DE8816524U1 - Shaver head, especially razor blade unit - Google Patents

Description

PATENT ATTORNEYS : .·· .""...··. .·*. .'TjiPL.-iNG. A L E X STENGER

Kaiser-Friedrich-Ring 70 \ \" _: \ \ ■/' _: - ; "■' -DIPL.-ING. WOLFRAM WATZKE

D-4000 DÜSSELDORF 11 "' '" " "* " ' OIPL.-ING. H E I N Z J. RING

EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS

Our sign: jq jjj Therefore: ^j ^ AugUSt 1989

Wilkinson Sword Limited Company, SchQtzenstrasse 110, 5650 Solingen 1

Shaver head. In particular razor blade unit

The invention relates to a razor head, in particular a razor blade unit, in which a single or double razor blade is permanently attached to a blade platform of the plastic housing in a one-story plastic housing, with a spacer being arranged between the two razor blades in the case of the double razor blade.

In disposable wet razors, a single or double razor blade is permanently embedded in the razor head in a plastic housing. If the razor head is designed separately and can be attached to a handle, whereby the handle and the razor head have corresponding locking devices for this purpose, this is referred to as a so-called razor blade unit.

A razor head in the form of a razor blade unit of the type mentioned above is known from GB-OS 2 067 287. The razor blade unit has a one-piece plastic housing in which either a single or a double razor blade is permanently attached and rests on a blade platform of the plastic housing. When using a double razor blade, a space is provided between the two razor blades.

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A spacer is arranged between the two razor blades, the two razor blades are only placed on the spacer and are not firmly connected to it. This has the disadvantage that the razor blades flutter during the shaving process and thus impair the shaving properties of the razor. To attach the razor blades, which are attached to the spacers on both sides, within the plastic housing, there are usually molded-on fingers that extend forwards, which also form a cover cap and, together with the front guide rail of the razor blade unit, define the shaving geometry. To attach the package of razor blades and the spacers, the package is pushed from the front between the blade platform and the upper fingers, with the latter pressing on the razor blades and the spacer from above and thus fixing them within the plastic housing. In addition, the side walls of the plastic housing have projections into which the side recesses of the spacer snap when pushed in. The single razor blade is secured inside the plastic housing in the same way as the double razor blade by clamping the razor blade between the upper fingers and the lower blade plate.

With this well-known razor blade unit, the fastening of the razor blade(s) within the plastic housing is complicated and time-consuming. On the one hand, when using double razor blades, they can easily slip onto the spacer. On the other hand, inserting the package consisting of the razor blades and the spacers arranged between them requires a lot of skill. In addition, there is a very high risk of damaging the cutting edges of the razor blades when inserting them.

From US-PS 3 852 883 a razor blade unit is known, in which the two razor blades of a double razor blade are riveted to a spacer arranged between them by the spacer having integrally formed rivet projections on its surface.

Starting from a razor head of the type initially described, the invention is based on the object of developing it in such a way that the fastening of the razor blade^) within the plastic housing is simplified.

As a technical solution, the invention proposes that the razor blade(s) is (are) permanently attached to a spacer, that the razor blade/spacer unit is inserted from above into the plastic housing onto the blade platform and that the plastic housing with the inserted razor blade/spacer unit is plastically deformed and the razor blade/spacer unit is fixed between the deformed area and the blade platform.

A razor head designed according to this technical teaching has the advantage that the razor blade(s) can be attached in an extremely simple manner within the plastic housing. Firstly, when using a double razor blade, the two razor blades are permanently attached on both sides to a spacer, which is preferably designed as a flat cuboid for this purpose. Similarly, when using a single razor blade, this is permanently attached to one side of the spacer. In this way, a so-called razor blade/spacer unit is formed, which can be handled very easily and without problems. In particular, the permanent attachment

ensures that the razor blades can no longer slip. In addition, the permanent attachment to the spacer prevents the razor blades from fluttering during the shaving process, so that the shaving properties are also improved overall. The resulting razor blade/spacer unit can then be inserted into the plastic housing from above in a very simple manner, without being hindered by any part of the plastic housing. The razor blade/spacer unit is then finally fixed in place by suitable plastic deformation of the plastic housing, which preferably takes place at both ends of the razor blade/spacer unit in the area of the side walls of the plastic housing.

In a preferred way of attaching the razor blade(s) to the spacer, they are welded or glued onto the spacer. Preferably, this welding or gluing is carried out over the entire contact surface between the razor blade(s) and the spacer. This creates an optimal large-area connection. When welded, the spacer is made of metal, while when glued, it can also be made of plastic.

In order to keep the effort for the plastic deformation of the plastic housing very low, the plastic housing is cold-formed in a further development.

A further development of the razor blade/spacer unit proposes that the spacer protrudes beyond the ends of the razor blade(s) and the razor blade/spacer unit is fixed in the area of these free ends of the spacer . This has the advantage that the fastening

The razor blade/spacer unit can be cleaned outside the effective range of the cutting edges of the razor blades, so that the shaving properties of the razor head are not impaired.

In a preferred embodiment, an upwardly open recess is provided in each of the two side walls of the plastic housing, into which the ends of the razor blade/spacer unit are inserted from above, and in the area of these recesses the side walls are bent inwards over the ends of the razor blade/spacer unit to secure them within the plastic housing. This represents a technically very simple way of securing the razor blade/spacer unit within the plastic housing, whereby securing the ends of the razor blade/spacer unit within the recesses ensures a high degree of positioning accuracy.

In this preferred embodiment, the recesses are preferably funnel-shaped. In addition, a rib extending in the direction of insertion and tapering the recesses in the direction of insertion can be formed on the rear side of the recesses. This has the advantage ( ^} that when the razor blade/spacer unit is inserted into the recesses, it is pushed forwards so that the razor blade/spacer unit rests completely against the front of the recesses, whereby the predetermined shaving geometry is optimally achieved without any deviations occurring during the manufacturing process of the razor head.

Furthermore, the invention proposes that a strip extending essentially vertically upwards is formed on the rear longitudinal side of the plastic housing.

This strip takes over the function of the cover caps for

the well-known razor heads and defines together with

the front guide bar and the razor blades determine the shaving geometry.

In an alternative embodiment for securing the razor blade/spacer unit within the plastic housing, it is finally proposed that a strip extending essentially vertically upwards is formed on the rear long side of the plastic housing, which is bent forwards either over the entire length or in parts to secure the razor blade/spacer unit within the plastic housing. With this type of fastening, an upwardly open recess is also preferably provided in each of the two side walls of the plastic housing, into which the ends of the razor blade/spacer unit can be inserted from above before the rear strip is bent forwards. In this way, the razor blade/spacer unit is very securely fixed in position within the plastic housing. The final fixing is then carried out by bending the rear strip forwards, whereby this can be done over the entire length of this strip.

Alternatively, it is also possible to bend this rear bar forwards in only some areas. In particular, if the rear bar is bent forwards over its entire length, it takes on the function of the cover caps on the well-known razor heads and, together with the front guide bar and the razor blades, defines the shaving geometry.

Further details and advantages are given in the following description of the associated drawings, in which

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a razor head according to the invention in the form of a razor blade unit is shown schematically. In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a razor blade unit;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding representation of the razor blade unit as in Fig. 1, but before the plastic deformation of the side walls of the plastic housing to fix the razor blade/spacer unit;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the razor blade unit in Fig. 2, but before insertion of the razor blade/spacer unit;

Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail from Fig. 3 in the area of the left side wall of the razor blade unit, but with the razor blade/spacer unit inserted;

Fig. 6 is a section along the line VI-VI in Fig. 5, but with the side wall bent inwards;

Fig. 7 is a section along the line VII-VII in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a section similar to that in Fig. 7, but with an alternative fastening method for securing the razor blade/spacer unit within the plastic housing.

A razor blade unit 1 consists of a plastic housing 2. This has a front guide bar 3, two side handles 4, a bar 6 extending vertically upwards on the rear long side 5 parallel to the guide bar 3, and a blade platform 7 inside. All of these parts are made in one piece with one another and thus form a plastic molded part. On the underside of the plastic housing 2, this also has a locking mechanism 8, by means of which a handle (not shown) can be attached to form the finished razor.

Two razor blades ^9,9 ' are permanently attached to a flat, elongated, cuboid-shaped spacer 10. For this purpose, the two razor blades 9,9' are permanently attached to a flat, elongated, cuboid-shaped spacer 10 in such a way that the spacer 10 is sandwiched between the two razor blades 9,9'. The razor blade 9,9' and the spacer 10 thus form a so-called razor blade/spacer unit 11. The razor blades 9,9' are welded onto the spacer 10, if the latter is made of metal, preferably in the area of the contact surface mentioned. Instead, the razor blades 9,9' can also be glued on, so that the spacer 10 can also be made of plastic. The spacer 10 is slightly longer than the two razor blades 9,9', so that the spacer 10 projects slightly beyond the ends of the razor blades 9,9' . These protruding, free ends of the spacer 10 serve to fix the razor blade/spacer unit U within the plastic housing 2.

In order to be able to attach the razor blade/spacer unit 11 inside the plastic housing 2, the latter is in

The side winches 4 are each provided with a recess 12 which tapers in the direction of insertion. In addition, a rib 13 extending in the direction of insertion is formed on the back of each recess 12.

To secure the razor blade/spacer unit 11 within the plastic housing 2, it is first inserted into the plastic housing 2 from above in such a way that the free, protruding ends of the spacer 10 come to rest within the two recesses 12 in the side walls 4. In doing so, the ribs 13 within the recesses 12 press the spacer 10 forwards so that it comes to rest on the front side 14 of the recess 12, as can be seen in Fig. 5. In this way, the razor geometry is achieved in a reproducible manner, which is defined by the guide bar 3 and the cutting edges of the razor blades 9, 9 and finally by the upper edge of the bar 6.

j After inserting the razor blade/spacer unit 11 ! into the plastic housing 2, whereby in this position the razor blade/spacer unit 11 rests on the blade platform I 7, the final fixing is carried out by

the side walls 4 of the plastic housing 2 in the area of the ^recesses 12 are plastically deformed inwards by means of cold forming

be bent over so that the deformed area of the side wall 4 comes to rest on the free end of the spacer 10. and the razor blade/spacer unit 11 is fixed between them. This can be seen in Fig. 6 .

Finally, in Fig. 8, an alternative embodiment of the fastening of the razor blade/spacer unit 11 within the plastic housing 2 is shown, in a sectional view similar to that in Fig. 8. This embodiment can also have recesses 12 in the area of the side walls

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4 of the plastic housing 2, in which the razor blade/spacer unit 11 is positioned after insertion.

In this embodiment, too, the rear longitudinal side

5 of the plastic housing 2, a strip 6 extending essentially vertically upwards is formed. Unlike the first type of fastening, where the side walls 4 in the area of the recesses 12 are unbent inwards over the ends of the razor blade/spacer unit 11, ^here the strip 6 which initially extends vertically upwards is bent forwards in such a way that it can lie on the razor blade/spacer unit 11, so that this is fixed within the plastic housing 2. The bending of the strip 6 can either take place over the entire length or only in partial areas, for example in two places. This forward bending of the strip 6 is sufficient to fix the razor blade/spacer unit 11 within the plastic housing 2. The lateral recesses 12 in the area of the side walls 4 serve only to bring the razor blade/spacer unit 11 into the predetermined shaving geometry.

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List of reference symbols

1 razor blade unit

2 plastic housing

3 Guide rail

4 Side wall

5 Long side

6 Bar

7 Blade platform

8 Locking mechanism

9 Razor Blade 9* Razor Blade

10 spacers

11 Razor blades/spacer unit

12 Recess

13 Rib

14 Front

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Claims (9)

Expectations 1. Shaver head, in particular razor blade unit (1),
in which a single or double razor blade (9,9·) is permanently attached to a blade platform (7) of the plastic housing (2) in a one-piece plastic housing (2), wherein in the case of the double razor blade (9,9*) a spacer (10) is arranged between the two razor blades (9,9*), characterized,
that the razor blade(s) (9,9') is (are) permanently attached to a spacer (10), that the razor blade/spacer unit (11) is inserted from above into the plastic housing (2) on the blade platform (7) and that the plastic housing (2) with the inserted razor blade/spacer unit (11) is plastically deformed and the razor blade/spacer unit (11) is fixed between the deformed area and the blade platform (7). 2. Shaver head according to claim 1, characterized in that the razor blade(s) (9, 9') is (are) welded or glued onto the spacer (10) preferably over the entire contact surface. 3. Shaver head according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the plastic housing (2) is cold-formed. 4. Shaver head according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the spacer (10) projects beyond the ends of the razor blade(s) (9,9*) and the razor blade/spacer unit (11) is fixed in the region of these free ends of the spacer (10). - 13 - 5. Shaver head according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in the two side walls (4) of the plastic housing (2) there is provided a recess (12) each open at the top, into which the ends of the razor blade/spacer unit (11) are inserted from above, and that in the area of these recesses (12) the side walls (4) are bent inwards over the ends of the razor blade/spacer unit (11) to secure them within the plastic housing (2). 6. Shaver head according to claim 5, characterized in that the recesses (12) are funnel-shaped. 7. Shaving appliance head according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that a rib (13) extending in the direction of insertion and tapering the recess (12) in the direction of insertion is formed on the rear side of the recesses (12). 8. Shaver head according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a strip (6) extending essentially vertically upwards is formed on the rear longitudinal side (5) of the plastic housing (2). 9. Shaver head according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a strip (6) extending essentially vertically upwards is formed on the rear longitudinal side (5) of the plastic housing (2), which is bent forwards either over the entire length or in partial areas in order to fix the razor blade/spacer unit (H) within the plastic housing (2). - 14 -