Abstract:
A device for removing hair includes a housing and a shaving head fixedly positioned in the housing. The shaving head includes generally disk-like depilator assemblies mounted on a shaft. Each of the assemblies includes a disk includes sloping regions on faces of the disk between lobes of the disk, pressure-transferring protrusions, and a rotation-transferring protrusion elements on the faces, a spacer disposed on the faces to prevent an accumulation of debris and/or to allow for periodic tilting of the disk so as to force the pressure transferring portion to press a pincer of an adjacent disc. A recess in one of the faces accommodates a one rotation-transferring protrusion of another adjacent disk to transfer a rotational force therebetween. Pincers are disposed between the lobes at the sloping portions and tilt about an axis according to contact with the pressure-transferring protrusions of the adjacent disk.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of Israeli Patent Application No. 159,483, filed Dec. 3, 2003 in the Israeli Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a hair removal system, and more particularly, to a hair removing system using a depilating device.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Depilating devices use one of two methods for removing hair. In one method, the hair is cut, leaving the roots intact beneath the skin surface. In the other method, sometimes referred to as epilation, hair is removed by pulling it out from its roots.  
         [0006]     There are several mechanisms for removing hair according to the other method. Disk mechanisms are often used. In general, these disk mechanisms include disks and associated pincer-like elements. When two pincer-like elements are brought close together, hair is trapped between the pincer elements. The discs, which rotate and produce a torque, then uproot the hair trapped between their associated pincers. The pincer-like elements and their associated disks move in unison and all pincer-like elements within a fixed distance move close to their adjacent pincer-like elements synchronously. The forces required in such mechanisms are multiples of the number of the pincers. In some of these depilatory devices, the disk mechanisms have cylindrical shapes.  
         [0007]     Other depilating devices use disc mechanisms employ a large spring with bearings connected to its ends. In such devices, the spring presses on the bearings producing a constant force which acts identically over all the disks and their associated pincer-like elements. The magnitude of the force is the same throughout the entire mechanism. The forces required in such mechanisms are relatively small and the energy required is not great.  
         [0008]     Several of the proposed disk hair removal systems involve the use of tilted disks which come together at a point to grasp one or more strands of hair. Other disk mechanisms involve the use of cams to alternately bring the disks together and apart, thereby trapping strands of hair. Various such disk mechanisms are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,024 to Dolev, U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,115 to Dolev, U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,559 to Gabion, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,925 to Heintke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,903 to Ramspeck, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,419 to Garenfeld, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,021 to Kabla, U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,233 to Dolev, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,557 to Jordan, et al.  
         [0009]     A depilatory device using a disk mechanism is subject to several constraints. The pincer-like elements associated with each disk must close quickly. The pressure exerted by each contacting pair of the pincers must be neither too great nor too little. In the former case where the pressure is too great, the hair would be cut. In the latter case where the pressure is too little, the hair would slide through without being pulled out at its roots. Typically, all the pincers associated with a row of disks must contact their adjacent pincers simultaneously. Lastly, the contacting mechanism must be simple, operate reliably over time, and be easy to maintain.  
         [0010]     Presently, there is a need for a depilatory device that is easy and inexpensive to assemble and to maintain and which can uproot a greater number of hairs over a larger area than is possible using conventional devices. In addition, there is also an ongoing need for a depilating device that reduces discomfort associated with hair removal.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     According to an aspect of the present invention, a depilator assembly is provided that, when aggregated into a series of such assemblies in a shaving head, provides a larger contact area for shaving.  
         [0012]     According to an aspect of the present invention, a depilator assembly uses a disk mechanism where pincers of the assembly are more accurately brought into contact with each other.  
         [0013]     According to an aspect of the present invention, a depilator assembly is provided that, when aggregated into a series of such assemblies in a shaving head, produces less noise than other shaving heads.  
         [0014]     According to an aspect of the present invention, a depilator assembly is provided that, when aggregated into a series of such assemblies in a shaving head, is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.  
         [0015]     According to one aspect of the present invention, a depilator assembly for trapping hair to be removed includes an asymmetric disk formed of two lobes and having a first and second face, where the disk includes first and second sloping regions between the lobes with the first sloping region positioned on the first face and the second sloping region positioned on the second face, and the disk also includes two or more pressure-transferring protrusions on the first face, one or more rotation-transferring protrusions on the first face, and being displaced at a predetermined angle and distance from the at least two pressure-transferring protrusions on the first face, and two or more pressure-transferring protrusions on the second face.  
         [0016]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the second face further includes two or more spacer elements, where the spacer elements prevent the accumulation of debris between adjacent disks and allow for periodic tilting of the disks when pressure is provided to the depilator assembly.  
         [0017]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the second face further comprises one or more recesses configured to accommodate the one or more rotation-transferring protrusions of an adjacent disk such that a force transferring engagement is provided whereby, in response to a rotational force applied to the assembly, the one or more rotation-transferring protrusions transfers rotation to an adjacent assembly through the adjacent disk.  
         [0018]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the depilator assembly further includes first and second pincers, where each of the pincers has a plurality of arms, with each arm having an end including a pinching surface.  
         [0019]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the first pincer is positioned along the sloping region on the first face while the second pincer is positioned along the sloping region on the second face.  
         [0020]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the pincers tilt synchronously in their respective sloping regions when pressure transferring protrusions from adjacent disks in adjacent depilator assemblies press on an arm of each of the pincers such that the arms contact each other and/or draw close to each other so that hair is trapped between pinching surfaces of the pincers.  
         [0021]     In another embodiment of the assembly of the present invention, the one or more rotation-transferring protrusion are two rotation-transferring protrusions.  
         [0022]     In yet another embodiment of the assembly of the present invention, the pincers are linear having two arms.  
         [0023]     In additional embodiments of the present invention, the two pressure-transferring protrusions on each of the faces of the disk are positioned 180° apart. In other embodiments of the present invention, when the pincers are linear, each of the sloping regions slopes from the center of the disk in two directions and are 180° apart from each other.  
         [0024]     In a further embodiment of the present invention, the pressure-transferring protrusions are positioned proximate to the periphery of the asymmetric disk.  
         [0025]     In still another embodiment of the present invention, the disk is made from a material chosen from a group consisting of plastic, metal and rubber, and the pincers are made of metal.  
         [0026]     In some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure is provided by a spring.  
         [0027]     In yet other embodiments of the present invention, the pressure is provided by an arcuate shaft.  
         [0028]     In a further embodiment of the present invention, tilting of the pincers is effected along an axis running through a center of the disc, and perpendicular to the long axis of a first and second pincers.  
         [0029]     In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for removing hair which includes a housing and a shaving head, where the shaving head is fixedly positioned in the housing, and at least part of the shaving head is arranged to engage an area of the human body requiring depilation.  
         [0030]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the shaving head includes a plurality of generally disk-like depilator assemblies mounted on a shaft.  
         [0031]     According to an aspect of the present invention, each of the assemblies includes an asymmetric disk formed of two lobes, and the disk has a first and second face.  
         [0032]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the disk includes a first and second sloping region between the lobes.  
         [0033]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the first sloping region is positioned on the first face of the disk and the second sloping region is positioned on the second face of the disk.  
         [0034]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the disk also includes two or more pressure-transferring protrusions formed and positioned on the first face and one or more rotation-transferring protrusions formed on the first face.  
         [0035]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the one or more rotation-transferring protrusions are displaced at a predetermined angle and distance from the two or more pressure-transferring protrusions.  
         [0036]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the second face of the disk includes two or more pressure-transferring protrusions and two or more spacer elements, where the spacer elements prevent the accumulation of debris between adjacent disks of the plurality of depilator assemblies.  
         [0037]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the spacer elements also allow for periodic tilting of adjacent disks when a pressure-inducing element provides pressure to the plurality of assemblies.  
         [0038]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the second face also includes one or more recesses configured to accommodate the one or more rotation-transferring protrusions of a similar disk in an adjacent depilator assembly such that a force transferring engagement is provided and in response to a rotational force applied to the assembly, the one or more rotation-transferring protrusions transfers rotation among the plurality of assemblies.  
         [0039]     According to an aspect of the present invention, each disk assembly also includes first and second pincers, and each pincer has a plurality of arms, each arm having an end including pinching surfaces.  
         [0040]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the first pincer is positioned along the sloping region on the first face of the disk, and the second pincer being positioned along the sloping region on the second face of the disk.  
         [0041]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the pincers tilt synchronously in respective sloping regions when pressure-transferring protrusions from adjacent disks in adjacent assemblies periodically press on an arm of each of the pincers such that the pressure causes the arms to contact each other and/or to draw close to each other at their pinching surfaces so that hair may be trapped between surfaces of the pincers.  
         [0042]     According to an aspect of the present invention, the device also includes a motor and gear drive in mechanical communication with the shaft, where the motor and gear drive provide a torque to the plurality of assemblies with which to uproot hairs trapped between the pinching surfaces when the pinching surfaces are brought into close proximity with each other.  
         [0043]     In an embodiment of the present invention, the one or more rotation-transferring protrusions are two rotation-transferring protrusions.  
         [0044]     In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the pincers are linear having two arms.  
         [0045]     In a further embodiment of the present invention, the two pressure-transferring protrusions on each of the faces of the disk are positioned 180° apart.  
         [0046]     In a further embodiment of the present invention, the pressure-transferring protrusions are positioned proximate to the periphery of the disk.  
         [0047]     In another embodiment of the present invention, the disk is made from a material chosen from a group consisting of plastic, metal and rubber, and the pincers are metal.  
         [0048]     In yet another embodiment of the present invention, each of the sloping regions slopes from the center of the disk in two directions and are dispersed 180° apart from each other.  
         [0049]     In some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure-inducing element is a spring, and/or an arcuate shaft.  
         [0050]     In still another embodiment of the present invention, tilting of the pincers is effected along an axis running through a center of the disc, running through its center and perpendicular to a long axis of the pincers.  
         [0051]     In yet another embodiment of the present invention, adjacent assemblies of the plurality of assemblies have their pincers offset from each other by a predetermined number of degrees, where the offset is generally determined by the positioning and spacing of the one or more rotation-transferring protrusions in relation to the pincer axis.  
         [0052]     Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0053]     These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0054]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a depilator assembly constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0055]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are top and bottom views respectively of the depilator assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0056]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are side-top and side-bottom views respectively, showing the depilator assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0057]      FIG. 4A  is a lateral view of a stack of three interlocking depilator assemblies of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0058]      FIGS. 4B and 4C  are exploded views of the depilator stack shown in  FIG. 4A ;  
         [0059]      FIG. 5  is a lateral view of the pincers and disk of  FIG. 1  during operation  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0060]      FIG. 6A  is an isometric view of a shaving head including a plurality of the depilator assemblies of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0061]      FIG. 6B  is an exploded view of the shaver head shown in  FIG. 6A ;  
         [0062]      FIG. 7  is a cut-away view of a shaver constructed using the shaver head illustrated in  FIGS. 6A-6B ;  
         [0063]      FIG. 8  is a view of a stack of depilator assemblies of  FIG. 1  showing the angular positioning of pressure-transferring protrusions in the stack;  
         [0064]      FIG. 9A  is a view of the operation of a stack of disk assemblies constructed according to an aspect of the present invention; and  
         [0065]      FIG. 9B  are views of the operation of a conventional depilator. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
       [0066]     Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.  
         [0067]     The terms “contacting”, “contact” and the like are used interchangeably with the terms “brought close to”, “close”, “closing” or other similar such expressions when discussing the operation of the pinching surfaces of the pincers according to aspects of the invention. It should be understood that the pinching surfaces must be close enough to trap hairs without cutting them before the hairs are uprooted, but do not need to necessarily contact each other specifically to effect such pulling. No attempt at distinguishing between the different sets of terms is intended and they are used synonymously herein.  
         [0068]     As used herein below, the terms “interlock” and “engage” and words derived therefrom will be used interchangeably in relation to the rotation-transferring protrusion of a disk and its receiving recess on another adjacent disk according to aspects of the invention. No attempt at distinguishing between the different sets of terms will be made.  
         [0069]     Reference is now made to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  which shows an exploded view of a depilator assembly  10  constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention. The depilator assembly  10  in  FIG. 1  includes a disk  30  and two pincers  20  and  20 ′. Each pincer  20  and  20 ′ is constructed linearly and has two arms  22  and  22 ′ joined to a central section  24 . In  FIG. 1 , a central section  24  has a generally circular shape. However, in other embodiments, other shapes are also possible.  
         [0070]     Extending from central section  24  are two rotatable extensions  26 . One pincer  20  is positioned on a first side of a disk  30  while the other pincer  20 ′ is positioned on a second side of the disk  30 .  
         [0071]     At the end of each arm  22  and  22 ′ is a pinching surface  132 . When adjacent pinching surfaces  132  contact each other, best seen in  FIGS. 4A and 5  below, the surfaces  132  trap hair which is then torn out by the root while the disk  30  rotates. At the end of each arm  22  and  22 ′ is a trapping element  28  which assists in directing hair toward pinching surfaces  132 . However, it is understood that the trapping element  28  need not be used in all aspects of the invention.  
         [0072]     The disk  30  may be constructed of metal, plastic, or rubber. Pincers  20  and  20 ′ may be constructed of metal. However, it is understood that the other materials can be used, and that the pincers  20 ,  20 ′, can include additional materials or films to assist in hair removal.  
         [0073]     The disk  30  is integrally formed of two lobes  31  and  31 ′. Two sets of protrusions  35  and  34  are positioned on the side of the disk  30  shown in  FIG. 1 . The protrusions  34  and  35  are typically integrally formed with the disk  30 , but can be separately attached. As will be better seen when viewing and discussing  FIGS. 2A, 2B ,  3 A and  3 B below, protrusions  35 , hereafter called “rotation-transferring protrusions”, interlock with the disk  30  of an adjacent depilator assembly  10 .  
         [0074]     The protrusions  34 , hereinafter called “pressure-transferring protrusions”, periodically contact and press on the arms  22  and  22 ′ of a pincer  20  belonging to an adjacent depilator assembly  10 . As a result, the pincer  20  tilts toward a second pincer  20 ′ also associated with the adjacent depilator assembly  10 . This tilting is best illustrated below in  FIGS. 3B, 4A  and  5 . As can be noted in  FIG. 1 , each of the pressure-transferring protrusions  34  extends beyond the plane of the disk  30  and is slightly curved according to an aspect of the invention.  
         [0075]     The central section  24  of the pincers  20  and  20 ′ is shaped and sized to be disposed over a projecting hub  38  of the disk  30 . There are sized and shaped recesses  37  near the hub  38  into which the rotatable extensions  26  of the pincers  20  and  20 ′ fit, thereby holding the pincers  20 ,  20 ′ in place. When placed in the recesses  37 , rotatable extensions  26  rotate and allow pincers  20  and  20 ′ to tilt. As will be discussed more fully below, the rotatable extensions  26  are positioned collinearly with the axis around which pincers  20  and  20 ′ tilt according to an aspect of the invention.  
         [0076]     A projecting hub  38  is sized and shaped to be mounted on a shaft  48  (seen in and discussed in conjunction with  FIGS. 6A and 6B  below). The shaft  48  is positioned so that the shaft  48  passes through and is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the disk  30 . Extending away from projecting hub  38  are slopes  36  in the region between lobes  31  and  31 ′. The slopes  36  are present on both sides of the disk  30  and extend away from the hub  38  in opposite directions along a common axis. The slopes on both sides of the disk  30  extend away from hub  38  in two directions forming linear ramp-like structures. The ramp-like structures receive pincer  20  or  20 ′ when the pincers  20  or  20 ′ tilt. The construction of the slopes  36  is best seen in  FIG. 5  which will be discussed below.  
         [0077]     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 2A and 2B  in which top and bottom views respectively of the depilator assembly  10  are shown. It is readily noted that the top ( FIG. 2A ) and bottom ( FIG. 2B ) surfaces of the disk  30  of the depilator assembly  10  are not identical in the shown embodiment. The top surface ( FIG. 2A ) includes two pressure-transferring protrusions  34  and two rotation-transferring protrusions  35 . On the bottom surface shown in  FIG. 2B , there are two pressure-transferring protrusions  34 , two spacing elements  33  and two recesses  32 . However, while shown as not identical, it is understood that the top and bottom surfaces could be made identical according to an aspect of the invention.  
         [0078]     The recesses  32  receive and engage with the two rotation-transferring protrusions  35  of an adjacent disk  30  belonging to an adjacent depilator assembly. As will be described below, this interlocking structure assists in transferring rotational motion between adjacent depilator assemblies  10  in the plurality of the depilator assemblies  10  positioned in a shaving head  49  (shown in  FIGS. 6A, 6B , and  7 ). The axis of rotation of the depilator assembly  10  is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the paper in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  and proceeds through a hole  38 A in the projecting hub  38 .  
         [0079]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  to which reference is now made are two isometric, side-top and side-bottom views respectively, of the depilator assembly  10  constructed as described above in conjunction with  FIGS. 2A and 2B .  FIGS. 3A and 3B  correspond to side views of the views shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  respectively. The elements in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , as well as their operation, have been discussed in conjunction with  FIGS. 1 through 2 B above, and accordingly, their description will not be repeated.  
         [0080]     It should be noted that while lobes  31  and  31 ′ of the disk  30  are generally identical. The lobes  31 ,  31 ′ are not symmetrical when reflected along a plane running through hub  38  and recesses  37 . The lobes  31 ,  31 ′ are also not symmetrical when reflected along a plane running through hub  38  and slopes  36 . This is a result, inter alia, of the positioning and number of protrusions  34  and  35 , elements  33 , recesses  32  and the truncated edges  39  of lobes  31  and  31 ′, the need for the latter being obvious when viewing  FIG. 2B  discussed above. However, it is understood that additional configurations are possible, and that the lobes  31 ,  31 ′ could be identical in aspects of the invention.  
         [0081]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 4A  which shows a stack of three interlocking depilator assemblies  10 A,  10 B and  10 C. Each assembly  10 A,  10 B and  10 C includes a corresponding disk  30 ,  30 ′ and  30 ″ and a corresponding pair of the pincers  20  and  20 ′. Reference is also being made to  FIGS. 4B and 4C  which represent exploded views of  FIG. 4A  as viewed from the two sides of the disks  30 ,  30 ′ and  30 ″. The disks  30 ,  30 ′ and  30 ″ and pincers  20 ,  20 ′ are constructed as shown and described in conjunction with  FIG. 1 .  
         [0082]      FIG. 4A  shows how the pinching operation is effected and how a hair may be trapped between contacting pinching surfaces  132  when two pincers  20  and  20 ′ on a single assembly  10 A are made to tilt toward each other. As pressure-transferring protrusions  34  of the disk  30 ″ contact proximate pincer arms  22  and  22 ′, they cause the arms  22  and  22 ′ of the disk  30  to move toward each other. This can be understood by viewing  FIGS. 4B and 4C . Pincer arms  22  and  22 ′ of the pincers  20  and  20 ′ contact each other at flattened pinching surfaces  132  ( FIG. 4A ), where hair is trapped. The trapped hair is then torn from its roots and removed by a torque operating on rotating depilator assembly  10 A. The torque is generated by a motor  47  as discussed below in relation to  FIG. 6A .  
         [0083]     It should be noted that the pincers  20  and  20 ′ which contact each other, both belong to a single depilator assembly  10 A ( FIG. 4A ), while the pressure-transferring protrusions  34  belong to disks  30 ′ and  30 ″ of adjacent depilator assemblies  10 B and  10 C respectively. A pressure-transferring protrusion  34  on a side of the disk  30 ′ opposite the disk  30  presses on one pincer arm  22  of the pincer  20 ′ of the disk  30  while a pressure-transferring protrusion  34  on a side of the disk  30 ″ opposite the disk presses on a pincer arm  22  of the pincer  20  of the disk  30 . The pincer arms  22  and  22 ′ are visible in  FIGS. 4B and 4C  but are not visible in  FIG. 4A .  
         [0084]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  show that a second side of the disk  30 ′ of the depilator assembly  10 B facing away from the disk  30  contains rotation-transferring protrusions  35 . Two recesses  32  are located on a second side of the disk assembly  10 B, visible in  FIG. 4C . These recesses  32  engage with rotation-transferring protrusions  35  on a side of the adjacent depilator assembly  10 A facing the disk assembly  10 B. On the second surface of the disk  30  of the depilator assembly  10 A facing the disk  30 ″ are two recesses  32  as shown in  FIG. 4C . These recesses interlock with rotation-transferring protrusions  35  in  FIG. 4B  on the side of the disk  30 ″ of the depilator assembly  10 C facing the disk  30 . On the second side of the disk  30 ″ of the depilator assembly  10 C are two recesses  32  ( FIG. 4C ) which interlock with yet another depilator assembly (not shown). The interlocking of adjacent depilator assemblies  10 A- 10 C allows for the smooth transfer of rotational motion provided by the motor  47  and gear drive  46  along a series of interlocked depilator assemblies  10  positioned in the shaver head  49  as shown in  FIG. 6A . This transfer will be further discussed below in conjunction with  FIGS. 6A and 6B .  
         [0085]     The rotation-transferring protrusions  35  are positioned and spaced on the disks  30 ,  30 ′ and  30 ″ in a manner which ensures that the pincers of adjacent stacked depilator assemblies  10 A,  10 B and  10 C are properly offset one from another. In  FIGS. 4A, 4B  and  4 C the pincers of the stack are spaced apart at an angle of 60°. Generally, this allows for more pincers than in the prior art. Accordingly, the rate of depilation is faster.  
         [0086]     In  FIG. 4C , two spacing elements  33  are shown. These spacing elements  33  are positioned on a side of the disks  30 ,  30 ′ and  30 ″ which includes the recesses  32 . The spacing elements  33  function as spacers between adjacent disks  30  and aid in preventing maintenance problems resulting from deposits of hair, dirt, oil etc. which may accumulate during use. Moreover, the spacing elements  33  function as pivots around which disks  30  may tilt as a result of pressure exerted by a spring  45  shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . Because the spring  45  is positioned so as to exert more pressure on the top of the disks  30  than on the bottom, the disks  30  periodically tilt around element  33  as they rotate. The position of spacing elements  33  is such that the periodic tilt of the disks  30  is synchronized with pressure-transferring protrusions  34  being aligned to press on pincers  20  and  20 ′. The synchronization is such that pincers  20  and  20 ′ are brought to their closed position when they are near the portion of shaving head  49  (as seen in  FIGS. 6A, 6B  and  7 ) exposed to a dermal region having hairs to be uprooted. However, where the spring  45  exerts a more balanced pressure or where they are otherwise not desired, it is understood that the spacer elements  33  need not be used in all aspects of the invention.  
         [0087]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 5  where a lateral view of adjacent pincers  20  and  20 ′ related to disk assembly  10  are shown.  FIG. 5  is presented along line A-A shown in  FIG. 2A . As discussed above, adjacent pincers  20  and  20 ′ are operative to uproot a hair when pinching surfaces  132  are brought close to each other as shown in  FIG. 5 . The pincers  20 ,  20 ′ tilt around an axis  131  shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  which runs through recesses  37 . In the shown embodiment of the present invention, no edge is required for tilting the pincers  20 ,  20 ′. The pincers  20 ,  20 ′ are tilted along slopes  36  which extend away from projecting hub  38 . As shown, the slopes  36  meet at a point and have triangular profile. However, it is understood that the slopes  36  can have other profiles or be truncated so as to not meet at a point according to aspects of the invention. As described, tilting occurs when pressure-transferring protrusions  34  of an adjacent depilator assembly  10  press on pincer arm  22  of the pincer  20  (or alternatively the arm  22  of the pincer  20 ′). The view in  FIG. 5  corresponds to closed pincers  20  and  20 ′ shown in  FIG. 4A  with pinching surfaces  132  proximately positioned. As can be seen, the pivot of the pincers  20 ,  20 ′ about extensions  26  allow the arms  22  to come together while the arms  22 ′ go apart. The arms  20 ,  20 ′ do not contact the slopes  30  as shown in  FIG. 5 , and therefore do not bend.  
         [0088]      FIG. 6A , reference to which is now made, shows the shaving head  49  including a plurality of the depilator assemblies  10  having pincers  20 , constructed as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5  and described in conjunction therewith according to an aspect of the invention. The shaving head  49  includes a stack of nine depilator assemblies  10 . While the shown number of depilator assemblies  10  (i.e., nine) is typical, the number is merely exemplary and non-limiting such that other numbers can be used according to aspects of the invention. The stack is an expansion of the three disk stack in  FIGS. 4A-4C . The depilator assemblies  10  are attached to the shaft  48  and are activated by the motor  47  through the gear drive  46 . The shaft  48  is received within the central openings  38 A (see  FIGS. 2A-2B ) of the disks  30  in the depilator assemblies  10 . The biasing spring  45  holds the engaged individual depilator assemblies  10  tightly together, reinforcing the protrusion-recess engagement mechanism  35 ,  32  described above in conjunction with  FIGS. 4A-4C .  
         [0089]     The gear drive  46  serves to convert the rotational speed generated by the motor  47  to the rotational speed required by the depilator assemblies  10 . It is readily evident to one skilled in the art that any of many different known gear drives may be used, and that motors of multiple types can be used. Moreover, where the motor so allows, the gear drive  46  need not be used.  
         [0090]     There are two pressure disks  44  and  44 ′ at the ends of shaving head  49  which transfer the pressure exerted by spring  45  to the depilator assemblies  10  in the shown embodiment. Between the pressure disks  44  and  44 ′ and the plurality of the depilator assemblies  10  are two pressure bearings  43  and  43 ′. The bearings  43  and  43 ′ allow the series of the depilator assemblies  10  to rotate relative to the disks  44  without degrading disks  44  and  44 ′. The bearings  43 ,  43 ′ also assist in transferring pressure from the spring  45  and the pressure disks  44  and  44 ′ to depilator assemblies  10 . Both the pressure disks  44  and  44 ′ and pressure bearing  43  and  43 ′ are positioned around the shaft  48 .  
         [0091]     As readily seen in  FIG. 6A , the spring  45  is positioned on an upper side of the depilator assemblies  10 . Thus, the spring  45  subjects the upper side of the depilator assemblies  10  to greater pressure than the other side (i.e., the bottom side). Such pressure asymmetry assists in transferring the forces from spring  45  to the pressure disks  44  and  44 ′ and the pressure bearings  43  and  43 ′ to the series of the depilator assemblies  10  in a fashion which causes the pressure-transferring protrusions  34  to periodically press on pincers  20  and  20 ′ of a depilator assembly  10 ′ forcing them to come together. As mentioned previously, spacing elements  33  act as a pivot on which disks  30  tilt allowing pressure-transferring protrusions  34  to periodically press on pincers  20  and  20 ′. However, it is understood that other mechanisms can be used to induce such movement of the protrusions  34 .  
         [0092]      FIG. 6B , to which reference is now made, shows an exploded view of the shaving head  49  shown in  FIG. 6A . For simplicity, only one complete depilator assembly  10  is shown. A disk  61  is the disk closest to a topmost gear  63  and has projections  62  on its side proximate to topmost gear  63 . These projections  62  interlock with recesses (not shown) on gear  63  allowing the transfer of rotational motion from gear drive  46  to the series of engaged depilator assemblies  10  in shaving head  49 .  
         [0093]     The motor  47  in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  may be of any suitable type known to those skilled in the art. As with other electric shavers, the motor  47  may be operated using any convenient power source, such as house current and/or a battery (not shown) according to an aspect of the invention.  
         [0094]     When the electric motor  47  is energized, the shaving head  49  is manipulated to move across a dermal area having hair to be removed. As the series of interlocked depilating assemblies  10  is rotated by electric motor  47 , the pressure-transferring protrusions  34  (not shown) periodically and synchronously press on the pairs of the pincers  20  and  20 ′ of the several depilator assemblies  10  included in the shaving head  49 . The protrusions  34  bring the pinching surfaces  132  (in  FIG. 5 ) of the pincers  20  and  20 ′ close to each other, thereby trapping hair located between them.  
         [0095]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 7  which shows a view of a shaver  50  partly exposing the shaving head  49  constructed as in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . The motor  47 , gear drive  46 , spring  45 , pressure disks  44  and  44 ′, and pressure bearings  43  and  43 ′ shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  are not visible in  FIG. 7  as they are included in a grippable housing  51 . It is readily understood by one skilled in the art that the housing  51  may be constructed in any of many different shapes using any of many materials known to those skilled in the art, and is not limited to the shown housing  51 .  
         [0096]     The pincers  20 ,  20 ′ of a stack of the depilator assemblies  10 , constructed according to an aspect the present invention, are spaced apart by 60°. This spacing is shown in  FIG. 8  to which reference is now made.  FIG. 8  includes a stack of nine depilator assemblies  10 A- 10 I, a typical, but non-limiting, number. Each disk  30  in the stack is schematically set out linearly with the location of the pincers  20 ,  21 ′ identifiable. The depilator assembly triads shown in  FIG. 8  are equivalent to a dyad of assemblies each having pincers of three arms known in conventional devices. But because the present invention allows an extra depilator assembly  10 , the span covered by the present invention&#39;s triad exceeds that of a prior art dyad when the disk thickness is the same in both cases. Using the triad configuration of the shown embodiment of the present invention increases the&#39; probability of encountering a hair for uprooting by 50% over conventional devices.  
         [0097]     As described above, the axis (item  131  in  FIGS. 3A and 3B ) used to tilt pincers  20  is in the plane of the disk  30 , and runs through the projecting hub  38  and the recesses  37 . Because the distance between the tilting axis and the point of contact (i.e. the pinching surfaces  132 ) of pair of the pincers  20 ,  20 ′ is relatively long and because no edge is required for pivoting, the pincers  20 ,  20 ′ in the present invention contact each other more precisely than do pincers in conventional assemblies. The resulting shave is closer than with prior art assemblies and shavers, and shaving is less painful.  
         [0098]     In the above embodiment, the shaft  48  is an essentially linear shaft. In another embodiment, the shaft  48  may be an arcuate shaft according to another aspect of the invention. This arcuate shaft  48  could be used with or without spring  45  shown in  FIG. 6A . Because a fixed number of the depilator assemblies  10  are present, the assemblies  10  are invariably brought closer together on the concave side of the arc than on the convex side of the arc. This closer positioning on the concave side brings pressure-transferring protrusions  34  into contact with pincers  20  of an adjacent assembly forcing them into their closed, i.e. contacting, position. The assemblies  10  open when the pincers  20 ,  20 ′ are on the convex side of the arc.  
         [0099]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  are now introduced.  FIG. 9A  shows the effect of force P generated by spring  45  on a series of the depilator assemblies  10 . The force P is operative on the top of disk assemblies  10  causing the distance D between adjacent assemblies  10  to increase at the bottom and decrease at the top of the disks. This can be contrasted with the conventional depilatory device shown in  FIG. 9B  which requires forces P′ operative at both the top and the bottom of the mechanism. Moreover, the magnitude of the force required to bring together depilating elements  200  in  FIG. 9B  is larger than the force required by the device shown in  FIG. 9A  to bring together the pincers  20 ,  20 ′, where the magnitude is a multiple of the disks  200  being tilted. As shown, the force P′ is three times the P (i.e., 3P). However, since the pincers  20 ,  20 ′ rotate about the axis,  31 , less force is required as compared to that required in the devices shown in  FIG. 9B .  
         [0100]     A shaver employing depilator assemblies constructed according to an aspect of the present invention uses a larger number of the disks for a given distance along the shaving head than in prior art. As a result of the extra disks, each pincer when closing needs to move through a shorter arc than do pincers of conventional assemblies. A shorter arc requires decreased acceleration on the part of the moving pincers (see  FIG. 9A ), resulting, inter alia, in a device producing less noise.  
         [0101]     A feature of the present invention is that the pincers of one assembly is activated by the protrusions of adjacent depilator assemblies. The pressure-transferring protrusion and spacer asymmetry of the disks also provide an advantage over conventional devices. Finally, it should be noted that rotary motion is transferred from one disk to another more reliably because the rotation-transferring protrusions  35  are positioned at a greater radius than in prior art assemblies.  
         [0102]     While shown as being used in a single head shaver, it is understood that the present invention can be included in units having multiple heads. Moreover, it is understood that any type of hair (human or otherwise) can be pulled using the present invention, and that the present invention can be used to pull any object from a surface.  
         [0103]     Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described herein above and that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of the which is defined by the claims that follow and their equivalents: