SHAVING APPARATUS

Abstract: The invention relates to a shaving apparatus comprising a housing (1), at least one shaving unit (2) and a trimmer (3), which is movable relative to the housing (1) between an operational position and a rest position by means of a push-button (15), a spring (7) being arranged between the trimmer frame (6) and the housing (1). The housing (1) is provided with a pivotable catch (8) having a hook-shaped end (10) which engages behind the latching projection (11) on the trimmer frame (6) in the rest position, and which is situated forward of the latching projection (11) in the operational position. Around the latching projection (11) the trimmer frame (6) is provided with guide walls (16) which define a forward and a return path for the hook-shaped end (10).

Description: The invention relates to a shaving apparatus comprising a housing, at least one shaving unit, and a trimmer, which is movable relative to the housing between an operational position and a rest position by means of a push-button, a spring being arranged between a trimmer frame and the housing. Such a shaving apparatus is known, for example, from Japanese Utility-Model Application 50-44307. This known construction employs a separate push-button which can be latched in two positions by means of a triangular resilient element and a slide member. It is an object of the invention to provide a simple yet reliable construction comprising a small number of parts and enabling the button to be secured directly to the trimmer frame. The construction in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the housing is provided with a pivotable catch having a hook-shaped end which engages one side of a latching projection on the trimmer frame in the rest position and which is situated at the other side of the latching projection in the operational position, in that around the latching projection the trimmer frame is formed with guide walls defining a forward and return path for the hook-shaped end, and in that the push-button is directly secured to the trimmer frame. Special embodiments are defined in the appended subsidiary Claims. An embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the Figures. Figure 1 is a front view of a shaving apparatus in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the shaving apparatus shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is an enlarged-scale sectional view taken on the line III-III in Figure 1, Figure 4 shows a part of the apparatus in an enlarged-scale view taken on the line IV in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a modification of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, Figure 6 is a development of the bottom profile of the part shown in Figure 4. The dry-shaving apparatus as shown in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a housing 1, two shaving units 2 and one trimmer 3. The shaving units 2 are, for example, of the well-known rotary-cutter type. The trimmer 3 is movable between a rest position and an operational position, the latter position being indicated in broken lines in Figures 2 and 3. The trimmer 3 comprises a stationary cutter 4 and a drivable cutter 5, which cutters are mounted on a trimmer frame 6. A compression spring 7 is arranged between the trimmer frame 6 of the housing 1. Both the trimmer 3 and the shaving unit 2 can be driven, in known manner, by the same electric motor, which is not shown for the simplicity of the Figures. The housing 1 is provided with a catch 8 which is pivotable on a spindle 9. In the rest position the hook-shaped end 10 of the catch 8 engages behind a latching projection 11, which forms part of the trimmer frame 6 and is situated in a recess 12 in the trimmer frame. The spring 13 around the spindle 9 constantly urges the hook-shaped end 10 against a trimmer frame wall 14 which is substantially located in the direction of movement P of the trimmer frame 6. Said trimmer frame wall 14 is the bottom wall 14 of the recess 12. Since the hook-shaped end 10 engages behind the latching projection the compression spring 7 cannot urge the trimmer 3 outwards into the operational position. The trimmer frame 6 is provided with a push-button 15, which projects from the housing 1. By pressing the push-button 15 in the direction P the trimmer 3 can be moved in the direction P, opposed by the action of the compression spring 6. As a result of this, the hook-shaped end will contact the guide wall 16, which forms part of the trimmer frame, which bounds the recess 12 and which extends transversely of the bottom wall 14. This guide wall 16 is situated around the latching projection 11 and defines a forward path 17 and a return path 18 for the hook-shaped end 10, as is indicated in Figure 4. In this Figure the hook-shaped end 10 is represented as a circle and the remainder of the catch 8 is not shown for the sake of simplicity. The rest position, in which the hook-shaped end engages against the latching projection 11, is indicated by a dashed circle 10. Other positions of the hook-shaped end as it traverses the paths 17 and 18 are indicated by dashed circles. Starting from the rest position the hook-shaped end 10 will first engage with the guide wall portion 16a as a result of the movement of the trimmer frame 6 in the direction P. This wall portion 16a will urge the hook-shaped end 10 sidewards relative to the direction P, so that it follows the path 17 until the position indicated by 10a is reached. This movement of the hook-shaped end 10 is obviously possible because the catch 8 is pivotable about the spindle 9. If the button 15 is now released, the spring 7 causes the trimmer frame 6 to move in a direction opposite to that indicated by P, the guide-wall portion 16b ensuring that the hook-shaped end follows the path 17 until position 10b of the hook-shaped end 10 is reached. The trimmer 3 is now in the operational position, a further outward movement of the trimmer being impossible because the hook-shaped end 10 engages behind the guide wall 16 in position 10b. Forces acting on the trimmer 3 in the direction of the arrow P during use of the trimmer are counteracted by the compression spring 7. By again pressing the push-button 15 in the direction indicated by the arrow P the trimmer 3 can be returned to the rest position. The hook-shaped end will then consecutively engage with the wall portion 19 of the latching projection 11, the guide-wall portion 16c, and the wall portion 20 of the latching projection 11, so that the hook-shaped end 10 is again forced to follow the return path 18 until the end 10 again engages behind the latching projection 11. If the hook-shaped end, as it follows the path 18, has reached position 10c, the push-button may be released. With the construction described in the foregoing the trimmer can simply be set to the operational position or the rest position by means of the push-button 15. The trimmer frame 6 together with the push-button 15, the latching projection 11 and the guide walls 16 can be manufactured simply and cheaply as an integral unit from a plastics. The only other separate parts for the trimmer-latching mechanism then comprise the catch 8 and the springs 7 and 13. Mounting can be simplified by providing the trimmer frame with an inclined run-on surface 21, so that the hook-shaped end 10 automatically snaps into the recess 12 when the trimmer frame 6 is slid into the compartment 22 of the housing 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 the catch 8 comprises an arm 23 against which the spring 7 bears. The shape of the portion 24 bearing on the spindle 9 is slightly spherical. Under the influence of the spring 7 the hook-shaped end 10 is now urged against the bottom wall 14 of the recess 12, enabling the spring 13 used in the embodiment shown in Figure 3 to be dispensed with. To ensure that the hook-shaped end 10 keeps following the paths 17 and 18, in particular at those locations where the hook-shaped end 10 is to be moved sidewards relative to the direction indicated by the arrow P, differences in level may be provided with the bottom wall 14 at the location of the paths 17 and 18. Figure 6 is a development showing how the level varies along the paths 17 and 18 for the bottom-wall portions 14a to 14i, the hook-shaped end 10 being shown in broken lines at an arbitrary location. The differences in level are shown to an enlarged scale and in practice they will be only some tenths of millimetres. Figure 4 also shows the bottom portions 14a to 14i, but they are not essential for the construction shown in this Figure. Instead of at the left-hand side of the trimmer frame 6, as is shown in Figure 3, the trimmer cutters 4 and 5 may be arranged at the right-hand side of the trimmer frame, the remainder of the construction being the same, but the trimmer being slidable in an outward direction through an opening in the right-hand side of the housing 1. The trimmer is then in the operational position if the trimmer frame 3 and the catch 8 are in the position shown in Figure 3. This has the advantage that forces which may occur during trimming and which tend to move the trimmer 3 inwards are taken up by the catch 8 and not by the spring 7.

Claims: A shaving apparatus comprising a housing (1), at least one shaving unit (2), and a trimmer (3), which is movable relative to the housing between an operational position and a rest position by means of a push-button (15), a spring (7) being arranged between a trimmer frame (6) an the housing (1), characterized in that the housing (1) is provided with a pivotable catch (8) having a hook-shaped end (10) which engages one side of a latching projection (11) of the trimmer frame (6) in the rest position and wich is situated at the other side of the latching projection (11) in the operational position, in that around the latching projection (11) the trimmer frame (6) is formed with guide walls (16a,16b,16c) defining a forward and return path for the hook-shaped end (10), and in that the push-button (15) is directly secured to the trimmer frame (6). A shaving apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the hook-shaped end (10) engages against a trimmer frame wall (14) under the influence of a spring (13), said frame wall (6) being located substantially in the direction of movement (P) of the trimmer frame (6), in that the guide walls (16a,16b,16c) extend transversely of the trimmer frame wall (14), and in that the frame wall (14) has portions (14a-14i) with differences in level at the location of the paths for the hook-shaped end (10). A shaving apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that the catch (8) comprises an arm (23), the spring (7) between the trimmer frame (6) and the housing (1) bearing against said arm (23).

Inventors: LABRIJN, HANS
Applicants: N.V. PHILIPS' GLOEILAMPENFABRIEKEN
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B26B19
IPC codes: B26B19