in the preamble of claim
1
.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such a skin care device of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph is commercially available and is accordingly generally known. The housing of the known skin care device is of elongate shape, the cleaning tool being provided substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the housing, projecting therefrom, in a region of a housing end. The cleaning tool comprises a substantially circular padding holder which can be driven into rotation and to which a cleaning padding, which constitutes the padding configuration, is connected, which padding consists of a soft felt-type material. The cleaning padding is provided first and foremost for cleaning skin regions of a human face, which cleaning is advantageous in particular after a treatment of the facial skin with water vapor, for example by means of a so-called facial sauna. It was found with the known skin care device that skin particles detached from the skin and dirt particles detached from the skin penetrate comparatively deeply into the cleaning padding as a result of the felt-type nature of the cleaning padding in the case of a longer use of the skin care device, which has the result that it is at least very cumbersome to clean the cleaning padding to such an extent that it is restored to a perfect hygienic state again. In addition, it was found with the known skin care device that the padding material is comparatively strongly and quickly worn away, which is also undesirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has for its object to avoid the problems described above and to improve a skin care device as mentioned in the opening paragraph by simple means and in a simple manner, so as to provide an improved skin care device with which a faultless cleaning function is maintained also after a longer period of use, while a comparatively strong pollution of the padding is avoided.
To achieve the above object, a skin care device is provided that is constructed for cleaning skin regions, in particular skin regions of a human face,
The measures according to the invention achieve in a very simple manner that a highly satisfactory cleaning of the skin is safeguarded at all times. It should be noted here that so-called microfiber tissues have proved their eminent suitability for cleaning purposes in the home for some time. The idea, however, to utilize such a microfiber tissue also for cleaning purposes in a skin care device has never before arisen. A further advantage of the cleaning tool with padding regions made of microfiber tissue for the purpose of making contact with skin regions lies in the fact that it is possible to carry out a so-called moisture treatment during operation of the skin care device, i.e. in that the microfiber tissue is moistened.
A skin care device according to the invention may be so constructed that the entire padding configuration consists of a microfiber tissue, which is preferably directly connected to the padding holder. It is particularly preferred, however, when the padding configuration comprises a padding interior and a padding cover, the padding interior is enveloped by the padding cover, and the padding cover is made from a microfiber tissue material. Such a construction is advantageously inexpensive. The use of a padding cover of a microfiber tissue in such a construction has the advantage, furthermore, that the penetration of dirt particles and/or skin particles into the region of the padding interior of the cleaning tool is reduced to an advantageously small amount, so that also a perfect cleaning of the cleaning tool is safeguarded at all time. Such a cleaning may take place, for example, in a washing machine.
In preferred embodiments of a skin care device according to the invention, a skin care device is provided in which
the padding configuration comprises a padding interior and a padding cover, and/or
the padding interior is enveloped by the padding cover, and the padding cover is made from a microfiber tissue material; and/or
the padding interior is made from a soft and compressible material, and the padding interior is held by the padding cover in a compressed operational state as compared with its non-compressed initial state; and/or
the padding interior is made of a foam material; and/or
the padding interior is made of a felt-type material; and/or
the padding interior comprises a pluratily of brushes; and/or
the padding cover of the padding configuration has an entrance region through which the padding interior and the padding cover can be joined together, and the said entrance region of the padding cover is closed off by the padding holder when the padding configuration is being retained by the padding holder. It is to be noted with reference to a soft and compressible padding interior that a particularly pleasant sensation or feeling is achieved during cleaning of facial skin regions by means of such a padding interior. It is quite possible, however, to provide a padding interior consisting of a comparatively hard material instead of a soft, compressible padding interior in a skin care device according to the invention, for example a padding interior of a synthetic resin material or a hard rubber which is enveloped in a padding cover of microfiber tissue.
The above and further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the description of an embodiment given below and are explained in more detail with reference to this embodiment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be explained in more detail below with reference to three embodiments shown in the drawings, and a further embodiment not shown in the drawings; however, the invention is by no means limited to these embodiments.
FIG. 1
is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a skin care device representing a first embodiment of the invention, which comprises a cleaning tool with a padding interior consisting of a foam material.
FIG. 2
shows a cleaning tool which forms part of a second embodiment of a skin care device according to the invention and which comprises a padding interior consisting of a felt-type material.
FIG. 3
shows a cleaning tool which forms part of a third embodiment of a skin care device according to the invention and which comprises a padding interior consisting of a solid synthetic resin material.
FIG. 4
shows a cleaning tool which forms part of a third embodiment of the skin care device according to the invention and which comprises a padding interior with brush-type material.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1
shows a skin care device
1
which is designed and constructed for the cleaning of skin regions, in particular skin regions of a human face. The skin care device
1
comprises a housing
2
which consists of a substantially tub-type lower housing part
3
and an also substantially tub-type upper housing part
4
. The upper housing part
4
is provided on the lower housing part
3
and is connected to the lower housing part
3
in a manner not shown in any detail. The upper housing part
4
comprises a substantially annular projecting housing region
5
which is closed off at its end facing away from the lower housing part
3
by means of a housing cover wall
6
. A passage
7
is provided in the housing cover wall
6
, the purpose of which will be explained further below. The housing
2
has a substantially elongate shape in its region adjoining the annular housing portion
5
, whose dimensions and shape are chosen such that the housing
2
can be comfortably held in one hand.
Drive means
8
for driving a cleaning tool are accommodated in the housing
2
. The drive means
8
comprise a motor
9
, indicated diagrammatically, and a first miter gear
11
which can be driven by the motor
9
by means of a drive shaft
10
of the motor
9
. A second miter gear
12
of the drive means
8
is in engagement with the first miter gear
1
I. The second miter gear
12
is journaled so as to be rotatable about an axis
13
and is connected to an output shaft
14
which is coaxial with the axis
13
and which comprises a recess
15
which is of a square shape as viewed in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis
13
. A worm gear or a contrate gear may be provided instead of a miter gear.
Two rechargeable batteries
16
and
17
are provided in the housing
2
of the skin care device
1
for supplying the motor
9
, which batteries are electrically connected to the motor a in a manner not shown in any detail and which batteries are further electrically connected to charging contacts through which the two rechargeable batteries
16
and
17
can be charged by means of a charging device (not shown). Replaceable, non-chargeable batteries may be provided instead of the rechargeable batteries
16
and
17
.
The skin care device
1
is fitted with a cleaning tool
18
. The cleaning tool
18
can be driven by the drive means
18
, i.e. in this case can be driven into rotation in a single direction of rotation. Alternatively, however, means may be present for selecting either of two directions of rotation. The cleaning tool
18
comprises a drivable padding holder
19
. The padding holder
19
is provided with an input shaft
20
which extends through the passage
7
in the housing cover wall
6
and which comprises an extension
21
which has a square cross-sectional shape, as viewed perpendicularly to the axis
13
, corresponding to the square shape of the recess
15
in the output shaft
14
of the second miter gear
12
. The extension
21
is retained in the recess
15
by means of friction. By gripping the padding holder
19
and pulling the padding holder
19
in the direction of an arrow
22
, it is possible to pull the extension
21
from the recess
15
and thus to separate the padding holder
19
, and accordingly the entire cleaning tool
18
, from the remaining part of the skin care device
1
, for example for cleaning the cleaning tool
18
or replacing the cleaning tool
18
with another cleaning tool.
The cleaning tool
18
furthermore comprises a padding configuration
31
retained by means of the padding holder
19
. Highly advantageously, the padding configuration
31
consists of a microfiber tissue in those of its padding regions which are designed for making contact with regions of the skin. In the present case, the padding configuration
31
comprises a padding interior
23
of a foam material. The padding interior
23
is enveloped in a padding cover
24
in the skin care device
1
in a highly advantageous manner, said padding cover
24
advantageously consisting of a microfiber tissue material.
The padding interior
23
consists of a foam material, as noted above, i.e. a soft and compressible material. The padding interior
23
and the padding cover
24
are so designed here that the padding interior
23
is held inside the padding cover
24
in an operational state which is a compressed state as compared with its non-compressed initial state. This offers the advantage that the padding interior
23
always strives to extend its volume, which is counteracted, however, by the padding cover
24
, so that the padding cover
24
is always held in a state which offers a tensioned, homogeneously smooth surface. It is also safeguarded thereby that the padding interior
23
offers a somewhat increased mechanical resistance as compared with its non-compressed initial state, which has been found to be favorable for the cleaning of skin regions.
The padding cover
24
comprises an upper region
25
facing away from the padding holder
19
and having a slightly convex shape, and a sleeve-shaped lateral region
26
which is integral with the upper region
25
. An annular lower region
27
is integral with the sleeve-shaped lateral region
26
. The lower region
27
is glued to the padding holder
19
. The provision of the annular lower region
27
achieves that the padding cover
24
has an entrance region
28
. The padding interior
23
and the padding cover
24
can be joined together by means of this entrance region
28
, i.e. in that the, padding interior
23
is introduced into the inner space of the padding cover
24
with a careful widening of the padding cover
24
in the region of its annular lower region
27
. The entrance region
28
of the padding cover
24
, however, by no means impairs the protective function of the padding cover
24
because the skin care device
1
is so designed that the entrance region
28
of the padding cover
24
is closed off by the padding holder
19
when the padding interior
23
is enveloped by the padding holder
19
.
The skin care device
1
achieves a particularly good cleaning effect by means of its padding cover
24
of a microfiber tissue material because such a microfiber tissue material has been found to be particularly advantageous for cleaning purposes, as has been known from other fields of application, for example in the kitchen. Furthermore, the provision of the padding cover
24
of microfiber tissue in the skin care device
1
advantageously provides a high degree of protection for the padding interior
23
of foam material: The padding cover
24
consisting of microfiber tissue also protects the padding interior
23
of foam material against excessive pollution, so that a comparatively simple cleaning of the cleaning tool
18
is safeguarded at all times.
It is noted with reference to the cleaning tool
18
shown in FIG.
2
and belonging to a skin care device which is not shown that this cleaning tool
18
comprises a padding interior
23
of a felt-type material, and that it is so designed that the upper region
25
is substantially planar in shape and extends substantially parallel to the padding holder
19
. It should also be noted with reference to the cleaning tool
18
of
FIG. 2
that the padding cover
24
of this cleaning tool
18
has a continuous lower region
29
which is, glued to the padding holder
19
.
The cleaning tool
18
shown in FIG.
3
and belonging to a skin care device which is not shown has the feature that this cleaning tool
18
comprises a padding interior
23
of a solid synthetic resin material, and that the padding interior
23
in this cleaning tool
18
is so designed that the upper region
25
of the padding cover
24
has a slightly concave shape. It should also be noted here that the padding cover
24
of the cleaning tool
18
of
FIG. 3
does not have a lower region, but instead the substantially sleeve-shaped lateral region
26
lies and is retained against the padding holder
19
at its end, an annular glue connection
30
being provided here for connecting the sleeve-shaped lateral region
26
to the padding holder
19
.
In a skin care device as shown in
FIG. 4
, the padding interior
40
enveloped by the microfiber tissue padding cover
26
is realized in the form of a plurality of brushes
40
. The brushes
40
are here retained in the padding holder
19
and project substantially perpendicularly from the padding holder
19
, said brushes being concentrated at their ends at
25
facing away from the padding holder
19
by means of the padding cover
24
into a narrower space than is the case at the side of the padding holder
19
.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, a skin care device according to the invention may alternatively be fitted with two or more cleaning tools, each of them comprising a padding interior which is coated with a padding cover of microfiber tissue. Furthermore, a skin care device according to the invention may also be so constructed that the padding holder, and accordingly the padding interior retained by the padding holder and enveloped in the padding cover of microfiber tissue, can be driven alternately in mutually opposed directions of rotation, so that then an alternatingly driven rotation of the padding configuration is obtained, which configuration in this case may be entirely formed by microfiber tissue material.
Claims
- 1. A skin care deviceconstructed for cleaning skin regions, in particular skin regions of a human face, comprising a housing, comprising drive means in the housing for driving a cleaning tool, and fitted with a cleaning tool which can be driven by the drive means, which cleaning tool comprises a drivable padding holder and a padding configuration retained by said padding holder, wherein the padding configuration consists of a microfiber tissue material at least in padding regions which are designed to make contact with skin regions.
- 2. A skin care device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe padding configuration comprises a padding interior and a padding cover, the padding interior is enveloped by the padding cover, and the padding cover is made from a microfiber tissue material.
- 3. A skin care device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the padding interior is made from a soft and compressible material, and in that the padding interior is held by the padding cover in a compressed operational state as compared with its non-compressed initial state.
- 4. A skin care device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the padding interior is made of a foam material.
- 5. A skin care device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the padding interior is made of a felt-type material.
- 6. A si care device as claimed in claim 2, herein the padding interior comprises a plurality of brushes.
- 7. A skin care device as claimed in claim 2, whereinthe padding cover of the padding configuration has an entrance region through which the padding interior and the padding cover can be joined together, and said entrance region of the padding cover is closed off by the padding holder when the padding configuration is being retained by the padding bolder.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
99890137 |
Apr 1999 |
EP |
|
US Referenced Citations (9)