Razor Cartridge Lubrication and Moisturizing Strips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing razor cartridges with moisturizing and lubricating materials face challenges in providing comfort during shaving due to increased drag caused by hydrophobic materials, leading to discomfort for users.
Innovation Solution
A razor cartridge design featuring a moisturizing portion with 60% to 98% lipophilic materials and a lubricating portion with 30% to 80% lubricants, where the ratio of their surface areas is optimized to reduce drag while maintaining effective moisturization, with the lubricating portion positioned to precede the moisturizing portion to minimize friction and deposition issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydrophobic emollients are used in onboard chemistry to promote skin moisturization, then moisturization benefit is improved, but drag across the skin increases causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The razor cartridge separates the moisturizing function and lubricating function into distinct portions. The moisturizing portion contains hydrophobic emollients for moisturization, while the lubricating portion contains lubricants to reduce drag. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function without the negative effects of the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the razor cartridge are assigned different material compositions tailored to their specific functions. The moisturizing portion uses hydrophobic emollients concentrated in that local area, while the lubricating portion uses lubricants in its local area. This local quality optimization ensures that hydrophobic materials provide moisturization where needed without causing excessive drag across the entire shaving surface.
2Ease of operation
If polyoxyethylene is used to lubricate the skin, then lubrication is improved, but the material is washed away in highly aqueous environment reducing longevity
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricating portion uses a composite material system that combines polyoxyethylene with amphipathic materials such as fatty alcohols. This composite formulation provides the benefits of polyoxyethylene for lubrication while the amphipathic components enhance water resistance and longevity, preventing the lubricating properties from being washed away in the highly aqueous shaving environment.
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 optimized surface area ratio and positioning of the moisturizing and lubricating portions enhance comfort and effectiveness by reducing drag and ensuring adequate lubrication, thereby improving the shaving experience while maintaining skin moisturization benefits.
Implementation Method 1
a lubricating portion comprising from 30% to 80% lubricants by weight of the lubricating portion, being disposed within the housing and having a second surface area to contact the skin
Implementation Method 2
An approach available to promote skin moisturization is to use occlusive, hydrophobic materials which cover the skin and therefore act to retain water already present therein
Data Source
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AI summary
A razor cartridge comprising a housing, one or more blades disposed within the housing, a moisturizing portion comprising at least 50% lipophilic materials by weight of the moisturizing portion, being disposed within the housing and having a first surface area to contact the skin, and a lubricating portion comprising at least 20% lubricants by weight of the lubricating portion, being disposed within the housing and having a second surface area to contact the skin, wherein the ratio of the first surface area to the second surface area is in the range of from 1:5 5 to 5:1.