Patent Grant
11685070
This application is a National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2019/069354, filed on Jul. 18, 2019, now published as WO2020016354 and which claims priority from European Application No. EP18184258.4, filed on Jul. 18, 2018.
The disclosure concerns shaving blade assemblies, and more specifically blade assemblies comprising a rotatable body that may have a lubricating element thereon.
It is common practice to include a lubricating strip or shaving aid on a razor head to improve the shaving experience of a shaving blade user, for example, a lubricating strip may be adapted to facilitate gliding of a razor blade on the surface of the skin, or provide other skin benefits.
Most often, only one surface of the lubricating strip contacts the surface of the skin during shaving, regardless of its shape. For example, only one surface of the lubricating strip may contact the skin when the configuration of the lubricating strip is a: mushroom shape, round shape, semi-round shape, triangular shape, rectangular shape, square shape, sloped shape (e.g. EP2323817) or ‘T’-shape (e.g. US20170173805) or cylindrical shape (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,778) or rectangular shape (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,342) or wedge shape (e.g. EP446430). Therefore, for all intents and purposes, the upper surface of a lubricating strip is the primary surface that is used during shaving. Consequently, any other surface of the lubricating strip, regardless of the shape of the lubricating strip, may not be accessible to the user and, thus, may not contain any lubricious composition.
Due to the aforementioned limitations, a razor blade may comprise a lubricating strip which has a shorter lifecycle than the razor blades. In particular, the lubricating strip or shaving aid may wear off before the razor blades are damaged or dull.
Several documents provide an attempt to overcome this drawback by detailing that the lubricating body can be constructed as multiple layers and that each layer may contribute to a different effect to the user (e.g., EP2365896, EP1257392, EP2365897, EP2365898, and US20040139611).
Moreover, the concept of a lubricating strip that is configured to be replaceable has been detailed in, for example, US2002157255, GB2342884, US20050198826, which relate to shaving aid in rollers. To this direction, US2005/126007 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,644 also relate to shaving aid deposited on rolling elements.
According to some aspects, a blade assembly is provided. The blade assembly comprises a housing having a recess. The recess is defined by a first wall on a first side of the housing and a second wall on a second side of the housing. The blade assembly further comprises an elongated body that may be attached to the first and second walls and may be rotatable about a longitudinal axis. The elongated body may have two or more facets, wherein at least one of the facets may have a lubricating element disposed thereon. The blade assembly further comprises a locking mechanism that may be configured to releasably lock the body in a use position.
In these aspects, the blade assembly may have more than one lubricating element thereby resulting in an improved shaving effect and extended service life. Furthermore, the blade assemblies as herein disclosed provide for adaptable lubrication of skin as per user's needs, e.g., the user decides to change the lubricating surface when they perceive it as being insufficiently lubricative or to change it for benefiting from another surface with different lubricious composition. In other words, the provision of a blade assembly comprising a rotatable body having two or more facets with a lubricating element disposed thereon offers to the user the flexibility to have access to different lubricating elements (having the same or different compositions) or change the lubricating surface when the user perceives it as insufficiently lubricative.
The body may further include a first support element comprising either a first shaft or a first recess and a second support element comprising either a second shaft or a second recess, each of the first and second support elements being formed along the longitudinal axis of the body and on opposing ends of the facets.
Forming the support elements on either ends of the body permits the body to rotatably connect to the housing. This functionality for rotation combined with the prismatic configuration of the body results in a multi-faceted structure that facilitates selection of multiple lubricating elements.
The body may be configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing.
This orientation allows for the body to have a compact and integrated position within the housing.
The end of the second support element may define an engagement surface.
The engagement surface allows the locking member to restrict the rotational movement of the body.
The end of the second support element comprises one or more protuberances that may be formed offset from the longitudinal axis of the body.
The protuberances allow for restricting the rotational movement of the body.
The engagement surface formed at the end of the second support element may define one or more indentations that are formed offset from the longitudinal axis of the body.
The indentations allow for restricting the rotational movement of the body.
The blade assembly may further include a spring configured to urge the locking mechanism into a locking position.
The spring effectively locks the locking mechanism in place and helps to prevent unwanted movement of the body during a shaving operation.
The locking mechanism may be adapted to restrict the rotation of the body by the spring urging the locking mechanism to engage the engagement surface formed at the end of the second support element.
This configuration effectively locks the locking mechanism in place and helps to prevent unwanted movement of the body during a shaving operation.
The spring may be fixed to and disposed around an outer surface of the locking mechanism.
This configuration permits the locking mechanism and spring to operate in concert.
The spring may be configured to adopt two states, an extended state in which rotation of the body (60) is restricted and a compressed state in which rotation of the body (60) is permitted.
When the spring is in an extended state, the spring urges the locking mechanism against the body such that unwanted rotation of the body can be avoided while a user is performing a shaving operation.
When the spring is in a compressed state the rotation of the body may be permitted, allowing the user to select a lubricating element from a plurality of available lubricating elements, but also have a device where unwanted rotation of the body can be avoided while a user is performing a shaving operation. The second side of the housing may include a retaining portion formed on the interior surface of the second wall, wherein the locking mechanism may be disposed within the retaining portion.
Positioning the locking mechanism inside of the housing prevents unwanted dislodgement from the locking position as well as provides a compact configuration. The locking mechanism may be configured to slide relative to the retaining portion of the housing.
This configuration facilitates transitioning between facets on the body.
The locking mechanism may be configured to move in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body.
Positioning the locking mechanism to move parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body provides a compact and simplified configuration.
The locking mechanism may be offset from the longitudinal axis of the body and may be configured to contact the engagement surface formed at the end of the second support element.
The locking mechanism being offset from the longitudinal axis of the body allows the locking mechanism to be positioned between adjacent protuberances on the engagement surface of the second support element when the spring is in an extended state.
Two or more facets of the body may have a lubricating element disposed thereon.
With this configuration, the user can have several lubricating elements to choose from. Each of the aids and skin benefits from each of the lubricating elements may be the same, may be different, and any combination thereof.
In examples, the first support element is the first shaft which extends through the first side of the housing.
This configuration allows for an alternative means for selectively rotating the body.
In examples, the body may further include a toggle fixed to an end of the first shaft.
In some of these examples, the toggle may provide a more secure means for rotating the body in that the toggle is positioned away from the blades.
In examples, the toggle may be adapted to drive rotation of the body.
This configuration facilitates safe selective rotation of the body.
In aspects, a razor may be provided; the razor may comprise the disclosed blade assembly and a handle connected to the blade assembly.
In this configuration, the blade assembly may be used with a handle to aid a user during the shaving process. In examples, the handle may be releasably connected to the blade assembly. In this configuration, a user may keep the handle of the razor and the blade assembly may be interchangeable which reduces cost to the user. The above summary is not intended to describe each and every implementation of the concept. In particular, selected features of any illustrative embodiment within this disclosure may be incorporated into additional embodiments unless clearly stated to the contrary or otherwise incompatible.
The disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of non-limiting aspects of the disclosure in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings. The detailed description and the drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict illustrative aspects and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The illustrative aspects depicted are intended only as exemplary.
An aspect of the disclosure is shown in
As can be seen in
The housing 20 may also include a guard bar, a cap, and a pair of substantially c-shaped retainers 50 each having a top portion, a bottom portion, a substantially convex portion connecting the top and bottom portions, where the retainers 50 are adapted to retain the position of the blades 30 within the housing 20. The retainers 50 may extend along a pair of side edges 20a, 20b of the housing 20 and are spaced apart and positioned opposite from each other on a first side 20a of the housing 20 and a second side 20b of the housing 20. The retainers 50 may be either integral with the housing 20 or a separate component assembled with the housing 20. It is envisioned that retainers 50 may be any other suitably configured retaining means, for example clips, and should not be limited to the aforementioned c-shaped design.
As shown in
In some examples, the body 60 may be disposed within the recess 22 of the housing 20 such that the first and second shafts 64, 68 may be attached to the first and second walls 25, 26 of the housing 20 via the apertures. In this configuration, the body 60 may be adapted to rotate relatively to the housing 20. The apertures may be located in any appropriate place on the first and second walls 25, 26, such that the body 60 is capable of rotating. It is envisioned that the body 60 may be detachably connected to the housing 20. The body 60 may be formed of any appropriate material, for example, a polymer.
At least one facet 62 of the body 60 may have a lubricating element 70 thereon. However, it is envisioned that any number of the facets 62 may have a lubricating element 70. In some examples, two or more facets 62 may have a lubricating element 70. It is envisioned that the lubricating elements 70 on each of the facets 62 may provide any combination of lubricating aids or skin benefits, e.g., all of the lubricating elements 70 on each of the facets 62 may provide the same benefits, each lubricating elements 70 may provide different benefits, or any combination thereof. The lubricating element 70 may be attached to the body 60 by any suitable means, for example, gluing, ultrasonically welding, co-injecting, or in any combination of the above. The lubricating element 70 may be formed as any suitable shape, for example, a semi-circular, rectangular, square, mushroom shaped, etc.
The lubricating element 70 may comprise a two-layered structure, where the bottom layer, which is attached to the body 60, contains a lubricious composition and the top, outermost, layer contains a thin, hydrophobic film so as to keep the lubricating surfaces protected. This film can protect the first used lubricating element 70 on the first facet 62 of the body 60 until the film wears off due to abrasion. Additionally, this film protects the lubricating elements 70 on the remaining facets 62 from being depleted before being used.
The hydrophobic film works by creating a micro- or nano-sized structure on a surface providing water-repellent properties. Indicative examples of hydrophobic coatings may be manganese oxide polystyrene (MnO2/PS) nano-composite, zinc oxide polystyrene (ZnO/PS) nano-composite, fluorinated silanes and fluoropolymer coatings and silica-based coatings, which are gel-based and can be easily applied either by dipping the object into the gel or via aerosol spray. These hydrophobic structures are thin and very delicate, and thus can be easily damaged by wear due to abrasion/friction. Therefore, after the first few times a razor is used, the hydrophobic layer of the first used lubricating element 70 wears off, revealing the layer with the lubricious composition, while the rest facets remain protected during shaving.
The lubricious composition of the bottom layer of every facet can fundamentally comprise a water-soluble component (e.g., polyethylene oxide generally known as POLYOX or ALKOX) and a water-insoluble component (e.g. high impact polystyrene). Examples of rigid water-insoluble components are polystyrene, styrene co-polymers, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacetal, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetal copolymer, polylactic acid, polycarbonate, maleic anhydride ethylene co-polymer blends, polyether-containing block copolymers (e.g. with polyamide), blends and copolymers of the above with or without other additives. Examples of elastic water-insoluble components are thermoplastic elastomer compounds (TPEs), more specifically thermoplastic poly-urethanes, and/or silicone polymers. Typical examples of water-soluble components are polyethylene oxide and/or polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyacrylamide, polyhydroxymethacrylate, polyvinyl imidazoline, polyvinyl alcohol, polyhydromethymethacrylate, silicone polymers, blends and copolymers of the above. The lubricious composition may additional contain other ingredients selected in the group of plasticizers, such as low molecular weight polyethylene glycols, water-swellable release enhancing agents, such as cross-linked polyacrylics and/or maleic anhydride compounds, additional lubricants, compatibilizers, and/or skin care agents selected in the group consisting of vitamins, botanical extracts, salts, humectants, silicon oils, organic oils, waxes, antioxidants, exfoliants, anti-bacterial agents, anti-microbial, antiseptics, biocides, preservatives, skin soothing agents, hydrating agents, skin protectants, colorants, film formers, processing thickening agents from the list of silica, fume silica, TiO2 particles, and combinations thereof. The lubricious composition of each facet may be different including several cosmetic ingredients that achieve multiple skin benefits. Alternative lubricious compositions are known and disclosed in patent applications, such as in US20090223057—where as additional ingredients may be included emulsifiers, surfactants, skin conditioners, fragrances, depilatory agents, cleaning agents, medicinal agents; U.S. Pat. No. 8,236,214—where as additional ingredient may be included mineral oil; U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,131, US2016338928—where as additional ingredients may be included cooling agents; US2013042482—where as additional ingredients may be included anti-irritation agents such as a pyrithione or a polyvalent metal salt of pyrithione; CN105219007—where as additional ingredient may be included moisturizing agent selected from olive oil, jojoba oil and glycerin; EP0551407—where as additional ingredients may be included essential oil materials such as menthol, eugenol, eucalyptol, saffrol or methyl salicylate.
Further, it is envisioned that the top layer of the lubricating elements 70 may also bear undulations or patterns (e.g., logos, indicia, etc.), so as to function as slight protrusions, allowing the user to exploit them as artificial gripping points and to twist the facet 62. For example, the combination of the protrusions and tiny gaps that are formed between them provides a textured surface that operates as a gripping area.
As can be seen in
Focusing on
The retaining portion 28 may be offset from the longitudinal axis S-S such that the locking mechanism 80 is aligned with at least one protuberance 68a-68d formed on the engagement surface of the end of the second support element, which may be formed as a shaft 68. The locking mechanism 80 may be offset from the longitudinal axis S-S of the body 60 and may be configured to contact the engagement surface 67 formed at the end of the second support element. Thus, the locking mechanism 80 being offset from the longitudinal axis S-S of the body allows the locking mechanism 80 to be positioned between adjacent protuberances on the engagement surface 67 of the second support element, when the spring 90 is in an extended state. In particular, the adaptive connection between the locking mechanism 80, spring 90, and protuberances 68a-68d is configured to restrict the rotational movement of the body 60 such that the body 60 does not rotate while a user is shaving. In other words, the locking mechanism 80 may be adapted to restrict the rotation of the body 60 by the spring 90 urging the locking mechanism 80 to engage the engagement surface 67 formed at the end of the second support element. Regarding the engagement surface 67, it is also envisioned in some examples that the engagement surface of the second end of the support element may be formed with one or more indentations that may be configured to receive the locking mechanism 80. Further, it is also envisioned that the support element may be formed as having any combination of protuberances and indentations.
In operation, for example, assuming that one of the lubricating elements 70 has already been depleted by a user; the user may want to use a lubricating element 70 that is new. With the aforementioned configuration, the user may apply a rotational force on the body 60 about the longitudinal axis S-S (this is shown in
During this rotating operation, the locking mechanism 80 contacts one of the protuberances 68a. In this example, the protuberance is ramp shaped. As the body 60 is being rotated, the locking mechanism 80 is sliding along the surface of the ramp shaped protuberance 68a which causes the locking mechanism 80 to translate away from the body 60 parallel to the longitudinal axis S-S. This movement compresses the spring 90 between the locking mechanism 80 and the retaining portion 28. Particularly, the locking mechanism 80 may be configured to slide relative to the retaining portion 28 of the housing 20.
Once the protuberance 68a is rotated past the locking mechanism 80, the spring 90 decompresses and translates the locking mechanism 80 toward the body 60, in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis S-S, until the locking mechanism 80 contacts the engagement surface 67 of the end of the second support element, which may be formed as the second shaft 68. In this configuration, the locking mechanism 80 is lodged between protuberances 68a and 68b into a locking position, thereby restricting the rotational movement of the body 60. Therefore, the locking mechanism 80 prevents unwanted movement of the body 60 during a shaving operation.
A modified version of the abovementioned razor is shown in
Shown in
The body 60 may have a length Ls of 24.6-34.6 mm, a height Hs and width Ws that is 3.5 mm.
The aforementioned dimensions are for exemplary purposes only. As detailed in the application, the housing and the body have any suitable shape, for example, the body 60 may be formed as a triangular prism. Thus, the invention may have any suitable dimensions.
While aspects of the disclosure have been described in detail in the foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only some aspects have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims are to be protected. It is intended that combinations of the above-described elements and those within the specification may be made, except where otherwise contradictory. Although aspects of the disclosure have been described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18184258 | Jul 2018 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2019/069354 | 7/18/2019 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020/016354 | 1/23/2020 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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