Beauty device

Abstract

To provide a beauty device capable of uniformly applying a liquid agent to hair or skin and allowing the liquid agent to penetrate into the hair or skin.SOLUTION: The beauty device includes a grip section 1, an actuator 4 having its proximal side housed in the grip section 1 and a portion other than the proximal side extending outward from the grip section 1, at least the distal side of the actuator being configured as a conductive portion 5; oscillation means provided on the proximal side of the actuator 4 for ultrasonically vibrating the actuator 4; and voltage and current generation means for applying voltage to and allowing current to flow through the conductive portion 5 of the actuator 4. When the conductive portion 5 of the actuator 4 is in contact with hair or skin, ultrasonic vibration is transmitted to the hair or skin, while voltage is applied to and current is allowed to flow through the hair or skin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a beauty tool, and more particularly to a beauty tool that can apply a liquid agent evenly to hair or skin and allow the liquid agent to penetrate into the hair or skin. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, hair coloring and treatments are well-known as hair care methods at hair salons and at home. Current methods generally involve applying hair coloring and treatments to hair by hand or with a brush.

[0003] In recent years, a technique has become known in which a treatment agent is applied to hair by ultrasonically vibrating a hair iron plate. However, when applying the treatment agent using a hair iron plate, it is difficult to apply the treatment agent evenly to the hair, and the treatment agent tends to be applied only to the surface of the hair.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a hair styling device that applies a treatment agent to hair by ultrasonically vibrating a thin comb-like tooth part. By ultrasonically vibrating the thin comb-like tooth part, this hair styling device makes it easier to apply the treatment agent to hair more evenly than by using a hair iron plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-89679 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the hair setting device described in Patent Document 1, the treatment agent is molecularized by ultrasonic vibration and then applied to the hair, but there is a problem in that simply molecularizing the treatment agent by ultrasonic vibration does not provide the desired application effect.

[0007] In order to solve the problems of Patent Document 1, the present inventors have conducted extensive research into a beauty device that can not only apply treatment agents, but also liquid agents such as hair coloring agents and hair growth agents evenly to hair or skin, and can also penetrate into the hair or skin, and as a result, have completed the present invention.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a beauty tool that can apply a liquid agent evenly to hair or skin and can also allow the liquid agent to penetrate into hair or skin. Further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above problems are solved by the following inventions. 1. A gripping portion; an actuating body having a base end side housed in the gripping portion, a portion other than the base end side extending outward from the gripping portion, and at least a tip end side configured as a conductive portion; an oscillation means provided on the proximal end side of the actuator for ultrasonically vibrating the actuator; a voltage / current generating means for applying a voltage to the conductive part of the actuator to cause a current to flow; A beauty device characterized in that, with the conductive part of the operating body in contact with hair or skin, ultrasonic vibrations are propagated to the hair or skin, and a voltage is applied to the hair or skin to pass a current therethrough. 2. a grip portion having at least a part of an outer surface configured as a conductive portion; an actuating body having a base end side housed in the gripping portion, a portion other than the base end side extending outward from the gripping portion, and at least a tip side configured as a conductive portion insulated from the conductive portion of the gripping portion; an oscillation means provided on the proximal end side of the actuator for ultrasonically vibrating the actuator; a voltage / current generating means for generating a potential difference between the conductive part of the gripping part and the conductive part of the actuating body; A beauty device characterized in that, with the conductive part of the gripping part in contact with any part of the human body and the conductive part of the actuator in contact with hair or skin, ultrasonic vibrations are transmitted to the hair or skin and a voltage is applied to the hair or skin. 3. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the grip portion accommodates the base end side of the actuator in a tip portion thereof, and accommodates an electronic circuit board in a portion rearward of the tip portion. 4. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base end side of the working body is supported by a support made of a flexible material within the grip portion. 5. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tip of the working body is formed into a comb-teeth portion. 6. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the oscillation means comprises a plurality of oscillation elements attached to the front and back surfaces of the base end of the actuator. 7. The beauty tool according to item 5, wherein the comb teeth at the tip end of the working body have a tip end that is approximately hemispherical. 8. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tip of the working body is a hairbrush. 9. a control unit for controlling the voltage generated by the voltage / current generating means, 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is operable to select a usage mode and controls the voltage value and application interval of the voltage according to the selected usage mode. 10. The beauty tool according to item 9, wherein the grip portion houses the oscillation means, the voltage / current generating means, and the control unit, and has a waterproof structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beauty tool that can apply a liquid agent evenly to hair or skin and can also allow the liquid agent to penetrate into hair or skin. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the appearance of a beauty tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal configuration of the beauty device of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the beauty device shown in FIG. 1 in a charging state; [Figure 4] Graph showing applied voltage in hair color mode [Figure 5] Graph showing applied voltage in treatment mode [Figure 6] Graph showing applied voltage in scalp mode DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the appearance of a beauty tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. The beauty tool of this embodiment includes a grip portion 1, and at least a part of the outer surface of the grip portion is configured as a conductive portion.

[0013] The grip portion 1 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material and has an outer shape that allows the user of the beauty tool to easily grip it with one hand, and is hollow. The means for forming the hollow grip portion 1 is not particularly limited. The conductive portion may be a plated layer formed by, for example, plating on the outer surface of the grip portion 1. The plating is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, nickel plating. The conductive portion made of a plated layer may be the entire outer surface of the grip portion 1 or only a part of the outer surface.

[0014] Instead of the above-mentioned plating treatment, the outer surface of the grip part 1 may be formed so that a shell is provided on part or the whole of the outer surface using a metal material or a conductive resin material. The metal material is preferably a material that does not easily rust, such as stainless steel. The entire grip portion 1 may be made of a metal material or a conductive resin material, and not only the outer surface but the entire outer shell portion may be made conductive.

[0015] The grip portion 1 is provided with a power switch 2. In this embodiment, the main power source of the beauty tool is a rechargeable battery housed in the grip portion 1, but it may also be a non-rechargeable dry cell battery or an external power source supplied via a power cord (not shown).

[0016] A mode indicator light 3 that indicates the selected use mode is provided on the grip part 1. In this embodiment, the use mode is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, three modes: hair color mode, treatment mode, and scalp mode. The mode indicator lamp 3 consists of three LEDs. The mode indicator lamp 3 can be switched by pressing the power switch 2 a number of times. If any of the LEDs in the mode indicator lamp 3 is lit, the usage mode indicated by the lit LED has been selected. The contents of the use modes will be described later.

[0017] This beauty tool includes an actuator 4. In this embodiment, the actuator 4 is a flat comb having comb teeth 5. The base end of the actuator 4 is supported within the grip portion 1 with the base end housed within the grip portion 1. The actuating body 4 has a portion other than the base end side extending outward from the gripping portion 1. At least the comb-tooth portion 5 on the tip side of the actuating body 4 is a conductive portion insulated from the conductive portion of the gripping portion 1.

[0018] The hollow gripping portion 1 preferably houses the base end side of the actuation body 4 at its distal end, and houses an electronic circuit board (described later) in the rear portion of this distal end.

[0019] The entire actuator 4 may be made of a metal material or a conductive resin material, and not only the tip side (comb tooth portion 5) but the entire actuator 4 may be made conductive. The metal material is preferably a material that does not easily rust, such as stainless steel. Furthermore, in the case of a metal material, it is preferable to perform a polishing process.

[0020] Alternatively, the actuator 4 may be made of, for example, a synthetic resin material, and its outer surface may be plated, with the plated layer serving as the conductive portion. The plating method is not particularly limited, but nickel plating may be an example. This conductive portion may be the entire outer surface of the actuator 4, or only the outer surface of the tip side (comb-tooth portion 5).

[0021] It is preferable that the tip of each tooth of the comb tooth portion 5 at the tip side of the actuator 4 is approximately hemispherical. This is to avoid the current density concentration at the tip, since the current density generated by the application of a voltage, which will be described later, will be concentrated at the tip.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal configuration of the beauty tool of the embodiment shown in FIG. The grip part 1 preferably has a waterproof structure. A protection class is specified for the waterproof structure, and in this embodiment, it is, for example, the "IPX5" class. As shown in FIG. 2, the waterproof structure is realized by providing a rubber packing 6 at the butt joint of the upper shell 1a and the lower shell 1b that form the outer shell of the grip part 1. Also, although not shown, it is preferable to provide an O-ring around the set screw.

[0023] The gripping part 1 contains a plurality of electronic elements that make up the electronic circuit, and a rechargeable battery 7 that serves as the main power source. The electronic elements are a plurality of oscillation elements 8 that are attached to the base end side of the actuator 4 and make up the oscillation means, and a plurality of electronic elements mounted on an electronic circuit board 9. The electronic elements mounted on the electronic circuit board 9 make up a control circuit that also serves as a voltage control part, and a charging circuit that charges the rechargeable battery 7. The electronic circuit board 9 is attached to a board holder 10. The oscillation means is composed of a rechargeable battery 7, a control circuit, and an oscillation element 8.

[0024] The oscillation elements 8 are attached to the front and back surfaces of the proximal end of the actuating body 4, one on each side, and are controlled by a control circuit to ultrasonically vibrate the actuating body 4. The two oscillation elements 8 are synchronized in frequency and phase of the ultrasonic vibrations they generate. The frequency of the ultrasonic vibrations emitted by the oscillation elements 8 is, for example, about 200 KHz to 1.5 MHz. This frequency remains constant regardless of which of the use modes described below is selected.

[0025] The base end side of the actuator 4 is supported by a substrate holder 10 within the gripping portion 1 via multiple supports 11 made of a flexible material such as rubber, so that the propagation of ultrasonic vibrations from the oscillation element 8 is not obstructed.

[0026] The beauty tool of the present invention includes a voltage / current generating means for applying a voltage to the conductive part of the actuator 4 to cause a current to flow, or for generating a potential difference between the conductive part of the grip part 1 and the conductive part of the actuator 4. The voltage / current generating means is configured as part of a control circuit, and the applied voltage and the current to flow are controlled by the control circuit. The voltage and current generating means is composed of a rechargeable battery 7 and a control circuit.

[0027] The control circuit has contacts 12 on the electronic circuit board 9 that are electrically connected to the conductive parts of the grip part 1 from inside the grip part 1. The electrical connection between the conductive parts of the grip part 1 and the contacts 12 can be achieved by plating the inner surface of the grip part 1 or by providing terminals. The control circuit also has output terminals that are electrically connected to the conductive parts of the actuator 4. The control circuit generates a potential difference between the contacts 12 and the output terminals. When the entire actuator 4 is made of a conductor such as metal, the output terminal may be connected to the base end side of the actuator 4.

[0028] The control of the applied voltage by the control circuit may be achieved by controlling the potential difference that is generated, or by controlling the amount of voltage drop by controlling the resistance value between the gripping unit 1 and the conductive part of the actuation body 4. Controlling the resistance value also includes breaking the circuit, that is, setting the resistance value to infinity.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a side view showing the beauty tool in a charging state. As shown in FIG. 3, this beauty tool can be attached to a charging stand 13 and the rechargeable battery 7 (see FIG. 2) in the grip part 1 can be charged by connecting the charging stand 13 to a charger 14 with a charging cable (USB cable) 15. During charging, the charging lamp 16 on the charging stand 13 flashes, and when charging is complete, the charging lamp 16 lights up.

[0030] A power receiving terminal that contacts a charging terminal (not shown) of the charging stand 13 is provided at the rear end (lower end in FIG. 3 ) of the grip portion 1. This power receiving terminal is composed of, for example, three terminals lined up in a row, with two positive terminals on the left and right and one ground terminal in the center. This ensures reliable contact between the charging terminal of the charging stand 13 and the positive terminal of the power receiving terminal.

[0031] The tip end of the actuator 4 may be a hairbrush instead of the comb-tooth portion 5. The hairbrush may be made of a material such as conductive silicon, or may be made of metal.

[0032] Depending on the mode of use, this beauty device applies a voltage to the conductive part of the actuator while the conductive part is in contact with the hair or skin, causing a current to flow, or the conductive part of the grip part 1 contacts some part of the human body (i.e., grip part 1 is held with bare hands), and while the conductive part of the actuator is in contact with the hair or skin, ultrasonic vibrations are transmitted to the hair or skin and a voltage is applied to the hair or skin.

[0033] This beauty device uses ultrasonic vibrations in combination with applied voltage and current to enable liquid agents used to improve hair quality to penetrate into the hair, something that could not previously be achieved with ultrasonic vibrations alone. Hair care includes coloring (dyeing) and treatment, and in order for the liquid agents used in each of these to penetrate and adhere to the hair efficiently, the liquid agents are not only molecularized using ultrasound, but also ionized by applying a pulsed voltage, allowing them to penetrate and adhere to the hair.

[0034] The control circuit serving as the control unit can select the use mode using the power switch 2, and controls the voltage value and application interval of the applied voltage according to the selected use mode. To select the usage mode, with the main power off, press power switch 2 once to turn on the main power and select hair color mode. With hair color mode selected, press power switch 2 once to select treatment mode. With treatment mode selected, press power switch 2 once to select scalp mode. With scalp mode selected, press power switch 2 once to cut off the main power.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the applied voltage in the hair color mode. In the hair color mode, as shown in Figure 4, a high + voltage (e.g., 10 V or more) is applied at the start to allow current to flow, then a lower +- voltage than at the start is applied in pulses to allow current to flow, then a high - voltage (e.g., -10 V or less) is applied to allow current to flow, then a lower +- voltage is applied in pulses to allow current to flow, and this process is repeated.

[0036] In the hair color mode, ultrasound alone is not sufficient to decompose oil-based or water-based liquids, so a fairly high voltage is applied to both positive and negative polarities to break down the liquid, and a certain amount of current is passed through to generate ions near the comb teeth.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the applied voltage in the treatment mode. In the treatment mode, as shown in FIG. 5, a negative voltage is applied in pulses from the start, a positive voltage is applied for a short period, and then the negative voltage is applied in pulses again, and this process is repeated.

[0038] In treatment mode, treatment agents used for improving hair quality are penetrated and applied more easily to the hair. This is because ultrasonic waves are used to molecularize the agent, and because hair is normally negatively charged, multiple pulses of negative voltage at a specified level are applied, which act as a beating on the hair to which the molecularized agent has been applied, and then positive voltage pulses are applied to make the agent absorb into the hair. In this way, the agent is ionized, allowing it to penetrate the hair cuticle and other parts, repairing the hair.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the applied voltage in the scalp mode. In scalp mode, as shown in FIG. 6, a high positive voltage (for example, 10 V or more) is applied in pulses at the start, and after a certain time has passed, a high negative voltage (for example, −10 V or less) is applied in pulses, and this is repeated.

[0040] In scalp mode, in order to penetrate beauty serums and scalp agents into the skin (mainly the scalp), a voltage pulse is applied using techniques such as electroporation, which creates tiny holes in the skin and allows the agents to penetrate using ultrasonic vibrations.

[0041] As described above, each mode uses ultrasound to molecularize the drug, and by applying a predetermined voltage pulse to the hair or skin to which the molecularized drug has been applied, it is possible to stimulate the hair or skin and promote penetration of the drug. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 Grip part 1a Upper shell 1b Lower shell 2 Power switch 3 Mode indicator 4. Working body (comb) 5 Comb teeth 6 Rubber packing 7 Rechargeable batteries 8 Oscillator 9. Electronic circuit boards 10 Substrate holder 11 Support 12 Contacts 13 Charging Station 14 Charger 15 Charging cable (USB cable) 16 Charging lamp

Claims

1. A gripping portion; an actuating body having a base end side housed in the gripping portion, a portion other than the base end side extending outward from the gripping portion, and at least a tip end side configured as a conductive portion; an oscillation means provided on the proximal end side of the actuator for ultrasonically vibrating the actuator; a voltage / current generating means for applying a voltage to the conductive part of the actuator to cause a current to flow; A beauty device characterized in that, with the conductive part of the operating body in contact with hair or skin, ultrasonic vibrations are propagated to the hair or skin, and a voltage is applied to the hair or skin to pass a current through the hair or skin.

2. a grip portion having at least a part of an outer surface configured as a conductive portion; an actuating body having a base end side housed in the gripping portion, a portion other than the base end side extending outward from the gripping portion, and at least a tip side configured as a conductive portion insulated from the conductive portion of the gripping portion; an oscillation means provided on the proximal end side of the actuator for ultrasonically vibrating the actuator; a voltage / current generating means for generating a potential difference between the conductive part of the gripping part and the conductive part of the actuating body; A beauty device characterized in that, with the conductive part of the gripping part in contact with any part of the human body and the conductive part of the actuator in contact with hair or skin, ultrasonic vibrations are transmitted to the hair or skin and a voltage is applied to the hair or skin.

3. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1, wherein the grip portion accommodates the base end side of the actuator in a distal end portion thereof, and accommodates an electronic circuit board in a portion rearward of the distal end portion thereof.

4. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1, wherein a base end side of the working body is supported by a support body made of a flexible material within the grip portion.

5. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1, wherein the distal end of the working body is formed into a comb-teeth portion.

6. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1, wherein the oscillation means comprises a plurality of oscillation elements attached to a front surface and a rear surface of the base end of the actuator.

7. 6. The beauty tool according to claim 5, wherein the comb teeth at the tip end of the working body have a tip end that is substantially hemispherical.

8. 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1, wherein the distal end of the working body is a hairbrush.

9. a control unit for controlling the voltage generated by the voltage / current generating means, 3. The beauty tool according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is operable to select a use mode, and controls the voltage value and application interval of the voltage according to the selected use mode.

10. 10. The beauty tool according to claim 9, wherein the grip portion houses the oscillation means, the voltage / current generating means, and the control unit, and has a waterproof structure.

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