Spacer for razor blade for creating and maintaining a stubble shave appearance

Abstract

A razor blade assembly that is capable of creating a stubble-like appearance via a manual, low-cost razor. The assembly includes a spacer that maintains a gap or clearance between a blade edge and a surface to be shaved. This gap or clearance facilitates an effect of a shadow- or stubble-like appearance upon the surface.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising; a spacer positioned over a head of a razor, wherein the head comprises at least one blade and the spacer creates a gap between a sharpened edge of the at least one blade and a surface to be shaved, wherein the spacer, in an upright position, comprises, a top wall of the spacer having a top wall surface that engages the surface to be shaved; a front wall of the spacer having a front wall top surface that engages the surface to be shaved; a plurality of tapered-depth ribs; a first side wall that traverses between the top wall and the front wall; and a second side wall that traverses between the top wall and the front wall opposite the first side wall, wherein the top wall, the front wall and at least a portion of the plurality of tapered-depth ribs defines a single surface; wherein the plurality of tapered-depth ribs are positioned between the first side wall and the second side wall traverse between the top wall and the front wall, and wherein the plurality of tapered-depth ribs vary in thickness throughout a portion of at least one of the ribs between the front wall and the at least one blade to create the gap between the sharpened edge of the at least one blade and the surface to be shaved.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer is formed into the head of the razor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer is removably mounted onto the head of the razor, wherein an attachment between the spacer and the head is a removable attachment.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gap is of a range of 0.45 mm to 1.25 mm in thickness.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of tapered-depth ribs maintain the gap of the sharpened edge of the at least one blade from an associated surface to be shaved.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a subset of the plurality of tapered depth ribs are inclined between the top wall and the front wall.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first side wall comprises a first resilient clip and the second side wall comprises a second resilient clip, wherein the first resilient clip and second resilient clip secure the spacer to the head.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the thickness of the plurality of ribs have a thickness in a range of 0.45 mm to 1.25 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates a view with a close shave, a stubble shave, and a beard.

(2) FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a razor blade and handle assembly and a cap in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure;

(3) FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a carrying case and razor blade and cap in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure;

(4) FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a handle, blades and caps in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure

(5) FIG. 5 is an upright perspective view of a blade cap positioned over a blade cutting edge in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure;

(6) FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5A of FIG. 5;

(7) FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the blade cap of FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the cap of FIG. 5;

(9) FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of the cap of FIG. 5;

(10) FIG. 9 is side elevational view of the cap of FIG. 5;

(11) FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the cap of FIG. 5;

(12) FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the cap of FIG. 5;

(13) FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a cap with angled ribs at a 45 degree angle in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure;

(14) FIG. 13 is a top plan view of a cap with angled ribs at a 60 degree angle in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure;

(15) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a cap installed on a razor blade in a storage position in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure;

(16) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the cap installed on a razor blade in an in-use position in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

(17) With reference now to FIGS. 2-11, a preferred embodiment of a razor blade and cap is shown and described. The Figures illustrate a preferred embodiment of the disclosure only is not limited to the embodiments of the Figures.

(18) Referring to FIG. 2, a disposable razor blade assembly A includes a handle 10 and a head 12 which receives blades 14. The blade head is preferably snapped into and locks into the upper end of the handle and tabs 16 or other locking mechanisms may be snapped or moved to disengaging the blade head from the handle.

(19) The handle 10 may be rectangular or cylinder in conformation and may taper from a narrow end 18 adjacent the blade head to a wider end 20 for gripping comfort. For example, the length L of the handle can be 134 mm and length L2 of the wide end 20 may be 22 mm. The blade head itself can be about 0.40 mm long (L3). One embodiment of a spacer or cap 30 preferably has a length L4 of about 0.45 mm.

(20) Referring now to FIG. 3, a carrying case 31 such as with a clam-shell style housing 33 and a cover 35 is shown which can for example conveniently house the razor blade handle 10, three blades 14, and three or four spacers such as shims or caps 30.

(21) FIG. 4 illustrates the handle 10 which may have ridges or knurls 11 forming an improved ergonomic design for easy gripping, the blades 14, and three caps or spacers 30, 32, 34.

(22) The caps can be the same gauges or different gauges. Gauge refers to the thickness of the desired shave, e.g., a 0.45 mm gauge refers to a 0.45 mm thickness beard. As an example, cap 30 has gauge of 0.45 mm, cap 32 has a gauge of 0.85 mm, while cap 34 has a gauge of 1.25 mm. These gauge caps would be used to achieve a stubble shave. Of course, many other gauges are contemplated by the disclosure. The 0.45 mm gauge cap preferably results in a 0.45 mm thick stubble beard since it spaces and positions the blades approximately 0.45 mm from the skin, the 0.85 mm gauge cap provides approximately a 0.85 mm thick stubble beard, while a 1.25 mm gauge cap provides approximately a 1.25 mm thick stubble beard. The caps can be made of any suitable material, such as plastic or metal but slightly flexible plastic is preferred. The caps made from molds, extrusions or any suitable manufacturing method.

(23) Referring now to FIGS. 5-11 the details of the cap 30 are shown and explained in detailed. The cap 30 shown is a 0.45 mm gauge cap used for maintaining a stubble shave. The cap has two opposed side walls 36, 38 which are parallel to each other, a first or back wall 40 and a second or front wall 42 which can be perpendicular to side walls 36, 38.

(24) Side walls 36 and 38 are preferably tapered or angled resulting in the top wall being positioned at an angle with respect to the bottom wall. A series of cavities 45 are formed between walls 36, 38, 40, 42. A first extension or top wall 44 extends from an upper end 46 of wall 40 and between side walls 36, 38, while a second extension or bottom wall 48 extends from bottom wall 42 and between side walls 36, 38. The walls 44, 48 add rigidity may aid in mounting the cap to the blade head.

(25) Wall 48 serves as a facial hair receiving or entry surface. Referring to FIG. 5A, surface 51 of wall 48 is spaced or positioned below surface 53 of wall 44 by dimension B and below an upper edge 55 of a cutting blade 14 by dimension C. This allows the hair to be cut to not bend over or get crimped and to engaged by the cutting edges 55 of blades 14. The ribs or facial hair guards 50 engages the skin or face of the user and serves to space the surface to be shaved from the blade cutting edge to result in a specific hair length (referred to as the gauge thickness). The shaving direction is shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A. The rear or back wall 44 can serve as a stop surface for preventing further cutting and also can facilitate removal of the cut hair from the face of the user when the cut hair contacts the wall 44.

(26) Several ribs or facial hair guides 50 extend between and connect wall 44 and wall 48 together. The ribs may be chamfered and tapered or angled between walls 44 and 48. Nine ribs are shown, but other numbers are contemplated by the disclosure. The ribs preferably form a grid and due to the thickness of the ribs serve to space the cutting edge of the blade from the user's skin. This is what achieves the stubble shave. Thus, the thicker the ribs, the thicker (i.e., the higher gauge) the shave (i.e., the hair is longer). The thinner (i.e., the smaller gauge) the ribs, the closer the shave. In this example, the ribs have a thickness T of about 0.45 mm to form a 0.45 mm thick beard which is referred to as stubble or a stubble shave.

(27) The ribs 50 of the cap thus are able to create and maintain a certain thickness of shave, commonly referred to as a stubble shave. The optimum thickness for a stubble shave appearance is in the range of 0.45 mm to 1.25 mm in thickness. Thus, the various thickness T of the ribs can be about 0.45 mm, 0.85 mm, 1.25 mm. Other thicknesses are contemplated by the disclosure. In other aspects, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 as-filed, embodiments of the innovation can employ a varying or variable thickness along a portion of the rib 50 between the blade 14 and the front wall 42 (see, callout D as shown in FIGS. 5, 5A, and 6). In other words, in these aspects, the thickness of the rib 50 can vary along the length D as illustrated. As shown, length D identifies a portion of the rib(s) 50 between the blade 14 and the front wall 42.

(28) The caps 30, 32, 34 have a gauge thickness ranging from about 0.45 mm to about 1.25 mm to create a stubble shave. The caps can have various size grids and various numbers of ribs and may be configured to fit various blades such as two, three, four, five or six blades. FIGS. 7-11 show various views of the structure of the cap 30.

(29) Two resiliently biased clips 52, 54 are formed on and protrude from opposite side walls 36, 38 for attaching the cap onto a blade by snapping or clicking the cap onto the sides of the blade head. The clips are slightly flexed outwardly and snap into place to retain the clip onto the blade itself. As an alternative, the cap can be formed as part of the head itself to provide a complete integral and disposable unit.

(30) By placing the cap 30 directly on the blade head 12 directly above the blades 14 (see FIG. 15), various thicknesses of shave can be easily obtained. Thus, there is no longer a need to grow a beard for one to three days and then shave it off and repeating the process to maintain the stubble look. The cap of the preferred embodiment allows the user to easily and uniformly and consistently create and maintain the stubble look with either a manual, disposable razor or an electric trimmer.

(31) Referring to FIG. 12, in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, the ribs 60 may be angled at 45 degrees with respect to walls 40, 42. Referring to FIG. 13, the ribs 62 may be angled at 60 degrees with respect to walls 40, 42. By angling the ribs, a smoother shave may occur and possible bald spots can be minimized on the user's face.

(32) The caps can also be adjustable and can be hinged or rotatably connected to the blade such that the cap can be rotated into position over the blade when the stubble shave is desired and then be rotated away from the blade so the blade can perform a close shave on the other areas of the user's face.

(33) Referring to FIG. 14, the cap 30 may be snapped or removably secured to the rear of the blade head in a storage position.

(34) The cap can also be provided directly on the blade head or can be formed as part of the blade head for a particular gauge beard thickness as a complete, disposable unit including the blade head and handle. The cap also can be removable and reusable.

(35) The cap can be provided separately, as a disposable, and with a variety of item commercially available manual razors, such as Gillette, Harry's, Schick, Dollar Shave Club, etc. and can be provided with the razor and blade. The cap can also be provided with electric trimmers. The cap can also be provided directly on the blade for a particular beard thickness. The cap and blade can be a complete unit which is disposable. The cap also can be replaceable or reusable.

(36) The embodiments discussed above are illustrative only. Various other embodiments are encompassed by and contemplated by the disclosure and the appended claims.