Electric shaver

• US 8,661,688 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shigeta, Hiroshi, Yamasaki, Masanobu, Hosokawa, Shin, Shiba, Takeshi, Iwasaki, Jyuzaemon
• Primary Examiner(s): PRONE, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US12/649,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20100175259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 30/341, 30/43, 30/419, 30 433- 4392, 30/42, 30/44, 30/45
• US Class Current: 30/34.1
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/048 Complete cutting head being movable
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/105 with a secondary cutting unit being rotated into an operating position

Abstract

An electric shaver including: a gripper portion to be held by the user'"'"'s hand; and a head portion configured to hold a shaving-blade unit and supported to be swingable in predetermined directions with respect to the gripper portion, wherein the head portion is provided with an edge-trimmer-blade unit.

Claims

1. An electric shaver, comprising:

a gripper portion to be held by a user'"'"'s hand;

a head portion configured to hold a shaving-blade unit and supported to be swingable in predetermined directions with respect to the gripper portion;

a locking member which is connected to an operation element, and

a rotatable edge-trimmer-blade unit supported on the head portion and configured to be rotated by the operation element between a ready-for-use state where the edge-trimmer blade unit is in a popped up position and a stored state where the edge-trimmer blade unit is in a retracted position, wherein

the head portion includes a recessed portion formed in a back-side surface of the head portion, and the edge-trimmer blade unit is stored in the recessed portion when the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the stored state.

2. The electric shaver according to claim 1, wherein

the operation element is movable between an ordinary position in which a pair of first-click legs of the operation element abut rear portions of a pair of first-click portions of the gripper portion, a first-click position in which the pair of first-click legs abut forward portions of the pair of first-click portions, and a second-click position in which the pair of first-click legs abut forward portions of a pair of second-click portions of the gripper portion;

the head portion is configured to swing with respect to the gripper portion, and the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the stored state when the operation element is in the ordinary position,

the locking member locks the head portion with respect to the gripper portion and the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the stored state when the operation element is at the first-click position, and

the locking member locks the head portion with respect to the gripper portion and the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the ready-for-use state when the operation element is at a the second-click position.

3. The electric shaver according to claim 1, wherein

the operation element is movable between an ordinary position in which a pair of first-click legs of the operation element abut rear portions of a pair of first-click portions of the gripper portion, a first-click position in which the pair of first-click legs abut forward portions of the pair of first-click portions, and a second-click position in which the pair of first-click leg. forward portions of a pair of second-click portions of the gripper portion;

the head portion is configured to swing with respect to the gripper portion, and the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the stored state when the operation element is in the ordinary position, and

the locking member locks the head portion with respect to the gripper portion and the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the ready-for-use state when the operation element is at a the second-click position.

4. The electric shaver according to claim 1,

wherein the edge-trimmer-blade unit is linked to a handle arm slidable on the head portion, in such a manner that the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the stored state when the handle arm is at a first position and that the edge-trimmer-blade unit is in the ready-for-use state when the handle arm is at a second position, and

the operation element is slidable on the gripper portion between an ordinary position where the operation element allows the head portion to swing with respect to the gripper portion and the handle arm to be located at the first position, and a position where the operation element engages with the handle arm so as to hold the handle arm at the second position.