Dispensing system for razor blade cartridges

Abstract

The specific disclosure provides a dispensing system for razor blade cartridges comprising a dispenser, a plurality of cartridges in the dispenser, and a holder having a plurality of transverse supporting surfaces on top of a frame member for sliding engagement with surfaces extending transversely of each cartridge. The dispenser has a used cartridge storage end comprising a transverse opening between a used cartridge entrance port in one side wall and a holder exit port in the other side wall. A used cartridge is positioned in the used cartridge storage end through the used cartridge entrance port by means of the holder. The frame member of the holder is moved through the transverse opening to abut a side of the used cartridge against wall surfaces forming the holder exit port. Continued movement of the holder disengages the transverse supporting surfaces of the holder from the used cartridge, and such holder surfaces are removed from the storage end through the holder exit port.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a razor blade cartridge shaving system comprising a cartridge dispenser, a plurality of razor blade cartridges, and a holder, each of said cartridges including slidably engageable surfaces extending transversely thereof, and said holder including an upwardly extending frame member and a plurality of transverse supporting surfaces at an upper end of said frame member, said transverse supporting surfaces being adapted for sliding engagement with said slidably engageable surfaces; the combination comprising said dispenser including a base wall, a top wall in opposing relationship to said base wall, a pair of opposing side walls interconnecting said base and top walls, a cartridge dispensing end, means at said cartridge dispensing end for releasably maintaining unused ones of said cartridges in said dispenser, and a used cartridge storage end opposite said cartridge dispensing end; said used cartridge storage end comprising a used cartridge entrance port formed in one of said side walls, a holder exit port formed in the other one of said side walls, said holder exit port being dimensioned to permit passage of said transverse supporting surfaces therethrough and to preclude removal of a used cartridge therethrough, and a transverse opening for passage of said frame member therethrough, said transverse opening extending between said used cartridge entrance port and said holder exit port; whereby a used one of said cartridges is positioned in said used cartridge storage end through said used cartridge entrance port by means of said holder, and said frame member is moved through said transverse opening to remove said transverse supporting surfaces through said holder exit port. 
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 wherein said transverse opening is formed by opposing flanges extending inwardly from said base and top walls. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1 wherein said used cartridge storage end further comprises means for spacing said used cartridge from said transverse opening. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 3 wherein said spacing means comprises a pair of ramp members having said transverse opening therebetween, each of said ramp members including a ramp surface which extends inwardly in the general direction of said cartridge dispensing end and transversely in the general direction of said holder exit port. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 4 wherein each of said ramp members further includes a used cartridge rest surface between the ramp surface thereof and said holder exit port. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 1 wherein said dispenser further includes means for biasing said unused cartridges in an abutting arrangement to said cartridge dispensing end with said slidably engageable surfaces of one of said unused cartridges in position for engagement. 
     
     
       7. In a razor blade cartridge shaving system comprising a cartridge dispenser, a plurality of razor blade cartridges, and a cartridge holder, each of said cartridges including at least one double edge blade bonded therein and a plurality of underside surfaces forming a channel transversely thereof, and said holder including an upwardly extending frame member and a plurality of transverse supporting surfaces on top of said frame member, said transverse supporting surfaces being adapted for sliding engagement with said channel surfaces; the combination comprising said dispenser including a base wall, a top wall in opposing relationship to said base wall, a pair of opposing side walls interconnecting said base and top walls, a cartridge dispensing end, means at said cartridge dispensing end for releasably maintaining unused ones of said cartridges in said dispenser, and a used cartridge storage end opposite said cartridge dispensing end; said used cartridge storage end comprising a used cartridge entrance port formed in one of said side walls, a holder exit port formed in the other one of said side walls, said holder exit port being dimensioned to permit passage of said transverse supporting surfaces therethrough and to preclude removal of a used cartridge therethrough, and a transverse opening extending between said used cartridge entrance port and said holder exit port, said transverse opening being formed by opposing flanges extending inwardly from said base and top walls; whereby a used one of said cartridges is positioned in said used cartridge storage end through said used cartridge entrance port by means of said holder, and said frame member is moved through said transverse opening to abut an end of the used cartridge against the side wall about said holder exit port and to remove said transverse supporting surfaces through said holder exit port after disengagement from said channel surfaces on the used cartridge. 
     
     
       8. The system of claim 7 wherein said used cartridge storage end further comprises means for spacing said used cartridge from said transverse opening. 
     
     
       9. The system of claim 8 wherein said spacing means comprises a pair of ramp members having said transverse opening therebetween, each of said ramp members including a ramp surface which extends inwardly in the general direction of said cartridge dispensing end and transversely in the general direction of said holder exit port. 
     
     
       10. The system of claim 9 wherein each of said ramp members further includes a used cartridge rest surface between the ramp surface thereof and said holder exit port. .Iadd. 11. In a razor blade cartridge dispensing system comprising a cartridge dispenser, and a plurality of razor blade cartridges, each of said cartridges including slidably engageable surfaces extending transversely thereof for receiving a supporting holder; the combination comprising said dispenser including a base wall, a top wall in opposing relationship to said base wall, a pair of opposing side walls interconnecting said base and top walls, a cartridge dispensing end, means at said cartridge dispensing end for releasably maintaining unused ones of said cartridges in said dispenser, and a used cartridge storage end opposite said cartridge dispensing end; said used cartridge storage end comprising a used cartridge entrance port formed in one of said side walls, a holder exit port formed in the other one of said side walls, said holder exit port being dimensioned to preclude removal of a used cartridge therethrough, and a transverse opening extending between said used cartridge entrance port and said holder exit port; whereby a used one of said cartridges is positioned in said used cartridge storage end through said used cartridge entrance port by means of a supporting holder, and the holder is moved through said transverse opening and said holder exit port..Iaddend.