Hand-held epilating device

Details Hand-held epilating device Hand-held epilating device

2000-07-26

2001-09-11

Little, Willis (Department: 3643)

Butchering

Epidermal outgrowth remover

Gripping type

C452S083000, C606S133000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06287190

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a hand-held epilating device, more particularly to such a device having a plucking cylinder which is driven to rotate for plucking body hairs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,903 discloses a hand-held epilating device having a rotary cylinder which is provided with sets of pinching elements for pinching body hairs therebetween. The rotary cylinder is driven to rotate about its longitudinal axis to pluck the pinched hairs. The rotary cylinder is supported to a head member fixed to a housing grasped by the hand of a user so that the pinching elements on the rotary cylinder traces only a circular path around the rotary cylinder and do not move in the other directions relative to a skin surface of the user when the rotary cylinder is held against a fixed area of the skin surface. Since the sets of the pinching elements are arranged in a spaced relation from each other on the rotary cylinder, the hairs at the portions corresponding to gaps between the adjacent sets of the pinching elements have no chances of being plucked. That is, the hair plucking is made to limited portions within the area of the skin covered by the rotary cylinder, posing insufficient plucking efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above insufficiency, the present invention has been accomplished to provide a hand-held epilating device which is capable of increasing plucking efficiency. The epilating device in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing to be grasped by a hand of a user, and a plucking cylinder carrying at least one set of pinching elements for catching and pinching body hairs therebetween. The plucking cylinder has a longitudinal axis and is driven to rotate about the longitudinal axis to pluck the body hairs from the user's skin. The plucking cylinder is supported to the housing so as to effect a periodical movement relative to the housing within a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis. Thus, the area of the skin covered by the plucking cylinder can have increased chances of being in contact with the pinching elements as the pinching elements move periodically relative to the skin together with the plucking cylinder, thereby improving the plucking efficiency.
Preferably, the plucking cylinder is arranged to reciprocate relative to the housing along the longitudinal axis so that the pinching elements on the plucking cylinder move along the longitudinal axis to cover a wide area of the skin along the length of the plucking cylinder.
In a preferred version, the plucking cylinder reciprocates relative to the housing between two end positions and is held temporarily at each of the end positions for a short time interval during which the plucking cylinder rotates to such an extent of completing one epilating action of catching the body hairs between the pinching elements and plucking the body hairs. Thus, the hair plucking is made both at the two axially spaced end positions with the same set of the pinching elements.
Further, the plucking cylinder has a neutral position between the two end positions and is held temporarily at the neutral position for a short time during which the plucking cylinder rotates about the longitudinal axis to such an extent of completing one epilating action of catching the body hairs between the pinching elements and plucking the body hairs. With this result, each set of the pinching elements can make the hair plucking at three axially spaced positions, namely, the neutral position and the two end positions, for increasing the plucking efficiency.
The plucking cylinder is preferred to carry at least two sets of the pinching elements which are spaced along the longitudinal axis at a pitch distance between the adjacent set of the pinching elements. In this connection, the plucking cylinder is caused to reciprocate at an amplitude which is ⅓ to ½ of the pitch distance so that the each set of the pinching elements covers a wide area of the skin without causing overlapping of the areas covered respectively by adjacent sets of the pinching elements.
Preferably, the plucking cylinder is driven to move between the neutral position and each of the end positions at a speed which is greater than a circumferential speed of the plucking cylinder. Thus, the plucking cylinder moves rapidly between the neutral position and each of the end positions for making the hair plucking at the three axial positions and minimizing a chance of the hair being plucked during the transition period of the plucking cylinder moving between the neutral and the end position where the hair would be pulled in a direction rather than the circumferential direction and would be plucked with a pain or even fail to be plucked.
The plucking cylinder may be spring-biased towards the neutral position for smoothly moves the plucking cylinder back and forth in the axial direction while reducing inertia force towards the end positions.
The plucking cylinder is preferred to reciprocate along the longitudinal axis at a reciprocation cycle which is greater than a rotating cycle at which the plucking cylinder completes one rotation about the longitudinal axis. Thus, it is possible to give an increased number of rotation of the plucking cylinder while plucking cylinder reciprocates along the longitudinal axis, thereby increasing the chances of pinching the hairs at the different axial positions for enhancing the plucking efficiency. Preferably, the reciprocation cycle is at least twice of the rotation cycle.
The plucking cylinder is preferred to have more than one set of the pinching elements spaced circumferentially about the longitudinal axis so as to increase the chance of plucking the hair per one rotation of the plucking cylinder.
Mounted on the housing is a head frame having a top opening through which the pinching elements are exposed for catching the body hairs. The head frame is movably supported to the housing and is coupled to the plucking cylinder so that the head frame makes the periodical movement together with the plucking cylinder. Alternately, the head frame may be fixed to the housing so that the plucking cylinder makes the periodical movement relative to the head frame. In this instance, the head fame is held stationary while the plucking cylinder reciprocates, thereby giving no rubbing action to the skin with which the head frame is in contact.
In another version, the plucking cylinder reciprocates along a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Thus, the set of the pinching elements can move back and forth along the tangential direction of the plucking cylinder to increase the chances of plucking the hairs lying along the tangential direction of the plucking cylinder.
In this version, the pinching elements are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the plucking cylinder and have a length along a circumferential of the plucking cylinder. The plucking cylinder is preferred to reciprocate at an amplitude which is substantially equal to the length of the pinching element, thereby doubling the effective length of the pinching elements responsible for pinching the hairs therebetween for increasing the hair plucking efficiency.
Further, the plucking cylinder reciprocates along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between opposite end positions and is held temporarily at each of the end positions for a short time interval during which the plucking cylinder rotates to such an extent of completing one epilating action of catching the hairs between the pinching elements and plucking the hairs. Thus, the hair plucking can be made at two different end positions for increasing the hair plucking efficiency.
Also, the plucking cylinder has a neutral position between the opposite end positions and is held temporarily at the neutral position for a short time interval during which the plucking cylinder rotates to such an extent of completing one epilating action of catching the hairs between the pinching elements and plucking the

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