DEVICE FOR TREATING BLADES TO IMPROVE THEIR CUTTING PROPERTIES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to non-electric shaving razors, and more particularly a device for treating the blades of such shaving razors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are known devices for sharpening the blades of non-electric shaving razors (such as permanent or disposable manual safety razors) in order to improve their cutting properties and so prolong their operational lifespan. Certain of these devices use sophisticated mechanical or electronic components and mechanisms that abrade a razor blade (or blades) in order to make it sharp again. Typical examples of such devices are shown in U.S. patents No. 1 ,540,078, No. 1 ,588,322, No. 2,289,062, No. 2,458,257, No. 3,854,251 , No. 3,875,702, No. 5,036,731 , No. 5,224,302, No. 6,062,970, No. 6,506,106, and No. 6,969,299, as well as in PCT Patent Publication WO 2006/053189-A1 and British Patent Publication No. GB-332130.

These devices overlook the particular characteristics and mechanical properties of a razor blade (such as its ductility and malleability), as well as plastic deformation(s) that can occur along the limits of the cutting edges of these blades (i.e., in an area typically within three (3) microns of the blade's cutting edge). In particular, the round-shaped rims of the microscopic cutting edges that perform the cutting action define radii of no more than 0.00005 mm (0.000002"). However, these micro-fine edges are, in fact, considerably smaller than the average size of the abrading grit considered or used by many known sharpening devices, namely an average size of about one (1 ) micron, or approximately 0.001 mm (0.00005"). Accordingly, abrasive grit is not well suited to bring a dulled blade back to its original condition due to its grain size as the destructive abrading action between the blade and the grit may create micro-indentations along the cutting edge of a razor blade that promotes plastic flow toward the hidden side of the edges, and which consequently compromises the shaving comfort of a user.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a device for use on non-electric shaving razors for treating the blades of these razors in order to improve their cutting properties. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a treatment device for improving the cutting properties of the blade of a non-electric razor. The device has a treatment surface for interacting with the cutting edge of the razor blade, as the blade is put into sliding contact with the treatment surface. The treatment surface has a plurality of resilient honing projections. Optionally, the treatment surface includes an extension that is flat and glossy.

Another aspect of the invention described here also provides a method for treating a blade of a non-electric shaving razor to improve its cutting properties. The method includes providing a treatment surface including a plurality of resilient projections and moving the blade and the treatment surface one relative to the other in a sliding contact such that the cutting edge of the blade is in a sliding contact with the resilient projections. During the sliding contact the manual razor is pressed against the treatment surface such that the cutting edge compresses the projections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A detailed description of examples of implementation of the present invention is provided hereinbelow with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a razor blade treatment device that is in accordance with a non- limiting example of implementation of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section view along lines 2-2 in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a cross-section view along lines 3-3 in Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a cross-section view along lines 4-4 in Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-section view of the razor blade treatment device in Figure 3, illustrating the structure of honing projections located on the razor blade treatment surface;

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-section view of the razor treatment device in Figure 4, illustrating the structure of a stropping pad on the razor blade treatment surface;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a first variant of the device illustrated in Figure 1 with honing projections that follow substantially straight lines; Figure 8 is a top plan view of a second variant of the device illustrated in Figure 1 with honing projections that follow generally curved lines;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of a third variant of the device illustrated in Figure 1 with honing projections that follow generally curved lines whose orientation changes at certain points along the razor blade treatment surface;

Figure 10 is a top plan view of a fourth variant of the device illustrated in Figure 1 with honing projections that vary in density;

Figure 11 is a top plan view of an fifth variant of the device illustrated in Figure 1 with honing projections that vary in orientation;

Figure 12 is a top plan view of a sixth variant of the device illustrated in Figure 1 with honing projections that vary in width;

Figure 13 is a top plan view of a seventh variant of the device illustrated in Figure 1 with honing projections organized in islands that are spatially separated from one another;

Figure 14 is a top plan view of an eighth variant of the device illustrated in Figure 1 with honing projections organized in islands, as well as in substantially straight lines;

Figure 15 is a top plan view of a ninth variant of the device illustrated in Figure 1 with honing projections in substantially straight lines whereby the arrangement of a subset of honing projections produces an arrow;

Figure 16 is a micrograph of the edge a new razor blade found in a manual razor;

Figure 17 is a micrograph of the razor blade illustrated in Figure 16 after a period of use;

Figure 18 is a micrograph of the razor blade illustrated in Figure 17 after being treated using the razor blade treatment device illustrated in Figure 1 ;

Figure 19 is a micrograph of the razor blade illustrated in figure 18 after an extended period of use and after being repeatedly treated using the razor blade treatment device illustrated in Figure 1 ;

Figure 20 is a perspective view of the razor blade treatment device illustrated in Figure 1 with a razor in a first position for performing a razor blade restoring operation; Figure 21 is a perspective view of the razor blade treatment device illustrated in Figure 1 with a razor in a second position for a razor blade restoring operation; and

Figure 22 is an enlarged cross-section view of the razor blade treatment device and razor illustrated in Figure 21 during a razor blade restoring operation illustrating the interaction between the honing projections and the razor blade surface.

In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for purposes of illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with the present invention and with reference to the appended drawings, a device is presented for treating the cutting blades of non-electric shaving razors, such as permanent manual safety razors and/or disposable manual safety razors, and which may collectively be referred to as "manual razors" hereafter. In particular, the device presented through an illustrative embodiment of the present invention provides a device for restoring the cutting blades of manual razors, regardless of the number of blades that such razors may be equipped with. An example of the usage of the device described here will also be presented to illustrate how this device may be used to restore the blades of a manual razor.

Figure 1 shows a razor blade treatment/restoration device D' that is enclosed within a case, which may include a lower section 12 and an optional upper section (not shown). The lower section 12 is comprised of a bottom wall 18 and a peripheral rim 20 and 20' extending vertically therefrom that defines an open-ended cavity 22 into which the features of this device are located. In a non-limiting example of implementation, the device D' that is enclosed in the lower section 12 is affixed to the bottom wall 18 and peripheral rim 20 in a permanent manner.

If the case includes the optional upper section, this section may be pivotally mounted to the lower section 12 using a hinge or similar hinged fastener along a common side.

The treatment device D' has a plate-like central recess 24 for receiving the blade(s) of a manual razor. This central recess is long enough to allow the manual razor head containing the blades to be moved along it in a forward motion hereafter referred to as a "restoration stroke" or "treatment stroke", which are synonymous terms for this action. As a result, the length and width of the central recess 24 are dimensioned in relation to accommodate such strokes from a manual razor.

The length of a restoration stroke applied on the surface of the treatment device D' could be several times the height of a blade within the manual razor head, although this length may vary depending on the dimensions of the head. In particular, the length of the central recess 24 is likely to be at least twice (i.e., two (2} times) the height of a blade within the manual razor head to allow a restoration stroke to be performed by a user. In addition, the width of this recess is also dimensioned to accommodate the width of the head of the manual razor, and is typically slightly wider to allow the razor head (and its encased blades) to slide along this area during the performance of a treatment stroke.

In a specific and non-limiting example of implementation, the length of the central recess 24 is about 4 inches and the general width of the central recess 24 is from about 2 1/8 inches to about 1 1/8 inches to accommodate a typical restoration stroke. However, these dimensions may vary without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In addition, the central recess 24 of the razor blade restoration device D' is bounded by an interior peripheral rim 28 and 28'. The walls of the peripheral rim 28 and 28' generally serve to orient the razor head, and more particularly the encased razor blades in the head, during use of the device D'. The placement of the rim 28 and 28' may help prevent the manual razor head from inadvertently breaking sliding contact with or otherwise leaving the central recess 24 while a restoration stroke is being performed. Furthermore, the distance between the opposed walls of the interior peripheral rim 28 and 28' may be reduced at certain points along the length of the central recess 24 such that the general orientation of the razor head becomes somewhat more constrained at the conclusion of a restoration stroke.

Through these components, the central area of the razor head (i.e., the portion of the head that encases the blades and is typically in physical contact with a person's skin during a shaving stroke) may be placed into, and remain in sliding contact with, the restoration surface of the device D' located within the central recess 24.

Material of the Treatment/Restoration Device D'

Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the treatment/restoration device D' that illustrates how certain interior portions of this device, such as the plate-like central recess 24 and a surface 26 upon which restoration strokes are performed, are made from a "resilient material". As used here, the term

"resilient material" refers to the ability of such a material to readily deform upon the application of pressure, as well as its ability to generally spring back to its original shape when such pressure is removed.

In contrast, certain non-interior portions of the treatment device D' (such as the bottom wall 18 and the peripheral rim 20 and 20') are made from a non-resilient material that may be different than the resilient material. Areas where the two types of materials meet may be joined using methods known in the art, such as overmolding or the use of chemical or mechanical bonds (e.g., fastening using a glue or epoxy), so that the device D' appears as a single unit.

In general, the resiliency of a prospective resilient material can be tested using a device such as a Shore Durometer and the results compared with a scale corresponding to the ASTM D2240 standard, which shows its relative hardness or resiliency. A Shore Durometer provides a dimensionless value ranging from 0 to 100 that is based on the penetration depth of a conical indentor in the material being tested. Higher Durometer results generally indicate decreasing resiliency and increasing hardness for a material when compared against one of the Shore scales provided by the ASTM D2240 standard, such as the Shore A or Shore 00 scales.

In accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the invention, certain polymeric materials may be considered as resilient materials for the treatment device D'. In a first non-limiting example, a material such as an elastomer (i.e., a class of materials that include a variety of elastic hydrocarbon polymers, such as natural or artificial rubber) can be used to create the treatment device D'. In a second non-limiting example, a similar synthetic or thermoplastic rubber such as Acrylic rubber, Butadine rubber, Butyl rubber, lsoprene rubber, Nitrile rubber, Polysulfide rubber, Silicone rubber, Styrene Butadine rubber and/or thermoplastic elastomeric rubber could be used to create the treatment device D'. Other resilient materials with similar elastomeric properties that could be used to create the treatment device D' include Cholorsulfonated Polyethlene (also known as Hypalon), Ethlene Propylene Diene Monomer, Fluoroelastomers (also known as Viton), Perfluoroelastomer and/or Polychloroprene (also known as Neoprene) among others, as well as any other man-made material.

Those skilled in the art will realize that the materials listed above that could be considered resilient materials comprise a non-exhaustive list, as other materials exist and which would fall within the scope of the invention. In particular, the Shore value indicating the resiliency of the resilient material used for the certain interior portions of the treatment device D' when measured using a Shore Durometer and the Shore A or 00 scale in the ASTM D2240 standard may be generally a value less than 70, more specifically a value less than 50, and yet more specifically a value less than 30. The values listed above should not be considered as factors limiting the scope of the invention, however.

Figure 2 shows that the restoration surface 26 lies generally parallel with the bottom wall 18 of the lower section 12. Although the structure of this component is discussed in more detail below, the surface 26 includes a first section 30 containing a plurality of resilient honing action projections 55 (hereafter referred to as "honing projections"), as well as a second section 38 that does not contain these projections.

Typically, the restoration device D' may be formed entirely from one of the resilient materiai(s) mentioned previously, such as a natural or man-made rubber. Alternatively, only the surface 26 (or some part thereof, such as the first section 30) may be comprised of the resilient material (e.g., thermoplastic elastomeric rubber), while the remainder of the device D' may be comprised of a different material, such as a different type of rubber or another elastomer (e.g., Neoprene). For example, the surface 26 may be formed from the resilient material as a first piece, which is then attached to a base piece that is made of a material much more rigid than the first piece.

In another alternative embodiment, only the honing projections 55 in the first section 30 may be made from the resilient material (e.g., thermoplastic elastomeric rubber), while the rest of the surface 26 and/or device D' is made of a different material. For example, the honing projections 55 may be individually formed from the resilient material, which are then deposited upon and attached to the surface 26 that is made of a different material (e.g., rigid plastic) through certain physical or chemical means implemented during the manufacture of the device D' and which is known in the art.

Surface Stucture

The surface 26 of the restoration device D' is comprised of the first section 30 and the second section 38, which may be generally adjacent to each other. In particular, the surface 26 typically includes:

1. a first honing section 30 that contains a plurality of the honing projections 55, cross-sections of which are illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, respectively; and

2. a second section 38 that defines a stropping pad or surface, cross-sections of which are illustrated in Figures 4 and 6, respectively. The second section is generally adjacent to the first section 30, but is substantially flat and smooth and does not contain the honing projections 55.

This arrangement of the sections 30 and 38 allow the razor head (and in particular, the encased blades within the razor head) to first sweep the honing projections 55 contained within the first section 30, which hones the razor blades, and then subsequently sweep the complementary flat and smooth surface of the stropping pad within the second section 38 that in turn strops the razor blades during a restoration stroke.

During the first part of the restoration stroke, the razor blade(s) sweeps the honing projections 55, which provide a discontinuous contact surface with the blade edge. As can be seen from Figure 1 , the honing projections 55 may comprise of a set of projections wherein each resilient projection within the set has a generally linear configuration. Such a linear configuration typically results in each projection of the honing projections 55 including at least one segment that is in the form of a straight line or a curve.

The discontinuous contact surface provided by the honing projections 55 is characterized by a "density" of honing projections that generally refers to the number of honing projections that can make physical contact mainly with the beveled segment of the blades that are adjacent to the cutting edge of each razor blade. In a non-limiting example, the cutting edge of each blade makes contact with between one (1) and five (5) honing projections per lineal millimeter of blade edge, more particularly with between two (2) and four (4) honing projections per lineal millimeter, and even more specifically makes contact with three (3) honing projections per lineal millimeter, when measured along a cross-section of the area of the first section 30.

Figure 5 shows that each resilient projection within the honing projections 55 is comprised of a base portion 32 and a tip portion 34. For simplicity, these components will be respectively referred to as simply "the base" and "the tip" hereafter. The tip 34 of each honing projection is at the same height as the flat and smooth surface of the second section 38 (shown in Figure 6) in order that the two components of the surface 26 may be level with each other. Thus, a razor blade moving along the surface 26 during a restoration stroke can pass from the first section 30 to the second section 38 in a flat transition to avoid any wrapping effect being applied to the cutting lines of the blades.

In contrast, the base 32 of each resilient projection within the honing projections 55 lies at a depth which is below that of the surface 26. The difference between the tip 34 (which lies flush with the surface 26) and the base 32 (which lies below the surface 26) defines the height (or depth) of a projection. Typically, the height (or depth) of the honing projections 55 may be generally less than 1.0 mm high, more specifically less than 0.7 mm high, even more specifically less than 0.5 mm high, yet more specifically 0.3 mm high and as yet more specifically less than 0.2 mm high.

In addition, the depth between the base 32 and the tip 34 allows a small amount of shaving cream or other lubrication to collect between adjacent resilient projections at a level generally below that of the surface 26. When a razor blade passes over the honing projections 55 during a treatment stroke, the slight pressure resulting from the sliding contact between the blade and adjacent resilient projections may cause some of the lubricant to be forced up from the base 32 to the tip 34, thus lubricating the resilient projection for subsequent restoration strokes. The shape of the resilient material between the base 32 and the tip 34 determines the general cross- sectional shape of the resilient projections within the honing projections 55, which in this case are shaped as generally risen extensions with concave sides. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of cross-sectional shapes for these projections are possible, such as semi-sinusoidal, triangular and/or laminar shapes, among others.

In contrast, the shape of the honing projections 55 themselves along the first section 30 may include segments that are generally linear (i.e., follow a straight line), curved (i.e., follow an arc or wave) and may also include discrete lands and/or interspersed sections. Certain of these are described in more detail below.

1. Straight Lines

The honing projections 55 may be linear and include segments that follow substantially straight lines. In such a case, linear honing projections may have the same orientation along their entire length, or experience changes in their orientation at certain points. For example, Figure 1 shows an instance of the honing projections 55 organized within a first section 36a and a second section 36b, wherein each resilient projection within these sections follows the same 45° orientation along their length. As a result, a right angle is formed where the resilient projections of the first section 36a meet the resilient projections of the second section 36b, which results in the honing projections 55 generating a distinctive chevron-like pattern in the first section 30.

Figure 7 shows a similar embodiment, where the first section 30 includes multiple instances of the first and second sections 36a and 36b. Because the 45° orientation of the honing projections 55 changes several times at certain common inflection points, the honing projections generate a pattern with multiple chevrons along the first section 30 of the surface 26.

In contrast, Figure 11 shows an alternative embodiment whereby the orientation of the honing projections 55 includes straight-line segments set at a variety of angles. Although the honing projections 55 in this embodiment do include straight-line segments, their orientation is likely at angles other than 45° and the distinctive chevron pattern seen in Figures 1 and 7 is absent.

In addition, it may be possible for certain projections that include segments with substantially straight lines in the honing projections 55 to intersect other projections with segments that are not straight, such as projections with segments that follow curved lines, which are discussed below.

2. Curved Lines

The honing projections 55 may also include linear projections that include segments that follow generally curved lines. The term "generally curved" refers to a certain segment or portion of the projection that follows an arc. Like linear honing projections, projections that follow curved lines may follow substantially the same arc or experience changes in their orientation at certain inflection points.

For example, Figure 8 shows an instance of the honing projections 55 organized within a first section 36a and a second section 36b, where each projection within these sections follows the same general orientation. In contrast, Figure 9 shows an instance of the honing projections 55 whereby the arc of each projection changes at certain common inflection points, resulting in a wave-like pattern being formed across the first section 30 of the surface 26. In addition, it may be possible for certain projections that include segments that follow curved lines in the honing projections 55 to meet or intersect other projections that include segments that follow curved or straight lines.

3. Discrete Lands

In addition, the honing projections 55 may also be comprised in discrete lands. In this case, the projections may be organized in the form of circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, hexagons or other polygonal shapes.

4. Interspersed sections

Alternatively, the sections 30 and 38 may be merged by interspersing areas containing the honing projections 55 with other areas that are flat and free of these projections. In a specific arrangement, the instances of the first section 30 containing the honing projections 55 may be alternated with instances of the second section 38 that are free of these projections.

Arrangement of Honing Projections

The honing projections 55 in the treatment/restoration device D' may be organized within the first section 30 of the surface 26 in a variety of different arrangements, including uniform and non-uniform distribution of projections and/or an arrangement of projections that are structured within individual 'islands' that are adjacent to, or alternate with, these projections.

Regardless of the type of arrangement used or organize the honing projections 55, segments within each projection of the honing projections 55 extend somewhat obliquely in relation to the direction of movement of each razor blade along the surface 26 such that the movement of the blade along the honing projections 55 will bring the entirety of the cutting surface of the blade into sliding contact with the projections 55.

To illustrate this, consider a non-limiting example whereby the honing projections 55 contains a single resilient projection and the razor contains a single blade. Assume that the honing projections 55 are arranged in the chevron pattern shown in Figure 1 , whereby a certain portion of each resilient projection is oriented at a 45° angle relative to the general direction of travel of the razor. When the razor blade initially encounters the resilient projection, two points of contact occur where the blade and projection meet, namely at the extremity of the projection closest to the walls of the peripheral rim 28 and 28'.

As the razor is driven forward, the arrangement of the honing projections, and in particular, the somewhat oblique angle at which this projections are oriented to the razor's direction of travel, causes the contact points between the razor blade and the resilient projection to travel towards each other along the blade's edge. In particular, the 45° orientation of the resilient projection causes each contact point between the blade and the projection to travel from its respective extremities towards the center of the projection, meeting at the center of the projection, which likely corresponds to the central area of the blade. Thus, the entirety of the cutting surface of the razor blade is brought into sliding contact with the projection.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the movement of the contact point along the cutting edge of a razor blade described above is similar to the action that occurs during a pass of a sharpening steel or honing rod against the edge of a knife. Moreover, the density of the honing projections 55 within the first section 30 ensure that such a honing actions is applied multiple times to the cutting edge as the blade passes along this area. For example, an embodiment of the invention as described above, with a density of three (3) honing projections per lineal millimetre (as measured along a cross-section of the first section 30) could potentially deliver approximately 100 such honing passes to the cutting edge of a razor blade.

Figure 1 shows a non-limiting example of a uniform arrangement of the honing projections 55. As used here, the term "uniform arrangement" refers to the organization of the projections 55 in a similar fashion throughout the first section 30. With respect to this figure, it may be seen that the uniform arrangement of the honing projections 55 shown include the first and second portions 36a and 36b. Within each of these sections, the honing projections 55 extend substantially parallel with each other, and the resilient projections 55 within the first section 36a extend at a constant angle with respect to the resilient projections within the second section 36b.

Alternatively, Figure 10 shows an arrangement of the honing projections 55 with a variable (i.e., nonuniform) density. In a first non-limiting example, certain resilient projections are spaced farther apart from each other, although all of the honing projections 55 continue to remain generally parallel with each other. With reference to this figure, the honing projections 55 are organized into groups where the individual resilient projections within each group are deliberately spaced closer to or farther apart from each other.

Figure 12 shows a second non-limiting example, wherein the thickness (as defined by the vertical distance between the base 32 and the tip 34) of the honing projections 55 varies. With reference to this figure, certain resilient projections within the honing projections 55 are thicker (or thinner) than other projections, so as to create some variance in the amount of honing applied to the razor blade. It will be understood that that varying the thickness of the resilient projections within the honing projections 55 may be done concurrently with varying the spacing and/or the angle of orientation between segments within the resilient projections discussed previously.

In an alternative embodiment, the honing projections 55 may be organized in a non-uniform arrangement along the first section 30 of the surface 26. EExamples of such non-uniform arrangements may include groups of resilient projections that are organized to produce a particular shape or a particular spatial relationship.

In a non-limiting example, the honing projections 55 having a linear extent may be organized into separate 'islands' that are integrally formed with the flat and smooth surface of the second section 38 in order to form particular shapes, such as circles, honeycombs (i.e., hexagons) or other irregular shapes, such as those representing alphanumeric text, symbols or a graphic (e.g., an arrow or a corporate logo). In this example, aspects of the sections 30 and 38 of the surface 26 may be intermixed, such that each island of resilient projections contains and/or is bounded by areas or portions of the stropping pad or surface. As before, this configuration allows only the tip 34 of each of the honing projections 55 to come into contact with the cutting edge of a razor blade during a treatment stroke.

Figure 13 shows a non-limiting example of this alternative embodiment where the separation between islands is spatially oriented. With reference to this figure, it may be seen that circular islands of projections along the surface 26 occur within and are surrounded by the flat stropping pad that is normally associated with the second section 38. As a result, the cutting edges of a razor blade may be repeatedly honed and stropped as the razor travels along the surface 26 in this embodiment.

Figure 14 shows another non-limiting example of this alternative embodiment where the grouping is by the type of resilient projection. With reference to this figure, it may be seen that different types of resilient projections may be used in the honing projections 55 arranged along the surface 26. In this case, the honing projections 55 include generally adjacent areas that contain different types of projections. In this case, projections in certain areas follow generally straight lines that are arranged similarly to Figure 7, while the other areas contain circular islands of projections arranged similarly to Figure 13.

Usability Features of the Razor Blade Treatment/Restoration Device D'

The treatment/restoration device D' may include certain usability features, and in particular, features that apply and collect lubrication to or from the surface 26 and features that indicate the intended direction for a treatment stroke to a user.

1. Lubrication Application and Collection During a restoration stroke, the head of a manual razor (and more particularly, its enclosed blade(s)) can be used to apply lubrication (e.g., soapy water or shaving cream) along the surface 26. The application of such lubrication assists the user when performing restoration strokes by reducing the friction between the razor blade(s) and the surface 26 and may also sterilize this surface if the lubrication includes germicides or similar sterilizing ingredients.

Figure 1 shows a so-called "touchdown" area 80 that may be provided for the initial application of shaving cream or another lubricant to the surface of the central recess 24 prior to the restoration stroke(s) being performed. The provision of this area conveniently removes the need for a user to apply lubricant directly to the surface 26 and/or to the razor blades themselves.

The touchdown area 80 is generally located at (or is adjacent to) the terminal end of the lower section 12 that is adjacent to the first section 30. The area 80 may be integrally formed with the peripheral rims 20, 20', 28 and 28' such that it appears as a rounded lip or ramp that leads from a terminal edge of the device D' into the first section 30, such as illustrated in Figure 1. Alternatively, the touchdown area 80 may occupy the area between the terminal edge of the device D' and the boundary of the first section 30, such that it appears as a substantially flat area that is adjacent to the honing projections 55. Regardless of the configuration of the touchdown area 80, when the razor head is placed in physical contact with this area, the slight pressure applied by the head onto the resilient material can transfer some of the lubrication to the surface of the encased razor blades.

As treatment strokes are performed by the user, it is likely that the motion of the razor (and especially the razor head) will cause some of the lubrication to be transported from the touchdown area 80, along the honing projections 55 in the first section 30, and then to the flat and smooth area of the stropping pad or surface contained within the second section 38.

The collection area 90 is comprised of a recess in which lubrication may collect and be temporarily stored. The general shape of the collection area 90 resembles that of a razor head, which is typically rectangular. However, the dimensions of this recess may be somewhat larger and deeper than that defined by a razor head in order to prevent any used and/or excess lubrication transferred from the razor head to the collection area 90 from subsequently contacting the razor blades and/or head.

2. Direction of Restoration Stroke

As mentioned previously, the dimensions of the central recess 24 in which the surface 26 is located is designed to accommodate the razor head for the restoration stroke that is performed by a user. More specifically, a typical treatment stroke starts with the razor head and blade(s) being first placed in physical contact with the touchdown area 80 that are adjacent to the honing projections 55 in the first section 30, and then the razor head and razor blades are moved laterally along these projections in the general direction of the second section 38 such that the blade(s) travel generally transversely to and come into sliding contact with the honing projections 55. For convenience, a stroke indicator 40 may be provided to indicate the direction of the treatment stroke. The indicator 40 may include text, markings, symbols or other devices that show a user the direction in which their razor head should travel.

The stroke indicator 40 may be suitably integrated within the case and/or the surface 26, such as in the first section 30 or the second section 38. In a non-limiting example, the indicator 40 may appear as raised icons adjacent to (or integrated within) the touchdown zone 80. In this case, the icons for the stroke indicator 40 that provide an indication of the direction for a restoration stroke to a user may also indicate a substantially flat and empty area of the touchdown area 80 immediately adjacent to the first section 30 that could be used as the starting point for this stroke.

Alternatively, Figure 15 shows an arrow-shaped implementation of the stroke indicator 40 that is formed from an island of resilient projections in the honing projections 55 within the first section 30. This alternative implementation may be used if the size of the touchdown zone 80 is unable to incorporate the stroke indicator 40 in its entirety.

Method of Manufacture

The treatment/restoration device D' may be manufactured using an injection molding technique. In this case, a mold is first created for the treatment device D' containing the details for its various components, such as the surface 26, and more particularly, the honing projections 55. This mold is connected to an injection system that injects the resilient material into the mold. At the end of a certain injection period, the mold is opened and the treatment device D' is removed from the mold. It should be understood that this manufacturing technique may be used to produce the device D' comprised entirely of the resilient material.

Example of Use

With reference to Figures 16 to 22, the following non-limiting example is provided to show the general operation of the restoration device D' for restoring the blades of a non-electric shaving razor, and in this case, a manual shaving razor 100 with a razor head 110 containing two (2) razor blades, namely blades 115 and 117. Although the example presented here involves a non-electric shaving razor with two blades, this number of blades is chosen for illustrative purposes only and the same procedure could be performed with a shaving razor that contains a greater or lesser number of blades.

Assume that the shaving razor 100 was bought new and in this condition, the cutting edges of the blades 115 and 117 resemble that shown in the micrograph for Figure 16, which was captured from the cutting edge of a razor blade by a scanning electron microscope at 2,50OX magnification. This micrograph (as well as those in Figures 17 to 19) illustrates a fairly narrow zone along the cutting edge of the blade that is approximately three (3) microns in size that is in substantial contact with the skin during use and thus is mainly responsible for the perception of the closeness and comfort of the shave.

Assume that the razor 100 is used under normal shaving conditions over twelve (12) consecutive days and that the condition of these blade edges now resemble that shown in the micrograph for Figure 17, which was captured from the same razor blade using the same equipment and at the same magnification level as that used for Figure 16. From a comfort perspective, the razor 100 is unlikely to deliver what would be considered a satisfactory shave when the edges of the razor blades 115 and 117 are in this state.

The difference between the condition of the blade seen in Figures 16 and 17 over the twelve (12) days of use is likely due to the cutting edge of the razor blade being exposed to mechanical stresses that affect the very tip of its cutting edge. These stresses occur because, from the perspective of the cutting edge of the razor blade, the act of shaving involves the convergence of two distinct forces acting on its cutting edge, namely a "cutting force" and a "pulling force". The cutting force is the pushing force exerted by the cutting edges of the razor blades when these come into contact with, and subsequently penetrate the facial or body hairs in order to slice through them. In contrast, the pulling force comes from the resistance of the facial or body hair being shaved (and/or their associated roots or whiskers), which is ostensibly superior to the cutting force.

During shaving, these forces combine upon the cutting edge of the razor blade and create stresses that cause plastic and elastic deformations at its tip, which is very thin. In particular, as the narrow cutting edge(s) of the blade penetrate the facial or body hair, the repetitive shaving strokes gradually bend the tip of the cutting edge downwards toward the skin. As a result, the cutting edge develops microscopically misaligned inflections, which may increase over the repeated usage.

The net result of these developments is that the cutting edges become increasingly less effective at cutting hairs. While the distortions of the tip of the cutting edge are microscopic (indeed being so small that they can only be seen with a scanning electron microscope), their net effect at a macroscopic level is that a user perceives that the razor has become "dull", which describes a condition generally indicating that the razor blades have lost the ability to give a close and comfortable shave. To avoid or remedy such a situation, a user may treat the shaving razor with the razor blade treatment/restoration device D' to restore the sharpness of the blades using a procedure similar to the one described below.

Before the device D' is used to treat the blades in the razor 100, the user adds a small quantity of shaving cream, soapy water or other lubrication to the touchdown area 80 in order that this material may act as lubrication for the restoration strokes. Alternatively, the lubrication could be applied directly to the surface 26, including the touchdown area 80, the first section 30 and the second section 38.

The user then orients the razor 100 in relation to the surface 26 in preparation for performing a restoration stroke. Figure 20 shows the razor 100 in this first position, whereby the razor head 110 is oriented based on the touchdown area 80 and/or the guide or marking representing the restoration stroke indicator 40, which may be adjacent to and/or integrated within this area.

The user then sets the razor head 110 upon the touchdown area 80 that is located at the terminal end of the lower section 12 with the orientation as indicated by the stroke indicator 40. The application of the razor head 110 upon the touchdown area 80 is likely to bring the blades 115 and 117 into contact with the lubrication that was previously applied to this area of the surface 26, causing some of the lubrication to be transferred to these blades in turn. As a result, both the treatment device D' and the razor 100 are now prepared for the performance of a restoration stroke.

Figure 21 shows the performance of a restoration stroke, which involves gently displacing the razor 100 in the indicated direction of the restoration stroke indicator 40 such that the blades 115 and 117 glide flat from their starting position on the first portion 30 of the surface 26 to an ending position on the second portion 38. During this process, the blades 115 and 117 come into initial contact with the honing projections 55 in the first section 30, which is followed by contact with the flat and smooth stropping pad or surface in the second section 38.

The slight sliding pressure applied to the razor 100 during the restoration stroke is transmitted to the razor head 110, which in turn causes the cutting edges of the razor blades 115 and 117 to make sliding contact with the honing projections 55 in the first section 30. Figure 22 shows a closer view of a cross-section of the razor 100 in this position, in particular showing how the blades 115 and 117 can make sliding contact with the resilient projections in 55 in the first section 30. This results in the generation of a surface area of discontinuous contact created between the cutting edges of these blades and the tip portions 34 of these certain projections. Using Figure 21 as a reference, this position would place the cutting plane of the razor blades 115 and 117 substantially co-planar with the honing projections within the first portion 36a.

As the razor blades 115 and 117 slide along the surface 26 during the restoration stroke, which may be assisted by the actions of the aforementioned lubrication, the honing projections 55 act as many individual tiny honing rods on these blades, each applying slight pressure on the razor blades (i.e., to the cutting edges of the blades 115 and 117) in order to restore the alignment of those portions of the tip that have become distorted through use.

During this portion of the restoration stroke, the sliding contact between the blades 115 and 117 and the honing projections 55 act to hone the entirety of the cutting edges of these razor blades. In particular, the orientation and arrangement of the projections 55 are generally transverse to the direction of travel of the razor 100. As a result, the point or area of contact between the blades 115 and 117 and each individual resilient projection are swiped lengthwise along the cutting edge, causing different portions of each resilient projection in the projections 55 to engage different longitudinal areas of the cutting edge of the razor blades 115 and 117 during the stroke. For example, a contact segment between the blade 115 and a certain projection may start at the lateral extremity of this blade and then travel towards the opposite side of the blade as it moves along the projection during the restoration stroke.

Using Figures 20 and 21 as a reference, it may also be seen that because the honing projections 55 in the first section 30 include straight segments with multiple orientations (namely those at a +45° angle to the direction of travel of the razor 100 and those at a -45° angle to this direction), the restoration stroke also ensures that the blades 115 and 117 are honed from at least two directions. For example, a first portion of the cutting edge of the blade 115 may come into sliding contact and be honed by a first part of the resilient projection that is oriented at a +45° angle to the direction of travel of the razor 100, while a second portion of this blade comes into sliding contact with a second portion of the resilient projection that is oriented at a -45° angle.

Because the orientation of the honing projections 55 switch between these two orientations at various points along the first section 30, it is likely that the first and second portions of the blade 115 will be honed from both these two directions.

When the razor blades 115 and 117 reach the stropping pad or surface within the second section 38, this flat and smooth area acts as a strop, which further helps to realign the blade tip. The net effect of the honing action performed by the honing projections 55 and the stropping action performed by the flat and smooth area of the second section 38 during the restoration stroke is to substantially realign the cutting edge of the blades 115 and 117, further details of which are provided below.

The restoration stroke concludes when the razor 100, and more particularly the head 110, reaches the collection area 90. When the head 110 reaches this area, gravity causes any excess lubrication that came into contact with the razor blades 115 and 117 and was driven forward by the restoration stroke to drain off of these blades and flow into this recess.

At the conclusion of the restoration stroke, the razor 100 is returned to its original orientation and position in relation to the treatment device D' (i.e., at the touchdown area 80) and the restoration stroke may then be repeated as necessary to restore the sharpness of the razor blades 115 and 117 to the user's satisfaction. Once the user is satisfied with the restored sharpness of the blades 115 and 117, he or she may wash the device D' in order to remove any lubrication and/or any particulate matter that has collected on the surface 26, as well as in the collection area 90. The resulting treatment of the razor blades is based on the realignment of the cutting edges of the razor blades, rather than on an abrading action or simple stropping that may be used in prior art devices. The treatment operation described above substantially restores the original shape of the cutting edges of the razor blades that had become increasingly elongated and irregularly bent during the course of normal shaving, largely by re-aligning of the tip of the cutting edges back to their original shape and sharpness.

Figures 18 and 19 show micrographs illustrating the effects of a treatment operation similar to that described above on the cutting edge of the same razor blade and using the same equipment and under the same magnification as was used to capture the micrographs for Figure 16 and Figure 17. In particular, the cutting edge of the razor blade shown in Figure 18 is one that has been in daily use for six (6) months and that has been periodically treated on the treatment/restoration device D', but now requires re-treatment. It will be appreciated that the condition of the cutting edge is better than the condition of the cutting edge shown in Figure 17 where the razor blade was only used a dozen times but had never been treated on the device D'. In contrast, Figure 19 shows the cutting edge of the razor blade immediately after the razor has been treated on the device D'. It will be appreciated that the tip of the cutting edge of the blade is in a condition that is very similar to a new cutting edge that has never been used (i.e., the edge of the blade shown in Figure 16).

With use, the condition of the edges of the blades 115 and 117 will likely gradually return to a condition similar to that illustrated in Figures 17 or 18, whereby the cutting edges fall out of alignment and the tips of the cutting edges becomes elongated and bent due to normal shaving operations. During this period, the treatment/restoration device D' may be regularly used on a periodic basis (e.g., whenever the user senses that the razor 100 is dull) in order to restore the razor blades by repeating the general procedure described above.

Advantageously, regular use of the restoration device D' on a periodic basis may allow the operational lifespan of a non-electric shaving razor to be otherwise extended past the expected lifespan for such a device. This may represent considerable cost-savings to a user who would otherwise need to regularly replace non-electric shaving razors whose blades are delivering an unsatisfactory shave. In addition, the ability to extend the lifespan of so-called "disposable" nonelectric razors would reduce the environmental impact from the millions of such devices (and their associated packaging material) that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills or other waste- collection facilities.

Furthermore, the use of the restoration device D' may also advantageously provide considerable convenience to certain users who may spend extended periods of time travelling outside of urban areas and/or for whom weight and space is a primary consideration, such as hikers, mountaineers, soldiers or field researchers, among others. In these cases, the ability to regularly treat their manual shaving razor using a razor blade restoration device, such as the device D', could save weight and space that would otherwise be required for a plurality of such instruments due to their short individual life spans.

Although the above description and example of the treatment/restoration device D' has been presented in the context of treating blades for the purpose of restoring their cutting properties, other embodiments are possible. One such alternative embodiment could be used to treat the blades of a non-electric shaving razor during the manufacturing stage, in order to further improve their cutting properties prior to the razor's first use.

In this alternative embodiment, the device D' contains a surface similar to the surface 26, which contains a first section with honing projections similar to the section 30 and the honing projections 55, and a second section with a stropping pad or surface similar to the section 38. However, in this alternative embodiment, the sliding motion between the razor blade and the first and second sections of this surface is performed using automated and/or mechanical means in a factory or manufacturing plant, rather than being manually performed by a user as described above.

In one non-limiting example, the resilient material containing the features of the first and/or second sections may be formed along the exterior (i.e., blade-facing) surface of a rotating drum. The axis of rotation for this drum is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the razor blades along a conveyor belt, which is analogous to the orientation of the surface 26 to the blades 115 and 117 in the example above. As a result, when the cutting edge of a razor blade travelling along the conveyor belt comes into contact with the surface of the rotating drum (and in particular the honing projections within the first section of this surface), its cutting edge is initially honed by the honing projections in the first section of the drum's surface and then stropped by the complementary stropping surface in the second section of the drum's surface.

In another non-limiting example, the surface of an endless belt or track (such as a conveyor belt along which the blades travel during the manufacture of the non-electric razor) could be formed from the resilient material in which the features of the first and second sections described above are found. Razor blades travelling along this belt or track would come into contact with the honing projections in the first section and the stropping pad or surface in the second section during their transport.

Furthermore, if the surface of the rotating drum or conveyor belt in the examples above is comprised of alternating first and second sections, a single razor blade may encounter multiple instances of honing projections and stropping pads along this surface multiple times during a single restoration stroke.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and refinements are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents.