Novel Safety Razor

Abstract

A light, plastic safety razor except for the metal blade therein comprising a plastic cover, a guard plate, a metal blade between said guard plate and said cover, a guard edge juxtaposed below the blade edge and joined to said guard plate, a nonstretchable flexible member attached to the bottom surface of the guard plate and extending therefrom along a first plane which is essentially perpendicular to the bottom surface, and a handle extending from said member in a direction lateral of said plane.

Description

This invention is directed to a novel safety razor constructed particularly for use on legs and areas of the body containing low hair density, such as arm, underarms, chest and the like.

Present safety razors advertised for use in shaving a woman's legs represent simple modifications of safety razors constructed for shaving a man's face. The modifications include lighter weight, a slightly longer handle and additional adornments.

However, such construction does not take into account the differences between shaving a man's face and a woman's leg. A man's face hair growth is typically dense, whereas leg hair growth is relatively sparse. In addition, the face contains sharp protrusions and indentations not possessed by legs. These factors require that a safety razor constructed for use on a face should have a rigid handle so that hand pressure can be transferred to the razor blade giving the user greater control over changes in shaving conditions. This allows the blade to cut dense and stiff hair stubbles, such as around the chin and nose. Moreover, the cover over the blade should be thin, exposing minimum edge surface area adjacent the blade edge to allow the blade to make contact with hair under the nose and in indentations, such as at the chin, under and around ears, under the lip and around the throat. A thin cover also improves vision when cutting sideburns.

However, these features are undesirable when it comes to shaving a woman's leg because a stiff handle means that the blade responds only to hand pressure, when the blade contacts small protruding blemishes on leg skin, it slices into the blemish and a cut is created. Moreover, a thin edged cover makes the razor susceptible to tilting back towards the cover which could expose the blade free of the guard leading to greater possibilities for skin cutting or removing the blade edge from contact with the skin. Were the handle made stretch flexible in the manner described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,015,575; 2,053,258 and 2,083,172, then as the head contacts resistance on the leg, it would be thrown forward on the guard. This moves the blade from about the skin surface where effective shaving is effected. A stretchable and flexible soft rubber handle is extremely limp and therefore constantly throws the head forward even in the absence of significant resistance, making shaving uneven and a chore because the same surface must be repeatedly attacked with the razor to obtain a good shave. This same effect is had with razors possessing stretch flexible spring handles when the razor is pulled with the usual long strokes over the relatively smooth leg skin. The pulling action coupled with the hand pressure applied induces the head to be repeatedly thrown forward onto the blade guard.

A common deficiency of all such razors is that the handle is aligned with the head such that when grasped by a hand and used for leg shaving with the usual upward stroke, the hand hides visual inspection of the shaving action of the blade, thus causing irregular shaving. These handles are aligned along a plane which is both perpendicular to the bottom surface of the razor head (i.e., the bottom surface of the guard plate) and the direction of the cutting edge of the blades.

Each of the above disadvantages are avoided by the novel safety razor of this invention which is constructed for smooth shaving of legs and other parts of the body as described above. The safety razor of this invention allows complete visual inspection during shaving. It also contains a floating head that rises and falls in response to protrusions without nicking and cutting the skin yet consistently remains about the skin surface for effective shaving.

The safety razor of this invention is light because all of it but the blade is made of plastic, such as nylon (polyhexamethyleneadipanide, poly-epsilon-caprolactam, etc.), polyethylene, polycarbonate, poly(oxymethylene), block copolymers of acrylonitrile, styrene and 1,3-butadiene, polyvinylchloride, and the like.

In addition to its all plastic construction, except for the blade, the safety razor of this invention comprises a cover with a relatively flat guide edge juxtaposed above the blade edge, a metal razor blade thereunder, and a guard plate under the blade with a guard edge juxtaposed below the blade edge. Attached to the bottom surface of the guard plate, preferably attached at the center of the guard plate's bottom surface is a nonstretchable, flexible elongated member extending from the plate along a first plane which is essentially perpendicular to the bottom surface and the blade's edge. The nonstretchable, flexible elongated member desirably has a length of from about 1/2 inch to 3 inches, preferably from 1/2 inch to 21/2 inches. Extending from the terminus of the member in a direction lateral of said plane and an extension of said member is a handle which is relatively rigid. In the preferred embodiment, the handle is aligned along an axis which traverses said plane and it is in a second plane which is essentially perpendicular to said first plane. Most preferably, the internal angle formed by the axis and the first plane is at least 90.degree. and not greater than about 150.degree..

The safety razor of this invention can be characterized by some distinct features such as an all plastic construction (except the blade), a relatively flat guide edge above the blade which prevents tipping of the head, and maintains a positive blade edge exposure and blade edge angle, a nonstretchable flexible member which joins the handle to the head so that the head floats without tilting on the guard edge or cover, and a handle which is disposed at an angle along a plane which is in a direction essentially parallel to the blade's cutting edge so that the hand does not hide the head during shaving. Because the handle is angularly disposed and coupled with the nonstretchable flexible member, relatively little hand pressure can be transferred to the head, thereby minimizing nicking of the skin with the blade.

In the above description, the term "stretchable" means the ability to stretch and recover at room temperature (25.degree. C.) as does, e.g., an elastic such as rubber, and the term "nostretchable" means the inability to stretch.

In order to further illustrate the novel safety razor of this invention, reference is made to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a razor blade encompassed by this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a razor blade encompassed by this invention;

FIG. 3 is an end view of a razor encompassed by this invention showing a portion of the guard plate, the flexible member and the handle; and

FIG. 4 is an end view of the razor depicted in FIG. 2.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, safety razor A consists of cover 1, guard plate 3, blade 2, flexible member 6 and handle 7. Cover 1 contains relatively flat guide edges 5. Blade 2 is a standard safety razor blade which is held in position under pressure between guard plate 3 and cover 1, and by studs 10 which are molded parts of guard plate 3. Studs 10 hold cover 1 under pressure on blade 2 by heating studs 10 above the plastic's melting point to rivet cover 1 in place. Instead of heat sealing studs 10, each stud 10 can be provided with peripherally flanged ends over which are pressed small concave caps having two internally directed flanges such that the cap's flanges are engaged and locked under the stud's flange. Alternatively, studs 10 can be threaded and wing or other types of nuts can be screwed onto each stud to lock down cover 1. Obviously other methods for holding cover 1 in place through studs 10 may be employed, such as press fitting the stud in holes in cover 1 and/or fixing the studs in place with an adhesive.

Extending from the shaving edge of guard plate 3, as integral parts thereof, are downwardly curled guards 4. Guards 4 may be smooth curved surfaces, smooth flat surfaces, multigrooved combing surfaces or a finely serrated surface. Each guard 4 may have a differently textured surface.

Flexible member 6 extends from the center of the bottom surface of guard plate 3. Preferably, member 6 is a molded part of plate 3. In one embodiment, as depicted in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, member 6 is thin enough that it is capable of about 30.degree. movement in either direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the flexible member 11 contains thin portions 12 which are flexible segments, while the remainder of member 11 may be relatively thick.

Handle 7 may be of any thickness or shape so long as it is canted in a direction sidewards of the blade's cutting edge.

Because of the angular disposition of the handle, it is most conveniently gripped by the user's fingers, particularly at about the fingertips. As a result, it is almost impossible for the user to supply substantial pressure to the razor's head (comprising cover 1, blade 2 and guard plate 3) and the head gently glides over the skin. In addition, since handle 7 is so angularly disposed, the handle is easy to pull while allowing a clear view of the head during shaving. Moreover, the angular disposition of the handle allows the user to control the lay of the razor's head on the skin by simple and slight movements of the grasping fingertips.

The guide edges 5 serve an important function during shaving. The long pulling stroke typically employed in shaving of legs tends to throw the head on the cover as a result of changes in the disposition of the hand during the stroke. However, guide edge 5 prevents the head from rolling onto the top of cover 1 and resists separation of the blade's cutting edge from its cutting station over the skin.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the outermost point of each guide edge 5 and the outside angle receding therefrom forming edge 5 is essentially rectilinearly aligned with the disposition of the angle of the adjacent blade cutting edge. In this embodiment, the blade's cutting tip extends beyond the outermost point of each guide edges 5 and the close proximity of guide edge 5 and its closely aligned surface protects the skin from the blade in case the head is tilted onto the cover during use. In the most preferred embodiment, the corner edge of the cover closest to each cutting tip of blade 2 is essentially over the cutting edge while the guard edges 4 are slightly extending beyond the blades cutting edges or rectilinearly aligned with the cutting edges. In the case of guard plate 3, it may be slightly wider than blade 2 while cover 1 is slightly narrower than the enclosed blade 2, such differences from the blade width being typically not more than about three thirty-seconds of an inch, preferably not more than about one thirty-seconds of an inch.

The advantages of the safety razor of this invention will be apparent from the following discussion:

During shaving, the razor is typically grasped by handle 7 and drawn upwards. Because of the angular arrangement of handle 7, it is most easily grasped by the thumb and two to four fingers. This precludes exertion of excess pressure on the handle which can be translated to increased pressure on the skin by the blade. Since member 6 is made of plastic, desirable possessing a 1 percent tensile modulus of at least 10,000, it does not distort by stretching when the hand pulls the razor. Moreover, fingertip control of handle 7 and the razor allows the user to comfortably and easily roll the handle with the fingers to keep the head properly balanced on the skin during shaving. Since cover 1 possesses flat guide edges 5 juxtaposed above the edges of blade 2, it is difficult to tilt the head off a guide edge 5. This is particularly the case when edge 5 is at least one-eighth inch long from top to bottom, preferably at least one-fourth inch long.

Flexible members 6 and 11 allow the head to float when the guard edge 4 contacts skin protrusions. In the case of member 6, which is flat, its flexibility is dependent upon its thickness at its narrowest dimension (as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4). By controlling such thickness, one can vary the "floating head" action. The same can be said for member 11, which depends upon the dimensions of thin portions 12 for variation in flexibility.

Weight control can be effected by making handles 7 and 14 hollow, i.e., tubular. Cover 1 and plate 3 can be made with perforations or holes using ribbing to support edges 5 and guards 4. By use of these variations, the weight of the razor can be minimized to make it light feeling yet effective is use.

It is significant to note the advantages gained from the use of relatively stiff plastics, i.e., plastics having a 1 percent tensile modulus greater than 10,000. Such stiff plastics have great structural strength, do not readily distort, yet are very flexible when made thin enough.

The plastic razor of this invention can be made by injection molding. The guard plate 3, studs 10, member 6 or 11 and handle 7 or 14 can be molded in one die and cover 1 in another die. Blade 2 can be inserted by machine or hand, and cover 1 can be similarly put in place followed by heat sealing studs 10 to securely lock blade 2 into place or the other embodiments mentioned above for holding cover 1 in place.

It should be noted that razor A can be a single edge safety razor. In this embodiment, plate 3 has only one guard 4 and cover 1 has only one edge 5.

Though this invention has been described with respect to a plurality of embodiments thereof, it should not be limited thereby, nor is it intended to be so limited.

Claims

I claim:

1. A light, plastic safety razor except for the metal blade therein comprising a plastic cover, a guard plate, a metal blade between said guard plate and said cover, a guard edge juxtaposed below the blade edge and joined to said guard plate, a nonstretchable flexible elongated member attached to the bottom surface of the guard plate and extending therefrom along a first plane which is essentially perpendicular to the bottom surface, and a handle extending from said member in a direction lateral of said plane.

2. The safety razor of claim 1 wherein the handle is aligned along an axis which traverses said plane and is in a second plane which is essentially perpendicular to said first plane.

3. The safety razor of claim 2 wherein the internal angle formed by the axis and the first plane which indicates juncture between the handle and the elongated member is at least 90.degree. and not greater than about 150.degree..

4. The safety razor of claim 1 wherein the cover possesses a relatively flat guide edge juxtaposed above the blade edge and which is aligned relative to the blade edge to minimize tipping during use of the safety razor wholly onto said cover.

5. The safety razor of claim 1 wherein said elongated member is flexible and bends in response to pressure applied to the head of said safety razor, which head is characterized as comprising said cover, blade and guard plate.

6. The safety razor of claim 1 wherein the handle, the elongated member and the guard plate is a one-piece, plastic construction.

7. The safety razor of claim 6 wherein the cover is fitted and held on a stud extending from the guard plate's top surface and the metal blade therebetween is held under pressure by said cover and said guard plate.

8. The safety razor of claim 1 wherein the cover, guard plate and guard edge thereat, elongated member and handle are made of a plastic having a 1 percent tensile modulus greater than 10,000, and the elongated member is relatively thin in a dimension thereof relative to the thickness of the handle.

9. The safety razor of claim 4 wherein the relatively flat guide edge is at least 1/8 inch long from top to bottom.

10. The safety razor of claim 8 wherein the flexible elongated member is thin enough so that it is capable of a deflection of 30.degree. in two directions.