GB1565296A - Razor blades - Google Patents

Description

(54) RAZOR BLADES (71) We, THE GILLETTE COMPANY, a Company organised and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America of Prudential Tower Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02199, United States of America do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement::- This invention relates to disposable safety razors, and provides a disposable safety razor comprising a unitary moulding presenting a handle, a guard member and a blade support extending parallel with the guard member and spaced rearwardly therefrom, and a blade member having a cutting edge formed at the leading edge of a substantially planar flange portion integral with and extending forwardly from a channel section, the said channel section being fitted over the blade support and secured thereto.

With this construction, the blade is utilised to add to the rigidity of the moulding, and also makes it possible to dispense with the need to provide a separate cap member, the blade itself fulfilling this function.

Preferably, the moulding also includes an edge protection strip which shields the sharpened edge of the blade but is spaced from it, and which can readily be torn off by the user.

In the presently preferred form of razor in accordance with the invention there is but a single blade member presenting a single cutting edge, but in an alternative form, there are two blade members whose respective cutting edges operate in tandem upon the skin of the user, the trailing blade member being shaped and arranged to provide a cap surface as described above.

One form of razor in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a scrap plan view of the razor with the blade member omitted; Figure 2 is a scrap front view: Figure 3 is an end view; Figure 4 is a scrap rear view: Figure 5 is a cross section showing the blade member, and Figure 6 is a front perspective view.

Figures 1 to 4 illustrate the unitary moulding which provides a handle 1, a guard member 2, a pair of blade support sections 3 and an edge protection strip 4. The guard member 2 is continuous and has an overall length somewhat in excess of the length of the blade member and the blade support is spaced rearwardly from the guard member, the sections having a gap between their adjacent ends.

Upstanding projections 5 are formed on the upper surface of the blade supports for attachment of the blade member in the manner described below.

The protection strip 4 is connected at its ends by integral legs 6 of small cross section to respective end portions of the guard member, and has a rearwardly extending tab 7 positioned over the gap between the blade supports.

As shown in Figure 5, which is drawn to a larger scale than the other Figures, a metal blade member 8 is shaped to have a forwardly extending plane, marginal flange portion 9, whose leading edge 10 is sharpened to a cutting edge, and an inverted channel section portion 11 which fits closely over the blade supports 3. The base of the channel portion is apertured to fit over the projections 5, which are rivetted over, by hot or cold deformation to secure the blade member in position. The blade member bridges the gap between the blade support sections and is spaced below the tab 7 of the protection strip 4. The blade edge is spaced from the strip 4 and the blade is supported at its ends to increase its stability by support portions 12 at the ends of the guard member.

The above described razor does not require any special packaging since the cutting edge 10 is protected for transit and storage by the strip 4. When the razor is to be used. the user grips the tab 7 and tears off the strip 4, breaking off the legs 6 to expose the blade edge 10.

In use, the forward corner of the blade member channel section bears against the skin behind the edge 10 and thus acts as a skin engaging portion corresponding with the cap of a conventional three-piece razor.

The above-described moulding is readily produced in a relatively simple mould, whose design is facilitated by the fact that the whole of the lower surface of the strip 4 and tab is between the guard and blade support exposed in a line of view taken along the direction of arrow 'A' in Figure 3.

The fact that the blade supports 3 are spaced apart and cantilevered, is compensated by the reinforcing effect of the shaped blade member, which lends substantial rigidity to the assembled razor.

The blade is made, e.g. of low carbon stainless steel strip having its cutting edge hardened, for example by nitriding prior to deformation to the required cross-section.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A disposable safety razor comprising a unitary moulding presenting a handle, a guard member and a blade support extending parallel with the guard member and spaced rearwardly therefrom, and a blade member having a cutting edge formed at the leading edge of a substantially planar flange portion integral with and extending forwardly from a channel section, the said channel section being fitted over the blade support and secured thereto.

2. A razor according to Claim 1, wherein the blade support is in two sections whose adjacent ends are spaced apart by a gap, the channel section of the blade being secured to both sections.

3. A razor according to Claim I or 2.

wherein the moulding further includes an edge protection strip, integrally connected to the remainder of the moulding by flangible legs, the strip shielding the blade edge but being spaced above it.

4. A razor according to Claim 3, wherein the whole of the lower surface of the edge protection strip, that is the surface closer to the blade, is visible between the guard member and the blade support.

5. A disposable razor consisting of a unitary moulding and a blade member permanently secured thereto, the moulding comprising an elongate handle connected integrally at its upper end to a transversely extending guard member, and a blade support extending parallel with the guard member and spaced rearwardly therefrom.

the blade support being formed by two spaced sections, each having its outer end connected to the corresponding outer end of the guard member by an end wall and its inner end spaced from the inner end of the other section by a medial gap, and wherein the blade is shaped in cross-section to have an inverted channel section and a planar flange extending forwardly from one edge of the channel section, the free forward edge of the flange being sharpened to a cutting edge which is spaced from but parallel with the guard member, the channel section being closely located over the two sections of the blade support and permanently secured to both of them, the channel section thereby serving to lend rigidity to the moulding and also providing a cap surface which engages the skin of the user behind the cutting edge in use of the razor.

6. A disposable razor according to any preceding claim, including a further blade formed as a plane strip and having a cutting edge positioned to act as the leading edge of a tandem pair of blade edges.

7. A razor according to any preceding claim, wherein the base of the channel section is apertured to receive projections formed on the blade support, the projections being rivetted over to secure the blade member to the blade support.

8. A disposable razor substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. cutting edge 10 is protected for transit and storage by the strip 4. When the razor is to be used. the user grips the tab 7 and tears off the strip 4, breaking off the legs 6 to expose the blade edge 10. In use, the forward corner of the blade member channel section bears against the skin behind the edge 10 and thus acts as a skin engaging portion corresponding with the cap of a conventional three-piece razor. The above-described moulding is readily produced in a relatively simple mould, whose design is facilitated by the fact that the whole of the lower surface of the strip 4 and tab is between the guard and blade support exposed in a line of view taken along the direction of arrow 'A' in Figure 3. The fact that the blade supports 3 are spaced apart and cantilevered, is compensated by the reinforcing effect of the shaped blade member, which lends substantial rigidity to the assembled razor. The blade is made, e.g. of low carbon stainless steel strip having its cutting edge hardened, for example by nitriding prior to deformation to the required cross-section. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A disposable safety razor comprising a unitary moulding presenting a handle, a guard member and a blade support extending parallel with the guard member and spaced rearwardly therefrom, and a blade member having a cutting edge formed at the leading edge of a substantially planar flange portion integral with and extending forwardly from a channel section, the said channel section being fitted over the blade support and secured thereto.

2. A razor according to Claim 1, wherein the blade support is in two sections whose adjacent ends are spaced apart by a gap, the channel section of the blade being secured to both sections.

3. A razor according to Claim I or 2.

wherein the moulding further includes an edge protection strip, integrally connected to the remainder of the moulding by flangible legs, the strip shielding the blade edge but being spaced above it.

4. A razor according to Claim 3, wherein the whole of the lower surface of the edge protection strip, that is the surface closer to the blade, is visible between the guard member and the blade support.

5. A disposable razor consisting of a unitary moulding and a blade member permanently secured thereto, the moulding comprising an elongate handle connected integrally at its upper end to a transversely extending guard member, and a blade support extending parallel with the guard member and spaced rearwardly therefrom.

the blade support being formed by two spaced sections, each having its outer end connected to the corresponding outer end of the guard member by an end wall and its inner end spaced from the inner end of the other section by a medial gap, and wherein the blade is shaped in cross-section to have an inverted channel section and a planar flange extending forwardly from one edge of the channel section, the free forward edge of the flange being sharpened to a cutting edge which is spaced from but parallel with the guard member, the channel section being closely located over the two sections of the blade support and permanently secured to both of them, the channel section thereby serving to lend rigidity to the moulding and also providing a cap surface which engages the skin of the user behind the cutting edge in use of the razor.

6. A disposable razor according to any preceding claim, including a further blade formed as a plane strip and having a cutting edge positioned to act as the leading edge of a tandem pair of blade edges.

7. A razor according to any preceding claim, wherein the base of the channel section is apertured to receive projections formed on the blade support, the projections being rivetted over to secure the blade member to the blade support.

8. A disposable razor substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.