Abstract:
A shaving apparatus has a housing ( 1 ), a shaving head ( 2 ) and a hair-collecting chamber ( 3 ) for collecting hair cuttings, the shaving head comprising a holder ( 4 ) which is connected to the housing by means of a hinge construction ( 15 ). The holder comprises an external cutting member ( 6 ) and an internal cutting member ( 8 ). For driving the internal cutting member a drive member ( 11 ) of a drive unit ( 10 ) can be coupled to the internal cutting member ( 8 ). For cleaning the hair-collecting chamber ( 3 ) the chamber is opened by pivoting the holder ( 4 ) and after the cleaning process the holder is pivoted back onto the housing. During opening and closing of the hair-collecting chamber the drive member ( 11 ) and the internal cutting member ( 8 ) are coupled and uncoupled. In order to improve coupling and uncoupling the hinge construction is such that in a first stage of the movement of the holder the holder is moved substantially in a longitudinal direction ( 14 ) of the drive member ( 11 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a shaving apparatus having a housing and a shaving head, a hair-collecting chamber for collecting hair cuttings being situated between the housing and the shaving head, which shaving head has a holder which holds at least one shaving unit comprising an external cutting member and a drivable internal cutting member which cooperates with said external cutting member, which shaving apparatus has a drive unit including a drive member having a longitudinal direction, which internal cutting member has been provided with a coupling element adapted to be coupled to the drive member, and which holder is connected to the housing by means of a hinge construction. 
     The afore-mentioned shaving apparatus is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,873. Such a shaving apparatus is to be cleaned at regular intervals. For this purpose, the hair-collecting chamber is opened by pivoting the holder away from the housing. After cleaning the holder is pivoted back onto the housing, upon which the internal cutting member should again be coupled to the drive member. The coupling element of the internal cutting member is formed by a coupling aperture which is engageable over the drive member. Coupling is not a problem as long as the pivotal axis of the hinge construction is situated at a comparatively small distance from the plane in which coupling is effected. However, in practice this distance is such that the internal cutting member may not be coupled correctly to the drive member because the internal cutting member is then moved towards the drive member in a position which is inclined too much and, as a result of this, the coupling aperture of the internal cutting member does not engage over the drive member but assumes a position slightly offset from this drive member. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to achieve that uncoupling and coupling of the drive member and the coupling element of the internal cutting member in a shaving apparatus proceed faultlessly. 
     To achieve this object the invention is characterized in that the hinge construction is such that during opening of the hair-collecting chamber, in a first stage, the holder performs a movement with respect to the housing, which movement is oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction of the drive member and is directed away from the housing. Uncoupling as well as coupling of the internal cutting member and the drive member is effected during said first stage of the movement of the holder with respect to the housing. In this first stage the movement of the holder with respect to the housing is now substantially rectilinear, as a result of which the coupling element of the internal cutting member moves away from or towards the drive member with a substantially rectilinear movement rather than with a comparatively short pivotal movement, as in the known shaving apparatus. This automatically provides a correct coupling. 
     The movement in the first stage is substantially in the longitudinal direction of the drive member. “Substantially” is to be understood to mean that the movement need not be a purely rectilinear movement but may alternatively be, for example, a rotary movement with a comparatively large radius of curvature. The movement with a comparatively large radius of curvature is a close enough approximation to a rectilinear movement to guarantee a correct coupling. 
     Preferably, such a shaving apparatus is characterized in that, for opening the hair-collecting chamber, the holder performs a pivotal movement with a comparatively small radius of curvature with respect to the housing in a second stage following the first stage. This enables the hinge construction to be comparatively simple and compact. 
     For the purpose of cleaning it is desirable that the holder remains in a certain open position. For this purpose a further embodiment comprises locking means for locking the holder against pivotal movement at the end of the second stage. 
     It is also desirable that the holder can be removed completely from the housing. For this purpose the holder performs a further pivotal movement, during which the holder is unlocked from the housing, in a third stage following the second stage. 
     A preferably used embodiment is characterized in that the hinge construction has an arcuate limb and an arcuate guide which cooperates with said limb, which limb has a first limb portion having a comparatively large radius of curvature and, adjoining the first limb portion, a second limb portion having a comparatively small radius of curvature, and which guide is formed by walls of the guide projections, at least one first wall having a comparatively large radius of curvature for cooperation with the first limb portion and at least one second wall having a comparatively small radius of curvature for cooperation with the second limb portion. Viewed from the position in which the holder is mounted on the housing and the hair-collecting chamber is to be opened, the holder is first pivoted over a comparatively large radius of curvature, during which the internal cutting member is disengaged from the drive member and is subsequently pivoted over a comparatively small radius of curvature in order to open the hair-collecting chamber completely. 
     In a further embodiment the locking means are formed by a projecting portion at the free end of the second limb portion and, cooperating therewith, a recess of the guide projection. 
     A further embodiment is characterized in that two identical hinge constructions have been provided, which hinge constructions are spaced at a distance from one another and are arranged symmetrically with respect to one another, the holder having two supports which are spaced at said distance from one another and which each carry the arcuate guide comprising the guide projections, the supports being moved in a direction transverse to the pivoting direction of the holder in the third stage, the guide projections sliding over the arcuate limbs. 
     To replace the holder onto the housing it is favorable if he holder has been provided with two guide limbs which are disposed opposite one another for cooperation with corresponding recesses of the housing. The holder can then be slid into the recesses with its guide supports and can subsequently be attached to the housing with a substantially straight movement, i.e. nearly without a pivotal movement. The parts of the hinge construction then automatically assume the correct positions. Moreover, the guide supports may be provided with latching means for latching the holder to the housing. 
     Yet another embodiment is characterized in that the housing has a chamber adapted to hold an additive container, which container has an outlet for an additive, which shaving apparatus further comprises a pump having an inlet, which can be connected to the outlet of the additive container, and having an outlet opening, which holder has a dispenser channel having an inlet opening to which the outlet opening of the pump can be connected and through which the additive can be dispensed by means of the pump, the dispenser channel having a longitudinal direction which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the drive member. Since the direction of movement of the holder in the first stage is oriented substantially parallel to the dispenser channel this automatically results in a correct connection as well as a correct disengagement of the connection between the outlet opening of the pump and the inlet opening of the dispenser channel. This provides a proper connection which is free from leakage. A shaving apparatus having an additive dispenser is already known per se by the name of Philishave “Cool Skin”, type number HQ 5620, available from Philips since the spring of 1998. By means of this shaving apparatus an additive is applied to the skin during shaving, as a result of which an improved shaving performance is obtained. It is very important that the hair-collecting chamber and the shaving unit or shaving units of such a shaving apparatus are rinsed with moderately warm water at regular intervals, preferably immediately after use. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an example shown in the drawings. In the drawings 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a twin-head shaving apparatus, 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a part of the shaving apparatus shown in FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the shaving apparatus, similar to that of FIG. 2, the shaving head being shown in dashed lines in a first position, 
     FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the shaving apparatus, similar to that of FIG. 3, the shaving head also being shown in dash-dot lines in a fully open second position, 
     FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 2, showing the shaving apparatus in a situation in which the holder cannot be swung properly onto the housing, 
     FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the shaving apparatus, similar to that of FIG. 3, the shaving apparatus having an additive container, and 
     FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the shaving apparatus, similar to that of FIG. 2, a detached shaving head being replaced on the housing. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows an electrically driven twin-head shaving apparatus having a housing  1 , a shaving head  2  and a hair-collecting chamber  3 , which is interposed between the shaving head and the housing. The shaving head has a holder  4 , which holds two shaving units  5 . Each shaving head has an external cutting member  6  in the form of a cap having a plurality of hair entry apertures  7 . A drivable internal cutting member  8 , which has a plurality of cutting elements  9 , cooperates with the external cutting member  6 . Hairs which enter the hair entry apertures  7  are severed by the cutting elements  9 . The hair cuttings are collected in the hair-collecting chamber  3 , which should be cleaned at regular intervals. The internal cutting member and the external cutting member are not readily visible in FIG.  1 . These parts are better visible in the diagrammatic representation in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 2 shows only the upper part of the shaving apparatus. The housing  1  accommodates a drive unit  10  including a motor  70  and a drive member  11 . The internal cutting member  8  has a disc-shaped basic portion  12  carrying a plurality of cutting elements  9  at its periphery. The internal cutting member has a coupling element  13  in the form of a central aperture formed in the basic portion. For driving the internal cutting member the coupling element  13  is coupled to the drive member  11 . For this purpose, the drive member  11  engages the coupling aperture  13 . For the sake of simplicity, the aperture  13  and the drive member  11  are shown as a square. The drive member can thus rotationally drive the internal cutting member. The drive member  11  has a longitudinal direction represented as a line  14 . 
     The holder  4  is connected to the housing  1  by means of a hinge construction  15 . The hinge construction is formed by an arcuate limb  16  secured to the housing  1  and an arcuate guide  17  mounted on the holder  4  and represented as a dashed line. The arcuate limb  16  has a first limb portion  16   a  having a comparatively large radius of curvature (R 1 ) whose center is M 1  and, adjoining this first limb portion, a second limb portion  16   b  having a comparatively small radius of curvature (R 2 ) whose center is M 2 . The guide  17  is situated between guide projections  18 ,  19  and  20 . These guide projections are carried by a support  21  of the holder  4 . The guide walls which can move along the arcuate limb  16  are formed by first walls  18   a  and  19   a  of the respective guide projections  18  and  19 , which first walls have a comparatively large radius of curvature (center M 1 ) for cooperation with the first limb portion  16   a , and by second walls  19   b  and  20   a  of the respective guide projections  19  and  20 , which second walls have a comparatively small radius of curvature (center M 2 ) for cooperation with the second limb portion  16   b . Preferably, two hinge constructions are used. For this purpose, two spaced-apart identical hinge constructions  15  are arranged symmetrically with respect to one another. See FIG.  1 . 
     To open the hair-collecting chamber  3  (see FIG. 3) the holder  4  is pivoted with respect to the housing  1 . In a first stage of the pivotal movement the first portion  17   a  of the guide  17  moves along the first limb portion  16   a  having a comparatively large radius of curvature with the center M 1 . The position of the holder at the end of the first stage is represented as a dashed line. The best situation is obtained when in the first stage the holder is pivoted about a point situated in the proximity of a coupling plane  50  in which the drive member  11  is disposed and which is parallel to the shaving plane  60 . The movement of the coupling aperture  13  in this first stage is indicated by arrows P 1 . These arrows indicate that the movement is oriented in the longitudinal direction  14  of the drive member  11 . This means that the coupling aperture  13  moves away from the drive member with a substantially rectilinear movement. This happens not only during opening of the hair-collecting chamber  3  but also during closure of the hair-collecting chamber, when the holder is replaced on the housing and the internal cutting member should again be coupled to the drive member. 
     To open the hair-collecting chamber further (see FIG. 4) the second portion  17   b  of the guide  17  of the holder is pivoted along the second limb portion  16   b  of the housing having a comparatively small radius of curvature with the center M 2 , which is effected in a second stage (D 2 ) following the first stage (D 1 ). The position of the holder at the end of the second stage is represented as a dash-dot line. The free end of the second limb portion  16   b  carries a projecting portion  22 . At the end of the second stage this projecting portion engages against the wall  18   a  of the guide projection  18  and, as the pivotal movement of the holder proceeds, it experiences a friction which resists further pivotal movement of the holder. The guide projection  18  may have a recess  23  for cooperation with the projecting portion  22 . In the open position the projecting portion snaps into the recess, as a result of which the holder is locked in this position. In this position of the holder the hair-collecting chamber  3 , the inside and the outside of the holder  4  with the internal cutting member and the external cutting member can be cleaned, for example by rinsing with lukewarm water under the tap. By pivoting the holder even further with some force (in a third stage, not indicated) the projecting portion is pulled out of the recess and can slide along the wall  18   a  with some resistance until the projecting portion has moved wholly past the guide projection  18  out of the guide and can be removed from the housing. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a situation in the case that the holder would also be pivoted about the center M 2  in the first stage. As can be seen, the edge  24  of the coupling aperture  13  then abuts against the drive member  11 , thereby preventing a correct coupling. 
     In the shaving apparatus shown in FIG. 6 the housing has a chamber  25  which can accommodate an additive container  26 . This container contains an additive  27 , such as a shaving balsam, which can be applied to the skin. The housing has a detachable wall portion  28  to allow an additive container  26  to be placed into the chamber  25  of the housing. A pump  30  is connected to the outlet  29  of the container. The pump has an inlet  31  connected to the outlet  29  of the container and has an outlet in the form of a tubular portion  32  with an outlet opening  33  at its end. The holder  4  has a dispenser channel  34  for the additive  27 . An inlet opening  35  of the dispenser channel can be connected to the tubular outlet portion  32  of the pump  30 . The tubular portion is then situated partly in the dispenser channel and is slightly tapered in order to obtain a better sealing. The diaphragm  36  of the pump  30  can be actuated by means of a mechanism, not shown, as a result of which the additive  27  is applied to the skin via the dispenser channel  34 . To place the additive container  26  into the chamber  25 , the wall portion  28  is detached and the container  26  with the pump  30  mounted on it is slid into the chamber between the wall portions  37  of the housing. 
     The movement of the dispenser channel  34  during this first stage is indicated by the arrow P 2 . This arrow shows that this movement is oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction  38  of the dispenser channel  34  and, consequently, substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction  14  of the drive member  11 . This means that the inlet opening  35  of the dispenser channel is moved away from the tubular outlet portion  32  of the pump in the longitudinal direction of the dispenser channel with a substantially rectilinear movement. This happens not only during opening of the hair-collecting chamber but, in particular, also during closure of the hair-collecting chamber, when the holder is pivoted back onto the housing. The inlet opening  35  of the dispenser channel then precisely engages the tubular outlet portion  34  of the pump, as a result of which a proper connection is obtained. Therefore, the hinge construction  15  is also favorable in order to obtain a correct connection between the outlet opening  33  of the pump  30  and the inlet opening  35  of the dispenser channel  34 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the situation when a removed holder is refitted. When the shaving head holder  4  has been removed completely from the housing, as has been described with reference to FIG. 4, the holder can be replaced onto the housing  1  in a simple manner. For this purpose, the holder has two downwardly projecting guide limbs  39  (see also FIG.  1 ). The housing has two corresponding recesses  40 . When the holder  4  is placed with its supports  21  into the space  41  between the limb  16  and the housing wall the guide limbs  39  can be slid into the recesses  40 . By pressing the holder practically straight downwards the guide projections  18  slide over the limb portion  16   a  and the holder resumes the position as shown in FIG.  2 . By means of the guide limbs  39  it is also possible to realize a locking  42  of the holder  4  onto the housing.