CA2188775A1 - Thermal skin treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal skin treatment device with a hand-held instrument fitted with a heating device to heat an externally accessible heating section and a cooling device for cooling an externally accessible cooling section. The invention also relates to a cooling unit separate from the hand-held device to accept the heating section.

Description

D~scriPtion Thermai Skin Tre~trnent Device The present invention concerns a therm~l skin tr~atmsn. apparat~j, Th~ like ~kin tre~tmer,t devices ~re ~-.sed for cos~etic and~or therapeuti~ t~eatment of hu~an ~in and qenerally include a oold side ~nd a warm ~ide. ~y a~tern~_ing cold and ~eat tre.at~ant o~ ehe skin, p~3s_bly repeated in the cour~e of vne t~ea~ent.
session, the desired th~rapeuti_~cos~,e~ic e~fe~t ma~- be achieved .

Tn ~der to obtain tha desired ~crking ~emperatureç
of the -~a~m s~d~ Iheat section) and of ~he cold ~i~e tco~d cec~ ), a heati~ and cooling means capabl~ ~i p~ducir.q the necesc~ary therma~ gr~dient ~tw~en cold side and warm side is provided.
Star~in~ out from ~uch an apparatus configurati~n, '~h~ in~ention is ~ased on the okiec~ of furni~hing a ~hermal sXin z~eatment devic~ ha~ i~pr~ed tem-pera;~re control prope~tie~.
This obiec~ is achie~-ed by ~he feature~ ~peci.~icd i:l clainl 1.

Advan~ageous devel~p~ents of the i~.vanti~n ~re des CL ib~d in th~ su~claim5.

~ hus in the skin trea~m~nt ~eYice a~cording to the Fres6n~ inven~ion, an additional cooling elem~n~ for acco~odating the nea~ section of th~ h~nd~hel~ device is pro~ided besides the hand-held de~ice. The user th~s has the pos~ibilit~ G~ placing tne warm ~ide of the - ~ -- -hand-held ~e-~ic~ on t~e coolin~ element, whereby the temperatu~e incr~a~e of the warm ~ide c~n be decel-e~at~d ~rin~ the heat up phase, or th~ wann side ma~
ev~n ~e c~oled during Qpera~ion if this is desire~.

The in~ention relates to the insigh~ that h~a~ing the neat 3ectior. tO its desired target iemeerature ~n take plAce mo~ rap.dly than cooling the cold ~ection t~ its ta~get temperature af_~r the ~kin ~rPat~nent 0 de~ice has ~oen ~witched on. Conse~uently there i~ a dang~r of th~ heat se~tion ~lready having h~a~ed to above the h~at section target temperatu~e of e.g. ~gDC
once th~ ~old 6ection has reacn~od its target tempera-ture 3f e.g. 4C to 5~C, as a ~esult ~f w~ h the opti-15 m~m therape~lticJcos.~et~ ef fect c~nn~t be dt~aine~ ~nymore or e~en unplea~antly int~nse hea~ sens~tiorls may be ~s~sed. If, however, in a prefer~ed d~velopment of the Ln~ention, ~ temperature control mean~ comprising a ~enlp~rature ~en~or i6 p~ovided for ~he heat se~tion, ~nd heat,ng rneans as well as cooling means are s-~ritched of f once ~h~ heat section reache~ its target tempera-ture, ~hen the cold 3ection cannot be cooled to the desired l~w teJnperature of e.g. ~C to 5C any mQre, The t~mperature ~if ference ~cis~ing betweon co~d 25 section and hea~ section wi~ 1 i n this case not ~onfor~
to ~h2 expected dif ferenc~, whe~e~y the su~c~ass of the cosmetiç or therap~utic ~rea_rilent may ~l~o be reduced.

The invention now makes it possible in a silnple 3 0 ~nanne~ to place ~ho heat aection of th4 hand-held de~ ice on the coc: ling element during ~he start~up ph~se af ~er the de~riçe w~S switched s~n, i . e . ~o place the wa~m side of the hand-held device on the cooling element d~ring the r.oat-up phase . ~s a resul t the 35 temper~t-lre in~rease of ~he heat ~ection is distinctly -decelerated as the hea~ en~rgy generated by th~ h~at ng ~eans now s ~r~re8 n~t only to hedt ~p the h~at section but also to w~rm the ph-ys ' c~lly con~acted cooling elemen~. Owing to tnis de~eler~teà heat-up, a corre-5 spond~rlgl~ longer tim~ inte~v~l is t~ken ~lntil the heatsecticn reache3 its targ2t temp3r~tuxe and until hea~-ing Ir.earls and coolin~ means ~re switched off. O~ing to ~chis prolonged heac-up inter~al, the c~ol~ n~3 interval for th~ c~ld section is proL~nged corre~p~ndingly, such 10 that the cold ~ection may cool to a corre~pondingly lower va~ue o~ pr~f~rabl~ around 2Eiprox. 4~C to $C~

The embo~imerlt a~cording to the present in~rention theref~re m:"ce~ it po~sLble to jointly and simultane~
i5 ollsly control the -heating and cooling means by means t~f a simple ~,ontrol to ther~by C7 early reduce the expen~e in terms of control technoiogy which ~ould ~the~ e be requ.Lred for separate controi of th~ cool1ng nleans.
~oreover ic is now als~ possi~le to place the h~at ~0 sectior os the ~and-hQld de~ice on ~he ~oling element~
n~t Orlly' durLng the initi;~l he~t-up ~nd conling ph~se aft:er the hand-held deY~ce has ~een s~itohed an, bu~
also in the course o~ ~ tre~t~nent to there~y draw thermal energy from the heat 3ec~ion. This is ~d~anta-25 geo~3 whene~er ~he ~peration suk~equently is t~ b~3con~inued at a sor~ewhat reduced hedt sectior~ tempera-ture, and ls se~si~l~ partic~l~ arly if the temp~rature o~ the c~l~ se~tion ~s to be further reduced again. As the heat ~ection is cooled down owing to the wlthdrawal ~0 ~f thermal energy, the heatlng and ~ooling meanc are in t~n a~n ~etivated c~ntinuou~iy, resulting in a c~e~
te~;perature drop of the oold ~c~ion.

The cooling ~l~merlt itsel~ .~nay b~ provided with a 35 ~cemperature control mean~ for generating a defined 2~ 8~775 cooling eLemcn' temperat~ure, but pre~er~b~ is merely design~d as 3 ~ilnple, 601i~ c~oling elemen~
lacking any controi co~pcnents tO thus have d ~ y simple design.
The cool-ng element pref~rably compris~s a depres-sion for receivin~ the ~xtern~lly aecessible heat secticn, whereby defined pOc itioning o~ the heat secti~n ~s ~aine~. Tne heat section b~ing ~cccm~
dated i~ t.he depression ~L~o~er has the re~ul~ th~t hsat dlssipation can take placa Y.ia not only the bott~m region bu~ ~lso ~h~ sid~ w~' 13 of th2 depre~sion, 9uch ~h~t ~he~l2l ene~gy c~n effi~iently and Lapi~ly ~ross ~v~r ir.to the cooling element.
Iha depr~ssio~ o~ the coo~ing elem~nt m~y adv~nta-gecu~ly co~pri~e ar. inclined bottom surface. A~ a ~es~lt, ~he hand-held d~vice haTing its heat sectior.
inserted into the d~pres~ion is s~bject to a gra~ita--io~al kinem~ic ccmponent which ~aus~s the ~c~t SeCtlon tO aut~ma~i-ally ~lide in~o a pre~et~r~ine~
~ar~et positio~ ena~'ing optim~m heat tr~nsfer. ~ereby the ~xtent of heat tran3ition from the heat se~tion tO
the cooling elemant is ~lways def~ned e~e~ for the case wh~re the hand-held de~ice iS initially ln~erted lnto the depre~si~n at slightly differen~ position~.

~ he ~e~ secti~r. or a wall por~i.en ~djacent t~ereto ad~an 2geously compri~es a ætep at lea~t cn one ~ide, 3~ wi~h the depres~ion co~prisi~q at its edge a con~act shculder, St~F and ccneact shoulder are shaped such th~t the heat s¢ctlon matingly con;acts the sh~lder after its i~.~ertion into the depre~sion. This r~ lts ir. the ferir,ation o~ a stop which creates a perman~n~cly defined position c the heat se~tion of the gr'pping -- r ~~ s . ~ ~ ~

~.an~le ln6ide the depr~sslon. Prefera~iy the shoul~er or gi~,a~s at the low~st point of thQ inciined bctto~
su~face of the depressio~, s~ch ~h~t the ~IOp may concurrentLy s~rv? t~ limit a pO55 ible sliding l.lOv~ er,t 5 of ~he heat section alc,ng the inclined ~o~tom surfa~es.
Moreover, an additionally defin~d he~ tr2nsfer surface i5 forrned ~iria the fo~ fit conta~t be~we~n h~at se~tion and depression in the ar~a of step inq contact ~hou~er to contrib~tc t~ ~fficient heat tr~ns~er from th2 he~
~0 section to th~ cooli~g ~1ement.

An ex~ernal ;~rface of the heat section ~ay furtherm3re ~d~3ntageou~1y extend ~t An inclinati.on relat~e to the c~nter plane of the hand-held device.
Ihis i~ p~rt.culaxly the one ext2~nal surf~ce facing the botto~ ~urface of the ~epre~si~n when the hand-he7d de~ice is placed on ~he cooling elenlent. Inasmuch as the botto~ surf~c~ of th~ depre~ion as well ~s t~e con~t slrface of the heat q~ct~orL th~s each h~e an inclined c~nfi~llrat~n! the hhnd-hel~ deYice i~ given an increased tendenc~ to slide towards tha t~rget po~ition, th~s ensu~ing ~hat the desired target ~osition can always be assumed in ~he cooling e1~ment.
Another r~sultin~ adYanta~e resides in the fa~ that .he gripping han~1e extending at ~n inclination relatiYe to thi~ con~act ~urfa~e O r the heat ~ection can be at a greater dista~ce f_om t~ support ~rface on which th~ cooli~ e~ement is placed to thereby elimlr:ate th~ d~ngex of the gr,pping handle contactin~
thi~ support sur~ace, which wou~d cause t~e h~at section to be a~ ieast p~tly lifted fro~ ~he kotto~
su~face of ~he depre s_~n.

A~ E1 A ~ar~icul~rly efficient heat transfer c~n be ach~eved when the r~spective shapes of depression ~nd out~r contour of the heat sectior~ are ~dapted to ~atch.

S A reces~ adapted to ~he gripping handle of the .and--held ~e~ic~ can advant~geou~ly be pro~ide~ in 1;he cooling e!em~nt, w~.erein the grippin~ hsndle comes to lie when the heat sec~ion is inserted in tl~e dep~e~-sion. This results n ~ffect~ve ~upport for ~ho grip-.0 ping handlG and thus for the ~n~ire hand-held de~ice.

The h~ating anà -ooling means are advanta~eou~ly ~or~ed ~y a sinqle element, nameLy a PeltiQ.r ~le~nerl.t having ltS heat-evolving side ~nd its ~.eat-absorbing 15 side connected tO the heat section and ~o th~ cooling ~ction, resp~ctively. Utilisatior. o a Peltier eiement makes it poss ible to o3:~tain arl ex~el~ent energy bal~nce in the sen~e that the heat drawr~ from 1:h~ cold ~ection m~y contribute to heating the he~t s~ction, allowin~

~or a co~arat~v~ly sm~ll energy requirement o~ h~ti~g - and ~ooling means. ~he Peltier elemen~ m~y fur~he~more be given A ~ompar~tively flat shape where~y ~e~y little ~ace is required for he~ting and cooling mean~, anq cold ~n~ warm side~ of ~he hand-held device may ~urthermore be located in directly o~posi~g relation, whleh i~ advant~geo~ for manipulating the appar~tus during treatment.

The Peltier ele~ent can fur~herm~re be controlled 3~ in a very si~ple ~anner as merel~ one po~er 5upply lina i~ required for this purpose.

~ n a preferred ~nn~r, a ternperature control me~n~
co~npris ing a temperatllre sen~or i3 provided to control 35 s~rito~ing ON~O~'F o~ ~he heating and oooling means.

- . - -AN~ F ?

~erein preferably a singie temp~ra~ure sensor ~etec~in~
the ~emperatur~ of the heat sectien is ~uffi~ient. The temper~ture control means ~witch~s on ~he heat~ng and~or cocling ~eans, pref~ra~Ly the Pel~ier element, until the de-qi~e~ t~et temperatur~ ~f the hea~
soction is attained whlcn pre~er~Ply l~es dis~ otiy lies a~ove skin temperatur~ an~ may partic~larly be approximately 39'C. As s~on as this target temperature has been reached, the Peltier e~ement is switched of g lO and ~nly switched ~n again when t~e tempexat~re of t~.e hea~ sectien h~s dropped to anather thre~ol~ ~alue, e.g. 38C. ~reb~ the te~per~tu~ o f th~ heat seetion may be Xep~ ccmpar~tively constant ~hiL~ eas~ 1Y
~ont~oilable. In th~ ca~ of a Pelti~.r elama~t, its 15 acti~atla~ at the sa~e ti~e acti~ates its cold sid~, therefore the c~ld secti~ is ~l~o cooled ~ycl ~aLly and may thus ~o kept sub~antialiy at it5 targat tempe~at~e wh.ich prefe~ably ~ay be s~tuated at approximately 5C~
The coolLng element may advantag~ously ha-~-e an ou~er c3ntour substantially ih the sha~e of a sphere seqment in orde~ to ha~e an e~thet~ca~}y ~pealinq dssig~ on the one h~n~ ~nd a ccmpara;ely larse m~ss for ?~ effecti~ely ~bs~ro_ng t~e heat e~olved b~ the heat section ~n the other hand.

~e cooling element may fur~her~ore co~prise an elon~ated pro~ection wh~ch in p~rticular proiects 30 outwa~dly fro~ ~he outer contour s~.~ped like ~ sphe$e segment a~d extends underneath th~ ~ripping ha.nd~e ~f the han~-~eld deviee when the latter is inserted into the ~apres~i.or.. The elongated projection ~hus Froviaes a visual indioation of th~ targ~t pO~itiOII for the gripping handle and ~t the same time pro~_ects ~he r . - , ~, r ,l 1 3~-g~ pin~ handls and tAus the hand-held device at l~a~t fro~ belGw ag~alnst inadvertent ~npac~ ~nd dis~l~calr.ent or the hand-held de~ice while it i~ p~ acec~ on ~ha e30~.in3 element.

~ he ~-oollng eleme!lt may ~dYantag~ou~ly c~nsi~t ~f zinc diecas t and thus po~sess good heat a~sorbing capacity togethar with high st~bility~ AdJar~tageously, tn~ ~oolin~ ele~ent may ~lrthennore consist o~ c~r4m~c 0 material which is equally charac~erised by a high hea~
a~so~bing capacity.

The coolin~ ele~nent m~y furthe~mare ~ prot~ide~
with an ele~tric conne~tion to ground s~.ch that the i5 cooli ns el;n~nt i~ rsliaoly ensured ~o be cllrrent-less at ~n~ ~.ime . The h~nd-he7 d device in a preferred em~odiment is furthermore designed as a low-volt~ge ~p2aratus to make ~u~e that only lJoltag~s aLto~ether harr;~les~ tO the touch may ~ccur in the hand-held "O de~ice. Tq neverthel ~ss enable ope~ation of the hand-neld devi~o with a C;~StOmR~y w~ll ou~le~, preferably powe~ transformer 6upplying elect3~ic power co the h5nd-~eld devi~e is provided.

~5 Further detRils nf the inv~ ion will be ~pp~ren~
froIn the ~ollc~wing des~ripti on o~ an e~;bodi~nent ma~cinq re'erencq ~o the acco~np~nying drawings, ~fherein:

Fig. 1 is a pl~n triew o~ an embodim~nt of ~
30 ~',cin tre~tm~nt ~eYi~e~ccording to the pre~ent inventiorL
compr~ ~ing hand-hold de~rice ~n~ cooling eleInent;

F~ g . 2 ~hows a pl~n ~Ji~W, 2~ section~ ew an~
lateral views of the cooling slement shows~ in ~ig. 1;

~N~t. tl3E1 2 1 8 8 77 5 ~ ig. 3 sh~s a plan vie~ nd a ' ateral vle-~Y cr the hand-held d~ice shc~r i~ Yig. i; an~

~ i~;. 4 sho~7s d~tails o~ th~ hanc~-held d~v c~
5 shown in P~ ~s . 1 an~ 3, Eiq. 1 shows a plar view of an ~mbo~iment 1~ the t~ennal ~kin treatment aFparatus. Th~ skin trea~lsnt dev ~ cecomprises a ~l~nd-held de ~ice :L and a -ooling lO elem~nt 2. In th~ re~.resentation of Fi~. L, ~he hand-held device 1 i~ sho~rn ~thile placed o:l t~a cooling el~?~nen~ 2, i . e . it is in ~he posi~lon ~ ~ occupies ~rina ~he i ni-1~1 he~t-~p and co~lir ~ e and pc)ssi-hly z~ lso cluring ~:r~tment ~reak~ wi~hin t~.e tre~ en~
15 cyc le .

~ n Fig. 2 the cooling elenlent 2 is re~re~ente~ in InOre det ail ~nd s~,own i n pian ~Jiew ~ ho~ he hand-hel d de~rice 1 as well as in A ~c ti~nal view along -che 2G lcn~itu~1inal center plane par~iy superimp~ed ~n the ~;a~ view. ~he coolir~g el~nt ~ has a synunetr- cal struc~l:re wi~h respect to the lon~i~udin~l c~r~t~r plan~
~nd ir.cludes a main portion 3 wis-~ an out~r ~or.~our substanti~lly having the ~hape of a s~here ~eg~n~n~; ~nc~
25 an ~longa~ed portion ~elongated pro~ecti~) 4 pr~je~t-ing f rom the spherical ou~s~ contour, The port ion 3 havlng the shape ~f a sph~ 6eg~nen~ is encompassed by a ~ase 5 which al~ for3ns the el3n~ated pro~ection ~

Referring to ~ig, ~, a depressic~n ~ halring st~ight later~l ~urface3 7 whi~h extend in ~ Yertical upward direction and a bottom . u~face B is fo~med ~enr.rally ir~
the upp~r ji~e of th~ spil~re segmen~-sh3Fe~ porti~l; 3.
As Ls indicated a~c 9, ~he ~ottom surf~ce has an ar~-shaped cu~a~ ur~ whi~h is adapted tc the ou~er ccn~ou.r ~N~ i~l~l 2 1 ~ 8775 . 10 of t~e heat saction of han~-he'd ~e~rice 1, which shall be d~scribed in more det~il belGw, ~he section~l ~riew at the ~o~tom of F~g. 2 show~
5 that the boctom s~1rf,lce 8 extends do~nwards ac an ino~ i~a~ion such tha~ the lowest point of t~;e d~p~e~-siGn ~ ~a~s the coolinq elem~nt proje~tion 4. Th~
~ttoin surfae~ ~ a~ its lowes; point joirls in a c-lrv~
irLto a frcnt wa~l 10 ha~ring a ve~ical ~pward aligr~nent 10 which forms at it~ ed~e a -hc~llde~ for contact with the . he~t section of t~.e hand-h~ld de~ioe 1.

In coneinuatio~ of the depressisn 5, a recess ~, in the up~r si~e ~ tne ~ph~ segmen~-shape~ por~ior~ ~
15 of th~ cooling ele~ent 2 is provided on the side f~c~ng ~he projectio~ ~. The recess ll has a bottom surfac~ 12 in p~rallel with the botto~ sur~c2 o~ the ~ooling eiement Z t with this ~otto~ ~llrf ~eo 1~ 'na~ing a cunJa-tura corresp~nding to a circle section which is ~ ual-20 ised by the arc-~Aaped line 13 ~ n ~Ae -otated repre~er.-~ation of ~i~. 2~ T~.e ~ 9L~a555 ~ acQes as f~r as ~h~
out, ide of the sphere segnl~n~c-sn~ped poxtion 3 an~
continues Gll the inside in~o th-3 front surface lC while forming a step. The recess fonn3 a recepti~n fo~- the 2S gripping h~ndle of ~he hand-held dev~ ce l which i9 th~s ~tably held when placed on the cooling el~nen~ 2. The width Oc the recess 11 corresponds tO the ~idth of th~
de~re~ion 6 and i, approxim~tely 3g rmn in this e~nhodi-merlt. ~he botton~ 6urface 12 is ~t a greater distance 3~ fr~m the bottoln s~face of the base 5 than the bo~tom surf a~e 10 .

The dianle~e~ of the E;phf~re segment-~haped porti~n i is approxim~tely ~22 mm in this embodiment, whersas the 35 gredtost d~ ~meter o~ th~ base S ( at its ~ottom surf ace ) ',~ 11 3E1 21 ~7`75 is ~ppro,~imately iC.5 mm. ~he ~id-h ~f pLOiectiOn ~i ist app_cxi.~tely 50 nsn, ~rhQre~5 its h~ht and thus '~he height o b~se 5 can be approximately lB ~r.. ~he l~ngth of the prc: jec:tion 4 measured fr~n~ the cen~er of i:he 5 spher~ se~ment-shaped poxtion 3 is approximately 50 nun. These dimen~i~n~ maY, ho~e~er, diff~r d~p~nding on the ~peci~ic e~nbodl:n~r,t and ~ary by e . g . ~ 0~ .

In ~ central po3itio~. of pro ~ ection ~ of th~ cool -10 ing el emer.t 2 8 ~witch 1~ may b~ provided which, ;forex,3mple, is ~ctuated through the grippin~ har~d e ~ ~ ~he h~nd-held deYice 1 p~ ~ced ther~n ~nd tr~nsmits a s ignal lndicatlng ~h~ presence or ~bsence ~f the hand-held deYi~e 1 ~n the coolinc element 2 to a con~rol 15 ~' ~Cuit n3t shown ~.ere . The csntr~l me~ns can ~o~trol the sxcitation of the han~-held device 1 in accordanee wi~h thi~ si~ndl.. ~ E:assage 15 forJning an exit for ~
cab Le conneeted to ~he swi.~ch 14 and/or tc a ground ccr!r;oction of the cooling element ~ can furthe~snore 20 pro~ e~ the pro ,~cticn ~ 7 witn ~his cabl2 ~ssi~
- forming a connec~ on b~we6n ~h~ ço~ling elen~ent 2 and the control ~neans and/or a gr~und connection.

Tho later~ w on the right s ide in Fig . 2 shows 25 the cable out~ et opening 15 in moxe det3il .

Fi.gs. 3 and 4 rep~e~er.t ~he scructuI:e and th~
design of i:he hand-held deYice 1. ~!le hand-hald àe~rlc~
i h~ an elong~ted shape with a gripping handle 16 30 which, as is sho~n in the top representati~n of Fig. 3, sm~othly cor.tinues i~ a cocling ~ecticn 17 hav~n~ a rounde~ front edge. Fig. 4 show~ Ih~ gripping h~ndle 16 con6isting of tWO grip ~hell3 1~. 20 whlch s~ndwich a panel ~1 ~et~een each other. T~e pcnel 21 is ~imen-35 sioned such ~s to pr~ect beyond ~he grip shel ls 1~, ~Q

, . A~ 3E~1 2 1 8B77~

- U -an~ ~e~re not only for acco~anodating the electric contrvl co~nponen~C but also as a moun~ and stabili~ser fcr ihe ~oo~ing section 17 and r`.~e heat sect30n 13 positiorled opposi~ce the~ecf. Th~ later~l oute~ edge o~
5 the panel 21 coinci~es with the outer edge o~ th~ har.d-heid de~ice 1 .

Fig. 3 ;,hows 1:hat ~he coolin~ section 17 has a ~lat bc~ttGm c ide ~ reby Lt con~acts the panei 21, an~ a -1 0 convexely shaped ~pper suxfac~ -~hich ~s sxternally accessi~le and se~ves a~ the treatment surface. When viewe~l in the longitudinal dlrectiorl of the hand held de~rlce 1, the Lhicknecs of t~l cooling saction 17 is sl!bstantially uniform wlth thQ e7c~~ptlon o~ tha r~undPd 1~ ~nargin area.

The heat se,~tion 18, on the other han~ ha3 e subs~ar.tially -~edge-shap~d ~o~i~r~ in later~ iew, with ~he ~nd f~ein~ ;he grip shell 2~ haviny a ci~r~y 20 ~rea~er thickr.es5 than t~.e opposite end . ~he ir.cl~ na-tion of tlle ext~rnal s~rfaee o. the heat section 18, w!~en ~riewed in the ls)ngitu~.in~l directior., coin~ides with the ~nclLnation of the ~OttOlli ~ux:face 8 of the depression 6 of cooling element 2, such th~t ~he ~5 gr~ppins handie 16 is ~lbstantial~y paxaliel with the ~uppert surf ~ce of ~..he cooling el~ent 2 when the hez~t sQction L8 is inserted into the dep~es s~on 6 . The~
inclinatlor~ preferabLy i~ ~ps:xoximat~ly l~.

~he l~wer grip shell 20 has at the C~l~ end there~f ~ac_ng the heat ~oction 18 a shoulde~ 22 project~ng in a downward direction, the dimension and out~r contour of which are desi~necl su~h that t~;e outer cGnto~lr of the shoul~er 22 smoothly continue~ to the ~ront sur~ce 35 of the heat section 18 facing it. Furtherm~re t~e '7--I
21 887~S

projection 22 has the rounding o~ it~7 ~u~e~ edses designed such as ~o r.~ati~iy contac~ ~h~ o~rir~, s.houl-der l~ when the hand-hel~ de~ice l i5 in3~r~.ed in~o the depress~n 6 cf the ccoling element. As ~_h~ eute.r cont~ur of the heat ~7ection 1~ ~s al30 adapted to the inn~r con~ur ~L the dep~egsi~n ~, ~h~ heat ~ec~ion ~
and the pro~ection 22 a~ ~n ~ll sides ~a~ir,~ly received by the depre~sion 5 -~7hen th~ han~ hel~. ~evice 1 is placed on t~le ~c~ling elemene. 2, resulting in ~-ery efflcient heat transf 7r. Th~ curvat~r~ o the rece~s ~l moreo~er ls also adap~ed to the cur~ture of the grip shell 20 ~7~lch a~ tc stably re~7~ in ~he ræcess ll.

~he curvat~re of the ~utcr ~ontour cf ~rip shel~s i5 19, 2 Q, cooli~.g ~ccti on 17 an~ hea~ ~ec ~ion 1~ can be seen cl~arl ~ ln Fig . 3, ~rhe 1 ater~1 oci~e~ o_ the he~t se-tion 18 ad jacent the panel 2 i are ~lattene¢l, resul.~.-ing in ~, wedge-sh~lped configurat-on ~f the heat secti.on i8 with st~aight lateral sur~ces, flat contact ~urf~ce on the par.el 21, ~nd con~ex wedg~ face np~osir.g this ~ontac~ sur~ace.

~etween the cooiing section 17 and the ~eat sect~on 18 a heating and cooling mea~ in the form of a Pel~ie~
~5 el~men~ not 5ho~n here is provided, the co~l side of ~ich i~ connecte~ to ~he cold 6ection 17 and the heat-evol~ing side of ~h'ch is conne~ted to the ~ieat section 18. The P~l~ier element is held b~ the pan~l 21. On the panel 2i ~urthermore a te~.perature contr~l me~ns no L
shown l-ere and a temperature sen~oL the~alLy connected h the heat ~oction 1~ are provided. Ihe ~empera~re controL ~e~ns i5 d~signe~ such a~ to ~witch off ~h~
2elti~r ele~ent when the heat ~ection 13 attains ~he thr~shold te~perature of ~9C and ~ain switch on the ~5 P~ltier element when the tempe~atu~e has ~i~inish~d ~e ~~ ~ ' 1 3El 2 1 8~77~
_ A 4 38C. Th~ temperature of ~he hêat section 18 is thus kep~ c~nparati~rely constant d~lrir.~ the operati on Oc the l~and-held device 1. As the heat sec~ion 18, despite ~t~
rol~lme -~-hi-h is clearly lar~er thar t:ne one o- the ~c~ld 5 sec ~i on ~1, can n~Y~rtheless heat lip ml~ch ,Inore ~ap~ dly rhan the ~old section 17 ~ools do~n, t~ê cold sec~ion 17 pres~;m~ly might ~still be at Lt5 desired ~arget temperatuxe of 2pproximately ~ C with~ut the coolins el~;nen~s w}~.en t}Le Peltier ~lem~n'c is switched o~
bec~uRe ~he heat section terl~perature has risen to the thre;,hold temperature. Thi~ p~ablem is ~olved by the coollrg elHment 2 which di~ip~tes ~he heat of tne heat ~e~ r. l~ inser~ed in~o it and 1:hus cle~rly dece}e~-ates heatin~ .p ~f th~ h~a~ Osction l~ durin~ th~
15 inicial ~hase fol l~win~ swi~ching on o~ al~o du_ins ~reat.no~t 1: reaks within or.e t~eatmer.~ cycle .

At its r~ar end, the h~nd-held det. ice 1 ~ 3 e~uipped with a j?ow~x supply cable ~3 which is used to provide 0 .he n2~ssary ener~y to the Pelt~e~ element ar.d tO ttle control colnp~n~ntY. On the upper s~de cf th~ g~ip shell 19 ~ panel 2 4 ia ~urthermore provi~ed which sexves as a mour.t fo~ an O~/OFF switch ~5 and ~ ndicator la~ps 2 in~dicating the waiting mode, re2dy mod~, OL the s~;ppl~
~5 status of th~ Pe~tier element ~uring the ~aitin~ phase.
Fig. 4 furthe~ e shows that the in' ermedia~.~ p~rel 21 supports a circ~it ~oar~ 27 whi~h is connected to ~he ~OFF switch ar.d to the in~i~a~or la~ps ~h.

Claims (15)

Claims

1. Thermal skin treatment device comprising a hand-held device (1) which is provided with a heating means for heating an externally accessible heat section (18) and a cooling means for cooling an externally accessible cooling section (17), characterised by a cooling element (2) separate from said hand-held device (1) for receiving said heat section (18).

2. Skin treatment device according to claim 1, characterised in that said cooling element (2) comprises a depression (6) for receiving said heat section (18).

3. Skin treatment device according to claim 2, characterised in that said depression (5) comprises an inclined bottom surface (8).

4. Skin treatment device according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that said heat section (18) or a wall portion (22) connecting thereto comprises a step on at least one side, and said depression (6) comprises at its edge a contact shoulder (10) substantially having an upward alignment, and that said step and said contact shoulder matingly contact each other when said heat section (18) is inserted into said cooling element (2).

5. Skin treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an external surface of said heat section (18) extends at an incli-nation relative to the longitudinal center plane of said hand-held device (1).

6. Skin treatment device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that said depression (6) and the outer contour of said heat section (18) are adapted to match.

7. Skin treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that in said cooling element (2) a recess (11) adapted to a gripping handle (16) of said hand-held device (1) is provided, which is designed to receive said gripping handle (16) when said heat section (18) is inserted into said depression (6).

8. Skin treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said heating and cooling means are formed by a Peltier element having its heat-evolving side connected to said heat section (18) and its heat-absorbing side connected to said cooling section (17).

9. Skin treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by a temperature control means comprising at least a temperature sensor, said temperature control means serving to control switching on/off of said heating and/or cooling means while said skin treatment deviceis in the switched-on state.

10. Skin treatment device according to claim 9, characterised in that said temperature control means is designed such as to switch off said heating and cooling means at a first temperature threshold value of said heat section (18) preferably situated at approximately 39°C and to again switch on said heating and cooling means at a second temperature threshold value prefer-ably situated at approximately 38°C.

11. Skin treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said cooling elements (2) at least partly has an outer contour in the shape of a sphere segment.

12. Skin treatment device according to claim 11, characterised in that said cooling element (2) comprises an elongated projection (4) which is arranged such that it extends underneath said gripping handle (16) of said hand-held device (1) when said heat section (18) is inserted into said depression (6).

13. Skin treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said cooling element (2) consists of zinc diecast or ceramic material.

14. Skin treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said cooling element (2) is provided with an electric connection to ground.

15. Skin treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said hand-held device (1) is designed as a low-voltage apparatus, and that preferably a power transformer is provided for connection with said hand-held device.