Motor-powered appliance for personal use

• US 5,545,968 A
• Filed: 05/04/1995
• Issued: 08/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Sauer, Michael, Kressner, Gerhard, Hilfinger, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US08/392,895
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 429/8
• US Class Current: 29/764
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/224 Electrical recharging arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53283 Means comprising hand-manipulatable implement

Abstract

The invention is directed to a motor-powered appliance 10 for personal use as, for example, an appliance for oral or dental hygiene, a shaver or the like, with a housing 12 for accommodating the drive means 20 as well as at least one rechargeable energy-storage cell 18. The housing 12 is composed of at least two housing sections 13, 14 sealingly connectible with each other. The appliance 10 has an associated case structure 22 incorporating in particular means 24 for charging the energy-storage cells 18, or in particular means 26 for the storage of attachments for the appliance 10. The case structure 22 includes two abutment means which, in forming an integral part of the case structure 22, provide a tool for severing the housing sections 13, 14.

Claims

1. A motor-powered appliance for personal use (10) as, for example, an appliance for oral or dental hygiene, a shaver or the like, with a housing (12) for accommodating the drive means (20) as well as at least one rechargeable energy-storage cell (18), with the housing (12) comprising at least two housing sections (13, 14) sealingly connectible with each other, and with the appliance (10) having an associated case structure (22) incorporating in particular means (24) for charging the energy-storage cells (18), or in particular means (26) for the storage of attachments for the appliance (10), characterized in that the case structure (22) includes in particular two abutment means which, in forming an integral part of the case structure (22), provide a tool for severing the housing sections (13, 14).

2. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the abutment means are disposed in offset relation to each other at a relative distance corresponding approximately to the axial length of one of the housing sections (13, 14).

3. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the abutment means are configured as a locating means (29) and a stop means (31).

4. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a receiving opening (23) and an inner wall (25) of the receiving opening (23) form the two abutment means.

5. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the one abutment means is formed by a back panel (32) of the case structure (22), while the second abutment means is formed by an intermediate bottom (34) of the case structure (22).

6. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in any claim 1, characterized in that a back panel (32) of the case structure (22) includes a cutout (36), and that the cutout (36) and the housing (12) have essentially like cross-sections of mating diameter.

7. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the case structure (22) includes a dome (38) and a surface (40) opposite the dome (38), and that the dome (38) provides the one abutment means and the opposite surface (40) the second abutment means.

8. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the housing (12) is provided with a recess (16) for receiving the dome (38), and that the recess (16) is essentially configured such that its surface area is in abutting engagement with the dome (38).

9. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, characterized in that the surface (40) opposite the dome (38) is curved essentially cylindrically and the housing (12) is preferably of a cylindrical configuration, and that the curved surface (40) and the housing (12) have essentially like radii of curvature.

10. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the two abutment means are formed by the receiving opening (23).

11. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the receiving opening (23) has an inside diameter corresponding essentially to the outside diameter of the housing (12).

12. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, characterized in that the receiving opening (23) is preferably arranged in an end panel (33) of the case structure (22).

13. A method of severing housing sections of a motor-powered appliance for personal use, in particular as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it involves the following steps:

1. Introducing one section (14) of the housing (12) into the case structure (22) such that the housing section (14) is arranged between the abutment means;

2. holding the case structure (22) with the one of the user'"'"'s hands; and

3. swinging the housing (12) with the other of the user'"'"'s hands in the manner of a lever, in which process the housing section (14) is located in position by the abutment means.

14. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that both abutment means are provided on the dome (38).

15. The motor-powered appliance for personal use as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the one abutment means is provided by the dome (38) while the second abutment means is provided by a lug-shaped protuberance (42) arranged on one side of the dome (38).

16. A method of severing housing sections of a motor-powered appliance for personal use, in particular as claimed in any one of the claims 14 or 15, characterized in that it involves the following steps:

1. Manually seating one section (14) of the housing (12) onto the case structure (22), such that the dome (38) is received within a recess provided on the housing (12);

2. holding the housing (12) with one of the user'"'"'s hands, while the user'"'"'s other hand holds the case structure (22); and

3. rotating the housing (12) about a longitudinal center line (54).