Hair cutting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016016256-A1
Application number	US-201414773522-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2014
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present application relates to a device for cutting hair comprising a skin contacting face ( 3 ) that is placed against a surface of the skin ( 6 ) of a user during use. The device also has an optical system configured to direct a cutting laser beam ( 8 ) across a cutting zone ( 5 ) parallel to and spaced from said skin contacting face to cut hairs extending into the cutting zone. Also provided is a laser positioning mechanism which is arranged so that, during use of the device, the distance (H 1 ) between said cutting laser beam and said skin contacting face is changed to maintain a predetermined distance between the cutting laser beam and the surface of the skin of a user.

First claim

1 . A device for cutting hair comprising a skin contacting face that is arranged to be placed against a surface of the skin of a user during use, an optical system configured to direct a cutting laser beam across a cutting zone parallel to and spaced from said skin contacting face to cut hairs extending into the cutting zone, and wherein the device further comprises a laser positioning mechanism arranged so that, when the device is in use, the distance (H 1 ) between said cutting laser beam and said skin contacting face is changed to maintain a predetermined distance between the cutting laser beam and the surface of the skin of a user.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the laser positioning mechanism comprises a skin surface follower attached to the optical system, the skin surface follower being arranged so that, when the device is in use, the skin surface follower contacts a surface of the skin below the cutting laser beam so that the skin surface follower moves together with the optical system relative to the skin contacting face to change the distance between the cutting laser beam and said skin contacting face.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein said skin surface follower is configured to contact a surface of the skin of a user in the vicinity of the cutting laser beam in the cutting zone when the device is in use.

4 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the laser positioning mechanism comprises a frame which is moveably mounted within the device, said frame comprising said skin surface follower and said optical system which comprises a first reflective element positioned to reflect an incident laser beam across the cutting zone.

5 . The device of claim 4 , further comprising a spring element to bias said moveable frame in a direction towards the surface of a user's skin so that the skin surface follower remains in contact with the user's skin when the device is in use.

6 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the skin surface follower comprises an aperture and the cutting laser beam extends across the cutting zone and through the aperture.

7 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the skin surface follower comprises a recess and the cutting laser beam extends across the cutting zone within the recess.

8 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the skin surface follower comprises a distal face that forms the first reflective element.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the laser positioning mechanism comprises an electronic sensor arranged to detect the surface of the skin in the cutting zone during use and an actuator configured to move said laser positioning mechanism to maintain a predetermined distance between the cutting laser beam and the surface of the skin of a user when the device is in use.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the laser positioning mechanism comprises a frame which is moveably mounted within the device and on which is mounted the optical system, wherein the actuator is configured to move said frame to maintain a predetermined distance between the cutting laser beam and the surface of the skin of a user when the device is in use.

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical system includes at least a first reflective element, configured to reflect an incident laser beam across said cutting zone, and wherein the laser positioning mechanism comprises an actuator configured to move a component of said optical system to adjust the distance between said cutting laser beam and said skin contacting face of the device.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the actuator is configured to move said first reflective element either along a path of the incident laser beam or along a path of the cutting laser beam in the cutting zone.

13 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the optical system comprises an additional reflective element which reflects a laser beam such that it is incident on said first reflective element, and wherein said actuator is configured to move said additional reflective element to adjust the path of the incident laser beam which is incident on said first reflective element and thereby adjust the distance between the cutting laser beam and the skin contacting face.

14 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the optical system further comprises two reflective elements rotatably mounted on parallel axes, wherein said two reflective elements are configured to reflect a laser beam onto said first reflective element and said actuator is configured to rotate said two reflective elements to adjust the path of the incident laser beam which is incident on the first reflective element.

Assignees

• Koninkl Philips Nv

Inventors

• Moeskops Bastiaan Wilhelmus Maria
• Ciuhu Calina
• Voncken Rudolf Maria Jozef
• Hilverda Klaas
• Veenstra Geert
• Westerhof Willem Auke

Classifications

• A61B18/203 Primary

  applying laser energy to the outside of the body · CPC title

• A61B2018/00452

  Skin · CPC title

• B23K26/064 Primary

  by means of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors or prisms · CPC title

• A61N5/06 Primary

  using light · CPC title

• A61B2018/00476

  Hair follicles · CPC title