Laser hair removal device

Abstract

This invention provides a light-based hair removal device that can accurately irradiate only the target area with light for hair removal, even in narrow or uneven areas. [Solution] A light hair removal device that performs hair removal by irradiating light onto the skin surface has an irradiation unit that generates irradiation light for hair removal and guides it to the area to be treated, the irradiation unit comprises a light-emitting unit that generates irradiation light for hair removal and a transmission unit that guides the irradiation light to the area to be treated, the transmission unit comprises a filter glass that transmits only light in a wavelength band suitable for hair removal and a light guide member that protrudes in a direction along the direction of propagation of the light that has passed through the filter glass, and the light hair removal device includes one or more optical fibers having a core layer and a cladding layer with different refractive indices in order to cause light incident from one end in the longitudinal direction to be emitted from the other end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a light hair removal device that performs hair removal treatment by irradiating light.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, hair removal using light has been performed by irradiating light in a wavelength band that reacts with the melanin pigment in the hair follicle. Light hair removal means that the light irradiated on the skin is absorbed by the melanin pigment in the hair follicle and around the hair follicle, raising the temperature of the hair follicle, and suppressing hair regrowth by thermally denaturing the proteins that make up the hair follicle.

[0003] A light hair removal device used for light hair removal is configured such that an irradiation window is provided in a hair removal device main body incorporating a light source suitable for hair removal, and light necessary for hair removal is radiated to the outside through this irradiation window. A user of the hair removal device holds the hair removal device main body and presses an irradiation button provided on the hair removal device main body while bringing the irradiation window into contact with the hair removal target area, causing the light source to emit light, and applying thermal damage to the hair bulb (hair papilla and hair mother cells, etc.) located at the base of the hair follicle to perform hair removal.

[0004] In recent years, such a light hair removal device has also been sold as a home-use light hair removal device, and hair removal treatment using light is also performed at home. As a home-use light hair removal device, for example, it is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

[0005] The light hair removal device described in Patent Document 1 has a light irradiation window provided on the main body and a touch sensor that detects whether the main body is in contact with the skin, and the light irradiation window and the touch sensor are provided on the same surface. This light hair removal device controls the emission of a xenon lamp that irradiates light for hair removal according to whether the touch sensor is in contact with the skin. According to this light hair removal device, when the touch sensor is not in contact with the skin, the xenon lamp does not emit light, and when the touch sensor is in contact with the skin, the xenon lamp can be controlled to emit light.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-34294 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, conventional light-based hair removal devices had a problem: if the area to be treated had irregularities, the light irradiation window of the device could not make contact with the area, preventing it from achieving proper hair removal. Also, if the area to be treated was smaller than the area of ​​the light irradiation window, the touch sensor would detect that the skin was not in contact with the entire surface of the light irradiation window, and the device would control the emission of light, making it impossible to perform hair removal. Furthermore, if light was irradiated to areas other than the area to be treated, it would reduce the efficiency of the light irradiation for hair removal, and there was a risk that areas unrelated to hair removal would be irradiated with high-intensity light.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide a light hair removal device that can accurately irradiate only the area to be treated with light, even when the area to be treated is small or has uneven surfaces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention is a light hair removal device that performs hair removal by irradiating a skin surface with light, the device having an irradiation unit that generates hair removal light and guides it to a hair removal target area, the irradiation unit comprising a light-emitting unit that generates the irradiation light for hair removal and a transmissive unit that guides the irradiation light to the hair removal target area, the transmissive unit having a light-transmitting member that extends in a direction along the direction of propagation of the irradiation light generated by the light-emitting unit, and the transmissive unit comprising one or more optical fibers having a core layer and a cladding layer with different refractive indices in order to cause light incident from one end in the longitudinal direction to be emitted from the other end.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the light-transmitting member is narrower at one end than at the other end in the longitudinal direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a light hair removal device that performs hair removal by irradiating light onto a skin surface, the device has an irradiation unit that generates hair removal light and guides it to the area to be treated, the irradiation unit comprises a light-emitting unit that generates the irradiation light for hair removal and a transmissive unit that guides the irradiation light to the area to be treated, the transmissive unit has a light-transmitting member that extends in a direction along the direction of propagation of the irradiation light generated by the light-emitting unit, and the transmissive unit is configured to include one or more optical fibers having a core layer and a cladding layer with different refractive indices in order to cause light incident from one end in the longitudinal direction to be emitted from the other end, so that even if the area to be treated is a narrow area or has irregularities, the light for light hair removal can be accurately irradiated only to the area to be treated.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, the light-transmitting member is configured such that, in the longitudinal direction, one end is narrower than the other, allowing the light for hair removal to be accurately irradiated only the area to be treated, even in narrow or uneven areas. Furthermore, by configuring the light guide path for hair removal to be narrower on the exit side than on the incident side, the intensity of the light emitted from the exit side is improved, thereby improving the irradiation efficiency of the hair removal light. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a light-based hair removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of a light hair removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention, disassembled into an irradiation unit and an operating unit, where (a) is a front perspective view and (b) is a rear perspective view. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the functional part of the irradiation section of a light hair removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view showing the configuration of the functional part, and (b) is an exploded perspective view thereof. [Figure 4]This figure shows a light-transmitting member of a light hair removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view showing the external appearance, and (b) is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the light guide path. (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of Figure 4(a). [Figure 5] This figure shows a light-transmitting member of a light hair removal device according to another embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view showing the external appearance and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the direction of light transmission. [Figure 6] This figure shows a light-transmitting member of a light hair removal device according to another embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view showing the external appearance, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the light guide path, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing the direction of light emission. [Figure 7] This figure shows the configuration of the light-transmitting member and lamp tube of a light hair removal device according to another embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the light guide path and (b) is a schematic diagram viewed from above. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] This invention relates to a light-based hair removal device that enables efficient and reliable hair removal of a target area by devising a way to control the light emitted from the device.

[0015] The configuration of the light hair removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. First, an example of the overall configuration of the light hair removal device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the light hair removal device 1 according to the present invention. Note that the terms "upper," "downward," "front," "rear," "left side," and "right side" used in describing this embodiment are as shown in Figure 1.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the light hair removal device 1 has an operating unit 2 for operating the light hair removal device 1 and an irradiation unit 3 connected to the front end of the operating unit 2 and equipped with a light irradiation function for performing hair removal treatment.

[0017] The operation unit 2 includes an operation unit main body 4 formed in a substantially drum shape with the longitudinal direction being the front-rear direction, a control unit 6 provided at a substantially central portion of the operation unit main body 4, and intake / exhaust units 7 provided near the front and rear end portions of the operation unit main body 4, respectively.

[0018] Also, the operation unit 2 has a power cable connection part 8 as a power supply part from an external power source at the rear end part. In the optical hair remover 1 in this embodiment, power is supplied to the operation unit 2 from an external power source. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the operation unit 2 may have a power supply unit for power supply and may be configured with an internal power supply method that can supply power with a rechargeable battery or a dry battery.

[0019] The operation unit main body 4 has an upper cover 9, a lower cover 10, and a partition plate 11. The upper cover 9 is formed in a substantially saddle shape where, when viewed from the left and right side surfaces, the front and rear parts are formed in an upward convex shape, and the central part is formed in a downward convex shape that smoothly connects the front and rear parts at a position lower than the front and rear parts. The lower cover 10 is formed in a shape that is substantially the same as the upper cover 9 but with the top and bottom reversed. The operation unit main body 4 is configured such that the partition plate 11 connects the outer peripheral edge parts of the upper cover 9 and the lower cover 10 and closes the open front part, so that as a whole, it is formed in a substantially drum shape with a hollow interior. By forming the operation unit 2 in a substantially drum shape, the diameter of the central part of the operation unit main body 4 becomes thinner, making it easier for the user to grip at the substantially central part of the operation unit main body 4. The substantially central part of this operation unit main body 4 functions as the gripping part 5 of the user.

[0020] The control unit 6 has a control button 12 provided on the gripping part 5 and a display part 13 provided in front of the control button 12 and near the front end part of the upper cover 9.

[0021] The control button 12 is located approximately in the center of the upper cover 9. The control button 12 has the functions of illuminating the lamp tube 33 provided in the irradiation unit 3 (described later), adjusting the light emission intensity of the lamp tube 33, and turning the power of the light hair removal device 1 ON and OFF. The various functions are controlled to be selected according to the current state of the light hair removal device 1 and how the control button 12 is pressed. For example, when the power to the light hair removal device 1 is turned off (hereinafter referred to as the OFF state), pressing the control button 12 for about 2 seconds or more will turn on the power to the light hair removal device 1, and then by briefly pressing the control button 12, the irradiation output level of the lamp tube 33 that emits light for light hair removal can be adjusted. Also, when the power to the light hair removal device 1 is turned on (hereinafter referred to as the ON state), if the tip of the light-transmitting member 41 provided in the irradiation unit 3 is in contact with the skin and the control button 12 is pressed, the lamp tube 33 is controlled to emit light. Furthermore, to turn off the power of the light hair removal device 1, the control button 12 is pressed for approximately 2 seconds or more while the power of the light hair removal device 1 is ON. In addition, the various statuses of the light hair removal device 1 can be checked on the display unit 13.

[0022] The display unit 13 is located on the upper surface of the upper cover 9, in front of the control button 12. The display unit 13 has a light source for checking the status of the light hair removal device 1. Multiple light sources are provided, and the ON / OFF status of the light hair removal device 1 can be checked according to whether or not they emit light. In addition, the irradiation output level of the lamp tube 33, which will be described later, can be checked according to the number of lit light sources. In this embodiment, the irradiation output level of the lamp tube 33 is controlled in 5 stages. In other words, the display unit 13 has 5 light sources, and the number of lit light sources changes according to the irradiation output level.

[0023] The intake and exhaust section 7 has left and right intake holes 14, 14 provided near the left and right front ends of the lower cover 10, and an exhaust hole 15 provided at the rear end of the lower cover 10.

[0024] The left and right intake vents 14, 14 each have multiple substantially circular openings 16 for air inflow. The openings 16 are arranged to follow the curved shape of the lower surface. The left and right intake vents 14, 14 configured in this way function as inlets for cooling air to cool the inside of the operating section 2.

[0025] The exhaust port section 15 has multiple openings 17 formed to discharge air that has flowed into the interior of the operating section 2 via the left and right intake ports 14, 14, and heat generated in the irradiation section 3, which will be described later, to the outside. The openings 17 are formed to conform to the curved shape of the lower side surface of the lower cover 10. The exhaust port section 15 functions as an outlet to release heat generated in the operating section 2 and the irradiation section 3 to the outside of the light hair removal device 1.

[0026] Furthermore, the main body of the operating unit 4 has openings formed at the front ends of the upper cover 9 and the lower cover 10, which are closed by a partition plate 11. In other words, the partition plate 11 separates the irradiation unit 3, which is connected to the front end of the operating unit 2, from the main body of the operating unit 4. The partition plate 11 is formed in a substantially elliptical shape when viewed from the front (the direction in which the light hair removal device 1 is viewed from the front to the rear), and is formed in a thin plate shape with the front-to-back direction as the thickness direction. The partition plate 11 has an insertion opening 18 provided at the top, slightly to the right of the approximate center, and ventilation openings 19, 19 provided near the left and right ends, respectively, in the approximate center in the vertical direction. The main body of the operating unit 4 is constructed with the upper cover 9, the lower cover 10, and the partition plate 11 as separate components, so that the light emitted from the lamp tube 33 in the irradiation unit 3 is blocked by the partition plate 11, preventing leakage from the connecting portion of the upper and lower covers 9 and 10. In other words, it prevents light leakage from unintended areas when using the light hair removal device 1.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2(a) and (b), the irradiation unit 3 is connected to the front end of the operating unit 2. As shown in Figure 3(a), the irradiation unit 3 has a housing unit 20 and a functional unit 21 which is partially housed in the housing unit 20.

[0028] The housing section 20 includes a head case 22 and a connecting frame 23 connected to the rear end of the head case 22.

[0029] As shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), the head case 22 is formed in the shape of an ellipsoid with its major axis running in the front-to-back direction, cut along the minor axis running in the left-to-right direction near the front end, with the rear end being approximately the same ellipsoidal shape as the front end of the operating unit body 4. In other words, the head case 22 and the operating unit body 4 are smoothly connected at the rear end of the head case 22. The head case 22 is formed so that its diameter gradually decreases from the rear end to the front end, and it is formed as an internally hollow structure with an opening at the rear. The head case 22 is provided with a connecting frame 23 at its rear end. In other words, the opening of the head case 22 is closed by the connecting frame 23. The head case 22 also has a roughly circular irradiation port 24 drilled at its front end. Furthermore, to prevent the hair removal light generated in the functional unit 21 from leaking to the outside, the head case 22 may have a light-shielding coating applied to its outer surface, or its outer surface covered with a light-shielding film, or its inner surface coated with a reflective coating, or its inner surface covered with a reflective film. In other words, the head case 22 prevents the light generated inside from being emitted to the outside from anywhere other than the irradiation port 24.

[0030] The irradiation port 24 is formed in a substantially circular shape when viewed from the front. A light-transmitting member 41 is inserted through the irradiation port 24 to radiate the light generated by the light-emitting unit 31 to the outside of the irradiation unit 3.

[0031] The connecting frame 23 is formed in a flat, plate-like shape with its thickness oriented in the direction along the front-to-back direction. The connecting frame 23 is formed in substantially the same shape as the opening provided at the rear end of the head case 22, and has an insertion opening 18' located slightly to the right of the approximate center in the left-to-right direction, and ventilation openings 19', 19' located near the left and right ends in the approximate center in the up-to-down direction. The insertion opening 18' and ventilation openings 19', 19' provided in the connecting frame 23 are formed in substantially the same shape as the insertion opening 18 and ventilation opening 19 provided in the partition plate 11 of the operating unit 2, and are configured so that when the head case 22 is connected to the operating unit body 4, they are located in substantially the same position in the up-to-down and left-to-right directions as the insertion opening 18 and ventilation opening 19 provided in the operating unit 2.

[0032] The functional unit 21 includes a light-emitting unit 31 that emits light for hair removal and a light-transmitting unit 32 that transmits the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 31. The light hair removal device 1 described in this embodiment removes hair by irradiating the area to be treated with hair removal through the light-transmitting unit 32 with hair removal irradiation light F emitted from a lamp tube 33 provided in the light-emitting unit 31.

[0033] The light-emitting unit 31 includes a lamp tube 33 that generates light for hair removal, a reflector 34 provided to cover the back and top and bottom surfaces of the lamp tube 33, a light source substrate 35 that supplies the power necessary for the lamp tube 33 to emit light, a filter glass 36 provided in front of the lamp tube 33, and two sealing frame members: a rear sealing frame member 38 and a front sealing frame member 37 provided in front of the filter glass 36.

[0034] The lamp tube 33 is composed of a cylindrical xenon lamp capable of emitting light in the wavelength range of 300 to 1200 nm. The lamp tube 33 emits substantially uniform light from its cylindrical outer surface. In this embodiment, the lamp tube 33 may be composed of any light source capable of emitting light in the wavelength range of 300 to 1200 nm.

[0035] The reflector 34 is formed in a substantially quadratic curve shape extending in the front-rear direction when viewed from the left and right sides, and is positioned so that the support axis of the lamp tube 33 and the inflection point of the quadratic curve are located in substantially the same horizontal plane. The inflection point of the reflector 34 is located behind the lamp tube 33, and the two line segments, one above and one below, are formed to gradually separate as they move towards the front. The reflector 34 is positioned to cover the upper and lower outer surfaces and the rear outer surface of the lamp tube 33. As a result, all the light emitted from the outer surface of the lamp tube 33 becomes forward-facing light when it passes through the reflector 34. In other words, the reflector 34 functions to guide the light emitted from the lamp tube 33 to the transmission section 32 without waste, while preventing light leakage from the rear of the operating section 2.

[0036] The light source substrate 35 is an electrical circuit for boosting the voltage of the lamp tube 33 to a voltage suitable for light emission, and the front part of the light source substrate 35 is fixed to the head case 22. The rear part of the light source substrate 35 is inserted into the operating section 2 via the insertion openings 18', 18 of the connecting frame 23 and the partition plate 11, and is electrically connected to the electronic circuit board housed in the operating section 2.

[0037] The filter glass 36 is formed in a flat, plate-like shape with the front-to-back direction as the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the filter glass 36 is made of sapphire glass, which has high light transmittance. A filter that absorbs light other than a specific wavelength band is attached to the rear surface of the filter glass 36. The filter is a long-pass filter that allows only relatively long wavelength light from the light emitted from the lamp tube 33 to pass through, and absorbs light in the 300-600 nm wavelength band that is not needed for hair removal. In other words, the light emitted from the lamp tube 33 passes through the filter glass 36 and the filter attached to the filter glass 36, allowing only light in the 600-1200 nm wavelength band to be transmitted forward.

[0038] The front sealing frame member 37 is a metal member formed from a thin, roughly rectangular plate with the front-to-back direction as the thickness direction. The front sealing frame member 37 has a window portion 39 approximately in the center. The window portion 39 is formed to be approximately the same shape as the end face of the rear end of the light-transmitting member 41 attached to the irradiation port portion 24.

[0039] The rear sealing frame member 38 is formed in a flat, plate-like shape with the front-to-back direction as the thickness direction, and metal foil is attached to both the front and rear surfaces. The rear sealing frame member 38 has a window portion 39', similar to the front sealing frame member 37. The window portion 39' is formed in substantially the same shape as the end face of the rear end of the light-transmitting member 41. In other words, the window portions 39 and 39' provided on the front sealing frame member 37 and the rear sealing frame member 38 are formed in substantially the same shape as the end face of the rear end of the light-transmitting member 41.

[0040] Thus, the light hair removal device 1 is configured such that, with front and rear sealing frame members 37 and 38 interposed between the irradiation port 24 and the filter glass 36, the light emitted from the lamp tube 33 reaches the irradiation port 24 through the windows 39 and 39' provided in the front and rear sealing frame members 37 and 38, thereby limiting the angle of incidence of light to the light-transmitting member 41 (described later), and ensuring that the light incident on the light-transmitting member 41 is reliably emitted from the tip of the light-transmitting member 41.

[0041] The transparent section 32 consists of a light-transmitting member 41 that is inserted into and fixed to the irradiation port 24 provided at the tip of the head case 22.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4(a), the light-transmitting member 41 has a connecting portion 42 for connecting and fixing to the head case 22, and a light-guiding portion 43 whose base is fixed to the connecting portion 42.

[0043] The connecting portion 42 is a metal plate formed in the shape of a flat disc with the front-to-back direction as the thickness direction. The connecting portion 42 has a circular hole formed through the center in the front-to-back direction. The connecting portion 42 is formed to be slightly larger in diameter than the opening of the irradiation port portion 24. As a result, the connecting portion 42 is connected and fixed to the irradiation port portion 24 in an interference fit manner. Therefore, when the connecting portion 42 is fixed to the irradiation port portion 24, the opening of the irradiation port portion 24 can be closed except for the hole of the connecting portion 42.

[0044] The light guide portion 43 is made of transparent resin and is formed in a solid cylindrical shape. The light guide portion 43 is provided so that its base end is in contact with the window portion 39 of the front sealing frame member 37, and its tip portion is provided so as to protrude forward from the front end of the head case 22 by a protruding length L. The diameter of the base side of the light guide portion 43 that connects to the irradiation port portion 24 of the head case 22 is formed to be approximately 5 mm. In this embodiment, the light guide portion 43 is exemplified as being made of transparent resin, but the light guide portion 43 may be made of any material that can transmit light, for example, it may be made of glass material. Also, the diameter of the light guide portion 43 is not limited to 5 mm.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4(c), the light guide section 43 has a plurality of optical fibers (hereinafter referred to as optical fibers 44) each having a core layer 45 and a cladding layer 46, and a position fixing layer 47 that fixes the optical fibers 44 at predetermined intervals. The optical fibers 44 are surrounded and fixed in position by the position fixing layer 47.

[0046] The optical fiber 44 has a core layer 45 that guides the light generated by the lamp tube 33 and a cladding layer 46 that covers the radially outer side of the core layer 45. The core layer 45 constituting the optical fiber 44 is configured to have a lower refractive index than the cladding layer 46. The light guide portion 43 receives the irradiation light F into the end of the core layer 45 and guides the light into the core layer 45 along the longitudinal direction of the light guide portion 43, thereby emitting light for hair removal from its tip.

[0047] The position-fixing layer 47 is made of a transparent resin that can fix the optical fibers 44 at predetermined intervals. The position-fixing layer 47 is made of a material with a lower refractive index than the cladding layer 46 that makes up the optical fibers 44.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(b), the light guide portion 43 is configured to protrude from the irradiation port portion 24 by a protrusion length L, so that even when the area to be treated is narrow or uneven, the light-transmitting end surface 53 of the light-transmitting member 41 can reach the area to be treated. In this embodiment, the protrusion length L is set to 30 mm. However, the protrusion length L is not limited to the length described in this embodiment, and may be formed to any length as long as the head case 22 does not come into contact with the skin near the area to be treated when using the light hair removal device 1.

[0049] Furthermore, the light guide section 43 has a straight-traveling section 48a formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and a light-gathering section 49a formed in a substantially frustoconical shape, and the connecting portion between the straight-traveling section 48a and the light-gathering section 49a has a curved section 50 that bends the light traveling in a straight line along the front-rear direction in a specific direction.

[0050] The straight section 48a is formed in a straight line with substantially the same diameter from the rear to the front. The light-gathering section 49a is formed in a downward sloping shape from the rear to the front, and is formed so that the diameter gradually decreases from the base that connects to the curved section 50 to the tip from which light is emitted. The curved section 50 is interposed between the straight section 48a and the light-gathering section 49a and is the part that makes the light-gathering section 49a in a downward sloping shape from the base to the tip. In this embodiment, the curved section 50 has a curving angle α that curves downward at approximately 30 degrees with respect to the axis X of the straight section 48a. The optical fibers 44 in the straight section 48a, the curved section 50, and the light-gathering section 49a are composed of a substantially constant diameter from the rear to the tip of the light guide section 43. In other words, in the light guide section 43, the optical fibers 44 gradually approach the axis of the light guide section 43 as they move toward the tip of the light guide section 43 as the diameter of the position-fixing layer 47 decreases. In other words, the irradiated light F incident on the light guide section 43 is focused at the tip of the light guide section 43 and radiated outwards. The curvature angle α can be set to any angle as long as the light passing through the straight section 48a, the curved section 50, and the focusing section 49a is not radiated outwards from the outer surface of the light-transmitting member 41. That is, the angle can be set to any angle as long as the light incident on the incident end face 52 located on the base side of the light guide section 43 is not radiated from any angle other than the exit end face 53 located at the tip of the light guide section 43.

[0051] The light guide section 43 is formed in this manner and is configured to minimize the emission of irradiation light F, which is incident on the core layer 45 constituting the optical fiber 44, from the outer surface of the light guide section 43. In other words, the irradiation light F incident on the core layer 45 can be reliably emitted from the exit end face 53 of the light guide section 43 due to the difference in refractive index between the core layer 45 and the cladding layer 46, and the difference in refractive index between the cladding layer 46 and the fixed position layer 47. Specifically, by setting the refractive index of the cladding layer 46 lower than that of the core layer 45, and setting the refractive index of the fixed position layer 47 lower than that of the cladding layer 46, the light guide section acts to ensure that the irradiation light F moving from the inside to the outside of the light guide section 43 is totally reflected and returns to the core layer 45 at each interface. With this configuration, the light guide section 43 can minimize the emission of irradiation light F, which is incident on the core layer 45 from the incident end face 52, from the exit end face 53 and radiated to areas other than the hair removal target area.

[0052] As described above, the light hair removal device 1 described in this embodiment can reliably irradiate the area to be treated with hair removal light F via the light-transmitting member 41 provided in the irradiation unit 3. The light-transmitting member 41 has a length sufficient to reach the area to be treated with hair removal and a surface that can come into contact with the area to be treated, thereby enabling the irradiation of the area to be treated with light hair removal light F, and allowing hair removal to be performed on uneven areas or narrow areas, such as the nose or ear canals.

[0053] Furthermore, the light hair removal device 1 described in this embodiment is configured such that the light guide section 43 is composed of a plurality of optical fibers 44 and a position fixing layer 47 that fixes the optical fibers 44 at predetermined intervals, and the cladding layer 46 has a lower refractive index than the core layer 45 between the core layer 45 and the cladding layer 46 that constitute the optical fiber 44, and the position fixing layer 47 has a lower refractive index than the cladding layer 46 between the cladding layer 46 and the position fixing layer 47, thereby reliably guiding the irradiation light F from the incident end face 52 to the exit end face 53, and minimizing leakage of the irradiation light F to areas other than the hair removal target area.

[0054] Next, other embodiments of the light-transmitting member 41 provided in the transparent section 32 for removing hair from a limited area of ​​the target hair removal site will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Note that the same names and reference numerals will be used for components common to the first embodiment described above, and explanations of redundant content will be omitted as appropriate.

[0055] <Second Embodiment> A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Figure 5(a) is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the light guide section 43 according to the second embodiment, and Figure 5(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the direction of passage of the irradiated light F generated from the lamp tube 33.

[0056] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the light guide portion 43 according to the second embodiment is formed in a solid cylindrical shape and is made of transparent resin to allow light to pass through. The light guide portion 43 has a straight portion 48b and a bent portion 55b.

[0057] The straight section 48b is formed in a cylindrical shape with substantially the same diameter from the base to the tip. The straight section 48b has an optical fiber 44 consisting of a core layer 45 and a cladding layer 46, similar to the first embodiment, and a position fixing layer 47 for fixing the optical fiber 44. The configuration of the optical fiber 44 and the position fixing layer 47 is the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0058] The bent portion 55b is connected to the straight portion 48b and is formed in a roughly right-angled triangular shape when viewed from the left and right sides. The bent portion 55b may be formed from a single transparent material such as acrylic resin, or it may be an extension of the optical fiber 44 that continues from the straight portion 48b. The bent portion 55b has an inclined surface portion 56 in the part corresponding to the hypotenuse of the roughly right-angled triangle. In other words, the bent portion 55b is formed in a shape obtained by cutting the tip of a solid cylindrical member at an inclination angle δ of approximately 45 degrees. The inclined surface portion 56 is coated with paint to reflect the irradiation light F generated by the lamp tube 33. Alternatively, a metal such as silver may be deposited on the inclined surface portion 56, or a reflective film may be placed thereon.

[0059] In this configuration, an inclined surface portion 56 is formed on the bent portion 55b, and a reflective film 57 is provided on the inclined surface portion 56 to reflect light incident from the straight portion 48b. As a result, the irradiation light F generated in the lamp tube 33 travels in a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the straight portion 48b, is bent in a predetermined direction by the reflective film provided on the inclined surface portion 56 of the bent portion 55b, and is radiated to the outside of the light-transmitting member 41. At this time, the irradiation light F travels in a straight line through the optical fiber 44 constituting the straight portion 48b, and because the inclined surface portion 56 is formed at an inclination angle δ of approximately 45 degrees in left and right side views, the irradiation light F is reflected by the reflective film 57 in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the light guide portion 43. Therefore, the irradiation light F incident on the light guide portion 43 from the incident end face 52 does not remain inside the light guide portion 43, but is reliably radiated to the outside of the light guide portion 43 from the exit end face 53. In other words, the irradiation light F that enters the light guide 43 from the incident end face 52 of the light guide 43 can be emitted from the exit end face 53 with almost no attenuation. To put it another way, the irradiation light F from the lamp tube 33 can be efficiently guided to the area to be treated.

[0060] When the bent portion 55b is made of the same material as the position-fixing layer 47 that fixes the optical fiber 44, for example, a single transparent material such as acrylic resin, the irradiated light F is refracted at the interface where it enters the bent portion 55b from the straight portion 48b, depending on the angle of entry. The irradiated light F that enters the bent portion 55b at a constant angle of inclination is reflected by the reflective film 57 toward the exit end face 53, and then propagates at a constant angle relative to the exit end face 53. The irradiated light F that has traveled to the exit end face 53 is bent in a direction perpendicular to the exit end face 53 as it enters the air layer from the bent portion 55b, due to the difference in refractive index between the bent portion 55b and the air layer, and is then radiated. Therefore, if the bent portion 55b is made of the same transparent material as the position-fixing layer 47, the irradiated light F can be radiated without spreading out from the exit end face 53.

[0061] Furthermore, if the optical fiber 44 provided in the straight section 48b extends into the bent section 55b, the irradiated light F that enters the bent section 55b from the straight section 48b travels through the core layer 45 of the optical fiber 44 to the reflective film 57, and is reflected by the reflective film 57, allowing it to travel towards the exit end face 53. At this time, the light that reaches the reflective film 57 travels almost straight through the core layer 45 (that is, travels in the direction along the axis X of the straight section 48b), and is therefore reflected by the reflective film 57 in a direction almost perpendicular to the exit end face 53. The irradiated light F that reaches the exit end face 53 is then radiated to the outside of the light-transmitting member 41 in a direction almost perpendicular to the exit end face 53, so there is no risk of the irradiated light F bending and being radiated in a direction that spreads out from the exit end face 53 during the process of being radiated from the bent section 55b into the air layer. Therefore, by configuring the optical fiber 44 provided in the straight section 48b to extend into the bent section 55b, the irradiation light F can be radiated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the exit end face 53. Compared to the case where the bent section 55b is formed from a single material, this further prevents light diffusion and allows the irradiation light F to be focused onto the area to be treated, enabling efficient hair removal.

[0062] With this configuration, for example, even if the area to be treated is inside a narrow hole, inserting the light guide 43 into the hole allows the irradiation light F from the lamp tube 33 to reach the area to be treated, and the probability of light being emitted outside the area to be treated is reduced as much as possible.

[0063] <Third Embodiment> A third embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Figure 6(a) is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the light guide section 43 according to the third embodiment, and Figure 6(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the direction of passage of the irradiated light F from the lamp tube 33. Figure 6(c) is a schematic front view of the light-transmitting member 41, which shows the direction of light emission at the exit end face 53, as viewed from the front.

[0064] As shown in Figure 6(b), the light guide 43 according to the third embodiment has a straight section 48c formed in the shape of a solid cylinder and a bent section 55c connected to the tip of the straight section 48c, which bends from the outer circumferential surface near the tip of the light guide 43 toward the exit end surface 53. The light guide 43 is made of transparent resin so as not to obstruct the propagation of the illuminated light F.

[0065] The straight-travel section 48c is solid and formed in a cylindrical shape with substantially the same diameter from the base to the tip. The straight-travel section 48c is configured substantially the same as the straight-travel section 48c in the light guide section 43 described in the first embodiment, and has a plurality of optical fibers 44 and a position fixing layer 47 that fixes the optical fibers 44 at predetermined intervals. A detailed explanation of the optical fibers 44 and the position fixing layer 47 is the same as in the first embodiment, so that explanation will be omitted.

[0066] The bent portion 55c is connected to the straight portion 48c at its base. The bent portion 55c may be formed from a single transparent material such as acrylic resin, or it may be an extension of the optical fiber 44 that extends from the straight portion 48c. The bent portion 55c has a funnel-shaped recess 58 at its tip. By forming the recess 58 in this way, the bent portion 55c has an inclined surface portion 56 at its tip. The inclined surface portion 56 is provided in a manner that is inclined at approximately 45 degrees with respect to the axis X of the straight portion 48c. In other words, the inclination angle β between the axis X and the inclined surface portion 56 is formed at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

[0067] In this configuration, the bent portion 55c is tilted at an angle β of approximately 45 degrees to form an inclined surface portion 56. As a result, the irradiated light F incident on the straight portion 48c bends at the inclined surface portion 56 of the bent portion 55c and travels toward the outer circumferential surface of the light guide portion 43. In other words, the irradiated light F is emitted radially outward from the bent portion 55c by the inclined surface portion 56. To put it another way, the irradiated light F is uniformly emitted from the outer circumferential surface of the light guide portion 43 at the bent portion 55c (see Figure 6(c)).

[0068] Furthermore, the light guide section 43 has a scale 59 on its outer surface from the bent portion 55c to approximately the center of the straight portion 48c. By displaying the scale 59 on the outer surface of the light guide section 43 in this way, the distance to the emission end surface 53 can be confirmed. For example, when the light guide section 43 is inserted into a hole that is the area to be treated, it is possible to confirm how far the emission end surface 53 has been inserted from the edge of the hole, and the irradiation light F can be reliably delivered to the area to be treated, which is not visible.

[0069] Furthermore, the effects and advantages when the bent portion 55c is formed from a single transparent material such as acrylic resin, or when the optical fiber 44 provided in the straight portion 48 extends into the bent portion 55c, are as described in the second embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0070] <Fourth Embodiment> A fourth embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the base of the light guide unit 43 described in the second embodiment described above is housed in the head case 22. In the fourth embodiment, the light guide unit 43 is identical to the configuration described in the second embodiment, except that the light concentrating unit 49d is housed in the head case 22 and the front sealing frame member 37 and rear sealing frame member 38 are omitted. Therefore, a detailed explanation of the parts having the same configuration will be omitted.

[0071] In the fourth embodiment, the light-transmitting member 41, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), has a light-gathering portion 49d connected to the base of the straight-traveling portion 48d. The light-gathering portion 49d extends from the base of the straight-traveling portion 48d toward the rear and is formed in a roughly trumpet shape, with its outer surface gradually widening from the front to the rear. In other words, the end of the light-gathering portion 49d closest to the lamp tube 33 is formed with a larger diameter, while the tip 60 connected to the straight-traveling portion 48d is formed with a smaller diameter. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(b), the rear end of the light-gathering portion 49d extends to the vicinity of the front end of the reflector 34.

[0072] By providing the light-concentrating portion 49d in this configuration, the irradiation light F from the lamp tube 33 can be incident into the light-concentrating portion 49d from the incident end face 52 of the light-transmitting member 41, and the irradiation light F can be transmitted without waste to the exit end face 53 of the bent portion 55d. In other words, by providing the light-concentrating portion 49d in the light-transmitting member 41, the irradiation light F generated by the lamp tube 33 can be incident into the light-transmitting member 41 as much as possible, and since there is no loss of incident irradiation light F within the light-transmitting member 41, the hair removal efficiency can be improved.

[0073] Furthermore, while the light guide portion 43 was formed to be completely exposed from the head case 22 in the first to third embodiments, in the fourth embodiment, a portion of the light guide portion 43 is configured to be housed inside the head case 22.

[0074] By housing a portion of the light guide section 43 inside the head case 22 in this configuration, the amount of irradiation light F incident on the light-transmitting member 41 can be increased as much as possible, and the front and rear sealing frame members can be reduced. In other words, by positioning the base of the light-collecting section 49d of the light-transmitting member 41 close to the vicinity of the front end of the reflector 34 and making its outer diameter larger compared to the straight section 48d and the bent section 55d, the irradiation light F generated by the lamp tube 33 is incident on the inside of the light guide section 43 via the incident end face 52 of the light-collecting section 49d, so there is no need to adjust the incident angle of the irradiation light F to the light guide section 43. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, the front and rear sealing frame members 37 and 38 can be reduced by the above configuration, and the irradiation light F can be accurately irradiated only to the hair removal target area with a simple configuration.

[0075] With this configuration, the light guide 43 can be inserted into uneven or narrow areas, ensuring that the emission end surface 53 reaches the area to be treated. By bringing the emission end surface 53 into contact with the area to be treated, the irradiation light F can be irradiated at high density, enabling efficient light hair removal.

[0076] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also includes configurations in which the components disclosed in the embodiments described above are substituted for each other or their combinations are changed, known inventions and configurations in which the components disclosed in the embodiments described above are substituted for each other, and so on. In addition, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but extends to the matters described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1 Photo epilator 2 Control section 3. Irradiation area 4. Main Unit of the Control Panel 5 Gripping part 6 Control Unit 7. Intake and exhaust section 8. Power cable connection section 9 Top cover 10 Bottom cover 11 Bulkhead plate 12 control buttons 13 Display section 14 Intake port 15 Exhaust port 16 Opening hole 17 Opening hole 18, 18' insertion port 19, 19' vents 20 Storage Units 21 Functional Section 22 head cases 23 Connecting frame 24 Irradiation port 31 Light-emitting part 32 Transparent part 33 Lamp tubes 34 Reflector 35 Light source board 36 Filter glass 37 Front sealing frame member 38 Rear sealing frame member 39, 39' Window section 41 Light-transmitting member 42 Connecting part 43 Light guide section 44 Optical Fibers 45 core layers 46. ​​Clad layer 47 Position fixed layer 48a, 48b, 48c, 48d Straight section 49a, 49d Light-gathering section 50 Curved section 52 Incidence end face 53 Output end face 55c, 55d bent part 56 Slope section 57 Reflective film 58 recess 59 divisions 60 Tip L protrusion length F Irradiation light X axis

Claims

1. In a light-based hair removal device that performs hair removal by irradiating the skin surface with light, It has an irradiation unit that generates light for hair removal and guides it to the area to be treated. The irradiation unit is A light-emitting unit that generates the aforementioned irradiation light for hair removal, It comprises a transparent section that guides the aforementioned irradiation light to the area to be treated for hair removal, The transparent portion is The light-transmitting member extends in a direction along the direction of propagation of the irradiated light generated in the light-emitting section, The light-transmitting member includes one or more optical fibers having a core layer and a cladding layer with different refractive indices in order to cause light incident from one end in the longitudinal direction to be emitted from the other end. A light-based hair removal device characterized by the following features.

2. The light-transmitting member is characterized in that, in the longitudinal direction, one end is narrower than the other end, as described in claim 1.

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