Shaving unit with lubricating arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11241804-B2
Application number	US-201917052550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2019
Priority date	May 16, 2018
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A shaving unit (16) is disclosed comprising a housing (12), a guard (20) stationary relative to the housing (12), a cutting edge (22) arranged at a distance from the guard (20) and stationary relative to the housing, a hair-entry opening bounded by the guard and the cutting edge, and a drum (24) arranged within the housing, the drum (24) being configured to be driven rotatingly about a longitudinal axis thereof. A plurality of counter cutting edges (28) is arranged on the drum (24), wherein the counter cutting edges (28) cooperate with the cutting edge (22) during rotation of the drum (24) about the longitudinal axis (26) for shearing or cutting hairs when the shaving unit (16) is moved over a skin (30). The shaving unit (16) further comprises a lubricating arrangement (36) with a liquid reservoir (38) filled with a lubricant and with a feed mechanism (41) for supplying the lubricant from the liquid reservoir (38) to at least one of the counter cutting edges (28) for providing a lubricating film (42) thereto. The feed mechanism (41) comprises a lubricating element (39) arranged adjacent to the drum (24) in a position such as to engage the at least one counter cutting edge (28) during rotation of the drum (24) about the longitudinal axis (26).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shaving unit coupled to a housing, comprising:
a guard stationary relative to the housing;
a cutting edge arranged at a distance from the guard and stationary relative to the housing;
a hair-entry opening bound by the guard and the cutting edge;
a drum arranged within the housing, the drum being configured to be driven rotatingly about a longitudinal axis thereof;
at least one counter cutting edge arranged on the drum for cooperating with the cutting edge during rotation of the drum about the longitudinal axis for shearing or cutting hairs entering the hair-entry opening; and
a lubricating arrangement comprising:
a liquid reservoir configured for receiving a lubricant, and
a feed mechanism including a lubricating element arranged adjacent to the drum in a position such as to engage the at least one counter cutting edge during rotation of the drum about the longitudinal axis for providing a lubricating film to the at least one counter cutting edge.

2. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the position of the lubricating element is such that, during rotation of the drum about the longitudinal axis, the lubricating element engages the at least one counter cutting edge after the counter cutting edge passing the cutting edge and prior to the counter cutting edge contacting the skin after said passing and before next passing the cutting edge.

3. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the liquid reservoir comprises a pad configured for being soaked with the lubricant.

4. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the lubricating element comprises a wick being in contact with the liquid reservoir and configured for being soaked with the lubricant from the liquid reservoir.

5. The shaving unit of claim 4 , wherein the wick extends from the liquid reservoir towards a path followed by the at least one counter cutting edge during rotation of the drum about the longitudinal axis.

6. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the lubricating arrangement comprises a bias spring being arranged for biasing the lubricating element towards the drum.

7. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the feed mechanism comprises means for regulating a supply of the lubricant depending on a degree of friction between the lubricating element and the at least one counter cutting edge during rotation of the drum.

8. The shaving unit of claim 4 , wherein the wick is arranged at an acute angle relative to a tangential direction of the drum at the position where the wick engages the counter cutting edge during rotation of the drum.

9. The shaving unit of claim 4 , wherein the lubricating arrangement further comprises a wick supporting spring for biasing the wick towards the drum.

10. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the lubricating arrangement is configured as a replaceable part that can be removed from the shaving unit and replaced by a new lubricating arrangement by a user of the shaving unit.

11. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the lubricating arrangement is part of a replaceable cartridge, optionally a replaceable cartridge comprising the guard or the cutting edge.

12. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the drum comprises a plurality of counter cutting edges each extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum.

13. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the drum comprises a plurality of counter cutting edges arranged on free-standing catenary or cantilevered structures protruding from the drum.

14. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one counter cutting edge is configured as a ridge arranged on the drum.

15. A shaving appliance comprising the shaving unit and the housing according to claim 1 , the housing configured to be held by a hand.

16. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the cutting edge has a radius of curvature of 30 micrometers or less.

17. The shaving unit of claim 1 , wherein the drum comprises a plurality of counter cutting edges each extending spirally around the longitudinal axis of the drum.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv
• Koninkluke Philips N V

Inventors

• Godlieb Robert

Classifications

• B26B19/40 Primary

  Lubricating · CPC title

• B26B19/16 Primary

  involving a knife cylinder or a knife cone or separate cutting elements moved like a rotating cylinder or a rotating cone · CPC title