Shaving apparatus having a shear plate with hair-entry apertures and a cutting unit with lead cutters, which unit is drivable relative to the shear plate

Claim 1

A shaving apparatus having a shear plate provided with hair-entry apertures and a cutting unit associated with and drivable relative to the shear plate; said cutting unit comprising a cutting member, cutters extending from said cutting member toward the shear plate, each cutter having a guide wall and an end wall, lead cutters respectively associated with and movable relative to the cutters away from and toward the shear plate, each lead cutter, with reference to the direction of driving the cutting unit, being positioned in front of its associated cutter and slidingly engaging the guide wall of such associated cutter, each lead cutter having a front wall and an end wall normally in contact with the shear plate, each lead cutter front wall being essentially perpendicular to its associated cutter end wall, and a projection extending forwardly from each lead cutter front wall adjacent the end wall of such lead cutter and terminating in a cutting edge for penetration into a hair, the thickness of such projection being such that only partial penetration into the hair is effected, the perpendicular front wall of the lead cutter further limiting penetration of such projection into the hair.