Blade block of a hair cutter

Details Blade block of a hair cutter Blade block of a hair cutter

2001-01-25

2002-12-10

Watts, Douglas D. (Department: 3724)

Cutlery

Cutting tools

Plural cooperating blades

C030S223000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06490798

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a blade or cutting block of a hair cutter or shaver. In particular, the present invention relates to a blade block structure and technique to reduce a cost of the blade block and to improve an efficiency of assembling the blade block of hair cutter.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as shown in FIGS.
15
(
a
) and
15
(
b
), a blade block Aa is constructed by mounting a movable blade
5
on a blade base
6
so as to reciprocate with respect to a fixed blade
4
. The blade block Aa is detachably mounted onto a body of a hair cutter or shaver. The fixed blade
4
having a comb-like portion is brought into contact with the movable blade
5
via a spring
18
, and a cover
20
fixes or secures the fixed blade
4
and the movable blade
5
to the blade base
6
. A guide mechanism is provided to reciprocate the movable blade
5
with respect to the fixed blade
4
is constructed as follows. Guide members
21
project from the blade base
6
, and are inserted into insertion holes
4
a
and
5
a
formed in the fixed blade
4
and the movable blade
5
, respectively. A driving force is transmitted from a drive mechanism in the body of the hair cutter to the movable blade
5
, so that the movable blade
5
reciprocates within the range of the elongated insertion hole
5
a.
Further, the movable blade
5
is pressed toward and against the fixed blade
4
by a spring portion, which is separate from the movable blade
5
, and is mounted to the blade base
6
.
The blade block Aa as described above is detachably mounted to the body of the hair cutter. In particular, in a medical hair cutter (such as is used e.g. to prepare a patient for a medical procedure by shaving the hair from a portion of the patient's body), the blade block Aa, including the blade base
6
, the fixed blade
4
and movable blade
5
and so on, which directly contact a human skin is disposable and is not used more than once, to ensure safety and sanitariness. Accordingly, it is desired to reduce a cost and to improve efficiency of assembling of the blade block Aa.
On the other hand, in the conventional blade block structure of the hair cutter, the number of parts is large and the process for assembling the blade block is inefficient.
Accordingly, the present invention is provided in view of the above-described problems. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a blade block of a hair cutter, in which the number of parts are reduced to improve the efficiency of assembly of the blade block of the hair cutter, and automated assembly can easily be achieved, and the cost can be reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above and/or other goals, the present invention provides a blade block of a hair cutter that is detachably mountable to a hair cutter body. The blade block includes a fixed blade and a movable blade that reciprocates with respect to the fixed blade. The blade block includes a blade unit, a blade base and a mounting unit. The blade unit includes the fixed blade and the movable blade coupled by a reciprocating guide that enables the movable blade to reciprocate with respect to the fixed blade. The blade base defines an insertion opening. The mounting unit enables the blade unit to be mounted to the blade base when the blade unit is inserted into the insertion opening, so that a cutting edge of the blade unit extends toward and is exposed to the outside or exterior of the blade block.
According to the construction described above, the fixed blade and the movable blade are assembled into the blade unit by using the reciprocating guide. The blade unit is inserted into the insertion opening of the blade base, and is fixed to the blade base by the mounting unit in a condition or orientation such that the cutting edge extends toward outside of the blade block. Thus, the number of parts can be reduced in comparison with the conventional construction, and assembling of the blade block can be automated. Thus, the cost of manufacturing the blade block can be reduced. In addition, since the reciprocating guide is provided between the fixed blade and the movable blade, where machining precision can easily be achieved, the precision of the reciprocating guide function of the movable blade can be easily improved, and sharpness of the blade unit is easily maintained.
Preferably, a skin contact surface is provided at an outer surface of the blade base, and the cutting edge of the blade unit, inserted into the insertion opening, is inclined with respect to the skin contact surface. According to and as a result of this structure and construction, even if the blade base has a certain thickness, the cutting edge is not separated from and can tightly and closely contact the skin. Thus, even hair that might otherwise easily escape from the cutting edge, such as downy hair, can be held and cut short.
Preferably, the blade base includes a base plate, a wall portion provided at a periphery of the base plate and a corner portion formed between the base plate and the wall portion. The insertion opening is provided in a vicinity of the corner portion. The blade base is slidably detachably mounted to the hair cutter body. According to this construction, since the blade unit is inserted into the insertion opening provided in the vicinity of the corner portion, the cutting edge can be closely applied to the skin. Further, since the blade base is slidably attached to and detached from the hair cutter body, the blade block can easily be attached and detached by using a single hand.
Further, at least one stopper to position the fixed blade with respect to the blade base can be provided at each opposite side edge of the fixed blade. According to this construction, the blade unit can be securely supported against a load or force in the lateral direction of the fixed blade, in other words, in the reciprocating direction of the movable blade. Thus, a mounting strength (i.e., structural rigidity) of the blade unit can be improved.
Further, it is preferable that the fixed blade includes at least one guide piece, preferably formed by cutting and bending, so as to enable the movable blade to reciprocate. According to this construction, for example, the guide piece can be formed at the same time that the fixed blade is manufactured (e.g. by pressed or stamped). Thus, the guide piece can be formed easily and with improved precision.
The guide piece can extend in parallel with a reciprocating direction of the movable blade, so that the guide piece guides the movable blade surface contact with the movable blade while the movable blade reciprocates. According to this construction, the guiding of the movable blade in the reciprocating direction is satisfactorily performed by the guide piece extending in parallel with the reciprocating movement direction of the movable blade. In addition, the strength of the blade block due to the thickness of the guide piece can suppress backlash in a direction toward the cutting edge. Thus, the guiding precision can be improved. Further, since the guide piece extends in parallel with the reciprocating movement direction of the movable blade, and a broken (cut) face of the guide piece does not contact the edge of the guide hole, the roughness of the broken (cut) face of the guide piece does not affect the guiding function.
Preferably, a plurality of guide pieces extend in parallel with each other and are spaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to the reciprocating movement direction of the movable blade. According to this structure, the strength of the guide pieces against the force toward the cutting edge can substantially double. In addition, since a plurality of guide pieces are provided in parallel with each other, each guide piece does not require high size precision. Thus, the size precision does not have to be manufactured with a high precision (i.e. to size tolerance is high).
Alternatively, the guide piece can extend in a direction perpendicular to the reciprocating movement direction of the m

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Blade block of a hair cutter does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Blade block of a hair cutter, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Blade block of a hair cutter will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2924011