US3166842A

US3166842A - Adjustable spacer bar for multiplehead electric shaver

Info

Publication number: US3166842A
Application number: US308721A
Authority: US
Inventors: Christensen James; Hartman David
Original assignee: SCHICK ELECTRIC Inc
Current assignee: SCHICK ELECTRIC Inc
Priority date: 1963-09-13
Filing date: 1963-09-13
Publication date: 1965-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 1982-01-26

Description

1965 J. CHRISTENSEN ETAL 3,166,842

ADJUSTABLE SPACER BAR FOR MULTIPLE-HEAD ELECTRIC SHAVER Filed Sept. 15, 196 2 Shee tS-Sheet 1 ATTORNE y 1965 J. CHRISTENSEN ETAL 3,156,842

ADJUSTABLE S PACER BAR FOR MULTIPLE-HEAD ELECTRIC SHAVER Filed Sept. 13, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l hlllh "mi N [H /0. l'HHHh.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,166,842 ADJUSTABLE SPACER BAR FQR MULTEPLE- HEAD ELECTRIC SHAVER James Christensen and David Hartman, Lancaster, Pa,

assignors to Schick Electric Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 308,721 3 Qiaims. (Cl. 30-431) This invention relates to electric shavers of the kind having a head unit presenting two or more shearing surfaces separated by a vertically movable spacer bar, the movement of the bar, up or down, serving to admit more or less of the skin to the space between the adjacent shearing surfaces and thereby varying the closeness of the shearing action of such surfaces. The invention has for its general object the provision of improved means for manipulating or adjusting the position of the spacer bar.

In its preferred form, the invention comprises the combination of a vertically movable spacer bar, a slide bar disposed adjacent the spacer bar with freedom to move longitudinally with respect to the spacer bar, cam means carried by one of said bars and engaging the other and adapted to raise the spacer bar in response to longitudinal movement of the slide bar, a shaver case wall overlying one end of the slide bar, a spacer control member rotatably mounted in the said case wall and accessible for manual manipulation from the exterior thereof, and a stem projecting from the rear of said member through the said case wall and having a threaded connection with the said end of the slide bar, whereby the latter is moved longitudinally and the spacer bar thereby raised in response to rotation of the control member.

The invention will be readily understood from the description of the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

P16. 1 is a perspective view of the upper or head end of an electric shaver incorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the spacer bar and related components by which it is adjusted;

FIG. 3 is a broken out and partially sectioned plan view of the said components, assembled;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectionon the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

For purposes of illustration the invention is shown applied to a well-known type of electric shaver having mounted in its upper end a shearing head unit incorporating three heads, generally designated 1, 2, 3, with intervening spacer bar elements 4, 5. A usual, this triplehead unit is disposed and suitably secured in a recess formed by upstanding Wall portions of the case structure or of what serves as an extension of it. The drawings are simplified by the omission of details of the head unit construction and its mounting in the case, all of which are Well known and form no part of the present invention.

As will be seen, the spacer bar elements 4, 5 are the upper or free ends of a single, U-shaped spacer bar generally designated 6 in FIG. 2 and comprising a base 7 having

upstanding arms

8, 9 disposed on each side of and vertically movable with respect to the central head 2. A suitable spring means, such as the leaf spring 10, bearing on the upper side of the base of the spacer bar and the under side of the central head is biased to urge the spacer bar downward.

Adjacent and in this instance beneath the spacer bar is a slide bar which is free to move longitudinally. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is seated in a shallow recess 16 formed in the

case portions

17, 18.

One of the aforesaid bars carries appropriate cam Bidfifidl Patented den. 26, 1965 means for engagement with the other bar in such fashion that the spacer bar will be raised, against the bias of spring 19, in response to longitudinal movement of the slide bar in one direction and, of course, lowered by the spring when the slide bar is moved longitudinally in the opposite direction.

In the form illustrated, the cam means comprises'a separate piece 20 having depending cam portions 21 and upstanding headed lugs 22. by which latter it is engaged in

appropriate openings

23, 24 in the base 7 of the spacer bar and thereby interlocked against longitudinal movement with respect to the spacer bar. As will be seen, the upward adjustment of the spacer bar is efiected by the engagement with the depending cam portions 21 of the lips or down-turned

end edges

25, 26 of the

slide bar slots

27, 23, when the slide bar is moved to the right as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 5.

Movement of the slide bar is efiected by means of a manually rotatable member mounted adjacent one end of the bar and having a threaded connection with it.

As shown, the rotatable member comprises a wheel 3t) conveniently located adjacent the head in a recess in the case wall 31 which overlies the right hand end of the slide bar. The Wheel is held against axial movement by the flanged sleeve 32 which is press fitted or otherwise secured to the wheel from the inner side of the case wall. Carried by the wheel and projecting through the case wall is a threaded stem 33 engaged with a nut member 34 suitably dimensioned and shaped to seat on and between the arms 35 formed at the adjacent end of the slide bar.

In FIGS. 5 and 7 the spacer bar is shown in its low or downward position and it will be seen that when the wheel 30 is rotated clockwise, it draws the nut member 34 and slide bar to the right and the latter cams the spacer bar upward toward and eventually into its uppermost position as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the nut mem her then abutting the rear face of the adjustment wheel.

As stated at the outset, the vertical movements of the spacer bar serve to position it to admit more or less of the skin to the space between the adjacent shearing surfaces and thereby vary the closeness of the shearing action of such surfaces. In this instance, the wheel being exposed and accessible at all times, the height adjustment of the spacer bar may thus be changed with maximum convenience to suit the needs of the particular user.

In the light of the foregoing description of the preferred form of the invention, the'following is claimed:

1. In a multiple-head electric shaver, the combination of a vertically movable spacer bar, a slide bar disposed adjacent the spacer bar with freedom to move longitudinally with respect to the spacer bar, cam means carried by one of said bars and engaging the other and adapted to raise the spacer bar in response to longitudinal movement of the slide bar, a shaver case Wall overlying one end of the sliidc bar, a spacer control member rotatably mounted in the said case wall and accessible for manual manipulation from the exterior thereof, and a stem projecting from the rear'of said member through the said case Wall and having a threaded connection with the said end of the slide bar, whereby the latter is moved longitudinally and the spacer bar thereby raised in response to rotation of the control member.

2. In a multiple-head electric shaver, the combination of a vertically movable spacer bar, a slide bar disposed adjacent the spacer bar with freedom to move longitudinally with respect to the spacer bar, cam means carried by one of said bars and engaging the other and adapted to raise the spacer bar in response to longitudinal movement of the slide bar, a shaver case wall overlying one end of the slide bar, and manually operable means forrmoving said slide bar, said means'connected with the slide bar and extending through said case Wall for manipulation from the exterior thereof.

3. In a multiple-head electric shaver, the combination of a vertically movable spacerbar, a slide bar disposed adjacent the spacer bar with freedom to move longitudinally with respect to the spacer bar, earn means carried by one of said bars and engaging the other and adapted to raise the spacer bar in response to longitudinal movement of the slide bar, a manually rotatable member mounted adjacent one end of the slide bar and connec- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,056,198 10/62 Ream 30-43.l

0 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A MULTIPLE-HEAD ELECTRIC SHAVER, THE COMBINATION OF A VERTICALLY MOVABLE SPACER BAR, A SLIDE BAR DISPOSED ADJACENT THE SPACER BAR WITH FREEDOM TO MOVE LONGITUDINALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE SPACER BAR, CAM MEANS CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID BARS AND ENGAGING THE OTHER AND ADAPTED TO RAISE THE SPACER BAR IN RESPONSE TO LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE BAR8 A SPACER SHAVER CASE WALL OVERLYING ONE END OF THE SLIIDE BAR, A SPACER CONTROL MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE SAID CASE WALL AND ACCESSIBLE FOR MANUAL MANIPULATION FROM THE EXTERIOR THEREOF, AND A STEM PROJECTING FROM THE REAR OF SAID MEMBER THROUGH THE SAID CASE WALL AND HAVING A THREADED CONNECTION WITH THE SAID END OF THE SLIDE BAR, WHEREBY THE LATTER IS MOVED LONGITUDINALLY AND THE SPACER BAR THEREBY RAISED IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF THE CONTROL MEMBER.