WO1996004110A1

WO1996004110A1 - Dry shaving device

Info

Publication number: WO1996004110A1
Application number: PCT/GB1995/001803
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael John Franklin
Original assignee: Michael John Franklin
Priority date: 1994-08-01
Filing date: 1995-07-31
Publication date: 1996-02-15
Also published as: AU3180995A; GB9415465D0

Abstract

A dry shaving device with a handle (11) comprises a straight, stationary bottom blade (7), which touches a surface such as skin from which bristle or other hair-like material protrudes, so that these blades have a shearing action on the bristles, thus severing them from the surface, at the surface. This is effected by the action of pulling handle (11) parallel to the surface with blade (7) and wheels (1) touching the surface, causing wheels (1) to rotate and drive belt (3) via pulley assembly (2, 20 and 22), thus turning cylindrical blades (6) on shaft (5). The assembly is mounted on carrier (10) attached to handle (11). This action may be reversed by pushing the handle in the opposing direction so that blade (7) is rotated, by natural friction between blade (7) and blades (6), to a new position where it is acted upon by blades (6) in the same manner as before but in the opposite direction. The device is designed to be hand-operated, but power such as an electrical motor could be applied as necessary, to drive shaft (5).

Description

DRY SHAVING DEVICE

DESCRIPTION

Introduction

The dry shaving devices currently available are usually elctrically-powered, consisting of a rotating or oscillatory set of blades acting against a stationary foil, or grid of blades forming a foil, by which a shearing action cuts bristle from the surface of facial or other skin at a close distance from the skin, the bristles protruding up through the foil or grid of blades before being cut.

The significant disadvantage of this system is that, because of the thickness of the stationary foil between the set of cutting blades and the skin, the bristle is cut at a slight distance above the surface of the skin, resulting in a shave not as close as that derived from a conventional wet shave, ie. using what has become known as a safety razor, in combination with soap or other bristle-softening measure to assist with cutting.

In this latter case, a close shave is achieved because the cutting blade actually touches the surface of the skin on which the bristle grows, but the main disadvantage of this method is the preparation work necessary to soften the bristles before shaving and the associated mess of cleaning up afterwards.

The device described here seeks to combine the virtues of each type of shaving heretofore described, ie. to produce a shave closer than that achieved with current dry methods and of comparable closeness to a wet shave, but with the relative convenience and quickness of a dry shave. There is perceived to be a large world market for such a device, particularly with the pace of modern life dictating a minimum amount of time spent on essential but time-consuming activities for men such as the daily ritual of shaving the face. Description of the Invention

This device operates on a similar principle to that of what is known as a cylinder grass mower. The main differences between this device and such a mower are:-

1. this device is held in the hand, without any other means of support;

2. this device is designed to cut as close to the surface from which material is being cut, and as far as possible actually at the surface, rather than, in the case of a grass mower for example, leaving a short length of grass behind for visual and perhaps other imperative.

3. this device is operable in two directions, whereby cutting is effected by moving the device either backwards or forwards, and this is effected automatically without the need to make any adjustments.

4. in this device, the cutting assembly is serrated from the drive assembly by a system of springing, whereby the cutting assembly is allowed to follow the surface or contours of the skin, broadly independently of the drive wheel assembly.

In order that the invention may be better understood, it will now be described by way of example with reference to Figures 1 and 2 on the attached sketches, wherein -

Fig.1 comprises a side elevation and a half-front sectional elevation;

Fig.2 shows a cylindrical blade assembly in relation to the stationary blade at the surface of the skin, with the alternate position (in dotted outline) of the stationary blade as for the reverse direction of operation.

Referring to Fig. 1 , according to the present invention, there is provided a drive wheel 1 having gear teeth on the inside face of the wheel band 8 into which is permanently engaged a cog wheel 2. Another wheel 20 is located on the far side of a spindle common to this and the cog wheel 2. This smooth, or toothed, wheel 20 drives via a smooth or cogged belt 3, a driven wheel 4, attached to a shaft 5, which slides vertically in slot 9. The belt 3 is elastically-extendable, thus allowing the shaft 5 to move perpendicularly in relation to surface 13 and away from surface 13 when an appropriate force is applied to the shaft 5. This action does not interfere with the action of the belt 3 in driving the shaft.

Referring to Fig.2, a series of blades is arranged in a circular formation with their cutting edges outermost. This is a typical section through the cutting cylinder, and the blades are arranged by means of fixing pieces 17 to a circumferential support member 18, which is in turn attached to the shaft 5 via spokes 19. When for example the assembly of blades 16, 17, 18 and 19 revolves in a clockwise direction according to this figure, the outer, cutting edge of the blades 16 moves across the leading edge of the stationary blade 7 in a shearing action. Because the blades 16 are mounted essentially in a spiral manner, according to the half-front sectional elevation of Fig.l, there is an additional shearing action in a sense longitudinal to the edge of the stationary blade 7.

Referring to Fig.2, if for example the cylindrical blade assembly is rotated anticlockwise, there is provided a means whereby the stationary blade 7 moves, by the action of friction between the blades 16 and the blade 7, circumferentially anticlockwise to a new stationary position 14, whereby the left-hand edge, in this configuration, becomes the leading, cutting edge. The actual position of this blade in either position 7 or 14 may be varied according to the best position for effecting the closest or most comfortable shaving.

The lower portion of Fig.2 shows an alternative style of stationary blade which may allow a closer cut of bristle 21. The stationary blade may be of any shape to produce the closest cut, and in any position. It is arranged to be in direct contact with the skin 13, or surface from which material is desired to be cut. The spiral nature of the arrangement of the blades 16 forming the cutting cylinder means that one blade of the set of blades 16 is always in contact with the stationary blade 7/14. The number of spiral blades 16 forming part of the cutting cylinder may vary according to the desired frequency of cutting. The number and gearing of the drive assembly shown is calculated to provide approximately 1.5 cuts per millimetre of horizontal travel by the blade 7/14, but this may be varied by alternative gearing and/or blade frequency, according to need or requirement. Method of Operation of the Device

The device is operated by holding the handle 11 and applying the drive wheels 1 to the surface of the skin 13 or other surface from which material is to be cut, and then manually moving, by means of the handle 11, the entire assembly essentially parallel to the surface 13 and at the same time applying a force approximately perpendicular to surface 13, so that surface 13, being resilient and flexible in a soft and malleable manner, is persuaded to make contact with blade 7/14 at its leading, cutting edge. Such action causes wheel 1 to rotate, and also cog wheel 2 which is meshed into it. This drives shaft 5 and wheel 20, via belt 3, thus turning shaft 5 on which is mounted blade cylinder assembly 16, 17, 18 and 19. This causes the cutting cylinder of blades to rotate against blade 7/14, thus cutting material - in this application, facial bristle - from surface 13 at or very close to the surface. By way of an accessory, bristle is carried in a circumferential manner upwards and into a reservoir/box 12 where it is stored until discharged at a convenient time.

The handle 11 is attached directly to carrier 10, which carries the entire assembly via shafts 22 and 5. Drive wheel 1 is arranged to rotate about the main axis by either a form of shaft or spindle 23, or a further wheel 24, for location purposes.

The action of moving the assembly parallel to and in contact with the surface 13 may then be reversed, so that the assembly moves in the opposite direction. The action of doing this causes blade 7, by friction between the two, to a new position, essentially as at 14, whereby the other face of the double-sided stationary blade becomes its cutting edge. The assembly operates essentially in exactly the same way as in the other direction of pull, in all significant respects.

This action may be reversed and counter-reversed as desired in the same shaving operation. Observations

1. The shearing of the bristle material in this invention is essentially different to the action in other shearing devices of a dry shaving nature; for example -

1.1 the Philips type, in which a set of blades rotates on a plate carrier rather than a cylindrical carrier and effects shear in the manner of a drawer closing in its frame, rather than the two blades of a pair of scissors acting against eachother as in this invention; or

1.2 the Remington type, in which shear is induced in a manner similar to that of the Philips action, but as a result of linearly-oscillating blades cutting in two directions alternately.

In both of these cases, a foil separates the moving blade, or blades, from the surface from which material is to be removed, thus leaving behind an unwanted length of bristle, however short.

2. The drive in the device described here, from the drive wheels to the rotating blade cylinder, may be effected on one side only.

3. Although designed for use without power assistance, ie. electrical or other means, power drive may be integrated as an accessory.

4. According to the desired frequency of cutting during movement of the assembly across the surface 13, the diameter of the cutting cylinder and the drive wheels may be made the same size, or in sizes more similar than those shown here.

5. The bristle box may be dispensed with as unnecessary. The device will function satisfactorily without this; or a simple cover may be installed, for the sake of appearance, as desired. 6. Detail A, at the right-hand side of Fig.l, indicates an alternative arrangement for driving the cutting cylinder directly from the drive wheels, rather than via a belt. This has two main disadvantages -

6.1 the gearing might be insufficient for the desired rate of cut per millimetre of movement of the stationary bottom blade across the skin; and

6.2 the spring action of the belt, allowing the cutting cylinder and stationary blade assembly to move in relation to the drive wheels, is lost.

7. In the half-front sectional elevation of Fig.l, the bottom blade may be positioned to be lineable with the bottom, outer edge of the drive wheel, or close to it.

Claims

AN IMPROVEMENT IN DRY SHAVING DEVICES KNOWN ASTHE ROTARAZORCLAIMS

1. A hand-held dry shaving device, in which a straight blade, essentially stationary in relation to the device, touches a surface from which bristle-like material is to be severed, and is drawn via a handle across the surface in the manner of a wet blade razor, and simultaneously a cylinder of spirally-mounted blades is caused to rotate about its axis by this movement, via a set of driving wheels and a belt linkage, the outside edge of such cylinder of blades being in contact with the stationary blade, causing the bristle-like material to be sheared from and at the surface.

2. A device, as described in Claim 1, which may be motor-powered.

3. A device, as described in Claim 1, in which the stationary blade moves to a new position by the action of reversing the direction of the cylindrical set of spirally-mounted blades, whereupon it is in the correct position for allowing the device to be used in this new, opposite direction.

4. A device, as described in Claims 1 and 3, which may be used in either direction.

5. A device, as described in Claim 4, which may be motor-powered.

6. A device, as described in any preceding claim, in which the assembly, comprising the stationary blade and the revolving cylindrical set of spirally- mounted blades, is sprung in the sense that, when the stationary blade is drawn across the surface by the action of the handle being moved accordingly, the said assembly may rise and fall according to the irregularity of the surface, in this plane essentially independent of the wheels driving the cylindrical set of blades.

7. A device, as described in Claim 6, which may be motor-powered.

8. A device, as described in any preceding claim, which is fitted with a cover around the blade assembly, and which may act as a catcher for the sheared bristle-like material.

9. A device, as described in any preceding claim, which may be used for purposes other than dry shaving.

10. A device substantially as described herein and with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.