APPLIANCE FOR PERSONAL CARE WITH AUTOMATIC FLUID DISPENSER

• US 20120005898A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: WESTERHOF, WILKO, MOLEMA, JEROEN, SINNEMA, ANKE
• Granted Patent: US 9,346,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/41
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 20/12 Details thereof or accessories therefor, e.g. nozzles, stands
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 26/00 Hair-singeing apparatus; Apparatus for removing superfluous hair, e.g. tweezers removing hair using electrosurgical instruments A61B18/04, A61B18/18
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/04 Appliances specially adapted for applying liquid, e.g. using roller or ball
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/001 with integral reservoirs A46B11/0003, A46B11/0006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/02 Rinsing or air-blowing devices, e.g. using fluid jets or comprising liquid medication combined with receptacles for spittle A61C17/14; combined with power-driven cleaning or polishing devices A61C17/16
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/40 Lubricating

Abstract

An appliance for personal care, such as skin, dental or hair treatment, comprising a dispensing structure (30) for automatically dispensing a fluid. The dispensing structure (30) includes a fluid reservoir (10), a discharge opening (11) and a fluid drive structure (9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20) for driving the fluid to be dispensed from the reservoir (10) and to and out of said discharge opening (11) in accordance with a dispensing rate/time profile (S_x). The fluid drive structure (9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20) is arranged for spurting at least once during said dispensing operation for squirting an additional quantity of the fluid to and out of the discharge opening (11) in addition to the fluid being dispensed in accordance with said dispensing rate/time profile (S_x).

Claims

1. A personal care appliance, comprising:

a structure adapted to perform a treatment; and

a dispensing structure for dispensing a fluid relating to the treatment, the dispensing structure comprising;

a fluid reservoir storing the fluid;

a discharge opening;

a sensor detecting an operating condition of the structure;

a data processor determining a dispensing rate of the fluid based on the operating condition; and

a drive mechanism adapted to drive the fluid from the fluid reservoir through the discharge opening in accordance with the dispensing rate.

12. The personal care appliance of claim 12, wherein the dispensing rate is a variable rate/time profile.

2. The personal care appliance of claim 12, wherein the personal care appliance is a shaver.

3. The personal care appliance of claim 13, wherein the sensor is adapted to sense friction between a skin to be treated and the structure.

4. The personal care appliance of claim 13, wherein the fluid is one of a shaving lotion and a gel.

5. The personal care appliance of claim 12, wherein the personal care appliance is a brush.

7. The personal care appliance of claim 12, wherein the personal care appliance is a hairstyler.

9. The personal care appliance of claim 12, wherein the drive mechanism is further adapted to drive the fluid from the fluid reservoir through the discharge opening at a further rate that is higher than the dispensing rate at a predetermined time during a dispensing operation.

13. The personal care appliance of claim 12, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a pump communicating with the reservoir and with the discharge opening for driving the fluid from the reservoir to the discharge opening.

14. A device adapted to be attached to a personal care appliance, comprising:

a fluid reservoir storing a fluid;

a discharge opening;

a sensor detecting an operating condition of the personal care appliance;

a data processor determining a dispensing rate of the fluid based on the operating condition; and

a drive mechanism adapted to drive the fluid from the fluid reservoir through the discharge opening in accordance with the dispensing rate.

15. The device of claim 25, wherein the sensor is adapted to sense friction.

16. The device of claim 25, wherein the drive mechanism is further adapted to drive the fluid from the fluid reservoir through the discharge opening at a further rate that is higher than the dispensing rate at a predetermined time during a dispensing operation.

6. The personal care appliance of claim 16, wherein the fluid is one of a toothpaste and a polishing agent.

17. The device of claim 27, wherein the further rate is at least five times higher than the dispensing rate.

18. The device of claim 27, wherein the drive mechanism drives the fluid at the further rate in response to an input by a user of the personal care appliance.

8. The personal care appliance of claim 18, wherein the fluid is one of steam, a fixing agent, a wax and a dye.

19. The device of claim 25, wherein the dispensing rate is a variable rate/time profile.

20. The device of claim 25, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a pump communicating with the reservoir and with the discharge opening for driving the fluid from the reservoir to the discharge opening.

10. The personal care appliance of claim 20, wherein the further rate is at least five times higher than the dispensing rate.

11. The personal care appliance of claim 20, wherein the drive mechanism drives the fluid at the further rate in response to an input by a user of the personal care appliance.