Patents by Inventor Kevin J. Wain

Kevin J. Wain has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7131203
    Abstract: A safety razor blade unit is provided including at least one blade with a sharp cutting edge extending lengthwise of the blade unit, the blade being carried by a blade assembly, a support structure to which the blade assembly is pivotally joined by a hinge running the length of the blade, the support structure including first spring elements, disposed along the length of the blade assembly, configured to resiliently oppose local deformation of the blade unit under shaving forces encountered in regions where the first spring elements act, and second spring elements, interposed between the support structure and blade assembly, configured to resiliently bias the blade assembly toward a normal position with respect to the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: Kevin J. Wain
  • Patent number: 7024776
    Abstract: A safety razor blade unit is provided including at least one blade with a sharp cutting edge extending lengthwise of the blade unit, the blade being carried by a blade assembly, a support structure to which the blade assembly is pivotally joined by a hinge running the length of the blade, the support structure including first spring elements, disposed along the length of the blade assembly, configured to resiliently oppose local deformation of the blade unit under shaving forces encountered in regions where the first spring elements act, and second spring elements, interposed between the support structure and blade assembly, configured to resiliently bias the blade assembly toward a normal position with respect to the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: Kevin J. Wain
  • Patent number: 6804886
    Abstract: A safety razor blade unit (2) has blade assembly (5) comprising a plurality of parallel blades (16) mounted on a razor handle (1) by a flexible support structure (4). Each blade (16) consists of an elongate blade element having a forward edge section (50) with a sharp cutting edge (17), and a planar blade section (54) extending rearwardly from the forward edge section (50). The forward edge section is upwardly inclined by bending a blade element blank between press tooling so that in the transition region between the forward edge section (50), which extends back from the tip of the cutting edge (17) by not more than 1 mm, and the planar blade section (54), the lower surface is convex and the upper surface is concave, with the plane (Pt) bisecting the tip being at an angle of 10° to 35° to the mid plane (Pm) of the planar section (54).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: Kevin J. Wain
  • Publication number: 20040020053
    Abstract: A blade unit (2) of a safety razor has a flexible blade assembly (5) comprising plurality of blades (16) with parallel cutting edges (17), mounted on a resiliently compliant support structure (4) that includes several spring elements (12) disposed along the blade unit (2) to oppose local deformation of the blade unit (2) under shaving forces imposed in the regions where the spring elements (12) act. The blade unit is able to conform closely to skin undulations due to varying deformation of the support structure (4) along the blade unit being permitted. In an embodiment the support structure (4) is a one piece moulding of resiliently flexible material and includes an upper frame (6) on which the blade assembly (5) is carried, a sub-frame (7) and a base (8), the upper frame (6) and the sub-frame (7) being connected together by a living hinge (9) and the sub-frame (7) and base (8) being connected by another living hinge (10) so that the support structure is Z-shaped in cross-section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: THE GILLETTE COMPANY
    Inventor: Kevin J. Wain
  • Publication number: 20030204954
    Abstract: A safety razor blade unit (2) has blade assembly (5) comprising a plurality of parallel blades (16) mounted on a razor handle (1) by a flexible support structure (4). Each blade (16) consists of an elongate blade element having a forward edge section (50) with a sharp cutting edge (17), and a planar blade section (54) extending rearwardly from the forward edge section (50). The forward edge section is upwardly inclined by bending a blade element blank between press tooling so that in the transition region between the forward edge section (50), which extends back from the tip of the cutting edge (17) by not more than 1 mm, and the planar blade section (54), the lower surface is convex and the upper surface is concave, with the plane (Pt) bisecting the tip being at an angle of 10° to 35° to the mid plane (Pm) of the planar section (54).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: THE GILLETTE COMPANY
    Inventor: Kevin J. Wain
  • Patent number: 5636442
    Abstract: A shaving system comprises novel components of a razor handle (1), a razor blade cartridge (2), and a magazine (5) holding a supply of cartridges. The handle and magazine are adapted to cooperate so that a used cartridge on the handle is replaced by (i) inserting the used cartridge into an empty magazine compartment, which unlatches the handle from the cartridge; (ii) moving the handle along the magazine towards a next adjacent compartment accommodating a fresh cartridge, firstly to disconnect the handle from the used cartridge which is left in its compartment and secondly to latch the handle onto the fresh cartridge held in the next compartment; and (iii) withdrawing from the magazine the handle with the fresh cartridge attached. Thus, the cartridges are dispensed from the magazine in turn with each cartridge replacement operation being effected by a single stroke of the handle relative to the magazine, this stroke having distinct components of insertion, advancement and withdrawal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: Kevin J. Wain
  • Patent number: 5416974
    Abstract: A safety razor head comprises a head frame (101) carrying a cap member (104) and two blade units (105) all mounted in slots in end walls (103) of the frame (101) so as to be movable vertically, i.e. towards and away from the base (102) of the frame. The movable elements are urged upwardly by springs (106). The blade units (105) comprise metal pressing (108) of inverted L-shaped cross-section. Blade members (107) are attached to the top limbs (109) and guard portions (111, 112) are spaced forwardly of the blade edges (107A). The pressing (108) has projecting ears (114) at opposite ends by which each unit is mounted in the frame (101) for limited pivotal movement about an axis parallel with and close to the blade edge (107A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: Kevin J. Wain