SAFETY RAZOR

Abstract: The object of the invention is a safety razor, in which the one-­ blade or two-blade shaving head (16) is mounted at the end of the fore part (14) of a handle (1) so as to be rotatable by at least 90° around an axis which is transversal to the shaving head (16) and to the handle (1). Thus, the shaving head (16) can be caused to take at will a rest position extending in the longitudinal direction of handle (1), sidewise of the fore or upper part (14) of said handle, and a shaving position extending across the longitudinal direction of handle (1). The handle (1) is preferably made in form of a container for a shaving cream or lather, and at its rear or bottom end it is provided with a dispensing valve (2).

Description: The present invention relates to a safety razor according to the introductory part of Claim 1. A safety razor of this kind is known from the document US-A-4.332.321. In this known safety razor a pair of spring washers and suitable detents are interposed between adjacent surfaces of the shaving head and the fore or upper part of the handle. The two positions of the shaving head are defined by the detents, in combination with the spring washers. The document US-A-3.964.160 describes a safety razor with an angularly adjustable head provided with an indexing member cooperating with a finger-operated, slidable locking lever. The indexing member has a curved or arcuate marginal edge, which is provided with a plurality of spaced notches with such dimensions as to receive a detent portion of the locking lever. The lever is urged against the indexing member by a compression spring. The object of the present invention is to improve a safety razor of the type as described in the introductory part of Claim 1, in order to have the shaving head held in place in a safer manner, and with the aid of locking means of a simple construction, which can be easily operated for moving the shaving head into its rest position or into its shaving position. This object is attained by the invention with the combination of features according to the characterizing part of Claim 1. Some preferred embodiments of the invention are characterized in the dependent Claims. One embodiment of the safety razor according to the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a safety razor according to the invention. Figures 2 and 3 are views showing in an enlarged scale the fore or upper end of the razor, with the shaving head in shaving position (Figure 2) and in rest position (Figure 3). Referring to the drawings, the safety razor according to the invention consists of a handle 1 which may be made in any suitable manner. A shaving head-carrying rod 2 which projects from the fore or top end of handle 1, is fixed in handle 1 and extends in the longitudinal direction thereof, in an eccentric position relatively to the axis of said handle 1. The shaving head-carrying rod 2 is preferably made of metal. At the loose fore or top end of the shaving head-carrying rod 2 the shaving head 3 is pivotally connected to pivot 4, and is rotatable around an axis which is transversal to the said head 3 and to the shaving-carrying rod 2. Thus, the shaving head 3 can be caused to take alternately a rest position extending in the longitudinal direction of handle 1 or of the shaving head-carrying rod 2 (Figure 3), and a shaving position extending transversely to the shaving head-carrying rod 2 or to the longitudinal direction of handle 1 (Figures 1 and 2). The rotation of the shaving head 3 between the shaving and rest positions, is limited by a pawl 5 secured to the head 3, and cooperating with two stop abutments 6, 7 provided at the loose end of the shaving head-carrying rod 2, or vice-versa, as it clearly appears from Figures 2 and 3. On the side of the shaving head-carrying rod 2 which is turned toward the shaving head 3, a flat shaving head-locking bar 8 is provided, which is slidably guided in the handle 1, and may be also along the shaving head-carrying rod 2, in the longitudinal direction of said rod, and which is preferably made of metal. The fore or top end 108 of the said shaving head-locking bar 8 cooperates with the shaving head 3 and ends into a transversal straight edge which preferably is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the shaving head-carrying rod 2, i.e., of the handle 1. Furthermore, the said end 108 of the shaving head-locking bar preferably has an enlarged configuration. In the fore or upper portion 101 of handle 1 a worm screw 9 is housed, which is oriented in the longitudinal direction of handle 1 and can be rotated therwithin, but which is not allowed to slide in the longitudinal direction. This fore or upper portion 101 of handle 1 is preferably made of plastics material, and it is fitted in, and secured to the tubular body 201 of said handle 1, which is made of metal or of plastics material. The shaving head-carrying rod 2 has its rear or lower end portion fitted in, and secured between the fore or upper portion 101 of handle 1 and the body 201 of said handle 1. The shaving head-locking bar 8 is slidably passed trough both ends of the fore or upper portion 101 of handle 1, and is provided with a driving side pin 10 by which it is engaged in the worm screw 9. A helical spring 11 is interposed between the worm screw 9 and the bottom of the fore or upper portion of handle 1, in order to neutralize any play. The rear or lower end of the worm screw 9 is rotatably connected with a co-axial spindle 12 ending with an external knob 13 which is provided at the rear or bottom end of handle 1. By turning the knob 13, and so the worm screw 9, in the one or in the contrary direction, the shaving head-locking bar 8 will be shifted toward the shaving head 3, or it will be withdrawn from said head. Under these conditions, when the shaving head 3 is arranged in its shaving position, the shaving head-locking bar 8 is shifted toward the shaving head 3, by turning the worm screw 9 by means of knob 13, until the fore or top end 108 of bar 8 will be caused to bear against the longitudinal lower side of head 3, so that this bar 8 will lock the said head 3 in its shaving position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In order to move the shaving head 3 into its rest position, the shaving head-locking bar 8 shall be withdrawn from the shaving head 3, by turning the knob 13 and the worm screw 9 in the opposite direction, to such an extent that the shaving head 3 can be freely rotated by 90° from its shaving into its rest position. Once the rest position of head 3 has been reached, the shaving head-locking bar 8 is again shifted toward the shaving head 3, by turning the knob 13 and the worm screw 9, so that the said bar 8 will be now caused to bear with the edge of its fore or top end 108 against the corresponding end surface of the shaving head 3, thus locking the shaving head in rest position, as shown in Figure 3. In a similar manner, i.e., by turning the worm screw 9 by means of knob 13, the shaving head-locking bar 8 can be withdrawn from the head 3, which will be unlocked while being still in its rest position. The shaving head 3 will be then rotated into its shaving position, and will be locked again by means of rod 8. It should be noted that when the shaving head 3 is in rest position, the thickness of the assembly consisting of this head 3, the shaving head-carrying rod 2, and the shaving head-locking bar 8, is not substantially greater than the thickness (or the diameter) of handle 1. Also the width of the shaving head-carrying rod 2, the shaving head-locking bar 8, and the enlarged fore or top end 108 of said bar is not greater than the thickness (or the diameter) of handle 1. Therefore, when the shaving head 3 is rotated into its rest position extending in the longitudinal direction of the handle 1 and the shaving head-carrying rod 2, the razor assembly comes to have a shape like a straight stick of a substantially uniform thickness. In this rest condition of the razor, the shaving head 3, the shaving head-carrying rod 2, and the shaving head-locking bar 8 can be covered with a protective cap 14 which is slipped thereon and is fitted on the handle 1. This cap 14 is shown by dash-and-dot lines in Figure 1, and the same may be provided with a clip by means of which the razor having been closed with the cap 14, can be clipped on the edge of a pocket, or the like, in the fashion of a fountain pen. Generally, the closed safety razor according to the invention, may substantially have the configuration and the size of a fountain pen.

Claims: A safety razor, in which: a) a one-blade or two-blade shaving head (3) is mounted on a shaving head carrying rod (2) fixed on the fore or upper portion (101) of a handle (1), so as to be rotatable over at least 90° around an axis (4) which is transversal to the longitudinal directions of said head (3) and said handle (1), whereby the shaving head (3) is caused to take at will either a rest position extending in the longitudinal direction of handle (1), or a shaving position extending across the longitudinal direction of handle (1), b) the shaving head carrying rod (2) of handle (1) is of a thinner construction than the handle (1), at least at the shaving head (3), and is eccentric relatively to the longitudinal axis of said handle, at least over a section of such a length that in the rest position of the shaving head (3), in which this head is arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of handle (1), sideways of the shaving head carrying rod (2) thereof, the overall thickness of the shaving head (3) and the shaving head carrying rod (2) of handle (1) is substantially equal to the thickness of said handle (1), c) a cap (14) can be fitted on said handle (1) for covering the fore or upper portion (101) of handle (1), with the shaving head turned in rest position, d) locking means are provided for holding the shaving head (3) in its shaving position extending across the longitudinal direction of handle (1), characterized by the following features: e) a shaving head-locking bar (8) is provided, which is slidably guided in the longitudinal direction of handle (1), and is apt to be pushed toward the shaving head (3), with which, through its free end (108), the said bar (8) cooperates as a lock abutment, so that it will bear with a certain pressure against a longitudinal side of the shaving head (3) in shaving position, f) the shaving head-locking bar (8) is engaged by means of projections (10) in a worm screw (9) which is housed in the handle (1) so as to be allowed to rotate therewithin, but not to slide in the longitudinal direction, and which can be manually turned by means of a knob (13) projecting from the rear or bottom end of handle (1), in order to move the said bar (8) toward the shaving head (3), and to withdraw the same from the said head, whereby the shaving head (3) can be freely rotated from its shaving to its rest position, and vice-versa. The safety razor according to Claim 1, characterized in that the terminal edge of the fore or upper free end (108) of the shaving head-locking bar (8), and the members of the shaving head (3) which cooperate with the said bar, are shaped in a complemental manner. The safety razor according to Claim 1, characterized in that the terminal edge of the fore or upper free end (108) of the shaving head-locking bar (8) is straight, and cooperates with straight portions of the sides of the shaving head (3). The safety razor according to Claim 1, characterized in that the fore or upper free end (108) of the shaving head-locking bar (8) bears against the shaving head (3) in at least two points which are spaced apart transversely to the longitudinal direction of handle (1). The safety razor according to Claim 1, characterized in that the shaving head-locking bar (8) has an enlarged fore or upper free end (108). The safety razor according to Claim 1, characterized in that by means of stop abutments (5, 6, 7), the rotation of the shaving head (3) relatively to the fore or upper part of handle (1), is limited to 90°.

Inventors: RIGHI, NARDINO
Applicants: EURAFRICA S.R.L.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B26B21
IPC codes: B26B21