Abstract:
A manual shaving device that includes a support having at least one razor blade designed to cut a hair as it passes over it mounted thereon and at least one conducting member designed to transmit an electric current to a root of the hair as it passes over it, the electric current being designed to damage a follicle of the hair by electrolysis.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a national stage application of International Application No. PCT/FR2006/000629, filed on Mar. 21, 2006, which claims the benefit of French Patent Application No. 0502737, filed on Mar. 21, 2005, the entire contents both of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device that makes it possible, simultaneously while shaving by hand, to cut hair and to damage, or even destroy, the hair follicle. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Conventional manual shavers generally use one or more blades that exclusively cut hair. They do not prevent hair regrowth because they do not act on the roots. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it is an object of embodiments of the present invention to remedy this disadvantage of conventional shavers. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    To this end, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a manual shaving device comprising a support on which at least one razor blade designed to cut a hair as it passes over it, is mounted. Embodiments of the present invention further comprise at least one conducting member designed to transmit an electric current to the root of a hair as it passes over it, the electric current being designed to damage the follicle of the hair by electrolysis. 
         [0008]    The method according to embodiments of the invention comprises, while moving the razor over the area that is to be epilated, sending an electrical electrolysis current into the hair in order to reach its papilla and its root, just before it is cut with the blade. Embodiments of the present invention also relate to an aesthetic method of shaving aimed at delaying the regrowth of the shaved hairs, for which at least one razor blade and at least one conducting member are provided, and in which a shaving operation involves moving the at least one blade over the skin in such a way so as to shave the hairs in a given area and, at the same time, moving the at least one contact member over the skin in contact therewith, together with supplying an electrical current to the conducting member such that, as the shaving device is moved over the skin, an electric current is transmitted to the follicles of the hair in at least part of the shaved area in order to damage the follicles by electrolysis. 
         [0009]    Because of this simultaneous method, the root of the hair or follicle is damaged, or even destroyed following repeated use of the device, resulting in the hair being removed and its regrowth being considerably delayed. 
         [0010]    One embodiment of a device for implementing this method comprises a blade support. This blade support includes a conducting element having two conducting members positioned in front of and behind the razor blades, that apply an electrical current. Thus, when a user moves the device over the area that is to be shaved or epilated, the front conducting member, which is connected to an internal generator, is the first to slide over the hair and, by contact, transmits the current and the hair. The blades then pass over the hair and cut it. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments of the present shaving device, the blade support is preferably removably positioned on or attached to a housing. In addition, the at least one conducting member is a positive conducting member and is offset relative to the at least one razor blade in the direction of travel thereof, and is preferably provided in front of the at least one blade in its direction of travel. Further, the device also includes a casing that comprises, on its exterior wall and preferably in a region for holding the latter, a contact element providing a current return path, where the contact element is negatively connected and is preferably in the form of a metal sheet. 
         [0012]    The conducting element comprises a first conducting member and a second conducting member where the at least one razor blade is positioned between the first conducting member and the second conducting member in the direction of travel of said blade. 
         [0013]    The first conducting member which is positive, is positioned in front of the at least one blade with respect to its direction of travel and the second conducting member, which is negative, is positioned behind the at least one blade, where the first and second conducting members are positioned parallel to one another and preferably parallel to the at least one razor blade. The conducting members are in the form of a pad, preferably made of a metal sheet. The conducting members have current supplied to them by permanent contact with at least one contact hook that is preferably elastically displaceable. 
         [0014]    The casing comprises an internal electrical generator electrically connected to the conducting members. 
         [0015]    In addition, in another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of razor blades positioned parallel to one another are provided. The device also includes a blade support that comprises two conducting pads, a positively connected front pad for transmitting the current and a negatively connected rear pad for the current return path. The blade support may also comprise only the positively connected front pad. In such case, the current return path is provided by a negatively connected metal part that is fixed to the exterior face of the casing, so as to be in contact with the hand. In both instances, the resistance of the body is at the same potential as the internal generator and the current that produces the electrolysis phenomenon circulates perfectly. 
         [0016]    Now turning to the shaving operation, the operation comprises: providing a casing, that supports at least one blade and the at least one conducting element, the casing having a region for holding; moving the at least one blade and the at least one conducting element by hand by the user; providing a current-conducting means, in contact with the user so as to provide a current return path for the current transmitted by the at least one conducting element; and moving the at least one blade with respect to the movement of the at least one conducting member in such a way so as to transmit the electric current to the root of a given hair before that given hair is cut by the blade. 
         [0017]    The shaving operation may be repeated periodically, and preferably daily in the case of beard growth and weekly in the case of hair on other parts of the body, until the follicles of most of the treated hairs have been destroyed. It is thus possible to obtain a result which, aesthetically and in terms of how well it lasts, is similar to that of conventional epilation. 
         [0018]    Other features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the description that follows, which is given by way of nonlimiting examples with reference to the included drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a blade support, according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view take about line II-II in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a blade support, according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a shaving device comprising the blade support depicted in  FIG. 1 , according to the one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a shaving device comprising the blade support depicted in  FIG. 3 , according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a partial plan view of a shaving device without the blade support, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a top view of a blade support element, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIGS. 8 and 9  are front and side views of blade support conducting members, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is a partial cross-sectional view about line X-X in  FIG. 4 ; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram of a blade support and the supply of electrical power thereto, according an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0029]    In the following description, identical references have been maintained in the various figures to denote elements that are identical or similar. 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of the present device comprises a blade support  1  that is attached to the casing  5  of the shaving device as depicted in  FIG. 4 . This blade support  1  is equipped with a conducting element comprising two conducting members or pads ( 3 ,  4 ) aligned parallel to each other. A positive conducting pad  3  is positioned at the front of the blade support  1  and a negative conducting pad  4  that forms the current return path, is positioned at the rear of the blade support  1 , these pads being separated by the razor blades  2 . The front and the rear of the blade support  1  are defined by the direction of travel of the blades  2 , as indicated by arrow F in  FIG. 1 . However, this layout of the pads is not essential. For example, in the case of a dry razor in which the blades are electrically driven behind a grating, there is no one single direction of travel for cutting the hairs, unlike the case of razor blades of the wet razor type, which have been depicted by way of example. 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  depicts, in a front view, a housing  15  of the casing  5  for attaching the blade support  1  to the casing  5 . This housing  15  comprises, in the middle, a pivot pin  7  equipped with a spring and, at its ends, two contact hooks ( 8 ,  9 ) that are used to hold the blade support  1  and establish electrical connection with each of the pads ( 3 ,  4 ). 
         [0032]      FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of element  11  that forms the framework of the blade support  1 . Element  11  has aligned cut-outs  11   a  in the middle of each end through which the corresponding contact hooks ( 8 ,  9 ) pass. The contact hooks ( 8 ,  9 ) are mounted such that they can pivot and are elastically returnable to the engaged position so as to removably attach the blade support  1  to the housing  15  as can be seen clearly in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0033]    It will be clear to persons skilled in the art on studying these figures that the blade support  1  forms a removable and disposable shaver cartridge that can be held in place by other types of fastening means or devices and which can also possibly be connected to the casing using an articulated joint, as is well known in the case of razors for wet shaving. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 8 and 9  provide further details on the conducting pads ( 3 ,  4 ). The conducting pads ( 3 ,  4 ) are identical and positioned in opposition on the blade support  1 . With reference to  FIG. 3 , the pads ( 3 ,  4 ) consist of a slim metal plate. As shown in  FIG. 8 , a centered peg  31  at one end provides for attachment to the blade support  1 . Part  32 , which is bent at a right angle at the end opposite to where peg  31  is located, is positioned near the cut-out in the blade support  1 , in order to provide the electrical connection with the contact hook  8  or  9 . By way of nonlimiting example, the pads ( 3 ,  4 ) are of the order of approximately 35 mm long and 5 mm wide. 
         [0035]      FIG. 10  depicts, in cross section, the electrical connection of the positive conducting pad  3  and negative conducting pad  4 . The contact hooks ( 8 ,  9 ) are connected to an internal generator  10  and remain in constant contact with the corresponding pads ( 3 ,  4 ). 
         [0036]    However, the conducting pads ( 3 ,  4 ) may adopt a great many other forms and, for example, may be more robust. They need not necessarily be made of metal either. Indeed, their purpose is to transmit current from the generator  10  to the root of the hairs through contact with the skin and, to a lesser extent, with the outside of the hairs if these hairs have not already been cut. The conducting pads ( 3 ,  4 ) could therefore be made of any current-conducting material. The current is therefore transmitted simply by rubbing the pads against the skin. 
         [0037]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram for the mechanical and electrical systems. The electric generator  10  comprises a current source  101 , here, for example, a 9-volt battery, an on/off switch  102 , here, for example, in the form of a push-button, an indicator lamp  103 , a regulating unit  104  that controls the current supplied to the conducting pads ( 3 ,  4 ) and an electric module  105  connected to its components ( 101 - 104 ) in order to control the operation of the shaving device. 
         [0038]    It is advantageous for the electronic module  105  to be miniaturized and for the current source  101  to be in the form of a cell battery or a rechargeable battery, so that the entire generator  10  can be housed inside the casing  5  of the shaving device which, as can be seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , is in the form of a small hand-held device, that is almost as easy to handle as a wet razor. Indeed, according to embodiments of the present invention, the current transmitted to the roots of the hairs needs simply to be enough to begin an electrolysis phenomenon at the dermal papilla, which phenomenon is a known phenomenon per se. However, unlike electrolysis epilation devices that require a current to be applied to the root of each hair for several tens of seconds, or even for several minutes, the amounts of electrical energy used by the invention in a given area are very small. Nevertheless, it has been found that, in spite of the small amount of current transmitted to each hair as a result of the conducting pads passing quickly over the skin as the present bladed shaver device is handled in the usual way, the hair follicles are damaged, thus delaying hair regrowth. 
         [0039]    It is preferable to position the positive conducting pad  3  first, in the direction of travel of the razor, so that the hair can be electrolyzed before it is cut. 
         [0040]    According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the blade support  1  is equipped with razor blades  2  positioned at the rear, but over a greater width at the front, there is only the positive conducting pad  3 . In this case,  FIG. 5  shows that a metal sheet  6 , fixed externally to the casing  5 , is entirely able to provide the negative contact for the current return path. This sheet  6  forms a contact element, the purpose of which is identical to the purpose of the second conducting member or pad  4  in the first embodiment. These two types of conducting means ( 4 ,  6 ) are able, with the first conducting member or pad  3 , to produce a fairly large current-circulation loop. 
         [0041]    It is, however, perfectly conceivable for the conducting pad or pads in contact with the skin and the hair to be connected to the negative terminal of the current generator  10 . Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention do not exclude a ground-return path for the current with a suitable generator, for example, when the shaver is being used in the shower. Indeed, the voltages needed to obtain the electrolysis phenomenon are very low, in the order of 30 volts, and the currents are very weak at just a few milliamps. Thus, there is therefore no risk of electrocution using the shaving device produced according to the present invention. Furthermore, it is entirely possible to disconnect the conducting members or pads ( 3 ,  4 ), which are removably mounted, from the blade support  1 , for example, by positioning these members on the casing  5  near the housing  15  so that they come into contact with the skin. 
         [0042]    In the light of the foregoing description it will become apparent that the shaving method comprising shaving with the blades in the usual way, sliding the cutting edge of these blades over the skin, in the case of a wet razor, or sliding a grating over the skin, in the case of a dry razor, while at the same time applying an electrical current to the skin surface and hence the hairs via the conducting pads ( 3 ,  4 ) or any other conducting means or member, in order to generate the electrolysis phenomenon. 
         [0043]    By repeating the shaving operation using the device described hereinabove, it is possible, after a certain number of uses separated by some period of time, to destroy the dermal papilla. What this means is that not only is the regrowth of the hair delayed, but its regrowth is temporarily halted similar to that obtained using conventional epilation methods with wax or the like. However, an advantage of the present invention and method is that this result can be obtained without the user having to change his or her shaving habits. Repeated application of the current for electrolysis during daily shaving of the beard area makes it possible to practically destroy the roots. Likewise, a weekly shaving operation, for example of the legs, the bikini line or the armpits, leads to very severe damage to the dermal papilla after a few weekly shaving operations, having very significant effect on hair regrowth.