Cutlery – Razors – With cooperating shearing blades
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-27
2001-04-24
Watts, Douglas D. (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Razors
With cooperating shearing blades
C030S346510
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219920
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a dry shaving apparatus, with an electric motor arranged in a housing and with at least one shaving head comprising two inner cutters which are operatively associated with a common outer cutter and are arranged on a common guide element so as to be drivable by a drive element in relative opposite directions against the force of at least one spring element.
From JP 53-63610 (A) a shaving head for a dry shaving apparatus is known in which two inner cutters are slidably guided on two guide elements and drivable in relative opposite directions by an eccentric device disposed between adjacent end walls of the inner cutters, said inner cutters being held in engagement with the eccentric device by means of two spring elements provided outside the contour of the inner cutters.
It is an object of the present invention to improve upon a dry shaving apparatus of the type initially referred to, in particular to provide a dry shaving apparatus in which vibration and running noise are largely reduced and which affords economy of manufacture.
According to the present invention, this object is accomplished in a dry shaving apparatus of the type initially referred to by the features indicated in claim
1
.
The drive mechanism of the present invention which sets the two inner cutters in vibration has a plurality of advantages. The drive mechanism is a self-contained power system which, by reason of its arrangement relative to the housing in a manner imposing zero force, is prevented from transmitting vibrations to the housing. Being completely counterbalanced, the drive mechanism operates in vibration-free fashion. The drive mechanism with its components is not affected by manufacturing tolerances and wear. The spring element(s) acting on the inner cutters, in conjunction with the drive elements driven by the electric motor, provide for permanent compensation for tolerances, converting the kinetic energy of the inner cutters into useful potential energy. In consequence, the drive mechanism consumes less energy than known drive mechanisms setting inner cutters in motion. In cases where a rotary motor is used, the cutting frequency of the inner cutters can be doubled when used in combination with an elliptically shaped rotor. In addition, the drive mechanism is characterized by significantly reduced noise because the spring elements provided also compensate for wear occurring on movable components. Another advantage of the present invention resides in that it is suitable for use in a plurality of dry shavers with different configurations of shaving heads or cutter assemblies. The drive mechanism of the present invention is suited for use in dry shaving apparatus equipped with both one shaving head and several shaving heads. The shaving heads as such may be configured exclusively as short-hair cutters or as long-hair trimmers, and they may be used as a combination of short-hair cutter and long-hair trimmer and driven by the drive mechanism of the present invention. Moreover, it is possible for the shaving heads to be arranged in both fixed and pivotal and floating fashion on the housing of a dry shaving apparatus or in a shaving head frame mountable on the housing of a dry shaver.
In a further configuration of the present invention, provision is made for the guide element to be formed by an axle. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guide element is formed by a single axle. In an embodiment of the present invention, the axle forming the guide element is preferably carried with the inner cutters in two bracket elements. The use of bracket elements for carrying the axle of the guide element admits of a plurality of different embodiments within the scope of the present invention. An embodiment of the present invention provides for the axle of the guide element to be movably carried in the bracket elements. Movable within the meaning of this invention is understood to mean any direction of movement and any type of movement.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the axle of the guide element is carried in the bracket elements so as to be movable in and in opposition to a vertical direction. This vertical movability of the axle makes it possible, for example, to control the contact pressure necessary to achieve an optimum cutting action as the inner cutters engage the outer cutter, or in another embodiment, to mount the shaving head or any of the shaving heads provided in a floating fashion in and in opposition to the vertical direction.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the bracket elements are spring-mounted, making it possible to control either the contact pressure of the inner cutters against the outer cutter as described in the foregoing, or a floating movement of the shaving head(s) in and in opposition to a vertical direction.
In an embodiment of the present invention affording relative ease and economy of manufacture, the bracket elements are fixedly arranged on the housing.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a wall element upon which a spring element takes support is provided in each of the inner cutters. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a spring element acting in opposition to the driving motion of the drive elements is provided between the two inner cutters. In another embodiment of the present invention, each inner cutter is associated with a spring element resting with one end against a wall element of the inner cutter while its other end is in frictional or positive engagement with the guide element. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the frictional engagement of the spring element with the guide element is made by a stop on the guide element. By means of the frictional engagement of the spring element with the guide element directly, or indirectly by a stop on the guide element, it is ensured that vibrations of the reciprocated masses of the inner cutters are not transmitted to the housing of the dry shaving apparatus. In order to positively preclude any transmission of vibrations to the housing, a further aspect of this embodiment makes provision for a spacing between each bracket element and the adjacent stop on the guide element, thus precluding contact of the stop with the bracket element.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each inner cutter is associated with a spring element resting with one end against a wall element of the inner cutter while its other end bears against a common supporting element. The supporting element of the present invention is adapted to be coupled to the guide element in self-centering fashion. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supporting element is a yoke structure slidably coupled to the guide element by means of bearings provided in the two yoke ends. This embodiment of the present invention is eminently suited to ensure at all times self-centering of the inner cutters set in vibration utilizing the spring element(s) acting on the inner cutters as well as the drive elements having one end thereof in engagement with the wall elements of the inner cutters while their other ends engage the expansion means driven by the electric motor.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a wall element for the drive element is provided in each of the inner cutters. Preferably, a wall element of an inner cutter is adapted to be acted upon by the drive element on the one hand and by the spring element on the other hand. Using a wall element as supporting element for the spring element and simultaneously as abutment for the drive element has the effect of reducing the mass of the two inner cutters to a relatively low level.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the spring element acting on the inner cutters is configured as a compression spring. In another embodiment of the present invention, the spring element acting on the inner cutters is configured as an extension spring. In all embodiments of the invention, the spring elements serve as energy storage converting the kinetic energy of the inner cutters into usab
Braun GmbH
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Watts Douglas D.
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