Radio frequency hair removal tweezer

• US 5,049,148 A
• Filed: 06/29/1989
• Issued: 09/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United Production Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Thomas L. Mehl
• Inventors: Mehl, Thomas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US07/372,852
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 606/43, 606/36, 606/51, 606/52
• US Class Current: 606/43
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00476 Hair follicles

Abstract

A radio frequency hair removal tweezer assembly having an accurately formed lead-conductor pad configuration for providing greater radio frequency transmission capability. A raised conductor surface and angular inclination of the pad members permits forceful grasping of the hair and improved radio frequency transmission down the hair shaft. An integrally molded unitary tweezer unit is positioned within a split two piece housing assembly and results in rapid and accurate assembly of the working components and elimination of high rejection rates of previous similar tweezer units.

Claims

1. A radio frequency hair removal tweezer comprising:

a) a hand-held housing to which radio frequency energy is supplied which has a forward end supporting a pair of tweezer arms extending outwardly therefrom;

b) the tweezer arms being a pair of relatively movable opposed and spaced flexible plastic members which are movable into contact with each other at their opposed free ends at a small angle with respect to each other;

c) each of the tweezer arms at their opposed free ends having a flat interior surface facing each other;

d) the facing interior surfaces having a radio frequency conducting hair engaging metal conducting pad with a flat surface whose periphery is slightly spaced from the outer periphery of the flat interior surface of the tweezer;

e) each of the conducting pad surfaces being raised slightly above the flat interior surface of ht tweezer free ends, whereby the tweezer arms can bring the opposed pads together at their extremities at a slight angle with no interference from the adjacent plastic surface to provide a firm forceful contact between the opposed conducting pad surfaces; and

f) at least one of the tweezer arms having a conducting pad lead wire which extends the length thereof and is connected with the conducting pad at the free end.

2. The radio frequency hair removal tweezer as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) a tweezer support base is disposed at the forward end of the housing from which the tweezer arms extend;

b) the tweezer support base and the tweezer arms being a unitary molded piece; and

c) the tweezer support base having an electrical lead extending there through and being integral with the conducting pad lead wire.

3. The radio frequency hair removal tweezer as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

a) the conducting pad lead wire has an extended section which extends rearwardly of the tweezer support base; and

b) the housing contains an electrical connector receptacle which receives the extended section of the conducting lead wire.

4. The radio frequency hair removal device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) the flat conducting surface of at least one conducting pad has a gold plated conducting surface.

5. The radio frequency hair removal device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) the conducting pad is an integral continuous part of the conducting pad lead wire;

b) the conducting pad being connected to the conducting pad lead wire through a flattened intermediate connection section; and

c) the conducting pad and the intermediate flattened section, both being formed from an end portion of the conducting pad lead wire.

6. The radio frequency hair removal device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) the hand-held housing is an assembly of two matching substantially identical housing elements having corresponding engaging faces which meet along a common substantially longitudinal plane.

7. The radio frequency hair removal tweezer as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

a) each of the housing elements has an open semi-cylindrical cavity at the forward end receiving cylindrical tweezer base element which supports the tweezer arms.

8. The radio frequency hair removal device as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

a) one of the housing elements has plural outwardly projecting pins extending form a flat longitudinally extending engaging face; and

b) the other housing element has a corresponding flat engaging face and plural pin receiving recesses in its corresponding flat engaging face which are disposed opposite from and receive the outwardly extending pins from the one housing element.

9. The radio frequency hair removal tweezer as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) the conducting pad lead wire is directly connected continuously to a radio frequency power supply line.

10. The radio frequency hair removal tweezer as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) the conducting pad lead wire and the radio frequency conducting pad are a single integral element having good radio frequency wave guide transmission characteristics.

11. A radio frequency hair removal tweezer comprising:

a) a hand-held housing to which radio frequency energy is supplied which has a forward end supporting a pair of tweezer arms extending outwardly therefrom;

b) the tweezer arms being a pair of relatively movable opposed and spaced flexible plastic members which are movable into contact with each other at their opposed free ends at a small angle with respect to each other;

c) each of the tweezer arms at their opposed free ends having a flat interior surface facing each other;

d) the facing interior surfaces having a radio frequency conducting hair engaging metal conducting pad with a flat surface whose periphery is slightly spaced from the outer periphery of the flat interior surface of the tweezer such that the two surfaces can be brought into direct contact with each other;

e) a conducting pad lead wire of solid metal cross-section disposed in one of the tweezer arms and has as an integral continuous part thereof forming a conducting pad;

f) the conducting pad is connected to the conducting pad lead wire through a flattened intermediate and offsetting connection section; and

,

g) the conducting pad and the intermediate flattened offsetting section are both formed from an end portion of the conducting pad lead wire.

12. The radio frequency hair removal tweezer as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

a) the flat surface of at least one conducting pad as a gold plated conducting surface;

b) the hand-held housing is an assembly of two matching substantially identical housing elements having longitudinally engaging faces which meet along a common substantially longitudinal plane.