Electric shaver

• US 6,430,813 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2001
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Furuichi, Takeji, Muraguchi, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Payer, Hwei-Slu
• Application Number:
  US09/788,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20010023538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 30/436, 30/439, 30/439.2, 30D/IG.1, 30D/IG.2, 302/31, 320/114, 320/115, 320/128
• US Class Current: 30/43.92
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/02 of the reciprocating-cutter type
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 30/01 Rechargeable battery operated

Abstract

An electric shaver comprises an inner case which retains an electronic part board and an outer casing which retains a plug pin board which secures a plurality of plug pins. The inner case is fabricated of a plastic integral with a bottom wall. The electronic part board is disposed above the lower separating wall while the plug pin board is disposed under the lower separating wall. Metal pins penetrating the lower separating wall connects the electronic part board and the plug pin board. The bottom opening of the outer casing is closed with a bottom cover. The bottom cover has a pair of through holes through which extend outwardly a pair of plug pins.

Claims

1. An electric shaver comprising:

a) an electric motor for reciprocating an inner blade assembly;

b) at least one battery for the electric motor;

c) an electronic parts board connected to the battery;

d) an inner case having a lower separating wall defining a plurality of through holes, the inner case retaining the electronic parts board and the electric motor;

e) an outer casing having a bottom opening and a bottom cover closing the bottom opening, the outer casing containing the inner case at a fixed position in tight contact with the lower separating wall of the inner case, wherein the bottom cover includes a plurality of through holes;

f) a plug board securing a plurality of plug pins; and

g) a plurality of metal pins inserted into the through holes in the lower separating wall, wherein each of said metal pins is connected at one end to the electronic parts board and at the other end to the plug board,

wherein the plug pins extend through the through holes in the bottom cover so that the plug pins extend outwardly from the outer casing.

2. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer casing is fabricated of a plastic in a tubular configuration.

3. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower separating wall is provided with an O-ring at its periphery to effect a watertight contact with an internal peripheral surface of the outer casing.

4. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom cover is provided with an O-ring at its periphery to obtain a watertight contact with an internal peripheral surface of the outer casing.

5. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plug pins is provided with an O-ring abutting an interior peripheral surface of the bottom cover in order to provide a watertight contact with the corresponding through hole in the bottom cover.

6. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 1, wherein a safety valve is provided in the bottom cover, and the safety valve is capable of opening at a predetermined pressure level.

7. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lower separating wall has an O-ring at its periphery to obtain a watertight contact with the outer casing, the bottom cover has an O-ring at its periphery to obtain a watertight contact with the outer casing, and each of the plug pins has an O-ring abutting on an interior peripheral surface of the bottom cover to provide a watertight contact with the corresponding through hole in the bottom cover.

8. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner case is fabricated of a plastic, and is provided with a plurality of integral holding latches.

9. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 1, wherein on end of each of the metal pins is connected to the electronic parts board by means of soldering.

10. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric motor and the battery are mounted in the inner case, and are separated from each other by a space defined in the inner case,

wherein the inner case is fixed to the electronic parts board on one side thereof so that at least one heat-generating part, which is mounted on the electronic parts board, is received in the space between the electric motor and the battery.

11. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 10, wherein the inner case includes an integrally formed plastic tubular case for retaining the battery, and the upper end of the tubular case is closed.

12. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 10, wherein the heat-generating part protrudes from the electronic parts board.

13. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 10, wherein the heat-generating part is a charging resistor connected in series with the battery, a semiconductor switching element for controlling charging and discharging operations, or a power source transformer for charging the battery.

14. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom cover includes a chamber and a separation wall disposed in the chamber between the plug pins.

15. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a power source plug, which is to be inserted into the chamber of the bottom cover, wherein the power source plug has a recess for receiving the separation wall when the power source plug is inserted into the chamber.

16. An electric shaver recited in claim 14, wherein one end of the separation wall joins an internal wall of the chamber, and the other end of the separation wall is separated from the internal wall of the chamber by a gap which communicates with a valve hole of a safety valve provided at a bottom of the chamber.

17. An electric shaver comprising:

an inner case having a tubular case and a lower separating wall defining a plurality of through holes;

an electronic parts board connected to the inner case;

a pair of batteries retained in the tubular case in a side-by-side arrangement and in parallel to the electronic parts board;

an electric motor electrically connected to the batteries for reciprocating an inner blade assembly, the electric motor being retained by the inner case;

an outer casing having a bottom opening and a bottom cover closing the bottom opening, the outer casing receiving the inner case in a fixed position and in contact with the lower separating wall of the inner case, wherein the bottom cover includes a plurality of through holes;

a plug board provided with a plurality of plug pins; and

a plurality of metal pins inserted into the through holes in the lower separating wall, wherein each of the metal pins is connected at one end to the electronic parts board and at the other end to the plug board,

wherein the plug pins extend through the through holes in the bottom cover of the outer casing so that the plug pins extend outwardly from the outer casing.

18. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 17, wherein the inner case has a plurality of support members for supporting the bottom cover, and the support members are disposed on a bottom end of the inner case at spaces between the pair of batteries.

19. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 17, wherein an upper end of the tubular case is closed while a bottom end thereof is open.

20. An electric shaver as claimed in claim 19, wherein the pair of batteries are retained In the tubular case by means of lead plates abutting on a lower end of one of the batteries and one of the plug pins.