The present disclosure relates to safety razors and safety razor handles, and more specifically to razor handles that include structures to eject a razor cartridge mounted to the handle.
Many modern wet shaving razors, also known as safety razors, comprise a handle and a razor cartridge mounted to the handle. Some razors are so-called disposable razors wherein the handle and razor cartridge together are disposed of after use. Other razors may be in the form of a so-called system that comprises a handle that can be reused and a removable razor cartridge that is disposed of after use and can be replaced with a new cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,586 discloses a shaving system having a razor cartridge including a housing carrying razor blades, and a connector, also known as an interconnect member that pivotally supports the housing. A razor handle has a generally broad, flat extension providing cartridge support structure that engages a recess of the connector. The connector snap fits to the extension by engageable detents and depressions that are located closer to a remote end of the recess than to an entrance of the recess. The handle has a U-shaped ejector actuated by a user-operable button. When actuated, distal ends of legs of the ejector act upon a wall at the remote end of the recess to push the connector, with its housing, from the extension, disengaging the snap fit, and permitting the user to remove (and replace) the razor cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,619 discloses another shaving system having a razor cartridge including a housing carrying razor blades, and a connector structure integrally and rigidly formed with the housing. A razor handle has a generally broad, flat extension providing cartridge support structure that engages a recess of the connector. The connector snap-fittingly fits to the extension by engageable detents and depressions that are located closer to the entrance of the recess than to a remote end. The handle has a user-operable pusher, a free end of which acts on one side of the rim of the entrance. When actuated, the free end of the pusher acts upon the rim to push the connector, with its housing, from the extension, disengaging the snap fit, and permitting the user to remove (and replace) the razor cartridge.
U.S.-A1-2016/0101531 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,999,981B2) discloses a further shaving system having a universal razor handle that can accept different razor cartridges, each including a housing carrying razor blades, on respective different connectors. The razor handle has an extension providing a first cartridge support structure that engages a recess of the first cartridge connector in a manner that can be similar to that of the previously mentioned '586 patent. The razor handle also has spaced panels providing a second cartridge support structure that engage a recess of the second cartridge connector. In some embodiments, each panel has detents that respectively engage depressions of the second cartridge connector. The handle has a U-shaped ejector actuated by a user-operable button. When actuated, distal ends of legs of the ejector act upon a wall at the remote end of the recess of either cartridge connector type as mounted to the handle, to push the connector, with its housing, from the extension, separating the respective engagements, permitting the user to remove (and replace) the razor cartridge.
In some embodiments of the '531 application/'981 patent, the depressions of the second cartridge connector can be located closer to the entrance of this connector than to the remote end of the recess. When the ejector is actuated, the distal ends of the ejector legs act to push on the wall at the remote end of the recess. This pressure can produce stresses in the connector that in turn cause a connector entrance width (defined between opposed depressions) to decrease. This in further turn increases the frictional engagement of the connector recess (and its depressions) to the spaced panels (and their detents), undesirably increasing the user-applied button force necessary to successfully remove the razor cartridge from the handle.
The present disclosure has for its objective to eliminate, or at least substantially alleviate the limitations of the prior art by providing a safety razor comprising a handle and a razor cartridge. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the handle has hand gripping structure and a first ejector slidable along the hand gripping structure and actuable by a user-operated button connected to the first ejector. The razor cartridge is connected to the handle, and comprises a housing carrying a razor blade, and a connector. The connector includes a recess having an opening portion with a rim, and a remote portion at an end of the recess opposed the opening portion. When the button is operated, a distal end portion of the first ejector contacts and pushes against an interior surface of the remote portion of the recess. The button further comprises a second ejector structure and when the button is operated, the second ejector structure contacts and pushes against the opening portion of the recess. In combination, the distal end portion of the first ejector contacting and pushing against a surface of the remote portion of the recess and the second ejector structure contacting and pushing against the opening portion of the recess act to disconnect the razor cartridge from the handle.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first ejector comprises a pair of legs arranged in a U-shape with the legs disposed on opposed sides of a central plane of the safety razor, and a distal end portion of each leg is adapted to contact the interior surface of the remote portion of the recess.
According to either aspect above, the second ejector structure is one of integrally formed with, and connected to the button.
According to any of the aspects and embodiments described herein, when the button is operated, the distal end portion of the first ejector contacts the interior surface of the remote portion of the recess simultaneously with the second ejector structure contacting the opening portion of the recess.
According to any of the aspects and embodiments described herein, a path of movement of the razor cartridge away from the handle during ejection is non-linear.
According to any of the aspects and embodiments described herein, the second ejector structure contacts the opening portion of the recess at a plurality of locations.
According to any of the aspects and embodiments described herein, the second ejector structure contacts the opening portion of the recess at the rim.
In operation, combined actions of the first ejector and second ejector structure can overcome any increased engagement forces and permit a user to remove the razor cartridge from the handle with an acceptable user-provided force. These and other advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the following Detailed Description and Drawings.
Reference is made to the attached drawings, wherein elements having the same reference numeral designations represent like elements throughout, and wherein:
Referring now to the drawings and in particular
Referring additionally to
Referring to
The handle 12 includes opposed panels 60, 64 each bearing detents 62, 66 adapted to engage depressions 70, 72 of the connector 20 to connect the cartridge 14 to the handle 12.
The handle 12 can also include extension 24 adapted to engage another type of razor cartridge and its connector. This is described in U.S.-A1-2016/0101531, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein in its entirety as this pertains to connection between a razor cartridge and a handle. In the context of the present disclosure, the interconnective features, e.g. decent and respective depression, can be provided between the extension 24 and the connector 20 and/or the panels 60, 64 and connector. As depicted herein, the connector 20 bears the depressions 70, 72 but this interconnective arrangement can be fully or partially reversed such that the connector bears some or all of the detents 62, 66.
The button 42 also includes a second ejector structure 80 adapted to contact and push against the opening portion 52 of the connector of the razor cartridge 14 when a user operates the button 42 to disconnect or other se eject the razor cartridge 14 from the handle 12. Preferably, the second ejector structure 80 contacts and pushes against the rim 54 of the opening portion 52. Preferably (as shown in
Referring additionally to
Referring additionally to
Combined actions of the first ejector 40 and second ejector structure 80 can overcome any increased engagement forces and permit a user to remove the cartridge 14 from the handle 12 with an acceptable user-provided force.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope of the disclosure as defined by the claims that follow. Features disclosed in connection with any one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with, each feature of the respective other embodiments.
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WO2019/108392 | 6/6/2019 | WO | A |
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