Hair removal apparatus

A hair-removal apparatus, comprising:

• a hair-removal device with a movable hair-removal component which comprises at least a first hair-contacting member and a second hair-contacting member which are movable relative to each other and which are configured and arranged to mutually co-operate for removing hairs by mutually exerting a contact force;
• a pressing component configured and arranged to generate said contact force by exerting a pressing force on the movable hair-removal component during operation;
• and
• a skin proximity sensing component;
• wherein the skin proximity sensing component is configured and arranged to detect, during operation, a relative distance between the movable hair-removal component and a portion of skin with hairs to be removed;
• wherein the hair-removal apparatus comprises a force adjusting component which is configured and arranged to adjust, during operation, the pressing force exerted by the pressing component in dependence on the relative distance detected by the skin proximity sensing component;
• wherein the movable hair-removal component has a functional mode wherein the contact force has a first value and a non-functional mode wherein the contact force has a second value smaller than the first value;
• wherein the force adjusting component is configured and arranged to adjust the pressing force exerted by the pressing component such that, when the relative distance detected by the skin proximity sensing component is a first relative distance, the movable hair-removal component operates in the non-functional mode and, when the relative distance detected by the skin proximity sensing component is a second relative distance smaller than the first relative distance, the movable hair-removal component operates in the functional mode;
• wherein the skin proximity sensing component comprises a mechanical contact sensor configured and arranged to detect the relative distance by mechanical contact;
• and wherein the mechanical contact sensor comprises a lever arrangement pivotably mounted relative to the hair-removal device;
• wherein the lever arrangement comprises:
• a primary lever portion with a distal end configured and arranged to contact a skin portion during operation, and
• a secondary lever portion comprising a separating member;
• wherein the primary and secondary lever portions are mutually coupled and wherein the secondary lever portion is the force adjusting component;
• and
• wherein the separating member is displaceable, by rotation of the lever arrangement, from a blocking position to a releasing position, wherein, in the blocking position, the separating member is arranged between the pressing component and the movable hair-removal component such that the separating member at least partially prevents transmission of the pressing force to the movable hair-removal component, and wherein, in the releasing position, the separating member releases the pressing component such as to enable the pressing component to transmit the pressing force to the movable hair-removal component;
• and
• wherein the primary lever portion is arranged to touch the skin, during operation, in order to displace the separating member into the releasing position.