US3208141A - Dry shaver blade having hook-shaped securing means - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 28, 1965 1. JEPSON ETAL 3,203,141

DRY SHAVER BLADE HAVING HOOK-SHAPED SECURING MEANS Original Filed May 12, 1961 WW 2 C. 5 J J m f w. 1 d a a ww w /u 5 .14 JIVMQL 6W l n 4 H L 1% H. \zn kr/y Q. a a J x a Jim 2 05 M1 5 eM u mm: MP M 0 6 m United States Patent 3,208,141 DRY SHAVER BLADE HAVING HOOK-SHAPED SECURING MEANS Ivar .Jepson, Sister Bay, Wis., and Francis J. Schuessler,

Chicago, 111., assignors to Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application lviay 12, 1961, Ser. No. 109,551, now Patent No. 3,196,539, dated July 27, 1965. Divided and this application Sept. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 398,299 2 Claims. (Cl. -437) The present application is a division of copending Jepson et al. application Serial No. 109,551, filed May 12, 1961, now Patent No. 3,196,539 granted July 27, 1965.

This invention relates to apparatus for removing beards or face hair as well as effecting depilation of hair on the arms, legs and other portions of the human body, and is generally referred to as an electric dry shaver. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an improved blade for an electric dry shaver and is in the nature of an improvement over the dry shaver disclosed and claimed in Jepson Patent No. 2,688,184, granted September 7, 1954, and assigned to the same assignee.

Electric shavers of several different types are extensively employed by many persons as the sole means of shaving. The type of electric shaver disclosed in the above-mentioned Jepson Patent No. 2,688,184 has proved to be unusually satisfactory for reducing shaving time while still furnishing a very satisfactory shave. Moreover, this shaver has been designed so .tbat it may be held comfortably and conveniently in the hand of the operator. Proof of the desirability of this design is evidenced by the fact that all major electric shavers sold on the market today are essentially of the general shape and configuration.

The type of shaver disclosed in JepSon Patent No. 2,688,184 is one in which the beard enters the shaving head through a curved comb perforated with a network of small holes. An oscillated cutter including one or more cutting blades travelling back and forth across the comb at high speed and thrown by centrifugal force against the inside surface of the comb Whisks off the beard. The cutter floats in a cutter head and shaft assembly that is oscillated by a powerful electric motor having speeds in excess of 8000 cycles per minute.

It would be desirable in a shaver of the type described above to provide improved cutting means defined by a blade adapted to be locked into place in the cutting head and readily removable when desired.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cutting blade for an electric dry shaver.

it is another object of the present invention to provide an electric dry shaver having improved cutting means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cutting blade for an electric dry shaver which is adapted to be locked in place and which is readily removable when desired.

Still another object of the present invention resides in an electric dry shaver having a trimming portion for cutting long hairs on the neck, ears, nose and sideburns, as well as for trimming a mustache or the like, which trimmer is completely safe with no moving parts exposed.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and form-ing a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the present invention,

3,208,141 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an electric shaver embodying the present invention with certain portions cut away more clearly to illustrate the invention; and

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of an outside one of the plurality of cutting blades of the electric dry shaver of FIG. 1.

Briefly, the present invention is concerned with an improved cutting blade for an electric dry shaver of the type having one or more oscillating cutting blades cooperating with a perforated comb and depending upon centrifugal force and spring means for moving the cutting blade into engagement with the comb. An elongated cutting blade is provided having a cutting surface along one edge and having an integral hook-shaped projection extending from the edge of the blade opposite the cutting edge. The cutting surface includes an elongated cutting area, and a short cutting section defined at the end of the blade separated from said elongated area. Mean-s are provided whereby the cutter blades are locked into place in a manner so that they can readily be removed when desired. Moreover, the short cutting section at one end of the blades provides a trimmer for sideburns and long hairs on the neck, nose and ears of the user.

Referring now to the drawing, the present invention is illustrated as embodied in an electric dry shaver generally designated by the reference numeral 20. The shaver 20 is fully described in the above-mentioned Jepson et al. Patent No. 3,196,539 granted July 27, 1965 and is described herein only to the extent necessary to explain the present invention. It should be understood that the description of Jepson of a1. Patent No. 3,196,539 granted July 27, 1965 is effectively incorporated in this application as a full description of the shaver 20. As illustrated, shaver 20 comprises a cutting assembly or mechanism, generally designated at 21, comprising a plurality of substantially identical cutters 21a, 21b, etc., the cutter 21a being shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing and the cutter 21b being shown in FIG. 1. These cutters coact with a removable comb or cutting surface 22. The comb and cutter mechanism are associated with a suitable casing, generally designated at 23, and the comb 22 preferably comprises a substantial portion of the surface of the casing 23. Housed within the casing 23 is a suitable electric motor, generally designated at 24, which is adapted to be connected by suitable driving means, generally designated at 25, with the cutter mechanism 21 in order to cause oscillation of this cutter mechanism at a speed in excess of 8000 cycles per minute.

As is fully disclosed in the aforementioned Jepson et al. Patent No. 3,196,539, granted July 27, 1965, the casing 23 is of boxlike configuration so that it may be readily held in the hand of the user. The casing 23 is effectively divided into a motor chamber, generally designated at 26, and a cutter chamber, generally designated at 27.

Rotary motion of the motor 24 is converted to oscillating motion of the cutter assembly 21 in any suitable manner; for example, as more fully described in the abovementioned Jepson et al. Patent No. 3,196,539 granted July 27, 1965. For imparting oscillatory motion to the cutter assembly 21, there is provided a cutter shaft 30 which has one end thereof supported by a bearing 31 and the other end supported by a bearing defined between a head bearing seat 32 and a head bearing cap 33. This cutter shaft 30 is mounted in spaced parallel relationship with the shaft of the motor 24 and is substantially c0- extensive therewith. One end of the cutter shaft 30 is connected to the motor shaft by the driving means 25, fully described in the above-mentioned Jepson et al. Patent No. 3,196,539 granted July 27, 1965.

For supporting the cutters 21a, 21b, etc. for oscillation with the cutter shaft 30, the latter is provided with a plurality of upwardly extending supports 35a, 35b, 35c and 35d. These supports are each of somewhat triangular shape with a flanged opening 36 defined essentially at the apex of the triangle through which the cutter shaft 30 extends. Moreover, the supports 35a, 35b, 35c and 35d are rigidly fastened to the cutter shaft so as to be disposed in spaced parallel relationship and, furthermore, so as to provide a unitary cutter supporting structure. To insure proper balance of the movable portions of the cutter assembly 21, the support 35a oppositethe driving means 25 of the shaver 20 is provided with a downwardly extending portion 38 to which is secured a counterweight 39.

Each of the supports 35a, 35b, 35c and 35d is provided with one or more slots or grooves 40, the number of slots depending on the number of cutters or cutting blades 21a, 21b, etc. The slots for each particular cutter in the supports 35a, 35b, 35c and 35d are, of course, aligned to receive therein the respective cutter blades 21a, 21b, etc. in parallel angularly disposed relationship, more fully described in the above-mentioned Jepson et al. patent. Essentially, these cutter blades are identical, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the only exception being that all but one of these cutter blades are provided with an identifying eyelet such as 42 in FIG. 2 of the drawing whereby the user may always place the correct blade in its particularly series of aligned slots. From the above description it will be apparent that the cutter supports 35a, 35b, 35c and 35d removably receive in the different series of aligned slots 40 the associated blades 21a, 21b, etc. thereby maintaining the latter in parallel angularly disposed relationship so that the cutting edges thereof may be disposed in an arcuate manner for engaging the comb 22.

For the purpose of resiliently supporting the cutter blades 21a, 21b, etc. within the associated aligned slots 40 in the spaced supports 35a, 35b, 35c and 35d, there is provided for each blade a resilient spring 43, only one of which is shown in the drawing. These springs are in the form of a wire of spring material deformed to the configuration shown in FIG. 1 with the central U-shaped portion adapted to be disposed between the supports 35b and 35a, and within slots 44 formed in these supports. These slots 44 would be extensions of slots 40 except for narrow wall potions 45 separating them, as best shown in the Jepson et al. Patent No. 3,196,539 granted July 27, 1965. Somewhat upwardly extending angular end portions of springs 43 are adapted to be received within the slots 40 of supports 35a and 35d beneath cutter blades 21a. It will be apparent that the supports 35b and 35c differ from the supports 35a and 35d in that they include the slots 44 separated from the slots 40 by the narrow wall portions 45, which slots 44 accommodate the central portion of the springs 43. It will be understood that the centrifugal force produced as a result of high speed oscillation of the cutter blades 21a will cause them to be forced against the inside surface of the comb 22 insuring engagement therewith in accordance with the principle set forth in Bruecker Patent No. 2,081,694. This centrifugal force, of course, is combined with the force of the springs 43.

The comb 22 is identical with that shown in Iepson et al. Patent No. 3,196,539 granted July 27, 1965, and it comprises a cutting surface formed of very thin flexible material perforated by one or more punching operations with a large number of hair receiving openings particularly well adapted for receiving short beard hairs, and a plurality of elongated slots having serrations or teeth along the edges thereof for receiving long hairs. The area provided with the openings comprises the cutting area which area defines a substantially portion of the casing surface and smoothly conforms thereto.

Since the cutting surface of the comb 22 is formed of relatively thin-material, i tends to conform itself to the shape of the surface with which it is in contact and, therefore, must be supported by a suitable supporting structure or frame, generally designated at 50, comprising a plurality of parallel arcuate ribs 50a, 50b and 50c spaced from one another in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the cutting blades 21a, 21b, etc. The ribs 50a and 50c are effectively end frame members and are somewhat wider than the ribs 50b. The ribs 50b are uniformly spaced except adjacent the elongated slots of the comb where closer spacing for satisfactory support is necessary. The thin cutting surface portion of the comb 22 is suitably riveted or otherwise secured to the comb frame 50 to provide a relatively rigid removable unit sufiiciently sturdy so as not to be damaged when handled in a normal manner. Although the end rib or frame member 50a defines the end of the shaving area, in order to provide a trimming area the comb 22 is provided with an extension beyond the rib 50a in the form of a plurality of spaced arcuately positioned cutting teeth which are defined as part of an arcuate end support all as fully disclosed in the aforesaid Jepson et al. patent.

In order that the cutter blades 21a, 21b, etc. may make shearing contact with the inner surface of the arcuateshaped comb 22, and particularly the flexible cutting surface thereof without interfering with the ribs 50a and 50b, the cutter blades are provided with a plurality of notches and 56, as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, the notch 55 being a relatively large notch to accommodate the end rib 50a. Thus, the portions of the cutting blade between the notches 56 and also between the notch 55 and the adjacent notch 56 provide cutting surfaces engageable with the inside surface of the comb 22. The blades also comprise a plurality of notches 57 which are located adjacent the elongated slots of the comb. These notches are provided so as not to interfere with the entry of long hairs into the elongated openings or slots.

In accordance with the present invention, each of the cutter blades 21a, 21b, etc. includes an end cutting portion, designated as 60, which cooperates with the inside surfaces of the teeth previously mentioned so as to provide a trimming cutting action over the arcuate area at the end of comb 22. The above-mentioned copending Jepson et al. patent clearly illustrates the manner in which the present dry shaver can be used for trimming sideburns and other longer hair.

In accordance with the present invention, the cutter blades 21a, 21b, etc. are adapted to be locked into place when inserted in the slots 40 in a manner so that they may readily be removed when desired. To this end, each of the blades 21a, 21b, etc. has a pair of integral hookshaped projecting portions 62a and 62b, as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing. These hook-shaped extensions 62a and 62b extend from the back of the cutter or, in

other words, from the edge opposite the cutting edge and are spaced the same distance apart as are the center cutter supports 35b and 35c. The cutter blades are adapted to be inserted in the slots 40 with the open sides of the hook-shaped portions to the left of the supports 35b and 350, respectively, as viewed in FIG. 1 of the drawing. The cutter blades are then pushed downwardly into the slots 40 against the force of springs 43 so that the open ends of the hooks 62a and 6212 are below the wall portions 45, whereupon the entire blade is moved slightly to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 so that the hookshaped portions 62a and 62b move beneath the wall portions 45. Then, upon release of the pressure forcing the blades into the slot 40, the hook-shaped portions 62a, and 62b will engage the wall portions 45 and removably lock the blades in position.

For best shaving action it is desired that the cutter blades 21a, 21b, etc. are always used in the same relative position in the cutter assembly and to this end, as was mentioned above, all but one of the cutter blades are provided with eyelets 42 which preferably are of different color and correspondingly colored indicia may be pro vided on a related portion of the shaver 20 so that the blades 21a, 21b, etc. may always be inserted in their same respective series of aligned slots. Obviously the hookshaped extensions 62a and 62b and the trimmer ends 60 insure that the blades will always be inserted in the same direction.

In view of the detailed description included above, the operation of the electric dry shaver 20 will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It will furthermore be ap parent that a dry shaver has been disclosed comprising readily assembled parts, each of very sturdy construction which will give long and foolproof operation. By virtue of the use of a plurality of cutter blades with end trimming members, there is provided a more eflicient shaver which can perform hair cutting operations in a much better manner than was heretofore possible. Additionally, the cutting blades may be readily inserted and locked in place, and are readily removable when desired.

While only a single embodiment of the present invention has been shown, it will be understood that various changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is contemplated in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cutter blade for use in a shaver of the type having a curved comb and means for oscillating said cutter blade in shearing engagement with the inside of said comb, the combination of an elongated blade having a cutting surface along one edge, a pair of hook-shaped projections extending from the edge of said blade opposite said cutting edge, said hook-shaped projections being disposed entirely within the plane of the blade, the hooks of each of said hook-shaped projections being disposed on the same corresponding sides of their associated projection, the open end of each hook being directed toward the edge of said blade opposite said cutting edge, whereby said hook-shaped projections may be simultaneously disengaged from any members disposed within the hooks upon a slight movement in the direction that the hookshaped projections extend from the blade followed by movement of said blade along its longitudinal axis.

2. A cutter blade for use in a shaver of the type having a curved comb and means for oscillating said cutter blade in shearing engagement with the inside of said comb, the combination of an elongated blade having an elongated cutting area along one edge, a short cutting section defined at the end of said blade separated from said elongated cutting area, a pair of hook-shaped projections extending from the edge of said blade opposite said cutting edge, said hook-shaped projections being disposed entirely within the plane of the blade, the hooks of each of said hook-shaped projections being disposed on the same corresponding sides of their associated projection, the open end of each book being directed toward the edge of said blade opposite said cutting edge, whereby said hook-shaped projections may be simultaneously disengaged from any members disposed within the hooks upon a slight movement in the direction that the hookshapcd projections extend from the blade followed by movement of said blade along its longitudinal axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,196,098 4/40 Bruecker 3043.9 X 2,331,500 10/43 Rand 3043.9 2,917,825 12/59 Winther 3043.9 2,935,788 5/60 Kleinman 30-342 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A CUTTER BLADE FOR USE IN A SHAVER OF THE TYPE HAVING A CURVED COMB AND MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID CUTTER BLADE IN SHEARING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INSIDE OF SAID COMB, THE COMBINATION OF AN ELONGATED BLADE HAVING A CUTTING SURFACE ALONG ONE EDGE, A PAIR OF HOOK-SHAPED PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE EDGE OF SAID BLADE OPPOSITE SAID CUTTING EDGE, SAID HOOK-SHAPED PROJECTIONS BEING DISPOSED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE PLANE OF THE BLADE, THE HOOKS OF EACH OF SAID HOOK-SHAPED PROJECTIONS BEING DISPOSED ON THE SAME CORRESPONDING SIDES OF THEIR ASSOCIATED PROJECTION, THE OPEN END OF EACH HOOK BEING DIRECTED TOWARD THE EDGE OF SAID BLADE OPPOSITE SAID CUTTING EDGE, WHEREBY SAID HOOK-SHAPED PROJECTIONS MAY BE SIMULTANEOUSLY DISENGAGED FROM ANY MEMBERS DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOOKS UPON A SLIGHT MOVEMENT IN THE DIRECTION THAT THE HOOKSHAPED PREJECTIONS EXTEND FROM THE BLADE FOLLOWED BY MOVEMENT OF SAID BLADE ALONG ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS.

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