Hair-cutting apparatus comprising means for preventing cut hair from flying off

• US 7,975,385 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Obermann, Wolfgang Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Alie; Ghassem
• Application Number:
  US10/518,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,946 Days
• Field of Search: 301/33, 30/30, 302/01, 30/31, 30/416, 30/415, 301/24, 301/34, 301/92, 301/95, 302/07, 302/08, 302/16, 301/99, 302/25, 305/27, 302/335, 30202-206, 302/13, 303/01, 302/00, 132/213, 132/225, D28/58, D28 52- 54, D32/5, D32/18, 153/44, 153/001, 153/30, 153/57
• US Class Current: 30/133
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/44 Suction means for collecting severed hairs or for the skin to be shaved

Abstract

A hair-cutting apparatus (1) includes a cutting arrangement (9) for cutting hair. There is provided an arrangement that prevents cut hair from flying off the hair-cutting apparatus and that includes a boundary wall (22). The boundary wall (22) extends close to the cutting arrangement (9) and includes a stationary portion (34) and a movable portion (35), the movable portion (35) being intended and arranged to cooperate with hair to be cut.

Claims

1. A hair-cutting apparatus comprising:

a housing containing a motor, said housing extending in a longitudinal direction;

a cutting arrangement coupled to said motor for cutting hair, said cutting arrangement positioned at an end of the housing; and

means for counter-acting flying off cut hair wall extending, in the longitudinal direction of the housing, said boundary forming an opening with respect to said cutting arrangement to receive cut hair, said boundary wall having a stationary portion and a portion that is movable relative to the stationary portion,

wherein the movable portion being arranged and positioned to cooperate with the hair to be cut dependent on the nature and condition of the hair, the movable portion being movable by an adjusting force applied by the hair to the movable and adjustable portion of the boundary wall, said movement of the movable portion selectively enlarging said opening.

2. The hair-cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means comprising a spring means cooperating with the movable portion of the boundary wall to spring-load the movable portion in the direction of the hair to be cut such that said opening has a minimum size, and wherein the movable portion being movable in opposition to the force exerted by the spring means when cooperating with hair to be cut.

3. The hair-cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring means comprise a leaf spring extending substantially transversely to the direction of movement of the movable portion, said leaf spring extending in a curve when said movable portion is positioned such that said opening has said minimum size.

4. The hair-cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the resilient force exerted by the leaf spring is within a range of 10 mN and 50 mN.

5. The hair-cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a suction arrangement is provided to suck away the cut hair, said suction arrangement comprising a suction passage that is defined by passage walls, at least some of which extend close to the cutting arrangement and the ends of which situated close to the cutting arrangement define a said opening through which air can be sucked into the suction passage in a direction of suction at a given velocity of flow, and wherein one of the passage walls is formed by the boundary wall having the stationary portion and the movable portion.

6. The hair-cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the suction arrangement comprising varier means for varying the velocity of air flow in the region of the opening, and wherein the varier means are formed by the movable portion of the boundary wall varying the size of the opening.

7. The hair-cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hair-cutting apparatus further comprises a suction arrangement substantially contained in the apparatus.