Positioning of light source and its carrier in the housing of a skin treatment device

Abstract

In the field of skin treatment, a type of device 40 is provided having a housing 41 with a skin contact surface 42 configured to contact a user's skin 100. At least one light source 50 is arranged in the housing 41 and generates treatment light that is applied to the skin 100 through a light transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42, where the light source 50 is attached to a first side 61 of a carrier 60, said first side 61 facing away from the skin contact surface 42, and the housing 41 housing a light reflector 70. Furthermore, at least a portion of the second side 62 of the carrier 60 is attached to the inside of a wall of the housing 41 that includes a portion of the skin contact surface 42 or forms part of the skin contact surface 42.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a skin treatment device having a housing with a skin-contacting surface configured to contact a user's skin during use of the device, and at least one light source disposed within the housing for generating treatment light that is applied to the skin through a light-transmitting portion of the optically transparent skin-contacting surface.

[0002] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a shaving unit for an electric shaver, which comprises a support member, at least one hair-cutting unit supported on the support member, and at least one skin treatment device as described above.The present invention also relates to an electric shaver having a main body and a shaving unit coupled to the main body. [Background technology]

[0003] Such skin treatment devices are known in the art. For example, WO 2022 / 069324 A1 discloses a skin heating unit for use in a shaving unit of an electric shaver. The shaving unit further includes at least one hair-cutting unit and a base member supporting the at least one hair-cutting unit. The hair-cutting unit is of a type having an external cutting member with a hair entry opening in a cutting track surface and an internal cutting member having at least one hair-cutting element and movable relative to the external cutting member. The skin heating unit includes a skin-contacting member having a skin-contacting surface disposed adjacent to the at least one hair-cutting unit so as to contact the skin during use of the shaving unit, and at least one infrared or near-infrared light source integrated into the skin-contacting member, the light source configured to emit infrared or near-infrared light through the optically transparent skin-contacting surface. The light source is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), and the light source and PCB assembly is embedded in an optically transparent and thermally conductive potting material, where the light source is mounted on the side of the PCB facing the skin-contacting surface, so that light generated by the light source reaches the skin-contacting surface directly through the potting material. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The reason for equipping a shaving unit with a skin heating unit, such as that known from WO 2022 / 069324 A1, is that exposing hair to infrared or near-infrared radiation helps soften the hair. Generally, exposing hair to infrared or near-infrared radiation during shaving improves the comfort experienced by the user. Infrared or near-infrared radiation can have a beneficial effect on the skin, stimulating it and eliciting skin radiance. In fact, the skin heating unit functions to achieve an effect known as deep photo-thermal heating. Deep photo-thermal heating differs from conductive thermal heating, which involves a heat applicator containing a heating element in conductive thermal contact with the skin, because the penetration depth of light into the skin is relatively high. The skin is heated throughout the entire penetration depth of light, regardless of the thermal conductivity of both the heat applicator and the skin. In the skin heating unit known from WO 2022 / 069324 A1, the light source is thermally coupled to the skin contact surface via the optically transparent and thermally conductive potting material, so that in addition to the deep photo-thermal heating of the skin obtained by infrared or near-infrared radiation during operation, the skin is also heated by thermal conduction of residual heat generated by the light source to the skin. In this regard, it is noted that in general, any light source has a limited efficiency in converting electrical power into optical power, and part of the electrical power supplied to the light source is converted into thermal energy, so that the light source generates not only light but also residual heat during operation.

[0005] Two major problems in the field of heating skin via both photothermal heating and thermal conduction heating using devices such as those disclosed in WO 2022 / 069324 A1, which are configured to contact the skin at an optically transparent skin-contacting surface and emit light, such as infrared or near-infrared light, through the skin-contacting surface during operation, are insufficient optical diffusion of light across the skin-contacting surface and loss of residual heat generated by at least one light source of the device. Insufficient optical diffusion of light across the skin-contacting surface can result in the creation of optical hot spots, causing the user to experience an unpleasant pain sensation. The loss of residual heat generated by the light source is related to the fact that the light source is located away from the skin-contacting surface and that some of the generated heat is absorbed by materials present between the light source and the skin-contacting surface or is conducted to other parts of the device. In view of this, it is an object of the present invention to provide a skin treatment device designed to limit or avoid the creation of optical hot spots during operation and to efficiently conduct residual heat generated by the light source to the skin-contacting surface to heat the skin during treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a skin treatment device comprising: a housing having a skin-contacting surface configured to contact the skin of a user during use of the device; at least one light source disposed within the housing for generating treatment light that is applied to the skin through the light-transmitting portion of the optically transparent skin-contacting surface; a carrier having a first side to which a light source is attached, the first side facing away from the skin contact surface; a light reflector contained by the housing and configured to reflect treatment light generated by the at least one light source toward the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface; wherein at least a portion of a second side of the carrier opposite the first side of the carrier is i) attached to an inside of a wall of a housing, the wall including a portion of a skin-contacting surface, the portion of the skin-contacting surface being located on the outside of the wall opposite the inside of the wall; or ii) Form part of the skin-contacting surface.

[0007] The present invention relates to the arrangement of a light source and its carrier in the housing of a skin treatment device. From the above definition of the skin treatment device according to the present invention, it can be seen that, in contrast to conventional devices such as the skin heating unit known from WO 2022 / 069324 A1, the light source is attached to another side of the carrier, i.e., the side facing away from the skin-contacting surface (this is referred to as the first side of the carrier), and during operation, light emitted by the light source reaches the light-transmitting part of the skin-contacting surface via reflection on a light reflector. Furthermore, the carrier is configured so that at least a part of its opposite side, referred to as the second side of the carrier, is attached to the inside of a wall of the housing that includes a part of the skin-contacting surface, the inside being opposite the outside of the wall on which the part of the skin-contacting surface is located, or the carrier is arranged so that the part of the second side of the carrier forms a part of the skin-contacting surface. A practical example of the carrier is a PCB. A practical example of the light source is a light-emitting diode (LED). It would be particularly practical if the light source is configured to generate infrared or near-infrared light. Instead of infrared or near-infrared light, the treatment light can have a wavelength in the visible part of the light spectrum. For example, blue light can be generated to treat acne, and red light can be generated to promote wound healing, in which case the skin treatment device combines the light therapy with skin heating.

[0008] The fact that the treatment light reaches the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface after reflection by the light reflector contributes to the diffusion of light throughout the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface, thereby enabling the treatment light to be emitted more uniformly over a wider portion of the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface than in a situation where the treatment light is emitted directly toward the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface. The present invention covers any suitable type of light reflector, and the light reflector can be configured to reflect the treatment light toward the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface via a specular surface, a diffusive surface, or a combination of a specular surface and a diffusive surface. The fact that at least a portion of the second side of the carrier is attached to the inside of the wall of the housing containing part of the skin-contacting surface or constitutes part of the skin-contacting surface contributes to the efficient conduction of residual heat from the light source to the skin in contact with the skin-contacting surface. Advantageously, in the first case, the distance between the portion of the second side of the carrier and the portion of the skin-contacting surface contained by the wall of the housing is equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the wall of the housing, while in the second case, the distance is zero. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that in the second case, direct contact between the above-mentioned portion of the second side of the carrier and the skin being treated is possible. In any case, arranging the carrier in the skin treatment device so that at least a part of the second side of the carrier can be close to the skin-contacting surface or even be part of the skin-contacting surface is facilitated by the fact that the treatment light reaches the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface indirectly, i.e., via reflection on a light reflector. In the conventional case where the treatment light reaches the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface directly, the distance between the light source and the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface needs to be large, and therefore, in the conventional case, the thermal path between the light source and the skin-contacting surface is quite long, which results in a greater loss of residual heat generated by the light source.

[0009] Overall, when the present invention is applied, the light and residual heat generated by the light source are delivered to the skin being treated in the most efficient manner, thereby providing at least one of the following advantageous possibilities: the possibility of applying a relatively low-power light source, the possibility of applying a relatively light / small battery to power the light source, and the possibility of utilizing a battery that can remain charged for a relatively long time before it needs to be recharged.

[0010] In a practical embodiment of the skin treatment device according to the invention, the housing has an optically transparent wall which contains the above-mentioned light-transmitting part of the skin-contacting surface. In the context of such an embodiment, either of the following two options can be chosen: 1) the second side of the carrier is attached in direct contact with the inner surface of the optically transparent wall; or 2) The carrier is disposed in an opening in the optically transparent wall, the skin-contacting surface comprising the second side of the carrier. According to a first option, the wall of the housing to which the second side of the carrier is attached is optically transparent.

[0011] It is further practical if the space within the skin treatment device that is present on the skin-facing side of the light reflector and that houses the light source is filled with an optically transparent sealing material, such as a silicone curing gel or other epoxy compound. To ensure that the reflected treatment light falling on the carrier is optimally recycled and directed toward the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface, it is advantageous for the first side of the carrier to be coated with a diffusely reflective layer. By designing the skin treatment device so that the heat portion of the skin-contacting surface associated with the second side of the carrier is positioned adjacent to the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface—in other words, by designing the skin treatment device so that light and heat are emitted from the skin-contacting surface side by side during operation—the treatment of the skin with light and heat from the light source of the skin treatment device can be optimized.

[0012] As mentioned above, it would be particularly practical if the light source were configured to generate infrared or near-infrared light. In this regard, a practical example of a wavelength range for the treatment light is the range from 900 nm to 1,100 nm. However, infrared or near-infrared light is invisible to humans. In such cases, additional visible light can be used to indicate the operating status of the skin treatment device to the user. In this regard, the present invention covers embodiments of a skin treatment device further comprising at least one indicator element configured to emit visible light through a light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface when the light source emits treatment light. The indicator element can have any suitable location on the skin treatment device and can have a function of indicating the on / off status of the skin treatment device, and possibly also have more advanced functions such as indicating the intensity of the treatment light / heat. The indicator element, for example, comprises an LED emitting visible light and is attached to a first side of the carrier adjacent to the at least one light source generating infrared or near-infrared treatment light.

[0013] A possible application of the present invention is in the field of electric shavers. Accordingly, the present invention further relates to a shaving unit for an electric shaver, comprising a support member, at least one hair-cutting unit supported by the support member, and at least one skin treatment device as previously defined and described herein as a skin treatment device according to the present invention. In particular, the hair-cutting unit of the shaving unit is of a type having an external cutting member with a hair entry opening, an internal cutting member covered by the external cutting member and rotatable relative to the external cutting member, and a skin support member surrounding the external cutting member, and the skin treatment device is integrated into the skin support member of the hair-cutting unit. If the skin treatment device has multiple light sources, and the light sources are arranged across the skin support member in a configuration that at least partially surrounds the external cutting member, optimal use of the available space in the skin support member can be made. If the shaving unit has at least two hair-cutting units, it is advantageous for the shaving unit to have at least one skin treatment device associated with each hair-cutting unit, so that each hair-cutting unit can be combined with at least one skin treatment device.

[0014] The invention also relates to an electric shaver having a main body and a shaving unit coupled to the main body as defined and explained in the preceding paragraphs.

[0015] The present invention covers various ways in which the operation of a skin treatment device may be controlled. For example, the skin treatment device may be controlled manually, where a user may turn the skin treatment device on and off and / or control the light intensity as desired. The skin treatment device may also be controlled automatically. For example, as described above, when the skin treatment device is used in a shaving unit together with a hair-cutting unit, the skin treatment device may be turned on and off together with the hair-cutting unit. The present invention covers the use of any suitable user interface, which may be present on an external device such as a smartphone, that allows a user to control the on / off state of the skin treatment device, and / or set the light intensity, and / or select an automatic operating mode, etc.

[0016] The above and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from and elucidated with reference to the following detailed description of a skin treatment device adapted for use in a shaving unit of an electric shaver. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an electric shaver according to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric shaver having a shaving unit and a main body. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a perspective view of the external cutting member, decorative cap and internal cutting member of a hair-cutting unit of a shaving head, with both the external cutting member and the cap shown partially cut away. [Figure 3] 10A-10C show options for setting up a skin treatment device according to the present invention, which is integrated into a skin support member of a hair-cutting unit and used on the skin. [Figure 4] 10A-10C show options for setting up a skin treatment device according to the present invention, which is integrated into a skin support member of a hair-cutting unit and used on the skin. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective front view showing the assembly of elements of a shaving unit according to the present invention, the shaving unit having a support member, three hair-cutting units supported by the support member, and a skin treatment device associated with each hair-cutting unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective rear view showing the assembly of elements of a shaving unit according to the present invention, the shaving unit having a support member, three hair-cutting units supported by the support member, and a skin treatment device associated with each hair-cutting unit. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a portion of an assembly of one element of a hair-cutting unit of a shaving unit and a skin treatment device associated with the hair-cutting unit; FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an assembly of elements of a shaving unit, the assembly being shown partially cut away; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing only the skin support members and skin treatment devices of the three hair-cutting units of the shaving unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing only one skin support member and skin treatment device of the hair-cutting unit of the shaving unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing only one skin support member and skin treatment device of the hair-cutting unit of the shaving unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures, in which like or similar parts are designated with the same reference numerals.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a rotary electric shaver suitable for use in shaving as a practical example of an electric shaver 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric shaver 1 includes a main body 2 and a shaving unit 3. The main body 2 is designed to allow a user of the shaver 1 to hold and handle the shaver 1, and the shaving head 3 is the part of the electric shaver 1 that is placed on the skin and moved across the skin for hair removal. In this example, the shaving unit 3 includes three hair-cutting units 4 supported by a support member 5 of the shaving unit 3. When the electric shaver 1 is actually used to perform a shaving operation, the actual cutting process of hairs protruding from the skin is performed at the hair-cutting units 4. In the context of the present invention, the number of hair-cutting units 4 can be freely selected and does not necessarily have to be three. The main body 2 can accommodate at least one electric motor for driving the individual elements of the hair-cutting units 4. The main body 2 can further include a means, such as a rechargeable battery, for supplying power to the at least one electric motor. As is known per se in the field of electric shavers, it is practical if the shaving unit 3 and the main body 2 are releasably connectable to each other.

[0020] Each hair-cutting unit 4 comprises a combination of an external cutting member 10 and an internal cutting member 20. Furthermore, each hair-cutting unit 4 comprises a skin support member 30 configured to surround the external cutting member 10.

[0021] The combination of the external cutting member 10 and the internal cutting member 20 will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2. The external cutting member 10 is of a generally cup-shaped design, suitable for at least partially accommodating the internal cutting member 20 therein. The external cutting member 10 has an annular shaving track 11, the upper surface 12 of which is intended to face and contact the skin to be shaved. The shaving track 11 has lamellae 13 extending along the width of the shaving track 11 in a substantially radial direction relative to a central axis 14 of the hair-cutting unit 4, which axis coincides with a rotation axis 21 around which the internal cutting member 20 is rotatable relative to the external cutting member 10. Openings present between the lamellae 13 constitute hair entry openings 15 of the shaving track 11. The side surfaces of the lamellae 13 constitute hair-cutting surfaces 16 suitable for cutting hair in cooperation with the hair-cutting edges 22 of the hair-cutting elements 23 of the internal cutting member 20. The invention also relates to cases where the shaving path 11 does not have lamellae 13 or does not only have lamellae 13, for example when the entire shaving path 11 is provided with tooth-like elements and / or a pattern of (circular) holes instead of or in addition to the lamellae 13. The invention also relates to cases where there are multiple shaving paths 11 on the external cutting member 10.

[0022] The shaving action can be performed when the internal cutting member 20 is actuated to rotate and a portion of the skin is actually contacted by the external cutting member 10 at the position of the upper surface 12 of the shaving path 11. The actuation of the internal cutting member 20 can be performed in a known manner by the drive mechanism of the electric shaver 1. When the combination of the external cutting member 10 and the internal cutting member 20 is moved over the portion of skin while the internal cutting member 20 is driven to rotate, as a result of cooperation between the hair-cutting surface 16 of the shaving path 11 of the external cutting member 10 and the hair-cutting edge 22 of the hair-cutting element 23 of the rotating internal cutting member 20, hairs protruding from the portion of skin are captured in the hair entry openings 15 of the shaving path 11 of the external cutting member 10 and cut at that position.

[0023] In addition to the shaving track 11, the external cutting member 10 has a central portion 17 which includes a central bearing designed to be used to rotatably support the internal cutting member 20 in the hair-cutting unit 4. The central portion 17 of the external cutting member 10 also serves to support a decorative cap 25 which is configured to cover part of the outer surface of the external cutting member 10. In the example shown, the central portion 17 has a centrally located recess and the cap 25 has a protrusion which is received in the recess.

[0024] As will now be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 3 to 11, each of the hair-cutting units 4 is equipped with a skin treatment device 40. Two options for setting up the skin treatment device 40 are shown in Figures 3 and 4. It should be noted that the skin treatment device 40 does not necessarily have to be integrated into the structure of the hair-cutting unit 4 of the shaving unit 3, although this is a viable option. The main elements of the skin treatment device 40 are: a housing 41 having a skin-contacting surface 42 including an optically transparent light-transmitting portion 43; at least one light source 50; a carrier 60 for the light source 50; and an optical reflector 70.

[0025] The skin-contacting surface 42 serves to contact the user's skin 100; it should be noted that in Figures 3 and 4, a portion of the skin 100 is shown diagrammatically, and the functional arrangement of the skin treatment device 40, with the skin-contacting surface 42 abutting the skin 100, can be seen in the figures. During operation of the skin treatment device 40, the light source 50 is in an active state to generate treatment light that is applied to the skin 100 via the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin-contacting surface 42. The light source 50 can be, for example, an LED, in particular an LED configured to emit infrared light, near-infrared light, blue light, or red light.

[0026] It is practical for the carrier 60 to be a PCB. In any case, the light source 50 is attached to a side 61 of the carrier 60 facing away from the skin-contacting surface 42; this side is referred to as the first side 61 of the carrier 60. Therefore, during operation of the skin treatment device 40, treatment light is not emitted directly toward the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin-contacting surface 42. Instead, the treatment light reaches the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin-contacting surface 42 via a light reflector 70, which is located away from the skin-contacting surface 42 and may have a specular, diffusive, or a combination of specular and diffusive surfaces to reflect the treatment light. In any case, the reflective surface 71 of the light reflector 70 may have any suitable shape, such as a flat shape as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 or a curved shape. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the boundary between the emitted light and the reflected light is indicated by a dotted line. Optionally, the carrier 60 is coated with a diffuse reflective layer, so that the treatment light falling on the carrier 60 can be optimally recycled and directed toward the skin 100.

[0027] With respect to the carrier 60, it is noted that the light source 50 is mounted on a first side 61 of the carrier 60 as described above, and furthermore, at least a portion of the opposite side 62 of the carrier 60, referred to as the second side 62 of the carrier 60, is in thermal contact with the skin-contacting surface 42 via a portion of the housing 41, as shown in FIG. 3, or constitutes a portion of the skin-contacting surface 42, as shown in FIG. 4. At the skin interface, it is practical if the housing 41 has an optically transparent wall 44, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. It is also practical if the space between the light reflector 70 and the optically transparent wall 44 is filled with an optically transparent encapsulant 80. FIG. 3 shows a first option for the second side 62 of the carrier 60, which is mounted in direct contact with the inner surface 45 of the optically transparent wall 44, while FIG. 4 shows a second option in which the carrier 60 is placed in an opening provided in the optically transparent wall 44. With regard to the second option, it should be noted that if the carrier 60 is a PCB, the PCB may in fact be of a type that is provided with a finish, such as a metallic finish, or with a suitable coating on the second side 62, so that an attractive overall appearance of the skin-contacting surface 42 can be achieved even when the second side 62 of the carrier 60 is visible. In either option, two parts can be distinguished on the skin-contacting surface 42: a light-transmitting part 43 and a thermal part 46 located at the second side 62 of the carrier 60. With regard to the first option, it should be noted that it is possible to apply an optically transparent wall except for the area located at the second side 62 of the carrier 60.

[0028] Due to the above-described configuration of the skin treatment device 40, a long optical path of the treatment light is created, which allows the treatment light to diverge more than in a situation where the treatment light is emitted directly toward the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42. As a result, a wider area of the skin 100 is illuminated, where the light is spread over the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin contact surface 42, and hot spots are avoided. A further advantage of the above-described configuration of the skin treatment device 40 lies in the fact that at least a part, possibly the entire second side 62 of the carrier 60 is in close thermal contact with the skin contact surface 42 via the optically transparent wall 44 or forms part of the skin contact surface 42, because this allows the thermal path from the light source 50 to the skin 100 to be as short as possible. Therefore, based on the configuration of the skin treatment device 40 as described above, the output of the light source 50 is used in an effective and optimal manner to achieve treatment of the skin 100 in terms of light and heat generated by conductive thermal heating and, if the light source is configured to emit infrared or near-infrared light, by other phenomena such as deep photo-thermal heating. Due to the short thermal path from the light source 50 to the skin 100, conductive heat transport from the light source 50 to the skin 100 is fast, allowing the user to experience a heating effect on the skin 100 immediately after starting operation of the skin treatment device 40. Advantageously, the optically transparent wall 44 comprises a material that has good thermal conductivity properties in addition to being optically transparent or moderately scattering, such as sapphire or sintered / annealed alumina.

[0029] The integration of the skin treatment device 40 in the hair-cutting unit 4 of the shaving unit 3, and in particular in the skin support member 30 of each hair-cutting unit 4, becomes clear by considering Figures 5 to 11. In the figures, two metal pins 51, 52 of each skin treatment device 40 can be seen for connecting the skin treatment device 40 to an energy source, such as a battery, of the electric shaver 1 of which the shaving unit 3 is a part. In the illustrated example, each treatment device 40 has multiple light sources 50 mounted on a common carrier 60, where each light source 50 is an LED and the carrier 60 is a PCB. A second option is applied in which the carrier 60 is arranged in an opening in the optically transparent wall 44, so that when the shaving unit 3 is held against and / or moved over the skin 100, the skin 100 is in direct contact with the second side 62 of the carrier 60. The optically transparent wall 44 is located on the outside of the skin support member 30, and the light reflector 70 is arranged inside the skin support member 30. In each hair-cutting unit 4, the light source 50 and carrier 60 of the skin treatment device 40 are configured to partially surround the external cutting member 10, so that the user can experience skin treatment from a large area around the area to be shaved. Due to the shape of the skin support member 30, most of the treatment light is confined inside the skin support member 30 and can escape only in contact situations between the skin-contacting surface 42 and the skin 100, i.e., situations in which escape of the treatment light is expected to achieve the intended skin treatment.

[0030] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that several modifications and variations thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. It is intended that the present invention be construed as including all such modifications and variations insofar as they come within the scope of the claims or their equivalents. Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and description, such illustration and description are merely explanatory or exemplary and are not restrictive. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The drawings are schematic, in which details not necessary for understanding the invention may be omitted and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0031] Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the figures, the description, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0032] Elements and aspects discussed for or in connection with a particular embodiment can be combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments as appropriate, unless otherwise expressly stated. Thus, the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0033] The terms "having" and "including" as used herein will be understood by those skilled in the art to cover the term "consisting of." Thus, the terms "having" or "including" may mean "consisting of" in one embodiment, but may mean "including / having / comprising at least the specified species and, optionally, one or more other species" in another embodiment.

[0034] Notable aspects of the present invention can be summarized as follows: A device 40 is provided in the field of skin treatment. The device 40 is of a type having a housing 41 with a skin-contacting surface 42 configured to contact a user's skin 100 during use of the device 40. In the device 40, at least one light source 50 is disposed within the housing 41 to generate treatment light that is applied to the skin 100 through a light-transmitting portion 43 of the optically transparent skin-contacting surface 42. The light source 50 is attached to a first side 61 of a carrier 60, the first side 61 facing away from the skin-contacting surface 42, and the housing 41 contains a light reflector 70 for reflecting the treatment light generated by the at least one light source 50 toward the light-transmitting portion 43 of the skin-contacting surface 42. Furthermore, at least a portion of a second side 62 of the carrier 60 opposite the first side 61 is attached inside a wall of the housing 41 that includes a portion of the skin-contacting surface 42 or forms part of the skin-contacting surface 42, thereby realizing a short thermal path from the light source 50 to the skin 100.

Claims

1. 1. A skin treatment device comprising: a housing having a skin-contacting surface that contacts a user's skin during use of the device; at least one light source disposed within the housing and generating treatment light that is applied to the skin through a light-transmitting portion of the optically transparent skin-contacting surface; a carrier having a first side to which the light source is attached, the first side facing away from the skin-contacting surface; a light reflector housed in the housing and configured to reflect treatment light generated by the at least one light source toward the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface; At least a portion of a second side of the carrier opposite the first side of the carrier, i) attached to an inside wall of the housing, the wall including a portion of the skin-contacting surface, the portion of the skin-contacting surface being located on an outside of the wall opposite the inside of the wall; or ii) a skin treatment device forming part of said skin-contacting surface;

2. The skin treatment device of claim 1 , wherein the housing has an optically transparent wall that includes the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface.

3. The skin treatment device of claim 2 , wherein the second side of the carrier is mounted in direct contact with the inner surface of the optically transparent wall.

4. the carrier is disposed in an opening in the optically transparent wall; and The skin treatment device of claim 2 , wherein the skin contacting surface comprises the second side of the carrier.

5. 5. The skin treatment device of claim 1, wherein a space in the skin treatment device on the skin-facing side of the optical reflector and containing the light source is filled with an optically transparent encapsulant material.

6. The skin treatment device of claim 1 , wherein the first side of the carrier is coated with a diffusely reflective layer.

7. 5. The skin treatment device of claim 1, wherein a thermal portion of the skin contact surface associated with the second side of the carrier is located adjacent to the light transmissive portion of the skin contact surface.

8. the light source is an LED, and 5. The skin treatment device of claim 1, wherein the carrier is a printed circuit board.

9. The skin treatment device of claim 1 , wherein the light source generates infrared or near-infrared light.

10. 10. The skin treatment device of claim 9, further comprising at least one indicator element that emits visible light through the light-transmitting portion of the skin-contacting surface when the light source emits the treatment light.

11. A shaving unit for an electric shaver, comprising a support member, at least one hair-cutting unit supported by said support member, and at least one skin treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

12. the hair-cutting unit comprises an external cutting member having a hair entry opening, an internal cutting member covered by the external cutting member and rotatable relative to the external cutting member, and a skin support member surrounding the external cutting member; 12. The shaving unit of claim 11, wherein the skin treatment device is integrated into the skin support member of the hair-cutting unit.

13. the skin treatment device has a plurality of light sources; 13. The shaving unit of claim 12, wherein the light source is positioned across the skin support member in a configuration that at least partially surrounds the external cutting member.

14. 12. A shaving unit according to claim 11, comprising at least two hair-cutting units and at least one skin treatment device associated with each hair-cutting unit.

15. An electric shaver comprising a main body and a shaving unit according to claim 11 coupled to the main body.

Images