IMPROVED HAIR-CUTTING UNIT

Abstract

 A hair-cutting unit (7) of a shaving head has a retainer (74). The retainer (74) comprises a first retaining mechanism (21), a second retaining mechanism (22A, 22B), and a third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B). In a shaving-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit (7), said three retaining mechanisms are retaining an internal cutting member (73) and an external cutting member (72) of the hair-cutting unit, and a skin-supporting member (71) of the shaving head, respectively. In a cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit (7), the third retaining mechanism has been manually released as compared to said shaving-ready assembled-condition. In a cutting-prepared assembled-condition, the second retaining mechanism has been manually released as compared to said cutting-ready assembled-condition. The invention allows users to easily and reliably disassemble and reassemble the external cutting member (72) and the internal cutting member (73) relative to one another, as well as relative to the skin-supporting member (71).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a hair-cutting unit for use in a shaving unit for skin hairs, wherein the hair-cutting unit comprises:

• an external cutting member comprising a hair-shaving surface, which is interrupted by an opening structure for allowing hairs to pass;
• an internal cutting member, which in an operation condition of the hair-cutting unit is drivable for performing cutting movements along said opening structure in the hair-shaving surface of the external cutting member, for cutting through hairs passing said opening structure; and
• a retainer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A hair-cutting unit of the type as initially identified above is for example known from Figs. 3, 4 of WO 2015/169625 A1, which show the known external cutting member 72, the known internal cutting member 73 and the known retainer 74. In WO 2015/169625 A1 from page 12, line 23 through page 13, line 2 it is described how a user can assemble and disassemble these known parts 72, 73, 74 relative to one another, as well as relative to the known skin-supporting member 71 (also shown in Figs. 3, 4 of WO 2015/169625 A1). Such assembling and disassembling is of course necessary for cleaning said parts, or for replacing one or more of said parts, when worn.

[0003] A drawback of this known hair-cutting unit known from WO 2015/169625 A1 is that many users, even when they are experienced users, have difficulty in disassembling and assembling the known parts 71, 72, 73, 74 relative to one another. When disassembling these known parts, a user needs to twist the retainer 74 relative to the skin-supporting member 71, after which the external cutting member 72 and the internal cutting member 73 will separately fall out of the known shaving head 3 (see Fig. 2 of WO 2015/169625 A1). Thereby, these cutting members 72, 73 may easily get lost. During assembling, the process has to be reversed, which appears to be a fiddly work for users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is an object of the invention to make the assembling and disassembling of hair-cutting units of the type as initially identified above easier for users.

[0005] For that purpose the invention provides a hair-cutting unit according to the appended independent claim 1. Preferable embodiments of the invention are provided by the appended dependent claims 2-11.

[0006] Hence, the invention provides a hair-cutting unit for use in a shaving unit for skin hairs, wherein the hair-cutting unit comprises:

• an external cutting member comprising a hair-shaving surface, which is interrupted by an opening structure for allowing hairs to pass;
• an internal cutting member, which in an operation condition of the hair-cutting unit is drivable for performing cutting movements along said opening structure in the hair-shaving surface of the external cutting member, for cutting through hairs passing said opening structure; and
• a retainer, which comprises a first retaining mechanism, a second retaining mechanism and a third retaining mechanism;

and wherein the retainer has:

• a first retaining condition, in which the retainer is retaining the internal cutting member by said first retaining mechanism; and
• a second retaining condition, in which the retainer is in said first retaining condition, and in which the retainer further is retaining the external cutting member by said second retaining mechanism, which can be manually released and effectuated;
  and wherein the third retaining mechanism is configured and arranged:
• to enable the retainer to be brought into a third retaining condition, in which the retainer is in said second retaining condition, and in which the retainer further is retaining a skin-supporting member of the shaving unit by said third retaining mechanism, which can be manually released and effectuated; and
• to enable the hair-cutting unit to be brought into a shaving-ready assembled-condition, in which the retainer is in said third retaining condition, while the internal cutting member is moveable relative to the external cutting member for performing said cutting movements in said operation condition of the hair-cutting unit;

and wherein the hair-cutting unit further has:

• a cutting-ready assembled-condition, in which the retainer is in its second retaining condition, but not in its third retaining condition, in such manner that the retainer is not retaining the skin-supporting member, wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said shaving-ready assembled-condition into said cutting-ready assembled-condition by manually releasing the third retaining mechanism, and wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said cutting-ready assembled-condition into said shaving-ready assembled-condition by manually effectuating the third retaining mechanism; and
• a cutting-prepared assembled-condition, in which the retainer is in its first retaining condition, but not in its second retaining condition, in such manner that the retainer is neither retaining the external cutting member, nor the skin-supporting member, wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said cutting-ready assembled-condition into said cutting-prepared assembled-condition by manually releasing the second retaining mechanism, and wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said cutting-prepared assembled-condition into said cutting-ready assembled-condition by manually effectuating the second retaining mechanism.

[0007] Hence, the hair-cutting unit according to the invention has the abovementioned shaving-ready assembled-condition, cutting-ready assembled-condition and cutting-prepared assembled-condition.

[0008] Thus, the invention allows a user to bring the hair-cutting unit from its shaving-ready assembled-condition into its cutting-ready assembled-condition by manually releasing the third retaining mechanism between the retainer and the skin-supporting member. In this cutting-ready assembled-condition, the retainer has been released from the skin-supporting member, while the external cutting member and the internal cutting member remain retained by the retainer. In other words, this allows a user to take the retainer, together with the external cutting member and the internal cutting member connected thereto, away from the skin-supporting member. This prevents the external cutting member and the internal cutting member to separately fall out of the shaving head, and to thereby get lost. Furthermore, the invention allows a user to bring the hair-cutting unit from its cutting-ready assembled-condition into its cutting-prepared assembled-condition by manually releasing the second retaining mechanism between the retainer and the external cutting member. In this cutting-prepared assembled-condition, the retainer additionally has been released from the external cutting member, while the internal cutting member remains connected to the retainer. In other words, this allows a user to take the retainer, together with the internal cutting member connected thereto, away from the external cutting member.

[0009] All together, the invention thus allows for an easy and reliable manual separation of the external cutting member and the internal cutting member from one another, as well as from the skin-supporting member.

[0010] Vice versa, the invention allows a user to bring the hair-cutting unit from its cutting-prepared assembled-condition into its cutting-ready assembled-condition by manually connecting the retainer to the external cutting member by effectuating the second retaining mechanism, and to subsequently bring the hair-cutting unit from its cutting-ready assembled-condition into its shaving-ready assembled-condition by manually connecting the retainer to the skin-supporting member by effectuating the third retaining mechanism.

[0011] All together, the invention thus further allows users to easily and reliably reassemble the external cutting member and the internal cutting member to one another, as well as to the skin-supporting member.

[0012] In a preferable embodiment of the invention the third retaining mechanism for retaining the skin-supporting member is an elastic snap connection mechanism.

[0013] In a more preferable embodiment of the last-mentioned preferable embodiment of the invention, the third retaining mechanism for retaining the skin-supporting member comprises two elastic first hand-gripping lips, wherein said two elastic first hand-gripping lips, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit and as seen relative to a central axis of the hair-cutting unit:

• are axially protruding from the retainer on a side of the retainer facing away from said hair-shaving surface;
• are arranged diametrically opposite relative to one another; and
• can be radially squeezed towards one another by and in-between two fingers of a user for said manually releasing the third retaining mechanism.

[0014] Thanks to these two elastic first hand-gripping lips of the retainer, a user can very easily release-and-take-away the retainer, together with the external cutting member and the internal cutting member connected thereto, from the skin-supporting member, by means of one combined squeezing-and-translation action performed by two fingers that are gripping the retainer at the two first hand-gripping lips. This further contributes to the easy and reliable manual separation of the external cutting member and the internal cutting member from the skin-supporting member.

[0015] In another preferable embodiment of the invention, the second retaining mechanism for retaining the external cutting member is an elastic snap connection mechanism.

[0016] In a more preferable embodiment of the last-mentioned preferable embodiment of the invention, the second retaining mechanism for retaining the external cutting member comprises two elastic second hand-gripping lips, wherein said two elastic second hand-gripping lips, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit and as seen relative to a central axis of the hair-cutting unit:

• are axially protruding from the retainer on a side of the retainer facing away from said hair-shaving surface;
• are arranged diametrically opposite relative to one another; and
• can be radially squeezed towards one another by and in-between two fingers of a user for said manually releasing the second retaining mechanism.

[0017] Thanks to these two elastic second hand-gripping lips of the retainer, a user can very easily release-and-take-away the retainer, together with the internal cutting member connected thereto, from the external cutting member, by means of one combined squeezing-and-translation action performed by two fingers that are gripping the retainer at the two second hand-gripping lips. This further contributes to the easy and reliable manual separation of the external cutting member and the internal cutting member from one another.

[0018] In another preferable embodiment of the invention, the third retaining mechanism for retaining the skin-supporting member is an elastic snap connection mechanism and comprises two elastic first hand-gripping lips of the retainer, wherein said two elastic first hand-gripping lips, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit and as seen relative to a central axis of the hair-cutting unit:

• are axially protruding from the retainer on a side of the retainer facing away from said hair-shaving surface;
• are arranged diametrically opposite relative to one another; and
• can be radially squeezed towards one another by and in-between two fingers of a user for said manually releasing the third retaining mechanism;

and wherein the second retaining mechanism for retaining the external cutting member is an elastic snap connection mechanism and comprises two elastic second hand-gripping lips of the retainer, wherein said two elastic second hand-gripping lips, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit and as seen relative to said central axis of the hair-cutting unit:

• are axially protruding from the retainer on said side of the retainer facing away from said hair-shaving surface;
• are arranged diametrically opposite relative to one another; and
• can be radially squeezed towards one another by and in-between two fingers of a user for said manually releasing the second retaining mechanism;

and wherein, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit and as seen relative to said central axis of the hair-cutting unit, the circumferential positions of the two diametrically opposed elastic first hand-gripping lips are different from the circumferential positions of the two diametrically opposed elastic second hand-gripping lips.

[0019] In a more preferable embodiment of the last-mentioned preferable embodiment of the invention, said circumferential positions of the two diametrically opposed elastic first hand-gripping lips differ by 90 degrees from said circumferential positions of the two diametrically opposed elastic second hand-gripping lips, respectively.

[0020] Said 90 degrees' difference of the circumferential positions between the first and second hand-gripping lips further contributes to the easy and reliable manual separation of the external cutting member and the internal cutting member from one another, as well as from the skin-supporting member.

[0021] In another preferable embodiment of the invention:

• the first retaining mechanism for retaining the internal cutting member can be manually released and effectuated; and
• the hair-cutting unit further has a fully-disassembled-retainer condition, in which the retainer is not in its first retaining condition, in such manner that the retainer is neither retaining the internal cutting member, nor the external cutting member, nor the skin-supporting member, wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said cutting-prepared assembled-condition into said fully-disassembled-retainer condition by manually releasing said first retaining mechanism, and wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said fully-disassembled-retainer condition into said cutting-prepared assembled-condition by manually effectuating the first retaining mechanism.

[0022] This allows a user to easily replace the internal cutting member, without needing to also replace the retainer. It also allows a user to easily replace the retainer, without needing to also replace the internal cutting member.

[0023] The invention may further be embodied in a shaving unit for skin hairs, comprising:

• a hair-cutting unit according to any one of the abovementioned embodiments of the invention; and
• a skin-supporting member, which comprises a skin-supporting surface;

wherein, in said third retaining condition of the retainer of the hair-cutting unit, the retainer is retaining the skin-supporting member by said third retaining mechanism of the retainer; and
wherein, in said shaving-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit, the shaving unit has a skin-contacting surface for contacting skin during a shaving action, said skin-contacting surface comprising the hair-shaving surface of the external cutting member and the skin-supporting surface of the skin-supporting member, wherein the skin-supporting surface at least partly surrounds the hair-shaving surface.

[0024] The invention may further be embodied in a shaving head for use in a shaving device for skin hairs, wherein the shaving head comprises a shaving head main body and at least two shaving units according to the last-mentioned embodiment of the invention.

[0025] The invention may further be embodied in a shaving device for skin hairs, comprising:

• a shaving device main body, which is intended to be taken hold of by a user of the shaving device, and which serves for accommodating various members of the shaving device; and
• a shaving head according to the last-mentioned embodiment of the invention, wherein the shaving head is connected or connectable to the shaving device main body for operation of the shaving device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The abovementioned aspects and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter by way of non-limiting examples only and with reference to the schematic figures in the enclosed drawing.

Fig. 1 shows, in a perspective view, an example of a shaving device according to the invention, wherein the shaving device comprises an example of an embodiment of a shaving head according to the invention.

Fig. 2 separately shows, in a perspective view, the shaving head of Fig. 1 again, however, this time in an opened condition of the shaving head.

Fig. 3 separately shows one of the three identical shaving units of the shaving head of Fig. 2, wherein the upper part of Fig. 3 is a partly-exploded view of a hair-cutting unit according to the invention, while the lower part of Fig. 3 is a skin-supporting member.

Fig. 4 shows the situation of Fig. 3 again, however, this time in a different perspective view.

Fig. 5A shows the hair-cutting unit of Figs. 3 and 4 again, however, this time in the shaving-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit and in a transverse cross-sectional view taken along a plane, which contains the central axis of the hair-cutting unit and which intersects the two first hand-gripping lips of the retainer of the hair-cutting unit, wherein said transverse cross-sectional view is partly a ghost view.

Fig. 5B shows the situation of Fig. 5A again, however, wherein this time a user has brought the hair-cutting unit in its cutting-ready assembled-condition.

Fig. 6A shows the hair-cutting unit of Figs. 3 and 4 again, however, this time in its cutting-ready assembled-condition and in a transverse cross-sectional view taken along a plane, which contains the central axis of the hair-cutting unit and which intersects the two second hand-gripping lips of the retainer of the hair-cutting unit, wherein said transverse cross-sectional view is partly a ghost view.

Fig. 6B shows the situation of Fig. 6A again, however, wherein this time a user has brought the hair-cutting unit in its cutting-prepared assembled-condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The shaving device with its shaving head as shown in Figs. 1 through 6B has all the features of all of the abovementioned main and preferable embodiments of the invention.

[0028] The reference signs used in Figs. 1 through 6B are referring to the abovementioned parts and aspects of the invention, as well as to related parts and aspects, in the following manner.

1

shaving device

2

shaving device main body

3

shaving head

4A, 4B

parts of shaving head main body

6

driving shaft

7

hair-cutting unit

8

shaving unit

10

central axis

21

first retaining mechanism

22

flange of external cutting member

22A

snap connection portion of second retaining mechanism

22B

second hand-gripping lip of second retaining mechanism

23

flange of skin-supporting member

23A

snap connection portion of third retaining mechanism

23B

first hand-gripping lip of third retaining mechanism

71

skin-supporting member

72

external cutting member

73

internal cutting member

74

retainer

81

skin-supporting surface

82

hair-shaving surface

[0029] Based on the above introductory description, including the brief description of the drawing figures, and based on the above-explained reference signs used in the drawing, the shown examples of Figs. 1 through 6B are for the greatest part readily self-explanatory. The following extra explanations are given.

[0030] Fig. 1 shows the shaving device 1, which comprises the shaving device main body 2 and the shaving head 3, wherein the shaving head 3 has the three identical shaving units 8. In the shown example, these shaving units 8 are of the rotary type.

[0031] Fig. 2 separately shows the shaving head 3 when opened by having been taken apart into the shown upper and lower parts. The upper part has a frame 4B to which the three shaving units 8 are connected. In the shown situation each hair-cutting unit 7 of each corresponding shaving unit 8 is in its shaving-ready assembled-condition. The lower part 4A of the shaving head 3 has the three driving shafts 6 for driving the three internal cutting members 73 of the three hair-cutting units 7, respectively. The lower part 4A and the frame 4B of the upper part jointly constitute the shaving head main body, which carries the three shaving units 8.

[0032] The views of Figs. 3-4 are exploded views of the shaving unit 8 to the extent that the hair-cutting unit 7 of the shaving unit 8 is shown in its cutting-prepared assembled-condition. That is, in the situation of Figs. 3-4 the retainer 74 and the internal cutting member 73 are not mutually disassembled. Instead, the retainer 74 is in its first retaining condition, in which the retainer 74 is retaining the internal cutting member 73.

[0033] Figs. 3-4 show the two diametrically opposed elastic first hand-gripping lips 23B and the two diametrically opposed elastic second hand-gripping lips 22B of the retainer 74. It is seen that the circumferential positions (around the central axis 10) of the two diametrically opposed first hand-gripping lips 23B differ by 90 degrees from the circumferential positions of the two second hand-gripping lips 22B, respectively.

[0034] As mentioned, Fig. 5A shows the hair-cutting unit 7 of the shaving unit 8 in its shaving-ready assembled-condition and in a cross-sectional plane that intersects the two diametrically opposed first hand-gripping lips 23B of the retainer 74. In this respect it is noted that in Fig. 5A a second hand-gripping lip 22B is shown merely in ghost view. In Fig. 5A it is seen that the third retaining mechanism comprises the snap connection portions 23A of the retainer 74 for snap connection to the shown flange 23 of the skin-supporting member 71.

[0035] Fig. 5B illustrates that a user can release-and-take-away the retainer 74, together with the external cutting member 72 and the internal cutting member 73, both connected thereto, from the skin-supporting member 71. This can be achieved very easily by means of one combined squeezing-and-translation action performed by two fingers that are gripping the retainer 74 at the two first hand-gripping lips 23B. The result is that Fig. 5B shows the hair-cutting unit 7 in its cutting-ready assembled-condition.

[0036] As mentioned, Fig. 6A separately shows the hair-cutting unit 7 again in its cutting-ready assembled-condition. However, Fig. 6A shows another cross-sectional plane than that of Figs. 5A-5B. That is, Fig. 6A shows a cross-sectional plane that intersects the two diametrically opposed second hand-gripping lips 22B of the retainer 74. Hence, the plane of Fig. 6A does not intersect the first hand-gripping lips 23B. In this respect it is noted that in Fig. 6A a first hand-gripping lip 22B is shown merely in ghost view. In Fig. 6A it is seen that the second retaining mechanism comprises the snap connection portions 22A of the retainer 74 for snap connection to the shown flange 22 of the external cutting member 72.

[0037] Fig. 6B illustrates that a user can release-and-take-away the retainer 74, together with the internal cutting member 73 connected thereto, from the external cutting member 72. This can be achieved very easily by means of one combined squeezing-and-translation action performed by two fingers that are gripping the retainer 74 at the two second hand-gripping lips 22B. The result is that Fig. 6B shows the hair-cutting unit 7 in its cutting-prepared assembled-condition.

[0038] It is noted that Figs. 1 through 6B do not depict the fully-disassembled-retainer condition of the hair-cutting unit 7, in which the internal cutting member 73 would be disassembled from the retainer 74. In this respect it is noted that Fig. 4 shows the three protrusions 21 of the internal cutting member 73, which are functioning as the first retaining mechanism to retain the retainer 74 and the internal cutting member 73 together. It is seen in Fig. 4 that the three protrusions 21 are equally spaced in circumferential direction around the central axis 10. It is further noted that in the first retaining condition the internal cutting member 73 is retained relative to the retainer 74 in a rotatable manner around the central axis 10. For manually releasing and effectuating the first retaining mechanism 21, the first retaining mechanism may for example be embodied as an elastic snap connection mechanism, more or less similarly to the elastic snap connection mechanisms of the second retaining mechanism 22A-22B and of the third retaining mechanism 23A-23B. However, a different design option is that the first retaining mechanism is not designed to be manually releasable.

[0039] While the invention has been described and illustrated in detail in the foregoing description and in the drawing figures, such description and illustration are to be considered exemplary and/or illustrative and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

[0040] Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. For the purpose of clarity and a concise description, features are disclosed herein as part of the same or separate embodiments, however, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having combinations of all or some of the features disclosed. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A hair-cutting unit (7) for use in a shaving unit for skin hairs, wherein the hair-cutting unit (7) comprises:

- an external cutting member (72) comprising a hair-shaving surface (82), which is interrupted by an opening structure for allowing hairs to pass;

- an internal cutting member (73), which in an operation condition of the hair-cutting unit (7) is drivable for performing cutting movements along said opening structure in the hair-shaving surface of the external cutting member, for cutting through hairs passing said opening structure; and

- a retainer (74), which comprises a first retaining mechanism (21), a second retaining mechanism (22A, 22B) and a third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B);

and wherein the retainer (74) has:

- a first retaining condition, in which the retainer is retaining the internal cutting member (73) by said first retaining mechanism (21); and

- a second retaining condition, in which the retainer is in said first retaining condition, and in which the retainer further is retaining the external cutting member (72) by said second retaining mechanism (22A, 22B), which can be manually released and effectuated;

and wherein the third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B) is configured and arranged:

- to enable the retainer (74) to be brought into a third retaining condition, in which the retainer is in said second retaining condition, and in which the retainer further is retaining a skin-supporting member (71) of the shaving unit by said third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B), which can be manually released and effectuated; and

- to enable the hair-cutting unit (7) to be brought into a shaving-ready assembled-condition, in which the retainer (74) is in said third retaining condition, while the internal cutting member (73) is moveable relative to the external cutting member (72) for performing said cutting movements in said operation condition of the hair-cutting unit (7);

and wherein the hair-cutting unit (7) further has:

- a cutting-ready assembled-condition, in which the retainer (74) is in its second retaining condition, but not in its third retaining condition, in such manner that the retainer is not retaining the skin-supporting member (71), wherein the hair-cutting unit (7) can be brought from said shaving-ready assembled-condition into said cutting-ready assembled-condition by manually releasing the third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B), and wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said cutting-ready assembled-condition into said shaving-ready assembled-condition by manually effectuating the third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B); and

- a cutting-prepared assembled-condition, in which the retainer (74) is in its first retaining condition, but not in its second retaining condition, in such manner that the retainer is neither retaining the external cutting member (72), nor the skin-supporting member (71), wherein the hair-cutting unit (7) can be brought from said cutting-ready assembled-condition into said cutting-prepared assembled-condition by manually releasing the second retaining mechanism (22A, 22B), and wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said cutting-prepared assembled-condition into said cutting-ready assembled-condition by manually effectuating the second retaining mechanism (22A, 22B).

2. A hair-cutting unit (7) according to claim 1, wherein the third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B) for retaining the skin-supporting member (71) is an elastic snap connection mechanism.

3. A hair-cutting unit (7) according to claim 2, wherein the third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B) for retaining the skin-supporting member (71) comprises two elastic first hand-gripping lips (23B), wherein said two elastic first hand-gripping lips, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit (7) and as seen relative to a central axis (10) of the hair-cutting unit:

- are axially protruding from the retainer on a side of the retainer facing away from said hair-shaving surface (82);

- are arranged diametrically opposite relative to one another; and

- can be radially squeezed towards one another by and in-between two fingers of a user for said manually releasing the third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B).

4. A hair-cutting unit (7) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second retaining mechanism (22A, 22B) for retaining the external cutting member (72) is an elastic snap connection mechanism.

5. A hair-cutting unit (7) according to claim 4, wherein the second retaining mechanism (22A, 22B) for retaining the external cutting member (72) comprises two elastic second hand-gripping lips (22B), wherein said two elastic second hand-gripping lips, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit (7) and as seen relative to a central axis (10) of the hair-cutting unit:

- are axially protruding from the retainer on a side of the retainer facing away from said hair-shaving surface (82);

- are arranged diametrically opposite relative to one another; and

- can be radially squeezed towards one another by and in-between two fingers of a user for said manually releasing the second retaining mechanism (22A, 22B).

6. A hair-cutting unit (7) according to claim 1,
wherein the third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B) for retaining the skin-supporting member (71) is an elastic snap connection mechanism and comprises two elastic first hand-gripping lips (23B) of the retainer, wherein said two elastic first hand-gripping lips, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit and as seen relative to a central axis of the hair-cutting unit:

- are axially protruding from the retainer on a side of the retainer facing away from said hair-shaving surface (82);

- are arranged diametrically opposite relative to one another; and

- can be radially squeezed towards one another by and in-between two fingers of a user for said manually releasing the third retaining mechanism;

and wherein the second retaining mechanism (22A, 22B) for retaining the external cutting member (72) is an elastic snap connection mechanism and comprises two elastic second hand-gripping lips of the retainer, wherein said two elastic second hand-gripping lips, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit and as seen relative to said central axis of the hair-cutting unit:

- are axially protruding from the retainer on said side of the retainer facing away from said hair-shaving surface (82);

- are arranged diametrically opposite relative to one another; and

- can be radially squeezed towards one another by and in-between two fingers of a user for said manually releasing the second retaining mechanism;

and wherein, as seen in said cutting-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit and as seen relative to said central axis of the hair-cutting unit, the circumferential positions of the two diametrically opposed elastic first hand-gripping lips (23B) are different from the circumferential positions of the two diametrically opposed elastic second hand-gripping lips (22B).

7. A hair-cutting unit (7) according to claim 6, wherein said circumferential positions of the two diametrically opposed elastic first hand-gripping lips (23B) differ by 90 degrees from said circumferential positions of the two diametrically opposed elastic second hand-gripping lips (22B), respectively.

8. A hair-cutting unit (7) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein:

- the first retaining mechanism (21) for retaining the internal cutting member (73) can be manually released and effectuated; and

- the hair-cutting unit (7) further has a fully-disassembled-retainer condition, in which the retainer (74) is not in its first retaining condition, in such manner that the retainer is neither retaining the internal cutting member (73), nor the external cutting member (72), nor the skin-supporting member (71), wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said cutting-prepared assembled-condition into said fully-disassembled-retainer condition by manually releasing said first retaining mechanism (21), and wherein the hair-cutting unit can be brought from said fully-disassembled-retainer condition into said cutting-prepared assembled-condition by manually effectuating the first retaining mechanism (21).

9. A shaving unit (8) for skin hairs, comprising:

- a hair-cutting unit (7) according to any one of the preceding claims; and

- a skin-supporting member (71), which comprises a skin-supporting surface (81);

wherein, in said third retaining condition of the retainer (74) of the hair-cutting unit (7), the retainer (74) is retaining the skin-supporting member (71) by said third retaining mechanism (23A, 23B) of the retainer (74); and
wherein, in said shaving-ready assembled-condition of the hair-cutting unit (7), the shaving unit (8) has a skin-contacting surface (81, 82) for contacting skin during a shaving action, said skin-contacting surface comprising the hair-shaving surface (82) of the external cutting member (72) and the skin-supporting surface (81) of the skin-supporting member (71), wherein the skin-supporting surface (81) at least partly surrounds the hair-shaving surface (82).

10. A shaving head (3) for use in a shaving device (1) for skin hairs, wherein the shaving head (3) comprises a shaving head main body (4A, 4B) and at least two shaving units (8) according to claim 9.

11. A shaving device (1) for skin hairs, comprising:

- a shaving device main body (2), which is intended to be taken hold of by a user of the shaving device (1), and which serves for accommodating various members of the shaving device; and

- a shaving head (3) according to claim 10, wherein the shaving head is connected or connectable to the shaving device main body (2) for operation of the shaving device.

Drawing