Razor cartridge with improved rinsability

A rinsable twin bladed shaving cartridge is attachable to a handle and includes a support having an upper platform on which a cap blade is mounted and a lower platform on which a seat blade is mounted. At least one post connects the upper platform to the lower platform to hold the blades substantially parallel to each other and to establish a substantially unobstructed passageway for rinsing debris from around and between the blades.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention pertains generally to razor blade shaving cartridges. 
More particularly the present invention pertains to multi-blade shaving 
systems. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, 
useful as a multi-blade shaving system which is easily rinsable to remove 
debris filling the interblade spaces to maintain the effectiveness of the 
cutting blades. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Twin bladed razor systems for shaving hair form a body surface are well 
known and widely used. Typically, such razor systems incorporate a razor 
cartridge on which the two blades are mounted. More specifically, the 
blades are normally spaced apart from each other and are mounted on the 
cartridge in parallel. Additionally, the cartridge typically includes a 
guard bar which provides structure for guiding the blades into contact 
with the surface to be shaved. The cartridge, in turn, is attachable to a 
handle which is used to maneuver the cartridge and its blades during a 
shaving operation. For purposes of establishing nomenclature and 
structural interaction, it is to be appreciated that the leading blade is 
commonly referred to as the seat blade, and the trailing blade is commonly 
referred to as the cap blade. Further, the seat blade is normally 
positioned so as to be between the cap blade and the guard bar. 
One significant disadvantage to presently available twin bladed razor 
systems is the fact that debris easily accumulates in the space between 
the blades. The unwanted result is that this accumulation diminishes the 
efficacy of the blades to cut hair. When compared to the condition where 
there is no debris in the space between the blades, it has been determined 
that the build up of debris in the space between the blades can reduce the 
effectiveness of the cap blade by almost eighty percent (80%). This 
reduction in efficiency will also result for the seat blade if the space 
between the guard bar and the seat blade is also allowed to accumulate 
debris. Further, it is believed that the build up of debris contributes to 
discomfort during the shaving operation. 
In order to alleviate the above mentioned disadvantages, the user normally 
rinses the razor cartridge during shaving in an attempt to clear debris 
from the cartridge. If effective, this rinsing will improve the cutting 
effectiveness of the razor as well as contribute to user comfort. It 
happens, however, that the spacers which are presently used to stabilize 
the blades of a typical twin bladed razor cartridge do not permit rinse 
water to flow easily between the blades. More specifically, because these 
spacers are normally solid structures, they effectively obstruct the flow 
of rinse water through the space between the blades in the direction 
perpendicular to the cutting edges of the blades. The flow of rinse water 
parallel to the blades does not efficiently contact the accumulated debris 
and, consequently, debris tends to collect between the blades. 
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide 
a rinsable twin bladed shaving cartridge which avoids clogging of the 
space between the blades in order to minimize the accumulation of shaving 
debris in the cartridge. Another object of the present invention is to 
provide a rinsable twin bladed shaving cartridge which has improved 
rinsability to facilitate the removal of debris which accumulates between 
the blades during a shaving operation. Yet another object of the present 
invention is provide a rinsable twin bladed shaving cartridge which is 
comfortable and safe to use. Still another object of the present invention 
is to provide a rinsable twin bladed shaving cartridge which is simple to 
use, relatively easy to manufacture and comparatively cost effective. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A rinsable twin bladed shaving cartridge includes a support which has a cap 
blade attached to an upper platform, and a seat blade attached to a lower 
platform. At least one post connects the rear edge of the upper platform 
to the rear edge of the lower platform. As so connected, the platforms 
align the cutting edge of the cap blade with the cutting edge of the seat 
blade and extend both of the cutting edges forward from the cartridge. 
This connection also holds the blades parallel to each other and 
establishes a substantially unobstructed passageway through the cartridge 
to facilitate the rinsing of accumulated debris from between and around 
the blades. 
In one embodiment of the present invention, the cartridge is attachable to 
a handle which is formed with a guard bar. When this handle is attached to 
the support, the guard bar is disposed substantially parallel to the seat 
blade, and on the opposite side of the seat blade from the cap blade. 
Further, the guard bar is distanced from the support to establish a 
substantially unobstructed channel between the guard bar and the support. 
This channel also facilitates the rinsing of accumulated debris from the 
cartridge. 
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cartridge again 
includes a support which has upper and lower platforms on which a cap 
blade and a seat blade are respectively mounted. As before, a post 
connects the upper platform to the lower platform to establish a 
substantially unobstructed passageway through the cartridge between the 
blades. Additionally, the cartridge itself includes an elongated guard bar 
which is formed substantially parallel to both the upper and lower 
platforms to position the seat blade between the guard bar and the cap 
blade. Further, the guard bar is distanced from the seat blade to 
establish a substantially unobstructed channel between the guard bar and 
the seat blade. With both the passageway and the channel, the cartridge is 
rinsable to remove debris which accumulates around and between the blades 
during a shaving operation. For this embodiment, a handle can be attached 
to either the lower platform or to the guard bar for controlling the 
cartridge during the shaving operation. 
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both 
as to its structure and its operation will be best understood from the 
accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying 
description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, 
and in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring initially to FIG. 1, the twin bladed shaving cartridge according 
to the present invention is shown and is generally designated 10. As shown 
in FIG. 1, this embodiment of cartridge 10 includes a support 12 which is 
formed with an upper platform 14 and a lower platform 16. A cap blade 18 
is attached to the lower surface of the upper platform 14 with its cutting 
edge 20 extending in a forward direction from the cartridge 10. The cap 
blade 18 can be attached to the upper platform 14 in any manner well known 
in the pertinent art. Similarly, a seat blade 22 is attached to the upper 
surface of the lower platform 16 with its cutting edge 24 extending in a 
forward direction from the cartridge 10. Preferably, when blades 18 and 22 
are mounted on the support 12, the cutting edge 20 of cap blade 18 is 
parallel to the cutting edge 24 of seat blade 22. 
As perhaps best appreciated by cross referencing FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a pair 
of side posts 26a and 26b connect the rear edge of the upper platform 14 
to the rear edge of the lower platform 16. As intended for the present 
invention, this connection establishes an aperture 28 between the side 
posts 26a and 26b which is sufficiently large to create a substantially 
unobstructed passageway 30 between the cap blade 18 and the seat blade 22. 
Additionally, FIG. 1 shows that the support 12 can be formed with a groove 
32 which is useful for attaching the cartridge 10 to a handle 34. 
FIG. 4 shows a handle 34 which can be used with the embodiment of the 
cartridge 10 shown in FIGS. 1,2 and 3. Specifically, the version of handle 
34 shown in FIG. 4 includes a rib 36 which is matingly engageable with the 
groove 32 of cartridge 10 to hold the cartridge 10 on the handle 34. It is 
to be appreciated, however, that the handle 34 and the disclosed 
connection between this handle 34 and the cartridge 10 are only exemplary. 
Indeed, the cartridge 10 can be attached to any handle, such as handle 34, 
by any means well known in the pertinent art. 
For the specific handle 34 shown in FIG. 4, it will be seen that a brace 38 
extends outwardly from the handle 34, and that the brace 38 holds an 
elongated guard bar 40 at a distance from the brace 38. Specifically, the 
distance between the brace 38 and the guard bar 40 establishes a channel 
42 therebetween. Thus, when cartridge 10 is attached to the handle 34, 
guard bar 40 will be distanced from the lower platform 16 of support 12 
and the channel 42 will be unobstructed. Consequently, for the combination 
of cartridge 10 and handle 34, a substantially unobstructed passageway is 
established between cap blade 18 on upper platform 14 and seat blade 22 on 
lower platform 16 and, at the same time, a substantially unobstructed 
channel 42 is established between the lower platform 16 and guard bar 40. 
As intended for the present invention, the passageway 30 and the channel 
42 both allow the flow of water therethrough to effectively rinse the 
cartridge 10 of any debris which might accumulate on the cartridge 10 
during a shaving operation. 
For an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a guard bar 46 is 
attached directly to the support 12 in a manner as shown in FIG. 5 for a 
cartridge 44. In many respects, this cartridge 44 is similar to the 
previously disclosed cartridge 10. Impliedly, however, the difference is 
that guard bar 46 is formed as part of the cartridge 44. Specifically, 
like cartridge 10, the cartridge 44 has an upper platform 14 with a cap 
blade 18 attached thereto, and it has a lower platform 16 with a seat 
blade 22 attached thereto. As before, the cap blade 18 and the seat blade 
22 are substantially parallel to each other and the side posts 26 create 
an aperture 28 which is a continuation of the passageway 30 established 
between the blades 18 and 22. Unlike cartridge 10, however, cartridge 44 
includes side posts 26a' and 26b', which are extensions of the side posts 
26a and 26b and, which hold the guard bar 46 in position relative to lower 
platform 18. 
As perhaps best seen by cross referencing FIG. 5 with FIGS. 6 and 7, the 
cartridge 44 is established with an essentially unobstructed passageway 30 
between the blades 18 and 22, as well as an essentially unobstructed 
channel 42 between the seat blade 22 and the guard bar 46. Further, the 
cartridge 44 is shown to include a pair of center posts 48 and 48' which 
can be used to help stabilize the combination of upper platform 14, lower 
platform 16 and guard bar 46. Though the center posts 48 and 48' are shown 
specifically for the embodiment of the cartridge 44 illustrated in FIGS. 5 
and 6, it is to be appreciated that the cartridge 10 could also include a 
center post. As shown in FIG. 5, a handle 50 is attachable to the 
cartridge 44 for guiding the cartridge 44 during a shaving operation. 
Here, the handle 50 is shown attached to the guard bar 46 portion of the 
cartridge 44. 
FIG. 8 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention wherein a 
cartridge 52 is formed with an integral guard bar 54. Here, in a slightly 
different configuration than presented above for the cartridge 44, side 
posts 26a" and 26b" (not shown) are forward on the lower platform 16. In 
all important respects, however, the cartridge 52 is functionally similar 
to the cartridge 44. As before, a channel 42 is formed between the lower 
platform 16 and the lower guard bar 46 to establish a substantially 
unobstructed channel 42. Further, the substantially unobstructed 
passageway 30 is established between the upper platform 14 and the lower 
platform 16. For this configuration, a handle 56 is shown to be attachable 
to the lower platform 16 of the cartridge 52. As with the other 
embodiments disclosed herein, the handle 56 is attachable to the cartridge 
52 for guiding the cartridge 52 during a shaving operation. 
While the particular twin bladed shaving cartridge as herein shown and 
disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and 
providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that 
it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the 
invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of the 
construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended 
claims.