Attachment comb and hair cutting appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10730197-B2
Application number	US-201515302381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2015
Priority date	Apr 18, 2014
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

A hair cutting appliance is configured to be moved through hair in a moving direction in order to cut hair. The hair cutting appliance includes a housing portion, a blade set having a skin-facing top surface, and a releasable attachment comb. The blade set is arranged pivotably with respect to the housing portion. The attachment comb includes a supporting frame, at least one spacing guard element configured to space the blade set from a working surface when in operation, a mounting portion configured to be attached to a housing portion of the hair cutting appliance, and an orientation determining portion configured to engage the blade set and to define a locking orientation of the blade set when mounted to the hair cutting appliance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hair cutting appliance configured to be moved through hair in a moving direction to cut the hair, said hair cutting appliance comprising:
a housing;
a blade set having a skin-facing top surface, said blade set being configured to pivotably move during a shaving mode with respect to the housing and be in a locking orientation during a hair trimming mode; and
a releasable attachment comb configured to be coupled to the housing in the hair trimming mode and to fix the blade set in the locking orientation during the hair trimming mode, said releasable attachment comb comprising:
a supporting frame,
at least one spacing guard configured to space the skin-facing top surface of the blade set from a user's skin when in operation,
a mount having a hook, the hook being rotatably attached to the supporting frame for attachment to the housing of the hair cutting appliance, and
an orientation determining portion configured to engage the blade set and to define the locking orientation of the blade set and fix the blade set in the locking orientation in the hair trimming mode when the releasable attachment comb is mounted to the housing,

wherein the hair cutting appliance is configured for the blade set to be released from the locking orientation in response to removal of the releasable attachment comb from the housing.

2. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the orientation determining portion of the releasable attachment comb is configured to block a swiveling mechanism which is configured to couple the blade set and the housing portion of the hair cutting appliance.

3. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hook is a resilient snap-on hook configured to engage a mounting contour at the housing, and wherein the resilient snap-on hook biases against the mounting contour when mounted to the housing.

4. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hook of the releasable attachment comb is a pretensioned mounting element.

5. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hook of the releasable attachment comb is rotatably attached to the supporting frame, and wherein the supporting frame contacts the hook and the orientation determining portion.

6. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hook of the releasable attachment comb is configured to apply an alignment force to the housing when mounted to the housing, wherein the alignment force urges the orientation determining portion into engagement with the blade set, and wherein the blade set is urged into the locking orientation.

7. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hook of the releasable attachment comb comprises a sliding surface configured to cooperate with a sliding ramp surface associated with a mounting contour at the housing, wherein the sliding surface and the sliding ramp surface deflect the hook upon mounting the attachment comb such that a retaining surface of the hook engages an engagement surface associated with the mounting contour.

8. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the releasable attachment comb further comprises a handling tab, and wherein the hook is disengaged from the housing by rotation of the hook about a pivot upon applying a disengagement force to the handling tab.

9. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the orientation determining portion of the releasable attachment comb is configured to swivel the blade set against a swivel limit stop member associated with the housing on attachment of the releasable attachment comb.

10. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the orientation determining portion of the releasable attachment comb is configured to swivel the blade set against a blade set orientation biasing force applied by a biasing element associated with the housing.

11. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the attachment comb is a hair trimming comb, wherein the orientation determining portion is configured to induce the locking orientation of the blade set when the attachment comb is mounted to the housing, wherein the trimming orientation involves a defined angular orientation of the blade set with respect to the housing.

12. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the attachment comb further comprises an insertion portion adjacent to the orientation determining portion, wherein the insertion portion is configured to facilitate imposing the attachment comb to the blade set in a mounting direction.

13. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the mounting direction of the attachment comb is adapted to a standard orientation of the blade set with respect to the housing.

14. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hair cutting appliance is operable to shave hair in the shaving mode, wherein the blade set is configured to swivel in the shaving mode, wherein an actual orientation of the blade set is adaptable to the user's skin, and wherein the appliance, being equipped with the attachment comb, is operable to trim hair in the hair trimming mode, wherein the blade set is urged into the locking orientation by the attachment comb in the hair trimming mode.

15. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hook of the releasable attachment comb is hook or a spring-pretensioned hook.

16. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one spacing guard of the releasable attachment comb is located at a first end of the supporting frame and the hook is located at a second end of the supporting frame opposite the first end.

17. A hair cutting appliance configured to be moved through hair in a moving direction to cut the hair, said hair cutting appliance comprising:
a housing portion;
a blade set having a skin-facing top surface, said blade set being configured to pivotably move during a shaving mode with respect to the housing portion and be in a locking orientation during a hair trimming mode; and
a releasable attachment comb configured to be coupled to the housing portion in the hair trimming mode and to fix the blade set in the locking orientation during the hair trimming mode, said releasable attachment comb comprising:
a supporting frame,
at least one spacing guard means for spacing the skin-facing top surface of the blade set from a user's skin when in operation,
a mounting portion means for being rotatably attached to the supporting frame for attachment to the housing portion of the hair cutting appliance, and
an orientation determining portion means for engaging the blade set and to define the locking orientation of the blade set and for fixing the blade set in the locking orientation in the hair trimming mode when the releasable attachment comb is mounted to the housing portion,

wherein the hair cutting appliance is configured for the blade set to be released from the locking orientation in response to removal of the releasable attachment comb from the housing portion.

18. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the orientation determining portion means of the releasable attachment comb is for blocking swiveling means for coupling the blade set and the housing portion of the hair cutting appliance.

19. The hair cutting appliance as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the attachment comb further comprises insertion portion means for facilitating imposing the attachment comb to the blade set in a mounting direc

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Iaccarino Luca
• Roumen Britt
• Stapelbroek Martinus Bernardus
• Bennik Jan
• Pragt Johan
• Ripandelli Remy Amos Abraham
• Van Der Scheer Robbert Freerk Johan
• Aitink Albert Jan
• Van Straaten Roalnd
• Hoexum Everhardus Johannes
• Van Dalen Jan

Classifications

• B26B19/06

  involving co-operating cutting elements both of which have shearing teeth · CPC title

• B26B19/20 Primary

  with provision for shearing hair of preselected or variable length · CPC title

• B26B19/063 Primary

  Movable or adjustable cutting head · CPC title

• A45D24/36

  Combs, stencils, or guides, specially adapted for hair trimming devices · CPC title