EP3398734B1

EP3398734B1 - 2-in-1 safety razor and blade unit for 2-in-1 safety razor

Info

Publication number: EP3398734B1
Application number: EP17168947.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yvonne NEUMANN; Michaela Kohut; Jens Treu
Original assignee: Beiersdorf AG
Current assignee: Beiersdorf AG
Priority date: 2017-05-02
Filing date: 2017-05-02
Publication date: 2019-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2037-05-02
Also published as: EP3398734A1

Description

Field

Embodiments described herein relate to blade units and safety razor systems including such blade units.

Background

Safety razors are typically composed of a blade unit (or cartridge) connected, either detachably or fixedly (permanently fixed or integrated), to an elongate handle extending essentially in the direction of shaving. Blade units are known which have a blade housing comprising one or more parallel blades perpendicular to the shaving direction and thus to the handle, each defining a cutting edge, with a guard positioned in front of and of the cutting edge(s) in a shaving direction and a cap positioned behind (rear of) the cutting edge(s) in the shaving direction. A shaving aid, such as a lubricating strip, is often incorporated in one or both of the guard and cap to improve shaving performance and lubricating treatment of the user's skin.
Larger blade units can be more convenient for shaving relatively flat, large skin surface areas such as legs, than smaller blade units, which on the other hand can be more convenient for shaving more contoured, smaller skin surface areas such as those in the bikini area, around the ankles, behind the knees and under the arms (armpits). It would be desirable to provide a blade unit for a safety razor which is suitable for a variety of body areas on which it may be used. For example WO 2006/007873 A1 discloses the preamble of claims 1 and 10.

Summary

Embodiments of the invention provide a blade unit for a safety razor system, comprising: a body having a wider end and a narrower end, with a wider blade housing at the wider end and a narrower blade housing at the narrower end, each blade housing having a guard, a cap, and a plurality of blades disposed between the guard and the cap to expose cutting edges for shaving, the guard and the cap together defining a shaving plane extending from a skin contacting surface of the guard to a skin contacting surface of the cap; a connector for rotatable connection of the body to an elongate handle of the safety razor system, the connector configured to allow a user to rotate the body from a first position for shaving using the blades of the wider blade housing to a second position for shaving using the blades of the narrower blade housing, wherein the connector is on the side of the body that includes the skin contacting surfaces.
With such a blade unit the user can switch between the wider end to shave flat, larger skin surface areas and the narrower end to shave more contoured, smaller skin surface areas, without the need to detach the blade unit from the handle. Furthermore, by providing the connector on the side of the body that includes the skin contacting surfaces, the user's skin can be (at least partially) shielded by the handle from the blades in the blade housing that is not being used for shaving, thereby protecting the user from accidental injury.
In one embodiment, the wider and narrower ends of the body bend away from the connector. For example, the shaving planes of the wider and narrower ends of the body are at acute angles, preferably between 30 and 70 degrees, more preferably between 50 and 60 degrees, to an axis of rotation of the body. Hence, in cross-section, the body can be arcuate from the wider end to the narrower end. This allows the safety razor to be held in an ergonomic position when the user draws the blade unit over the skin during shaving. Such an arcuate body can be continuously arcuate (not necessarily of a single curvature) or can include one or more straight portions. For example, the body can have a straight portion between arcuately extending wider and narrower ends. In any case, the wider and narrower ends can bend at the same or at different angles.
In one embodiment, the wider blade housing is between 1.5 and 2.0 times as wide as the narrower blade housing. The narrower blade unit can therefore be used for shaving smaller or more contoured skin surface areas than the wider blade unit.
In one embodiment, the body has a smooth perimeter - that is to say with no corners or at least rounded corners - in plan view, inclusive of the wider and narrower ends. For example, the perimeter can taper from the wider end to the narrower end. Hence, the body can be oval or ovoid in shape. This can ensure that the blade unit does not dig into the skin when shaving small, contoured areas such as the armpits.
One embodiment provides a safety razor system, comprising: the aforementioned blade unit; and an elongate handle having a distal end and a proximal end with a connecting portion to which the connector of the blade unit is rotatably connected.
In one embodiment, the handle is S-shaped. This can provide an ergonomic benefit to the user. Furthermore, in one embodiment the connecting portion is flexible to permit tilting of the blade unit. This allows the blade unit to better follow the contours of the skin.
One embodiment provides a method of manufacturing a blade unit for a safety razor system, comprising: providing a body having a wider end and a narrower end, with a wider blade housing at the wider end and a narrower blade housing at the narrower end, each blade housing having a guard, a cap, and a plurality of blades disposed between the guard and the cap to expose cutting edges for shaving, the guard and the cap together defining a shaving plane extending from a skin contacting surface of the guard to a skin contacting surface of the cap; providing a connector for rotatable connection of the body to an elongate handle of the safety razor system, the connector configured to allow a user to rotate the body from a first position for shaving using the blades in the wider blade housing to a second position for shaving using the blades in the narrower blade housing, wherein the connector is on the side of the body that includes the skin contacting surfaces.
In one embodiment, the wider and narrower ends are manufactured separately from a portion of the body that includes the connector, and then joined together. For example, the portion of the body that includes the connector can be made of a transparent material to reduce the visual bulk.
The above indicated aspects and embodiments may be combined with each other to achieve the advantageous effects as described above. Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Description of Figures

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view from underneath (skin contacting side) of a blade unit and one end of a handle when disconnected from each other;
Figure 2 is a view of a safety razor system from underneath, when a blade unit and a handle are connected to each other;
Figure 3 is a perspective view from above (opposite the skin contacting side) of the safety razor system shown in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a perspective view from underneath of the safety razor system shown in Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a side view of the safety razor system shown in Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a blade unit and one end of a handle from underneath (skin contacting side), when connected to each other in a first position for shaving using blades of a wider blade housing;
Figure 7 shows the blade unit and handle of Figure 6, from an above perspective and in use;
Figure 8 is another above perspective view of the blade unit and handle of Figure 6 in use;
Figure 9 shows a blade unit and handle being held by the user in the process of rotating the blade unit;
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a blade unit and one end of a handle from underneath (skin contacting side), when connected to each other in a second position for shaving using blades of a narrower blade housing;
Figure 11 shows the blade unit and handle of Figure 10, from an above perspective and in use; and
Figure 12 is another above perspective view of the blade unit and handle of Figure 10 in use.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

Reference will now be made to Figures 1 to 12, which are views of a blade unit 10 and safety razor system 100 including the blade unit 10, according to embodiments. In describing the embodiments, the term "underneath" will be used to describe features of the blade unit 10 that are positioned on the skin-contacting side (i.e., on a shaving-side) of the blade unit 10, and the term "above" will be used to describe features of the blade unit 10 that are positioned on a side opposite the skin-contacting side (i.e., on a user side) of the blade unit 10.
The blade unit 10 is shown in Figure 1 in perspective view from underneath. It includes a body 11 having a wider end 12 and a narrower end 22. The term "end" generally refers to a portion of the body 11 where a blade housing is located. The term "blade housing" generally refers to a structure in which a group of one or more blades is disposed. As shown, there is a wider blade housing 13 at the wider end 12 and a narrower blade housing 23 at the narrower end 22.
The wider blade housing 13 includes a plurality of parallel blades 16 disposed between a guard 14 and a cap 15. There are five blades in this case, but more or fewer blades may be provided. The wider blade housing 13 also includes two side portions joining the guard 14 to the cap 15, so that the wider blade housing 13 surrounds the blades 16. The blades 16 are attached to a blade carrier (not shown), which may rest on one or more spring blades supports (also not shown). The blade housing 13 can be formed integrally as part of the body 11 or may be manufactured as a separate component and then attached. The guard 14 contacts the skin in front of the blades 16 and an include a shaving aid such as a lubricating strip (also not shown) in the same plane as the blades 16. The cap 15 contacts the skin behind the blades 16 and can include a shaving aid such as a lubricating strip (not shown) approximately in the same plane as the blades 16. The guard 14 and the cap 15 together define a (first) shaving plane P1 extending from a skin contacting surface of the guard 14 to a skin contacting surface of the cap 15.
The narrower blade housing 23 similarly includes a plurality of parallel blades 26 disposed between a guard 24 and a cap 25 that together define a (second) shaving plane P2 extending from a skin contacting surface of the guard 24 to a skin contacting surface of the cap 25. Again, the guard 24 and the cap 25 can include shaving aids such as lubricating strips (not shown). The construction of the narrower blade housing 23 is similar to that of the wider blade housing 13 and will therefore not be described in further detail. The number of blades 26 in the narrower blade housing 23 may be different from the number of blades 16 in the wider blade housing 13.
The terms "wider" and "narrower" are used to indicate the relative widths of the blade housings and the relative widths of the ends of the body, and not in an absolute sense to indicate that the blade housings and the ends of the body have particular widths. Herein, the width is a dimension in a direction parallel to the cutting edges of the blades. In general, any suitable measure of width can be used. For example, the width of a blade housing can be from one side portion to the other side portion, which means that the blades of the wider blade housing generally have a greater amount of cutting edge exposed to the skin during shaving than the blades of the narrower blade housing. (This should not be confused with the position of the cutting edge relative to the shaving plane, which is sometimes referred to in the art as the "exposure" of the cutting edge.) The width of an end of the body can be, for example, from one edge to the other edge at a point in line with the blade housing.
The blade unit 10 also includes a connector 17, which is configured to detachably connect to a connecting portion 37 on a proximal end 31 of the handle. The connector 17 allows a user to rotate the body 11 from a first position for shaving using the blades 16 of the wider blade housing 13 to a second position for shaving using the blades 26 of the narrower blade housing 23. The rotation can be performed without detaching the blade unit 10 from the handle.
The connector 17 shown in Figure 1 includes a conical portion from which a stem protrudes. The stem can be inserted into the connecting portion 37 of the handle. The stem of the connector 17 and connecting portion 37 can therefore be considered as male and female elements of a connecting mechanism. This connecting mechanism can use friction between the stem of the connector 17 and the connecting portion 37 to prevent the blade unit 10 from rotating relative to the handle 30 during shaving, but the user can rotate the blade unit 10 by applying sufficient rotational force. However, it will be appreciated that any suitable connecting mechanism can be used that allows the blade unit 11 to be rotated from the first position to the second position (and vice versa), and to remain in that position during shaving. Thus, alternatively, the connecting mechanism can be based on mechanical, magnetic, or other principles. For example, the connector 17 can be provided with teeth and the connecting portion 37 can have a releasable pin or other element for engagement with the teeth. In yet another example, the connector 17 and connecting portion 37 can include magnets of opposite polarity arranged such that they attract in the first and second positions.
The proximal end 31 of the handle can include a flexible portion 33 that at least allows the blade unit 10 to tilt back and forth in the shaving direction to ensure that the blades stays close to contoured skin surfaces. The flexible portion 33 can also allow the blade unit 10 to move from side to side.
The wider and narrower ends 12, 22 can be manufactured separately and then attached to the portion of the body 11 on which the connector 17 is located, or they can be manufactured integrally as part of the body 11. Similarly, the connector 17 can be manufactured separately from the remaining body 11 or can be manufactured integrally as part of the body 11. At least part of the body 11 can be made of transparent material to reduce the 'visual bulk' of the blade unit 10.
The composition of the lubricating strips (not shown) can include a gliding agent. Materials which may be selected as the gliding agent are: PEG-400/1,4-Butanediol/SMDI Copolymer, PEG-115M, PEG 45M, and PEG-5M, or a combination thereof. The composition of the lubricating strips can include an antioxidant agent, for example Tocopherol. The composition of the lubricating strips can include an antiinflammatory agent, for example aloe barbadensis leaf juice. The composition of the lubricating strips can include a backbone structure. Materials which may be selected as the backbone structure are: styrenic block copolymers and polystyrene, or a combination thereof.
The body 11 is oval or ovoid shaped, as best seen in Figure 2. The body 11 has a somewhat flattened base at the wider end 12 to accommodate the wider blade housing 13, and a rounded apex at the narrower end 22. However, the body 11 can be a different shape such as wedge shaped or rectangular shaped with rounded ends. The body 11 has a smooth periphery (outer rim) that tapers from the wider end 12 to the narrower end 11, and there are no sharp corners that can dig into the skin. As seen in this figure, when the blade unit 11 is in the first shaving position, the longitudinal axis of the body 11, which extends from the base at the wider end 12 to the apex at the narrower end 22, aligns with the longitudinal axis of the handle. The same is true when the blade unit 11 is in the second shaving position (not shown). In this way, the blades of the blade housing which is not in use (the blades of the narrower blade housing 22 in this case) are hidden behind the handle. From this view of the safety razor system 100, the wash-through openings of the wider and narrower blade housings 12, 22, for rinsing shaving debris from the spaces between the blades, can be seen.
Figures 3 and 4 show the razor system in perspective from above and underneath, respectively. The side edges of the body 11 can be of uniform thickness throughout the length of the body 11, or they can become thinner towards the wider and narrower ends 12, 22.
As can be seen from Figure 5, in cross section the body 11 is arcuate from the wider end 12 to the narrower end 22. The body 11 can be continuously arcuate or it can have one or more flat surfaces such as the part of the body 11 on which the connector 17 is located. The ends 12, 22 bend away from the connector 17. As shown, the shaving planes P1, P2 corresponding to the wider and narrower housings 13, 23 are at angles of 35 degrees to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the body 11 or, put another way, at angles of 55 degrees to the axis of rotation. (The axis of rotation is illustrated by the line denoted by R and the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation by the dashed line.) The shaving planes P1, P2 could be at other angles, for example between 20 and 50 degrees, or between 30 and 40 degrees, to the axis of rotation of the body 11 (equivalent to between 70 and 40 degrees, or between 60 and 50 degrees, to the axis of rotation of the body 11.) Furthermore, the angles of the shaving planes P1, P2 can be the same or can be different. Preferably the proximal end 31 of the handle does not cross the shaving planes (P1 is shown in the figure), so that the handle does not rub against the skin when shaving.
Figure 6 shows the blade unit 10 in the first position for shaving with the wider blade housing 13, from underneath (i.e., from the skin contacting side), while Figures 7 and 8 show the shaving system in use in the first position, from above (i.e., opposite the skin contacting side). In Figure 7, the shaving direction is from the lower left-hand side of the figure to the upper right-hand side of the figure. From Figure 6, and Figure 8 in particular, it can be seen how the skin is shielded from the blades of the narrower blade housing 22 by the proximal end 31 of the handle. Figures 7 and 8 show two possible ways of holding the handle.
Figure 9 shows the moment in which the blade unit 11 is being rotated by the user from one position to the other. In this particular case, the blade unit is rotated over 180 degrees around the axis of rotation to get from one position to the other. As seen in the figure, the user can rotate the blade unit by using one hand only, for example using the thumb, index finger and middle finger to rotate the blade unit while keeping the handle gripped between the palm of the hand, ring finger and little finger.
Figure 10 shows the blade unit 10 in the second position for shaving with the narrower blade housing 13, from underneath (i.e., from the skin contacting side), while Figures 11 and 12 show the shaving system in use in the second position, from above (i.e., opposite the skin contacting side). Again it is apparent from Figure 11 that the skin is shielded from the blades of the wider blade housing 22 by the proximal end 31 of the handle. In this regard, it should be noted that in both the first and second shaving positions the blades do not have to be completely 'hidden' (across their entire cutting edge) behind the proximal end 31 of the handle to achieve the effect of shielding the skin from the blades. However, the proximal end 31 of the handle can be made as wide as, or even wider than, the cutting edges of the blades of either the narrower or wider blade housing.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein.
For example, although embodiments are described in which the stem of the connector fits within the connecting portion of the handle, the opposite configuration may equally be provided.
Although embodiments are described in which the shaving aid comprises polymeric material having a lubricating property, the shaving aid may have, either alternatively or in addition, other, e.g., moisturizing, properties considered beneficial during shaving. Furthermore, the shaving aid can take a form other than a strip. Moreover, the skin-contacting surface of the shaving aid does not have to be smooth but can have, either alternatively or in addition, a finned, holed or other structure.
Although embodiments are described in which five parallel blades lying in a shaving plane are provided, the blade housing may comprise more than five blades or fewer than five blades, i.e., the blade housing may comprise at least one blade. When more than one blade is provided, these do not have to lie in a shaving plane, for example the blades could be staggered.
It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled person in light of the teachings and guidance.
For example, expressions such as "perpendicular", "parallel", and the like are defined to mean "substantially perpendicular", "substantially parallel", and so on. Likewise, the angles, dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, an angle disclosed as "35 degrees" is intended to mean "about 35 degrees".
The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the present invention as contemplated by the inventor(s), and thus, are not intended to limit the present invention and the appended claims in any way.
The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims.

Reference numbers

10: blade unit
11: body
12: wider end
13: wider blade housing
14: guard of wider blade housing
15: cap of wider blade housing
16: blades in wider blade housing
17: connector
22: narrower end
23: narrower blade housing
24: guard of narrower blade housing
25: cap of narrower blade housing
26: blades in narrower blade housing
30: handle
31: proximal end
32: distal end
33: flexible portion
37: connecting portion
100: safety razor system
P1, P2: shaving planes

Claims

A blade unit (10) for a safety razor system (100), comprising:
a body (11) having a wider end (12) and a narrower end (22), with a wider blade housing (13) at the wider end (12) and a narrower blade housing (23) at the narrower end (22), each blade housing (13, 23) having a guard (14, 24), a cap (15, 25), and a plurality of blades (16, 26) disposed between the guard (14, 24) and the cap (15, 25) to expose cutting edges for shaving, the guard (14, 24) and the cap (15, 25) together defining a shaving plane (P1, P2) extending from a skin contacting surface of the guard (14, 24) to a skin contacting surface of the cap (15, 25);

a connector (17) for rotatable connection of the body (11) to an elongate handle (30) of the safety razor system (100), the connector (17) configured to allow a user to rotate the body (11) from a first position for shaving using the blades (16) in the wider blade housing (13) to a second position for shaving using the blades (26) in the narrower blade housing (23),

characterized in that the connector (17) is on the side of the body (11) that includes the skin contacting surfaces.
The blade unit (10) of claim 1, wherein the wider and narrower ends (12, 22) of the body (11) bend away from the connector (17).
The blade unit (10) of claim 2, wherein the shaving planes (P1, P2) of the wider and narrower ends (12, 22) of the body (11) are at acute angles, preferably at angles of between 30 and 70 degrees, more preferably between 50 and 60 degrees, to an axis of rotation of the body (11).
The blade unit (10) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wider blade housing (13) is between 1.5 and 2.0 times as wide as the narrower blade housing (23).
The blade unit (10) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body (11) has a smooth perimeter.
The blade unit (10) of claim 5, wherein the perimeter tapers from the wider end (12) to the narrower end (22).
A safety razor system (100), comprising:
a blade unit (10) according to any of the preceding claims; and

an elongate handle (30) having a distal end (32) and a proximal end (31) with a connecting portion (37) to which the connector (17) of the blade unit (10) is rotatably connected.
The safety razor system (100) of claim 7, wherein the handle (30) is S-shaped.
The safety razor system (100) of claim 7 or 8, wherein the connecting portion (37) is flexible to permit tilting of the blade unit (10).
A method of manufacturing a blade unit (10) for a safety razor system (100), comprising:
providing a body (11) having a wider end (12) and a narrower end (22), with a wider blade housing (13) at the wider end (12) and a narrower blade housing (23) at the narrower end (22), each blade housing (13, 23) having a guard (14, 24), a cap (15, 25), and a plurality of blades (16, 26) disposed between the guard (14, 24) and the cap (15, 25) to expose cutting edges for shaving, the guard (14, 24) and the cap (15, 25) together defining a shaving plane (P1, P2) extending from a skin contacting surface of the guard (14, 24) to a skin contacting surface of the cap (15, 25);

providing a connector (17) for rotatable connection of the body (11) to an elongate handle (30) of the safety razor system (100), the connector (17) configured to allow a user to rotate the body (11) from a first position for shaving using the blades (16) in the wider blade housing (13) to a second position for shaving using the blades (26) in the narrower blade housing (23),

characterized in that the connector (17) is on the side of the body (11) that includes the skin contacting surfaces.
The method of manufacturing of claim 10, wherein the wider and narrower ends (12, 22) are manufactured separately from a portion of the body (11) that includes the connector (17), and then joined together.