Epilation device measuring contact force and comprising a feedback unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10555591-B2
Application number	US-201715634356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

There is provided an epilation device for removing body hair with at least one epilation unit. In particular, an epilation barrel, having a plurality of pairs of tweezers for pinching and pulling out hairs from the skin. The epilation device further has a drive unit for driving the at least one epilation barrel and a control unit. The control unit is able to analyze the force with which the user presses the epilation unit to the skin resulting in contact pressure and compares the contact pressure applied to at least one threshold contact pressure. Optionally, the epilation device further has a feedback unit which signals to the user, whether the contact pressure applied is smaller than, equal to, or larger than the at least one threshold contact pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An epilation device for pinching and pulling out hairs from the skin of a user comprising:
an epilation barrel comprising a plurality of clamping elements;
a drive unit for driving the epilation barrel into movement; and
a control unit for analyzing a contact pressure between the epilation barrel and the skin of a user and for determining whether the contact pressure is equal to or smaller than a lower threshold contact pressure and is equal to or larger than a first upper threshold contact pressure, wherein the drive unit is adapted to reduce the movement of the epilation barrel by a predetermined amount when the contact pressure is equal to or larger than the first upper threshold contact pressure.

2. The epilation device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further adapted to determine whether the measured contact pressure is equal to or larger than a second upper threshold contact pressure, wherein the second upper threshold contact pressure is larger than the first upper threshold contact pressure.

3. The epilation device according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined amount is at least about 250 rpm.

4. The epilation device according to claim 2 , wherein the drive unit is adapted to stop when the contact pressure is equal to or larger than the second upper threshold contact pressure for a preset time period.

5. The epilation device according to claim 2 , wherein the first upper threshold contact pressure is in the range of from about 1.5 N to about 3.5 N.

6. The epilation device according to claim 2 , wherein the second upper threshold contact pressure is in the range of from about 4 N to about 5 N.

7. The epilation device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower threshold contact pressure is in the range of from about 0.3 N to about 0.7 N.

8. The epilation device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates the contact pressure from a current consumed by the drive unit to drive the epilation barrel.

9. The epilation device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is connected to a sensor for determining the contact pressure.

10. The epilation device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is connected to a torque sensor for determining the torque required by the drive unit to drive the epilation barrel.

11. The epilation device according to claim 1 , wherein the epilation device further comprises an indicator unit for indicating to a user whether the contact pressure is equal to or smaller than the lower threshold contact pressure and equal to or larger than the first upper threshold contact pressure.

12. The epilation device according to claim 11 , wherein the indicator unit is adapted for emitting light in at least two different colors.

13. An epilation method of indicating a contact pressure using the epilation device according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
measuring the contact pressure between the epilation barrel and the skin of the user;
comparing the contact pressure to the lower threshold contact pressure and the first upper threshold contact pressure;
determining whether the contact pressure is equal to or smaller than the lower threshold contact pressure and is equal to or larger than the first upper threshold contact pressure; and
indicating by at least one indicator signal to the user whether the contact pressure is equal to or smaller than the lower threshold contact pressure and is equal to or larger than the first upper threshold contact pressure, wherein the indicator signal changed when the contact pressure is larger than the first upper threshold contact pressure for a preset time period.

14. The epilation method according to claim 13 , wherein the indicator signal changes when the contact pressure is smaller than the lower threshold contact pressure.

Assignees

• Braun Gmbh

Inventors

• Roenneberg Gerrit
• Mehaddene Tarik

Classifications

• A45D26/0023 Primary

  with rotating clamping elements (A45D26/0042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05D15/01

  characterised by the use of electric means · CPC title

• A45D26/0076

  power-driven · CPC title

• A45D26/0028

  with rotating discs or blades · CPC title

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title