Flexible surgical razor

• US 5,628,759 A
• Filed: 09/29/1994
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC (Edgewell Personal Care Company)
• Original Assignee: American Safety Razor Co. (Edgewell Personal Care Company)
• Inventors: Wonderley, Jeffrey W., McCool, Gregory F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael Powell
• Assistant Examiner(s): RASCHE, PATRICK WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US08/313,597
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 606/131, 606/132, 606/167, 30/32, 30/47, 30/48, 30/49, 30/50, 30/353, 30/346.5, 30/346.55, 30/346.61
• US Class Current: 606/167
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32093 for skin incisions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/322 Skin grafting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0042 with special provisions for gripping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00761 Removing layer of skin tissue, e.g. wrinkles, scars or cancerous tissue

Abstract

A flexible surgical razor for removing organic tissue, such as lesions, moles, corns and the like, at or below the skin'"'"'s surface. The surgical razor utilizes a flexible blade with a well-honed front edge and left and right gripping extensions formed attached to the left and right side edges of the blade, respectively. Each gripping extension includes an inner segment extending in the same plane as the blade, a middle segment extending at an upward angle away from the plane of the blade, and an exterior segment, with exterior gripping edges, extending at an intersecting angle with the middle segment. The front and rear edges of the gripping extensions run parallel to the front and rear edges of the blade. A flexible sheath is added to regulate the shape and extent of the blade'"'"'s curvature. The user applies inward finger pressure to both gripping extensions simultaneously which bends the flexible blade in a curved fashion.

Claims

1. A razor comprising:

a flexible blade having a front edge, left and right side edges, and a rear edge; and

a pair of gripping extensions each having a planar inner segment attached to a side edge of said blade, an at least partially planar middle segment extending at an upward angle away from the plane of the blade, and an outer segment having an exterior gripping edge and extending at an intersecting angle with said middle segment, said flexible blade flexing upon application of finger pressure to said gripping extensions.

2. The razor of claim 1 wherein said pair of gripping extensions further comprise a front edge running parallel to the front edge of the blade, and a rear edge running parallel to the rear edge of the blade.

3. The razor of claim 1 wherein said pair of gripping extensions mirror each other.

4. The razor of claim 1, further comprising a flexible sheath.

5. The razor of claim 4 wherein said flexible sheath is connected to said pair of gripping extensions.

6. The razor of claim 4 wherein said flexible sheath includes concave edges relative to both the front and rear edges of said flexible blade.

7. The razor of claim 4 wherein the thickness and the width of said sheath controls the flexing of said flexible blade in response to finger pressure applied to said gripping extensions.

8. The razor of claim 4 wherein said flexible sheath includes convex edges relative to both the front and rear edges of said flexible blade.

9. The razor of claim 1, wherein said exterior edges of said pair of gripping extensions are tapered at an inward angle toward the rear edge of said flexible blade.

10. The razor of claim 1, having protruding tabs extending from said exterior edges of said pair of gripping extensions.

11. A razor comprising:

a flexible blade having a front edge, left and right side edges, and a rear edge;

one gripping extension having a planar inner segment attached to a side edge of said blade, an at least partially planar middle segment extending at an upward angle away from the plane of the blade, and an outer segment having an exterior gripping edge and extending at an intersecting angle with said middle segment; and

a gripping extension attached to the other side edge of said flexible blade and having an exterior gripping edge.

12. The razor of claim 11 wherein said pair of gripping extensions further comprise a front edge running parallel to the front edge of the blade, and a rear edge running parallel to the rear edge of the blade.

13. The razor of claim 11, further comprising a flexible sheath.

14. The razor of claim 13 wherein said flexible sheath is connected to said gripping extensions.

15. The razor of claim 13 wherein said flexible sheath includes concave edges relative to both the front and rear edges of said flexible blade.

16. The razor of claim 13 wherein the thickness and the width of said sheath controls the flexing of said flexible blade in response to finger pressure applied to said gripping extensions.

17. The razor of claim 13 wherein said flexible sheath includes convex edges relative to both the front and rear edges of said flexible blade.

18. The razor of claim 11, wherein said exterior edges of said pair of gripping extensions are tapered at an inward angle toward the rear edge of said flexible blade.

19. The razor of claim 11, having protruding tabs extending from said exterior edges of said gripping extensions.

20. A flexible surgical razor, comprising:

a flexible blade having a well-honed front edge, left and right side edges, and a rear edge;

a left gripping extension, including a planar left inner segment attached to the flexible blade'"'"'s left side edge, an at least partially planar left middle segment extending at an upward angle away from the plane of the blade, and a left outer segment, with a left exterior gripping edge, extending at an intersecting angle with said left middle segment; and

a right gripping extension, including a planar right inner segment attached to the flexible blade'"'"'s right side edge, an at least partially planar right middle segment extending at an upward angle away from the plane of the blade, and a right outer segment, with a right exterior gripping edge, extending at an intersecting angle with said right middle segment, said flexible blade flexing upon application of finger pressure to said gripping extensions.

21. The flexible surgical razor of claim 20 wherein said left and right gripping extensions further comprise left and right front edges running parallel to the front edge of said flexible blade, and left and right rear edges running parallel to the rear edge of said flexible blade.

22. The flexible surgical razor of claim 20 further comprising, a flexible sheath running along the top surface of the blade and connected to the left and right interior edges of said left and right gripping extensions, wherein the thickness and width of said sheath controls the flexibility of said flexible blade.

23. The flexible surgical razor of claim 22 wherein said flexible sheath includes convex edges relative to both the front and rear edges of said flexible blade.

24. The flexible surgical razor of claim 20, wherein the left and right exterior edges of said left and right gripping extensions are tapered at an inward angle toward the rear edge of said flexible blade.

25. The flexible surgical razor of claim 20, wherein left and right protruding tabs extend from the left and right exterior edges of said left and right gripping extensions, respectively.

26. The flexible surgical razor of claim 22 wherein said flexible sheath includes concave edges relative to both the front and rear edges of said flexible blade.