Personal grooming device
By introducing a rigidity decoupling design for the rear section and connector section in the cutter guard of the hair trimmer, combined with ball bearings and curvature design, the problem of poor cutting quality in hair trimmers with metal and plastic combined guards is solved, achieving efficient cutting and an improved user experience.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
Manufacturing a hair trimmer with a combination of metal and plastic shields while maintaining a high-quality cut is difficult, especially when the metal part is formed from a thin sheet of metal.
By introducing a rear section and a connector section into the cutter guard, the rear section has greater rigidity, while the front section has greater flexibility. The connector section decouples the front and rear sections, and combined with ball bearings and appropriate curvature design, it ensures smooth movement and efficient cutting of the cutter.
This achieves efficient cutting action of the cutter, reduces the gap between the cutter and the protective cover, and improves cutting quality and user experience.
Smart Images
Figure CN122438751A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The subject of this disclosure relates to a personal finishing device, and in particular to its various parts that improve the cutting quality provided by the personal finishing device. Background Technology
[0002] As is known to those skilled in the art, hair trimmers and similar hair cutting devices typically include a cutter having a sharp, toothed blade that oscillates from side to side relative to a fixed (stationary) shielding component to provide a cutting action.
[0003] Recently, it has been determined that providing a protective cover formed by a combination of metal and plastic parts has advantages (in terms of manufacturing and user experience). The metal parts are generally designed to be cut to the corresponding sections, and the plastic parts are generally designed to provide a better skin feel for the user.
[0004] However, manufacturing a trimmer with a combination of metal and plastic shields while maintaining high-quality cuts can be difficult; especially when the metal parts are formed from thin sheets of metal.
[0005] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to improve the prior art. Summary of the Invention
[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, a personal grooming device is provided, comprising a cutter and a cutter guard configured to provide a cutting action in combination via movement of the cutter relative to a front portion of the cutter guard. The cutter guard also includes a rear portion and a connector portion having greater stiffness than the front portion, the connector portion including at least one connector arm connecting the rear portion to the front portion of the cutter guard. In this way, the stiffness of the rear portion is decoupled from the stiffness of the front portion, allowing the front portion to retain relatively greater flexibility—desirable for improved cutting—while allowing the rear portion to remain rigid to have a suitable flat surface, for example, when in contact with a bearing.
[0007] In one example, the connector section includes a pair of connector arms that connect the front section to the rear section, enhancing the decoupling effect.
[0008] In one example, the centerline of each connector arm in a pair of connector arms is offset from the centerline of the cutter guard by up to approximately 33% of the full width of the cutter guard.
[0009] In one example, the cumulative width of at least one connector arm is less than 70% of the total width of the cutter guard.
[0010] In one example, at least one connector arm has a width of approximately 3 mm. In the case of multiple arms, the width of each arm can be approximately 3 mm.
[0011] In one example, at least one connector arm includes a locally weakened region, which allows the degree of stiffness decoupling to be adjusted as needed.
[0012] In one example, the length of the connector section is less than 75% of the total length of the cutter shield. This allows for sufficient rigidity decoupling while allowing enough space between the front and rear sections.
[0013] In one example, at least one connector includes a concave shape in the direction of the connection between the rear portion and the front portion. In this way, the front portion of the cutter can be angled toward the cutter.
[0014] In one example, the cutter guard is formed of a metal sheet, and its thickness may be less than 2.5% of the full width of the cutter guard.
[0015] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent and be elucidated with reference to one or more embodiments described below. Attached Figure Description
[0016] The embodiments of the present invention can be best understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0017] Figure 1 An example cutter and cutter guard are shown inside an example personal grooming device;
[0018] Figure 2 An example arrangement of a cutter guard within a personal grooming device is shown;
[0019] Figure 3 It shows relative to Figure 1 The sectional view of line AA shown;
[0020] Figure 4 It shows relative to Figure 1 The sectional view of line BB shown;
[0021] Figure 5 An example cutter guard is shown;
[0022] Figure 6 Another example of a cutter guard is shown;
[0023] Figure 7 An example of a curved cutter guard is shown;
[0024] Figure 8 An example arrangement of the skin-touching shield is shown;
[0025] Figure 9 An example configuration of the curved cutter guard is shown before assembling the personal trimming device;
[0026] Figure 10 An example arrangement of a curved cutter guard, cutter, and skin-touch guard is shown during the assembly of a personal grooming device;
[0027] Figure 11 An example skin-touching shield is shown;
[0028] Figure 12 An improved example skin-touching shield is shown;
[0029] Figure 13 It shows Figure 12 Side view;
[0030] Figure 14 Examples of the tip portions of the skin-touching shield and the cutter shield are shown;
[0031] Figure 15 An example arrangement of the cutter guard and skin-touching guard is shown;
[0032] Figure 16 Another example arrangement of the cutter guard and skin-touching guard is shown;
[0033] Figure 17 Another example arrangement of the cutter guard and skin-touching guard is shown;
[0034] Figure 18 Another example arrangement of the tip portion of the cutter guard and skin-contact guard is shown— Figure 18 (a) shows the first arrangement. Figure 18 (b) shows the second arrangement. Figure 18 (c) shows the third arrangement, and Figure 18 (d) shows the fourth arrangement;
[0035] Figure 19 Another example arrangement of the tip portion of the cutter guard and skin-contact guard is shown— Figure 19 (a) shows the first arrangement. Figure 19 (b) shows the second arrangement. Figure 19 (c) shows the third arrangement, and Figure 19 (d) shows the fourth arrangement; and
[0036] Figure 20 An example of an improved arrangement of the tip portion of the cutter guard and skin-touching guard is shown. Detailed Implementation
[0037] The example embodiments relate to a personal grooming device, and more particularly to its cutter guard component. The example embodiments are provided to address one or more of the problems outlined above. Further advantages will be understood from the detailed discussion herein.
[0038] Figure 1 An example personal grooming device 100 is shown, which may be, for example, a hair trimmer. Device 100 includes a cutter 102 and a shield portion 104. Shield portion 104 includes a cutter shield 106 (preferably metal) and a skin-contact shield 108 (preferably plastic). The cutter 102 and cutter shield 106 are configured to provide a cutting action in combination via movement of the cutter 102 relative to a front portion 110 of the cutter shield 104. More specifically, the cutter 102 includes a first plurality of toothed blades 112 that slide laterally on a second plurality of toothed blades 114 included in the front portion 110 of the cutter shield 106, cutting hair located between adjacent teeth while doing so.
[0039] Figures 2 to 5 The guard portion 104 and its cutter guard 106 are shown in more detail. Here it can be seen that the cutter guard 106 also includes a rear portion 116. The rear portion 116 includes a flat section having a substantially flat surface 118, which is arranged parallel to a similarly flat surface 120 of the cutter 102. Suitably, ball bearings 122 can be disposed between and in contact with the two surfaces 118, 120 to allow movement of the cutter 102 relative to the cutter guard 106. As shown, two such ball bearings are provided, one on each side (left-right) of the cutter 102 / cutter guard 106.
[0040] In this example, the cutter guard 106 is preferably formed of a metal sheet. Here, the metal sheet comprises a cutter guard with a width less than or equal to 2.5% of the full width of the cutter guard 106. By way of example, the thickness of the cutter guard can be approximately 0.3 mm.
[0041] It should be understood that metal sheets are highly deformable and difficult to form. Therefore, in order to help provide a properly flat (i.e., smooth) surface 118 for contact with the ball bearing 122, in this example, the rear portion 116 is designed to have greater rigidity than the front portion 110. This ensures that the ball bearing 122 can roll freely without irregularities on surface 118, allowing for more consistent cutting action from the device 100. Because the cutter 102 is formed from a thicker, more rigid metal piece, it is easier to form flat and less prone to deformation, thus providing flatness to surface 120.
[0042] To provide the required stiffness, the rear portion 116 also includes a curved section 124 that bends away from the flat section. That is, the curved section 124 bends at an angle relative to the substantially flat planar surface 118. In other words, starting from the substantially flat metal sheet shaped into the cutter guard 106, its substantially flat rear portion 116 bends along a line 126 extending across its entire width—that is, the cutter guard 106 is parallel to the direction of cutting motion (here, left-right)—to create an angled bar 124. Bending the metal sheet in this way provides the desired stiffness to the rear portion 116 of the cutter guard 106.
[0043] Furthermore, the curved section 124 is preferably curved away from the cutter 102, as shown; this curvature serves to stretch the flat surface 118 to a certain extent, further enhancing smoothness. To accommodate the cutter guard 106 within the device 100 and facilitate securing the cutter guard in place, the device 100 may include a suitable recess or slot 128 into which the curved section 124 can be received. The recess may be formed as part of the general body of the device 100 or considered as part of the skin-touching guard 108.
[0044] It should be understood that a range of angles applies to the bend 126. In one example, the bend 126 may bend away from the flat section 118 at an angle between about 30 degrees and about 120 degrees. In another example, the bend 124 may bend away from the flat section 118 at an angle between about 45 degrees and about 90 degrees—preferably 90 degrees. In yet another example, the bend 124 may bend away from the flat section 118 at an angle of about 60 degrees.
[0045] Connector portion 130 connects rear portion 116 to front portion 110. Connector portion 130 is provided to better decouple the stiffness of rear portion 116 from the stiffness of front portion 110; that is, to allow the front portion to have greater flexibility, which is beneficial for its purpose as a cutting tool.
[0046] Suitably, connector portion 130 includes at least one connector arm 132 that connects the rear portion 116 of cutter guard 106 to the front portion 110. Preferably, as shown, connector portion 130 includes a pair of connector arms 132a, 132b connecting the front portion 110 to the rear portion 116. Suitably, connector arms(one or more) 132 are configured to be rigid in the xy direction (i.e., in the plane defined by planar surface 118, which is substantially parallel to the plane of the cutting action) and flexible in the z direction (i.e., orthogonal to the plane of the cutting action).
[0047] Suitablely, the stiffness of the connector portion 132 can be adjusted as needed by changing at least one of the following: the type of metal forming the cutter guard 106, the length of the connector arm 132 (one or more), the width of the connector arm (one or more) 132, or the thickness of the connector arm 132 (the thickness is generally determined by the thickness of the metal plate).
[0048] In terms of dimensions, the cumulative width 134 of at least one connector arm 132 is preferably less than or equal to 70% of the total width 136 of the cutter shield 106. By way of example, the width of each connector arm can be about 3 mm, so that in the example of the two arms shown, the cumulative width is 6 mm. In addition, the length 138 of the connector arm(s) 132 can be less than or equal to 75% of the total length 140 of the cutter shield 106. Furthermore, in the example of the pair of connector arms 132 shown, the centerline 142 of each arm 132a, 132b can be offset from the centerline 144 of the cutter shield by about 33% of the total width 136; for example, offset by about 9 mm to about 10 mm.
[0049] In terms of materials, in a preferred embodiment, the metal plate is stainless steel AISI 301, with a tensile strength of 1300 N / mm² to 1450 N / mm² and a yield strength of about rp0.2% = 600 - 1300 MPa, more preferably 800 MPa to 1100 MPa.
[0050] Figure 6 Another optional variation of connector portion 130 is shown, whereby each connector arm 132a, 132b includes a locally weakened region 146. In this example, the local weakening is provided by cuts into each connector arm 132. It should be understood, of course, that other techniques for generating local weakening can be applied: for example, through-holes. Adjusting the amount of local weakening (i.e., the degree to which material is removed from each connector arm 132) appropriately allows for alteration of the stiffness of connector portion 130, thereby changing the degree of stiffness decoupling between the front portion 110 and the rear portion 116.
[0051] Figures 7 to 10 Another example arrangement of the cutter guard 106 is shown, which may include any suitable combination of the aforementioned features.
[0052] In this example, the cutter guard 106 also includes a curvature 148 in a direction transverse to the substantially flat plane of the cutting action. That is, in the aforementioned example, assuming that the front portion 110 of the cutter guard is substantially flat in the xy plane of the cutting action, in this example, the curvature 148 travels along the x direction (i.e., from left to right) and extends into the z plane (i.e., up / down).
[0053] More specifically, the front portion 110 of the cutter guard 106 is curved, and suitably, this curvature can extend across the entire width 136 of the front portion 110. That is, the front portion does not have a portion that lies entirely within the xy-plane. In the example shown, the curvature 148 is convex, although it should be understood that concave curvature is also possible.
[0054] Optionally, the cutter guard may also include a second curvature 150 that is also transverse to the plane of the cutting action (i.e., extending in the z-direction), but in a direction orthogonal to the first curvature 148. That is, while the first curvature 148 is along the x-direction (left-right) of the device 100, the second curvature 150 is in the y-direction (front-rear). In the example shown, the second curvature 150 is concave, but it may also be convex and may be of the opposite type to the first curvature 148. Preferably, at least the front portion 110 includes the second curvature 150, although, as shown, the second curvature may also extend through the connector portion 130 (i.e., the connector arm(s) 132 may be bent along their length) and optionally further into the rear portion 116. That is, the second curvature 150 may extend the entire length of the cutter guard 106 (from front to rear in the y-direction).
[0055] However, it should be understood that curvatures 148 and 150 exist only when the cutter guard 106 is in a relaxed state (e.g., just formed / manufactured). When the cutter guard is installed in the device 100, it is arranged to rest on the skin-touching guard 108 (or other parts of the device 100), and the cutter 102 is arranged on top of the cutter guard 106 to abut against the cutter guard. That is, the cutter guard 106 is sandwiched between the cutter 102 and the skin-touching guard 108, both suitably arranged on opposite sides of the cutter guard 106. In doing so, the cutter 102 deforms the front portion 110 such that the cutter guard 106 substantially matches the shape of the adjacent surface of the cutter 102. In this way, the front portion 110 is made to fit the cutter 102, which limits the possibility of gaps appearing between the two sets of opposing toothed blades 112, 114. Specifically, a first lateral curvature 148 traveling along the x-direction causes the cutter / cutter guard to fit in the x-direction, while a second lateral curvature 150 causes the cutter / cutter guard to fit in the y-direction. In particular, this curvature helps to push the tip of the toothed blade 114 of the cutter guard 106 into the tip of the toothed blade 112 of the cutter 102.
[0056] Suitablely, the cutter 102 preferably includes a flat surface adjacent to the cutter guard, such that the front portion is deformed into a flat surface. In this way, the (previously bent) cutter guard 106 becomes flat in the xy plane where the cutting action occurs. Furthermore, this ensures that the overall shape of the cutter guard 106 is flat. That is, the front portion 110 and the rear portion 116 lie in a single plane.
[0057] Suitably, the skin-contact shield 108 may include at least two support points 152, 154 against which the cutter shield 106 is pressed by the cutter 102 to bend the cutter shield 106. More preferably, the skin-contact shield includes three such points, which thus define the xy-plane in which the (now flattened) cutter shield in the device 100 is located. Preferably, two support points 152, 154 are arranged to contact the front portion 110, separated in the x-direction (i.e., to the left and right of the front portion 110). A third support point 156 is arranged to contact the rear portion 116, preferably substantially centered. The height of each of the support points 152, 154, 156 is preferably from about 10 micrometers to about 30 micrometers, as this has been determined to be high enough to ensure a flattening effect, but low enough so that any hair will not get caught between the metal cutter shield 106 and the plastic skin shield 108.
[0058] Suitablely, a pair of support points 152, 154 at the front are arranged at the same distance 158 from the edge of the front portion 110. More preferably, the support points are arranged in the outer 30% of the front portion; that is, within 30% of the edge of the front portion 110 when the full width of the front portion is 100%.
[0059] Suitably, the ratio of the height β of the curvature 148 above the plane defined by the pair of front support points 152, 154 to the depth α of the curvature below the plane defined by the pair of support points 152, 154 can be greater than 1. This ratio helps ensure that there is no gap between the cutter 102 and the cutter guard 106. More preferably, this ratio can be greater than 2, more preferably greater than 3. The higher the ratio, the greater the reduction in gap between the cutter 102 and the cutter guard 106.
[0060] Returning to the main example, Figure 11 and Figure 12 The skin-touching shield 108 is shown in more detail.
[0061] Figure 11An example skin-touch shield 108 is shown, which includes a front portion 160 shaped to correspond to the front portion 110 of a cutter shield 106. More specifically, the front portion 160 includes a third plurality of teeth 162 configured to receive a second plurality of teeth 114 of the cutter shield 106. That is, the second plurality of teeth 114 are sized such that they are positioned on top of and within the size range of the third plurality of teeth.
[0062] It can be seen that the thickness of the front portion 160 increases as it moves from front to back. Depending on where the hair is cut within the tooth depth, the length of the remaining hair will vary; for example, hair cut at position 164a will be shorter than hair cut at position 164b.
[0063] Figure 12 and Figure 13 It shows the Figure 11 The improvement results in the front portion 160 of the skin-touching shield 108 being configured to have a substantially uniform thickness along its depth. Suitably, when the second plurality of teeth 114 are received onto the third plurality of teeth 162, the cumulative thickness 164 of the second plurality of teeth 114 and the third plurality of teeth 162 is substantially uniform relative to the length 166 of the (now combined / overlapping) plurality of teeth 114, 162. In other words, the thickness of the cutter shield 106 and the skin-touching shield 108 is substantially uniform along the depth 166 of the teeth. Suitably, since the second plurality of teeth 114 is substantially flat, the third plurality of teeth 162 can also be substantially flat; although it should be understood that this effect can also be achieved using teeth with variable geometry.
[0064] In this document, "substantially uniform" can be understood as meaning that the cumulative thickness varies along the depth 166 of the tooth by less than or equal to about 1.5 times. That is, the thickness at the rear end 168 of the (combined) tooth can be less than or equal to 1.5 times the thickness at the front end 170 of the tooth. More preferably, the thickness at the rear end 168 of the tooth is less than or equal to 1.2 times the thickness at the front end 170 of the tooth.
[0065] Suitably, each of the third set of proximal teeth also includes a tip portion 172 configured to align with the tip 190 of a tooth received in the second set of proximal teeth. Preferably, the second set of proximal teeth 114 is configured to abut the tip portion 172; however, this is not always guaranteed. Manufacturing tolerances and stresses during use of the device 100 can cause a gap 174 to form between the tip of the second tooth and the tip portion 172, such as Figure 14 As shown. During trimming, hair can get stuck in gap 174, which can cause discomfort and reduce cutting efficiency.
[0066] Figures 15 to 17An example device 100 for resolving the problem of gap 174 is shown. Here, the example device 100 also includes a biasing member 176 configured to bias the tips 178 of a second plurality of teeth to abut the tip portions 172 of a third plurality of teeth 162.
[0067] exist Figure 15 In the example, component 176 takes the form of an elastic arm 176 anchored to the skin-touching shield 108. Specifically, arm 176 may span between two points 180, 182 on device 100 and engage with a hook 184 disposed on cutter shield 106, suitably configured to receive arm 176 (or a portion thereof). Suitably, hook 184 is laterally positioned relative to points 180, 182 in the (negative) y-direction, thereby applying the desired biasing force (in the positive y-direction) to arm 176.
[0068] exist Figure 16 In the example, member 176 takes the form of a spring 176 formed in the body of the cutter guard 106, which is configured to press against the skin-contact guard 108 to provide the desired bias force. Suitably, the skin-contact guard 108 may include a protrusion 186 extending into the plane of the cutter guard 106 for the spring to press against.
[0069] exist Figure 17 In the example, component 176 includes a barb configured to frictionally engage a pair of protrusions 188 on the skin-touching shield 108, the pair of protrusions being biased toward each other.
[0070] Figure 18 It shows the Figure 14 An alternative solution to the problem illustrated can be applied, either in conjunction with or independently of the biasing technique just described. Here, the tips 172 of a plurality of third teeth are combined with the tips 190 of a plurality of first teeth to minimize the likelihood of a hair entering the gap 174. In particular, the tips 172, 190 are designed to make it difficult for a single hair to pass through the gap 174 between two adjacent teeth.
[0071] For example, in Figure 18 In (a), the tips 172 and 190 are each curved to prevent horizontal hairs from getting stuck between the two teeth. Figure 18 In (b), the lengths of adjacent teeth are different. Figure 18 In (c), the shape of the teeth is irregular. Figure 18 In (d), the tips have different shapes, and optionally, tip 190 does not match tip 172.
[0072] However, Figure 19Problems that may occur with the tip portions 172, 190 are shown, however, when the tip 190 of the metal cutter guard 106 does not adequately correspond to the tip 172 of the plastic skin-touch guard 108. Figure 19 (a) shows gap 174, which is very similar to Figure 14 . Figure 19 (b) shows the corner mismatch between the tip portions 172 and 190. Figure 19 (c) shows the poor transition caused by the shape mismatch between the tip portions 172 and 190. Figure 19 (d) shows the height difference between the tip portions 172 and 190. Each of these configurations has the problem of obstructing, and sometimes completely preventing, the flow of hair through the cutting teeth of the device 100.
[0073] Appropriately, Figure 20 An example is shown in which each of the third plurality of teeth 162 includes a tip portion 172 configured to enclose the tip 190 of the received tooth of the second plurality of teeth 114. That is, the tip 190 of the cutter guard tooth is located within the three-dimensional profile of the tip portion 172 adjacent to the tip 190. In this way, the metal cutter guard (or specifically, its teeth) can be prevented from protruding from the skin-touching guard 108. In examples where the cutter guard 106 is not formed of a thin sheet of metal, it may be suitable for the skin-touching guard 108 to be directly molded (or otherwise bonded) to the cutter guard 106. In this case, this embodiment can be achieved by enclosing the molded tip portion (one or more) 172 around the tip portion(one or more) 190.
[0074] Appropriately, in Figure 20 In the example, the shape of the tip portion 172 is configured to substantially match the shape of the tip 190 of the received tooth. Suitably, in a preferred embodiment, each of the tips 190 of the second plurality of teeth 114 has the same shape (e.g., Figure 18 Similarly, each of the tips 172 of the third plurality of teeth 162 has the same shape.
[0075] Although the invention has been described in detail in the accompanying drawings and the foregoing description, such descriptions are to be considered illustrative or exemplary, and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.
[0076] By studying the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, those skilled in the art can understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in practicing the claimed invention. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude multiple. A single processor or other unit can perform the functions of several items listed in the claims. The fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope.
Claims
1. A personal grooming device (100), comprising: Cutter (102); as well as A cutter guard (106), wherein the cutter and the cutter guard are configured to provide a cutting action in combination via movement of the cutter relative to the front portion (110) of the cutter guard, and The cutter guard further includes a rear portion (116) and a connector portion (130), the rear portion having greater rigidity than the front portion, and the connector portion including at least one connector arm (132) connecting the rear portion to the front portion of the cutter guard.
2. The finishing device according to claim 1, wherein the connector portion includes a pair of connector arms (132a, 132b) connecting the front portion to the rear portion.
3. The finishing device according to claim 2, wherein the centerline (142) of each of the pair of connector arms is offset from the centerline (144) of the cutter guard by up to about 33% of the total width (136) of the cutter guard.
4. The finishing device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cumulative width of the at least one connector arm is less than 70% of the total width (136) of the cutter guard.
5. The modification device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the width (134) of the at least one connector arm is approximately 3 mm.
6. The modification device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one connector arm includes a locally weakened region (146).
7. The finishing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the length (140) of the connector portion is less than 75% of the total length of the cutter guard.
8. The modification device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one connector includes a concave shape in the direction of connection between the rear portion and the front portion.
9. The finishing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cutter cover is formed of a metal plate.
10. The finishing device according to claim 9, wherein the thickness of the metal plate is less than about 2.5% of the full width of the cutter guard.