Integral Bent Razor Blade Design for Manufacturing Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of L-shaped razor blades with separate cutting and support parts is logistically and technically challenging, particularly at high manufacturing speeds, leading to precision issues and corrosion, which complicates the development of integral bent blades that require both formability and cutting performance while considering manufacturing processes and costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of martensitic stainless steel with a carbon content between 0.62% and 0.75% for integrally formed rigid razor blades with a bent portion, optimized for formability and strength, and the design of razor heads with movable blades having a specific cantilever dimension and radius of curvature to enhance shaving performance and manufacturing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate cutting part and support part are assembled to form L-shaped razor blade, then cutting performance and support function can be optimized separately, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cutting part and support part into a single integral L-shaped blade structure. This eliminates the assembly step between separate parts, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the functional advantages of having distinct cutting and support sections. The integral structure is achieved through single-piece fabrication processes.
2Reliability
If integral bent blade is used instead of assembled supported blade, then assembly precision and corrosion resistance improve, but manufacturing difficulty increases due to formability requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise material composition parameters (carbon: 0.35-0.43%, molybdenum: 0.90-1.35%, manganese: 0.40-0.90%, chromium: 13-14%) to achieve the optimal balance between formability for bending and strength for reliable cutting performance. These parameter changes enable the integral bent structure to be manufactured reliably.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local heat treatment to specific portions of the blade to increase ductility where bending is required, while maintaining high strength in the cutting edges. This localized modification of material properties enables the integral structure to achieve both formability and reliability.
3Productivity
If high speed manufacturing is used for assembling supported blades, then productivity increases, but assembly precision deteriorates and handling difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the cutting part and support part into a single integral component, the patent eliminates the assembly operation entirely. This resolves the contradiction between high-speed manufacturing and assembly precision, as the single-piece structure requires no joining operations regardless of production speed.
4Strength
If material with higher carbon content is used for integral bent blade, then cutting edge strength improves, but formability of bent portion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the carbon content to 0.35-0.43%, which provides sufficient cutting edge strength while maintaining adequate formability for bending. This specific parameter range resolves the contradiction between strength and formability that would exist with higher carbon contents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local heat treatment to the bent portion to increase ductility specifically where needed, while maintaining higher strength in the cutting edges. This localized property modification allows the use of higher overall carbon content for strength while preserving formability in critical areas.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrally formed rigid razor blade is provided. The razor blade includes a cutting edge portion extending along a cutting edge portion axis and having a cutting edge at one end, a base portion extending along a base portion axis, and a bent portion intermediate the cutting edge portion and the base portion. The bent portion has an average radius of curvature of between 0.4 millimeters and 1.00 millimeters. The cutting edge portion has a cantilever dimension which is a constant distance of between 1.1 millimeters and 1.8 millimeters when measured from the cutting edge portion to the base portion axis.