Blade Set Assembly Precision via Plastic Contact Bridge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing methods for hair cutting appliance blade sets face challenges in achieving high precision and consistency in the tip-to-tip distance between stationary and cutter blades, leading to potential skin damage and inefficiencies in assembly and adjustment processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a flexible coupling element and a plastic contact bridge, where the coupling element is directly bonded to the contact bridge without predefined bonding locations, allowing for precise alignment and reduced tolerance ranges, enabling a low-backlash joint and improved assembly precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manufacturers set or adjust the tip-to-tip distance of the blade set in the factory using common manufacturing approaches, then the assembly can be completed with standard procedures, but a certain level of remaining assembly tolerances cannot be avoided which adversely affects precision and may cause skin damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining the bonding location of the coupling element on the cutter blade at the factory during manufacturing. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the blade set is assembled, the tip-to-tip distance is already precisely determined by the predetermined bonding location rather than requiring adjustment during assembly. This eliminates the need for post-assembly calibration and prevents skin damage by ensuring consistent precision across all blade sets.
2Manufacturing precision
If a separate calibration gauge is provided for end users to calibrate the tip-to-tip distance, then precision can be improved, but the operation of hair cutting appliances is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing the coupling element with a predetermined bonding location that automatically ensures precise tip-to-tip distance during assembly. The precision is built into the component design itself, eliminating the need for end users to perform calibration operations with separate gauges. The blade set assembly process becomes self-sufficient in achieving precision without requiring additional user tools or procedures.
3Manufacturing precision
If predefined bonding locations are used for the coupling element, then assembly precision can be improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the coupling element into functional portions: a first portion with a predetermined bonding location on the cutter blade, and a second portion that couples to the stationary blade. This segmentation allows the precision function to be localized to the bonding location on the cutter blade, while the rest of the assembly remains simple. The predetermined bonding location is integrated into the coupling element design rather than adding separate adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a blade set assembly, a blade set assembly, and a hair cutting appliance, wherein the method includes providing a base component including a stationary blade, providing a movable component comprising a cutter blade, providing a coupling element, the coupling element being arranged to be interposed between the base component and the movable component, providing a plastic contact bridge, arranging the stationary blade and the cutter blade at a defined relative assembly position, securing the assembly position between the stationary blade and the cutter blade, involving attaching the plastic contact bridge to one of the base component and the movable component, attaching a retaining portion of the coupling element to the other one of the base component and the movable component, and penetrating the plastic contact bridge with at least one insertion end of the coupling element.