EP2035195B1 - Electric dry shaver - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an electric shaver having a shaver housing, and a shaving head housing that is connected to the shaver housing for pivotal movement between two end positions. The shaving head housing carries at least two shaving assemblies, of which at least one shaving assembly is retractable into the housing to a first, retracted position, and elastically biased toward a second, extended position, such that extension of the at least one shaving assembly is a function of contact pressure applied by a user. Actuating elements carried by the shaving head housing control a maximum degree of extension of the at least one shaving assembly as a function of a pivot angle between the shaver housing and the shaving head housing.

Description

The invention relates to a dry electric shaver according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Such a dry shaver is from the DE-C-36 10 736 known, said known dry shaver consists of a housing and a relative to this pivotable about a fixed pivot axis shaving head housing. This shaving head housing accommodates two mutually parallel linearly oscillating shaving systems, which due to the pivotability of the shaving head housing are able to optimally adapt to the skin surface regardless of the orientation state of the housing, so that regardless of the angle of the shaver housing relative to the skin always both shear systems at the same time against the skin. In addition, the two shear systems can react due to their storage in the shaving head housing by means of vertically elastic coupling block by a corresponding Abtauchbewegung to the applied pressure applied by the user, resulting in at least a temporary lowering of the shear plane relative to the shaving head housing. Particularly important for an optimal adaptation of the shear systems to the skin to be shaved is the free pivoting of the shaving head housing around the defined pivot axis. Since the arranged in the housing drive must always be in communication with the shear systems, the realizable maximum pivoting range of the shaving head housing relative to the housing is limited. In practice realized embodiments of such dry shavers have a maximum pivoting range of less than 40 °, ie about 20 ° from a central position in the clockwise direction and 20 ° counterclockwise.

Object of the present invention is to improve a dry shaver of the type mentioned in terms of adaptability to the skin contour to be shaved.

This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1.

The maximum possible effective adjustment angle of the entire shearing system is defined by the location of the tangents to the shearing systems in the two extreme pivotal positions of the shaving head housing. While the maximum adaptation angle according to the above known dry shaver is determined solely by the maximum pivot angle of the shaving head housing relative to the housing, according to the invention additionally added to the tilt angle still twisting the tangent to the shear systems. In this case, this rotation of the tangent is effected by influencing the altitude of one of the shear systems within the shaving head housing.

Although is out of the EP-A-1 403 011 a dry shaver is known in which the shaving head can be moved by means of a setting wheel from a central position to a left or right pivoted position, wherein one of the shear elements is moved simultaneously in an exposed or retracted position relative to the shaving head, however, the three possible Operating modes always executed as a fixed setting. A free pivoting of the shaving head relative to the housing of the razor to adapt to the contour of the skin to be shaved is not possible with this dry shaver, however, since the three adjustable pivot positions are each fixed again after reaching. An automatic descent of individual shear elements as a function of the contour of the skin is not provided. Regarding the automatic adaptation of the shear systems to the skin, the shaving head according to EP-A-1 403 011 therefore no advantages.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that, as seen in the pivoting direction, the front shear system is at least partially moved in the direction of the retracted position by the actuating means before reaching the end position assigned to this pivoting direction. Although this reduces a part of the lifting movement which this cutting system can perform within the shaving head frame, such a drawing-in movement can be realized structurally and structurally much more easily than a corresponding exposure of the rear shearing system seen in the direction of rotation.

A preferred application of the invention is particularly in shaving heads, which have at least two shear systems with longitudinal axes parallel to each other and parallel to the pivot axis of the shaving head housing, wherein the shearing systems are designed as linear oscillating shear systems and the oscillation takes place along the longitudinal axes.

In order to guarantee optimum contact of the shear systems to the skin, it is advantageous if the shear systems are resiliently mounted in the extended position in a preloaded floating manner. To provide a particularly large stroke while ensuring an always optimal contact pressure between the upper and lower shear element of the shear system is provided in a further advantageous embodiment of the invention that the at least two shear systems each as pre-assembled and integrated executed assembly, consisting of an upper and a biased against this lower blade are executed, which assembly is elastically biased floating in the shaving head housing stored.

The actuating means are advantageously formed of at least one pivotally mounted in the shaving head or a component connected thereto, in particular in a removable frame lever which is pivoted in response to the pivotal movement of the shaving head housing relative to the housing. Such an embodiment of the actuating means can be accommodated particularly space-saving in the shaving head. This is favored by the fact that the lever is two-armed, wherein a lever arm is acted upon by a fixed housing stop or controlled by this component and the opposite lever arm is coupled to the shear system, as this over- or reductions of displacement and / or Verschwenkwinkeln on easy way allows.

Advantageously, the two respective outer shear systems are controlled by actuating means in their high altitudes. As a result, an additional displacement of the tangents to the two shear systems can be realized in addition to the actual pivot angle of the shaving head housing for both directions of rotation.

The invention can also be used for shaving head designs, which consist of more than two shaving systems, ie where between the outer shear systems, which are preferably adjustable in height, further shear systems are arranged. To ensure that all shear systems are substantially aligned with each other, is provided in a preferred embodiment of the invention that the controllable by the actuating means shear system can be coupled at least during a portion of its stroke with another shear system, in particular an adjacent shear system. This limits the maximum height difference between the steerable shear system and its adjacent shear system.

In order to make in certain shaving situations, a fixation of the shaving head, it is advantageous if the shaving head housing in a certain, in particular in the maximum pivot angle relative to the housing can be locked. By locking eliminates the rotational degree of freedom, whereby the control of the shaving head, eg for contour cutting, is increased. By lowering a shear system, the other, now exposed standing shear system, for example, for shaving above the upper lip, use very effectively.

Characterized in that the shear systems and at least individual components of the actuating means are arranged in a lockable with the cutter head housing removable frame, the replacement of the subject to wear shear systems receiving removable frame can be easily made by the user, as coupled to the shear systems control lever to be replaced. The separation between the removable frame and the shaving head housing extends with respect to the actuating means between the control levers and the spools. The fact that the coupling between control lever and shearing system is made within the removable frame, no complicated assembly step must be made by the user.

Fig. 1

zeigt hierzu den prinzipiellen Aufbau eines Trockenrasierers mit mehreren Schersystemen, welche in einem schwenkbaren Scherkopfgehäuse angeordnet sind;

Fig. 2 bis 5

zeigen in verschiedenen schematischen Darstellungen den schwenkbaren Scherkopf eines erfindungsgemäßen Trockenrasierers;

Fig. 6 bis 7

stellt den Scherkopf eines erfindungsgemäßen Trockenrasierers mit drei Schersystemen in unterschiedlicher Schwenkposition dar.

Other objects, features, advantages and applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. All described or illustrated features alone or in any combination form the subject matter of the present invention, also irrespective of their composition in the claims or their dependency.

Fig. 1

shows the basic structure of a dry shaver with several shear systems, which are arranged in a pivotable shaving head housing;

Fig. 2 to 5

show in various schematic representations of the pivotable shaving head of a dry shaver according to the invention;

6 to 7

illustrates the shaving head of a dry shaver according to the invention with three shear systems in different pivoting position.

The basic structure of a dry shaver with a pivotable shaving head is in Fig. 1 shown in perspective and consists of a housing 1, which receives an electric drive and possibly also batteries, accumulators or the like. On the housing 1, an on / off switch 2 and optionally a trimmer 3 is arranged to shorten longer hair. At the upper end of the housing protrudes a drive element 4, which is connected to the motor, out of the housing 1. A shaving head housing 5 accommodates the lower blades 6, which serve as knife blocks having a plurality of transversely to the direction of oscillation running blades is formed. The lower blade 6 are held by a coupling element 7, which in turn is in communication with the drive element 4. The trained as a perforated foil 8 upper blade are held in a frame 9, which may be connected, for example via locking elements 10 with the shaving head housing. The shaving head housing 5 in turn is mounted by means of the support arms 11 about the axis XX pivotally mounted on the housing, including both the support arms 11 and the shaving head housing 5 has corresponding bearings. When the drive, the lower blade 6 are placed in an oscillatory motion along its longitudinal axis and can thus cut off in conjunction with the respective foil 8 those hairs which project through the holes of the foil. It is important that the lower blade 6 is always pressed against the shaving foil 8, which is why the lower blade 6 are loaded by drawing springs, not shown, which are clamped between the shaving head housing or a connected thereto and the lower blades. In addition, the two shear systems, each consisting of a lower blade 6 and a shearing foil 8, so stored in the shaving head housing 5, that they vertical in accordance with the drawing Abtauchbewegung whose size in turn depends on the contact pressure by the user can perform. The floating storage of the shear systems allows a good adaptation to the shaving contour of the skin. In addition, by the pivotability of the shaving head housing 5 relative to the housing 1 an optimal concern of both shear systems simultaneously made possible to the skin regardless of the angular position of the housing relative to this.

In the FIGS. 2 and 3 is very simplified and schematically illustrated the kinematics of the shaving head of the dry shaving invention. This shows Fig. 2 the shaving head approximately in a middle position relative to the housing 1, while the Fig. 3 shows a pivoting of the shaving head housing 5 relative to the housing 1 in the maximum pivot position. The FIGS. 4 and 5 correspond to the Figures 2 resp. 3, but here the shear systems are folded 90 degrees outwards into the plane of the drawing so that the shaving head mechanics can be better represented two-dimensionally.

The shaving head housing 5 is in the FIGS. 2 to 5 represented by the box or rectangular element 12 and connected to the support arms 11 freely pivotable on the bearings 13. For clarity, the show FIGS. 2 to 5 only part of the shaving head; the remaining part of the shaving head is cut free by a section running perpendicular to the longitudinal axes (see double arrows 14) of the shearing systems 16 and 15. However, the entire shaving head 5 is symmetrical to this cutting surface. The simplified and schematically drawn shear systems 15 and 16 are each composed of an upper and a lower blade, which are driven relative to each other oscillating according to the double arrows 14. The details of the shear systems 15, 16 and the drive of these elements themselves is not shown in the figures, but they preferably each consist of a lower and an upper blade, which are biased against each other and driven in an oscillating manner, each shear system is pre-assembled as a complete assembly. This assembly in turn is floating by means of compression springs and corresponding guides stored in the shaving head housing. The shear systems 15, 16 are slidably mounted in the shaving head housing 5 by means of vertically oriented guide pins and are biased by compression springs 17 and 18 vertically upwards. The shear systems are thus within the pivotable shaving head housing, in particular within an exchangeable removable frame (36, see FIGS. 6 or 7 ), floating. The guide pins 19 fastened with their ends pointing downwards in the shaving head housing 5 run parallel to the center line S of the shaving head housing.

In an attachable in the shaving head housing 5 removable frame, which also accommodates the shear systems 15, 16 and possibly also the compression springs 17, 18, control levers 21, 22 are each pivotally mounted by means of pivot bearings 23. The control lever 21 is assigned to the shear system 15 and the control lever 22 to the shear system 16. The control levers 21, 22 are designed as two-armed levers and have at their respective shear systems 15 and 16 associated arms a driver 24 which engages in a corresponding slot 25 of the associated shear system. The respective other arm of the control lever 21 and 22 is associated with a control slide 26 and 27, which is mounted vertically displaceable in the shaving head housing. In this case, the direction of displacement of the control slide 26, 27 extends parallel to the center line S and to the longitudinal axis of the guide pin 19th

The control slide 26 and 27 are located laterally adjacent to the support arms 11 and have in the direction of the associated support arm 11 extending driver arms 28, thus extending transversely to the center line S. The driver arms 28 and thus the spool 26, 27 can be raised by their associated control pin 29 and 30 depending on the pivoting of the shaving head housing 5 relative to the housing 1 and to the center line G.

Is the shaving head 5 - as in the Figures 2 and 4 shown - in a central position and there is no external load applied to the shear systems 15, 16, they are pressed by the compression springs 17, 18 within the shaving head housing 5 up against the stops 31 of the guide pins 19. By applying a corresponding outer Load on the shear systems 15, 16 can dive this dependent on the load against the force of the compression springs 17, 18. If this immersion movement takes place without a superimposed pivoting of the shaving head housing 5, then the associated drivers 24 of the control levers 21 and 22 are moved downward in accordance with the immersion movement, so that the opposite lever arm can lift off from the driver arm 28 of the corresponding control slide 26, 27. The Abtauchbewegung the shear systems 15, 16 is thus not limited by the control lever 21, 22 and the spool 26, 27. The Abtauchbewegung can not only be done as a parallel shift of the shaving system, but can also take place by a greater immersion of a side tilting about an axis transverse to the longitudinal or oscillation direction (double arrow 14) of the shear systems axis.

However, if the shaving head housing 5 - as in the Figures 3 and 5 shown pivoted relative to the housing 1 and the support arms 11, so it is the front in the pivoting direction shear system, as described below, lowered relative to the shaving head housing 5. The Figures 3 and 5 show a pivoting of the shaving head housing 5 relative to the shaver housing in a clockwise direction. Thus, there is a lowering of the shear system 15, which is the front in the pivoting direction in such a directed pivoting. The pivoting described causes the spool 26 is pushed by the control pin 29 upwards, while the spool 27 is disengaged from the control pin 30. The raising of the control slide 26 in turn leads to a pivoting of the control lever 21 about the pivot bearing 23, whereby the driver 24 and thus the shear system 15 coupled to it by the path d (see Fig. 5 ) is moved down. This downward movement of the shear system 15 takes place against the biasing force of the compression spring 17, whereby the usable in this pivoting Abtauchweg reduced by an optionally applied external load accordingly. For the shear system 16 is still the full Abtauchweg available. Alone due to this lowering of the shear system 15, as in the Figures 3 and 5 is shown, changes the angular position of a tangent to both shear systems 15 and 16 by the angle w (see Fig. 3 ). This angle w is added to the pivot angle between the housing 1 and shaving head housing 5, which is defined by the center lines S of the shaving head housing and G of the shaver housing.

Due to the lowering of the shear system 15 by the spool 26 and the control lever 21, a compression of the compression spring 17, resulting in that after eliminating the responsible for the pivoting of the shaving head load the shaving head housing 5 self-centered with simultaneous relief of the compression spring 17 back into its center position.

In Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a shaving head with three shear systems shown in the middle position. Below are the corresponding components already in the description of the FIGS. 1 to 5 used reference numerals further used. In the substantially cut-free shaving head housing 5, which is connected by means of the bearing 13 pivotally connected to the support arms 11, two designed as a foil shear systems 15 and 16 shear systems are arranged, which include a lying in the same longitudinal alignment between them long-hair trimmer 32. The long-hair cutting system 32 consists of two oscillatingly driven zinc-type shearing elements, which are known per se. All three shear systems 15, 16 and 32 are floating about two guide pins 19 in the shaving head housing 5 held removable frame 36 and are biased by drawing not shown, optionally arranged in the removable frame 36 compression springs biased upward.

The two shear systems 15 and 16 are, as already on the basis of FIGS. 2 to 5 explained, stored in the shaving head housing 5 and in the removable frame 36 and controlled by the corresponding kinematic elements. As in Fig. 6 is shown in particular for the cutting system 15, this is supported by two guide pins 19, which are each arranged in the region of the longitudinal end portions of the shaving system. In order to allow a tilting of the shear systems 15, 16, 32, they are each fixed on its two guide pins 19 fixed on one side and loose on the opposite side. To prevent the rolling (rotation about the longitudinal axis) of the shear systems 15, 16, 32, these are each provided at the front with a vertically extending slot which receives a respective rib 37, which serves to guide the associated shear system. Two control levers 21 engage with their drivers 24 in slots 25 of the shaving system 15, wherein the control levers are mounted on a respective pivot bearing 23 pivotally mounted in the removable frame 36. Thus, a part of the actuating means, namely the control lever 21, 22, in the removable frame 36 and another part, namely the spool 26, arranged in the shaving head housing. When replacing the wear part removable frame 36 therefore does not have to be swapped the entire actuator. Due to the bias of the shear system 15 upwards of each of the driver 24 opposite arm of the control lever 21 is applied to a respective spool 26. The spool 26 are mounted vertically displaceable. For this purpose, her down-facing end is formed as a rod-shaped guide rail 33. The strip-shaped driving arms 28 of the spool 26 are respectively acted upon by the control pin 29, which are integrally formed on a support 34 which at least partially surrounds the holding arm 11 and is thus secured to the latter.

The structure just described applies mutatis mutandis to the shear system 16 with the corresponding, based on FIGS. 2 to 5 explained components, wherein the control pins 30 which can act on the spool 27, are also formed on the carrier 34. As stops 31 for limiting the vertical upward movement of the shear systems 15 and 16 are used on the shear systems molded arms, which are not shown on the drawing, not shown attacks within the removable frame 36 can be applied.

Fig. 7 shows a pivoting of the shaving head housing 5 relative to the shaver housing 1 and to the support arms 11 according to the direction of rotation P. In the course of this pivoting, the spool. 26 acted upon by the control pin 29 in the way that they are moved upwards. As a result, the shear system 15 is pressed by the simultaneous pivoting of the two control lever 21 down. The long-hair trimmer 32 has not shown, to the shear systems 15, 16 laterally projecting arms, which engage under the latter. As a result, during the downwards movement of the shearing system 15 (or, when pivoting against the direction P of the shaving system 16) by the control lever 21, the long-hair trimmer is also taken down after overcoming the play. This ensures that after lowering the outer shear system 15 or 16, the long-hair trimmer system 32 does not protrude beyond a common tangent which is applied to the arched shear systems 15 and 16. Such a protruding long-hair cutting system 32 would namely a skin care detrimental during the shaving.

Claims (12)

1. An electric dry shaver with a housing (1) and cutting head housing (5) that supports at least two cutter assemblies (15, 16), of which at least one cutter assembly (15, 16) is elastically pre-tensioned and is supported such that, depending on the contact pressure applied by the user, it can descend between a position extended out from the cutting head housing and a retracted position, wherein the cutting head housing (5) is connected with the housing (1) freely pivotable between two end positions to enable the simultaneous placement of the cutter assemblies (15, 16) on the skin of the user independent of the angle position of the housing (1) relative to the skin,
   characterized in that
   in the cutting head housing (5) actuation means (21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30) are provided that control the level of at least this retractable cutter assembly (15, 16) within the cutting head housing (5) in the region between the extended position and retracted position depending on the pivot angle between the housing (1) and the cutting head housing (5).
2. Dry shaver according to Claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the at least one cutter assembly (15, 16) is moved at least partially in the direction of the retracted position by the actuation means (21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30) if the at least one cutter assembly (15, 16) is the leading cutter assembly as viewed in the pivot direction (P).
3. Dry shaver according to any of the preceding Claims,
   characterized in that
   the at least two cutter assemblies (15, 16) have longitudinal axes that run parallel to one another and parallel to the pivot axis (X-X) of the cutting head housing (5), wherein the cutter assemblies are designed as linearly oscillating systems and the oscillation takes place along the longitudinal axes.
4. Dry shaver according to any of the preceding Claims,
   characterized in that
   the at least two cutter assemblies (15, 16) are supported elastically pre-tensioned in the extended position floating in the cutting head housing (5).
5. Dry shaver according to any of the preceding Claims,
   characterized in that
   the at least two cutter assemblies (15, 16) are respectively implemented as a premounted and integrated module consisting of an upper blade and a lower blade pre-tensioned against the upper blade, which module is elastically pre-tensioned floating in the cutting head housing (5).
6. Dry shaver according to any of the preceding Claims,
   characterized in that
   the actuation means (21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30) comprises at least one pivotable control arm (21, 22) supported in the cutting head housing (5) or in a component (37) that can be connected with the cutting head housing (5), which control arm (21, 22) is pivotable relative to the housing (1) depending on the pivot direction (P) of the cutting head housing (5).
7. Dry shaver according to Claim 6,
   characterized in that
   the control arm (21, 22) has two arms, wherein one lever arm is acted on by a stop fixed to the housing (control peg 29, 30) or by a controlled component (control slider 26, 27), and the opposite lever arm is coupled with the cutter assembly (15, 16).
8. Dry shaver according to any of the preceding Claims,
   characterized in that
   the two respective outer cutter assemblies (15, 16) can be controlled via actuation means (21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30) in terms of their level relative to the cutting head housing (5).
9. Dry shaver according to any of the preceding Claims,
   characterized in that
   the cutter assembly (15, 16) controllable via the actuation means (21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30) can be coupled with an additional cutter assembly, in particular an adjacent cutter assembly (32), at least during a segment of its stroke.
10. Dry shaver according to any of the preceding Claims,
    characterized in that
    the cutting head housing (5) is lockable at a specific, in particular a maximum, pivot angle relative to the housing (1).
11. Dry shaver according to any of the preceding Claims,
    characterized in that
    the cutter assemblies (15, 16) and at least individual components of the actuation means (control arm 21, 22) are arranged in an exchangeable frame (36) connectable with the cutting head housing (5).
12. Exchangeable frame for a dry shaver according to any of the preceding Claims,
    characterized in that,
    in the exchangeable frame (36) connectable with the cutting head housing (5), the cutter assemblies (15, 16) can be displaced and at least one control arm (21, 22) is pivotably supported.

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