RU2252686C2 - Hair removing device with vibrating rotating drum - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: the device is applicable for removal of hairs from the skin.

SUBSTANCE: the device has a drum installed for rotation in the body, designed for holding in the hand, having at least a pair of pincers designed for catching and pulling out of hairs, and made for rotation by means of an electric motor through a transmission system. The assembly consisting of a drum, transmission system and a motor is separated into two parts, each being rigidly coupled to a bracket floating relative to the body, and capable of vibrating at a preset definite frequency. The motion of vibration of one of the parts is opposite in phase with respect to the motion of vibration of the other part.

EFFECT: provided stimulation of the skin practically simultaneously with pulling-out of hairs not closing the field of vision of the zone of hair removal at an effective anesthesia arising during hair removal.

11 cl, 6 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to an epilator containing a rotary drum equipped with forceps designed to remove excess and unwanted hair from the human body.

This type of device contains forceps in the form of plates or disks located on a rotating drum, while the forceps periodically compress and expand, grabbing hair in close proximity to the skin and removing pulled hair due to the rotation of the drum. Hair pulling is a very effective method to prevent its rapid regrowth, however it often causes quite painful sensations.

Several methods are known from the prior art in which pain relievers connected to hair removal devices are used. Thus, in particular, from the international publication WO 95/07638, registered in the name of the applicant, there is known a device for cooling the skin immediately before hair removal using the evaporation of a liquid applied to the skin. However, this device is associated with the use of means, such as a vessel for liquid, a fan, which increase the size and cost of the device.

Other analgesic devices used for hair removal are known from German patent No. 4408809 and international publication WO 98/55000, which describe means for electrical stimulation of the skin by applying electrical impulses or electrical discharges to the hair removal zone. These devices are characterized by limited efficiency with their complexity and increased cost.

The effectiveness of painkillers used in combination with hair removal devices has greatly improved with the use of mechanical vibrational stimulation of the skin, which is carried out simultaneously with hair removal.

So, in the European Patent No. 0671136 and international publication WO 99/13750 registered in the name of the applicant, pointed protrusions and brushes mounted on a rotating drum on which the tongs are mounted are described. Brushes and protrusions are installed in a deepened elongated zone made parallel to a row of tongs of a rotating drum. The brushes are designed to smooth the hair before hair removal, and the pointed protrusions produce a more or less pronounced massage effect on the skin, generating a sensation of pain, drowning out the pain from hair removal. At the same time, brushes and especially protrusions are in contact with the skin for a long time, acting on it with friction and sometimes causing irritation on it.

In the international publication WO 97/00032, an epilator with rotating tongs is proposed, comprising a series of movable rollers radially displaced by centrifugal force and / or by means of springs and acting on the skin with mechanical impulses, drowning out the pain arising from pulling out the hair. This solution is also complex and requires precision and costly components.

Other epilators containing devices for vibrational stimulation of the skin are proposed in European patent No. 0493849, in which the means of hair removal are covered with a vibrating mesh, or European patent 0760219, in which the casing of the device contains a vibrating frame or additional vibrating rollers, the frame and rollers being made next to the forceps a drum. The main disadvantages of these vibration tools are overlapping visibility in the hair removal zone and the need to use additional mechanisms to drive them.

International publication WO 97/19613 describes an epilator comprising a comb or pendant with flexible pointed protrusions mounted on the body with the possibility of vibration outside the gable drum. However, such a solution requires an even more complex vibration mechanism.

In French patent No. 2745992, registered in the name of the master, an epilator is described, the epilation drum of which is surrounded by a suspension mounted on the body with the possibility of vibration. But, although the drive vibration mechanism is simpler than previous solutions, the vibrating parts nevertheless close the hair removal area, which is inconvenient for the user.

The aim of the invention is at least partial elimination of the aforementioned drawbacks and the creation of an epilation forceps device designed to affect the epilation area with vibration stimulation almost simultaneously with pulling out the hair while effectively damping the pain that occurs during epilation.

The solution was proposed in the French patent registered in the name of the applicant No. 9908885. This patent describes an epilation device containing a unit consisting of a gable drum, an engine and a transmission system, and mounted in a floating manner with respect to the device body. The specified node additionally contains an eccentric part, which is rotated during operation of the device, creating a vibration in the forceps drum, stimulating the skin during hair removal. However, as it turned out, with sufficient analgesic vibrational stimulation of the skin, complete vibration damping in the device case is not achieved, which causes unpleasant sensations in the user's hand.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an epilation device with a forceps drum containing means capable of providing effective vibration of the drum and sufficient vibration damping in the device body.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide an epilation device equipped with reliable analgesics, characterized by the simplicity of design, allowing to deploy mass production with the lowest production costs.

Additionally, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an epilation device with painkillers that act simultaneously with the removal of hair without closing the overview of the hair removal zone.

These goals are achieved using an epilation device for removing hair from the skin, containing a drum mounted rotatably in a body designed to be held in the hand, having at least two forceps designed to grip and pull the hair, and adapted to bring into rotation by an electric motor through a transmission system, while the assembly consisting of a drum, a transmission system and an engine is divided into two parts, each of which is mounted on an arm, floating in relation to the body, and is able to vibrate at a predetermined frequency, while the movement of the vibration of one of the parts is opposite in phase with respect to the movement of the vibration of the other part.

Thus, the means that cause the epilation drum to rotate also create vibration in the drum at the same time as pulling out the hair. Vibrational effect on the skin produces an analgesic effect simultaneously with the process of hair removal, reducing pain throughout the process. To prevent transmission of vibration to the housing and further to the user's hand, vibration of the same frequency is generated, but opposite in phase to the other moving parts of the drum drive mechanism. Means are also provided for holding the assembly in contact during operation.

The assembly consisting of a drum, a transmission system and a driving electric motor is divided into two parts that vibrate at the same frequency but oppositely in phase, while these parts are mounted on brackets mounted floating in relation to the body with the possibility of vibration independently of each other friend. Therefore, from the moment of the start of vibration of both parts, the vibration of the first part, in particular the drum, dampens the vibration of the second part, in particular the engine, and thus the vibration of both parts is completely neutralized with respect to the fixed mark, in particular to the body.

Preferably, the assembly consisting of a drum, a transmission system and an engine is divided into two parts having substantially the same mass.

Thus, more efficient control of the vibration parameters generated in both parts, in particular the amplitude, is provided, especially in the case when only one means of generating vibration is used, which makes both parts vibrate simultaneously.

Preferably, the frequency of vibration generated in the rotary drum is greater than 50 Hz.

Indeed, through theoretical calculations and practical medical research, it was found that the analgesic effect depends on the frequency of vibrational stimulation. In the framework of the present invention, the frequency is preferably selected by setting the rotation speed of the eccentric part.

Preferably, the elastic means for mounting the assembly into the housing and the movable part are such that the vibration amplitude is from 0.1 mm to 1 mm, preferably 0.5 mm.

It was found that such an amplitude, combined with a frequency exceeding 50 Hz, drowns out the pain from hair removal.

Preferably, the movable part is capable of generating vibration of the rotating drum in a direction perpendicular to the skin surface.

Therefore, the rotating drum strikes vertically on the skin, which completely absorbs vibration, thereby providing an analgesic effect. Opposite in phase oscillatory movements are easily generated in the longitudinal direction of the housing.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the brackets of the moving parts are driven by vibration means installed in the transmission system.

Vibration systems can be performed, in particular, in the form of two inertial weights, one of which is rigidly connected to the epilation drum and produces a vibration of a certain frequency and amplitude in it, and the second is rigidly connected to the engine and / or transmission system and vibrates at the same frequency but phase shifted by 180 °.

To ensure the simplicity and efficiency of the design, vibration means are integrated into the transmission system transmitting movement from the engine to the epilation drum.

Preferably, said vibrating means is a rotating part, the axis of rotation of which is fixed in relation to the housing, wherein said rotating part comprises a first gear ring intended for engaging with a first gear gear rigidly fixed to the first bracket, and a second gear ring intended for interaction with the second gear, rigidly mounted on the second bracket, while the center of the cross section of each gear rim is shifted one and on the other side of the common axis of rotation in a direction perpendicular to this axis.

The moving masses are divided into two parts, with each of the parts being rigidly connected to a bracket mounted in a floating manner with respect to the housing so that each bracket vibrates separately. It is possible to provide a system with two or more cams interacting with each other by rolling friction, with each cam belonging to one of these parts, moving from the gear train and causing each bracket to vibrate.

However, it was decided to use only one rotating part containing at least one gear ring, since it can be easily integrated into the transmission system or gear transmission, with each part being driven into rotation by an adjacent gear or output axis of the engine. In addition, the structural parameters of this part, in particular the diameter, speed, corresponding tooth modules, can be calculated with the possibility of providing a predetermined working speed of the drum and its vibration frequency.

Thus, when the part and its gear rims are brought into rotation, the latter transmit an imbalance that is attached to the gear or gears equivalent to the value of their displacement or eccentricity with respect to the axis of rotation, while this imbalance is absorbed in a floating manner by the bracket of each gear. As a result of this, each bracket translates in the direction of the corresponding eccentricity in such a way that, as a result, two brackets are moved in opposite directions.

Preferably, the first gear ring has an eccentricity with a value equal to but diametrically opposed to the eccentricity of the second gear ring.

In this case, the resulting vibration of each of the floating brackets and, therefore, of the two moving parts of the indicated assembly has an equal but opposite amplitude direction, so they mutually cancel each other out.

Preferably, the eccentricity of each ring gear relative to its axis of rotation corresponds to half the amplitude of vibration generated in each of the brackets.

Due to its design, the rotating part with two offset gear rims creates a vibration with equal but opposite oppositely directed amplitude in each of the brackets. During the rotation of both ring gears at the moment when the distance between the periphery of the first ring gear and the periphery of the second ring gear becomes maximum, both ring gears act on the floating brackets, moving them apart from each other. In this case, the amplitude of the generated vibration is maximum and is represented by the sum of the eccentricities of the two gear rims, in particular the double value of one of them for equal values of both eccentricities.

Preferably, the regulation of the eccentricities of the gear rims is carried out to obtain maximum amplitude when the position of the hair removal tongs is closed.

Thus, the maximum amplitude of stimulation is obtained immediately before pulling the hair, which contributes to a very effective stimulation of the skin.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the brackets are slidable along rails mounted in the housing.

This allows you to orient the movement of vibration in almost one direction, in particular perpendicular to the surface of the skin, while ensuring the stability of the vibrating masses.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description and drawings, which are given as illustrative non-limiting examples of embodiments of the invention, which depict the following:

Figure 1 depicts a longitudinal section along the plane BB in figure 2 of an epilation device in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 depicts a section along the plane aa of figure 1 of the hair removal device in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3a shows a section similar to Fig. 1, but without a housing, a drum, a gear train and an engine;

Fig.3b depicts a section along the plane CC of Fig.3;

Figs. 4a and 4b schematically depict two operating positions of the gear train shown in Fig. 1.

The accompanying figures depict a device for hair removal of human skin, containing vibration means for a rotating drum or hair removal head 5 of this device, so that the cyclic waves of this vibration create an analgesic effect in the hair removal zone.

An example of an epilation device, inside which vibration means are installed, in particular, an epilation head of the device, is described in French patent No. 2758060, registered in the name of the applicant. However, it is obvious that this device is just an example of the use of painkillers in accordance with the present invention, since any hair removal device with pulling tongs can be adapted to integrate painkillers in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 1-3 shows an epilating device comprising a rotating drum 5, equipped with a movable shaft rotating in a pendant casing 20, and a frame mounted coaxially on a shaft surrounded by a frame, wherein the frame is formed by two side flanges 21, 22 holding between four rods 23.

The left flange 21 is rigidly connected to the gear 13, which engages with the gear gear or transmission system 12, driven by the gear 9, rigidly mounted on the output shaft of the drive motor 8.

Two rows of alternating cross-shaped plates, respectively 5a, 5b, are mounted on the central shaft of the rotating drum. Each pair of alternating plates 5a, 5b forms hair removal tongs, the movable plate 5a of which is made with the ability to move away from the fixed plate 5b and pressed against it. The action of the movable plate 5a leads to the opening and, accordingly, closing of the hair removal tongs for compressing the hair and pulling it out and releasing the hair after pulling it out as the drum 5 rotates. Thus, the hair in the hair removal zone faces the window 24 of the housing 1 and is pulled out when the drum rotates or epilating head 5.

Preferably, the epilating head may comprise brushes 25 and / or pointed protrusions 26 formed in an elongated recess parallel to the row of plates 5a, 5b.

Brushes 25 are designed to straighten the hair before pulling it out, and the pointed protrusions 26 do not allow the hair removal head to pop out onto the skin when passing through the recess.

Figure 1-3 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in accordance with which the forceps drum 5 and brushes 6, 7 are rigidly connected to the first bracket or upper support 11a, while the engine 8 and its output gear 9 are mounted on the second bracket or lower caliper 11b.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3b, the brackets or calipers 11a, 11b are mounted in a floating manner with respect to the housing 1 of the device. More specifically, the brackets 11a, 11b are slidably mounted opposite to the return springs 10 on the guide rods 4a, 4b, which are fixedly mounted in the arms 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the suspension 2.

Vibrating means of execution in the form of a rotating part 3 or a gear with two gear rims 3a and 3b are inserted into the transmission system or gear 12. The rotating part 3 is mounted on the axis of rotation A, rigidly connected to the housing 1 and rotating in the thrust bearing 18 of the suspension 2. The suspension 2 is directly mounted on the housing 1 of the device using fixing screws, rivets or other removable or non-removable mounting means.

Two gear rings 3a, 3b are preferably rigidly connected to part 3, the first gear ring of which 3a is designed to interact with gear 9, rigidly connected to the output shaft of the engine 8, and the second gear ring 3b is designed to mesh with gear gear 7 and for subsequent transmission of rotational the movement of the engine 8 into the transmission system 12 up to the drum 5.

In particular, in accordance with the present invention, the central axis of each gear ring is offset with respect to the common axis A of rotation of the rotating part 3. As shown in FIGS. 4a or 4b, the gear ring 3a is offset by “e” with respect to axis A and perpendicular to it, and the ring gear 3b has an eccentricity of the same magnitude, but located 180 ° with respect to this axis.

Figure 3 shows that the bracket or upper support 11a contains thrust bearings 16, 17 on which the axles of the gears 6, 7 rotate and the supporting frame 15 of the drum 5 is mounted on it. The engine 8 with its gear 9 is mounted on the bracket or lower support 11b.

Four springs 10 are preferably mounted, two on each of the brackets 11a, 11b. The springs 10 are helical cylindrical, they are mounted on the rods 4a, 4b, and one of their ends is fixed with stops 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d relative to one of the rods 4a, 4b, and the other free end rests on one of the sliding brackets 11a , 11b. Thus, the resulting corresponding efforts of the springs 10 tend to bring both brackets 11a and 11b closer together, holding the gears 7, 3, 9 of the transmission system 12 in contact.

The housing 1 of the device is preferably made of two parts 1a, 1b to facilitate the installation of various components of the device. Parts 1a, 1b are made of plastic using molding technology. Gears or gears of the transmission system 12 of the device are preferably made of high strength plastic to reduce the total weight of the device.

During operation, when starting the engine 8, its rotational movement is transmitted through the gear 9 to the rotating part 3, in particular to the gear ring 3a of the latter.

At the moment when the ring gear 3a is in the position shown in figa, with the eccentricity “e” located above the axis A, the ring gear 3b is with its eccentricity “e” under the axis A, and the distance “D”, measured between the contact point of the ring gear 3a with the gear 9 and the contact point of the ring gear 3b with the gear 7 is the minimum, while the specified distance is less than the sum of the radii of the initial circles of the gears 3a and 3b by an amount equal to the double value of the eccentricity “e”. In this case, the brackets or the upper 11a and lower 11b calipers, which are acted upon by the springs, are in the closest position to each other.

The gear 9 continues to rotate and in a position that is 180 ° with respect to the position described above, as shown in fig.4b, the gears 3A and 3b have reverse eccentricities. So, the eccentricity “e” of the ring gear 3a is under the axis A, and the eccentricity 3b is above the same axis, and the distance “D” between their points of contact with adjacent gears reaches its maximum value, while the specified distance is equal to the sum of the radii of the initial circles of the gears crowns 3a, 3b, increased by a value equal to the double value of the eccentricity “e”. In this case, the brackets 11a, 11b are in the most distant position from each other. It should be noted that, since the brackets 11a, 11b are mounted on the springs 10, that is, isolated from the housing 1, then none of the moving parts in contact with the housing 1 during operation.

After the next 180 ° rotation, the ring gears return to the position shown in FIG. 4a. Thus, the position of both brackets or calipers 11a, 11b and, consequently, the position of the components of the device rigidly connected to each of these brackets, fluctuates between these two extreme positions — the approach position shown in FIG. 4a and the removal position shown in FIG. .4b. As a result, the reciprocating movement of both brackets 11a, 11b is created with a predetermined frequency and amplitude equal to the double value of the eccentricity “e”, while the generated vibration, in particular the vibration of the bracket 11a, is opposite in phase to the vibration of the bracket 11b. As a non-restrictive example, the amplitude of vibration generated in the epilation head is 0.5 mm for an eccentricity “e” of 0.25 mm.

Preferably, the fixed axis A, as well as the centers of gravity of each of the two brackets 11a, 11b, are in the vertical plane of symmetry of the device. In this case, identical springs 10 are used. They have the same constant stiffness and the same dimensions.

Preferably, the gear parameters of the transmission system 12 are calculated in such a way as to provide vibration in the tongs 5 with a frequency exceeding 50 Hz, which is considered the threshold of the analgesic frequency. For example, for an engine speed of 7200 rpm, a device of the described type receives a vibration of the hair removal head with a frequency of 120 Hz.

To provide vibrational stimulation of the skin before the phase of pulling the hair, the epilation head 5 must hit the skin at the moment when the forceps are in the closed position. Thus, the eccentricities of both ring gears are in a position in which the maximum vibration amplitude is obtained immediately after closing the forceps, and this position is shown in Fig. 4b.

So, in the case of the hair removal device described in French patent No. 2758060, registered in the name of the applicant, the drum 5 contains on its periphery four rows of forceps. As a result, the rotating part or wheel 3 must develop a rotation speed four times that of the drum 5, and the eccentricities must be such that the tongs 5a, 5b are in constant contact with the skin during closure.

Without going beyond the scope of the present invention, it is possible to perform a variety of variants.

In particular, the rotating part 3 comprising a double gear ring 3a, 3b can be made in the form of a gear wheel assembled from two gears 3a, 3b having a different initial diameter.

A rotating part or a wheel with two offset gear rims can be replaced by a gear or a gear containing gears concentric with their axis of rotation, while other means can be used to create vibration of both brackets and their components. Such means can be, for example, two counterweights working oppositely in phase, each of which is rigidly connected to one of the floating brackets. You can also use any other tool, made with the possibility of creating vibration during rotation or translational motion, but working with a phase difference of 180 ° in each of the floating brackets.

Claims (11)

1. An epilation device for removing hair from the skin, comprising a drum (5) mounted rotatably in a body (1) intended to be held in a hand, having at least two forceps (5a, 5b) intended to be gripped and hair pulling, and made with the possibility of bringing into rotation by an electric motor (8) through a transmission system (12), characterized in that the assembly consisting of a drum, transmission system and engine is divided into two parts, each of which is rigidly connected to bracket (11a, 1 1b), installed in a floating manner with respect to the housing, and is able to vibrate at a predetermined frequency, while the vibration movement of one of the parts is opposite in phase to the vibration of the other part. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the assembly consisting of a drum (5), a transmission system (12) and an engine (8) is divided into two parts of equal mass. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frequency of vibration generated in the drum (5) exceeds 50 Hz. 4. The device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the amplitude of the vibration created in the drum (5) is from 0.1 to 1 mm. 5. The device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the brackets (11a, 11b) are able to vibrate in such a way that the vibration transmitted to the drum (5) has a component in a direction almost perpendicular to the skin surface. 6. The device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the brackets (11a, 11b) are capable of being driven by vibration means (3) integrated into the transmission system (12). 7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the vibration means are made in the form of a rotating part (3), the axis of rotation (A) of which is mounted motionless with respect to the housing (1), while the rotating part (3) contains a first gear ring (3a), designed to interact with the first gear (7), rigidly connected to the first bracket (11a), and the second gear ring (3b), designed to interact with the second gear (9), rigidly connected to the second bracket (11b ), while the center of the cross section of each gear ca (3a, 3b) is displaced on either side of the common axis (A) of rotation in the direction perpendicular to it. 8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the first gear ring (3a) has an eccentricity equal to, but diametrically opposed to, the eccentricity of the second ring gear (3b). 9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the eccentricity of each of the ring gears (3a, 3b) with respect to its axis of rotation (A) corresponds to half the amplitude of vibration created in each of the brackets (11a, 11b). 10. The device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the values of the eccentricities of the gear rims (3a, 3b) are adjusted to obtain the maximum vibration amplitude when the hair removal tongs are closed (5a, 5b). 11. The device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the brackets (11a, 11b) are mounted with the possibility of sliding on the rails (4a, 4b) installed in the housing (1).

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