US3596353A

US3596353A - Electric shaver

Info

Publication number: US3596353A
Application number: US776918A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ray E Day
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-11-19
Filing date: 1968-11-19
Publication date: 1971-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-03

Abstract

The electric shaver of this invention comprises a housing having a slotted head, and drive means for moving an endless cutting band within the housing continuously in one direction across the head to cut whiskers projecting through the slots.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 lnvemor 2,691,216 10/1954 Ross 30/4l.6 x 340 Lakeland. Grosse Pointe, Mich. l 2 Nahon 30/40 X 5;: 2159: 1968 3,158,932 12/1964 Brewer 30/43.6

1 e ov. 145 Patented Aug. 3. 1971 FOREIGN PATENTS 753,882 8/1933 France 30/43.92 1,174,652 7/1964 Germany 30/43.6 154] ELECTRIC SHAVER 1,209,022 1/1966 Germany 30/43.6 10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs. 221,070 8/1942 Switzerland /40.l 52 us. c1 30/43.6, 2749 M951 Swltzerland W43;

ISO/41.6, 30/90 Primary ExaminerRobert C. Riordon [5 I Int. Cl B26b 19/14 Attorney-Whittemore, Hulbert & Belknap Field of Search ..30/40.1,41, 41.8, 43, 43.5, 43.6, 43.4, 90, 45, 42

{56] Reerences cued ABS'iRAC'lj: The electric shaver of this invention comprises a housmg havmg a slotted head, and drlve means for moving an UNITED STATES PATENTS endless cutting band within the housing continuously in one 1,199,706 9/1916 McNichol 30/42 direction across the head to cut whiskers projecting through 1,713,079 5/1929 Hall 30/40.1 X the slots.

A y 1 10o A I 1 I I 1 I l ELECTRIC SHAVER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a primary object of this invention to provide an electric shaver having an endless cutting band driven continuously in one direction.

Another object is to provide an electric shaver in which there is little or no vibration, due to the fact that the cutting band does not reciprocate but rather moves continuously in one direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shaver having teeth in which the cutting edges are inclined at an acute angle with respect to the direction of movement of the band so that the shaver has both a clipping and a slicing or shearing action.

Another object is to provide a shaver having an anvil for resiliently pressing the cutting band against the slotted portion of the head.

Another object is to provide rollers for guiding the endless cutting band which are convexly rounded to impart a corresponding cross section to the band so as to strengthen the band while it is cutting whiskers and also to tension the outer edges of the band.

Another object is to provide a shaver having a slotted head in which the slots consist of three laterally spaced rows of openings, and the endless cutting band has a succession of cutting teeth along its opposite edges movable past the two outermost rows of openings and a central succession of cutting teeth movable past the remaining row of openings.

Another object is to provide a novel drive unit in which the cutting band extends about a driven member in the shaver housing driven by an electric motor which extends at least part way into the driven member, and preferably in which the shaft upon which the driven member rotates is disposed axially within the hollow output shaft of the motor.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view ofa shaver embodying my invention showing the front housing cover removed and with parts in section.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the shaver.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view with parts in section.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the endless cutting band.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a rear elevation of the shaver.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9-9 in FIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the electric shaver of my invention is generally designated 10 and includes a housing 12 comprising a rear housing section 14, a front housing section 16 and a head 18. The two

housing sections

14 and 16 are removably secured together in any suitable means as by the fastening elements 20. The front and rear housing sections have upstanding ears 22 at their upper ends, and the head 18 is preferably in the form of a stamping or shell which may be fitted and snapped over the ears and either held in place by friction or by releasable securing means such as the fasteners 17. A chamber 21 beneath the cars 22 is provided to receive clippings and is open at the ends so that the clippings may be cleared out of the chamber as by the use of a brush.

The head 18 is an elongated member and has a slotted top section 19 as shown particularly in FIG. 3. The slots in head 18 consist of three

rows

24, 26 and 28 of openings which are parallel to one another and extend lengthwise of the head. The

openings in each row are preferably spaced apart uniform distances.

The shaver also includes an endless cutting band 30 which is disposed in the housing and is adapted to be driven in one direction by a suitable drive more fully hereinafter described, also located within the housing. The band 30 is adapted to move lengthwise under the slotted top section 19 of the head and for this purpose a pair of guide rollers 32 are provided. The guide rollers have reduced end spindles 34 which are suitably journaled in the ears 22 of the front and rear sections of the cover. The rollers 32 are convexly crowned in a longitudinal direction as best seen in FIG. 9. This crowning of the rollers 32 imparts a similar cross section to the section of the cutting band 30 between the rollers as seen in FIG. 7. The transverse arching of this section of the cutting band 30 thus strengthens it for cutting and tensions the opposite longitudinal edges of the band along which cutting teeth are provided as more fully explained hereinafter. It will be noted in FIG. 7 that the slotted top section 19 of the head is also transversely arched to match the contour of the section of the cutting band between the rollers.

To keep the cutting band 30 tight, a roller 33 is urged against the band by a spring 35 mounted inside the housing. Anvils 36 and 37 are disposed under the slotted portion of the head within the housing to back up and support the section of the cutting band 30 between rollers 32. As seen in FIG. 7, these anvils are elongated members extending lengthwise of the space between rollers 32 and are of T-shaped cross section. Each anvil has a depending stem 38 extending downward into a slot 39 in the head of the housing, and has a crossmember 40 at the top of the stem to bear against and support the undersurface of the cutting band. The top surfaces of the crossmembers 40 are of the form shown in FIG. 7 to provide a surface-to-surface supporting contact with the arched or crowned section of the cutting band 30 in the spaces between the

rows

24, 26 and 28 of openings in the head.

The anvils are assembled in the housing by pressing the stems 38 down into the slots. The stems have projections 41 on the opposite sides receivable in openings 42 to locate the anvils in the correct positions for shaving. The walls of the housing forming slots 39 are resiliently yieldable so as to expand slightly and permit the projections 41 to pass between the walls as they are pressed downward into operative position until the projections 41 snap into the openings 42. Leaf springs 43 are provided at the bottoms of the slots to impose an upward tension on the anvils. The projections 41 thus facilitate the assembly of the anvils.

The anvils maintain a predetermined yielding upward pressure upon the cutting band pressing the same into yielding contact with the undersurface of the head 18. The openings 42 are slightly enlarged vertically relative to projections 41 so that the projections are permitted a small degree of vertical movement to allow the yielding upward pressure of the anvils on the cutting band. Prior to assembly of the cutting band, the openings 42 permit the anvils to be pushed upward by springs 43 slightly beyond their operative positions of engagement with the band.

The drive for the band includes a hollow cup-shaped driven member which has a cylindrical flange 52 coated with plastic 53 over which the cutting band 30 extends. The end 54 of the driven member is open and the electric motor 56 extends into the driven member 50 through the open end. As seen in FIG. 7, the electric motor 56 is mounted within a chamber 58 formed within the housing by an annular flange 60 and a cover 62 for the flange removably secured thereto by suitable securing means such as the fasteners 64. This chamber including the flange 60 and cover 62 also of course extend into the hollow driven member 50.

The output shaft 66 of the motor is tubular and has a pinion 68 keyed on its outer end which is in driving engagement with the larger gear 70. Gear 70 as well as pinion 72 are keyed upon the shaft 74 which is journaled in the cover 62, and pinion 72 is in mesh with the larger gear 76 secured as by rivets 78 to the base 80 of the hollow driven member 50. At this point it will be noted that the shaft 82 upon which the driven member 50 is mounted, is journaled for rotation within the tubular drive shaft 66 of the motor, the end of shaft 82 also being journaled in a boss 84 in the rear section 14 of the housmg.

The drive thus described, in which the motor 56 extends into the driven member 50 and the driven member shaft 82 is disposed in the tubular motor output shaft 66, is very compact and enables the overall dimensions of the shaver to be reduced.

The cutting band 30 has a series of cutting teeth 86 along one edge and a series of cutting teeth 88 along the opposite edge. The teeth 86 and 88 have the cutting edges 90 which will be seen to be inclined at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the band. With reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, it will be understood that the teeth 86 and 88 register with the

outermost rows

24 and 28 of openings in the slotted head 18 and in the operation of the shaver move past the openings in such rows. The band 30 also has the center series of cutting teeth 92 which are in the form of elongated transversely extending slots spaced-apart along the longitudinal centerline of the band. The cutting edges of these teeth are designated 94 and it will be understood that the teeth 92 are in register with the center'row of openings 26 in the slotted head and move past such openings during operation of the shaver.

Referring to FIG. 5, a replaceable pad 100 of felt or the like material preferably treated with a lubricant is provided to keep the cutting band 30 clean. As shown, the felt pad is an elongated member having a slit 102 in one end through which the cutting band extends. The slit is relieved or enlarged both at its inner and outer ends as indicated at 104 and 106 to clear the rows of teeth 86 and 88 along the opposite edges of the band. The pad is preferably of rectangular cross section having one cross dimension greater than the other and is receivable in a suitable transverse opening 108 of similar cross section in the housing, the opening being closed by a cap 109 threaded into the housing wall. The purpose of the rectangular cross section for the pad is to insure that the pad is inserted properly to receive the cutting band. It will be understood that the pad may be easily removed and replaced with another after it has become worn or used up.

A pair of hinged

covers

110 and 112 are provided for the purpose ofeither closing the ends of the chamber 21 or of protecting the head of the shaver. As seen, these covers are substantially U-shaped and have the free ends of the flanges pivoted to opposite sides of the shaver housing by pivot pins 114. The intermediate or web portions of these covers connecting the flanges constitute the guard portions thereof. In the down position of the covers shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7, the guard portions of the covers close the ends of the chamber 21. In the up positions of the covers shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, they overlie and protect the shaving head. The flanges of the covers have projections 1116 on their inner surfaces which are resiliently engageable in recesses 120 in the housing to retain the covers in the down position and also are resiliently engageable in housing recesses 124 to retain the covers in the up position.

In the operation of the device, and with the

covers

1 and 112 down, the shaver will be moved over the face of the user and the whiskers will project into the slots in the head 18 to be cut by a combined clipping and slicing or shearing action of the teeth 86, E8 and 92 of the band 30. The head must be thin enough so that the whiskers'will project through the slots, consistent with requirements of strength. The spacing between slots in the head and between teeth in the band may vary. For example, if the slots in each row of slots in the head are spaced uniformly on centers 0.019 inches apart, the cutting edges of the teeth in each row on the band might be spaced apart 0.02l inches. This difference in spacing between the slots of the head and the cutting edges of the teeth is provided so that the teeth do not all cut at once whereby the load on the electric motor is reduced.

The anvils may be of any suitable construction and for example may be of a self-lubricating material such as Teflon. The anvil might also be made for example of a powdered metal impregnated with a lubricant. It is desirable that the anvil be of a material which has a lubricating action on the cutting band. The covers and 112 can be moved to their up positions protecting the head and also exposing the chamber 21 for cleaning.

What I claim as my invention is:

I. An electric shaver comprising a housing having a slotted head, said head being an elongated portion of said housing, an endless cutting band within said housing, means guiding said band for movement across said head to cut whiskers projecting in through the slots in said head, said guide means including rollers within said housing and at opposite ends of said head over which said band extends, said rollers being convexly crowned to impart a corresponding cross section to the section of the band between said rollers, and drive means in said housing for moving said band continuously in one direction.

2. An electric shaver comprising a housing having a slotted head, said head being an elongated portion of said housing, the slots in said head including three laterally spaced rows of openings extending substantially from end to end of said head, an endless cutting band within said housing, means guiding said band for movement across said head to cut whiskers projecting in through the slots in said head, said band having a succession of edge cutting teeth along its opposite edges movable past the two outermost rows of openings in the head and a succession of center cutting teeth movable past the remaining row of openings in the head, said guiding means including rollers within said housing at opposite ends of said head for guiding the section of the band between said rollers, anvil means in operative engagement with the section of the band between the rollers resiliently urging the same toward the series of openings in said head, and drive means in said housing for moving said band continuously in one direction.

3. The shaver defined in claim 2, wherein the spacing of said edge and center cutting teeth is different than the spacing of the openings in the three rows past which said teeth move so that the teeth out at different times and thereby reduce the load on said drive means.

4. An electric shaver comprising a housing having a slotted head, an endless cutting band within said housing, means guiding said band for movement across said head to cut whiskers projecting in through the slots in said head, drive means in said housing for moving said band continuously in one direction, said drive means including an electric motor mounted in said housing, a hollow driven member mounted in said housing, a transmission between said motor and driven member to rotate the latter, said motor projecting into said hollow driven member, said driven member having an annular cylindrical flange over which said band extends to be moved continuously thereby in said one direction, one end of said flange being open and through which said motor projects into said driven member, said motor having a tubular output shaft in driving engagement with said transmission, and a shaft supporting said driven member for rotation and itself being disposed within said tubular output shaft.

5. An electric shaver comprising a housing having a slotted head, an endless cutting band within said housing, means guiding said band for movement across said head to cut whiskers projecting in through the slots in said head, drive means in said housing for moving said band continuously in one direction, a chamber within said housing beneath said band for the accu' mulation of whiskers, said chamber having an opening through a side of the housing, and a cover member mounted on said housing for movement from a position covering the chamber opening and uncovering said head to a position uncovering said chamber opening and covering said head.

6. An electric shaver comprising a housing having an elongated slotted head, an endless cutting band within said housing, means guiding said band for movement in a plane normal to said head for movement of a section of said band lengthwise of and in substantially surface-to-surface relation with said head, said guiding means including rollers within said housing at opposite ends of said head over which said band extends, anvil means within said housing between said rollers disposed beneath said section of said band to back up and support the same against said head during shaving, said band having a succession of cutting teeth along its length adapted to cut whiskers projecting in through the slots in said head, and drive means in said housing for moving said band continuously in one direction.

7. The electric shaver defined in claim 6, wherein said band has a succession of said cutting teeth the cutting surfaces of which are all inclined in the same direction with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said band, and said slots include a row of spaced openings traversed by said cutting teeth during movement of said band as aforesaid.

8. The electric shaver defined in claim 6, including means resiliently pressing said anvil means toward said section of the band between said rollers.

9. The electric shaver defined in claim 6, wherein said band has a succession of said cutting teeth along at least one longitudinal edge thereof, said head being convexly crowned in a transverse direction, and said section of said band backed up against said head by said anvil means having the same crowned configuration imparted to it so as to strengthen the toothed edge thereof.

10. The shaver defined in claim 6, wherein said slots include a row of spaced openings past which said cutting teeth move, the spacing of said openings being different than the spacing of said cutting teeth so that the teeth out at different times to thereby reduce the load on said drive means.

Claims

1. An electric shaver comprising a housing having a slotted head, said head being an elongated portion of said housing, an endless cutting band within said housing, means guiding said band for movement across said head to cut whiskers projecting in through the slots in said head, said guide means including rollers within said housing and at opposite ends of said head over which said band extends, said rollers being convexly crowned to impart a corresponding cross section to the section of the band between said rollers, and drive means in said housing for moving said band continuously in one direction.

3. The shaver defined in claim 2, wherein the spacing of said edge and center cutting teeth is different than the spacing of the openings in the three rows past which said teeth move so that the teeth cut at different times and thereby reduce the load on said drive means.

5. An electric shaver comprising a housing having a slotted head, an endless cutting band within said housing, means guiding said band for movement across said head to cut whiskers projecting in through the slots in said head, drive means in said housing for moving said band continuously in one direction, a chamber within said housing beneath said band for the accumulation of whiskers, said chamber having an opening through a side of the housing, and a cover member mounted on said housing for movement from a position covering the chamber opening and uncovering said head to a position uncovering said chamber opening and covering said head.

10. The shaver defined in claim 6, wherein said slots include a row of spaced openings past which said cutting teeth move, the spacing of said openings being different than the spacing of said cutting teeth so that the teeth cut at different times to thereby reduce the load on said drive means.