Mounting assembly

Abstract

According to an aspect, there is provided a mounting assembly (20) for a hair cutting appliance (10), the mounting assembly comprising: a head (22) configured to receive a cutting unit and comprising: a body (24) extending along an elongate axis (50); a drive axle (26) configured to be coupled to the cutting unit and to reciprocate relative to the main body along the elongate axis to reciprocate the cutting unit relative to the main body; a main head bearing surface (44); and a separate secondary head bearing surface (52); a counterpart (40) pivotally coupled to the head, the counterpart comprising: a primary counterpart bearing surface (46) configured to mate with the primary head bearing surface to permit sliding rotation of the counterpart relative to the head about a first axis of rotation (60), a counterpart and configured to contact the main head bearing surface along a contact line to limit movement of the head toward the counterpart along a second axis perpendicular to a first axis of rotation, the first axis of rotation being parallel to the elongate axis; and a secondary partner bearing surface (54) separate from the primary partner bearing surface and configured to mate with the secondary head bearing surface to permit sliding rotation of the partner relative to the head about the first axis of rotation, and configured to bear against the secondary head bearing surface to permit sliding rotation of the partner relative to the head about the second axis of rotation. To limit movement of the head relative to the counterpart along a third axis (70) perpendicular to the second axis and the first axis of rotation; and a drive unit (34) comprising a drive axle (36) and a socket (38), the drive axle comprising an eccentric pin (42) cooperating with the drive axle to impart a reciprocating motion to the drive axle, and the socket being configured to cooperate with the motor (14).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mounting assembly for a hair cutting appliance and a hair cutting appliance. Background Art

[0002] The hair cutting appliance usually comprises a cutting unit and it is advantageous to have the cutting unit pivotable relative to the handle so as to be able to follow the contour of the user's skin surface to create an optimal contact between the user's skin and the cutting unit for an optimal cutting performance. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to a first specific aspect, there is provided a mounting assembly for a hair cutting appliance, the mounting assembly comprising:

[0004] A head portion configured to receive a cutting unit and comprising:

[0005] a body extending along an axis of elongation;

[0006] a drive bridge configured to be coupled to the cutting unit and to reciprocate relative to the body along the elongated axis to reciprocate relative to the body to move the cutting unit;

[0007] primary head support surface; and

[0008] a separated secondary head support surface;

[0009] A counterpart, the counterpart being pivotably coupled to the head, the counterpart comprising:

[0010] a primary counterpart support surface configured to cooperate with the primary head support surface to permit sliding rotation of the counterpart relative to the head about a first rotational axis parallel to the axis of elongation and configured to contact the primary head support surface along a contact line to limit movement of the head toward the counterpart along a second axis perpendicular to the first rotational axis; and

[0011] a secondary counterpart support surface separate from the primary counterpart support surface and configured to cooperate with the secondary head support surface to permit sliding rotation of the counterpart relative to the head about the first rotational axis and configured to bear against the secondary head support surface to limit movement of the head relative to the counterpart along a third axis perpendicular to the second axis and the first rotational axis; and

[0012] A drive unit includes a drive shaft and a socket, the drive shaft includes an eccentric pin, the eccentric pin cooperates with the drive axle to apply reciprocating motion to the drive axle, and the socket is configured to cooperate with the motor.

[0013] The primary head support surface and the primary counterpart support surface are separated from the secondary head support surface and the secondary counterpart support surface, respectively, which is intended to mean that the primary support surface and the corresponding secondary support surface are non-adjacent, or non-adjacent. It is possible that the contact line between the primary head support surface and the primary counterpart support surface can be parallel to the first rotation axis and the elongation axis.

[0014] It may be that the primary counterpart support surface is configured to contact the primary head support surface along a contact line, which is intended to mean that there is contact between the components only along the contact line, rather than surface contact.

[0015] It may be that the primary head support surface has a curved surface having a first radius from the primary head centre point and the radius of curvature about the primary mate centre point of the primary mate support surface is greater than the first radius.

[0016] When assembled, the primary partner center point and the primary head center point may be collinear with each other and with the first axis of rotation.The first radius may be equal to the radius of curvature of the primary partner support surface.

[0017] It is possible that the secondary head support surface comprises a pair of opposing faces.It is possible that the secondary counterpart support surface has an arcuate section having a second radius about the first axis of rotation, wherein the second radius is smaller than a radius of curvature of the secondary head support surface.

[0018] The second radius may be equal to the radius of curvature of the secondary head support surface.

[0019] It may be that each opposing face of the secondary head support surface extending from the head includes a generally planar section and a concavely curved section, wherein the concavely curved section is closer to the counterpart along the second axis than the planar section and is configured to contact the secondary counterpart support surface to hinder movement of the counterpart away from the head.

[0020] It may be that during normal use the concave curved section is configured not to contact the counterpart, such that there are some manufacturing tolerances in the position of the head and counterpart along the second axis.

[0021] It is possible that the opposite face of the secondary head support surface is substantially planar. It is possible that the primary head support surface is integral with the body of the head. It is possible that the secondary head support surface is integral with the body of the head. It is possible that the primary head support surface is convex. It is possible that the primary counterpart support surface is substantially planar. It is possible that the secondary counterpart support surface is convex.

[0022] It is possible that the mounting assembly further includes a retaining element, wherein the retaining element is coupled to one of the head and the counterpart and is configured to prevent separation of the head and the counterpart by bearing against a surface of the other of the counterpart and the head.

[0023] It is possible that the mounting assembly further comprises a base pivotably coupled to the counterpart about a secondary axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

[0024] The secondary axis of rotation may be aligned with a width axis of the body.The secondary axis of rotation may be parallel to a plane through which the body extends.

[0025] According to a second aspect, there is provided a hair cutting appliance comprising: a mounting assembly according to the first aspect; a motor configured to be coupled to a drive unit; and a handle configured to be attached to the mounting assembly.

[0026] These and other aspects will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Exemplary embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 schematically shows a side view of a hair cutting appliance; and

[0029] Figure 2 schematically illustrates an exploded view of a first example mounting assembly;

[0030] Figure 3 and Figure 4 schematically illustrates front and side cross-sectional views of a first example mounting assembly; and

[0031] Figure 5 schematically illustrates an oblique view of a second example mounting assembly; and

[0032] Figure 6 An exploded view of a third example mounting assembly is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Figure 1 A hair cutting appliance 10 is shown, comprising a handle 12 for a user to hold the hair cutting appliance 10, and a mounting assembly 20 attached to the handle 12. A motor 14 is disposed within the handle 12, to which a drive shaft 16 extending from the motor 14 is coupled.

[0034] Figures 2 to 4A first example mounting assembly 20 is shown that includes a head 22 configured to receive a cutting unit, a counterpart 40 pivotably coupled to the head 22 , and a drive unit 34 .

[0035] The head 22 includes a body 24 extending along an elongated axis 50 and a drive bridge 26. The head 22 is configured to receive a cutting unit, such as a blade. The drive bridge 26 is configured to move reciprocally relative to the body 24 along the elongated axis 50. The drive bridge 26 is also coupled to the cutting unit so that when the drive bridge moves reciprocally relative to the body 24, the cutting unit also moves reciprocally relative to the body 24 to enable it to cut hair.

[0036] The drive unit 34 includes a drive shaft 36 and a socket 38 fixed together. The socket 38 is configured to cooperate with the motor 14 via the shaft 16 to impart rotational motion to the socket 38 and the drive shaft 36 about its axis. The drive shaft 36 includes an eccentric pin 42, which is received in a channel of the drive bridge 26 to cooperate with the drive bridge 26 to impart reciprocating motion to the drive bridge 26 through the rotation of the drive shaft 36. The drive unit 34 is thus configured to convert the rotational motion of the motor 14 into the reciprocating motion of the drive bridge 26. The socket 38 is configured to receive and cooperate with the shaft 16 at a variety of different angles so that the socket 38 can be pivotally moved relative to the motor 14 without adversely affecting the ability of the drive unit 34 to convert the rotational motion of the motor 14 into the reciprocating motion of the drive bridge 26.

[0037] The head 22 includes a head component 62 that is fixed to the body 24 and includes the primary head support surface 44. The counterpart 40 includes a primary counterpart support surface 46 that is configured to cooperate with the primary head support surface 44 to permit sliding rotation of the counterpart 40 relative to the head 22 about a first rotation axis 60 that is parallel to the elongation axis 50.

[0038] In this example, the main head support surface 44 has a curved surface having a first radius from the main head center point. In this example, the main head support surface 44 has a convex surface. In this example, the main counterpart support surface 46 is planar. The main head support surface 44 contacts the main counterpart support surface 46 to limit the movement of the head 22 toward the counterpart 40 along the second axis 30 perpendicular to the first rotation axis 60. In this example, the main head support surface 44 contacts the main counterpart support surface 46 along a contact line. In other words, the main counterpart support surface 46 contacts the main head support surface 44 only along the contact line. In this example, the contact line between the main head support surface 44 and the main counterpart support surface 46 is parallel to the first rotation axis 60 and the elongation axis 50.

[0039] In other examples, there may be surface contact between the primary head bearing surface 44 and the primary counterpart bearing surface 46. The contact between these components is only along the contact line and not the surface, which means that the sliding between the head 22 and the counterpart 40 is not overly constrained, allowing for lower tolerances in the radius of curvature of the components (i.e., the structure has a higher tolerance for non-optimal radii). Having a planar counterpart bearing surface 46 is the simplest way to achieve a contact line between the head 22 and the counterpart 40 and maximize manufacturing and assembly tolerances.

[0040] In other examples, the primary counterpart support surface may have a corresponding curved surface, rather than a planar surface, having a radius of curvature about a center point of the primary counterpart that is greater than or equal to the first radius. Having a convex primary head support surface 44 enables the first axis of rotation 60 to be close to the skin surface (i.e., close to the surface of the head 22 that is configured to contact the user's skin for cutting hair on the skin). In other words, the first axis of rotation 60 is located between the primary head support surface 44 and the cutting unit. In other examples, the primary head support surface may be concave or planar, wherein the primary counterpart support surface is convex with a radius of curvature that is at least smaller than the surface of the primary head support surface. In such examples, in use, the first axis of rotation 60 will be further away from the skin surface, in other words, the primary head support surface will be located between the first axis of rotation and the cutting unit.

[0041] In this example, when assembled, the major head center point is co-linear with the first rotational axis 60 , allowing the counterpart 40 to rotate about the first rotational axis 60 via sliding contact between the major head support surface 44 and the major counterpart support surface 46 .

[0042] In this example, the head component 62 is separate from the body 24. The head component 62 is configured to be attached to the body 24 by slotting under a plurality of protrusions 64 protruding from the body 24. In other words, by moving the head component 62 along the elongated axis 60, it can slot under the protrusions 64 to attach the body 24 to the head component 62. In other examples, the head component 62 can be integral with the body 24.

[0043] In this example, the counterpart 40 includes a depending protrusion 68 that is configured to mate with the head component 62 on opposite sides of the major head bearing surface 44. When assembled, the opposite sides of the major head bearing surface 44 bear against the counterpart 40 to limit movement of the head 22 away from the counterpart 40. Thus, the interaction of the counterpart 40 with the head component 62 (i.e., the head 22) limits movement of the head 22 away from the counterpart 40 and toward the counterpart 40, while permitting sliding rotation between the counterpart 40 and the head 22 about the first rotational axis 60.

[0044] In this example, the primary head support surface 44 includes two separate surfaces spaced apart along the elongated axis 50, and the primary counterpart support surface 46 also includes two corresponding surfaces spaced apart along the elongated axis 50 to provide greater stability for the connection of the head 22 to the counterpart 40 along the elongated axis 50.

[0045] In this example, the head component 62 of the head 22 also includes a secondary head support surface 52 that is separate from the primary head support surface 44, and the counterpart 40 includes a secondary counterpart support surface 54. The secondary counterpart support surface 54 is separate from the primary counterpart support surface 46.

[0046] The secondary head support surface 52 is configured to cooperate with the secondary counterpart support surface 54 to permit sliding rotation between the counterpart 40 and the head 22 .

[0047] In this example, the secondary head support surface 52 includes two portions spaced apart along the axis of elongation 50, and the secondary mate support surface 54 also includes two corresponding surfaces spaced apart along the axis of elongation 50. Having the surfaces spaced apart along the axis of elongation means that relative movement of the mate 40 and the head 22 can also be restricted in a direction along the axis of elongation 50.

[0048] In this example, each portion of the secondary head support surface 52 includes two opposing faces that are spaced apart along a third axis 70 that is perpendicular to both the first rotation axis 60 and the second axis 30. In this example, the opposing faces are planar. In other examples, the opposing faces may include curved surfaces.

[0049] In this example, each portion of the secondary counterpart bearing surface has an arcuate section, which in this example is convex, having a second radius about the first axis of rotation when assembled. If the secondary head bearing surface 52 is curved, the second radius is less than or equal to the radius of curvature of the secondary head bearing surface 52 (it should be noted that a flat surface can be considered to have an infinite radius of curvature). Having the second radius less than the radius of curvature of the secondary head bearing surface 52 prevents the mechanism from being over-constrained and allows for larger tolerances in manufacturing. In other examples, the second corresponding surface can have a pair of opposing flat surfaces or concave sections that bear against the convex secondary head bearing surface.

[0050] The secondary mate support surface 54 is also configured to bear against an opposing face of the secondary head support surface 52 to limit movement of the head 22 relative to the mate 40 along the third axis 70 in both directions. Thus, the engagement between the primary head support surface 44 and the primary mate support surface 46 and between the secondary head support surface 52 and the secondary mate support surface 54 limits movement of the head 22 relative to the mate 40 along the second axis 30 and the third axis 70, while separating and disengaging the support surfaces along the elongation axis 50 also limits movement of the head 22 relative to the mate 40 along the elongation axis 50. Thus, the only permitted movement is rotational movement of the head 22 relative to the mate 40 about the first rotational axis 60.

[0051] In this example, the mounting assembly includes a base 80 configured to be attached to the mating piece 40. In this example, the base 80 is fixed to the mating piece 40. In other examples, the base can be pivotally coupled to the mating piece about a secondary rotation axis that is perpendicular to the first rotation axis 60. The secondary rotation axis can be aligned with the width of the body (e.g., along the third axis 70). The secondary rotation axis can also be parallel to a plane through which the body extends.

[0052] Figure 5 A second example mounting assembly 120 is shown. The second example mounting assembly 120 is similar to the first example mounting assembly 20, but differs in that the head 22 includes a secondary head support surface 152, which includes two opposing faces, each of which includes a generally planar section 154 and a concave curved section 156. The concave curved section 156 is closer to the counterpart 40 and the base 80 than the planar section 154, and is configured to contact the secondary counterpart support surface 158 to hinder movement of the counterpart 40 away from the head 22 (in other words, perform reference Figures 2 to 4 During normal use, the head 22 and the counterpart 40 do not contact at the concave curved section 156 in order to reduce friction therebetween and allow for higher manufacturing tolerances in the position of the head 22 relative to the counterpart 40.

[0053] Figure 6 A third example mounting assembly 220 is shown. The third example mounting assembly 220 is similar to the first example mounting assembly 20 and the second example mounting assembly 120, but differs in that the head 22 includes a body 224 having a primary head support surface 44 and a secondary head support surface 52. In other examples, the body 224 may have only one of the primary head support surface 44 and the secondary head support surface 52.

[0054] The third example mounting assembly 220 further differs from the first example mounting assembly 20 and the second example mounting assembly 120 in that the counterpiece is integral with the base to form an integral counterpiece 240. In this example, a pair of retaining elements 272 are attached to the head 22 and are configured to hold the integral counterpiece 240 in position relative to the head 22 by bearing against the counterpiece 40 so that the primary head bearing surface 44 contacts the corresponding primary counterpiece bearing surface 46 and prevents separation of the head 22 and the integral counterpiece 240.

[0055] Reference to the primary head support surface and the primary mate support surface being separate from the secondary head support surface and the secondary mate support surface, respectively, is intended to mean that the primary support surface and the corresponding secondary support surface are not contiguous, or are not adjacent.

[0056] By studying the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims, those skilled in the art can understand and implement variations to the disclosed embodiments when practicing the principles and techniques described herein. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "one" or "an" does not exclude multiple. A single processor or other unit can implement the functions of several items listed in the claims. The fact that certain measures are cited only in mutually different dependent claims does not mean that the combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously. The computer program may be stored or distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or solid-state medium provided with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunications systems. Any figure mark in the claims should not be interpreted as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for a hair cutting appliance, the mounting assembly comprising: a drive unit comprising a drive shaft and a socket, the drive shaft comprising an eccentric pin that cooperates with a drive axle to impart a reciprocating motion to the drive axle, and the socket being configured to cooperate with a motor; A head portion configured to receive a cutting unit and comprising: a body extending along an axis of elongation; The drive bridge is configured to be coupled to the cutting unit and to reciprocate relative to the body along the elongated axis to reciprocate relative to the body to move the cutting unit; primary head support surface; and a separate secondary head support surface; and a counterpart, the counterpart being pivotably coupled to the head, the counterpart comprising: a primary counterpart support surface configured to cooperate with the primary head support surface to permit sliding rotation of the counterpart relative to the head about a first rotational axis and configured to contact the primary head support surface along a contact line to limit movement of the head toward the counterpart along a second axis perpendicular to the first rotational axis, the first rotational axis being parallel to the elongation axis; and a secondary counterpart support surface, which is separate from the primary counterpart support surface and is configured to cooperate with the secondary head support surface to permit sliding rotation of the counterpart relative to the head about the first rotation axis, and is configured to bear against the secondary head support surface to limit movement of the head relative to the counterpart along a third axis perpendicular to the second axis and the first rotation axis.

2. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein: The major head support surface has a curved surface having a first radius from a major head center point, and The radius of curvature of the primary counterpart center point about the primary counterpart support surface is greater than the first radius.

3. The mounting assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The secondary head support surface includes a pair of opposing faces; and The secondary partner support surface has an arcuate section having a second radius about the first axis of rotation, wherein the second radius is smaller than a radius of curvature of the secondary head support surface.

4. The mounting assembly of claim 3, wherein each opposing face of the secondary head support surface extending from the head comprises a generally planar section and a concavely curved section, wherein the concavely curved section is closer to the mating piece along the second axis than the planar section and is configured to contact the secondary mating piece support surface to impede movement of the mating piece away from the head.

5. A mounting assembly according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the opposing faces of the secondary head support surface are substantially planar.

6. A mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the primary head support surface is integral with the body of the head.

7. A mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the secondary head support surface is integral with the body of the head.

8. A mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the primary head support surface is convex.

9. A mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the primary partner bearing surface is substantially planar.

10. A mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the secondary partner support surface is convex.

11. The mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a retaining element, wherein the retaining element is connected to one of the head and the mating piece and is configured to prevent separation of the head and the mating piece by bearing against a surface of the other of the mating piece and the head.

12. The mounting assembly of any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a base pivotably coupled to the counterpart about a secondary axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

13. A hair cutting appliance comprising: The mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 12; a motor configured to be coupled to the drive unit; as well as A handle is configured to be attached to the mounting assembly.

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