Cutlery – Razors – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-21
2003-06-10
Payer, Hwei-Siu (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Razors
Combined
C030S045000, C030S346510
Reexamination Certificate
active
06574866
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a hair removing apparatus comprising two co-operating hair processing members, which can be moved with respect to each other in a direction of movement and include, respectively, a first and a second plate-shaped carrier extending substantially parallel to the direction of movement, said two carriers, viewed parallel to a Z direction extending substantially perpendicularly to the carriers, being positioned with respect to each other by means of at least one positioning member provided with a contact element which engages a side of the second carrier facing away from the first carrier.
The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a hair removing apparatus in accordance with the invention.
A hair removing apparatus of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph is disclosed in Research Disclosure, no. 591, May 1998, publication no. 40974. The known hair removing apparatus is a hair trimmer, and the two co-operating hair processing members each comprise a plate-shaped carrier, an edge of which extending parallel to the direction of movement is provided with a plurality of spaced apart teeth whose flanks are embodied so as to be cutting edges. The carriers can be moved to and for with respect to each other in the direction of movement as a result of the fact that one of the carriers can be driven, by means of an electric motor, in the direction of movement with respect to the other carrier, which is fixed in position. The carriers, viewed in a direction parallel to the Z direction, are positioned with respect to each other by means of two C-shaped clamping members which, viewed in the direction of movement, are centrally arranged, one leg of each clamping member engaging the side of the second carrier facing away from the first carrier, and the other leg engaging the side of the first carrier facing away from the second carrier. The stiffness of the clamping members is comparatively high. In the manufacture of the hair trimmer, one of the legs of each clamping member is bent by means of a laser adjusting device in such a manner that a desired gap width is obtained between the two carriers.
A drawback of the known hair removing apparatus resides in that, at the desirable gap width, undesirable friction forces between the two carriers in the direction of movement are substantially unavoidable. Such friction forces develop as a result of unavoidable tolerances in the thickness of the carriers. As a result of such tolerances, the facing sides of the carriers are not flat. This causes tolerances in the width of the gap present between the carriers and even contact between the carriers at a number of locations, resulting in comparatively high friction forces. When the carriers are moved with respect to each other, the friction forces may even become so large locally that seizure of the known hair removing apparatus takes place. Said friction forces can be precluded by increasing the average gap width. However, this has the disadvantage that locally the gap width becomes too large, which adversely affects the operation of the hair removing apparatus.
It is an object of the invention to provide a hair removing apparatus of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph, wherein friction forces between the two plate-shaped carriers are limited as much as possible, while a gap width, which is as small and uniform as possible, is still present between the plate-shaped carriers.
To achieve this object, a hair-removing apparatus in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the two carriers, viewed in a direction parallel to the Z direction, are positioned with respect to each other by means of a plurality of positioning members which, viewed in a direction parallel to the direction of movement, are arranged so as to be spaced apart, at least one of the carriers having a comparatively low bending stiffness. The expression “a comparatively low bending stiffness” is to be taken to mean that the relevant carrier has so low a bending stiffness that the side of the relevant carrier facing the other carrier assumes a shape as a result of bending of the relevant carrier which corresponds at least substantially to a shape of the side of the other carrier facing the relevant carrier. The relevant carrier assumes said shape as a result of the fact that the carriers are positioned with respect to each other by means of said plurality of spaced apart positioning members, i.e. At a plurality of locations. As the facing sides of the two carriers are of corresponding shape, the tolerance of the gap width present between the two carriers is comparatively small. As a result, when the two carriers move relatively to each other, local contact between the two carriers is precluded as much as possible, and a comparatively small, uniform gap width between the two carriers is possible without the development of undesirably large friction forces.
A particular embodiment of a hair-removing apparatus in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the positioning members each comprise a tongue, which is cut and bent from the first carrier and provided with the contact element near an end portion, and in that the second carrier, viewed in a direction parallel to the Z direction, is enclosed between the first carrier and the contact elements of the tongues, said tongues extending through at least one opening in the second carrier. As the positioning members are formed from the first carrier in said manner, the number of parts of the hair removing apparatus is limited substantially, so that the hair removing apparatus is of a very simple construction.
A further embodiment of a hair removing apparatus in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the positioning members each comprise a tongue which is cut and bent from a third plate-shaped carrier extending substantially parallel to the direction of movement, and which is provided with the contact element near an end portion, and in that the first and the second carrier, viewed parallel to the Z direction, are enclosed between the third carrier and the contact elements of the tongues, said tongues extending through openings in the first and the second carrier, while at least two of the three carriers have a comparatively low bending stiffness. The third carrier is secured, preferably in a fixed position, to a frame of the hair removing apparatus, so that, in operation, the tongues do not move with respect to the frame as would be the case if the tongues were formed from the first or the second carrier. Dependent upon the design of the hair removing apparatus, such movements may be undesirable. As the tongues are not formed from the first or the second carrier, the first and the second carrier do not have to be suitable for the provision of such tongues, so that the choice of the material and the geometry of the first and the second carrier are not limited.
A still further embodiment of a hair removing apparatus in accordance with the invention is characterized in that one of the carriers is provided with a flanged edge extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to the carriers. In this embodiment, a comparatively high bending stiffness of one of the carriers is provided in a comparatively simple manner, so that the assembly of the carriers has a comparatively high bending stiffness. The other carrier(s) have a comparatively low bending stiffness in this embodiment, so that, when subjected to bending, they assume the shape of the carrier having the comparatively high bending stiffness, a comparatively small, uniform gap width being present between the carriers as well as an acceptable level of friction.
A particular embodiment of a hair removing apparatus in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the tongues are C-shaped or S-shaped. In the manufacture of the hair removing apparatus, C-shaped or S-shaped tongues can be manufactured by means of comparatively simple bending tools, and they are effective and reliable positioning members.
A further embodiment of a hair removing apparat
De Keijzer Martijn Adriaan
Kramer Foppe
Pragt Johan
Santhagens Van Eibergen Robert Alexander
Spoelstra Jan
Bartlett Ernestine C.
Payer Hwei-Siu
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