Rotary type electric shaver

• US 7,509,741 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Izumi Products Company (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Izumi Products Company (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Tetsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ashley; Boyer D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANDRUM, EDWARD F
• Application Number:
  US11/334,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20060156548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 30 434- 436, 303/465.1, 303/47, 303/56
• US Class Current: 30/43.6
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/141 Details of inner cutters having their axes of rotation perpendicular to the cutting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/143 Details of outer cutters

Abstract

Electric rotary shaver including an outer cutter 14, in which a ring-shaped groove 26 is formed in the top portion and two ring-shaped inner cutter running tracks 34 are formed in the interior surface, and an inner cutter 16, in which a plurality of cutter blades 40 are provided that make sliding contact with the inner cutter running tracks 34 of the outer cutter 14. A sliding surface where the cutter blades of the inner cutter make a sliding contact with the inner cutter running track of the outer cutter is set on a plane C perpendicular to the center axis line (A), and the thickness of the top portion of the outer cutter 14 is such that the portions near the ring-shaped groove 26 are made thinner or thicker than the other part of the top portion on at least a part of the circumference.

Claims

1. A rotary type electric shaver comprising:

a shaver main body;

an outer cutter housing provided on said shaver main body;

a cutter unit comprised of

an outer cutter provided in said outer cutter housing, said outer cutter having a circular top portion with a plurality of slit-shaped hair introduction openings extending in substantially a radial direction formed therein; and

an inner cutter disposed inside said outer cutter and rotationally driven by a motor provided inside said shaver main body;

wherein

the outer cutter is formed with a ring-shaped groove, which is formed in said top portion and concentric wit a center axis line that forms a rotational center of said inner cutter, and two ring-shaped inner cutter running tracks, which are formed in an interior surface of said outer cutter so as to be concentric with said center axis line and on both sides of said ring-shaped groove.

said inner cutter is provided with a plurality of cutter blades that make sliding contact with track surfaces of said inner cutter running tracks,

a sliding surface defined by said track surfaces of said inner cutter tracks and said cutter blades of said inner cutter is positioned on an plane perpendicular to said center axis line, and

a thickness of at least a portion of each of said two ring-shaped inner cutter running tracks from near said ring-shaped groove in said top potion of said outer cutter to an inner and an outer circumferential portion of said top portion for at least part of a circumferential direction of said outer cutter varies; and

wherein said portions of said two ring-shaped inner cutter running tracks near said ring-shaped groove are larger in thickness than said circumferential portions.

2. The rotary type electric shaver according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of cutter units are provided in said outer cutter housing.

3. The rotary type electric shaver according to claim 2, wherein

three cutter units are provided so that centers thereof form a triangle, and

a part of top portion of each one of said outer cutters which is outside a triangle formed by connecting centers of said cutter units is thinner near said ring-shaped groove than other part of said top portion.