A personal care item, more particularly a shaving device.
A diversity of shaving means are available on the market, for example manually operated, electric shavers, multiple use and disposable shaving devices. Typically, such shaving devices include a gripping handle for conveniently holding one or more cutting blades and a respective cartridge bearing one or more or those blades, secured within. Many of these devices include numerous blades and a host of small part such the manufacture is complex and expensive. Moreover, the resulting products are often bulky making it difficult to shave in corners such as around the nose. Additionally, users often find it difficult to maintain contact between the cutting blades and the skin and the razor traverses the myriad angles of the face.
The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment of the invention in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and they mean at least one.
Several embodiments of the invention with reference to the appended drawings are now explained. Whenever the shapes, relative positions and other aspects of the parts described in the embodiments are not clearly defined, the scope of the invention is not limited only to the parts shown, which are meant merely for the purpose of illustration.
In the shown embodiment, three independent cartridges, leading cartridge 260, middle cartridge 250 and following cartridge 240 are used. In one embodiment, each cartridge is independently attached to a cross piece 202 with middle cartridge 250 being attached substantially at the attachment point 216 and leading and following cartridges 260 and 240 being attached on either side adjacent thereto. The composition of each cartridge is described more fully with reference to
As used herein, “leading” refers to earlier in position relative to the direction of shaving. Thus, leading cartridge 260 encounters an area to be shaved before middle cartridge 250 as the assembly is pulled along the shaving area. In one embodiment, the shaving assembly includes a leading platform 214 on which may be disposed a lubricating strip 280. Leading platform 214 may be attached to or formed with cross pieces 202. Lubricating strip 280 is positioned to release lubrication in advance of leading cartridge 260.
In some embodiments, each cartridge may also have its own lubricating strip 208, which lubricates the area to be shaved before the next successive cartridge arrives. Leading platform 214 may include perforations 224 to improve the adhesion of the lubricating strip 208. In an alternative embodiment, lubricating strip 208 may be replaced with flexible ribs or mirror fans that raise the drain in advance of leading cartridge 260. A handle interconnect 272 is coupled to the bridge 204 to allow the shaving assembly to be coupled to a razor handle. Handle interconnect 272 may provide for reciprocation of the entire assembly when attached to a handle. Razor interconnect 272 may have any necessary configuration to allow it to connect to the myriad possible razor handles commercially available or subsequently designed.
In various embodiments, cross piece 202 may be formed from commercially available elastomeric nylon 12, polyurethane, or any other suitably resilient synthetic material. Generally, it is desirable for cross piece 202 to have sufficient resilience to deform and return to its generally planar original state for at least 8000 cycles. Resilience of 10,000 cycles or more is preferred. In some embodiments, cross piece 202 and bridge 204 are molded or extruded integrally as a unit. In some other embodiments, cross piece 202 and base 302 are molded integrally as a unit. It should be noted that when the bases 302 of each cartridge can be formed integrally as one piece with each other and that in such case there is no need for a bridge 204.
Cover 104 defines a channel 114 adjacent to blade 102. In one embodiment, the channel is generally V-shaped. The channel may be defined by a first panel 108 and a second panel 110. In addition to serving as a protective cover, cover 104 may be dimensioned to spread the pressure of cutting edge 112 across the skin better than conventional razor blade cartridges and improve cutting edge 112 glide across the skin so as to reduce nicks and cuts. These advantages are achieved, at least in part, by decreasing the surface area of cover 104 and cutting edge 112 contacting the user's skin by approximately 60% as compared to the conventional razor blade cartridges. Stated slightly differently, if one were to draw a bounding box around the cartridge in the shaving plane, the area above the channel represents 60% of the area within the bounding box.
Cover 104 with blade 102 attached thereto is positioned on base member 106 such that during a shaving operation, upper edge 116 of second panel 110 and cutting edge 112 define cutting plane 122. Portions of cover 104 within channel region 114 remain raised above cutting plane 122 during shaving and therefore do not contact the user's skin. Additionally, upper edge 116 stretches the skin to increase the closeness of the shave.
Cover 104 may be made of any material suitable for contacting a user's skin during shaving. Representatively, cover 104 may be made of a metal material, for example, aluminum. In still further embodiments, cover 104 may be made of other materials such as a plastic material. In some embodiments, cover 104 may be stamped from an aluminum sheet as a single unit. In other embodiments, cover 104 may be formed by any process known in the art such as injection molding, machining or any other manufacturing process suitable for generating the desired features of cover 104.
In embodiments where cover 104 is made of a metal material, a lubricating coating may be applied to cover 104 to facilitate movement of cartridge 100 across the user's skin. Representatively, an electrostatic spray coating method may be used to apply solids such as telomers as dispersions in water, alcohols, freons, or various fluorocarbon liquids, for example, an aqueous dispersion of tetrofluoroethylene telomer along upper edge 116 of cover 104. Alternatively, a lubricating strip infused with a lubricating material, for example, aloe vera and/or coconut milk, may be attached to cover 104. Any of the above discussed lubricating coatings and/or materials may further be disposed on portions of base member 106 contacting the user's skin.
Attachment of cover 104 and blade 102 to base member 106 may be achieved by welding cover 104 directly to blade 102. Representatively, cover 104 may be spot welded to blade 102 at various points along a length dimension of blade 102. Cover 104 may then be attached to base member 106 as will be discussed in more detail in reference to
Base member 106 may include mounting peg 120 to facilitate attachment of base member 106 to a bridge as will be discussed in further detail in reference to
Cover 104 may further include stop members 1202 and 1204 extending from first panel 108. Stop members 1202 and 1204 are dimensioned to extend around cutting edge 112. In this aspect, stop members 1202 and 1204 help to properly position blade 102 and, in particular, cutting edge 112, within cover 104. Stop members 1202 and 1204 may be integrally formed with cover 104.
In addition, cover 104 may include tabs 1206, 1208, 1210 and 1212 for securing cover 104 to base member 106. Tabs 1206, 1208, 1210 and 1212 may extend below cover 104 so that they can be secured to underlying base member 106. Although
Base member 106 may include pegs 120 and 1408. Pegs 120 and 1408 may be used to secure base member 106 to a bridge as will be discussed in more detail in reference to
Each cartridge includes cover 104 and base member 106, which together retain blade 102 within cartridge 100. In one embodiment, base member 106 is integrally formed with mounting pegs 120 and 408 extending therefrom. Mounting pegs 120 and 408 engage holes 506 in bridge 508 and may be heat welded or otherwise adhered therein. In various embodiments, bridge 508 may be formed from commercially available elastomeric nylon 12, polyurethane, or any other suitably resilient synthetic material. It should be noted that base member 106 of each cartridge can be formed integrally as one piece with each other. Bridge 508 may in turn be attached to a handle interconnect member to attach cartridges 100, 502 and 504 to the razor handle as will be discussed in more detail in reference to
In the illustrated embodiment, three independent cartridges, leading cartridge 100, middle cartridge 502 and following cartridge 504 are used. In one embodiment, each cartridge is independently attached to bridge 508. Middle cartridge 502 may be attached substantially at the attachment point 602 and leading and following cartridges 100 and 504 may be attached on either side adjacent thereto.
In some embodiments, bridge 508 may be flexible and can flex between a concave and a convex orientation. In this aspect, cross pieces 604 and 606 of bridge 508 may be formed from commercially available elastomeric nylon 12, polyurethane, or any other suitably resilient synthetic material. At rest, e.g., when no forced is applied, cross pieces 604 and 606 of mounting assembly 508 are substantially planar. Cartridges 100, 502 and 504 may be attached to cross pieces 604 and 606 using, for example, rivets 614. In still further embodiments, cartridges 100, 502 and 504 may be attached to cross pieces 604 and 606 using any other conventional attachment mechanism such as an adhesive, heat welding or a combination thereof. Because each of the cartridges 100, 502 and 504 is independent, the relative movement of one cartridge as the razor face becomes convexed is not affected by the other cartridges. Such movement is only constrained by the flexibility and resilience of cross pieces 604 and 606. In such an embodiment, the blades of the collection of cartridges define a plane when the razor in its rest state, e.g. no force is being exerted on the shaving head. In an alternative embodiment, cross pieces 604 and 606 may not be flexible such that the all cartridges are retained in a substantially rigid shaving plane.
As noted above the leading cartridge 100 encounters an area to be shaved before middle cartridge 502 as the assembly is pulled along the shaving area. In one embodiment, the shaving assembly may include leading platform 608. Leading platform 608 may be attached to, or formed with, cross pieces 604 and 606. Lubricating strip 610 is positioned to release lubrication in advance of leading cartridge 100.
In some embodiments, lubricating strip 610 (see
Handle interconnect 612 may be coupled to mounting assembly 508 to allow the shaving assembly to be coupled to a razor handle. Razor interconnect 612 may have any necessary configuration to allow it to connect to the variety of possible razor handles commercially available or subsequently designed.
Yoke 820 includes a bridge 822 integrally formed with a pair of cross pieces 824, which define attachment points 830 to receive cartridges 810. Bridge 822 couples to cross pieces 824 by a pair of living hinges 832. Living hinges have a thickness t, which permits the blade assembly to pivot about a living hinge in forward and backward directions through a first and second arc. In one embodiment t is equal to 1 mm±0.1. Other embodiments may have a greater or lesser t. The arc of pivot is limited by thickness t and the rigidity of the material forming the living hinges 832. By selecting an appropriate material for molding premature fatigue at the living hinges is avoided. In one embodiment, attachments points 830 are a series of bores defined through cross pieces 824. Cross pieces may have the same flexibility characteristics as described with other embodiments above. This permits attachment pegs of base 804 (not shown in
In some embodiments, yoke 820 includes a leading platform 826, which may define a well 828 to receive a lubricating material. In this manner, lubricating material is applied to skin in advance of a leading blade of a leading cartridge within the assembly. Also molded as part of yoke 820 in one embodiment of the invention is a handle attachment piece 834, which permits a handle, such as a conventional stick handle or any other suitable handle to be attached to the blade assembly. Notably, while in some embodiments cartridges 810 are as described in connection with
From a manufacturing standpoint, the embodiment described as reference to
While explicit dimensions are shown and described in connection with various embodiments, it is within the scope and contemplation to change those dimensions. Thus, the actual dimensions may be larger or smaller than the dimensions detailed. However, it has been found that the dimensions shown yield a quality product providing an exceptional shave.
In the foregoing specification, the embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
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