CA2053662A1 - Shaving system - Google Patents

Abstract

SHAVING SYSTEM
A B S T R A C T
A composite handle structure for a shaving system of the wet shave type includes housing structure with an array of spaced apertures extending between inner and outer faces of the housing structure, and compressible resilient insert structure having a durometer value of about 50 Shore A. The insert structure has a body portion and an array of projection portions integral with the body portion. The outer face of the body portion is seated against the inner face of the housing structure and the projection portions extend through the apertures in the housing structure to provide an array of soft, tactile, spaced portions that project above the outer face of the housing structure, the composite handle providing comfortable, secure and user-friendly gripping structure for the razor user.

Description

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SX~VI~G S~$~
Th~ invention relates to wat ~having, and more particularly to handle structures for shaving ~ystems of the wet shave typ~.
S The handle portion o~ ~ wet shav~ type shaving system i~ frequently textured in ~o~e manner to provide a gripping surface for the user, such texturing being particularly desirable because of lipperine~3 imparted to th~ handlQ resulting fro~ contact of the handle with soap and ~ater during shaving.
In accordanc~ with the invention, there ~s provided a~co~po3itQ handle ~tructure ~or a shaving system o~ th~ wat shav~ typ~ that include~ ~ houslng structur~ with an array of spaced aperture~ extending between inner and outer ~ace3 o~ the housing ~tructure, and compressibla re~ilient ~nser~ ~tructure having a duro~eter valu~ o~ about 50 Shor~ A. The insert structure ha~ a body portion an~ an array of projection portions integral with the body portion. Th~ outer face o~ thQ body portlon i9 seated against th~ inner face o~
~ha housing structure and the pro~ection portions extend throug~ th~ aperture~ in thQ housing structure to provide an array of soft, tactile, ~paced portion~ that pro~ect abo~e the outer fac~ of the hou~ing structure, ~S the compo~ite handle providing comortable, secure and user-friendly gripping structur~ ~or ths razor user.
In pr~ferred embodi~ent0, the hou~ing CA$~: 7918 20~3~

structure is metal and of elongated cylindrical con-figuration, and the insert member is of elastomeric material.
In a particular e~bodiment, the housing is cylindrical and each projection portion i5 of elongated rib configuration and ha~ an angular length of at least go about th~ cylindrical housing. The ribs are disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis o~ the grip portion, are arranged ~n series at a density o~
about three rib~ p~ conti~et~r l~ngth of th~ grlp, and are spa~ed at least one millimeter apart. Each r~b in that embodiment has a width o~ at least about two m~llimeter~ ~nd ~ length o~ at lQast about ~ix millimaters and pro~ect~ at lea~t about 0.5 ~illimetar beyond the outer ~ace of t~e cylindrical housing, Other feature~ and advant-ges of th~ lnvention will b~ seen as th~ ~ollowlng de~eription oP a particular e~bodiment progreg~e~, in con~unction with the drawings, in wh~ch:
Fig. 1 i~ a perspectiv~ v~ew o~ a shaving ..
system in accordanc~ with ~he invention;
Fig. 2 i8 a side elevational view of the shaving system shown i~ Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 ~ ront elevational vlew o~ the ~ha~ing 8y8tem ~hown in Fig. 1 with parts broken away along th~ l$ne 3-3 of Fig. 2; and ~g. 4 i~ a sect~onal view taken along the line 4-4 o~ Fig. 2.
The shaving system shown in Fig~ 3 is o~
~he typ~ 8hown in Jacobson U.S. Patent 4,587,7~9 (~hQ
disclosuxe o~ which is expressly incorporated herein by reference) and includes cartridg~ 10 that carries two spaced ~lade member3 12, 14 and i~ connected to handle structure 16 by d~pending extension~ 1~, 20 that ~av~
~nwardly extending arcuate rail surface~. ShQll ~earing portions of the razor handle 16 are actuated by opposed membQrs 22, 24 to ~ngagQ t~e rail sur~acs~ o~ ~xten-2 ~ 2 sion~ 18, 20.
Handle 16 ha~ a cylindrioal body portion 26that is abou~ eight centimeters in length and has a diameter of about one centimeter and an extension portion 28 that ha~ a diameter of about 0.8 centimeter and a length of about two centimeters. Projecting from the outer face o~ body portion 26 on oppo~it~ ~ides thereof are a series of ribs 30 spaced about 1.7 ~illimeter~ apart. Each rib 30 ha~ a length Q~
about eight millimeter~, a width o~ about two millimeter~ and a height above the outer sur~ace 32 of about 0.7 millimeter.
A~ indicated in Fig~. 3 and 4, th~ qrip assembly 26 lnclude~ cylindrical Qlongatsd bras~ member 4~ that has a diameter o~ about three mill~mQter~;
insert 42 of PBS plastic that ha~ an inner d~menslon of about 3.2 millimeter$ and that form~ splin~ 44 and head portion 46 to wh~ch actuator portion~ 22, 2~ ar~
coupled: and grip portlon~ 48, 50 that ara seated against the inner sur~ace~ o~ shell ~ortions 54, 56.
Each grip portion 48, 50 1~ oP 50 Shore A duro~eter styrene butadiene rubber (~raton) and has ~ b~dy 52 of 120~ angular extent and a thlc~ne~ o~ about 1.5 ~illimeter with integral ri~ 30 that pro~ect ~bout 1.2 millimeter abovQ the outer ~urfac~ o~ body 52. Th~
outer ~urfaces of bodie~ 52 are seated against the inner sur~ace~ of shells 543 56, each of 0.5 ~illi~eter ~hicknes~ stainless steal wi~A rib~ 30 di3po~ed in shell aper~ure~ and pro~ect~ng about 0.7 millimater above outer sh~ urfaces 32.
In use, the user grasp~ tha handle portion 16 with tho soft rib pro~ection~ 30 contacting th~ ~ingers of the ussr to provide comfortable and s~abl~ ("usPr-friendly~) handl~ng o~ th~ razor. During shaving, th~
blade asse~bly 10 pivots a3 ~ whole on handl~ 16, following the contour~ of ~ kin sur~ace bslng ~haved.

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The handle portion may be a component of either a disposabl~ razor or a cartridge razor.

Claims (10)

1. A composite razor handle of the wet shave type comprising housing structure with an array of spaced apertures extending between inner and outer faces of said housing structure, and compressible resilient insert structure having a durometer value of about 50 Shore A and having a body portion and an array of projection portions integral with said body portion, the outer face of said body portion being seated against the inner face of said housing structure and said projection portions extending through said apertures in said housing structure to provide an array of soft resilient spaced portions that project above the outer face of said housing structure, the composite handle providing comfortable secure gripping structure for the razor user.

2. The razor handle of claim 1, wherein said housing structure is of metal and of elongated cylindrical configuration, and said insert structure is of elastomeric material.

3. The razor handle of claim 1, wherein each said projection portion is of elongated rib configuration and extends an angular length of at least 90°, each said rib having a width of at least about two millimeters and a length of at least about six millimeters and projecting at least about 0.5 millimeter beyond said outer face of said housing structure.

4. The razor handle of claim 3, wherein said housing structure is of metal and includes a grip portion of elongated cylindrical configuration of about one centimeter diameter and said ribs are disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of said grip portion and are arranged in a series of about three ribs per centimeter length of said grip portion.

5. The razor handle of claim 4, wherein said ribs are spaced at least one millimeter apart and less than the width of said ribs.

CASE: 7918

6. The razor handle of claim 1, wherein said housing structure includes a grip portion of elongated cylindrical configuration of about one centimeter diameter and said projection portions are distributed along the longitudinal length of said grip portion.

7. The razor handle of claim 6, wherein said projecting portions are spaced at least one millimeter apart and less than the width of said projection portions.

8. The razor handle of claim 7, wherein each said projection portion is of elongated rib configuration, each said rib having a width of at least about two millimeters and a length of at least about six millimeters and projecting at least about 0.5 millimeter beyond said outer face of said housing structure.

9. The razor handle of claim 8, wherein said housing structure is of metal, and said insert structure is of rubber.

10. The razor handle of claim 9, wherein said ribs are arranged in a series of about three ribs per centimeter.