Technical Field
This invention relates generally to shaving devices, and more specifically to razor cartridges having skin engaging structures that include molded filament-like protrusions.
Many modern safety razors include a disposable razor cartridge adapted to be selectively connected to a reusable handle. The cartridge includes a housing having at least one razor blade with a sharpened cutting edge disposed therein. The housing includes a guard positioned to engage the user's skin in advance of the cutting edge of the blade, and a cap positioned aft of the cutting edge. The cartridge can be adapted for shaving in a single direction or multiple directions, most usually bi-directionally, ie in to and fro directions. Other modern safety razors include a razor cartridge permanently connected to the handle that can be disposed of as a single unit.
The present invention resides broadly in providing improved skin engaging guard and/or cap surfaces with structures that gently stretch the skin of the user to optimally erect the hair in advance of cutting edge(s). The structures can also provide a secondary function of promoting pleasant tactile sensations which tend to mask the sensations caused by contact of the blade edge(s) with the skin and more significantly with the hairs as they are severed. Many modern razor cartridges include guard structures that can have multiple rows of flexible thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) fins. These structures are disclosed in many publications including U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,712 to Crook et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,840 to Walker et al. and U.S. Patent application publication number 2005/0223568. Further structures comprising multiple generally non-fin-like TPE protrusions are disclosed in the '712 patent, above and U.S. patents including U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,557 to Gilder and U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,518 to Garraway et al. The TPE structures of the aforementioned publications that do not include straight or curved fins have protrusions that are relatively large, heights that are relatively low, aspect ratios (ie height to base width ratio) that are relatively low and spacings between adjacent protrusions that are relatively large resulting in a comparatively low protrusion density expressed as protrusions per mm2 of substrate. Many of these disadvantages are caused by the known technical limits of the injection molding process employed, the known technical limits of the injection mold-making process employed and the known technical limits of the TPE materials employed especially in regard to the material completely filling the mold cavity and the molded form being ultimately removable from its mold cavity at the end of a molding cycle. The '712 patent in particular discloses an aspect ratio in the range of 2:1 to 5:1 and an inter-protrusion spacing between 0.6 mm and 1.5 mm for the TPE upstanding pillar protrusions described therein. Furthermore, typical TPE materials that can typically be employed in a guard structure are somewhat more expensive compared to commodity olefin polymers such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP). The environmental stability of many TPE materials, including their ability to withstand chemical attack from typical soaps and some other shaving preparations can also be generally inferior to PP and the PE derivatives noted above.
The present invention has for its objective to eliminate, or at least substantially alleviate the limitations of the prior art razor cartridge skin engaging structures. In accordance, the object of the present invention is to provide a skin engaging structure for a razor cartridge that comprises a plurality of filament-like protrusions integrally formed with a substrate. The protrusions can be molded from a suitable thermoplastic material that can not necessarily be a TPE. As a result of their length and width, the protrusions can have a similar or better flexibility than known TPE protrusions under forces applied when the razor cartridge is drawn along the user's skin in normal use. The skin engaging structure can impart enhanced shaving characteristics to its razor cartridge.
Embodiments of a razor cartridge of the present invention comprise a housing having at least one razor blade having a cutting edge disposed therein. The housing has a skin engaging structure that includes a plurality of elongated protrusions extending from a substrate integrally formed therewith. The skin engaging structure comprises a molded thermoplastic polymer that can be PP, a derivative of PE or other suitable polymer, such as ABS. The protrusions can be about 1 mm or more in height and can have a width less than 0.25 mm and a spacing between adjacent protrusions less than 0.2 mm, preferably about 0.15 mm resulting in a protrusion density greater than 5 protrusions per mm2. The protrusions can have a generally constant transverse cross section along their length or can be tapered or stepped. The cross section of the protrusions can be generally circular, oval or polygonal. The substrate can be integrally formed with the housing or can be permanently attached by suitable means such as by application of an adhesive or by permanently deforming a portion of the housing over a portion of the substrate, e.g. an edge extension of the substrate. The skin engaging structure can be one or both the guard and cap of the razor cartridge or a portion thereof.
Embodiments of a safety razor of the present invention can comprise a razor cartridge as previously described, connected to a handle. The connection can be permanent to provide a so-called disposable razor or the cartridge can be selectively removable by the user when appropriate to do so.
Embodiments of the invention can include one or more of the following advantages. The safety razor has excellent shaving characteristics. The skin engaging structure has manufacturing advantages.
The above features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood with reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the drawings and in particular
Referring additionally now to
The skin engaging structure is preferably a discrete component part having its substrate portion permanently joined to the cartridge housing by suitable and well known means. Referring additionally to
The skin engaging structure can also be integrally formed with the cartridge housing or one of the molded parts of the cartridge housing.
As depicted in
The skin engaging structure is preferably manufactured by a nano-injection molding process under typical process parameters in a suitable mold having cavities manufactured by a nano-mold making process. The skin engaging structure is preferably manufactured from a thermoplastic material having a relatively high shrinkage, more preferably an olefin polymer such as PP or a PE derivative, but materials such as TPE, polyamide (PA) and polyoxymethylene (POM) can also be employed as well as ABS. Olefin polymers in particular are selected for characteristics that include: impact and chemical resistance; relatively high shrinkage rate and low surface energy that both in turn aid removal of the part from the mold cavity at the end of the molding cycle and relatively low elastic modulus compared to so-called engineering polymers such as polyamide etc. that in turn provides preferred flexibility of the protrusions. As a result of their length and width in conjunction with the mechanical properties of the preferred material, the protrusions can have a similar or better flexibility than known TPE protrusions under forces applied when the razor cartridge is drawn along the user's skin in normal use.
Continuing to refer to
Referring additionally now to
Referring additionally now to
Although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific illustrative embodiments thereof, it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow. For instance, features disclosed in connection with any one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with each feature of the respective other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will further recognize that variations and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/918,744, filed Mar. 19, 2007.
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Number | Date | Country |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20080229583 A1 | Sep 2008 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60918744 | Mar 2007 | US |