Conical Guard Element Shaving Track for Self-Centering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional hair-cutting appliances with larger guard elements struggle to effectively follow facial contours and achieve satisfactory shaving results, especially when scaled down, leading to improper function and skin irritation issues.

Innovation Solution

A hair-cutting appliance with a guard element of smaller dimensions (7 mm to 13 mm base diameter) featuring a conical inner and outer surface on the shaving track, allowing for even pressure distribution and self-centering functionality without a central bearing, along with tapered hair-entry slits and varying lamella thickness for enhanced hair cutting performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional larger guard elements are used in hair-cutting appliances, then structural stability and ease of manufacture are improved, but the ability to follow facial contours and shaving effectiveness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidability to follow facial contours

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The guard element is divided into multiple functional zones: a shaving track zone with hair-entry slits for active cutting, and a peripheral zone with reduced material presence. This segmentation allows the central area to maintain structural integrity while the periphery adapts to facial contours, resolving the contradiction between manufacturability and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the guard element are given different properties: the central shaving track area has sufficient material thickness for structural stability and easy manufacture, while the peripheral regions have reduced material presence to enable contour following. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing each zone for its specific function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If guard element size is reduced to improve facial contour following, then adaptability is improved, but structural stability and proper function deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefacial contour followingVSAvoidstructural stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The guard element concentrates its material presence in the central shaving track zone while reducing material in peripheral areas. This segmentation maintains structural stability where needed (center) while enabling contour adaptability at the periphery, resolving the contradiction between size reduction and structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guard element exhibits local quality variations with thicker material in the central shaving zone for stability and thinner material at peripheries for contour adaptation. This resolves the contradiction by providing different structural properties in different locations rather than uniform thinning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If pressure distribution is to be improved for reduced skin irritation, then even pressure distribution is achieved through conical surfaces, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveskin irritationVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shaving track is given a conical curvature with inclined inner and outer surfaces that naturally distribute pressure evenly across the contact area. This geometric curvature achieves the skin protection function while remaining compatible with conventional manufacturing methods, resolving the contradiction between harm reduction and manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Device complexity

If a central bearing is removed to enable self-centering functionality, then device complexity is reduced, but positioning precision of the hair-cutting element deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidpositioning precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The guard element's conical shaving track surfaces are designed to automatically center the hair-cutting element through geometric self-alignment during operation. The inclined surfaces guide the rotating element into proper positioning without requiring external bearing support, achieving self-centering that reduces complexity while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12138817B2Hair-cutting appliance comprising a guard element

Publication Date: 2024.11.12 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

AI summary

A hair-cutting appliance comprising at least 19 hair-cutting units (10), each comprising a guard element (20) and a rotatably arranged hair-cutting element (15) having at least one hair-cutting edge (16), is provided. The hair-cutting units of the hair-cutting appliance are relatively small, a base of the guard element having a diameter in a range of 7 mm to 13 mm. In order to have a relatively small guard element (20) which is of robust and uncomplicated design, and which is capable of contributing to excellent hair-cutting results without causing skin irritation, it is proposed to let both an inner surface (35) and an outer surface (36) of an annular shaving track (30) of the guard element (20) have a conical shape relative to a central axis (21) of the guard element (20), in a similar slanting orientation relative to the central axis (21), in at least a hair-cutting portion of the shaving track (30).