Abstract:
An attachment for an appliance for the epilation of the human skin, the appliance being provided with a housing to accommodate a motor for driving at least one clamping device rotary about a first axle for purposes of epilation, the attachment being provided with at least one element for reducing the perception of pain during epilation, which element makes contact with the skin prior to the epilation.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to an attachment for an appliance for the epilation of the human skin, said appliance being provided with a housing to accommodate a motor for driving at least one clamping device rotary about a first axle for purposes of epilation. 
     An appliance of this type is known from German Offenlegungsschrift DE 195 21 585 A1. This specification describes an epilation appliance for extracting hairs from the human skin, comprising a rotary cylinder provided with a plurality of clamping devices and received in a housing and driven by a motor. With the epilation appliance in operation, the rotary cylinder executes a rotating movement during which the clamping devices perform a cyclic clamping movement. When the user places the epilation appliance against the skin, the clamping movements cause the hairs to be captured by the clamping devices and extracted. 
     The known epilation appliance is further provided with devices delivering to the skin a one-time pulse before each epilating action. This pulse produces a pain which the user perceives as less discomforting than the actual pain caused by the epilation. 
     The design effort involved in providing such devices is considerable. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an appliance which, while involving little effort, enables the user&#39;s perception of pain to be reduced during epilation. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to the present invention, this object is accomplished in an appliance of the type initially referred to in that the attachment is provided with at least one element for reducing the perception of pain during epilation, which element makes contact with the skin prior to the epilation. 
     Hence provision is made for an additional attachment to the epilation appliance in which the pain reducing devices are contained. With this arrangement it is not necessary to make the high design effort to integrate these devices into the appliance itself, but it will be sufficient to use the attachment on the unchanged epilation appliance. Obviously, with regard to design implementation and costs thereby incurred, this presents a substantially simpler possibility of reducing the pain of epilation by having suitable pulses precede the epilation. 
     Another advantage of the present invention resides in that also existing epilation appliances may be provided with the attachment, hence making retrofitting and thus an attendant improvement of existing epilation appliances possible. 
     Moreover it is possible for the attachment, after use, to be removed from the epilation appliance and cleaned separately. This provides another simplification and improvement with regard to manipulation of the epilation appliance. 
     In an advantageous aspect of the present invention provision is made for a second axle which is aligned approximately parallel to the first axle and receives the element in a rotary manner. Particularly conveniently, the element is a wheel or a gear or the like which rolls off along the skin ahead of the epilation. The term “gears” as used herein is to be interpreted as including stimulating wheels, toothed disk, profiled disk and any other element suited to stimulate the human skin. 
     As the user moves the epilation appliance across the skin, the gears will invariably contact the skin ahead of the clamping devices. Stimulation of the skin is effected by the teeth of the gear rolling off along the skin. This stimulating effect occurs prior to the actual epilation performed by the clamping devices. Owing to the stimulation the user&#39;s perception of pain is reduced at the place undergoing stimulation. As a result, the user perceives the subsequent epilation as less painful. 
     In an advantageous further aspect of the present invention, a plurality of elements are rotatably arranged on the second axle in a spaced, juxtaposed relationship to each other. In this arrangement it is of particular convenience if the plurality of elements are adapted to rotate independently of each other. 
     Owing to the plurality of independent gears the stimulating effect is further enhanced on those portions of the skin subjected to stimulation, so that overall the pain caused by the subsequent epilation is further reduced. 
     In another advantageous aspect of the present invention, provision is made for a third axle which is aligned approximately parallel to the first axle and has mounted on it a roller or a shaft or the like for rotation thereon. 
     The roller operates to stretch the skin tight during the epilation. This makes it easier for the clamping devices to capture the hairs. 
     In a still further advantageous aspect of the present invention, the mounts of the second and/or third axle are pivotally constructed so as to be able to recede in the direction of the housing. For this arrangement it is particularly convenient if the second and/or third axle is spring loaded such as to project from the housing. 
     This enables in particular the gears to conform themselves to and follow any curved contour of the skin automatically. 
     Particularly advantageously, the attachment is a push-fit on the housing and, where provided, is releasably lockable thereon. 
     It is noted expressly that the present invention may not only be implemented as an attachment but may also be formed as an integral part of the epilation appliance per se. It will be appreciated that by virtue of the simple configuration of the present invention also this embodiment of the invention affords material advantages over known epilation appliances. 
     Further features, application possibilities and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description of embodiments of the invention illustrated in the Figures of the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that any single feature and any combination of single features described or represented by illustration form the subject-matter of the present invention, irrespective of their summary in the patent claims or their back reference, as well as irrespective of their wording and representation in the description and the drawings, respectively. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of an attachment of the invention for use on an appliance for epilating the human skin; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the attachment of FIG. 1 as attached to the epilation appliance; and 
     FIGS. 3 a  to  3   d  are schematic side views of the attachment of FIG. 1 as push-fitted to the appliance, illustrating various positions. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The features described in the following with reference to FIGS. 1 to  3  are suited to operate in conjunction with an epilation appliance of the type described in German Offenlegungsschrift DE 195 21 585 A1 and/or in European Offenlegungsschrift EP 596 283 A1. The disclosure content of these two laid open patent applications shall be deemed to be incorporated herein by express reference. 
     In particular FIG. 2 shows an epilation head  1  of an appliance  2  for epilating the human skin as described in the two laid open patent applications referred to above. The epilation head  1  comprises a housing  3  receiving therein a rotary cylinder  4  mounted for rotation about a first axle. Accommodated in the appliance  2  is a motor adapted to drive the rotary cylinder  4 . The rotary cylinder  4  is provided with a plurality of clamping devices  5  extending through an opening  6  in the housing  3  to be placed in contact with the skin. With the appliance  2  in operation, the clamping devices  5  cooperate with the rotary cylinder  4  to execute a rotary movement during which the clamping devices  5  perform an additional cyclic clamping movement in the area of the opening  6 . When the clamping devices  5  are in engagement with the skin, the hairs close to the clamping devices  5  while the clamping movement takes place are captured by the clamping devices  5  and extracted. 
     As shown in particular in FIG. 1, an attachment  7  is provided which may be push-fitted onto the epilation appliance  2 . To accomplish this, the attachment  7  and the housing  3  of the epilation head  1  have cooperating molded parts or the like suitably shaped to enable the attachment  7  to be seated onto the housing  3  in particular by positive engagement therewith. If desired, devices may be provided to enable the attachment  7  to be releasably locked on the housing  3 . 
     The attachment  7  has a second axle  8  arranged approximately parallel to the first axle of the rotary cylinder  4 . Arranged on the second axle  8  side-by-side in spaced relation to each other are a plurality of gears  9  mounted for rotation on the second axle  8 . The second axle  8  with its gears  9  is of a longitudinal dimension corresponding approximately to the longitudinal dimension of the rotary cylinder  4 . Looking transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the second axle  8 , the gears  9  are arranged in close proximity to the rotary cylinder  4 . 
     The individual gears  9  on the second axle  8  are adapted to rotate independently of each other. They are also adapted to rotate independently of the direction of rotation of the motor and/or the rotary cylinder  4 . It will be appreciated however that it is also possible for the gears  9  to be coupled to each other and driven individually or jointly in particular by the rotary cylinder  4  or the motor. 
     The attachment  7  has a third axle  10  arranged approximately parallel to the first axle of the rotary cylinder  4 . Provided on the third axle  10  is a roller  11  mounted for rotation on the third axle  10 . The third axle  10  and the roller  11  are of a longitudinal dimension corresponding approximately to the longitudinal dimension of the rotary cylinder  4 . Furthermore, the longitudinal dimensions of the second axle  8  and the third axle  10  are approximately equal. Looking transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the third axle  10 , the roller  11  is arranged in close proximity to the rotary cylinder  4 . 
     The roller  11  is adapted to rotate independently of the rotation of the motor and/or the rotary cylinder  4  and/or the gears  9 . It will be appreciated however that it is also possible for the roller  11  to be driven by the rotary cylinder  4  or the motor. Similarly, it is possible for the roller  11  and the gears  9  to be coupled to each other so as to rotate in unison. 
     The second axle  8  is held on a frame  12 , and the third axle  10  is held on a frame  13 . Each of the frames  12 ,  13  is of an approximately U-shaped configuration having legs  14  on whose free ends the respective axle  8 ,  10  is supported. Furthermore, the legs  14  of the frames  12 ,  13  are of an arcuate or curved configuration to conform approximately to the shapes of the attachment  7  and the housing  3 . 
     The two frames  12 ,  13  retract into the attachment  7  and are retained therein by suitable devices. Guides  15  provided in the attachment  7  enable the frames  12 ,  13  to be displaced in the direction of the legs  14 . The length of displacement is limited by corresponding stops. The guides  15  accommodate springs or the like by means of which the frames  12 ,  13  are urged out of the attachment. 
     The two frames  12 ,  13  are displaceable within the guides  15  independently of each other. In this way the gears  9  and the roller  11  are extensible from, and retractable into, the attachment  7  independently of each other. However, the possibility also exists for the frames  12 ,  13  to be coupled to each other, hence performing a joint pivotal motion. 
     In this latter case this joint pivotal motion may serve an additional purpose, using it, for example, for adjusting the closing instant of the clamping devices  5 . 
     In particular FIGS. 3 a  to  3   d  show various positions of the frames  12 ,  13  and hence of the second axle  8  with its gears  9  and the third axle  10  with its roller  11 . As shown in FIG. 3 a,  the gears  9  and the roller  11  are in an extended normal position as obtained by the spring load and maintained in the absence of external impact. In FIG. 3 b  the frames  12 ,  13  are fully retracted within the attachment  7  so that the gears  9  and the roller  11  are also in a retracted position. FIGS. 3 c  and  3   d  show, by way of example, two of a plurality of intermediate positions in which the gears  9  and the roller  11  may occupy independently of each other any position between the respective normal position and the retracted position. 
     In operation of the appliance  2 , the user will place the rotating rotary cylinder  4  with the clamping devices  5  against the skin. As a result, the gears  9  and the roller  11  will likewise make contact with the skin, particularly by engaging it. The user will then move the appliance  2  across the skin in such a way that the gears  9  are ahead of the clamping devices  5  as seen looking in the direction of movement. In consequence, the gears  9  will roll off along the skin ahead of the clamping devices  5 . 
     The rolling action of the teeth of the gears  9  stimulates the skin. This stimulation has the effect of reducing the user&#39;s perception of pain at this particular location. As set forth in the foregoing, the skin is stimulated before the hairs are extracted by the clamping devices  5 . Since the perception of pain is reduced, the pain produced by the actual epilation is felt as less severe. 
     The roller  11  operates to stretch the skin tight during epilation. It is however also possible to arrange gears on the third axle  10  in lieu of the roller  11 , thus enabling the user to move the appliance  2  across the skin in either direction. 
     By virtue of the pivotal frames  12 ,  13  and the accordingly receding first and second axle  8 ,  10 , the gears  9  and the roller  11  are able to conform themselves to any curvature on the skin.