Patent Application
20210291394
This invention relates to a shaving razor, and in particular a harm reduction razor that minimizes the risk of adaptation and possibility of misuse.
Most conventional razors comprise one or more elongate blade edges fixed in a base. Such razors are generally safe to use under normal conditions. That is, they are designed to remove facial or body hair, while reducing the chances of cutting the user's skin during the shaving operation.
However, such razors are able to be dismantled, or otherwise broken apart to expose the sharp blade. Sadly, there are vulnerable sectors of the population, such as those in prison or in mental institutions, who may attempt to use an extracted blade or other sharp edges from a razor to harm themselves, harm others, or even commit suicide. Although there are no simple answers as to why individuals wish to self-harm, there is a need to attempt to prevent such injuries or deaths.
Razor heads are known that have a plurality of sharp-edged apertures over the surface to provide the cutting edges. For example, EP 2165809 discloses a razor blade comprising a metallic foil sheet with a plurality of apertures, the perimeter of each aperture forming a cutting edge. Such a razor is safe under normal usage conditions, but is not tamper-resistant, because the foil sheet is flexible and could be readily distorted to expose the sharpened cutting edges. Similar blades which comprise thin foils with apertures are also described in EP 057770, EP 077318, EP 0436693 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,365.
Another type of razor having multiple sharpened apertures is exemplified by EP 0305866, which describes an elastomeric pad in which the apertures are situated. The pad which surrounds and supports the apertures is designed to be readily deformable to conform to the skin surface. Thus again, such a razor, although suitable for its intended purpose of providing a smooth and efficient shaving action, is not useful as a tamper-resistant razor, as its deformability allows access to the blades if misused. Similar razors having flexible or sponge-like supports for apertures are also described in EP 0276066, U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,670, and EP 0524194.
The prior art patent documents described above do not suggest a razor having rigid metal structure containing apertures which can satisfy the need for a harm reduction razor.
The invention is directed to a razor with a rigid metal body member having a thickness and a plurality of apertures therein. The rigid metal body member has a skin-engaging surface. Each aperture has a cutting blade adjacent the skin-engaging surface. The thickness of the rigid metal body member is from 2 mm to 10 mm.
In one aspect of the invention, the rigid metal body member is made of titanium or steel.
In one aspect of the invention, the rigid metal body member is made of stainless steel.
In one aspect of the invention, the thickness of the rigid metal body member is from 2 mm to 4 mm.
In one aspect of the invention, the apertures are circular in cross-section.
In one aspect of the invention, the apertures each has an axis positioned perpendicular to the skin-engaging surface.
In one aspect of the invention, the apertures each has an axis positioned at an angle of from 50° to 70° to the skin-engaging surface.
In one aspect of the invention, a distance from the cutting blade to an opposite side of an internal body of the apertures is from 0.4 mm to 0.9 mm.
In one aspect of the invention, the distance from the cutting blade to an opposite edge of an upper area of the apertures adjacent the skin-engaging surface is from 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm.
In one aspect of the invention, the rigid metal body member contains from 60 to 250 apertures.
In one aspect of the invention, the apertures are formed in a plurality of rows in the rigid metal body member. Alternate rows of apertures in the rigid metal body member are offset from each other.
In one aspect of the invention, the rigid metal body member is attached to a handle.
The invention is directed generally to a harm reduction razor, as described herein, that minimizes the possibility of misuse, such as being used for self-harm or suicide, and is in the form of a tamper resistant rigid metallic structure with a plurality of apertures having blades within the apertures. The dimensions and shape of the apertures in the metal body member are sufficient to allow protruding facial or bodily hairs to enter the aperture, but prevent the skin from entering the aperture so that the cutting blade does not injure the skin. In addition, the body member of the razor cannot readily be bent or distorted without specialist tools, so that the cutting blades cannot be exposed to inflict harm.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to
The recess 6 also contains lateral slots 11 and sockets 12 to allow the body member 1 to be attached to a handle.
In use, the razor may be pulled across the skin in any direction, because the cutting blades are circular. As the razer is moved across the skin, hairs enter an aperture and are sliced off by the cutting blades 5. The positioning of the tabs 9 within the slots 11 assists in keeping the skin-engaging surface 2 parallel to the facial or body contours. If hairs are missed by one row of cutting blades, the offset rows of apertures ensure that they will be captured by the next row. Thus, a smooth and efficient shaving process is ensured.
A further embodiment of a razor of this invention is depicted in
Referring to
The structure of the apertures is shown in more detail in
In operation, the razor is moved across the skin and hairs enter an aperture. The cavity 214 assists the hair follicle to enter the aperture and helps to present the base of the follicle to the cutting blade 205, thus increasing the effectiveness and closeness of the shaving process.
In accordance with the object of this invention, after use of the razor shown in these embodiments, it is not readily possible, without tools, to bend, distort or break the razor in a way that will expose the cutting blades. The razor minimizes the risk of adaptation and therefore reduces the possibility of misuse compared to a conventional razor. Thus, the potential for harm is reduced.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a razor comprising a rigid metal body member having a plurality of apertures therein, the body member having a skin-engaging surface, wherein each aperture has a cutting blade adjacent the skin-engaging surface.
The body member is sufficiently rigid to prevent the razor from being readily bent or distorted, without specialist tools. Thus, the metal should not be brittle. Suitable metal materials from which the body member may be constructed include titanium or rigid metal alloys such as steel, preferably stainless steel.
The length and width of the body member of this invention may be about the same size as the head of a conventional razor. The thickness of the razor body member should be sufficient maintain to rigidity. A suitable thickness is from 2 mm to 10 mm, for example 2 mm to 5 mm, preferably from 2 mm to 4 mm, especially about 3 mm or 3.5 mm.
The cutting blade is formed within each aperture and is preferably integral with the walls of the aperture. Thus, the width of the aperture at the skin-engaging surface is less than the width of the rest of the aperture. The dimensions and shape of the apertures in the metal body member are sufficient to allow protruding facial or bodily hairs to enter the aperture, but prevent the skin from entering the aperture so that the cutting blade does not injure the skin. Thus, the apertures should accommodate a human hair follicle, which may be typically approximately 0.02 mm to 0.2 mm in diameter. For example, the distance from the cutting blade to the opposite side of the internal body of the aperture, is suitably from 0.4 mm to 1 mm, for example from 0.4 mm to 0.9 mm, preferably from 0.5 mm to 0.85 mm. The internal width of the main part of the aperture is suitably from 0.6 mm to 2 mm, preferably from 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm. The length of the cutting blade is suitably from 0.6 mm to 2 mm, preferably from 0.9 mm to 1.4 mm.
It is also possible to increase the size of the area adjacent the skin-engaging surface, by forming a cavity at edge of the aperture opposite to the cutting blade, for example by milling. The cavity assists the hair follicle to enter the aperture and helps to present the base of the follicle to the cutting blade, thus increasing the effectiveness and closeness of the shaving process. The presence of a cavity allows the distance between the cutting blade and the opposite edge of the upper area of the aperture adjacent the skin-engaging surface to be suitably from 0.6 mm to 2 mm, for example from 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm, preferably from 0.9 mm to 1.4 mm.
The apertures may be any shape, provided they allow entry of a hair follicle. For example, the shape of each aperture may be circular, hexagonal, triangular, or square. Preferably the apertures are circular.
The apertures may be positioned perpendicular to the skin-engaging surface of the razor, that is, at an angle of 90° to the surface. Alternatively, in a preferred embodiment, the apertures may be positioned at an angle of less than 90° to the skin-engaging surface, for example at an angle of from 50° to 70° to the surface, suitably at an angle of about 60° to the surface. One advantage of providing such angled apertures is that drilling the apertures can produce and angled lip adjacent the skin-engaging surface. The angled lip provides a cutting blade. Thus, the angle of the lip may suitably be from 20° to 40° to the skin-engaging surface, preferably at an angle of about 30° to the surface.
The spacing between each aperture on the body member should be sufficient to retain the rigidity thereof, that is to prevent the body member from being bent or distorted. Suitable spacings between each aperture at the skin-engaging surface are from 0.75 mm to 3 mm, preferably from 1 mm to 2.5 mm. The thickness of the main aperture walls is suitably from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, preferably 0.15 mm to 0.75 mm, for example form 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm.
The apertures are generally spaced equidistantly from each other. It is preferred that alternate rows of apertures in the body member are offset from each other to allow the maximum efficiency to capture every hair follicle, as the razor is pulled across the surface of the skin.
With the dimensions of the body member and the apertures described above, the numbers of apertures in the body member may suitably be from 50 to 300, for example from 60 to 250, preferably from 62 to 225.
The cutting blade of each aperture may be formed by drilling the metal body member, and optionally further shaping it, such that edge of the aperture adjacent the skin-engaging surface is sharpened. In order to reduce or prevent burrs on the cutting blade, the body member may be supported on a further piece of metal during the drilling or shaping process. The further piece of metal may suitably be the next body member to be drilled. In that way, guide holes would be produced in the subsequent body member, to aid accurate drilling thereof.
The blade may be shaped by a process called lapping, sometimes referred to as grinding, which involves rubbing the blade against a surface, called a lap, coated with an abrasive such as aluminium oxide, emery, silicon carbide, or diamond. The blade may be then further sharpened. The further sharpening of the cutting blade may be achieved by honing, using a polishing water stone or a diamond stone. Alternatively, the blade may be sharpened and heat-treated by the use of a laser beam.
The body member of the razor may be provided with a slot, or cut-out section in order to assist in holding the body member in a fixed position during the drilling or shaping thereof.
The perimeter of the body member is preferably rounded, in order to avoid any sharp edges which could be used to cause injury.
The body member of the razor of this invention is suitably attached to a handle. To assist in this attachment, the perimeter of the body member is provided with a recess to cooperate with a complementary structure on the handle. For example, the underside of the razor body member may comprise sockets and/or slots, which cooperate with protrusions on the handle. Such an attachment may allow a fixed positioning of the body member onto the handle, or may allow a tilting or rocking mechanism.
The razor of this invention may be disposable and safely discarded after use. Alternatively, the cutting blades within the apertures may be re-sharpened for reuse. However, the sharpening process requires specialist tools that are not available to institutional users, so that adaptation is not possible during normal usage, again reinforcing the harm reduction properties of the razor of this invention.
Although the razor of this invention has particular advantages in harm reduction for institutional users, it also provides a smooth and efficient shaving process. It is therefore also valuable for conventional users in the home. The razor of this invention is suitable for use by men or women and may be used to shave hair from the surface of any part of the body including the face, legs and under the arms.
The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is intended to be illustrative of the broad concepts comprehended by the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820916.3 | Dec 2018 | GB | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2019/060523 | 12/6/2019 | WO | 00 |
