Expanded Polymer Microsphere Coating for Razor Blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing razor blade technologies face challenges in efficiently and cost-effectively producing large amounts of material for printing on blade bodies, which can be time-consuming and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A razor blade with an expanded coating structure featuring encapsulated gas within hollow thermoplastic polymer shells, allowing for the creation of protruding structures that are simple, rapid, and inexpensive to produce, using a process involving a liquid suspension of expandable polymer microspheres that can be deposited and expanded on the blade body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large amounts of material are printed onto a blade body to create protruding structures, then the shaving performance is improved, but the production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state of the polymer material from solid to expanded foam structure through temperature and pressure changes. The polymer microspheres are heated above their glass transition temperature to expand and form protruding structures, allowing rapid creation of large-volume features without time-consuming material deposition
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of polymer microspheres from unexpanded to expanded state through thermal heating. This phase change enables the material to rapidly increase in volume and form the desired protruding coating structure on the blade body, significantly reducing production time compared to traditional printing methods
2Reliability
If large amounts of material are printed onto a blade body to create protruding structures, then the shaving performance is improved, but the production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of depositing large amounts of material and then shaping it, the invention inverts the approach by depositing small polymer microspheres and then expanding them in-place. This inversion reduces material waste and processing complexity, leading to lower production costs while achieving the same protruding structure functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses parameter changes (temperature and pressure) to transform the polymer microspheres from a compact unexpanded state to an expanded foam structure. This approach is more cost-effective than traditional material deposition because it requires less material, simpler equipment, and faster processing time
3Shape
If a complex printing process is used to create protruding structures on the blade body, then the coating structure is formed, but the fabrication complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex mechanical printing systems with a simpler thermal expansion process. Instead of using precision printing equipment to deposit and shape material, the process uses heat to automatically expand polymer microspheres into the desired protruding structures, significantly reducing fabrication complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The phase transition of polymer microspheres upon heating provides a self-organizing mechanism that automatically forms the protruding coating structure without complex tooling or multi-step processes. The material itself undergoes the transformation from unexpanded spheres to expanded foam structure, eliminating the need for complex printing equipment
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 expanded coating structure enhances shaving performance by reducing skin irritation, friction, and contact pressure, while providing improved smoothness and maneuverability, and can be fabricated using a process that reduces fabrication time and complexity.
Implementation Method 1
heating the one or more expandable polymer microspheres to a temperature at which the shell is plastically deformable under pressure of the gas encapsulated therein so as to achieve an increase in volume
Implementation Method 2
The liquid uncured polymer precursor may be UV-curable. The liquid uncured polymer precursor may include a UV-curable initiator
Data Source
AI summary
A razor blade including a blade body, an expanded coating structure arranged on a surface of the blade body so as to cover the blade body at least partially, the expanded coating structure including one or more expanded polymer microspheres, at least one of the one or more expanded polymer microspheres including a gas encapsulated within a hollow thermoplastic polymer shell. A process for fabrication of same, including providing a blade body, depositing a liquid suspension, the liquid suspension including expandable polymer microspheres dispersed in a liquid uncured polymer precursor, each expandable polymer microsphere including a gas encapsulated within a hollow thermoplastic polymer shell, on a surface of the blade body to obtain a deposit, and expanding at least a portion of the expandable polymer microspheres in the deposit to obtain an expanded deposit including one or more expanded polymer microspheres arranged on the surface of the blade body, the liquid uncured polymer precursor being configured to remain uncured during expansion of the expandable polymer microspheres. A skincare device including such a razor blade. A process of fabricating same, including attaching such a razor blade to a cartridge.