BLADE DISPENSER

Abstract

A blade dispenser is provided to safely and easily dispense razor blades. Embodiments include a dispenser having a housing for accommodating a stack of blades; and a push button slidably mounted at a first end of the housing. The push button has a blade catch for engaging a button-engaging portion of a blade of the blade stack when the push button moves from a depressed position to a released position, to move the blade to an extended position partially outside the housing. A first spring engages the housing and the push button to bias the push button in the released position, and a blade pusher engages an end blade of the blade stack. A second spring is provided for engaging the housing and the blade pusher to bias the blade pusher and the blade stack towards the blade catch of the push button, such that when the push button moves from the depressed position to the released position, the blade catch engages the button-engaging portion of the first end blade of the blade stack to move the first end blade to the extended position.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

The present invention claims priority of provisional patent application No. 61/006,752 filed Jan. 30, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a blade dispenser. The present disclosure has particular applicability to dispensers for standard safety razor blades.

BACKGROUND

Blade dispensers are used to conveniently store and dispense a number of blades, such as standard, single-edge razor blades. These blades have one sharp blade edge at the bottom, and an opposed, safe top edge with a folded-over protective metal piece. They are typically used for scraping and cutting. Conventional blade dispensers require the user to catch a small protruding portion of the blade with the edge of a finger or fingernail, and push the blade slightly out through a slot in the front of the dispenser. Typically, at this point the blade to be dispensed is slightly extended sideways from the dispenser, exposing both a portion of the safe top edge and the sharp blade edge. The blade is then grasped with the thumb and forefinger and removed from the dispenser.

One disadvantage of conventional dispensers is that many users find it difficult to catch a small portion of the blade with their finger or fingernail, which may be injured in the attempt to catch the blade portion. Moreover, exposure of a portion of the sharp blade edge during the dispensing process exposes the user's fingers to injury.

There exists a need for a blade dispenser that dispenses blades easily and safely.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An advantage of the present disclosure is a blade dispenser that dispenses blades such that the user can only grasp the safe protective piece of the blade when removing the blade from the dispenser, thereby reducing the risk of injury to the user.

According to the present disclosure, the foregoing and other advantages are achieved in part by a dispenser for dispensing a plurality of blades, the dispenser comprising a housing for accommodating the blades in a stacked fashion; and a push button slidably mounted at a first end of the housing such that the push button is movable from a released position to a depressed position and back to the released position. The push button has a blade catch for engaging a button-engaging portion of a first end blade of the blade stack when the push button moves from the depressed position to the released position, to move the first end blade to an extended position partially outside the housing. A first spring engages the housing and the push button to bias the push button in the released position, and a blade pusher engages a second end blade of the blade stack opposite the first end blade of the blade stack. A second spring is provided for engaging the housing and the blade pusher to bias the blade pusher and the blade stack towards the blade catch of the push button along a longitudinal axis of the housing, such that when the push button moves from the depressed position to the released position, the blade catch engages the button-engaging portion of the first end blade of the blade stack to move the first end blade to the extended position.

A further advantage of the present disclosure is a dispenser for dispensing a plurality of blades, the dispenser comprising a housing for accommodating the blades in a stacked fashion, and a push button slidably mounted at a first end of the housing such that the push button is movable from a released position to a depressed position and back to the released position. The push button has a blade catch for engaging a button-engaging portion of a first end blade of the blade stack when the push button moves from the depressed position to the released position, to move the first end blade to an extended position partially outside the housing. A spring engages the housing and the push button to bias the push button in the released position, and a blade pusher engages a second end blade of the blade stack opposite the first end blade of the blade stack. A ratchet is provided proximal the first end of the housing operatively connected to the push button, to advance the ratchet when the push button moves from the released position to the depressed position. A belt is attached to the blade pusher and engageable with the ratchet to draw the blade pusher and the blade stack towards the blade catch of the push button along a longitudinal axis of the housing when the push button moves from the released position to the depressed position, such that when the push button moves from the depressed position to the released position, the blade catch engages the button-engaging portion of the first end blade of the blade stack to move the first end blade to the extended position.

Additional advantages and other features of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from the practice of the disclosure. The advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

As will be realized, the present disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is made to the attached drawings, wherein elements having the same reference numeral designations represent like elements throughout, and wherein:

FIGS. 1a-d are perspective views of a blade dispenser according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the blade dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the blade dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of the blade dispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is another cutaway view showing the retracting mechanism of the blade dispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the retracting mechanism of the blade dispenser of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a blade dispenser according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A blade dispenser according to the present disclosure addresses the disadvantages of conventional blade dispensers, which require the user to grasp the blade while a portion of the sharp blade edge is exposed. The present disclosure provides a dispenser having a sliding button that engages a piece of the blade and moves the protective metal top edge of the blade far enough outside the dispenser to be grabbed by the user with two fingers. The blades are kept in contact with the slide button by means of a pusher at the bottom of a stack of blades. A spring mechanism or a ratchet mechanism maintains pressure on the pusher to keep it in contact with the blade stack. Thus, the dispenser of the present disclosure is easy to use, and is safe for the user, unlike conventional dispensers, wherein the blades extend sideways from the dispenser during dispensing, exposing both a portion of the safe top edge and the sharp blade edge.

The general operation of the dispenser according to the present disclosure will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1a-d. The dispenser 10 is used to dispense a plurality of blades 20. It has a spring-loaded push button 12 at one end, and a blade pusher 40 at the other end which biases the blades 20 forward against the rear surface of the push button 12. To operate the dispenser, the button 12 is pushed down, as shown in FIG. 1b. Since the button 12 is biased to its “up” position by a spring (not shown), the button 12 returns to the up position when it is released. As it returns to the up position, a finger on the rear surface of button 12 catches the edge of protective metal piece 21 of the blade 20 abutting it (see FIG. 1c). The blade 20 can then be gripped with two fingers and extracted. The rear of the housing 15 has a slot 15a for placing used blades for safe storage and eventual disposal (see FIG. 1d).

As shown in FIGS. 1a and 2-4, the present disclosure includes a dispenser 10 that can be used to dispense a plurality of blades 20, for example, 50 to 250 blades, depending on the length of the dispenser 10. It has a push button section 11 at one end of the housing 15, which includes a push button 12 which is biased in an “up” (i.e., released) position by a spring 13, such as a coil spring. The blades 20 are stacked in suspension in the housing 15; that is, the grooves on each side of the blade 20 ride on a small plastic track 17 on each side of the housing 15. The tracks 17 prevent the sharp cutting edge of the blades 20 from touching the bottom of the housing. A rear blade pusher 40, which rides on tracks 18 in housing 15, forces the blades 20 toward the button 12.

Blade pusher 40 is biased against the blade stack, to push the blade stack towards a blade catch 12a of the push button 12 along a longitudinal axis of the housing 15. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3-6, blade pusher 40 is biased towards the push button 12 by a torsion spring 30 mounted to a spring base 31 under push button 12 and coil spring 13, and connected to a retracting wheel 32 which is in turn connected to a string 33. The string 33 is also attached to the blade pusher 40. The torsion spring 30 and the retracting wheel 32 pull on the ends of string 33, urging it to wind around the retracting wheel 32 to keep a constant pressure on the blade pusher 40 (and hence the blades), pulling them forward.

When the button 12 is returning upwardly it catches the edge of the protective metal piece 21 wrapped around an edge of each safety blade 20 with blade catch 12a. It picks up the blade 20, presenting the safe end of the blade 20 to the user for removal. The blade 20 can then be gripped with two fingers and extracted.

The blades 20 are protected within the housing 15 by a transparent cover 50 that may bear a logo 51 or other image.

In the rear of the housing 15 there is a slot 15a for placing used blades for safe storage and eventual disposal (best shown in FIG. 1d).

In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a different mechanism is employed to force the blades towards the push button, but other relevant aspects of this embodiment are the same as the previously described embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, a dispenser 110 for dispensing a plurality of blades has a spring-loaded push button 112 at one end of a housing 115, the blades 120 are stacked in suspension in the housing 115, and the blades ride on a small plastic track 117 on each side of the housing 115. When the button 112 is depressed, it advances a conventional ratcheting mechanism (not shown) which in turn engages a belt loop 116 traveling within the housing 115, taking any slack out of the belt loop 116 and moving it forward as apertures 116a in the belt 116 engage the ratcheting mechanism. The belt 116 is connected to a rear blade pusher 140, which rides on the tracks 117 and forces the blades 120 toward the button 112. When the button 116 is returning upwardly it catches the edge of the protective metal piece 121 wrapped around each safety blade 120. It picks up the blade 120, presenting the safe end of the blade 120 to the user for removal.

The present disclosure can be practiced by employing conventional materials, methodology and equipment. Accordingly, the details of such materials, equipment and methodology are not set forth herein in detail. In the previous descriptions, numerous specific details are set forth, such as specific materials, structures, chemicals, processes, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it should be recognized that the present disclosure can be practiced without resorting to the details specifically set forth. In other instances, well known processing structures have not been described in detail, in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present disclosure.

Only a few examples of the present disclosure are shown and described herein. It is to be understood that the disclosure is capable of use in various other combinations and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concepts as expressed herein.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing a plurality of blades, the dispenser comprising:

a housing for accommodating the blades in a stacked fashion;

a push button slidably mounted at a first end of the housing such that the push button is movable from a released position to a depressed position and back to the released position, the push button having a blade catch for engaging a button-engaging portion of a first end blade of the blade stack when the push button moves from the depressed position to the released position, to move the first end blade to an extended position partially outside the housing;

a first spring for engaging the housing and the push button to bias the push button in the released position;

a blade pusher for engaging a second end blade of the blade stack opposite the first end blade of the blade stack; and

a second spring for engaging the housing and the blade pusher to bias the blade pusher and the blade stack towards the blade catch of the push button along a longitudinal axis of the housing, such that when the push button moves from the depressed position to the released position, the blade catch engages the button-engaging portion of the first end blade of the blade stack to move the first end blade to the extended position.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the second spring is disposed in the first end of the housing, the dispenser further comprising a string connecting the blade pusher and the second spring.

3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the second spring comprises a torsion spring; the dispenser further comprising a retracting wheel to which the second spring and the string are attached to urge the string to wind around the retracting wheel to bias the blade pusher.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a pair of opposing blade tracks for engaging corresponding opposing grooves in each of the blades to prevent a sharp edge of each of the blades from contacting the housing.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the blades are standard single-edge safety razor blades having a protective piece wrapped around an edge of the blade opposite a sharp edge, and the protective piece is the button-engaging portion.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the push button is slidable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing along which the blade pusher is biased.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a storage compartment for storing used blades between a second end of the housing opposite the first end, and the blade pusher.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, further comprising a cover for the housing over the blade stack, the housing including a slot proximal the second end of the housing for inserting the used blades into the storage compartment.

9. A dispenser for dispensing a plurality of blades, the dispenser comprising:

a housing for accommodating the blades in a stacked fashion;

a push button slidably mounted at a first end of the housing such that the push button is movable from a released position to a depressed position and back to the released position, the push button having a blade catch for engaging a button-engaging portion of a first end blade of the blade stack when the push button moves from the depressed position to the released position, to move the first end blade to an extended position partially outside the housing;

a spring for engaging the housing and the push button to bias the push button in the released position;

a blade pusher for engaging a second end blade of the blade stack opposite the first end blade of the blade stack;

a ratchet proximal the first end of the housing, operatively connected to the push button to advance the ratchet when the push button moves from the released position to the depressed position; and

a belt attached to the blade pusher and engageable with the ratchet to draw the blade pusher and the blade stack towards the blade catch of the push button along a longitudinal axis of the housing when the push button moves from the released position to the depressed position, such that when the push button moves from the depressed position to the released position, the blade catch engages the button-engaging portion of the first end blade of the blade stack to move the first end blade to the extended position.

10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the belt comprises apertures to engage the ratchet.

11. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the housing comprises a pair of opposing blade tracks for engaging corresponding opposing grooves in each of the blades to prevent a sharp edge of each of the blades from contacting the housing.

12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the blade pusher rides on the blade tracks.

13. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the blades are standard single-edge safety razor blades having a protective piece wrapped around an edge of the blade opposite a sharp edge, and the protective piece is the button-engaging portion.

14. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the push button is slidable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing along which Me blade pusher is biased.

15. The dispenser of claim 9, further comprising a storage compartment for storing used blades between a second end of the housing opposite the first end, and the blade pusher.

16. The dispenser of claim 15, further comprising a cover for the housing over the blade stack, the housing including a slot proximal the second end of the housing for inserting the used blades into the storage compartment.