Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Sebastian Alexander Kindermann

Christian Mikula

Marcel Sladecek

Michel Van Es

Jonne Steeman

Marjan Willeke Esther Cornelissen

Nienke Krop

The present invention relates to hair removal. In order to provide a hair-removal apparatus with improved user acceptance, a hair-removal apparatus () is provided that comprises 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, a skin proximity sensing component (), and a force adjusting component (). The skin proximity sensing component () is configured and arranged to detect a relative distance () between the movable hair-removal component () and a portion of the skin () with hairs to be removed. The force adjusting component () 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 (). 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. 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.

Hair removal apparatus

The present invention relates to hair removal, and in particular to a handheld hair removal apparatus. In order to reduce pain during hair removal, the handheld hair removal apparatus comprises a hair removal arrangement, a support structure and a skin stretching device attached to the support structure and comprising at least two leading surface portions for skin contacting and stretching. The apparatus has a main movement direction in which the apparatus is to be moved relative to skin during use. The hair removal arrangement comprises a skin contact portion for contacting a user's skin during operation, wherein the skin contact portion extends at least along a primary axis extending perpendicularly to the main movement direction During operation, the skin stretching device provides a stretched skin portion between the at least two leading surface portions.

A hand-held skin treatment device comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation, an energy supply electrically coupled to the source and a controller arranged to control the energy supplied to the source of electromagnetic radiation. The source, the energy supply and the controller are enclosed in a watertight housing allowing use of the hand-held skin treatment device in a wet environment. To provide sufficient cooling of the source, the device comprises an internal heat exchanger in heat conducting relation with the source, an external heat exchanger outside of the watertight housing, and a heat path from the internal heat exchanger to the external heat exchanger that passes hermetically through a wall of the watertight housing. With this device, users can conveniently integrate their skin treatment activities with the daily washing routine in a shower or bath. The device is especially useful in the context of hair removal.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Sebastian Alexander Kindermann