WO2003096961A1

WO2003096961A1 - Apparatus for treating a person's skin

Info

Publication number: WO2003096961A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/001730
Authority: WO
Inventors: Adolf Ramusch; Gert Samonigg
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2002-05-16
Filing date: 2003-04-23
Publication date: 2003-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 2004-11-16
Also published as: AU2003225487A1

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for treating a person's skin (2) comprises a suction chamber (9) with a suction opening (15) bounded by a chamber edge (14), with which chamber edge (14) the suction chamber (9) can be laid on the skin (2), while a skin treatment device (10) is provided in the interior of the suction chamber (9), which device is preferably formed by a brush (10) whose tufts (29) project from a brush holder (28) towards the suction opening (15), which makes it possible to exert simultaneously a suction effect and a brushing effect on the skin (2).

Description

Apparatus for treating a person's skin

The invention relates to an apparatus for treating a person's skin, which apparatus comprises a skin treatment device for achieving a treatment effect on the skin, said skin treatment device comprising a tool support and at least one tool projecting from the tool support, and which apparatus comprises a pump that can be driven by a motor and is designed for achieving a suction effect on the skin.

An apparatus of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph is known, for example, from the patent document GB 2,092,003 A. In the known apparatus, a pump is provided in the housing of the apparatus, which pump is connected to a suction tube by means of which a suction effect can be exerted on a region of the facial skin of a person, for example for removing oil or dust from the facial skin. The suction tube of the known apparatus is surrounded by holder means for holding various skin treatment devices, such as a brush or a massaging attachment. The relevant accommodated skin treatment device can then be driven into rotation and is provided for causing a treatment effect, such as a brushing effect or a massaging effect, on the skin under treatment. It is possible in the known apparatus to bring either the skin treatment device, i.e. the brush or the massaging attachment and the like, or the suction tube into operational contact with the skin, i.e. because the free end of the suction tube is so far removed from the skin to be treated when a skin treatment device is connected to the apparatus that no suction effect can be exerted on the skin any more. The invention has for its object to improve an apparatus of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph.

To achieve the above object, inventive features are provided in an apparatus according to the invention such that an apparatus according to the invention can be characterized as follows. An apparatus for treating a person's skin, which apparatus comprises a skin treatment device for achieving a treatment effect on the skin, said skin treatment device comprising a tool support and at least one tool projecting from the tool support, and which apparatus comprises a pump that can be driven by a motor and is designed for achieving a suction effect on the skin, wherein the apparatus comprises a suction chamber which has a suction opening bounded by a chamber edge and which can be laid with its chamber edge on a skin region to be treated so as to generate the suction effect, and wherein the skin treatment device is arranged in the interior of the suction chamber, and wherein the at least one tool of the skin treatment device projects from the tool support in a direction to the suction opening. The provision of the characteristics according to the invention achieves in a constructionally simple and inexpensive manner with only a small additional effort that during the treatment of a skin region by means of the skin treatment device at the same time also a suction effect on this skin region is made possible, so that the skin region under treatment is drawn in the direction of the at least one tool of the skin treatment device because of the suction effect, which results in an improved, intensified treatment of the skin region to be treated.

It was found to be particularly advantageous in an apparatus according to the invention if the skin treatment device is formed by a motor-driven brush for achieving a brushing effect on the skin, which brush comprises a brush holder as the tool support and tufts projecting from the brush holder as tools. It is achieved thereby that a brushing effect and a suction effect can be exerted simultaneously on a skin region to be brushed, whereby a particularly good brushing result and accordingly a particularly good cleaning result is achieved.

In an apparatus according to the invention, the suction chamber may be of a fully airtight construction except for the region of its suction opening, so that an immediate build-up of an underpressure in the suction chamber is achieved when the suction chamber is laid with its chamber edge on a skin region to be treated, and accordingly a suction effect is achieved on the skin. It was also found to be advantageous, however, if a closable passage is provided in a bounding wall of the suction chamber. It is achieved thereby that an underpressure is built up not immediately when the suction chamber is laid with its chamber edge on a skin region to be treated while the passage is not closed, but only the moment the passage is closed. This has the advantage that the build-up of the underpressure can be controlled, for example, with a finger in that the passage is closed or opened by means of a finger, which allows a smooth movement of the suction chamber over the skin of a person when the passage is kept open. It should be noted that the closing of the passage may also be achieved with a mechanical closing means provided in the apparatus and reaching up to the passage, such as a sliding valve.

It was found to be particularly advantageous in an apparatus according to the invention if the apparatus comprises a housing which can be held in one hand and to which the suction chamber is connected. A simple apparatus that is easy to handle is thus obtained in a manner known per se, by means of which a comfortable and simple treatment of a human skin can be carried out.

The above and further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below and are clarified with reference to these embodiments.

The invention will now be explained in more detail below with reference to two embodiments shown in the drawings to which, however, the invention is not limited. Fig. 1 is an oblique front elevation of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a partly diagrammatic cross-section of part of the apparatus of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows in cross-section part of an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Figs. 1 and 2 show an apparatus 1 for the treatment of a person's skin 2. The apparatus 1 is capable of exerting both a brushing effect on the skin 2 and a suction effect on the skin 2 in a particularly advantageous manner. The apparatus 1 comprises an elongate housing 3 that can be held in one hand and in whose central region 4 two switches 5 and 6 are provided, the switch 5 serving to switch the brushing action on and off and the switch 6 serving to switch the suction action 7 on and off. Instead of two such switches, a single switch may alternatively be provided, by means of which both the brushing action and the suction action can be switched on and off. A treatment head 8 of the apparatus 1 is provided in an end region 7 of the housing 3. The treatment head 8 comprises a suction chamber 9. The treatment head 8 further comprises a skin treatment device 10, i.e. a brush 10 that can be driven into rotation, which brush 10 is arranged in the interior of the suction chamber 9.

The suction chamber 9 is bounded by a bottom wall 11 and by a first circumferential wall 12 rising from the bottom wall 11 and of hollow cylindrical shape and by a second circumferential wall 13 in the shape of a truncated cone continuing from the hollow cylindrical circumferential wall 12, said second circumferential wall 13 ending in a chamber edge 14 which bounds a suction opening 15 of the suction chamber 9. The suction chamber 9 can be laid with its chamber edge 14 on a region to be treated of a person's skin 2 diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2, so that after such an application to the skin 2 of a person a suction effect is exerted on the skin 2 of this person by means of the suction chamber 9.

To generate such a suction effect, the apparatus 1 comprises a pump 16, which is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2 and which can be mechanically driven by a motor (not shown). The pump 16 is connected via a tubular connection 17 to a connection stud 18 of the suction chamber 9, which connection stud 18 comprises a bore 19 passing through the bottom wall 11.

The brush 10 provided as a skin treatment device 10 can also be mechanically driven by a motor (also not shown). The motor (not shown) for driving the brush 10 may be the same motor as the one provided for driving the pump 16. Two separate motors may alternatively be provided. A drive transmission 20 diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2 can be driven by the motor provided for driving the brush 10. The drive transmission 10 comprises a pinion 22 that can be driven into rotation by the motor (not shown) in a direction indicated by an arrow 21 and that is fixedly connected to a drive shaft 23. At the end of the drive shaft 23 there is a first intermediate gear 24 which is in engagement with a second intermediate gear 25, the two gears 24 and 25 of the drive transmission 20 being miter gears. A brush shaft 26 is fixedly connected to the second intermediate gear 25. The brush shaft 26 is passed through the bottom wall 11 of the suction chamber 9, a gasket 27 being provided for sealing purposes. A brush holder 28 for the brush 10 is present on the brush shaft 26, which brush holder 28 serves as a tool support. Tufts 29 project from the brush holder 28, which tufts are provided as tools for skin treatment. The construction is made particularly favorably such that the tufts 29 of the brush 10 project from the brush holder 28 towards the suction opening 15 of the suction chamber 9.

During operation of the apparatus 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the suction chamber 9 is applied to the skin 2, whereupon the skin 2 is drawn into the suction chamber 9 because of the suction effect exerted on the skin 2 during this, which skin 2 then forms a skin elevation and accordingly comes into operational contact with the tufts 29 of the brush 10, so that a brushing action is exerted on the skin 2. The apparatus 1 thus carries out both a suction operation and a brushing operation on the skin 2, which has been found to be very advantageous for achieving a particularly good treatment, and in particular a good cleaning of the skin 2.

Fig. 3 shows a second apparatus 1 for treating a person's skin 2, which apparatus 1 of Fig. 3 has a construction similar to that of the apparatus 1 of Figs. 1 and 2. An essential difference is that a passage 32 is provided in a bounding wall 30 of the suction chamber 9 in the apparatus 1 of Fig. 3, which passage can be closed with a finger 31 which is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3. The presence of the passage 32 provides the advantage that an underpressure in the suction chamber 9 can only be generated when the passage 32 is closed with the finger 31, whereupon the suction effect will form a skin elevation 33 with which the tufts 29 of the brush 10 come into operational contact. The moment the finger 31 is lifted from the passage 32 and accordingly releases the passage 32, air can enter the suction chamber 9 through the passage 32, so that no suction effect is exerted on the skin 2 anymore. This has the result that the skin 2, which has a skin elevation 33 during normal operation, can return to a non-elevated state as shown in Fig. 3 as a skin region referenced 34, which skin region 34 is shown to be in a position remote from the suction chamber.

In the two apparatuses 1 according to the invention as described above, the skin treatment device 10, i.e. the brushes 10, are fixedly supported in the direction of the brush shaft 26. It is alternatively possible, however, to retain such brushes 10, or alternative skin treatment devices 10, resiliently against spring pressure so as to avoid a high mechanical pressure on a skin region under treatment. The two apparatuses 1 described above each comprise a skin treatment device 10 formed by a brush 10 that can be driven into rotation. In alternative embodiments of apparatuses according to the invention, however, other skin treatment devices may be provided, for example massaging tools or foam cushions or skin scrubbing tools. It may also be provided that a skin treatment device is held stationary in the suction chamber, i.e. is not driven.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An apparatus (1) for treating a person's skin (2), which apparatus (1) comprises a skin treatment device (10) for achieving a treatment effect on the skin (2), said skin treatment device (10) comprising a tool support (28) and at least one tool (29) projecting from the tool support (28), and which apparatus (1) comprises a pump (16) that can be driven by a motor and is designed for achieving a suction effect on the skin (2), wherein the apparatus (1) comprises a suction chamber (9) which has a suction opening (15) bounded by a chamber edge (14) and which can be laid with its chamber edge (14) on a skin region to be treated so as to generate the suction effect, and wherein the skin treatment device (10) is arranged in the interior of the suction chamber (9), and wherein the at least one tool (29) of the skin treatment device (10) projects from the tool support (28) in a direction to the suction opening (15).

2. An apparatus (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the skin treatment device (10) is formed by a motor-driven brush (10) for achieving a brushing effect on the skin (2), which brush (10) comprises a brush holder (28) as the tool support (28) and tufts (29) projecting from the brush holder (28) as the tools (29).

3. An apparatus (1) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a closable passage (32) is provided in a bounding wall (30) of the suction chamber (9).

4. An apparatus (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus (1) comprises a housing (3) which can be held in one hand and to which the suction chamber (9) is connected.