# US 5,706,582 A · Dry shaver with a skin stretcher

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- Number: US 5,706,582 A
- Document ID: US5706582A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/605,998
- Filed: 1996-02-23
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1995-02-23
- Assignees: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
- Inventors: Shin Hosokawa; Toshio Ikuta; Masao Tanahashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706582A

## CPC

- B26B 19/046: {Cutters being movable in the cutting head}
- B26B 19/42: providing for straightening the hair to be cut, e.g. by means of bristles; providing for tensioning the skin, e.g. by means of rollers, ledges (skin-stretchers for shaving per se A45D27/38)
- B26B 19/10: involving two or more different types of reciprocating cutting elements, e.g. a pair of toothed shearing elements combined with a pair of perforated cutting elements or a combined toothed and perforated cutting assembly
- B26B: HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (for harvesting A01D; for horticulture, for forestry A01G; for butchering or meat treatment A22; for manufactering or repairing footwear A43D; nail clippers or cutters A45D29/02; kitchen equipment A47J; {vegetable slicers, julienne cutters and similar devices and holders therefor, B26D3/28}; for surgical purposes A61B; for metal B23D; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; plier-like tools with cutting edges B25B7/22; pincers B25C11/02; handles for hand implements, in general B25G; guillotine-type cutters B26D; {perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet, B26F1/26}; for erasing B43L19/00; for textile materials D06H)

## Abstract

A dry shaver with a skin stretcher comprises a shaver body and a shaving head mounted on top of the shaver body. The shaving head comprises at least one cutter unit with a perforated outer cutter. An inner cutter is driven to move in hair shearing engagement with the outer cutter. The skin stretcher comprises a skin contact elongated along the periphery of the outer cutter and a base through which the skin contact is held on the shaving head. A macro displacement structure is provided to allow the skin contact to be movable within a macro displacement range relative to the shaver body. The skin contact is made from an elastic material capable of being elastically deformed within a micro displacement range relative to the base. With the combination of the macro and micro displacements of the skin contact, the skin contact can be kept in contact with the skin of a user in conformity with various contours of the skin. Thus, the skin stretcher can stretch a large portion of the skin even with an uneven skin surface, i.e., around the chin or the like to raise the hairs over a wide area prior to the shaving by the cutter unit, thereby assuring smooth and effective hair shaving at the cutter unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A dry shaver comprising:
a shaver body;
a shaving head mounted on top of said shaver body, said shaving head including at least one cutter unit with a perforated outer cutter;
an inner cutter driven to move in shearing contact with said outer cutter; and
a skin stretcher mounted to said shaving head adjacent to said outer cutter and extending along the periphery of said outer cutter, said skin stretcher adapted in use for contact with skin of a user in order to raise hairs to be subsequently introduced into perforations of said outer cutter;
said skin stretcher comprising a skin contact means elongated along the periphery of the outer cutter and a base carrying said skin contact means; and
macro displacement means being provided to allow said skin contact means to be movable within a macro displacement range relative to said skin contact;
wherein said skin contact means is of elastic nature capable of being elastically deformed within a micro displacement range relative to said base, said skin contact means comprising a plurality of parallel elastic fins extending along the periphery of said outer cutter and the fin located nearer to said outer cutter having an upper end which is higher than the upper end of a fin located away from said outer cutter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A dry shaver as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fins project at different angles from one another.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A dry shaver as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said shaving head includes a head frame which is mounted at an upper end of said shaver body, and wherein said macro displacement means comprises spring means which support the base of said skin stretcher floatingly to said head frame so that said skin contact means is allowed to be movable relative to said head frame and said shaver body within said macro displacement range.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A dry shaver as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said shaving head includes a head frame which is mounted at an upper end of said shaver body, and wherein said cutter unit is floatingly supported to said head frame, the base of said skin stretcher being secured to said cutter unit to be depressed together therewith, said macro displacement means comprising spring means for floatingly supporting said cutter unit to said head frame such that said skin contact is movable relative to said head frame and said shaver body within said second displacement range.