Patent Abstract:
A personal care apparatus includes a handle housing a rechargeable battery and a plurality of operating heads such as a vibrating safety razor head and a hair trimming device exchangeably mountable on the handle for assembling different hand-held appliances for performing respective body treatments. A base is included for storing the components of the apparatus when not in use and forms a battery charging device with a socket into which the handle plugs for recharging the battery. The operating heads include electrical devices, in particular electric motors, powered by the battery.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to personal care apparatus and in particular an apparatus that provides a variety of battery driven appliances for performing respective body treatments. This invention is specifically described herein with reference to a personal grooming apparatus. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    There are known different kinds of electrical appliance that are intended for performing personal care treatments on the body of the user. In a personal grooming context such appliances include safety razor with sharp blades for closely shaving body skin areas and equipped with electrical devices, such as motor driven vibration generating devices, and hair trimmers with different blade configurations to suit different hair trimming and shaping duties and having motor driven cutters for severing hairs with a shearing action. Although it is known to integrate a safety razor and an electrically driven hair trimming device, due to the different power requirements of electric motors used for driving the cutters of a hair trimming device and for driving a vibration generating device in a safety razor, it is not practical to integrate in a similar manner a vibrating safety razor and a hair trimming device. Thus, the motor required for producing vibrations of a shaving cartridge in a wet shaving razor, such as a razor manufactured and sold by The Gillette Company under the trade mark M3 Power, is not powerful enough to drive the cutter blades of a trimmer of the kind provided on electric dry razors, and conversely a motor as used to drive a trimmer would be too large and draw too much battery power for efficient use in generating vibrations of a safety razor. Another disadvantage of integrated devices is that the hair trimmer generally has a secondary role in comparison with the main use of the appliance and is not optimally positioned to facilitate most effective and convenient use. A further drawback with a trimmer integrated with a safety razor is the exposure of the trimmer blades and actuating system to water when the safety razor is immersed into a body of water for rinsing shaving debris and soap from the blades. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    With the foregoing considerations in mind there is provided in accordance with the present invention a personal care apparatus comprising: a handle including electrical contacts, and a battery compartment for accommodating a battery for supply of electric current to the electrical contacts; a plurality of operating heads exchangeably mountable on the handle for performing respective body treatments, each of the operating heads including an electric device, and electrical contacts for cooperation with the contacts on the handle for supply of electric current to the electric device when the respective operating head is mounted to the handle; wherein the electrical devices of at least first and second operating heads comprise electric motors. 
         [0004]    With an apparatus embodying the invention a common handle and hence battery power supply can be used to assemble a range of different appliances having electric motors with different power characteristics suited to operation of the respective appliances. Since only a single handle is needed for several appliances it can be made as a high value component without making the collection of appliances provided overly expensive. The respective operating heads can be readily exchangeable on the handle and can be equipped with their own motors and/or other electrical devices designed for optimum performance of the individual operating heads. 
         [0005]    For reasons of economy the handle preferably includes a switch for controlling supply of electric current for the electrically operated device of an operating head mounted on the handle. However, one or more of the operating heads may be equipped with a switch mechanism or an electronic switching arrangement if desired. The electric device of at least a first one of the operating heads may comprise an electric motor for driving a vibration generating device included in the operating head. Furthermore, at least a second one of the operating heads may comprise an electric motor and a treatment element movably mounted to the operating head, the treatment element being coupled to the motor to be driven thereby and being arranged on the operating head for contact with a body part for performing a body treatment with the operating head. In an embodiment of a personal grooming apparatus, an operating head with a motor driven vibration generating device is preferably a safety razor head that forms a vibrating razor when fitted onto the handle, and the safety razor head is ideally adapted to carry a detachable shaving cartridge. A convenient and low cost form of vibrating device is a coin motor, or a motor that drives an eccentric weight, both as known per se. The second operating head can comprise a hair trimmer unit comprising at least one trimmer blade assembly having a trimmer blade driving element coupled to be driveable by the electric motor of this operating head. In a preferred construction the trimmer unit comprises a plurality of trimmer blade assemblies, and the trimmer unit is movably mounted on a drive unit of the operating head for selectively positioning any one of the blade assemblies at an operative hair trimming position. The apparatus may also include at least one comb attachment releasably engageable over the trimmer blade assembly for increasing the hair length to which the trimmer unit is operable to trim hairs, and in this way the performance capabilities of the trimmer unit are extended in an especially convenient and economic way. 
         [0006]    Since respective operating heads of the apparatus are equipped with their own respective motors, the motors can be chosen based solely on the demands of the individual operating heads. Consequently it is a preferred feature of the apparatus that at least two operating heads have motors with differing electrical power requirements, and hence power outputs, for operation of the respective operating heads in the performance of the body treatments. 
         [0007]    A coupling is provided for detachably connecting the handle to each of the operating heads. In one embodiment the handle has an end coupling part formed as a female coupling member comprising a cylindrical sleeve portion with a first electrical contact being disposed within the sleeve portion and another electrical contact being formed by the sleeve portion. Each operating head has a complementary male coupling member comprising a plug part slidably engageable in the sleeve portion, and having a radial projection for engagement with a bayonet slot formed in the sleeve portion for releasably mechanically locking the male member to the female coupling member. The male member includes a second central electrical contact for electrical connection with the first contact of the female coupling member, and the plug part serves as a further electrical contact for connection with the sleeve portion. 
         [0008]    Although the handle could be arranged to accommodate a disposable battery intended to be discarded and replaced when its change has been exhausted, in a preferred apparatus embodying the invention a rechargeable battery is received in the battery compartment, and the apparatus includes a charging device for recharging the battery. The charging device preferably includes electrical contacts for cooperation with the electrical contacts of the handle when the charging device is engaged with the charging device for recharging the battery. This has the advantage that the handle must be disconnected from an operating head when being recharged, with the result that an operating head can not be operated while the battery is being recharged, which could be a potential safety hazard in some situations. 
         [0009]    The charging device is conveniently included in a storage holder provided with holding regions designed for receiving the operating heads for storage during periods of non-use. 
         [0010]    A better and more complete understanding of the foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be gained from the detailed description of an embodiment which follows: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a personal hair grooming apparatus embodying the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  shows the apparatus of  FIG. 1  but with the handle engaged with a recharging device for recharging the battery housed in the handle; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a view from above showing the connection socket of the recharging device; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 4   a ,  4   b , and  4   c  are front elevations showing respective appliances assembled from the components of the apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is an axial section through the handle and an operating head in the form of a hair trimming device; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged axial cross-section through the assembled coupling region of the handle and the hair trimming device shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of the hair trimming device adjusted with a first trimming blade assembly in an operative position; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the hair trimming device with a second trimming blade assembly shown in the operative position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the handle assembled with a safety razor operating head adapted to mount a conventional safety razor cartridge; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of the hair trimming device of  FIG. 7  with the comb attachment clipped onto the trimmer; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a rear perspective view of the hair trimming device and comb attachment shown in  FIG. 10 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    A personal care apparatus, in particular a personal grooming apparatus in accordance with the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The components of the apparatus comprise a base  1 , a handle  2 , a hair trimming device  3 , a safety razor head  4  and a trimmer comb attachment  5 . The base  1  forms a storage holder for the other components and for this purpose is provided with recessed holding regions for the handle  2  and the operating heads  3 ,  4 , and a stand for the comb attachment  5 . The base also houses a battery charger and is provided with a recharging socket  6  for the handle to plug into as further described below. The trimming device  3  and the safety razor head  4  are detachably mountable on the handle  2  for assembly of respective hand held grooming appliances, specifically a hair trimmer, as shown in  FIG. 4   b , and a vibrating safety razor, as shown in  FIG. 4   a . In addition the comb attachment  5  can be fitted onto the trimming device  3  to form a modified trimmer as shown in  FIG. 4   c . The hair trimming device  3  and the handle are illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 5 . The handle  2 , which forms a power supply unit, includes a battery compartment in which a rechargeable battery  13  is accommodated, and a switch arrangement  14  for controlling supply of electric current from the battery  13  to the trimming device  3  when mounted to the handle. A coupling is provided for electrically and mechanically connecting the handle to the trimming device and comprises a female coupling member  15  on the handle  2  and a male coupling member  16  on the trimming device  3 . The assembled coupling is shown on an enlarged scale in  FIG. 6 . The female coupling member  15  includes a sleeve portion  17  located at the upper end of the handle and provided with a pair of symmetrical bayonet slots  18  with locking recesses  19  at their ends. Positioned centrally within the sleeve portion  17  is a first electrical contact  20  in the form of a pin which is spring-loaded and urged axially towards the upper end of the handle. The male coupling member  16  has a plug part  21  adapted to mate with the female coupling member by sliding engagement in the sleeve portion  17 , and the plug part has a pair of diametrically opposed pin projections  22  arranged for cooperation with the respective bayonet slots  18 . A second electrical contact  23  is located centrally within the plug part  21  with an electrical insulator  24  being disposed therebetween. When the male and female coupling members  15 ,  16  are fully engaged the first and second contacts  20 ,  23  are pressed into close abutment due to the spring loading of the first contact, and this spring loading also serves to urge the pin projections  22  into the locking recesses  19  of the bayonet slots  18  to secure the trimming device  3  against unintentional disconnection from the handle  2 . Additional spring forces can be applied by spring mounting the central contact  23  in the male plug part  21 . The sleeve portion  17  and the plug part  21  form further electric contacts that cooperate to complete a circuit for the flow of electric current between the battery in the handle and the trimming device. Preferably the central contacts  20 ,  23  provide the positive polarity connection and the contacts  17 ,  21  the negative polarity connection of the electrical connector. The trimming device  3  includes a hood or shroud  25  which surrounds the plug part  21  for enclosing the male and female members of the bayonet coupling to preclude ingress of moisture to the electrical contacts. The female member carries an annular seal  26 , such as an O-ring seal, disposed in a peripheral groove provided on the sleeve portion  17  axially inwardly of the bayonet slots  18 , and the shroud  25  has a close fit over the seal  26  to ensure a watertight connection between the shroud and the handle when the male and female coupling members are engaged. 
         [0023]    The trimming device includes a drive unit  30  and a trimmer unit  31 . The male coupling member  16  and the shroud  25  are provided on a housing  32  of the drive unit in which is housed an electric rotary motor  33  and a transmission mechanism  34  for converting rotary motion of a motor shaft  35  into reciprocation of a drive output member  36  in the form of a drive pin. The electric terminals of the motor are connected to the electrical contacts  21  and  23  of the trimming device for supply of current from the battery  13  in the handle for driving the motor. Connected to the front of the drive unit is a mounting plate  40  for the trimmer unit  31 , the mounting plate being guided for up and down translatory movement relative to the drive unit for purposes which will become clear. The trimmer unit is held to the mounting plate  40  so that the trimmer unit  31  is able to rotate relative to the mounting plate  40  and hence also the drive unit  30 . The trimmer unit includes a first trimmer blade assembly  42  and a second trimmer blade assembly  43 . The first blade assembly  42  is comparatively long and straight and includes a first trimmer blade  44  fixedly mounted to a face plate  45  of the trimmer unit, and a second trimmer blade  46  guided for reciprocation relative to the first trimmer blade and attached to a blade driving element  47 . The second blade assembly  43  is relatively short with a convex profile and includes a first trimmer blade  48  fixedly mounted to the face plate  45  and a second trimmer blade  49  guided for reciprocation along a curved path relative to the first trimmer blade  48  and attached to a blade driving element  50  which is mounted to the face plate  45  by a pivot  51 . Each of the blade driving elements  47 ,  50  includes a slot in which the drive output pin  36  is engageable for reciprocating the blade driving element and also reciprocating the trimmer blade attached to the blade driving element. 
         [0024]    When the mounting plate  40  is displaced upwardly relative to the drive unit the trimmer unit  31  can be rotated relative to the mounting plate to selectively adjust either the first blade assembly  42  or the second blade assembly  43  to the operative position, as respectively illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Downward displacement of the mounting plate  40  and the trimmer unit then causes the drive output pin  36  to engage in the slot in the blade driving element  47  or  50  of the trimmer blade assembly  42  or  43  disposed in the operative position. Actuation of the motor  33  then puts the selected trimmer blade assembly into operation whilst the other trimmer blade assembly remains uncoupled from the drive output pin  36 . 
         [0025]    The bayonet coupling described in detail above provides a firm and secure mechanical connection between the handle and the hair trimming device while also ensuring a good electrical connection between them. Furthermore, the coupling can be easily opened to separate the trimming device from the handle, to enable the battery to be recharged and to allow a different form of operating head to be operatively connected to the handle, in particular the safety razor head  4  which is adapted to receive a conventional shaving cartridge  56  and which includes a motor for driving a vibration generating device, such as a coin motor. As will be appreciated the coupling employed to connect the safety razor head  4  to the handle  2  may be exactly as described above with respect to the trimming device  3 , with the shroud  25  being sealed to the handle so that water can not reach the electrical contacts even when the razor head is completely immersed in water for rinsing the shaving cartridge. 
         [0026]    The motors of the trimming device  3  and the safety razor head  4  have differing requirements and are chosen accordingly. The motor required to vibrate the shaving cartridge in the course of shaving is small and will draw little power from the battery  13 . The motor  33  of the trimming device is larger and more powerful and thus requires more battery power. Because respective operating heads are provided to produce appliances specifically adapted to different grooming needs of a user, each appliance can be and is optimally designed in terms of its configuration and motor drive system. Although just two specific forms of operating head have been described it will be appreciated that other additional or alternative forms of operating head mountable on the handle  2  are possible, such as to provide a nose hair trimmer, an exfoliator, an eyebrow trimmer, a skin cream applicator, liquid dispensing razor, and/or a massager. In each case the operating head design and its motor can be uniquely determined as considered best for the kind of appliance concerned. For instance the operative position of the trimmer blade assemblies can be easily arranged with respect to the handle to ensure good visibility in use. 
         [0027]    The versatility of the described hair trimming device is further enhanced by the inclusion of the comb attachment  5  which can, when desired be clipped onto the trimming device as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . The comb attachment includes a frame  57  and comb elements  58  spaced apart along the first cutter blade assembly  42  and arranged for wrapping over the blades of this blade assembly to maintain the blades at a certain distance from the skin so that hairs can be cut down to a desired length. A range of such clip-on attachments could of course be provided to meet use demands as to desired hair length grades. 
         [0028]    The base  1  provides a convenient storage unit for the components of the apparatus while also providing a recharging station for the battery housed in the handle  2 . For this purpose, in addition to the necessary electrical recharging circuitry, the base has a connection socket  6  for the handle  2  to plug into as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The socket has electrical contacts  21 ′,  23 ′ which replicate those of the male coupling member  16  with which each of the operating heads  3  and  4  is provided. As a consequence, the inverted handle  2  can be inserted into the socket  6  and connected to the base by the bayonet coupling provided thereby bringing the contacts  17  and  20  of the handle into electrical connection with the corresponding socket contacts  21 ′ and  23 ′ for delivering of recharging current to the rechargeable battery  13  in the handle  2 . The switch  14  of the handle  2  may be arranged to control the flow of charging current. Alternatively a switch may be provided on the base  1 , or a separate switching arrangement could be included in the handle  2 , for this purpose. An indicator for indicating the charge state of the battery can also be provided on the base, if desired. The contacts  21 ′,  23 ′ are located within a cylindrical recess formed in the casing of the base and the peripheral wall of this recess can serve to form a sealed enclosure around the connected contacts of the handle and the charging device in the same way as described above with respect to the shroud  25  of the trimming device  3 . 
         [0029]    All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this written document conflicts with any meaning of definition of the term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall govern. 
         [0030]    The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”. 
         [0031]    While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1