The present invention is generally in the field of depilators and provides a depilator with a depilating head of a novel design.
A wide variety of depilatory devices in which hair is removed by clamping between plucking members displaceable between open and closed positions whereby the hair is removed by plucking. are known. Such devices are disclosed. for example, in the following U.S. Patents: 2,220,811, 2,900,661, 4,079,741. 4,279,253, 4,726,375, 5,032,126, 5,057,116, 5,116,348 and 5,234,441. Among these patents, U.S. Patent 5,116,348 (Patent now removed) is considered to be of some particular relevance.
This patent discloses a depilating apparatus including a motor rotated disk which includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced entrance slots which open both into an end face and into a cylindrical outer jacket of the depilating member. Each entrance slot includes a clamping element displaceable between an open position and a closed position whereby in the open position hair enters into an entrance slot and in the closed hair becomes clamped against a wall of the slot such that upon rotation of the disk. the clamped hair is plucked and releases as the clamping element displaces again into its open position.
Another depilator comprising a cylindrical depilating head, and a recess accomodating an elongaled hair-plucking member is known from US-A-5 702 403.
The present invention provides a depilator comprising:
The plucking member has an edge being substantially flush with the skin-engaging surface of the depilating head.
It has been realized that the extent of pain is significantly reduced during a hair plucking procedure if simultaneously while plucking the hair the skin is depressed in an opposite direction and is restrained from being pulled in the direction of the hair plucked. Therefore, in accordance with the present invention. while the plucking head revolves over a portion of the skin the skin remains depressed while the respective hair is being plucked in an opposite direction. eliminating or significantly reducing pain caused to the user thereof.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention. the revolution of the cylindrical head is manually driven by driving the head over the skin.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the revolution of the head is motor-driven.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, particularly where the head's rotation is manually driven. the head forms part of a head assembly which may be disposable and which has an attachment arrangement for attachment to a handle. e.g. a handle of a standard heretofore known manual razor device. In accordance with another embodiment. the plucking head assembly is integrally formed with or is permanently connected to a handle.
The recess in the cylindrical head, has typically generally a V-shaped cross-section, allowing for the angular reciprocation of the plucking member between the clamping phase in which it bears against the wall of the recess, and a fully open phase.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the plucking member has an axle portion situated at an innermost portion of the recess and has a radial portion extending therefrom to its edge. By one particular embodiment, said radial portion is planar. In accordance with this embodiment, the walls of the recesses are typically formed with trough-like indentation extending longitudinally-therealong. In this manner. when said plucking member bears against the peripheral portion. there is defined between it and said trough-like indention a confined space. In use. the hair is clamped, typically at a portion adjacent the skin, between the clamping portion of the plucking member and the peripheral portion of the respective wall, with the free end of the hair extending into said confined space.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the angular reciprocation of the plucking member is by means of a cam-follower mechanism. In accordance with this embodiment. the clamping member is integrally formed with or is connected to a follower assembly comprising a lateral projection, fitted into a cam groove formed in an opposite support wall of the head assembly. During rotation of the cylindrical head. by following a path defined by the groove, the projection induces the angular reciprocation of the plucking member.
Typically, each recess has an opening in at least one side wall through which the follower assembly projects. The other end may have an opening at the opposite side wall or may be closed. In accordance with a specific embodiment. the follower assembly of consecutive plucking members, projects from opposite side walls into a cam recess formed in corresponding walls of the support assembly.
In accordance with a different embodiment of the present invention, the depilating head may revolve in two directions (or in one direction) whereby it may be displaced up and down along a body surface of an individual, each time changing the direction of revolution. respectively. According to this embodiment. one or more of the at least one recess is formed with two peripheral wall portions. with a clearance formed between the clamping portions of the plucking member and each of said two peripheral wall portions; and wherein the depilating head is adapted for revolving in two directions and the plucking member is reciprocally displaceable between closed position in which it bears against one or another of said two peripheral wall portions. and open positions, respectively. depending on the direction of revolution of the depilating head.
According to one design. the plucking member has an axle portion situated at an innermost portion of the recess and has a radial portion symmetrically extending therefrom.
The recesses of the two peripheral wall portions may be formed either with trough-like indentations extending longitudinally-therealong or, may be formed by inwardly extending tangent extensions extending from a radial most portion of the peripheral wall portions.
Typically, but not exclusively. the plucking head comprises eight recesses. with corresponding eight plucking members.
The invention will now be described with reference to specific. non-limiting embodiments, shown in the annexed drawings:
Reference is first being made to Fig. 1. showing a depilator generally designated 20 with a handle 22. a depilating head assembly 24 with a support frame 26 and a revolving depilating head 28. The handle 22 and the head assembly 24 are removably connected to one another at 30, by means of a dove-tail engagement. As will be appreciated. this type of engagement is an example only, and a myriad of other engagement means may be used, e.g. all those known in the art of connecting razor blades to handles of standard manual razors. Alternatively, the support frame 26 and handle 22 may also be integrally formed.
As can better be seen in Fig. 2A, the depilating head 28 is cylindrical with a circumferential skin engaging surface 40 defined between two side walls 42 and 44 and formed with a plurality of longitudinal recesses (8 in this embodiment), which comprises alternating recesses of a first type 46 which have an opening at side wall 42 and of a second set 48 which have an opening at the other side wall 44. The depilating head 28 has an axle 50.
Each recess 46 or 48 accommodates a plucking member generally designated 54, with an axle portion 56 and a radial portion 58 terminating at an edge 60 flush with the outer face 40 of the cylindrical head 28. As can specifically be seen, for example in Fig. 2A. the axle portion 56 is accommodated within an innermost portion 64 of the recesses 46 and 48.
However, by a preferred embodiment. in order to eliminate or reduce the risk of tweezing skin, the radii of the plucking member is slightly less (in an order of about 0.1-0.2 mm) than the radii of the skin-engaging surface.
As can further be seen in Fig. 2B, the plucking member 54 can angularly rotate between an open phase, shown by a solid line. and a closed, hair clamping phase. shown by means of dashed lines.
Each of the recesses 46 and 48 has generally a V-like cross-sectional shape with a first wall 64 and a second wall 66 opposite thereto. As can further be seen, wall 64 is formed with a trough-like indention 68 extending longitudinally throughout the lengths of the first wall 64. Against this, the second wall 66 is essentially radial.
As can best be seen in Fig. 3, each plucking member has a terminal follower assembly 70 with a lateral projecting cylindrical follower 72, which engages with a cam groove 74 as will be explained below. It should be noted that in Fig. 2, the plucking members of recesses 46 have been removed for sake of illustration.
Fig. 3 shows the depilating head 28, with the plucking members of recesses 48 being partially slidably removed out of place, in order to illustrate their structure. When assembling, these are fully received within the recess. Fig. 3 further illustrates the structure of support frame 26 and as can be seen, it has two wall portions 78, each one formed at its inner face with the circumferential cam groove 74 and a bore 80 which rotatably receives axle 50 of the depilating head 28. The circumferential cam groove 74 receives lateral follower projections 72 of all the plucking members.
Some alternative embodiments of the plucking members are shown in Fig. 4. The plucking member 54 shown in Fig. 4A, which is that in the embodiment of Figs. 2 and 3, is integrally formed with a follower assembly 70 and has a simple, stationary following projections 72. The plucking member 54' shown in Fig. 4B, is also integral with the follower assembly 70'. which has a slightly different structure. and which is formed with a follower roller 84. Plucking member 54" shown in Fig. 4C is formed with an independent blade portion 59 and a follower assembly 70", which are assembled together.
Figs. 5-8 show different operational phases of the plucking head. The operational phases will be described with reference to a single plucking assembly 100 which comprises a plucking member 102, accommodated within a recess 104 having a first side wall 106 which has a trough-like indention, and a second, opposite wall 108 which is essentially radial. The plucking member 102 is angularly rotational about an axle portion 110, as described above, and is integrally formed or connected to the follower assembly with a follower projection 112 which is received within cam groove 114. In the operational state shown in Figs. 5A and 5B, plucking member 102 is in its fully opened position bearing against wall 108. The cylindrical depilating head 40 bears against skin 116 and by displacing it in direction of arrow 118, a rotational movement in the direction of arrow 120 is induced.
In the state shown in Fig. 5A, the plucking assembly 100 is in its fully opened position, whereby hair 122, projecting from the skin, protrudes into the space formed between the plucking member 102 and wall 106.
Fig 5B, as well as Figs. 6B, 7B and 8B. show the concurrent state of each of the other plucking members in the depilator head. These views are included for the purpose of illustration and will not be specifically elaborated herein.
While the plucking assembly approaches a position where it comes to lie over the skin, as a result of rotational movement dictated by the structure of the cam groove, the plucking assembly closes with plucking member 102 which has a clamping portion 126 approaches the opposite peripheral wall portion 128. At the next state. which can be seen in Fig. 7A, the plucking assembly 100 is in a fully closed position, with the peripheral portion 126 of plucking member 102 bearing tightly against the peripheral wall portion 128 thus clamping hair 122 therebetween. In this state, the plucking member 102 and wall 106 defining a confined space 130 accommodating the free end of the hair. The rotational movement causes plucking of the clamped hair as can be seen in Fig. 7A. and after further rotation, the angular displacement guided by follower groove 114 causes the opening of the plucking assembly 100 and release of the plucked hair.
It is noted that during the plucking phase. as the hair is clamped between peripheral portion 126 of plucking member 102 and the peripheral wall portion 128 of the respective recess, the skin portion is depressed by the skin-engaging surface of the depilating head whereby the plucking pain is substantially reduced since the skin is not deformed as in many other depilating arrangements, which deformation is the cause of pain.
Another embodiment of a cam-follower arrangement for angular displacement of a plucking member can be seen in Figs. 9A-9D. in states corresponding to Figs. 5-8. respectively.
Further attention is now directed to Figs. 10A through 10F illustrating a depilating head in accordance with another embodiment. In accordance with this embodiment. the depilating head generally designated 150 is essentially similar to the depilating head illustrated in previous figures. However, as it can be seen, the depilating head 150 comprises a plurality of longitudinal recesses 154 and 155 which in the present case are radially oriented and symmetrically about a radial axis.
As in the previous embodiment, depilating head 150 is formed with a circumferential skin engaging surface 156 and the recesses are alternating between a first type 154 and a second type 155, as in the previous embodiment, wherein the first type have an opening at a first side wall and the second type have an opening at the other side wall.
Each of the recesses 154 and 155 has a generally V-like cross-sectional shape symmetrical about the radial axis extending from the longitudinal axis of the depilating head 150. Each of the recesses 154 and 155 is formed with a first wall 160 and a second wall 162, each wall being formed with a cut-out portion 164 and 166, respectively. A plucking member 170 (only one seen for the sake of clarity of illustration) has an axle portion 172 received within a corresponding axle housing 174 of the recess 154 and 155, and a radial portion 176 terminating at an edge 178. Axle portion 172 of the plucking member is associated with a follower 177 engaged within a cam groove 180 (see below).
The plucking member 170 is angularly displaceable between a closed, plucking position in which it bears against one of the side walls 160 and 162 and an open state in which it is disengaged from the respective wall.
The arrangement of Fig. 10 is principally similar to the previous embodiments, the significant difference residing in that the plucking head 150 may be rotated in both directions, whereby the plucking member 170 is adapted for bearing against a respective wall 160 or 162, respectively, depending on the direction of rotation of the plucking head 150.
The cam portion 180 formed on the side walls of the plucking head may be formed as mirror images of one another whereby rotation of the plucking head in either direction entails displacing all plucking members (those received within grooves 154 and those received within grooves 155, respectively) against the same corresponding peripheral wall of the recess. However. in accordance with a different embodiment. rotation of the plucking head in either direction may entail displacement of alternating plucking members against first peripheral walls 160 of the recesses and intermediately alternating plucking members against second peripheral walls 162 of the recesses. This arrangement is possible by forming the cam patches on the side walls of the plucking head in identical position.
In Fig. 10C plucking member 170 is illustrated in a position in which it bears against a first peripheral wall 160, whilst in Fig. 10F the plucking member 170 pluckingly bears against a second peripheral wall portion 162 of a recess.
Figs. 11A and 11B illustrate a depilating head 200 which is essentially similar to the embodiment illustrated hereinabove with the addition of a plurality of friction inserts 204, typically made of a rubber material, inserted into the head and slightly extending from the skin-engaging surface 206. This arrangement increases the friction contact of the depilating head 200 with the skin surface, thus giving rise to a friction based mechanism for imparting the depilating head with rotary motion.
The extent at which the inserts 204 project from the skin-engaging surface 206 is designed so as to prevent tweezing of skin by the plucking member and the walls of the recesses of the depilating head.
In order to increase such an engagement of the depilating head in order to facilitate easier rotation by friction over the skin. at least portions of the skin-engaging portions may be coated or provided with a friction element such as different types of rubber. Such friction elements may be embedded in the skin-engaging portion or may be inserts applied to by any other way as known, per se.
It will be obvious to a person versed in the art that rotation of the depilating head in accordance with this embodiment will typically be carried out by friction displacement over the skin of an individual. However. the plucking head may also be rotated by an electric motor as known per se.