Reciprocatory dry shaver

• US 7,334,338 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiroaki, Shiba, Takeshi, Motohashi, Ryo, Yabuuchi, Hidekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): PAYER, HWEI SIU CHOU
• Application Number:
  US11/189,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20060021227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 30/439.1, 30/439.2, 303/465.1, 30/437, 30/438, 30/439
• US Class Current: 30/43.92
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/04 Cutting heads therefor; Cutters therefor; Securing equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/282 Motors without a rotating central drive shaft, e.g. linear motors

Abstract

A reciprocatory dry shaver has a shaving head carrying an outer cutter, and an inner cutter. An actuator is mounted in the shaving head for driving the inner cutter. The actuator includes an oscillator which carries a joint for driving connection to the inner cutter. Resilient coupling links are provided to support the oscillator to the shaving head in order to allow the oscillator to reciprocate relative to the shaving head. The resilient coupling link has its upper end coupled to the oscillator and has its lower end which is farther away from the inner cutter than the oscillator and is anchored to the shaving head. Thus, the oscillator is supported as being floated or lifted with respect to the shaving head, thereby being allowed to travel along a path which is somewhat arcuate in coincidence with the arc of the outer cutter.

Claims

1. A reciprocatory shaver comprising:

a shaving head carrying an elongated outer cutter which is arcuately curved along its length, and an inner cutter driven to reciprocate along the length of said outer cutter in hair shearing engagement with said outer cutter;

an actuator mounted in said shaving head for driving said inner cutter;

said actuator including an oscillator which reciprocates in a lengthwise direction and carries a joint for driving connection to said inner cutter,

said actuator including a resilient coupling link which supports said oscillator to said shaving head so as to allow the oscillator to reciprocate relative to said shaving head,

said actuator providing a linear motor composed of a permanent magnet carried on said oscillator,

said resilient coupling link having its upper end coupled to said oscillator and,

said resilient coupling link having its lower end being located farther away from said inner cutter than said oscillator along a direction perpendicular to the reciprocating direction of said oscillator, and being anchored to said shaving head.

2. The reciprocatory shaver as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resilient coupling link comprises a plurality of spring leaves depending from each of opposite lengthwise ends of said oscillator.

3. The reciprocatory shaver as set forth in claim 1, wherein said oscillator is elongated and is formed at its lengthwise center with a seat from which said joint projects towards said inner cutter,

said oscillator being formed at its opposite lengthwise ends respectively with raised shoulders at a level higher than said seat,

said actuator including an anchor plate extending in parallel with said oscillator and being fixed to said shaving head,

said resilient coupling link comprising spring leaves extending respectively from said raised shoulders to the opposite ends of said anchor plate over a length longer than a distance from the seat.

4. The reciprocatory shaver as set forth in claim 3, wherein said oscillator is molded from a plastic material to be integrated with said spring leaves.

5. The reciprocatory shaver as set forth in claim 1, wherein said actuator includes an anchor plate extending in parallel with said oscillator and being fixed to said shaving head,

said actuator providing an electromagnet fixed to said anchor plate.