Epilator

Abstract

An epilator includes a housing, a drive mechanism, and an epilation head mounted on the housing. The epilation head includes a barrel rotatable about a longitudinal rotation axis of the barrel and operatively connected to the drive mechanism for driven rotation of the barrel about its rotation axis. The barrel has an outer surface spaced transversely from the barrel rotation axis. The barrel has a convex longitudinal contour across at least a portion of the barrel outer surface. The barrel further has a plurality of sets of tweezer plates accessible from the outer surface of the barrel. Each set includes a first tweezer plate and a second tweezer plate. At least one of the first and second tweezer plates is moveable relative to the other one of the first and second tweezer plates for contact with each other in response to rotation of the barrel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An epilator comprising:
 a housing;   a drive mechanism; and   an epilation head mounted on the housing and comprising a barrel rotatable about a longitudinal rotation axis of the barrel, the barrel being operatively connected to the drive mechanism for driven rotation of the barrel about its rotation axis, the barrel having an outer surface spaced transversely from the barrel rotation axis, the barrel having a convex longitudinal contour across at least a portion of the barrel outer surface, the barrel further having a plurality of sets of tweezer plates accessible from the outer surface of the barrel, each set comprising a first tweezer plate and a second tweezer plate, at least one of the first and second tweezer plates being moveable relative to the other one of the first and second tweezer plates for contact with each other in response to rotation of the barrel.   
     
     
         2 . The epilator set forth in  claim 1  wherein the barrel has a convex longitudinal contour across the entire barrel outer surface. 
     
     
         3 . The epilator set forth in  claim 1  wherein the barrel comprises at least three discs including a center disc and at least one flanking disc on each side of the center disc along the barrel rotation axis, each disc having a diameter wherein the diameter of the center disc is greater than the diameter of each flanking disc, each disc carrying at least one of the first and second tweezer plates. 
     
     
         4 . The epilator set forth in  claim 3  wherein each disc has an outer edge in part defining the outer surface of the barrel, the outer edge of the center disc being generally parallel to the barrel rotation axis. 
     
     
         5 . The epilator set forth in  claim 4  wherein the outer edge of each flanking disc slopes downward away from the center disc. 
     
     
         6 . The epilator set forth in  claim 3  wherein the barrel comprises more than three discs, the barrel including at least two center discs having substantially the same diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The epilator set forth in  claim 1  wherein the barrel has longitudinally opposite ends, the epilation head further comprising a gear member longitudinally adjacent one of the longitudinal ends of the barrel in operative connection with the barrel, the gear member having an outer surface with a convex longitudinal contour generally in continuance of the contour of the barrel at said longitudinal end. 
     
     
         8 . The epilator set forth in  claim 1  wherein the epilation head comprises a pair of gear members, each gear member being longitudinally adjacent a respective longitudinal end of the barrel in operative connection with the barrel, each gear member having an outer surface with a convex longitudinal contour generally in continuance of the contour of the barrel at the respective longitudinal end of the barrel. 
     
     
         9 . The epilator set forth in  claim 1  wherein the housing has an outer surface and an opening in the outer surface through which the tweezer plates of the barrel are exposed, the outer surface of the housing having a longitudinal convex contour generally corresponding to the longitudinal convex contour of the barrel outer surface. 
     
     
         10 . The epilator set forth in  claim 9  wherein the housing is generally dome-shaped adjacent the opening therein. 
     
     
         11 . The epilator set forth in  claim 1  wherein the housing comprises at least a first housing portion and a second housing portion separable from the first housing portion, the epilation head comprising the barrel and the second housing portion such that the epilation head is separable from the first housing portion, the second housing portion having an outer surface and an opening in the outer surface through which the tweezer plates of the barrel are exposed, the outer surface of the second housing portion having a longitudinal convex contour generally corresponding to the longitudinal convex contour of the barrel outer surface. 
     
     
         12 . An epilator comprising:
 a housing;   a drive mechanism; and   an epilation head mounted on the housing and comprising a barrel rotatable about a longitudinal rotation axis of the barrel, the barrel being operatively connected to the drive mechanism for driven rotation of the barrel about its rotation axis, the barrel having longitudinally opposite ends, a longitudinal center, and a diameter, the diameter of the barrel at the longitudinal center being greater than the diameter of the barrel at least at one of the longitudinally opposite ends thereof, the barrel further having a plurality of sets of tweezer plates, each set of tweezer plates comprising a first tweezer plate and a second tweezer plate, at least one of the first and second tweezer plates being moveable relative to the other one of the first and second tweezer plates for contact with each other in response to rotation of the barrel.   
     
     
         13 . The epilator set forth in  claim 12  wherein the diameter of the barrel at the longitudinal center is greater than the diameter of the barrel at each of the longitudinally opposite ends thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The epilator set forth in  claim 13  wherein the diameter of the barrel generally gradually decreases from the longitudinal center toward the longitudinal ends of the barrel. 
     
     
         15 . The epilator set forth in  claim 12  wherein the barrel comprises at least three discs including a center disc and at least one flanking disc on each side of the center disc along the barrel rotation axis, each disc having a diameter wherein the diameter of the center disc is greater than the diameter of each flanking disc, each disc carrying at least one of the first and second tweezer plates. 
     
     
         16 . The epilator set forth in  claim 15  wherein the barrel comprises at least five discs including a plurality of center discs each having the same diameter and together defining the longitudinal center of the barrel, the flanking discs each having a diameter less than the diameter of the center discs. 
     
     
         17 . The epilator set forth in  claim 15  further comprising a gear member disposed longitudinally adjacent one of the flanking disc, the gear member having an end disc with the diameter, the diameters of the center disc and each flanking discs being greater than the diameter of the end discs. 
     
     
         18 . The epilator set forth in  claim 15  wherein the epilation head comprises a pair of gear members, each gear member being longitudinally adjacent a respective one of the flanking disc, each gear member having an end disc with a diameter, the diameters of the center disc and each flanking discs being greater than the diameters of the end discs. 
     
     
         19 . The epilator set forth in  claim 18  wherein each of the gear members includes a drive shaft extending outward from the end disc and an annular wall spaced from the drive shaft to define a channel. 
     
     
         20 . The epilator set forth in  claim 19  further comprising a plurality of pins disposed in each of the channels, each pin being operatively connected to at least one of the first and second tweezer plates.