Patent Publication Number: US-2021161276-A1

Title: Skin care device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national entry of International Application No. PCT/KR2019/004398, filed on Apr. 12, 2019, which claims under 35 U. S.C. § 119(a) and 365(b) priority to and benefits of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2018-0043243, filed on Apr. 13, 2018, and 10-2018-0056348, filed on May 17, 2018 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to a skin care device. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     To make a skin smooth, modern people applies and massages a skin care material with relatively high viscosity, such as lotion, cream, etc. and/or a skin care material with relatively low viscosity, such as oil, milk, vinegar diluted solution, green tea water, lemon water, wine, starchy water, etc. onto the skin. However, it is difficult for people to apply the skin care material to their own back portions by themselves because a human body has a structure that a palm can hardly reach the back. 
     Specifically, people can rub the lotion, the cream or the like skin care material, of which viscosity is relatively high, on their own backs with a long stick. However, people can hardly apply and massage the oil, the milk, the vinegar diluted solution, the green tea water, the lemon water, the wine, the starchy water or the like skin care material, of which viscosity is relatively low, onto their own backs by themselves because it tends to flow down. 
     Meanwhile, with increase of one-person households and growth of interest in skin care, various products for helping people to take care their own back portions by themselves, for example, a body brush, a lotion applicator, etc. have been individually on the market. Therefore, there is a problem that various skin care products for the back portion need to be individually purchased and stored. 
     Technical Problem 
     An aspect of the disclosure is to provide a skin care device which has a relatively simple configuration allowing people to easily apply not only a skin care material with relatively high viscosity, such as lotion, cream, etc. but also a skin care material with relatively low viscosity, such as oil, milk, vinegar diluted solution, green tea water, lemon water, wine, starchy water, etc. onto their own back portions. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure is to provide a skin care device which has a relatively simple configuration for variously taking care of a back portion. 
     Technical Solution 
     According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a skin care device includes: a handle extended along a lengthwise direction; a head portion provided at an end portion of the handle, and including an accommodating portion in which an accommodating space is formed by a bottom portion and a main lateral wall portion extended from the bottom portion along a height direction; and a massage member detachably mounted to the head portion and including a contact surface portion to come into contact with a skin, at least one partition wall extended protruding from a rear of the contact surface portion and dividing the accommodating space into a plurality of accommodating spaces when the massage member is mounted to the head portion, and a plurality of through holes distributed and arranged in the contact surface portion and allowing the accommodating spaces divided by the partition wall to communicate with the outside. 
     Here, the accommodating portion may include an inner lateral wall portion extended from the bottom portion along the height direction inside the main lateral wall portion in a radial direction so that the accommodating space can be divided into an outside accommodating space and an inside accommodating space, and the contact surface portion may include the plurality of through holes so that each of the outside accommodating space and the inside accommodating space can communicate with an outside, thereby allowing a user to fill the inside accommodating space with the skin care material when a relatively small amount of skin care material is needed, but fill both the outside accommodating space and the inside accommodating space with the skin care material when a relatively large amount of skin care material is needed. 
     Further, the partition wall may be inserted between the main lateral wall portion and the inner lateral wall portion and extended protruding from the rear of the contact surface portion so that the accommodating space between the main lateral wall portion and the inner lateral wall portion can be divided into the plurality of spaces along a circumferential direction, thereby even discharging the skin care material through a relatively large region without being discharged through only certain through holes  511  as forced downward by gravity when a user uses the skin care device. 
     Further, the massage member may include an outward leakage preventer protruding from the rear of the contact surface portion to come into contact with the main lateral wall portion, and an inward leakage preventer protruding from the rear of the contact surface portion inside the outward leakage preventer in a radial direction to come into contact with the inner lateral wall portion, thereby preventing the skin care material accommodated in the inside accommodating space from leaking toward the outside accommodating space, and preventing the skin care material accommodated in the outside accommodating space from leaking toward the outside of the accommodating portion. 
     The massage member may include an outward leakage preventer protruding from the rear of the contact surface portion to come into contact with an internal diameter surface of the main lateral wall portion, and an inward leakage preventer protruding from the rear of the contact surface portion inside the outward leakage preventer in a radial direction to come into contact with an external diameter surface of the inner lateral wall portion, and the partition wall may connect the inward leakage preventer and the outward leakage preventer, thereby achieving a relatively compact structure with which the accommodating spaces are partitioned while the skin care material accommodated in the inside accommodating space and the outside accommodating space is being prevented from leaking to another space. 
     Further, the partition wall may include an end portion to come into contact with the bottom portion of the accommodating portion when the massage member is mounted to the head portion, thereby preventing the skin care material accommodated in the accommodating spaces divided by the partition wall from moving to any other divided accommodating spaces. 
     Meanwhile, the through hole includes a widening section in which a diameter of the through hole becomes larger from the contact surface portion toward the rear of the contact surface portion, and it is thus advantageous to discharge the liquid skin care material accommodated in the accommodating portion to the outside by gravity. 
     Another embodiment of the disclosure may be achieved by mounting a brush member with a plurality of fibers or another kind of member to the head portion. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     A skin care device according to the disclosure has a relatively simple configuration allowing people to easily apply not only a skin care material with relatively high viscosity, such as lotion, cream, etc. but also a skin care material with relatively low viscosity, such as oil, milk, vinegar diluted solution, green tea water, lemon water, wine, starchy water, etc. onto their own body including back portions. 
     The skin care material with relatively high viscosity, such as the lotion, the cream, etc. is used as coated on the massage member, and the skin care material with relatively low viscosity, such as the oil, the milk, the vinegar diluted solution, the green tea water, the lemon water, the wine, the starchy water, etc. is used as filled in the accommodating portion. 
     The skin care device according to the disclosure may be used in variously taking care of back portions by mounting different kinds of members such as a brush member with a plurality of fibers implanted in the head portion, etc. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a skin care device according to the disclosure, 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a massage member side, 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of a head portion side in which a massage member is separated from a head portion, 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a rear side of the massage member, 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view of the massage member, 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in  FIG. 2 , 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in  FIG. 2 , 
         FIG. 8  is an explanation view for explaining a through hole, 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a skin care device in which a brush member is mounted to the head portion, 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged perspective view of a head portion side in which a brush member is separated from the head portion, and 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the head portion mounted with the brush member. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a skin care device according to the disclosure, and  FIG. 2  is a front view at a side of a massage member  500 . As shown therein, the skin care device includes a handle  100  extended along a lengthwise direction, a head portion  300  provided at an end portion of the handle  100  and shaped like a circle, and a massage member  500  detachably coupled to the head portion  300 . The massage member  500  includes a contact surface portion  510  enlarged to be in contact with a skin. The contact surface portion  510  is formed with a plurality of through holes  511  through which a skin care material is discharged. The plurality of through holes  511  are distributed and arranged in the contact surface portion  510 . The contact surface portion  510  may include only one through hole  511 . 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view at a side of the head portion  300  in which the massage member  500  is separated from the head portion  300 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the head portion  300  includes an accommodating portion  310  shaped like a container and capable of accommodating a liquid skin care material. The accommodating portion  310  includes a bottom portion  311 , and a main lateral wall portion  313  extended from the bottom portion  311  along a height direction and having a circular cross-section. Further, the accommodating portion  310  includes an inner lateral wall portion  315  having a circular cross-section and extended from the bottom portion  311  along the height direction inside the main lateral wall portion  313  in a radial direction. The main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  are annularly shaped like an end-to-end circular ring. Thus, an inside accommodating space is formed inside the inner lateral wall portion  315 , and an outside accommodating space is formed between the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315 . The accommodating portion  310  may include only the bottom portion  311  and the main lateral wall portion  313  without the inner lateral wall portion  315 . Alternatively, the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  may have various shapes such as a polygonal shape, an oval shape, etc. The accommodating portion  310  may be made of a different material from that of the head portion  300  and detachably coupled to the head portion  300 . 
     The head portion  300  includes an extended portion  330  radially extended from the accommodating portion  310 . The extended portion  330  enlarges the surface area of the massage member  500 . The head portion  300  includes a coupling guide portion  350  extended from an outer edge of the extended portion  330  along the height direction of the main lateral wall portion  313 . The head portion  300  may include only the accommodating portion  310  without the extended portion  330 . The coupling guide portion  350 , the main lateral wall portion  313 , and the inner lateral wall portion  315  are all extended along the height direction and extended in parallel with one another. 
     The massage member  500  is detachably coupled to the head portion  300 . The massage member  500  includes the contact surface portion  510  to be in contact with a skin, and a coupling portion  590  extended from an outer edge of the contact surface portion  510  along the height direction. The thickness of the contact surface portion  510  may not be greater than 2 mm. When the massage member  500  is mounted to the head portion  300 , the massage member  500  includes the plurality of through holes  511  arranged in regions corresponding to the inside accommodating space and the outside accommodating space formed by the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  of the accommodating portion  310  and allowing the inside accommodating space and the outside accommodating space to communicate with the outside. The massage member  500  is mounted to the head portion  300  as the coupling portion  590  is coupled to the coupling guide portion  350 . The coupling portion  590  and the coupling guide portion  350  may be coupled by various methods such as fitting coupling, screw coupling, etc. The coupling portion  590  may be inserted inside the coupling guide portion  350 . The coupling portion  590  is marked with a position guide protrusion. The position guide protrusion  501  is illustrated on the accompanying drawings to describe a position relationship between the head portion  300  and the configurations of the massage member  500  and the through holes  511   
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view at a side of a rear  520  of the massage member  500 , and  FIG. 5  is a rear view of the massage member  500 . As shown therein, the massage member  500  includes an outward leakage preventer  550  protruding from the rear  520  of the contact surface portion  510  so as to be in contact with the main lateral wall portion  313 , and an inward leakage preventer  570  protruding from the rear  520  of the contact surface portion  510  inside the outward leakage preventer  550  in the radial direction so as to be in contact with the inner lateral wall portion  315 . The outward leakage preventer  550  has an outer diameter corresponding to an inner diameter of the main lateral wall portion  313  in order to be in contact with the internal diameter surface of the main lateral wall portion  313 , and the inward leakage preventer  570  has an inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the inner lateral wall portion  315  in order to be in contact with the external diameter surface of the inner lateral wall portion  315 . The outward leakage preventer  550  comes into contact with the main lateral wall portion  313  along the circumference of the main lateral wall portion  313 , and the inward leakage preventer  570  comes into contact with the inner lateral wall portion  315  along the circumference of the inner lateral wall portion  315 . 
     When the massage member  500  is mounted to the head portion  300 , the massage member  500  includes a plurality of partition walls  530  inserted between the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  and protruding from the rear  520  of the contact surface portion  510  so that the accommodating space between the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  can be divided into a plurality of spaces along the circumferential direction. The plurality of partition walls  530  is shaped like a plate and intersects with the inward leakage preventer  570  and the outward leakage preventer  550  to be connected to each other. The plurality of partition walls  530  may be arranged at angular intervals of 90 degrees with respect to the center of the massage member  500 . The through holes  511  are evenly distributed and arranged so that the accommodating spaces of the accommodating portion  310  divided by the partition walls  530  can communicate with the outside. 
     The outward leakage preventer  550  may be in contact with the external diameter surface or the upper end surface of the main lateral wall portion  313 , and the inward leakage preventer  570  may be in contact with the internal diameter surface or the upper end surface of the inner lateral wall portion  315 . The partition wall  530  may be inserted between the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  without connecting the outward leakage preventer  550  and the inward leakage preventer  570 . The massage member  500  may not include the outward leakage preventer  550  and the inward leakage preventer  570 , but the rear  520  of the contact surface portion  510  may be in contact with the upper end portions of the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315 . 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the contact surface portion  510  is curved upward as an arch shape with respect to the head portion  300 . Further, the through holes  511  are distributed and arranged so that the inside accommodating space and the outside accommodating space of the accommodating portion  310  can communicate with the outside. The inward leakage preventer  570  and the outward leakage preventer  550  are extended protruding from the rear  520  of the contact surface portion  510  so that their end portions can come into contact with the bottom portion  311 . The inward leakage preventer  570  and the outward leakage preventer  550  are longer than the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315 . Thus, the liquid skin care material accommodated in the accommodating space of the accommodating portion  310  is prevented from leaking to any other spaces and discharged to the outside through only the through holes  511 . The end portions of the inward leakage preventer  570  and the outward leakage preventer  550  may not be in contact with the bottom portion  311 . 
     The main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  may have the same height length, and it is therefore advantageous to mount another massage member  500 , for example, a brush member  700  (see  FIG. 9 ) to the head portion  300 . Nevertheless, the upper end portions of the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  may be lengthened to come into contact with the rear  520  of the contact surface portion  510 . The bottom portion  311  of the head portion  300  may also have an arch shape like the contact surface portion  510 . In this case, the bottom portion  311  may be curved downward. 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the partition walls  530  are extended protruding from the rear  520  of the contact surface portion  510  and inserted in the accommodating space between the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315 . The partition walls  530  divide the accommodating space between the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  into a plurality of accommodating spaces. In other words, the ring-shaped accommodating space formed between the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  is divided into a plurality of spaces along the circumferential direction. In this case, the end portion of the partition wall  530  is in contact with the bottom portion  311 . Thus, the liquid skin care material filled in the accommodating space between the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  is confined in the accommodating space divided by the partition walls  530  and prevented from moving to another accommodating space, thereby being allowed to be discharged to the outside through only the through holes  511  formed in the contact surface portion  510 . Therefore, when a user uses the skin care device, the skin care material is evenly discharged through a relatively large region without being discharged through only certain through holes  511  as forced downward by gravity. Of course, a predetermined gap may be formed between the partition wall  530  and the bottom portion  311 , and therefore the liquid skin care material may be allowed to partially move between the divisional accommodating spaces formed by the partition walls  530 . 
       FIG. 8  is an explanation view for explaining the through hole  511 . Referring to  FIG. 8 , the through hole  511  has a widening section  512  in which the diameter of the through hole  511  becomes larger from the contact surface portion  510  toward the rear  520 . The through hole  511  may have a straight section  513  formed between the contact surface portion  510  and the widening section  512 . Through the widening section  512 , the liquid skin care material can come relatively close to the surface of the contact surface portion  510 , and thus the liquid skin care material is advantageously discharged to the outside by gravity. 
     The through hole  511  formed on the surface of the contact surface portion  510  may have a diameter D of 1 mm to 2 mm. When the diameter D of the through hole  511  is smaller than 1 mm, the liquid skin care material filled in the accommodating portion  310  may not be discharged to the outside through the through hole  511  or may be discharged so small that it can hardly be used. When the diameter D of the through hole  511  is greater than 2 mm, the liquid skin care material may be discharged through the through hole  511  more than needed to be applied and massaged into a skin, thereby causing a problem that the skin care material is wasted. The contact surface portion  510  adjacent to the through hole  511  may have a thickness H of 3 mm or less. The angle α of the widening section  512  may range from 45 degrees to 75 degrees with respect to a line perpendicular to the contact surface portion  510 . 
     As described above, when a user applies a skin care material with relatively low viscosity, such as oil, milk, vinegar diluted solution, green tea water, lemon water, wine, starchy water, etc. onto a skin, the user fills the accommodating portion  310  with the liquid skin care material and mounts the massage member  500  to the skin care device, and makes the skin care device stands, thereby applying and massaging the skin care material onto the skin while the liquid skin care material is being discharged through the through holes  511  by gravity. In this case, when it is desired to apply a relatively small amount of skin care material to the skin, the skin care material is used as filled in only the inside accommodating space formed by the inner lateral wall portion  315 . On the other hand, when it is desired to apply a relatively large amount of skin care material to the skin, the skin care material is used as filled in both the inside accommodating space formed by the inner lateral wall portion  315  and the outside accommodating space formed between the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315 . 
     Meanwhile, when it is desired to apply a skin care material with relatively high viscosity, such as lotion, cream, etc., the skin care material is rubbed and applied onto the skin as coated on the contact surface portion  510  of the massage member  500 . 
     When the massage member  500  is made of plastic, the skin care material, of which intermolecular attractive force is relatively strong and which has hydrophilic properties based on hydrogen bond, is not easily discharged through the through hole  511 . In this case, the skin care material standing in the accommodating space is led to and discharged through the through hole  511  when a hydrophilic object, for example, a skin comes into contact with the through hole  511 . 
     In the skin care device according to the disclosure, the massage member  500  is detachable from the head portion  300 . Therefore, various kinds of massage members  500  may be selectively mounted to the head portion  300 , so that the skin care device can have various functions. For example, when the brush member  700  (see  FIG. 9 ) having a brushing function is mouthed to the head portion  300 , the skin care device may serve as a body brush. Alternatively, a scrubbing member serving as a scrubbing towel may be mounted to the head portion  300 . 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a skin care device in which the brush member  700  is mounted to the head portion  300 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the skin care device of the disclosure may include the head portion  300  to which the brush member  700  having a plurality of fibers  710  is detachably mounted. 
       FIG. 10  is an enlarged perspective view at a side of the head portion  300 , in which the brush member  700  is separated from the head portion  300 , and  FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the head portion  300  mounted with the brush member  700 . As shown therein, the brush member  700  includes the fiber  710  and a fiber surface  730  into which the fiber  710  are implanted. The brush member  700  may be manufactured by making a plurality of holes in the fiber surface  730  made of wood or plastic, and implanting hog bristles, horse hairs, or the like fibers  710  in the holes. 
     The brush member  700  includes a coupling portion  770  extended from a rear  750  at an outer edge of the fiber surface  730  along the height direction. As the coupling portion  770  is inserted in the coupling guide portion  350 , the brush member  700  is mounted to the head portion  300 . 
     When the brush member  700  is mounted to the head portion  300 , the rear  750  of the fiber surface  730  may come into contact with the upper ends of the coupling guide portion  350 , the main lateral wall portion  313 , and the inner lateral wall portion  315  to thereby achieve a compact structure. In this case, the upper ends of the coupling guide portion  350 , the main lateral wall portion  313  and the inner lateral wall portion  315  are positioned to have the same height, and the rear  350  of the fiber surface  730  forms a flat surface. Thus, in the skin care device with such a compact configuration and structure, the brush member  700  or the massage member  500  can be selectively mounted to the head portion  300 .