This invention relates to a safety razor and more particularly to a novel razor blade holder and handle therefor.

An object of this invention is to provide a razor blade holder which can be so economically manufactured that it can be sold at a very low cost with or without a supply of razor blades, and which can be readily discarded or thrown away upon the exhaustion of the initial supply of blades.

As a result, the present invention supplies the need for an economical razor to take the place of one forgotten or lost in transit or while traveling or when needed, particularly when unexpectedly called away from home or for use in guest rooms, hotels, motels or the like.

Another object is to provide an improved, simplified razor blade holder utilizing injector type blades which are currently available and sold in injector blade dispensers, and which according to this invention the blade dispenser may be readily used in conjunction with the improved holder to provide a handle means therefor. As the improved holder of this invention can be economically manufactured, each injector blade dispenser may be provided with a novel holder of this invention so that a user may be provided with a fresh, clean razor with every purchase cf such blades, and thereafter the holder may be discarded along with the blade dispenser upon exhaustion of the blade supply.

A further object of this invention is to render the improved holder of this invention readily adaptable for use with a half section of a double edge razor blade in the event a preference of blades is desired.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by an improved, ruggedly constructed, razor blade holder consisting of a backing plate for supporting either an injector type blade or a half section of a double edge blade, depending on one's preference, and a clamping plate having resilient spring clips for releasably securing the two plates together to clamp therebetween the blade. The backing member is further provided with means for locating and properly maintaining the blade in position as the clamping plate is fixed in place and a skin guard adjacent the cutting edge of the blade. According to this invention, the holder further includes a novel handle-receiving means which is readily adapted for receiving the end finger or tongue of an injected blade dispenser which forms the handle therefor.

A feature of this invention resides in the provision of an improved safety razor which is inexpensively produced, rugged in construction and positive in operation.

Another feature of this invention resides in the provision of an improved razor blade holder having a novel means whereby said holder can be readily assembled or connected to the finger of an injector blade dispenser to form the handle means therefor.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claim when considered with the drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective, exploded view of the improved safety razor of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the razor.

Fig. 3 is a detail side view of the improved razor blade holder of this invention.

Fig. 4 is an end view taken along line 4—4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional side view taken along line 5—5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a modified form of the invention illustrating the manner in which a portion of a double edge blade may be utilized in the holder with the backing plate of the holder removed.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a double edge razor illustrating the manner in which the blade may be fractured for use in the improved holder of this invention.

The safety razor of this invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises an improved razor blade holder A having a novel handle receiving portion and a razor blade dispenser B adapted to be used in conjunction with the improved holder to form the handle means therefor. The razor blade dispenser B illustrated consists of a body portion 10 forming a magazine for storing a plurality of razor blades of the injector type, and has extending beyond the end thereof a finger or tongue 11. Usually, a slide means 12 for dispensing the blade is provided.

Heretofore, the injector blade dispenser B in addition to forming a convenient means for retailing such blades was utilized for facilitating the injection of a blade from the magazine to the holder of an injector type razor, which razor is relatively expensive and complex in structure and consequently not rendered readily expendible. For this reason, a user would tend to use such a non-expendible razor over an extended period of time, oftentimes even after the razor has lost much of its effectiveness as a result of abuse, corrosion etc. As a result, the quality of a shave had thereby is greatly reduced.

Since the injector type razor blades are commonly sold in dispensers independently of the particular razor blade holder with which they are adapted to be used, it is my intention to provide a relatively simple, improved razor blade holder A which can be so economically produced that each blade dispenser may be provided with one and when used in conjunction therewith form a complete razor, thereby insuring a good clean close shave at all times. As a result, the holder A may be readily discarded or thrown away upon the exhaustion of the supply of razors, thus insuring the purchaser of always having a clean, well functioning razor.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the improved blade holder A, according to this invention includes a backing plate 13 and a front clamping plate 14 which is adapted to be removably connected thereto, the plates 13 and 14 when clamped together firmly securing a razor blade 15 therebetween. The backing plate 13 comprises essentially a flat portion 16 which is adapted to support the razor blade 15 in face to face contact therewith and has along the leading edge thereof a transversely extending, half round rib portion 17 extending substantially the length thereof and slightly beyond the ends of the flat portion, the flat portion 16 having inwardly turned tabs 18 to facilitate positioning and holding the blade on the backing plate.

According to this invention, the rib portion 17 functions as a means for reinforcing the backing plate to prevent warping and bending and in addition forms a skin guard to prevent the blade from scratching and cutting the skin of a user. It will be further noted that the end of the guard is spaced from the blade thus preventing clogging during shaving. To determine the position of the blade 15 on the backing plate 13, the rib 17 is provided with projecting tabs 19 adjacent the ends thereof to form a stop for the blade, the stops further functioning as a shield for the sharp corner portions of the blade and cooperates with the rib or skin guard to protect the user from cuts and scratches during shaving.

Integrally connected to the flat portion 16 and angularly disposed relative thereof, the backing plate 13 is provided with an elongate flat extending portion 20 having longitudinally connected along a marginal portion thereof an upturned flange 21. Spaced along the opposite marginal portion thereof are a pair of reversely bent clip tabs 22, the flange 21 and clip tab 22 forming a socket-like means for receiving the finger or tongue 11 of a dispenser B. Therefore, as viewed in Fig. 2, the tongue 11 of the dispenser B may be readily inserted into the socket-like formation of the backing plate 13 so as to be frictionally secured thereto by the clip tabs, thus forming the handle means of the holder A.

According to this invention, the razor blade 15 is supported on the flat portion 16 of the backing plate by sliding the blade between the inturned tabs 18 and the flat 16 of the backing plate until the cutting edge 15^a of the blade engages the projecting tab 19 on the guard to determinately position the blade thereon, the inwardly turned tabs 18 holding the blade in place. With the blade 15 in position, a front plate 14 is connected to the backing plate to securely clamp the blade against relative movement within the holder.

As illustrated, the front plate 14 comprises an elongate flat portion 23 having reversely bent, resilient spring clips 24 adjacent the upper margin thereof, the ends 23^a of the plate being disposed between the tabs 18. Therefore, by simply clipping the clamping plate 14 into the backing plate 13, the blade 15 is secured in place, the resiliency of the spring clips 24 being sufficient to resiliently clamp the plates 13 and 14 together to prevent relative movement of the blade between the plates when in use. If desired, the front plate may be provided with an upwardly turned finger engaging portion 25 for facilitating grasping of the front plate 14 to effect removal of the plate when a blade change is required.

According to this invention, a double edge blade may be utilized in the holder of this invention if a preference of blades is desired or in the event an injector blade 15 is unavailable. This is accomplished by fracturing a double edge blade 26 illustrated in Fig. 7 along the center line to divide the blade into a half section 27. As a double edge blade is usually provided with an elongate aperture 28 having irregular indentures 29 therein, a blade of this type may be readily fractured.

As shown in Fig. 6, the front plate 30 is slightly modified to accommodate the half portion 27 of the blade 26. Because a double edge razor blade is much thinner than that of the injector blade, it is necessary that the spacing between the spring clip 31 and the back surface of the front plate 30 be reduced so that the plates 30 and 13 (not shown in Fig. 6) when clamped together will firmly secure the half portion 27 of the blade 26 therebetween. Also, it will be noted that the spring clips 31 are positioned inwardly of the end portions 30^a of the front plate 30 so that they may be received in the indentures 29 along the fractured edge of the blade 26. By this arrangement, it will be noted that the spring clips 31 engaging indentures 29 facilitate the positioning of the blade 27 when clamped between the modified front plate 30 and backing plate 13 (not shown in Fig. 6) and also prevents transverse movement of the blade relative thereto when shaving.

Therefore, according to this invention, the improved holder is constructed of relatively few parts which can be readily manufactured by a relatively simple stamping operation. As a result, the improved holder may be readily sold together with a razor blade dispenser without materially increasing the cost of the blades so retailed. Consequently a purchaser is insured of a fresh, clean razor with each supply of blades. Since the improved holder can be so economically produced, it can be readily thrown away or expended upon the exhaustion of the entire supply of razor blades.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claim and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

An improved, inexpensively constructed, throw-away safety razor comprising a sheet metal, backing plate having a flat portion provided with opposed inwardly bent tabs on the ends thereof, said flat portion adapted to support a razor blade in face to face contact therewith and slidably received between said inwardly bent tabs, said backing plate having integral therewith a half round transverse rib providing a skin guard, said rib extending substantially coextensive with said flat portion and stiffening the same against warping or bending, projecting tabs at the ends of the rib providing stops for determinately positioning the cutting edge of the blade with respect to the rib to shield the corners of the blade and prevent cutting and scratching of the skin of the user, a front clamping plate having a pair of reversely bent spring clips for releasably securing said clamping plate on said backing plate, said plates adapted to firmly wedge said blade therebetween to prevent relative movement of the blade and a handle-receiving means integrally formed with said backing plate and angularly disposed relative thereto, said means including an elongate flat portion having a flange substantially coextensive along one marginal portion and a pair of spaced clip tabs positioned along the opposite margin thereof for receiving therebetween a handle means.

References Cited in the file of this patent

United States Patents

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1,044,863 Cress et al. Nov. 19, 1912

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2,060,243 Rodrigues et al. Nov. 10, 1936

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2,316,600 Kuhn et al. Apr. 13, 1943

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2,700,216 Randol Jan. 25, 1955

Foreign Patents

469,851 Great Britain Aug. 4, 1937