Razor cartridge with reduced part count and expanded range of motion

Abstract

A shaving razor having a cartridge containing a razor blade coupled to a monolithic yoke. The yoke is formed from a single piece of material possibly by injection molding. The yoke has a bridge and a pair of cross pieces each coupled to the bridge by a living hinge. The cartridge is coupled to the cross pieces and spans between the cross pieces.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A shaving razor comprising:
 a yoke molded as a single piece, the yoke including a bridge and a pair of cross pieces coupled to the bridge each by a living hinge, the cross pieces are coupled to define an angle with the bridge, the living hinge defining a vertex of the angle; 
 a cartridge having a razor blade coupled to the yoke to span between the cross pieces wherein a longitudinal axis of the blade is substantially perpendicular to the cross pieces; and 
 at least a second cartridge having at least one blade and coupled to the yoke to span between the cross pieces the cartridges collectively forming a blade assembly 
 wherein at least one of the cartridges is disposed on the cross pieces ahead of the living hinges and at least another one of the cartridges is disposed on the cross pieces after the living hinge in a shaving direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The shaving razor of  claim 1  wherein the living hinges permit the cartridges coupled to the cross pieces to pivot backward through a first arc of greater than 50 degrees, the first arc defined relative to a rest position. 
     
     
       3. The shaving razor of  claim 1  wherein the razor blade is exactly one blade in the first cartridge, the at least one blade is exactly one blade in the second cartridge, and wherein the shaving head consists of the yolk, a plurality of cartridges including the cartridge and the second cartridge; wherein each of the cartridges of the plurality comprises the exactly one blade, exactly one base and exactly one cover. 
     
     
       4. The shaving razor of  claim 1  wherein the yoke further comprises:
 a leading platform to contact a user's skin in advance of a leading one of the razor blades. 
 
     
     
       5. The shaving razor of  claim 1  wherein each cartridge comprises:
 a base; and 
 a cover coupled to the blade lengthwise along a surface of the blade and the base, the cover defining a channel that lags a cutting edge of the blade. 
 
     
     
       6. The shaving razor of  claim 1  wherein each of the cartridges is discrete, the razor blade is exactly one blade, the at least one blade is exactly one blade, and all of the cartridges are oriented to shave in a same direction. 
     
     
       7. The shaving razor of  claim 6  wherein each of the cartridges comprises no more than the exactly one blade, a cover and a base. 
     
     
       8. A shaving razor for shaving hair from the skin of a user, the shaving razor comprising:
 a plurality of blades including a first blade having a first cutting edge and a second blade having a second cutting edge; and   a support structure supporting the plurality of blades for shaving in a shaving direction, the support structure providing at least one skin contact surface deployed between the first cutting edge and the second cutting edge,   wherein the plurality of blades and the support structure define a skin contact profile in a direction of successive contact with the skin of the user when moved in the shaving direction, the skin contact profile including:
 (i) the first cutting edge; 
 (ii) a channel defining a first region of non-contact with the skin; 
 (iii) the at least one skin contact surface; 
 (iv) a gap defining a second region of non-contact with the skin; and 
 (v) the second cutting edge.  
   
     
     
       9. The shaving razor of claim 8, wherein the at least one skin contact surface is integrally formed with stop members configured for retaining the first blade on the support structure.  
     
     
       10. The shaving razor of claim 8, wherein the at least one skin contact surface is integrally formed with a plate that extends away from the skin contact profile.  
     
     
       11. The shaving razor of claim 10, wherein the plate is one of a pair of plates deployed between the first blade and the second blade, the pair of plates being separated by a space.  
     
     
       12. The shaving razor of claim 8, wherein the support structure comprises an integrally-molded base member for supporting the plurality of blades.  
     
     
       13. The shaving razor of claim 12, wherein the support structure comprises at least one blade support member for supporting the first blade and at least one blade support member for supporting the second blade.  
     
     
       14. The shaving razor of claim 8, wherein the support structure comprises a base member and a cover for each of the plurality of blades, and wherein each of the plurality of blades is retained by closure of the cover against the base member.  
     
     
       15. The shaving razor of claim 8, wherein the plurality of blades further includes a third blade having a third cutting edge, and wherein the skin contact profile after the second cutting edge further includes:
 an additional channel defining a third region of non-contact with the skin;   at least one additional skin contact surface provided by the support structure;   a gap defining a fourth region of non-contact with the skin; and   the third cutting edge.