AU695282B2 - Razor head - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a razor head for the pivotable holding of a razor blade unit in a shell-like support (48, 48'), which is arranged on the free ends of two movable arms (44, 51) arranged opposite to each other of a fork support for the razor blade unit and with complementary curved shaped surfaces on the under side of the razor blade unit on which they are correspondingly pivotable, whereby a spring biassed plunger (23) is guided between the two arms (44, 51) to retain the separating movement in the stop position during fixing of the razor blade unit.

Description

A'

WO 95/30517 PCTEP95/01712 Razor Head The invention concerns a razor head for the pivotable holding of a razor blade unit in a shell-like support, which is arranged on the free ends of two movable arms arranged opposite to each other of a fork support for the razor blade unit and with complementary curved shaped surfaces on the under side of the razor blade unit on which they are correspondingly pivotable, whereby a spring biassed plunger is guided between the two arms to retain the separating movement in the stop position during fixing of the razor blade unit.

During use of wet razors either a single or double razor blades are permanently embedded in a plastic housing, which can be fixed to the handle by means of a holding means, Such razor blade units on the one hand and the mechanism fixed to the handle for the attachment, holding and release of the razor blades from the handle represent the razor head, That which is being considered presently is to provide a holding means which enables the pivoting of the razor blade unit during the shave, so that the razor blade unit can follow the contours of the surface being shaved in an optimal shaving position.

In US patent 3935639 a safety razor is known, in which the required pivotability of the razor blade unit on the handle is ensured by means of holding means of the razor blade unit to the handle described as a shell support, The shell support is formed by shell shaped support segments on the handle which work together with corresponding segments formed as part cylinders on the razor blade unit and permit pivoting of the razor blade unit on the transverse axis of the handle (an axis parallel to the cutting edges of the razor blades), By means of a leaf spring arranged between the handle and the razor blade unit the 2 returning force in the direction of the rest position of the pivoting movement of the razor blade unit is provided from above and from below. The pivoting movement is altogether limited by this device to a range between 20 and degrees. A similar shell support is disclosed in US patent 3938247.

An improved pivoting movement in response to the forces during shaving is achieved by a shell support of a razor head is known and described in European patent application number 0291 030 Al In this, the shell support for the razor blade unit is formed on the free ends of two oppositely arranged moving arms comprising a fork holding means on the handle of the razor and 1 0 Works with complementary curve shaped surfaces on the under side of the razor blade unit to permit the respective pivoting together. A spring biassed plunger is arranged in the handle between the two arms which maintains the razor blade unit in the rest position. The front end of the plunger works together with a roof shaped cam on the razor blade unit to return the pivoting movement to the rest position. Recessed catches are formed in the part of the 4. shell regions of the shell supports of the arms themselves, in which projections of the razor blade unit engage to ensure correct positioning on the handle and to limit the pivoting movement.

44' Theroby lies the objective of the invention, to provide a simple shell M support for a razor head of a wet razor with constructive and improved holding and release mechanism which is suitable to manufacture to engage, retain and release a razor blade unit.

The invention thereby resolves the problems of the prior art razor heads mentioned above by providing a razor head of a wet razor for holding a razor blade unit by means of a shell support arranged on the free end of each of the two arms movable with respect to each other against the action of a spring means, there being complementary curved shaped surfaces on the under side of the razor blade unit and on the shell supports to allow the razor blade unit to pivot, whereby a spring guided plunger is movable between the two arms, when the arms are held in a blade unit release position by a separate retaining 1516/98GC8507.SPE,2 1 3 element, to disengage a separate retaining element from the arms to allow the arms to move by the spring means to a position to engage the razor blade unit and fix the unit to the shell supports, the arms being arranged parallel to each other in an essentially rectangular shaped housing mounted in the handle, the separate retaining element also located in the housing. Preferably the arms of the holding mechanism are fixed links whare are moveable with respect to the housing against the force of a spring arranged between them, or the arms of U shaped single piece plastic moulded part which are elastically movable with respect to each other.

1 0 According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the retaining mechanism is formed as fingers arranged towards one another and spaced from each other, with retaining parts engaging each other in the locked position, which are releasable by means of the action of the plunger either directly or indirectly. For example a finger of the retaining mechanism canl be flexibly formed or fixed as a link to the arm of the fork holding means so that by means of the plunger acting on it the release can be effected. Preferably a elongate groove is formed in each of the fingers, and arranged above the elongate groove of the finger a leaf spring shaped retaining element provided with an elongate projection corresponding to the elongate groove, which under 0. bias and at that moment engage in the elongate grooves of the finger when they are in the coaxial position with respect to each other (the rest position).

The retaining projection of the flat-shaped retaining element continues in a cross projection next to the plunger, acting together with the retaining projection provided on the plunger.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the housing includes, on its front side an opening for the plunger to pass through, two openings on each side lying opposite each other for the operating buttons on the arms to pass through and stop projections for a base plate, which carries the arms with the shell support segments and the retaining mechanism and the spring biassed plunger as a pre-assembled component. Thereby it is proposed 1 51619$GC8507.SPE,3 3a that the base plate is provided with two transverse flanges on each side for the articulation of the arms as well as a retaining socket for the leaf spring type retaining element, as well as side walls in the longitudinal direction in which are provided corresponding recesses for the fingers of the retaining mechanism as 4 I t I I ir 4 t 15M6898GC8507.SPE,4 WO 95/30517 PCT/EP95/01712 4 well as a transverse recess for the spiral spring and whereby a transverse connector of the side walls carries a stop support for the plunger spring. In addition a elongate guide for the plunger can be advantageously arranged from oppositely arranged guide grooves, in which the guide strips on each side of the plunger engage. By this means a pre-assembled component is provided as a complete module in which the whole support of the razor head for the razor blade unit is provided. This component enables itself to be positioned and locked into the housing from above in a single operation In a final simple technical way.

Further embodiments, features and advantages of the subject of the invention are represented in the following description and related drawings of a preferred embodiment of the razor head according to the invention.

Fig. 1 a plan view of a handle of a razor 'With an open housing of the razor head, Fig. 2 a side view of the handle with the razor head of fig. 1, Fig. 3 a rear view of the handle with the razor head of fig. 1, Fig. 4 a base plate (chassis) in plan View to show all the elements of the razor head; Fig. 5 the chassis in a side view, Fig. 6 the chassis, in half, in a rear view, Fig. 7 a plunger in plan view, side view and rear view, Fig. 8 the link arms of the fork holding mechanism with support shells in outside view, plan view and inside view, WO 95/30517 PCTIEP95/01712 Fig, 9 the right arm of the fork holding mechanism In corresponding views, Fig. 10 a alternative embodiment of the fork holding mechanism with retaining mechanism in perspective, Fig. 11 a third embodiment of the fork holding mechanism with the retaining mechanism in perspective, and Fig. 12 a leaf spring type retaining element in a view from below, a side view and a plan view.

A wet razor comprises fundamentally a handle and a razor blade unit fixed thereto, The razor blade unit is not shown in the drawings. It can be acquired from the known state of the art and need only b6 provided with a shell support which acts together with the handle as described further hereunder.

Fig. 1 of the drawings shows a handle 1 with a housing 2 formed thereon of a razor head, in which the housing cover In the drawings has been removed, so that the internal construction can be seen. Thus the housing is shown in rectangular form comprising a base plate 3, side-walls 4, 5 and an upper opening 6 on the front side, through which the holding means, which hold the razor blade unit in the complete assembled state, freely extend outwards, Two I rectangular projections 7, 8 and a cylindrical holding projection 9 are formed in one piece and provided in a three corner formation, on the base plate, andI forming the chassis as shown in Fig. 4.

The front sided opening 6 is sub divided into a central part-circular shaped section forming housing opening 10 for the plunger shown in fig. 7 to pass through, as well as opening regions 11, 12 to allow the passing through of the two arms of the fork holding means with the shell supports for the razor blade units (not shown). Further in the housing two side openings 13, 14 are WO 95/30517 PCT/EP95/01712 6 provided lying opposite to each other, through which the operating buttons of the arms project in the assembled state and which the user of the razor can press to release or attach the razor blade unit.

It can additionally be seen from Fig. 2 of the drawings, that the housing of the 10 razor head is formed with a curved shape in order to hold the razor blade unit in a favourable position.

The base plate or chassis 15 shown in fig. 4 of the drawings comprises an essentially rectangular body with two flanges 16, 17 arranged opposite each other on each side and side walls 18, 19, which form a space 22 to receive the spring biassed plunger shown in figure 7 of the drawings. To this end the sides walls 18, 19 are provided with inward guide grooves 20, 22 in which guide strips 24, 25 which extend longitudinally on each side of the plunger 23 are guidable, I Further positioning openings 26, 27, spaced from each other and co axial transverse recesses 28, 29 are formed in the side walls 18, 19 of the chassis in which further parts of the shell support, described below, are arranged and guided, Finally the two side walls 18, 19 are connected together by means of half height transverse connector 30, on which is formed a stop support 31 for Sa screw spring of the plunger 23 (not shown).

The two flanges 16, 17 holes 32, 33 are recessed to form a rotatably movable linkage of the arms of the shell support shown in figures 8 and 9 with the pins 34, 35 discernable therefrom, In addition the chassis 15 carries a holding socket 36 for the leaf spring type retaining element 37 shown in figure 12.

The plunger 23 shown in figure 7 comprises a rectangular cross section plunger button 38, which acts together with the cam surface of the razor blade unit, not shown. The plunger button 38 forms into a cylindrical connecting piece 39 which forms into a rectangular hollow cross section body 40, on each side of iii-li~i_; 1/ WO 95/30517 PCT/EP95/01712 which the two guide strips 24, 25 are formed. A screw spring is arranged in the inside of the hollow body 40 spaced between the lower stop support 31 of the chassis 15 and the upper stop support 41 of the plunger. In order to attach a razor blade unit in the shell support the plunger is moved downwards against the action of the screw spring, the two cams 42, 43 release the retention of the arms of the shell supports, which will be described in more detail below, in connection with the leaf spring type retaining element 37, which is shown in fig.

12.

Fig. 8 shows, in several views, the link arm 44 of a shell support, with pins 34 formed at its lower end being pivotally positioned in the holes 32 of the flanges 16 of the chassis 15 in the assembled state. In approximately the middle region the arm 44 comprises an operating button 45, which extends out of the housing through the side opening 13 and which allows the user to pivot the arm 44 inwardly. The arm 44 The arm 44 projects out of'the housing by means of the opening region 11, so that the shell formed support segments 46 formed on its free ends can form a shell support for coupling with the razor blade unit. The support surface 47 of the upport segment 46 is a completely even surface without recesses or projections and comprises a part circular shaped ring extension extending outwards, which engages behind a corresponding hook shaped projection on the razor blade unit which grips and holds the razor blade unit in the shaving position. The pivotability of the razor blade unit in the shell support is thereby guaranteed.

At approximately the height of the operating knob 45, an inwardly projecting finger 49 is formed on the arm 44, at an angle slightly greater than a right angle and sloping slightly upwards, due to the pivoting movement of the arms 8, In the region of its free end there is a elongate groove 50, which is a retaining mechanism to retain the two arms of the shell support in the required pivoting distance with respect to each other. To this end the right arm 51 of the shell support shown in Fig. 9 is an identical mirror image of the arm 44 already described and comprises an inwardly extending finger 52 with an elongate j N4 i i WO 95/30517 PCT/EP95/01712 8 groove 53. In the retained position the two elongate grooves 50 and 53 are arranged coaxially with respect to each other and engage, by means of their Inherent tension, a corresponding elongate projection 54 of the leaf spring type retaining element 37 retaining the arms 37.

The leaf spring type retaining element 37 Is fixed to the holding socket 36 of the chassis 15 by means of a fixing means 55, for example by means of adhesive, and extends in the region between the two side walls 18, 19 of the chassis underneath the transverse recess 28, 29 in which in the assembled state a transverse screw spring is arranged between the arms 44 and 51 and the stop extensions 56 and 57. The bent region 58, corresponding to this region 38, of the retaining element 37 which locks comprises an essentially shaped projection, which includes on the one hand an elongate projection 54 and on the other hand a transverse projection 59. The elongate projection 54 acts, as has already been described, with the elongate .groves 50, 53 to retain them together, whereath e he transverse projection 59 acts immediately on'the retention of the plunger cams 42, 43 if the plunger 23 is contactec during attachment of a razor blade unit. Under the action of the transverse running screw spring between the arms 44 and 51, these arms 44 and 51 are moved outwards, such that the ring extensions 48, 48' of the support segments 46, 46' of the arms engage under the corresponding holding means of the razor blade unit and so fix it to the razor head, Fig. 10 and fig, 11 show alternative embodiments of a retaining mechanism, in which, during retention, the plunger acts directly on a flexible finger, correspondingly acting on a pivoted finger in Fig. 11, and in which the fingers are provided with retaining lugs 60, 61 in the front region.

To attach a razor blade unit the user of the razor head operates the two side operating buttons 45, 45' of the arms 44, 51 of the razor head and pivots them inwardly about the link pins 34, 35 against the action on the screw spring, not shown, which is arranged between the stop extensions 56 and 57. By this WO 95/30S17 PCT/EP95101712 i i 9 action the fingers 49, 52 are rotated towards each other in the space between thL side walls 18, 19 of the chassis 15 until their elongate grooves 50, 53 are aligned with each other. The retention of the arms then takes place, due to the elongate projection 54 of the leaf spring type retaining element 37 under tension engaging in the two elongate grooves 50, 53 and the retention is effected. The support segments 46, 46' of the shell support are now positioned in the region of the plunger 23 and ready for the attachment of a razor blade unit. The arms 44, 51 move automatically back to their outward lying starting position when the plunger 23 is pressed, This follows when the corresponding camming surfaces of the razor blade unit cooperate with the razor head, The plunger 23 is pres.,d downwards against the action of a screw spring by means of its guide strips 24, 25 engaging in the guide grooves 20, 21 of the chassis and provides a retention with its cams 42, 43 through raising of the transverse projection 59 of the retaining element 37, so that the spring force of the screw spring between the arms 44 and 51 moves these back outwards, Then by means of the ring extensions 48, 48' under the corresponding hooks of the razor blade unit the razor blade unit is attached to the razor head, The pivotability of the razor blade unit in the support segment 46, 46' is thereby provided once again, To remove the razor blade unit it is again only necessary that the user presses the operating buttons 45, 45' and therewith pivoting the arms inwardly, so that the shell support on the one hand releases the used razor blade unit and on the other hand is ready for use with the next unused razor blade unit, WO 95/30517 PCT/EP95/01712 Reference List 1. Handle 2. Housing 3, Base plate 4, Side wall Side wall 6, Front end opening 7. Holding projection 8. Holding projection 9, Holding projection Housing opening 11. Opening area 12. Opening area 13. Side opening 14. Side opening Chassis I 16. Flange S17. Flange 18. Side wall 19. Side wall Guide groove 21. Guide groove 22. Space 23, Plunger 24. Guide strip Guide strip 26. Opening 27. Opening 28. Transverse recess 29. Transverse recess J1 _i rrr* IL n~ PCTiP95/01712 WO 95/30517 30, 81.

32.

33, 34, 35.

36.

37, 38, 39, 40.

41, 42.

43, 44.

45.

46, 46'.

47, 47'.

48.

48'.

49.

51.

52.

53.

54.

56.

57, Transverse connector Stop support Hole Hole Pin Pin Socket Retaining element Plunger head Connecting piece Hollow body Stop support Cam Cam Arm Operating button Operating button Support segment Support segment Support surface Support surface Ring extension Ring extension Finger Elongate groove Arm Finger Elongate groove Elongate projection Fixing means Stop extension Stop extension i WO 95/30517 PCTIEP95/01712 61.

Bent region Transverse projection Retaining lug Retaining lug.

Claims (6)

1. A razor head of a wet razor for holding a razor blade unit by means of a shell support arranged on the free end of each of the two arms movable with respect to each other against the action of a spring means, there being complementary curved shaped surfaces on the under side of the razor blade unit and on the shell supports to allow the razor blade unit to pivot, whereby a spring guided plunger is movable between the two arms, when the arms are held in a blade unit release position by a separate retaining element, to disengage a separate retaining element from the arms to allow the arms to move by the spring means to a position to engage the razor blade unit and fix the unit to the shell supports, the arms being arranged parallel to each other in an essentially rectangular shaped housing mounted in the handle, the separate retaining element also located in the housing.

2. The razor head according to claim 1, wherein the arms of the holding mechanism are fixed links which are movable with respect to the housing against the force of a spring arranged between them, or that the arms are parts of a shaped single piece plastic moulded part which are movable with respect to each other.

3. The razor head according to claim 1 and claim 2, wherein a screw spring is provided as the spring means between the two arms.

4. The razor head according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the retaining mechanism is formed as fingers arranged towards one another and Xj' spaced from each other, with retaining parts engaging each other in the locked position, which are releasable by means of the action of the plunger either directly or indirectly, The razor head according to claim 4, wherein an elongate groove is formed in each of the fingers as a retaining mechanism, and arranged above the elongate groove of the finger a leaf spring shaped retaining element is provided with an elongate projection corresponding to the elongate groove, which under bias and at that moment engages in the elongate grooves of the S151/1/98GC8507,SPE,5 OF Q 14 finger, when they are in the coaxial position with respect to each other.

6. The razor head according to claim 5, wherein the retaining projection of the flat-shaped retaining element continues in a cross projection next to the plunger, acting together to retain with the cams provided on the plunger.

57. The razor head according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing includes on its front side an opening for the plunger to pass through, two openings on each side lying opposite each other for the operating buttons of the arms to pass through and stop projections for a base plate, which carries the arms with the shell support segments and the retaining mechanism 1 0 and the spring biassed plunger as a pre-assembled component. 8. The razor head according to claim 7, wherein the base plate is provided with two transverse flanges on each side for the articulation of the arms as well as a retaining socket in the middle for the leaf spring type retaining element as well as side walls in the longitudinal direction, in which I U1~ are provided corresponding recesses for the fingers of the retaining mechanism as well as a transverse recess for the spiral spring, and whereby a transverse connector of the side walls carries a stop support for the plunger spring. 9. The razor head according to claim 8, wherein an elongate guide for '4 the plunger is arranged on the side walls from oppositely arranged guide grooves, in which the guide strips on each side of the plunger engage. A razor head substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. -r 25 DATED this 1 5th day of June, 1 998. WILK(INSON SWORD GmbH By their Patent Attorneys: CALLINAN LAWRIE 1 516198GC8507,SPE,6