AU488397B2 - Adjustable safety razor - Google Patents

Description

8f 80.788 Cross-Reference to Related Application

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending

U. S. PateA4P- aetonNo. 466,600, filed May 3, 1974, 1

Background of the Invention

The present invention relates to safety razors of the

type in which a guard structure is manually adjustable to vary

the shaving parameters of the razor. The invention is particu-

larly suitable for safety razors of the type having at least one

blade permanently bonded in a replaceable plastic cartridge, or

of the disposable type formed at least in-part of plastic.

Safety razors having means for adjusting guard structure

with respect to blade cutting edge(s) are well known in the art.

For exarple, U. S. 41a-eANo. 3,375,578 discloses an adjustable Al i band razor cartridge, U. S. -PatentNo. 3,358,368 provides an C/ T. PO t adjustable double edge razor and U. P JNo. 3,203,093 shows

an adjustable single edge razor. Movement of the guard structure

acts to vary shaving parameters such as shave or tangent angle,

exposure and span. Shave angle is measured between the median

plane of a blade and a plane extending from the cutting edge of

the blade tangent to the skin-engaging surfaces in front of the

blade. Exposure is the distance.from the cutting edge to a plane

tangent to skin-engaging surfaces disposed in front of and behind

the cutting edge. Span is the distance between the cutting edge

and the skin-engaging surface in front of the cutting edge.

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Summary of the Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a

relatively uncomplex means for adjusting a guard structure with

respect to blade cutting edge(s), such that manufacturing and

assembly costs are minimized.

In accordance with the present invention there is

provided an adjustable safety razor comprising means for hinginqy

a guard structure to a blade seat member, and a manually operable

slide. Means slidably interconnect the slide member and the

blade seat member for guiding the slide member in a direction parallel to an axis defined by the hinging means. Means slidably

interconnect the slide member and the guard structure in an

angular direction with respect to the axis of the hinging means

for moving the guard structure about the hinging means upon

manual operation of the slide member. Alternatively, the guiding

means can interconnect the slide member and the guard structure,

and the moving means can interconnect the slide member and the

blade seat member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

T-gre1 is an exploded perspective view of a twin blade

cartridge embodiment of the present invention;

-41io.eJ2 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge'

taken along line 2-2 of rgr 3

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Fig1re3 is a view of the rear side of a guard structure

and a slide taken along line 3-3 of F-1igue) 2;

FiueJ4 is a front elevational view of another

embodiment of the present invention with the guard bar cut-away;

and

F/G. is a perspective view of the rear side of a

slide used in the embodiment of ri '4.

Description of Specific Embodiments

The specific embodiment shown in the Figures is a

replaceable twin blade cartridge 10 of the type disclosed in Us. Rit U. S. PatentsNos. 3,783,510 and 3,785,051, and in pending U. S.

patent application Ser. No. 433,030, filed Jan. 14, 1974,

by F. A7 Ferraro for Razor Blade Cartridge and assigned to the V. S. AA. assignee of the present application. U. S. -Pat nts Nos.

3,783,510 and 3,785,015, and Patznt Applicition(No. 433,030,

filed Jan 14, 1974 are incorporated herein by reference.

F/6-. With reference to i-gures1l to 3, the cartridge

includes a plastic cap member 12 and a plastic blade seat member

14. A pair of single cutting edge blades 16, 18 vertically

separated by a spacer member 20 are permanently bonded between

the cap member 12 and the blade seat member 14. As shown in

riguej2, the cutting edges 22, 24 are tandemly arranged with

respect to a guard structure 26.

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The cap member 12 has two pairs of downwardly extending

posts 28, 29; 30, 31. The posts 28-31 extend through a pair of

slots 32 in the top blade 16, respective holes 34 in the spacer

member 20, a pair of slots 36 in the bottom blade 18, and

respective holes 38 in the blade seat member 14, The lower ends

of the posts 28-31 are deformed (not shown) to prevent removal of

the posts through the blade seat holes 38 and thereby bond the

components of the cartridge 10 together, Thae posts 28-31. the

slots 32; 36 and the holes' 34; 38 can be dirmensioned and/c-

shaped to provide an interference fit and the cartridge components

can be assembled as taught by Patent plitono.433,030 filed

Jan. .14, 1974.

As shown in F47e 2, the cartridge 10 has a T-shaped

channel 45 formed on a lower side of the blade seat member 14

for sliding engagement with transverse supporting surfaces on a

holder (not shown). A suitable holder for the cartridge 10, is

shown in U. S..Pa~t4~tNo. 3,-783,510. U. S. Patents Nos.

3,783,510 and 3,785,051 disclose systems suitable for dispensinfg

a plurality of the cartridges

The guard structure 26 is spaced a slight distance from

the forward outer blade seat corners 41, 43.and is hinged to a

forward wall 51 of the blade seat member 14 by spaced webs 40, 42.

The guard structure 26 and the webs 40, 42 are molded integrally

with the blade seat member 14, and the ribs 40, 42 have reduced

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cross-section portions 44, 46 at the forward blade seat wall 51.

The reduced cross-section portions 44, 46 define a transverse

hinging axis parallel to the guard structure 26, and the guard

structure 26 is movable about the hinging axis.

A plastic slide member 48 is positioned between the

guard structure 26 and the forward blade seat wall 51. Spaced

grooves, 53, 54 form a recess along the rear surface of the

slide member 48 for seating therein a transverse rail 52 formed

on the forward blade seat wall 51. As shown in Figure 2, the

recess 53, 54 is T-shaped for sliding engagement with the rail 52.

The recess 53, 54 and the rail 52 are parallel to the hinging

axis 44, 46 and to the guard structure 26.

A pair of spaced grooves 58, 60 form a recess on the

front of the slide member 48 for seating therein a linear rail 56

formed on the rear of the guard structure 26. As viewed in

Figure 2, the recess 58, 60 and the guard structure rail 56 define

a vertical plane which is parallel to a vertical plane defined by

the recess 53, 54 and the blade seat rail 52. However, as shown

in Figures 1 and 3, the recess 58, 60 and the guard structure rail

56 are angularly positioned with respect to the hinging axis 44,

46 and to the guard structure 26.

The slide member 48 has a finger-engageable portion 62.

With reference to Figure 3, the'recess 53, 54 and the rail 52

(shown in dashed lines) slidably interconnecting the slide member

48 and the blade seat member 14 guide the slide member 48 in a 7 48 83 97

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direction parallel to the hinging axis 44, 46 upon manually induced transverse movement of the slide member 48. Since the recess 58, 60 and the rail 56 slidably interconnecting the guard

structure 26 and the slide member 48 are at an angle with respect to the hinging axis 44, 46, such transverse manual operation of the slide member 48 acts to move the guard structure 26 about the hinging axis 44, 46 to adjust the guard structure 26 with respect the cutting edges 22, 24.

Specifically, operation of the slide member 40 to the left as viewed in +fi~ffe13 will pivot the guard structure 26 downwardly about the hinging axis 44, 46. Conversely, movement of the slide member 48 to the right as viewed in F4qur43 will cause the guard structure 26 to pivot -upwardly about the hinging axis 44, 46.

The rear surface of the slide 48 can have a notch 3A fP~ig.--31for snap-lock engagement with one of three protrusions 82, 83, 84 formed on the forward blade seat wall 51 to define three discrete positions of the guard structure 26 with respect to the cutting edges 22, 24.

The slide member 48 is-initially fitted upwardly

between the guard structure 26 and the blade seat member 14 to the extreme left as viewed in IG: The right hand portion of the slide forming the grooves 60, 53 passes upwardly through breaks 70 in the rails 52, 56. Thereafter, the slide 48 is

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53, 54 on the moved to the right to seat the recesses 58, 60;

rails 52, 56. As the slide is moved to the right an upwardly ramp 92 on extending portion 90 is forced over a wedge-shaped

the blade seat wall 51. When the slide portion 90 is to the

by the slide right of the ramp 92, further abutting engagement or limit movement of portion 90 with the ramp 92 will restrict

the slide 48 to the left. The blade seat wall 51 also has a (FIG-. 4) stop 94 P(ig for limiting movement of the slide 48 to the

right.

It is apparent that the rails can alternatively be recesses formed on the slide member, and that the grooves or member. can be formed in the guard structure and blade seat

Further, as shown in -i utte'4 and 5, the angled rail 52' and slide member recess 53', 54' can alternatively interconnect the rail 56' and and the blade seat member, with the parallel guide and the recess 58', 60' interconnecting the guard structure

slide member.

It is also apparent that the present invention is in suitable for use on disposable razors such as that disclosed

U. S. Pat, No. 3,703,765. The present invention also

such as contemplates adjustment of single and double edge razors Pa Is. t shown in U. S. Pa~ees Nos. 3,203,093 and 3,358,368, respectively

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Claims (1)

1. 80,78875 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE IiVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS.

   1. An adjustable safety razor comprising:

   a blade seat member,

   at least one blade positioned on said blade

   seat member, said at least one blade comprising at

   least one cutting edge,

   an elongated guard structure parallelly spaced

   forwardly of said at least one cutting edge,

   means for hinging said guard structure to said

   blade seat member, said hinging means defining an axis

   parallel to said guard structure,

   a manually operable slide member,

   means slidably interconnecting said slide

   member and said blade seat member for guiding said

   slide member in a direction parallel to said axis, and

   means slidably interconnecting said slide

   member and said guard structure in an angular direction

   with respect to said axis for moving said guard

   structure about said axis to adjust said guard structure

   with respect to said at least one cutting edge upon

   manual operation of said slide member.

   2. The razor of claim 1 wherein said guiding means

   comprises a rail parallel to said axis on one of said slide

   member and said blade seat member, and a recess parallel to

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   said axis in the other of said slide member and said blade seat

   member, said parallel rail being slidably seated in said

   parallel recess.

   2 3. The razor of z wherein said moving means

   comprises a rail angularly disposed with respect to said axis on

   one of said slide member and said guard structure, and a recess'

   angularly disposed with respect tc said axis in one of said slide

   member and said guard structure, Sai' anguilrly disposc rail

   being slidably seated in said angulariy 7ece

   4. The razor of elaim 3 wherein said parallel rail is

   on said blade seat member, and said parallel recess is in said

   slide member.

   The razor of claim 3 wherein said angularly

   disposed rail is on said guard structure, and said angularly

   disposed recess is in said slide member.

   6. The razor of claim 1 wherein said guard structure,

   said hinging means and said blade seat member are integrally

   formed of plastic material.

   7. The razor of claim .6 wherein said hinging means

   comprises a plurality of flexible webs.

   8. The razor of -ia-i 17 wherein said webs have a

   reduced cross-sectional portion.

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   9. The razor of -elaiifl wherein said blade seat member is a component part of a replaceable cartridge having said at least one blade bonded therein.

   The razor of -Gla4m~l wherein said slide member is movable to a plurality of discrete-positions.'

   11. An adjustable safety razor comprising-

   a blade seat member,

   at least one blade positioned oil said blade seat member, said at least one blade comprising at least one Cutting edge,

   an elongated guard structure parallelly spaced forwardly of said at least one cutting edge, means for hinging said guard structure to said -blade seat member, said hinging means defining an axis parallel to said guard structure,

   a manually operable slide member,

   means slidably interconnecting said slide

   member and said guard structure for guiding said slide member in a direction parallel to said axis, and means slidably interconnecting said slide

   member and said blade seat member in an angular direction with respect to said axis for moving said guard structure about said axis to adjust said guard *structure with respect to said at least one cutting edge upon manual operation of said slide member.

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   12. The razor of C-leimll wherein said blade seat

   member is a component part of a replaceable cartridge having

   said at least one blade bonded therein.

   DATED this 29th day of April, 1975

   WARNER-LAMBERT COMPANY

   COViE, "HmSON CARTER PATENT ATTORNEYS 343 LITTLE COLLINS STREET MELBOURNE 4 8 8,3 97

   80,788 8s

   /6 26 22 32

   IElsi

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   L7ER'* c4

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