NZ299297A - Fixed head diposable razor: protrusion on handle latches into socket on head - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand No. 299297 International No. PCT/ TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION Priority dates: 08.10.1992; Complete Specification Filed: 27.09.1993 Classification: (6) B26B21/14,16,40,52 Publication date: 24 October 1997 Journal No.: 1421 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of Invention: Fixed head disposable razor Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: THE GILLETTE COMPANY, a Delaware corporation of Prudential Tower Building, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02199, United States of America 299297 ■ .... *>• prawistoOi Of R man 23 fJ) the SpweMc**** fcas o**\ mwHmmm I . 10 SI Patents Form No. 5 Our Ref: JT206953 This is a divisional out of application No. 256356 dated 27 September 1993 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FIXED HEAD DISPOSABLE RAZOR We, THE GILLETTE COMPANY, a body corporate organised under the laws of Delaware, USA of Prudential Tower Building, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02199, United States of America, 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: PT0598742 29 9&>U„ -la- FIXED HEAD DISPOSABLE RAZOR This invention, relates to shaving systems and more particularly to safety razors of the wet shave type.

Known shaving systems include two or more blade elements disposed parallel to each other in spaced relation so that the cutting edges are successively active with respect to hair elements being cut during a shaving stroke. 10 Various types of debris such as whisker particles are gradually deposited and tend to clog region between successive cutting edges and adversely affect the shaving characteristics of the shaving system. A number of arrangements 15 have been proposed for removing such debris including a variety of pusher arrangements.

Also, in shaving systems, it is frequently desirable to fix the shaving head relative to the handle portion so that the 20 entire razor structure may be discarded at the end of its useful life. The coupling mechanism between the handle and the shaving head desirably enables and is consistent with economical manufacture of razor components by 25 molding techniques and provides a mechanically sturdy interconnection between the handle and the shaving head. (followed by page 2) 2992 In accordance with the invention, there is provided a shaving system with a handle member and shaving head assembly that includes at least one blade member with a cutting edge disposed adjacent guard structure. The shaving head assembly includes a socket portion with opposed spaced surfaces, latch structure formed in one of the surfaces and locking edge structure formed in the other of the surfaces opposed to the latch structure. The handle portion includes a grip portion and a projecting prong portion for insertion into the socket portion of the shaving head assembly. The prong portion includes a body portion and a tip portion with a latch projection protruding from one side of the tip portion and a latch recess in the opposite side of the tip portion for engagement with the latch projection and the locking edge structure respectively such that mating surfaces of the socket portion and prong portion are fixed in firm engagement.

Preferably, the prong portion includes a seat surface which cooperates with a seat surface on em interior surface of the socket portion, and supplemental axially extending guide surfaces are provided on the socket and prong portions. In a particular embodiment, a 29W cam surface is provided in the socket portion adjacent the locking edge structure for camming the latch projection over the latch structure of the socket portion, and the socket portion 5 includes a skirt portion which extends below beyond the seat surface and iB disposed at an inclined angle to the axis of the socket portion (about 150°) . A transition portion between the shaving head assembly and the handle portion has 10 an axis disposed at an angle of about 150° to the plane of the blade members such that the guard structure is disposed about one half centimeter forward of transition portion axis and about one centimeter forward of the grip 15 portion axis.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be seen as the following description of a particular embodiment progresses, in conjunction with the drawings, in 2 0 which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a razor assembly in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the razor assembly shown in Fig. 1; 2 5 Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of components of the shaving head employed in the razor assembly of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a front view of the shaving head of the razor assembly of Fig. 1 in the 3 0 direction indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a top view of the shaving head of Fig. 4 with a portion broken away; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; 3 5 Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view 299297 of portions of the shaving head and handle components of the razor assembly shown in Fig. 1 (with a portion of the socket broken away) ; and Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along 5 the line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

Description of Particula-r- iSmKodiment The razor assembly 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes handle component 12 and shaving head component 14 connected by curved transition 10 portion 16. Handle component 12 is molded of high impact polystyrene and has grip portion 18 that is about eight centimeters long and about one centimeter wide and one centimeter deep and has axis 20. Transition portion 16 provides 15 axis 22 perpendicular to blade plane 24 of shaving head 14 at an angle of 155° to axis 2 0 and has a length of about one centimeter along axis 20 and a length of about 1.5 centimeters along axis 22 from axis 20 to the base of 2 0 shaving head 14. Shaving head 14 includes platform member 3 0 molded of high impact polystyrene and cap member 44 also molded of high impact polystyrene. Guard surface 34 is disposed about six millimeters forward of 25 transition axis 22 (dimension A) and about one centimeter forward of grip axis 20 (dimension B).

Further details of the shaving head 14 and transition portion 16 may be seen with 30 reference to the exploded view of Fig. 3. The shaving head 14 includes base or platform member 30 that includes integral socket structure 32, transversely extending guard structure 34, and planar portion 3 6 on which are disposed steel 3 5 primary blade element 38 and steel secondary blade element 40 which are maintained in spaced relation by discrete aluminum spacer disks wo 94/08761 29 929 7 42A-D. In this embodiment, the blade elements and spacer elements are secured co platform member 3 0 by cap member 44, and the blade elements 38, 40 are disposed parallel to one 5 another and parallel to plane 24 of Fig. 2.

Formed in planar support surface 3 6 are a series of crush bumps 48 and four securing apertures 50A-D that are spaced about one centimeter apart. Forwardly extending end wall 10 portions 52 and support webs 54 define drain slots 56 between the forward edge surface 5 8 of platform portion 30 and guard portion 34.

Each blade element 38, 40 has parallel front and rear edges, the front edge of each 15 blade element being sharpened to define a cutting edge 60. Each blade has a length of about four centimeters with primary blade 3 8 having a width of about seven millimeters and secondary blade 40 having a width of about 5.5 2 0 milliliters. Formed in each blade are a series of four rectangular apertures 62A-D. Each rectangular intermediate aperture 62B and 62C has a length of about 3.5 millimeters and a width of about 2.75 millimeters while outer 25 apertures 62A and 62D each have a base portion of configuration similar to intermediate apertures 62B and 62C and a locating extension portion 64 that has a width of about two millimeters and a length of about two 3 0 millimeters. The center lines of locating portions 64P of primary blade 38 are spaced 4.8 millimeters from cutting edge 60P and the center lines of locating portions 64S of secondary blade 40 are spaced 3.3 millimeters from cutting 3 5 edge 60S. Disposed between blades 3 8 and 40 are aluminum spacer disks 42A-D, each of which has a thickness of about 0.5 millimeter, an outer 29929 7 diameter of about five millimeters/ and an aperture 66 of about 2.1 millimeters diameter.

Cap member 44 includes transversely extending portion 70 disposed between forwardly 5 extending end portions 72, 74. Posts 7 6A-D (each of about two millimeters diameter and about four millimeters length)' extend downwardly from transversely extending portion 70 and are alignable with holes 50, 62, 64 and 66 in the 10 platform, blades and spacer members, respectively. Posts 76 are hollow at their free ends to facilitate cold heading. The top surface of portion 70 includes molded insert 80 of shaving aid material that includes 15 polyethylene oxide.

In the assembled shaving head 14, as may be seen with reference to the front, top and sectional views of Figs. 4-6, the cutting edge 6 OP of primary blade 38 extends over the 20 recesses 56 between forward wall 58 of platform 3 0 and the rear surface of guard 34 while the cutting edge 60S of secondary blade 40 is spaced about 0.5 millimeter above and 1.5 millimeters rearwardly of edge 60P of primary blade 38 as 25 positioned by posts 76A and 76D in positioning engagement with locating surfaces 64 of blades 38 and 40, platform apertures 50, and spacers 42A-D. Posts 76 fix the shaving edges 6OP and 60S of blade members 38 and 40 in position 30 relative to guard 34 and cap 44 with spacers 42 providing stable support and vertical spacing of the shaving edges 60. Rinsing of shaving debris £rom between the spaced blades is facilitated along flow paths between spacers 42 as indicated 3 5 by arrows 82 in Figs. 4, 5 and 7. The resulting blade geometry, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, provides a primary blade tangent single of about 29929 7 24.5°, a secondary blade tangent single of about 22°, exposure for each blade of about 0.02 millimeter, a primary blade span of about 1.3 millimeters and a secondary blade span of about 5 1.6 millimeters.

Aspects of the coupling in transition portion 16 between handle 12 and shaving head 14 may be seen with reference to Figs. 3 and 7-S.

That coupling includes socket portion 32 of 10 platform member 30 and coupling prong 9 0 of handle 12. Coupling prong 90 extends from inclined surface 92 and includes spaced guide webs 94 (Fig. 3) that have parallel guide surfaces 95 and define a recess with seat 15 surface 96 that is about four millimeters long and about one-half millimeter deep and supplemental guide webs 98 at each side of prong 90 that have guide surfaces 100 that are about two millimeters long and extend parallel to 2 0 surfaces 95. Prong 90 has a length of about seiven milliliters from the center of inclined surface 92 and a width of about 5.5 millimeters.

Latch projection 102 at the end remote from surface 92 has a radius of about one third 25 millimeter and extends forwardly about 0.7 millimeter from a point on prong surface 104 4.75 millimeters from seat surface 96. Latch recess 106 is formed in the rear surface 108 of prong 90.

Socket 32 includes depending sleeve portion 110 of oval configuration as indicated in Figs. 3, 8 and 9 and has rear interior surface 114 and front interior surface 116.

Oval end surface 112 has a depth of about three 35 millimeters and a width of about eight millimeters. Rear surface 116 tapers at an angle of two degrees and front surface 114 wo 94/08761 29929; tapers at an angle of about five degrees to the axis of Rocket 32. Cam surface 118 (Fig. 7) is disposed at an angle of about 45° to surface 114 at the upper end of that surface. Formed at the 5 upper end of front surface 116 is latch shoulder 120 that is spaced about 1.5 millimeters from cam surface 118. Vertical wall 122 extends upwardly from cam surface 118 and defines a latch edge projection 124 for engagement with prong latch recess 106. Formed on socket front wall 116 is protruding ridge 126 with lower reference surface 128 that is about 4.75 millimeters from latch shoulder 12 0 and that seats on prong recess surface 96. Formed on interior socket side walls 13 0 are projections 132 with guide surfaces 134 that engage prong guide surfaces 100 as indicated in Fig. 9.

Skirt portion 13 6 extends from surface 12 8 to end surface 112.

In assembly, prong 90 is inserted into sleeve 110 with its leading end surface being cammed along cam surface 118 as ridge 12 6, side guide surfaces 100 and 134 engage and is guided by surfaces 95 until socket ridge reference 2 5 surface 128 is seated on prong recess surface 96. Concurrently latch projection 102 slides over latch shoulder 120 and recess 106 and latch edge 124 are placed in locking engagement to firmly secure shaving head 14 to handle 12 with 3 0 mating surfaces 96 and 128 in firm engagement as maintained by the resilient interaction by latch projection 102 and latch shoulder 120.

The resulting Bturdy razor assembly provides excellent shaving results. 3 5 While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications thereof will be apparent to those 29929 skilled in the art, and therefore, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the disclosed embodiment, or to details thereof, and departures may be made therefrom within the 5 spirit amd scope of the invention.

V PCT/US93/0917S 299297

Claims (1)

1. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: A shaving system comprising a shaving 5 head assembly that includes at least one blade member with a cutting edge disposed an adjacent guard structure, said shaving head assembly including a socket portion with opposed spaced surfaces, latch structure formed in one of ea,'.J 10 surfaces and locking edge structure formed in the other of said surfaces opposed to said latc'i structure, and a handle portion including a grip portion and a projecting prong portion for 15 insertion into said socket portion of said shaving head assembly, said prong portion including a body portion and a tip portion with a latch projection protruding from one side of said tip portion and a latch recess in the 2 0 opposite side of said tip portion for engagement with said latch projection and Baid locking edge structure respectively such that mating surfaces of said socket portion and said prong portion are fixed in firm engagement. 25 2' The system of claim 1, and further including a seat surface on said prong portion and a cooperating seat surface on an interior surface of said socket portion for mating engagement with the seat surface on said prong 3 0 portion. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said socket portion and said prong portion each include axially extending guide surfaces along the sides thereof. 3 5 4. The system of claim 3, n each said guide surface structure includes/ a'''' OPFfCE transversely extending seat surface. 12 AOS 1997 WO 94/08761 PCI7US93/09175 29929 7 5. The system of claim l# and further including a cam surface in said socket portion adjacent said locking edge structure surface for camming said latch projection over said latch 5 structure. 6- The system of claim 1, wherein said socket portion further includes a skirt portion extending beyond said seat surface, said skirt portion having an end surface disposed at an 10 inclined angle to the axis of said socket portion. 7. The system of claim l, wherein said shaving head assembly includes two blade members for successive shaving engagement, amd said 15 guard member is disposed forwardly of the axis of said grip portion. 8. The system of claim 7, and further including a plurality of spacer members that provide a plurality of Bpaced rinse paths 2 0 extending between said blade members in a direction generally perpendicular to said cutting edges and parallel to the bodies of said blade members. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein each 25 said rinse path is about 0.5 millimeter deep and at least about four millimeters wide. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein said shaving head assembly includes a cap member, a platform member, and a plurality of port 30 elements, and said cutting edges of said blade members are positioned relative to one another and to said guard structure and said cap member by engagement of said post elements with locating surfaces of apertures in said blade 35 members. 11- The system of claim 10, wherein one of said blade members has a blade tangent angle of * WO 94/08761 PCT/US93/09175 -12- 299297 a span of about 1.5 millimeters and an exposure of about 0.02 millimeter. 12. The shaving system of claim 11, and further including shaving aid material secured 5 to said cap member. 13. The system of claim 1, and further including a transition portion between said shaving head assembly and said handle portion, said transition portion having an axis disposed 10 at an angle of about 150° to the plane of said at least one blade member such that said guard structure is disposed about one half centimeter forward of said axis of said transition portion and about one centimeter forward of the axis of said grip portion. 15 14. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one blade member includes two or more blades, said system further including a plurality of spacer members that provide a plurality of spaced rinse paths extending between said blade members in a direction generally perpendicular to said cutting edges and parallel to the bodies of said blade members, each said rinse path being about 0.5 2 0 millimeter deep and at least about four millimeters wide. 25 15. The system of claim 13, wherein said shaving head assembly includes a cap member, a platform member, and a plurality of post elements, and said cutting edges of said blade members are positioned relative to one another 3 0 and to said guard structure and said cap member by engagement of said post elements with locating surfaces of apertures in said blade members. 3-6- The shaving system of claim 15, and 35 further including shaving aid material secured to said cap member. , 17 . The system of claim 16, i 2 AU3 HJij/ WO 94/08761 -13- PCT/US93/09175 299297 said blade members has a blade tangent angle of about 24°, a span of about 1.5 millimeters and 5 including a plurality of spacer members that provide a plurality of spaced rinse paths extending between said blade members in a direction generally perpendicular to said cutting edges and parallel to the bodies of said 10 blade members, each said rinse path being about 0.5 millimeter deep and at least about four millimeters wide. 19. A shaving system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. an exposure of about 0.02 millimeter. 18. The system of claim 17, and further END OP CLAIMS