Shaving device with improved contour following

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9713876-B2
Application number	US-201514968992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Mar 9, 2009
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A shaving head includes at least one cutting unit in which an external cutting member is subjected to a shaving action. The external cutting member is suspended relative to a holder of the shaving head through suspension means. The suspension means includes at least two pivot constructions, wherein one pivot construction enables a member of the suspension means to be pivotable relative to the holder. The other pivot construction enables the external cutting member to be pivotable relative to the suspension member. Furthermore, a pivoting stiffness of a connection of the latter pivot construction is lower than a pivoting stiffness of the first pivot construction. In this manner, good contour following performance is obtained at two levels, in both relatively small and relatively large curvature changing areas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shaving head for use in a shaving device for removing hairs from skin by cutting through the hairs, said shaving head comprising at least one cutting unit and a holder configured to hold the at least one cutting unit, said holder being adapted to be mounted on a body portion of the shaving device, said body portion being configured to be held by a user of the shaving device and being adapted to accommodate one or more members of the shaving device;
where the at least one cutting unit comprises an external cutting member having a surface configured to contact skin during a shaving action and having openings configured to allow hairs to pass;
where the at least one cutting unit further comprises an internal cutting member, said internal cutting member being drivable for movement along the openings in the surface of the external cutting member and being adapted to cut through hairs during such movement; and
where the external cutting member is suspended relative to the holder through a suspension assembly comprising:
a first suspension member being tiltable with respect to the holder about a tilting axis (c), the tilting axis (c) extending into a circumferential area of the at least one cutting unit at a side of the at least one cutting unit, said side being proximal to a central axis of the shaving head; and
a second suspension member being tiltable with respect to the first suspension member about a tilting axis (d), where said tilting axis (d) extends in a direction relative to said tilting axis (c) for enabling tilting of the second suspension member cooperatively with said first suspension member;
where the first and second suspension members have respective first and second pivoting stiffness threshold values that need to be exerted to effect a tilting movement about respective ones of the tilting axes (c) and (d), the threshold value for effecting tilting of the second suspension member about axis (d) being lower than the threshold value for effecting tilting of the first suspension member about the axis (c), and
where the external cutting member of the at least one cutting unit is mounted to the second suspension member.

2. The shaving head of claim 1 , where the first and second suspension members comprise concentrically-arranged rings.

3. The shaving head of claim 2 , where when viewed from a side thereof facing skin to be contacted by the at least one cutting unit, the first suspension member underlies the second suspension member and the second suspension member covers at least a portion of the first suspension member, such that the covered portion is prevented from contacting said skin.

4. The shaving head of claim 1 , where the tilting axes (c) and (d) extend at mutually different first and second levels with respect to the skin-contacting surface of the external cutting member.

5. The shaving head of claim 4 , where the tilting axis (c) extends at the first level with respect to the skin-contacting surface of the external cutting member and the tilting axis (d) extends at the second level with respect to said skin-contacting surface of said external cutting member, said first level being further away than said second level from the skin-contacting surface of the external cutting member.

6. The shaving head of claim 1 , where tilting axis (c) extends substantially parallel to tilting axis (d).

7. The shaving head of claim 1 , where the internal cutting member is rotatably arranged.

8. The shaving device of claim 1 , where the holder is adapted to allow for pivotal movements with respect to said body portion about one of a tilting axis (a) and a tilting axis (b) and where the tilting axis (c) extends substantially parallel to said one of tilting axis (a) and tilting axis (b) of the holder.

9. A shaving device for removing hairs from skin by cutting through the hairs, comprising:
a body portion configured to be held by a user of the shaving device and being adapted to accommodate one or more members of the shaving device; and
a shaving head comprising at least one cutting unit and a holder configured to hold the at least one cutting unit, said holder being adapted to be mounted on the body portion of the shaving device;
where the at least one cutting unit comprises an external cutting member having a surface configured to contact skin during a shaving action and having openings configured to allow hairs to pass;
where the at least one cutting unit further comprises an internal cutting member, said internal cutting member being drivable for movement along the openings in the surface of the external cutting member and being adapted to cut through hairs during such movement; and
where the external cutting member is suspended relative to the holder through a suspension assembly comprising:
a first suspension member being tiltable with respect to the holder about a tilting axis (c), the tilting axis (c) extending into a circumferential area of the at least one cutting unit at a side of the at least one cutting unit, said side being proximal to a central axis of the shaving head; and
a second suspension member being tiltable with respect to the first suspension member about a tilting axis (d), where said tilting axis (d) extends in a direction relative to said tilting axis (c) for enabling tilting of the second suspension member cooperatively with said first suspension member;
where the first and second suspension members have respective first and second pivoting stiffness threshold values that need to be exerted to effect a tilting movement about respective ones of the tilting axes (c) and (d), the threshold value for effecting tilting of the second suspension member about axis (d) being lower than the threshold value for effecting tilting of the first suspension member about the axis (c).

10. The shaving device of claim 9 , where the shaving head comprises at least two cutting units.

11. The shaving device of claim 9 where the holder is adapted to allow for pivotal movements with respect to said body portion about one of a tilting axis (a) and a tilting axis (b) and where the tilting axis (c) extends substantially parallel to one of said tilting axis (a) and said tilting axis (b) of the holder.

12. A shaving head for use in a shaving device for removing hairs from skin by cutting through the hairs, said shaving head comprising at least one cutting unit and a holder configured to hold the at least one cutting unit, said holder being adapted to be mounted on a body portion of the shaving device, said body portion being configured to be held by a user of the shaving device and being adapted to accommodate one or more members of the shaving device;
where the at least one cutting unit comprises an external cutting member having a surface configured to contact skin during a shaving action and having openings configured to allow hairs to pass;
where the at least one cutting unit further comprises an internal cutting member, said internal cutting member being drivable for movement along the openings in the surface of the external cutting member and being adapted to cut through hairs during such movement; and
where the external cutting member is suspended relative to the holder through a suspension assembly comprising:
a first suspension member being tiltable with respect to the holder about a tilting axis (c), the tilting axis (c) extending into a circumferential area of the at least one cutting unit at a side of the at least one cutting unit, said side being proximal to a central axis of the shaving head; and
a second suspension member being tiltable with respect to the first suspension member about a tilting axis (d), where said tilting ax

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Brada Ype
• Smedinga Oege
• Baron Sint

Classifications

• B26B19/146

  Complete cutting head being movable · CPC title

• B26B19/145

  Cutters being movable in the cutting head · CPC title

• B26B19/14 Primary

  of the rotary-cutter type; Cutting heads therefor; Cutters therefor (B26B19/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B26B19/143

  Details of outer cutters · CPC title