Deformable Container in Personal Care Handle Assembly

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional personal care products, such as razors and applicators, are often separate from their associated preparations, leading to issues like loss or misplacement, especially during travel, and existing combined solutions are complex, cumbersome, and expensive with many breakable parts.

Innovation Solution

A handle and container assembly that integrates a deformable container with a resilient design, allowing it to spring back after being squeezed, and a retention assembly using ribs and grooves for secure placement, enabling easy access and storage of personal care compositions without separate handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional personal care products are kept separate from their associated preparations, then each item can be simple and easy to manufacture, but they become prone to loss or misplacement especially while traveling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverisk of loss or misplacementVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the personal care implement (razor) and the container for the preparation into a single integrated assembly. The container is positioned within the handle structure, allowing the implement and preparation to be carried together as one unit, thereby eliminating the risk of loss or misplacement while maintaining relative structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If existing combined solutions integrate personal care implement and preparation, then the risk of loss is reduced, but they become structurally complex, difficult and cumbersome to use, expensive, and contain an excessive number of easily breakable parts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverisk of lossVSAvoidease of use

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated assembly is divided into distinct functional segments: the handle containing the implement, the container for the preparation, and a dispensing mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while maintaining overall simplicity and ease of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The container is designed to be squeezable, allowing the user to dispense the preparation directly onto the implement or application surface without requiring separate application bottles or complex dispensing systems. This self-service approach simplifies operation while maintaining integration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If existing combined solutions integrate personal care implement and preparation, then the risk of loss is reduced, but they become expensive with many easily breakable parts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverisk of lossVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By merging the implement and container into a single assembly manufactured as one unit, the patent eliminates the need for separate components and assembly operations. This integration reduces manufacturing steps, material costs, and the number of potential failure points, thereby lowering overall cost while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a simple, portable, and cost-effective way to store and dispense personal care compositions directly with the personal care implement, reducing the risk of loss and improving usability by integrating the container and handle seamlessly.

Implementation Method 1

The container is resiliently deformable enabling the container to spring back, rebound, or otherwise return to an original form, an un-squeezed or un-collapsed form, after being deformed or collapsed by being squeezed

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11337504B2Substance dispensing handle and container assemblies, substance dispensing handles, and personal care devices

Publication Date: 2022.05.24 ICI ENTERPRISES LLC

AI summary

A personal care device includes a handle including a head supporting a personal care implement, a cradle longitudinally extending from the head to a proximal extremity open to the cradle, an elongate opening open to the cradle and extending longitudinally between the head and the proximal extremity and defined by mutually respective longitudinal edges, and a container extending longitudinally through the cradle. The container is deformable and a longitudinal part of the container extends laterally outward from the cradle through the elongate opening beyond the longitudinal edges. The container includes a dispensing opening proximate to the proximal extremity that is normally closed by a closure. In another embodiment, the container is coupled in fluid communication to the personal care implement.