JPH0217191B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an electric shaver that is equipped with a sliding switch knob on the main body case for turning the switch on and off, and is characterized by a locking mechanism that slides and locks the switch knob in the off position. have

[Conventional technology]

As a switch mechanism for turning on and off the drive of the inner cutter in an electric shaver, for example, Figs.
As shown in the figure, a switch knob 17 is provided on the outer surface of the main body case 1, and a switch operation piece 20 is provided on the inner surface of the main body case 1.
are integrally connected so that they can slide freely between a switch on position and an off position at the same time. It is generally known to moderately hold the switch between the on position and the off position.

In this case, it is desirable to lock the switch knob 17 from the switch-off position to prevent it from accidentally sliding toward the on-position, rather than relying solely on a simple moderation means.

The sliding lock mechanism of the switch knob 17 is such that when the switch knob 17 is in the switch-off position, the switch operation piece 20 and the main body case 1 are engaged and locked, and the operation member 26 facing a part of the switch knob 17 is locked. It is conceivable that the engagement relationship is released by pressing the switch operating piece 20 in the unlocking direction. There, whether the operating member 26 is connected integrally with the switch operating piece 20 or attached to the switch knob 17, the operating member 26 unlocks the entire plate-shaped switch operating piece 20. It was designed to be elastically deformed by being pressed in one direction.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in an embodiment in which the entire switch operation piece 20 is pressed by the operation member 26, firstly, the pressing operation force becomes excessive, and moreover, a lock release failure is likely to occur. Secondly, deformation and rattling of the switch operation piece 20 can easily cause sliding failures and damage, which can easily lead to unstable on/off operation and lock failure of the switch.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical appliance with a switch mechanism having a simple structure, in which a switch knob 17 and a switch operation piece 20 arranged inside and outside a main body case 1 can slide smoothly without wobbling even after continuous use over a long period of time. It's about getting a razor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electric shaver equipped with a switch mechanism in which a switch knob 17 can be securely slid and locked at the switch-off position via a switch operating piece 20, and the sliding lock can be released with a small operating force.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electric shaver equipped with a switch mechanism in which the switch knob 17 and especially the switch operating piece 20 that performs a locking action are not easily deformed or damaged in whole or in part.

[Means for solving problems]

In the present invention, a switch knob 17 is attached to the outer surface of the main body case 1, and a switch operating piece 20 is attached to the inner surface of the main body case 1, and these two members 17 and 20 are connected together to switch between a switch-off position and an on-position. The premise is that it can be slid freely.

Moreover, in the present invention, the engaging portion 23 for the sliding lock is connected to the elastic arm 2 from a part of the switch operation piece 20.
An engagement stepped portion 25 is provided on the main body case 1 side, which is integrally extended via 3a, and on which the engagement portion 23 engages and disengages. An operating member 26 for pressing the engaging portion 23 in the unlocking direction is provided on the engaging portion 23, and the operating member 26 is exposed to the outside through an opening 27 provided in the switch knob 7. can be pressed inward of the case from the outside with a fingertip.

[Effect]

In such a case, when the switch knob 17 and the switch operating piece 20 are in the switch-off position (in the illustrated example, the lower position), the engaging part 23 is moved to the engaging step part 25.
abuttingly engages the switch knob 17 to lock the switch knob 17 from sliding to the switch on position (downward in the illustrated example).

When operating the switch, when you put your fingertip on the switch knob 17 and push the operating member 26 that faces a part of the knob 17 inward, the engaging part 23 moves the elastic arm 2.
The elasticity of the lock 3a pushes it in the unlocking direction and removes it from the engagement step, releasing the sliding lock.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention as described above, the engaging portion 23 is connected to the elastic arm 23 from a part of the switch operation piece 20.
a, and by elastically deforming only the elastic arm 23a, a locking position in which the engaging part 23 engages with the engaging stepped part 25 on the main body case 1 side and a locking position in which the engaging part 23 is disengaged from the stepped part 25 are achieved. It was designed to swing between the release position and the release position. Therefore, unlike a device that elastically deforms the entire switch operating piece 20, by lightly pressing the operating member 26 connected to the engaging portion 23 with a fingertip placed on the switch knob 17, the sliding lock can be released easily and reliably. This allows the switch knob 17 and the switch operating piece 20 to be slid from the switch off position to the on position with a single touch.

Furthermore, since only the elastic arm 23a is elastically deformed, the elastic deformation force does not reach the switch operation piece 20, and the switch operation piece 20 is particularly less likely to be deformed or damaged. Moreover, switch knob 17
When the switch operation piece 20 slides, only a light elastic restoring force of the elastic arm 23 is applied, so the switch knob 17 and the switch operation piece 20
Smooth sliding. Therefore, the stability of switch operation can be ensured over a long period of time.

Furthermore, when the switch knob 17 is returned from the switch on position to the off position, the engagement portion 23 abuts and engages with the engagement step portion 25 due to the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm 23a.
The reliability of the sliding lock can be ensured by a simple structure with a small number of parts without using spring members or the like.

〔Example〕

The drawing shows an embodiment of an electric shaver according to the present invention.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, 1 is a main body case. At the top of this main body case 1, there is an inner blade 2.
, an inner cutter drive mechanism 3 that reciprocates the inner cutter 2 in the left and right lateral directions with a constant small stroke, and a razor blade 4 having a clipper-shaped fixed blade 4a and a movable blade 4b, and an outer cutter 5. is detachably attached via an outer cutter holder 6, and the inner cutter 2 comes into sliding contact with the inner surface of the outer cutter 5.

In FIG. 3, the inner blade drive mechanism 3 has a balance weight 8 fixed to the motor output shaft 7, and an eccentric pin 9 implanted in the weight 8 is engaged with a vibrator 10, so that the vibrator 10 vibrates left and right. A holder 12 of an inner cutter 2 is connected to a shaft 11 extending from the vibrator 10, and the inner cutter 2 is elastically abutted against the inner surface of the outer cutter 5 and reciprocated in the left and right directions. A bifurcated protrusion 13 for driving a razor blade is protruded from the front surface of the vibrator 10. The function of this protrusion 13 will be described later.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the edge razor blade 4 faces the notch on the front surface of the outer cutter holder 6, and the upper end of the edge razor blade 4 is attached to the main body case 1 via left and right pins 14 so as to be swingable. It is pivotably supported, and can be switched between a posture in which it swings upward approximately 90 degrees around the pin 14 and protrudes forward, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 3, and a retracted posture, as shown in the solid line in the figure. It is. Only when the edge razor blade 4 is in the protruding position, the tongue piece 15 protruding from the upper part of the edge razor blade 4 faces inward of the case and engages with the aforementioned bifurcated protrusion 13, and the edge razor blade 4 The movable blade 4b is connected to the inner blade drive mechanism 3 and becomes ready to be driven.

Inside the main body case 1, a rechargeable battery 16, an electric motor (not shown) driven by the battery, and electric circuits for charging and driving the motor are incorporated. It is equipped with a sliding switch knob 17 that can be operated to switch between three stages.

When the switch knob 17 is in the lower position, it is in a switch-off state, and when the knob 17 is pushed up to the middle position, the built-in electric motor is energized and the inner blade drive mechanism 3 is operated, and the knob 17 is then moved to the upper position. When pushed up, the edge razor blade 4 projects forward while the inner cutter 2 remains driven, and at the same time as the protrusion, the edge razor blade 4 is driven by the engagement between the tongue piece 15 and the bifurcated protrusion 13.

1, 4, and 5 show the switch mechanism, in which a pair of left and right connecting pins 18 are provided protruding from the back surface of the switch knob 17, and each pin 18 is connected to a left and right connecting pin 18 that is bored into the front wall of the main body case 1. The protruding tips of the pins 18 are inserted into the connection holes 21 formed in the switch operation piece 20 installed in the main case, and are inserted into the case through the vertical holes 19 of the main body case. The switch operation piece 20 is integrated.

At the lower edge of this switch operation piece 20, positioning arms 22 that can be elastically deformed in the left and right directions are connected to the left and right. As a result, the switch operation piece 20 and the switch knob 17 integrated therewith are properly positioned and held in three positions: upper, middle, and lower.

A pair of elastic arms 23a, 23a are arranged in a cantilever manner from the left and right upper ends of the switch operation piece 20, and engaging portions 23, 23 are integrally formed at the upper ends of each elastic arm 23a, 23a. There is. On the other hand, on the inner surface of the main body case 1 side, there are surfaces 25 whose upper surfaces are downwardly inclined at the left and right opening edges of each of the vertical holes 19 mentioned above.
The engagement step portions 25 formed in the shape of the engagement portion 25a are provided in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction surface of the engagement portion 23, respectively. When the switch knob 17 and the switch operating piece 20 connected thereto are at the lowest switch-off position, each engaging portion 23 is connected to each engaging step portion 25.
The switch knob 17 is abuttingly engaged to lock the switch knob 17 from sliding upward to the switch on position.

The engaging portion 23 swings in and out of the case via an elastic arm 23a between a locked position in which it abuts and engages with the engaging stepped portion 25 and an unlocked position in which it disengages from the stepped portion 25. . It has an operating member 26 for pushing and moving the engaging portion 23 from the locked position to the unlocked position. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the operating member 26 in the illustrated example consists of a horizontally elongated plate-shaped operating section 26a and connecting sections 26b, 26b that protrude inward from the left and right inner surfaces of the operating section 26a, and includes a switch knob. The operation part 26a is fitted into the opening 27 provided in the opening 17 so as to be movable in the inward and outward directions while preventing the operation part 26a from facing outward. It is connected to each engaging portion 23 on the 20 side in an abutting state.

In this case, when the switch knob 17 is in the lower switch-off position, turn the switch knob 17 as described above.
7 is locked against upward sliding. In this state, the operating portion 26a of the operating member 26, which is fitted into the opening 27 of the switch knob 17, slightly protrudes to the outside of the front surface of the knob 17.

In use, when the switch knob 17 is pressed with a fingertip, the operating member 26 is pushed into the inner part of the case. As a result, the engaging portion 23 connected to the operating member 26 via its connecting portion 26b is pushed and moved toward the inner side of the case, that is, in the unlocking direction, through the elastic arm 23a, and is engaged with the engaging portion 23. The engagement with the step portion 25 is released, and the sliding lock of the switch knob 17 is released. Therefore, by lightly pressing the fingertip against the switch knob 17 and simultaneously pushing the knob 17 upward, the switch can be slid from the switch off position to the upper on position with a single touch.

When the switch knob 17 is slid from the upper switch ON position to the lower OFF position, the engagement part 23 is guided by the downward slope 25a of the engagement step 25, and after climbing over the step 25, the elastic arm 2
The elastic restoring force of 3a returns the engaging portion 23 to the locked state in which it engages with the step portion 25 again.

In addition, the mechanism for moving the razor blade 4 in and out will be explained as follows.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plate-shaped razor blade extension/retraction operation member 30 is disposed inside the main body case 1 so as to be movable up and down, and an arm extending upward from the extension/retraction operation member 30. 31 tip hook portion 31a
is engaged with the upper edge of the side end rib 32 of the razor blade 4. Further, inside the main body case 1, there is a balance arm 34 whose right and left intermediate portions are pivotally supported by a pin 33, and one end of the balance arm 34 is connected to the egress/retraction operation member 30 by a pin 35. In such a case, when the switch operation piece 20 is pushed up one step from the lower position to the middle position by operating the switch knob 17, the hook-shaped tip of the contact arm 36 connected from the operation piece 20 will touch the balance arm 34 and other parts. When the switch knob 17 is inserted into the notched recess 37 formed at the end and then pushed up in the second step from the middle position to the upper position, the balance arm 34 swings clockwise, and the lever is pulled out. When the retracting operation member 30 is pulled down, the razor blade 4 protrudes. Furthermore, when the operating piece 20 is pushed down from the upper position to the middle position, the hook-shaped tip of the contact arm 36 remains engaged with the notch recess 37, so the balance arm 34 returns to the counterclockwise direction. Then, the edge razor blade 4 retracts. When the operating piece 20 is further lowered from the middle position to the lower position, the contact arm 36 is automatically removed from the balance arm 34.

An engagement recess 38 is formed on the side edge of the egress/egress operation member 30, and an operation knob 40 having a protrusion 39 that engages and disengages with the recess 38 extends over the outer surface of the side wall of the main body case 1 in two positions, upper and lower. It is attached so that it can be slid freely. The upper end of the operating knob 40 is elastically deformable in the outward and outward directions, and the protrusion 39 is located on the inner surface of the upper end of the knob 40. And operation knob 4
0 is slid upward and the egress/retraction operation member 30 is in the pushed-up position, the protrusion 39 is disengaged from the engagement recess 38 and is placed in an opposing arrangement.

Now, when the switch knob 17 is slid to the upper position and the razor blade 4 is protruded and driven, the egress/egress operation member 30 is being pulled down, so the operation knob 40 in the upper position is moved to the egress/egress operation member 30. Not engaged. In this state, the shaving operation is in progress. However, if the switch knob 17 is left in the lower OFF position and the operating knob 40 is pushed inward, the protrusion 3
9 engages with the opposing engagement recess 38. If the operation knob 40 is pressed down in this state, the razor blade 4 can be directly operated to protrude in a non-driving state. In this state, the razor blade 4 will be cleaned. When the operation knob 40 is pressed down, the protrusion 39 is engaged with the engagement recess 38, and when the operation knob 40 is pushed up, the razor blade 4 is retracted and the protrusion 39 is disengaged from the engagement recess 38. Return to original state. Incidentally, if you slide the switch knob 17 to the upper position with the operation knob 40 pushed down and the edge razor blade 4 protruding, the edge razor blade 4
will be automatically driven.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the electric shaver according to the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional side view of the main part showing the switch mechanism, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the overall appearance, and Fig. 3 is a part thereof. 4 is a front view of the internal structure seen from the back side, FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the protruding operating state of the razor blade. 1... Body case, 2... Inner blade, 3... Inner blade drive mechanism, 5... Outer blade, 17... Switch knob, 2
0... Switch operating piece, 23... Engaging portion, 23a
. . . elastic arm, 25 . . . engagement step, 26 . . . operating member, 27 .

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A switch knob 17 on the outer surface of the main body case 1.
However, there is a switch operation piece 20 on the inner side of the main body case 1.
are mounted so that they can slide together, the sliding lock engaging portion 23 is integrally extended from the switch operation piece 20 via an elastic arm 23a, and the main body case 1 side The engaging step portion 25 with which the engaging portion 23 engages is formed in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction surface of the engaging portion 23; An electric shaver characterized in that an operating member 26 is provided so as to face the outside through an opening 27 provided in the switch knob 17.