Rotary shaver having a disc-shaped element

Abstract

A rotary shaver 1 comprises at least an external cutting element 7 and a disc-shaped element 10. The disc-shaped element covers at least part of the external cutting element. The external cutting element is at least provided with a passage 11. The disc-shaped element is at least provided with a pen 17 having a length, which pen is press-fitted in the passage. Between a wall 22 of the passage and the pen at least one vent 21 extends at least along the length of the pen. The pen is provided with at least three ribs 19 extending parallel to a central axis of the pen, wherein the at least one vent is located between adjacent ribs and the wall of the passage.

Claims

1. A rotary shaver, comprising: an external cutting element including a passage; and a disc-shaped element covering at least part of the external cutting element, wherein the disc-shaped element includes a pen having a length, wherein the pen includes at least three ribs longitudinally extending parallel to the length of the pen, and wherein the at least three ribs are press-fitted in the passage to form at least three vents, wherein each vent is formed by a different area of the wall of the passage and a different pair of adjacent ribs.

2. A rotary shaver according to claim 1, wherein the at least three ribs extend radially with respect to the central axis of the pen.

3. A rotary shaver according to claim 1, wherein the disc-shaped element is made of plastic.

4. A rotary shaver according to claim 1, further comprising: a raised ring-shaped rim extending between a side surface of the external cutting element facing the disc-shaped element and a side surface of the disc-shaped element facing the external cutting element; and wherein the raised ring-shaped rim has a height (H) of at least 0.1 millimetre in a direction parallel to the length of the pen and a width (W) of less than 0.35 millimetre in a direction perpendicular to the length of the pen.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The rotary shaver according to the invention will be further explained with reference to the drawings, wherein,

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of a rotary shaver according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the rotary shaver as shown in FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section of the rotary shaver as shown in FIG. 1,

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of an external cutting element and a disc-shaped element of the rotary shaver as shown in FIG. 1,

(6) FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross section of a first embodiment of a pen of the disc-shaped element as shown in FIG. 4,

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective exploded view of a passage of the external cutting element and the pen of the disc-shaped element of the rotary shaver as shown in FIG. 5,

(8) FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross section of a second embodiment of a pen of the disc-shaped element as shown in FIG. 4.

(9) In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(10) FIGS. 1 and 2 show a rotary shaver 1 according to the invention. The shaver 1 comprises a main housing 2, which is suitable to be held by a user of the shaver. The shaver 1 further comprises a hair-cutting module 3, which is suitable to contact an area of skin having hairs to be shaved off and which can suitably be moved with respect to this area. The hair-cutting module 3 is connected to the main housing 2 through a central shaft member 4, wherein the connection of the hair-cutting module 3 to the main housing 2 may be detachable. Cross-sectional dimensions of the central shaft member 4 are considerably smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of the hair-cutting module 3, and the hair-cutting module 3 is positioned at a certain distance from a top portion 5 of the main housing 2. Consequently, the connection between the main housing 2 and the hair-cutting module 3 has a slim appearance, wherein the hair-cutting module 3 has an elevated position with respect to the main housing 2. Due to this, when a user performs a shaving action by using the shaver 1, he may have a clear side view of the hair-cutting module 3.

(11) The hair-cutting module 3 comprises three cutting units 6, which are arranged in a triangle formation. Within the scope of the present invention, the number of cutting units 6 may also be two or more than three. For the sake of completeness, it is noted that each of the cutting units 6 may be movably arranged to a certain extent, so as to facilitate each of them in following a contour of an area of skin to be shaved. For example, the cutting units 6 may be pivotable to a limited extent with respect to the central shaft member 4. Each cutting unit 6 comprises a metal external cutting element 7 which is arranged at a top side of the cutting unit 6, and which has a plurality of openings 8 for letting through hairs to be shaved off. The metal external cutting element 7 is pivotably connected to a base portion 9 of the cutting unit 6. Right underneath the external cutting element 7, on the inside of the cutting unit 6, a metal internal cutting element (not visible) is rotatably arranged. During operation, a central portion of the internal cutting element is pressed against the metal external cutting element 7 under spring force.

(12) The internal cutting elements of the cutting unit 6 are driven, via gear wheels, by a main driving axle extending from a motor in the main housing 2 through the central shaft member 4 into the hair-cutting module 3.

(13) The shaver 1 described so far is known from WO2011055323A1 and WO200810139A1, in the name of the current applicant.

(14) The external cutting elements 7 of the cutting unit 6 are provided with plastic disc-shaped elements or caps 10, which have a decorative function.

(15) FIGS. 3 and 4 are a schematic cross section and a perspective exploded view, respectively, of the shaver 1, showing the metal external cutting element 7 and the plastic disc-shaped cap 10. The external cutting element 7 is provided with a centrally located cylindrical passage 11 extending along an axis 12. The axis 12 is coaxial with an axis of rotation of the internal cutting member. The external cutting element 7 comprises a central cylindrical bearing member for supporting the internal cutting element radially with respect to the axis 12. An internal chamber of said central bearing member constitutes the passage 11. The bearing member is not shown in detail in the figures, but is a well-known and common element of an external cutting element of rotary-type electric shavers. The axis 12 extends perpendicularly to a main external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7. The disc-shaped cap 10 comprises a disc-shaped covering member 14 as well as a continuous uninterrupted (endless) ring-shaped rim 15 extending symmetrically about the axis 12.

(16) The rim 15 is located near a circumferential edge 16 of the disc-shaped covering member 14. The rim 15 extends from a side surface of the disc-shaped covering element 14 facing the external cutting element 7 towards the main external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7 facing the disc-shaped cap 10. The rim 15 has a width W in a direction radial to the axis 12 of less than 0.35 millimetre, preferably as small as possible. The rim 15 has a height H in a direction parallel to the axis 12 of at least 0.1 millimetre. Due to the rim 15, the cylindrical disc-shaped covering member 14 is kept at a distance H from the main external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7.

(17) Due to the dimensions of the width W of the rim 15 and the distance H between the cylindrical disc-shaped covering member 14 of the disc-shaped cap 10 and the main external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7, crevice corrosion between the disc-shaped cap 10 and the main external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7 is prevented.

(18) At the axis 12, the disc-shaped cap 10 is provided with a pen 17 extending perpendicularly to the cylindrical disc-shaped covering member 14. The pen 17 is press-fitted in the passage 11 of the external cutting element 7 to connect the disc-shaped cap 10 to the external cutting element 7.

(19) FIGS. 5 and 6 are, respectively, an enlarged cross section of a first embodiment of the pen 17 of the disc-shaped cap 10 and a perspective exploded view of the passage 11 of the external cutting element 7 and the pen 17 of the disc-shaped cap 10.

(20) The pen 17 comprises a central rod 18 with a diameter 2*R1 between 1 and 2 millimetre, for example 1.1 millimetre.

(21) The pen 17 comprises three ribs 19 extending in axial direction parallel to the central axis 12. Each rib 19 extends in radial direction to a radius R2 between 1 and 1.5 millimetre, for example 1.2 millimetre, a width WR between 0.3 and 0.6 millimetre, for example 0.5 millimetre and a height in axial direction between 1 and 3 millimetre, for example 1.5 millimetre. The height of the ribs 19 corresponds to the length of the pen 17.

(22) The ribs 19 are regularly distributed over the circumference of the central rod 18 at an angle of 120 degrees between the ribs 19. Between each two adjacent ribs 19 an axially extending vent 20 is located, which vents 20 extend lengthwise along the pen 17 over the full length of the pen 17. Through the vents 20 air can flow through the passage 11 along the full length of the pen 17.

(23) As can best be seen in FIG. 6, ends 21 of the ribs 19 are located against the wall 22 of the passage 11, whereby a press-fit connection is formed between the pen 17 and the wall 22 of the passage 11. This press-fit connection is achieved by means of a diameter 2*R3 of the passage 11 that is slightly smaller than the diameter 2*R2 of the pen 17 before the pen 17 is inserted into the passage 11, whereby the pen 17 and/or the wall 22 of the passage 11 are elastically deformed during the insertion of the pen 17 into the passage 11. Due to the elastic deformation, the ends 21 of the ribs 19 are pressed against the wall 22 of the passage 11.

(24) In FIG. 3, a large gap 25 is shown between the external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7 and the disc-shaped covering member 14. The gap 25 has a gap height which is equal to the height H of the ring-shaped rim 15.

(25) In FIG. 3, a small gap 23 is shown between the external surface 13 of the external cutting element 7 and the external surface 24 of the rim 15. The gap 23 is designed to be 0 millimetre, but in reality there will be a small gap of less than 0.1 millimetre, created due to surface unevenness and flexure of the main body 14 after the pen 17 has been pressed in. Such a small gap 23 might create crevice corrosion but the effect of the corrosion will be very small because of the endless ring-shaped rim 15.

(26) FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross section of a second embodiment of the pen 117 of the disc-shaped cap 10. The pen 117 comprises a central rod 18 with a diameter 2*R1 between 1 and 2 millimetre, for example 1.1 millimetre.

(27) The pen 117 comprises six ribs 119 extending in axial direction parallel to the central axis 12. Each rib 119 extends to a radius R2 between 1 and 1.5 millimetre, for example 1.2 millimetre, a width WR between 0.3 and 0.6 millimetre, for example 0.3 millimetre and a height in axial direction between 1 and 3 millimetre, for example 1.5 millimetre. The height of the ribs 119 corresponds to the length of the pen 117.

(28) By applying more ribs 119, the forces on the wall 22 of the passage 11 are more uniformly distributed.

(29) The ribs 119 are regularly distributed over the circumference of the central rod 18 at an angle of 60 degrees between the ribs 119. Between each two adjacent ribs 119 an axially extending vent 120 is located, which vents 120 extend lengthwise along the pen 117 over the full length of the pen 117. Through the vents 120 air can flow through the passage 11 along the full length of the pen 117.

(30) The cylindrical main body 14 of the disc-shaped cap 10 can have a diameter between 5 and 15 millimetre, for example 10 millimetre, and can have a thickness between 0.3 and 1 millimetre, for example 0.6 millimetre.

(31) The person skilled in the art will realize that the present invention is by no means limited to the preferred embodiments. 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.

(32) 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. 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.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(33) 1 shaver 2 main housing 3 hair-cutting module 4 central shaft member 5 top portion 6 cutting unit 7 external cutting element 8 opening 9 base portion 10 disc-shaped cap 11 cylindrical passage 12 axis 13 external surface 14 disc-shaped covering member 15 ring-shaped rim 16 circumferential edge 17 pen 18 central rod 19 rib 20 vent 21 end 22 wall 23 gap 24 external surface 25 gap 117 pen 119 rib 120 vent H height H distance W width WR width 2*R1 diameter R2 radius 2*R3 diameter