WO1994001255A1

WO1994001255A1 - Electric dry shavers

Info

Publication number: WO1994001255A1
Application number: PCT/GB1993/001393
Authority: WO
Inventors: David William Middleton
Original assignee: Middleton David W
Priority date: 1992-07-03
Filing date: 1993-07-02
Publication date: 1994-01-20
Also published as: AU4508893A

Abstract

In a shaver having a body (1) and a shaver head incorporating a cutter plate (21) and cutter blades (23) driven by a motor (13) for movement relative to the head, the head (2) is mounted for oscillatory movement in a direction generally perpendicular to the skin of the user, driven by the motor (13). This provides a faster and more effective shave and has a massaging effect on the skin.

Description

ELECTRIC DRY SHAVERS

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to dry shavers of the kind in which a mains or battery operated electric motor drives a set of reciprocating or rotary cutter blades with respect to a cutter plate.

BACKGROUND

In existing battery operated or mains operated shavers the motor is generally contained within a body which is held in the hand in use, and the cutter blades are mounted in a separate head. Normally the head is removable from the body for cleaning and maintenance purposes, but generally the head is fixed relative to the body when mounted thereon.

In one form of shaver the head is pivotal ly mounted on the body so that the angle of the head can change to adapt to the angle of the face and jaw against which the head is held in use.

In GB 899 809 it is proposed to drive the head from the motor such that the head rocks about an axis with is generally aligned with the direction of reciprocation of the cutter blades. An aim of the present invention may be viewed as being to provide a form of shaver which has an improved shaving action and which, in addition, tones up the skin and muscles of the face during use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes the shaver head is mounted for oscillatory movement relative to the body, driven by the motor, in a direction generally transverse to the direction of movement of the cutter blades and generally towards and away from the surface of the skin in normal use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. The drawing is a sectional view of a shaver of the invention, including an inset plan detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The shaver includes a body 1 and a head 2 which is slidably received on an upper end of the body (when viewed as shown) for movement generally towards and away from the body in direction A-A'.

The body 1 includes a moulded plastics housing 1 1 which contains a set of batteries 12 to operate an electric motor 13 via an on/off switch 14. The top end of the housing is provided with a pair of laterally projecting pins 15, located on opposite sides of the housing, and the upper end of the housing is further provided with opposed notch-like recesses 16.

The head 2 is conveniently a metal casting and includes a thin metal foil 21 containing numerous holes, curved to extend in an inverted-U configuration about the top face of the head 2. Inside the head 2 a cutter head 22 is slidably mounted for movement in direction B-B' substantially perpendicular to direction A-A'. The cutter head 22 has numerous cutter blades 23 which work against the inner surface of the foil 21 with a well known shearing action.

The head 2 is removably secured to the body 1 by snap engagement of the pins 15 into grooves 25 provided in the head 2 to extend generally in direction A-A'. The head 2 is thus able to move freely in direction A-A' within the limits of movement of the pins 15 in slots 25.

The motor 13 has a driven shaft 17 which projects upwardly towards the top of the housing 1 1 , where the shaft is secured to an eccentric drive head 18 (see inset detail). This drive head contains an over-depth aperture 19 to slidably receive a drive pin 26 secured to the cutter head 22. In addition, the upper end face 31 of the drive head 18 has a cam surface 32 in the form of a C-shaped double-ended ramp. This acts against a transverse abutment bar 28 secured to the head 2 and received in the recesses 16. The bar 28 acts against the cam surface 32 as a cam follower, as will shortly be described below. When the head 2 is snap-disengaged from the body 1 the drive pin 26 is withdrawn from the drive head 18 allowing the mutual separation of the head and body.

When the motor rotates the shaft 17 and head 18, the eccentric connection between the drive head 18 and pin 25 causes the cutter blades 23 to travel to-and-fro beneath the foil 21 to cut off any hairs which project through the foil. In addition, the whole of the head 2 reciprocates relative to the body 1 in direction A-A' by virtue of the cam action of the cam surface 32 against the bar 28. This oscillatory movement of the head 2 provides an improved shaving action by ensuring that the foil 21 is repeatedly moved in and out of engagement with the skin, rather like the action of a hammer drill. In addition, the movement of the head 2 has a general massaging effect on the face which tones up the skin and muscles of the face and neck. A further advantage is that a faster shave is achieved with less hand movement.

It will be appreciated that the foil 21 and blades 23 could be replaced by one or more circular cutters driven by the motor 13 to rotate about an axis which is generally parallel to the direction A-A'. In addition, the means by which the head 2 is driven in direction A-A' by the motor 13 can be achieved in a number of ways other than the cam arrangement shown.

Claims

1 . An electric dry shaver comprising a body (1 ) and a shaver head

(2) mounted on the body, the shaver head incorporating a cutter plate (21 ) and a set of cutter blades (23) mounted for movement relative to the cutter plate, the housing including a motor (13) arranged to drive the cutter blades (23) relative to the cutter plate (21 ), and the shaver head 2 being mounted for oscillatory movement relative to the body 1 , driven by the motor 13, characterised in that said oscillatory movement takes place in a direction (A-A') generally transverse to the direction of movement of the cutter blades (23) and generally towards and away from the surface of the skin in normal use.