Disposable razor-cartridge holder for single direction pivoting cartridge

Abstract: An adapter (10,100,200) used to mount a single direction pivoting cartridge on a disposable razor, may be either integral with the handle or a removable adapter. A spring tongue member (20,120,320) or spring arm (220) biases the cartridge to its at-rest position and provides a restoring moment when the cartridge is pivoted during use.

Description: The present invention is directed to a holding means for mounting a single directional pivoting cartridge on a razor handle. Razor cartridges which pivot in a single direction are known in the shaving art. Examples of such pivots include those razors sold around the world under the PROTECTOR trademark, as well U.S. Patent No. 5,533,263, assigned to The Gillette Company. Generally, the commercially available single direction pivot razors contain a pivot axis which is offset towards one side of the cartridge. This offset is most commonly on the guard side of the cartridge. In the at-rest position, single direction pivot razors are usually biased to an acute angle from a general axis along the handle means. This angle is usually about 45 degrees as measured from the plane of the blade or blades. During use, forces encountered during shaving cause the cartridge to pivot backwards, commonly to an angle of about 80 - 90 degrees to the handle. In contrast, standard commercially available razor systems which provide bi-directional pivoting generally have an at-rest cartridge position which is at an angle of about 65 degrees to the handle. However, no disposable systems exist for providing a single directional pivotal cartridge having a spring means which returns the cartridge to its at-rest position after encountering forces during shaving. European patent application No. 0 203 527 discloses a manual razor for replaceable double bladed heads. The razor has an adapter for attaching a double bladed swivelling head. The adapter is a one-piece injection moulding made of resilient unbreakable plastic. It can be inserted into a transverse groove of a handle of the shaver and it surrounds the two ends of a head piece of the handle with resilient claws. Furthermore the adapter possesses laterally resilient arms bearing journals which can be engaged into corresponding boards of the double bladed swivelling head. Between the arms there is a spring tongue formed integrally and keeping the double bladed swivelling head in a neutral approximately central swivelling position in a known loaded state. UK patent application No. 2 081 165 discloses a razor of the kind in which a shaving unit can pivot relative to the handle in response to the pressures which result when the unit contacts the skin during shaving. The razor comprises a handle having at the end adjacent the shaving unit two cantilever leaf springs which contact the shaving unit, one or other of the springs being deflected as pivoting occurs. Consequently, when the shaving unit is removed from the skin the leaf springs ensure that the shaving unit is restored to a non-deflected positioned. The shaving unit can be supported by outwardly directed arms on opposite sides of the leaf springs, the arms being provided with pivots which engage in recesses in the shaving unit. Based on the foregoing, it would be desireable to provide a disposable razor cartridge holder means which incorporates a spring means in order to return a single direction pivotal cartridge to its at-rest position. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an adapter as defined in Claim 1. Additional, preferred features of the adapter are set out in Claims 2 to 8 and 14. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an adapter as set out in Claim 9. Additional, preferred features of this adapter are set out in Claims 10 to 14. The present invention is directed to an adapter used to mount a single direction pivoting cartridge on a disposable razor. The adapter may be either integral with the handle or a removable adapter. A spring tongue member or spring arm biases the cartridge to its at-rest position and provides a restoring moment when the cartridge is pivoted during use. There now follows a description of preferred embodiments of the invention, by way of non-limiting example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holding means (adapter) according to the invention. Figure 2 is a front view of the holding means and a cartridge in the at-rest position. Figure 2a is a cut-away view along line 2-2 of the holding means and cartridge in the at-rest position. Figure 3 is a front view of the holding means and a cartridge in the biased position. Figure 3a is a cut-away view along lines 3-3 of the holding means and a cartridge in biased position. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the holding means having a center spring tongue with a notch at its extreme tip. Figure 5 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the holding means having one or more spring arms which project inward from the side arms. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the holding means having the restoring spring on top of the socket. Reference will now be made to the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the adapter 10 of the present invention. The adapter 10 comprises an attachment means for attachment to a razor handle. The preferred attachment means is a single point attachment comprising socket 11 which consists of an opening surrounded by four side walls (top wall 14 and side wall 14a are visible in the illustration). The socket is capable of receiving an attachment means, preferably in the form of an outwardly extending arm or arms, on the upper end of a razor handle (not illustrated). Preferably, the socket contains openings 12 which provide a locking snap fit between the handle and the adapter so that the handle and adapter form a tight unit which will not be negatively affected by forces encountered during shaving. Arms 15, 16 have a lower portion which extends outward from the socket area of the adapter in a direction generally perpendicular to the handle and an upper portion which is substantially parallel with the handle. Projections 17, 18 extend outward from the upper ends of the arms for engagement with the cartridge. The projections are such that each snaps into an opening in the cartridge to attach the cartridge to the adapter. Preferably, the projections are rounded in order to enhance the pivoting action of the cartridge. Spring tongue member 20, illustrated in its at-rest position, extends outward from notch 19 in the adapter. Notch 19, and hence the base of the spring tongue member, is located adjacent to the inner portion of socket 11 at a point between arms 15, 16. Spring tongue member extends outward, away from notch 19, to a point approximately between projections 17, 18. The outermost point of the spring tongue member 23 is adapted to accomodate the desired cartridge for the razor system. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 2a (with a further preferred embodiment of the adapter), the normal bias force from the spring tongue member will retain the cartridge in an at-rest position such that the plane of the cutting edge of the blades is at an angle of about 45 degrees to the handle. Preferably, spring tongue member 20 contains a plurality of flexure points 21, 22. Shoulder 23 provides a contact location upon which the base of the cartridge rests. Upon the exertion of forces upon the cartridge during shaving, the cartridge will pivot backward as far as allowed by the spring tongue member and spring tongue member 20 will compress in length via bending about radii which extend through flexure points 21, 22 and are perpendicular to the spring tongue member. Preferably, the spring tongue member will restrict the cartridge from pivoting beyond an angle of approximately 90 degrees between the plane of the cutting edge of the blade or blades and the handle, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 3a (with a further preferred embodiment of the adapter). When the cartridge is pivoting the entire spring tongue member will bend about plane 25 which extends throughout the length of the spring tongue member. Upon the release of the forces, the spring tongue member is sufficiently resilient such that it will straighten and the cartridge will pivot forward and be returned to its at-rest position. Figure 4 illustrates an alternative preferred embodiment of the adapter 100. In this preferred embodiment the spring tongue member 120 extends outward from the socket area 110 of the adapter. Arms 150, 160 each comprise a lower portion which extends outward at approximately a 45 degree angle to the handle and an upper portion which is substantially parallel with the handle. Projections 170, 180 extend outward from the outermost end of the arms to attach a cartridge. The spring tongue member 120 is substantially straight and does not contain any overt flexure points as does the previous embodiment. Tabs 130 protrude from the outermost end of the spring tongue member. The tabs are engageable with a slot provided in the cartridge to aid in retention of the cartridge on the adapter. Upon encountering forces during shaving, the cartridge pivots backward and the spring tongue member bends backward along a plane through the center of the spring tongue member and parallel with the razor handle. When the forces are released, the spring tongue member returns the cartridge to its at-rest position. Figure 5 illustrates a further preferred embodiment of the adapter 200. In this preferred embodiment, one or more spring arms extend inward from one or both of the arms. As illustrated, the spring arm 220 extends inward from arm 250, however a spring arm may also extend inward from arm 260, either in addition to or instead of spring arm 220. Shoulder 230 provides a contact location upon which the cartridge rests. Upon the exertion of force during shaving, the cartridge will pivot backward and the spring arm or arms will act in torsion to bend about a plane which extends throughout the length of the arm or arms and is substantially perpendicular to the handle. Figure 6 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the adapter 300. In this preferred embodiment the spring tongue member 320 extends outward from the top of the socket adapter 310. Arms 350, 360 each comprise a lower portion which extends outward approximately perpendicularly to the razor handle and an upper portion which extends approximately parallel to the razor handle. Projections 370,380 extend outward from the outermost ends of the arms to attach a cartridge. As illustrated, the spring tongue member preferably curves gradually inward throughout its length so that tabs 330, which form the outer end of the spring tongue member, are substantially on the same plane as projections 370,380 and provide a contact location upon which the cartridge may rest. Upon the exertion of force during shaving, the cartridge will pivot backward and the spring tongue member will bend downward. While there have been described what are presently believed to be the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that various changes and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims: An adapter (10) for attaching a disposable cartridge to a razor handle comprising an attachment means (11) for attaching the adapter to a razor handle, a resiliently deformable tongue member (20), and two arms (15, 16) each having a projection for the attachment of a razor cartridge, characterised in that the resiliently deformable tongue member permits pivoting of the cartridge from a rest position in a single direction only. An adapter according to Claim 1, wherein the resiliently deformable tongue member (20) contains one or more flexure points (21, 22), the tongue member (20) being bendable about radii which extend through said one or more flexure points (21,22), said radii being perpendicular to said tongue member (20). An adapter according to Claim 2, wherein the resiliently deformable tongue member (20) contains two flexure points (21, 22). An adapter according to Claim 3, wherein the tongue member permits pivoting of the cartridge in one direction over a range of approximately 45 degrees. An adapter according to any of the Claims 2 to 4, wherein the resiliently deformable tongue member (20) bends about a plane (25) which extends throughout the length of the spring tongue member (20). An adapter according to Claim 5, wherein the tongue member (20) exerts sufficient resilience to return the cartridge from a pivoted position to an at-rest position. An adapter according to claim 1, wherein the tongue member (20) is substantially straight. An adapter according to any preceding claim, wherein the tongue member (20) is positioned on the attachment means (11). An adapter for attaching a disposable cartridge to a razor handle comprising an attachment means for attaching the adapter to a razor handle, one or more resiliently deformable arms (220), and two arms (250, 260) each having a projection for the attachment of a razor cartridge, wherein the resiliently deformable arms (220) permit pivoting of the cartridge from a rest position in a single direction only. An adapter according to Claim 9 wherein one resiliently deformable arm (220) is affixed to one arm (250). An adapter according to Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein the resiliently deformable arm (220) acts in torsion to bend about a plane which extends throughout the length of the arm or arms and is substantially perpendicular to the razor handle, in response to forces encountered during shaving. An adapter according to Claim 11, wherein the resiliently deformable arm (220) exerts sufficient resilience to permit pivoting of the cartridge from a pivoted position to an at-rest position. An adapter according to Claim 12 or any claim dependent therefrom, wherein one resiliently deformable arm (220) is affixed to each of the two arms (250, 260). A disposable razor system comprising a razor handle, an adapter (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, and a razor cartridge.

Inventors: COFFIN DAVID C, PENNELLA ANDREW J, COFFIN, DAVID C., PENNELLA, ANDREW J.
Applicants: WARNER LAMBERT CO, WARNER-LAMBERT COMPANY
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B26B21
IPC codes: B26B21