Razors and shaving cartridges with guard

A shaving blade unit comprising

• a plastic housing having a front portion and a rear portion and two side surfaces extending from the front portion to the rear portion, the housing having a length extending from one side surface to the other side surface and a width perpendicular to the length,
• one or more shaving blades between the front portion and the rear portion, the one or more blades having a blade length extending along respective one or more parallel blade axes, and
• a guard comprising an elastomeric member carried by the housing at the front portion of the housing and extending along a guard axis that is parallel to the respective one or more blade axes, the guard having a width perpendicular to the guard axis extending beyond the width of the housing,
• and wherein, in a region of the elastomeric member extending beyond the width of the housing, the elastomeric member has a first thickness adjacent the side surfaces of the plastic housing and tapers continuously from the side surfaces to a second, lesser thickness at a center region of the guard.

A shaving razor comprising:

• a handle;
• and
• a shaving cartridge including connection structure connecting the cartridge to the handle, the shaving cartridge comprising
• a plastic housing having a front portion and a rear portion and two side surfaces extending from the front portion to the rear portion, the housing having a length extending from one side surface to the other side surface,
• one or more shaving blades positioned between the front portion and the rear portion, the one or more blades having a blade length extending along respective one or more parallel blade axes, and
• a guard at the front portion of the housing, the guard comprising an elastomeric member that extends along a guard axis that is parallel to the respective one or more blade axes, the elastomeric member having a length along the guard axis that is greater than or equal to the blade length, and wherein the elastomeric member also extends along a width axis, said width axis extending perpendicular to the guard axis and in a direction from said housing rear portion towards said housing front portion,
• and wherein a leading elastomer portion (106) of the elastomeric member (100) extends beyond a leading edge of the front portion (108) of the plastic housing (20), said leading elastomer portion (106) being forward of a rear elastomer portion (102), said rear elastomer portion (102) being supported by the plastic housing (20), and wherein a width of the leading elastomer portion (106) along said width axis exceeds a width of the supported rear elastomer portion (102) alone said width axis.

A shaving blade unit, comprising

• a plastic housing having a front portion and a rear portion and two side surfaces extending from the front portion to the rear portion, the plastic housing having a length extending from one side surface tote other side surface and a width perpendicular to the length, said plastic housing defining a connection structure adapted to connect the blade unit to a handle,
• one or more shaving blades positioned between the front portion and the rear portion, the one or more blades having a blade length extending along respective one or more parallel blade axes, and
• a guard at the front portion of the housing, the guard comprising an elastomeric member that extends along a guard axis that is parallel to the respective one or more blade axes, the elastomeric member having a length along the guard axis that is greater than or equal to the blade length and having a width in a direction perpendicular to the guard axis extending beyond the width of the housing, and
• wherein, in a reaction of the elastomeric member extending beyond the width of the housing, the elastomeric member has a first thickness adjacent the side surfaces of the plastic housing and tapers, over an entire distance from the side surfaces towards a center region of the guard, to a second lesser thickness at the center region of the guard.