Hair care appliances

Abstract

A hair care tool having a pair of vibrating plates is provided, which can prevent abnormal vibrations and unpleasant noises from occurring in the vibrating plates and can also prevent damage to electrical circuits. [Solution] The hair care device S100 comprises a first arm 10 having a first vibrating plate 15, a second arm 20 having a second vibrating plate 25 and connected to the first arm 10 via a hinge 30, and a control unit 50 that controls the operation of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25, wherein the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 generate ultrasonic vibrations and are arranged opposite each other, and the control unit 50 vibrates the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 alternately so that they do not vibrate simultaneously.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hair care device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, devices have been proposed that generate ultrasonic waves on hair to which a treatment agent has been applied, thereby allowing the ingredients of the treatment agent to penetrate into the hair (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-195706 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional configuration, when the vibration plates attached to each arm are vibrated, there are problems such as abnormal vibrations and unpleasant noises due to the resonance phenomenon that occurs when the vibration plates vibrate while in contact with each other. Furthermore, there is a risk of abnormal high voltage being generated due to the resonance caused by the vibration of one vibration plate receiving from the other vibration plate, which may damage the electrical circuit.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a hair care device that has a configuration in which a pair of vibrating plates are provided, and that can prevent abnormal vibrations and unpleasant noises from occurring in the vibrating plates, and also prevent damage to the electrical circuitry. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A hair injury device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first arm having a first vibrating plate, a second arm having a second vibrating plate and connected to the first arm via a hinge, and a control unit that controls the operation of the first vibrating plate and the second vibrating plate, wherein the first vibrating plate and the second vibrating plate generate ultrasonic vibrations and are arranged opposite each other, and the control unit alternately vibrates the first vibrating plate and the second vibrating plate so that they do not vibrate simultaneously.

[0007] The control unit may vibrate the first vibrating plate in a first pattern and operate the second vibrating plate in a second pattern, the first pattern including repeating vibrations for a first duration, and the second pattern including repeating vibrations for a second duration, and one of the first duration and the second duration may be longer than the other of the first duration and the second duration.

[0008] The control unit may vibrate the first vibrating plate in a first pattern and operate the second vibrating plate in a second pattern, the first pattern including repeating vibrations for a first duration, and the second pattern including repeating vibrations for a second duration, and one of the amplitude of the first pattern and the amplitude of the second pattern may be greater than the other of the amplitude of the first pattern and the amplitude of the second pattern.

[0009] The control unit may vibrate the first vibrating plate in a first pattern and operate the second vibrating plate in a second pattern, the first pattern including repeating vibration for a first duration, the second pattern including repeating vibration for a second duration, one of the first duration and the second duration being longer than the other of the first duration and the second duration, and one of the amplitude of the first pattern and the amplitude of the second pattern being greater than the other of the amplitude of the first pattern and the amplitude of the second pattern.

[0010] The hair care device may further include an opening / closing sensor that detects opening and closing of the first arm and the second arm, and the control unit may vibrate the first vibrating plate and the second vibrating plate in the first pattern and the second pattern, respectively, and then, in response to the opening / closing sensor detecting that the first arm and the second arm are closed, switch between the first pattern and the second pattern to vibrate the first vibrating plate and the second vibrating plate.

[0011] The control unit may vibrate the first vibrating plate or the second vibrating plate in a predetermined vibration pattern, and the predetermined vibration pattern may be a pattern in which ultrasonic vibrations are repeated for a predetermined duration, and the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibrations may change over time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The present invention has the effect of providing a hair care device that is configured to include a pair of vibrating plates and that can prevent abnormal vibrations and unpleasant noises from occurring in the vibrating plates, and can also prevent damage to electrical circuits. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a hair care device according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the hair care tool of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a vibration pattern of two vibration plates. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of other vibration patterns. [Figure 5] 10 is an example of a flowchart of operation control using an open / close sensor. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of amplitude change over time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of a hair care device will be described below. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hair care device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the hair care device of Fig. 1. Of the wiring in Fig. 2, dashed lines are for supplying power, and solid lines are for signal wiring.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the hair care device S100 has a shape that allows it to hold hair between a pair of arms. The hair care device S100 holds hair with a treatment agent attached and uses ultrasonic vibrations to break down the particles of the treatment agent so that the treatment agent penetrates into the hair. The hair care device S100 may be a professional device used in, for example, a hair salon, or may be a device used in an ordinary home.

[0016] Treatment agents penetrate into the hair to repair damage inside the hair, and for example, they give hair bounce, shine, and body.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hair care device S100 has as its main components a first arm 10, a first vibrating plate 15, a second arm 20, a second vibrating plate 25, a hinge 30, an opening / closing sensor 41, a switch 43, a power supply unit 45, and a control unit 50.

[0018] The first arm 10 is a long, thin rod-shaped member made of resin, for example. A first vibration plate 15 is provided on the first arm 10.

[0019] Like the first arm 10, the second arm 20 is also a long, thin rod-shaped member made of resin, for example. The second arm 20 is connected to the first arm 10 via a hinge 30. A second vibration plate 25 is provided on the second arm 20. The first arm 10 and the second arm 20 are provided so as to be able to open and close. The first arm 10 and the second arm 20 are shaped and sized so that a user can grip them with their hands and close them.

[0020] A protrusion 21 is formed on a portion of the second arm 20. The protrusion 21 is a portion that protrudes outward from the second arm 20. The protrusion 21 is formed on only one of the pair of arms. As an example, the protrusion 21 is a portion that comes into contact with part of the user's hand when the user grips the hair care tool S100. By forming such a protrusion 21 on only one of the pair of arms, the user can check the orientation of the hair care tool S100. Therefore, the user can use the hair care tool S100 in a predetermined orientation (for example, an orientation in which the first arm 10 is upward). Note that although the protrusion 21 is provided in this example, the protrusion 21 is not essential to the present invention and may be omitted.

[0021] The hinge 30 connects an end of the first arm 10 to an end of the second arm 20. For example, the hinge 30 is configured to keep the first arm 10 and the second arm 20 separated from each other (open state) when no external force is applied to the hair care tool S100 (i.e., when the user is not gripping the hair care tool S100).

[0022] The first vibrating plate 15 generates ultrasonic vibrations and includes a plate member 15a and a vibration element 15b, as shown in Fig. 2. The plate member 15a is a member that comes into contact with the hair. The plate member 15a is, for example, a flat metal plate.

[0023] The vibration element 15b is provided so as to be in contact with the rear side of the plate member 15a. The vibration of the vibration element 15b generates ultrasonic waves. The vibration element 15b vibrates, for example, at 1 million times per second (1 MHz). In this embodiment, the vibration element 15b is an ultrasonic vibrator. The vibration frequency of the vibration element 15b may be, for example, within a range of 1 MHz±100 kHz. The vibration element 15b may be made of a lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based material. The vibration frequency of the vibration element may be 1 MHz or higher. The second vibrating plate 25 has a plate member 25a and a vibration element 25b. The second vibrating plate 25 is positioned so that the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 face each other and can pinch hair when the arms are closed. The second vibrating plate 25 has the same configuration as the first vibrating plate 15, so a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0024] The opening / closing sensor 41 is a sensor that detects the opening and closing of the first arm 10 and the second arm 20 (also expressed as the opening and closing of the hair care device S100). The opening / closing sensor 41 may be of any type as long as it can detect the opening and closing of the first arm 10 and the second arm 20. The opening / closing sensor 41 is, for example, a magnetic sensor provided on one of the first arm 10 and the second arm 20 (here, the first arm 10 as shown in FIG. 1). This magnetic sensor detects that the first arm 10 and the second arm 20 are closed when a magnet M provided on the other of the first arm 10 and the second arm 20 (here, the second arm 20) comes close to the magnetic sensor.

[0025] The switch 43 is a switch operated by the user. The switch 43 is provided on the first arm 10 or the second arm 20. Only one switch 43 may be provided, or multiple switches 43 may be provided. The switch 43 is, for example, a switch that the user uses to start or stop the operation (vibration) of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25. The switch 43 may be used to change the intensity and / or pattern of the vibration.

[0026] The power supply unit 45 includes, for example, a rechargeable battery and a circuit for supplying high-frequency power. The power supply unit 45 supplies power to each component of the hair care device S100. Specifically, the power supply unit 45 supplies high-frequency power to the vibration element 15b of the first vibrating plate 15 and the vibration element 25b of the second vibrating plate 25.

[0027] The control unit 50 is connected to the open / close sensor 41, the switch 43, the power supply unit 45, the first vibrating plate 15, and the second vibrating plate 25. The control unit 50 controls the operation of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25. The control unit 50 starts or stops the operation of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 in response to the user operating the switch 43. The control unit 50 controls the operation of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 in response to the open / close sensor 41 detecting that the arm has been opened or closed.

[0028] (Control of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 by the control unit 50) In the case of the hair care tool S100 of this embodiment, in which the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 are positioned to face each other, if the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 are simultaneously driven while the hair is held between the hair care tool S100, there is a problem that abnormal vibrations and unpleasant noises are generated due to the resonance phenomenon, as described above. Furthermore, resonance caused by the vibration of one vibrating plate received from the other vibrating plate may generate an abnormally high voltage, which may damage the electrical circuit.

[0029] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 50 vibrates the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 alternately so that the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 do not vibrate at the same time.

[0030] (Vibration pattern) Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the vibration patterns of two vibrating plates. In Fig. 3, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents amplitude. The upper part of Fig. 3 shows the vibration pattern of the first vibrating plate 15, and the lower part shows the vibration pattern of the second vibrating plate 25.

[0031] The control unit 50 vibrates the first vibrating plate 15 in a first pattern. The first pattern is a pattern that includes repeating vibration A for a first duration p1. The control unit 50 vibrates the second vibrating plate 25 in a second pattern. The second pattern is also a pattern that includes repeating vibration A for a second duration p2. The first duration p1 and the second duration p2 are the same in this example. The amplitude of the first vibrating plate 15 and the amplitude of the second vibrating plate 25 in vibration A are the same in this example. Modified examples of the vibration pattern will be described later with reference to other drawings.

[0032] The frequency at which the vibration A is repeated is 1 Hz to 100 Hz, for example, 1 Hz to 20 Hz. The interval between the vibrations A is, for example, 10 msec to 50 msec, specifically, 20 msec. By providing such an interval, interference between the vibration plates is prevented.

[0033] The vibrations of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 are out of phase with each other so that they do not vibrate simultaneously. Furthermore, when switching from the vibration of the first vibrating plate 15 to the vibration of the second vibrating plate 25, and when switching from the vibration of the second vibrating plate 25 to the vibration of the first vibrating plate 15, a period (simultaneous stop period) in which neither the first vibrating plate 15 nor the second vibrating plate 25 vibrates may be provided. This period may be long enough to allow the vibration of the vibrating plates to subside.

[0034] 3 in response to, for example, the user pressing the switch 43. The control unit 50 stops the vibration of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 in response to, for example, the user pressing the switch 43. The control unit 50 may also stop the vibration of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 in response to the open / close sensor 41 detecting that the hair care tool S100 has been opened, and may resume the vibration of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 in response to the open / close sensor 41 detecting that the hair care tool S100 has been closed.

[0035] In vibration A, the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 vibrate in the ultrasonic frequency band. Here, the vibration frequency of the first vibrating plate 15 and the vibration frequency of the second vibrating plate 25 may be the same or different.

[0036] In the configuration of this embodiment, the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 vibrate alternately with a phase difference, and do not vibrate simultaneously, as shown in Figure 3. Therefore, no resonance phenomenon occurs between the vibrating plates.

[0037] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing examples of other vibration patterns. In Fig. 4A, the control unit 50 vibrates the first vibrating plate 15 in a first pattern and vibrates the second vibrating plate 25 in a second pattern. The first and second patterns are basically the same as those in Fig. 3, but differ in that one of the first duration p1 and the second duration p2 (here, the first duration p1) is longer than the other of the first duration p1 and the second duration p2 (here, the second duration p2).

[0038] It is conceivable that the treatment agent can be more effectively penetrated into the hair by using different vibration patterns, with one vibration plate having a stronger penetration effect, than by using the same vibration pattern for the first and second vibration plates 15 and 25. For example, this is the case for treatment agents that are more effectively penetrated when the treatment agent sandwiched between the vibration plates moves from one vibration plate to the other. Another example is when the treatment agent sandwiched between the vibration plates accumulates more on one of the vibration plates due to gravity. In such cases, as shown in FIG. 4(a), vibrating the first and second vibration plates 15 and 25 with a vibration pattern in which one of the first duration p1 and second duration p2 is longer than the other of the first duration p1 and second duration p2 can be expected to more effectively penetrate the hair. Similar effects can also be achieved with the patterns shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c).

[0039] The first and second patterns in Figure 4(b) are basically the same as those in Figure 3, but differ in that one of the amplitudes of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 is larger than the other of the amplitudes of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25. By making the amplitudes different in this way, the penetration effect of one of the vibrating plates can be relatively strengthened. With patterns having different amplitudes like this, a tapping effect similar to that achieved by a hairdresser tapping and rubbing a treatment agent into hair with their hands can be expected.

[0040] 4(c), one of the amplitude of the first vibrating plate 15 and the amplitude of the second vibrating plate 25 is larger than the other of the amplitude of the first vibrating plate 15 and the amplitude of the second vibrating plate 25, and one of the first duration p1 and the second duration p2 is longer than the other of the first duration p1 and the second duration p2. In this way, both the duration and the amplitude of the vibration may be different.

[0041] (Operation control using open / close sensors) 3 and 4, it is preferable in one embodiment that the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 vibrate with different vibration patterns (meaning that at least the duration and / or amplitude of the vibrations are different from each other), but the hair care device S100 may be configured so that the operations of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 are automatically switched. An example of operation control using the open / close sensor 41 will be described below.

[0042] Fig. 5 is an example of a flowchart of operation control using an open / close sensor. The flowchart in Fig. 5 starts from a state in which hair is sandwiched between the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 and the hair care tool S100 is operating. In this state, the hair care tool S100 is closed.

[0043] In step S1, when the opening / closing sensor 41 detects that the arm is closed, the control unit 50 vibrates the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 so that the first vibrating plate 15 vibrates in a first pattern and the second vibrating plate 25 vibrates in a second pattern.

[0044] The user moves the hair care device S100 along the hair from the root side to the tip side, and when the hair care device S100 reaches a position where the hair can be removed from the hair care device S100, the user opens the hair care device S100.

[0045] In step S2, the open / close sensor 41 detects that the hair care tool S100 is open. If the answer is No in step S2, step S2 is repeated. If the answer is Yes in step S2 (i.e., if the hair care tool S100 is open), in step S3, the control unit 50 stops the vibration of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25.

[0046] The user moves the hair care tool S100 back to the root of the hair and clamps the hair with the hair care tool S100. In step S4, the open / close sensor 41 detects that the hair care tool S100 is closed. If the answer is No in step S4, step S4 is repeated. If the answer is Yes in step S4 (i.e., if the hair care tool S100 is closed), the control unit 50 vibrates the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 again.

[0047] Here, the control unit 50 vibrates the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 so that the first vibrating plate 15 vibrates in the second pattern and the second vibrating plate 25 vibrates in the first pattern. That is, in step S5, which is after step S1 in which the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 are vibrated in the first pattern and the second pattern, the control unit 50 switches between the first pattern and the second pattern to vibrate the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25. Specifically, in step S5, the control unit 50 switches the vibration pattern to vibrate the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 in response to the open / close sensor 41 detecting that the hair care device S100 is closed.

[0048] In step S6, it is determined whether or not the user has input to stop vibration. If there is no input to stop (No in step S6), steps S2 to S5 are repeated. If there is an input to stop (Yes in step S6), the control unit 50 stops the vibration of the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25, and the operation of the hair care device S100 ends.

[0049] With the above-described configuration, once the hair is clamped in the hair care tool S100, while the hair care tool S100 is being moved along the hair to the ends, the first and second vibrating plates vibrate in the first and second patterns, respectively, and when the hair care tool S100 is then opened and the hair is clamped again, the vibration pattern is switched, and the first and second vibrating plates vibrate in the second and first patterns, respectively. With this configuration, ultrasonic vibrations can be effectively applied from both sides to the hair and treatment agent clamped in the hair care tool S100 without the user having to perform a switching operation.

[0050] (Effects of this embodiment) According to the hair care tool S100 of the present embodiment described above, the pair of vibrating plates do not vibrate simultaneously, which prevents the vibrations between the vibrating plates from resonating with each other, thereby preventing abnormal vibrations and unpleasant noises. Furthermore, it also prevents the generation of high-voltage electromotive force due to the resonance, which could damage the electrical circuit.

[0051] (Variation) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the amplitude was constant in the repeated vibrations A, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example in which the amplitude changes over time.

[0052] FIG. 6(a) shows a pattern in which multiple ultrasonic vibrations A are repeated for a time t1. One ultrasonic vibration A continues for a predetermined duration (for example, a first duration p1 or a second duration p2). In the example of FIG. 6(a), the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration A changes over time as the ultrasonic vibration A is repeated. Specifically, the amplitude gradually increases, and then gradually decreases. A group of ultrasonic vibrations shown at time t1 is repeated at a predetermined cycle.

[0053] FIG. 6(b) shows a pattern in which ultrasonic vibrations A are repeated multiple times during time t1, and the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibrations A gradually increases over time each time the ultrasonic vibrations A are repeated.

[0054] According to a pattern in which the amplitude changes over time, as shown in Figure 6, the strength of the vibrations applied to the hair and treatment agent changes, which is expected to result in effective penetration of the treatment agent. Furthermore, since the frequency band of ultrasonic vibrations is not in the audible range, it is difficult for users or those receiving treatment to feel the vibrations, but according to a pattern in which multiple ultrasonic vibrations A are repeated, there is an advantage in that the vibrations of the hair care device S100 can be easily felt.

[0055] 6(a) and 6(b) show the vibration pattern of only one vibrating plate, the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25 may vibrate in the vibration pattern shown in Fig. 6(a) or 6(b). Specifically, for example, a group of ultrasonic vibrations in the portion shown at time t1 may be alternately generated by the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25. Similarly, a group of ultrasonic vibrations in the portion shown at time t2 may be alternately generated by the first vibrating plate 15 and the second vibrating plate 25.

[0056] Ultrasonic vibrations whose amplitude changes over time as illustrated in FIG. 6 are not necessarily limited to hair care devices with vibration plates provided on both arms, but can also be used in hair care devices with a vibration plate provided on only one arm.

[0057] The vibration frequency of the vibration element may be 1 MHz or higher. In a configuration where a pair of vibration plates is provided, the vibration frequencies of one vibration element and the other may be different (for example, one vibration plate may vibrate at about 1 MHz, and the other vibration plate may vibrate at a different frequency).

[0058] The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating in any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combination also have the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10 First Arm 15 First vibration plate 15a Plate member 15b Vibration element 20 Second Arm 21 Protrusion 25 Second vibration plate 25a Plate member 25b Vibration element 30 Hinge 41 Open / close sensor 43 Switch 45 Power supply section 50 control section S100 Hair Care Device

Claims

1. a first arm provided with a first vibration plate; a second arm including a second vibration plate and connected to the first arm via a hinge; a control unit that controls the operation of the first vibration plate and the second vibration plate; Equipped with the first vibration plate and the second vibration plate generate ultrasonic vibrations and are arranged to face each other; The control unit vibrating the first vibration plate and the second vibration plate alternately so that the first vibration plate and the second vibration plate do not vibrate simultaneously; Hair care appliances.

2. The control unit vibrating the first vibrating plate in a first pattern and operating the second vibrating plate in a second pattern; the first pattern includes repeating vibrations of a first duration; the second pattern includes repeating vibrations of a second duration; one of the first duration and the second duration is longer than the other of the first duration and the second duration; The hair care device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit vibrating the first vibrating plate in a first pattern and operating the second vibrating plate in a second pattern; the first pattern includes repeating vibrations of a first duration; the second pattern includes repeating vibrations of a second duration; one of the amplitude of the first pattern and the amplitude of the second pattern is greater than the other of the amplitude of the first pattern and the amplitude of the second pattern; The hair care device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit vibrating the first vibrating plate in a first pattern and operating the second vibrating plate in a second pattern; the first pattern includes repeating vibrations of a first duration; the second pattern includes repeating vibrations of a second duration; one of the first duration and the second duration is longer than the other of the first duration and the second duration, and one of the amplitude of the first pattern and the amplitude of the second pattern is greater than the other of the amplitude of the first pattern and the amplitude of the second pattern; The hair care device according to claim 1.

5. an opening / closing sensor that detects opening and closing of the first arm and the second arm; The control unit After vibrating the first vibration plate and the second vibration plate in the first pattern and the second pattern, respectively, in response to the opening / closing sensor detecting that the first arm and the second arm are closed, the first vibration plate and the second vibration plate are vibrated by switching between the first pattern and the second pattern. The hair care device according to claim 2 or 3.

6. The control unit vibrating the first vibration plate or the second vibration plate in a predetermined vibration pattern; The predetermined vibration pattern is a repeat of ultrasonic vibration for a predetermined duration, and the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration changes over time. The hair care device according to claim 1.

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