Hair trimmer housing with improved motor mount

Abstract

A hair trimmer is provided that includes a trimmer housing (12) defining a longitudinal housing axis, the trimmer housing having a drive end (18) and including a first housing half (14) and a second housing half (16), each of the halves having a front end associated with the drive end and an opposite rear end (22), and each front end defining an attachment structure (104, 106). Upon assembly of the trimmer housing halves, the first and second housing halves are configured such that the attachment structures overlap and are secured using a fastener inserted along a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal housing axis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to electric hair trimmers and trimmers, collectively referred to herein as hair trimmers, and more particularly to devices for achieving precise and detailed trimming patterns on a customer's scalp and / or face, or for trimming nose and ear hair, and which are intended to be operated by a user while showering or bathing. Background Art

[0002] Modern hair grooming is more popular, and there are often features that cut design elements into the customer's hair until the skin. These design elements take various forms, including but not limited to clearly defined edges for facial hair, geometric designs, free-form patterns, animal images, text, etc. In addition, modern grooming includes maintenance for parts such as nose hair and ear hair. For home hair beauticians using traditional electric hair trimmers, accurate grooming is usually challenging, because traditional hair trimmers have a housing that extends to the cutting teeth of the blade set, so it is often difficult to see the cutting blade and the target cutting area at the same time. Therefore, the housing often blocks the observation of the cutting area, making it difficult to achieve accuracy.

[0003] Hair trimmer manufacturers have addressed this need by providing specialized contour trimmers (in this application, hair trimmers and hair trimmers are collectively referred to as hair trimmers and are intended for use with both humans and animals) having an exposed blade set positioned axially from one end of the housing for improved viewing of the cutting area by the hairdresser or stylist. Designers of such contour trimmers or trimmers have had to balance between two often competing demands: one is improved visibility of the cutting area and the other is the requirement for a stable mechanical and electrical connection of the blade set to the trimmer drive system.

[0004] In addition to creating precise modern hairstyles with such design shapes, another challenge in hair grooming is that customers often want to take their hair trimmers into the bathtub or shower for grooming procedures, or even rinse the trimmers under the tap for cleaning. Therefore, manufacturers of trimmers need to protect their products from damage due to exposure to water.

[0005] A method of providing a waterproof hair trimmer is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 241,895, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The trimmer motor compartment with chassis is enclosed in a tube made of shrink-wrap plastic and end seals are provided to prevent water from entering the motor and trimmer control system.

[0006] One challenge in manufacturing such an encapsulated motor pod structure is to secure the pod to the housing so as to hold the pod in place during operation without piercing the waterproof encapsulating membrane. It has been found that encapsulated vibrating trimmer motor pods tend to rotate about the longitudinal axis and also move linearly along the longitudinal axis relative to the trimmer housing.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for an improved hair trimmer that addresses the design considerations listed above, including securing an encapsulated trimmer motor compartment within a trimmer housing without piercing a waterproof membrane. Summary of the invention

[0008] The hair trimmer housing of the present invention with an improved motor mount meets or exceeds the needs listed above. One feature of the hair trimmer housing of the present invention is a fastening arrangement configured so that the respective clamshell trimmer housing halves are secured together at at least one end by fasteners inserted along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trimmer housing. This arrangement enables the housing to be secured together without the use of conventional vertical bosses oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal trimmer axis. As a result, a reduced housing profile is obtained, at least in the vicinity of the trimmer blade set, which improves the visibility of the blades, compared to conventional trimmer housings.

[0009] Another feature of the hair trimmer housing of the present invention is a configuration designed to securely retain the encapsulated motor compartment without piercing the waterproof encapsulating membrane. The motor compartment is provided with a chassis having a compartment attachment structure adjacent to an offset cam for driving the hair trimmer blade set. When the housing halves are assembled around the encapsulated motor compartment, each of the first and second housing halves has a locking structure that engages the compartment attachment structure to prevent the motor compartment from moving in a rotational and linear direction relative to the assembled housing.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the chassis compartment attachment structure is provided in the form of a semicircular keying projection. A vertically positioned semicircular flange is included on the keying projection, the flange being axially spaced from the chassis to form a slot. The second, lower shell half has a semicircular bracket structure configured to engage the slot. The first, upper shell half has a pair of shoulders engaging the ends of the flange, and when the first and second shell halves are secured together, the shoulders prevent the compartment from rotating, and the engagement of the slot with the bracket prevents the compartment from moving axially in the shell. In addition, the attachment of the first and second shell halves using fasteners oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trimmer as described above secures the two shell halves together and also captures the encapsulated compartment.

[0011] Other features of the hair trimmer of the present invention include features on the motor chassis to more securely hold the motor, battery and control system circuit board to the chassis. In a preferred embodiment, these features take the form of integral tabs or protrusions that hold at least the motor but also the rechargeable battery and circuit board to the chassis.

[0012] The front sealing plate of the chassis provides a front attachment point for the packaging tube when the packaging tube is heat sealed and also forms a seat for the semi-circular keying protrusion. The rear sealing plate of the chassis provides a rear attachment point for the packaging tube when the packaging tube is heat sealed and also defines a polygonal charging hood that is retained by the coupling portion of the first and second shell halves so as to also retain the compartment in the appropriate position in the shell to prevent movement caused by operation. In addition to the packaging tube forming an external motor seal, the trimmer of the present invention is also provided with a resilient inner tube surrounding at least the drive end of the motor to form an internal motor seal.

[0013] More specifically, a hair trimmer is provided that includes a trimmer housing defining a longitudinal housing axis, the trimmer housing having a drive end and including a first housing half and a second housing half, each of the halves having a front end associated with the drive end and an opposite rear end, and each front end defining an attachment structure.

[0014] When the trimmer housing halves are assembled, the first and second housing halves are configured such that the attachment structures overlap and are secured using fasteners inserted along a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal housing axis.

[0015] In one embodiment, the trimmer includes a chassis configured to secure a motor, battery, and control system, and a radially enlarged flange at each of the ends. A tubular sleeve made of a heat-deformable plastic film is provided, the tubular sleeve being sized to slidably surround the chassis and extend axially at least to the flange so that upon application of heat, the sleeve deforms around the chassis, the motor, the battery, and the control system and forms a sealed motor compartment. The chassis includes a compartment attachment structure configured to be engaged by the attachment structure of the first and second housing halves to prevent the compartment from moving relative to the housing when the first and second housing halves are assembled.

[0016] In one embodiment, each of the first and second housing halves has a locking structure that engages the compartment attachment structure to prevent the motor compartment from moving in a rotational direction and a linear direction relative to the assembled housing. Preferably, the attachment of the first and second housing halves using fasteners oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trimmer secures the two housing halves together and also captures the encapsulated motor compartment. In addition, the attachment structure on the first and second housing halves near the blade set is constructed and arranged to have no fastener bosses protruding perpendicular to the longitudinal housing axis.

[0017] In one embodiment, the chassis compartment attachment structure is provided in the form of a semicircular keying projection having a vertically projecting semicircular flange, the flange being axially spaced from the chassis to form a slot. In addition, the second housing half has a semicircular bracket structure configured to engage the slot, and the first housing half has a pair of shoulders engaging the ends of the flange, and when the first and second housing halves are secured together, the shoulders prevent the motor compartment from rotating, and the engagement of the slot with the bracket prevents the motor compartment from moving axially in the housing.

[0018] In one embodiment, the packaging tube forms an outer motor seal and the trimmer is provided with another inner motor seal surrounding at least the drive end of the motor.In addition, the chassis preferably includes an integral tab configured to retain at least one of the motor and the battery to the chassis.

[0019] In one embodiment, the front sealing plate or flange of the chassis provides a front attachment point for the packaging tube when heat sealed and also forms a base for the semicircular keying protrusion, and the rear sealing plate or flange of the chassis provides a rear attachment point for the packaging tube when heat sealed, and the rear sealing plate defines a polygonal charging cover, which is configured to be retained by the connecting portion of the first and second shell halves to hold the motor compartment in an appropriate position in the shell to prevent movement caused by operation.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first and second housing halves include structures for retaining the rear end of the motor compartment to prevent movement relative to the housing when the first and second halves are assembled.

[0021] In another embodiment, a hair trimmer is provided, comprising: a trimmer housing defining a longitudinal housing axis, the trimmer housing having a drive end and comprising a first housing half and a second housing half, each of the halves having a front end associated with the drive end and an opposite rear end, each front end defining an attachment structure. A chassis is configured to secure a motor, a battery, and a control system, a radially enlarged flange at each of the ends. A tubular sleeve made of a heat-deformable plastic film is sized to slidably surround the chassis and extend at least axially to the flange so that when heat is applied, the sleeve deforms around the chassis, the motor, the battery, and the control system and forms a sealed motor compartment. A compartment attachment structure is included on the chassis, the compartment attachment structure being configured to be engaged by the attachment structure of the first and second housing halves to prevent the compartment from moving relative to the housing when the first and second housing halves are assembled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a hair trimmer of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A side perspective view of a hair trimmer, wherein the blade set is shown exploded;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the hair trimmer;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A partial front exploded view of a hair trimmer;

[0026] Figure 5 A top perspective view of an enclosed motor compartment of a hair trimmer of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 5 An enlarged partial side view of the motor compartment;

[0028] Figure 7 is an enlarged partially exploded perspective view of the hair trimmer of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 A partial vertical cross section of the hair trimmer of the present invention;

[0030] Fig. 9 For along Figure 1 A vertical section taken along line 9-9 and in the direction generally indicated;

[0031] Fig.10 is an exploded perspective view of the motor compartment of the present invention;

[0032] Fig.11 A partial top perspective view of the hair trimmer of the present invention;

[0033] Fig.12 A partial top perspective view of the hair trimmer of the present invention;

[0034] Fig.13 A partial front end view of the hair trimmer of the present invention;

[0035] Fig.14 A partial top perspective view of the hair trimmer of the present invention being assembled; and

[0036] Fig.15 For along Figure 1 The cross section is taken along line 15-15 and in the direction generally indicated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Reference now Figure 1-4 A hair trimmer incorporating the housing construction and motor compartment mounting system of the present invention is generally indicated at 10 and includes a housing generally indicated at 12 incorporating a first or upper housing half 14 and a second or lower housing half 16. The housing 12 includes a front end, a drive end or working end 18 and an opposing rear end 22 to which a blade set 20 is mounted, the rear end 22 being configured to receive a charging cord for recharging an internal battery. A power switch 24 on the first housing half 14 controls the operation of a motor (described below), and in a preferred embodiment, at least one of the first housing half 14 and the second housing half 16 is provided with a resilient material 26 that improves grip. In this embodiment, the grip-improving material 26 is textured, however other configurations are also contemplated.

[0038] The blade set 20 includes a stationary blade 28 and a transversely reciprocating blade 30 driven by a drive shaft 32 equipped with an eccentric cam. The sets of teeth 34 and 36 on the stationary blade 28 and the movable blade 30 form a cutting line "C" that is transverse to the longitudinal housing axis "L". One feature of the housing 12 is that it is constructed with a reduced profile near the blade set 20 to improve user visibility of the cutting operation. In addition, as shown in FIG. Figure 2As shown in , the blade set 20 is configured to be easily removed from the housing 12 using a thumb screw 38, which holds the blade set mounting bracket 40 to the groove 42 in the second housing half 16. The details of the construction and operation of the blade set 20 and the mounting structure are discussed in more detail in the commonly owned U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 241,895, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Although a thumb screw 38 is shown, it is contemplated that other types of fasteners may be employed. For non-limiting example, a butterfly nut type fastener arrangement may be used, which may also be manipulated by hand without the use of tools.

[0039] Reference now Figure 3-6 10, the first housing half 14 and the second housing half 16 enclose a motor compartment 44, which includes a chassis, generally indicated at 46, which is constructed and arranged to be placed within the housing 12 and includes a motor end 48 corresponding to the drive end 14 and an opposite charging end 50. The chassis 46, which is preferably made of injection molded plastic or a similar material known in the art, includes a plurality of integrally formed mounting structures 52 for holding in place at least one of a motor 54, a rechargeable battery 56, and a control system 58, which preferably takes the form of a circuit board 60 having a power switch 24.

[0040] Reference now Fig.10 and 14 , includes in the mounting structure 52 a generally vertically projecting "U" shaped motor mount 62 having two arms 64, each of which is provided with a motor retaining tab 66 that engages an exterior 68 of the motor 54 in a snap fit arrangement. Similar to the motor mount 62, a battery mount 70 also projects vertically slightly behind the motor mount and is provided with tabs or lugs 72 configured to engage notches 74 on the circuit board 60. The rear battery mount 76 defines a bracket for a rear battery terminal 78.

[0041] Radially enlarged, disc-shaped front and rear sealing plates or flanges 80, 82 are fixed to each of the front and rear chassis ends 84, 86. The drive shaft 32 protrudes beyond the flange 80 at the front end, and at least one battery charging pin 88 ( Fig. 9 , 15 ) extends beyond the rear flange 82.

[0042] Reference now Figure 3 , 5, 6 and 11, in order to achieve the desired waterproofing of the motor compartment 44 and associated components, a tubular sleeve 90 made of shrink wrap film is inserted to surround the chassis 46 and the components 54, 56, 60 mounted thereto. The size of the sleeve 90 is set to have a diameter just larger than the diameter of the flanges 80, 82. In addition, the sleeve 90 has a length that extends axially beyond the two flanges 80, 82 and overlaps the two flanges 80, 82. After being properly placed, heat is applied to the sleeve 90 as known in the art. Typically, a temperature in the range of 250-350°F is applied to shrink the shrink wrap film, which is preferably made of a plastic polymer. Heat is typically applied using a heat gun or a heat tunnel and conveyor. As the sleeve 90 shrinks, it attaches to the flanges 80, 82 and the chassis components 54, 56, 60 and seals around them. Figure 5 The chassis 46 is depicted with a shrunk sleeve 90 encapsulating the chassis and components, thereby forming an internal waterproof enclosure.

[0043] As mentioned above, the encapsulating tube or sleeve 90 forms an outer motor seal. To further protect the motor 54 from water damage, the trimmer 10 is provided with another inner motor seal 92, which is a resilient, rubber-like cup-shaped structure surrounding at least the drive end 94 of the motor. The inner motor seal 92 is also encapsulated by the heat shrink sleeve 90.

[0044] Reference now Figure 5 , 6 , 10 and 13, another feature of the chassis 46 is a chassis bay attachment structure 96, which is provided in the form of a semicircular keying protrusion based on the front flange 80 and has a vertically protruding semicircular flange 98, which is axially spaced from the chassis and the front flange to form a slot 100. It should be noted that the chassis bay attachment structure 96 is not encapsulated by the sleeve 90.

[0045] Reference now Figure 3 , 4 , 7, 8 and 14, another feature of the hair trimmer 10 of the present invention is a fastening arrangement that is configured such that when assembled, the respective clamshell trimmer housing halves 14, 16 are secured together at at least one end by fasteners 102 (preferably small screws) inserted along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis "L" of the trimmer housing 12. This arrangement enables the housing 12 to be secured together near the blade set 20 without the use of conventional vertical bosses oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal trimmer housing axis "L". As a result, the resulting reduced housing profile, at least near the blade set 20, improves the visibility of the blades compared to conventional trimmer housings.

[0046] More specifically, the first, upper housing half 14 has a first attachment structure 104, and the second, lower housing half 16 has a second attachment structure 106. The configuration of the attachment structures 104, 106 is such that when the housing 12 is assembled (including inserting the fasteners 102 as described above to secure the housing halves 14, 16 together), the encapsulated motor compartment 44 is held in place or captured to prevent rotational movement and axial linear movement relative to the housing. Further, the configuration of the housing 12 is such that the motor compartment 44 is secured in place to prevent movement without piercing the encapsulation sleeve 90 to maintain waterproof properties.

[0047] The first attachment structure 104 defines a ring having an opening 108 that receives the cam motor drive shaft 32. Further, the ring 104 is sized to overlap the second attachment structure 106 so that the mounting holes 110, 112 on the first and second mounting structures 104, 106 are aligned with each other for receiving the fastener 102. It is also contemplated that the lower attachment structure 106 is alternatively configured to overlap the upper attachment structure 104. As will be described in more detail below, at the rear end 22 of the housing 12, a more conventional transverse mounting boss 114 is used to attach the housing 12 via the fastener 142 ( Fig.15 ) secures the first housing half 14 and the second housing half 16 together, the fastener 142 extending into the boss 114 transverse to the longitudinal axis L. It has also been discovered that by using the fastener and boss 114, and the engagement of the first mounting structure 104 and the second mounting structure 106 as described above, the fastener 102 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis L can be omitted entirely while maintaining a tight connection between the first and second housing halves. However, the inclusion of the fastener 102 provides an additional level of securement.

[0048] Reference now Figure 3 , 4 , 7, 8, 11 and 13, each of the first housing half 14 and the second housing half 16 has a locking structure that engages the cabin attachment structure 96 to prevent the motor cabin 44 from moving relative to the assembled housing in a rotational direction and a linear direction. These locking structures include a semi-circular recessed bracket structure 116 on the second housing half 16 that is configured to receive the semi-circular flange 98 and also has a rib 118 ( Figure 8 ). Once the pod attachment structure 96 is seated in the bracket structure 116, the motor pod 44 cannot move along the housing axis "L".

[0049] Further, on the first housing half 14, a pair of depending shoulders 120 located behind the ring 104 are configured to engage ends 122 ( Fig.10 and 14When the first shell half 14 and the second shell half 16 are secured together around the motor compartment 44, the engagement of the shoulder 120 on the flange end 122 prevents the motor compartment from rotating. In a preferred embodiment, the first shell half 14 is also provided with at least one clamping rib 124 ( Figure 8 and 9 ), the clamping ribs 124 are sized to provide a supplemental clamping force on the motor compartment 44 when the housing halves 14, 16 are assembled together.

[0050] Reference now Fig. 9 , 10 15, the rear sealing plate or flange 82 of the chassis 46 defines a polygonal charging cover 126, which is configured to be retained by the coupling portion of the first housing half 14 and the second housing half 16 to hold the motor compartment 44 in place at the rear end 22 of the housing 12 to prevent movement caused by operation. In addition, the charging cover 126 encloses the rearwardly projecting battery charging pins 88. As occurs at the drive end 18 of the trimmer housing 12, at the opposite rear end 22, the first housing half 14 and the second housing half 16 include a structure 130, which is configured to hold the rear end 132 of the motor compartment 44 to prevent movement relative to the housing during operation of the trimmer when the housing is assembled.

[0051] Retention of the motor nacelle 44 is improved by providing locating ribs 134 on the upper and lower surfaces of the charging shield 126. These ribs 134 are matingly engaged by corresponding bulkheads 136, 138 in the first and second housing halves 14, 16. Further, a vertical boss 114 integrally formed on the second housing half 16 is engaged in a clamping arrangement by a depending bulkhead extension 140, which defines a boss recess 142 configured to receive the boss 114. A rear housing fastener 144, preferably a threaded screw, holds the housing halves 14, 16 together at the rear housing end 22, thereby clamping the motor nacelle 44 in place.

[0052] Reference now Fig.14 and 15 During assembly of the trimmer 10, after insertion of the encapsulated motor compartment 44 and before attachment of the blade set 20, the first housing half 14 is positioned at an obtuse angle to the second housing half 16 so that the ring 104 surrounds the cam drive shaft 32 and the ring opening 108 receives the shaft. Also during this operation, the shoulder 120 on the first housing half 14 will contact the end 122 of the flange 98. As the first housing half 14 and the second housing half 16 are brought together, the rear housing end cap 146 is also captured between the housing halves for ornamental purposes.

[0053] Once the drive end 18 of the housing 12 is aligned, the rear end 22 of the first housing half 14 is lowered onto the second housing half 16. At this point, the structure 130 is placed in a clamped position around the charging hood 126, and the fasteners 102 and 144 are inserted to secure the housing 12 together so as to hold the motor compartment from operational movement without piercing the packaging sleeve 90. When the housing halves 14, 16 are assembled, the blade set 20 is secured using the thumbscrews 38.

[0054] While specific embodiments of the hair trimmer housing of the present invention having an improved motor mount have been described herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader aspects of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A hair trimmer, comprising: a trimmer housing (12) defining a longitudinal housing axis, the trimmer housing having a drive end (18) and comprising a first housing half (14) and a second housing half (16), each of the halves having a front end associated with the drive end and an opposite rear end (22); Each of said front ends defines an attachment structure (104, 106); When the trimmer housing halves are assembled, the first and second housing halves are configured such that the attachment structures overlap and are secured using fasteners inserted along a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal housing axis.

2. The hair trimmer according to claim 1, further comprising a chassis (46) configured to secure a motor (54), a battery (56) and a control system (58), a radially enlarged flange (80, 82) at each of said ends (18, 22); a tubular sleeve (90) of heat-deformable plastic film sized to slidably surround the chassis and extend axially at least to the flange so that upon application of heat, the sleeve deforms around the chassis, the motor, the battery and the control system and forms a sealed motor compartment (44); The chassis includes a cabin attachment structure (96) configured to be engaged by the attachment structures (104, 106) of the first shell half (14) and the second shell half (16) to prevent the cabin from moving relative to the shell when the first shell half and the second shell half are assembled.

3. The hair trimmer according to claim 2, wherein: Each of the first housing half (14) and the second housing half (16) has a locking structure that engages the pod attachment structure (96) to prevent the motor pod (44) from moving in rotational and linear directions relative to the assembled housing.

4. The hair trimmer according to claim 3, wherein: Attachment of the first housing half (14) and the second housing half (16) using the fasteners oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trimmer secures the two housing halves together and also captures the encapsulated motor compartment (44).

5. The hair trimmer according to claim 2, wherein: The chassis' pod attachment structure is provided in the form of a semicircular keying projection (80) having a vertically projecting semicircular flange (98) axially spaced from the chassis to form a slot (100).

6. The hair trimmer according to claim 5 further includes: the second shell half (16) having a semicircular bracket structure (116) configured to engage the groove (100), and the first shell half (14) having a pair of shoulders (120) engaging the ends of the flange, and when the first shell half and the second shell half are fixed together, the shoulders prevent the motor compartment (44) from rotating, and the engagement of the groove with the bracket prevents the motor compartment from moving axially in the shell (12).

7. The hair trimmer according to claim 1, wherein: The attachment structures (104, 106) on the first (14) and second (16) shell halves are constructed and arranged to have no fastener bosses projecting perpendicular to the longitudinal shell axis.

8. The hair trimmer according to claim 2, wherein: The encapsulating tube (90) forms an outer motor seal and the trimmer is provided with a further inner motor seal (92) surrounding at least the drive end (94) of the motor (54).

9. The hair trimmer of claim 2, further comprising an integral tab on the chassis (46), the integral tab being configured to retain at least one of the motor (54) and the battery (56) on the chassis.

10. The hair trimmer according to claim 2 further includes a front sealing plate (84) of the chassis (46) providing a front attachment point for the packaging tube (90) when heat-sealed and also forming a base for a semicircular keying protrusion (96), and a rear sealing plate (82) of the chassis providing a rear attachment point for the packaging tube when heat-sealed, the rear sealing plate defining a polygonal charging cover (126), the charging cover being configured to be retained by the connecting portion of the first shell half (14) and the second shell half (16) to retain the motor compartment (44) in an appropriate position in the shell to prevent movement caused by operation.

11. The hair trimmer according to claim 2 further comprises a structure (130) on the first shell half (14) and the second shell half (16), wherein the structure (130) is used to hold the rear end (132) of the motor compartment (44) to prevent movement relative to the shell when the first half and the second half are assembled.

12. A hair trimmer, comprising: a trimmer housing (12) defining a longitudinal housing axis, having a drive end and comprising a first housing half (14) and a second housing half (16), each of the halves having a front end (18) associated with the drive end and an opposite rear end (22); Each of said front ends defines an attachment structure (104, 106); a chassis (46) configured to secure a motor (54), a battery (56) and a control system (58), radially enlarged flanges (80, 82) at each of the ends; a tubular sleeve (90) of heat-deformable plastic film sized to slidably surround the chassis (46) and extend axially at least to the flanges (80, 82) such that upon application of heat, the sleeve deforms around the chassis, the motor, the battery and the control system and forms a sealed motor compartment (44); The chassis includes a pod attachment structure (96) configured to be engaged by the attachment structures of the first and second shell halves to prevent movement of the pod relative to the shell when the first and second shell halves are assembled.

13. The hair trimmer according to claim 12, wherein: The chassis' pod attachment structure (96) is provided in the form of a semicircular keying projection having a vertically projecting semicircular flange axially spaced from the chassis to form a slot (100).

14. The hair trimmer according to claim 13 further includes: the second shell half (16) having a semicircular bracket structure (116) configured to engage the groove (100), and the first shell half (14) having a pair of shoulders (120) engaging the ends of the flange, and when the first shell half and the second shell half are fixed together, the shoulders prevent the motor compartment (44) from rotating, and the engagement of the groove with the bracket prevents the motor compartment from moving axially in the shell.

15. The hair trimmer according to claim 12 further includes a front sealing plate (80) of the chassis providing a front attachment point for the packaging tube (90) when heat sealed and also forming a base for a semicircular keying protrusion (96), and a rear sealing plate (82) of the chassis providing a rear attachment point for the packaging tube when heat sealed, the rear sealing plate defining a polygonal charging cover (126) which is configured to be retained by the connecting portion of the first shell half (14) and the second shell half (16) to retain the motor compartment (44) in an appropriate position in the shell to prevent movement caused by operation.

16. The hair trimmer according to claim 12, wherein: The encapsulating tube (90) forms an outer motor seal and the trimmer is provided with a further inner motor seal (92) surrounding at least the drive end (94) of the motor (54).

17. The hair trimmer of claim 12, further comprising an integral tab on the chassis, the integral tab configured to retain at least one of the motor and the battery to the chassis.

18. The hair trimmer according to claim 12 further includes a structure on the first shell half (14) and the second shell half (16), the structure being used to hold the rear end of the motor compartment to prevent movement relative to the shell when the first half and the second half are assembled, the structure including a partition (136, 138) on the first shell half and the second shell half, the partition being configured to engage a charging cover (126) on the chassis (46).

19. The hair trimmer according to claim 18, wherein: The charging cover (126) has positioning ribs (134) on the upper and lower surfaces, and the partition includes a mating structure for retaining the charging cover in the housing to prevent operational movement.

20. The hair trimmer according to claim 18, wherein: The second housing half (16) includes a vertical boss (114), and the first housing half (14) includes an extension on the respective bulkhead (136, 138), the extension having a boss recess (142) for engaging the boss.

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