US3421216A - Electric shaver having an electric field for retaining hair dust in the cutting head - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1969 0. K. ANNA ELECTRIC SHAVER HAVING AN ELECTRIC FIELD FOR RETAINING HAIR DUST IN THE CUTTING HEAD Filed OOE. 51, 1966 @MIJIHIHHHHHIIHII Fig. 2

Inventor 0770 K. A/V/VA (ATTORNEY United States Patent B 84,367 US. C]. 30-41 Int. Cl. B2612 19/38; B261) 19/02; A471 13/40 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electric shaver having a wool wick attached to its moving cutting blade. In one section of the stroke of the blade, the wick lies in contact with a plastic, While in another section, a metallic part is contacted. Metallic part and plastic being physically and electrically separated, an electric field arises between the two and cut whiskers fly to the negatively charged plastic.

This invention relates to a motor-driven dry shaving device such as an electric shaver.

In summary, the device of this invention is an electric shaver With an electric field system for retaining hair dust in the cutting head comprising a cutting head and a cutting blade element positioned therein, first pole means and second pole means spaced therefrom in the cutting head, and a sliding charge transport means positioned for sequential contact with the first and second pole means for effecting charge transfer therebetween and to thereby produce a charge separation between the first and second pole means.

Motor-driven dry shaving devices having a plate or film of insulating material, for example a synthetic plastic, in the cutting head have been disclosed. The plate or film is charged electrostatically by mechanical or electrical means outside of the cutting head, and the hair dust produced during shaving is collected and retained thereby.

However, the electrical field produced between the plate as one pole and a metallic part of the shearing head as the opposite pole rapidly weakens due to the unavoida ble loss in electric charge and because the field is only periodically. Thus, retention of the hair dust is incomplete.

It is the object of this invention to eliminate the deficiencies of the previously known devices and is characterized by a movable sliding element successively contacting the plate or film as one pole and the cutting head as the other pole, which sliding element effects a transport of charges and thus a separation of charges between both poles.

By means of the device of this invention, it is possible to continuously supplement and strengthen the electrical field effecting the accumulation of the hair dust on one of the two poles during the operation of the shaver, thus avoiding the above-noted deficiencies of previously known devices.

The place on which the hair dust is to accumulate depends upon the selection of the material of the poles and the brush provided for the collection of hair dust, by means of which the polarities of the charges are determined. According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sliding element is a wool brush mounted on the cutting blade element of the cutting head, while one pole is made of insulating material and the opposite pole is formed by metallic portions of the shearing head. In order to concentrate the charge on the pole of insulating material, the pole can be partially metallized, that is, coated with a thin film of metal as by vapor deposition ice and the like. Suitably, the collecting pole is constructed as a plate which is removable from the shearing head in order to facilitate the discarding of hair dust. Particularly with dry shaving devices having a rotating drive, it is advantageous to arrange the sliding element and the poles as in an electrostatic generator.

In the drawings, two embodiments of the invention are illustrated, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a partial section of a front view of a dry shaving apparatus having a reciprocating blade block according to this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a partial section of a dry shaving apparatus with rotary blades, according to this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 taken along the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, a metallic cutting head frame 4 is attached onto the housing 7 of the dry shaver, this housing being of synthetic plastic material. The cutting head frame carries a screen foil or perforated plate 8 as the external stationary cutting part. The movable cutter component of the cutting head is formed by a frame 3 with several blades 6 attached thereto; this part is driven in a reciprocating movement by the rocking lever 9 of an oscillating-armature motor, the latter not being shown in detail.

A plate of insulating material, designated by 2, is provided on the part of the housing 7 in the proximity of the cutting head, and on one end of the blade block 3, 6, a brush 1 of Wool is attached. During the reciprocal motion of the blade block, the brush 1 slides along the plate 2, leaves the plate shortly before reaching the right terminal position illustrated in FIG. 1, and contacts the inner side of the metallic cutting head frame 4. By the motion of the brush, the previously electrically neutral plate 2 is negatively charged; the brush, so to speak, removes therefrom the positive charges and transfers them to the cutting head frame 4 as the ground pole. By this charge separation, an electrical field is produced between both parts which is continuously complemented and amplified during the operation of the shaver. The hair dust collects on the negatively charged plate 2 and can be removed from the cutting head after the shaving procedure is done. For reasons of safety, the frame 4 and the blade block 3, 6 can be provided with a cover of insulating material 5.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a circular plate 2 insulating material with a recess Z'rz provided therein. At the outer edge of the rotating blades 3', a brush 1' is mounted, being positioned to frictionally contact the plate 2' during the rotating motion of the blades. As soon as the brush sweeps over the recess 2'a, it contacts a lug or contact surface 4'a of the metallic cutting head frame 4'. Thereby in a similar manner as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, a charge separation between the two poles 2 and 4', and thus an electrical field, is produced effecting the collection of the hair dust on the plate 2'. In both embodiments, the plate can be partially metallized in order to attain a charge concentration, and it can be additionally provided with an adhesive layer. Also, this plate can be mounted in the cutting head so that it can be detached therefrom in order to facilitate removal of the plate for discarding the hair dust.

The materials for the brush and the parts of the cutting head serving as poles can be selected appropriately depending upon at which location the hair dust is to accumulate.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinabove set forth can be made without departing from the essence and scope thereof, and only such limitations should be applied as are indicated in the claim.

I claim:

1. An electric shaver with an electric field system for retaining hair dust in the cutting head comprising: a housing, a head frame, a cutting head and movable cutting blade element positioned on the housing Within the head frame, first insulating plastic pole means secured on the housing adjacent to the movable cutting blade, and second metallic pole means formed by the head frame spaced therefrom in the cutting head, and a sliding charge transport means attached to the cutting blade element for sequential contact With the first and second pole means for efiecting charge transfer therebetween and to thereby produce a charge separation between the first and second pole means, whereby the hair dust is retained by said electric field.

10 MYRON C.

References Cited UNITED KRUSE,

STATES PATENTS Weiss et al 151.5 Glaser et a1 151.5 X Bermingham 3043.92 Remer 151.5 Tice 3041.6 X

Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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