Arrangement of light source and carrier thereof in housing of skin care device

Abstract

In the field of skin care, there is provided a device (40) of the type comprising a housing (41) provided with a skin contact surface (42) arranged to be in contact with the skin (100) of a user. At least one light source (50) is arranged in the housing (41) for generating care light to be applied to the skin (100) via a light transmissive portion (43) of the skin contact surface (42), where the light source (50) is mounted on a first side (61) of the carrier (60), the first side (61) facing away from the skin contact surface (42), and where the housing (41) accommodates an optical reflector (70). Furthermore, at least a portion of the second side (62) of the carrier (60) is mounted to the inside of a wall portion of the housing (41), which wall portion comprises a portion of the skin contact surface (42), or at least a portion of the second side (62) of the carrier (60) constitutes a portion of the skin contact surface (42).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a skin care device, which comprises a housing and at least one light source, wherein the housing is provided with a skin contact surface, which is arranged to contact the user's skin during use of the device, and the at least one light source is arranged in the housing for generating care light to be applied to the skin via a light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface, which light-transmitting portion is optically transparent.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a shaving unit of an electric shaver, the shaving unit comprising a support member, at least one hair cutting unit supported by the support member, and at least one skin care device as described above. The invention also relates to an electric shaver, the electric shaver comprising a main body and such a shaving unit, the shaving unit being coupled to the main body. Background Art

[0003] Skin care devices as described above are known in the art. For example, WO 2022 / 069324A1 discloses a skin heating unit for use in a shaving unit of an electric shaver. The shaving unit further includes at least one hair cutting unit and a base member supporting the at least one hair cutting unit. The hair cutting unit is of a type that includes an external cutting member and an internal cutting member, the external cutting member having a hair entry opening in a cutting track surface, the internal cutting member having at least one hair cutting element and being movable relative to the external cutting member. The skin heating unit includes a skin contact member and at least one infrared light source or near-infrared light source, the skin contact member having a skin contact surface arranged adjacent to the at least one hair cutting unit to contact the skin during use of the shaving unit, the at least one infrared light source or near-infrared light source being integrated in the skin contact member, the light source being arranged to emit infrared light or near-infrared light via the skin contact surface, the skin contact surface being optically transparent. The light source is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), and the assembly of the light source and the PCB is embedded in an optically transparent and thermally conductive potting material, wherein the light source is mounted on the side of the PCB facing the skin contact surface, so that the light generated by the light source directly reaches the skin contact surface via the potting material.

[0004] The reason for equipping a shaving unit with a skin heating unit such as that known from WO 2022 / 069324 A1 lies in the fact that exposing the hair to infrared or near-infrared light helps to soften the hair. In general, during the shaving action, exposing the hair to infrared or near-infrared light can increase the comfort experienced by the user. In addition, infrared or near-infrared light may be beneficial to the skin, stimulating the skin and making the skin look radiant. The fact is that the skin heating unit has the function of achieving an effect known as deep optical thermal heating. Deep optical thermal heating differs from conductive heating by a heat applicator comprising a thermal element in conductive contact with the skin, because the penetration depth of the light into the skin is relatively high. The skin is heated over the entire depth of the light penetration, without having to rely on the thermal conductivity of both the heat applicator and the skin. In the skin heating unit known from WO 2022 / 069324 A1, the light source is thermally coupled to the skin contact surface via the optically transparent and thermally conductive potting material, so that in addition to the deep optical thermal heating of the skin obtained by infrared light or near-infrared light during operation, the skin is also heated by thermal conduction of the skin by the waste heat generated by the light source. In this regard, it is to be noted that, in general, any light source has a limited efficiency in converting electrical energy into light energy, and a portion of the electrical energy supplied to the light source is converted into heat energy, so that during operation the light source generates not only light but also waste heat.

[0005] In the field of heating the skin via both optical thermal heating and thermal conductive heating by means of a device such as disclosed in WO 2022 / 069324 A1 (the device is configured to contact the skin at the location of an optically transparent skin contact surface and emit light such as infrared light or near-infrared light via the skin contact surface during operation), two main problems are insufficient optical diffusion of light on the skin contact surface and the loss of waste heat generated by at least one light source of the device. Due to insufficient optical diffusion of light on the skin contact surface, optical hot spots are formed, which may cause the user to experience an uncomfortable feeling of pain. The loss of waste heat generated by the light source is related to the fact that the light source is located at a certain distance from the skin contact surface and part of the heat generated is absorbed by the material present between the light source and the skin contact surface, or is conducted to other parts of the device. In view of this, the object of the present invention is to provide a skin care device, which is designed so that the formation of optical hot spots during operation is limited, or even avoided, and the waste heat generated by the light source is effectively conducted to the skin contact surface to heat the skin being cared for. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention provides a skin care device, which comprises:

[0007] - a housing provided with a skin contact surface arranged to come into contact with the skin of a user during use of the device;

[0008] - at least one light source arranged in the housing for generating treatment light for application to the skin via a light-transmissive portion of the skin contact surface, the light-transmissive portion being optically transparent;

[0009] - a carrier having a first side on which the light source is mounted, the first side facing away from the skin contact surface;

[0010] - an optical reflector received by the housing and arranged to reflect treatment light generated by at least one light source towards the light-transmissive portion of the skin contact surface; wherein:

[0011] - at least a portion of a second side of the carrier opposite to the first side of the carrier:

[0012] i) mounted to the inside of a wall portion of the housing, said wall portion comprising a portion of the skin contact surface, wherein said portion of the skin contact surface is located on an outside of said wall portion, which is opposite to said inside of said wall portion; or

[0013] ii) constitutes part of the skin contact surface.

[0014] The present invention relates to the arrangement of a light source and its carrier in the housing of a skin care device. Following the above definition of the skin care device according to the present invention, compared with the case of conventional devices such as the skin heating unit known from WO 2022 / 069324A1, the light source is mounted on the other side of the carrier, that is, on the side facing away from the skin contact surface, which side is referred to as the first side of the carrier, wherein the light emitted by the light source during operation reaches the light-transmitting part of the skin contact surface by reflection on the optical reflector. In addition, the carrier is arranged so that at least a part of the opposite side of the carrier (which side is referred to as the second side of the carrier) is mounted to the inner side of the wall portion of the housing, which wall portion includes a part of the skin contact surface, wherein the inner side is opposite to the outer side of the wall portion, and the part of the skin contact surface is located at the outer side, or the carrier is arranged so that the part of the second side of the carrier constitutes a part of the skin contact surface. An example of a carrier is a PCB. A practical example of a light source is a light emitting diode (LED). It may be particularly practical if the light source is configured to generate infrared light or near-infrared light. Instead of infrared light or near-infrared light, the wavelength of the care light may be in the visible light part of the spectrum. For example, blue light can be generated to treat acne, and red light can be generated to stimulate wound healing. In this case, the skin care device combines the light treatment with skin heating.

[0015] The fact that the care light reaches the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface by reflection from the optical reflector facilitates the propagation of light over the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface, so that the care light can be emitted more uniformly to a larger portion of the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface than in a case where the care light is emitted directly toward the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface. The present invention covers any suitable type of optical reflector, and the optical reflector can be configured to reflect the care light toward the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface via a mirror surface, a diffuse surface, or a combination of a mirror surface and a diffuse surface. The following fact facilitates the effective conduction of waste heat from the light source to the skin in contact with the skin contact surface, namely, at least a portion of the second side of the carrier is mounted to the inner side of a wall portion of the housing, the wall portion including a portion of the skin contact surface, or at least a portion of the second side of the carrier constitutes a portion of the skin contact surface. Advantageously, in the first case, the distance between the portion of the second side of the carrier and the portion of the skin contact surface included in the wall portion of the housing is equal to or only slightly greater than the thickness of the wall portion of the housing, while in the second case the distance is even zero. For the sake of completeness, it is noted that in the second case, direct contact between said portion of the second side of the carrier and the skin being treated is enabled. In any case, in such a way that at least a portion of the second side of the carrier can be close to the skin contact surface, or can even be part of the skin contact surface, positioning the carrier in the skin care device is facilitated by the fact that the care light is made to reach the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface indirectly, i.e. by reflection on an optical reflector. In the conventional case of making the care light reach the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface directly, the distance between the light source and the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface needs to be greater, and therefore in the conventional case the thermal path between the light source and the skin surface is much longer, which involves a greater loss of waste heat generated by the light source.

[0016] In summary, when the present invention is applied, the light and waste heat generated by the light source are delivered to the skin being treated in the most efficient manner. In this way, at least one of the advantageous possibilities is obtained, including the possibility of applying a relatively low-power light source, the possibility of applying a relatively light / small battery to power the light source, and the possibility of using a charged battery for a relatively long time before the battery needs to be recharged.

[0017] In a practical embodiment of the skin care device according to the invention, the housing comprises an optically transparent wall comprising said light-transmissive portion of the skin contact surface. In the context of such an embodiment, one of the following two options may be chosen:

[0018] 1) The second side of the carrier is mounted in direct contact with the inner surface of the optically transparent wall; or

[0019] 2) The carrier is arranged in an opening provided in the optically transparent wall, and the skin contacting surface comprises the second side of the carrier.

[0020] According to a first option, a wall portion of the housing is optically transparent, to which wall portion the second side of the carrier is mounted.

[0021] It is more practical if the space in the skin care device, which space is present at the skin-facing side of the optical reflector and accommodates the light source, is filled with an optically transparent encapsulation material, such as a silicone hardening gel or another epoxy resin mixture. In order to ensure that the reflected care light falling on the carrier is optimally recovered and directed to the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface, it is advantageous if the first side of the carrier is coated with a diffuse reflection layer. By designing the skin care device so that the hot portion of the skin contact surface associated with the second side of the carrier is positioned adjacent to the light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface, in other words, by designing the skin care device so that light and heat are emitted from the skin contact surface side by side during operation, the care of the skin can be optimized with the help of light and heat from the light source of the skin care device.

[0022] As mentioned previously, it may be particularly practical if the light source is configured to generate infrared light or near infrared light. In this regard, a practical example of a wavelength range of the care light is a range of 900nm to 1,100nm. However, humans cannot see infrared light or near infrared light. In this case, in order to indicate the operating state of the skin care device to the user, additional visible light can be used. In this regard, the present invention covers an embodiment of the skin care device, which further includes at least one indicator element, which is configured to emit visible light via a light-transmitting portion of the skin contact surface when the light source emits the care light. The indicator element can have any suitable position in the skin care device and can have the function of indicating the on / off state of the skin care device, and may also have more complex functions, such as indicating the intensity of the care light / care heat. The indicator element may, for example, include an LED that emits visible light and is mounted on a first side of a carrier adjacent to at least one light source that generates infrared care light or near infrared care light.

[0023] A possible application of the present invention is an application in the field of electric shavers. In view of this, the present invention further relates to a shaving unit of an electric shaver, the shaving unit comprising a support member, at least one hair cutting unit supported by the support member, and at least one skin care device as a skin care device according to the present invention as defined and described above. In particular, it is possible that the hair cutting unit of the shaving unit can be of a type that includes an external cutting member with a hair entry opening, an internal cutting member, and a skin support member, the internal cutting member being covered by the external cutting member and being rotatable relative to the external cutting member, the skin support member surrounding the external cutting member, and the skin care device being integrated into the skin support of the hair cutting unit. If the skin care device comprises a plurality of light sources, and the light sources are positioned in the entire skin support member in a configuration that at least partially surrounds the external cutting member, the available space of the skin support member can be optimally utilized. In the case where the shaving unit comprises at least two hair cutting units, it is advantageous if the shaving unit comprises at least one skin care device associated with each hair cutting unit, so that each of the hair cutting units can be combined with at least one skin care device.

[0024] The invention also relates to an electric shaver comprising a body and a shaving unit coupled to the body as defined and described in the preceding paragraphs.

[0025] The present invention covers various ways in which the operation of the skin care device can be controlled. For example, the skin care device can be manually controlled, wherein the user can switch the skin care device on and off as required, and / or can control the light intensity. The skin care device can also be automatically controlled. For example, in the case where the skin care device is used with a hair cutting unit in a shaving unit, as proposed above, the skin care device may be turned on and off together with the hair cutting unit. The present invention covers the use of any suitable user interface for enabling the user to control the on / off state of the skin care device, and / or set the light intensity, and / or select an automatic operation mode, etc., which user interface may be present on an external device such as a smart phone.

[0026] The above and other aspects of the invention will become apparent and elucidated by reference to the following detailed description of a skin care device for use in a shaving unit of an electric shaver. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar parts are indicated by the same reference numerals, and in which:

[0028] Figure 1schematically shows a perspective view of an electric shaver according to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric shaver comprising a shaving unit and a main body;

[0029] Figure 2 schematically showing a perspective view of an outer cutting member, a decorative cap and an inner cutting member of a hair cutting unit of a shaving unit, wherein both the outer cutting member and the cap are shown with a portion cut away;

[0030] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Two options for setting up a skin care device according to the invention are shown, which is integrated into a skin supporting member of a hair cutting unit and is used on the skin;

[0031] Figure 5 and Figure 6 schematically showing a front perspective view and a rear perspective view, respectively, of an assembly of components of a shaving unit according to the invention, the shaving unit comprising a support member, three hair cutting units supported by the support member, and a skin care device associated with each hair cutting unit;

[0032] Figure 7 a cross-sectional view schematically showing components of one of the hair cutting units of a shaving unit and a part of an assembly of a skin care device associated with the hair cutting unit;

[0033] Figure 8 a perspective view schematically showing an assembly of components of a shaving unit, wherein the assembly is shown with a portion cut away;

[0034] Fig. 9 a perspective view schematically showing only the skin supporting members of the three hair cutting units of the shaving unit and the skin care device; and

[0035] Fig.10 and Fig.11 A perspective view of only the skin supporting member and the skin care device of one of the hair cutting units of a shaving unit is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Figure 1An electric shaver of the rotary type is shown, which is suitable for shaving beards, as a practical example of an electric shaver 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric shaver 1 comprises a body 2 and a shaving unit 3, wherein the body 2 is designed so that a user of the shaver 1 can hold the shaver 1 and manipulate the shaver 1, and wherein the shaving unit 3 is a part of the shaver 1 that is to be positioned on the skin and moved on the skin for hair removal. In this example, the shaving unit 3 comprises three hair cutting units 4, which are supported on a support member 5 of the shaving unit 3. When the electric shaver 1 is actually applied for the purpose of performing a shaving action, the actual process of cutting the hair protruding from the skin occurs at the location of the hair cutting unit 4. In the context of the present invention, the number of hair cutting units 4 can be freely selected and does not necessarily need to be three. The body 2 may have the function of accommodating at least one motor for driving the components of the corresponding hair cutting unit 4. The body 2 may further include means for powering at least one motor, such as a rechargeable battery. It is practical if the shaving unit 3 and the body 2 are releasably connectable to each other, which is known per se in the field of electric shavers.

[0037] Each of the hair cutting units 4 comprises a combination of an outer cutting member 10 and an inner cutting member 20. Furthermore, each of the hair cutting units 4 comprises a skin supporting member 30 which is arranged around the outer cutting member 10.

[0038] Reference now Figure 2The details of the combination of the outer cutting member 10 and the inner cutting member 20 are described. The outer cutting member 10 has a generally cup-shaped design and is thus suitable for accommodating the inner cutting member 20 at least partially in its interior. The outer cutting member 10 has an annular shaving track 11, the upper surface 12 of which is intended to face and contact the skin to be subjected to the shaving action. The shaving track 11 includes a thin sheet 13 extending along the width of the shaving track 11 in a generally radial direction relative to the central axis 14 of the hair cutting unit 4, the central axis coinciding with the rotation axis 21, about which the inner cutting member 20 can rotate relative to the outer cutting member 10. The apertures present between the thin sheets 13 constitute the hair entry opening 15 of the shaving track 11. The sides of the thin sheets 13 constitute the hair cutting surface 16, which is suitable for cooperating with the hair cutting edge 22 of the hair cutting element 23 of the inner cutting member 20 to cut off the hair. The invention also relates to the case in which the shaving track 11 does not comprise a lamella 13 or comprises not only a lamella 13, such as the case in which the entire shaving track 11 is provided with toothed elements and / or a (circular) hole pattern instead of or in addition to the lamella 13. Furthermore, the invention relates to the case in which there is more than one shaving track 11 in the outer cutting member 10.

[0039] When the internal cutting member 20 is activated to rotate and a portion of the skin is actually contacted by the external cutting member 10 at the position of the upper surface 12 of the shaving track 11, a shaving action can be performed. The activation of the internal cutting member 20 can be carried out in a known manner by means of the drive mechanism of the electric shaver 1. When the combination of the external cutting member 10 and the internal cutting member 20 moves over the portion of the skin, the internal cutting member 20 is driven to rotate at the same time, due to the cooperation between the hair cutting surface 16 of the shaving track 11 of the external cutting member 10 and the hair cutting edge 22 of the hair cutting element 23 of the rotating internal cutting member 20, it is achieved that the hair protruding from the portion of the skin is stuck in the hair entry opening 15 of the shaving track 11 of the external cutting member 10 and is cut off at this position.

[0040] In addition to the shaving track 11, the external cutting member 10 also includes a central portion 17, which includes a central support portion designed to rotatably support the internal cutting member 20 in the hair cutting unit 4. The central portion 17 of the external cutting member 10 is also used to support a decorative cap 25, which is configured to cover a portion of the outer surface of the external cutting member 10. In the present example, the central portion 17 includes a centrally located recess, and the cap 25 includes a protrusion, which is accommodated in the recess.

[0041] Each of the hair cutting units 4 is equipped with a skin care device 40, as will now be described with reference to Figure 3-Figure 11 Explained in more detail. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Two options for the arrangement of the skin care device 40 are shown in FIG. It should be noted that the skin care device 40 does not necessarily need to be integrated in the structure of the hair cutting unit 4 such as the shaving unit 3, but this is a practical option. The main components of the skin care device 40 are as follows:

[0042] - a housing 41 provided with a skin contacting surface 42 comprising a light transmissive portion 43, the skin contacting surface being optically transparent,

[0043] - at least one light source 50,

[0044] - a carrier 60 for the light source 50, and

[0045] - Optical reflector 70.

[0046] The skin contact surface 42 is used to contact the user's skin 100, wherein it should be noted that a portion of the skin 100 is Figure 3 and Figure 4 1 and 2, and the functional positioning of the skin care device 40 can be seen in the figure, wherein the skin contact surface 42 is against the skin 100. During operation of the skin care device 40, the light source 50 is active to generate treatment light to be applied to the skin 100 via the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42. The light source 50 can be an LED, for example, in particular an LED configured to emit infrared light, near infrared light, blue light or red light.

[0047] It is practical if the carrier 60 is a PCB. In any case, the light source 50 is mounted on a side 61 of the carrier 60 that is opposite to the skin contact surface 42, which side is referred to as the first side 61 of the carrier 60. Therefore, during operation of the skin care device 40, the care light is not emitted directly toward the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42. Instead, the care light reaches the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42 via an optical reflector 70, which is located at a certain distance from the skin contact surface 42 and can include a mirror surface, a diffuse surface, or a combination of a mirror surface and a diffuse surface for reflecting the care light. In any case, the reflective surface 71 of the optical reflector 70 can have any suitable shape, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 The flat shape shown, or the curved shape. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In FIG. 1 , the boundary between the emitted light and the reflected light is indicated by a dotted line. Optionally, the carrier 60 is coated with a diffuse reflection layer so that the treatment light falling on the carrier 60 can be optimally recovered and directed to the skin 100 .

[0048] With respect to the carrier 60, it is noted that the light source 50 is mounted on a first side 61 of the carrier 60, as explained above, and at least a portion of an opposite side 62 of the carrier 60 (which opposite side is referred to as the second side 62 of the carrier 60) is in thermal contact with the skin contact surface 42 via a portion of the housing 41, as explained above. Figure 3 As shown, or forming part of the skin contact surface 42, such as Figure 4 It is practical if the housing 41 comprises an optically transparent wall 44 at the skin interface, as shown. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown. In addition, it is practical if the space between the optical reflector 70 and the optically transparent wall 44 is filled with an optically transparent encapsulation material 80. Figure 3 In FIG. 4 , a first option is shown in which the second side 62 of the carrier 60 is mounted in direct contact with the inner surface 45 of the optically transparent wall 44, while in FIG. Figure 4 , a second option is shown in which the carrier 60 is arranged in an opening provided in the optically transparent wall 44. With respect to the second option, it is noted that if the carrier 60 is indeed a PCB, the PCB may be of a type that is provided with a finish, such as a metal finish, at the second side 62, or with a suitable coating, so that an attractive overall appearance of the skin contact surface 42 can be achieved even if the second side 62 of the carrier 60 is visible. In both options, two parts can be distinguished in the skin contact surface 42, namely the light-transmissive part 43 and the thermal part 46 at the location of the second side 62 of the carrier 60. With respect to the first option, it is noted that, except for the area at the location of the second side 62 of the carrier 60, an optically transparent wall can be applied.

[0049] Based on the configuration of the skin care device 40 as described above, a long optical path for the treatment light is achieved, so that the treatment light can be diverged more than in the case where the treatment light is emitted directly towards the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42, thereby illuminating a larger area of ​​the skin 100, wherein the light propagates above the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42, thereby avoiding hot spots. Another advantage of the configuration of the skin care device 40 as described above is the fact that at least a part and possibly all of the second side 62 of the carrier 60 is in close thermal contact with the skin contact surface 42 through the optically transparent wall 44, or constitutes a part of the skin contact surface 42, because this is related to the fact that the thermal path from the light source 50 to the skin 100 can be as short as possible. Therefore, based on the configuration of the skin care device 40 as described above, the output of the light source 50 is used in an efficient and optimal manner in terms of the light and heat generated to achieve treatment of the skin 100 by thermal conduction heating, and in the case where the light source is configured to emit infrared light or near-infrared light, additionally by other phenomena such as deep optical thermal heating. Since the heat path from the light source 50 to the skin 100 is short, the conductive heat transfer from the light source 50 to the skin 100 is fast, and the user can experience the heating effect on the skin 100 from the beginning of operation of the skin care device 40. Advantageously, the optically transparent wall 44 comprises a material that has good thermal conductivity properties in addition to being optically transparent or moderately diffusive, such as sapphire or sintered / annealed alumina.

[0050] Considering Figure 5-Figure 11, various aspects of integrating a skin care device 40 in the hair cutting unit 4 of the shaving unit 3, in particular in the skin support member 30 of each of the hair cutting units 4, become apparent. In the figures, two metal pins 51, 52 of each of the skin care devices 40 can be seen for connecting the skin care device 40 to an energy source, such as a battery, of the electric shaver 1, of which the shaving unit 3 is part. In the example shown, each of the care devices 40 comprises a plurality of light sources 50 mounted on a common carrier 60, wherein each of the light sources 50 is an LED and the carrier 60 is a PCB, and the second option in which the carrier 60 is arranged in an opening provided in the optically transparent wall 44 is applicable, so that when the shaving unit 3 is held against the skin and / or moved over the skin 100, the skin 100 is directly touched by the second side 62 of the carrier 60. The optically transparent wall 44 is located at the outside of the skin support member 30, and the optical reflector 70 is located in the interior of the skin support element 30. In each of the hair cutting units 4, the light source 50 and the carrier 60 of the skin care device 40 are arranged to partially surround the outer cutting member 10, so that the user can experience skin care from a large area around the area where the shaving action takes place. Due to the geometry of the skin support member 30, most of the care light is trapped inside the skin support member 30 and can only escape in the case of contact between the skin contact surface 42 and the skin 100 (i.e., it is the case that the escape of the care light is envisaged to achieve the intended skin care).

[0051] It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples discussed in the foregoing, and that several revisions and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. The present invention is intended to be interpreted as including all such revisions and modifications, as long as they are within the scope of the claims or their equivalents. Although the present invention is shown and described in detail in the drawings and the specification, such illustrations and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative or exemplary only, and not restrictive. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The accompanying drawings are schematic, details not necessary for understanding the present invention may be omitted, and the drawings are not necessarily to scale.

[0052] Variations to the disclosed embodiments may be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, by studying the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0053] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, elements and aspects discussed for or related to a particular embodiment may be appropriately combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments. Therefore, the fact that certain measures are cited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be fully utilized.

[0054] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "comprise" and "include" used in this text encompass the term "consisting of. Thus, the terms "comprise" or "include" may mean "consisting of" with respect to one embodiment, but may mean "containing / having / equipped with at least the defined species and optionally containing / having / equipped with one or more other species" in another embodiment.

[0055] The salient aspects of the invention are summarized as follows. In the field of skin care, a device 40 is provided, which is of the type that includes a housing 41 provided with a skin contact surface 42 arranged to be in contact with the user's skin 100 during use of the device 40. In the device 40, at least one light source 50 is arranged in the housing 41 for generating treatment light to be applied to the skin 100 via a light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42, which light-transmitting portion is optically transparent, wherein the light source 50 is mounted on a first side 61 of a carrier 60, which first side 61 faces away from the skin contact surface 42, and wherein the housing 41 accommodates an optical reflector 70 for reflecting the treatment light generated by the at least one light source 50 toward the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42. In addition, at least a portion of the second side 62 of the carrier 60 opposite to the first side 61 is mounted to the inner side of a wall portion of the housing 41, which wall portion includes a portion of the skin contact surface 42, or at least a portion of the second side 62 of the carrier 60 opposite to the first side 61 constitutes a portion of the skin contact surface 42, thereby achieving a short thermal path from the light source 50 to the skin 100.

Claims

1. A skin care device (40), comprising: a housing (41) provided with a skin contact surface (42) arranged to come into contact with the skin (100) of a user during use of the device (40); at least one light source (50) arranged in the housing (41), the at least one light source (50) being used to generate treatment light to be applied to the skin (100) via a light-transmitting portion (43) of the skin contact surface (42), the light-transmitting portion (43) being optically transparent; a carrier (60) having a first side (61) on which the light source (50) is mounted, the first side (61) facing away from the skin contact surface (42); an optical reflector (70) received by the housing (41) and arranged to reflect the care light generated by the at least one light source (50) toward the light-transmitting portion (43) of the skin contact surface (42); wherein: at least a portion of a second side (62) of the carrier (60) opposite to the first side (61) of the carrier (60): i) mounted to the inner side of a wall portion of the housing (41), the wall portion comprising a portion of the skin contact surface (42), wherein the portion of the skin contact surface (42) is located on an outer side of the wall portion, the outer side being opposite to the inner side of the wall portion; or ii) forming part of said skin contacting surface (42).

2. The skin care device (40) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (41) comprises an optically transparent wall (44) comprising the light-transmissive portion (43) of the skin contact surface (42).

3. The skin care device (40) according to claim 2, wherein the second side (62) of the carrier (60) is mounted in direct contact with the inner surface (45) of the optically transparent wall (44).

4. The skin care device (40) according to claim 2, wherein: The carrier (60) is arranged in an opening provided in the optically transparent wall (44); and The skin contacting surface (42) comprises the second side (62) of the carrier (60).

5. A skin care device (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a space in the skin care device (40) is filled with an optically transparent packaging material (80), the space being present at the skin-facing side of the optical reflector (70) and accommodating the light source (50).

6. The skin care device (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first side (61) of the carrier (60) is coated with a diffuse reflection layer.

7. A skin care device (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a thermal portion (46) of the skin contact surface (42) associated with the second side (62) of the carrier (60) is positioned adjacent to the light-transmitting portion (43) of the skin contact surface (42).

8. The skin care device (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The light source (50) is an LED; and The carrier (60) is a printed circuit board (PCB).

9. The skin care device (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the light source (50) is configured to generate infrared light or near infrared light.

10. The skin care device (40) according to claim 9, further comprising at least one indicator element, wherein the at least one indicator element is configured to emit visible light through the light-transmitting portion (43) of the skin contact surface (42) when the light source (50) emits the care light.

11. A shaving unit (3) of an electric shaver, comprising a support member (5), at least one hair cutting unit (4) supported by the support member (5), and at least one skin care device (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The shaving unit (3) according to claim 11, wherein: The hair cutting unit (4) comprises an outer cutting member (10) with a hair entry opening (15), an inner cutting member (20), which is covered by the outer cutting member (10) and is rotatable relative to the outer cutting member (10), and a skin supporting member (30) which surrounds the outer cutting member (10); and The skin care device (40) is integrated into the skin support (30) of the hair cutting unit (4).

13. The shaving unit (3) according to claim 12, wherein: The skin care device (40) comprises a plurality of light sources (50), and The light source (50) is positioned throughout the skin support member (30) in a configuration that at least partially surrounds the outer cutting member (10).

14. A shaving unit (3) according to any one of claims 11 to 13, comprising at least two hair cutting units (4) and at least one skin care device (40) associated with each hair cutting unit (4).

15. An electric shaver (1) comprising a main body (2) and a shaving unit (3) according to any one of claims 11 to 14, the shaving unit being coupled to the main body (2).

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