Patents by Inventor Stephen Charles Witkus

Stephen Charles Witkus 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: 11285630
    Abstract: A razor handle for a razor cartridge is provided. The handle comprises a head, a body, a cover layer, and a clip member. The head has a cartridge engaging end and an attachment end. The body has a front end and a rear end and comprises a first shell and a second shell that are releasably coupled together. The front end is coupled with the attachment end. The cover layer at least partially surrounds the body. The clip member is coupled with the first shell and the second shell at the rear end of the body such that the first and second shells are held together at least partially by the clip member. The clip member has a plurality of features which are coupled to a plurality of features on the body. These are retention features such as recesses or projections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Patent number: 11150177
    Abstract: An apparatus for testing a coefficient of friction of an article is provided. The apparatus includes a base, a ramp, and an actuator. The ramp includes a first rail and a second rail that are spaced apart by a first distance. The first and second rails cooperate to define a first travel path for the article. The actuator is coupled with the base and is operably coupled with the ramp to facilitate selective pivoting of the ramp between a first angular position and a second angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Marilyn Jeanne Westgate, Janelle Marie Parechanian
  • Patent number: 11130247
    Abstract: A handle for a razor cartridge is provided. The handle includes a body formed of a first material and defining a centerline, the body having a front end and a rear end, wherein the front end is coupled with the attachment end and wherein the body comprises a first shell and a second shell that are releasably coupled together. A cover layer formed of a second material at least partially overlies the body and surrounds entirely at least a portion of the body. The cover layer has a base surface having a plurality of projections extending therefrom. Each projection of the plurality of projections is interposed between a pair of immediately adjacent projections. Each projection defines a height where the height of each projection is greater than the height of one of the immediately adjacent projections and less than the height of the other immediately adjacent projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Patent number: 10940598
    Abstract: A method for assembling a razor handle is provided. The method includes installing a rod into a first shell of a body of a razor handle, installing an attachment end of a head onto a front end of the first shell, installing a clip member onto a rear end of the first shell, positioning a second shell adjacent to the first shell, compressing the first shell and the second shell together, and covering the first and second shell with a cover layer. The clip member includes retention features to facilitate coupling to the first and second shells. The cover layer can entirely surround the first and second shells, can be overmolded on both shells, and can be formed of thermoplastic elastomer with a durometer value of between about 15 and about 20. The thermoplastic elastomer is substantially translucent or less opaque than the first and second shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Publication number: 20210018427
    Abstract: An apparatus for testing a coefficient of friction of an article is provided. The apparatus includes a base, a ramp, and an actuator. The ramp includes a first rail and a second rail that are spaced apart by a first distance. The first and second rails cooperate to define a first travel path for the article. The actuator is coupled with the base and is operably coupled with the ramp to facilitate selective pivoting of the ramp between a first angular position and a second angular position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Marilyn Jeanne Westgate, Janelle Marie Parechanian
  • Patent number: 10837894
    Abstract: An apparatus for testing a coefficient of friction of an article is provided. The apparatus includes a base, a ramp, and an actuator. The ramp includes a first rail and a second rail that are spaced apart by a first distance. The first and second rails cooperate to define a first travel path for the article. The actuator is coupled with the base and is operably coupled with the ramp to facilitate selective pivoting of the ramp between a first angular position and a second angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Marilyn Jeanne Westgate, Janelle Marie Parechanian
  • Patent number: 10414058
    Abstract: A novel handle for a razor cartridge is provided. The handle comprises a head having a cartridge engaging end and an attachment end, a body formed of a first material and defining a centerline, the body having a front end and a rear end, wherein the front end is coupled with the attachment end. A cover layer at least partially overlies the body and is formed of a second material. The cover layer comprises a base surface having a plurality of projections extending therefrom, wherein each projection of the plurality of projections has an upper surface that is substantially planar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Patent number: 10363674
    Abstract: A novel guard structure of a razor is shown including rows of elongated hard plastic protrusions having rounded (e.g., not sharp or pointed) tips arranged on a tip curved profile. The rounded valleys between the protrusions are also arranged on a curved profile which may be different than that of the tip curved profile. The valleys encompass an inner protrusion volume which increases going back to front end of the guard structure. Preferably, the front end volumes are larger than the back end inner protrusion volumes to assist in trapping and distributing shaving aid. In one embodiment having six protrusions, the inner protrusion volume between a second and third protrusion is the largest, while a volume between first and second protrusion is the second largest volume. The guard structure is disposed in front of the blades formed within the housing and may extend past the front end of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Charles Witkus, Neil Lettenberger, Armando Miguel Hurtado
  • Publication number: 20190094126
    Abstract: An apparatus for testing a coefficient of friction of an article is provided. The apparatus includes a base, a ramp, and an actuator. The ramp includes a first rail and a second rail that are spaced apart by a first distance. The first and second rails cooperate to define a first travel path for the article. The actuator is coupled with the base and is operably coupled with the ramp to facilitate selective pivoting of the ramp between a first angular position and a second angular position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Marilyn Jeanne Westgate, Janelle Marie Parechanian
  • Patent number: 10226874
    Abstract: A handle for a razor cartridge is provided. The handle includes a head and the head has a cartridge engaging end configured to receive a razor cartridge, and an attachment end includes a stem, a pair of posts disposed on opposite sides of the stem, and at least one protrusion, the at least one protrusion being configured to interact with a handle body to facilitate attachment of the attachment end thereto. The stem defines a centerline and the protrusion extends away from the stem and the centerline. In an embodiment where the attachment end includes a pair of protrusions, one of the protrusions may be longer than the other protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Publication number: 20180043550
    Abstract: A handle for a razor cartridge is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Publication number: 20180043552
    Abstract: A handle for a razor cartridge is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Publication number: 20180043551
    Abstract: A handle for a razor cartridge is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Publication number: 20180043555
    Abstract: A handle for a razor cartridge is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Publication number: 20180043558
    Abstract: A handle for a razor cartridge is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Publication number: 20180043559
    Abstract: A handle for a razor cartridge is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Publication number: 20180043560
    Abstract: A handle for a razor cartridge is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hong Lu, Stephen Charles Witkus, Alexander Stephen Forti, Huibin Gong
  • Patent number: D837452
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Philipp Goeder, Christoph Ptok, Christopher Ramm, Stephen Charles Witkus, Jan Wertel, Gernot Oberfell
  • Patent number: D864482
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Philipp Goeder, Christoph Ptok, Christopher Ramm, Stephen Charles Witkus, Jan Wertel, Gernot Oberfell
  • Patent number: D881468
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Philipp Goeder, Christoph Ptok, Christopher Ramm, Stephen Charles Witkus, Jan Wertel, Gernot Oberfell