WO1990005047A1 - Improvements in or relating to safety razors - Google Patents

Improvements in or relating to safety razors Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1990005047A1
WO1990005047A1 PCT/US1989/004588 US8904588W WO9005047A1 WO 1990005047 A1 WO1990005047 A1 WO 1990005047A1 US 8904588 W US8904588 W US 8904588W WO 9005047 A1 WO9005047 A1 WO 9005047A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
projections
razor
pillars
walls
razor according
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1989/004588
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Alan Crook
Oliver David Oglesby
Brian Oldroyd
Original Assignee
The Gillette Company
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by The Gillette Company filed Critical The Gillette Company
Priority to BR898907724A priority Critical patent/BR8907724A/en
Publication of WO1990005047A1 publication Critical patent/WO1990005047A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26B—HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B26B21/00—Razors of the open or knife type; Safety razors or other shaving implements of the planing type; Hair-trimming devices involving a razor-blade; Equipment therefor
    • B26B21/40—Details or accessories
    • B26B21/4012—Housing details, e.g. for cartridges
    • B26B21/4018—Guard elements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26B—HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B26B21/00—Razors of the open or knife type; Safety razors or other shaving implements of the planing type; Hair-trimming devices involving a razor-blade; Equipment therefor
    • B26B21/40—Details or accessories
    • B26B21/4012—Housing details, e.g. for cartridges
    • B26B21/4025—Cap elements

Definitions

  • This invention relates to razors having one or more blades and skin engaging surfaces arranged ahead of and/or behind the blade edge or edges.
  • the invention is applicable to razors of various forms, such as so-called 3-piece razors, one- piece, or disposable razors and to razors in which the head is formed by a replaceable blade cartridge.
  • the skin engaging surfaces are formed as cap and guard members, the cap member being positioned behind the blade edges(s) and the guard member ahead of the edge(s).
  • the present invention resides broadly in providing the skin engaging cap and/or guard surfaces with configurations or textures designed to promote pleasant tactile sensations, in use of the razors, which tend to mask the sensations caused by contact of the blade edge(s) with the skin and more significantly with the facial hairs as they are severed.
  • the skin engaging surfaces of the razor head or cartridge are provided in one form or another with projections whose function is to provide frequent stimulation of the individual .nerve zones at a low but adequate pressure level.
  • the pressures are controlled by making the projections flexible and by varying their density to achieve sufficient but not excessive stimuli.
  • the present invention provides a safety razor having one or more blades and a skin engaging surface (such as a cap member or a guard member) wherein the said surface is formed by a plurality of upstanding straight filaments present at a density of at least
  • the filaments having a uniform length of 0.3 to 2.00 mm and diameters in the range of (1.5 to 3.2)x10 ⁇ 2 mm.
  • the invention also provides a safety razor having a skin engaging surface (such as a cap member or a guard member), wherein the said surface is composed of an array of projections comprising a plurality of rows extending generally parallel with the blade edge(s), the said projections being flexible under normal shaving forces in directions transverse to the blade edge(s), and wherein the said projections have a height in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, a ratio of height to base thickness in the range of 2:1 to 5:1 and a spacing between adjacent longitudinal rows of 0.3 to 1.5mm.
  • Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional 5 form of replaceable razor cartridge to which the invention may be applied;
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cartridge body 1 of moulded construction (usually composed of a number of individual mouldings) in which are permanently secured 15 a pair of blades 2, 3 whose cutting edges are disposed to act in tandem upon the skin.
  • the body is formed to provide a guard member 4 and a cap member 6 having skin engaging surfaces 7 and 8, respectively, to engage the skin ahead of and behind the blade edges.
  • one or both of the surfaces 7 and 8 is or are provided with a configured surface essentially comprising a plurality of spaced projections.
  • the surfaces are formed by spray flock coatings, e.g. of nylon, acetate or acrylic filaments having lengths of 0.3 to 2.00, and diameters of (1.5 to 3.2) x 10 -2 . 30
  • the filaments are applied at a density of 100 to 500 ⁇ per sq. mm.
  • the filaments may be disposed perpendicular to the skin engaging surface in question, or may be inclined up to 60° from the perpendicular, either forwardly or rearwardly relative 35 to the shaving direction, and they may be orientated differently in different regions of the skin engaging surfaces. Examples of various possible forms of moulded configurations are illustrated in Figs. 2 to 8, respectively.
  • the surface is formed with a square grid pattern of mutually transverse walls 11 , each tapering to a very thin edge.
  • Each square cell 12 thus formed may be some 0.3 to 1.0 across, with its walls 0.5 to 2.5 high and with an "aspect ratio" of height to thickness of base in the range of 2:1 to 5:1.
  • the structure may be completely open, as shown in Fig. 2 or, as illustrated in Fig. 3, it may have a continuous base 13.
  • the individual- projections 11A are spaced apart in respective, mutually transverse rows to form rectangular cells open at their corners and the base 3 has apertures 14 at the intersection of each group of four adjacent projections to facilitate clearance of shaving debris.
  • the corresponding projections are formed as continuous longitudinal fins 11B.
  • the fins may be spaced apart by 0.3 to 1.0, with a height of 0.5 to 2.5 and an aspect ratio in the range 2:1 to 5:1.
  • Fig. 5 the fins are perpendicular to the base 13 but in Fig. 6 they are shown inclined at an angle of about 30° or more to the perpendicular, and forwardly relative to the shaving direction, indicated by the arrow 'S' .
  • the fins may alternatively be set to slope rearwardly relative to shaving direction at an angle of up to 30° beyond the perpendicular.
  • Fig. 7 illustrates a variant of Fig. 5 in which the fins 11C, instead of being continuous, are interrupted at intervals along their lengths. They may also be inclined, either forwardly or rearwardly, as described in relation to Fig. 6.
  • the action of the above described fins is as follows. Those arranged parallel to the blade edges interact with the skin either directly or through contact with facial hair to produce pleasant masking sensations, while those arranged perpendicular to the edges help to control the pressure of the parallel fins on the skin.
  • the skin engaging surfaces are formed by mouldings of synthetic elastomeric materials. They may be formed integrally with the basic cap or guard structures, or as separate mouldings which are then attached to underlying cap and guard structures. This latter approach lends itself particularly well, but not exclusively, to incorporation in razor cartridges of the conventional form currently marketed widely in the UK and elsewhere.
  • Fig. 8 illustrates another form of the invention in which the skin engaging surfaces are formed with individual pillars 14.
  • the pillars may have a height in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 with an aspect ratio of height to base diameter of 2:1 to -5:1 and with a spacing between adjacent pillars in each row and between adjacent rows of pillars of 0.6 to 1.5.
  • the base 13 and pillars 14 may be integrally moulded in one material which is relatively flexible, or "the pillars might be made of a more rigid material set in an elastomeric base 13 which permits flexure of the individual pillars about their lower ends.
  • the precise arrangement and dimensioning of the fins, walls, pillars or other projections will be dependent in part on the flexibility of the particular materials selected, which will normally have a hardness of less than 90 Shore A. It will also be possible to combine different surfaces on different regions of the razor, say one type on the cap member and another on the guard member as well as to combine different surfaces on different regions of either member.

Abstract

A razor head or cartridge is provided on its skin engaging surfaces (T, 8), e.g. caps and/or guard surfaces with an array of closely spaced projections (11, 14) which, in use, produce a pleasant tactile sensation tending to reduce shaving discomfort. The projections may be formed by closely packed flexible filaments, or by moulded fins (11) or pillars (14).

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SAFETY" RAZORS
This invention relates to razors having one or more blades and skin engaging surfaces arranged ahead of and/or behind the blade edge or edges.
The invention is applicable to razors of various forms, such as so-called 3-piece razors, one- piece, or disposable razors and to razors in which the head is formed by a replaceable blade cartridge.
In conventional razors, the skin engaging surfaces are formed as cap and guard members, the cap member being positioned behind the blade edges(s) and the guard member ahead of the edge(s).
The present invention resides broadly in providing the skin engaging cap and/or guard surfaces with configurations or textures designed to promote pleasant tactile sensations, in use of the razors, which tend to mask the sensations caused by contact of the blade edge(s) with the skin and more significantly with the facial hairs as they are severed.
It is known that small discrete regions of the skin, approximately 1mm across on the face, are served by separate nerve networks so that it is not possible subjectively to distinguish between two separate points of pressure applied to the skin less than about 1mm apart. These areas can be stimulated repeatedly by a succession of pressure points moving across them. By controlling the pressure to a low but adequate level it can be assured that the sensation is pleasant, but it has been found, surprisingly, that this raises the threshold stimulus level for discomfort.
In the embodiments of the invention described below, the skin engaging surfaces of the razor head or cartridge are provided in one form or another with projections whose function is to provide frequent stimulation of the individual .nerve zones at a low but adequate pressure level. The pressures are controlled by making the projections flexible and by varying their density to achieve sufficient but not excessive stimuli.
The present invention provides a safety razor having one or more blades and a skin engaging surface (such as a cap member or a guard member) wherein the said surface is formed by a plurality of upstanding straight filaments present at a density of at least
100 per sq. mm, the filaments having a uniform length of 0.3 to 2.00 mm and diameters in the range of (1.5 to 3.2)x10~2 mm.
The invention also provides a safety razor having a skin engaging surface (such as a cap member or a guard member), wherein the said surface is composed of an array of projections comprising a plurality of rows extending generally parallel with the blade edge(s), the said projections being flexible under normal shaving forces in directions transverse to the blade edge(s), and wherein the said projections have a height in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, a ratio of height to base thickness in the range of 2:1 to 5:1 and a spacing between adjacent longitudinal rows of 0.3 to 1.5mm. j, Some embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference J to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional 5 form of replaceable razor cartridge to which the invention may be applied;
Figs. 2 to 8 each comprise a fragmentary view, on a greatly enlarged scale, of a skin engaging surface in accordance with the invention. 10 A cartridge of conventional form is illustrated in Figure 1 , which is a perspective view illustrating a cartridge body 1 of moulded construction (usually composed of a number of individual mouldings) in which are permanently secured 15 a pair of blades 2, 3 whose cutting edges are disposed to act in tandem upon the skin. The body is formed to provide a guard member 4 and a cap member 6 having skin engaging surfaces 7 and 8, respectively, to engage the skin ahead of and behind the blade edges. 20 In accordance with the invention, one or both of the surfaces 7 and 8 is or are provided with a configured surface essentially comprising a plurality of spaced projections.
All linear dimensions specified herein are in 25 mm.
In one embodiment of the invention, the surfaces are formed by spray flock coatings, e.g. of nylon, acetate or acrylic filaments having lengths of 0.3 to 2.00, and diameters of (1.5 to 3.2) x 10-2. 30 The filaments are applied at a density of 100 to 500 ι per sq. mm. The filaments may be disposed perpendicular to the skin engaging surface in question, or may be inclined up to 60° from the perpendicular, either forwardly or rearwardly relative 35 to the shaving direction, and they may be orientated differently in different regions of the skin engaging surfaces. Examples of various possible forms of moulded configurations are illustrated in Figs. 2 to 8, respectively.
In Fig. 2, the surface is formed with a square grid pattern of mutually transverse walls 11 , each tapering to a very thin edge. Each square cell 12 thus formed may be some 0.3 to 1.0 across, with its walls 0.5 to 2.5 high and with an "aspect ratio" of height to thickness of base in the range of 2:1 to 5:1. The structure may be completely open, as shown in Fig. 2 or, as illustrated in Fig. 3, it may have a continuous base 13.
In-Fig. 4, the individual- projections 11A are spaced apart in respective, mutually transverse rows to form rectangular cells open at their corners and the base 3 has apertures 14 at the intersection of each group of four adjacent projections to facilitate clearance of shaving debris.
In Figs. 5 and 6, the corresponding projections are formed as continuous longitudinal fins 11B. The fins may be spaced apart by 0.3 to 1.0, with a height of 0.5 to 2.5 and an aspect ratio in the range 2:1 to 5:1.
In Fig. 5 the fins are perpendicular to the base 13 but in Fig. 6 they are shown inclined at an angle of about 30° or more to the perpendicular, and forwardly relative to the shaving direction, indicated by the arrow 'S' .
The fins may alternatively be set to slope rearwardly relative to shaving direction at an angle of up to 30° beyond the perpendicular.
Fig. 7 illustrates a variant of Fig. 5 in which the fins 11C, instead of being continuous, are interrupted at intervals along their lengths. They may also be inclined, either forwardly or rearwardly, as described in relation to Fig. 6. The action of the above described fins is as follows. Those arranged parallel to the blade edges interact with the skin either directly or through contact with facial hair to produce pleasant masking sensations, while those arranged perpendicular to the edges help to control the pressure of the parallel fins on the skin.
In each of the cases illustrated in Figs. 2 to 7, the skin engaging surfaces are formed by mouldings of synthetic elastomeric materials. They may be formed integrally with the basic cap or guard structures, or as separate mouldings which are then attached to underlying cap and guard structures. This latter approach lends itself particularly well, but not exclusively, to incorporation in razor cartridges of the conventional form currently marketed widely in the UK and elsewhere.
Fig. 8 illustrates another form of the invention in which the skin engaging surfaces are formed with individual pillars 14. The pillars may have a height in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 with an aspect ratio of height to base diameter of 2:1 to -5:1 and with a spacing between adjacent pillars in each row and between adjacent rows of pillars of 0.6 to 1.5. The base 13 and pillars 14 may be integrally moulded in one material which is relatively flexible, or "the pillars might be made of a more rigid material set in an elastomeric base 13 which permits flexure of the individual pillars about their lower ends. With all of the above described moulded con¬ structions, the precise arrangement and dimensioning of the fins, walls, pillars or other projections will be dependent in part on the flexibility of the particular materials selected, which will normally have a hardness of less than 90 Shore A. It will also be possible to combine different surfaces on different regions of the razor, say one type on the cap member and another on the guard member as well as to combine different surfaces on different regions of either member.

Claims

CLAIMS :
1. A safety razor having one or more blades and a skin engaging surface (such as a cap member or a guard member) wherein the said surface is formed by a plurality of upstanding straight filaments present at
5 a density of at least 100 per sq. mm, the filaments having a uniform length of 0.3 to 2.00 mm and diameters in the range of (1.5 to 3.2)x10"2 mm.
2. A razor according to claim 1 , in which the
1.0 filaments are of nylon, acetate or acrylic filaments.
3. A safety razor having a skin engaging surface (such as a cap member or a guard member), wherein the said surface is composed of an array of projections
15 comprising a plurality of rows extending generally parallel with the blade edge(s), the said projections being flexible under normal shaving forces in directions transverse to the blade edge(s), and wherein the said projections have a height in the
20 range of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, a ratio of height to base thickness in the range of 2:1 to 5:1 and a spacing between adjacent longitudinal rows of 0.3 to 1.5mm.
4. A razor in accordance with claim 3, wherein 5 the projections are formed as upstanding walls, each tapering to a very thin edge.
5. A razor in accordance with claim 4, wherein the surface is composed of a grid of mutually 0 transverse rows of walls forming rectangular open cells, the walls parallel with the blade edge(s) constituting the said projections
6. A razor in accordance with claim 4, wherein the walls are spaced apart in respective, mutually transverse rows to form rectangular cells open at their corners.
7. A razor according to claim 6, wherein the walls are formed integrally with a base having apertures at the intersection of each group of four adjacent walls.
8. A razor according to claim 4, in which the projections are formed as longitudinal fins.
9. A razor according to claim 8, wherein the said fins slope upwardly and forwardly or rearwardly from their bases at an acute angle to the shaving direction.
10. A razor according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the said fins are interrupted at intervals along their lengths.
11. A razor according to claim 3, wherein the projections are constituted by a plurality of individual upstanding pillars arranged in a plurality of parallel rows with a spacing between pillars in each row, and between adjacent longitudinal arrows, in the range of 0.6 to 1.5 mm. 2- A razor according to claim 11, where the pillars are of a synthetic elastomeric material. 13. A razor according to claim 11, wherein the pillars are individually set in a base of synthetic elastomeric material which permits deflection of the pillars about their lower ends, the pillars being of a more rigid material than the base.
SUBSTITUTE SHEET
PCT/US1989/004588 1988-10-28 1989-10-13 Improvements in or relating to safety razors WO1990005047A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BR898907724A BR8907724A (en) 1988-10-28 1989-10-13 SAFETY SHAVING EQUIPMENT

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8825268.9 1988-10-28
GB888825268A GB8825268D0 (en) 1988-10-28 1988-10-28 Safety razors

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1990005047A1 true WO1990005047A1 (en) 1990-05-17

Family

ID=10645939

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1989/004588 WO1990005047A1 (en) 1988-10-28 1989-10-13 Improvements in or relating to safety razors

Country Status (10)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0366139B1 (en)
JP (1) JP2809779B2 (en)
BR (1) BR8907724A (en)
CA (1) CA2000772C (en)
DE (1) DE68927220T2 (en)
ES (1) ES2091759T3 (en)
GB (1) GB8825268D0 (en)
GR (1) GR3021079T3 (en)
SG (1) SG48421A1 (en)
WO (1) WO1990005047A1 (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5416973A (en) * 1993-09-30 1995-05-23 The Gillette Company Razors
US6298558B1 (en) 1994-10-31 2001-10-09 The Gillette Company Skin engaging member
US6594904B1 (en) 1994-07-01 2003-07-22 The Gillette Company Shaving system
US6944952B1 (en) 1994-07-01 2005-09-20 The Gillette Company Shaving system

Families Citing this family (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9022128D0 (en) * 1990-10-11 1990-11-21 Gillette Co Safety razors
USRE36816E (en) * 1992-05-13 2000-08-15 The Gillette Company Guard for razor blade assembly
US5249361A (en) * 1992-05-13 1993-10-05 The Gillette Company Guard for razor blade assembly
AU3101595A (en) * 1994-07-01 1996-01-25 Gillette Company, The Skin engaging member for razor blade assembly
US5903979A (en) * 1994-07-13 1999-05-18 The Gillette Company Safety razors
GB9502268D0 (en) * 1995-02-06 1995-03-29 Gillette Co Razors
US5953819A (en) * 1995-02-06 1999-09-21 The Gillette Company Razors
US5689883A (en) * 1995-05-08 1997-11-25 Warner-Lambert Company Shaving implement
US5794343A (en) * 1997-05-12 1998-08-18 The Gillette Company Razor blade assembly
US6014918A (en) * 1998-10-28 2000-01-18 Warner & Lambert Company Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulator razor system
US6167625B1 (en) 1999-05-18 2001-01-02 Warner-Lambert Company Shaving implement
US20110203113A1 (en) * 2010-02-25 2011-08-25 Xiandong Wang Razor Cartridge With Improved Cap Structure
CN203738832U (en) * 2014-03-05 2014-07-30 黄志坚 Cutting head for razor
USD965887S1 (en) 2020-05-20 2022-10-04 The Gillette Company Llc Shaving razor guard bar

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2068085A (en) * 1935-02-27 1937-01-19 Nathan M Stanley Safety razor
US3138865A (en) * 1960-08-13 1964-06-30 Meyer Eugen Safety razor having skin-stretching and guiding means
US4189832A (en) * 1978-06-19 1980-02-26 The Gillette Company Shaving implement
US4310968A (en) * 1980-02-13 1982-01-19 U.S. Philips Corporation Shaving apparatus

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3909939A (en) * 1973-08-23 1975-10-07 Colombo Winifred M Safety razor having a row of short convergently slanted counter-stretching tension grooves extending along the guard bar
GB1557177A (en) * 1975-09-12 1979-12-05 Wilkinson Sword Ltd Shaving units
US4741103A (en) * 1986-07-25 1988-05-03 Warner Lambert Company Razor for shaving a face having pseudofolliculitis barbae

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2068085A (en) * 1935-02-27 1937-01-19 Nathan M Stanley Safety razor
US3138865A (en) * 1960-08-13 1964-06-30 Meyer Eugen Safety razor having skin-stretching and guiding means
US4189832A (en) * 1978-06-19 1980-02-26 The Gillette Company Shaving implement
US4310968A (en) * 1980-02-13 1982-01-19 U.S. Philips Corporation Shaving apparatus

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5416973A (en) * 1993-09-30 1995-05-23 The Gillette Company Razors
US6594904B1 (en) 1994-07-01 2003-07-22 The Gillette Company Shaving system
US6944952B1 (en) 1994-07-01 2005-09-20 The Gillette Company Shaving system
US7069658B2 (en) 1994-07-01 2006-07-04 The Gillette Company Shaving system
US6298558B1 (en) 1994-10-31 2001-10-09 The Gillette Company Skin engaging member

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SG48421A1 (en) 1998-04-17
EP0366139B1 (en) 1996-09-18
DE68927220D1 (en) 1996-10-24
GB8825268D0 (en) 1988-11-30
EP0366139A3 (en) 1990-07-25
ES2091759T3 (en) 1996-11-16
EP0366139A2 (en) 1990-05-02
JPH04502413A (en) 1992-05-07
DE68927220T2 (en) 1997-04-03
CA2000772A1 (en) 1990-04-28
CA2000772C (en) 1997-03-04
BR8907724A (en) 1991-07-30
GR3021079T3 (en) 1996-12-31
JP2809779B2 (en) 1998-10-15

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