Attachment for epilator and epilator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9743738-B2
Application number	US-201414253953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2014
Priority date	Apr 16, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure is concerned with an attachment for an epilator or an epilator having an axle arranged for driven movement around a center axle axis, an end plate arranged at a first end of the axle for rotation together with the axle, the end plate having at least a first functional surface, a first clamping element having a functional surface, the first functional surface of the end plate being arranged face-to-face with the functional surface of the first clamping element, and the first clamping element being arranged for repeatedly being moved towards and away from the end plate such that repeatedly a closed position is obtained in which the two functional surfaces abut on each other, wherein the end plate is an outer part of the epilator or the attachment for an epilator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clamping head for an epilator comprising:
an axle arranged for driven movement around a centre axle axis;
a stationary clamping element that is stationary with respect to a movement in axial direction, the stationary clamping element arranged for rotation together with the axle, the stationary clamping element having at least a first stationary functional surface;
a first moveable clamping element having a first moveable functional surface;
the first stationary functional surface being arranged face-to-face with the first moveable functional surface; and
the first moveable clamping element being arranged for repeatedly being moved towards and away from the stationary clamping element such that repeatedly a closed position is obtained in which the first stationary functional surface and the first moveable functional surface abut on each other,
further comprising at least a first actuator associated with the first moveable clamping element, wherein the first actuator is arranged for being movable in axial direction towards the stationary clamping element such that the first moveable functional surface and the first stationary functional surface are moved into the closed position;
wherein at least the first moveable clamping element and the first actuator are realized as an integral element, and wherein the integrally-formed first actuator and first moveable clamping element is L-shaped in cross-section with the first moveable clamping element portion being orthogonal to the first actuator portion;
said claiming head further comprising:
a resilient element being resilient at least in axial direction and having a first end arranged against a first stopper element fixed in axial positional relationship with respect to the axle; and
a pressure plate abutting on a second end of the resilient element and having a functional surface that has an axial projection that is elevated in axial direction towards the stationary clamping element,

wherein the first actuator being arranged for getting at least intermittently into sliding contact with the functional surface of the pressure plate; and
wherein the first actuator is arranged for being movable in axial direction towards the stationary clamping element when it slides over the axial projection of the pressure plate such that the first moveable functional surface and the first stationary functional surface are moved into the closed position.

2. The clamping head for an epilator in accordance with claim 1 , comprising at least a second actuator associated with a second moveable clamping element, which second moveable clamping element is arranged circumferentially displaced from the first moveable clamping element, optionally wherein the second moveable clamping element is also axially displaced from the first moveable clamping element.

3. The clamping head for an epilator in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the stationary clamping element has a second stationary functional surface arranged face-to-face with a second moveable functional surface of the second moveable clamping element, wherein the second stationary functional surface of the stationary clamping element is axially displaced from the first stationary functional surface of the stationary clamping element.

4. The clamping head for an epilator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the stationary clamping element comprises several functional surfaces each being axially displaced from each other, wherein the axial displacement of the functional surfaces of the stationary clamping element is provided by different axial projections from the stationary clamping element or a different thickness of a portion of the stationary clamping element for each functional surface.

5. The clamping head for an epilator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a closure element is provided that is axially and angularly locked with respect to the stationary clamping element, particularly by an axially extending connection structure, which is realized at least in part by at least one axially extending pin.

6. The clamping head for an epilator in accordance with claim 5 , comprising at least a first guiding structure for guiding the first actuator, wherein the first guiding structure is realized by a part of the axially extending connection structure such as the at least one axially extending pin.

7. The clamping head for an epilator in accordance with claim 5 , further comprising a centre plate that is axially and angularly locked with respect to the stationary clamping element, by an axially extending connection structure being a part of the axially extending connection structure that locks the closure element and the stationary clamping element.

8. The clamping head for an epilator in accordance with claim 7 , the center plate comprising at least a first functional surface arranged face-to-face with a functional surface of a first additional clamping element and the first functional surface of the centre plate and the functional surface of the first additional clamping element being arranged for repeatedly being moved towards and away from the stationary clamping element such that repeatedly a closed position is obtained in which the first functional surface of the centre plate and the functional surface of the first additional clamping element abut on each other.

9. The clamping head for an epilator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least a first spring element is arranged between the first moveable clamping element and the stationary clamping element such that the first stationary functional surface and the first moveable functional surface are biased into an open position in which a gap having an axial width extends between the first stationary functional surface and the first moveable functional surface.

10. The clamping head for an epilator in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the pressure plate is arranged to have a first angular position around the axle when the axle is clockwise rotated and a second angular position when the axle is counterclockwise rotated.

11. The clamping head in accordance with claim 1 , arranged to be attachable to and detachable from a handle of an epilator by snap elements.

12. The clamping head in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first moveable clamping element is arranged to being moved in a direction along to the central axle axis and wherein said first moveable clamping element is arranged to stay orthogonal with respect to the central axle axis in any position relative to the axle.

13. An epilator comprising the clamping head in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the stationary clamping element is formed as an end plate arranged at a first end of the axle and wherein the end plate is an outer housing part of the epilator or an attachment for an epilator.

14. The epilator in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising a drive unit having a drive axle that extends either along the centre axle axis or that extends parallel to the centre axle axis.

Assignees

• Braun Gmbh

Inventors

• Sanchez-Martinez Pedro
• Klug Ralf
• Steiner Thomas

Classifications

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