US3431643A - Electric safety razor - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1969 J. 5. MICELI 3,431,643

ELECTRIC SAFETY RAZOR Filed June 9, 1967 Sheet of 2 REVERSIBLE Moroe INVENTOR.

JOSEPH S. M lCELl March 11, 1969 J. sv M'ICELI 3,431,643

ELECTRIC SAFETY RAZOR Filed June 9, 1967 Sheet 2 of I N VENTOR JOSEPH S. MICELI United States Patent 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electric razor having a rotary cylinder cutting head including an internal fixed blade holding means rotatable therewith wherein injection of a new blade ejects a used blade from an internal position in the rotary head.

BACKGROUND OF THIE INVENTION Heretofore various electrical razors of the rotary cutting type have been proposed. Basically these devices use a form of sharp cutting edge which directly cuts facial hair immediately adjacent the skin. This distinguishes over the dry shavers which generally provide for the movement of the hair into slots of a shaving head where they are cut by a shearing action of a translating or rotary fiat head resulting in less than a desirable close or clean shave. Main problems associated with prior wet shaving. devices have been their complexity, inherent danger of skin cutting, need for special blades or cutting cylinders, and difficulty of changing such blades. Manual operated safety razors, while overcoming some of the deficiencies of dry shavers and prior wet shaving devices, are relatively slow in operation and do not afford the optimum fast cutting action to the facial hairs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention provides a device for the wet shaving of the facial hair, basically comprises a hand holdable casing containing a generally open-ended rotary cylinder extending from the side thereof. Within the rotary cylinder is a razor blade holding means which rotates with the cylinder situated in such a position so as to orient the razor blade immediately adjacent a slot means extending longitudinally of the cylinder. The razor blade is oriented to the rotating cylinder so that in the position where the longitudinal slot is situate at the top extremity of the razor casing the blade may be ejected so that it clears the end wall portion of the casing. The razor casing includes a hinged section which in its open position permits removal of the rotary cylinder or allows access to the end of the rotary cylinder for insertion of the blade injection means. Lip seal means are provided to prevent ingress of soap and moisture to the interior drive mechanism for the rotary cylinder. Means are also provided for the rotary stropping of the blade contained in the rotary cylinder.

The above described device is one which is relatively simple in construction, prevents the cutting or nicking of the human skin during operation, uses conventional, commercially obtainable razor blades and provides a device in which the blades may be easily changed as well as sharpened in place.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and the ac companying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the razor exterior;

FIG. 2 is an exterior top view of the razor;

FIG. 3 is an interior plan view of the razor with the power train;

FIG. 4 is a cutaway perspective view of the razor casing showing details of the cylinder support and hinged cover;

"ice

FIG. 5 is a cutaway perspective view of the blade holding means and bearing means of the rotary cylinder;

FIG. 6 is a detail of the cylinder sealing means;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the cylinder taken on line 77 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a partial cros sectional view of a dual blade modification of the invention;

'FIG. 9 is a cutaway perspective of a modified form of the invention including stropping means;

FIG. 10 is a cutaway interior view of the FIG. 9 device showing the special stropping drive means; and

FIG. 11 is an end view of the stropping means of FIG. 9.

[Razor 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as comprising two outer shell portions 5 and 6. Hinged to top portion 5 by hinge means 37 is a flip cover 7 which provides access to the rotary cylinder 23 shown protruding from a rectangular opening in the plane of the razor. Means such as screws 9 are provided extending between sections 5 and 6 to secure these sections together along junction surface 30. Rotary cylinder 23 includes a longitudinal slot 25 through which the edge blade 8 extends. Serrations 4 are provided on an edge of the cover to facilitate the opening thereof. Suitable spring means and a holding detent (not shown) may be employed to give a positive closing force to the cover and prevent accidental opening.

FIG. 2 shows the top side of the razor and particularly shows the partial protrusion of the rotating cylinder 23 exterior of the casing 10. The protrusion is sufficient so as to enable the ejection of a used blade from the open end of the cylinder 23 past end wall 3 of casing 10.

FIG. 3 shows an interior view of the razor with the rotating cutting cylinder 23 in place. The edge of blade 8 is seen slightly protruding into longitudinal slot 25. Slot 25 preferably has narrowed portions 25a at either end thereof, which permits injection and ejection of a replacement blade. Blade 8 is shown in this view as being partially ejected. Sufficient clearance is provided between the plane of the slot, when it is in the particular rotary orientation shown in FIG. 3, and the end wall portion 3 of casing 10 so that blade 8 can be ejected from the generally open end of cylinder 23. As seen in detail in FIG. 5 cylinder 23 has a crosspiece 23a which functions to give the cylinder stability and stiffness as well as acting as a bearing support for the cylinder axle 42 which may be stub axles 'as shown or may extend through the entire cylinder 23. The axle extends through a wall member 21 which, with partition 26, separates the razor interior into a first compartment for the rotary cylinder and a second compartment containing a suitable power train means for rotating the cylinder. The axle 42 extends into a suitable bearing on the side wall of the casing 10 and fixedly supports a gear 22. A source of motive power, for example, dry cell batteries 12 are mounted in the second compartment and drive a small motor 11 through suitable electrical leads. Typically batteries 12 are mounted in a case 13 and are pressed by springs onto a suitable contact. A double-throw, double pole reversing switch is provided to control the power output. Motor 11 has an output shaft 17 having a drive gear 18 mounted thereon. Between gears 18 and 22 is an idler gear 19 mounted on shaft 20 which completes the power train for the cylinder. In the alternative, the power source may be a plug-in electrical line, a rechargeable drycell battery or other known source. Other linkage between the power source and the rotating cylinder may be employed. If desired, a variable speed control and/or a nonreversible motor may be provided. The former is usable to give various peripheral speeds to the rotating cylinder. A reversible motor is particularly useful for adding a desirable stropping feature for the razor blade.

FIG. 4 shows in detail the mounting means contained in the casing for seating the rotatable cutting cylinder. Walls 27 and 27a having substantially semicircular cutouts, are provided for support and sealing the ends of the cylinder 23. Bearing apertures 43 and 44 are provided in side wall 28 and wall 21 to support axle 42. Wall 21 is slightly spaced from wall 27a. Hinged cover section 7 has corresponding semi-circular cutouts aligned with the above cutouts to give 360 support to the rotating cylinder. Cover section 7 and the end wall 3 of the casing 10 have recesses 36 on their peripheral edges which, in the closed position of cover 7, form a rectangular opening at the end wall 3. The major dimension of that opening is transverse to the side walls of casing 10 and is of slightly greater size than the length of the rotatable cylinder protruding therefrom.

FIG. 5 is a cut-away perspective view of the rotatable cutting cylinder. A blade-holding means comprising a first portion 31 and an attached second portion 32 are affixed at 34 by soldering or other means to the inner periphery of cylinder 23. An injector-type blade 8 is fixed between portions 31 and 32 in a manner known in the art. The blade holding means is oriented so that blade 8 may pass in and out of opposite ends of the cylinder, clearing axle holding crosspiece 23a. Wall 28 is sized also to permit access of the injection blade cartridge to the blade holding means. The opposite end edges of blade 8 are protected by stop means or protrusions 24 in the form of an embossment protruding from the edges of cylnider 23 immediately adjacent narrowed slot portions 25a so as to prevent shaving nicks and cuts. This safe construction provides protection from adverse effects of blade corners which otherwise in their rotary movement could cause skin damage. Thus only a blade cutting edge which is parallel to slot 25 is provided. Means such as a keyway or squared cross section may be provided on axle 42 so that gear 22 may rotate the axle and the cylinder fixed thereon.

FIG. 6 is a detail showing means to prevent ingress of moisture, soap and other contaminants from the first compartment to the power train compartment. A circular lip seal 35 made of plastic such as polyfiuoroethylene is provided which has an exterior peripheral channel which is insertible over the edges of the cutouts in wall 27a. Extending internally of the lip seal is a radially inwardly directed lip on which the edge of the rotary cylinder rides forming an effective running seal outboard of the outer edge of blade 8 in its cutting position. Similarly a circular removable lip seal may be employed on cutout 27 and the corresponding cutout on the interior of cover 7 to provide a running seal and bearing for the opposite end of cylinder 23.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 77 of FIG. 3 showing particularly the blade edge orientation with respect to slot 25. The cutting edge 33 of blade 8 is oriented so that it protrudes a few thousandths of an inch from the plane between the outer edges of slot 25. Slot 25 is preferably about to wide so as to provide for proper ingress of soap or lather interiorly of the cylinder. Cylinder 23 may be easily flushed of lather by removing the cylinder from the razor for separate cleaning or by flushing the cylinder compartment and cylinder with the flip cover 7 in the open position. While it is indicated that the cylinder rotates counter-clockwise, such movement is dictated by the angular orientation of the blade holding means and blade. Reverse rotation may be provided by the previously mentioned reversible motor so as to effect a stopping of the blade when held against a stropping belt or other stropping or sharpening means.

FIG. 8 shows a skeleton-view of a modification showing a double-blade installation. For simplification, blades 8 only are shown without their respective holding means which would typically be that shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 fixedly mounted internally of cylinder 23. The blade holding means, per se, is conventional.

In the perferred form of the invention, cylinder 23 is formed from perforated sheet stock so that it is in the form of a cylindrical screen. The screen-like construction is particularly useful in cleaning the razor cylinder of residual lather. The slot 25 is bounded by solid sheet stock with the remainder of the cylinder apertured as is seen, for example, in FIG. 6. The apertures also allow for the centrifugal removal of lather and moisture from the cylin der 23 when it is being rotated, such material being trapped interior of the casing of the razor.

While FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment wherein the cylinder 23 is journalled in a bearing half 43 and a corresponding bearing half in hinged cover 7, it is contemplated that cylinder 23 may have a spring-pressed end of conventional construction, e.g., a telescoped end with internal spring, and be removably insertable into a circular bore in wall 28 of the casing, and, at its opposite end, being removable from the shaft which supports gear 22, by a bayonet or the like joint.

FIG. 9 shows a modification of the safety razor which allows for the rotary stropping, in-place, of the cutting blade. For ease of understanding, FIG. 9 does not show the power drive means for cylinder 23. An end plate 49 corresponding to crosspiece 23a is shown closing out the end of cylinder 23. The end plate has a suitable slot so as to permit ejection of blade 8 from the blade holding means as discussed with respect to FIGS. 3, 5 and 7. Axle 42 extends through said end plate and is insertable into the power drive means as shown in FIG. 3.

Device 50 comprises two casing halves 55 and 56. A hinged cover 57 covers the cylinder holding compartment. As in the previous modification, cylinder 23 is journalled in a bore in the side wall half 56 and extends outwardly from end wall 53 of casing 50. A slot 66 is provided on the top wall of half 55 to provide access to the power drive means (not shown) situate thereunder.

The stropping attachment usable with this modification comprises a cylindrical member 60 journalled in a U- shaped yoke having a longitudinal portion 61 and legs 62 and 63 journalling stub shafts 64 at each end of cylinder 60. Fixed with respect to leg 62 is a semicircular seating disc 69 which is adapted to seat on the ledge (not shown) which also receives the depending edge of cover 57. Fixed on the opposite stub end 64 of the attachment is a rotary drive disc 65 which has a thickness less than the width of slot '66.

In operation, the seating disc is first fitted on its seat with the hinged cover 57 in the up position. The yoke is brought into parallelism with cylinder 23 and pushed downwardly so that drive disc 65 depresses a corresponding wheel in the drive train (FIG. 10). As disc 63 is rotated in one direction and turns stropping cylinder 60, the cylinder is brought into stropping contact with the cuting edge of blade 8 contained in cylinder 23 rotating in a direction as indicated by the arrows.

FIG. 10 shows the detail of the power drive means. Gears 18, 19 and 22 correspond to the gears shown in FIG. 3. An auxiliary drive means is provided including idler drive wheels 74 and 79 generally of the friction type comprised of rubber discs which are journalled by shafts 76 and in a spring member 77 attached by suitable means 78 to the top side of casing half 55. In normal position spring 77 is outwardly biased so that rotary gear disc assembly is in the doted position 75 shown, extending partially through slot 66. Depression of gear 74 by drive disc 65 results in friction contact of disc 65, gears 73, 74 and 79 and main gear 19 resulting in turn to the desired rotary movement of stropping cylinder 60. As shown motor 11 would be run in reverse so that cylinder 23 and strop 60 will each rotate in a clockwise direction.

FIG. 11 is an end view of the attachment opposite the drive disc. Cylinder 60 comprises, for example, a leather tube 72 suitable for stropping which is slidable over a cylindrical core. The tube 72 is held on the core along with the yoke and seating disc by a threaded portion 67 of the stub shaft and a threaded nut 68.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of this invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. An electric razor comprising: a hand-holdable casing having a substantially rectangular opening at one end thereof, said opening having a major dimension transverse of side walls of said casing, an open-ended rotary cylinder contained in said casing,

and partially protruding from said opening, means connectible to a first end of said cylinder to rotate said cylinder about a longitudinal axis transverse of said casing and parallel to the major dimension of said opening, injector-type blade type holding means attached to said cylinder and having a blade holding section and a guide holding section, at least one slot means extending longitudinally of said cylinder, at least one blade insertable through a second end of said cylinder into said blade holding means and having a sharpened edge thereof extending into said slot means, said means to rotate said cylinder being spaced inwardly from the outer periphery of said cylinder protruding from said opening to permit simultaneous ejection of a used blade from said first end of said cylinder when. a new blade is inserted in said second end of said cylinder,

means sealing said means to rotate said cylinder from said rotating cylinder, said casing including a hinged section providing access to said blade holding section, and

stop means on said blade holding means immediately adjacent to each of the ends of said slot means in said cylinder to prevent exposure of blade cutting edge corners to said slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 703,845 7/ 1902 Standish 42 1,014,187 1/1912 Travers 3042 2,196,599 4/1940 Shryock 30'--43.6 2,212,624 8/1940 Testi 30-43.6 2,242,405 5/ 1941 Sussrnan 30-42 2,474,027 6/ 1949 Berger 30-42 3,229,366 1/1966 Strezolf SU -43.6

FOREIGN PATENTS 254,322 6/ 1926 Great Britain.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

Images