LOCKABLE PIVOTABLE RAZOR HANDLE

Abstract: A razor handle for a pivotable razor head. The handle includes two pivotal journal arms (3) for pivotally attaching the razor handle to the razor head, a cam follower (41) for engaging a cam positioned on the razor head, and locking means (50) adapted to lock the head in order to prevent the head from pivotting. The handle is provided with handle disengagement means (20) for disengaging the head. The locking means (50) is automatically unlocked during engagement and disengagement of the head.

Description: This invention relates to a handle for a pivoting razor head and particularly to a handle which will allow the head to pivot or not as the user chooses. Razors with a razor head in the form of a cartridge that pivots about journal bearings linking them to a razor handle via handle arms having journal attachment means are well known in the art and have been available for several years. These pivoting razors also feature a V-shaped cam positioned between the journal bearings on the cartridge bottom. The handle employs a biased cam follower which tracks within the V of the cam along the pivot arc and adds resistance to the pivot movement. This force tends to bias the cartridge to an equilibrium position in which the cam follower is positioned in the middle of the V. A stop is provided at the front and at the rear end of the cartridge to define the pivot arc. US-A-4,083,104 describes such a razor. Ideally a razor should be capable of including a pivoting or non pivoting function. The user should be able to exercise a choice. For example, non-pivoting action may be preferred to trim mustache or sideburns or to shave around the nose, and a single pivotable razor which could be locked in a fixed position would provide the advantages inherent in both shaving modes. US-A-4,266,340 describes a cam follower subassembly particularly adapted for use with a razor handle for a pivoting cartridge wherein the pusher and cam follower are maintained as a subassembly by stops which work against a compression spring. No locking means is disclosed. US-A-4,308,663 describes a razor handle for a pivoting razor cartridge which has the features of the preamble of claim 1. Latching means are provided for restraining the cartridge at one end of the pivot cycle which is released by applying manual force greater than that encountered during shaving. This latching means is a single flexible cantilevered member extending from the handle. US-A-3,938,247 describes a pivoting system with a complex bulky locking mechanism which restricts rather than stops the cartridge and employs a complex assembly in the gripping portion of a handle with a cartridge which is different from the centre positioned V-cam cartridge used in pivoting razors currently. There are other patents which teach locking and pivoting combinations in razors of different designs or for different purposes, e.g. for maintaining a blade assembly in a particular fixed position after the assembly is pivoted or assemblies which utilize other cartridges. These patents are US-A-1,890,334; US-A-4,277,302; US-A-3,317,995; US-A-4,083,103; and US-A-1,694,337. Several Japanese publications also apparently disclose the concept of locking a pivoting cartridge when attached to a handle. These are Japanese Patent application publication Nos. 103987/85; 136084/80; Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. 151086/81; 168273/84; 165170/84; and 24270/85. Also relevant are Japanese Utility Model Nos. 1,213,205; 1,502,533; 1,514,870; 1,539,976 and 1,624,951 published for opposition and Japanese Patent Application Nos. 4,172,978; 1,172,974; 1,178,644 published for opposition. According to the present invention a razor handle for a pivotable razor head comprising attachment means for pivotably attaching the razor handle to the razor head, a biased cam follower with a cam finger adapted to track within a V-shaped cam on the razor head, and locking means characterised in that said locking means, when in the locked position, prevents the razor head from pivoting, said locking means comprises, a slidably mounted member having a slot and a yoke which at least partially surrounds said biased cam follower, said yoke comprises a first tab adapted to be positioned above a finger of the cam follower and a second tab adapted to be positioned below the finger, the tabs being adapted to bear against each end of the V-shaped cam on the razor head when the locking means is locked, said locking means further comprises a rotatably mounted member which is provided with a projection which fits within said slot in the slidably mounted member, said slidably mounted member being positioned over the rotatably mounted member, suitable movement of this rotatably mounted member causes the locking means to be engaged or disengaged. The rotatably mounted member preferably comprises a circular cam and a finger and rotation of the rotatably mounted member causes sliding of the slidably mounted member. Preferably, the locking means further includes a connecting member having legs extending therefrom, a cross piece parallel to said connecting member and having a slot parallel to said connecting member provided therein, an inwardly facing stop provided on the end of each of said legs, and a track defined on the inside of said legs within which the cam follower can move. Desirably, the attachment means comprises pivotally mounted arms which can pivot in order to engage and disengage said razor head, the arms being provided with journal means adapted to engage journal bearings provided on the razor head. In a preferred embodiment, the razor handle further comprises razor head disengagement means. The disengagement means advantageously comprises a shaft which is biased for reciprocal movement, and asymmetrically positioned arms extending outward from said shaft, and said arms being mechanically coupled to a respective pivotally mounted arm. The pivotally mounted arms preferably pivot in response to movement of the head disengagement means to cause unlocking of the locking means. Desirably, the head disengagement means moves linearly, and can move a predetermined distance before causing pivotal movement of the pivotally mounted arms. Preferably, the arms of the head disengagement means are provided with formations which can slide in a cooperating formation on each of the pivotally mounted arms. Each cooperating formation may advantageously comprise a slot, and each slot has a first portion disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head disengagement means, and a second portion angularly disposed to the first portion, and preferably the second portion of each slot is inwardly angularly disposed, so that said pivotally mounted arms pivot inward to disengage the razor head. Desirably, the razor head disengagement means extends through the frame of the razor handle and is biased against the cam follower means, the head disengagement means being retained against said biasing force by stops provided on the ends of the legs of the locking means. The locking means is locked by linear movement which is caused by rotary movement, and preferably said rotary movement is through a predetermined arc. Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a handle according to the invention and a razor cartridge; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the underside of the handle shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the order of assembly and operative relationships of the components of the handle according to the invention; Figure 4 is a top plan view of the handle with the top plate removed, taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the pivot arms in the engage/disengage position and also showing relative parts of the cartridge shown in phantom lines; Figure 6 is a front elevational view taken along lines 6-6 of Figure 4; Figure 7 is a schematic top plan view with certain parts removed for clarity showing the relationship between part of the handle and the cartridge; and Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cam follower in the pivoting position as taken along lines 8-8 of Figure 5 and showing the locked position in phantom lines. In the drawings a razor handle is provided with a bottom frame 100 having a paddle-shaped top portion, which is provided with a series of specifically shaped recesses for positioning and engagement of the various parts of a lockable, pivotable razor head in the form of a cartridge. A recess 110 is in the form of a circular indentation with a secondary arcuate recess 111. The recesses 110 and 111 are designed to receive a rotatably mounted member in the form of a circular cam 10, and a lever finger 11 (see Figure 3) respectively. A Y-shaped recess 120 partially surrounds the recess 110 and is designed to receive handle disengagement means in the form of a pusher 20. The pusher 20 is provided with upper and lower asymmetrically positioned pusher arms 21 and 23, which are positioned above, and allowed to slide linearly reciprocally over, edge supports 121 and 122 respectively (see also Figure 3). The pusher 20 is also provided with pusher stop 22. Attachment means in the form of cartridge engaging arms 30 are pivotally mounted to the handle by means of projections in the form of pivot nipples 130. The pivot nipples 130 can extend through a circular pivot opening 32 in the cartridge engaging arms 30. Turning now to Figures 4, 5 and 6, stops 140 form a front face of the bottom of the razor handle frame 100 and limit the forward movement of a cam follower 40. The circular cam 10 nests in the recess 110, the finger 11 is attached to a bottom surface 12 of the body of the cam 10, and extends through the arcuate recess 111. The finger 11 is able to move through the arc defined by the arcuate recess 111 (see Figures 2, 4 and 7). A projection 13 on the cam 10 projects upward and fits within a slot 51 of a slidably mounted member in the form of a lock tab 50 which is positioned over the circular cam 10. The lock tab 50 is moved forward as the finger 11 of the circular cam 10 is pushed to rotate the circular cam 10 in a counterclockwise direction. The lock tab 50, as best seen by reference to Figures 3 and 4, has a slot 141 extending within a connecting member 53 between tabs 52 and 59. Legs 55 and 56 extend from the connecting member 53, and cross piece 54 bridges the legs about midway along their length; the cross piece 54 includes the slot 51. Stops in the form of shoulders 57 and 58 extend inward at the bottom of the legs 55 and 56 to provide a rear stop for the pusher stop 22. As can be seen from reference to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, cam follower flanges 46 and 47 slidably engage slots 48 and 49 positioned in the inner surface of legs 55 and 56, and are biased against the pusher stop 22. As best seen in Figure 3, the pusher stop 22 has a cylindrical recess which engages and restrains a compression spring 150. The tabs 52 and 59 extend from the connecting member 53, and form a yoke positioned above and below a cam follower finger 41 of the cam follower 40; the finger 41 is reciprocally movable through the slot 141. The tabs 52 and 59 and the cam follower finger 41 can pass through an opening 147 defined by the stops 140, while the stops 140 restrain the flanges 46 and 47 of the cam follower 40. When no cartridge is engaged the flanges 46 and 47 abut stops 140, but when a cartridge is attached the cam follower 40 biased backward against the pusher stop 22, and the flanges 46 and 47 are spaced from stops 140. The arms 21 and 23 of the pusher 20 are positioned asymmetrically along a pusher shaft 24 of the pusher 20. The pusher arm 21 is positioned farther forward than pusher arm 23 and is provided with camming surface 27. Each pusher arm 21 and 23 includes formations in the form of nipples 25 and 26 which engage cooperating formations in the form of slots 35 on the cartridge engaging arms 30. The nipples 25 and 26 are disposed substantially parallel to one another, and to the pivot nipples 130 and stops 140, and are disposed symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of pusher 20. The cartridge engaging arms 30 also have journal means 36 for engaging journal bearings on the bottom of the pivoting blade assembly cartridge (see Figures 1 and 5). A top frame 60, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, has a flat body 64 facing upward, and has recesses 61 and 62 for mating engagement with pivot nipples 130, so that the cartridge engaging arms 30 can rotate freely. A trough 63 is also provided on the underside of top frame 60 to allow reciprocal linear movement of the lock tab 50 and pusher 20, and maintains the relative position of the legs 55 and 56, thereby preventing disengagement of the pusher stop 22. When the blade assembly cartridge is engaged by the handle, as can be seen in Figures 1, 5 and 8, the cartridge engaging arms 30 are attached to the bottom frame 100 by the pivot nipples 130 and engage the journal bearings of the razor cartridge via the journal arms 36. The finger 41 of the cam follower 40 is biased against a V-shaped cam on the bottom of the pivoting blade assembly cartridge to provide resistance to the free pivoting action of the journal bearing assembly; this resistance is not so great as to prevent pivoting. When the user desires to eliminate the pivoting action of the cartridge, he rotates the circular cam 10 counterclockwise by pushing against lever finger 11 extending through the bottom frame 100. This moves the projection 13 against the slot 51 of the lock tab 50. This action results in sliding the tabs 52 and 59 forward through the frame opening 147 defined by the stops 140 and into abutment with the ends of the V-cam on the cartridge bottom (see Figures 5 and 8). When the user wants the razor head to pivot, the lever finger 11 is rotated clockwise which reverses the movement of the parts described immediately above and removes the yoke (i.e. the tabs 52 and 59) from the V-cam ends. One of the unique features of the razor handle is that it always returns to the unlocked or pivot mode when the cartridge is disengaged and/or a new cartridge is engaged. The relationship between the pusher 20 and the circular cam 10 is shown in Figure 7 with the circular cam 10 shown in the locked position. In the locked position a projection 14 of the circular lever 10 is in an eight o'clock position relative to the face of the bottom surface 12. When a thumb rest 28 of pusher 20 is pushed, the entire pusher 20, including nipples 25 and 26 of arms 21 and 23 respectively, moves forward linearly. Initially, nipples 25 and 26 slide forward in the eccentric slots 35 of the arms 30 engaging only the sides 37 of the slots 35 which are parallel to the frame 100. This movement compresses the biasing spring 150 but does not cause the cartridge engaging arms 30 to pivot. Also, and most importantly, because the entire pusher 20 moves during the locking operation, this linear movement within slots 35 is needed to obtain locking without movement of arms 30. The pusher cam surface 27 bears against the circular lever projection 14 displacing it arcuately in a clockwise direction. This action pushes projection 13 against the bottom of the lock tab slot 51 forcing the lock tab 50 backward and withdrawing lock tabs 52 and 59 from their advanced position. The cartridge is now pivotable again with only the finger 41 of the cam follower 40 in contact with the V-cam. It should be noted that the biasing action of the biasing spring 150 acts to return a partially rotated circular cam 10 to its original position until rotation of the circular cam is half completed, i.e. a position of about twelve o'clock. Thus after the rotation caused by the cam surface 27 exceeds half of its path, the biasing force drives the lever 14 and the circular cam 10 toward completion of its arc. This feature helps to maintain the cartridge either in the pivoting or locked mode. With the cartridge pivotable, the nipples 25 and 26 continue forward up the slot 35 until they bear against an angled slot section 38 which moves the pivot arms 30 inward ultimately disengaging the journal arms 36 from the cartridge journal bearings and disengaging the cartridge. After the cartridge is disengaged and manual pressure against pusher 20 is discontinued, the pusher 20 returns to its original position due to its being biased against the cam follower 40. During return, the path of nipples 25 and 26 is reversed, moving outwardly angularly and then linearly. This action returns pivot arms 30 to their original position with journal arms 36 extending outward at their widest position. If the lock is now locked so that tabs 52 and 59 are advanced through the area defined by stop 140 in the razor handle body, i.e. the lever finger 11 is moved counterclockwise, the lock will be unlocked prior to engaging a new cartridge. This happens because the same mechanism which is used to unlock the lock when the cartridge is disengaged, is employed to push the journal arms 36 closer to each other to allow for new cartridge engagement, i.e., the pusher 20 is pushed forward. Thus, the handle according to the invention is always in the unlocked position when disengaging or engaging a cartridge. While it is preferred that the handle engages the cartridge with the journals extending outward so that the handle in toto is smaller, the engagement can also be outside-in with the only modification needed being to turn the handle over so that slot 38 is directed outward and upward.

Claims: A razor handle (60,100) for a pivotable razor head comprising attachment means (30) for pivotably attaching the razor handle to the razor head, a biased cam follower (40) with a cam finger (41) adapted to track within a V-shaped cam on the razor head, and locking means (10,50) characterised in that said locking means, when in the locked position, prevents the razor head from pivoting, said locking means comprises, a slidably mounted member (50) having a slot (51) and a yoke (53) which at least partially surrounds said biased cam follower (40), said yoke comprises a first tab (52) adapted to be positioned above a finger (41) of the cam follower and a second tab (59) adapted to be positioned below the finger (41), the tabs (52,59) being adapted to bear against each end of the V-shaped cam on the razor head when the locking means (10,50) is locked, said locking means further comprises a rotatably mounted member (10) which is provided with a projection (13) which fits within said slot in the slidably mounted member (50), said slidably mounted member being positioned over the rotatably mounted member, suitable movement of this rotatably mounted member (10) causes the locking means to be engaged or disengaged. A razor handle according to claim 1 or wherein the rotatably mounted member comprises a circular cam (10) and a finger (11). A razor handle according to claim 1 or 2 wherein rotation of the rotatably mounted member (10) causes sliding of the slidably mounted member (50). A razor handle according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the locking means (10,50) further includes a connecting member (53) between the first tab (52) and the second tab (59), the connecting member (53) having legs (55,56) extending therefrom, a cross piece (54) extending between the legs (55,56) parallel to said connecting member (53) and having a slot (51) parallel to said connecting member (53) provided therein, an inwardly facing stop (57,58) provided on the end of each of said legs (55,56), and a track defined on the inside of said legs (55,56) within which the cam follower (40) can move. A razor handle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the attachment means comprises pivotally mounted arms (30) which can pivot in order to engage and disengage said razor head, the arms (30) being provided with journal means (36) adapted to engage journal bearings provided on the razor head. A razor handle according to any preceding claim, further characterised by comprising razor head disengagement means (20). A razor handle according to claim 6 wherein the head disengagement means (20) includes a shaft (24) which is biased for reciprocal movement, and asymmetrically positioned arms (21,23) extending outward from said shaft (24), and said arms (21,23) being mechanically coupled to a respective pivotally mounted arm (30). A razor handle according to claim 7 wherein the pivotally mounted arms (30) pivot in response to movement of the head disengagement means (20) to cause unlocking of the locking means. A razor handle according to claim 8 wherein the head disengagement means (20) moves linearly, and can move a predetermined distance before causing pivotal movement of the pivotally mounted arms (30). A razor handle according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the arms (21,23) of the head disengagement means (20) are provided with formations (25,26) which can slide in a cooperating formation (35) on each of the pivotally mounted arms (30). A razor handle according to claim 10, wherein each cooperating formation comprise a slot (35), and each slot (35) has a first portion disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head disengagement means (20), and a second portion angularly disposed to the first portion, and preferably the second portion of each slot (35) is inwardly angularly disposed, so that said pivotally mounted arms (30) pivot inward to disengage the razor head. A razor handle according to any one of claims 6 to 11 wherein the head disengagement means (20) extends through the frame of the razor handle and is biased against the cam follower means (40), the head disengagement means (20) being retained against said biasing force by stops (57,58) provided on the ends of the legs (55,56) of the locking means (10,50). A razor handle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the locking means (10,50) is unlocked during engagement and/or disengagement of the razor head.

Inventors: MOTTA, VINCENT C.
Applicants: WARNER-LAMBERT COMPANY
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B26B21
IPC codes: B26B21