Shaving cartridges having thermal sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751228-B2
Application number	US-201414552554-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Jan 14, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A shaving razor system with a heating element for transferring heat during a shaving stroke. The heating element has a skin contacting surface. An insulating member for delivering heat to the heating element has a plurality of spaced apart thermal sensors are mounted to the insulating member and positioned below the skin contacting surface. An electrical circuit is configured to deliver energy to the insulating member. The electrical circuit has a control circuit for temperature regulation. A power source is in communication with the electrical circuit. The thermal sensors measure the temperature of the heating element and are in communication with the control circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shaving razor system comprising:
a housing comprising a guard, a cap, and one or more blades located between the guard and the cap, said guard being positioned in front of said one or more blades, said cap being positioned behind said one or more blades,
a heating element in front of the one or more blades for transferring heat during a shaving stroke, said heating element comprising a skin contacting surface;
an insulating member for delivering heat to the heating element;
an electrical circuit configured to deliver energy to the insulating member, the electrical circuit comprising a control circuit for temperature regulation;
a power source in communication with the electrical circuit;
a plurality of spaced apart thermal sensors directly mounted to the insulating member and positioned below the skin contacting surface, wherein the thermal sensors independently output a temperature of the heating element and are in communication with the control circuit.

2. The shaving razor system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit decreases power to the insulating member if an average temperature of the thermal sensors is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature value.

3. The shaving razor system of claim 2 wherein the temperature control circuit comprises a microcontroller that stores the predetermined temperature value and sends a signal to an electrical switch to open and close.

4. The shaving razor system of claim 2 wherein the temperature control circuit shuts off power to the insulating member if the temperature output of either thermal sensor is greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature.

5. The shaving razor system of claim 4 wherein the predetermined temperature is greater than 50 C.

6. A shaving razor system comprising:
a heating element for transferring heat during a shaving stroke, said heating element comprising a skin contacting surface;
an insulating member for delivering heat to the heating element;
an electrical circuit configured to deliver energy to the insulating member, the electrical circuit comprising a control circuit for temperature regulation;
a power source in communication with the electrical circuit;
a plurality of spaced apart thermal sensors directly mounted to the insulating member and positioned below the skin contacting surface, wherein the thermal sensors measure the temperature of the heating element and are in communication with the control circuit;
the control circuit decreases power to the insulating member if an average temperature sensed by the thermal sensors is greater than or equal to a first predetermined temperature; and
the control circuit decreases power to the insulating member if an individual temperature sensed by either of the thermal sensors is greater than or equal to a second predetermined temperature that is greater than the first predetermined temperature.

7. The shaving razor system of claim 6 wherein the control circuit shuts off power to the insulating member if the average temperature sensed by the thermal sensors is greater than or equal to the first predetermined temperature.

8. The shaving razor system of claim 6 wherein the control circuit shuts off power to the insulating member if the individual temperature sensed by either of the thermal sensors is greater than or equal to the second predetermined temperature.

9. The shaving razor system of claim 6 wherein the first predetermined temperature is about 46° C. to about 50° C.

10. The shaving razor system of claim 6 wherein the second predetermined temperature is about 50° C. to about 60° C.

11. The shaving razor system of claim 6 wherein the first predetermined temperature is greater than the second predetermined temperature by at least about 2° C.

12. The shaving razor system of claim 6 further comprising a housing having a guard, a cap, and at least one blade between the guard and the cap, said guard being positioned in front of the at least one blade and the cap being positioned behind the at least one blade, wherein the heating element is mounted to the housing and the skin contacting surface is positioned in front of the at least one blade.

13. The shaving razor shaving razor system of claim 6 further comprising an electrical switch operatively connected to the insulating member and the power source, the electrical switch having an open position for stopping power from flowing from the power source to the insulating member and a closed position for facilitating power to flow from the power source to the insulating member.

14. The shaving razor system of claim 6 wherein the thermal sensors are spaced apart by about 3 mm to about 30 mm.

Assignees

• Gillette Co
• Gillette Co Llc

Inventors

• Heubach Klaus
• Broemse Norbert
• Schmitt Timo
• Schirmer Maurice
• Koenig Felix

Classifications

• B26B21/4056 Primary

  Sensors or controlling means · CPC title

• B26B21/4062

  Actuating members, e.g. switches or control knobs; Adjustments · CPC title

• B26B21/48 Primary

  Heating means · CPC title

• B26B21/526

  Electric features · CPC title

• B26B21/4081

  Shaving methods; Usage or wear indication; Testing methods · CPC title