U.S. patent number 3,636,627 [Application Number 04/848,924] was granted by the patent office on 1972-01-25 for razor with oscillating head.
Invention is credited to Victor Tiffin.
United States Patent |
3,636,627 |
Tiffin |
January 25, 1972 |
RAZOR WITH OSCILLATING HEAD
Abstract
A battery-driven vibratory safety razor in which a
battery-driven electric motor in the handle of the razor has a very
short eccentrically weighted shaft, and the structure is such that
the entire assembly may be made by inserting components through the
rear of the handle. A blade carrier and blade support are mounted
in a plug in the front end of the handle by means of a central
threaded post which is on the blade guard and impales a central
hole in the blade carrier. The speed of rotation of the
eccentrically weighted motor shaft and the size of the orbit in
which the razor head moves are coordinated with observed
characteristics of hand motions of shavers to minimize possible
cutting of the face during shaving.
Inventors: |
Tiffin; Victor (South Elgin,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
25304632 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/848,924 |
Filed: |
August 11, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
30/45;
30/DIG.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B26B
21/38 (20130101); Y10S 30/01 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B26B
21/38 (20060101); B26B 21/08 (20060101); B26b
021/38 () |
Field of
Search: |
;30/44,45 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Husar; Francis S.
Assistant Examiner: Smith; Gary L.
Claims
I claim:
1. A vibratory razor comprising, in combination: a hollow one-piece
handle having a rearward portion and a forward portion, said handle
being open at the rear; a removable closure cap engaging said
handle and closing said open rear end; an electric cell snugly
received in said rearward portion; vibratory means comprising an
electric motor driven by said cell snugly received in said forward
portion, said motor having a short shaft which is supported only by
the motor and extends toward the front of the handle, and an
eccentric mass on said shaft immediately adjacent the front of the
motor; switch means to selectively close a circuit between said
cell and said motor; and a head assembly having a blade guard, a
blade carrier and a blade support, said head assembly including
means mounting the blade support on the forward portion of said
handle spaced forwardly of the motor shaft and the eccentric.
2. The combination of claim 1 in which the switch means comprises a
manually operated screw contact in the closure cap.
3. The combination of claim 1 including a bayonet slot connection
between the closure cap and the handle.
4. The combination of claim 1 in which the eccentric mass is driven
around the shaft approximately 3,600 revolutions per minute to move
the head assembly in a circle of oscillation having a diameter of
about ten one-thousandths of an inch.
5. The combination of claim 1 in which the means mounting the head
assembly comprises a plug which makes a friction fit in the front
of the handle.
6. The combination of claim 5 in which the plug is integral with
the blade support and makes a press fit in the front of the
handle.
7. The combination of claim 1 in which the blade support has a rear
end which makes a press fit on the front of the handle and a front
end provided with a central threaded bore, and in which the blade
carrier and blade guard include a threaded post which screws into
said bore.
8. The combination of claim 7 in which the threaded post is on the
blade guard and impales a central hole in the blade carrier.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved vibratory safety razor.
Before the present invention, there have been various proposals for
safety razors which provide vibratory action through use of various
intricate mechanisms that are susceptible to excessive wear and
breakage; and that are expensive to produce. Thus, the intricate
structure of these razors has curtailed their use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principle object of the present invention to provide a new
and useful vibratory razor with a lightweight, simplified structure
consisting of a minimum number of parts, all of which may be
inexpensively fabricated and assembled.
The vibratory razor of this invention includes a hollow one-piece
handle having a rearward portion of a first diameter and a forward
portion of a smaller diameter, with the handle being open at both
ends. A removable closure cap engages the handle and closes the
open rear end. A head assembly is mounted in the open front end of
the handle by means of a frictionally fitted plug; and the head
assembly includes a blade guard, a blade carrier and a blade
support of which the plug is a part. An electric cell is snugly
received in the rearward portion of the handle, and vibratory means
comprising an electric motor driven by the cell and having an
eccentrically weighted shaft is snugly received in the forward
portion of the handle. Switch means for selectively closing a
circuit between the electric cell and the motor consists of a
manually operated screw contact in the closure cap.
Thus, the present invention provides simple and inexpensive means
for mounting the head assembly on the front of the handle.
The switch means is simple, inexpensive and positive; and a bayonet
slot connection for the closure cap also eliminates machining of
the cap and handle.
Simple and inexpensive vibratory means is provided by mounting an
eccentric mass on the motor shaft.
An object of this invention is to drive the head assembly in a
circle of oscillation to provide a comfortable motion of the razor
on the face.
Further objects will become more fully apparent in the following
description of the embodiment of this invention and from the
appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a vibratory razor
made according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view taken substantially
as indicated along line 2--2 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially as
indicated along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially as
indicted along the line 4--4 in FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a one-piece hollow handle 10 is
shown having a rearward portion 10a of a first diameter and a
forward portion 10b of a smaller diameter, an open front end 10c
and an open rear end 10d. A removable cuplike closure cap 12 closes
the open rear end 10d.
An electric cell 14 is snugly received in the rearward portion 10a
of the handle 10, and vibratory means 16 is snugly received in the
forward portion 10b. As shown, a razor head assembly 18 is mounted
in the forward portion of the handle 10.
Continuing now to the closure cap 12, the extreme rear portion of
the handle 10 has a plurality of outwardly struck bosses 20, as
shown in FIG. 2. The closure cap 12 includes a cylindrical sidewall
12a and a bottom 12b; and a set of longitudinal grooves 22 in the
sidewall to receive the bosses 20 of the handle 10. A
circumferentially extending groove 24 on the inner surface of the
sidewall 12a allows twisting motion of the handle 10 to lock the
bosses 20 in the groove 24 and thus positively but removably secure
the closure cap 12 on the handle 10.
The electric cell 14 is held in position by friction between the
outer surface of the cell 14 and the inner surface of the handle
10.
The vibratory means 16 received in the forward portion of the
handle 10 is held in position by friction between the outer surface
of the vibratory means 16 and the inner surface of the handle 10.
The vibratory means 16 comprises an electric motor 26 having a
short shaft 28 which is supported only by the motor and extends
toward the front portion of the handle 10, and an eccentric mass 30
mounted on the shaft 28 close to the front of the motor.
A resilient insulator 32 isolates the body of the electric motor 26
from the electric cell 14 while providing correct spacing to allow
electrical contact between a motor contact 34 and an electric cell
post 36. The other electrical contact for the motor 26 is between
the outer surface of the motor 26 and the inner surface of the
razor handle 10.
Considering now the razor head assembly 18, a conventional blade
guard 38 secures a razor blade 40 on a conventional blade carrier
42. The blade guard 38 and blade carrier 42 are held in position by
a blade support 44 which is mounted in the forward portion of the
handle 10. The blade carrier 42 and blade guard 38 have
conventional interlocking parts, including holes 46 and bosses 48,
which fix a razor blade 40 securely in place.
As illustrated, the blade carrier has a central bore 52 to receive
an integral threaded post 54 on the blade guard 38; and the blade
support 44 has a central threaded bore 56 to receive the threaded
post 54.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the means mounting the head assembly 18
in the open front end 10c of the handle 10 comprises a plug 58
which is integral with the blade support 44 and makes a press fit
with the handle 10, being held in position by friction between the
plug 58 and the handle 10.
In the preferred form, switch means is provided in the bottom of
the closure cap 12. A manually operable threaded screw 60 extends
through a centrally located threaded hole 62 in the bottom of the
closure cap 12 to provide a selective electrical contact between
the bottom of the cell 14 and the closure cap 12. The remaining
portion of the bottom of the cell 14 is insulated from the closure
cap 12 by a resilient insulator 64. Electrical contact between the
closure cap 12 and the handle 10 is made through their connecting
surfaces. Tension between the screw handle 66 and the bottom 12b of
the closure cap 12 is provided by a spring 68. The configuration is
such that electrical contact between the cell 14 and the closure
cap 12 can be opened or closed by manually operating the screw
contact 60, thus opening or closing an electrical circuit between
the cell 14 and the motor 26.
With the electrical circuit closed, the eccentric mass 30 is driven
by the motor 26 and the shaft 28 about the shaft axis causing the
entire razor structure to oscillate in a circular manner. When the
razor head assembly 18 is pressed against the face in shaving, the
circle of oscillation is distorted. In one configuration, the
eccentric mass 30 is driven about the shaft 28 at a rotation of
about 3,600 revolutions per minute to cause the head assembly to
rotate in a circle of oscillation having a diameter of about ten
one-thousandths of an inch. Contact with the face elongates the
circle of oscillation to about twelve one-thousandths in one
direction and correspondingly shortens it in the other
direction.
A study of the rate at which various men move the hand during
shaving with a safety razor and the customary nature of the strokes
taken in such shaving shows that the above-stated speed of rotation
and circle of oscillation provide optimum shaving results for many
men. Further, ten one-thousandths diameter circle of oscillation
appears to be well coordinated with the rate of razor travel and
length of razor stroke used by many men in shaving so as to produce
optimum smoothness in the travel of the razor blade over the
face.
The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of
understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be
understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those
skilled in the art.
* * * * *