Abstract:
A detachable razor cartridge has blade seat and at least one blade having a rectilinear cutting edge. An in-line row of integral guard elements project in cantilever position from the blade seat and extend in spaced relation to and beyond the cutting edge of the blade so that the cutting edge of the blade is unobstructed along its entire cutting length. Enlargements at the free ends of the guard elements disposed forward of and in spaced relation to the blade cutting edge may be provided in a variety of configurations and arrangements for smooth skin engagement to control skin flow and limit the degree of blade cutting edge exposure to skin being shaved.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is entitled to the benefit of and incorporates by reference essential subject matter disclosed in Provisional Patent Application No. 60/444,780 filed on Feb. 4, 2003. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates in general to razor heads and deals more particularly with improvements in razor heads which include means for controlling skin flow to limit the degree of blade edge exposure and thereby reduce the probability of nicks and cuts. Current shaving systems for providing such control, and particularly those of the multi-blade type, generally employ a wire wrapped cartridge for limiting the degree of closeness of a shave. Such systems add parts to a razor head or blade cartridge and generally require additional steps in the manufacturing process to attain the desired skin control feature, all of which add substantially to the cost of producing a razor.  
           [0003]    Accordingly, it is the general aim of the present invention to provide an improved razor head or blade cartridge which provides improved skin control without the addition of another component or components to the razor head or cartridge, without the addition of steps to the manufacturing process, and without compromising safety and/or shaving comfort.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    In accordance with the present invention a razor head has a blade seat member which includes a seat body, a seat blade mounted in fixed position on the blade seat member and having an unobstructed cutting edge spaced from the seat body, and a guard assembly for controlling skin flow and limiting the degree of blade cutting edge exposure to skin being shaved and which includes a plurality of discreet spaced apart guard elements carried by and projecting in cantilever position from the seat body below and in spaced relation to the seat blade. The guard elements have free end portions disposed at spaced intervals along and forward of the blade cutting edge which is unobstructed along its entire cutting edge. The free end portions are configured for smooth engagement with the skin. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a detachable blade cartridge embodying the present invention.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the blades, blade seat and spacer of the blade cartridge shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of another blade cartridge having three blades and embodying the invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 5 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the blade cartridge shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of still another blade cartridge embodying the invention having a single blade and a blade seat which carries another type of guard element.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the guard element shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line  8 - 8  of FIG. 7.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 3, but shows yet another blade cartridge embodying the invention and having four blades.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of still another blade cartridge embodying the invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of yet another detachable blade cartridge embodying the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]    The razor head of the present invention may take various forms and may, for example, comprise the head portion of a unitary disposable razor of the type having a single blade. However, in FIGS. 1-3 the invention is illustrated and described with reference to a detachable multiple blade cartridge indicated generally by the reference numeral  10 . The illustrated blade cartridge  10  essentially comprises a pair of blades which includes a first or seat blade  12 , which has a generally rectilinear forwardly facing cutting edge  14 , and a second blade  16 , which includes a forwardly facing cutting edge indicated at  18 . The seat blade  12  is mounted in fixed position on a blade support member or blade seat  20 . The second blade  16  is supported on and maintained in spaced relation to the seat blade  12  by another blade support or spacing member  22  sandwiched between the blades. The cartridge  10  further includes a blade cap  24  which overlies the second or upper blade  16 , substantially as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.  
         [0017]    In accordance with the invention a guard assembly indicated generally at  26  and which include a plurality of discreet spaced apart guard elements  28 ,  28  is carried by the blade seat  20 . In like manner, a guard assembly  26 ′ which includes a plurality of guard elements  28 ′,  28 ′ is carried by the spacing member or spacer  22 . The guard elements  28 ′,  28 ′ are or may be substantially identical to the guard elements  28 ,  28  carried by the blade seat  12 .  
         [0018]    Considering now the construction of the blade cartridge  10  in somewhat greater detail, the blade seat  20  is preferably molded from a durable plastic material and comprises a unitary structure which includes a seat body  30  and the guard element  28 ,  28  which are integrally formed thereon. The seat body  30  has a substantially planar upwardly facing seating surface  31  upon which the seat blade  12  is mounted with its longitudinally extending cutting edge  14  spaced forwardly of the seat body  30 , as best shown in FIG. 3. The guard elements  28 ,  28  project forwardly from the seat body  30  in cantilever position and parallel spaced apart relation to each other below and in spaced relation to the seat blade  12 . The guard elements  28 ,  28  have enlarged free end portions  32 ,  32  disposed at spaced intervals along and forward of the cutting edge  14  and are configured or shaped for smooth engagement with the skin to be shaved. In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the enlarged free end portions  32 ,  32  are parti-cylindrical, that is substantially cylindrical except in regions of connection to the cantilever beams which support them on the seat body. The parti-cylindrical free end portions  32 ,  32  are arranged at longitudinally spaced apart intervals along the length of the blade  12  and in coaxial alignment with each other and axially parallel alignment with the blade cutting edge  14  as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.  
         [0019]    The construction of the spacer  22  is similar to that of the blade seat  20 . Like the blade seat, the spacer  22  is preferably molded from a durable plastic material and has a generally rectangular body portion indicated at  34 . The guard elements  28 ′,  28 ′ are integrally formed on the spacer  22  and project forwardly in cantilever positions from the body portion  34 . Each guard element  28 ′ has an enlarged free end portion  32 ′ which is preferably parti-cylindrical, as previously described with reference to the corresponding guard elements  28 ,  28  on the blade seat. The enlarged parti-cylindrical end portions  32 ′,  32 ′, are coaxially aligned and arranged in axially parallel alignment with the cutting edge  18  on the second blade  16 . Referring to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the end portions  32 ′,  32 ′ are spaced forwardly of the cutting edge  18  and rearwardly of the cutting edge  14 . It will be further noted that the guard elements  28 ′,  28 ′ are spaced downwardly from the second blade  16  and lie along the upper surface of the seat blade  12 . It should also be apparent that the cutting edges  14  and  18  are unobstructed along the entire cutting lengths thereof, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.  
         [0020]    As will be hereinafter further evident, the guard elements associated with the blade cutting edges and which control skin flow and limit the degree of blade cutting edge exposure to the skin may be arranged in various ways relative to each other and to the cutting edges of the blades. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the blade guard elements  28 ,  28  and  28 ′,  28 ′ are arranged in a staggered pattern relative to each other along the cutting edges. More specifically, the guard elements  28 ,  28  and  28 ′,  28 ′ are arranged in alternate series at opposite sides of an imaginary median line disposed between and extending in parallel relation to the blade edges  14  and  18 . However, other guard element arrangements are possible and are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0021]    Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, another blade cartridge embodying the invention is illustrated and indicated generally by the reference numeral  10   a . The blade cartridge  10   a  is similar in most respects to the previously described blade cartridge  10  but has three blades which include a seat blade  12   a  and two other blades  16   a , 16   a . The blade cartridge  10   a  further differs from the blade cartridge  10  in the construction and arrangement of its guard elements. More specifically, the guard elements which comprise the blade cartridge  10   a  have parti-spherical free end portions indicated at  32   a ,  32   a ,  32   a ′,  32   a ′, and  32   a ″,  32   a ″. Further, each parti-spherical element  32   a  is transversely aligned with both a parti-spherical element  32   a ′ and another such element  32   a ″ relative to the longitudinally extending cutting edge  14   a  on the seat blade  12   a , as shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0022]    In FIGS. 6-8 there is shown still another form of razor head or blade cartridge  10   b  which has a single blade or seat blade  12   b  supported on a blade seat which carries a plurality of smoothly configured guard elements  32   b  (one shown). Each guard element  32   b  has a generally wedge shaped configuration and is characterized by sidewalls which converge toward a tip, as shown in FIG. 6 wherein the sidewalls of the enlarged free end portion  32   b  converge toward the cutting edge  14   b  of a seat blade  12   b.    
         [0023]    In FIG. 9 there is shown yet another embodiment of the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral  10   c . The razor head  10   c  is substantially identical in most respects to the razor head  10  shown in FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, but differs from the razor head  10  in that it has four blades. Parts of the razor head  10   c  which are substantially identical to parts of the razor head  10  bear the same reference numerals as those of the razor head  10 . Consequently, these identical parts will not be hereinafter further described.  
         [0024]    Another blade cartridge embodying the present invention and designated generally at  10   d  is shown in FIG. 10. The blade cartridge  10   d  is substantially identical in many respects to razor head  10  illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings. Parts of the blade cartridge  10   d  substantially identical to previously described parts of the razor head  10 , shown in FIGS. 1-3, bear the same reference numerals as the previously described parts. However, the razor cartridge  10   d  differs from the previously described cartridge  10  in that it has a first in-line array of discreet spaced apart guard elements, indicated generally at  35 , associated with the seal blade  12 , and which include parti-spherical free end portions indicated at  36 . The guard elements, which comprise the first array  35  have a variable pitch, indicated by the letters P 1  through P 4 , the pitch being the distance between the center lines of adjacent guard elements.  
         [0025]    A second in-line array of spaced apart guard elements, indicated generally at  38 , includes free end portions  40 . Each end portion  40  has a generally teardrop configuration. Thus, the guard elements which comprise the first in-line array  35  have differently shaped free end portions than those which form the second in-line array  38 .  
         [0026]    Yet, another razor head or detachable cartridge embodying the present invention is shown in FIG. 11 and indicated generally by the reference numeral  10   e . Like the previously described razor head or blade cartridge  10 , shown in FIGS. 1-3, the cartridge  10   e  includes a first or seat blade  12  carried by a blade seat  20  and a second blade  16  supported on a spacing member  22  sandwiched between the first and second blades. As in the disposable cartridge  10 , a blade cap  24  overlies the upper blade  16  and forms the end walls of the blade cartridge.  
         [0027]    The blade cartridge  10   e  differs from the previously described razor head or cartridge  10  in the construction and the arrangement of its guard elements. More specifically, the blade seat  20  carries an in-line array of guard elements having free end portions which differ in shape from each other from one end of the blade cartridge to the other end of the blade cartridge. The fragmentary view of the blade cartridge  10   e  shown in FIG. 11 shows guard elements having free end portions indicated at  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  and  50 , which are carried by blade seat  20 . The free end portion  42  is shaped generally like a smooth segment of a disk, whereas the next guard element free end portion  44  has a spherical configuration. The element  46  has a generally teardrop form. The next successive element in the series includes a free end portion having a knob shape and indicated at  48 . The series of guard elements is further characterized by the parti-cylindrical free end portion  50 . Further guard elements (not shown), which complete the series of guard elements associated with the seat blade  12  are each of a different shape, so that the shape of the guard elements in the series change successively from one end of the blade cartridge to the other. Another array of guard elements is carried by the separating member  22  and may include guard elements like some, if not all, of those carried by the blade seat  20  or, if desired, each guard element in the series may have an end portion shaped like no other guard element end portion on the razor head or blade cartridge  10   e . Thus, effective skin control may be achieved by employing diverse skin engaging guard elements which also provide pleasing skin sensation.  
         [0028]    It will be apparent that each of the differing smoothly configured guard element free end portions hereinbefore described will produce a somewhat different skin flow reaction to shaving pressure. Thus, by changing one or more of the characteristics of any of the aforedescribed razor heads, including the configuration of the free end portions, the spacing or pitch between adjacent guard elements, the thickness of the spacers, the arrangement of the guard elements relative to each other and/or the spacing between the enlarged end portions of the guard elements and the unobstructed cutting edges of the blades variations in skin flow and blade exposure to skin to be shaved may be attained, whereby a razor may be produced which is particularly suited to the skin condition of a user. These results may be attained without significant changes in product design and/or product manufacturing process.