Cutlery – Razors – With cooperating shearing blades
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-12
2003-11-18
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Razors
With cooperating shearing blades
C030S043500, C030S043600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06647626
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric rotary shaver and more particularly to a structure for supporting outer cutters in a cutter frame of the electric rotary shaver.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 7
is a perspective view of the overall structure of a prior art electric rotary shaver. In this electric shaver
10
, a cutter head
20
is detachably mounted on the upper portion of a main body case
12
of the shaver
10
. Three outer cutters
22
are disposed in the cutter head
20
so that the centers of the outer cutters are at the positions of the vertices of an equilateral triangle. A plurality of slits for introducing whiskers are formed in the radial direction in the outer cutters
22
. Furthermore, in each outer cutter
22
, an annular outside hair introduction region V and an annular inside hair introduction region W are formed in a concentric configuration, and a groove is formed in the boundary area between the outside hair introduction region V and the inside hair introduction region W.
FIG. 8
shows the internal structure of the electric rotary shaver
10
. The cutter head
20
is constructed from a cutter frame
30
, metal outer cutters
22
, outer cutter holders
24
which hold the outer cutters
22
, metal inner cutters
26
, inner cutter bases
28
that support the inner cutters
26
, and cutter retaining plates
31
that hold the inner cutters
26
so that the inner cutters
26
are rotatable. The cutter frame
30
, outer cutter holders
24
, inner cutter bases
28
and cutter retaining plates
31
are all made of a synthetic resin. The outer cutters
22
are supported so that they are prevented from rotating relative to the outer cutter holders
24
, thus ensuring that the outer cutters
22
do not rotate together with the inner cutters
26
.
The reference numeral
32
is a cutter cradle that is installed to cover the opening of the main body case
12
. Inner cutter drive shafts
34
that transmit the rotational driving force of a motor
50
to the inner cutters
26
protrude from the cutter cradle
32
so that the respective drive shafts
34
positionally correspond to the respective inner cutters
26
. The inner cutter drive shafts
34
are provided so as to be coaxial with the inner cutter bases
28
and engage with the inner cutter bases
28
in a dovetail engagement so that each of the inner cutter drive shafts
34
rotates as a unit with the corresponding inner cutter base
28
.
The reference numeral
36
is a spring that constantly urges the corresponding inner cutter drive shaft
34
upward. The outer cutters
22
are supported in a floating fashion by the springs
36
via the inner cutters
26
, inner cutter bases
28
and inner cutter drive shafts
34
.
The linkage of the inner cutter drive shafts
34
and motor
50
is accomplished by a structure in which engaging projections
38
disposed on the outer circumferences of the lower ends of the inner cutter drive shafts
34
engage with a plurality of shaft engaging portions
42
disposed in upright positions on the inner cutter drive gears
40
, and the inner cutter drive gears
40
engage with a gear
52
fastened to the output shaft of the motor
50
. The inner cutter drive shafts
34
are disposed so as to tilt in all directions with respect to the axial lines of the inner cutter drive gears
40
.
As described above, the outer cutters
22
are supported while being biased by the springs
36
in a direction that causes the outer cutters
22
to protrude toward the outside, so that the outer cutters
22
is movable in and out of the outer cutter holders
24
and the outer cutters
22
can tilt within a specified angular range in all directions inside the outer cutter holders
24
. Furthermore, as seen from
FIG. 8
, the outer cutters
22
are provided, together with the outer cutter holders
24
, inside the outer cutter holes
44
formed in the cutter frame
30
. The internal diameter of the outer cutter holes
44
is slightly larger than the external diameter of the outer cutters
22
. Accordingly, the outer cutters
22
can move inward and outward along the axial lines of the outer cutter holes
44
. Also, the outer cutters
22
can tilt within a specified angular range in all directions with respect to the axial direction of the outer cutter holes
44
.
The outer cutters
22
are, as described above, supported, together with the outer cutter holders
24
, in the cutter frame
30
so that the outer cutters
22
can tilt and also move inward and outward in the axial direction. Accordingly, during the use, the outer cutters
22
fit against the skin as a result of the appropriate inward and outward movement and tilting movement of the outer cutters
22
in arbitrary directions when the electric shaver is placed against the jaw or cheek, so that whiskers can be reliably shaved.
In the conventional electric shaver, as seen from the above, the fact that the outer cutters
22
can tilt relative to the cutter frame
30
results from the structure in which the internal diameter of the outer cutter holes
44
is slightly larger than the external diameter of the outer cutters
22
, so that the resulting clearance allows the tilting.
However, there is a demand for a product that has an even greater tilting angle of the outer cutters
22
than a conventional product, so that shaving can be accomplished with the outer cutters
22
fitted more closely to the skin. One conceivable method of meeting this demand is to increase the clearance between the outer cutter holes
44
and the outer cutters
22
to a greater value than that used in the conventional electric shavers, thus increasing the tilting angles. However, an increase of the clearance between the outer cutter holes
44
and outer cutters
22
to a larger value makes it difficult to set the center positions of the outer cutters
22
because of looseness between the outer cutter holes
44
and outer cutters
22
. Also, it destabilizes the rotation of the inner cutters
26
. Furthermore, the outer cutters
22
tend to make a considerable movement inside the outer cutter holes
44
, lowering the cutting efficiencies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention eliminates the above problems. The object of the present invention is to provide an electric rotary shaver with a good cutting efficiency in which the outer cutters are supported so as to move axially and tilt with respect to the cutter frame, and in which the outer cutters have an increased tilting angles compared to that in a conventional shaver, thus improving the fit of the outer cutters against the skin.
In order to accomplish the above-described object, the shaver of the present invention has the structure as described below.
More specifically, the shaver of the present invention comprises:
a cutter frame provided with outer cutter holes, and
outer cutters each of which being fitted in each of the outer cutter holes so as to be movable in an axial direction thereof and tiltable in any desired direction with inner cutters provided between the outer cutters and inner cutter drive shafts, the drive shafts being urged toward outside in an axial direction thereof; and in the present invention,
the outer surfaces of the outer cutters and the inner surfaces of the outer cutter holes are formed so as to make a sliding contact, thus supporting the outer cutters in the outer cutter holes so that the outer cutters can tilt in any desired direction.
In the present invention, the outer surfaces of the outer cutters and the inner surfaces of the outer cutter holes make a sliding contact at three or more points, thus supporting the outer cutters in the cutter frame with the outer cutters being tiltable in any desired direction.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the outer cutters make a sliding contact with the inner surfaces of the outer cutter holes so that the outer cutters are movable in the axial direction.
In addition, in the present invention, resin molded sections whose outer surfaces make the sliding contact with the inner surfaces of the outer cut
Izumi Products Company
Koda & Androlia
Prone Jason
Shoap Allan N.
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