EP0920369B1 - Rasoir - Google Patents

Rasoir Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0920369B1
EP0920369B1 EP97934317A EP97934317A EP0920369B1 EP 0920369 B1 EP0920369 B1 EP 0920369B1 EP 97934317 A EP97934317 A EP 97934317A EP 97934317 A EP97934317 A EP 97934317A EP 0920369 B1 EP0920369 B1 EP 0920369B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hairs
skin
blade
elements
blade unit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP97934317A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0920369A1 (fr
Inventor
Oliver David Oglesby
Kevin James Wain
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Gillette Co LLC
Original Assignee
Gillette Co LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Gillette Co LLC filed Critical Gillette Co LLC
Publication of EP0920369A1 publication Critical patent/EP0920369A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0920369B1 publication Critical patent/EP0920369B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26B—HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B26B21/00—Razors of the open or knife type; Safety razors or other shaving implements of the planing type; Hair-trimming devices involving a razor-blade; Equipment therefor
    • B26B21/40—Details or accessories
    • B26B21/4012—Housing details, e.g. for cartridges
    • B26B21/4018—Guard elements

Definitions

  • This invention relates to safety razors and in particular the invention is concerned with a blade unit having one or more elongate blades and a skin engaging member for engaging the skin in advance of a blade edge which is moved across the surface of the skin being shaved by means of a handle to which the blade unit is attached.
  • the blade unit may be mounted on the handle to enable the blade unit to be replaced by a fresh blade unit when required. Replacement blade units are also commonly referred to as cartridges.
  • a blade unit may be attached permanently to the handle with the intention that the entire razor should be discarded when the blade or blades have become dulled.
  • a blade unit has a guard for contacting the skin in advance of the blade edge(s) as the blades are moved across the skin during shaving, and a cap for contacting the skin behind the blade edge(s).
  • a guard for contacting the skin in advance of the blade edge(s) as the blades are moved across the skin during shaving
  • a cap for contacting the skin behind the blade edge(s).
  • guard surface Many different surface configurations and materials have been proposed for the guard surface.
  • guards have been designed to stretch the skin ahead of the blade, or to impart pleasant tactile sensations to the skin as the guard slides across its surface.
  • a blade unit having a skin engaging member for engaging the skin in advance of a blade edge, this member having a series of elements defining slots through which the pairs pass, and the elements being arranged to engage frictionally the hairs passing along the slots in order to apply a light pulling force ion the hairs.
  • the pulling force can increase the extension of the hairs from the skin before they are cut by the blade, without causing any noticeable discomfort.
  • a blade unit comprising at least one blade with an elongate edge, a skin engagement surface for engaging the skin ahead of the blade edge during shaving, the skin engaging surface having slots for hairs to pass through, the skin engaging surface being formed by a series of elements between which the slots are formed, characterized in that the elements have slot edge profiles so that the slot edges notch into the hairs as they pass through the slots, and in the direction towards the blade, the slot edge formations being inclined for guiding the notched hairs to follow a path, causing the extension of the hairs from the skin to be increased before the hairs are cut by the blade edge.
  • a safety razor blade unit including at least one blade with an elongate edge, a skin engagement surface for engaging the skin ahead of the blade edge during shaving, the skin engaging surface comprising a series of elements defining a plurality of slots therebetween for hairs to pass through, characterized in that each slot has opposed edges formed to notch the hairs as the hairs pass through the slots in the direction towards the blade, the opposed slot edges comprising edge portions of the elements having reduced thickness for notching the hairs, and the opposed slot edges being inclined away from the skin engaging surface for guiding the notched hairs to follow a path causing the extension of the hairs from the skin to be increased before the hairs are cut by the blade edge.
  • a blade unit according to the invention is adapted to exert a more positive pulling force for extending the hairs than is obtained by the previously proposed skin engaging member which relies solely on the friction between the sides of the slots and the hairs to resist the movement of the hairs with the skin as the skin slides over the skin engaging surface.
  • the hairs become notched and the edges of the slots can perform like rails to guide the hairs so that they are moved away from the skin and hence become pulled to increase their projecting length.
  • the skin engagement surface is defined by a series of elements between which the slots are formed, the elements having trailing end parts which extend from those parts thereof which define the surface and which are inclined downwardly, i.e. away from the skin in use of the blade unit.
  • the slots taper in width across the skin engagement surface, but are of substantially constant width between the trailing end parts.
  • the elements have edge portions of reduced thickness conveniently provided by etching the undersides of the elements to form rebates. An appropriate edge thickness is around 20 microns or less.
  • the reduced thickness edges of the trailing parts of the elements are inclined downwardly from the skin engagement surface at an angle of 30° to 70°, preferably between 40° and 60°.
  • the elements can be substantially rigid since the edges bite into the hairs and it is not crucial for the elements to deflect laterally to prevent hairs becoming jammed in the slots.
  • a degree of resilience may be desirable and therefore the slot forming elements are preferably carried on springs, such as torsion springs connected to the leading ends of the element.
  • the blade unit illustrated in Figures 1-3 may be a cartridge for detachable mounting on a re-usable handle, or it may be fixed to the handle of a disposable razor. It comprises a moulded plastic frame 1 the forward longitudinal rail of which forms a conventional guard bar 2 and carries a strip 3 of elastomeric material with upstanding fins extending lengthwise along the strip.
  • the rear rail of the frame defines a cap surface 4 and carries a strip 5 of lubricating material.
  • Within the opening of the frame is mounted a pair of elongate blades 6 with parallel cutting edges facing towards the guard.
  • the blade unit also includes a pulling member 7 defining a skin engagement surface for engaging the skin being shaved in front of the cutting edge of the leading blade.
  • the member 7 is supported on the rear face of the guard bar 2.
  • the member 7 is supported on the front face of the guard bar 2 and extends rearwardly over the top of the guard bar.
  • the hair pulling member has the form of an integral comb with a spine defining a front wall 8 secured to the guard bar 2, and a large number of identical elements or teeth 9 which define between them through-slots 10.
  • the elements 9 are connected to the front wall 8 by respective stems 12 which are bent through 90° adjacent the elements 9 so that the elements define an upwardly facing engagement surface for engaging the skin during shaving.
  • the trailing end parts 14 of the elements are downwardly inclined from the skin contacting surface at an angle in the range of 40° to 60°.
  • the support stems 12 are relatively narrow defining intervening gaps 15 of substantially greater width than the stems themselves so that hairs will tend to pass into the gaps rather than being flattened against the skin by the stems.
  • the gaps 15 lead into the slots 10, the transition between the gaps and slots being shaped to funnel the hairs into the mouths of the slots.
  • the slots taper in width from their mouths at the leading edge of the skin engagement surface to the trailing edge of this surface at which the trailing end parts 14 of the elements extend away from the surface.
  • the slots are of substantially constant width, e.g. in the range of 30-60 microns along their sections defined between the inclined end parts 14 of the elements 9.
  • edges 16 of the elements 9 confining the slots are shaped so that they will penetrate the surfaces of the hairs as they move through the slots, the edges 16 thereby becoming positively engaged with the hairs by notching into the hairs as illustrated in Figure 4.
  • the edges 16 of the inclined parts 14 act as rails and guide the hairs H passing along the slots so that they are pulled from the skin S which is not able to follow the path of the hairs, and as a consequence the hair extension, i.e. the length of the hair protruding from the skin, is increased at a position directly in front of the edge of the blade positioned behind the hair pulling member.
  • the hairs pass out of the slots before they are cut so there is no possibility for cut hairs to become trapped in the slots.
  • the reduced thickness edges of the elements 9 can be conveniently formed by making the hair pulling member from a metal sheet which is etched onto the underside to produce areas of reduced thickness in the regions of the slots 10 which are subsequently formed by laser cutting along the etched areas. In this way rebates are created along the edges at the undersides of the elements 10.
  • the edges 16 can be shaped with their lateral faces at an angle so that the confronting extreme edges converge towards the skin engagement surface, as clearly visible in Figures 8 and 8A which show a section of a hair pulling member from the underside.
  • the edges should be sharp enough to bite into the hairs, but not so sharp that they will cause the hairs to be cut through.
  • An edge thickness of about 20 microns or less is appropriate.
  • the elements 9 of the hair pulling member may be rigidly supported. It is in any event necessary for the elements to be arranged to press against the hairs with sufficient force to cause the edges of the elements to bite into the hairs. However, in order to preclude excessive resistance to hairs of large diameter it is preferable for the elements to be capable of some resilient movement. In the illustrated embodiment this is achieved by the stems 12 acting as torsion springs by being capable of twisting resiliently about their respective upwardly extending longitudinal axes.
  • hair pulling member is shown mounted in front of the leading blade in the blade unit of Figures 1 to 3, a similar hair pulling member could additionally or alternatively be mounted in the frame directly in front of the second blade, or indeed any further blade which might be provided in the shaving unit.
  • the hair pulling member can take different forms to that shown in Figures 1-3 and two modified constructions are illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.
  • the elements 9 have a reduced thickness at the edges of the slots 10 and the hair pulling members of Figures 5 and 6 will function to pull hairs in the manner described above.
  • the elements are bifurcated so that the parts forming the skin engagement surface have the shape of a Y as seen in plan.
  • the divergent prongs 20 can be stiff so that the stems 21 act as torsion springs, or the prongs can be resilient to at least contribute to lateral deflection when desired, e.g. due to large diameter hairs passing through the slots.
  • the downwardly inclined tail parts 19 of the prongs are parallel.
  • the hair pulling member shown in Figure 6 is generally similar to that of Figure 5, but the prongs 20 of each element 9 are shaped to form an additional slot 30 and a diamond shaped hole 31 at the forward end of this slot. Hairs which fail to enter the slots 10 can enter these additional slots 30 which like the slots 10, are confined between edges 16 of reduced thickness so that the edges notch into the hairs and cause them to be pulled by the downwardly inclined tail parts 19 of the prongs in the same way as the hairs passing through the slots 10 are pulled.
  • the hair pulling member could for example take the general form of any of the embodiments of the skin engaging members described in WO 95/29043, the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference, always provided that the elements which provide the skin engagement surface have slot edge profiles so that the edges notch into the hairs, and these elements are extended by downwardly inclined rear parts which are directed away from the skin engaging surface.
  • the hair pulling member to be movably mounted in the frame of the blade unit, in particular for movement in a direction towards and away from the skin sliding over the elements of the hair pulling member, the hair pulling member being acted on by a spring or springs which urge the member upwardly towards the skin.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Forests & Forestry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Dry Shavers And Clippers (AREA)
  • Knives (AREA)
  • Cosmetics (AREA)

Abstract

Cet ensemble lame pour rasoir de sûreté comprend un élément (7) destiné à tirer les poils situés immédiatement devant le bord coupant d'une lame (6) et présentant des fentes (10) à travers lesquelles passent les poils. Ces fentes sont délimitées par une série d'éléments (9), lesquels présentent des bords délimitant les fentes (10) et formés de manière à enserrer les poils au moment de leur passage à travers les fentes. Des portions arrière de fuite (14) des éléments (9) sont inclinées pour guider les poils enserrés, afin que ceux-ci suivent un trajet conçu pour les étirer depuis la peau, juste avant d'être coupés par la lame.

Claims (14)

  1. Unité à lames comprenant au moins une lame (6) ayant un bord allongé, une surface de contact avec la peau devant le bord de lame pendant le rasage, la surface de contact avec la peau ayant des fentes (10) destinées au passage des poils, la surface de contact avec la peau étant formée par une série d'éléments (9) entre lesquels sont formées des fentes (10), caractérisée en ce que les éléments (9) ont des profils de bord de fente tels que les bords de fente (16) mordent dans les poils lorsqu'ils passent dans les fentes (10), et, dans la direction de la lame (6), les bords conformés de fente sont inclinés afin que les poils entaillés soient guidés et suivent un trajet qui provoque l'extraction des poils de la peau avant que les poils ne soient coupés par le bord de lame.
  2. Unité à lames selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que l'inclinaison des bords conformés correspond à un angle compris entre 30 et 70° avec la surface de contact avec la peau.
  3. Unité à lames selon la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce que l'inclinaison des bords conformés correspond à un angle compris entre 40 et 60° avec la surface de contact avec la peau.
  4. Unité à lames selon la revendication 1, 2 ou 3, caractérisée en ce que les éléments (9) ont des parties inclinées vers le bas (14) qui s'étendent depuis les parties délimitant la surface de contact avec la peau vers la lame.
  5. Unité à lames selon la revendication 4, caractérisée en ce que la largeur des fentes (10) varie progressivement du bord avant de la surface de contact avec la peau vers une valeur minimale inférieure au diamètre d'un poil (H), et les éléments adjacents (9) sont mobiles élastiquement les uns par rapport aux autres en direction pratiquement parallèle au plan de la surface de contact avec la peau.
  6. Unité à lames selon la revendication 4 ou 5, caractérisée en ce que les sections des fentes délimitées entre les parties inclinées (14) ont une largeur pratiquement constante.
  7. Unité à lames selon l'une quelconque des revendications 4 à 6, caractérisée en ce que les éléments (9) ont des dents respectives d'un organe en forme de peigne.
  8. Unité à lames selon l'une des revendications 4 à 7, caractérisé en ce que la formation d'entailles comporte des parties de bord (16) des éléments (9) ayant une épaisseur réduite.
  9. Unité à lames selon la revendication 8, caractérisée en ce que les bords d'épaisseur réduite (16) sont formés par des tronçons amincis des faces inférieures des éléments (9).
  10. Unité à lames selon la revendication 9, caractérisée en ce que les tronçons amincis sont des parties de surface attaquées chimiquement.
  11. Unité à lames selon la revendication 8, 9 ou 10, caractérisée en ce que l'épaisseur des bords ne dépasse pas 20 µm environ.
  12. Unité à lames selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 11, caractérisée en ce que les éléments de surface (9) sont supportés par des ressorts respectifs.
  13. Unité à lames selon la revendication 12, caractérisée en ce que les ressorts de torsion (12) sont raccordés aux éléments (9) à leurs extrémités avant.
  14. Unité à lames de rasoir de sûreté comprenant au moins une lame (6) ayant un bord allongé, une surface de contact avec la peau placée devant le bord de lame pendant le rasage, la surface de contact avec la peau comprenant une série d'éléments (9) délimitant plusieurs fentes (10) pour le passage des poils, caractérisée en ce que chaque fente (10) a des bords opposés (16) formés pour mordre dans les poils lorsque les poils passent dans les fentes (10) vers la lame (6), les bords de fente opposés (16) comprenant des parties de bord des éléments ayant une épaisseur réduite pour mordre dans les poils, et les bords opposés de fente étant inclinés afin qu'ils s'écartent de la surface de contact avec la peau en guidant les poils entaillés et que ceux-ci suivent un trajet provoquant l'extraction des poils de la peau avant que les poils ne soient coupés par le bord de lame.
EP97934317A 1996-08-02 1997-07-28 Rasoir Expired - Lifetime EP0920369B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB9616299.5A GB9616299D0 (en) 1996-08-02 1996-08-02 Safety razors
GB9616299 1996-08-02
PCT/US1997/013157 WO1998005479A1 (fr) 1996-08-02 1997-07-28 Lame de rasoir

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0920369A1 EP0920369A1 (fr) 1999-06-09
EP0920369B1 true EP0920369B1 (fr) 2002-06-05

Family

ID=10797945

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97934317A Expired - Lifetime EP0920369B1 (fr) 1996-08-02 1997-07-28 Rasoir

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0920369B1 (fr)
AR (1) AR008098A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU3740497A (fr)
CO (1) CO4750853A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69713106T2 (fr)
ES (1) ES2174271T3 (fr)
GB (1) GB9616299D0 (fr)
TW (1) TW380087B (fr)
WO (1) WO1998005479A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AUPP723198A0 (en) * 1998-11-23 1998-12-17 Wride, Donald Charles Mr Improved razor
GB2408010B (en) 2003-11-17 2007-03-28 Knowledge & Merchandising Inc Shaving product
US9221185B2 (en) 2008-09-10 2015-12-29 The Gillette Company Shaving razors and cartridges
US8726518B2 (en) 2010-03-16 2014-05-20 The Gillette Company Shaving razors and cartridges

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3138865A (en) * 1960-08-13 1964-06-30 Meyer Eugen Safety razor having skin-stretching and guiding means
GB9407896D0 (en) * 1994-04-21 1994-06-15 Gillette Co Safety razors

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69713106T2 (de) 2003-01-16
AR008098A1 (es) 1999-12-09
EP0920369A1 (fr) 1999-06-09
DE69713106D1 (de) 2002-07-11
TW380087B (en) 2000-01-21
GB9616299D0 (en) 1996-09-11
WO1998005479A1 (fr) 1998-02-12
ES2174271T3 (es) 2002-11-01
AU3740497A (en) 1998-02-25
CO4750853A1 (es) 1999-03-31

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