Cosmetic device with exchangeable application head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11083279-B2
Application number	US-201715425152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2017
Priority date	Feb 23, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A cosmetic device with an exchangeable application head and a device body, wherein the device body contains a motor and drive mechanism, an actuating switch, a power supply, a head recognition element and a control element adapted to control the motor and drive mechanism based on an actuation of the actuation switch and the application head recognized by the head recognition element. It is provided that the head recognition element comprises at least one mechanical switch disposed on a carrier fixed at the device body. Further, a flexible actuation area is disposed in front of the at least one mechanical switch. The exchangeable application head has at least one recognition generating protrusion actuating through the flexible actuation area on one of the at least one mechanical switches when the exchangeable application head is mounted at the device body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cosmetic device comprising: an exchangeable application head and a device body, wherein
the device body contains a motor and driver, an actuating switch, a power supply, and a head recognition element;

wherein
the head recognition element comprises at least one mechanical switch disposed on a carrier fixed at the device body;
a flexible actuation structure comprising at least one actuation element, wherein the flexible actuation structure is disposed in front of the at least one mechanical switch;
the exchangeable application head has at least one recognition generating protrusion actuating through the flexible actuation structure on one of the at least one mechanical switch when the exchangeable application head is mounted at the device body.

2. The cosmetic device according to claim 1 , wherein an actuation direction of the at least one mechanical switch is directed perpendicular to a drive axis of the motor and driver or a longitudinal axis of the device body.

3. The cosmetic device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one mechanical switch comprises a plurality of mechanical switches, each of the plurality of mechanical switches is adapted to switch a component which is part of a resistance network such that a switching state of each of the plurality of mechanical switches together defines a unique voltage level of the resistance network to be detected by a switching state controller, wherein the switching state controller advantageously is adapted to detect a change in the switching state of the plurality of mechanical switches upon actuation of the plurality of mechanical switches.

4. The cosmetic device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one mechanical switch comprises a plurality of mechanical switches, wherein the at least one actuation element comprises a plurality of rigid elements, wherein one rigid element of the plurality of rigid elements is, wherein one rigid element is provided for each mechanical switch such that upon executing pressure onto the one rigid element, the one rigid element elastically moves towards the mechanical switch and switches on the mechanical switch and that upon releasing the pressure from the one rigid element, the one rigid element elastically moves away from the mechanical switch and switches off the mechanical switch, wherein the recognition generating protrusion is actuating on at least one of the rigid elements of the plurality of rigid elements when the exchangeable application head is clipped on the body cover by executing pressure onto the rigid element.

5. The cosmetic device according to claim 4 , wherein each of the rigid elements of the plurality of rigid elements is an elastic switching rib integrally formed with a device cover.

6. The cosmetic device according to claim 4 , wherein the recognition generating protrusion actuating on one of the rigid elements of the plurality of rigid elements is disposed in the exchangeable application head so that the mechanical switch is actuated by the recognition generating protrusion in an axial position of the application head relative to a device cover during clipping on the exchangeable application head on the device cover in which axial position the exchangeable application head is not yet engaging the motor and driver.

7. The cosmetic device according to claim 1 , wherein the device body is closed by a device cover, the device cover being an interface element between the device body and the exchangeable application head by clipping the application head on the device cover, the device cover comprising:
a sealed drive coupling for connecting the motor and driver mechanically and electrically to the application head;
and a connecting means for fixing the device cover to the device body;

wherein advantageously a seal is disposed between the device body and the device cover, the seal being fixed in the device body and the device cover.

8. The cosmetic device according to claim 1 , wherein a generic device controller is adapted to initialize device functions depending on the exchangeable application head recognized by the head recognition element.

9. The cosmetic device according to claim 8 , wherein the motor and driver comprises at least one connector for an electrical connection with at least one counter-connector in the exchangeable application head and that the generic device controller is adapted to supply voltage and current to the at least one connector only if an exchangeable application head is recognized by the head recognition element.

10. The cosmetic device according to claim 8 , wherein the generic device controller is adapted to assign certain functions to the actuating switch comprising at least one of:
switching off/on,
warming,
cooling,
directing of movement, or
selecting speed of movement.

11. The cosmetic device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating switch comprises at least three switching segments wherein each of the switching segments comprises one button to be actuated independently from each other.

12. The cosmetic device according to claim 11 , wherein the button of each of the three switching segments of the actuating switch are arranged in one line on the outer surface of the device body, wherein the line of the three buttons is contained in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the device body.

13. The cosmetic device according to claim 11 , wherein the three switching segments are water tightly covered by one, two or three cover segments, wherein
with three cover segments, one cover segment covers one of the switching segments or buttons, respectively,
with two cover segments, one cover segment covers one of the switching segments or buttons and the other cover segment covers two of the switching segments or buttons,
with one cover segment, the cover segment covers all three of the switching segments or buttons.

14. A cosmetic device comprising: an exchangeable application head and a device body, wherein
the device body contains a motor and driver, an actuating switch, a power supply, and a head recognition element;
wherein
the head recognition element comprises at least one mechanical switch disposed on a carrier fixed at the device body;
a flexible actuation area is disposed in front of the at least one mechanical switch, the flexible actuation area has at least one rigid element, wherein the at least one rigid element is provided for the at least one mechanical switch such that upon executing pressure onto the at least one rigid element, the at least one rigid element elastically moves towards the at least one mechanical switch and switches on the at least one mechanical switch and that upon releasing the pressure from the at least one rigid element, the at least one rigid element elastically moves away from the at least one mechanical switch and switches off the at least one mechanical switch;
the exchangeable application head has at least one recognition generating protrusion actuating through the flexible actuation area on one of the at least one mechanical switch when the exchangeable application head is mounted at the device body, wherein the recognition generating protrusion is actuating on the at least one rigid element in the flexible actuation area when the exchangeable application head is clipped on the body cover by executing pressure onto the at least one rigid element, wherein the flexible actuation area has at least one soft element, wherein the at least one soft element is disposed between a wall of the device and the at least one rigid element and is connected water-tightly to the at least one rigid element and the w

Assignees

• Braun Gmbh

Inventors

• Sanchez Martinez Pedro
• Steiner Thomas
• Gerlach Lars
• Hermann Ferdinand

Classifications

• A46B2200/1013

  Brushes for cleaning fingers or finger nails · CPC title

• A46B2200/1033

  Brush for applying or spreading shaving foam or soap · CPC title

• A46B2200/1026

  Gum massaging brush, i.e. specifically designed for massaging the gums · CPC title

• A46B2200/102

  Brush specifically designed for massaging the skin or scalp (A46B2200/1026 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A46B15/0014

  with a controlling temperature device · CPC title