Blade assemblies with lubricating elements

Abstract

A blade assembly includes a housing having a recess defining a first wall on a first side of the housing and a second wall on a second side of the housing, an elongated body that is attached to the first and second walls and is rotatable about a longitudinal axis (S-S), the elongated body having two or more facets, at least one of the facets has a lubricating element disposed thereon, and a locking mechanism for releasably locking the body in a use position.

Claims

1. A blade assembly comprising: a housing having a first wall on a first side of the housing and a second wall on a second side of the housing, wherein the first wall and the second wall define a recess; at least one blade within the housing; an elongated body that is attached to the first and second walls and is rotatable about a longitudinal axis (S-S) of the elongated body, the elongated body having opposing ends and two or more facets between the opposing ends, wherein at least one of the facets has a lubricating element disposed thereon; and a locking mechanism configured to releasably lock the elongated body in a use position, wherein one of the facets faces a same direction as the at least one blade in the use position, wherein the second side of the housing includes a retaining portion formed on an interior surface of the second wall, wherein the locking mechanism is disposed within the retaining portion, and wherein the locking mechanism is configured to slide relative to the retaining portion of the housing.

2. The blade assembly according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to move in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis (S-S).

3. The blade assembly according to claim 1, wherein two or more facets of the elongated body have a lubricating element disposed thereon.

4. The blade assembly according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism includes a locking member and a spring, and wherein the locking member is configured to translate within the retaining portion in a first direction and in a second direction.

5. The blade assembly according to claim 4, wherein the locking member includes a radial protrusion, wherein the spring is positioned between the radial protrusion and an interior surface of the retaining portion, and wherein the spring is configured to compress when the locking member translates in the first direction and the spring is configured to extend when the locking member translates in the second direction.

6. The blade assembly according to claim 4, wherein the locking member is a plunger, a pin, or a shaft.

7. The blade assembly according to claim 1, wherein the elongated body further includes a first support element comprising either a first shaft or a first recess, and a second support element comprising either a second shaft or a second recess, each of the first and second support elements being formed along the longitudinal axis (S-S) of the elongated body, wherein the first support element corresponds with the first wall and the second support element corresponds with the second wall so that the elongated body is rotatably attached to the housing.

8. The blade assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first support element is the first shaft which extends through the first side of the housing.

9. The blade assembly according to claim 7, wherein the elongated body further includes a toggle fixed to an end of the first shaft.

10. The blade assembly according to claim 9, wherein the toggle is adapted to drive rotation of the elongated body.

11. The blade assembly according to claim 7, wherein the locking assembly slides is configured to slide against the second support element.

12. The blade assembly according to claim 7, wherein an end of the second support element comprises one or more protuberances that are formed offset from the longitudinal axis (S-S) of the elongated body.

13. The blade assembly according to claim 12, wherein the second support element comprises the second shaft including an engagement surface, wherein the engagement surface comprises a plurality of protuberances that are formed offset from the longitudinal axis (S-S) of the elongated body.

14. The blade assembly according to claim 13, wherein the locking assembly is configured to slide between and against each of the plurality of protuberances.

15. The blade assembly according to claim 12, wherein the locking mechanism includes a locking member and a spring, and wherein the locking mechanism is adapted to restrict the rotation of the elongated body by the spring urging the locking member to engage an engagement surface formed at the end of the second support element.

16. The blade assembly according to claim 15, wherein the locking mechanism is offset from the longitudinal axis (S-S) of the elongated body and the locking member is configured to contact the engagement surface formed at the end of the second support element.

17. The blade assembly according to claim 15, wherein the spring is configured to adopt two states, an extended state in which the locking member contacts the engagement surface and a compressed state in which the locking member is translated away from the engagement surface.

18. A razor comprising: the blade assembly according to claim 1; and a handle connected to the blade assembly.

19. A blade assembly comprising: a housing having a first wall on a first side of the housing and a second wall on a second side of the housing, wherein the first wall and the second wall define a recess; at least one blade within the housing; an elongated body disposed within the recess and attached to the first wall and the second wall, wherein the elongated body is rotatable about a longitudinal axis (S-S) of the elongated body and the elongated body is rotatable relative to the at least one blade, wherein the elongated body includes a first end and a second end, and a plurality of facets between the first end and the second end, wherein at least one of the plurality of facets has a lubricating element disposed thereon; and a locking mechanism disposed in the housing between the elongated body and a surface of the housing, the locking mechanism being configured to releasably lock the elongated body in a use position in which one of the facets faces a same direction as the at least one blade.

20. A blade assembly comprising: a housing having a first wall on a first side of the housing and a second wall on a second side of the housing, wherein the first wall and the second wall define a recess; at least one blade within the housing; an elongated body disposed within the recess and attached to the first wall and the second wall, wherein the elongated body is rotatable about a longitudinal axis (S-S) of the elongated body, wherein the elongated body includes a first end, a second end, and a plurality of facets between the first end and the second end, and at least one of the plurality of facets has a lubricating element disposed thereon; and a locking mechanism disposed in the housing between the elongated body and a surface of the housing, the locking mechanism being configured to releasably lock the elongated body in a use position in which one of the facets faces a same direction as the at least one blade, wherein the second end comprises a plurality of protuberances that are formed offset from the longitudinal axis (S-S) of the elongated body, and the locking mechanism is configured to slide between and against each of the plurality of protuberances.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of non-limiting aspects of the disclosure in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 details a front view of a razor having a multi-faceted body with lubricating element disposed thereon.

(3) FIG. 2A details a front view of the blade assembly of the razor of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 2B details a cross-sectional view of the blade assembly of FIG. 2A.

(5) FIG. 3A details a perspective view of the multi-faceted body.

(6) FIG. 3B details a side view of the multi-faceted body of FIG. 3A.

(7) FIG. 4 details a perspective view of the end of the second support element (being a shaft) of the multi-faceted body and the locking mechanism.

(8) FIG. 5 details a front view of a modified version of the razor of FIG. 1 having a toggle.

(9) FIG. 6A details a front view of the blade assembly of the razor of FIG. 5.

(10) FIG. 6B details a cross-sectional view of the blade assembly of FIG. 6A.

(11) FIG. 7 details a perspective view of a multi-faceted body and housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

(13) The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings. The detailed description and the drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict illustrative aspects and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The illustrative aspects depicted are intended only as exemplary.

(14) An aspect of the disclosure is shown in FIG. 1, which is a front view of a razor 100 having a blade assembly and handle 40 connected to the blade assembly. The blade assembly may have a housing 20 that may be hollow and generally form a rectangular parallelepiped; however, the housing 20 may be any other suitable shape. The handle 40 may extend along a vertical central axis A-A. The handle may have a top portion 40a and a bottom portion 40b. The handle 40 may be shaped to better adapt to the natural contours of a hand. The top portion 40a of the handle 40 may have a connecting member (not shown) that is adapted to connect to the housing 20 of the blade assembly. The blade assembly may be monolithically formed with the handle 40, it may be fixed to the handle 40, or it may be releasably connected to the handle 40 and thus it may further be interchangeable with the handle 40.

(15) As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2A, at least one blade 30 is secured within the housing 20. In this embodiment, a plurality of blades 30 are shown, however, it is contemplated that the blade assembly may have any number of blades 30. Additionally, the blades 30 that are shown are elongate in shape; however, it is contemplated that the blades 30 may be formed into any other suitable shape. Additionally, each blade may be one piece, bent to form an angle, or may comprise a blade support where the cutting portion of the blade is attached on the blade support.

(16) The housing 20 may also include a guard bar, a cap, and a pair of substantially c-shaped retainers 50 each having a top portion, a bottom portion, a substantially convex portion connecting the top and bottom portions, where the retainers 50 are adapted to retain the position of the blades 30 within the housing 20. The retainers 50 may extend along a pair of side edges 20a, 20b of the housing 20 and are spaced apart and positioned opposite from each other on a first side 20a of the housing 20 and a second side 20b of the housing 20. The retainers 50 may be either integral with the housing 20 or a separate component assembled with the housing 20. It is envisioned that retainers 50 may be any other suitably configured retaining means, for example clips, and should not be limited to the aforementioned c-shaped design.

(17) As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the housing 20 may define a recess 22 located on its trailing end. The recess 22 may define a first wall 25 and a second wall 26. Each of the first and second walls 25, 26 may have an aperture therein. At least one of the apertures may be configured to communicate with the interior of the housing 20. However, it is also envisioned that the first and second walls 25, 26 may have respective shaft portions extending therefrom. It is also envisioned that either one of the first or second walls 25, 26 may have an aperture, while the other wall has a shaft portion. The aforementioned configuration of the housing 20 to include a recess 22 is not limited only on the trailing end of the housing 20. According to further aspects, the housing 20 may define a recess 22 (for the positioning of the body 60) located either on the leading end of the housing 20, i.e. in the guard bar area (not shown) or on both the trailing and leading ends of the housing 20 (not shown). As can be seen in FIGS. 2A-3B, the blade assembly may further include a body 60 that may be elongate in shape and extend along a longitudinal axis S-S. The body 60 may define two or more facets 62. It is envisioned that the body 60 may have any number of facets 62. The body 60 may be of any suitable prismatic configuration, for example a polyhedron comprising a rectangular base, or a square base, or a polygonal base. The body 60 may have first and second support elements formed on opposing ends thereof. For example, the support elements may be a first shaft 64 and a second shaft 68 formed on opposing ends and extend outwardly therefrom along the longitudinal axis S-S. However, it is also envisioned that the first and second support elements may include recesses on opposing ends and extend inwardly along the longitudinal axis S-S. It is also envisioned that the first and second support elements may include a recess on an end and a shaft on an opposing end, each extending along the longitudinal axis S-S. In whichever form the first and second support elements take, the support elements of the body 60 may correspond with the first and second walls 25, 26 of the housing such that the body 60 may be rotatably attached to said housing 20. The body 60 may be configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis S-S. Particularly, the body 60 may be configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis S-S that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing 20. Also, the end of the second support element, e.g. the second shaft 68, may define an engagement surface 67 In some examples, the engagement surface 67 may comprise one or more protuberances 68a-68d that may be formed offset from the longitudinal axis S-S of the body 60, restricting the rotational movement of the body 60. The rotational movement of the body 60 may be restricted (e.g. by affecting one direction), even via a single protuberance, whereas two or more protuberances 68a-68d may further restrict the rotational movement of the body 60 more efficiently (e.g. by affecting back and forth directions). In some examples, the engagement surface 67 formed at the end of the second support element may define one or more indentations (not shown) that are formed offset from the longitudinal axis of the body 60, restricting the rotational movement of the body.

(18) In some examples, the body 60 may be disposed within the recess 22 of the housing 20 such that the first and second shafts 64, 68 may be attached to the first and second walls 25, 26 of the housing 20 via the apertures. In this configuration, the body 60 may be adapted to rotate relatively to the housing 20. The apertures may be located in any appropriate place on the first and second walls 25, 26, such that the body 60 is capable of rotating. It is envisioned that the body 60 may be detachably connected to the housing 20. The body 60 may be formed of any appropriate material, for example, a polymer.

(19) At least one facet 62 of the body 60 may have a lubricating element 70 thereon. However, it is envisioned that any number of the facets 62 may have a lubricating element 70. In some examples, two or more facets 62 may have a lubricating element 70. It is envisioned that the lubricating elements 70 on each of the facets 62 may provide any combination of lubricating aids or skin benefits, e.g., all of the lubricating elements 70 on each of the facets 62 may provide the same benefits, each lubricating elements 70 may provide different benefits, or any combination thereof. The lubricating element 70 may be attached to the body 60 by any suitable means, for example, gluing, ultrasonically welding, co-injecting, or in any combination of the above. The lubricating element 70 may be formed as any suitable shape, for example, a semi-circular, rectangular, square, mushroom shaped, etc.

(20) The lubricating element 70 may comprise a two-layered structure, where the bottom layer, which is attached to the body 60, contains a lubricious composition and the top, outermost, layer contains a thin, hydrophobic film so as to keep the lubricating surfaces protected. This film can protect the first used lubricating element 70 on the first facet 62 of the body 60 until the film wears off due to abrasion. Additionally, this film protects the lubricating elements 70 on the remaining facets 62 from being depleted before being used.

(21) The hydrophobic film works by creating a micro- or nano-sized structure on a surface providing water-repellent properties. Indicative examples of hydrophobic coatings may be manganese oxide polystyrene (MnO2/PS) nano-composite, zinc oxide polystyrene (ZnO/PS) nano-composite, fluorinated silanes and fluoropolymer coatings and silica-based coatings, which are gel-based and can be easily applied either by dipping the object into the gel or via aerosol spray. These hydrophobic structures are thin and very delicate, and thus can be easily damaged by wear due to abrasion/friction. Therefore, after the first few times a razor is used, the hydrophobic layer of the first used lubricating element 70 wears off, revealing the layer with the lubricious composition, while the rest facets remain protected during shaving.

(22) The lubricious composition of the bottom layer of every facet can fundamentally comprise a water-soluble component (e.g., polyethylene oxide generally known as POLYOX or ALKOX) and a water-insoluble component (e.g. high impact polystyrene). Examples of rigid water-insoluble components are polystyrene, styrene co-polymers, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacetal, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetal copolymer, polylactic acid, polycarbonate, maleic anhydride ethylene co-polymer blends, polyether-containing block copolymers (e.g. with polyamide), blends and copolymers of the above with or without other additives. Examples of elastic water-insoluble components are thermoplastic elastomer compounds (TPEs), more specifically thermoplastic poly-urethanes, and/or silicone polymers. Typical examples of water-soluble components are polyethylene oxide and/or polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyacrylamide, polyhydroxymethacrylate, polyvinyl imidazoline, polyvinyl alcohol, polyhydromethymethacrylate, silicone polymers, blends and copolymers of the above. The lubricious composition may additional contain other ingredients selected in the group of plasticizers, such as low molecular weight polyethylene glycols, water-swellable release enhancing agents, such as cross-linked polyacrylics and/or maleic anhydride compounds, additional lubricants, compatibilizers, and/or skin care agents selected in the group consisting of vitamins, botanical extracts, salts, humectants, silicon oils, organic oils, waxes, antioxidants, exfoliants, anti-bacterial agents, anti-microbial, antiseptics, biocides, preservatives, skin soothing agents, hydrating agents, skin protectants, colorants, film formers, processing thickening agents from the list of silica, fume silica, TiO.sub.2 particles, and combinations thereof. The lubricious composition of each facet may be different including several cosmetic ingredients that achieve multiple skin benefits. Alternative lubricious compositions are known and disclosed in patent applications, such as in US20090223057—where as additional ingredients may be included emulsifiers, surfactants, skin conditioners, fragrances, depilatory agents, cleaning agents, medicinal agents; U.S. Pat. No. 8,236,214—where as additional ingredient may be included mineral oil; U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,131, US2016338928—where as additional ingredients may be included cooling agents; US2013042482—where as additional ingredients may be included anti-irritation agents such as a pyrithione or a polyvalent metal salt of pyrithione; CN105219007—where as additional ingredient may be included moisturizing agent selected from olive oil, jojoba oil and glycerin; EP0551407—where as additional ingredients may be included essential oil materials such as menthol, eugenol, eucalyptol, saffrol or methyl salicylate.

(23) Further, it is envisioned that the top layer of the lubricating elements 70 may also bear undulations or patterns (e.g., logos, indicia, etc.), so as to function as slight protrusions, allowing the user to exploit them as artificial gripping points and to twist the facet 62. For example, the combination of the protrusions and tiny gaps that are formed between them provides a textured surface that operates as a gripping area.

(24) As can be seen in FIGS. 2B and 4, the blade assembly further includes a locking mechanism 80. The locking mechanism 80 may be disposed in the second side 20b of the housing 20. The locking mechanism 80 can be adapted to selectively restrict the rotational movement of the body 60. The locking mechanism 80 may be formed as a plunger or as a pin or as a shaft. The locking mechanism 80 may have any suitable shape, for example, a cylinder or a rectilinear prism. A spring 90 may be disposed around at least a portion of the outer surface of the locking mechanism 80. The spring 90 may be configured to urge the locking mechanism 80 into a locking position. Thus, it may lock effectively the locking mechanism 80 in place preventing unwanted movement of the body 60 during a shaving operation. The spring 90 may urge the locking mechanism 80 to engage the engagement surface 67 formed at the end of the second support element. The spring 90 may be configured to adopt two states, an extended state in which rotation of the body 60 is restricted and a compressed state in which rotation of the body 60 is permitted.

(25) Focusing on FIG. 4, the housing 20 may include a retaining portion 28 formed on an interior surface 20c of the second wall 26 in the second side of the housing 20. The locking mechanism 80 may be disposed within the retaining portion 28. The retaining portion 28 may be adapted to restrict the movement of the locking mechanism 80 and spring 90 to be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis S-S. The retaining portion 28 may be configured as the female connection portion and the locking mechanism 80 and spring 90 may be formed as the male connection portion. This particular arrangement is depicted in FIG. 4; however, the retaining portion 28 may be configured as the male connection portion and the locking mechanism 80 and spring 90 may be formed as the female connection portion, for example, the spring 90 and locking mechanism 80 are formed around the outer surface of the retaining portion 28. In some examples, the spring 90 may be fixed to and disposed around the outer surface of the locking mechanism 80, permitting the locking mechanism 80 and the spring 90 to operate in concert.

(26) The retaining portion 28 may be offset from the longitudinal axis S-S such that the locking mechanism 80 is aligned with at least one protuberance 68a-68d formed on the engagement surface of the end of the second support element, which may be formed as a shaft 68. The locking mechanism 80 may be offset from the longitudinal axis S-S of the body 60 and may be configured to contact the engagement surface 67 formed at the end of the second support element. Thus, the locking mechanism 80 being offset from the longitudinal axis S-S of the body allows the locking mechanism 80 to be positioned between adjacent protuberances on the engagement surface 67 of the second support element, when the spring 90 is in an extended state. In particular, the adaptive connection between the locking mechanism 80, spring 90, and protuberances 68a-68d is configured to restrict the rotational movement of the body 60 such that the body 60 does not rotate while a user is shaving. In other words, the locking mechanism 80 may be adapted to restrict the rotation of the body 60 by the spring 90 urging the locking mechanism 80 to engage the engagement surface 67 formed at the end of the second support element. Regarding the engagement surface 67, it is also envisioned in some examples that the engagement surface of the second end of the support element may be formed with one or more indentations that may be configured to receive the locking mechanism 80. Further, it is also envisioned that the support element may be formed as having any combination of protuberances and indentations.

(27) In operation, for example, assuming that one of the lubricating elements 70 has already been depleted by a user; the user may want to use a lubricating element 70 that is new. With the aforementioned configuration, the user may apply a rotational force on the body 60 about the longitudinal axis S-S (this is shown in FIG. 4 as a counter-clockwise force), thereby rotating the used lubricating element 70 on the first facet out of the use position and simultaneously rotating the unused lubricating element 70 on the second facet into the use position.

(28) During this rotating operation, the locking mechanism 80 contacts one of the protuberances 68a. In this example, the protuberance is ramp shaped. As the body 60 is being rotated, the locking mechanism 80 is sliding along the surface of the ramp shaped protuberance 68a which causes the locking mechanism 80 to translate away from the body 60 parallel to the longitudinal axis S-S. This movement compresses the spring 90 between the locking mechanism 80 and the retaining portion 28. Particularly, the locking mechanism 80 may be configured to slide relative to the retaining portion 28 of the housing 20.

(29) Once the protuberance 68a is rotated past the locking mechanism 80, the spring 90 decompresses and translates the locking mechanism 80 toward the body 60, in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis S-S, until the locking mechanism 80 contacts the engagement surface 67 of the end of the second support element, which may be formed as the second shaft 68. In this configuration, the locking mechanism 80 is lodged between protuberances 68a and 68b into a locking position, thereby restricting the rotational movement of the body 60. Therefore, the locking mechanism 80 prevents unwanted movement of the body 60 during a shaving operation.

(30) A modified version of the abovementioned razor is shown in FIGS. 5-6B. The razor 200 is the same as the razor 100 except that the first support element is shaft 64 of the body 60 that extends away from the body 60, through the housing 20. The end of the first support element that is a first shaft 64 may be formed as a toggle 69 that allows the user to rotate the body 60 by applying a rotational force on said toggle 69.

(31) Shown in FIG. 7 is a schematic version of the housing 20 and the body 60 of FIGS. 2A and 6A. The housing 20 may have a total height Hh that may be 10-15 mm. The recess of the housing 20 may have a length Lr in a range of 25-35 mm. The width Wr of the recess may be in a range of 4-5 mm. The length Lw of each of the first and second walls 25, 26 of the housing 20 may be 2-5 mm and the height Hw of the walls 25, 26 may be 5-5.5 mm.

(32) The body 60 may have a length L.sub.s of 24.6-34.6 mm, a height H.sub.s and width W.sub.s that is 3.5 mm.

(33) The aforementioned dimensions are for exemplary purposes only. As detailed in the application, the housing and the body have any suitable shape, for example, the body 60 may be formed as a triangular prism. Thus, the invention may have any suitable dimensions.

(34) While aspects of the disclosure have been described in detail in the foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only some aspects have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims are to be protected. It is intended that combinations of the above-described elements and those within the specification may be made, except where otherwise contradictory. Although aspects of the disclosure have been described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the disclosure.