Razor Cartridge Multi-Array Skin Guard for Hair Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard shaving razor guards are ineffective in cutting longer hairs due to their orientation, leading to increased skin irritation and the need for repeated shaving, as they cause hairs to lie flat against the skin, making it difficult for the blade to cut them efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A razor cartridge with an elongated resilient skin contacting element featuring multiple arrays of skin contacting members, including flexible projections and rigid projections, which facilitate proper hair orientation and skin stretching, ensuring hairs are cut perpendicular to the blade, thereby improving shaving efficiency and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standard shaving razor guards are used to stretch skin, then skin stretching is achieved, but hairs lie flat against the skin making them difficult to cut
Solution Approach 1:
The guard is divided into multiple arrays of skin contacting members with different orientations. The first array stretches skin while the second array, oriented perpendicular to the first, prevents hair flattening. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of skin stretching and hair orientation without the conflicting effects of a single uniform guard structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the guard have different functions through varying orientations of skin contacting members. Areas with first-oriented members provide skin stretching, while areas with second-oriented members provide hair alignment. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing specialized functions in different locations rather than a uniform structure.
2Ease of operation
If standard guards cause hairs to lie flat, then skin stretching is facilitated, but the blade cannot cut hairs perpendicular to the skin surface
Solution Approach 1:
The guard structure is segmented into multiple arrays with different orientations. The second array of skin contacting members is specifically oriented perpendicular to the blade and first array, creating a dedicated function for hair alignment that ensures hairs are positioned perpendicular to the cutting edge for precise cutting.
Solution Approach 2:
The guard provides different local qualities: skin stretching in regions with first-oriented members and hair orientation in regions with second-oriented members. This local differentiation ensures that hair alignment is optimized in the critical area where the blade makes contact.
3Productivity
If repeated shaving passes are used to cut uncut hairs, then more hairs are removed, but skin irritation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second array of skin contacting members performs preliminary hair orientation before the blade cuts. By pre-aligning hairs perpendicular to the blade in a single pass, the guard eliminates the need for repeated passes, thereby removing the source of skin irritation while maintaining complete hair removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The guard converts the potential harm of repeated passes (skin irritation) into a benefit by designing a structure that achieves complete hair cutting in a single pass through its multi-array configuration, thereby eliminating the harmful repeated action while maintaining thorough hair removal.
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 solution provides improved hair orientation, reduced nicks, closer shaves, and enhanced comfort by ensuring hairs are aligned perpendicular to the blade, reducing skin irritation and the need for repeated passes, while maintaining overall skin stretching.
Implementation Method 1
An elongated resilient skin contacting element has an alignment array of skin contacting members having a pattern of one or more flexible skin-engaging projections
Implementation Method 2
An elongated resilient skin contacting element is joined to the proximal end portion of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A razor blade cartridge which has a housing with a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and one or more blades mounted within the housing. An elongated resilient skin contacting element is joined to the proximal end portion of the housing. The elongated resilient skin contacting element has an alignment array of skin contacting members having a pattern of one or more flexible skin-engaging projections that are generally transverse to one or more of the blades and define a plurality of open channels that facilitate the generally unobstructed passage of hair to one or more of the blades during shaving. The elongated resilient skin contacting element also has at least one additional array of skin contacting members having a pattern that is different than the pattern of the alignment array of skin contacting members.