Cutlery – Razors – With cooperating shearing blades
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-12
2004-11-30
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Razors
With cooperating shearing blades
C030S346510
Reexamination Certificate
active
06823590
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric rotary shaver and more particularly to a structure that tiltably supports outer cutters in a cutter frame of an electric rotary shaver.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 9
is a perspective view of the overall structure of a conventional electric rotary shaver. In this electric shaver
10
, a cutter head
20
is detachably mounted on the upper portion of a main body case
12
. Three outer cutters
22
are mounted in the cutter head
20
so that the centers of the outer cutters are arranged at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. Slits for introducing hair are formed in the radial direction in the outer cutters
22
. In each outer cutter
22
, an annular outside hair introduction region V and inside hair introduction region W are formed in a concentric configuration, and a groove is formed in the boundary area between the outside hair introduction region V and inside hair introduction region W.
FIG. 10
shows the internal structure of the above electric rotary shaver. The cutter head
20
is constructed from a cutter frame
30
, metal outer cutters
22
, outer cutter holders
24
that hold the outer cutters
22
, metal inner cutters
26
, inner cutter bases
28
that support the inner cutters
26
, and cutter retaining plates
31
that hold the inner cutters
26
so that the inner cutters
26
are rotated. The cutter frame
30
, outer cutter holders
24
, inner cutter bases
28
and cutter retaining plates
31
are all made of a synthetic resin. The outer cutters
22
are supported so that they cannot rotate relative to the outer cutter holders
24
, thus ensuring the outer cutters
22
not to rotate together with the inner cutters
26
.
The reference numeral
32
is a cutter cradle that is installed so as to cover the opening of the main body case
12
. Inner cutter drive shafts
34
that transmit the rotational driving force of a motor
50
to the inner cutters
26
protrude from the cutter cradle
32
in the installation positions of the respective inner cutters
26
. The inner cutter drive shafts
34
are provided in coaxial with the inner cutter bases
28
and engage with the inner cutter bases
28
in a dovetail engagement so that each of the inner cutter drive shafts
34
can rotate as a unit with the corresponding inner cutter base
28
.
The reference numeral
36
refers to springs that constantly urge the inner cutter drive shafts
34
upward. The outer cutters
22
are supported floatingly by these springs
36
via the inner cutters
26
, inner cutter bases
28
and inner cutter drive shafts
34
.
Engaging projections
38
are disposed on the outer circumferences of the lower ends of the inner cutter drive shafts
34
and engaged with a plurality of shaft engaging portions
42
disposed in upright positions on the inner cutter drive gears
40
, and the inner cutter drive gears
40
are engaged with a gear
52
fastened to the output shaft of the motor
50
. The inner cutter drive shafts
34
are thus linked to the motor
50
. The inner cutter drive shafts
34
are provided so as to tilt in all directions with respect to the axial lines of the inner cutter drive gears
40
.
As described above, the outer cutters
22
are supported while being urged by the springs
36
in a direction that causes the outer cutters
22
to protrude to the outside. The outer cutters
22
are thus movable in and out of the outer cutter holders
24
, and also the outer cutters
22
are tiltable within a specified angular range in all directions inside the outer cutter holders
24
. As shown in
FIG. 10
, the outer cutters
22
are disposed in the outer cutter holes
44
. However, since the internal diameter of the outer cutter holes
44
is slightly larger than the external diameter of the outer cutters
22
, the outer cutters
22
can move inward and outward with respect to the outer cutter holders
44
and can tilt within a specified angular range in any desired direction.
As seen from the above, the outer cutters
22
are supported in the cutter frame
30
so that the outer cutters
22
can tilt and move inward and outward. The outer cutters
22
are, therefore, fitted against the skin as a result of the outer cutters
22
protruding outward to an appropriate degree and tilting in the desired direction when the electric shaver is brought into contact with the jaw, cheek, etc., so that hair is cut reliably.
In a conventional electric shaver, the outer cutters
22
can tilt with respect to the cutter frame
30
because the internal diameter of the outer cutter holes
44
is slightly larger than the external diameter of the outer cutters
22
(as described above). The outer cutters
22
are tiltable because of this clearance.
However, in the conventional electric shaver, the clearance between the outer cutter holes
44
and outer cutters
22
is not very large. As a result, even in cases where the outer cutters
22
are allowed to tilt due to this clearance, the outer cutters
22
cannot tilt to a very great extent. If an increased clearance is given between the outer cutters
22
and the outer cutter holes
44
to an excessive extent, the outer cutters
22
are loose in the outer cutter holes
44
. As a result, it becomes difficult to determine the center positions of the outer cutters
22
, and the rotation of the inner cutters
26
becomes unstable.
FIGS.
11
(
a
) and
11
(
b
) show the manner of tilting of the outer cutters
22
of a conventional electric shaver. As seen from FIG.
11
(
a
), the outer cutter
22
is disposed with a slight gap left between the outer cutter
22
and the outer cutter hole
44
, and the outer cutter
22
tilts inside the corresponding outer cutter hole
44
as shown in FIG.
11
(
b
). When the outer cutter
22
tilts inside the outer cutter hole
44
in a conventional electric shaver, as seen from FIG.
11
(
b
), once the protruding edge
21
at the lower-end edge of the outer cutter
22
contacts the undersurface of the outer cutter hole
44
, the outer cutter
22
cannot tilt any further from this state. Thus, the tilting angle of the outer cutters
22
is limited. As seen from the above, in a conventional electric shaver, since the tilting angle of the outer cutters
22
is restricted by the positional relationship between the outer cutters
22
and the outer cutter holes
44
, it is difficult to increase the tilting range of the outer cutters
22
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the above-described problems. The object of the present invention is to provide an electric rotary shaver in which the outer cutters are supported so as to be movable and tiltable with respect to the cutter frame and in which the outer cutters have increased tilting range compared to that of a conventional electric shaver. Thus, in the electric rotary shaver of the present invention, fitting between the skin and the outer cutters is good, and the cutting efficiency is also good.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention is structured as described below.
More specifically, in an electric rotary shaver that comprises: a cutter frame provided with a plurality of outer cutter holes, outer cutters disposed in respective outer cutter holes so as to be tiltable in any direction, and inner cutters rotatably disposed inside the outer cutters, the inner cutters being connected to inner cutter drive shafts that are rotationally driven and urged in a direction that causes the inner cutter drive shafts to protrude outward; the rotary shaver is further comprised of: a cutter retaining plate provided inside the cutter frame so as to be on a main body side of the electric shaver, and fulcrum plates respectively shaft-supported in the cutter retaining plate in a tiltable fashion, the fulcrum plates being disposed so as to positionally correspond respectively to the outer cutter holes; and in addition, the outer cutters are shaft-supported in the respective fulcrum plates via supporting members in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which the fulcrum p
Izumi Yukio
Kawafune Kyoichi
Nakano Tsuyoshi
Uchiyama Hiromi
Izumi Products Company
Koda & Androlia
Prone Jason
Shoap Allan N.
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