Patent Publication Number: US-9415522-B2

Title: Razor cartridge with skin contact element

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to shaving razors and more particularly to shaving razor cartridges having a skin contact element disposed between two blades. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many razors for wet shaving on the market today have one or more razor blades (with many having three to six razor blades) within a razor cartridge which is operatively coupled to a handle, some razors being disposable and some razors having a reusable handle. Razor cartridges having multiple blades are described, for instance, in US Patent Publication No. 2005/0039337A1 published on Feb. 24, 2005, and one such razor cartridge has been commercialized as the five bladed Fusion™ Razor by The Gillette Company. 
     While multiple blades provide an improved close shave, generally some performance issues may still arise. Firstly, some discomfort may be realized by users during shaving. Secondly, shaving is still a relatively slow and inefficient process due to missed hairs and the difficulty in shaving problem areas such as the neck. Many shavers discern a substantial amount of missed hairs (e.g., hairs which are not cut at all or hairs that are not cut close to the skin or at the skin line) despite the bulk of hairs being cut. 
     In addition, it has been shown that some areas (e.g., neck, chin, and/or face) are particularly hard to shave. These areas generally have low-lying hairs that are often oriented in different directions. These low-lying hairs may be close, flat, or flush against the skin. In many instances, the user has to shave the same area repeatedly in attempting to cut hair that was either uncut or not cut close enough to the skin, resulting in increased skin irritation. 
     The discomfort aspect may be due to the increased number and sharpness of the blades and the cumulative force or loading on the skin, particularly in cartridges with three or more sharp blade edges. 
     Some prior art solutions which attempt to lessen the discomfort while maintaining safety and closeness provide, among other attributes, a reduced span of the blades from tip to tip, often referred to as the blade tip span. While such a reduction is generally known to provide better skin management by reducing the skin bulge between blades, it is also known to reduce the rinse-ability of hair clippings, skin particles, shaving cream, and/or other debris between the blades as the narrower spans decrease the size of the rinse-through gaps between the blades. 
     An alternative prior art solution to reducing discomfort by reducing blade load has been to increase the number of blades. Prior art applications introduce additional blades or elements attached to the blades. However, these interact with hair such that hair is displaced from an optimal cutting position when the blades engage with hair. No consideration is given as to how to reduce blade load and manage skin bulge whilst minimising any interaction with hair. Solid inter-blade elements or inter-blade elements which comprise a large skin contact area, such as those disclosed in the art, can lead to hair becoming trapped and consequently to less efficient cutting and greater irritation. Thus, there is still a need to improve skin management without hair interaction. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a razor cartridge comprising a housing; a guard located at the front of the housing; a cap located at the rear of the housing; two or more blades disposed in the housing between the guard and the cap; a skin contact element extending across the housing between two of said blades; and a plurality of projections extending from a base of said skin contact element, each having a skin contacting surface, the projections being spaced along the length of the skin contact element, wherein there is a pitch of up to 2 mm between adjacent projections and the skin contacting surface has a width (w) extending for up to 35% of the pitch. 
     The frequency of projections across the skin contacting element provides contact points with the surface being shaved. As the skin contact surface extends for up to 35% of the pitch, sufficient support and control is provided to the skin surface while still allowing sufficient room for hair to pass through the skin contact element. As such, the present invention allows the reduction of load on a razor cartridge without the addition of any extra blades, whilst minimising with the impact on hair being shaved. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as forming the present invention, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like designations are used to designate substantially identical elements, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a razor cartridge showing a skin contact element therein in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the razor cartridge of  FIG. 1  shown attached to a handle. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the razor cartridge of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 3A through 3F  are perspective views of possible embodiments of skin contact elements in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are cross-sectional views of alternate embodiments of razor cartridges of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 5A through 5C  are cross-sectional views of alternate embodiments of razor cartridges of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a conventional razor cartridge and the respective blade exposures. 
         FIG. 6A  is a cross-sectional view of a razor cartridge showing a skin contact element therein and the respective blade exposures of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6B  is a side view of a razor cartridge of the present invention showing a skin contact element therein and the respective blade tangent angles. 
         FIG. 6C  is a side view of a razor cartridge showing a skin contact element therein and the respective blade tangent angles in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 7 through 10  are perspective views of possible embodiments of skin contact elements in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a razor cartridge in a razor for wet shaving having a skin contact element disposed between two blades within a blade array. The term “skin contact element” as used herein, signifies a physical structure which generally does not cut hair or skin but contacts, engages, controls, enhances, agitates or stretches a user&#39;s skin providing skin management (e.g., reduction of skin bulge) during shaving and which comprises a plurality of projections. A “blade array” as used herein is defined as an array of one or more razor blades (e.g., generally multiple blades), each blade having a cutting edge where each cutting edge is generally facing in the same direction. Blade cutting edge or blade edge may be used interchangeably with blade tip herein, where a blade tip may represent a point on a blade edge. The razor cartridge may be considered as having a “mixed blade array” with mixed functionality in that there are cutting and skin contact elements in the array. 
       FIG. 1  shows a razor cartridge  10  having a blade array  12  comprising four blades,  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   d , and  12   e , each having respective cutting edges  13   a ,  13   b ,  13   d ,  13   e , and a skin contact element  14  disposed in between two of the blades  12   b  and  12   d . Thus, the razor cartridge may be considered as having a “mixed blade array” with mixed functionality in that there are cutting and skin contact elements in the array. 
     It should be noted that, generally, the guard  16  (and/or guard bar  16   a ) of a razor cartridge  10  disposed at the front of the cartridge is known to produce higher friction at the front of the cartridge stretching the skin ahead of the blades and desirably supporting or aligning hairs during the shaving process, while the cap  17  is generally known to be a low friction element located at the back of the cartridge allowing the skin to glide past the back of the cartridge while assisting in maintaining skin stretch. The cap may desirably also provide lubrication, smooth glide or other skin control. 
     Although four blades are shown in  FIG. 1 , it is understood that any number of blades, more or less, may be mounted within the cartridge  10 . The housing  19  of conventional razors generally includes the frame  15  and the guard  16  and/or guard bar  16   a . The blades  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   d , and  12   e  and the skin contact element  14  are shown secured within the housing  19  with the clips  18   a  and  18   b . The skin contact element  14  may be secured, mounted or otherwise coupled within the frame  15  of the housing  19  via mechanical (e.g., spring loaded, compression fit), thermal, chemical means, or other means known to those of skill in the art, but desirably in the same manner as conventional blades. Other assembly methods for the skin contact element of the present invention will also be described in more detail below. 
     The skin contact element  14  may advantageously be installed just as a regular or standard blade (e.g., blade with blade support or bent blade) or it may be installed having spring-loaded capabilities. 
       FIG. 1  shows skin contact element  14  positioned midway through blade array  12  near or in the standard 3 rd  blade position (or blade slot  15   c  as shown in  FIG. 2 ) when viewed traveling in the width-wise direction of the cartridge  10  from the guard  16  toward the cap  17 . In one embodiment, the skin contact element takes the place of one of the blades and in effect, splits the cartridge into two units, cartridge unit  10   a  and cartridge unit  10   b , a cartridge unit in front of the skin contact element  14  and a cartridge unit behind skin contact element  14 , respectively. The skin contact element  14  may be encompassed in both cartridge units  10   a  and  10   b  or in general, may be disposed anywhere between the cap  17  and the guard  16  in the cartridge  10 . Furthermore, the skin contact element may be provided in addition to a standard blade array. 
       FIG. 1A  depicts the razor cartridge  10  of  FIG. 1  operatively coupled to a handle  11  via interconnect member  11   a  to provide a functional razor  20 . In the present invention, the razor may be entirely disposable or the razor may include a reusable handle with a disposable cartridge. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a cross-sectional side view of  FIG. 1  is depicted where it can be seen that the skin contact element may be disposed within slot  15   c  and may be centrally located in a blade array  12  (e.g., or a “mixed” blade array  12 ). In embodiments, the skin contact element  14  is a standalone or independent element and is not attached to another blade. However, it will be appreciated that the skin contact element may be attached to a blade or blade support or may form an extension of a blade or blade support. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3A to 3C , various designs of skin contact elements  50  within the scope of the present invention are shown. 
     In  FIGS. 3A to 3C , the skin contact element  50   a ,  50   b ,  50   c , comprises a plurality of projections  51   a ,  51   b ,  51   c  extending from a base  52 . The present invention contemplates a number of forms of projection  51   a ,  51   b ,  51   c  which may each be similar in construction. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the skin contact element extends generally across the length of the cartridge. Cartridges currently available on the market have lengths of between 30 mm and 40 mm. The skin contact element(s) of the present invention may generally extend for about the same length as the blades. 
     The pitch between adjacent projections is measured from corresponding points on each projection in a lengthwise direction along the cartridge. The projections have a pitch  53   a ,  53   b ,  53   c , of up to 2 mm extending across the length of the skin contact element, preferably up to 1.75 mm and even more preferably up to 1.5 mm. The skin contacting surface  54   a ,  54   b ,  54   c  may be about 0.10 mm to about 0.70 mm in width and desirably about 0.2 mm to about 0.3 mm, such that the skin contacting surface extends for up to 35% of the pitch, preferably up to 25% of the pitch and even more preferably up to 15% of the pitch. 
     The skin contacting surface provides a contact point with the skin, allowing the skin to be controlled. As the skin contact surface extends for up to 35% of the pitch, sufficient support and control is provided to the skin surface while still allowing sufficient room for hair to pass through the skin contact element. As such, the present invention allows the reduction of load on a razor cartridge without the addition of any extra blades, whilst minimising with the impact on hair being shaved. 
     Referring to the close-up view in  FIGS. 3D-F , a detailed perspective view of two adjacent projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f , is shown. A slot  55  may be defined between the adjacent projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f  having a width that allows free passage of hair. The skin contact element provides a sufficient skin contact area to support the skin during shaving. Preferably, the plurality of projections result in a plurality of slots with a width of from 0.19 mm to 1.3 mm, preferably about 0.3 mm, for allowing the free passage of hair during shaving. 
     The pair of adjacent projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f , as mentioned define the slot  55  that is configured to allow hairs through with little or no interaction with the hair so the hair is not captured, trapped or pulled by projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f , which may cause discomfort. The slots  55  are spaced so as to not impede the hair. The projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f , are also configured to reduce skin bulges within the slots  55  and pressure points at ends of slots  55  which may result if the projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f  are spaced too far apart. Skin bulges may lead to the blade edges (e.g., in particular blade  12   d , not shown) unnecessarily cutting the skin, resulting in discomfort. The relatively large number of projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f , over the length of the skin contact element  50   d ,  50   e ,  50   f , serves to distribute the force placed on the skin by the cartridge  10 . As the size of the slots  55  may also increase the number of hairs passing through the slots  55  of the skin contact element, this may increase the number hairs that are properly cut by the blade edge  13   d  of blade  12   d  (not shown) for instance, if arranged as in  FIG. 1  for instance of the present invention. 
     Each projection comprises a front face  56 , a rear face  57  and a top face  58 . The top face forms at least part of the skin contacting surface  54   d ,  54   e ,  54   f , however in embodiments this also extends onto the front face of the projection  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f . Each projection has a height measured from a base  52 , to the top face  58 , of the projection  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f . Each projection has a depth as measured from the front face  56  of the projection to the rear face  57  of the projection. The top face and the front face of the projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f  may be joined by a curved section  59  which may form part of the skin contacting surface  54   d ,  54   e ,  54   f . The projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f  may comprise a substantially flat portion on the top surface. Each projection has a rear edge  57   d ′,  57   e ′,  57   f′.    
     The skin contacting surface  54   d ,  54   e ,  54   f  may have a width w of about 0.10 mm to about 0.70 mm and preferably about 0.2 mm to about 0.3 mm. The height as measured from the base  52 , to the top face  58 , of the projection  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f  may be of about 0.25 mm to about 1 mm and preferably about 0.50 mm. Each projection generally has a depth of between about 0.3 mm to about 2.5 mm and preferably about 0.8 mm as measured from a front face of the projection  53  to a rear face of the projection  54 . 
     The projections  51   a ,  51   b ,  51   c  may comprise a curved section  59  of up to 0.3 mm in length which joins the front face and the top face. The projections  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f  may comprise a substantially flat portion on the top face of up to 0.6 mm in length. The rear edge  57 ′ of the projection  51   d ,  51   e ,  51   f , may be at an angle θ of from +45° to −60° as measured from the top face to the base. Preferably the angle θ is from +10° to −30°. 
     The skin contact element of the present invention may be made of any type of material such as, but not limited to, polymeric, elastomeric, thermoplastic elastomers, urethanes, olefins, rubbers, metals, or any combination thereof. Elastomers such as silicone, fluorosilicone, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, copolymers such as styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) based thermoplastic elastomer, styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEPS) based thermoplastic elastomer, polyoxyethylene-polyurethane based elastomer, or other polymers such as polyurethane, polystyrene and polyethylene, or rubbers such as acrylonitrile-butadiene, polyacrylate and natural rubber, or any combination thereof are also contemplated in the present invention. Additionally, the skin contact element material may include modifications of one or more of the above-listed materials (e.g., polymers and rubbers and their composites) with other materials. 
     If made of a polymeric or other elastomeric material, the skin contact element may be injection-molded. If made of metal, such as aluminium or stainless steel, the skin contact element may be machined or tooled. 
     Furthermore, the materials for a skin contact element may include textile or fabric materials, natural materials (e.g., wood), or metals coated or integrated with elastomeric or plastic materials. 
     The skin contact element may include materials with lubricant, shaving aid, or exfoliation capabilities. The term “shaving aid material” as used herein signifies any composition for use with skin and/or hair. Such compositions may include, but are not limited to, lubricious agents such as hydrophilic polymers (e.g., polyethylene oxide/polystyrene or PEO/PS), or agents for depilation, cleaning, cooling, inhibiting or enhancing the growth of hair, inhibiting the growth of microbes, inhibiting drag, inhibiting wrinkles, moisturizing, improving skin tone or condition, medicinal purposes, or any combination thereof. Agents may include, but are not limited to, ingredients such as aloe, vitamin E, lanolin, perfumes, or glycolic acids. 
     One factor which affects how a blade is presented to the skin is the exposure or the amount a blade is pressed into or lifted away from the skin impacting the blade loading on the skin. Another factor which affects how a blade is presented to the skin is the span between elements (e.g., such as between blades), which impacts the skin bulge ahead of the blade, and also impacts the blade loading on the skin. It is also known in the shaving arts that, in addition to exposures and spans, the management of skin and hair may also be affected by many additional inter-related variables such as the number of blades in a razor cartridge, the types of blades, and the angles of the blades relative to the skin line. The skin contact element of the present invention has the ability to provide additional control of these inter-related variables in the blade array impacting skin management. For instance, the skin contact element provides an improved control point for the blade loading on the skin. 
     In  FIG. 2 , “rinse-through gaps” (e.g. gaps for cut hair and debris to flow into that generally represent the shortest distance between the blades or the blades and fixed points such as the guard or the cap) are provided both before and after the skin contact element  14  as shown at first rinse-through gap  23   a  and second rinse-through gap  23   b , respectively. The first rinse-through gap  23   a  may range from about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm and desirably about 0.1 mm to about 0.2 mm and the second rinse-through gap  23   b  may range from about 0 mm ( FIG. 4A ) to about 0.65 mm ( FIG. 4B ) and desirably about 0.2 mm to about 0.5 mm. Generally, standard razor blades cartridges have rinse-through gaps (e.g., effectively the shortest distance between blades) that are about 0.5 mm wide and have a primary blade span of about 0.65 mm (e.g., the distance from the guard  16  to the first blade  12   a ). With a skin contact element  14  disposed in the cartridge  10 , the rinse-through gap spacing may generally decrease particularly if the blades are spaced closer together. The open slots in the skin contact element will provide improved rinsing capability and thus allow for reduced spacing between the blades. 
     Having a first rinse-through gap  23   a  disposed before the skin contact element  14  allows any excess hair that is cut by the second blade  12   b  or other debris to flow into this gap  23   a , avoiding clogging the blades further back in the cartridge. Furthermore, second rinse-through gap  23   b , disposed after the skin contact element  14  may provide an area for cut hairs to flow into (e.g., hairs that are cut by the third blade  12   d  directly behind the skin contact element  14 ). 
     First rinse-through gap  23   a  and second rinse-through gap  23   b  may be the same width or one gap may be of a smaller width than the other. For instance, it may be desirable to design first rinse-through gap  23   a  with a smaller width than second rinse-through gap  23   b  since blade  12   e  may have more cut hairs and excess debris flowing in between skin contact element  14  and blade  12   e.    
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the blade tip span  22  between cutting edge  13   b  of blade  12   b  and cutting edge  13   d  of blade  12   d  with element  14  disposed there between ranges from about 1.00 mm to about 2.50 mm and desirably about 2.10 mm. Thus, the span  22  may be almost double the length of a conventional blade tip span or an inter-blade span between adjacent blades having no skin contact element  14  disposed there between, as shown for instance, at span  24  in  FIG. 2  between cutting edge  13   a  of blade  12   a  and cutting edge  13   b  of blade  13   b  which may be about 1.05 mm, or even more desirably about 0.95 mm. 
     Though shown disposed in the 3 rd  or middle blade position of a five-bladed razor cartridge  10  in  FIG. 1 , the skin contact element  14  of the present invention may be disposed at, near or in any position or blade slot of a razor cartridge having any number of blades, provided that it is disposed between two blades. In a five-bladed razor cartridge, the skin contact element  14  may be disposed at, near, or in any of the 2 nd , 3 rd , or 4 th  positions or blade slots of a razor cartridge typically utilized for five blades with the remaining blade slots having blades. Specifically referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , other possible locations of a skin contact element  14  of the present invention are shown. For instance, the skin contact element  14  may be disposed in the 2 nd  position at slot  15   b  as shown in  FIG. 5A , and hence, in between two blades  12   a  and  12   c ; or in the 4 th  position or slot  15   d  in  FIG. 5B  in between two blades  12   c  and  12   e . The skin contact element  14  is shown disposed in the 3 rd  position or slot  15   c  as described above with regard to  FIG. 1 ; thus, between two blades, blades  12   b  and  12   d.    
     The present invention further contemplates having more than one skin contact element  14  disposed in the blade array  12  of cartridge  10 , as shown in the illustrative embodiments of  FIG. 5C . For instance, in  FIG. 5C , two skin contact elements  14   a  and  14   b  are disposed in the 2nd and 4 th  positions (or blades slots  15   b  and  15   d ), respectively. 
     Generally however, with little to no change to the structure of cartridge  10  or its housing  19 , where a housing generally includes a frame  15  and a guard  16 , any variation of types and numbers of blades and one or more skin contact elements  14  may be provided in the present invention. 
     It is known that blade exposure may impact the skin loading on the blade, which in turn may affect shaving attributes such as comfort, safety and efficiency. Thus, referring now to  FIG. 6 , blade exposures of a traditional razor design  40  with multiple blades or a blade array  12  (e.g., without a skin contact element disposed in the blade array  12 ) are shown as being defined by the positioning of the individual blades ( 12   a - 12   e ) relative to the guard  16  and/or guard bar  16   a  and the cap  17  where the guard/guard bar and the cap provide first and second control points for the skin, respectively. Thus, exposure may be determined by drawing a fairly straight line  44   a  (an imaginary or virtual skin line) through the cap  17  and guard  16  and noting where the blade edges  13   a - 13   e  (or blade tips) fall relative to that straight line  44   a.    
     The blades as arranged together in  FIG. 6  provide a progressive geometry as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,212,777 and 6,216,349. Consequently, as it is known in the art, based on the assumption that the skin may generally lie flat or in a fairly straight line between the guard bar  16   a  and cap  17  as depicted by virtual skin line  44   a , this blade positioning may be used to produce a negative blade exposure  43  at blade  12   a  since blade  12   a  is below the level of the guard bar  16   a , a neutral blade exposure  42  at blade  12   c  since blade  12   c  is at the same level or plane as the guard bar  16   a  or the cap  17 , and a positive blade exposure  41  as shown at blade  12   e  since the tip of the blade  12   e  is above the cap  17 . Additionally, blade  12   b  may have a negative exposure and blade  12   d  a positive exposure as depicted vis-à-vis the virtual skin line  44   a.    
     The negative exposure  43  for blades  12   a  and  12   b  may desirably be in the range from about −0.18 mm to about −0.01 mm and more desirably about −0.07 mm while the positive exposure  41  for blades  12   d  and  12   e  may desirably be in the range from about 0.18 mm to about 0.48 mm, and more desirably about 0.33 mm. 
     In general, having some positive and some negative exposures in the blade array may be preferred since blades with some negative exposure may be better at protecting the skin while optimally cutting the hair and blades with some positive exposure may be better at releasing trapped hairs. However, it may also be preferred to have neutral or zero exposures throughout the array such that the skin just skims the surface, substantially minimizing the contact with the blades and therefore, improving shaving attributes such as comfort and safety. 
     As can be seen, a positively exposed blade, such as blade  12   e  from  FIG. 6 , may generally push the skin line  44   b  up and away from the virtual line  44   a  producing more blade tip loading while a negatively exposed blade, such as blade  12   a  from  FIG. 6 , may generally rely on the skin line  44   b  to bulge into the cartridge and to come into contact with blade  12   a  itself, rather than blade  12   a  pushing up into the skin or skin line  44   a . This illustration demonstrates that it may likely be easier to control the skin flow near the guard/guard bar and near the cap which represent fixed (or control) points over which the skin flows. Guided by these concepts in general, it may be seen that this geometric control may thus become less precise the further away a blade is from either the cap  17  or guard  16 /guard bar  16   a . Thus, in many instances, midway through a cartridge  10  or near the center of a blade array  12  may be an area where there may be a loss of defined skin control. 
     While conventional razors aptly control skin and hair flow across an entire razor cartridge or blade array, the addition of one or more skin contact elements within the blade array  12  (desirably centrally located) advantageously inserts at least one more control point for skin, thereby allowing greater control over the geometry for individual or small groups of blades, fine tuning skin bulged, exposure and also blade tip loading for much improved comfort and cutting of hair (e.g., in closeness and number) and hence, shaving performance, as will be described below. 
     It should be noted that in the above-described embodiments of  FIG. 5C , where two skin contact elements  14   a  and  14   b  are inserted into the blade array, two supplementary control points are provided via those skin contact elements in addition to the guard  16  and cap  17  control points. Further, the present invention may theoretically contemplate an embodiment of a razor cartridge having minimized or possibly non-existent guard  16  or cap  17  structures (not shown). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6A , the addition of at least one skin contact element  14  generally in the middle of the blade array  12  of  FIG. 6 , effectively provides a central or third control point (in addition to the first and second guard and cap control points, respectively) thereby imparting a desired or greater manipulation of the skin loading of a single or group of blades. With a third control point, there may effectively be two skin lines. For instance in  FIG. 6A , referring to virtual skin lines, there may be a virtual skin flow line  44   a ′ from guard bar  16   a  to skin contact element  14  and a virtual skin flow line  44   a ″ from skin contact element  14  to cap  17 . 
     The skin contact element  14  may lie on the same plane as the blades  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   d , and  12   e  of the blade array  12  or on a different plane or any combination thereof. The skin contact element  14  may also lie on the same plane as blades  12   b  and  12   d , but on a different plane from the plane of blades  12   a  or  12   e . The latter arrangement would provide a neutral exposure for blades  12   b  and  12   d  relative to the skin contact element  14  and may lower the blade tip loading on the skin near the area of the skin contact element as those blades may just skim the skin. 
     It may be also preferred to adjust the blades&#39; exposures such that blade  12   d  is set at a negative exposure relative to the skin contact element  14 . For example, as can be seen in  FIG. 6A , the exposures of the blades  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   d , and  12   e  of the blade array  12  are arranged similarly to that of  FIG. 6 , relative to each other, but the presence of the skin contact element  14  in between blades  12   b  and  12   d  and its being disposed slightly higher than one or both of blades  12   b  or  12   d , preferably 0.05 mm higher, provides not only a fixed control point but a negative exposure for those lower blades. Thus, just after the blade  12   b , the skin contact element will force the actual skin line  44   b  up to its upper surface  14   a  as shown in  FIG. 6A  and desirably may prevent hair H from being pushed down. For illustrative purposes, only one hair H is shown in  FIG. 6A . The negative exposure of the blade  12   d  relative to skin contact element  14  which may desirably be up to about −0.2 mm may, as the shave stroke passes the skin contact element  14  and contacts blade  12   d  behind it, desirably minimize blade  12   d ′ s contact with the skin  44   b , or effectively mask the skin, allowing contact of blade  12   d  to be substantially with just hair H. This in turn, desirably allows the hair H to also be cut at a point H 1  closer to the skin such that more of the length of each hair will be cut, improving the extent to which missed hairs are cut and also increasing the number of missed hairs that are cut and therefore, upgrading the perception of the shave outcome by the user (e.g., the skin will feel smoother right after shaving). 
     With the presence of a skin contact element in the blade array, all the blades may desirably be substantially prevented from coming into contact with the skin (e.g., improved comfort, glide and safety), but the boosting of the height of the hair provides expanded blade contact with the hair combined with the blades&#39; minimal to no contact with the skin (e.g., in particular at the blade  12   d  behind the skin contact element  14  as described above) improves the cutting of the hair. 
     However, were the skin contact element  14  of  FIG. 6A  disposed such that there was a neutral or zero blade exposure relative to each of the blades in the blade array  12  (e.g., so that the blades and skin contact element just skim the skin), attributes such as shaving comfort, glide and safety are also improved during the shave. 
     Furthermore, having one or more skin contact elements disposed in the blade array may advantageously allow even sharper blades (e.g., with low cutting forces) or other blade arrangements to be utilized, without which, in a conventional razor may be too sharp (e.g., dangerous risk of cutting) or uncomfortable for users. For example, a very sharp type blade may desirably be disposed in the blade position directly behind such a skin contact element (e.g., blade  12   d ). 
     The inter blade span of the present invention may range from about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm. Preferably the interblade span is from 0.95 mm to 1.05 mm. 
     With the knowledge that the blade may substantially not contact the skin, or just skim the skin as shown in  FIG. 6A  having neutral or negative exposure for instance, the blades following the skin contact element of the present invention may also be modified to include even sharper blades and/or blades with a higher “blade tangent angle” (BTA) than conventional blade arrays, the latter shown in  FIG. 6C . 
     Referring particularly to the BTA, it is generally known to signify the angle between the blade and the skin line. Increasing this angle may also allow the second stage to catch hairs that a more conventional first stage or cartridge unit  10   a  may have missed. However, adjustments to the BTA require some forethought in design as it is generally known that a higher BTA may improve closeness (e.g., more hairs cut), but typically at the expense of comfort (e.g., blades may drag on skin and damage it) whereas in contrast, a lower BTA may improve comfort, but typically at the expense of closeness. 
     With regard to BTAs,  FIGS. 6B and 6C  illustrate two arrangements of the present invention. In  FIG. 6B , the blade tangent angle  47  may range from about 10 to 24 degrees from the skin line  44   b  and may desirably be about 22.5 degrees.  FIG. 6B  may be representative of a BTA that may be found in the arrangement of  FIG. 6A . 
     In  FIG. 6C , the BTA  48  may range from about 25 to 40 degrees from the skin line  44   b  and may desirably be about 28 degrees. In addition,  FIG. 6C  is shown with narrow spans, similar to the spans of  FIG. 6B . The narrow span and the increase in BTA shown in  FIG. 6C  compared to  FIG. 6B , along with the negative exposure  43  of at least blade  12   d , may desirably provide an improved blade tip loading on the skin and improve the numbers of hairs that are cut without skin damage. 
     Such a cartridge may advantageously provide a application of the skin contact element of the present invention. For instance, a cartridge may be choicefully designed to have different functionality before and after a centrally located skin contact element and hence, target different types of hair and/or different hair areas (e.g., neck, chin, face, body). For instance, the cutting of difficult, low lying hair may be improved with the arrangement of  FIG. 6C . 
     Thus, in arranging a cartridge with the skin contact element(s) of the present invention providing a generally central control point, a balancing of the several inter-related variables such as blade types, angles, spans, exposures, and number of blades relative to control points such as the skin contact element, guard and cap, may generally be important for providing optimal designs that will not damage the skin while also effectively cutting the hair. 
     The presence of the skin contact element or control point of the present invention makes available a wider range of possibilities for the fine-tuning of these inter-related variables than permitted in conventional razor cartridges and thereby may provide more advantages. 
     As mentioned above, desirably blade sharpness and angles may be increased, spans may be decreased and exposures may be neutral or negative to provide undamaged skin and to cut more hair (both in extent and number). Furthermore, the skin contact element shall desirably allow skin and hair to pass without generating high friction thus maintaining the skin contact element as a substantially low friction element within the blade array. 
       FIG. 7  depicts the skin contact element  50   j  desirably formed as a modified or extended blade support made of any material but advantageously comprised of the same type of metal conventionally used for a blade support. Arrows pointing downward in  FIG. 7  indicate the top-down loading of the skin contact element  50   j  and blades  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   d , and  12   e  into the cartridge  10 . 
     While the skin contact elements described thus far are generally loaded into or installed into blade positions or slots from the top of the blade array or cartridge (e.g., similar to razor blade installation), the present invention is not limited to placement of skin contact elements in conventional blade positions or blade slots. 
     Other methods of manufacturing a skin contact element for placement within a blade array will be disclosed below. 
     The skin contact element of the present invention may, for instance, be loaded into the blade array  62  via at least one hole, aperture or slot  65   a  disposed in at least one of the sides of the cartridge frame  65  as shown in  FIG. 8 . Hole  65   a  may desirably be sized and structured to be able to effortlessly insert and generally hold the skin contact element  64  in place within the blade array  62  and therefore, within the razor cartridge  60 . 
     Thus far, the skin contact element of the present invention has been described as being an independent, standalone, or separable element or elements, much like the razor blades themselves. Given that the instant element is a skin contact element with no cutting edges, alternate methods for providing such a skin contact elements in a razor cartridge may also be within the scope of the present invention. Such alternative embodiments of the present invention are described below. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , one such exemplary alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown to include at least one skin contact element  74  formed as a portion of the frame  75  as shown in the close-up view of the frame  75  in  FIG. 9 . For instance, the frame  75  may be injection-molded to include at least one skin contact element  74  desirably positioned lengthwise in any location in the cartridge, as generally described above with regard to  FIGS. 1-3 . The skin contact element may also be coupled to the frame via a snap fit or other known connection. Skin contact element  74  may be coupled to the frame  75  using other mechanical, thermal, chemical methods known to those of skill in the art. It should be noted that the skin contact element, formed together with the frame, can also be attached to or integrated with a razor blade or blades. The skin contact element, though part of the cartridge frame, may be of elastomeric or other material. 
     Additionally, in  FIG. 10 , another exemplary alternate embodiment depicts a skin contact element  84  formed as a portion of both of the clips  88   a  and  88   b  as a unitary structure  84   a  and therefore necessarily installed into the frame (or cartridge) when the clips are installed. Though not shown, more than one skin contact element may be formed as a portion of the clips or the skin contact element may be formed as a portion of only one or the other clip  88   a  or  88   b , respectively, in accordance with the present invention. Such a structure  84   a  may be made by one of skill in the art using the same methods as conventional clips and may be machined, molded, or formed in any feasible manner. 
     Though the skin contact element  74  may be formed as a portion of the frame  75  and skin contact element  84  may be formed as a portion of the clips  88   a ,  88   b , both being formed as part of another razor component, they are generally not attached to or integrated with any of the blades, but this is contemplated within the scope of the present invention. The shaving advantages attributed to having at least one skin contact element within the blade array remain unchanged. 
     Additionally, it should be noted that the skin contact element of the present invention may be utilized in any type of razor cartridge and thus naturally in both male and female type razors. 
     The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”. 
     Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern. 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.