Electric Shaver Support Structure Gap for Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric shavers face difficulties in cleaning the support structure connecting the shaver head to the handle, which can lead to impaired movability due to hair dust and stubble deposits, and lack ergonomic handling and effective self-adjustment to skin contours.
Innovation Solution
The shaver head is positioned spaced apart from the handle with a gap to allow air or water to clean the support structure, and a four-joint linkage with uncovered link arms facilitates easy cleaning and self-adjustment, enabling better tilting and swiveling movements to adapt to skin contours.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the support structure is designed with enclosed or complex geometry to provide structural stability, then the mechanical strength and stability are improved, but the cleaning accessibility deteriorates as hair dust and stubble accumulate in recesses and corners
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into multiple components including link arms, a shaver head frame, and a handle assembly. This segmentation creates discrete elements that can be individually accessed and cleaned, preventing the accumulation of hair dust and stubble in inaccessible recesses while maintaining overall structural stability through the coordinated arrangement of these segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension by positioning the shaver head and handle at specific distances and orientations relative to each other. The link arms extend between these components in a configuration that exposes critical surfaces to external cleaning agents, effectively adding a dimensional aspect that improves cleaning accessibility without compromising the mechanical stability provided by the rigid link arm structure.
2Volume of moving object
If the shaver head is positioned close to the handle to reduce overall device size, then the compactness is improved, but the cleaning accessibility of the support structure deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure components are nested within the overall shaver assembly in a space-efficient manner. The link arms are positioned to extend through available spaces between the handle and shaver head, allowing the shaver head to be positioned close to the handle for compactness while still exposing the link arm surfaces to external cleaning agents through strategically placed gaps and openings.
3Ease of operation
If the support structure is designed with simple geometry for easy cleaning, then the cleaning accessibility is improved, but the ability to provide stable support and enable controlled movements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the support structure are designed with different geometric characteristics optimized for their specific functions. The link arms feature smooth surfaces and minimal recesses in areas requiring cleaning accessibility, while maintaining rigid joint connections and precise pivot points in areas requiring structural stability and controlled movement. This local differentiation of geometric quality allows the structure to simultaneously achieve ease of cleaning and mechanical stability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an electric shaver. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electric shaver comprising a handle and a shaver head including at least one cutter unit having a drivable cutter element and a shear foil, wherein the shaver head is connected to the handle by means of a support structure which in some cases may provide for some movability of the shaver head relative to the handle. The shaver head and/or the at least one cutter unit may have an elongated contour with a main axis extending transverse to the handles' longitudinal axis and substantially parallel to a cutting oscillation axis of the cutter element. The shaver head is spaced apart from the handle with a gap defined between a bottom face of the shave head and a top face of the handle, the gap forming a ring-shaped contraction in the outer contour of the shaver around the support structure and giving access to the support structure bridging the gap.