Appliance for epilating hair

• US 5,704,935 A
• Filed: 07/29/1996
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Merz, Diethard, Pahl, Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/687,465
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 607/46, 607/42, 606/43, 606/48
• US Class Current: 606/48
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 26/0061 with means for reducing pain during hair removal

Abstract

An appliance for epilating hair of the human skin includes an epilation head with at least two electrical conductors and a clamping device for gripping and plucking the hair. The electrical conductors at least temporarily engaging the skin during hair plucking. A casing is attached to the epilation head and a motor housed in the casing drives the clamping device to cause the clamping device to automatically and periodically perform its functions of gripping and plucking. A generator electrically connected to the electrical conductors provides a stimulator current to the skin when the electrical conductors are in contact with the skin so as to electrically stimulate the nerve system under the skin during hair plucking.

Claims

1. An appliance for epilating hair from skin, said appliance comprising:

an epilation head including at least two electrical conductors and a clamping device for gripping and plucking the hair, the electrical conductors at least temporarily engaging the skin during hair plucking,

a casing attached to the epilation head,

a motor housed in the casing for driving the clamping device to cause the clamping device to automatically and periodically perform its functions of gripping and plucking, and

a generator electrically connected to the electrical conductors for providing a stimulator current to the skin when the electrical conductors are in contact with the skin so as to electrically stimulate the nerve system-under the skin during hair plucking.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the clamping device comprises a plurality of clamping elements for gripping and plucking the hairs.

3. The appliance of claim 2 further comprising a control located on the casing for permitting adjustment of the generator by the user.

4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the casing houses the generator, the motor and generator being configured to be jointly connected to a power supply.

5. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the generator comprises an adjustable pulse generator having a pulse repetition frequency in the range of about 1 to 500 Hz, a pulse duration in the range of about 1 ms to 0.5 s, and a pulse amplitude in the range of about 1 V to 100 V.

6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the generator supplies unipolar pulses of an adjustable intensity varying between about 0 and 200 mA.

7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the generator supplies alternating current of an adjustable intensity varying between about 0 and 200 mA.

8. The appliance of claim 1 wherein said electrical conductors are arranged laterally adjacent and substantially in a common plane with a skin contacting part of the clamping device.

9. The appliance of claim 8 further comprising a common mounting structure for mounting the electrical conductors to the epilation head.

10. The appliance of claim 9 wherein the mounting structure is rotatably connected to the epilation head with an axis of rotation of the mounting structure aligned substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotating member.

11. The appliance of claim 10 wherein the axis of rotation of the mounting structure is identical to the axis of rotation of the rotating member.

12. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the clamping device comprises a rotating member and a plurality of clamping elements located on an outer curved surface of the rotating member, the clamping elements being movable periodically and in pairs toward and away from each other, the curved surface of the barrel configured for placement in contact with the skin.

13. The appliance of claim 12 wherein the electrical conductors each comprise a roller.

14. The appliance of claim 13 wherein an axis of rotation of each roller is aligned substantially, parallel with an axis of rotation of the rotating member.

15. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the electric conductors comprise skids.

16. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductors are resiliently mounted to the epilation head.

17. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductors are made of flexible material.

18. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the clamping device comprises an inner cylinder, an outer shell, and a plurality of clamping elements, the cylinder having an end surface for placement in contact with the skin and the clamping elements being periodically placeable against the outer shell.

19. The appliance of claim 18 wherein a non-clamping portion of the clamping elements comprise the electrical conductors.

20. The appliance of claim 19 wherein a clamping location of the clamping elements is non-conductive.

21. The appliance of claim 18 wherein the generator is connected to the inner cylinder and the outer shell.

22. The appliance of claim 18 wherein the generator has two outputs and one of the outputs is connected to the clamping elements.

23. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the epilation head further includes a fluid applicator.