Personal care device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a personal care device, in particular a hair removal device such as an electric shaver, which personal care device comprises a working head for effecting a personal care treatment on a body surface, a handle for manually moving the working head along the body surface, and an adjustment device for adjusting the mechanical setting and / or mechanical function of the working head and / or its parts, wherein a risk determination device is provided for determining a danger for the personal care device, and wherein the adjustment device is configured to adjust the working head and / or its parts to a safe harbor mechanical setting and / or safe harbor mechanical function in response to a danger signal from the danger determination device.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a personal care device, in particular a hair removal device such as an electric razor, which personal care device comprises a working head for performing a personal care treatment on a body surface, a handle for moving the working head along the body surface, and an adjustment device for adjusting the mechanical settings and / or mechanical functions of the working head and / or its parts. Background Art

[0002] Personal care devices are widely used to apply different types of personal care treatments to users, where such personal care devices may include hair removal devices such as depilators, razors or shavers, which may be electric or manual and / or wet or dry, or beard trimmers. In addition, other personal care devices with such working heads include dental care appliances such as electric or manual toothbrushes, interdental cleaners or gum massagers, or skin treatment devices such as massagers or vibrators.

[0003] In order to improve the efficiency and working results of personal care treatments, the working head and / or its parts, such as cutting tools, shaving blades or blade holders, may be movably supported relative to the handle and / or relative to other components of the working head in order to allow better adaptation to the skin contour. For example, the entire working head may pivot and / or rotate and / or turn relative to the handle about / along various axes. It has also been proposed to allow additional pivoting and / or rotating and / or turning movements of the cutter holders relative to each other and / or relative to the working head frame in order to further enhance contour adaptation. Similar mobility is known for other personal care devices.

[0004] Depending on the user's personal preferences and depending on the working / operating scenario, it may be desirable to modify the mechanical settings and / or mechanical functions of the working head, such as limiting the pivot / rotation range or increasing / decreasing the stiffness. For example, the prior art reference EP 3546 153 A1 discloses an electric razor having a plurality of sensors for detecting the user's behavior in order to distinguish natural behavior from unnatural behavior, where in response to such detection of the user's behavior, the mechanical settings of the working head are adjusted to better match the operating behavior of the razor to the user's preferences.

[0005] Such adjustment of the mechanical settings in response to the detected user pattern of course helps to improve the working results, but may be detrimental to other objectives such as the safety, wear and tear of the personal care device or energy efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved personal care device that avoids at least one drawback of the prior art and / or further develops existing solutions.

[0007] A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved personal care device having increased resilience and an extended life cycle.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is the improved durability of structural components of the personal care device, such as the working head or the drive unit or other mechanical actuation units.

[0009] To achieve at least one of the foregoing objects, it is proposed to use the adjustability of the mechanical setup and / or mechanical function of the working head and its parts not only for adjusting the working process to user preferences and user behavior, but also following the needs of the personal care device when adjusting such mechanical setup and / or mechanical function. More specifically, the mechanical setup and / or mechanical function and / or electronic or motor setup of the working head and / or its parts are modified to protect the personal care device from damage and / or premature wear and tear.

[0010] According to one aspect, the personal care device may include a hazard determination device for determining a hazard to the personal care device, wherein the adjustment device may be configured to adjust the working head and / or its parts to a safe mechanical setup and / or safe mechanical function in response to a hazard signal from the hazard determination device. When a hazardous situation is determined, the adjustment device is automatically activated and / or deactivated and / or controlled to achieve a protective configuration of the mechanical setup and / or mechanical function of the working head.

[0011] For example, the hazard determination device may include a fall or free fall determination module for determining that the personal care device has fallen or is in free fall onto the floor or other surface, where the personal care device is likely to be damaged upon impact with the floor or other surface.

[0012] In addition or alternatively, the hazard determination device may be configured to emit a hazard signal when the personal care device is subjected to an abnormally high or low temperature and / or when one of the components of the personal care device becomes abnormally hot and / or cold.

[0013] These and other advantages become more apparent from the following description of the reference drawings and possible examples. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 : Side view of a personal care device in the aspect of an electric shaver, the electric shaver including a handle and a razor head pivotally connected to the handle, wherein the allowed pivot or rotation range of the razor head can be adjusted and limited accordingly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] According to one aspect, the adjustability of the mechanical setup and / or mechanical function of the working head and / or its parts is used to protect the working head and / or the entire personal care device from hazardous scenarios, and to protect the personal care device from damage due to external impacts and / or operational hazards. The personal care device may include a hazard determination device configured to determine a hazard to the personal care device, wherein the adjustment device may be configured to adjust the working head and / or its parts to a safe mechanical setup and / or safe mechanical function in response to a hazard signal from the hazard determination device, the hazard signal indicating a scenario that poses a risk to the integrity and / or structural integrity of the device. When a hazardous situation is determined, the adjustment device automatically enters a protection configuration, and the working head is automatically adjusted to a protected mechanical setup and / or protected mechanical function to protect the working head and / or a part of the personal care device from damage.

[0016] To bring the working head into such protected mechanical setups and / or functions, the adjustment device may be activated or deactivated and / or controlled in a specific manner depending on its structure and function. For example, when the adjustment device is configured to provide a protected mechanical setup for its non-operating state, the adjustment device may be deactivated in response to a hazard signal. Such deactivation may be achieved during the use of the personal care device, i.e., when the personal care device is turned on, and / or even though the user may dismiss a request for a different setup in response to a hazard signal. On the other hand, when the adjustment device needs to be powered on to provide a protection setup, the adjustment device may be activated. More generally, the adjustment device is controlled to provide a protection setup and / or protection function upon receipt of a hazard signal from the hazard determination device.

[0017] The adjustment device may adjust at least one operating parameter of the personal care device and / or its settings may be changed to provide a protected mechanical setup and / or mechanical function in response to a hazard signal. Such mechanical setups or functions may include the mobility of the working head relative to the handle and / or the mobility of the parts of the working head relative to the base parts of the working head or other elements of the working head. In addition or alternatively, the mechanical setups and / or functions to be affected by the adjustment device may include operating one or more working tools (such as a long hair cutter or a short hair cutter or a combination thereof) and / or the position of the working tool relative to other tools, and / or operating a lubricant applicator for applying lubricant to the body part to be treated.

[0018] More specifically, a personal care device may have a pivotable suspension of its working head to allow the working head to pivot and / or rotate relative to the handle about at least one axis, wherein the adjustment mechanism may be configured to adjust the pivot stiffness of the working head suspension and / or the resistance and / or reluctance of the working head to pivot and / or rotational movement, so as to endow the personal care device with less profile-adapted handling on the one hand and more comfortable and smoother handling on the other hand. More specifically, the adjustment mechanism may change the torque and / or force required to pivot the working head relative to the handle and / or to achieve a certain pivot angle for changing the working head from its intermediate position.

[0019] In a similar manner, one or more elements of the working head, such as a hair cutter holder, may be pivotably suspended by the working head in addition to or as an alternative to the pivotable suspension of the entire working head relative to the handle. The adjustment mechanism may change the pivot stiffness of such pivotable elements and / or their resistance and / or reluctance to pivot movement.

[0020] To implement a protection setting for such pivotably suspended working heads and / or pivotably supported working head elements, the adjustment mechanism may be controlled, for example, deactivated in response to a danger signal from a danger determination device, so as to provide reduced pivot stiffness and / or increased pivot reluctance.

[0021] Alternatively or in addition to the pivotable suspension, the working head and / or its elements such as a cutter holder may be supported relative to the handle and / or relative to other elements of the working head such that the working head may rotate relative to the handle and the working head elements may rotate relative to other working head elements along an axis substantially perpendicular to the skin contact profile of the working head and / or perpendicular to the skin surface to be treated. For such rotational movement, the adjustment means may be configured to modify the rotational stiffness and / or the resistance to rotational movement. More specifically, the adjustment means may change the force required to rotate the working head and / or its elements along such an axis and / or to achieve a certain rotational distance.

[0022] When the working head is provided with such a rotational suspension, the adjustment means may be controlled, in particular deactivated, so as to bring the rotational suspension into the most elastic or flexible configuration in response to a danger signal, thereby allowing easy rotation with the minimum required force.

[0023] Alternatively or in addition to adjusting the pivot and / or rotational stiffness, the adjustment device may be configured to adjust the angular pivot range and / or rotational range of the working head and / or its movable elements to allow for greater or lesser maximum angular displacement and / or greater or lesser maximum rotational displacement. Such variable pivot ranges and / or rotational ranges may be used during operation to provide a lower profile adaptability for the personal care device when the maximum available pivot angle or rotational displacement is small or has a high rotational resistance, while on the other hand, providing a more comfortable and smoother feel with a larger maximum pivot angle and / or larger maximum rotational range.

[0024] To achieve protection of the mechanical setup, the adjustment device may be controlled, in particular deactivated, so that when the hazard determination device emits a hazard signal, the maximum possible angular displacement and / or maximum possible rotational displacement are made available for the working head and / or its movable elements.

[0025] Another possible reaction to the hazard signal may include bringing the adjustment mechanism into a safe harbor configuration, not only for protecting the working head, but also for protecting the adjustment mechanism. More specifically, when a hazardous scenario is determined, the actuator of the adjustment mechanism may move into a safe position. For example, the adjustment mechanism or its adjustment elements such as the actuator may be disengaged from the working head and / or from the adjustable working head element. When the adjustment mechanism is disengaged from the working head and / or from the handle and / or from the adjustable working head element, the destructive force may not be transmitted to the adjustment elements, and thus, these adjustment elements are protected.

[0026] In addition to such measures, passive overload protection may also be provided for the adjustment mechanism to achieve additional safety for the mechanical parts involved. For example, an overload clutch may be provided between the actuator of the adjustment device and the adjustment system between the working head and the working head element, and correspondingly, such an overload clutch may open the mechanical connection and protect the aforementioned adjustment elements. Once the overload event has disappeared, the connection may be re-established, and the overload clutch may be closed and / or engaged again.

[0027] In addition or alternatively, when the adjustment device is capable of modifying other operating parameters in response to a hazard signal from the hazard determination device, it may help the personal care device survive a hazardous scenario. For example, the drive speed and / or the reciprocating motion frequency and / or amplitude may be reduced, and / or the transaction intensity and / or the cutting speed may be reduced when a formal hazard is detected. More specifically, the adjustment device may be configured to change the mechanical function of at least one of the aforementioned operating parameters in response to a hazard signal from the hazard determination device.

[0028] Depending on the detected type and / or intensity of the danger, the adjustment device can provide only one of the aforementioned measures or a combination thereof. For example, when the personal care device is subjected to a hard impact on the floor, the adjustment device can reduce the mechanical stiffness of the working head suspension. On the other hand, when the drive unit and / or the energy storage device such as a battery is damaged due to extremely low or high temperature environmental conditions, the drive speed of the working tool of the working head can be reduced. Alternatively, when a thermal danger of the drive unit is detected, the drive speed can be reduced and the pivot / rotational stiffness can be reduced (to reduce the skin contraction pressure and thus the drive resistance).

[0029] To determine various types of dangers, the danger determination device can include various sensors of different types, and when the danger determination device includes at least one sensor, it is substantially sufficient.

[0030] More specifically, the danger determination device can include a fall or free fall determination module that is configured to determine a fall or free fall of the personal care device and issue a danger signal when a fall of the personal care device is determined.

[0031] In response to such a determination of a free fall scenario, the adjustment device can provide the most flexible mechanical settings of the working head, such as reduced pivot and / or rotational stiffness, and / or can provide the maximum available pivot range and / or rotational displacement. When the personal care device hits the ground or any other surface at the end of such a free fall scenario, it can help the personal care device survive such an impact on the ground when the working head can pivot away from and / or rotate away from to absorb at least some of the mechanical energy due to hitting the ground.

[0032] The fall determination module can include at least one sensor or detector that is configured to detect at least one parameter indicating a fall or free fall. For example, the fall determination module can include an acceleration sensor that is configured to detect the free fall of the personal care device. Such an acceleration sensor can be mounted within or at least near the center of gravity of the device. In a free fall scenario, such a sensor experiences an acceleration that is zero or at least close to zero in all three directions.

[0033] Regardless of the installation location of such a sensor, it can be a multi-axis acceleration sensor capable of detecting acceleration on two or three axes. Alternatively or in addition to such multi-axis sensors, multiple sensors can be provided for detecting acceleration on different axes. For example, a first sensor can be provided to detect acceleration along two axes or directions that are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle. A second sensor can be provided for detecting acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the handle. On the other hand, for having a reduced number of parts and a simplified manufacturing process, it may be advantageous to have only one sensor capable of detecting acceleration along three different axes that are perpendicular to each other.

[0034] The output signal of at least one acceleration sensor can be fed to an evaluation unit that may be included in an electronic controller of a personal care device. Such an evaluation or analysis unit can be configured to compare the acceleration signal with at least one threshold or a plurality of thresholds for different acceleration axes. More specifically, the evaluation unit can be configured to identify an acceleration value that is less than a predetermined threshold in all three dimensions for a defined minimum duration. In such a case, i.e., when the acceleration signal and / or the acceleration value is less than the threshold in all three dimensions for a period greater than the time threshold, free fall is assumed or determined.

[0035] The limit for the acceleration value can be set to a threshold significantly lower than the acceleration due to gravity. Regardless of the threshold for the amount of acceleration, the time threshold based on a predetermined minimum duration or time interval can be set to a time value significantly less than the time it takes for the device to fall from a typical working height to the ground. For example, the time threshold can be set to the time value it takes for the device to fall from a height of one quarter meter or half meter or one meter to the ground.

[0036] In addition to or as an alternative form of such an acceleration sensor, the free fall determination module can include a gyroscope sensor and / or a gyro tester that is used to determine the rotational acceleration and / or rotational speed of the personal care device about one or more axes. Such a gyroscope sensor and / or gyro tester can be located near the center of gravity of the personal care device. For example, such a gyroscope sensor and / or gyro tester can be combined with the above acceleration sensor to form a sensor unit, and / or can be housed within the housing of the acceleration sensor.

[0037] The sensor signals of such gyro sensors can be fed to an evaluation unit, which can be the same evaluation unit as that for the acceleration signals, where such an evaluation unit can compare the rotation angle and / or rotation acceleration and / or rotation speed with a threshold value, and where a danger signal can be triggered when such a threshold value is exceeded. In addition or alternatively, the gyro signals can be analyzed for time-outs to determine, for example, the trend of the gyro signals. For example, when the rotation acceleration shows a sharp increase, a danger signal can be issued.

[0038] Specifically, the evaluation unit can be configured to issue a danger signal when a rotation combining the rotation speed of the personal care device with the rotation angle and / or rotation acceleration is observed to exceed a defined value, thus proving the hypothesis of free fall.

[0039] In addition or alternatively, the evaluation unit can be configured to assume free fall of the device and, therefore, issue a danger signal for adjusting the device when the acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor and / or the gyro signal of the gyro sensor shows a suddenly large value and / or a suddenly significant increase. Such a suddenly large acceleration and / or a suddenly large gyro signal typically occur when the personal care device hits an object or surface during its descent to the ground.

[0040] For example, the threshold value for such a suddenly large acceleration can be set to be significantly higher than the acceleration due to gravity. For example, when the acceleration value exceeds 125% or 150% or 200% of the acceleration due to gravity, it can be assumed that, since the personal care device hits the ground or an object during its descent to the ground, the evaluation unit can issue a danger signal to cause the working head and / or the adjustment device to enter a safe mechanical setting and / or enter a safe harbor function.

[0041] In addition or in an alternative form of the aforementioned free fall determination module, the danger determination device can include a temperature sensor for determining the temperature load on the temperature-sensitive element of the personal care device. The temperature signal of such a temperature sensor can be fed to the evaluation unit to determine, for example, a very low ambient temperature and / or a very low temperature of the elements of the device, and / or a very high ambient temperature and / or a very high temperature of one or more elements of the personal care device.

[0042] For example, a temperature sensor can be configured to determine the temperature of a battery or accumulator and / or the temperature of a drive unit. Since an extremely low temperature of the battery may be harmful to battery performance, for example, energy should be conserved when the battery is too cold, and only the basic functions of the personal care device can remain active. In addition or alternatively, since an extremely low temperature of the drive unit can mean increased drive resistance, drive modes with high energy consumption can be prevented. On the other hand, a high temperature exceeding a certain threshold can also trigger a danger signal to cut off at least one function or reduce the intensity of the function to protect the personal care device.

[0043] More specifically, the aforementioned adjusting device for adjusting the mechanical settings and / or mechanical functions of the working head can be activated or deactivated or controlled to assume a safe harbor configuration and / or an energy conservation configuration. For example, when a temperature below a lower threshold or above an upper threshold is detected, if the adjusting device is not already in such a position anyway, the adjusting device can move to a predetermined position. Once such a configuration is given, the adjusting device may no longer be used until the temperature returns to the non-dangerous temperature window. When a temperature outside the predetermined temperature window is detected, another option can be to deactivate the adjusting mechanism regardless of its current position to conserve energy.

[0044] On the other hand, when controlling the adjusting device to provide a predefined safe mechanical setting and / or mechanical function, the working head and / or its adjustable elements can be placed in a configuration that gives maximum head mobility and / or gives minimum head mobility for pivoting and / or rotating.

[0045] In addition or alternatively, in response to a danger signal issued by a temperature load determination module, the danger determination device can further include a battery charging module for determining the battery charge level, and a danger signal can be issued when it is determined that the charge level is below a certain threshold.

[0046] The battery charge level can be determined in different ways. For example, the battery charge determination module can include a voltage sensor and / or a voltage determination circuit for determining the battery voltage. In addition or alternatively, relevant parameters of the charger device can be detected and analyzed to determine the battery charge level. For example, any charging current and discharging current can be determined to calculate the battery charge level.

[0047] When a low charge scenario is detected, the aforementioned measures can be taken. For example, the adjusting mechanism can be placed in the safe harbor configuration and then possibly deactivated. In addition or alternatively, other energy conservation measures can be taken, such as reducing the drive frequency and / or amplitude or the drive speed.

[0048] These features and other features become more apparent according to the examples shown in the drawings.

[0049] From Figure 1 As can be seen, the personal care device 20 can be configured as a razor, such as an electric razor. Regardless of the personal care function, the device 20 can include an elongate handle 1, which can be formed by a housing that houses additional components of the device.

[0050] The working head 2 can be pivotally supported at one end of the handle 1 about one or more pivot axes. For example, the working head 2 can rotate about a rotation axis 13 that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle 1 and parallel to one of the main axes of the working head. Arrow 3 shows such a possible rotational movement.

[0051] The working head 2 can include one or more working tools 14 for performing a desired personal care process. In the case of a razor, such working tools 14 can include cutting tools, such as cutters that inhibit reciprocating or rotational movement under a perforated shear foil, and / or long hair cutters and / or short hair cutters and / or combinations thereof.

[0052] The mechanical settings and / or mechanical functions of the working head 2 can be adjusted and / or variably controlled by an adjustment device 15, where such an adjustment device 15 can, for example, change the rotational range and / or rotational stiffness of the working head 2. As Figure 1 shown, rotation can be permitted and inhibited by the adjustment device 15, and / or the rotational range of the working head can be changed by the adjustment device 15.

[0053] As Figure 1 shown, the adjustment device 15 can include a movably supported limiter 6, which can be a wedge element that is movably supported at the handle 1 and / or can move towards and away from the working head 2. Such a limiter 6 can cooperate with a limiter counterpart 7, which can provide at the working head and / or can include a profile that is based on a conical recess into which the wedge limiter 6 can enter.

[0054] The adjustment device 15 can include an actuator 4 for moving and / or driving the limiter 6 into a greater limiting position and a lesser limiting position, where the actuator 4 can be configured to drive the limiter 6 only to a fully limiting position and a minimum limiting position. Alternatively, the actuator 4 can be configured to drive the limiter 6 into one or more intermediate positions that provide an intermediate limitation of the rotational range of the working head 2, where such intermediate positions can vary stepwise or continuously.

[0055] The actuator 4 can include a drive motor, such as an electric motor, for driving the limiter 6 to a desired position.

[0056] During normal operation of the personal care device 20, the adjustment device 15 can respond to one or more operating parameters that indicate the use of the personal care device and / or the behavior of the user. In addition to such normal use of the adjustment device 15, it can also be part of a hazard prevention system of the personal care device 20 to protect the personal care device from damage and / or hazardous situations.

[0057] More specifically, the personal care device 20 includes a hazard determination device 16 for automatically determining a hazard for the personal care device, wherein the adjustment device 15 is configured to adjust the working head 2 to a safe harbor configuration in response to a hazard signal from the hazard determination device 16.

[0058] As Figure 1 shown, the hazard determination device 16 can include a free fall determination module 17 to automatically determine a free fall situation in which the personal care device 20 accidentally falls.

[0059] Such a free fall determination module 17 can include an acceleration sensor 8, which can be mounted within or near the center of gravity of the personal care device 20. For example, the acceleration sensor 8 can be housed inside the handle 1.

[0060] In the case of free fall, the acceleration sensor 8 can emit a signal indicating an acceleration of 0 or at least close to 0 in all three directions.

[0061] The output signal of the acceleration sensor 8 can be fed to an evaluation unit 18, which can include or be implemented by an electronic controller 9. The electronic controller can include a microprocessor and / or a storage device for storing data processing results and / or software, such as an evaluation algorithm inside or outside the electronic controller of the device (e.g., within a smartphone software application).

[0062] When the evaluation unit 18 identifies acceleration values below a predetermined threshold in all three dimensions for a predetermined minimum duration period, an event can be assumed, and the hazard determination device 16 can send a hazard signal to the adjustment device 15 configured to respond to such a hazard signal.

[0063] The threshold for the acceleration value can be set to a value significantly lower than the acceleration due to gravity. The length of the time interval can be set to a time value significantly less than the time it takes for the device to fall from a typical working height to the ground.

[0064] In addition, the free fall determination module 17 can include a gyroscope sensor 10 to determine rotational motion based on the rotation angle and / or rotation speed and / or rotational acceleration. Such a gyroscope sensor 10 can feed its gyroscope signal to the aforementioned evaluation unit 18.

[0065] The gyroscope sensor 10 can be accommodated in the handle 1 and / or can be combined with the above-mentioned acceleration sensor 18. For example, the gyroscope sensor 10 can be accommodated in the same sensor housing as the acceleration sensor 8.

[0066] The evaluation unit 18 can be configured to analyze the gyroscope signal of the gyroscope sensor 10 for indicating characteristics of a free fall scenario. For example, when a rotation combining the rotation speed and rotation angle of the personal care device 20 exceeds a predetermined threshold, a free fall scenario can be assumed, in which the hazard determination device 16 can issue a hazard signal in such a case.

[0067] Another option for determining a free fall event can include determining a sudden increase or a sudden large change in acceleration, such as a sudden increase in the acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor 8 and / or the gyroscope signal of the gyroscope sensor 10. When the personal care device 20 falls and hits an object during the fall to the ground, a sudden increase in the sensor signal of the acceleration sensor 8 and / or the gyroscope sensor 10 will occur. The evaluation unit 18 can analyze the sensor signal for such characteristics. For example, the sensor signal can be compared with a threshold, where such a threshold can be set significantly higher than the acceleration due to gravity. Yet another option in combination with others is that the hazard determination device 16 analyzes the electronic settings or the motor settings. Such electronic settings can be, for example, whether the razor is turned on or off, what kind of rotational tilt the razor head may have, and the motor settings can be whether the motor is running.

[0068] When the hazard determination device 16 issues a hazard signal, for example when a free fall scenario is detected, the control adjustment device 15 is controlled to provide a safe harbor configuration. More specifically, the adjustment device 15 can drive the limiter 6 to its minimum limiting position to allow maximum movement of the working head 2. More specifically, since the limiter 6 can enter a position in which no mechanical connection is given between the working head 2 and the adjustment device 15, destructive forces will not be transmitted to the elements of the adjustment device and thus these elements are protected.

[0069] In addition to such measures and the additional safety of the mechanical parts involved, passive overload protection can be established, which can include, for example, an overload clutch that automatically opens when the subject is subjected to excessive load and / or excessive torque. For example, when the force and / or torque acting on the actuator 4 of the adjustment device 15 reaches or exceeds a certain predetermined threshold level, such an overload clutch can respond and can open the mechanical connection to protect the previously mentioned adjustment elements. For example, such an overload clutch can be mounted to the wedge limiter 6. More specifically, the overload clutch can hold the wedge limiter 6 in a predetermined position relative to the drive arm during normal operation and normal load, while the overload clutch can allow the wedge limiter 6 to flex and / or pivot during excessive load and / or torque.

[0070] In addition, as can be seen from Figure 1 the hazard determination device 16 can include a temperature sensor 11 to determine the temperature load on the temperature-sensitive element of the personal care device 20. For example, the temperature sensor 11 can be placed inside the handle 1 and / or near the battery 12 which is a temperature-sensitive component.

[0071] The temperature signal of the temperature sensor 11 can be fed to the evaluation unit 18, which can trigger a certain action of the adjustment device 15, for example. More specifically, when the temperature of the battery 12 is too low and / or too high, energy should be conserved and only the basic functions of the personal care device 20 can be allowed. More specifically, the adjustment device 15 can enter a safe harbor configuration according to the energy conservation configuration. More specifically, the actuator 4 can be driven to a predetermined position, which can be a position that allows maximum head mobility. After the adjustment device 15 enters such a configuration, the adjustment device can be deactivated and / or no longer used until the temperature returns to the predetermined temperature window.

[0072] In addition, the hazard determination device 16 can include a charge level detector 19 and can be configured to emit a hazard signal when it detects that the charge level of the battery 12 is below a certain threshold. When the battery 12 is almost depleted or below the aforementioned threshold, the remaining energy should be conserved for the main function of the device, and additional consumption caused by the adjustment action of the adjustment device 15 should be avoided. More specifically, when the battery level is below the predetermined threshold, the adjustment device 15 can be deactivated, or alternatively, it can enter a predefined configuration, such as a position where the limiter 6 allows maximum mobility of the working head 2, and it can then be deactivated.

[0073] The charge level detector 19 can include a voltage sensor that is used to detect the battery voltage of the battery 12. In addition or alternatively, the charge level detector 19 can be configured to analyze information from the charging system. For example, a current detector can detect the load current.

Claims

1. A personal care device, the personal care device comprising a working head (2) for performing a personal care treatment on a body surface, a handle (1) for manually moving the working head (2) along the body surface, and an adjustment device (15) for adjusting the mechanical settings and mechanical functions of the working head (2) and / or its parts and for adjusting electronic or motor settings, the personal care device being characterized in that a danger determination device (16) is provided, the danger determination device being configured to determine a danger for the personal care device, wherein the adjustment device (15) is configured to adjust the working head (2) and / or its parts to a safe harbor mechanical setting and / or a safe harbor mechanical function in response to a danger signal from the danger determination device (16), wherein the safe harbor mechanical setting and / or the safe harbor mechanical function is a configuration of the adjustment device (15) that provides maximum mobility of the working head (2) and / or minimum movement stiffness of the working head (2), wherein the danger determination device (16) comprises a free fall determination module (17) configured to determine a free fall of the personal care device (20) and to issue the danger signal when the free fall of the personal care device (20) is determined, Among them, the adjustment device being configured to reduce the pivot stiffness and / or the rotational stiffness of the working head (2) in response to a danger signal from the danger determination device (16).

2. The personal care device according to claim 1, wherein the free fall determination module (17) comprises at least one acceleration sensor (8) and an evaluation unit (18) configured to analyze an acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor (8) for characteristic indications of free fall characteristics.

3. The personal care device according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation unit (18) is configured to issue the danger signal when the acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor (8) indicates an acceleration of zero or close to zero in all three directions or indicates an acceleration significantly higher than gravity.

4. The personal care device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the acceleration sensor (8) is located inside the handle (1) and in a region around the center of gravity of the personal care device, wherein the region around the center of gravity is a virtual sphere that is completely contained inside the handle (1).

5. The personal care device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the free fall determination module (17) comprises at least one gyroscope sensor (10) and an evaluation unit (18) configured to evaluate a gyroscope signal of the gyroscope sensor (10) for characteristic indications of free fall characteristics.

6. The personal care device according to claim 5, wherein the evaluation unit (18) is configured to issue the danger signal when the gyroscope signal of the gyroscope sensor (10) exceeds a certain gyroscope threshold.

7. The personal care device according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the hazard determination means (16) comprises at least one temperature sensor (11) and an evaluation unit (18), the at least one temperature sensor being for determining the temperature load on the temperature - sensitive component, and the evaluation unit being configured to emit the hazard signal when the temperature is below a lower threshold and / or above an upper threshold.

8. The personal care device according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the hazard determination means (16) comprises a charge level detector (19) and an evaluation unit (18), the charge level detector being for detecting the charge level of the battery (12) of the personal care device (20), and the evaluation unit being for emitting the hazard signal when the charge level of the battery is below a predetermined lower threshold.

9. The personal care device according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the safe - harbor mechanical arrangement and / or safe - harbor mechanical function is a configuration of the adjustment means (15) that achieves minimum energy consumption during use of the personal care device for providing a personal care treatment.

10. The personal care device according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the personal care device is a hair removal device.

11. The personal care device according to claim 10, wherein the hair removal device is an electric shaver.

12. The personal care device according to claim 7, wherein the temperature - sensitive component is the battery (12).

13. The personal care device according to claim 1, wherein the safe - harbor mechanical arrangement and / or safe - harbor mechanical function is a configuration of the adjustment means (15) that provides a maximum pivot / rotation range and / or maximum rotation range and / or minimum pivot / rotation / rotation stiffness of the working head (2).

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