Personal care device like a shaving device, a head structure and a base structure for such a personal care device, as well as a coupling structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016101529-A1
Application number	US-201414892633-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 21, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A personal care device like a shaving device ( 1 ) comprises a base structure ( 2 ) and a head structure ( 3 ). The head structure comprises a first coupling element ( 5 ) and at least a head support structure ( 4 ) configured to hold at least one treatment head ( 4′ ). The base structure comprises a second coupling element ( 6 ). The coupling elements can releasably be coupled to each other for coupling the head structure to the base structure. By rotating the coupled coupling elements with respect to each other in a first rotational direction about a central axis ( 9 ), a first inclined surface ( 15 ) of at least one of the first and second coupling elements cooperates with a first co-operating surface ( 26 ) of the other of the first and second coupling elements thereby driving the first and second coupling elements away from each other in an axial direction extending parallel to the central axis.

First claim

1 . A personal care device like a shaving device comprising a base structure and a head structure, wherein the head structure comprises a first coupling element and at least a head support structure configured to hold at least one treatment head, whilst the base structure comprises a second coupling element, which coupling elements can releasably be coupled to each other for coupling the head structure to the base structure, wherein by rotating the coupled coupling elements with respect to each other in a first rotational direction about a central axis a first inclined surface of at least one of the first and second coupling elements cooperates with a first co-operating surface of the other of the first and second coupling elements thereby driving the first and second coupling elements away from each other in an axial direction extending parallel to the central axis, and wherein by rotating the coupled coupling elements with respect to each other in a second rotational direction about the central axis, opposite to the first rotational direction, a second inclined surface of at least one of the first and second coupling elements cooperates with a second co-operating surface of the other of the first and second coupling elements thereby driving the first and second coupling elements away from each other in said axial direction, wherein the first and second inclined surfaces each include an obtuse angle with a tangential direction extending tangentially to the central axis, and wherein the first and second inclined surfaces are inclined in opposite directions relative to said tangential direction,
wherein the first and second inclined surfaces each include a further obtuse angle with a radial direction extending radially to the central axis.

2 . A personal care device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second co-operating surfaces of the other of the first and second coupling elements cooperating with the first and second inclined surfaces are also inclined.

3 . A personal care device according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second inclined surfaces and the first and second co-operating surfaces have corresponding inclinations.

4 . A personal care device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second inclined surfaces are straight longitudinal surfaces extending tangentially with respect to a reference plane extending in a reference radial direction to the central axis.

5 . A personal care device according to claim 1 , wherein the head structure, when coupled to the base structure, is solely supported by the coupling elements.

6 . A personal care device according to claim 1 , wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element are configured to arrive from an uncoupled state into a coupled state relative to each other by driving the first and second coupling elements towards each other in a coupling direction opposite to the axial direction, and to arrive from the coupled state into the uncoupled state by driving the first and second coupling elements away from each other in the axial direction.

7 . A personal care device according to claim 6 , wherein one of the first and second coupling elements ( 5 , 6 ) comprises at least one protrusion cooperating with at least one complementary recess in the other of the first and second coupling elements ( 5 , 6 ), wherein the coupling elements ( 5 , 6 ) can be coupled to each other only if the protrusion is located in the recess.

8 . A personal care device according to claim 7 , wherein said one of the first and second coupling elements comprises a number of protrusions, which are all different from each other, whilst the other of the first and second coupling elements comprises a number of recesses complementary to the protrusions.

9 . A personal care device according to claim 6 , wherein a position and an inclination of the first and second inclined surfaces is selected such that the first coupling element and the second coupling element arrive from the coupled state into the uncoupled state by rotating the coupled coupling elements with respect to each other about the central axis in either the first or the second rotational direction over an angle smaller than 90°.

10 . A personal care device according to claim 6 , wherein one of the first and second coupling elements comprises a spring element extending perpendicularly to the central axis for cooperation with a groove extending perpendicularly to the central axis and provided in the other of the first and second coupling elements for releasably retaining the coupling elements when coupled to each other.

11 . A head structure for use in a personal care device like a shaving device according to claim 1 , the head structure comprising a coupling element and at least a head support structure configured to hold at least one treatment head, which coupling element comprises a first and a second inclined surface wherein the first and second inclined surfaces each include an obtuse angle with a tangential direction extending tangentially to a central axis of the coupling element, wherein the first and second inclined surfaces are inclined in opposite directions relative to said tangential direction, and wherein the first and second inclined surfaces each include a further obtuse an le with a radial direction extending radially to the central axis.

12 . A base structure for use in a personal care device like a shaving device according to claim 1 , the base structure comprising a coupling element, which coupling element comprises a first and a second inclined surface wherein the first and second inclined surfaces each include an obtuse angle with a tangential direction extending tangentially to a central axis of the coupling element, wherein the first and second inclined surfaces are inclined in opposite directions relative to said tangential direction. and wherein the first and second inclined surfaces each include a further obtuse angle with a radial direction extending radially to the central axis.

13 . A coupling structure comprising at least a first coupling element and a second coupling element, which coupling elements can releasably be coupled to each other, wherein by rotating the coupled coupling elements with respect to each other in a first rotational direction about a central axis a first inclined surface of at least one of the first and second coupling elements cooperates with a first co-operating surface of the other of the first and second coupling elements thereby driving the first and second coupling elements away from each other in an axial direction extending parallel to the central axis, and wherein by rotating the coupled coupling elements with respect to each other in a second rotational direction about the central axis, opposite to the first rotational direction, a second inclined surface of at least one of the first and second coupling elements cooperates with a second co-operating surface of the other of the first and second coupling elements thereby driving the first and second coupling elements away from each other in said axial direction, wherein the first and second inclined surfaces each include an obtuse angle with a tangential direction extending tangentially to the central axis, and wherein the first and second inclined surfaces are inclined in opposite directions relative to said tangential direction,
wherein the first and second inclined surfaces each include a further obtuse angle with a radial direction extending radially to the central axis.

Assignees

• Koninkl Philips Nv

Inventors

• Wind Liesbet Hillechina

Classifications

• B26B21/40

  Details or accessories · CPC title

• B26B19/386 Primary

  Means for attaching the head thereto · CPC title

• B26B19/3813

  Attachments · CPC title

• B26B19/38 Primary

  Details of, or accessories for, hair clippers, or dry shavers, e.g. housings, casings, grips, guards (cutters, cutting heads B26B19/04, B26B19/12, B26B19/14; cleaning or disinfecting devices A45D27/46; drying devices A45D27/48; casings for electric apparatus in general H05K) · CPC title