A dry shaver with hair guiding and skin stretching means

Claim 1

A shaver for shearing hair protruding from a user''s skin as the shaver is moved in a hair shearing path thereacross, the shaver comprising: a. a casing; b. an outer cutter mounted within the casing and having hair reception slots, the outer cutter contacting the user''s skin as the shaver is moved in the hair shearing path, the outer cutter having a leading edge extending transversely of the path of movement of the shaver, and a movable inner cutter cooperatively associated with the outer cutter and movable relative thereto for shearing hairs which enter into the hair reception slots of the outer cutter as the shaver is moved in the shearing path; c. means mounted within the casing for moving the inner cutter relative to the outer cutter; d. first means for stretching the skin in an area thereof in advance of the leading edge of the outer cutter and guiding long hairs into the hair reception slots of the outer cutter as the shaver is moved in said path, the first means including a first member connected to the casing and having an upper end, the upper end having a leading edge and a trailing edge oriented parallel to the leading edge of the outer cutter, the upper end of the first member located in the area in advance of the leading edge of the outer cutter and initially stretching the skin thereat as the shaver is moved thereacross, and the upper end having a plurality of hair reception slots formed therein to define a plurality of spaced hair combing teeth which form elongated ridges in the user''s skin; and, e. second means for further stretching the skin in said area in advance of the leading edge of the outer cutter and guiding short hair into the hair reception slots of the outer cutter as the shaver is moved in said path, the second means including a second member connected to the casing and having an upper end, and the upper end of the second member having a marginal edge oriented parallel to the leading edge of the outEr cutter and located between the leading edge thereof and the trailing edge of the first member and at an elevation above the bottom of the hair reception slots in the first stretching means, the marginal edge smoothing out the elongated ridges and further stretching the skin and lifting short hairs from the skin for entry thereof into the hair reception slots of the outer cutter.