Cutlery – Razors – Combined
Patent
1993-05-27
1995-05-02
Rada, Rinaldi I.
Cutlery
Razors
Combined
30 50, 30 81, 30 84, B26B 2118
Patent
active
054108101
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
SAFETY RAZORS
This invention is concerned with safety razors which comprise a flexible razor blade unit secured to a handle by connecting means arranged to permit flexure of the unit when the razor is used.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The blade unit is flexible in the sense that it is readily flexible, in response to forces encountered during normal use, about an axis or axes parallel with the plane of the blade unit and extending substantially perpendicular to the cutting edge(s) of the blade(s). Safety razors of this kind are described for example, in British Specifications 1589591 and 2119690.
One form of blade unit for such a safety razor comprises a flexible blade or tandem flexible blades with a flexible spacer therebetween, which blade or blades and spacer are mounted in a moulded plastics housing providing a comb-like guard portion and a comb-like cap portion, the teeth of the two comb-like portions being interconnected by a web which is sufficiently thin to be flexible. The blade unit is connected to a razor handle by connecting means which permit flexing of the blade unit in use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We have now developed an improvement of such a safety razor in which a comb-like moulding of a mixture of polyethylene oxide and a structural polymer, such as polystyrene, is positioned between the teeth of the comb-like cap portion, the teeth of the polyethylene oxide-containing moulding being narrower than the space between the teeth of the cap portion so that the blade unit can flex concavely.
According to the present invention, there is provided a safety razor which comprises a razor blade unit which is readily flexible, in response forces encountered during normal use, about an axis or axes parallel with the plane of the blade or blades and extending substantially perpendicular to the cutting edge(s) thereof, a handle, and connecting means connecting the blade unit to the handle which means permit flexing of the blade unit, the blade unit comprising a moulded plastics housing providing a comb-like guard portion and a comb-like cap portion between which the blade or tandem blades with a spacer therebetween is/are clamped, the teeth of the two comb-like portions being interconnected by a web which is sufficiently thin to be flexible, and the blade unit further comprising a comb-like moulding of a mixture of polyethylene oxide and a structural polymer, positioned between the teeth of the comb-like cap portion, the teeth of the polyethylene oxide-containing moulding being narrower than the space between the teeth of the cap portion so that the blade unit can flex concavely.
The teeth of the polyethylene oxide-containing moulding are preferably level with or project above the teeth of the cap portion.
The use of inserts formed of a mixture of polyethylene oxide and a structural polymer, such as polystyrene, in the cap and/or the guard portions of razors and blade units to improve shaving performance is known and has been described, for example, in British Specification 2024082. Such inserts typically contain, by weight, 80% of polyethylene oxide and 20% of structural polymer. The present invention provides a particularly convenient way of incorporating polyethylene oxide-containing inserts in a flexible blade unit of the kind described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A currently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the razor, and
FIG. 2 is a similar view of the assembled razor.
The illustrated razor comprises a flexible blade unit 10 which comprises a moulded plastics housing 11 (made, for example, from polystyrene) which has a comb-like guard portion 12 and a comb-like cap portion 13 between which a combination of tandem single edged razor blades 14 with a spacer 15 therebetween is clamped. The blades 14 and spacer 15 are retained in the correct position by protrusions (not shown) in the housing and protrusions (not shown) on the spacer 15
REFERENCES:
patent: 4443939 (1984-04-01), Motta et al.
patent: 4516320 (1985-05-01), Peleckis
patent: 4535537 (1985-08-01), Ferraro et al.
patent: 4624051 (1986-11-01), Apprille, Jr. et al.
patent: 4754548 (1988-07-01), Solow
patent: 4854043 (1989-08-01), Chen
patent: 5031316 (1991-07-01), Oldroyd
Rada Rinaldi I.
The Gillette Company
Tobin Donal B.
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