Patent GB-1417831-A (GB)
Title: Razor blade cartridge dispensing systems
IPC: B26B21/40
Filed: 1972-10-20
Abstract: 1417831 Razors WARNER-LAMBERT CO 20 Oct 1972 [22 Oct 1971 6 Dec 1971 21 March 1972 1 June 1972 10 July 1972 3 Oct 1972 (3)] 48367/72 Heading B4B A dispensing system for a plurality of razor blade cartridges each having slidably engageable surfaces formed thereon, the system comprising a holder 12 having supporting surfaces 18 thereon for engagement with the said surfaces of the cartridges and a dispenser for releasably holding the cartridges in separate chambers and having guide means in each chamber for guiding the supporting surfaces on the holder into and out of engagement with the mating surfaces of the cartridges. The holder 12 includes a handle 14 connected to a frame 16 having a U-shaped channel member 18 adapted to engage in a T- shaped channel 32 in a blade cartridge; the cartridge is locked on the member 18 by a spring-biased detent 19. The cartridge, Fig. 17, is formed from a cap member 34 and a seat member 36 between which members a pair of blades 38, 40 are held separated by a spacer 42; the cap is secured to the seat member by posts 648-654 engaging in holes 680, the posts being staked, e.g.: by heat energy. In a modification of the cartridge, Figs. 18 and 19 (not shown) the spacer and cap member are formed with a pronounced curve which provides gaps (752), (754) for compensating manufacturing tolerances during assembly. A cartridge having a pair of single-cutting edge blades assembled in a similar manner as described above is disclosed with reference to Figs. 20 to 24 (not shown). In the embodiment shown in Fig. 25, a cartridge having a pair of single-edge blades is formed with a guide bar 1052 having a cam follower member 1054 adapted to be engaged by a cam 1030 on a holder 1012; by rotation of the cam, the position of the guard relative to the cutting edges can be varied. Alternative forms of cam device can be provided, Figs. 26, 27, 28, 34 and 35 (not shown). The dispenser comprises a container 62, Fig. 4, formed from a box structure having walls 60, 64, 66, 80, the upper edge of the walls being formed with lip portions adapted to be engaged with a correspondingly-shaped recess formed in the lower edge of a mating container 60, the two being held together by a snap-lock connection 100, 110, 112. Each container is divided into chambers in which blade cartridges 10 are mounted so as to rest on supports 72. The wall 80 is formed with channels 82 for guiding the flanged member 18 of the holder into the T-shaped channel formed in the cartridge. The bottom of the lower chamber 62 is closed by a clear or decorative wall 120 snap-locked in position, a descriptive strip of metal first being located in a cavity 122. The cartridges are removed one at a time from the chambers in the container and when worn are each returned to their original chamber, the container being finally discarded. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 a pair of containers 150, 151 are releasably connected together by, e.g.: adhesive or ultrasonic weld, each container being formed with webs 158, 159, 160, 161 for supporting cartridges 153; stops 155, 156, 157 are provided for releasably engaging the cartridges. The cartridges are first removed from the container 151 by inserting the holder 12 through guide slots 170, 171, 172 each used cartridge being returned to the container. The container is finally disconnected from the container 156 and discarded, the container 150 then being used as described above. In a modification of the above embodiment, Fig. 8 (not shown) the two containers are permanently joined together, the guide slots being provided in both end walls of the containers. In a further embodiment, Fig. 9 (not shown) a number of cartridge chambers defined by walls 254, 255, 262-267 are provided in a dispenser 250, the method of operation being substantially as described for the previous embodiments. The dispenser 250 may be clipped into a tray member 505, Fig. 16, which includes an elongated member 526 in which the holder 12 can be clipped by means of flexible wall portions 528, 530. The head of the razor together with a cartridge is retained in a receptacle 512 integrally formed in the tray. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the cartridges are stacked one above the other in a dispenser 350, the cartridges being urged upwardly by an upper movable wall 370, 372 loaded by a pair of springs 379 which abuts against a lower movable wall 371. To remove a cartridge the U-shaped channel member 18 of the holder 12 is inserted into a guide slot 366, 367 and moved until a cartridge is locked on to the holder, continued movement of the latter then allowing the cartridge to pass out of an exit opening 400, 401, 402. Used cartridges are inserted through an opening 403, 404, 405 in the bottom of the dispenser, the lower wall 371 first being depressed by a finger as the cartridge is initially inserted into the dispenser. Instead of having to depress the bottom wall by a finger, raps 392 are provided on the walls of the dispenser such that the wall is depressed as the cartridge rides up the ramps.