IMPROVEMENT IN OR RELATING TO SAFETY RAZORS

Abstract: A razor formed as a unitary moulding comprises a main body 1 including a cap member 3 and two side walls 4 and a guard member 6 connected to the body 1 by spring fingers 7 and living hinges which permit the guard member to be located in guide means 9 which guide the guard member for limited displacement during shaving.

Description: This invention relates to safety razors, and in particular to razor heads, or cartridges, having guard members which are resiliently displaceable in reaction to the forces encountered during shaving. Razor heads or cartridges of this form are described, for example, in British Patent Specification GB-A-1566505, GB-A-2131337 and GB-A-2064410. The latter specification discloses a razor head comprising a main body having location means for receiving elongate blades means and a guard member which is resiliently displaceable in reaction to forces encountered during shaving, said guard member being engagable with guide means on the main body, the said guide means permitting displacement of the guard member against the restoring action of resilient fingers. The present invention is particularly concerned with the construction of a cartridge body which permits of its being formed as a unitary plastics moulding incorporating the guard member and spring means for its resilient mounting relative to the main body of the cartridge. According to the present invention there is provided a razor head comprising a main body having location means for receiving elongate blade means and a guard member being engagable with guide means on the main body and which is resiliently displaceable in reaction to forces encountered during shaving, the said guide means permitting displacement of the guard member against the restoring action of resilient fingers, characterized in that the said main body and guard member are formed as unitary plastics moulding in which the guard member is connected to the main body and in that the resilient fingers have hinges which together permit the guard member to be resiliently bent relative to the main body from on original position as moulded, into engagement with said guide means on the main body. This cartridge will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cartridge body "as moulded"; Figs. 2 and 3 are end views showing the guard bar in its moulded and its assembled positions, respectively; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the completed cartridge body and a tandem blade unit for mounting therein; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the assembled cartridge. Fig. 1 shows the integrally moulded cartridge body 1 in its condition "as moulded". It comprises: a rear wall 2, whose upper surface 3 is destined to form a cap to the rear of the blades; opposite side walls 4; and a guard bar 6 integrally connected to the rear wall by spring fingers 7. The ends of the bar 6 are provided with projecting pins 8 for eventual location in guide brackets 9 at the forward ends of the side walls 4. As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the junctions between the free ends of fingers 7 and the guard bar 6 are of reduced cross-section to form living hinges 11. After moulding, the guard bar is swung upwardly, in an anti-clockwise direction ( as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3), to bring the pins 8 up and over the brackets 9, with some resilient deflection of the spring fingers 7, to assume the assembled position seen in Fig. 3, in which the pins are guided for movement relative to the rest of the cartridge body in a vertical direction, assuming the cartridge to be in a horizontal attitude. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the cartridge body now forms a generally rectangular open frame for reception and location of a blade unit 12, formed in this example by a pair of narrow blade strips 13 each secured to wire like supports 14 held in spaced parallel relation by end clips 16. These clips are secured with the cartridge and provide for resilient mounting of the blades which are independently sprung so as to be urged upwardly but displaceable downwardly in response to forces encountered during shaving. Fig. 5 shows a cross-section of the assembled cartridge and a notional tangent plane T containing the upper surfaces of the guard bar in a medial position and cap. In use of the cartridge, each of the blades and guard bar are resiliently displaceable downwardly in directions perpendicular to the tangent plane T in response to forces encountered during shaving. As best seen in Fig. 5, upward movement of the guard bar 6 is limited by the interengagement of projections 17 at the front of the body 1 in circular recesses 18 formed in the inner surface of the bar 6. It will be understood that the term vertically and horizontally are employed herein for the purposes of description and that the cartridge will adopt many different attitudes in use.

Claims: A razor head comprising a main body (1) having location means for receiving elongate blade means (12) and a guard member (6) being engageable with guide means (9) on the main body (1) and which is resiliently displaceable in reaction to forces encountered during shaving, the said guide means (9) permitting displacement of the guard member (6) against the restoring action of resilient fingers (7), characterized in that the said main body (1) and guard member (6) are being formed as unitary plastics moulding in which the guard member (6) is connected to the main body (1) and in that the resilient fingers (7) have hinges (11) which together permit the guard member (6) to be resiliently bent relative to the main body (1) from on original position as moulded, into engagement with said guide means (9) on the main body (10). A razor head according to claim 1, characterized in that the resilient fingers (7) are provided with portions of reduced cross-section to form the hinges (11). A razor head according to claim 1, characterized in that said guide means (9) include open-ended slots and in that portions (8) of the guard member (6) in engagement with the guide means include end portions of said guard member disposed in said slots, respectively. A razor head according to claim 3, characterized in that the end portions of the guard member (6) include pins (8) at ends of said guard member. A razor head according to claim 2, characterized in that the body (1) includes a rear wall (2) having a skin-engaging surface, side walls (4) projecting forwardly from said rear wall (2), in that the resilient fingers (7) project forwardly from said rear wall (2) and are connected to the guard member (6), and in that the guide means (9) includes open ended slots formed near forward ends of said side walls, said guard member (6) being engagable in and dynamically movable in said slots by flexure of said resilient fingers (7) and hinges (11). A razor head according to claim 5, characterized in that the body (1) and guard members (6) are formed with co-operating abutment means serving to limit movement of said guard member in the slots.

Inventors: FRANCIS, JOHN FREDERICK
Applicants: THE GILLETTE COMPANY
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B26B21
IPC codes: B26B21