Hair cutting device with comb unit recognition

Abstract

A hair cutting device includes a hair cutting device body and an interchangeable comb unit for defining a hair length after cutting. The hair cutting device body further includes a comb interface for releasable attachment of the comb unit to the hair cutting device body, and a hair length indicator operatively coupled to the comb interface for indicating the hair length to a user. The interchangeable comb unit includes a comb identification member for identifying a hair length associated with the comb unit, and the comb interface includes a comb recognition arrangement being electrically coupled to the hair length indicator. The comb recognition arrangement is configured to sense the comb identification member when the comb unit is connected to the hair cutting device body, and to provide an electronic signal indicative of the hair length associated with the comb unit to the hair length indicator.

Claims

1. A hair cutting system comprising: a hair cutting device including a hair cutting device body having a cutting arrangement for cutting hair and a comb interface; and a plurality of different interchangeable comb units for releasable attachment of a selected comb unit to the comb interface of the hair cutting device body, the selected comb unit being one of the plurality of different interchangeable comb units, wherein each interchangeable comb unit of the plurality of different interchangeable comb units includes a comb identification member identifying a respective comb unit of the plurality of different interchangeable comb units, wherein the comb interface includes a comb recognition arrangement such that, upon attachment of the selected comb unit to the comb interface, the comb recognition arrangement is configured to detect the selected comb unit which is attached to the comb interface of the hair cutting device body to identify which of the plurality of different interchangeable comb units is the selected comb unit, and wherein the comb recognition arrangement includes two switches configured to be selectively activated depending on which of three different comb units of the plurality of different interchangeable comb units is attached to the comb interface for identifying which of the three different comb units is attached to the comb interface.

2. The hair cutting system of claim 1, wherein the comb identification member of the each interchangeable comb unit includes a mechanical structure, and the two switches of the comb recognition arrangement are configured to be selectively activated by the mechanical structure of the comb identification member.

3. The hair cutting system of claim 2, wherein the hair cutting device body includes a hair length indicator operatively coupled to the two switches for indicating to a user a hair length associated with the selected comb unit attached to the comb interface of the hair cutting device body, wherein the two switches are configured to provide an electronic signal to the hair length indicator indicative of the hair length.

4. The hair cutting system of claim 3, wherein the hair cutting device body includes an actuator, wherein the hair length indicator includes a movable circuit board movable by the actuator, the movable circuit board including a first light-source and a second light-source, and wherein the first light-source and the second light-source are selectively activated based on the electronic signal.

5. The hair cutting system of claim 1, wherein the comb identification member of the each interchangeable comb unit identifies a hair length associated the respective comb unit.

6. The hair cutting system of claim 1, wherein the two switches are selectively activated by being selectively depressed upon attachment of the selected comb unit to the comb interface.

7. A hair cutting system comprising: a hair cutting device including a hair cutting device body having a cutting arrangement for cutting hair, a comb interface having a comb recognition arrangement, and a light source; and a plurality of interchangeable comb units for releasable attachment of a selected comb unit to the comb interface of the hair cutting device body, the selected comb unit being one of the plurality of interchangeable comb units, wherein the hair cutting device body includes a hair length indicator operatively coupled to the comb interface for indicating to a user a hair length associated with the selected comb unit attached to the comb interface and identified by a comb identification member and detected by the comb recognition arrangement as being attached to the comb interface of the hair cutting device body, wherein the hair length indicator includes a movable element arranged over a fixed element, the fixed element being arranged over the light source, wherein the movable element includes a first translucent pattern and the fixed element includes a second translucent pattern.

8. The hair cutting system of claim 7, wherein the first translucent pattern includes a first arrow and a second arrow, wherein the second translucent pattern includes a scale of hair lengths, wherein a first segment of the light source is activated to illuminate the first arrow when the comb recognition arrangement detects that a first comb unit of the plurality of interchangeable comb units is attached to the comb interface identified based on the comb identification member of the first comb unit, and wherein a second segment of the light source is activated to illuminate the second arrow when the comb recognition arrangement detects that a second comb unit of the plurality of interchangeable comb units is attached to the comb interface identified based on the comb identification member of the second comb unit.

9. A hair cutting device system comprising: a hair cutting device including a hair cutting device body having a cutting arrangement for cutting hair, a comb interface, a user-controllable actuator for moving a movable carrier, and a light source arranged on the movable carrier; and a plurality of interchangeable comb units for releasable attachment of a selected comb unit to the comb interface of the hair cutting device body, wherein each interchangeable comb unit of the plurality of interchangeable comb units includes a respective comb identification member identifying the each interchangeable comb unit of the plurality of interchangeable comb units, and wherein the light source is movable to indicate a current hair length setting to a user in response to actuation of the user-controllable actuator.

10. A hair cutting system comprising: a hair cutting device including a hair cutting device body having a cutting arrangement for cutting hair, an actuator, a comb interface having a comb recognition arrangement, and a hair length indicator having a first arrow, a second arrow, a first scale and a second scale of hair lengths; and a first comb unit and second comb unit for releasable attachment one at a time to the comb interface of the hair cutting device body, wherein the actuator is configured to move one of the first comb unit and the second comb unit relative to the hair cutting device body to change a length of hair to be cut when the one of the first comb unit and the second comb unit is attached to the comb interface, wherein the comb recognition arrangement is configured to provide an electronic signal to the hair length indicator based on the one of the first comb unit and the second comb unit attached to the comb interface and recognized by the comb recognition arrangement, and wherein the actuator is configured to move the first arrow and the second arrow depending on the electronic signal, by moving the first arrow along the first scale of hair lengths when the first comb unit is recognized by the comb recognition arrangement as being attached to the comb interface, and by moving the second arrow along the second scale of hair lengths when a second comb unit is recognized by the comb recognition arrangement as being attached to the comb interface.

11. The hair cutting system of claim 10, wherein the first arrow and the second arrow are provided on a movable element of the hair length indicator, and the first scale and the second scale are provided on a stationary element of the hair length indicator.

12. The hair cutting system of claim 10, wherein the first scale and the second scale are located on different parts of the hair length indicator.

13. The hair cutting system of claim 10, wherein the first scale is located on a first part of the hair length indicator further away from the comb unit, and the second scale is located on second part of the hair length indicator closer to the comb unit than the first part.

14. The hair cutting system of claim 13, wherein the hair cutting device body includes a back-light arrangement having light sources, wherein the first part and the second part of the hair length indicator are located on the back-light arrangement lightable by the light sources, wherein the first part is lit when the first comb unit is attached to the comb interface, and wherein the second part is lit when the second comb unit is attached to the comb interface.

15. The hair cutting system of claim 14, wherein the back-light arrangement includes a partition configured to prevent leakage of light between the first part and the second part of the hair length indicator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended drawings showing currently preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary hair cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 schematically illustrates identification of a comb unit using a magnet and corresponding sensor;

(4) FIG. 3 schematically illustrates identification of a comb unit using a mechanical structure configured to selectively activate a switch in a set of switches;

(5) FIGS. 4a-c schematically illustrate a first embodiment of the hair cutting device according to the present invention, comprising first and second individually controllable light-sources arranged to illuminate a movable mask; and

(6) FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a second embodiment of the hair cutting device according to the present invention, comprising first and second individually controllable light-sources arranged on a movable carrier.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

(7) In the following description, the present invention is described with reference to a hair cutting device in which the comb unit is displaceable through mechanical coupling between the comb unit and a user-controllable actuator arranged to be directly operated by the user. It should be noted that this by no means limits the scope of the invention, which is equally applicable to other hair cutting devices in which the comb unit is displaced by a motor that is operated by the user.

(8) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary hair cutting device 1 comprising an interchangeable comb unit 2 and a hair cutting device body 3. The hair cutting device body 3 further comprises a comb interface 4 (shown in FIG. 2) for releasable attachment of the comb unit 2, a cutting arrangement 5 (shown in FIG. 2) for cutting the hair, a hair length indicator 7 for indicating the hair length after cutting, and a user-controllable actuator 8 in the form of a control wheel for allowing user control of the position of the comb unit 2 in relation to the cutting arrangement. As can be appreciated from FIG. 1, the hair length after cutting is determined by the properties of the comb unit 2 and the position of the comb unit 2 in relation to the cutting arrangement.

(9) Furthermore, although not explicitly shown in FIG. 1, the user-controllable actuator 8 is also operatively coupled to the hair length indicator 7, so that user operation of the user-controllable actuator 8 results in a changed reading on the hair length indicator 7, in addition to movement of the comb unit 2.

(10) Through the user-controllable actuator 8, the comb unit 2 can be displaced relative to the cutting arrangement by a certain distance, or stroke ΔL, which corresponds to an accessible hair length range HL defined by a minimum hair length HL.sub.min and a maximum hair length HL.sub.max, where HL.sub.max−HL.sub.min=ΔL.

(11) Clearly, to be able to access a hair length shorter than HL.sub.min or longer than HL.sub.max, the currently attached comb unit 2 should be exchanged for a comb unit having another configuration (length of teeth). According to various embodiments of the hair cutting device according to the present invention, each comb unit has a comb identification member that identifies at least one characteristic of the particular comb unit, such as HL.sub.min and/or other properties of the comb unit. When the comb unit is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, this comb identification member is sensed by a comb recognition arrangement (not shown in FIG. 1) comprised in the hair cutting device body 3.

(12) Two exemplary comb identification members and corresponding comb recognition arrangements will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

(13) In FIG. 2, the comb identification member comprises a permanent magnet 11 that is embedded in the comb unit 2. The hair cutting device body 3 comprises a comb recognition arrangement with a magnetic field sensor 10 that can sense presence and polarity of the permanent magnet 11. With the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the comb recognition arrangement can at least distinguish between a state with no comb unit and two different comb units having magnets with opposite polarities. To provide for recognition of further different comb units, the comb recognition arrangement may comprise one or several further magnetic field sensors.

(14) Turning now to FIG. 3, the comb identification member that is schematically illustrated therein comprises a mechanical structure 13 formed in the comb unit 2. The hair cutting device body 3 comprises a comb recognition arrangement with a set of two switches 14a-b. When the illustrated exemplary comb unit 2 is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, the switch 14a is activated (depressed), while the switch 14b is not activated. With the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the comb recognition arrangement can at least distinguish between a state with no comb unit and three different comb units having different mechanical structures. To provide for recognition of further different comb units, the comb recognition arrangement may comprise one or several additional switches.

(15) One way of using the signal indicative of the hair length associated with the attached comb unit, which is provided by the comb recognition arrangement, is to control a state of a stationary display arrangement comprised in the hair length indicator based on the signal. For example, the display arrangement may comprise an arrangement of light-sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or the display arrangement may be an LCD or an OLED-display or similar.

(16) Another way of using the above-mentioned signal provided by the comb recognition arrangement is to control the appearance of a moving hair length indicator based on the comb unit that is currently attached to the hair cutting device.

(17) Below, both of these ways of using the signal provided by the comb recognition arrangement will be described using illustrative exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 4a-c and FIG. 5, respectively.

(18) In FIGS. 4a-c, a hair cutting device 1 is shown in which the movement of the comb unit 2 relative to the hair cutting device body 3 is controlled using a substantially ring-shaped user-controllable actuator 8, hereinafter referred to as control ring 8. The hair length indicator 7 is arranged on the side of the hair cutting device body 3 opposite the comb unit 2, and is provided in the form of a movable mask 20 arranged in front of a light-source arrangement, here in the form of a segmented back-light arrangement 21.

(19) When the control ring 8 is turned in one direction, the comb unit 2 is pulled towards the control ring 8 and the movable mask 20 is pushed away from the control ring 8, and when the control ring 8 is turned in the opposite direction, the comb unit 2 is pushed away from the control ring 8 and the movable mask 20 is pulled towards the control ring 8.

(20) In the presently illustrated example, the hair length after cutting is illustrated using a pattern provided on the movable mask 20, and the signal provided by the comb recognition arrangement is used to selectively activate the segments comprised in the segmented back-light arrangement 21.

(21) The segmented back-light arrangement 21 comprises a first 22a and a second 22b segment that are separated by a partition 23 to prevent leakage of light between the segments 22a-b. When no comb unit 2 is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, neither segment 22a-b will light up. When a comb unit 2 for short cuts is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, the lower segment 22a will light up, and when a comb unit 2 for longer cuts is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, the upper segment 22b will light up.

(22) FIGS. 4a-c schematically illustrate what the user sees in the exemplary case when the hair indicator 7 comprises a segmented back-light arrangement 21, a movable mask 20 with two translucent arrows 24a-b provided therein, and a stationary mask 25 with a translucent scale provided therein, the movable mask 20 and the stationary mask 25 being arranged in front of the back-light arrangement 21. In FIG. 4b, the comb unit for short cuts is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, resulting in a signal from the comb recognition arrangement that activates the lower segment 22a of the back-light arrangement. As a result, the user sees the lower translucent arrow 24a indicating a hair length on the lower part of the translucent scale provided in the stationary mask 25. In FIG. 4c, the situation is shown for the case when a comb unit 2′ for a longer hair length is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, where a signal from the comb recognition arrangement activates the upper segment 22b of the back-light arrangement. As a result, the user sees the upper translucent arrow 24b indicating a hair length on the upper part of the translucent scale provided in the stationary mask 25.

(23) As an alternative to the segmented back-light arrangement 21 in FIGS. 4a-c, other types of individually controllable light-sources may be arranged behind the movable mask 20 and the stationary mask 25. For example, LEDs may be used.

(24) In FIG. 5, a hair cutting device 1 is shown in which the movement of the comb unit 2 relative to the hair cutting device body 3 is controlled using a user-controllable actuator 8 in the form of a control wheel arranged on the same side of the hair cutting device as the comb unit 2. The hair length indicator 7 is arranged on the side of the hair cutting device body 3 opposite the comb unit 2, and is provided in the form of a movable circuit board 31 having a first 32a and a second 32b LED connected thereto.

(25) The control wheel 8 controls a spindle 30 arranged inside the cover of the hair cutting device body 3. When the spindle 30 is turned in one direction, the comb unit 2 is pulled towards the control wheel 8 and the movable circuit board 31 is pushed away from the control wheel 8, and when the spindle 30 is turned in the opposite direction, the comb unit 2 is pushed away from the control wheel 8 and the movable circuit board 31 is pulled towards the control wheel 8.

(26) In the presently illustrated example, the hair length after cutting is illustrated using the position of one of the LEDs 32a-b relative to a stationary scale.

(27) As can be seen in FIG. 5, the first 32a and the second 32b LEDs are arranged on the movable circuit board 31 with a distance substantially corresponding to the stroke ΔL of the comb unit 2. When no comb unit 2 is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, neither LED 32a-b will light up. When a comb unit 2 for short cuts is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, the lower LED 32a will light up, and when a comb unit 2 for longer cuts is attached to the hair cutting device body 3, the upper LED 32b will light up.

(28) In connection with FIGS. 4a-c and FIG. 5, two exemplary ways of simultaneously controlling the position of the comb unit 2 and the hair length indicator have been described. As will be readily understood by the person skilled in the art, there are various alternatives that are well within the scope of the present invention. For example, movement of the user-controllable actuator may be translated to movement of more than one spindle. Moreover, the user-controllable actuator may be configured for linear movement rather than rotational movement, etc.

(29) The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the user-controllable actuator may be provided through any suitable user-controllable means other than those discussed above. In particular, the user-controllable actuator may comprise, or be controlled through user interaction with a mechanical slider and/or be sensitive to user proximity. In the latter case, the user-controllable actuator may comprise, or be controlled through user interaction with capacitive, optical, piezoelectric or ultrasonic means.

(30) Similarly, the interaction between the comb recognition arrangement and the comb identification member may be based on other physical properties than the mechanical and magnetic interactions exemplified in the above detailed description. For example, the interaction between the comb recognition arrangement and the comb identification member may be based on capacitive coupling, optical sensing, piezo-electric pressure sensing, sensing of heat etc.