Venting water-tight battery-operated devices

• US 20060243729A1
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Schaaf, Uwe, Winter, Florina, Fandrey, Ulrich, Diehl, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,544,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/203.10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/325 comprising deformable valve members, e.g. elastic or flexible valve members
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/928 Seal including pressure relief or vent feature

Abstract

Water-tight battery powered appliances, for example personal care appliances such as razors and toothbrushes, are provided. The appliances include a housing having a seal that allows gases, e.g., hydrogen, to vent from the appliance without allowing water to enter.

Claims

1. A water-tight, battery powered appliance comprising:

a housing, having a generally hollow interior and an aperture through which gas can be vented from the interior; and

a seal, positioned to normally cover the aperture, the seal being configured to flex in response to pressure within the hollow interior and move away from the aperture when a predetermined pressure is exceeded.

2. The appliance of claim 1 further comprising a razor cartridge mounted on the housing.

3. The appliance of claim 1 further comprising a toothbrush head mounted on the housing.

4. The appliance of claim 1 further comprising an actuator extending from the aperture.

5. The appliance of claim 4 wherein the seal surrounds a stem portion of the actuator.

6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the seal comprises a bellows-type seal.

7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the seal comprises an elastomeric member.

8. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the predetermined pressure is between about 0.1 bar and 2 bar.

9. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the aperture is positioned within a circumferential groove in an outer surface of the housing.

10. The appliance of claim 9 wherein the seal comprises a ring-shaped element positioned within the groove to cover the aperture.

11. The appliance of claim 10 wherein the ring-shaped element comprises an elastomeric gasket.

12. The appliance of claim 10 wherein the ring-shaped element is pre-stressed to hold the ring-shaped element taut against the outer surface of the housing.

13. A water-tight, battery powered appliance comprising:

a housing, having a generally hollow interior defining an inner wall, the housing having an aperture through which gas can be vented;

a carrier, disposed within the housing and configured to hold a battery, the carrier having an aperture through which gas can be vented;

a first seal, positioned between the carrier and the inner wall of the housing, allowing fluid communication between the aperture in the housing and the aperture in the carrier, but sealing against passage of fluid past the first seal into the housing; and

a second seal, positioned to normally cover the aperture in the carrier, the seal being configured to flex in response to pressure within the hollow interior and move away from the aperture when a predetermined pressure is exceeded.

14. The appliance of claim 13 further comprising a razor cartridge mounted on the housing.

15. The appliance of claim 13 further comprising a toothbrush head mounted on the housing.

16. The appliance of claim 13 wherein the first and second seals each comprise an elastomeric member.

17. The appliance of claim 13 wherein the housing and carrier are both generally cylindrical, and the first seal comprises a pair of ring-shaped gaskets, positioned one on each side of the apertures in the carrier and housing to isolate the apertures from the rest of the housing.

18. The appliance of claim 13 wherein the predetermined pressure is between about 0.1 bar and 2 bar.

19. The appliance of claim 13 wherein the aperture in the carrier is positioned within a circumferential groove in an outer surface of the carrier.

20. The appliance of claim 19 wherein the second seal comprises a ring-shaped element positioned within the groove to cover the aperture.

21. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the ring-shaped element comprises an elastomeric gasket.

22. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the ring-shaped element is pre-stressed to hold the ring-shaped element taut against the outer surface of the housing.