WO2007039737A1

WO2007039737A1 - Razor

Info

Publication number: WO2007039737A1
Application number: PCT/GB2006/003690
Authority: WO
Inventors: George Spitaliotis
Original assignee: George Spitaliotis
Priority date: 2005-10-04
Filing date: 2006-10-04
Publication date: 2007-04-12
Also published as: GB2430905A; GB0520186D0

Abstract

The present invention provides a razor, a first cutting means (7) and a second cutting means (9) spaced apart from the first cutting means. The first and second cutting means (7, 9) are mounted on a substrate which has hinge means connecting the first cutting means to the second cutting means, whereby the first and second cutting means can hinge relative to each other to both engage with a part of the body with the cutting means shaving the human body part when the first and second cutting means are moved by the substrate. The substrate comprises a first handle portion (5a) hingedly connected to a second handle portion (5b), the first handle portion connected to the first cutting means and the second handle portion connected to the second cutting means.

Description

RAZOR

The present invention relates to a razor for shaving a part of a human body. In particular it relates to a razor for shaving the scalp.

Men who are partially or substantially bald may wish to shave their scalp to remove unwanted hair. Shaving the scalp with a known razor may be difficult and/or time consuming.

The present invention provides a razor according to claim 1.

This has the advantage that the two razor blade sets can simultaneously engage the scalp, and so shave the scalp more quickly and more easily.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a razor according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a rear perspective view of the razor of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a front perspective view of the razor of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the razor of the present invention in use,- Figure 5 shows a front elevation view of a second embodiment of the razor of the present invention; Figure 6 shows a rear elevation view of the second embodiment of the razor of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a side elevation view of a first variant of the razor of figures 5 and 6; Figure 8 is a further side elevation view of a second variant of the razor of figures 5 and 6;

Figure 9 is a side elevation view of a third variant of the razor of figures 5 and 6;

Figure 10 is a rear elevation view of a razor of figures 5 and 6;

Figure 11 is a front elevation view of a handle of a razor of the present invention;

Figure 12 is a side elevation view of the handle of figure 11.

Figure 1 shows a razor 1 comprising a handle 3 connected to first razor blade set 7 and a second razor blade set 9. The handle 3 is approximately "credit card" sized, and is illustrated in Figure 11. The handle is approximately 85mm wide and 50mm high. As shown in Figure 12, the handle 3 is of uniform cross-section and is approximately lmm thick. The handle 3 has a front surface 17 and a rear surface 19.

The handle 3 is formed of a single piece of flexible material. The handle 3 is divided into two handle portions 5a, 5b by a slot 11. The two handle portions 5a, 5b are hingedly attached to each other by a hinge which is an integral part of the handle. The hinge is defined by the slot 11 in the credit card sized handle. The slot 11 extends along substantially the whole height of handle 3. The slot 11 allows handle portions 5a, 5b to hinge relative to each other about the slot 11.

Each razor blade set 7, 9 preferably comprises three elongate cutting edges 13, 14, 15 facing the front surface 17 of the razor. Each cutting edge 13, 14, 15 is provided on a separate blade. The provision of three cutting edges 13, 14, 15 increases the reliability of fully shaving an area with one movement of the shaver 1. Each razor blade set 7, 9 is substantially rigid. The handle 3 does not extend behind the blade sets 7,9, so that the area behind the blade sets is clear. This allows cut hairs to easily pass between the cutting edges 13,14,15 and exit towards the rear surface 19 of the razor 1. The clear area also allows the blade sets 7,9 to be easily cleaned.

The razor blade sets 7, 9 are attached to the handle 3 along a length of the handle. The razor blade sets 7, 8 are located side-by-side, so that they are operable to simultaneously shave adjacent areas of the body part. The razor blade sets 7,9 are hingedly connected by a hinge, the hinge comprising a flexible part.

Guards 21,23 are preferably provided adjacent to the cutting surfaces 13,14,15. The guards 21,23 prevent the cutting surfaces 13,14,15 from cutting into skin of the body part, whilst allowing hairs to be cut.

The blade sets 7, 9 are preferably releasably attached to the handle 3, in order that the blade sets 7,9 can be replaced if they become blunt. The shaver 1 comprises blade set securing means (not shown) for securing the blade sets 7, 9 to the handle portion 3. The blade set securing means attaches to the blade set at the side edges and bottom edge of the blade set 7, 9, such that the area behind the blade sets 7, 9 is clear.

Figure 5 shows a thumb marker 25 provided in the centre of the front surface 17 of the handle portion 3. The thumb marker 25 may be a visual or textural indicator of a recommended positioning of the thumb of a user when gripping the razor.

Figures 5, 6 and 10 show a second embodiment of the present invention in which a second slot 29 is provided between the blade sets 7, 9. The second slot 29 extends parallel to the slot 11, and allows the blade sets 7,9 to flex more readily relative to each other.

Figures 6 and 10 show a finger stop 31 fixedly attached to the rear surface 19 of the razor 1 in order to function as a limit for the fingers of a user. The stop 31 prevents fingers of a user from accidentally sliding over the blade sets 7,9. The stop 31 is preferably formed of rubber, arid may be grooved to reduce slipping of fingers on the grip.

A grill 33 may be provided over the rear of the blade sets 7,9. The grill 33 comprises a grid of wires protecting the blade sets 7,9. The grill 9 allows the blade sets 7,9 to be easily cleaned.

Figure 7 shows the razor 1 may comprise a protective cover 35 located over the blade sets 7, 9. The cover 35 is positioned over the front surface 17 and protects against accidental cutting by the blade sets 7, 9. The cover 35 is removably attached to the razor 1. As illustrated in Figure 8, the cover 35 may be moved to a position on the rear surface 35. On the rear surface 19, the cover 35 may function as a stop for the fingers of a user.

. Figure 9 shows a razor 1 provided with a removable protective cover 35, and a stop 31 permanently attached to the handle 3.

In use, the razor 1 is held by the handle portion 3 by a user. The user preferably places their thumb on the thumb marker 25 in the centre of the front surface 17 of the handle portion 3. The three fingers adjacent to the thumb are preferably placed on the rear surface 19 of the handle portion 3 as shown in Figure 4. By gripping the razor 1 in this manner, the razor 1 easily folds about the slot 11 (and slot 29 if present) , such that the handle portions 5a, 5b are brought closer together. The blade sets 7, 9 are therefore also brought into closer proximity and define an obtuse angle θ, as shown in Figure 3.

The user preferably applies shaving foam or other shaving lubricant to the body part to be shaved.

The user brings the blade sets 7, 9 into contact with the body part, and applies gentle pressure with the blade sets 7, 9 against skin of the body part. The relative orientation of the blade sets 7, 9 is adjusted to conform with the curvature of the body part. The user then pulls the razor 1, leading with the handle portion 3, over the body part being shaved. The blade sets 7, 9 are pressed into contact with the body part and cut hairs which they pass over. The cut hairs and excess shaving foam pass between the blade sets 13, 14, 15 and exit from the rear side of the razor 1.

The blade sets 7, 9 have been described above as being replaceable. Alternatively, the blade sets 7, 9 could be permanently attached to the handle portion 3.

The slot 11 has been described above as extending over the majority of the height of the handle 3. Alternatively, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the slot 11 may extend only over part of the handle. Furthermore, two aligned slots may extend towards each other from the front and rear edges . In a further embodiment, the handle 3 is provided with a groove in place of the slot, which allows the handle to fold. The handle may alternatively not have a groove or slot, or may comprise a more flexible material in place of the slot or groove allowing the handle to readily hinge.

The hinge has been described as a flexible material. The hinge material may be resiliently deformable, such that the razor returns to a laminar form when not in use . The hinge may alternatively be a pivot about which the first and second blade sets are rotatable.

The handle 3 may be formed of a plastics material or rubber. The blade sets 7,9 are preferably formed of metal, or may be formed of a plastics material .

Whilst in the drawings and as described above the blade sets are clearly distinct from each other and are set separately in the handle. However, the blade sets could be two parts of a blade unit attached as a single unit to the handle, the blades in the unit being split in two to allow one half of the blade unit to hinge relative to the other.

Claims

1. A razor for shaving a part of a human body; comprising: a first cutting means; and a second cutting means spaced apart from the first cutting means ; wherein the first and second cutting means are mounted on a substrate which has hinge means connecting the first cutting means to the second cutting means; whereby the first and second cutting means can hinge relative to each other to both engage with a part of the body with the cutting means shaving the human body part when the first and second cutting means are moved by the substrate.

2. A razor according to claim 1 wherein the hinge means is formed by a flexible part of the substrate.

3. A razor according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises a first handle portion hingedly connected to a second handle portion, the first handle portion connected to the first cutting means and the second handle portion connected to the second cutting means .

4. A razor according to claim 3 wherein a slot is located between the first handle portion and second handle portion.

5. A razor according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first and second cutting means each comprise at least one elongate cutting edge, the first and second cutting means hinge about an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the cutting edge.

6. A razor according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first and second cutting means each comprise three discrete cutting edges .

7. A razor according to claim 5 wherein the three cutting edges define a cutting plane, the first and second cutting means hinge about an axis substantially in the cutting plane and perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the cutting edges .

8. A razor according to any one of the preceding claims the hinge means further comprises a slot extending between the first and second cutting means and allowing the cutting means to readily hinge relative to each other.

9. A razor according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a thumb marker providing a visual or textural indication of a recommended position for a thumb of a user.

10. A razor according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a cover removably attachable over the first and second cutting means.

11. A razor according to claim 10 wherein the cover is locatable adjacent the handle portions to function as a grip.

12. A razor according to any one of the preceding claims the cutting means are operable when the razor is drawn across the part of the body with the handle portions acting as a leading part of the razor .

13. A razor according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first and second cutting means are removably connected to the handle .