WO2002039843A1

WO2002039843A1 - Case comprising means for storage, cleaning and steralization of a safety razor

Info

Publication number: WO2002039843A1
Application number: PCT/IT2001/000572
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrea Belloli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-11-16
Filing date: 2001-11-14
Publication date: 2002-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 2003-05-16
Also published as: ATE319347T1; US20030101525A1; EP1339300A1; AU2002222520A1; DE60117871D1; EP1339300B1; DE60117871T2

Abstract

The case (1) comprises a housing (4) to receive at least one safety razor (5) and a closing cover (3) movable between a closed an an open position of said housing (4), and is characterized in that it combines: an ultraviolet ray sterilizing lamp (8) designed to illuminate said housing (4) at least in a part designed to receive the razor head (5a), means (9) designed to activate or deactivate the lamp (8) on direct on indirect command of the user, means (25) for holding the razor (5) in a removable manner within said housing (4), a brush (11) with flat form inserted in rest position in the part of the housing (4) illiminated by the lamp (8), and means (20) for holding said brush (11) within the housing (4) in a removable manner, with said brush (11) being designed to the withdrawn from the housing (4) to perform cleaning of the razor blade upon each use.

Description

C_ASE C_OMPRI_SING M_EANS FOR STORAGE, CLEANING AND STERILIZATION OF A SAFETY RAZOR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention has for its purpose a case for the 5 hygiene and good preservation of safety razors.

BACKGROUND The repeated use of a beard shaving or depilation safety razor and keeping thereof under less than optimal hygienic conditions exposes the user to the risk of infection. This risk is particularly acute 10 when the razor is used when traveling and in public places such as for example hotels. In this case, indeed, the possibility of deposit of germs and bacteria harmful to the health on the razor is greater.

In addition, poor cleaning of the razor at the time of each use considerably shortens the life thereof. 15 Professional sterilizing apparatuses used by barbers and hairdressers for sterilizing their working equipment are known. However, because of their size and high cost these apparatuses are not suitable for domestic use and even less for carrying among personal belongings while traveling. In addition, their function does not extend to equipment 20 cleaning.

OBJECTS The general purpose of the present invention is to make available a case for the hygiene and good preservation of safety razors capable of remedying the above mentioned shortcomings of known 25 equipment while being simple and economical to produce.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of this purpose it was sought to provide in accordance with the present invention a case comprising a housing to receive at least one safety razor and a closing cover movable between a closed and an 30 open position of said housing characterized in that it combines:

- an ultraviolet ray sterilizing lamp designed to illuminate said housing at least in the part designed to receive the razor head, - means designed to activate or deactivate the lamp upon direct or indirect command of the user,

- means for holding the razor in a removable manner within said housing,

- a brush with flat form inserted in rest position in the part of the housing illuminated by the lamp, and

- means for holding said brush within the housing in a removable manner, with said brush being designed to be withdrawn from the housing to perform cleaning of the razor blade upon each use. Additional preferred embodiments are indicated in the claims formulated below.

DRAWINGS In the following preferred embodiments of the present invention are described with the aid of the annexed drawings, in which: FIG.1 : shows a partially sectioned left side elevation view of a case in accordance with the present invention, FIG.2: shows a top view of the case of FIG.1 in closed position, FIG.3: shows a cross section view along plane of cut A-A of FIG.1. FIG.4: shows a front view of the case as it appears without the closing cover with the razor inserted in the housing provided and with the brush placed in working position, FIG.5: shows a top view of the case of FIG 4,

FIG.6: shows an enlarged view in exploded position of the brush and the external terminal part of the drive shaft on which it is inserted in working position,

FIG.7: shows a perspective view of the case of FIG 5,

FIG.8: shows a perspective view of the cover of said case, and

FIG.9: shows a rear view of the case of FIG 4.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the FIGS reference number 1 designates a safety razor case comprising a body 2 and a closing member or cover 3. The body 2 has a virtually prismatic shape and is provided with a housing 4 designed to receive at least one safety razor 5 having a grip 5b and a head portion 5a located at the mouth of a cavity 6.

The case 1 preferably comprises a coupling member 25 designed to hold the razor 5 in a predetermined rest position when it is laid in the case. In particular the coupling member 25 is made up of a pair of elastic tabs side by side fastened on the wall of the housing 4 in a position allowing hooking of the grip 5b of the razor 5 when it is in the rest position.

Preferably the closing member 3 is hinged to an end so that it is movable between a first position in which it is arranged for closing of the housing (position drawn with solid lines in FIG 1) and a second position allowing insertion and extraction of the razor into and from said housing 4 (position drawn in broken lines in FIG 1).

Movable fastening studs 7 (only one of which is shown in FIG 1) located opposite the hinge alternatively allow coupling or separation of the body 2 and the closing member 3 to facilitate cleaning of the housing 4.

The case 1 also comprises a sterilization lamp 8 preferably of the ultraviolet ray type. The sterilization lamp 8 is virtually cylindrical and arranged in the cavity 6 near a zone of the cavity surface facing the razor head location zone.

The surface of the cavity 6 and the internal surface of the closing member 3 facing this cavity in closing position are preferably made of reflecting material. This way the radiations emitted by the sterilization lamp 8 are absorbed by that surface only in a negligible percentage so as to increase their sterilizing power on the razor 5.

The case 1 also comprises within it a sterilizing lamp power supply unit (not shown in the FIGS) comprising a plurality of batteries preferably of the rechargeable type connected together in such a manner as to supply a predetermined direct current power supply. A battery charging device of known type, also not shown in the FIGS, connectable to a mains power supply line is also provided. The sterilization lamp 8 is kept active by means of a timer for a predetermined time. Activation of the timer is achieved by the user by operation of a pushbutton 9 located at the top of the body 2.

During this predetermined time a LED 10 also arranged at the top of the body 2 remains lit to signal the operating state of the sterilizing lamp.

The case in accordance with the present invention also comprises, in addition to the sterilization lamp 8, a brush 11 with flat extension and which in rest position is located in the part of the housing 4 illuminated by the lamp.

Said brush has preferably the form of a disk fittable on the end of the shaft switching device 13 of an electric motor 12 powered by the same power unit as the lamp by means of a timer excitable on command by a pushbutton 18 during use of the razor. Said brush is provided to allow periodic cleaning of the razor blades during use thereof. Indeed, during shaving operations the razor is subject to clogging due to the accumulation on the blades of soap and fragments of cut hair. This accumulation, in addition to reducing the shaving power of the razor blade, shortens its life because it is destined to solidify after each shave. To eliminate this accumulation with the aid of the brush it will be sufficient during use of the razor that the user proceed now and then to first rinse the blade with water and then run the blade over the brush bristles after pressing the pushbutton 18 (see razor head shown in broken lines in FIG 7 and its running directions on the brush indicated by the arrows in the same FIG).

As shown in FIGS 1 , 3 and 6, a preferred form of engagement of the disk brush on the end of the drive shaft calls for a round flange 14 on the end of the shaft and a series of thin elastic plates 15 projecting from one side of the brush and designed to be hooked on the flange in a removable manner at the time of engagement.

There is also provided on the same side of the brush in its center a rise with square cross section 16 designed to be inserted in a corresponding cavity 17 with square cross section of the shaft and opening on the center of the flange.

In this manner the coupling between the rise with square cross section and the corresponding shaft cavity ensures rotating entrainment of the brush during the razor cleaning operation while the elastic plates prevent disengagement of the brush during those operations. Indeed, to secure said disengagement the user must grasp a pin 19 located on the side of the brush opposite the rise 16 while applying thereon a certain tensile stress. As shown in FIG 1 the rise 16 also serves to fasten the brush inside the cover 3 at the end of each use of the razor. Indeed, this fastening takes place by means of insertion of the rise between two thin elastic plates 20 fastened to the inner wall of the cover.

To avoid excessive accumulation of soap and beard off-cuts on the perimeter of the brush during blade cleaning operations there is also provided as a preferred solution the presence of a small spatula 21 on the bottom 22 of the case which by rubbing along the perimeter of the brush during its movement removes the excessive accumulation of soap and beard residue. This spatula is retained on the bottom by two pairs of elastic bands 23 so it can be removed at the end of each shave and fastened in a removable manner on the inner surface if the cover 3 by means of two other pairs of bands 24 located in the cover (in FIG 1 only 1 pair is visible) to be sterilized as well.

To avoid possible involuntary operations of the pushbuttons 9 and 18 which could occur during transportation of the case in a suitcase together with other objects a switch is provided in the case for powering the lamp 8 and the motor 12 whose control pushbutton is flush mounted in a hole 27 located beside the pushbuttons 9 and 18 so that once the switch is open only an intentional operation of the control pushbutton can reactivate it.

As another preferred embodiment and as illustrated in FIG 9 the case provides on the rear two rectilinear vertical grooves 26 with dovetail cross section designed to allow removable fastening of the case on a wall. Indeed, this solution also provides permanent wall fastening of a board bearing two rectilinear vertical rises also with dovetail cross section complementary to the grooves 26 so that to fasten the case on the wall it is sufficient to fit said rectilinear rises in said grooves.

Of course changes, variants and replacements of members by others functionally equivalent can be made to the above described embodiments without going beyond the scope of the present invention.

One such variant could concern for example the form and movement of the brush which, under working conditions, could be animated not by rotary but by rectilinear movements parallel to the edge of the razor blade.

In addition, under working conditions the brush could still perform its cleaning function while remaining fixed even though less effectively.

Another variant could concern the method of operating the timer which regulates powering of the lamp, an operation which instead of being performed directly by the user could take place indirectly because it would be controlled by a pushbutton operated automatically by the cover at the time of closing thereof.

Another possibility could be to provide in the case space illuminated by the lamp a housing for small objects such as earrings and the like so as to broaden the sterilizing usefulness of the case.

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Claims

1.

Case for the hygiene and good preservation of safety razors comprising a housing to receive at least one safety razor and a closing cover 5 movable between a closed and an open position of said housing characterized in that it combines:

- an ultraviolet ray sterilizing lamp designed to illuminate said housing at least in a part designed to receive the razor head,

- means designed to activate or deactivate the lamp on direct or indirect o command of the user,

- means for holding the razor in a removable manner within said housing,

- means for holding said brush within the housing in a removable 5 manner, with said brush being designed to be withdrawn from the housing to perform cleaning of the razor blade upon each use.

2.

Case in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that said brush has the 0 form of a disk fittable during use of the razor on the end of the electric motor shaft and that there are means designed to activate or deactivate the motor on command of the user.

3.

Case in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that said means 5 designed to activate or deactivate the lamp and the motor on command of the user consist of timers.

4.

Case in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that there is a spatula which during use of the razor is positionable near the circular edge of the 0 brush so that by rubbing along the perimeter of the brush during its movement it removes excessive accumulation of soap and beard residue present thereon while when the razor is not in use it can be placed in the part of said housing illuminated by the lamp.

5.

Case in accordance with claim 3 characterized in that said lamp and said motor are powered by batteries housed in the case.

6.

Case in accordance with claim 5 characterized in that said timers can be operated by means of pushbuttons located on the case shell and in that in order to avoid possible involuntary operation of said pushbuttons there is also in the case a switch for powering the lamp and the motor whose control key is flush mounted in a hole located on the case shell.

7.

Case in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that the surfaces of said housing and of said closing cover designed to receive the lamp rays are reflecting.