Pivoting Razor Handle With Fluid Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing razors struggle to provide a close, comfortable shave while also delivering skin benefits like fluid or heat, due to the need for effective blade pivoting in a compact, durable design.

Innovation Solution

A handle design featuring a pivoting head with a trapezoidal prism shape, incorporating a spring mechanism and fluid or heat delivery components, allowing for both effective pivoting and skin benefit delivery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a pivoting mechanism is added to enable blade movement for close shaving, then the shaving quality is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshaving qualityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pivoting head is divided into separate components including a base member, cover member, and interior compartment that can be manufactured independently and assembled. This segmentation allows the complex pivoting mechanism to be broken down into simpler, manufacturable parts while maintaining the overall pivoting function for close shaving.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The interior compartment is nested within the pivoting head structure, with the cover member overlaid on the base member. This nesting approach allows multiple functional elements (fluid delivery channels, pivot mechanism, and head structure) to be integrated in a compact arrangement, improving shaving quality without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Adaptability or versatility

If skin benefit delivery components are integrated into the pivoting head, then the versatility is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveskin benefit deliveryVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The pivoting head is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides blade pivoting for close shaving and delivers skin benefits through integrated fluid or heat delivery components. The interior compartment and cover member with exterior openings enable this dual functionality, allowing a single component to serve multiple purposes rather than requiring separate devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The pivoting mechanism and skin benefit delivery system are merged into a single integrated pivoting head assembly. The base member and cover member are mated to form a unified structure that combines the mechanical pivoting function with the fluid/heat delivery function, simplifying the overall device architecture and potentially reducing manufacturing steps compared to separate components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If a compact design is used to maintain durability, then the reliability is improved, but the space for pivot mechanism is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovedurabilityVSAvoidspace for pivot mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The pivoting head utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement with the interior compartment nested within the head structure and the cover member overlaid on the base member. This dimensional optimization allows the pivot mechanism to be accommodated within a compact volume by efficiently using available space in multiple dimensions, maintaining durability without requiring excessive size.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The pivoting head employs an asymmetric trapezoidal prism shape rather than a symmetric form. This asymmetric geometry allows for optimized internal arrangement of the pivot mechanism and skin benefit delivery components, enabling a compact external dimensions while providing sufficient internal space for the necessary mechanical elements through uneven distribution of internal volumes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

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 design achieves a close, comfortable shave by enabling precise blade movement and delivering skin benefits, while being simpler, cost-effective, and easier to manufacture and assemble.

Implementation Method 1

a pivot spring which is at least partially disposed in the interior channel, the pivot spring comprising a first coil spring and a second coil spring and a main bar portion that couples the first and second coil springs together, wherein the pivot spring is coupled with the pivoting head and interacts with the main body to bias the pivoting head about the pivot axis into a rest position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3774229B1Razor handle with a pivoting portion
Publication Date: 2025.02.12 THE GILLETTE CO
  • EP3774229B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3774229B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3774229B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A handle. The handle can have a main body and a pivoting head (22) pivotally coupled with the main body about a pivot axis. The pivoting head can have a substantially trapezoidal prism shape and include a base member (42) and a cover member (40) that overlies the base member in a mating relationship. The cover member can include a face defining at least one exterior opening and the pivoting head can have an interior compartment in fluid communication with the main body and the exterior opening.