Surgery – Instruments – Means for removal of skin or material therefrom
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-24
2001-07-17
Philogene, Pedro (Department: 3732)
Surgery
Instruments
Means for removal of skin or material therefrom
C606S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261301
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an epilation appliance and to a method for using said appliance, in particular for epilation of the human skin. The appliance is comprised essentially of a hand-holdable housing which accommodates a motor for driving a clamping device, particularly a rotary clamping device, which is provided in the appliance and equipped with clamping elements to grip and pluck the hairs, and with a means for reducing the sense of pain during the extraction of hairs, said means comprising at least one electrode.
An appliance of this type is known from DE 44 08 809 C1, the disclosure content of which shall be deemed to be incorporated in the present application by express reference. Said appliance has in particular two electrodes which, in order to extract the hairs, can be brought into contact with the skin at the same time as the clamping device. A generator of stimulating current, in particular a pulse generator or the like, is assigned to the appliance, and the generator's outputs are connected to the electrodes.
A general problem facing epilation appliances is to increase their effectiveness during epilation on the one hand and to reduce the user's sense of pain during the removal of the hairs on the other hand. To this end, the above mentioned appliance uses nerve stimulation produced by the action of a stimulating current, particularly pulses of current, on the skin in order, by irritation or stimulation of the underlying nerve structures, to reduce or even eliminate the pain while the appliance is being used for epilation. During use of the above described appliance the electrodes and the clamping device are jointly in contact with the skin, the treatment of the skin involving the application of pulses of current emitted via the electrodes by means of a pulse generator or the like. These pulses of current ensure that the body's own pain inhibiting systems existing in the human organism are activated electrically, thus masking or blocking the transmission of those pulses of pain produced by extraction of the hairs. The intensity of the stimulating current can be set individually so that in the area between the electrodes the user feels a slight itching, tingling or the like on the skin but without the triggering of any muscle contractions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to further develop an epilation appliance and a method, particularly for epilation of the human skin, to the extent that the sense of pain during use of the appliance is further reduced by further masking of the pain of epilation, for example, and that the point of epilation on the skin can always be viewed by the user and is not obstructed by the appliance itself. Furthermore, it is desirable for the intensity of the superposed or masking pain to be uniform and independent of the angle of engagement of the appliance relative to the skin surface.
According to the present invention this object is accomplished in that with an epilation appliance of the type referred to in the foregoing it is possible to produce an electric spark on the skin prior to the extraction of the hairs using the means for reducing the sense of pain. With an epilator of this type, advantageously nerve stimulation is positively influenced by the spark discharge to such a degree as to achieve a notable reduction of the sense of pain during epilation, as practical tests have shown. The epilation process is experienced by the user as more agreeable than with an appliance operating without the proposed spark discharge. Furthermore, the current point of epilation on the skin can be viewed at any time by the user and the intensity of masking of the pain of epilation is individually adjustable by the user so that an agreeable intensity can be set for the individual's sense of pain. What is more, the pain masking intensity does not depend on the angle at which the appliance is held against the skin but is guaranteed advantageously at every moment of the epilation because the spark discharge depends on the distance required in each case between the electrode and the skin surface requiring epilation.
In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention the means for reducing the sense of pain is equipped with a voltage source, in particular for electric voltages greater than 0.8 KV, and at least one electrode connectable to said voltage source, said electrode being at least temporarily a distance away from the skin, thus enabling the spark to be produced in the air gap between the skin and the electrode.
According to a particularly advantageous further aspect of the present invention the epilation appliance is equipped with a means comprising at least two electrodes and a high-voltage source, in particular for voltages of between 0.8 and 3.0 KV. In this arrangement the at least two electrodes are connectable to the high-voltage source, and at least a first electrode is movable at least temporarily into contact with the skin and at least a second electrode is at least temporarily a distance away from the skin, thus enabling the spark to be produced in the air gap between the skin requiring epilation and the first and/or second electrode. Since the electrodes are connectable to a high-voltage source, spark emission is advantageously performed independently of skin resistance and hence without touching the skin. A preferred voltage range lies between 1.0 and 2.5 KV. Furthermore, since the at least one first electrode can be moved into contact with the skin at least temporarily and the at least one second electrode is a distance away from the skin at least temporarily, several variation options result advantageously for the design of the first and second electrodes:
Thus it is possible, for example, for the at least one first electrode to be designed so that it is continuously in contact with the skin requiring epilation and for the at least one second electrode to be moved discontinuously in contact with the skin in such a way, for example, that the second electrode is movable towards and away from the skin. Spark discharge then takes place in the air gap between the second electrode and the skin.
Advantageously, in a second embodiment both the first and the second electrode are movably fitted to the epilator so that the two electrodes are moved either simultaneously or with a time lag towards and away from the skin. The time lag is such that, for example, the first electrode is in contact with the surface of the skin while at the same time the second electrode is a distance away from the skin so that a spark discharge takes place in the air gap between the second electrode and the skin.
A third alternative embodiment is comprised, for example, of two electrodes in a quasi fixed arrangement on the epilation appliance. In this embodiment the at least one first electrode is in quasi continuous contact with the skin and the at least one second electrode is continuously arranged a predetermined distance from the skin; in this arrangement, however, the at least one second electrode is triggered electronically so that at the right moment prior to epilation of the skin an electric spark can be produced between the second electrode and the skin.
According to an advantageous aspect of the present invention at least one electrode is connected to the clamping device and constructed in particular as a clamping element, brush, contact ring, contact disk or the like. Such an electrode can be used advantageously to produce a discontinuous contact with the skin because the electrode approaches and recedes from the skin when the clamping device is rotated. One electrode in continuous contact with the skin is constructed advantageously as a contact shoe, contact bridge, sliding contact, suction contact, contact pad or contact plate or the like and arranged on the outside of the appliance housing.
Advantageously, a separate contact pin for connecting to the high-voltage source and extending essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of the clamping device constructed as
Knesch Holger
Kotterheinrich Klaus
Braun GmbH
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Philogene Pedro
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