Keyed Attachment System for Consumer Products
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing consumer products with removable portions, such as shaving systems, lack a secure and unique attachment mechanism that prevents incorrect assembly and ensures a dedicated interaction between the handle and replaceable components, leading to potential misalignment and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of keyed structures on both the handle and the replaceable shaving assembly, featuring complementary male and female structures like ribs and channels, ensures a unique and secure attachment, allowing only a single predetermined orientation and providing resistance against torsional forces during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If keyed structures are implemented on the handle and replaceable portion, then attachment security and orientation precision are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements asymmetric keyed structures including protrusions and cavities with specific geometric configurations that allow only one correct orientation for attachment. The asymmetric design ensures precise alignment between the handle and replaceable portion while preventing incorrect assembly, directly resolving the contradiction by using geometric asymmetry to achieve orientation precision without requiring complex active control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment interface is segmented into distinct keyed features (protrusions, cavities, ribs, channels) that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation allows each feature to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall attachment security, reducing the complexity burden by breaking down the attachment mechanism into manageable, standardized components.
2Reliability
If complementary keyed structures with ribs and channels are used, then attachment reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The keyed structures serve multiple functions simultaneously: the protrusions and cavities provide mechanical interlocking for secure attachment, the ribs and channels guide alignment during assembly, and the geometric configurations prevent incorrect orientation. This multi-functionality achieves high attachment reliability without requiring separate components for each function, thereby maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The complementary keyed structures are designed to self-align and self-lock during the attachment process. The geometric features automatically guide the replaceable portion into the correct orientation and secure it without requiring additional fastening operations or complex assembly procedures, improving reliability while keeping manufacturing and assembly simple.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a unique keyed configuration is provided for each customer, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different keyed configurations (varying numbers, positions, and geometries of protrusions and cavities) tailored to specific customer requirements or product variants. Each local configuration is optimized for its intended application while maintaining compatibility with the overall attachment system architecture, enabling customer-specific adaptability without requiring a complete redesign of the entire attachment mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
Consumer products, e.g., shaving systems and toothbrushes, are disclosed which have a replaceable portion, e.g., a shaving assembly or a toothbrush head, that is removably mounted on a handle. The consumer products described herein include keyed structures on the handle and replaceable portion, the relative placement of which creates a unique interaction between the two parts. This unique interaction may, for example, be used to provide a dedicated attachment system for each specific customer of the manufacturer of the consumer product.