Holders For Razor Blades

Abstract

A holder for a razor blade of the kind which is secured in a permanent manner to a substantially rigid member, has a seat for receiving the rigid member, a fixed projection or recess on the seat, and clamping means for securing the rigid member on the seat with the fixed projection or recess in engagement with a recess or projection on the rigid member, release of the razor blade from the holder being effected by application of pressure to the rigid member which causes a reaction between the rigid member and the fixed projection or recess to disengage the latter from the recess or projection in the rigid member.

Description

This invention relates to shaving devices and more particularly to holders for razor blades which are secured in a permanent manner to a substantially rigid member. The rigid member preferably provides a guard surface located at a preset spacing from the cutting edge of the blade.

According to the present invention there is provided a holder for a razor blade which is secured in a permanent manner to a substantially rigid member, wherein said holder has a seat for receiving said rigid member, a fixed projection or recess on said seat, and clamping means for securing said rigid member on said seat with said fixed projection or recess in engagement with a recess or projection on said rigid member, release of said razor blade from said holder being effected by application of pressure to said rigid member which causes a reaction between said rigid member and said fixed projection or recess to disengage the latter from the recess or projection in said rigid member.

The invention also provides a holder for a razor blade which is secured in a permanent manner to a substantially rigid member, wherein said holder has a seat for receiving said rigid member, a fixed projection or recess on said seat, clamping means for securing each end of said rigid member in engagement with said seat, and ejecting means for applying pressure to said rigid member to cause separation between said fixed projection or recess and the recess or projection in said rigid member thereby freeing said razor blade for ejection from said holder by the applied pressure.

One construction of holder for razor blades 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 side view of this construction of holder with a razor blade in shaving position,

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the holder with a razor blade in shaving position,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the holder without a razor blade present,

FIG. 4 is a view of the upper part of the holder, without a razor blade present,

FIG. 5 is a mid-sectional side view of the upper part of the holder with a razor blade in shaving position.

Referring now to the drawings, these show a razor blade 11 secured in a permanent manner to a substantially rigid member 10, a guard surface 10a being located at a preset spacing from the cutting edge 11a of the blade 11. In use, and as illustrated, the rigid member 10 is located in a holder 12, made for example of plastic, on a seat 13 between end claws 14,14 which each embrace one end of the rigid member 10. The latter is held in position by engagement with a fixed detent or projection 13a upstanding from the seat 13, the detent 13a engaging in an aperture 10b in the underside of the rigid member 10.

Between the end claws 14 there is located an ejecting member 15 which is held in position by a rivet 16. The relative size of the stem 16a of the rivet 16 and the hole 12a in which it fits is such that the ejecting member 15 can pivot to a limited extent relative to the seat 13.

To eject the razor blade, the user applies pressure, conveniently by the thumb, to the rear of the ejecting member 15 to transmit pressure to the rear of the rigid member 10 where it is engaged by end ribs 15a on the ejecting member 15. The resultant reaction between the detent 13a and the surface of the aperture 10b in the rigid member 10 is such that the shaving unit 10 bows longitudinally with the mid-portion of the rigid member 10 lifting from the seat 13 so that the detent 13a no longer lies within the aperture 10b. The rigid member 10 carrying the blade 11 is thus free from the holder 12 and is ejected from the holder positively and rapidly due to the pressure applied by the user to the ejecting member.

It will be appreciated that the expression "substantially rigid" is used to emphasize that the member 10 must be sufficiently flexible to enable it to bow longitudinally when being ejected.

Prior to use, razor blades of the kind described above are normally stored in a container with the rear edge of the rigid member accessible. To pick up a new razor blade from the container the opening between the seat 13 on the one hand and the undersurface of the claws 14 and ejecting member 15 on the other hand, is presented to the rear edge of the rigid member. The claws 14 first embracing the respective ends of the rear edge of the rigid member 10 thereafter bows longitudinally, due to the mid-portion of the rigid member 10 passing over the detent 13a, whereby the detent 13a can enter the aperture 10b to secure the rigid member in position in the holder 12.

Although the holder has been shown with a projection on the seat 13 (namely the detent 13a) and a recess in the rigid member 10 (namely the aperture 10b) it will be readily apparent that, as an alternative, the recess could be in the seat 13 and the projection on the underside of the rigid member 10.

Claims

I claim:

1. A holder for a razor blade secured in a permanent manner to a substantially rigid member having a a surface with a fixed discontinuity therein which comprises a seat for receiving said rigid member and having a discontinuity therein complementary to the discontinuity of the surface of said rigid member, the surface of said rigid member, when said rigid member is placed in position, abutting the discontinuity of said seat, clamping means unitary with said holder for securing each end of said rigid member on said seat with said seat discontinuity in engagement with the discontinuity in said surface of the rigid member, and ejecting means for applying pressure to said rigid member to cause a reaction between the discontinuity in said surface of the rigid member and said seat discontinuity, the application of pressure lifting a portion of said surface of the rigid member between each end from said seat to disengage the seat discontinuity from the discontinuity in said surface of the rigid member thereby to free said rigid member so that the continued application of pressure to said rigid member positively ejects said razor blade from said holder.

2. A holder for a razor blade secured in a permanent manner to a substantially rigid member having a surface with a recess therein, which comprises a seat for receiving said rigid member and having a fixed projection shaped complementary to the recess in the surface of the rigid member to accommodate the recess in the surface of the rigid member, clamping means unitary with said holder for securing each end of said rigid member in engagement with said seat, and ejecting means for applying pressure to said rigid member to cause a reaction between said fixed projection and the recess in said rigid member to lift a portion of said surface of the rigid member between each end of said rigid member from said seat to disengage said recess from said projection thereby freeing said razor blade for ejection from said holder by the applied pressure.

3. A holder according to claim 2, wherein said ejecting means comprises a pivotable thumb-operable member located between said clamping means and adapted to engage said rigid member intermediate the ends thereof.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a substantially rigid member having a surface with a discontinuity therein, a razor blade secured in a permanent manner to said rigid member and a holder including a seat for receiving said rigid member and having a fixed discontinuity therein shaped complementary to, and engaging, the discontinuity of the surface of said rigid member, clamping means unitary with said holder for securing each end of said rigid member on said seat with said seat discontinuity in engagement with the discontinuity in said surface of the rigid member, and ejecting means for applying pressure to said rigid member to cause a reaction between the discontinuity in said surface of the rigid member and said seat discontinuity, the application of pressure lifting a portion of said surface of the rigid member between each end from said seat to disengage the seat discontinuity from the discontinuity in said surface of the rigid member thereby to free said rigid member so that the continued application of pressure to said rigid member positively ejects said razor blade from said holder.