Method for dispensing razor blade cartridges

Claim 2

In a method for dispensing a plurality of razor blade cartridges with a dispensing system, wherein each of the cartridges has slidably engageable surfaces formed transversely along the underside thereof, and wherein said dispensing system comprises a holder having a plurality of supporting surfaces formed transversely thereof for sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said cartridges, said holder having the slidably engageable surfaces of an initial cartridge engaged by said supporting surfaces, and wherein said dispensing system further comprises at least one dispenser unit including a longitudinal row of transverse cartridge chambers, means in each of the chambers for releasably maintaining a cartridge therein with the slidably engageable surfaces positioned for engagement by said supporting surfaces of said holder, and guide means formed in a wall of said one dispenser unit to one side of each of said chambers for guiding said supporting surfaces of said holder into or out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces, one end chamber of said one dispenser unit being empty and the successive chambers following said empty chamber each having one of the cartridges releasably maintained therein, the steps comprising a. by means of said holder placing said initial cartridge when unsuitable for use in said empty chamber and in engagement by the maintaining means in said empty chamber, b. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said initial cartridge and through the guide means to one side of said empty chamber, c. positioning at least a portion of said supporting surfaces of said holder in the guide means to one side of the first successive chamber following said empty chamber, d. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder through the first successive chamber guide means into sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of the cartridge in the first successive chamber, e. by means of said holder overcoming the maintaining means in the first successive chamber and removing said first cartridge from the first successive chamber, and f. in accordance with steps (a) through (e) replacing each cartridge, when no longer suitable for use, in the chamber from which the cartridge was removed and removing the cartridge from the next successive chamber until all the cartridges are successively removed from said one dispenser unit for use.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said dispensing system further comprises another dispenser unit corresponding to said one dispenser unit, a plurality of successive chambers of said another dispenser unit each having one of the cartridges releasably maintained therein, said another dispenser unit being releasably connected to said one dispenser unit to render the guide means of said another dispenser inaccessible to said supporting surfaces of said holder, further comprising the steps of g. replacing the last successively removed cartridge, when no longer suitable for use, in the chamber of said one dispenser unit from which the last cartridge was removed, h. disconnecting said one dispenser unit from said another dispenser unit, i. successively removing and replacing each cartridge of said another dispenser unit, when no longer suitable for use, in the chamber from which the cartridge was removed in accordance with steps (c) through (f) until all the cartridges are successively removed from said another dispenser unit for use.

Claim 4

In a method for dispensing a plurality of razor blade cartridges with a dispensing system, wherein each of the cartridges has slidably engageable surfaces formed transversely along the underside thereof, and wherein said dispensing system comprises a holder having a plurality of supporting surfaces formed transversely thereof for sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said cartridges, said holder having the slidably engageable surfaces of an initial cartridge engaged by said supporting surfaces, and wherein said dispensing system further comprises a dispenser including a pair of opposing side walls, a plurality of transverse parallel walls interconnecting said side walls to provide a plurality of cartridge chambers, means in each of the chambers for releasably maintaining a cartridge therein with the slidably engageable surfaces positioned for engagement, and guide means formed transversely in one of said side walls in alignment with each of said chambers for guiding said supporting surfaces into or out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces, one of said chambers being empty and the next successive chambers each having one of the cartridges releasably maintained therein, the steps comprising a. by means of said holder placing said initial cartridge when unsuitable for use in said empty chamber and in engagement by the maintaining means in said empty chamber, b. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said initial cartridge and through the guide means in alignment with said empty chamber, c. positioning at least a portion of said supporting surfaces of said holder in the guide means in alignment with the first successive chamber adjacent said empty chamber, d. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder through the guide means of step (c) into sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of a first cartridge in the first successive chamber, e. by means of said holder overcoming the maintaining means in the first successive chamber and removing said first cartridge from the first successive chamber for use, f. by means of said holder replacing said first cartridge, when no longer suitable for use, in the first successive chamber and in engagement by the maintaining means in the first successive chamber, g. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said first cartridge and through the guide means in alignment with the first successive chamber, h. positioning at least a portion of said supporting surfaces of said holder in the guide means in alignment with the second successive chamber adjacent the first successive chamber, i. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder through the guide means of step (h) into sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of a second cartridge in the second successive chamber, J. by means of said holder overcoming the maintaining means in the second successive chamber and removing said second cartridge from the second successive chamber for use, and k. in accordance with steps (f) through (j) replacing each cartridge, when no longer suitable for use, in the successive chamber from which the cartridge was removed and removing the cartridge from the next successive chamber until all the cartridges are successively removed from the dispenser for use.

Claim 5

In a method for dispensing a plurality of razor blade cartridges with a dispensing system, wherein each of the cartridges has slidably engageable surfaces formed transversely along the underside thereof, and wherein said dispensing system comprises a holder having a plurality of supporting surfaces formed transversely thereof for sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said cartridges, said holder having the slidably engageable surfaces of an initial cartridge engaged by said supporting surfaces, and wherein said dispensing system further comprises a dispenser including a pair of opposing side walls, a plurality of transverse parallel walls interconnecting said side walls to provide a plurality of cartridge chambers, means in each of the chambers for releasably maintaining a cartridge therein with the slidably engageable surfaces positioned for engagement, and guide means formed transversely in one of said side walls in alignment with each of said chambers for guiding said supporting surfaces into or out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces, one of said chambers being empty and the next successive chambers each having one of the cartridges releasably maintained therein, the steps comprising a. by means of said holder placing said initial cartridge when unsuitable for use in said empty chamber and in engagement by the maintaining means in said empty chamber, b. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said initial cartridge and through the guide means in alignment with said empty chamber, c. positioning at least a portion of said supporting surfaces of said holder in the guide means in alignment with the first successive chamber adjacent said empty chamber, d. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder through the guide means of step (c) into sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of a first cartridge in the first successive chamber, e. by means of said holder overcoming the maintaining means in the first successive chamber and removing said first cartridge from the first successive chamber for use, f. by means of said holder replacing said first cartridge, when no longer suitable for use, in the first successive chamber and in engagement by the maintaining means in the first successive chamber, g. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said first cartridge and through the guide means in alignment with the first successive chamber, h. positioning at least a portion of said supporting surfaces of said holder in the guide means in alignment with the second successive chamber adjacent the first successive chamber, i. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder through the guide means of step (h) into sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of a second cartridge in the second successive chamber, J. by means of said holder overcoming the maintaining means in the second successive chamber and removing said second cartridge from the second successive chamber for use, and k. in accordance with steps (f) through (j) replacing each cartridge, when no longer suitable for use, in the successive chamber from which the cartridge was removed and removing the cartridge from the next successive chamber until all the cartridges are successively removed from the dispenser for use.

Claim 6

In a method of dispensing a plurality of razor blade cartridges with a dispensing system; wherein each of said cartridges has slidably engageable surfaces formed transversely along an underside thereof; and wherein said dispensing system comprises a holder, said holder including a plurality of supporting surfaces formed transversely thereof for sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said cartridges; and wherein said dispensing system further comprises a dispenser, said dispenser including a longitudinal row of transverse cartridge chambers, means in each of said chambers for releasably maintaining one of said cartridges therein with the slidably engageable surfaces of each of said cartridges positioned for engagement by said supporting surfaces of said holder, and guide means formed in a side wall of said dispenser to one side of each of said chambers for guiding said supporting surfaces of said holder into or out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces; and wherein said cartridges are releasably maintained in a plurality of successive chambers, the steps comprising: a. positioning at least a portion of said supporting surfaces of said holder in the guide means in alignment with an end chamber of said plurality of successive chambers, b. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder through the guide means of said end chamber into sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of a first cartridge in said end chamber, c. by means of said holder overcoming the maintaining means in said end chamber and removing said first cartridge from said end chamber for use, d. by means of said holder returning said first cartridge, when no longer suitable for use, to said end chamber and in engagement by the maintaining means in said end chamber, e. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said first cartridge and through the guide means in alignment with said end chamber, f. positioning at least a portion of said supporting surfaces of said holder in the guide means in alignment with a first successive chamber adjacent to said end chamber, g. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder through the guide means of said first successive chamber into sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of a second cartridge in said first successive chamber, h. by means of said holder overcoming the maintaining means in said first successive chamber and removing said second cartridge from said first successive chamber for use, and i. repeating steps (d) through (h) to return said second cartridge to said first successive chamber, and to sequentially remove the cartridges from and return the cartridges to the next successive chambers until the last cartridge is removed from said dispenser for use.

Claim 7

In a method of dispensing a plurality of razor blade cartridges with a dispensing system; wherein each of said cartridges has slidably engageable surfaces formed transversely along an underside thereof; and wherein said dispensing system comprises a holder, said holder including a plurality of supporting surfaces formed transversely thereof for sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said cartridges; and wherein said dispensing system further comprises a dispenser, said dispenser including a longitudinal row of transverse cartridge chambers, means in each of said chambers for releasably maintaining one of said cartridges therein with the slidably engageable surfaces of each of said cartridges positioned for engagement by said supporting surfaces of said holder, and guide means formed in a side wall of said dispenser to one side of each of said chambers for guiding said supporting surfaces of said holder into or out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces; and wherein said cartridges are releasably maintained in a plurality of successive chambers, the steps comprising: a. positioning at least a portion of said supporting surfaces of said holder in the guide means in alignment with an end chamber of said plurality of successive chambers, b. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder through the guide means of said end chamber into sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of a first cartridge in said end chamber, c. by means of said holder overcoming the maintaining means in said end chamber and removing said first cartridge from said end chamber for use, d. by means of said holder returning said first cartridge, when no longer suitable for use, to said end chamber and in engagement by the maintaining means in said end chamber, e. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder out of engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of said first cartridge and through the guide means in alignment with said end chamber, f. positioning at least a portion of said supporting surfaces of said holder in the guide means in alignment with a first successive chamber adjacent to said end chamber, g. sliding said supporting surfaces of said holder through the guide means of said first successive chamber into sliding engagement with the slidably engageable surfaces of a second cartridge in said first successive chamber, h. by means of said holder overcoming the maintaining means in said first successive chamber and removing said second cartridge from said first successive chamber for use, and i. repeating steps (d) through (h) to return said second cartridge to said first successive chamber, and to sequentially remove the cartridges from and return the cartridges to the next successive chambers until the last cartridge is removed from said dispenser for use.