GB1588986A - Razor blade unit - Google Patents

Description

(54) RAZOR BLADE UNIT (71) We, THE GILLErrE 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 dispensers for the storage and dispensing of razor blade units each comprising a narrow blade strip sharpened at one longitudinal edge and having one surface attached to a wire-like support, with the sharpened edge projecting beyond the support, and in which the ends of the support project beyond the corresponding ends of the blade strip to constitute projecting portions by which the blade units may be gripped in a co-operating razor handle. Such blade units are referred to herein for convenience as "wire-supported blades".

Blade units of this form and one particular form of handle for this utilization are described in the Provisional Specification of our co-pending patent application No.

4330/77 (Serial No. 1 566 505).

Wire supported blades may be given a very small width and depth to advantage with respect both to manufacturing cost and compactness of the razor head with which they are employed, but their compactness imposes problems in the design of a suitable storage dispenser which enables the blades to be handled safely and competently by a user.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a dispenser for one or more wire-supported blades (as herein defined) compnsing at least one elongate, open topped chamber having longitudinally spaced supports which firmly but releasably grip parts of the projecting portions of the blade support of the or each blade unit located in the chamber in a manner permitting access to and engagement of the said projecting portions by a suitable razor handle.

In the embodiments described below, each chamber contains a pair of wiresupported blades which are individually held in relative positions corresponding with those which they are destined to adopt in a razor handle.

A single chamber dispenser and a multiple chamber dispenser, each in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the single chamber dispenser; Figure 2 is a section on the line 'AA' of Figure 1 urel; Figure 3 is a plan view of the dispenser; and Figure 4 is a plan view drawn to a smaller scale of the multiple chamber dispenser.

The dispenser shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is a single chamber dispenser for the storage of a single pair of wire-supported blades destined to be loaded as a pair on to a suitable razor handle. The blades are shown supported in position at 10 in Figure 2 each blade having a wire-like support 11 having a narrow blade strip 12 secured to one face thereof the sharpened edges of the respective strips being directed downwardly to the right in the drawing.

The erid portions of the supports are frictionally gripped by co-operatmg portions of the dispenser immediately outwardly of the respective ends of the blade strips, and the said end portions project outwardly beyond the co-operating portions so as to be accessible to the blade gripping portions of a razor handle.

The dispenser comprises a hollow rectangular body part 20 open from above and below, and a bottom closure member 21, both formed conveniently as injection mouldings of synthetic plastics material.

The body part 20 is asymmetrically shaped with respect to its longitudinal axis, as viewed in plan, to prevent incorrect insertion of a razor handle, in this case by the provision of false inner walls 22 extending towards each other from opposite ends of the body part, these inner end walls being tapered at 23 for convenience in moulding.

Over a medial longitudinal portion, the side walls are formed with upwardly facing catch surfaces 24 for co-operation with corresponding resilient latches 25 formed on the closure member 21 so that the parts make snap-fitting interengagement.

Adjacent each end, the body part 20 has a slotted bottom wall 26 and a pair of upright, resiliently flexible catch members 27 whose upper ends have respective, lobes 28 directed inwardly i.e. towards each other.

The closure member 21 has, adjacent each end, an upwardly projecting finger 29 positioned and dimensioned to fit between the respective pairs of catch members. Each finger has a pair of shoulders 30, so that each finger defines, with its co-operating catch member, a pair of rectangular slots open from above but partially obscured by the lobes 28. These slots receive the projecting ends of the blade supports so that the two blades are retained firmly in the dispenser ready for loading into a co-operating razor handle as a pair.

The head of the handle is inserted into the chamber from above, engaged with the free end portions of the two blades and then pulled upwardly, the blade supports acting against the lobes 28 to deflect the catch members 27 outwardly, the members recovering resiliently when the blades, now assembled to the razor, have been drawn clear of the member 27.

If the user so desires, a pair of used blades can be returned to the chamber for safe disposal, by pushing the razor head back into the chamber so as to spring the catch members apart once more and, when they have sprung back over the blade supports, operating the razor handle to disengage the handle from the blades.

A dispenser of this form can be very compact, for example some 50 mm long, by 13 mm wide, by 8 mm deep.

A dispenser in accordance with the invention may also comprise a plurality of chambers, as illustrated by Figure 4 which shows a six chamber dispenser in plan view, the chambers each having the internal form of that of Figures 1 and 2, arranged side-byside. The dispenser is preferably formed from two mouldings, but alternatively it would be possible to build up a multiple chamber dispenser by attaching together a number of the single chamber dispensers previously describe The dispensers described and illustrated are particularly designed for use with the blade units and razors described in the Provisional Specification of our co-pending patent application No. 4330/77 (Serial No.

1 566 5 ) but could obviously be adapted in various ways to suit other blade units and/or razors. Equally, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the dispenser could be readily modified to suit single blades rather than pairs, or could be adapted to store and dispense groups of three, four or even more blades.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A dispenser for one or more wiresupported blades (as herein defined) comprising at least one elongate, open topped chamber containing a blade or blades and having longitudinally spaced supports which firmly but releasably grip parts of the projecting portions of the blade support of the or each blade unit located in the chamber in a manner permitting access to and engagement of the said projecting portions by a suitable razor handle.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means for each said projecting portion includes a slot, open from above to receive a respective projecting portion, the entrance to the slot being partially obscured by a lobe formed on a resiliently deformable part of the dispenser.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the dispenser comprises a body member providing side and end walls to the chamber, but open from above and below, and a bottom closure member attached to the body member, the two said members being formed integrally with upwardly projecting parts which co-operate to define the said slots.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the body member is formed towards each of its ends with a pair of laterally spaced, upwardly projecting parts in the form of resilient catch members having at their respective upper ends lobes which are directed towards each other, and the bottom closure member is formed at each of its opposite ends with an upwardly projecting finger formed on eithersie with an upwardly facing shoulder, each said finger being positioned between a respective pair of catch members to define a pair of upwardly facing slots whose bottom edges are formed by the said shoulders.

5. A dispenser according to any preceding claim comprising a plurality of separate chambers secured together side-by-side.

6. A dispenser for wire-supported blades (as herein defined) substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the (or each) chamber contains at least two wiresupported blades, in combination with a razor handle adapted to receive the said blades together, the blades being located in the dispenser in relative positions corresponding with those which they occupy in the

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

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the body part, these inner end walls being tapered at 23 for convenience in moulding. Over a medial longitudinal portion, the side walls are formed with upwardly facing catch surfaces 24 for co-operation with corresponding resilient latches 25 formed on the closure member 21 so that the parts make snap-fitting interengagement. Adjacent each end, the body part 20 has a slotted bottom wall 26 and a pair of upright, resiliently flexible catch members 27 whose upper ends have respective, lobes 28 directed inwardly i.e. towards each other. The closure member 21 has, adjacent each end, an upwardly projecting finger 29 positioned and dimensioned to fit between the respective pairs of catch members. Each finger has a pair of shoulders 30, so that each finger defines, with its co-operating catch member, a pair of rectangular slots open from above but partially obscured by the lobes 28. These slots receive the projecting ends of the blade supports so that the two blades are retained firmly in the dispenser ready for loading into a co-operating razor handle as a pair. The head of the handle is inserted into the chamber from above, engaged with the free end portions of the two blades and then pulled upwardly, the blade supports acting against the lobes 28 to deflect the catch members 27 outwardly, the members recovering resiliently when the blades, now assembled to the razor, have been drawn clear of the member 27. If the user so desires, a pair of used blades can be returned to the chamber for safe disposal, by pushing the razor head back into the chamber so as to spring the catch members apart once more and, when they have sprung back over the blade supports, operating the razor handle to disengage the handle from the blades. A dispenser of this form can be very compact, for example some 50 mm long, by 13 mm wide, by 8 mm deep. A dispenser in accordance with the invention may also comprise a plurality of chambers, as illustrated by Figure 4 which shows a six chamber dispenser in plan view, the chambers each having the internal form of that of Figures 1 and 2, arranged side-byside. The dispenser is preferably formed from two mouldings, but alternatively it would be possible to build up a multiple chamber dispenser by attaching together a number of the single chamber dispensers previously describe The dispensers described and illustrated are particularly designed for use with the blade units and razors described in the Provisional Specification of our co-pending patent application No. 4330/77 (Serial No.

1 566 5 ) but could obviously be adapted in various ways to suit other blade units and/or razors. Equally, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the dispenser could be readily modified to suit single blades rather than pairs, or could be adapted to store and dispense groups of three, four or even more blades.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A dispenser for one or more wiresupported blades (as herein defined) comprising at least one elongate, open topped chamber containing a blade or blades and having longitudinally spaced supports which firmly but releasably grip parts of the projecting portions of the blade support of the or each blade unit located in the chamber in a manner permitting access to and engagement of the said projecting portions by a suitable razor handle.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means for each said projecting portion includes a slot, open from above to receive a respective projecting portion, the entrance to the slot being partially obscured by a lobe formed on a resiliently deformable part of the dispenser.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the dispenser comprises a body member providing side and end walls to the chamber, but open from above and below, and a bottom closure member attached to the body member, the two said members being formed integrally with upwardly projecting parts which co-operate to define the said slots.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the body member is formed towards each of its ends with a pair of laterally spaced, upwardly projecting parts in the form of resilient catch members having at their respective upper ends lobes which are directed towards each other, and the bottom closure member is formed at each of its opposite ends with an upwardly projecting finger formed on eithersie with an upwardly facing shoulder, each said finger being positioned between a respective pair of catch members to define a pair of upwardly facing slots whose bottom edges are formed by the said shoulders.

5. A dispenser according to any preceding claim comprising a plurality of separate chambers secured together side-by-side.

6. A dispenser for wire-supported blades (as herein defined) substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the (or each) chamber contains at least two wiresupported blades, in combination with a razor handle adapted to receive the said blades together, the blades being located in the dispenser in relative positions corresponding with those which they occupy in the

razor when coupled thereto.