U.S. patent number 3,767,083 [Application Number 05/286,693] was granted by the patent office on 1973-10-23 for dispenser for shaving units.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Wilkinson Sword Limited. Invention is credited to Philip E. Webb.
United States Patent |
3,767,083 |
Webb |
October 23, 1973 |
DISPENSER FOR SHAVING UNITS
Abstract
A razor blade dispenser adapted to contain a plurality of razor
blades comprising a housing for the razor blades, an opening in the
housing through which a razor blade can be withdrawn, resilient
means for urging the razor blades in the direction of the opening
and means for preventing the razor blades moving in the opposite
direction.
Inventors: |
Webb; Philip E. (Slough,
EN) |
Assignee: |
Wilkinson Sword Limited
(London, EN)
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Family
ID: |
9783132 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/286,693 |
Filed: |
September 6, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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5861 |
Jan 26, 1970 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Jan 28, 1969 [GB] |
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4,753/69 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
221/279 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B26B
21/24 (20130101); B65D 83/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
83/10 (20060101); B65D 83/08 (20060101); B26B
21/24 (20060101); B26B 21/08 (20060101); B65d
083/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;221/52,56,57,58,59,102,220,221,226,227,228,229,230,231,232,267,268,279,280
;30/40,40.1,40.2,85 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Coleman; Samuel F.
Assistant Examiner: Martin; Larry
Parent Case Text
This invention is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Ser.
No. 5861, filed Jan. 26, 1970, now abandoned.
Claims
I claim:
1. A razor blade dispenser containing a plurality of razor blade
shaving units, each shaving unit consisting of a substantially
rigid member to which a razor blade is secured in a permanent
manner with said rigid member having a forward edge providing a
guard surface located at a pre-set spacing from the cutting edge of
the razor blade and a rear edge for selective engagement by a
handle by which the shaving unit is held during use, said dispenser
comprising
a housing for said shaving units, said housing having a withdrawal
opening located at one end of said housing and extending
transversely across the width of said housing, said shaving units
being positioned in said housing in abutting relationship with said
rear edge of an endmost one of the shaving units exposed in said
withdrawal opening for engagement by a handle, said housing having
serrations on opposed side walls,
a member having a yoke portion, a part at least of said yoke
portion being in contact with that shaving unit furtherest from
said withdrawal opening, said member further having two side arms
each of which is provided with teeth which respectively engage the
serrations on one of said side walls with a ratchet action, whereby
said member is prevented from moving away from said withdrawal
opening, and
resilient means in contact with said yoke portion for urging said
member and said shaving units in the direction of said withdrawal
opening.
Description
This invention relates to dispensers for shaving units.
More particularly the present invention relates to a dispenser for
a plurality of razor blade shaving units and consisting of a
substantially rigid member to which a razor blade is secured in a
permanent manner with the rigid member having a guard surface
located at a pre-set spacing from the cutting edge of the blade.
Shaving units of this general type are illustrated and described in
U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,831 corresponding to British Patent
Specification 1,160,542.
According to the present invention there is provided a razor blade
dispenser adapted to contain a plurality of razor blades comprising
a housing for said razor blades, an opening in said housing through
which a razor blade can be withdrawn, resilient means for urging
said razor blades in the direction of said opening and means for
preventing said razor blades moving in the opposite direction.
The invention also provides a razor blade dispenser adapted to
contain a plurality of razor blades which can be withdrawn
sequentially through an opening in the dispenser, wherein there is
a member in contact with the razor blades which is acted upon by
resilient means to urge the razor blades in the direction of said
opening, said member being movable only in the direction of said
opening and not in the opposite direction.
One construction of dispenser in accordance with the present
invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the dispenser with a single shaving unit
visible in the withdrawal position;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the dispenser;
FIG. 3 is an underneath view of the dispenser with the base section
removed and showing shaving units in position.
In the construction shown in the drawings the dispenser 10 is
basically a rectangular hollow box which at one end has a
withdrawal opening 11 which in the top surface extends for a short
distance back and at the end itself extends downwards to within a
short distance of the base. For convenience, and as shown, the
dispenser may be formed in two parts comprising an upper housing 12
and a base 13, the sides of the base 13 and the upper housing 12
each sloping inwardly from the surface at which they are
joined.
The dispenser is designed to hold a plurality of shaving units 14,
for example five or ten, which in FIG. 3 are indicated
diagrammatically only. In practice the shaving units 14 may take
one of the forms described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No.
3,388,831 and corresponding British Patent Specification No.
1,160,542. The shaving units 14 are arranged in abutting
relationship with the under surface of the shaving unit facing the
dispensing opening 11 and with the rear edge of the shaving unit
upermost. Sufficient of the shaving unit nearest the opening 11 is
exposed in order that, in a similar manner to that shown in FIG. 15
of the aforesaid Patent Specification, this endmost shaving unit
can be engaged between the jaws of a handle and a detent in the
handle engage in an aperture in the under surface of the shaving
unit 14, whereby the shaving unit may be withdrawn from the
dispenser 10 by means of the handle. Whilst reference has been made
to FIG. 15 of the aforesaid Patent Specification it will be
understood that other forms of holder may be employed.
In order that the endmost shaving unit may always be maintained in
the dispensing opening 11 as each shaving unit is withdrawn in
turn, means are provided for urging the stack of shaving units
towards the opening 11. In the present construction this urging
means consists of a slider 15 which abuts the shaving unit 14
furthest from the outlet and has side arms 15a which bear against
the sides 16 of the dispenser. The slider 15 is of a material which
allows it to flex sufficiently for the purpose to be described
hereafter and may be pre-formed so that the side arms 15a are
sprung slightly towards one another when the slider is placed in
position. Each side arm 15a is provided with a tooth 15b for
engaging in one of a number of square cross-section recesses or
serrations 16a provided in the inner surface of the side walls 16
of the dispenser. The face of each tooth 15b which faces towards
the dispensing opening 11 is inclined to the plane in which the
slider 15 lies, the other face being parallel to the plane in which
the slider 15 lies. Because of this the slider can be moved by
resilient means towards the dispensing outlet 11, the inclination
of the forward face of each tooth 15b allowing the tooth to ride
out of the recesses with consequent inward flexing of the side arms
15a. However because the rear face of the teeth 15b are
substantially parallel to the sides of the recesses 16a the slider
15 cannot move backwards away from the dispensing opening 11. Thus,
the teeth 15b co-operate with the recesses or serrations 16a to
provide a ratchet action. Consequently, the slider will prevent any
substantial rearward movement of the stack of shaving units which
might result from rearward pressure applied to the stack of shaving
units 14, when a holder is withdrawing the endmost shaving unit.
When the endmost shaving unit is withdrawn the slider is urged by
the resilient means towards the dispensing opening 11 thereby
moving the stack of shaving units 14 forward until the now-endmost
shaving unit engages the surround of the dispensing opening. It
will be appreciated that the resilient means applying pressure to
the slider 15 may take any convenient form but as illustrated
comprises two coil springs 17, 18 having extended arms with hooked
ends 17a, 17b, and 18a, 18b. One hooked end 17a, 18a of each spring
engages against a respective step 15c provided on the rear face of
the slider 15 whilst the other hooked end 17b, 18b of each spring
engages behind a respective one of two tongues 19, 20 which project
from the rear face of the housing 12. The arms terminating
respectively in hooked ends 18b and 17a are each cranked in order
to bring them to the appropriate level at their hooked end.
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to
dispensers for razor blades of the kind illustrated. To the
contrary, the "ratchet action" of the invention can be used with
dispensers for conventional razor blades in which the blades are
ejected by thumb pressure.
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