Control methods for cosmetic treatment equipment

Abstract

A method for controlling a cosmetic treatment device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a skin suction step of creating a negative pressure in an suction space to suck skin into the suction space, a skin height detection step of detecting a height of the skin sucked into the suction space, and a high frequency application determination step of determining whether to operate a high frequency application unit according to the skin height determined in the skin height detection step, wherein the skin height detection step may detect the number of electrode ends of the high frequency application unit that are in contact with the skin and are energized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling a beauty treatment device, and more particularly, to a method for controlling a beauty treatment device that can measure the height of the skin sucked and inhaled and perform a safer treatment.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, the spread of household beauty treatment devices that allow users to perform beauty treatments such as hair removal and skin beauty by themselves at home has been increasing.

[0003] Such household beauty treatment devices lower the barriers to beauty treatments and improve accessibility by allowing users to easily perform beauty treatments at home at a time they desire.

[0004] On the other hand, as the spread of household beauty treatment devices increases, the performance of household beauty treatment devices has also been dramatically improved compared to the past, and the effects of treatments are also becoming higher.

[0005] For example, beauty treatment devices have been developed that can perform hair removal and massage functions by applying laser, high frequency, etc., or that can perform a suction function that can concentrate stimulation on raised parts by sucking (suction) the user's skin.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a state in which a conventional beauty treatment device 10 sucks the skin S and applies high frequency to a raised part.

[0007] The conventional beauty treatment device 10 uses the suction force generated by a vacuum pump to suck the skin S inside the header part 20. When the sucked skin S contacts the electrode, high frequency is applied to the contacted skin S to perform diathermy only on a specific part without stimulating the sensory nerve and the motor nerve, and through the heating effect, a lipolysis effect of the fat layer of the skin can be obtained.

[0008] In other words, as shown in Figure 2, a high-frequency electrode 30 is placed inside the header section 20, and when the skin S drawn into the header section 20 comes into contact with the high-frequency electrode 30, it enters a conductive state, and high-frequency energy is applied to the skin S in contact with the electrode to perform the treatment.

[0009]

[0010] However, for various reasons such as insufficient suction pressure or poor contact with the skin S, as shown in Figure 3, if the amount of skin S suctioned into the header section 20 is insufficient, the area of ​​skin S in contact with the high-frequency electrode 30 may become insufficient. If high-frequency energy is applied in this state, a large amount of high-frequency energy will be concentrated on a small contact area, posing a risk of burns to the skin S.

[0011] Patent Document 1 (Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2034272 of the Republic of Korea) is an invention relating to a high-frequency output control device for a high-frequency stimulation therapy device and a high-frequency output control method utilizing the same.

[0012] Such Patent Document 1 describes a device that, in order to apply a high-frequency electrical signal, confirms the continuity of the current flow using the current signal of the current flowing through the skin, and adjusts the output intensity of the high-frequency output through the handpiece based on the continuity of the current flow. This allows the practitioner to easily adjust the output intensity of the high-frequency output from the high-frequency transmission device using the high-frequency transmission device during treatment, thereby increasing the ease of operation during treatment.

[0013] In other words, the device is designed to allow the user to control the handpiece, such as adjusting the high-frequency output intensity by moving the handpiece away from the skin.

[0014] However, there was no awareness of the problem that burns could occur when the contact area between the electrode applying high-frequency waves and the skin is small, due to the low height of the inhaled skin S. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0015] The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned problems, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a beauty treatment device that ensures safety even when the height of the inhaled skin is low and the contact area between the electrode and the skin is small during the use of the beauty treatment device.

[0016] The problems that the present invention addresses are not limited to those mentioned above, and any other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, a control method for a cosmetic treatment device is provided, comprising: a skin inhalation step of creating a negative pressure in an inhalation space and inhaling skin into the inhalation space; a skin height sensing step of sensing the height of the skin inhaled into the inhalation space; and a high-frequency application determination step of determining whether or not to operate a high-frequency application unit according to the height of the skin determined in the skin height sensing step, wherein the skin height sensing step senses the number of electrode ends of the high-frequency application unit that are in contact with the skin and conduct electricity.

[0018] In the high-frequency application determination step, the high-frequency application unit is activated if the skin height detected in the skin height sensing step is equal to or greater than a preset height, and the high-frequency application unit is not activated if the skin height determined in the skin height judgment step is lower than a preset height. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] With the above configuration, the control method for the beauty treatment device according to the present invention senses the area of ​​skin in contact with the electrode and determines whether or not the high-frequency application unit is activated. Therefore, when the contact area between the electrode and the skin is small, the high-frequency application unit does not activate, reducing the risk of side effects such as burns even when used at home by inexperienced users. This has the effect of improving not only user safety but also the reliability of the product.

[0020] Also, even during the use of the product, when the contact area between the electrode and the skin decreases due to user operation errors or equipment malfunctions, etc., the high-frequency application unit does not operate, so the safety of the user can be improved.

[0021] In addition, when the contact area between the electrode and the skin is at an appropriate level or above, the high-frequency application unit operates, so not only is the safety of the user improved, but also the treatment effect can be maximized, resulting in an improvement in user satisfaction.

[0022] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and it should be understood that the present invention includes all effects inferable from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description or claims of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a drawing illustrating the state of sucking the skin into the header part of a conventional beauty treatment device.

[0024] [Figure 2] It is a drawing illustrating the state of applying high frequency after sucking the skin into the header part of a conventional beauty treatment device.

[0025] [Figure 3] It is a drawing illustrating a state where the contact area between the electrode and the skin is insufficient in a conventional beauty treatment device.

[0026] [Figure 4] It is a drawing illustrating a beauty treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] [Figure 5] It is a drawing illustrating the bottom surface of a beauty treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] <​​

[0029] [Figure 7] This is a diagram illustrating the header section of a beauty treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] [Figure 8] This is a diagram illustrating the high-frequency application section of a beauty treatment device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] [Figure 9] This is a drawing illustrating the header portion of a beauty treatment device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] [Figure 10] This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the control method for a beauty treatment device according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, so that those with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. The present invention can be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. For the sake of clarity in illustrating the present invention, parts not relevant to the description have been omitted from the drawings, and the same or similar reference numerals have been used throughout the specification for identical or similar components.

[0034] Words and terms used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted in a manner limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but rather in a manner and concept consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that inventors may define terms and concepts in order to best describe their invention.

[0035] Therefore, the embodiments described herein and the configurations illustrated in the drawings constitute a preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical concept of the present invention; thus, there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for these configurations at the time of filing of the present invention.

[0036] In this specification, terms such as “includes” or “having” are intended to describe the presence of features, figures, stages, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof as described in the specification, and should be understood not to preemptively exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, stages, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0037] To say that a component is "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" another component includes not only that it is immediately adjacent to another component and positioned "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" it, unless there are special circumstances, but also that another component is positioned in between them. Furthermore, to say that a component is "connected" to another component includes not only that it is directly connected to each other, unless there are special circumstances, but also that it is indirectly connected to each other.

[0038] In the following, a beauty treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0039] Figure 4 is a drawing illustrating a beauty treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a drawing illustrating the lower surface of the beauty treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] A cosmetic treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention performs cosmetic treatments on the user's skin. More specifically, the cosmetic treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention enables the user to directly perform cosmetic treatments on their own skin. That is, the user can perform cosmetic treatments themselves by bringing the cosmetic treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention into contact with their own skin. For example, the cosmetic treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention can apply high-frequency waves to the user's skin, which provide an anti-aging effect.

[0041] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the cosmetic treatment device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 110, a header section 120, a high-frequency application section 130, a skin height measuring section 140, and a control section 150.

[0042] The main body 110 has a shape that allows it to contact a predetermined area of ​​the user's skin. Components for cosmetic procedures may be arranged on the main body 110. In one embodiment of the present invention, a header portion 120 having a shape that allows it to contact a predetermined area of ​​the user's skin is provided on the lower side of the main body 110.

[0043] The header unit 120 can apply high-frequency waves to the skin. The high-frequency waves applied by the header unit 120 stimulate the user's skin, supplying energy and providing an anti-aging effect.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the main body 110 includes a first portion 111 on which a configuration for cosmetic procedures is arranged, with the lower side of the main body 110 in contact with the user's skin, and a second portion 112 connected to the upper side of the first portion 111 so that the user can grasp it. In this case, the first portion 111 may be cylindrical, and the second portion 112 may have an arch shape.

[0045] For example, the main unit 110 may be equipped with a configuration for applying high frequency. The main unit 110 may also be equipped with a pump 113 for providing a suction function that sucks and stimulates the user's skin.

[0046] As illustrated in Figure 7, the suction force generated by such a pump 113 creates negative pressure in the suction space 122 of the header section 120 formed at the open lower end of the main body 110. Consequently, the user's skin is drawn into the suction space 122, rising as it does so. The pump 113 providing this suction function may be a pneumatic pump, but is not limited to that. In other words, a variety of structures and configurations can be applied as long as they can generate suction force.

[0047] On the other hand, while various technologies can be applied to the configuration and operating relationship for the suction function in such a beauty treatment device 100, a specific explanation of this will be omitted in order to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention.

[0048] In other words, during the cosmetic procedure, the lower part of the first portion 111 comes into contact with the user's skin. In connection with this, an intake space 122 into which the user's skin is drawn in may be formed in the lower part of the first portion 111. The skin drawn into the intake space 122 may be subjected to high-frequency waves through a high-frequency application unit 130 located within the intake space 122.

[0049] On the other hand, the second part 112 functions as a handle. The user can easily move the main body 110 while gripping the second part 112, and can properly apply pressure to the first part 111 on the user's skin side.

[0050] Furthermore, the second part 112, which constitutes the upper side of the main unit 110, may be equipped with an operation unit 114 for receiving input of operation information such as on / off and selection of various modes, and an output unit 115 that sends warning signals via vibration and / or sound under the control of the control unit 150.

[0051]

[0052] The header section 120 is positioned below the first part 111 of the main body 110 and plays a role in performing cosmetic procedures by directly contacting the user's skin.

[0053] Such a header section 120 may be manufactured as an integrated structure molded together with the aforementioned first section 111, or it may be manufactured as a separate structure that is molded separately and can be attached and attached.

[0054] In this embodiment, the header portion 120 is represented as constituting the lower side of the first portion 111 and having a structure that allows for detachable connection.

[0055] The header section 120 is positioned below the first part 111 of the main body 110 and plays a role in performing cosmetic procedures by directly contacting the user's skin S.

[0056] For example, such an intake space 122 may be in the form of a circle or ellipse with an open lower side, and its cross-section may be formed in the form of a polygon if necessary.

[0057] However, as mentioned above, such an inhalation space 122 is designed so that the user's skin located within the inhalation space 122 during a cosmetic procedure rises uniformly upward due to the negative pressure that generates a uniform suction force.

[0058] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the high-frequency application unit 130 may be provided in a pair, arranged on the inner surface of the header unit 120, drawn into the suction space 122, and in contact with the raised skin S, thereby applying high frequency to the skin S that is in contact.

[0059] In other words, as shown in Figure 7, current is supplied when the skin comes into contact with the pair of high-frequency application units 130, so high-frequency current is applied while the skin is energized.

[0060] On the other hand, the skin height measuring unit 140 may be provided to measure the height of the skin that has been drawn into the intake space 122 and has become raised.

[0061] Furthermore, the control unit 150 may be configured to control the high-frequency application unit 130 according to the height of the raised skin measured by the skin height measuring unit 140.

[0062] At this time, the skin height measuring unit 140 may be provided to sense the position where the skin is in contact with the high-frequency application unit 130 and current is supplied.

[0063] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the high-frequency application unit 130 may be arranged on both sides of the inner surface of the inhalation space 122 so as to face each other, and may include a plurality of electrode ends 132 that are sequentially arranged in the upward direction, which is the direction in which skin is drawn into the inhalation space 122, and are electrically isolated from each other.

[0064] In other words, as shown in Figure 6, the high-frequency application section 130 may consist of a plurality of electrode ends 132 arranged in the upward direction, and an insulator 134 for electrical isolation may be interposed between each electrode end 132.

[0065] Furthermore, the uppermost electrode end 132 may be provided with connecting terminals 136 for the electrical connection of each electrode end 132, and the connecting terminals 136 of the lower electrode end 132 may extend upward by passing through the upper electrode end 132.

[0066] The skin height measuring unit 140 may be configured to sense which of the multiple electrode ends 132 of the high-frequency application unit 130 the skin S is in contact with and energized. The skin height measuring unit 140 may consist of an IC or a control circuit, and may be integrated into the control unit 150 if necessary.

[0067] In other words, the high-frequency application unit 130 is equipped with electrically isolated electrode ends 132 arranged sequentially in the height direction, and the skin height measuring unit 140 senses which of the multiple electrode ends 132 the skin S is in contact with and energized.

[0068] On the other hand, the control unit 150 can determine the height of the skin S that has been drawn into the header unit 120 and raised at the position of the electrode end 132 that is in contact with the skin among the plurality of electrode ends 132 sensed through the skin height measuring unit 140, and can control the unit to apply high frequency to the skin S through each electrode end 132 of the high frequency application unit 130 when the determined height of the skin S is equal to or greater than a preset height.

[0069] In other words, as shown in Figure 7, the skin S inhaled into the inhalation space 122 comes into contact with the high-frequency application unit 130. At this time, since the high-frequency application unit 130 consists of multiple electrode ends 132 arranged in the height direction and electrically separated, if the height of the inhaled skin S is high, the electrode ends 132 located at higher positions will come into contact with the skin and conduct electricity. If the amount of inhaled skin S is small and the height of the inhaled skin is low, the electrode ends 132 located at lower positions will come into contact with the skin.

[0070] Therefore, the control unit 150 can determine the height of the skin S that has been drawn into the suction space 122 and has risen, that is, the height of the skin S that has come into contact with the high-frequency application unit 130. When the determined height of the skin S is equal to or greater than a preset height, the control unit 150 controls the application of high-frequency waves to the skin through the high-frequency application unit 130. When the determined height of the skin S is less than the preset height, the control unit 150 controls the application of high-frequency waves.

[0071] Therefore, if the amount of skin that is inhaled into the inhalation space 122 and raised is small, that is, if the area of ​​skin in contact with the high-frequency application unit 130 is small, high-frequency energy is not applied. By applying high-frequency energy only when the area of ​​skin S in contact with the high-frequency application unit 130 is sufficient, it is possible to prevent side effects such as burns by blocking the concentration of energy applied by the high-frequency application unit 130 on a small area of ​​skin S.

[0072] As described above, the control unit 150 can determine the height of the skin by the position of the electrode end 132 that is in contact with the skin among the plurality of electrode ends 132. However, it may also determine the height of the skin S that has been drawn into the header unit 120 and raised by the number of electrode ends 132 of the high-frequency application unit 130 that are in contact with the skin.

[0073] In other words, if a large amount of skin S is inhaled into the inhalation space 122, the number of electrode ends 132 of the high-frequency application unit 130 that come into contact with the skin S will naturally increase. Therefore, the height of the skin that has been inhaled into the header unit 120 and is raised can be determined by the number of electrode ends 132 of the high-frequency application unit 130 that are energized.

[0074] Therefore, by not applying the high frequency when the number of electrode ends 132 in contact with the skin is less than or equal to a set number, and applying the high frequency only when the number of electrode ends 132 in contact with the skin S is equal to or greater than the set number, it is possible to prevent side effects such as burns by blocking the concentration of energy applied by the high frequency application unit 130 over a small area of ​​skin S.

[0075] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the high-frequency application section 230 may be formed inclined so as it goes upwards, protruding inward from the header section 120.

[0076] In other words, among the multiple electrode ends 232, the lower electrode end 232 can be formed to be continuously sloped so that its width is narrower, and the upper electrode end 232 is wider.

[0077] Of course, this is not limited to this, and the high-frequency application unit 230 itself may be arranged to be tilted.

[0078] This is to ensure that the skin that is drawn into the intake space 122 and becomes raised adheres more closely to the high-frequency application unit 230, as shown in Figure 9.

[0079] In other words, as shown in Figure 7, when the high-frequency application unit 130 is arranged vertically, the skin inhaled into the inhalation space 122 must stretch in order to contact each electrode end 132 of the high-frequency application unit 130. However, if the skin lacks elasticity, it may not make good contact with the high-frequency application unit 130 even if there is sufficient inhaled skin.

[0080] Therefore, as shown in Figure 9, when the high-frequency application unit 230 is arranged at an angle so that it protrudes inward into the inhalation space 122 as it moves upward, there is an effect that skin raised within the inhalation space 122 can more easily come into contact with each electrode end 232 of the high-frequency application unit 230.

[0081]

[0082] The following describes one embodiment of a control method for a beauty treatment device that controls the beauty treatment device of the present invention.

[0083] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the control method for the beauty treatment device of the present invention.

[0084] In this embodiment, the control method for other cosmetic treatment devices may include a skin suction stage (S110), a skin height sensing stage (S120), and a high-frequency application determination stage (S130).

[0085] The skin inhalation step (S110) is a step in which the pump 113 is activated to create a negative pressure in the inhalation space 122, and the skin S is drawn into the inhalation space 122 by the created negative pressure.

[0086] In the skin inhalation stage (S110), the skin S inhaled into the inhalation space 122 can be raised and come into contact with the high-frequency application units 130 located on both inner sides of the inhalation space 122, as shown in Figures 7 and 9.

[0087] The skin height sensing step (S120) is a step in which the height of the skin S that has been drawn into the inhalation space 122 is sensed.

[0088] In other words, the skin height measuring unit 140 senses which of the multiple electrode ends 132 of the high-frequency application unit 130 is in contact with the skin and energized, and the control unit 150 can determine the height of the skin S inhaled into the inhalation space 122 based on the position information of the skin and the energized electrode end 132 sensed by the skin height measuring unit 140.

[0089] Alternatively, the skin height sensing step (S120) may determine the height of the skin S drawn into the inhalation space 122 by the number of electrode ends 132 of the high-frequency application unit 130 that are in contact with the skin S and energized.

[0090] This is because when a large amount of skin S is inhaled into the inhalation space 122, the number of electrode ends 132 in contact with the skin also increases.

[0091] The high-frequency application determination step (S130) is a step in which, if the height of the skin S sensed in the skin height sensing step (S120) is equal to or greater than a preset height, the high-frequency application unit 130 is activated (S132), and if the height of the skin determined in the skin height determination step is lower than a preset height, the high-frequency application unit 130 is not activated (S134).

[0092] Therefore, the high-frequency application unit 130 is activated only when the height of the skin inhaled into the inhalation space 122 is sufficient (S132), and the high-frequency application unit 130 is not activated when the height of the inhaled skin is low, i.e., when the amount of inhaled skin is insufficient (S134). This prevents burns from occurring due to the application of high-frequency energy to a small area of ​​skin.

[0093] Furthermore, this can be applied not only when the beauty treatment device 100 is first activated, but also during use when the height of the skin S drawn into the suction space 122 of the header section 120 decreases, thus further improving user safety.

[0094]

[0095] While embodiments of the present invention have been described, the spirit of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments presented herein. Those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention can easily propose other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components, all within the same spirit, and these too can be said to fall within the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A skin inhalation step in which negative pressure is created in the inhalation space and the skin is drawn into the inhalation space; A skin height sensing step that senses the height of skin drawn into the aforementioned inhalation space; A high-frequency application determination step is included in which a high-frequency application unit is determined to be activated or not according to the skin height determined in the skin height sensing step; The high-frequency application section includes a plurality of electrode terminals that are arranged on both sides of the inner surface of the inhalation space so as to face each other, and are sequentially arranged in the direction in which skin is drawn into the inhalation space, and are electrically isolated from each other. The aforementioned skin height sensing step is A control method for a cosmetic treatment device, which senses the number of electrode ends among the multiple electrode ends of the high-frequency application unit that are in contact with the skin and conduct electricity, and senses the height of the skin that has been drawn into the suction space and raised.

2. The aforementioned high-frequency application decision step is: A control method for a cosmetic treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the high-frequency application unit is activated if the height of the skin detected in the skin height detection stage is equal to or greater than a preset height, and the high-frequency application unit is not activated if the height of the skin detected in the skin height detection stage is lower than a preset height.

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