Safety razors
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.
1. A safety razor blade unit comprising at least one blade with a sharp cutting edge extending lengthwise of the blade unit, the blade being carried by a blade assembly, a sub-frame to which the blade assembly is pivotally joined, the sub-frame 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 sub-frame and a base configured to resiliently bias the sub-frame toward a normal position with respect to the base, wherein the first and second spring elements comprise webs of resiliently flexible material, a planar surface of each web normally lying in a plane that is perpendicular to the length of the blade unit, and wherein at least some of the first and second spring elements deform resiliently by buckling, such that during buckling at least a portion of the planar surface of the spring element moves out of the plane.
2. A safety razor blade unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the second spring elements are integral with an upper frame of the blade assembly.
3. A safety razor blade unit according to claim 2 , wherein at least some of the second spring elements are integral with the sub-frame.
4. A safety razor blade unit according to claim 1 , wherein an frame of the blade assembly lies substantially in a first plane, the sub-frame defines a second plane, and the first and second planes diverge in the direction from the front to the rear of the blade unit.
5. A safety razor blade unit according to claim 1 , wherein an upper frame of the blade assembly is hingedly connected to the sub-frame at the front of the sub-frame.
6. A safety razor blade unit according to claim 5 , wherein the upper frame and the sub-frame are integral and are hingedly connected by a living hinge.
7. A safety razor blade unit according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the blade assembly is integrally connected to a portion of the sub-frame by a living hinge.