Patent Application
20080256801
The present invention is directed to a razor cartridge and more particularly to a razor cartridge constructed of a blade unit and a frame secured to the blade unit.
Razor cartridges are designed to cut or shave a user's hair. The cartridges include one or more blades having at least one sharpened edge. The blades are held in place by what is commonly referred to as a housing. The housing typically includes one or more features to improve the overall shaving experience. Such common features include a guard which is located on the housing in front of the blades and a cap which is located behind the blades. The guard often includes an elastomeric member and the cap often includes a lubricating strip of some kind.
On the market today are a vast number of razor cartridge configurations. Some have big guards, some have smaller guards, some guards have elastomeric members with fins while others have elastomeric members with depressions and some guards have lubricating strips. Similarly some razor cartridges have big caps, some have smaller caps, and some caps have a lubricating strip.
In order to meet the demands of consumers, numerous designs have been configured. The numerous designs come at a cost however as much effort is spent on each design. That is, each cartridge is designed from scratch such that none of the molds and production equipment used to make one cartridge can be utilized to make a cartridge of a different design. For example, the molds and production equipment used to make the Gillette™ Mach3™ razor cartridge could not be used to make the Gillette™ Fusion™ razor cartridge. This results in higher cost as product design, molding and production equipment has to be executed separately for each product. Thus, there is a need for an alternative design to reduce cost and effort to produce different razor cartridges to meet the demands of consumers.
Ideally, one would like to start with a standard blade unit that houses the blades. One could then have the flexibility to add frames of various configurations to the standard blade unit. To keep the blade unit in its simplest form the pivot portion of the cartridge should be part of the frame and not part of the blade unit.
In accordance with the present invention a razor cartridge for connecting to a handle is provided. The razor cartridge comprises a frame secured to and surrounding a blade unit. The blade unit comprises a plurality of blades. The blades extend along respective parallel blade axes. The frame has a frame perimeter and a pivoting structure. The frame perimeter defines a razor cartridge perimeter for the razor cartridge. The pivoting structure defines a pivot axis for pivoting the razor cartridge with respect to the handle. The pivot axis is located within the frame and in front of the blade axes.
The perimeter comprises a front surface, an opposing rear surface and a pair of side surfaces extending from the front surface to the rear surface. The cartridge comprises a front portion extending from the pivot axis to the front surface and a rear portion extending from the pivot axis to the rear surface. Preferably, the front portion is less than or smaller in dimension than the rear portion.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention a razor cartridge for connecting to a handle is provided. The razor cartridge comprises a frame secured to and surrounding a blade unit. The blade unit comprises a plurality of blades secured to the blade unit. The blades extend along respective parallel blade axes. The frame has a frame perimeter and a pivoting structure. The frame perimeter defines a razor cartridge perimeter for the razor cartridge. The pivoting structure defines a pivot axis for pivoting the razor cartridge with respect to the handle. The pivot axis is located within the frame and in front of the blade axes.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention a razor cartridge for connecting to a handle is provided. The razor cartridge comprises a frame secured to and surrounding a blade unit. The blade unit comprises a plurality of blades secured to the blade unit. The blades extend along respective parallel blade axes. The frame has a frame perimeter, an upper surface, a lower surface and a pivoting structure. The frame perimeter defines a razor cartridge perimeter for the razor cartridge. The pivoting structure defines a pivot axis for pivoting the razor cartridge with respect to the handle. The pivot axis is located within the frame, in front of the blade axes, below the upper surface and above the lower surface.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as forming the present invention, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Blades 23 are secured within blade unit 22 by a pair of clips 35. Each clip 35 is positioned at an end of blade unit 22 adjacent to end walls 27 and 28. Blades 23 are secured within blade unit 22 by clips 35 such that blade edges 24 contact the bottom surface of clips 35. Blades 23 extend along respective parallel blade axes 36.
Referring now to
First connection members 46 on interior walls 43 and 44 are adapted to receive first connection members 30 on side walls 25 and 26. Second connection members 48 on interior walls 43 and 44 are adapted to receive second connection members 32 on side walls 25 and 26. In securing the frame 40 to the blade unit 20 the projections 31 slide into notches 47 and projections 49 snap into recesses 33.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Pivot axis 60 is located within frame 40, below upper surface 62, above lower surface 64, and in front of the blade axes 36. The pivot axis 60 divides the razor cartridge 20 into a front portion 70 and a rear portion 74. Front portion 70 extends from pivot axis 60 to front surface 52. Rear portion 74 extends from pivot axis 60 to rear surface 53. Preferably, the front portion is less than the rear portion. Preferably, the front portion 70 extends from the pivot axis 60 to the front surface 52 by a distance from about 6 mm to about 12 mm. Preferably, the rear portion 74 extends from the pivot axis 60 to the rear surface 53 by a distance from about 15 mm to about 20 mm.
Referring now to
The rear portion 74 of upper surface 62 includes a cap 84. Cap 84 is that portion of upper surface 62 of frame 40 that contacts the skin after blade edges 23. Cap 84 preferably comprises a lubrication member 86.
Referring now to
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”.
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
