Laser hair removal device

Abstract

To provide a light depilator which is unlikely to cause skin problems or burn to a skin part to dilapidate without visually recognizing an irradiation part of the light depilator and regardless of a posture when using.SOLUTION: A light depilator M includes: a light irradiation depilation function part 1 which is configured to irradiate a skin part to dilapidate with an irradiation light from a xenon lamp, cause heat denaturation of a hair root protein part, and to dilapidate by blocking growth of the hair; a sapphire glass body which is stretched over an irradiation port of the irradiation light and transmits and irradiates a xenon lamp light; a cooling unit 6 which contacts left and right side surfaces on a reverse surface side of the sapphire glass body to cool the sapphire glass body; a heat exhaust conductor 65 connected to the cooling unit; and a radiator part 66 which is connected to a rear free end of the heat exhaust conductor and emits conductive heat from the cooling unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, light hair removal (flash hair removal) that promotes hair removal by irradiating light that reacts to melanin pigment in hair roots has been performed.

[0003] In light hair removal (flash hair removal), the light energy irradiated to the skin is absorbed by the hair root and the melanin pigment around the hair root and converted into thermal energy, which raises the temperature of the hair root and thermally denatures the proteins constituting the hair root, thereby suppressing hair regrowth.

[0004] The light hair removal device used for light hair removal has a built-in light source for hair removal, and is configured such that the light required for hair removal is emitted to the outside of the hair removal device main body through an irradiation window provided on the light hair removal device. An operator grips the hair removal device main body, and with the irradiation window in contact with the target hair removal region, presses an irradiation button provided on the grip portion of the hair removal device main body to cause the light source built in the hair removal device main body to emit light, applying thermal damage to and weakening the hair bulbs (hair papillae, hair matrix cells, etc.) located at the base of the hair roots, thereby promoting hair removal.

[0005] For this reason, in light hair removal (flash hair removal), skin disorders (pain, swelling, inflammation, rashes, etc.) and burns in the target hair removal region caused by heat generation at the hair root portion become problems. In order to prevent skin disorders and burns in the target hair removal region during light hair removal, it is effective to cool the target hair removal region, and a cooling mechanism of this type is known as described in Patent Document 1.

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a skin treatment device that can perform hair removal by irradiating the area to be treated with laser light from a light source through an upper substrate having an opening in the approximate center that allows light from a light source to pass through. The Peltier module is provided as the contact surface with the skin area to be treated. A transparent lower substrate is provided below this opening, and the upper substrate with the opening and the transparent lower substrate are connected by a thermoelectric conversion element. By passing a DC current between the two substrates, the lower substrate functions as the cooling side of the Peltier module. In this light hair removal device, the lower substrate, which is the cooling side of the Peltier module, is brought into contact with the area to be treated, and light hair removal is performed while cooling the area to be treated. As a result, the light hair removal device in Patent Document 1 can perform hair removal while minimizing the risk of skin damage or burns occurring in the area to be treated. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-215837 [Disclosure of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, in conventional light hair removal devices, the Peltier unit is always powered to cool the lower circuit board. As a result, the upper circuit board side of the Peltier unit is always heated. Heat is constantly emitted from the heated upper circuit board, and the upper part of the upper circuit board is heated by the convection of the warmed air around it and by heat radiation from the upper circuit board. Conventional light-based hair removal devices have the laser light irradiation unit positioned above the opening in the upper circuit board so that the area to be treated can be visually observed while performing light-based hair removal. As a result, if conventional light-based hair removal devices are used continuously for a long period of time, the irradiation unit located above the upper circuit board will be constantly heated. In particular, the irradiation unit is equipped with a focusing lens that adjusts the optical path of the laser light so that it is focused on the area to be treated, and there was a risk that the optical components would contract due to heat each time the light-based hair removal device was used, disrupting the optical path and preventing the desired hair removal effect from being produced. Furthermore, with conventional light-based hair removal devices, when the light irradiation direction is directed upward, the lower circuit board, which cools the skin, is heated by the heat radiation from the upper circuit board, making it impossible to efficiently cool the area to be treated. Thus, conventional light-based hair removal devices were susceptible to changes in cooling performance for the area to be treated depending on the user's posture during use.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems of the conventional method, and aims to provide a light-based hair removal device that does not require visual inspection of the irradiation area and reduces the risk of skin damage or burns occurring in the skin area to be treated, regardless of the posture during use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A first aspect of the present invention is a light-irradiation hair removal device comprising: a light irradiation hair removal function unit configured to irradiate the skin to be treated with light from a xenon lamp to cause thermal denaturation of the hair follicle protein and inhibit hair growth, thereby removing hair; a sapphire glass body stretched over the irradiation port of the irradiation light and transmitting and irradiating the xenon lamp light; a cooling unit that abuts against the left and right sides of the back surface of the sapphire glass body and is capable of cooling the sapphire glass body; a heat dissipation conductor connected to the cooling unit; and a radiator unit connected to the rear free end of the heat dissipation conductor for dissipating conductive heat from the cooling unit.

[0011] A second aspect of the present invention is a light hair removal device characterized in that the cooling unit comprises a Peltier element plate with cooling functionality for cooling the sapphire glass body, and a Peltier element body with heating functionality located opposite the Peltier element plate with cooling functionality, and the heat generated in the Peltier element body is transferred to the radiator through the heat dissipation conductor.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention is a light hair removal device characterized in that the sapphire glass body is provided protruding from the front end of the light irradiation hair removal function section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a light irradiation hair removal function unit configured to irradiate the area of ​​skin to be treated with hair removal light from a xenon lamp to cause thermal denaturation of the hair follicle protein and inhibit hair growth, thereby removing hair; a sapphire glass body stretched over the irradiation port of the irradiation light and transmitting and irradiating the xenon lamp light; a cooling unit that abuts against the left and right sides of the back surface of the sapphire glass body and is capable of cooling the sapphire glass body; a heat dissipation conductor connected to the cooling unit; and a radiator unit connected to the rear free end of the heat dissipation conductor for dissipating conductive heat from the cooling unit. With this configuration, the area of ​​skin to be treated with hair removal light can be irradiated while the area of ​​skin to be treated with hair removal light is cooled by the sapphire glass body, and the risk of skin damage or burns occurring in the area of ​​skin to be treated after hair removal treatment can be reduced as much as possible. Furthermore, the configuration with a sapphire glass body at the light emission port allows for efficient heat absorption from the skin to be treated due to the high thermal conductivity of the sapphire glass, thereby shortening the cooling time of the skin and reducing the overall treatment time. In addition, because the light is emitted from the sapphire glass body to the outside of the light-emitting hair removal function unit, the high transmittance of the sapphire glass body allows the emitted xenon lamp light to reach the skin to be treated without attenuation, enabling energy-saving and efficient hair removal. Furthermore, by having cooling units in contact with the left and right sides of the back surface of the sapphire glass body, the sapphire glass body, which has been heated by absorbing heat from the skin area to be depilated, can be easily cooled by the cooling units.

[0014] Furthermore, by connecting a heat dissipation conductor to the cooling unit and linking a radiator to the rear free end of the heat dissipation conductor, the heat from the cooling unit, which has been heated by absorbing heat from the sapphire glass body, can be transferred to the radiator through the heat dissipation conductor. In addition, the radiator transfers heat to the surrounding air, and the heated air is dissipated to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit, thereby suppressing the temperature rise inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit and efficiently cooling the sapphire glass body in contact with the cooling unit. In other words, by efficiently cooling the skin area to be treated, the time required for light hair removal can be shortened as much as possible.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the cooling unit is composed of a Peltier element plate with cooling functionality for cooling the sapphire glass body and a Peltier element body with heating functionality located opposite the cooling Peltier element plate. This allows the sapphire glass body to easily absorb heat, and the absorbed heat to be transferred to the Peltier element body located opposite the Peltier element plate. In other words, by configuring the cooling unit with Peltier elements, the sapphire glass body can be continuously cooled as long as power is supplied to the Peltier element plate and the Peltier element body, and the temperature of the skin to be treated can be easily lowered to a temperature at which hair removal is possible. Furthermore, by connecting a heat dissipation conductor to the Peltier element body and connecting the heat dissipation conductor to the radiator section, the heat generated in the Peltier element body can be easily dissipated from the radiator section. This allows the Peltier element plate paired with the Peltier element body to be maintained at a low temperature.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the present invention, by providing the sapphire glass body protruding from the front end of the light irradiation hair removal function unit, it is possible to easily recognize whether the sapphire glass body is in contact with the skin area to be treated, and hair removal can be performed without visual inspection. In other words, by creating a step between the sapphire glass body and the light irradiation hair removal function unit, it is possible to easily distinguish whether the part in contact with the skin is the front part of the light irradiation hair removal function unit or the sapphire glass body, and hair removal can be reliably performed on the skin area to be treated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a light-based hair removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A side view showing a light-based hair removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] A front view showing a light-based hair removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the light irradiation hair removal function unit. [Figure 5]This is a schematic end view showing the air flow path of the photoepilator according to the embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an end view taken along line a-a of Fig.4(a), and (b) is an end view taken along line b-b of Fig.4(a). [Figure 6] This is a view showing the heat exhaust conductor of the photoepilator according to the embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a front view. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the radiator part according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a schematic view showing a state where the photoepilator according to the embodiment of the present invention is in contact with the skin. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0018] The present invention, for example, in a photoepilator that performs hair removal treatment by irradiating light, performs photoepilation while efficiently cooling the skin area requiring hair removal with a sapphire glass body, thereby suppressing the risk of skin disorders or burns occurring during or after hair removal, enables cooling of the skin area requiring hair removal by the sapphire glass body regardless of the posture of the photoepilator, and further aims to realize a photoepilator that allows hair removal without visually recognizing the skin area requiring hair removal.

[0019] The basic configuration of the photoepilator according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig.1 to Fig.8. Fig.1 is a perspective view of the photoepilator according to the present invention.

[0020] The embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left side" and "right side" used in describing the present embodiment are as shown in Fig.1.

[0021] As shown in Fig.1, the photoepilator M of the present embodiment includes a light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 provided with operation switches and a display unit showing the state of the photoepilator M, and a grip part 2 vertically disposed on the lower surface near the rear end of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. The photoepilator M is formed into a substantially inverted "L" shape by the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 and the grip part 2.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 is an ellipsoid with its minor axis in the vertical direction, and its interior is hollow. The light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 has an air intake port 10 provided on the top surface 1d, exhaust ports 11 provided on the left and right sides 1b and 1c, a cooling function unit 3 provided on the front end surface, a cooling unit 6 provided inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 on the back surface of the cooling function unit 3, an irradiation unit 4 provided inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 near the front end of the cooling unit 6, and an operation unit 5 provided on the rear end of the top surface 1d.

[0023] The air intake port 10 is an air inlet that brings cooling air into the interior of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. The air intake port 10 is located approximately in the center of the top surface 1d of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 and has multiple openings 10a for air intake. The openings 10a are formed to conform to the curved shape of the top surface 1d. In a plan view, the openings 10a are formed in an approximately elliptical shape with the left-right direction as the major axis, and are arranged to be approximately rectangular overall.

[0024] Near the intake port 10 formed in this manner, a side wall 1a is vertically installed on the back side of the top surface 1d. As shown in Figure 4(a), the side wall 1a is provided along the periphery of the intake port 10. The lower end of the side wall 1a is formed to conform to the upper surface shape of the radiator section 66, which will be described later, and the lower end of the side wall 1a abuts against the upper surface of the radiator section 66. As a result, an air inflow space S1 surrounded by the side wall 1a is formed inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 below the intake port 10 (see Figures 5(a) and (b)). In other words, the air that flows into the inside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 from the intake port 10 can be reliably delivered to the radiator section 66.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the exhaust port 11 is a heat dissipation function that releases heat generated inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. The exhaust port 11 is provided on the left and right sides 1b and 1c of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, extending from approximately the center in the front-to-back direction to near the front end, and has multiple openings 11a. The openings 11a are spaced a certain distance apart from the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 in the front-to-back direction. The openings 11a are formed in a substantially elongated shape with the vertical direction as the long axis, and are formed in a rearward sloping shape with the upper edge 11b positioned rearward relative to the lower edge 11c.

[0026] By arranging multiple openings 11a on the left and right sides 1b and 1c of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 at a certain distance apart in the front-rear direction, and by forming the openings 11a in a rearward-sloping elongated shape, the air A that flows into the interior of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 via the air intake 10 is reliably discharged from one of the openings 11a through the air outlet space S2 formed between the irradiation unit 4 and the lower inner surface of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. This minimizes the risk of the interior of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 overheating.

[0027] Furthermore, because the air inlet space S1 is formed independently of other internal spaces within the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, the air A flowing in from the air intake port 10 can reliably pass through the radiator unit 66, and as a result, the radiator unit 66 can be reliably cooled.

[0028] Furthermore, the light hair removal device M described in this embodiment can be used in various configurations other than the irradiation configuration with the air intake 10 facing upwards, such as a configuration with the intake 10 tilted to the left or right, or a configuration with the intake 10 facing downwards. In all of these configurations, the configuration in which exhaust ports 11 are provided on the left and right sides 1b and 1c of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 allows heat inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 to be easily discharged. This reduces the risk of heat generated in the irradiation unit 4 and cooling unit 6, which will be described later, accumulating inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, and prevents the temperature inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 from rising.

[0029] The intake port 10 and exhaust port 11 provided in the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 are connected by an air passage 12 provided inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. As shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), the air passage 12 has an air inflow space S1 formed below the intake port 10 inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, and an air outflow space S2 also formed inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, between the lower inner surface of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 and the exhaust ports 11 provided on the left and right sides 1b and 1c of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1.

[0030] The air inlet space S1 is a rectangular cylindrical air passage for air A, surrounded by a side wall 1a and open at the top and bottom. One open end is connected to the air intake port 10, and the other end is connected to the upper surface of the radiator section 66. The air outlet space S2 is an air passage for air A that connects the space formed between the lower inner surface of the light irradiation hair removal function section 1 and the lower surface of the irradiation section 4 (described later), and the space formed between the inner surfaces of the left and right sides 1b and 1c of the light irradiation hair removal function section 1 and the left and right sides of the irradiation section 4. One end of the air outlet space S2 is connected to a cooling fan 68 located at the bottom of the radiator section 66, and the other end is connected to the exhaust port 11.

[0031] The air inlet space S1 and the air outlet space S2 are connected via the radiator section 66 and the cooling fan 68. That is, the air A that flows into the air inlet space S1 from the intake port 10 passes through the radiator section 66 and the cooling fan 68 to reach the air outlet space S2, and is then discharged from the air outlet space S2 to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 through the exhaust port 11.

[0032] In this configuration, air A that flows into the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 from the air intake port 10 is discharged from the exhaust port 11 through the air passage 12, thereby preventing air heated to a temperature higher than the ambient temperature from accumulating inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. In other words, by suppressing the temperature rise of the air inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, the sapphire glass body 33 that cools the skin area T to be treated can be cooled efficiently.

[0033] The front end of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 has a cooling function unit 3 that pre-cools the skin area T to be treated before hair removal. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cooling function unit 3 has a skin cooling section 30 located at the front end of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, a protrusion 31 provided approximately in the center of the skin cooling section 30, and a sapphire glass body 33 fitted into the protrusion 31.

[0034] The skin cooling section 30 is made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum, and is formed in a substantially elliptical shape with the vertical direction as the minor axis when viewed from the front. A protruding projection 31 is provided in the center of the skin cooling section 30. The projection 31 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The projection 31 has protruding wall portions 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d on the top, bottom, left, and right sides, respectively.

[0035] The protruding length La of each protruding wall portion 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d from the skin cooling portion 30 is formed to a length such that each protruding wall portion 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d can be embedded in the skin portion T to be depilated when the cooling function portion 3 is in contact with the skin portion T to be depilated. In this embodiment, the protruding length La of each protruding wall portion 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d is formed to be approximately 2 mm.

[0036] The central part of the convex portion 31 formed in this manner has an opening 32. In a front view, the opening 32 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape that is roughly rectangular and open in the front-to-back direction. A sapphire glass body 33 for cooling the skin area T to be depilated is fitted into this opening 32.

[0037] The sapphire glass body 33 is made of sapphire glass with high thermal conductivity and high light transmittance, and functions as a cooling unit for cooling the skin area T to be treated, and as an optical path for radiating light for hair removal to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 4(a) and (b), the sapphire glass body 33 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped in both front and top views, and is fitted into the opening 32 so as to be substantially flush with the front end of each protruding wall portion 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d while being in contact with the inner surfaces of each protruding wall portion 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d. In this way, the cooling function unit 3 forms an integrated cooling mechanism with the front end surface 33a of the sapphire glass body 33 and the front end of each protruding wall portion 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d, while ensuring that no light is emitted from any side other than the front end surface of the sapphire glass body 33.

[0039] Furthermore, the sapphire glass body 33 has reflective films made of aluminum deposited on its left and right sides and top and bottom surfaces. As a result, when light generated in the irradiation unit 4 enters the sapphire glass body 33 from the rear, it is reflected by the reflective films deposited on the top, bottom, left, and right sides and radiated from the front surface of the sapphire glass body 33 to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. In addition, a filter that transmits light in a specific wavelength range and absorbs light in other wavelength ranges is attached to the rear surface of the sapphire glass body 33. In this embodiment, the filter is a long-pass filter that transmits only relatively long wavelength light among the light generated in the irradiation unit 4. Specifically, the filter is configured to transmit light in the 600nm to 1200nm range among the light generated in the irradiation unit 4 and absorb light in other wavelength ranges.

[0040] In this way, the sapphire glass body 33, which pre-cools the skin area T to be treated, is provided substantially flush with the front ends of each protruding wall portion 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, and the protrusion length La of the convex portion 31 is set so that it can contact the skin area T to be treated and become embedded, thereby ensuring that the skin area T to be treated is reliably cooled while minimizing the risk of the hair removal light being irradiated onto uncooled areas. Furthermore, because the convex portion 31 is embedded in the skin area T to be treated, the skin surrounding the skin area T to be treated comes into contact with the front end surface of the skin cooling portion 30, allowing the surrounding skin to be cooled (see Figure 8). In this way, the skin adjacent to the skin area T to be treated can be pre-cooled by the skin cooling portion 30, allowing the skin area T to be treated from the surrounding area as well, thereby shortening the cooling time of the skin area T to be treated and reducing the overall time required for hair removal. A cooling unit 6 for cooling the cooling portion 3 is provided on the back of the cooling function portion 3 configured in this way.

[0041] <Cooling Unit> As shown in Figure 4(b), the cooling unit 6 is positioned in contact with the left and right sides of the skin cooling section 30 near both ends and the left and right sides of the back surface of the sapphire glass body 33.

[0042] The cooling unit 6 includes a cooling section 60 for cooling the skin cooling section 30 and the sapphire glass body 33, a heat dissipation conductor 65 connected to the cooling section 60, and a radiator section 66 connected to the heat dissipation conductor 65.

[0043] The cooling unit 60 is a cooling mechanism that utilizes the Peltier effect. The cooling unit 60 includes a Peltier element plate 61 with cooling functionality, a Peltier element body 62 with heating functionality provided parallel to and opposite the Peltier element plate 61, and an n-type semiconductor 63 and a p-type semiconductor 64 placed between the Peltier element plate 61 and the Peltier element body 62. The cooling unit 60 functions as a cooling surface on the Peltier element plate 61 side and as a heating surface on the Peltier element body 62 side by passing a direct current through the n-type semiconductor 63 and the p-type semiconductor 64 to the Peltier element plate 61 and the Peltier element body 62. The cooling unit 60 is configured so that the direct current flows in the order of Peltier element plate 61, n-type semiconductor 63, Peltier element body 62, and p-type semiconductor 64. As a result, the cooling unit 60 functions as a cooling surface on the Peltier element plate 61 side.

[0044] The Peltier element plate 61 is in contact with the left and right sides of the back surface of the sapphire glass body 33 and with the cooling function unit 3, and functions as a cooling mechanism that efficiently cools the sapphire glass body 33. The Peltier element plate 61 is a metal plate made of copper or aluminum, with its front end in contact with the back surface of the skin cooling section 30 and its side end in contact with the side surface of the sapphire glass body 33. This allows the Peltier element plate 61 to cool the skin cooling section 30 and the sapphire glass body 33. In other words, the Peltier element plate 61 is cooled by utilizing the Peltier effect, thereby cooling the skin cooling section 30 and the sapphire glass body 33. Furthermore, the sapphire glass body 33 is not only cooled directly by the Peltier element plate 61, but is also cooled by the skin cooling section 30, which is cooled by the Peltier element plate 61, because it is in contact with the inner surface of the opening 32 of the skin cooling section 30.

[0045] The Peltier element body 62, like the Peltier element plate 61, is a metal plate made of copper or aluminum, and is positioned parallel to the Peltier element plate 61 at a certain distance behind it. The Peltier element body 62 is formed to be shorter in width than the Peltier element plate 61, and its left and right ends are positioned at a certain distance from the skin cooling section 30. This prevents heat generated in the Peltier element body 62 from being directly transferred to the skin cooling section 30. The Peltier element plate 61 and the Peltier element body 62 are connected by an n-type semiconductor 63 and a p-type semiconductor 64, and by passing a direct current, the thermal energy held by the Peltier element plate 61 can be transferred to the Peltier element body 62. A heat dissipation conductor 65 is connected to the back of the cooling section 60 configured in this way.

[0046] The heat dissipation conductor 65 has a heat dissipation surface portion 65a that is in contact with the back surface of the Peltier element body 62, a bent portion 65g that is bent and extended backward from the back surface of the heat dissipation surface portion 65a, and a straight portion 65h that is extended backward from the rear end of the bent portion 65g.

[0047] As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the heat dissipation surface 65a is formed in a substantially flattened shape and has a convex portion 65d that protrudes upward in the center of the upper edge portion 65b. The heat dissipation surface 65a is fastened to the upper part of the back side of the skin cooling portion 30 with fasteners such as screws. Therefore, the heat dissipation surface 65a has a mounting hole portion 65e for inserting the fastener in the substantially center of the convex portion 65d. The heat dissipation surface 65a is fixed by inserting a screw body, which is a fastener, through the mounting hole portion 65e and tightening it to the back surface of the skin cooling portion 30.

[0048] Furthermore, the heat dissipation surface 65a has a recess 65f that is approximately rectangular in shape when viewed from the front, located approximately in the center. The recess 65f is formed to be approximately the same shape as the rear surface of the sapphire glass body 33. This allows the light emitted from the xenon lamp 41 of the irradiation unit 4 to be transmitted to the sapphire glass body 33 without being obstructed by the heat dissipation surface 65a.

[0049] The back surface of the heat dissipation surface 65a configured in this way has a bent portion 65g for transferring heat generated on the heat dissipation surface 65a. As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the bent portion 65g is formed in a substantially elliptical shape with the left-right direction as its major axis. The bent portion 65g is connected to the approximate center in the vertical direction near both left and right ends of the heat dissipation surface 65a, and is formed to curve upward from this connection point, while curving towards the center in the left-right direction of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. In other words, the bent portion 65g is bent and extended in a direction away from the left and right inner wall surfaces of the irradiation unit 4 and the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, making it difficult for heat generated on the Peltier element body 62 to be transferred to the irradiation unit 4 and the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. Furthermore, both the bent portion 65g and the straight portion 65h are formed in a hollow pipe shape. This allows heat from the heat dissipation surface 65a to be quickly transferred to the radiator unit 66 located behind it. In other words, by making the bent section 65g and the straight section 65h pipe-shaped, the cross-sectional area of ​​the heat-transferring metal is reduced, and as a result the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of the heat transfer section is reduced, heat can be easily transferred from the heat-dissipating surface section 65a of the heat-dissipating conductor 65 to the straight section 65h, and heat can be quickly transferred to the radiator section 66 connected to the straight section 65h.

[0050] A straight section 65h is connected to the rear end of the bent section 65g. The straight section 65h is formed to have approximately the same thickness as the bent section 65g. This allows heat transmitted through the bent section 65g to be smoothly transferred to the straight section 65h. In other words, the heat dissipation conductor 65 is made into a hollow pipe shape with a thickness that is approximately constant from the bent section 65g to the straight section 65h. This ensures that heat transmitted from the heat dissipation surface 65a is transferred as smoothly as possible to the bent section 65g and the straight section 65h, preventing excessive heat generation at specific points in the bent section 65g and the straight section 65h. A radiator section 66 is provided at the rear of the heat dissipation conductor 65 configured in this way. The straight section 65h of the heat dissipation conductor 65 is connected to the radiator section 66 at its rear end.

[0051] The radiator section 66 is positioned on the upper surface of the upper plate section 40b of the irradiation section 4, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 7, the radiator section 66 includes a radiator section body 66a connected to the rear end of the heat dissipation conductor 65, heat dissipation fins 66c positioned in the opening 66b of the radiator section body 66a, and a cover body 67 formed to surround a portion of the radiator section body 66a and the heat dissipation fins 66c. As shown in Figure 7, the radiator section body 66a has a convex portion 66d projecting upward from the left and right center when viewed from the front.

[0052] The protrusion 66d is formed extending from the front end to the rear end of the radiator body 66a, and has holes 66e on the front surface near the left and right ends for inserting the straight sections 65h of the heat dissipation conductor 65. In addition, the radiator body 66a has an opening 66b formed vertically through approximately in the center of the radiator body 66a in a plan view. The opening 66b has a plurality of heat dissipation fins 66c arranged parallel to the front end surface of the radiator body 66a.

[0053] The heat dissipation fins 66c are formed in a flat, plate-like shape and are installed between the left and right side walls of the opening 66b. Within the opening 66b, the heat dissipation fins 66c are spaced approximately constant apart from adjacent heat dissipation fins 66c, allowing air to circulate from the top to the bottom of the radiator body 66a.

[0054] The radiator body 66a and a portion of the heat dissipation fins 66c configured in this way are surrounded by a cover body 67. The cover body 67 is made of an elastic material with low thermal conductivity. The cover body 67 is formed to be substantially similar in shape to the radiator body 66a and to house the radiator body 66a inside. In a front view, the cover body 67 has an insertion opening 67a formed to be substantially the same shape as the front and rear end faces of the radiator body 66a, and ventilation holes 67b formed to penetrate from top to bottom.

[0055] The insertion opening 67a is formed to be slightly larger than the front and rear end faces of the radiator body 66a, so that the radiator body 66a can be easily accommodated. The ventilation hole 67b, as shown in Figure 7, is roughly home plate shaped, and is formed into a hexagonal shape by cutting off the front edge parallel to the rear edge at the front edge of the home plate shape. In this way, the cover body 67 is made of a material with low thermal conductivity, which minimizes the transfer of heat from the heat dissipation conductor 65 to the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 and the xenon lamp 41 and housing 42 of the irradiation unit 4. In other words, even if the radiator unit 66 is mounted and fixed to the rear upper surface of the irradiation unit 4, damage to other components due to heat can be prevented.

[0056] The radiator section 66 for heat dissipation is formed by inserting the radiator section body 66a into the cover body 67 configured in this way through the insertion opening 67a. In addition, the ventilation holes 67b formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the cover body 67 allow air to flow from top to bottom, and the air flowing in from the air intake 10 comes into contact with all of the heat dissipation fins 66c provided on the radiator section body 66a, thereby cooling the heat dissipation fins 66c. Below the radiator section 66 configured in this way, a cooling fan 68 is provided, configured to facilitate the flow of air entering from the air intake 10 into the ventilation holes 67b of the radiator section 66.

[0057] As shown in Figures 4(b) and 5(a),(b), the cooling fan 68 is installed between the upper and lower plate portions 40b, 40b of the irradiation unit 4. The cooling fan 68 is equipped with multiple blades 68a for generating air convection. The cooling fan 68 can generate an airflow from the top to the bottom of the cooling fan 68 by rotating the blades 68a.

[0058] When the cooling fan 68 is driven inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, the air located above the cooling fan 68 passes between the heat dissipation fins 66c of the radiator unit 66 and moves to the air outlet space S2 connected to the bottom of the cooling fan 68. The air, heated in the radiator unit 66 and reaching the air outlet space S2, is discharged to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 through the exhaust port 11. In this way, the inside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 is in a negative pressure state compared to the surroundings of the light hair removal device M, due to the configuration in which the air heated in the radiator unit 66 is discharged to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. Therefore, by forcibly discharging the air inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, the inflow of air from the intake port 10 is promoted, and the inside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 can be efficiently cooled. Furthermore, by providing only one air intake port 10 on the top surface 1d of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, and air exhaust ports 11 on the left and right sides 1b and 1c respectively of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, the air heated by the radiator unit 66 can be reliably discharged from the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 regardless of whether the top surface 1d of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 is facing upward, left or right, or downward.

[0059] In other words, by creating a negative pressure state in the air inlet space S1 of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 through the action of the cooling fan 68, the inflow of air into the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 is promoted. At the same time, by forcibly circulating the air towards the lower inner surface inside the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 through the action of the cooling fan 68, the air outlet space S2 is created to be in a positive pressure state. This allows the air to be discharged to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 regardless of whether the exhaust port 11 is facing up, down, left, or right.

[0060] In this configuration, the heat absorbed by the Peltier element plate 61 is transferred to the heat dissipation conductor 65 and radiator section 66 via the Peltier element body 62, and the air surrounding the radiator section 66 is discharged to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function section 1 through the air outlet space S2 by the air A that flows in from the intake port 10. This configuration allows for efficient cooling of the sapphire glass body 33 that comes into contact with the skin T to be treated.

[0061] <Irradiation area> Figures 4 and 5 show the irradiation unit 4 housed in the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. The irradiation unit 4 has a lamp housing 40 that houses a lamp used for hair removal, and a xenon lamp 41 housed in the lamp housing 40 that generates light for hair removal.

[0062] As shown in Figure 5(a), the lamp housing section 40 is located inside the light irradiation hair removal function section 1 and has a hollow box section 40a that extends from the rear of the cooling function section 3 to approximately the center of the light irradiation hair removal function section 1, and upper and lower plate sections 40b, 40b that extend rearward from the upper and lower rear ends of the box section 40a.

[0063] The box section 40a is made of a light-transmitting milky white resin, and xenon lamps 41 are mounted on the left and right side walls near the front end. By arranging the xenon lamps 41 near the front end of the light-transmitting lamp housing section 40 in this way, light radiated to areas other than the opening 32 of the cooling function section 3 can be attenuated.

[0064] The plate portion 40b is a flat, plate-shaped body, and is formed with a uniform thickness from the front end connected to the box portion 40a to the rear end. The plate portion 40b has roughly rectangular air vents 40c, 40c drilled near the front end. These air vents 40c are formed to be approximately the same size as the ventilation holes 67b of the cover body 67 provided on the radiator portion 66.

[0065] The xenon lamp 41 emits light in the wavelength range of 300 nm to 1200 nm. In this embodiment, a filter that blocks light in the wavelength range of 300 nm to 600 nm, which is not used for hair removal, is provided in the sapphire glass body 33 located in the cooling function unit 3. Therefore, the light that passes through the sapphire glass body 33 and is emitted to the outside of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 is light in the wavelength range of 600 nm to 1200 nm, and the irradiation energy is restricted so that light that is unnecessary for hair removal is not irradiated from the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1 to the skin area T that needs to be treated.

[0066] The light irradiation hair removal function unit 1, configured in this manner, is controlled by an operation unit 5 located on the rear upper surface. As shown in Figure 4, the operation unit 5 is located behind the air intake port 10 located at the top of the light irradiation hair removal function unit 1. The operation unit 5 includes a power button 50 for driving the light hair removal device M, a cooling button 51 for controlling the cooling unit 6 for cooling the sapphire glass body 33, an irradiation intensity adjustment button 52 for adjusting the light emission intensity of the xenon lamp 41 provided in the irradiation unit 4, and a monitor unit 53 for displaying the current status of the light hair removal device M. The light hair removal device M is controlled by the various buttons provided on the operation unit 5, and is configured so that various states such as whether the cooling unit 6 is driven and the cumulative number of irradiations of the irradiation unit 4 can be checked via the monitor unit 53.

[0067] A gripping section 2 is suspended from the lower part near the rear end of the light irradiation hair removal function section 1 configured in this way. The gripping portion 2 has a roughly elliptical shape with its horizontal cross-section having the front-to-back direction as its major axis, and is configured so that its diameter gradually decreases from the base end 20 connected to the light irradiation hair removal function portion 1 to the tip end 21. The gripping portion 2 has a length of 100 mm from the base end 20 to the tip end 21, and is configured to be long enough to be gripped with the entire palm of the hand. In this embodiment, the light hair removal device M has an elliptical shape for the gripping portion 2 with the front-to-back direction as its major axis, and the diameter of the gripping portion 2 gradually decreases from the base end 20 to the tip end 21, making it easy for the operator to grip.

[0068] Furthermore, near the base end portion 20 of the gripping portion 2, and approximately below the center of the light irradiation hair removal function portion 1, there is an irradiation switch S for turning on the light source provided in the irradiation portion 4. When performing hair removal, the hair removal operator presses the irradiation switch S with their index finger to illuminate the light source of the irradiation portion 4 and perform the hair removal treatment. In this way, the irradiation switch S provided on the gripping part 2 and the cooling button 51 on the operating part 5 provided on the light irradiation hair removal function part 1 are provided separately, and the irradiation part 4 and the cooling unit 6 are controlled independently. As a result, the sapphire glass body 33 cooled by the cooling unit 6 can pre-cool the skin part T to be treated, bringing it to a low temperature, and the risk of skin damage or burns caused by the heat generated on the skin during hair removal can be reduced as much as possible.

[0069] As described above, the light hair removal device M according to this embodiment can efficiently cool the skin area T to be treated by the cooling function unit 3 and the cooling unit 6. In particular, the cooling unit 60 for maintaining the cooling state of the sapphire glass body 33 that comes into contact with the skin area T to be treated is composed of a Peltier element plate 61 and a Peltier element body 62, and by electrically cooling the Peltier element plate 61 using the Peltier effect, the cooling state of the skin area T to be treated by the sapphire glass body 33 can be maintained.

[0070] Furthermore, the Peltier element body 62, which has been heated by the Peltier effect, is used to transfer heat to the radiator section 66 using the heat dissipation conductor 65, and the air inside the light irradiation hair removal function section 1 is discharged from the left and right sides 1b and 1c of the light irradiation hair removal function section 1 by forced convection of the cooling fan 68. This configuration limits the inflow of air into the light irradiation hair removal function section 1 to the intake port 10, thereby allowing cooling air to be blown to the radiator section 66. In other words, by efficiently cooling the radiator section 66, the skin cooling section 30 and the sapphire glass body 33 can be efficiently cooled, and the risk of skin damage or burns occurring in the skin area T to be treated and the surrounding skin area T that comes into contact with them can be reduced as much as possible.

[0071] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and also includes configurations obtained by rearranging the components disclosed in the embodiments described above by substituting them with each other, known inventions, and configurations obtained by substituting the components disclosed in the embodiments described above with each other. In addition, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but extends to the matters described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0072] 1. Light-irradiation hair removal function unit 2 Grip part 3 Cooling function section 4. Irradiation area 5 Control section 6 Cooling Unit 10 Intake ports 11 Exhaust vent 12 Airflow passage 30 Skin cooling section 31 Convex part 33 Sapphire glass body 60 Cooling section 61 Peltier element plate 62 Peltier element 65 Heat dissipation conductor 66 Radiator section 66a Radiator Unit 66°C heat sink fins 68 Cooling Fans M Photoepilator S1 Air Inlet Space S2 Air Outlet Space

Claims

1. A light-irradiation hair removal function unit is configured to remove hair by irradiating the area of ​​skin to be treated with light from a xenon lamp, causing thermal denaturation of the hair follicle protein and inhibiting hair growth. A sapphire glass body is stretched across the irradiation port of the aforementioned irradiation light and transmits and irradiates xenon lamp light, A cooling unit having an integrated structure, including a cooling section that contacts the left and right sides of the back surface of the sapphire glass body and cools the sapphire glass body from opposing left and right directions, A heat dissipation conductor is included in the cooling unit and extends rearward from the heating side of the cooling section, guiding the heat of the cooling section to the rear, A radiator section, similar to the heat dissipation conductor, is included in the cooling unit and is provided at the rear end of the heat dissipation conductor to dissipate the heat transferred from the heat dissipation conductor, An air passage comprising an air inlet space and an air outlet space formed to pass through the radiator section, A light-based hair removal device characterized by its composition.

2. The light hair removal device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit comprises a Peltier element plate with cooling functionality for cooling the sapphire glass body, and a Peltier element body with heating functionality located on the opposite side of the Peltier element plate with cooling functionality, and the heat generated in the Peltier element body is transferred to the radiator through the heat dissipation conductor.

3. The light hair removal device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sapphire glass body is provided protruding from the front end of the light irradiation hair removal function unit.

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