EP0453717B1 - Shaving head, in particular the razor blade unit of a mechanical razor - Google Patents

Abstract

A razor head, and especially a razor blade unit, is disposed at the front end of a handle of a wet razor. The razor head comprises a plastic body having an upper side that defines a surface for engaging the skin of a user. The plastic body also has a front side and a back side. A single or double razor blade is disposed in the plastic body. A wire, portions of which, in the vicinity of the upper side of the plastic body, extend over cutting edges of the razor blades at a distance from one another and parallel to a direction of shaving. Guide elements are distributed over the length of the plastic body in the vicinity of both the front and back sides thereof, with the guide elements being provided for guiding the wire in a zigzagged manner back and forth over the upper side of the plastic body.

Description

The invention relates to a razor head arranged at the front end of a handle, in particular a razor blade unit, of a wet razor, in which a single or double razor blade is arranged in a plastic body having a front guide strip and a rear cover cap, the area of the upper side defining the pressure surface on the skin of the razor head over the cutting edge (s) of the razor blade (s) parallel to the shaving direction and at a distance from each other sections of a wire, the plastic body both in the area of the front defined by the front guide bar and in the area of the rear cap. defined back over the length has guide elements for the wire.

Wet shavers are known in various embodiments. A razor head, which carries the single or double razor blade, is arranged at the front end of a handle. The front shaver head can be formed in one piece with the handle in the form of a molded plastic part. If the razor head is formed separately from the handle and can be exchangeably attached to it by means of a corresponding mechanism, one speaks of a so-called razor blade unit in which a single or double razor blade is embedded in a plastic housing so that it cannot be detached.

A razor head in the form of such a razor blade unit of the type specified at the outset is known from DE-U-87 11 506. The plastic body with the double razor blade embedded in it is wrapped with a wire with several turns lying next to one another, the individual turns in the area of the pressure surface of the razor blade unit against the skin running parallel to and at a distance from one another, while they run obliquely in the area of the underside of the plastic body . This protective wire wrap significantly improves the shaving properties. The wire prevents the formation of a skin fold, so that skin injuries are avoided even in the invisible area. In addition, the wire reduces the shaving resistance required because it reduces the frictional force. Finally, the protective wire prevents the user from accidentally cutting the razor blades if the razor blade assembly is handled improperly.

However, the wire also runs through the helical wrapping of the plastic body in the area of the underside of the razor blade unit, namely where the razor blade unit has to be attached to the handle. However, the wire wrapping and the fastening mechanism interfere with each other. Furthermore, with the wire wrapping of the known razor blade unit, there is a risk that the wire will shift laterally.

DE-A-19 09 989 discloses a wet shaver in which a razor blade is arranged in a razor head arranged at the front end of a handle. In a first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 5), this is provided with a helical wire wrap and is thus inserted into the shaver head. In a second embodiment (FIGS. 6 and 7) the wire is loop-shaped over the cutting edge guided by the razor blade, the wire initially being guided from the top over the cutting edge to the bottom. In the area of the rear edge of the razor blade, the wire is then led forward again over the cutting edge to the top of the razor blade, from where the course is then repeated over the entire width of the razor blade. The wire loops are fixed by means of a U-shaped clamping part, which is attached to the rear edge of the razor blade and covers the wire loops.

Starting from a razor head of the type specified in the introduction, the object of the invention is to create a razor head, in particular a razor blade unit, with an improved wire winding.

As a technical solution , the invention proposes that the wire be guided back and forth in a zigzag shape between the front and the back by means of the guide elements over the top of the shaver head.

A razor head designed according to this technical teaching and in particular a razor blade unit designed according to this technical teaching has the advantage that the underside of the plastic body remains free and the handle can thus be attached to the underside of the razor head without problems. With the razor blade units in particular, all possible fastening systems can thus be implemented. In addition, lateral movement of this wire is prevented in the course of the protective wire according to the invention. Under the "zigzag guidance" of the Wire should be understood to mean that the wire sections in the effective area run parallel to the shaving direction and in particular at the same distance from one another. Outside the effective range of the wire sections in the area of the front and the back of the plastic body, the wire is returned by 180 ° in order to create the back and forth.

In a preferred embodiment of the guide elements, these are designed as projections of the plastic body, around which the wire is guided. These projections of the plastic body are to be formed in one piece with it, so that there are no manufacturing problems. The wire is guided around the projections on the outside.

The projections can be of any design. For example, it is conceivable to provide, as a return for a wire section, for example two pins which are arranged at a distance from one another and whose distance essentially corresponds to the distance between the wire sections which are parallel to one another. In a preferred embodiment, however, the projections have a width which essentially corresponds to the intermediate distances between the projections. The projections are thus designed as ramps or strips extending parallel to the cutting edge of the razor blade, the “width of the projections” being understood to mean the length of the projections parallel to the cutting edge of the razor blade. In this configuration, the projections are offset with respect to one another with respect to the front and the back of the plastic body, i.e. the protrusions on the front fill in the gaps of the protrusions on the back and vice versa. This ensures that the wire sections run parallel in the effective area.

A further development suggests that the plastic body preferably has a fastening projection for fastening the two wire ends at the end in the region of the rear side. This represents a technically very simple way of attaching the wire ends to the plastic body.

In a preferred development of the razor head, the razor blade is inserted essentially from the top onto a platform of the plastic body and is held by the wire. Thus, the wire is used at the same time for fastening the razor blade on the platform, so that there is no need for any other fastening, for example in the form of riveting.

If a double razor blade is provided, it is proposed in a further development that the two razor blades are attached to this on both sides of a spacer arranged therebetween, the razor blade / spacer / razor blade unit thus formed essentially from the top onto a platform of the plastic body therein is inserted and is held by the wire. The advantages mentioned in the case of the single razor blade apply accordingly, in particular that riveting is eliminated by this fastening.

If the razor head has a front guide strip, which is preferably provided with a step-like longitudinal profile, and a rear cover cap, it is proposed in a further development of the invention that the wire is guided underneath these parts in the region of the guide strip and the cover cap and is covered by them. The wire thus runs between the guide bar or the cover cap and the actual plastic body with the blade platform. This ensures that the function of the front guide bar, in particular with its step-like longitudinal profile, is not reduced by the friction-reducing wire sections, since the front guide bar is particularly required for pretensioning the skin. The same applies to the function of the cover cap, that is not affected by a wire running over it.

In a preferred development of this idea, the guide strip and the cover cap are connected to one another via side strips, in particular via side walls, while leaving a central opening in the area of the cutting edge (s) of the razor blade (s), and the upper part of the plastic body thus formed is on the base part of the plastic body with the razor blade (s) attached to a platform of the base part by means of the wire and firmly connected to it. This one-piece upper part formed from the front guide strip, the rear cover cap and the side strips thus creates a simple assembly of the razor head and in particular the razor blade unit. After fastening the single or in particular double razor blade on the platform of the base part by means of the wire, only the upper part has to be plugged onto the base part essentially from above and firmly connected to it. This can be done, for example, by latching or in some other way.

So that the wire does not interfere and to give it additional guidance, in a further development the inner sides of the guide bar and the cover cap facing the wire have receiving grooves for the wire.

In a further development of the upper part, this has recesses which engage with the projections of the base part of the plastic body. This creates an optimal mutual association of the upper part with the base part of the plastic body.

In a further development of the cover cap, it is provided with a friction-reducing sliding strip. Preferably there is this sliding strip is convexly curved with respect to the plastic body, the line of curvature extending parallel to the cutting edge of the razor blade, and in a preferred embodiment has a front, substantially flat or slightly convexly curved sliding strip leg and an angled rear, also essentially flat or with respect to the plastic body slightly convex curved sliding strip handle, which are connected by an arc. The sliding strip bent over the cover cap can be created and applied using a special hot molding process. The particular advantage is that the sliding strip is also more effective at the end of the razor head. Since the skin is stretched and pressed in during shaving, a bulge forms at the end of the shaver head. The glide strip shaped in the radius glides optimally in this area and thus increases the gentle shave.

Fig. 1

eine Draufsicht auf eine Rasierklingeneinheit;

Fig. 2

eine Vorderansicht der Rasierklingeneinheit;

Fig. 3

eine Rückansicht der Rasierklingeneinheit;

Fig. 4

eine Unteransicht der Rasierklingeneinheit;

Fig. 5

eine Seitenansicht der Rasierklingeneinheit in vergrößertem Maßstab;

Fig. 6

einen Schnitt entlang der Linie VI-VI in Fig. 1 durch die Rasierklingeneinheit in vergrößertem Maßstab;

Fig. 7

eine Draufsicht auf das Basisteil der Rasierklingeneinheit ohne das durch die vordere Führungsleiste, die hintere Abdeckkappe sowie die Seitenwände gebildete, aufgesetzte Oberteil;

Fig. 8

eine Vorderansicht des Basisteils;

Fig. 9

eine Rückansicht des Basisteils;

Fig. 10

eine Unteransicht des Basisteils;

Fig. 11

eine Seitenansicht des Basisteils in vergrößertem Maßstab.

An embodiment of a razor head according to the invention in the form of a razor blade unit of a wet shaver is shown below with reference to the drawings. In these shows:

Fig. 1

a plan view of a razor blade unit;

Fig. 2

a front view of the razor blade unit;

Fig. 3

a rear view of the razor blade unit;

Fig. 4

a bottom view of the razor blade unit;

Fig. 5

a side view of the razor blade unit on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 6

a section along the line VI-VI in Figure 1 by the razor blade unit on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 7

a plan view of the base part of the razor blade unit without the upper part formed by the front guide strip, the rear cover cap and the side walls;

Fig. 8

a front view of the base part;

Fig. 9

a rear view of the base part;

Fig. 10

a bottom view of the base part;

Fig. 11

a side view of the base part on an enlarged scale.

A razor head in the form of a so-called razor blade unit for a wet razor, which can be attached to the front end of a handle, not shown, consists of a plastic body 1, in which two razor blades 2 are arranged, the cutting edges 3 of which run parallel and offset one behind the other.

The plastic body 1 consists of a base part 4 with the razor blades 2 and an upper part 5 placed on this base part 4.

The base part 4 of the plastic body 1 initially has lead-through slots 6 on the inside. On the upper side, the base part 4 defines a platform 7 for the razor blades 2. For this purpose, a spacer 8 is sandwiched between the two razor blades 2, the two razor blades 2 being firmly connected to this spacer 8. These thus form a razor blade / spacer / razor blade unit 9. This is placed on the platform 7 of the base part 4 from above, the spacer 8 projecting laterally for this purpose and being accommodated in side recesses 10 of the base part 4.

The unit 9 is held by means of a zigzag wire 11 which is guided over the top 12 of the unit 9 and thus the base part 4 of the plastic body 1. To guide the wire 11, the base part 4 has on the front 13 in the lower area directed downward, molded projections 14, which are designed as elongated strips. The width of these projections 14 in the direction of the cutting edges 3 of the razor blades 2 essentially corresponds to the distance between the projections 14. In the front area, the projections 14 have a raised extension 15.

Correspondingly, the rear side 16 of the base part 4 has projections 14 ′ which are directed towards the rear. These projections 14 'fill in the gaps between the projections 14 of the front 13. Corresponding to the projections 14, the projections 14 'also have projections 15' which, however, are directed downwards. Finally, fastening projections 17 are integrally formed on the rear side 16 of the base part 4.

The wire 11 is first fastened with its one end to a fastening projection 17. It is then guided forwards over the unit 9 to the projection 14 and around it, in order to then run back through 180 ° over the unit 9, where the wire 11 is guided around the projection 14 ′ there. The wire 11 is guided one after the other around the projections 14 and 14 ′ in order to finally be attached at its other end to the fastening projection 17 on the other side of the base part 4. The sections of the wire 11 run parallel to one another in the region of the upper side 12 and at substantially constant intervals. The wire 11 on the one hand holds the unit 9 firmly on the platform 7 of the base part 4 and on the other hand prevents skin injuries.

The upper part 5 is a one-piece plastic component and initially has a front guide bar 18. This extends parallel to the cutting edges 3 of the razor blades 2 and has a step-like longitudinal profile 19. In the back A cover cap 20 is provided in the area. This has a sliding strip 21 on the upper side. This is convexly curved and initially has a first glide strip leg 22 and a second glide strip leg 22 ′, which is angled at an acute angle thereto, which are connected to one another by an arc 23. The angle between the sliding strip legs 22, 22 'can also be rectangular or obtuse. The two glide strip legs 22, 22 'are essentially flat or slightly convex. The production of such a sliding strip 21 is possible by means of a special hot molding process. The particular advantage of this sliding strip 21 is that it is also more effective at the end of the razor blade unit. Since the skin is stretched and pressed in during shaving, a bulge forms at the end of the razor blade unit. The sliding strip 21 shaped in the radius slides better in this area and thus increases the gentle shave.

The front guide bar 18 and the rear cover cap 20 are connected to one another by side walls 24. Between these parts there is an opening 25 in the area of the cutting edges 3 of the razor blades 2, as can be seen in particular from the top view according to FIG. 1.

Both the inside of the guide bar 18 and the inside of the cover cap 20 have receiving grooves 26 for the wire 11. Recesses 27 are provided below the guide bar 18, which engage in a corresponding manner with the projections 14 of the base part 4. On the rear side, the upper part 5 formed from the guide strip 18, the cover cap 20 and the side walls 24 has through openings 28 which correspond to corresponding through openings in the spacer 8.

In the fully assembled state, the upper part 5 is placed on the base part 4 with the unit 9 fastened by the wire 11 from above and secured, for example, by latching or in another way. Where the upper part 5 has receiving grooves 26 on the inside, the wire 11 runs therein.

The course of the wire 11 in the area of the top 12 has the advantage that the bottom 29 of the plastic body 1 remains free and corresponding fastening systems can thus be provided.

Reference list

1

Plastic body

2nd

razor blade

3rd

Cutting edge

4th

Base part

5

Top

6

Feed-through slot

7

platform

8th

Spacers

9

Razor blade / spacer / razor blade unit

10th

Recess

11

wire

12th

Top

13

front

14

head Start

14 '

head Start

15

approach

15 '

approach

16

back

17th

Fastening projection

18th

Guide bar

19th

Longitudinal profiling

20th

Cover cap

21

Sliding strips

22

Slide leg

22 '

Slide leg

23

arc

24th

Side wall

25th

opening

26

Recording groove

27

Recess

28

Lead-through opening

29

bottom

Claims (13)

1. A razor head, in particular a razor blade unit, arranged on the front end of a razor handle, of a wet razor,
   in which a single or twin razor blades 2 are arranged in a plastic body 1 having a front guardbar 18 as well as a rear cap 20,
   whereby a wire 11 runs in the region of the contact surface with the skin of the upper side 12 of the razor head over the cutting edges 3 of the razor blades 2 parallel to the shaving direction and with spaced portions between each other, whereby the plastic body 1 comprising guiding elements for the wire both in the region of the front side 13 forming the guardbar 18 as well as in the region of the rear side 16 defined by the cap 20,
   characterised in that,
   the wire 11 is guided between the upper side 12 and the front side 13 of the razor head back and forth in a zig zagged manner by means of the guiding elements.
2. A razor head according to claim 1, characterised in that the guiding elements are formed as projections 14, 14' of the plastic body 1, around which the wire is guided.
3. A razor head according to claim 2, characterised in that, the width of the projections 14, 14' corresponds to the distances between the projections 14, 14'.
4. A razor head according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the plastic body 1, comprises, preferably in the region of the rear side 16, a fixing projection at each end to fix the two ends of the wire.
5. A razor head according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that, the razor blade 2 is fitted on the platform 7 from the upper side 12 of the plastic body and is thereby held by the wire 11.
6. A razor head according to claim 5, whereby a twin razor blade is provided, characterised in that the two razor blades 2 are fixed to each side of a spacer 8 arranged between them, whereby the so formed razor blade/ spacer/ razor blade unit 9 is fitted on the platform 7 from the upper side 12 of the plastic body 1 and thereby held by the wire 11.
7. A razor head according to any one of claims 1 to 6, whereby it is preferably comprising a guardbar 18 having a stepped longitudinal profiling as well as a cover cap 20, characterised in that, the wire 11 in the vicinity of the guardbar and cover cap the wire is guided below these components and covered thereby.
8. A razor head according to claim 7, characterised in that the guardbar 18 and the cover cap 20 are interconnected by side strips in particular by side walls, while leaving a central opening 25 in the region of the cutting edge or edges 3 of the razor blade (s) 2; and that the thus formed upper part 5 of the plastic body 1 is placed upon the base member 4 of the plastic body 1 with its razor blade(s) 2 fitted to a platform 7 of the base member 4 by means of the wire 11, and by this means fixedly secured thereto.
9. A razor head according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the inner sides of the guardbar 18 and cover 20 that face the wire 11 are provided with receiving grooves 26 for the wire 11.
10. A razor head according to claim 2 or claim 8, characterised in that the upper part 5 is provided with recesses 27 that inter engage with the projections 14, 14' of the base member 4 of the plastic body 1.
11. A razor head according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterised in that the cover 20 is provided with a friction-reducing glide strip 21.
12. A razor head according to claim 11, characterised in that the glide strip 21 is preferably convexly curved with respect to the plastic body 1, whereby the line of curvature is parallel to the cutting edges 3 of the razor blades 2.
13. A razor head according to claim 12, characterised in that the glide strip 21 comprises a forward, essentially planar or with respect to the plastic body 1 slightly convexly curved leg 22 as well as a rear, similarly essentially planar or with respect to the plastic body 1 slightly convexly curved leg 22', with these two legs being interconnected via a rounded portion 23.

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