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
  • B26B21/08—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 involving changeable blades
  • B26B21/14—Safety razors with one or more blades arranged transversely to the handle
  • B26B21/22—Safety razors with one or more blades arranged transversely to the handle involving several blades to be used simultaneously
• • 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
  • B26B21/08—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 involving changeable blades
  • B26B21/14—Safety razors with one or more blades arranged transversely to the handle
  • B26B21/22—Safety razors with one or more blades arranged transversely to the handle involving several blades to be used simultaneously
  • B26B21/222—Safety razors with one or more blades arranged transversely to the handle involving several blades to be used simultaneously with the blades moulded into, or attached to, a changeable unit
  • B26B21/225—Safety razors with one or more blades arranged transversely to the handle involving several blades to be used simultaneously with the blades moulded into, or attached to, a changeable unit the changeable unit being resiliently mounted on the handle

Definitions

• This invention relates to safety razors and is particularly concerned with safety razors of a form including a handle and a blade assembly mounted to the handle by an arrangement permitting movement of the blade assembly relative to the handle.
• the blade assembly includes at least one elongate blade with a sharpened edge located between guard and cap surfaces, and a frame supporting the blade(s).
• the invention is also applicable to razors having foils with apertures provided with sharpened edges, rather than elongate blades.
• a razor ofthe form as initially described above wherein the blade assembly is mounted to the handle by an arrangement comprising several spring suspension devices disposed to provide support for the blade assembly at discrete locations so distributed that the blade assembly is moveable relative to the handle with several degrees of freedom including pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis, pivotal movement about a transverse axis, and translational movement in a downward direction substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by said longitudinal and transverse axes.
• the additional freedom of movement that can be provided by an independent spring suspension system enables the blade assembly to follow more closely the contours of an area of skin being shaved.
• the longitudinal pivotal axis and transverse pivotal axes are not fixed at predetermined positions and they are variably located due to the independent suspension devices.
• movements ofthe blade assembly in the longitudinal direction and in the rearward direction are undesirable and the suspension devices can be adapted to hold the blade assembly firmly against translational movements in these directions.
• spring suspension devices employed is not critical, but three being the minimum. It is preferable for the suspension devices to be so arranged that two of the support locations are spaced lengthwise of the blade assembly and a further support location is spaced transversely from an axis connectmg said two support locations. Conveniently four suspension devices are provided and are located in oppositely disposed pairs, e.g. adjacent the respective corners of a frame of the blade assembly.
• the devices may consist of springs, such as integrally moulded plastic springs, bow springs or wire torsion springs, or may comprise struts with associated coil compression springs.
• the invention is applicable to razors having permanently mounted blade assemblies, and to razors with blade assemblies in the form of replaceable cartridges.
• the suspension devices could be inco ⁇ orated with the cartridge and have detachable connections to the handle, or they may be fixed to the handle and either detachably coupled directly to the cartridge or connected to a cartridge carrying member with which the cartridge is releasably engageable, such as by a sliding connection in a manner known per se.
• Figure 1 shows in perspective a first embodiment of the invention
• Figure 2 is an underneath perspective view of a shaving cartridge according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 3 shows the cartridge of Figure 2 in end view and on an enlarged scale
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 1 illustrates the upper part of a razor equipped with an independent suspension system in accordance with the invention. Only the upper portion 1 of the razor handle is shown, the lower portion, by means of which the handle is gripped in the hand, having being omitted as it is unimportant to the inventive concept.
• a cartridge 2 mounted to the upper handle portion is a cartridge 2 having a generally rectangular frame 6 in which a pair of elongate blades 3 with parallel edges positioned in tandem are mounted between guard and cap surfaces 4 and 5 respectively.
• the blades may be fixedly mounted in the cartridge frame, or they may be movable, e.g. downwardly against restoring forces exerted by return spring elements as known in the art.
• the cartridge 2 is connected to the upper handle portion 1 by four independent suspension devices respectively coupled to the cartridge adjacent the corners ofthe cartridge frame.
• Each of the suspension devices consists of a wire torsion spring 8 having a coiled section 9 with two arms 10, 11 extending away from the coil at an acute angle with respect to each other.
• the free ends ofthe arms 10, 11 are respectively coupled to the handle and the cartridge for pivotal movement about axes directed longitudinally of the cartridge.
• inwardly bent arm portions are inserted rotatably in holes provided in the ends of the upper handle portion and the cartridge.
• the suspension springs 8 bias the cartridge to a rest position in which the cartridge is positioned relative to the handle as shown in Figure 1.
• the cartridge can move from the rest position under forces exerted on the cartridge during use by: a) translational movement in the downward direction, indicated by arrow 12; b) a downward displacement of the front part, or the rear part, of the cartridge resulting in an effective pivotal movement about an axis extending longitudinally of the cartridge; and c) a downward displacement of either end of the cartridge resulting in an effective pivotal movement or tilting about a transverse axis.
• One direction in which the cartridge is held firmly against movement by the torsion springs 8 is longitudinally ofthe cartridge, i.e. parallel to the blade edges. Also, translational movement in the rearward direction indicated by arrow 13 is also resisted, as is rearward displacement of either end of the cartridge which would result in an effective pivotal or yaw movement about an axis extending in the downward direction.
• the independent suspension devices consist of four bow springs 28 arranged in opposed pairs.
• the cartridge 22 includes a frame 6, in this case with three blades 3 carried on blade carriers 33 guided for movement in slots in the end walls ofthe frame, and urged upwardly by springs.
• the upper arm 31 of each bow spring 28 has an L-shaped free end held firmly connected to the cartridge frame by a clamp 34.
• the front and rear frame elements are provided with notches through which the upper arms 31 of the bow springs pass freely.
• the free ends of the lower arms 30 of the bow springs form attachment points for connection to the razor handle, e.g. by a clamp arrangement which could be reieasable to facilitate replacement of the cartridge with attached suspension springs.
• bow springs are located nearer the centre of the cartridge than the ends, they provide for substantially the same freedom of movement of the cartridge relative to the handle as described above in relation to the first embodiment.
• translational and angular movements (a) to (c) explained above are permitted.
• FIG 4 there is shown an embodiment of the invention in which the upper portion 51 of the handle includes four bearing blocks 64 with longitudinal bores in which axle pins 65 are rotatably received.
• the axle pins have enlarged heads 66 at their outer ends with transverse through bores 67.
• Generally upright struts 68 are slidably guided in the bores 67 and are provided near their upper ends with flanges 69 which act as stops for the upper ends of coil springs 70 to act against, the springs being coaxially mounted on the struts and having their lower ends resting on the axle pins.
• each strut 68 urges upwardly to a rest position in which enlargements or stop elements (not shown) provided on the lower ends ofthe struts abut against the enlarged heads 66 ofthe axle pins.
• the upper end of each strut is rotatably and pivotally connected to the frame 56 of the blade assembly or cartridge 52. (Only the frame ofthe blade assembly is shown in Figure 1, but it will be understood that it will include at least one elongate blade as well as guard and cap surfaces as in the previous embodiments.)
• each strut 68 has an element, e.g. a ball fastened to its upper end and received in a complementary slot 72 extending inwardly from the adjacent end ofthe cartridge frame.
• At least one pair of longitudinally aligned axle pins 65, and possibly both pairs, have eye members 75 keyed to their inner ends and relatively strong tension springs 76 are connected between these eye members and spring anchorages 77 fixed on the upper handle portion 51 for the tension springs to bias the axle pins 65 to the illustrated rotational positions in which the struts 68 are substantially upright.
• the independent spring suspension devices ofthe razor of Figure 4 enable the cartridge 52 to move away from the rest position to which it is biased by virtue ofthe springs 70, 76, with the same freedoms of movement (a) to (c) described with reference to Figure 1.
• Downward displacement at each corner of the cartridge is permitted by the spring 70 and associated slidably guided strut 68 located adjacent that corner.
• a small degree of angular movement of the struts 68 is permitted by rotation of the axle pins 65 about their axes against the bias of the tension springs 76, such angular movement being necessary to allow the cartridge to pivot about a longitudinal axis.
• the springs 76 are strong enough to resist rearward movement ofthe cartridge under forces normally encountered during shaving.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Forests & Forestry (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Dry Shavers And Clippers (AREA)
• Knives (AREA)
• Cosmetics (AREA)
• Thermotherapy And Cooling Therapy Devices (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)

Priority Applications (10)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10787084

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (15)

Cited By (9)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (4)

• 1996
  • 1996-01-16 GB GBGB9600818.0A patent/GB9600818D0/en active Pending
• 1997
  • 1997-01-16 DE DE69705326T patent/DE69705326T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-01-16 CN CN97192795A patent/CN1116967C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-01-16 CZ CZ19982248A patent/CZ290857B6/cs not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-01-16 AU AU13947/97A patent/AU722992B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1997-01-16 PL PL97327852A patent/PL182457B1/pl not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-01-16 ES ES97900368T patent/ES2158482T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-01-16 KR KR10-1998-0705352A patent/KR100523008B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-01-16 RU RU98115312/12A patent/RU2171174C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-01-16 WO PCT/GB1997/000121 patent/WO1997026119A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1997-01-16 AT AT97900368T patent/ATE202307T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-01-16 JP JP52578597A patent/JP3980060B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-01-16 CA CA002242529A patent/CA2242529C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-01-16 BR BR9707293A patent/BR9707293A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-01-16 EP EP97900368A patent/EP0960004B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (4)

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