Device for measuring the cutting length of hair clippers, and hair clippers comprising a device of this type
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- WAHL GMBH
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-20
AI Technical Summary
Existing hair cutting devices with adjustable shearing blades face inaccuracies in cutting length measurement due to blades and combs not being in the same plane, requiring complex and costly adjustments, and are prone to mechanical wear and contamination with contact-based sensing solutions.
A device with an electrical position sensor and a transversely oscillating shearing blade, connected to a cutting length adjustment mechanism, allows for non-contact detection and adjustment of cutting length using a Hall, inductive, or capacitive sensor, reducing energy consumption and maintenance needs, and enabling contactless operation.
The solution provides a cost-effective, reliable, and low-maintenance method for precise cutting length detection and adjustment, reducing mechanical wear and operational complexity while allowing for energy-efficient and space-saving design.
Smart Images
Figure EP2024069818_16012025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Device for detecting the cutting length of a hair cutting device and hair cutting device comprising such a device
[0002] Field of the invention
[0003] The invention relates to a device for detecting the cutting length of a hair cutting device and to a hair cutting device comprising such a device.
[0004] State of the art
[0005] Hair clippers with adjustable cutting blades for adjusting the cutting length are known from the prior art, for example from DE 197 08 45 01. The cutting length is adjusted by longitudinally offsetting the cutting blade in relation to the cutting comb. The set cutting length can be determined retrospectively, for example by measuring the distance between the front edge of the cutting blade and the front edge of the cutting comb. However, such a measurement is inaccurate because the cutting blade and the cutting comb are not in the same plane, meaning a corresponding measuring device cannot be applied precisely. Furthermore, precisely adjusting the cutting length in this way is time-consuming, as the cutting length must be adjusted and subsequently remeasured several times in succession until the desired cutting length is achieved.Automatic adjustment devices for setting the cutting length are known, but these are costly, maintenance-intensive, and space-intensive because, among other things, additional motors and controls are required. Solutions for sensor-based determination of the set cutting length are also known. However, these exclusively rely on contact measurement principles, e.g., electrical connections between the cutting unit and the handset of the hair clipper, and are therefore susceptible to mechanical wear and contamination.
[0006] State-of-the-art solutions are therefore inaccurate, costly, maintenance-intensive, space-intensive, and / or susceptible to mechanical wear and contamination.
[0007] Description of the invention
[0008] The object of the present invention is to overcome the problems known from the prior art, i.e., to provide a device that enables cost-effective, reliable, space-saving, low-maintenance, and robust cutting length detection. This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1 and a hair cutting device according to claim 8. Further features embodying the invention are contained in the dependent claims.
[0009] A device according to the invention for detecting the cutting length of a hair cutting device comprises an electrical position sensor, a position transmitter, a cutting set with a stationary shearing comb and a shearing blade that can be driven to oscillate in a transverse direction, and a cutting length adjusting device with an adjusting element and a carriage, wherein the carriage is displaceable in a longitudinal direction relative to the shearing comb, is connected to the shearing blade, and can be positioned with the adjusting element in the region between a front end position and a rear end position in order to adjust the cutting length, wherein the position sensor is configured to detect the position of the position transmitter without contact, and wherein the position sensor or the position transmitter is connected to the cutting length adjusting device in such a way that the set cutting length can be detected by means of the position sensor.This makes it possible to detect the cutting length set on the hair clipper without contact and to transmit it electrically.
[0010] An electrical position sensor is a sensor with which measured values recorded by the sensor, which depend on the position of the position sensor, can be output as an electrical signal.
[0011] The adjustment element is connected to the slide.
[0012] The transverse direction is the direction parallel to the cutting edges of the cutting comb and the cutting blade. The longitudinal direction is the direction perpendicular to the transverse direction and along the long side of the hair clipper. The long side of the hair clipper is the side that is essentially parallel to the user's forearm during use.
[0013] Preferably, the position sensor or position encoder is connected to the carriage. Thus, the position sensor or position encoder is not moved during operation of the hair-cutting device, unlike if the position sensor or position encoder were mounted on the cutting blade. This allows the mass driven during operation to be reduced, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the hair-cutting device. Preferably, the position encoder is connected to the cutting length adjustment device. This allows a cost-effective, replaceable cutting set to be provided.
[0014] The position sensor is preferably a Hall sensor, with the position encoder being designed as a magnet, in particular as a permanent magnet. This makes it possible to provide a reliable and robust position sensor with low energy consumption. The Hall sensor detects the magnetic field of the position encoder designed as a magnet, and depending on the magnetic field strength, a corresponding electrical signal, e.g., an electrical voltage, is output, which can be processed. The further the position encoder is from the position sensor, the weaker the magnetic field formed in the area of the position sensor; the closer the two are to each other, the stronger the magnetic field formed in the area of the position sensor.
[0015] Alternatively, the position sensor is preferably designed as an inductive sensor. This allows for a high-precision position sensor to be provided.
[0016] Alternatively, the position sensor is preferably designed as a capacitive sensor. This allows for a high-precision position sensor that also responds to an electrically non-conductive position sensor.
[0017] Preferably, the adjustment element is designed for manual operation. This allows for a cost-effective and energy-saving device to be provided.
[0018] Preferably, the device further comprises an evaluation device configured to prepare the cutting length values detected by the position sensor for further processing. This can increase the compatibility of the device, particularly with external display devices. The evaluation device can be embodied, for example, as a microcontroller.
[0019] Preferably, the device further comprises a display configured to display the cutting length values, in particular the cutting length values prepared by the evaluation device. In this way, the set cutting length can be displayed directly and without additional devices, thereby increasing ease of use. For example, a discrete display or a continuous display is possible, whereby the evaluation device can also be provided accordingly for both cases, for example as a discrete display designed as a segment display or as an LED display. Discrete values can be provided, for example, as seven cutting length levels, but also more or fewer, e.g., 3 to 6 or 8 to 50 cutting length levels.Preferably, the device further comprises a transmission device configured to transmit the cutting length values, in particular the cutting length values prepared by the evaluation device, to a receiving device, in particular a mobile terminal. This makes it possible to centrally display set cutting length values and / or, for example, to store them in a customer-specific manner, thereby increasing the manageability of the device.
[0020] A hair cutting device according to the invention comprises a device as described above and a drive for driving the cutting blade.
[0021] Preferably, the hair-cutting device further comprises an electrical control system, wherein the drive is configured as an electric drive, and wherein the electrical control system is configured to control the supply of electrical energy to the drive and the position sensor. This allows the number of required components to be reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and allowing the hair-cutting device to be designed more compactly.
[0022] Preferably, the hair-cutting device further comprises a battery, wherein the battery is configured to supply the drive and the position sensor with electrical energy. This allows the hair-cutting device to be operated independently of an external power supply, eliminating the need for power cables, which are particularly disruptive during operation, and increasing the manageability of the hair-cutting device.
[0023] Preferably, the battery is designed as an accumulator. This allows the battery to be repeatedly recharged with electrical energy, thereby improving the manageability of the hair-cutting device.
[0024] Short description of the characters
[0025] Fig. 1 a shows a device.
[0026] Fig. 1 b shows an alternative device.
[0027] Fig. 2a shows a hair cutting device.
[0028] Fig. 2b shows the hair-cutting device illustrated in Fig. 2a with a position sensor adjusted in a longitudinal direction. Fig. 2c shows the hair-cutting device illustrated in Fig. 2b with, among other things, a transmission device and a reception device.
[0029] Fig. 2d shows the hair cutting device shown in Fig. 2b, including a display.
[0030] Fig. 3a shows a cutting set in a top view.
[0031] Fig. 3b shows the cutting set shown in Fig. 3a in a side view.
[0032] Description of the preferred embodiments
[0033] Fig. 1 a shows a device 100. The device 100 has an electrical position sensor 110, a position encoder 112, a cutting set 120 with a stationary shearing comb 122 and a shearing blade 124 that can be driven to oscillate in a transverse direction 310, and a cutting length adjustment device 130 with an adjustment element 132 and a carriage 134. The shearing blade 124, the carriage 134, and the adjustment element 132 are connected to one another in such a way that, by means of the adjustment element 132, the carriage 134 and thus the shearing comb 124 can be displaced relative to the shearing comb 122 in a longitudinal direction 300 in order to set a cutting length. The longitudinal direction 300 runs transversely to the transverse direction 310. The position sensor 110 is arranged on the carriage 134 and can thus also be displaced in the longitudinal direction 300 by means of the adjustment element 132.
[0034] Fig. 1 b shows an alternative device 100 which is largely similar to the device 100 shown in Fig. 1 a. The device 100 shown in Fig. 1 b differs from the device 100 shown in Fig. 1 a in that in the device 100 shown in Fig. 1 b the position encoder 112 and not the position sensor 110 is arranged on the carriage 134. This has the advantage that the position encoder 112, which is usually smaller than the position sensor 110 but at least usually less expensive, is accommodated in the part of the hair cutting device 200 (i.e. in the cutting set 120) which has increased requirements in terms of size and which, at the same time, should be designed to be as cost-effective as possible in order to enable cost-effective interchangeability of the cutting set 120 (as a spare part) independently of the rest of the hair cutting device 200.In contrast, the provision of the position sensor 110 in the cutting set 120 (as shown in Fig. 1a) has the advantage that the associated function, i.e., contactless detection of the cutting length of a hair-cutting device 200, can be easily retrofitted to existing hair-cutting devices 200. In this case, only the position sensor 112 would have to be retrofitted at a corresponding location on the existing hair-cutting device 200. The electrical cabling, power supply, and control required for the electrical position sensor 110 could then already be provided in the cutting set 120 and would no longer have to be laboriously retrofitted to the existing hair-cutting device 200.
[0035] Fig. 2a shows a hair-cutting device 200. The hair-cutting device 200 comprises the device 100 shown in Fig. 1b. The position sensor 112 is located in a rear position relative to the longitudinal axis 300, i.e., the cutting blade 124 (see Fig. 1b) is located in the region of the rear end position. The position sensor 112 is located in the immediate vicinity of the position sensor 110. The cutting set 120 is designed to be separable from the rest of the hair-cutting device 200 and is shown in Fig. 2a in a state separated from the rest of the hair-cutting device 200.
[0036] Fig. 2b shows the hair-cutting device 200 shown in Fig. 2a. In the configuration shown in Fig. 2b, the position sensor 112 is adjusted forward along the longitudinal direction 300, i.e., the cutting blade (see Fig. 1b) is located in the region of the front end position. The position sensor 112 is located further away from the position sensor 110 than in the configuration shown in Fig. 2a.
[0037] Fig. 2c shows the hair-cutting device 200 shown in Fig. 2b. The hair-cutting device 200 further comprises a drive 210, an electrical control 220, an evaluation device 140, a transmission device 160, and a battery 230. A receiving device 400 is arranged above the hair-cutting device 200. The drive 210 can be coupled to the cutting set 120 such that the shearing blade 124 (cf. Fig. 1b) can be driven in an oscillating manner in the transverse direction 310 by means of the drive 210. The electrical control 220 is connected to the drive 210 and the battery 230 in order to control the drive 210 and its supply with electrical energy, which is emitted by the battery 230. The electrical controller 220 is further connected to the position sensor 110 to control the position sensor 110 and its supply of electrical energy supplied by the battery 230.The evaluation device 140 is connected to the position sensor 110 and the transmission device 160. In this way, cutting length data obtained by the position sensor 110 can be evaluated by the evaluation device 140 and sent to the transmission device 160. This cutting length data can then be transmitted to a receiving device 400. The transmission can be contactless—as shown in Fig. 2c—but also, for example, wired. The receiving device 400 can be embodied as a mobile device, for example, a mobile phone or tablet, or can be connected to such mobile devices. Furthermore, standalone display devices in which the receiving device 400 is integrated are possible.
[0038] Fig. 2d shows the hair cutting device 200 shown in Fig. 2b. The hair cutting device 200 shown in Fig. 2d is largely similar to the hair cutting device 200 shown in Fig. 2c, but differs from it in that the hair cutting device 200 shown in Fig. 2d does not have a transmission device 160, but rather a display 150. The display 150 is connected to the evaluation device 140. The hair cutting device 200 shown in Fig. 2d is configured to evaluate the cutting length data measured by the position sensor 110 using the evaluation device 140 and then transmit it to the display 150 in order to then display the cutting length data on the display 150. The display 150 can also visualize other data, for example the charge level of the battery 230 and / or the operating status of the hair cutting device 200.
[0039] Fig. 3a shows the cutting set 120 in a top view. The cutting set 120 shown in Fig. 3a corresponds to the cutting set 120 shown in Fig. 1b. The position sensor 112 is provided with a reference symbol at two positions. The position of the position sensor 112 further forward along the longitudinal axis 300 (i.e. the left position in Fig. 3a) corresponds to the position in which the shearing blade 124 shown in Fig. 3a is located, i.e. a position in the region of the front end position of the shearing blade 124. The position of the position sensor 112 further back in relation to the longitudinal axis 300 (i.e. the right position in Fig. 3a, shown in dashed lines) corresponds to a position of the shearing blade 124 in the region of the rear end position.
[0040] Fig. 3b shows a side view of the cutting set 120 shown in Fig. 3a. In the configuration shown in Fig. 3b, the position sensor 112 is in a position corresponding to a position of the shearing blade 124 that lies between the front end position and the rear end position. List of Reference Symbols
[0041] 100 device
[0042] 110 Position sensor
[0043] 112 position sensors
[0044] 120 cutting set
[0045] 122 Shearing comb
[0046] 124 shearing blades
[0047] 130 Cutting length adjustment device
[0048] 132 Adjustment element
[0049] 134 sleds
[0050] 140 Evaluation device
[0051] 150 ad
[0052] 160 transmission device
[0053] 200 hair clippers
[0054] 210 drive
[0055] 220 electrical control
[0056] 230 battery
[0057] 300 longitudinal direction
[0058] 310 transverse direction
[0059] 400 reception facility
Claims
Patent claims 1. Device (100) for detecting the cutting length of a hair cutting device (200), comprising an electrical position sensor (110), a position transmitter (112), a cutting set (120) with a stationary shearing comb (122) and a shearing blade (124) that can be driven to oscillate in a transverse direction (310), and a cutting length adjusting device (130) with an adjusting element (132) and a carriage (134), wherein the carriage (134) is displaceable relative to the shearing comb (122) in a longitudinal direction (300), is connected to the shearing blade (124), and can be positioned with the adjusting element (132) in the region between a front end position and a rear end position in order to adjust the cutting length, wherein the position sensor (110) is configured to detect the position of the position transmitter (112) without contact, and wherein the position sensor (110) or the position sensor (112) is connected to the cutting length adjustment device (130) in such a way thatthat the set step length can be detected by means of the position sensor (1 10)., 2. Device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor (110) is a Hall sensor and wherein the position transmitter (112) is designed as a magnet, in particular as a permanent magnet.
3. Device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor (110) is designed as an inductive sensor or as a capacitive sensor.
4. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the adjusting element (132) is designed for manual actuation.
5. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an evaluation device (140) which is designed to prepare the cutting length values detected by the position sensor (110) for further processing.
6. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in particular according to claim 5, further comprising a display (150) which is configured to display the cutting length values, in particular the cutting length values prepared by the evaluation device (140).
7. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in particular according to claim 4 or claims 4 and 5, further comprising a transmission device (160) which is designed to transmit the cutting length values, in particular the cutting length values prepared by the evaluation device (140), to a receiving device (400), in particular a mobile terminal.
8. Hair cutting device (200) comprising a device (100) according to one of the preceding claims and a drive (210) for driving the cutting blade (124).
9. Hair cutting device (200) according to claim 8, further comprising an electrical control (220), wherein the drive (210) is designed as an electrical drive, and wherein the electrical control (220) is configured to control the supply of electrical energy to the drive (210) and the position sensor (110).
10. Hair cutting device (200) according to claim 9, further comprising a battery (230), wherein the battery (230) is preferably designed as an accumulator, and wherein the battery (230) is configured to supply the drive (210) and the position sensor (110) with electrical energy.