US3045833A - Wall-mountable storage unit for an electric razor, cord, and shaving mirror during non-use periods - Google Patents

Description

July 24, 1962 G. D. CONRAD WALL-MOUNTABLE STORAGE UNIT FOR AN ELECTRIC RAZOR, com), AND SHAVING MIRROR DURING NON-USE PERIODS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1960 INVENTOR.

y 1962 G. D. CONRAD WALL-MOUNTABLE STORAGE UNIT FOR AN ELECTRIC RAZOR, coma. AND smwmc MIRROR DURING NON-USE PERIODS Filed Aug. 29. 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 6y4fi, 0/1 2422 y 1962 G. D. CONRAD 3,045,833

WALL-MOUNTABLE STORAGE UNIT FOR AN ELECTRIC RAZOR, CORD,.AND SHAVING MIRROR DURING NON-USE PERIODS Filed Aug. 29, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N V EN TOR. GyA 151D (an/2 42 WALL-MOUNTABLE STORAGE UNIT F011 AN ELECTRIC RAZOR, CORD, AND SHAVING MIR- ROR DURING NON-USE PERIODS Gyle D. Conrad, 822 N. 3rd Ave., Phoenix, Ariz.; Mary Elizabeth Muse, administratrix of said Gyle D. Conrad, deceased; by decree of distribution and assignment, of ninety percent to C. Dewey Conrad, as trustee, and ten percent to Gadget-Of-The-Month Club, Inc, North Hollywood, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Aug. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 52,553 8 Claims. (Cl. 211-87) The present invention consists of a device adapted to be removably mounted on a wall and to store an electric razor and cord during periods of non-use in a very compact form and to additionally store, mounted outwardly and in front thereof and in concealing relationship, an auxiliary shaving mirror (which may be a magnifying mirror) which is adapted, when in use, to be supported on the electric razor cord in a convenient and adjustable use posit-ion when an electrical connector plug at the end of the electric razor cord is connected to an overhead electric outlet usually associated with an overhead light fixture and lamp. This type of arrangement, where the conventional overhead outlet and the conventional electric razor cord are used for supporting such an auxiliary shaving mirror is more particularly disclosed and claimed in my co-pending patent application, Serial No. 52,559 and now abandoned, filed concurrently herewith.

It should be noted that the storage unit of the present invention is normally intended to be mounted on a wall below an overhead electric power outlet, light fixture, and lamp and usually alongside of a large mirror mounted on the wall or on the front surface or door of a medicine cabinet, or the like, although the invention is not specifically so limited.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage unit of the character referred to above which is of extremely simple, cheap, foolproof construction such as to be conducive to widespread use thereof.

Furtherobjects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter and will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study thereof.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, one exemplary embodiment is illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying three sheet-s of drawings and is described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a reduced-size front elevational view showing one exemplary embodiment of the present invention in mounted relationship with respect to a vertical supporting wall, and positioned at one side of a tyical bathroomtype medicine or toi letry cabinet, or the like, having the front door portion thereof provided with a mirror. It should be noted that the vertical wall is provided with an electric power outlet, light fixture, and illuminating lamp positioned directly above the toiletry or medicine cabinet. This view shows the storage unit of the present invention storing a conventional electric razor and cord and an auxiliary magnifying shaving mirror.

FIG. 2. is a view similar to FIG. 1, but shows the electric razor cord with its electrical connector plug at the free end thereof in engagement with the overhead power outlet underneath the overhead light fixture and lamp and with the electric razor cord depending therefrom and vertically adjustably carrying the auxiliary magnifying shaving mirror for effective use during a shaving operation with the electric razor. It should be noted that an intermediate portion of the electric razor cord between the auxiliary magnifying shaving mirror and the electric razoris effectively snubbed by snubbing means carried by the storage unit whereby to provide-a dead spot Patented July 24, 1962 which will prevent shaving movement of the electric razor from correspondingly moving the auxiliary shaving mirror. The details of this feature of the present invention are disclosed and claimed in great particularity in -my copending patent application, Serial No. 52,559, filed concurrently herewith. The present application is directed to the storage unit, per se.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partly fragmentary front elevational View of the storage unit shown at the lower left corner of FIG. 2, but illustrates it in the position shown in FIG. 1 (without the mirror, however, for drawing clarity) with the electric razor carried thereby and with the electric razor cord wound therearound in stored position. A portion of the lower recess adapted to support the electric razor is shown broken away for clarity.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 3, but shows the device with the electric razor and cord removed and with the controllably positionable slack take-up means or floating anchor in a loosened downwardly depending position rather than in the use positionshown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 4. However, this view shows the auxiliary magnifying shaving mirror in its mounted relationship withrespect to the storage unit although the razor and the wound electric razor cord are not shown for reasons of drawing clarity.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in the direction of the arrows 66 of FIG. 4 showing one of the wall-engageable fastening means comprising a panel member with rear adhesive means adapted for controllable ahesive engagement with a vertical supporting wall.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 7-7 of FIG. 4 showing the lower right hand cord-winding projection.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 88 of FIG. 3 showing the snubbing means carried by the front surface of the panel for snubbing engagement with respect to an intermediate portion of the electric razor cord during shaving use of the electric razor.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 9-? of FIG. 4 and shows the plug-engaging means or anchor positioned at the lower left side of the panel member and adapted to removably receive and retain an electrical connector plug carried at the remote end of the electric razor cord, as shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to the figures for exemplary purposes, one illustrative embodiment of the invention takes a typical exemplary form wherein it comprises a vertical panel member, indicated generally at 10, preferably made of thin-sheet metal or plastic material and carrying at the bottom thereof an outwardly extending, recessed, upwardly open shelf 11 adapted to receive and support an electric razor, such as is indicated generally at 12, therein when the electric razor is not in use. The panel memher It) is also provided at the top thereof wtih wallengageable fastening means, indicated generally at 13, for mounting the entire device on a vertical wall, such as is indicated at 14, in supported relationship with respect thereto and with the vertical panel member 10 lying immediately in front of the supporting wall 14.

In the specific example illustrated, the wall-engageable fastening means 13 comprises two separate fastening elements 15, each being of thin-sheet configuration and each having its rear surface provided with adhesive means 16 adapted to adhesively engage the surface of-the vertical supporting wall 14 whereby to firmly mount each of the fastening members 15 to the wall 14. lt'should be noted that the lower end of each of the fastening members 15 is looped around the rear portion 17 of a hook member 18 which extends forwardly through a corresponding slot 19 in the thin-sheet panel member 19 whereby to removably mount the panel member with respect to the wall 14. At this point, it should be noted that this particular type of wall-engageable fastening means is not intended to limit the scope of the invention specifically thereto. Actually, various types of wallengageable fastening means may be employed within the scope of the present invention.

The front surface of the panel member 10 is provided with forwardly extending spaced cord-Winding projections adapted to receive a looped and wound electric razor cord 21 therearound during non-use periods, as is exemplified in one particular manner in FIG. 3. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the cord-winding projections are two in number and comprise an upwardly directed and outwardly spaced hook or projection member 20U and a lower outwardly spaced and rightwardly directed projection or hook member 29L positioned below and to the right of the upper projection or hook member 20U. The mode of winding the electric razor cord 21 therearound in the manner shown in FIG. 3 will be described in detail hereinafter.

The front surface of the panel 10 is further provided with forwardly projecting electrical connector plug-engaging means, such as is indicated generally at 22, adapted to removably receive, engage and retain an electrical connector plug, such as that shown at 23, carried at the remote end of the electric razor cord 21, which has a coupling plug 24 at the other end thereof adapted for removable engagement with respect to the electric razor 12.

In the example illustrated, the plug 23 is of the male type and is adapted to be carried by the plug-engaging means or anchor 22 by reason of the fact that said anchor 22 has twin bifurcated curved retaining elements 25 adapted to slip over and firmly hold the body of the plug 23 in the manner best shown in FIG. 3 when the entire device is to be stored in non-use position. This will effectively anchor and hold the plug 23 during the cord-winding operation which will be described next.

The first step in the cord-winding operation is normally to place the electric razor 12 in the recessed shelf 11. Then the intermediate portion of the electric razor cord shown engaged by the snubbing device 26 in FIG. 2 is detached therefrom. Then the mirror is detached from its supported engagement with respect to the electric razor cord 21 as shown in FIG. 2, by lifting the mounting ring 27 off the engaging hook means 28, which is frictionally adjustably and lockably carried on the intermediate portion of the electric razor cord 21 (these features of the present invention are not described in detail herein since they are fully set forth in my copending patent application, Serial No. 52,559, filed concurrently herewith). Then the wall socket plug 23 is locked in the anchor or plug-engaging means 22 in the manner shown in FIG. 3. Then the electric razor cord 21 is grasped and placed in doubled relationship and is wound under and around the lower right hand hook or projection 20L in a counterclockwise manner and is then reversed and looped over and around the upper projection or hook 20U in a clockwise manner, and this alternate winding procedure around the two projections or hooks 20L and 20U is continued until only a short doubled and looped length of the electric razor cord remains, as indicated at 21L in FIG. 3, which is then looped over the outwardly projecting portion 29 of a controllably positionally adjustable slack take-up means or floating anchor, indicated generally at 30, which is then positionally adjusted so as to take up the slack of the looped end portion 21L of the electric razor cord.

The floating anchor or slack take-up means, indicated generally at 30, includes the projecting portion 29 and a reduced size shaft 31 connecting it to an arm 32, which is slotted along a portion of the length thereof, as indicated at 33, and which is mounted by means of an adjustable frictional thumb screw arrangement 34 with respect to the panel member 10 whereby the shaft portion 31 and projecting end 29 of the floating anchor or slack take-up means 30 can be both rotatively and longitudinally adjusted in virtually any desired manner so as to effectively take up the slack of the end loop 21L of the electric razor cord 21, thus providing a tightly and firmly mounted arrangement of the electric razor cord, the wall outlet plug, and the electric razor.

Then the auxiliary magnifying shaving mirror M is placed in front of the upper portion of the panel member 10 and mounted in said position by booking the mounting ring 27 over the upper projection or hook 20U in the manner clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. It will be noted that the auxiliary mirror M then completely covers the wound portion of the electric razor cord 21 and that it is held in appropriate outwardly spaced relationship by the ends of the two hooks or projections 20U and 201.. and also the outwardly projecting tabs of the spring fingers 25 of the wall outlet plug anchor or engaging means 22. This completes the sequence of operations for dismounting the device from the use position shown in FIG. 2 and placing it in the storage position shown in FIG. 1.

The opposite sequence is employed for placing the device in operative position, such as shown in FIG. 2, from the stored non-use position, such as shown in FIG. 1. In this case, the auxiliary mirror M is removed by lifting the mounting ring 27 off the upper projection 20U, with the left hand. Then the looped end portion 21L of the electric razor cord is removed from the floating anchor or slack take-up means 30 and is cast off the upper hook or projection 20U and the unwinding operation of the doubled cord can proceed to conclusion. Then the male plug 23 is removed from the plug anchor or engaging means 22 and is plugged into the wall electric outlet plug 35 in the manner shown in FIG. 2. Then the mirror mounting ring 27 is hooked onto the hook-engaging means 28 frictionally and lockably carried by the electric razor cord 21 and the auxiliary mirror M is adjusted into a desired shaving position. Then an intermediate portion of the electric razor cord 21 between the mirror M and the electric razor 12 is placed into the resilient snubbing means 26, which merely comprises a spring finger fastened to the panel member 10 as indicated at 36, whereby to immobilize that portion of the electric razor cord 21 and provide a dead spot which prevents normal shaving movement of the electric razor 12 from being transmitted to the auxiliary hanging mirror M and moving same, which would be undesirable.

An anti-dangling device or electric razor cord deflecting means, is indicated at 37 and is adapted to inwardly deflect immediately adjacent portions of the electric razor cord 21 toward adjacent portions of the vertical supporting Wall 14 or cabinet 38 whereby to cause the auxiliary mirror M to lie in very closely spaced relationship with respect to the front surface of a large conventional mirror 39 carried by the front surface of the door of the cabinet 38. This is for stability purposes and, in cooperation with tilt control means, indicated generally at 40, acts to prevent the auxiliary mirror M from hanging or dangling loosely and swinging or turning about. In other words, these features provide stability for the auxiliary magnifying shaving mirror M. However, these features are not described in detail herein since they are fully disclosed and claimed in my co-pending patent application, Serial No. 52,559, filed concurrently herewith.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be constmed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent construction-s embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A wall-mountable storage unit for an electric razor, cord, and shaving mirror during non-use periods, comprising: 'a vertical panel member of thin-sheet material carrying shelf means adapted to receive and support an electric razor, and provided with wall-engageable fastening means for mounting the entire device on a vertical auxiliary supporting wall in supported relationship with respect thereto and with said vertical panel member lying against and immediately in front of the supporting wall, the front of said panel member being provided with forwardly extending spaced cord-winding projections adapted to receive a looped and wound electric razor cord therearound during non-use periods and to support a shaving mirror forwardly thereof during nonuse periods; and controllably positionally adjustable slack take-up means carried by the front of the panel member for cooperation with a portion of the looped wound electric razor cord during non-use periods whereby to take up the slack therein and to retain it in looped wound position with respect to said cord-winding projections.

2. A device of the character defined in claim 1, Wherein said wall-engageable fastening means comprises adhesive means carried at the back of said panel member for controllable adhesive engagement with the vertical supporting wall.

3. A device of the character defined in claim 1, wherein the front of said panel member is further provided with forwardly projecting male-electrical-connector-plug-engaging means adapted to removably receive, engage, and retain a male electrical connector plug carried at the remote end of an electric razor cord during non-use periods.

4. A device of the character defined in claim 1, including snubbing means carried by the front of said panel member for snubbing engagement with respect to an intermediate portion of an electric razor cord.

5. A wall-mountable storage unit for an electric razor, cord, and shaving mirror during non-use periods, comprising: a vertical panel member of thin-sheet material carrying at the bottom thereof an outwardly extending recessed upwardly open shelf adapted to receive and support an electric razor therein, and provided at the top thereof with wall-engageable fastening means for mounting the entire device on a vertical auxiliary supporting wall in supported relationship with respect thereto and with said vertical panel member lying against and immediately in front of the supporting wall, the front of said panel member being provided with forwardly extending vertically, horizontally and angularly spaced cord-winding projections adapted to receive a looped and wound electric razor cord therearound during non-use periods and to support a shaving mirror forwardly thereof during non-use periods in a manner concealing the stored electric razor cord; controllably positionally adjustable slack take-up means carried by the front of the panel member for cooperation with a portion of the looped wound electric razor cord during non-use periods whereby to take up the slack therein and to retain it in looped wound position with respect to said cord-winding projections.

6. A device of the character defined in claim 5, Wherein said wall-engageable fastening means comprises hook means removably engaged with respect to the upper end of said panel member and adhesive means carried thereby for controllable adhesive engagement with the vertical supporting wall.

7. A device of the character defined in claim 5, wherein the front of said panel member is further provided with forwardly projecting bifurcated split male-electricalconnector-plug-engaging means adapted to removably receive, engage, and retain a male electrical connector plug carried at the remote end of an electric razor cord of an electric razor which is carried in the recessed shelf.

8. A device of the character defined in claim 5, including snubbing means carried by the front of said panel member for snubbing engagement with respect to an intermediate portion of an electric razor cord of an electric razor during shaving use thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 415,283 Riley Nov. 19, 1889 1,241,732 Henderson Oct. 2, 1917 1,971,396 Waide -2 Aug. 28, 1934 2,019,826 McKee Nov. 5, 1935 2,084,953 Gibson June 22, 1937 2,181,065 Bfeiifer Nov. 21, 1939,

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