US3667121A

US3667121A - Safety razor

Info

Publication number: US3667121A
Application number: US53880A
Authority: US
Inventors: Francis W Dorion Jr; Warren I Nissen; Roger L Perry
Original assignee: Gillette Co LLC
Current assignee: Gillette Co LLC
Priority date: 1970-07-10
Filing date: 1970-07-10
Publication date: 1972-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1989-06-06
Also published as: GB1306631A; CA934953A

Abstract

A safety razor including a head portion having a cap member mounted thereon and adapted to pivot upon one end of the razor head, the cap being held and released by a hook latch means disposed in the razor head. The razor further includes a handle portion in which are mounted means for adjusting the exposure of the cutting edge of a razor blade retained by the head portion.

Description

United States Patent Dorion, Jr. et a].

[ 1 June 6, 1972 [54] SAFETY RAZOR [72] Inventors: Francis W. Dorion, Jr., l-lingham; Warren 1. Nissen, Topsfield; Roger L. Perry, Lynnefield Center, all of Mass.

[73] Assignee: The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass.

[22] Filed: July 10, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 53,880

[52] US. Cl ..30/60 [51] Int. Cl B26b 21/32 [58] Field of Search ..30/59, 60, 61, 77, 8l-83, 30/67 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,612,685 10/1952 Tully ..30/60 2,395,272 2/ 1 946 Hellmann ..30/60 Primary ExaminerAndrew R. J uhasz Assistant ExaminerGary L. Smith Attorney-Philip Colman, Oistein J. Bratlie, William M. Anderson and Scott R. Foster [57] ABSTRACT A safety razor including a head portion having a cap member mounted thereon and adapted to pivot upon one end of the razor head, the cap being held and released by a hook latch means disposed in the razor head. The razor further includes a handle portion in which are mounted means for adjusting the exposure of the cutting edge of a razor blade retained by the head portion.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEnJuu 6 I972 3. 667. 12 1 sum 1oF 2 IN VENTORS Francis W Dar/0n, Jr.

Warren Nissen Roger L. Perry By w/a' Attorney PAfENTEDJUH 6 m2 SHEET 2 or 2 llllllllllllllll IN VE N TORS mm W. Dorion,Jn

War reri'I. Nissen Ror L. Perry By gi Attorney 1 SAFETY RAZOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to safety razors and is directed more particularly to a safety razor having a cap member arranged for pivotal movement upon one end of the razor head and having means for adjusting the exposure of razor cutting edges.

Description of the Prior Art Several razors well known in the art utilize a razor head having cap portions which are mounted for pivotal movement upon either side of the razor head. Generally, two cap portions are mounted on the razor head and open and close in a clam shell manner, responsive to rotation of anut member by an operator. Several turns of the nut are usually required in order to move the cap portions from a fully closed position to a fully opened position, as to replace a razor blade, and several turns again required to fully close the cap portions upon the razor blade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a razor head having cap portion means mounted thereon and adapted to be opened and closed by a single quick motion, as opposed to several turns of an opening and closing nut means.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such razor with means for adjusting the exposure'of the razor blade edges relative to the razor.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the present invention is a provision of a razor head comprising a frame, a cap portion pivotally mounted upon one end of the frame, hook latch means disposed in the frame for releasably retaining the cap portion in a position overlying the frame, and actuator means attached to the frame and engageable with the hook latch means for disengaging the hook latch means from the cap portion.

A further feature of the invention is the provision in the handle portion of the razor of means for adjusting the exposure of the razor cutting edges relative to the razor.

The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular device embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which its novel features and advantages will be apparent.

FIG. I is a perspective view, showing one form ofrazor illustrative of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, in section, of the razor;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a portion of the razor;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view, in section, of a portion of the razor;

FIG. 5 is a perspective cut away view; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective cut away view, similar to FIG. 5, but showing parts in different operating positions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 14, it will be seen that the illustrative invention comprises a frame 2 supporting a pivot pin 4 on which is mounted a cap portion 6. The cap portion 6 is provided with a catch piece 8 engageable with a hook latch assembly 10 disposed in a cavity 12 in the frame 2. When the cap portion 6 is in the closed position, it overlies the frame 2, as shown in FIG. 2, and the catch piece 8 is engaged with the hook latch assembly 10 to lock the catch piece in the closed position.

The hook latch assembly 10 includes a hook member 14 having a pivot pin 16, the ends of which are mounted for free movement in opposed grooves 18. A spring means 20 is disposed in the cavity 12 and biases the hook pivot pin 16 downwardly, as viewed in the drawings. The hook member 14 includes a hook cam surface 22 which is engageable with the catch piece 8 and operates to cause the hook member 14 to pivot into locking engagement with the catch piece 8.

The frame member 2 includes an opening 24 which receives a pivotally mounted actuator 26 having concave surface 28 which engages a lever portion 30 of the hook member 14, whereby movement of the actuator by an operator, as from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 4, causes movement of the hook member upon the pivot pin 16.

Still referring to FIGS. 1-4, there will now be described the operation of the device, starting with the cap portion 6 in the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. While the cap 6 is in the open position a blade 36 may be placed on the frame 2 and the cap member 6 closed upon the blade, as by operator finger pressure. Such movement of the cap member 6 causes the lower surface of the catch member 8 to contact the hook cam surface 22 and rotate the hook member 14 upon the pivot pin 16 to cause the hook member to engage the catch piece and thereby retain the cap portion. As the free end of the catch piece causes the hook to rotate upon its pivot pin 16, which is located in the guide grooves 18 of the razor head, the lever portion 30 in the base of the hook member causes the actuator 26 to rotate clockwise, as viewed in the drawings, to extend outwardly through the opening 24 in the frame 2. As the hook member 14 rotates, its pivot pin 16 moves downwardly in the guide grooves 18, biased by the spring means 20. Such downward movement of the hook member 14 pulls the cap member 6 snugly closed under the force of the spring means (FIGS. 1 and 2).

When it is desired to open the razor head, the actuator 26 is pushed inwardly of the razor head, as by operator finger pressure, and operates to move the hook member 14 upwardly and to rotate the hook member so as to terminate the locking engagement of the hook member with the catch piece 8, and causing the hook pin surface 22 to contact the catch piece 8 and exercise an upwardly pushing force upon the catch piece, whereby to cause the catch piece to be rapidly ejected from the hook latch assembly (FIGS. 3 and 4).

Referring to FIGS. 2, S, and 6, there will now be described the blade exposure adjustment feature of the razor. It will be seen that a handle portion 40 of the razor is hollow and is closed at one end by a rotatable plug 42, which receives an internally threaded sleeve 44. Threaded into the sleeve 44 is one end of a rod 46 the other end of the rod 46 having fixed thereto a bifurcated link 48 connected to a guard member 50 which is disposed beneath the blade 36, as viewed in FIG. 5.

In operation, the exposure of the blade 36 from that shown in FIG. 5 to that shown in FIG. 6 is accomplished by manual rotation of the plug 42 which in turn causes rotation of the sleeve 44. The sleeve 44 is provided with vertical lanes and grooves 52 which engage similar lanes and grooves in the inner surface of the plug 42. Accordingly, the sleeve 44 rotates with the plug 42. A washer 54 prevents axial movement of the sleeve 44 so that rotation of the sleeve causes axial movement of the rod 46, like movement of the link 48, and consequently like movement of the guard 50. Thus, rotation of the plug 42 operates to increase or decrease exposure of the blade 36 relative to the guard 50.

The two arms of the bifurcated link 48 are provided with slots 56 (FIGS. 5 and 6) which facilitate movement of the pivot pin 16 therein.

It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limited to the particular construction herein disclosed and/or shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the disclosure.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

for moving said hook means out of engagement with said catch means, and adjustment means disposed in said handle portion, said adjustment means comprising a rotatable plug, a rod threadedly connected to said plug and axially movable responsive to rotation of said plug, and a bifurcated link means interconnecting said rod and said guard means whereby rotative movement of said plug operates to move said guard means in directions axial of said handle portion, said hook means being disposed between arm portions of said bifurcated link means.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said hook means is mounted for pivotal and linear movement in said head portion.

3. The invention according to claim 2 including spring means disposed in said head portion to bias said hook means linearly in a direction toward said handle portion.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said arm portions are provided with elongated slots in which is disposed a pivot pin on which is mounted said hook means.

Claims

1. A razor comprising a handle portion, a head portion fixed to said handle portion, a cap portion pivotally connected to said head portion and movable between open and closed positions, guard means substantially underlying and proximate to said cap portion when said cap portion is in said closed position, catch means fixed to said cap portion, hook means disposed in said head portion for engaging said catch means to secure said cap portion in said closed position, actuator means for moving said hook means out of engagement with said catch means, and adjustment means disposed in said handle portion, said adjustment means comprising a rotatable plug, a rod threadedly connected to said plug and axially movable responsive to rotation of said plug, and a bifurcated link means interconnecting said rod and said guard means whereby rotative movement of said plug operates to move said guard means in directions axial of said handle portion, said hook means being disposed between arm portions of said bifurcated link means.