Consumer appliance

Abstract

A consumer appliance has a body. A blade cartridge is removably mounted to the body. The blade cartridge has a surface having a first color region and a second color region. A control circuit is positioned within the body. A first emitter is positioned on the body that projects light at the first color region. A second emitter is positioned on the body that projects light at the second color region. A first light sensor is positioned on the body that sends a first signal to the control circuit based on a color of light reflected from the first color region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to consumer appliances, and more particularly to electronic consumer appliances having replaceable blade holders. Background Technology

[0002] Personal care appliances can include durable parts (such as reusable handles) and replaceable parts (such as blade holders that need to be replaced after a certain amount of use). Examples of personal care appliances may include, but are not limited to, facial cleansing devices, toothbrushes, and razors. Replaceable blade holders can last a month or even longer. Therefore, consumers often forget how many times they have used a replaceable blade holder. Furthermore, the performance of a replaceable blade holder may gradually degrade over time. Therefore, consumers are unlikely to notice any performance changes that indicate the need for a new blade holder.

[0003] Shaving razors or other personal care appliances can be used to count the number of times they are used and this information can be fed back to consumers. For some devices, manufacturers can recommend replacing accessories (e.g., blade holders) after a certain period of use, as some accessories lose their functionality over time, and replacement helps maintain the device's performance and additional benefits.

[0004] Some personal care appliances offer sensors that detect the presence of a replaceable blade holder, resetting an internal counter. However, these are not passive systems and require a light emitter (e.g., a light-emitting diode or LED). A drawback of optical detection systems is that they may misjudge the presence of a blade holder under low ambient light conditions, which could be typical of dimly lit bathrooms in the early morning or late at night. Other drawbacks of current blade holder detection systems include resetting the usage count without additional feedback from the consumer, leading to potential unintended resets.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a personal care device that can sense the presence of an accessory (e.g., a blade holder) and accurately track accessory use in all reasonably assumed lighting settings (including low ambient light) without the need for LEDs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In one aspect, the invention is generally characterized by a consumer appliance having a body. A blade holder is removably mounted to the body. The blade holder has a surface having a first colored area and a second colored area. Control circuitry is located within the body. A first emitter is positioned on the body, projecting light into the first colored area. A second emitter is positioned on the body, projecting light into the second colored area. A first light sensor is positioned on the body, sending a first signal to the control circuitry based on the color of light reflected from the first colored area.

[0007] The above aspects may include one or more of the following embodiments. The color of the first color region is different from that of the second color region. The first light sensor sends a second signal to the control circuit based on the color of the light reflected from the second color region. The second light sensor sends a second signal to the control circuit based on the color of the light reflected from the second color region. The surface of the blade holder includes a third color region.

[0008] In another aspect, the invention is generally characterized by a consumer appliance having a body. A blade holder is removably mounted to the body. The blade holder has a surface having a first colored area and a second colored area. Control circuitry is located within the body. A first emitter is positioned on the body, overlapping the first colored area and projecting first light at the first colored area. A second emitter is positioned on the body, overlapping the second colored area and projecting second light at the second colored area. A first light sensor is positioned on the body, between the first and second emitters. The first light sensor sends a first signal to the control circuitry based on the color of the light reflected from the first colored area.

[0009] The foregoing aspects may include one or more of the following embodiments. The first light sensor sends a second signal to the control circuit based on the color of the light reflected from the second color region. A consumer user interface is operatively connected to the control circuit, and the control circuit sends signals to the consumer user interface based on the first signal and the second signal.

[0010] In another aspect, the invention is generally characterized by a consumer appliance having a body. A blade holder is removably mounted to the body. The blade holder has a surface having a first colored area and a second colored area. Control circuitry is located within the body. A first emitter projects a first light at the first colored area and a second light at the second colored area. A first light sensor is mounted to the body and sends a first signal to the control circuitry based on the color of the light reflected from the first colored area. A second light sensor is mounted to the body and sends a second signal to the control circuitry based on the color of the light reflected from the second colored area.

[0011] On another front, the invention is generally characterized by a blade holder having a housing defined by an opening sized to receive an optical sensor subassembly. One or more blades are mounted to the housing. The opening is defined by a surface having a first colored region and a second colored region, the second colored region being a different color from the first colored region.

[0012] Details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and description below. It should be understood that certain embodiments may combine elements or components of the invention, which are generally disclosed but not expressly illustrated in combination or protected by the claims, unless otherwise specified herein. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description and drawings and from the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Although the specification concludes with claims that specifically point out and clearly claim protection for the subject matter regarded as the invention, it is believed that the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 Top perspective view of a possible implementation of a consumer appliance with an attached blade holder.

[0015] Figure 2 For disassembling the blade holder Figure 1 An enlarged perspective view of the proximal portion of a consumer appliance.

[0016] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A perspective view of the electronic sub-components of a personal care device.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a first schematic diagram of the optical sensor sub-assembly.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a second schematic diagram of the optical sensor subassembly.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a third schematic diagram of the optical sensor sub-assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0020] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 This illustration shows one possible embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating a consumer appliance 10. The consumer appliance 10 may include a handle 12 having a body 14 at its first end 16. A blade holder 18 may be removably mounted to the body 14. The blade holder 18 may include one or more blades 20 for shaving. Although the illustrated consumer appliance 10 is a shaving razor, it should be understood that the consumer appliance 10 may also include a toothbrush, an electronic air purifier, or other consumer devices with replaceable blade holders.

[0021] The handle 12 may include an optical sensor subassembly 22. As will be explained in more detail below, the optical sensor subassembly 22 may project one or more beams of light onto the blade holder 18. The optical subassembly 22 may also send one or more signals to control circuitry (not shown) based on the color of the light reflected from the blade holder 18. For example, the optical subassembly 22 may include a first emitter 24, a second emitter 26, and a third emitter 28 positioned on the body 14 to project light. Although three emitters 24, 26, and 28 are shown, it should be understood that more or fewer emitters may be used depending on the number of different blade holders 18 to be identified. The optical sensor subassembly 22 may include one or more light sensors 30, 32, and 34 located on the body 14. In some embodiments, one or more of the light sensors 30, 32, and 34 may be “RGB” sensors (optical sensors sensitive to red, green, and blue). However, other optical sensors, such as photodiodes or phototransistors, may also be used for the light sensors 30, 32, and 34. Optical sensors 30, 32, and 34 may be associated with one or more of transmitters 24, 26, and 28. For example, a first optical sensor 30 may be associated with a first transmitter 24, a second optical sensor 32 may be associated with a second transmitter 26, and a third optical sensor 34 may be associated with a third transmitter 28. Transmitters 24, 26, and 28 may include light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that project high-intensity white light. Although three optical sensors 30, 32, and 34 are shown, it should be understood that more or fewer optical sensors may be used depending on the number of different blade holders 18 to be identified. In some embodiments, each of transmitters 24, 26, and 28 may be positioned in a corresponding recess 36, 38, and 40 of the body 18. Similarly, each of optical sensors 30, 32, and 34 may be positioned in a corresponding recess 36, 38, and 40 adjacent to one of the corresponding transmitters 24, 26, and 28. Recesses 36, 38, and 40 prevent transmitters 24, 26, and 28 from interfering with one or more unintended optical sensors 30, 32, and 34. In some embodiments, one or more protective plates 42, 44, and 46 may cover recesses 36, 38, and 40. For example, these protective plates 42, 44, and 46 may be mounted to optical subassemblies 22 to protect individual electronic components from water ingress.

[0022] The printed circuit board 48 can connect the optical subassembly 22 to control circuitry (not shown) positioned on or within the handle 12. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the printed circuit board 48 and other electronic components may be positioned externally to the handle 12 and sealed to prevent water ingress. Consumer User Interface 50 ( Figure 1The consumer user interface 50 can be operatively connected to control circuitry (not shown). In some embodiments, the consumer user interface 50 can be positioned on the handle 12. The consumer user interface (e.g., a touchscreen) can provide information to and receive input from the user regarding the functions of the consumer appliance 10. It should be understood that the consumer user interface 50 can also be physically separated from the handle 12, such as in the form of an application or push notification requesting input from the user on a smart device (e.g., a phone or watch) or computer. In such cases, the control circuitry (not shown) can still be operatively connected to the consumer user interface when the handle 12 is a wirelessly or wired connection to a smart device or computer with the consumer interface 50. Communication between the handle 12 and the consumer user interface 50 can occur directly (e.g., peer-to-peer) or via an intermediate cloud service.

[0023] The blade holder 18 may have a housing 45 defining an opening 52 sized to receive the optical sensor subassembly 22. The blade 20 may be mounted to the housing 45. As will be explained in more detail below, the opening 52 may be defined by a surface 54 that covers the outer surface 56 of the optical subassembly 22 (e.g., in a planar direction) when the blade holder 18 is properly mounted to the optical sensor subassembly 22. It should be understood that the outer surface 56 may not be completely covered. The surface 54 may include one or more colored regions 58, 60, and 62. For example, the surface 54 may have a first colored region 58, a second colored region 60, and a third colored region 62. The colored regions 58, 60, and 62 may be the same color or different colors. In some embodiments, the colored regions 58, 60, and 62 may be a different color from the housing 45. Razor blade holders with different characteristics may have different colored regions that can be recognized by the optical sensor subassembly 22. Although colored areas 58, 60, and 62 are shown as circles positioned in a linear array, it should be understood that any shape, such as squares and rectangles, can be used. Furthermore, it should be understood that colored areas 58, 60, and 62 can be positioned in a circular array. Colored areas 58, 60, and 62 can be spaced apart from each other or in contact with each other. In some embodiments, colored areas 58, 60, and 62 can be bonded to surface 54. For example, colored areas 58, 60, and 62 can be mounted to surface 54 using an adhesive. In other embodiments, colored areas 58, 60, and 62 can be co-injected onto surface 54, printed onto surface 54, or sprayed onto surface 54. In some embodiments, surface 54 can be flat to allow easy application of colored areas 58, 60, and 62 to surface 54.

[0024] As will be described in more detail below, each of the color regions 58, 60, and 62 may be associated with one or more of the transmitters 24, 26, and 28 and one or more of the light sensors 30, 32, and 34. For example, when the blade holder 18 is mounted to the shank 12, the first color region 58 may be associated with the transmitter 24 and the light sensor 30. Thus, the first color region 58, the transmitter 24, and the light sensor may jointly send signals to a control circuit (not shown). Similarly, the second color region 60 may be associated with the transmitter 26 and the light sensor 32. The third color region 62 may be associated with the transmitter 28 and the light sensor 34. In some embodiments, the color regions 58, 60, and 62 may overlap with the corresponding transmitters 24, 26, and 28 and / or the corresponding light sensors 30, 32, and 34. For example, when the blade holder 18 is mounted to the shank 12 (e.g., the optical sensor subassembly 22 is inserted into the opening 52), the transmitter 24 may overlap with the color area 58, the transmitter 26 may overlap with the color area 60, and the transmitter 28 may overlap with the color area 62.

[0025] refer to Figure 3 , showed Figure 1 A perspective view of the electronic sub-component 64 of the consumer device 10. The electronic sub-component 64 can be positioned in... Figure 1 The electronic subassembly 64 may include control circuitry 66 (e.g., a microcontroller). Control circuitry 66 may be in electrical communication with a printed circuit board 48, which in turn is in electrical communication with an optical sensor subassembly 22 mounted to the printed circuit board 48. The optical sensor subassembly 22 may be based on... Figure 2 One or more of the colored areas 58, 60 and 62 of the blade holder 18 are used to generate one or more electrical output signals.

[0026] refer to Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the junction of the blade holder 18 and the optical sensor subassembly 22 of the shank 12. A first emitter 24 can project light 68 (i.e., first light) at a first color region 58. A first light sensor 30 can transmit light through a printed circuit board 48 based on the color of the reflected light 72 (i.e., first reflected light) from the first color region 58. Figure 3 The second emitter 26 sends a first signal 70 to the control circuit 66. In some embodiments, the second emitter 26 may project light 74 (i.e., second light) at the second color region 60. The second light sensor 32 may transmit a signal 70 to the control circuit 66 based on the color of the reflected light 78 (i.e., second reflected light) from the second color region 60 via the printed circuit board 48. Figure 3The third emitter 28 sends a second signal 76 to the control circuit 66. In some embodiments, the third emitter 28 may project light 80 (i.e., third light) at the third color region 62. The third light sensor 34 may transmit light 80 (i.e., third reflected light) through the printed circuit board 48 based on the color of the reflected light 84 (i.e., third reflected light) from the third color region 62. Figure 3 A third signal 82 is sent to the control circuit 66. It should be understood that the manufacturing processes used to apply the color areas 58, 60, and 62 may differ. Therefore, one or more of the light sensors 30, 32, and 34 can send corresponding signals 70, 76, and 82 to the control circuit 66 based on the dominant color of the respective color areas 58, 60, and 62. The control circuit 66 can process one or more of the signals 70, 76, and 82 to send a signal 85 to the consumer user interface 50. For example, the consumer user interface 50 can indicate to the user the type of blade holder 18 attached to the shank 12 and other information about the blade holder, such as the number of blades or other benefits.

[0027] It should be understood that the optical sensor subassembly 22 can have different configurations. For example, the optical sensor subassembly 22 can utilize a greater number of transmitters 24, 26, and 28 than the light sensors 30, 32, and 34. (See reference) Figure 5 This illustrates another possible configuration of the optical sensor subassembly 22, in which one of the light sensors 30 is associated with more than one of the transmitters 24, 26, and 28. For clarity, Figure 4 Light sensors 32 and 34 are not shown. It should be understood that light sensors 32 and 34 can be disabled or simply turned off. Emitter 24 can project light 86 (i.e., first light) at the first color area 58. First light sensor 30 can transmit light through printed circuit board 48 based on the color of reflected light 90 (i.e., first reflected light) from the first color area 58. Figure 3 The transmitter 26 sends a first signal 88 to the control circuit 66. The transmitter 26 can project light 92 (i.e., second light) at the second color region 60. The first light sensor 30 can transmit a signal 88 to the control circuit 66 based on the color of the reflected light 96 (i.e., second reflected light) from the second color region 60 via the printed circuit board 48. Figure 3 The first light sensor 30 sends a second signal 94 to the control circuit 66. The second signal 94 may be different from the first signal 88 (e.g., indicating different colors in color regions 58 and 60). The transmitter 28 may project light 98 (i.e., a third light) at the second color region 60. The first light sensor 30 may transmit light 98 (i.e., a third light) through the printed circuit board 48 based on the color of the reflected light 102 (i.e., the second reflected light) from the third color region 62. Figure 3The control circuit 66 sends a third signal 100 to the control circuit 66. The third signal 100 may differ from the first signal 88 and / or the second signal 94 (e.g., indicating different colors for colored areas 58, 60, and 62). The control circuit 66 may process one or more of signals 88, 94, and 100 to send signal 102 to the consumer user interface 50. For example, the consumer user interface 50 may indicate to the user the type of blade holder 18 attached to the shank 12 and other information about the blade holder 18, such as the number of blades or other benefits.

[0028] In some embodiments, two or more of emitters 24, 26, and 28 may sequentially project light at corresponding color regions 58, 60, and 62. In some embodiments, two or more of signals 88, 94, and 100 may be sequentially sent to control circuitry 66. Light sensor 30 may send signals 88, 94, and 100 to control circuitry 66 based on the dominant color of the corresponding color regions 58, 60, and 62.

[0029] refer to Figure 6 This illustrates another possible configuration of the optical sensor subassembly 22, in which one of the transmitters 24 can be associated with more than one of the light sensors 30, 32, and 34. For clarity, Figure 4 Emitters 26 and 28 are not shown. It should be understood that emitters 26, 28, and 34 can be canceled or simply turned off. Emitter 24 can project light (i.e., first light 102, second light 104, and third light 106) at a first color region 58, a second color region 60, and a third color region 62. The first light 102, second light 104, and third light 106 can be projected simultaneously or sequentially by emitter 24. The first light sensor 30 can transmit light through a printed circuit board 48 based on the color of the reflected light 110 (i.e., the first reflected light) from the first color region 58. Figure 3 The second light sensor 32 can send a first signal 108 to the control circuit 66 based on the color of the reflected light 114 (i.e., the second reflected light) from the second color region 60 via the printed circuit board 48. Figure 3 The second signal 112 is sent to the control circuit 66. The third light sensor 34 can transmit the second signal 112 to the control circuit 66 based on the color of the reflected light 118 (i.e., the third reflected light) from the third color region 62 via the printed circuit board 48. Figure 3 The third signal 116 is sent to the control circuit 66. (Optical sensor 32)

[0030] Light sensors 30, 32, and 34 can send signals 108, 112, and 116 to control circuit 66 based on the primary colors of their respective color regions 58, 60, and 62. Signals 108, 112, and 116 can be sent to control circuit 66 simultaneously or sequentially. Control circuit 66 can process one or more of signals 108, 112, and 116 to send signal 102 to consumer user interface 50. For example, consumer user interface 50 can indicate to the user that the blade holder 18 attached to handle 12 (…) Figure 1 The type of blade holder 18 and other information about it, such as the number of blades or other benefits.

[0031] The dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein should not be construed as strictly limited to the precise numerical values ​​cited. Rather, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to represent the stated value and a range around which it is functionally equivalent. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to represent “about 40 mm”. Therefore, the term “about” should be interpreted by those skilled in the art as being within typical manufacturing and measuring instrument tolerances.

[0032] Unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited, every reference cited herein, including any cross-references or related patents or patent applications, and any patent application or patent claiming priority to or benefiting from it, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Reference to any reference is not an endorsement of it as prior art to any disclosed or protected art herein, nor is it an endorsement of any such invention, either on its own or in combination with any one or more references. Furthermore, where any meaning or definition of a term in this invention conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in referenced documents, the meaning or definition given to that term in this invention shall prevail.

[0033] While specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described by way of example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that all such changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A consumer appliance, the consumer appliance comprising: main body; A blade holder, which is removably mounted to the body, has a surface having a first colored area and a second colored area; A control circuit, wherein the control circuit is located within the main body; A first emitter, positioned on the main body, projects light into the first colored area; A second emitter, positioned on the main body, projects light into the second colored area; A first light sensor, positioned on the main body, sends a first signal to the control circuit based on the color of light reflected from the first colored area.

2. The consumer appliance of claim 1, wherein the first light sensor sends a second signal to the control circuit based on the color of the light reflected from the second color region.

3. The consumer appliance according to claim 2, wherein the first transmitter and the second transmitter sequentially project light.

4. The consumer device according to claim 1, further comprising a second light sensor, the second light sensor sending a second signal to the control circuit based on the color of light reflected from the second color region.

5. The consumer appliance according to claim 2, wherein the first signal and the second signal are sequentially sent to the control circuit.

6. The consumer appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface of the blade holder includes a third colored area.

7. The consumer appliance according to claim 6, wherein the first color area, the second color area, and the third color area are arranged in a straight line.

8. The consumer appliance according to claim 6, further comprising a third transmitter that projects light at the third color region.

9. The consumer appliance of claim 8, wherein the first light sensor sends a second signal to the control circuit based on the color of light reflected from the second color region, and sends a third signal to the control circuit based on the color of light reflected from the third color region.

10. The consumer appliance according to claim 9, wherein the first transmitter, the second transmitter, and the third transmitter sequentially project light.

11. The consumer appliance of claim 9, wherein the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal are sequentially sent to the control circuit.

12. The consumer appliance according to claim 2, wherein the first signal is different from the second signal.

13. The consumer appliance of claim 1, wherein the first color region is spaced apart from the second color region.

14. The consumer appliance of claim 1, wherein the first light sensor sends the first signal to the control circuit based on the dominant color of the first color region.

15. The consumer device of claim 1, wherein the first color region overlaps with the first transmitter, and the second color region overlaps with the second transmitter.

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