Electric Beard Trimmer Cutter with Beveled Tips for First-Contact Cutting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cutter systems for electric shavers and trimmers face challenges in achieving efficient and clean cutting of beard stubbles, particularly due to hairs deflecting and not being cut at the first contact with the blades, leading to inefficiencies and discomfort.

Innovation Solution

The cutter system features beveled tooth tips on the movable blade, inclined at an acute angle relative to the cutting direction, reducing hair deflection and enabling first contact cutting by minimizing the vertical extension of the tooth tip beyond the cutting surface, combined with sharp lateral edges and controlled opening angles between teeth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional cutter blades with vertical tooth tips are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but hairs deflect and are not cut at first contact, reducing cutting efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting efficiencyVSAvoidblade structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by modifying only the tooth tip region of the cutter blade while keeping the rest of the blade structure conventional. The tooth tip is beveled at an acute angle (5°-15°) relative to the cutting surface, creating a localized geometric change that enables first-contact hair cutting without requiring complete blade redesign

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a new dimensional aspect by adding the bevel angle dimension to the traditional vertical tooth tip. This acute angle bevel creates a wedge-shaped void between the tooth tip and the virtual plane perpendicular to the cutting surface, allowing the blade to engage hairs at an optimal angle for immediate cutting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If tooth tips with large vertical extension are used, then the blade structure is robust, but hairs are pushed away and deflection increases, reducing cutting effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting effectivenessVSAvoidhair deflection and pushing
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the geometric parameters of the tooth tip by introducing a bevel angle (5°-15°) and controlling the tip height (0.1-0.5mm). This parameter optimization reduces the vertical extension of the tooth tip while maintaining structural integrity, thereby minimizing hair deflection and pushing effects

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the opening angle between cutting teeth is large, then hairs can easily enter the cutting gap, but cutting precision and clean cutting are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehair engagement efficiencyVSAvoidcutting precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the opening angle parameter between adjacent cutting teeth to a specific range (10°-30°). This parameter optimization balances two requirements: the angle is large enough to allow hairs to easily enter the cutting gap, but small enough to maintain cutting precision and achieve clean cuts

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4241938B1Electric beard trimmer
Publication Date: 2025.09.24 BRAUN GMBH
  • EP4241938B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4241938B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP4241938B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

The present invention relates to a cutter system 3 for an electric shaver and/or trimmer 1, comprising a pair of cooperating cutter blades 4, 5 each having at least one row of comb-like cutting teeth 6, 7, wherein one of said cutter blades is stationary and the other one is movable relative to the stationary cutter blade along a cutting surface 8 defined between said cooperating cutter blades, said cutting teeth each having pairs of lateral cutting edges 9 tapering towards a tooth tip 11, wherein said tooth tips of at least one of the cooperating cutter blades are provided with a flattened, beveled tip surface 12 and wherein a skin contact surface 14 of the cutter system has an inclined forward end portion 14f for guiding the cutter blades in the region of said tooth tips over the skin of a user and defining an acute angle φ to said cutting surface, wherein said flattened, beveled tip surface is inclined to a virtual plane 27 at an acute angle, said virtual plane extending parallel to said cutting direction 25 and perpendicular to said skin contact surface and/or a tangential plane 33 tangential thereto, so the tooth tip touches said virtual plane only at the cutting surface with a substantially wedge-shaped void 29 between the flattened beveled tip surface and said virtual plane.