Shaving device

Abstract

The invention relates to a shaving device having a handle (1) to which is attached a razor head (3) carrying at least one razor blade. It is an object of the present invention to provide an environmentally sustainable razor which is easy to manufacture and has an advantageous design. This object is achieved in that the handle (1) is a molded fibrous part having an elongated hollow body open on one side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The device described herein relates to a shaving apparatus having a handle and a razor head attached to the handle, the razor head carrying at least one razor blade. Background Art

[0002] Such razors, so-called wet razors, are known as disposable razors or system razors. Disposable razors are discarded after the razor blades wear out. System razors have replaceable razor heads so that the handle is used for a longer period of time and the razor heads are replaced. In addition, hybrid razors are provided, which have replaceable razor heads like system razors, but generally have a shorter lifespan than system razors.

[0003] WO 2017 / 003919 A1 discloses a razor having a handle in which a fluid dispenser is arranged. The handle of the razor can be made of single-layer or multi-layer cardboard. The handling, cutting and processing of cardboard are laborious, and obtaining an attractive shape is problematic. US 2016 / 0325445 A1 discloses a device for supporting a razor head to be mounted to a handle generally described as a rod. US 2017 / 0087733 A1 discloses another razor head adapter. WO2022 / 049258 A2 discloses a personal care product having a rod-shaped, tubular or flat handle made of paper material. Summary of the invention

[0004] An object of the device described herein is to provide an environmentally sustainable razor that is easy to manufacture and has an advantageous design.

[0005] This object is achieved in that the handle is a molded fiber component having an elongated hollow body which is open on one side.

[0006] It is known from the prior art to produce molded pulp parts by using a suction die to extract pulp fibers from aqueous fiber pulp. Initially, egg cartons and beer mugs were produced using this technology. More recently, packaging elements of complex shapes, such as disclosed in EP 3 310 673 B1, have been made from pulp as molded fiber parts.

[0007] It is proposed to manufacture the handle of the razor as a molded fiber part. Compared with manufacturing from cardboard or paperboard, this has the advantage that the shape of the handle can be adapted to the intended use and mechanical loads. In particular, the outside of the handle can have a pleasing curved surface that is easy to grip and handle.

[0008] The handle is formed by an elongated hollow body open on one side. The handle has the form of an elongated shell which is easily produced from molded paper pulp. The outer surface of the elongated shell may follow a U-shape in the transverse direction and rest in the palm of the user when the razor is in use. In the longitudinal direction, the outer surface of the elongated shell may be straight or slightly curved so that it rests comfortably in the palm of the user when the razor is in use.

[0009] In some embodiments, the reinforcing element may be arranged in an open elongated hollow body forming a handle. In other words, the hollow and open elongated shell forming the handle may include a plurality of reinforcing elements protruding from the inner surface toward the opening. These reinforcing elements provide structural stability for the elongated hollow shell. The reinforcing element may also be used as a spacer between two elongated hollow shells nested in each other, such as during a coating or drying process. In some embodiments, the elongated hollow body forming the handle may be traversed in a transverse direction by a plurality of reinforcing ribs spaced apart from each other. As described above, the hollow body preferably has a U-shaped cross section. The reinforcing rib may follow the U-shape and extend into the cavity formed by the open elongated hollow body by about 1 or 2 mm. As an alternative, the reinforcing rib may completely fill the U-shaped cross section. In this way, the handle made of fiber obtains considerable stability. The reinforcing rib is easy to manufacture using molded pulp. However, the reinforcing element inside the cavity of the shell may have different shapes and may not necessarily extend in the transverse direction. For example, a protrusion in the form of an elliptical or circular tube may be arranged inside the hollow shell and extend from the inner wall of the hollow shell toward the opening.

[0010] The razor head with one or more razor blades may be attached directly to the handle. In an alternative embodiment, the razor head may be attached to an adapter member which in turn is attached to the handle.

[0011] In particular, the adapter member may have at least one of the following features:

[0012] - a hollow container into which the end of the handle is inserted;

[0013] - An attachment portion to which the razor head is pivotally attached.

[0014] In other words, the receiving portion of the adapter member is configured as a cavity open on one side and the end section of the handle is inserted through the opening of the receiving portion. In some embodiments, the cavity may be shaped to complement the end of the handle. The razor head may be detachably and pivotably attached to the attachment portion. In this way, the razor is provided with a replaceable razor head, which can be replaced when the razor blade becomes dull.

[0015] In some embodiments, the adapter piece can also be made of biodegradable thermoplastics. This biodegradable thermoplastic can particularly include starch and glycerol and sorbitol as other ingredients as plasticizers. In particular, based on the total weight of the material in the dry state, 11-15wt% of glycerol and 6-9wt% of sorbitol have been shown to be advantageous. In this case, the concentration of starch is between 56-63wt%. Other ingredients can be fillers with a concentration of 12-24wt%. The filler can be talc, chalk, bentonite, mustard seed shells, organic fibers or waste. This thermoplastic material can be extremely well processed and injection molded in a twin-screw extruder. By applying a suitable coating, it can be made moisture-proof and have considerable hardness. In addition, it is biodegradable or bioinert. Therefore, like the handle of a razor, it can be disposed of without hesitation.

[0016] In some embodiments, the end portion of the handle and the receiving portion of the adapter member may be glued together. This allows the necessary stability of the razor to be achieved.

[0017] In some embodiments, the width of the handle may increase from a first end near the razor head to a free end of the handle. The relatively narrow first end of the handle may be inserted into a hollow receiving portion of the adapter member. The wider free end of the handle rests in the palm of the user during use, thereby allowing a large area of ​​force transmission. This provides a secure grip and a comfortable grip of the handle.

[0018] In some embodiments, the handle may have at least one of the following on its top:

[0019] - a circular recess adjacent to the insertion portion at one end of the handle;

[0020] - At least one and preferably two curved outer edges.

[0021] The indentations mark the optimal point for pressure application during shaving. The beads increase the handle's rigidity and grip.

[0022] For example, the circular recess and / or curved outer edge can be formed directly in the suction mold. To this end, the suction mold can have a raised area on its porous suction surface, which forms a bead or depression. In another embodiment, the circular recess and / or curved outer edge can be embossed into the surface of the handle in a subsequent pressing process after forming in the suction mold. This pressing process additionally compacts and strengthens the material of the handle in the region of the recess and / or outer edge.

[0023] In some embodiments, the molded fiber component that forms the handle may have a mixture of long fibers, short fibers, and microfibers. Long fibers with a length greater than 1.5 mm provide considerable stability to the handle. Short fibers of 0.5-1.5 mm fill the spaces between the long fibers. Microfibers with a length of 20-70 μm fill the holes between the short fibers. These fiber lengths are suitable for handles made from conventional cellulose fibers. When hemp fibers are used, the long fibers may have a length of 2.5 mm, and the short fibers may have a length of 1-2.5 mm. When hemp fibers are used, the microfibrils also preferably have a length of less than 100 μm.

[0024] In some embodiments, the molded fiber component can be coated with at least one coating. Coatings with at least one lipid (e.g., linseed oil), wax (e.g., beeswax and carnauba wax) and / or alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) provide water resistance to the molded fiber component. Silicate coatings, i.e., coatings with silica gel (silicon dioxide - SiO2), provide increased stability to the molded fiber component. Preferably, the molded fiber component receives a primer of carnauba wax, making it dimensionally stable even at high temperatures. The second coating comprises lipids and silicon dioxide. This improves moisture resistance on the one hand and mechanical stability on the other.

[0025] The adapter member may comprise in a known manner a latching arrangement for releasably connecting the razor head so that the razor head can be replaced when the razor blade becomes dull.

[0026] The razor head generally comprises an injection-molded support element to which the razor blade is attached. In some embodiments, the support element may also be made of a biodegradable thermoplastic, such as the starch-based thermoplastic described above.

[0027] A suction mold with a plurality of rib-like elongated protrusions is used to manufacture the handle of the above-mentioned razor. The suction mold is immersed in the pulp and the pulp is sucked through the openings in the surface of the rib-like protrusions. The surface of the rib-like protrusions can be sieve-like and grid-like, or can be made of a porous material so as to have a plurality of evenly distributed openings through which water in the pulp can be sucked out. Fibers from the pulp are deposited on the surface of the rib-like protrusions so that a molded fiber part is formed on each rib-like protrusion, which forms the handle of the razor. Multiple handles are formed in a single manufacturing step. Each rib-like protrusion can have a transverse depression along its length, in which the transverse reinforcing ribs of the molded fiber part are deposited.

[0028] In certain embodiments, a transfer mold with a cavity complementary to the rib-shaped protrusion can be used to remove the molded fiber component from the rib-shaped member. The transfer mold is pressed against the suction mold so that the rib-shaped protrusion with the fiber casting formed thereon is located in the relevant cavity of the transfer mold. The surface of the cavity of the transfer mold also has an opening, through which negative pressure can be generated in the cavity. When the transfer mold is pressed onto the suction mold, water is pressed out of the fiber mold body. More water is sucked out through the opening of the transfer mold. The fiber molded product is therefore dehydrated and stabilized. The transfer mold can be used to take out the fiber casting from the suction mold and transport it to another processing station. The other processing station can, for example, include a drying oven in which the molded fiber component is dried by heating. In addition, the molded fiber component can be supplied to a coating station, in which they are coated. If the outer surface needs to be coated, the molded fiber component can be coated in the suction mold or taken out from the transfer mold before coating. Finally, they can be fed to a stamping die, where the fiber casting is stamped into its final shape. They can also be fed to a pressing die, where the part is pressed, thereby further hardening and dehydrating. It should be noted that the order of the processing steps can be changed. For example, the molded fiber part can also be coated after stamping. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Further practical embodiments and advantages of the device described herein and its production process are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 A three-dimensional exploded view of one embodiment of a razor is shown viewed from above.

[0031] Figure 2 Shown from above Figure 1 3D view of a razor handle.

[0032] Figure 3 Shown from below Figure 2 A 3D view of the handle.

[0033] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 A longitudinal section of the handle.

[0034] Figure 5 Shows Figure 2 Top view of the handle.

[0035] Figure 6 Shows the handle according to Figure 5 Cross-sectional view along section line VI-VI.

[0036] Figure 7 Shown for manufacturing Figure 2-6 3D view of the suction mold of the handle.

[0037] Figure 8 Shown for manufacturing Figure 2-6 3D view of the transfer mold of the handle.

[0038] Fig. 9 A three-dimensional view of a second embodiment of a handle is shown, viewed from below.

[0039] Fig.10 Shows Fig. 9 Bottom view of the handle.

[0040] Fig.11 A three-dimensional view of a third embodiment of a handle is shown, viewed from below.

[0041] Fig.12 Shows Fig.11 Bottom view of the handle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The razor shown in the drawings comprises a handle 1 formed of a moulding made of moulded fibre, an injection moulded adapter piece 2 and a razor head 3. The razor head 3 comprises a support element made of injection moulded thermoplastic to which a razor blade is attached. The razor blade is located on the underside of the razor head 3, which is Figure 1 The adapter member 2 is also made of injection-molded thermoplastic. It has latching means 4, which cooperate in a known manner with complementary latching means 5 on the razor head 3. The latching means 4 form an attachment portion for the razor head 3. The razor head 3 is pivotably fixed to the adapter member 2 by means of the latching means 4, 5.

[0043] In the case of a disposable razor, the adapter member 2 can be directly and optionally rigidly connected to the razor head 3 .

[0044] The adapter part 2 has a hollow receptacle 6 on its side opposite the locking device 4, which is essentially in the form of an open tube section. The insertion part 7 is inserted through the free open end of the hollow receptacle 6 at one end of the handle 1. The hollow receptacle 6 has a transparent cross section that essentially corresponds to the cross section of the insertion part 7 of the handle 1. On the upper side, the hollow receptacle 6 has a window-like opening 8.

[0045] from Figure 3 As can be seen in the figure, the handle 1 made of molded fiber comprises a closed and curved upper surface, which has a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section. The shape of the wall of the handle can be particularly Figure 6 Seen in.

[0046] It therefore comprises a hollow body open on one side, the open side of the hollow body being located at the bottom. The substantially U-shaped elongated hollow body may be traversed by several spaced-apart reinforcing ribs 9, 10, 11, which give the handle 1 the required stability.

[0047] The insert portion 7 of the handle 1 is also hollow to provide it with a degree of flexibility and to enable it to be reliably manufactured using a fiber molding process. It has a cavity 13 extending upwardly from the bottom, such as Figure 4 shown.

[0048] On its upper side, the handle 1 has a circular recess 15 near the insertion part 7, which marks the point on which the user preferably applies pressure in order to achieve an optimal pressing of the blades of the razor head 3 against the skin. In addition, the handle 1 has two curved outer edges 16, 17 on its upper side. The circular recess 15 and the outer edges 16, 17 can already be formed in the suction mold or can be embossed into the surface of the handle 1 during a later pressing process. Embossing has the advantage that the material of the handle 1 is additionally compacted and strengthened. The outer edges 16, 17 provide an increased gripping effect for the surface of the handle 1. The width of the handle 1 increases from its end close to the adapter member 2 to its free end. As a result, the handle 1 obtains the required stability and is comfortable to handle.

[0049] The handle 1 is formed in a fiber molding process by dipping a suction mold 18 into a basin with paper pulp, the surface of the suction mold 18 being formed complementarily to the underside of the handle 1 . Figure 7 The suction mold 18 shown has ten rib-like protrusions 19 parallel to each other, and the surface of each protrusion 19 is in contact with the handle 1 at the bottom. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The side faces facing downwards are formed complementarily. In this way, ten handles 1 can be manufactured simultaneously with the suction mold 18. It can be seen that each rib-shaped protrusion 19 of the suction mold 18 has three transversely extending recesses 20, 21 and 22. Figure 7 Only the recesses 20-22 of the rib-like projection 19 extending along the right edge of the suction mold 18 are provided with reference numerals. Fibrous material is deposited in the recesses 20-22 during the suction of the pulp, which forms the reinforcing ribs 9, 10, 11 of the handle 1. The last reinforcing rib 12 is deposited on the axial end face of the rib-like projection 19.

[0050] When a fiber layer of sufficient thickness has been deposited by suction on the rib-like protrusions 19 of the suction mold 18 for a suitable period of time, the suction mold 18 is removed from the pulp. The suctioned fiber material can now be pressed and compacted. Figure 8In the figure, a transfer mold 23 can be seen, which has a cavity 24 complementary to the rib-like protrusion 19 of the suction mold 18. The transfer mold 23 is pressed against the fiber casting deposited on the rib-like protrusion 19 of the suction mold 18, thereby causing dehydration. In addition, the transfer mold 23 also includes a suction channel, which leads to an opening in the surface of the cavity 24 and allows the fiber casting to be sucked into the transfer mold 23 to further dehydrate and remove them from the suction mold 18. The transfer mold 23, together with the molded fiber parts received therein, can be conveyed through a drying oven, where the molded fiber parts are dried. Preferably, the molded fiber parts can be coated before drying.

[0051] As described above, the coating preferably has wax, lipid and glue, such as alkyl ketene dimer. These ingredients increase mechanical strength and water resistance. Additional silicone coatings can be applied to provide the strength required for use as a razor handle. In some embodiments, a primer of carnauba wax is preferably applied as the first coating. Carnauba wax has a high melting temperature and imparts the required hardness to the molded fiber component. In the second coating, the molded fiber component can be coated with lipid to increase water resistance. As described above, silicone can be included in the second coating, which increases water resistance and dimensional strength.

[0052] Further processing steps for the molded fiber components may include punching and embossing. A punching tool may be used to cut the molded fiber portion to shape to provide, for example, Figures 1 to 6 The uniform shape of the handle 1 is shown. The circular recess 15 and the outer edges 16, 17 can be punched into the surface of the handle 1 using an additional punching tool.

[0053] As an alternative, two molds similar to molds 18 and 23 can be used to produce the handle using a pulp compression molding process. Pulp compression molding uses pulp slurry instead of liquefied pulp to form the parts. A given amount of pasty pulp slurry is provided to the cavity of a negative or female mold, which may have a shape similar to that of a mold. Figure 8 The shape of the mold 23 in the embodiment may be similar to Figure 7 A positive or male mold in the shape of the mold 18 in the embodiment of the present invention is aligned with the female mold and pressed against the female mold, and the pulp slurry is compressed and evenly distributed throughout the cavity of the female mold. When the compression process is completed, a thin space is formed between the cavity surface of the female mold and the protruding surface of the male mold, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the handle to be formed. The water is pressed out of the pulp slurry, and the resulting molded fiber part can be dried for use as a handle. The resulting molded fiber part can be coated. Alternatively, before the compression step, additives that will help to obtain the rigidity and physical properties required for the molded fiber part for use as a razor handle can be added to the pulp slurry.

[0054] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 A second embodiment of a razor handle 1' is shown. Similar to the first embodiment, the handle 1' consists of an elongated shell or hollow body with a U-shaped cross section, which is open on one side and Fig. 9 The bottom side is the middle side. Four spaced-apart reinforcing ribs 9', 10', 11' and 12' are evenly distributed over the length of the handle 1'. Compared with the ribs 9, 10, 11, 12 of the first embodiment, the reinforcing ribs 9', 10', 11' and 12' of the handle 1' do not completely fill the U-shaped cross section of the handle 1', but have a height that is significantly less than the height of the handle 1'. The transverse reinforcing ribs 9', 10', 11' and 12' extend from the inner surface or lower surface ( Fig. 9 ) and follow the U-shape of this inner surface. The reinforcing ribs 9', 10', 11' and 12' extend about 1 or 2 mm into the cavity formed by the open elongated hollow body of the handle 1'. These reinforcing ribs 9', 10', 11' and 12' strengthen the structure of the handle 1' and avoid surface contact of two handles 1' nested in each other, for example during drying or coating.

[0055] Fig.11 and Fig.12 A third embodiment of a razor handle 1 '' is shown. Again, the handle 1 '' has an elongated shell or hollow body having a U-shaped cross section, which is open on one side and Fig.11 The handle 1 '' has five evenly spaced reinforcing ribs 9'', 10'', 11'', 12'', 14 and a longitudinal rib 25 extending in the longitudinal symmetry plane of the handle 1 ''. The longitudinal rib 25 reduces the risk of the handle 1 '' buckling when the razor head fixed to its end is firmly pressed against the skin. At the intersection, the reinforcing ribs 9'', 10'', 11'', 12'', 14 merge into the longitudinal rib 25. The shell-like hollow body of the razor handle 1 '' is divided into 10 small compartments open at the bottom. The rib-like protrusions on the mold for making the handle 1 '' must have corresponding gaps or grooves for forming these ribs. Due to these gaps or grooves, the molded fiber part forming the handle 1 '' may adhere to the mold. It may be helpful to apply pressurized air to the mold, which flows through the porous walls of the rib-like protrusions and blows the molded fiber parts away from the mold.

[0056] The features of the device disclosed in the present description, in the drawings and in the claims may be essential, alone and in any combination, for realizing the device in its various embodiments. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments. It may vary within the scope of the claims and with due regard to the knowledge of a person skilled in the art.

[0057] Reference numerals list

[0058] 1 handle

[0059] 2 Adapter piece

[0060] 3 razor heads

[0061] 4 Latching device, attachment part of adapter

[0062] 5Latch device for razor head

[0063] 6Hollow receiving part

[0064] 7, 7', 7'' Insertion

[0065] 8 Opening

[0066] 9, 9', 9'' reinforcement ribs

[0067] 10, 10', 10'' reinforcement ribs

[0068] 11, 11', 11'' Reinforcement ribs

[0069] 12, 12', 12'' Reinforcement ribs

[0070] 13 Cavity

[0071] 14 Strengthening ribs

[0072] 15 round recess

[0073] 16 Outer Rim

[0074] 17 Outer Rim

[0075] 18 Suction mold

[0076] 19 Rib-like protrusion

[0077] 20 lateral recess

[0078] 21 lateral concave portion

[0079] 22 lateral recess

[0080] 23 Transfer mold

[0081] 24 Cavity

[0082] 25 longitudinal ribs

Claims

1. A shaving device comprising a handle (1, 1', 1'') to which is attached a razor head (3) carrying at least one razor blade, characterized in that The handle (1, 1', 1") is a molded fiber component having an elongated hollow body open on one side.

2. The shaving apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that The handle (1, 1', 1'') comprises at least one of the following: - a reinforcing element arranged in an elongated hollow body forming the opening of the handle (1, 1', 1'); - Multiple reinforcing ribs (9-12; 9'-12'; 9''-12'', 14), said plurality of reinforcing ribs being spaced apart from one another and traversing said elongated hollow body of said handle (1, 1', 1'') in said transverse direction; - reinforcing ribs (9-12; 9''-12'', 14) which completely fill the U-shaped cross section of the elongated hollow body of the handle (1, 1''); - reinforcing ribs (9'-12'), the height of the reinforcing ribs (9'-12') being significantly smaller than the height of the handle (1'); - at least one longitudinal rib (25) located in the elongated hollow body of the handle (1 '').

3. The shaving device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The razor head (3) is attached to the adapter member (2).

4. A shaving apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The handle (1) has at least one of the following on its upper side: - a circular recess (15) adjacent to the insertion portion (7) at one end of the handle (1); - At least one and preferably two curved outer edges (16, 17).

5. The shaving apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that The circular recess (15) and / or the curved outer edges (16, 17) are formed in the suction mould.

6. The shaving apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that The circular recess (15) and / or the curved outer edges (16, 17) are impressed into the surface of the handle (1) during a subsequent pressing operation after being formed in the suction mold, and the material of the handle (1) is additionally compacted and solidified in the region of the recess (15) and / or the outer edges (16, 17).

7. A shaving apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The molded fiber portion includes a mixture of long fibers, short fibers and micro fibers.

8. The shaving apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that The molded fiber portion forming the handle (1) has at least one of the following characteristics: - It has a mixture of long, short and microfibers; - long fibers have a length of more than 1.5 mm and give considerable stability to the handle; - Short fibers have a length of 0.5-1.5 mm and fill the spaces between long fibers; - Microfibers have a length of 20-70 μm and fill the pores between the short fibers; - The fiber blend has a mixture of hemp fibers, wherein the long fibers have a length of 2.5 mm, the short fibers have a length of 1-2.5 mm, and the microfibers have a length of less than 100 μm.

9. A shaving apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The molded fiber component is coated with at least one coating.

10. The shaving apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that The coating comprises at least one of the following components: - wax; - lipids; - Alkyl ketene dimer (AKD); - SiO2.

11. The shaving apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that The handle is first coated with a primer of carnauba wax and then with an additional coating comprising lipids and SiO2.

12. A shaving apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The adapter member (2) has a latching device (4) to which the razor head (3) is releasably connected.

13. A shaving apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The razor head (3) comprises a support element made of biodegradable thermoplastic, to which the at least one razor blade is attached.

14. A method for manufacturing a razor handle (1, 1', 1''), characterized in that: A suction mold (18) having a plurality of rib-like protrusions (19) is dipped into paper pulp and the paper pulp is sucked through openings in the surface of the rib-like protrusions (19) so that a fiber casting molding is deposited on each rib-like protrusion (19) to form a handle (1) for a razor.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that A transfer mold (23) having a cavity (24) complementary to the rib-like protrusion (19) is pressed against a molded fiber component formed on the rib-like protrusion (19), and negative pressure is applied to an opening in the surface of the cavity (24), so that the molded fiber component is removed from the suction mold (18) together with the transfer mold (23).

16. A method for manufacturing a razor handle (1, 1', 1''), characterized in that: A pulp slurry is applied between a first mold (18) having a plurality of rib-like protrusions (19) and a second mold (23) having cavities (24) complementary to the rib-like protrusions (19), and the first mold (18) and the second mold (23) are pressed against each other so that a molded fiber portion is formed on each rib-like protrusion (19) to form a handle (1, 1', 1'') of a razor.

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