Sealing an opening through which a drive shaft extends in a shaving unit of a rotary electric shaver

Abstract

The hair-cutting unit 6 of the shaving unit 3 includes a support member 30 that surrounds and supports the external cutting member 10, and a holder 40 that is attached to the support member 30. The base part 7 of the shaving unit 3 includes a hair collection chamber 50, a drive shaft 60 that extends through an opening 71 in the bottom part 70 of the base part 7, and a first shielding member 72 that surrounds the bottom opening 71. The holder 40 includes a second shielding member 42 that surrounds the opening 41 in the holder 40, whereby in a combined state of the hair-cutting unit 6 and the base part 7, the first shielding member 72 and the second shielding member 42 together surround the drive shaft 60, thereby sealing the bottom opening 71 against the hair collection chamber 50.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shaving unit for a rotary electric shaver, the shaving unit having a base and a hair-cutting unit releasably coupled to the base, a hair-cutting unit comprising an external cutting member having a hair entry opening, an internal cutting member covered by said external cutting member and rotatable relative to said external cutting member about a central axis of said hair-cutting unit, a support member surrounding and supporting said external cutting member, and a holder attached to the support member for holding the external cutting member and the internal cutting member in an operative position within the support member; the base portion has a hair collection chamber and a drive shaft extending through an opening in the bottom of the base portion; - in a coupled state of the hair-cutting unit and the base, the drive shaft extends through an opening in the holder and engages the internal cutting member to drive the internal cutting member into rotation about the central axis; In the decoupled state of the hair-cutting unit and the base, the hair collection chamber is accessible to a user of the shaving unit.

[0002] The present invention further relates to an electric shaver having a main body and a shaving unit as described above, - the body houses an electric motor; the base of the shaving unit is connected to the main body; and The drive shaft of the base of the shaving unit is coupled to the output shaft of the electric motor. [Background technology]

[0003] The present invention relates to the field of shavers, and in particular to rotary electric shavers designed to perform a shaving action in which hairs protruding from the skin, such as whiskers, are cut close to the skin. Electric shavers generally have a shaving unit in which one or more hair-cutting units are arranged, and also have a main body. A particularly common design of a shaving unit uses three hair-cutting units in an equilateral triangle. Shaving unit designs using more or fewer hair-cutting units are also known. The main body is typically shaped to be easily held by a user of the electric shaver and can accommodate various elements of the shaver, including the electric motor. The main body and the shaving unit are typically connected to each other in a releasable manner.

[0004] The hair-cutting unit has a combination of an internal cutting member configured to rotate during operation and an external cutting member configured to cover the internal cutting member, wherein the external cutting member has a hair entry opening for allowing hair to protrude into the external cutting member and encounter the internal cutting member during the shaving operation. In a practical design, the external cutting member is generally cup-shaped and has a substantially circular outer periphery. The hair entry opening can be shaped like an elongated slit extending substantially radially relative to the central axis of the hair-cutting unit and / or like a circular hole in one or more annular regions constituting one or more hair-cutting tracks. The external cutting member is held by a support member, and a holder attached to the support member is provided for holding the external cutting member and the internal cutting member in an operating position on the support member.

[0005] Proper use of an electric shaver involves activating the shaver, i.e., rotating the internal cutting member of the hair-cutting unit of the shaving unit, and moving the shaving unit over the portion of the skin to be shaved. The external cutting member has a hair-cutting track surface that contacts a portion of the skin at one or more hair-cutting track locations during the hair-cutting operation. A hair-cutting surface is present on the external cutting member at a location where a hair entry opening is defined. In a typical design, the internal cutting member has a carrier and a plurality of hair-cutting elements arranged annularly on the carrier, where the hair-cutting elements have blades with hair-cutting edges. During the shaving operation, hair entering the hair entry opening is sheared between the hair-cutting surface of the external cutting member and the hair-cutting edge of the internal cutting member, resulting in a cut close to the skin. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The shaving unit has a space for receiving and storing cut hairs and other shaving debris. In particular, the shaving unit has a base portion, the base portion having a hair collection chamber. It is advantageous to have a shaving unit configuration in which the hair-cutting unit is releasably coupled to the base portion, so that a user can set a decoupled state between the hair-cutting unit and the base portion, thereby gaining access to the hair collection chamber for the purpose of emptying and cleaning it. The base portion also has a drive shaft extending through an opening in the bottom of the base portion. In the coupled state of the hair-cutting unit and the base portion, the drive shaft extends through an opening in the holder and engages with the internal cutting member to drive the internal cutting member to rotate about the central axis. To prevent cut hairs and other shaving debris from migrating from the hair collection chamber through an opening in the bottom of the base into the interior space of the body that also houses the electric motor and possibly other parts of the shaver, at least in shaving units intended for use in mid- and high-end electric shavers, a sealing element such as a sealing gasket is used in said opening to seal the gap between the drive shaft and the material of the bottom of the base that defines said opening. In shaving units intended for use in low-end electric shavers, such sealing element may be omitted to save costs, which may result in the proper functioning of the electric shaver being jeopardized and the lifespan of the electric shaver being shortened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for reducing the complexity and cost of an electric shaver without compromising quality. In view of this, the present invention provides a shaving unit for a rotary electric shaver, of the type previously described, namely having a base and a hair-cutting unit releasably coupled to said base, a hair-cutting unit comprising an external cutting member having a hair entry opening, an internal cutting member covered by said external cutting member and rotatable relative to said external cutting member about a central axis of said hair-cutting unit, a support member surrounding and supporting said external cutting member, and a holder attached to the support member for holding the external cutting member and the internal cutting member in an operative position within the support member; the base portion has a hair collection chamber and a drive shaft extending through an opening in the bottom of the base portion; - in a coupled state of the hair-cutting unit and the base, the drive shaft extends through an opening in the holder and engages the internal cutting member to drive the internal cutting member into rotation about the central axis; In the decoupled state of the hair-cutting unit and the base, the hair collection chamber is accessible to a user of the shaving unit.

[0008] According to the present invention, in a shaving unit, the base portion has a first shielding member that is integrally formed with a bottom surface of the base portion and surrounds an opening in the bottom surface of the base portion; the holder has a second shielding member integrally formed with the holder and surrounding the opening of the holder; -When the hair cutting unit and the base part are combined, The upper rim of the first shielding member and the lower rim of the second shielding member engage with each other, so that the first shielding member and the second shielding member together surround the drive shaft, thereby sealing the opening at the bottom of the base portion to the hair collection chamber.

[0009]

[0013] From the above, it can be seen that the present invention takes advantage of the presence of the holder other than the base and further involves modifying the design of both the holder and the base, in such a way that the shaving unit has the function of preventing material from the hair collection chamber from migrating through the opening in the bottom of the base without the need for a sealing element at said opening. In fact, by providing the base with a first shielding member surrounding the opening in the bottom of the base and providing the holder with a second shielding member surrounding the opening in the holder, and by appropriately combining the first and second shielding members, the opening in the bottom of the base is sealed against the hair collection chamber. The separate shielding members are specially designed so that, in the combined state of the hair-cutting unit and the base, the upper rim of the first shielding member and the lower rim of the second shielding member engage with each other, so that the first and second shielding members together surround the drive shaft, and the drive shaft and the opening in the bottom of the base through which the drive shaft extends are inaccessible from the hair collection chamber. In view of the fact that the first shielding member is an integral part of the base portion and the second shielding member is an integral part of the holder portion, the sealing function is achieved in the shaving unit without applying one or more separate sealing elements, so that the number of separate elements used to assemble the shaving unit can be kept to a minimum.

[0010] In the shaving unit according to the present invention, it is practical if the hair collection chamber surrounds the first shielding member. The hair collection chamber may be present in an annular groove-shaped portion of the base portion, and the first shielding member may be provided as an upright wall portion inside the annular groove-shaped portion. In this way, a compact and robust structure is obtained.

[0011] The present invention covers any suitable option regarding the interengagement configuration of the upper rim of the first shielding member and the lower rim of the second shielding member in the combined state of the hair-cutting unit and the base. According to a feasible option, when viewed in a longitudinal cross section of the shaving unit with the central axis, the upper rim of the first shielding member and the lower rim of the second shielding member have matching stepped shapes, which engage with each other in the combined state of the hair-cutting unit and the base. This option provides the desired sealing effect in a robust and reliable manner without complex structural measures. When viewed in the circumferential direction around the central axis, it is advantageous if the matching stepped shapes are present over 360° on both the upper rim of the first shielding member and the lower rim of the second shielding member, in other words, when viewed in the combined state of the hair-cutting unit and the base, respectively, the matching stepped shapes extend annularly around the central axis.

[0012] A practical embodiment of the shaving unit according to the invention comprises: the first shielding member has a first circular cylindrical wall portion, and the second shielding member has a second circular cylindrical wall portion; and In a coupled state of the hair-cutting unit and the base, the first circular cylindrical wall and the second circular cylindrical wall are respectively arranged coaxially with respect to the central axis.

[0013] According to a further possible option, in the shaving unit according to the invention, the holder has a plurality of spoke-like connecting elements by means of which the holder is attached to the inside of the support member; Each spoke-like connecting element extends radially relative to the central axis and connects directly to the inside of the support member.

[0014] The fact is that in conventional designs, the holder has an inner rim and an outer rim connected to the inner rim by multiple intermediate portions, which may or may not be spoke-like. Thus, conventionally, the holder is attached to the inside of the support member by the outer rim. According to the insight of the present invention, it is possible to omit the outer rim and still have a robust setup of the hair-cutting unit. An important advantage of omitting the outer rim and having spoke-like connecting elements on the holder is that the size of the holder's passage opening, which allows cut hair and other shaving debris falling from the connection interface of the external cutting member and the internal cutting member to pass through the holder and then be received in the hair collection chamber, can be maximized. According to a practical option, the number of spoke-like connecting elements is three, and the three spoke-like connecting elements are arranged at a mutual angle of 120° around the central axis, but other numbers and arrangements of spoke-like elements would be equally useful. Furthermore, the spoke-like connecting elements may be permanently connected to the inside of the support member in a manner that is not removable for the user, ensuring sufficient structural strength even if the holder's conventional outer rim is missing.

[0015] With regard to the holder design, it is more beneficial if: The internal cutting member has a carrier and a plurality of hair-cutting elements arranged annularly on the carrier. The hair-cutting elements extend radially outward from the circumference of the carrier relative to the central axis. the spoke-like connecting elements extend radially outward from the central retaining element of the holder relative to the central axis; and When viewed in the direction of the central axis, the central retaining element of the holder is confined within the circumference of the carrier of the internal cutting member.

[0016] Selecting the sizing of the holder's central retaining element relative to the sizing of the carrier of the internal cutting member so that the latter of the aforementioned features is achieved is another measure aimed at maximizing the size of the holder's passage opening, which allows cut hairs and other shaving debris that fall from the connecting interface of the external and internal cutting members to pass through the holder and then be received in the hair collection chamber.

[0017] The invention further relates to an electric shaver having a body and a shaving unit as defined herein and as previously described, - the body houses an electric motor; the base of the shaving unit is connected to the main body; and The drive shaft of the base of the shaving unit is coupled to the output shaft of the electric motor.

[0018] Independently of the concept of providing a separate shielding member integrally with the base and the holder for the purpose of sealing the opening at the bottom of the base to the hair collection chamber, an option is applicable in which the holder has a plurality of spoke-like connecting elements and is directly connected to the inside of the support member via said spoke-like connecting elements. In view of this, in another aspect, the present invention also relates to a shaving unit for a rotary electric shaver, comprising a base and a hair-cutting unit releasably coupled to the base, a hair-cutting unit comprising an external cutting member having a hair entry opening, an internal cutting member covered by said external cutting member and rotatable relative to said external cutting member about a central axis of said hair-cutting unit, a support member surrounding and supporting said external cutting member, and a holder attached to the support member for holding the external cutting member and the internal cutting member in an operative position within the support member; the base part has a hair collection chamber accessible to a user of the shaving unit in a decoupled state of the hair-cutting unit and the base part, the holder has a plurality of spoke-like connecting elements by means of which the holder is attached to the inside of the support member; and Each spoke-like connecting element extends radially relative to the central axis and connects directly to the inside of the support member.

[0019] It should be understood that the above-mentioned further option is also applicable in this context, where the number of spoke-like connecting elements is three, the three spoke-like connecting elements are arranged at a mutual angle of 120° around the central axis, the spoke-like connecting elements are permanently connected to the inside of the support member in a manner that is not removable for the user, and the central holding element of the holder is confined within the circumference of the carrier of the internal cutting member.

[0020] The above and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from and be explained with reference to the following detailed description of a shaving unit, in which a base part integrally comprises a first shielding member, a holder integrally comprises a second shielding member, and the hair collection chamber of the base part is closed therein based on mutual engagement of an upper rim of the first shielding member and a lower rim of the second shielding member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an embodiment of an electric shaver according to the invention, the electric shaver having a shaving unit and a main body; FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the external cutting member, decorative cap, and internal cutting member of a hair-cutting unit of a conventional shaving unit, with both the external cutting member and the cap shown partially cut away. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a shaving unit according to the invention; [Figure 4] 2A and 2B show diagrammatically views of the hair-cutting unit of an embodiment of a shaving unit according to the invention in the direction from the holder towards the internal and external cutting members. [Figure 5]11A-11D show bayonet connection options between the hair-cutting unit and the base of an embodiment of a shaving unit according to the invention; [Figure 6] 11A-11D show bayonet connection options between the hair-cutting unit and the base of an embodiment of a shaving unit according to the invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] 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.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a rotary electric shaver suitable for use in removing facial hair as one embodiment of an electric shaver 1 according to the present invention. The electric shaver 1 comprises a main body 2 and a shaving unit 3, where the main body 2 is designed to allow a user of the electric shaver 1 to hold and handle the electric shaver 1, and the shaving head 3 is the part of the electric shaver 1 that is placed on the skin and moved over the skin for hair removal. When the electric shaver 1 is actually applied for shaving, the actual process of cutting the hair protruding from the skin takes place at the shaving unit 3. The main body 2 houses an electric motor that generates the motion used to drive the elements of the shaving unit 3. Another possible example of an element that can be disposed in the internal space of the main body 2 is a battery for powering the electric motor. In FIG. 1, both the electric motor and the battery are depicted by dashed lines, the electric motor being designated by the reference numeral 4, and the battery being designated by the reference numeral 5.

[0024] The shaving unit 3 comprises a hair-cutting unit 6, which comprises a combination of an external cutting member 10 and an internal cutting member 20, as will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2. The external cutting member 10 is generally cup-shaped in design, thereby suitable for at least partially accommodating the internal cutting member 20 therein. On its outer surface, the external cutting member 10 has a shaving surface 11 configured to face the skin to be shaved. Furthermore, the external cutting member 10 has an annular hair-cutting track 12, which has lamellae 13 extending along the width of the hair-cutting track 12 in a substantially radial direction relative to the central axis Ac of the hair-cutting unit 6, which coincides with both the central axis and the rotation axis of the external cutting member 10. Around the rotation axis, the internal cutting member 20 is rotatable relative to the external cutting member 10. Openings present between the lamellae 13 constitute hair entry openings 14 of the hair-cutting track 12. The sides of the lamellae 13 constitute hair-cutting surfaces 15 suitable for cutting hair in cooperation with the hair-cutting edges 21 of the hair-cutting elements 22 of the internal cutting member 20. The invention also relates to cases where the hair-cutting track 21 does not have lamellae 13 or does not only have lamellae 13, for example when the entire hair-cutting track 12 is provided with toothed 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 hair-cutting tracks 12 in the external cutting member 10.

[0025] A hair-cutting operation can be performed when the internal cutting member 20 is rotationally actuated and a portion of skin is actually contacted by the external cutting member 10 at the location of the hair-cutting track 12. Actuation of the internal cutting member 20 can be performed in a known manner by a drive element, such as a drive shaft, acting on the carrier 23 of the internal cutting member 20 from which the hair-cutting elements 22 extend. 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 rotationally actuated, hair protruding from the portion of skin becomes trapped in the hair entry opening 14 of the hair-cutting track 12 of the external cutting member 10 and is cut at that location as a result of cooperation between the hair-cutting surface 15 of the hair-cutting track 12 of the external cutting member 10 and the hair-cutting edge 21 of the hair-cutting element 22 of the rotating internal cutting member 20.

[0026] Besides the hair-cutting track 12, the external cutting member 10 has a central portion 16 which includes a central bearing portion designed to be used to rotatably support the internal cutting member 20 in the hair-cutting unit 6. The central portion 16 of the external cutting member 10 also serves to support a decorative cap 25 which is configured to cover a portion of the outer surface of the external cutting member 10. In the example shown, the central portion 16 has a centrally located recess and the cap 25 has a protrusion which is received in the recess.

[0027] As indicated above, Figure 2 shows the external cutting member 10, the decorative cap 25 and the internal cutting member 20 of the hair-cutting unit 6 of a conventional shaving unit, but this does not change the fact that the explanation given above based on Figure 2 is equally applicable to the shaving unit 3 according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a shaving unit 3 according to the present invention. A longitudinal cross-sectional view of the shaving unit 3 is provided so that the internal structure can be seen. It should be noted that in Figure 3, the external cutting member 10 is partially depicted in a simplified manner, and in particular the hair entry opening 14 is not shown.

[0029] As can be seen from Figure 3, in addition to the external cutting member 10 and the internal cutting member 20, the hair-cutting unit 6 of the shaving unit 3 includes a support member 30 that surrounds and supports the external cutting member 10, and a holder 40 attached to the support member 30 for holding the external cutting member 10 and the internal cutting member 20 in an operative position within the support member 30. Further, from looking at Figure 3, it can be seen that in addition to the hair-cutting unit 6, the shaving unit 3 includes a base portion 7. The base portion 7 includes a hair collection chamber 50 for receiving and storing cut hairs and other shaving debris that fall from the cutting interface of the external cutting member 10 and the internal cutting member 20 during a shaving operation. The base portion 7 also includes a drive shaft 60 that extends through an opening 71 in a bottom portion 70 of the base portion 7 for driving the internal cutting member 20 into rotation about the central axis Ac during a shaving operation.

[0030] In the electric shaver 1, the drive shaft 60 is coupled to the output shaft of the electric motor 4. Furthermore, in the electric shaver 1, a base 7 is connected to the main body 2. The hair-cutting unit 6 is releasably coupled to the base 7, such as via a bayonet connection, as shown by Figures 5 and 6, where a concave element of the base 7 involved in the bayonet connection is designated by reference numeral 74 in Figure 5 and a block element of the hair-cutting unit 6 involved in the bayonet connection, located on the inner surface of the support member 30, is designated by reference numeral 31 in Figure 6. In a coupled state of the hair-cutting unit 6 and the base 7, the drive shaft 60 extends through the opening 41 of the holder 40 and engages with the internal cutting member 20, and in a uncoupled state of the hair-cutting unit 6 and the base 7, the hair collection chamber 50 is accessible to the user.

[0031] The base portion 7 has an annular collar 72 that is integrally formed with the bottom portion 70 of the base portion 7 and surrounds an opening 71 in the bottom portion 70 of the base portion 7, while the hair collection chamber 50 surrounds the annular collar 72. The holder 40 has an annular wall 42 that is integrally formed with the holder 40 and surrounds the opening 41 of the holder 40. The annular collar 72 of the base portion 7 is referred to as the first shielding member 72, and the annular wall 42 of the holder 40 is referred to as the second shielding member 42. In this example, the first shielding member 72 and the second shielding member 42 are each arranged coaxially with respect to the central axis Ac of the hair-cutting unit 6. Furthermore, the upper rim 73 of the first shielding member 72 and the lower rim 43 of the second shielding member 42 have matching geometric shapes that, in this example, are stepped in shape and extend annularly around the central axis Ac.

[0032] The first shielding member 72 is integrally formed with the base portion 7, and the second shielding member 42 is integrally formed with the holder 40. This can be achieved by manufacturing the base portion 7 and the holder 40 from an injection-moldable material, in particular a plastic material, and forming the first shielding member 72 and the second shielding member 42 as integral parts of the base portion 7 and the holder 40, respectively, during the injection-moulding manufacture of the base portion 7 and the holder 40.

[0033] 3, in the coupled state of the hair-cutting unit 6 and the base 7, the matching shapes of the first shielding member 72 and the second shielding member 42 engage, wherein the combination of the first shielding member 72 and the second shielding member 42 forms a continuous annular sleeve that separates the drive shaft 60 from the hair collection chamber 50. In this way, the base 7 and the holder 40 are combined in a manner that provides the function of sealing the opening 71 in the bottom 70 of the base 7 from the hair collection chamber 50, so that an undesirable situation cannot arise in the shaving unit 3 where a path exists through which cut hairs and other shaving debris can move from the hair collection chamber 50 to the opening 71 in the bottom 70 of the base 7 and ultimately reach the interior space of the main body 2.

[0034] 4 shows the hair-cutting unit 6 in a state where it is uncoupled from the base part 7, with the direction of view being from the holder 40 towards the internal cutting member 20 and the external cutting member 10. In particular, as can be seen from the figure, in this example the holder 40 has three spoke-like connecting elements 44 extending radially outward from a central retaining element 45 and connected to the inside of the support member 30 by said spoke-like connecting elements 44. In this way, the passage of cut hair and other shaving debris from the cutting interface of the external cutting member 10 and the internal cutting member 20 is optimized, since the use of spoke-like connecting elements 44 is an effective and practical way to provide as large a passage opening 46 as possible in the holder 40 without compromising important factors such as the structural strength and stability of the holder 40 in the radial direction relative to the central axis Ac. In said radial direction relative to the central axis Ac, the passage opening 46 is positioned and dimensioned such that, in the coupled state of the hair-cutting unit 6 and the base part 7, the passage opening 46 in the holder 40 is aligned with the hair collection chamber 50. By only minimally hindering the passage of cut hairs and other shaving debris into the hair collection chamber 50, it is realized that the known detrimental effect of the formation of so-called bird's nests of cut hairs and other shaving debris as a result of rotation is avoided. According to the insight of the present invention, a small grooved or segmented passage opening 46 in the holder 40 increases the risk of clogging the path from the cutting interface to the hair collection chamber 50, wherein said risk is particularly higher for shaving debris that is longer than stubble.

[0035] The spoke-like connecting elements 44 can be permanently connected to the inside of the support member 30. In this example, this is achieved by a permanent click connection of the end 47 of each connecting element 44 in a recess 32 provided on the inside of the support member 30, as can be seen in FIG. 3 for one of the connecting elements 44. In the context of the present invention, the number of spoke-like connecting elements 44 does not necessarily have to be three. It is advantageous, but this is not mandatory, if the spoke-like connecting elements 44 are arranged at similar mutual angles around the central axis Ac. FIG. 4 further illustrates the fact that, when viewed in the direction of the central axis Ac, it is advantageous if the central holding element 45 of the holder 40 is within the footprint of the carrier 23 of the internal cutting member 20, because in that case the only obstacle in the path of cut hairs and other shaving debris towards the hair collection chamber 50 is constituted by the spoke-like connecting elements 44.

[0036] Based on the current design of the holder 40, it has been achieved that the degree to which the passage of hair from the cutting interface to the hair collection chamber 50 is blocked as a result of the presence of the holder 40 can be reduced by as much as 20%, resulting in a lower likelihood of small hairs rolling around and forming bird nests or other forms of debris blockages compared to situations using a holder 40 of a conventional design. Overall, the shaving unit 3 of this embodiment is effectively designed to function as a cutter of hair and collector of hair in the hair collection chamber 50 during a shaving operation, where the passage of cut hair and other shaving debris into the hair collection chamber 50 is only minimally obstructed by the presence of the holder 40, preventing the passage of cut hair and other shaving debris from the hair collection chamber 50 to the opening 71 in the bottom 70 of the base portion 7 through which the drive shaft 60 extends. The measures aimed at achieving minimal obstruction of passage into the hair collection chamber 50 and the measures aimed at achieving prevention of passage into the opening 71 in the bottom 70 of the base part 7 are not essentially related and can be applied independently.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 and described above, the shaving unit 3 according to the invention has a single hair-cutting unit 6. This does not alter the fact that the invention also covers embodiments of the shaving unit 3 in which two or more hair-cutting units 6 are arranged. In the case in which the shaving unit 3 comprises at least two hair-cutting units 6, it is practical if the hair-cutting units 6 are arranged on a shared base part 7, but it is also possible that each hair-cutting unit 6 is arranged on a base part 7 assigned to an individual hair-cutting unit 6. In the first case, the base part 7 can be shaped so that there is a shared hair collection chamber 50 in the shaving unit 3 that receives and stores cut hairs and other shaving debris of all the hair-cutting units 6, or there are separate hair collection chambers 50 in the shaving unit 3, where each hair collection chamber 50 is assigned to an individual hair-cutting unit 6.

[0042] Notable aspects of the present invention can be summarized as follows: The hair-cutting unit 6 of the shaving unit 3 includes a support member 30 that surrounds and supports the external cutting member 10, and a holder 40 attached to the support member 30 to hold the external cutting member 10 and the internal cutting member 20 in operative positions within the support member 30. The base 7 of the shaving unit 3 includes a hair collection chamber 50, a drive shaft 60 that extends through an opening 71 in the bottom 70 of the base 7, and a first shielding member 72 that surrounds the opening 71 in the bottom 70 of the base 7. The holder 40 has a second shielding member 42 surrounding the opening 41 in the holder 40, and when the hair-cutting unit 6 and the base 7 are in a combined state, the upper rim 73 of the first shielding member 72 and the lower rim 43 of the second shielding member 42 engage with each other, so that the first shielding member 72 and the second shielding member 42 together surround the drive shaft 60, thereby sealing the opening 71 in the bottom 70 of the base 7 relative to the hair collection chamber 50.

Claims

1. A shaving unit for a rotary electric shaver, comprising: a base; and a hair-cutting unit releasably coupled to the base; the hair-cutting unit includes 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 about a central axis of the hair-cutting unit, a support member surrounding and supporting the external cutting member, and a holder attached to the support member for holding the external cutting member and the internal cutting member in an operating position within the support member; the base includes a hair collection chamber and a drive shaft extending through an opening in the bottom of the base; In a coupled state of the hair-cutting unit and the base, the drive shaft extends through an opening in the holder and engages the internal cutting member to drive the internal cutting member into rotation about the central axis; When the hair-cutting unit and the base are in a decoupled state, the hair collection chamber is accessible by a user of the shaving unit; the base portion includes a first shielding member integrally formed with a bottom portion of the base portion and surrounding the opening in the bottom portion of the base portion; the holder includes a second shielding member that is integrally formed with the holder and surrounds the opening in the holder; A shaving unit wherein, in a combined state of the hair-cutting unit and the base portion, the upper rim of the first shielding member and the lower rim of the second shielding member engage with each other, the first shielding member and the second shielding member together surround the drive shaft, and the opening in the bottom of the base portion relative to the hair collection chamber is sealed.

2. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the hair collection chamber surrounds the first shielding member.

3. 2. The shaving device of claim 1, wherein when viewed in a longitudinal cross section of the shaving unit having the central axis, the upper rim of the first shielding member and the lower rim of the second shielding member have matching stepped shapes that engage with each other when the hair-cutting unit and the base are in a combined state.

4. 4. The shaving unit of claim 3, wherein in a combined state of the hair-cutting unit and the base, the matching stepped shapes each extend annularly around the central axis.

5. the first shielding member has a first circular cylindrical wall portion, and the second shielding member has a second circular cylindrical wall portion; 5. The shaving unit according to claim 1, wherein, in a combined state of the hair-cutting unit and the base portion, the first circular cylindrical wall portion and the second circular cylindrical wall portion are respectively arranged coaxially with respect to the central axis.

6. the holder has a plurality of spoke-like connecting elements, the connecting elements attaching the holder to the inside of the support member; 5. A shaving unit according to claim 1, wherein each spoke-like connecting element extends radially relative to the central axis and directly connects to an inner side of the support member.

7. 7. The shaving unit according to claim 6, wherein the number of said spoke-like connecting elements is three, and the three spoke-like connecting elements are arranged at a mutual angle of 120° relative to said central axis.

8. 7. The shaving device of claim 6, wherein the spoke-like connecting elements are permanently connected to the inside of the support member in a manner that is non-removable for a user.

9. the internal cutting member having a carrier and a plurality of hair-cutting elements arranged annularly on the carrier; the hair-cutting elements extend radially outward from the circumference of the carrier relative to the central axis; the spoke-like connecting elements extend radially outward from a central retaining element of the holder relative to the central axis; 7. The shaving unit of claim 6, wherein when viewed in the direction of the central axis, a central retaining element of the holder is confined within the circumference of the carrier of the internal cutting member.

10. An electric shaver having a main body and a shaving unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the body housing an electric motor; The base of the shaving unit is connected to the main body, An electric shaver, wherein a drive shaft of the base of the shaving unit is coupled to an output shaft of the electric motor.

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