Replaceable Shaver Cutting System with Integrated Oscillating Bridge

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric shavers face high material and repair costs due to the need for durable oscillating bridges that withstand millions of vibrations, leading to increased costs and complexity in replacing defective components.

Innovation Solution

A replaceable cutting system where the oscillating bridge and its resilient arms are integrated with the shaving cartridge, allowing for easy replacement with each blade change, using cost-effective materials like injection molded plastic and polyphenylene sulfide, and incorporating a rocker arm to optimize the gear mechanism and reduce space requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high quality materials are used in the oscillating bridge to withstand millions of vibrations, then reliability is improved, but material costs and installation costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoscillating bridge durabilityVSAvoidmaterial cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The oscillating bridge is divided into two separate components: a durable bridge structure that remains in the shaver housing and resilient arms that are integrated with the replaceable cutting device. This segmentation allows the expensive durable bridge to be reused while only the cheaper resilient arms are replaced with each cutting device change.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The resilient arms are designed as disposable components integrated with the cutting device, replacing expensive high-quality materials with cheaper materials that are replaced regularly along with the cutting blades, eliminating the need for expensive durable materials in components that would otherwise need frequent replacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Reliability

If high quality materials are used in the oscillating bridge to withstand millions of vibrations, then reliability is improved, but repair costs increase when defects occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoscillating bridge durabilityVSAvoidrepair cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The oscillating bridge is segmented into a permanent bridge structure and replaceable resilient arms, allowing repair of only the resilient arms while retaining the expensive bridge structure, thereby reducing repair costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of repairing defective resilient arms, the entire resilient arm assembly is discarded and replaced with a new one from the replaceable cutting device, while the expensive bridge structure is recovered and reused.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Stability of the object's composition

If the oscillating bridge is firmly anchored in the motor housing, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoscillating bridge stabilityVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The oscillating bridge system is segmented into a fixed bridge structure anchored in the housing and separate resilient arms attached to the cutting device, simplifying the anchoring requirement while maintaining stability through the fixed bridge portion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

This approach reduces material costs, simplifies maintenance, and ensures consistent performance by allowing for regular replacement of the cutting system, maintaining optimal shave quality and reducing assembly costs.

Implementation Method 1

an oscillating bridge with resilient arms is provided which is connected via a gear mechanism to an electric rotary motor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2404715B1Electrically operated shaver with replaceable cutting device
Publication Date: 2012.11.28 BRAUN GMBH
  • EP2404715B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2404715B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2404715B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to an electrically operated shaver with at least one upper blade (33) attachable to a shear head frame (24) by means of a removable frame (23), on the underside of which (35) lies a linearly oscillating lower blade (36). The lower blade (36) is connected via a clutch engagement (48, 42) with an oscillating bridge (10) mounted on either side on the shaver by resilient arms (19, 20). The oscillating bridge (10) is also connected to the drive shaft (3) of an electric motor (2) via a gear mechanism (41, 6, 5, 4), so that when the motor (2) is running, the oscillating bridge (10), and thus also the lower blade (36), is set in linear reciprocating motion. According to the invention, the resilient arms (19, 20) of the oscillating bridge (10) are arranged on the removable frame (23). In this way, the oscillating bridge which often wears out very quickly, can also be replaced when the cutting device is replaced. This prevents malfunction and potentially high repair expenses, thus reducing costs.