This invention relates to a razor cartridge suitable for use in a wet shaving razor wherein said cartridge comprises bent blade assemblies with perforations or openings.
Wet shaving razors have evolved over the years to include a multiplicity of blades with the goal of increasing the closeness of the shave that is achieved while also still providing a comfortable shaving experience. In particular, the blades include sharp cutting edges that engage the hair during cutting so as to extend the hair from the skin. After the hair is extended, it does not immediately retract into the skin. A second blade may further cut the hair before it fully retracts, so-called “hysteresis cutting,” resulting in a closer shave. Safety razors with multiple blades may provide multiple cutting and extending events and multiple opportunities for hysteresis cutting.
The distance between consecutive cutting edges or so-called “span” is theorized to affect the shaving process in several ways. The span between cutting edges may control the degree to which skin will bulge between blades, with smaller spans resulting in less skin bulge and more skin comfort during shaving, but may also increase opportunities for double engagement. Larger spans may reduce opportunities for double engagements but may result in more skin bulge between cutting edges and less skin comfort. The span between cutting edges and, thus between blades, may affect rinsing of shave preparations and shave debris after a shaving stroke, with larger spans easing or quickening rinsing and smaller spans slowing or making rinsing more difficult.
A need therefore exists to provide wet shaving razor cartridges having an increased number of blades within a cartridge that does not retain debris but still provides an effective and pleasant shaving experience to a consumer.
The present invention relates to a razor cartridge comprising a housing, a guard disposed toward a front portion of the housing, a cap disposed toward a rear portion of the housing, a plurality of bent blade assemblies, wherein at least one of the blade assemblies comprises one or more perforations along a length of the assembly.
In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a razor cartridge comprising a housing, a guard disposed toward a front portion of the housing, a cap disposed toward a rear portion of the housing, a plurality of integrally formed bent blade assemblies, wherein each of the blade assemblies comprises one or more perforations along a length of the assembly.
Referring to
A bent blade assembly 28 is shown in
Support 32 has an elongated platform portion 42 joined to an elongated, downwardly extending base portion 44 by an elongated bent portion 46. Support weld areas 48 are spaced along the length of platform portion 42 for attachment of blade body as described above.
Between blade weld areas 40 and support weld areas 48, body portion 34 has perforations 49 and platform portion 42 has perforations 50 that are aligned one over the other such that a composite perforation 51 is formed. Composite perforations 51 permit liquid (e.g., water, shave preparation, etc.) to flow through the plurality of blade assemblies 28 for improved rinsing of shave preparation from the cartridge. Composite openings 51 may also reduce any contact area of blades 30 with skin and/or hair thus also reducing the opportunity to push an extended hair back into the skin and increasing hysteresis cutting opportunities. The size of composite openings 51 are limited by the size of weld areas 40 necessary to maintain weld integrity and the rigidity of blade assembly 28 necessary to resist unwanted flexing during shaving. Any size, number, and configuration of composite perforations may be used so long as the integrity of the blade assembly is maintained.
Perforations 49, 50, 51 may be formed via stamp cutting, laser cutting, punching, or any similar method known to skilled artisans. In most instances, the perforations 49, 50, 51 will be formed after the blade 30 is attached to support 32.
Another embodiment of a razor cartridge 312 of the present invention is shown in
A suitable blade assembly 328 is shown in
Another embodiment of a razor cartridge of the present invention is shown in
Moreover, it has been found that utilization of such bent blade assemblies comprising such perforations facilitates rinsing of debris from the cartridge even in the presence of tightened blade spans as discloses in copending and co-filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/568,743, entitled “Razors and Razor Cartridges with a Decreased Total Interblade Span”.
The wet shaving razor cartridges of the present invention may be mounted permanently on a handle with the intention that the entire razor should be discarded when the blade assembly cutting edges have become dulled. Alternatively, the wet shaving cartridges of the present invention may be detachably mounted to a handle so that the cartridge may be replaced on the handle when the blade assemblies have lost the sharpness required for efficient shaving. In typical cartridges, the blade assemblies are usually carried by the housing, which is generally a molded plastic frame, and the blade assemblies may then be supported to move within the frame, either independently of each other or in unison under forces imparted on the blade assemblies by the skin during shaving. In one embodiment of support within the housing, the blade assemblies are mounted fixedly within slots in a blade retaining member like the block support member mentioned above. In most instances, there will be one or more rigid blade retaining members disposed along a length of the housing to provide adequate and immovable support for the blade assemblies disposed therein. In another instance, the blade assemblies may be floatably mounted within the housing. Here, the plurality of blade assemblies is supported by one or more spring loaded blade retaining members where such blade assemblies are permitted to respond to the forces encountered during shaving. The housing comprises a guard at a forward portion. The guard contacts a shaver's skin immediately ahead of the plurality of blade assemblies. The cap is disposed after the plurality of blade assemblies within the housing and toward a rear portion. The cap contacts the skin directly behind the plurality of blade assemblies during a shaving stroke. In the case of both the guard and the cap, each may comprise additional elements that are also joined to or integral to the housing.
In each embodiment of the invention, the level of comfort obtained with any given wet shaving razor cartridge is influenced strongly by the shaving geometry, which is the relative positioning of the skin contacting components. Important parameters of the shaving geometry include the blade exposure which is the distance by which the tip of the blade edge projects above, or is retracted below, a plane which is tangential to the skin contacting parts next in front and next behind the blade edge, the blade tangent angle (also known as the blade shaving angle) which is the angle at which the plane of the blade is inclined to a plane which is tangential to the guard and the cap surfaces (the tangent plane), and the blade span which is the distance by which the blade edge is spaced from the skin contacting element immediately in front of the blade edge, as seen in a plane which is tangential to the blade edge and the skin contacting element in front of it. A progressive blade exposure may be used in the present invention as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,777.
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.”
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, 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.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/101,048 filed Sep. 29, 2008.
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