GB2491406A

GB2491406A - Shaving Aid and Method of Replenishment Thereof

Info

Publication number: GB2491406A
Application number: GB201109338A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gwilym Boore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-06-03
Filing date: 2011-06-03
Publication date: 2012-12-05
Also published as: GB201109338D0; EP2581181A2; EP2581181A3

Abstract

A method of replenishing the lubricating strip 6 on a razor comprises applying a lubricating fluid 12 to the strip, preferably from a dispenser 10 via an applicator. The method may also comprise drawing the applicator across the strip. The strip may include a porous substrate (8, figure 3), preferably comprising a thermoplastic, arranged to absorb the fluid on application, and the applicator may include a sponge, a brush or a nozzle 14. A receptacle for dispensing lubricating fluid includes lubricating fluid and preferably an applicator. The lubricating fluid may comprise silicon oil, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylamide, natural polysaccharide, silicon polyethylene oxide, medicinal agent and/or blood coagulant. A razor head includes a razor blade and a removable shaving aid. The shaving aid may comprise a porous substrate (8) including a lubricating fluid. The head may comprise an engagement portion moveable between a closed configuration in which the shaving aid is secured to the head and a release configuration in which the shaving aid can be withdrawn from the head. Another method of replenishing the lubricating strip on a razor comprises inserting a solid lubricant material into an opening in a head of a razor.

Description

The present invention relates to the field ofra2ors, and in particular those razors or razor heads comprising a shaving aid secured to the head of the razor. Such aids increase shaving comfortableness by providing one or more of a lubricant, whisker softener, razor cleaner, medicinal agent, cosmetic agent or a combination thereof.

Shaving aids are commonly provided fixedly secured to the head of the razor generally parallel to the longitudinal length of the blade. The act of shaving is improved as with each stroke of the razor during shaving the shaving aid contacts the skin usually following the blade and provides increased comfort to the user. it is common, however, that the shaving aid is quickly used up, especially when the razor is, for example, left in a damp environment such as in a shower. As such, one or more blades may have significant remaining life whereas the shaving aid, which may be termed a lubricating strip, has been significantly reduced in effectiveness or may have completely lost its lubricating capability. . The present invention provides methods of replenishing the shaving aid of a razor. Aspects of The present invention also provide a dispensing receptacle and a razor head.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is a method of replenishing the lubricating strip on a razor with a lubricant, the method comprising the steps of applying a lUbricating fluid to the lubricating strip.

Accordingly, the life of a razor head or a razor as a whole may be increased by replenishing the lubricating strip. The life of the razor head is therefore increased.

The method may further comprise including the application of a lubricating fluid from a dispensing receptacle onto the lubricating strip via an applicator. The applicator is beneficially in communication with the dispensing receptacle, and preferably provides a fluid flow path between the dispensing receptacle and the applicator. The applicator is beneficially drawn across the lubricating strip.

The lubricating strip preferably includes a porous substrate arranged to absorb the lubricating fluid on application thereto. The porous substrate may comprise a thermoplastic. The applicator preferably includes a sponge or a brush. The applicator may include a nozzle.

The lubricating fluid preferably includes an acrylic polymer. The lubricating fluid may also comprise polyethylene oxide.

The present invention also extends to a dispensing receptacle for dispensing lubricating fluid to a lubricating strip of a razor, wherein the dispensing receptacle includes a lubricating fluid therein.

The dispensing receptacle preferably further comprises an applicator for applying lubricating fluid to the lubricating strip of a razor, The lubricating fluid preferably includes one or more of silicon oil, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylamidc, natural polysaccharide, silicon polyethylene oxide, medicinal agent and/or a blood coagulant.

The applicator preferably cooperates with the dispensing receptacle. The applicator preferably includes an opening for controlling release of the lubricating fluid from the dispensing receptacle.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is a ra2or head including a razor blade secured to the head and a shaving aid arranged to be removably secured to the head.

In this second aspect of the present invention the shaving aid, beneficially comprising a lubricating strip, may be removed from the razor head and therefore replaced with a new razor shaving aid. As such, the life of the razor head including the blades may be extended through replenishment via replacement of the shaving aid, The shaving aid preferably comprises of a porous substrate including a lubricating fluid therein. The porous substrate is beneficially received in a housing. The housing is preferably secured to the razor head. The head preferably comprises a shaving aid engagement portion movable between a closed configuration in which the shaving is secured to the razor head and a release configuration in which the shaving aid can be withdrawn from the razor head. The housing for receiving the porous substrate is therefore preferably relatively secured to the razor head.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the lubricant may be solid at room temperature and may be received in an opening provided in the head of a razor. Accordingly, there is provided in accordance with a third aspect a method of replenishing the lubricating strip of a razor, the method comprising the steps of inserting a solid lubricant material into an opening in a head of a razor. The lubriet*is beneficially as elsewhere described in this application and is solid at room temperMure and pressure.

Exemplary embodiments of aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a razor head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention..

Figure 2 is a schema. tic side view of a dispenser for dispensing lubricating fluid onto a razor, as shown for example, in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a razor head and a shaving aid incorporating a second aspect of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1 there is a razor head 2 which is arranged to be secured to a razor handle by known means which has not been shown in the exemplary embodiments. It will, however, be appreciated that the razor head 2 may be permanently or integrally secured to a handle.

The rawr head 2 includes one or more blades 4 and in the exemplary embodiments shown includes two blades extending upwardly form the razor head 2. It will be appreciated that any number of blades 4 may be provided as required.

The razor head 2 also includes a shaving aid which is beneficially a lubricating strip 6 shown in Figure 1 secured to the razor head 2. The lubricating strip 6 may be recessed into the razor head 2 or may be secured to the razor head 2 by an adhesive material. In any event., the adhesive strip contacts the skin following contact by the one or more blades and thus works to eliminate irritation to the user. If shaving is repeated over this same area then the Lubricant left minimises any subsequent irritation that may occur due to more than one passing of the blades.

Referring to Figure 2, there is a schematic representation of a dispenser according to one aspect of the present invention. The dispenser 10 includes a lubricant 12 therein, The lubricant l2.is dispensed via a nozzle 14 and may be dispensed directly onto a wGm**or used lubricating strip 6. The dispenser 10 is preferably elastically defonnabie and may be a polymeric bottle. The nozzle and in particular the opening of the nozzle may be shaped as being elongate and may be substantially the same width as the lubricating strip. The lubricant 12 may be dispensed onto the strip and smoothed with a sponge or may be brushed. in one embodiment is envisaged that the lubricant may be sprayed onto the lubricant strip 6. In one embodiment a separate applicator may be provided in order to distribute the lubricant evenly and this may, for example, comprise a spreader arrangement which may come in on one embodiment, would be a suitably shaped polymer material.

The lubricant itself may comprise polyethylene oxide. Polyethylene oxide is water soluble.

Alternatively, the lubricant may be a polyurethane impregnated with acrylic polymer. The lubricating strip 6 preferably includes a porous substrate such as foam 8 which absorbs the lubricant. On application of the lubricant to the porous substrate, the lubricant is in a liquid form and solidifies slowly in communication with the air thereby replenishing the lubricant strip.

Referring to Figure 3, the lubricant strip in one embodiment comprises a housing 7 for housing the porous substrate 8. The housing 7 is preferably received in a receiving opening 16 in the head in one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment the lubricating strip 6 can simply be removed from the razor head 2 and a new lubricating stri.p can be provided. For example, a plurality of lubricating strips may be provided in a single packaging thereby storing replacements as necessary. The housing 7 is received by the razor head and one or more securing elements 18 are beneficially provided for securing the lubricating strip 6 in the opening 16 in the razor head 2. The lubricating strip 6 may be secured via a number of known suitable arrangements and one example is provided in Figure 3 with a securing element 18. The securing element 18 may deflect and be received in a corresponding opening in the edge of the lubricating strip 6. in order to release, a release button for example may be provided in the side of the razor head to retract the element 18. Alternatively, the lubricating strip 6 may be removed by hand through simply applying a force to the lubricating strip 6.

Itwili beappreciated thattvenif the lubrieating-strip-6 maybeteieasablyseeure&to the razor head 2, replenishment of the lubricating strip may also be achieved through reapplying a lubricant thereto via a dispenser 1O In another embodiment, a lubricant strip may be provided as a solid material and is received in an opening directly provided in the head of the razor. in this ease, the remnants of the previous strip may be removed or the new strip may simply be forced into the opening thus replenishing the lubricating strip.

The present invention has been described by way of exan pie only and it will be appreciated by the skilled addressee that one or.more modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of protection afforded by the appended claims

Claims

Claims I. A method of replenishing the lubricating strip on a razor with a lubricant., the method comprising the steps of applying a lubricating fluid to the lubricating strip.
2. A method according to claim I including applying the lubricating fluid from a dispensing receptacle onto the lubricating strip via an applicator.
3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the applianor is in communication with the dispensing receptacle.
4. A method according to any of claims 2 3 comprising the step of drawing the applicator across the lubricating strip
5. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the lubricating strip includes a porous substrate arranged to absorb the lubricating fluid on applicationihereto.
6. A method according to claim 5 where in the porous substrate comprises a thermoplastic.
7. A method according to any preceding claims wherein the applicator includes a sponge or a brush.
8. A. method according to any preceding claims wherein the applicator includes a nozzle.
9. A method according to any preceding claims wherein the lubricating fluid includes an acrylic polymer.
10. A. method according to any of claims 1-8 wherein the lubricating fluid comprises polyethylene oxide, it. A dispensing receptacle for dispensing lubricating fluid to a lubricating strip of a razor wherein the dispensing receptacle includes a lubricating fluid therein.12. A dispensing receptacle according to claim 11 comprising an applicator for applying lubricating fluid to the lubricating strip of a razor.13. A dispensing receptacle according to claims 11-12 wherein the lubricating fluid includes one or more silicon oil, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylamide, natural poiysaccharide, silicon polyethylene oxide, medicinal agent and/or a blood coagulant.14. A dispensing receptacle according to any of claims 12-13 wherein the applicator cooperates with the dispensing receptacle.15. A dispensing receptacle according to claim 14 wherein the applicator includes an opening for controiiingreleasenf the lubricating fluid from the dispensing receptacle.16. A dispensing receptacle according to any of claims li-iS as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.17. A razor head including a razor blade secured to the head and a shaving aid arrarged to be removably secured to the head.18. A razor head according to claim 17 wherein the shaving aid comprises a porous substrate including a lubricating fluid therein.19. A razor head according to claim 18 wherein the porous substrate is received in a housing.20. A razor head according to any of claims 17-19 wherein the head comprises a shaving aid engagement portion moveable between a closed configuration in which the shaving aid is secured to the razor head and a release configuration in which the shaving aid can be withdrawn from the razor head.21. A razor head according to claim 20 wherein a release member is provided for $ enabling release of the shaving aid from the head.22. A method of replenishing thc Lubricating strip of a ra or, the method comprising the steps of inserting a solid lubricant material into an opening in a head of a razor.