GB2091154A - Safety razor system - Google Patents

Abstract

A safety razor system comprises a handle 19 and an exchangeable blade unit 11 which can be releasably coupled together by interengagement of interlocking portions 13,22 of the two components, followed by rotation of the handle in its own plane, about a fulcrum axis, extending longitudinally of the blade unit, to bring respective surfaces of the components into frictional, wedging engagement. The system also includes a container 32 for the blade unit, which is held in the container so that its interlocking portion is accessible to the handle. The components can be securely coupled in the manner described above, and continued rotation of the handle will twist the blade unit clear of the container.

Description

SPECIFICATION Safety razors and blade unit containers This invention relates to safety razors of the known general form comprising a razor handle and a disposable blade unit having respective coupling means by which the unit can be securely but releasably engaged with the handle.

The term "blade unit" is used herein to denote a unit comprising a blade support and one or more razor blades permanently secured to the support, the latter incorporating the coupling means.

Razors of this general form are known for example from British Patent Specifications 1523377 and 2031782A, in which the coupling means on the handle includes a manually operable mechanism for effecting engagement and release of a blade unit.

Other safety razors of this form are disclosed British Patent 1160543, which shows razors having spring loaded catches for engaging a blade unit.

Razors of the same general form are disclosed British Patent 1377134 in which the need for moving parts is avoided, the coupling means in this case comprising co-operating slides extending longitudinally of the blade unit, i.e. parallel with the cutting edge(s) of the blade(s).

In the case of most of the above mentioned razors, dispensing containers have been proposed and/or marketed in the form of trays divided into a number of open-topped chambers arranged side-by-side and housing respective blade units, which can be engaged individually by the handle and removed from the container by appropriate manipulation of the handle, thus avoiding the necessity for the user to touch the blade unit in the process.

Shaving systems including razors as described in British Patent 1377134 and dispensing containers as illustrated in Figures 21 to 25 of British Patent Specification 1389843 have been widely marketed, but it has been noted that some users experience difficulty in manipulating the handle correctly.

The present invention provides a safety razor which shares with the last mentioned form the advantage of a simple construction without moving parts, but in which a particularly simple manipulation of the handle is required both for engagement of a blade unit and removal from a container chamber, and its subsequent deposit into a container chamber and release.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, there is provided a razor handle and a blade unit each having respective coupling means including mutually interlocking portions (such as a hook member on one part and a co-operating recess formed in the other) the parts also having respective co-operating surfaces spaced transversely of the unit from the interlocking portions the arrangement being such that the said portions having been interengaged, the handle is pivotable about a fulcrum defined by the said portions to bring the co-operating surfaces into frictional wedging engagement with each other to complete the coupling.

With this construction engagement is readily effected by moving the handle to the unit to interengage the said portions and simply rotating the handle in one direction to complete the coupling.

The invention also provides a container so designed that continued rotation of the handle will release the unit from the container.

The handle unit and container preferably, and as described below, permit return of a used unit to an empty compartment and disengagement by a simple reversal of the action described above.

One form of razor handle, blade unit and dispensing container, all 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 enlarged section on the line I-I of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a blade unit in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 and 4 are fragmentary side and front views of the razor handle; Figures 5 and 6 are sections on the lines V-V and VI-VI respectively in Figure 3; Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the container; Figure 8 is a section on the line VIII-VIII Figure 7 and Figures 9, 10 and 11 are partly diagrammatic sectional views illustrating the operation of coupling the handle with a blade unit.

The blade unit shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises an elongate moulded blade support 1 carrying a blade assembly comprising parallel blade members 2 and 3 separated by a spacer 4 and permanently secured to the support by a moulded cap member 6 having integral pins which are rivetted over at the underside of the support 1.

The forward edge portion of the support forms a skin engaging guard portion 7 in front of which is inserted and secured a separate guard portion 8 secured by tongs 8A in slots 9 of the support. The inserted portion 8 includes an hydrophobic polymeric material and a water soluble polymeric material capable of forming an aqueous lubricant, as described in the specification of our prior British Patent Application 79 18004 (publication No. 2024082A).

The support member is provided with coupling means to facilitate releasable but secure engagement with a co-operating handle. The coupling means consists of a rear catch 11 located at the rear edge of the support member at its mid-length and a pair of forward catches 12 formed near the ends of the member and forwardly of the rear catch.

More specifically the rear catch comprises an integral, forwardly projecting nib 13 at the bottom edge of a longitudinal rear wall 14 of the support, and the forward catches are formed by respective end portions of a longitudinal wall 16 of the support having a rearwardly facing surface 17, from which lips 18 project rearwardly at the lower margin.

The razor handle is illustrated in Figures 3 to 6, and is formed as unitary plastics moulding mainly comprising an elongate grip 19 and a transverse head 21 at the upper end of the grip. At the centre of its length, the head has an upstanding formation of inverted L-shape to define a rearwardly projecting hook 22 and an undercut recess 23. The formation stands opposite a gap in a longtudinal ridge 24 extending substantially the full length of the head 21.

Adjacent each end the head has a thickened catch portion 26 having a forwardly projecting nose 27 with a flat front surface and a undercut notch 28.

Correct location of the razor head relative to a blade unit is assisted by the provision of an upstanding fin 29 at each end of the head, destined to fit snugly within the end wall portions of the unit.

The container illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 is also of unitary moulded construction and takes the general form of a flat rectangular tray having a pair of opposed side walls 31 and a plurality of parallel transverse walls 32 by which the tray is divided into a series of adjacent chambers 33.

The transverse walls 32 are formed at their mid lengths with lugs projecting inwardly of each chamber at each side thereof. Thus, as best seen in Figure 8, each chamber has at one side a rear lug 34 and at the opposite side a front lug 36. This lug having sloping under surfaces at different inclinations, and being set at different heights above the floor of the chamber. Narrow locating ramps 37 are set at each end of the chamber and co-operate with the transverse walls 32 and lugs 34,36 to provide for positive location in each chamber of a blade unit in a unique predetermined orientation.

The floor of the tray is formed with large drainage slots 38 for each chamber and depending walls 39 are formed at each side of the tray to facilitate ready drainage of moisture from a wet unit returned to a chamber.

Figures 9 to 11 show the manner in which blade units are located in the container chambers and also illustrate the sequence of movements required to engage the handle with a unit.

Each unit is positively located in its chamber by abutting engagement with the adjacent walls 32, the sloping upper surfaces of the ramps 37 and the inclined undersurfaces of lugs 34. The unit and chamber are so dimensioned relative to each other that the unit is lightly wedged in the chamber against rotation about a longitudinal axis of the unit, and it cannot be removed by a simple vertical movement because of the overlying lugs.

To remove a unit, the razor handle, which is shown diagrammatically in Figures 9 to 11 is first moved towards the unit by a rectilinear movement which may be approximately vertical or inclined to the vertical as indicated by the arrows 'A' in Figure 9 to bring the hook 22 near to and in front of the rear catch 11 of the unit, approximately as shown in Figure 10. Then the handle is swung clockwise (see arrow B) so as to engage the hook under the nib 13, which in turn fits snugly into the recess 23. As rotation of the handle continues, the handle now tends to turn about the interengaged portions of the hook and rear catch which form a fulcrum and the projecting noses 27 of catch portions 26 come into sliding engagement with the rearwardly projecting lips 18, with a small resilient deflection of the wall 16 which permits the noses 27 to pass the lips 18.

Relative rotation between the handle and the blade unit is checked when the position of Figure 11 is reached in which the hook 22 and nib are fully interengaged and the flat front surfaces of the noses bear against the wall surface 17 with which they have frictional wedging engagement.

Further rotation of the handle in the same direction causes the blade unit, now firmly coupled to the handle to twist clockwise within the chamber until the rear surface of the unit clears the rear lug 34, permitting the unit to be lifted clear of the chamber.

When the unit is to be returned to an empty chamber, either because its blade edges are too dull for further use, or for safe storage between uses, the above actions are reversed, the leading edge of the unit being inserted underthe lug 36 and the handle then being rotated anti-clockwise. The handle and unit move in unison until rotation of the unit is checked by the lug 36, whereafter the noses 27 spring past lips 18 and the hook 22 is disengaged to free the handle.

Although engagement and disengagement are effected very easily and with very small forces, the unit is perfectly secure in use, due in part to the frictional wedging engagement mentioned above and also because the main forces applied to the unit in the course of shaving are directed downwardly and rearwardly over the forward and intermediate regions of the unit, tending to rotate it on the handle, and these forces are positively reacted by the interengaged coupling parts attheYear of the unit and handle.

Claims (13)

1. Asafety razor comprising a razor handle and a blade unit, each having respective coupling means including mutually interlocking portions and respective co-operating surfaces spaced transversely of the blade unit from the interlocking portions, the arrangement being such that, the said interlocking portions having been interengaged, the handle is pivotable about a fulcrum defined by the interlocking portions to bring the co-operating surfaces into frictional wedging engagement with each other to complete a releasable coupling between the unit and handle.

2. A safety razor according to claim 1, wherein the said interlocking portions comprise a hook on one part and a co-operating recess on the other, each extending essentially transversely of the unit in the coupled condition of the parts.

3. A safety razor according to claim 2, wherein the interlocking portion on the unit comprises a forwardly projecting nib overlying a recess and the interlocking portion on the handle comprises a rearwardly projecting hook overlying a recess, the nib and hook each engaging in the recess on the other part when the parts are coupled together.

4. A safety razor according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the co-operating surface on one of the parts is formed on a resilient wall on that part, the said wall flexing resiliently during coupling by virtue of a camming action exerted in the course of the pivotal movement of the handle relative to the unit.

5. A safety razor according to any preceding claim wherein the razor and the handle each have transverse wall portions which co-operate in the coupled condition to locate and maintain the handle in a predetermined location longitudinally of the handle.

6. A safety razor comprising two separate components consisting of an elongate blade unit and a razor handle respectively, the said blade unit being formed on its underside at its rear edge with a depending rear wall having a forwardly projecting nib constituting an interlocking portion at its lower edge, and with a depending, flexible wall spaced forwardly from, and confronting the said nib, and wherein said handle comprises an elongate grip portion having a transverse head at the upper end thereof, the head having a rearwardly directed hook constituting an interlocking portion and adapted to engage over the said nib, and a forwardly facing wall surface positioned for abutting engagement with a rearwardly facing surface of said flexible wall, the said components being interengageable by first effecting interlocking engagement of said hook and nib, and then rotation of said handle, relative to said nib in the plane of said handle and about a fulcrum axis defined by said nib and hook and extending longitudinally of said blade unit whereby to engage said forwardly facing wall surface with said flexible wall and thereby couple said unit and handle together for use in shaving.

7. A safety razor in accordance with claim 6, wherein said flexible wall has at its lower edge a forwardly projecting wall nib, and said handle is formed adjacent its said surface with an undercut notch for snap-engagement over said wall nib in the coupled condition of the components.

8. A safety razor according to any preceding claim, wherein said interlocking portions and said co-operating surfaces are spaced apart longitudinally of said unit.

9. A safety razor according to claim 8, wherein said unit has a single interlocking portion at the centre of its length, and two said surfaces adjacent respective ends.

10. Asafety razor system comprising a safety razor in accordance with any preceding claim in combination with a container comprising a chamber having a base, opposed end walls and opposed side walls, the side walls having at their upper edges inwardly directed lugs adapted for frictional retention of the unit in the chamber with the underside of the unit facing upwardly so as to present the said interlocking portion and wall surface of the unit for engagement by the corresponding parts of the handle, and wherein continued rotation of said handle following completion of coupling being effective to rotate said unit about a longitudinal axis to move it clear of one of the said lugs and thus permit its removal from said chamber.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said container is formed with depending walls to hold the base of the chamber above a supporting surface, and said base is apertured to permit drainage of water from a unit returned to the chamber after use.

12. A safety razor according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A safety razor system according to claim 10, wherein said container is substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.