US-12623365-B2 - Razor cartridge with one or more skin support elements

US12623365B2US 12623365 B2US12623365 B2US 12623365B2US-12623365-B2

Abstract

A razor cartridge including a housing; a trailing blade assembly mounted to the housing and including a trailing blade with a blade tip; a leading blade assembly mounted to the housing in front of the trailing blade assembly and including a leading blade with a blade tip; and a skin support element affixed to the leading blade assembly and extending towards the blade tip of the trailing blade assembly. A horizontal length of the skin support element may be greater than a distance from a trailing part of the skin support element to the blade tip of the trailing blade assembly.

Inventors

Oliver Heinz Claus
Vincent Paul Walker, JR.
Regan Marie Fiascone

Assignees

THE GILLETTE COMPANY LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240529

Claims (14)

1 . A razor cartridge comprising: a housing; a trailing blade assembly mounted to the housing, the trailing blade assembly comprising a trailing blade with a blade tip; a leading blade assembly mounted to the housing in front of the trailing blade assembly, the leading blade assembly comprising a leading blade with a blade tip; and a skin support element having a leading section affixed to the leading blade assembly, an intermediate section, and a trailing section, the skin support element extending towards the blade tip of the trailing blade assembly, wherein a first length defined between the leading section and the trailing section of the skin support element is greater than a distance from the trailing section of the skin support element to the blade tip of the trailing blade.
2 . The razor cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the distance from the trailing section of the skin support element to the blade tip of the trailing blade is 0.25 mm to 0.60 mm.
3 . The razor cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the leading section of the skin support element is affixed to the leading blade.
4 . The razor cartridge of claim 3 , wherein the leading blade assembly further comprises a leading blade support member, the leading blade is coupled to the leading blade support member, and the skin support element extending past the leading blade support member.
5 . The razor cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the leading blade assembly further comprises a leading blade support member, the leading section of the skin support element being affixed to the leading blade support member.
6 . The razor cartridge of claim 1 , wherein an interblade span is defined between the blade tip of the leading blade and the blade tip of the trailing blade.
7 . The razor cartridge of claim 6 , wherein the interblade span is between 2.0 mm and 5.0 mm.
8 . The razor cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the leading section comprises a leading edge and extends from the leading edge in a direction toward the blade tip of the leading blade and is connected to the intermediate section via a curved connecting section such that the intermediate section extends in a direction away from the blade tip of the leading blade.
9 . The razor cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate section is generally planar.
10 . The razor cartridge of claim 1 , wherein: the leading blade comprises a second length defined between the blade tip and a blade rear edge, the first length being greater than the second length.
11 . The razor cartridge of claim 1 , wherein: a blade plane is defined between the blade tips of the leading and trailing blades; and at least a portion of the intermediate section extends substantially parallel to the blade plane.
12 . The razor cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the intermediate section comprises one or more curved portions and the trailing section comprises a trailing edge that is closer to the blade plane than a leading edge of the leading section.
13 . The razor cartridge of claim 12 , further comprising a lubrication member located within a curved portion of the intermediate section.
14 . The razor cartridge of claim 1 , wherein: a blade plane is defined between the blade tips of the leading and trailing blades; and at least a portion of the intermediate section is extends beyond the blade plane.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisional of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/907,987, filed on Jun. 22, 2020, which is now U.S. Pat. No. 12,023,821, which claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119(e), to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 62/864,734, filed on Jun. 21, 2019, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention generally relates to shaving razors and more particularly to shaving razor cartridges having a skin support element disposed between the blades. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In general, shaving razors of the wet shave type include a cartridge or blade unit with at least one blade with a cutting edge, which is moved across the surface of the skin being shaved by means of a handle to which the cartridge is attached. The cartridge may be mounted detachably on the handle to enable the cartridge to be replaced by a fresh cartridge when the blade sharpness has diminished to an unsatisfactory level, or it may be attached permanently to the handle with the intention that the entire razor be discarded when the blade or blades have become dulled (i.e., disposable razor). The connection of the cartridge to the handle provides a pivotal mounting of the cartridge with respect to the handle so that the cartridge angle adjusts to follow the contours of the surface being shaved. In such systems, the cartridge can be biased toward a rest position by the action of a spring-biased plunger (a cam follower) carried on the handle against a cam surface on the cartridge housing. Razor cartridges usually include a guard that contacts the skin in front of the blade(s) and a cap for contacting the skin behind the blade(s) during shaving. The cap and the guard aid in establishing the so-called “shaving geometry”, i.e., the parameters which determine the blade orientation and position relative to the skin during shaving, which in turn have a strong influence on the shaving performance and efficacy of the razor. The cap and the guard may aid in establishing the exposure of the blades. The blade exposure is defined to be the perpendicular distance or height of the blade edge measured with respect to a plane tangential to the skin contacting surfaces of the blade unit elements next in front of and next behind the edge. Therefore, for a three-bladed blade unit, the exposure of the first or primary blade is measured with reference to a plane tangential to the guard and the edge of the second blade, and the exposure of the third or tertiary blade is measured with reference to a plane tangential to the edge of the second blade and the cap. Safety razors having cartridges with several blades have in recent years been sold in very large numbers and are generally acknowledged to give a better quality of shave, especially in terms of closeness, than single bladed razors. A blade unit having many blades can produce a closer shave than a similar blade unit with only one or two blades. However, closeness of shave obtained is only one parameter by which razor users judge the performance of a razor. Comfort is another important characteristic to consider. For example, many consumers describe themselves as having sensitive skin, which is prone to nicks, cuts and irritation. Discomfort during a shave, often described by shavers as a “pull & tug” sensation, is caused by the nerves around the follicle being stimulated. This nerve stimulation can happen by moving the hairs, pulling and/or cutting the hairs, and by dragging the razor cartridge over the surface of the skin. Additionally, many consumers suffer from acne and/or pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) that make shaving uncomfortable. PFB or shaving bumps is a foreign body inflammatory reaction involving papules and pustules. It is a common dermatologic condition principally affecting adult men who have naturally coarse or tightly curling hair, particularly those who shave closely on a regular basis. The leading edge of closely cropped facial hair re-entering the epidermis of the skin or transecting the wall of the hair follicle results in localized inflammatory reactions over the affected site. The process can lead to secondary skin infections and, in severe cases, permanent scarring. Accordingly, what is needed is a shaving razor cartridge that provides a more comfortable shave and/or decreases skin issues caused by shaving the face and body (e.g., PFB, irritation, redness, razor bumps, ingrown hairs, acne, etc.). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a razor cartridge is provided that includes a housing; a trailing blade assembly mounted to the housing, the trailing blade assembly including a trailing blade with a blade tip; a leading blade assembly mounted to the housing in front of the trailing blade assembly, the leading blade assembly including a leading blade with a blade tip; and a sk