Shaving Cartridge Customizing Tool for Skin Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional shaving razors have a limited skin contact area, which can lead to insufficient skin and hair interaction during shaving, and lack customizable options for the guard bar, resulting in suboptimal shaving performance.

Innovation Solution

A shaving cartridge with a removably coupled customizing tool that expands the contact surface in two directions, providing a larger footprint for improved skin contact and allowing for interchangeable guard bar solutions, featuring a customizing tool with an angled side surface and upper surface configurations such as ribs or lubrication coatings for enhanced gliding and skin stretching.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the guard bar is securely attached onto the cartridge, then the structure is stable, but the user cannot choose customizable solutions on the guard bar area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomizability of guard barVSAvoidattachment mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shaving cartridge is divided into separable components: the housing with blades and the guard bar as independent elements. The guard bar can be removed and replaced with different customizing tools, allowing users to switch between a conventional guard bar and alternative attachments with different functions (e.g., skin stretching surfaces, exfoliating elements). This segmentation enables customization without requiring complex integrated systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The attachment mechanism transitions from a fixed, permanent connection to a dynamic, reversible connection. The guard bar is securely attached during use but can be easily removed and replaced. This dynamic attachment system allows the structure to adapt between stability during shaving and flexibility for customization, resolving the contradiction between secure attachment and customizability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Area of stationary object

If the cartridge has a small compact structure, then it is easy to handle, but the skin contact area is limited and skin cannot be sufficiently stretched

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveskin contact areaVSAvoidhandling ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The customizing tools extend the contact surface of the cartridge in two directions: (i) parallel to the shaving plane, expanding the width of skin contact, and (ii) perpendicularly to the shaving plane, adding depth to the contact surface. This dimensional expansion increases the effective skin contact area without significantly increasing the overall cartridge size, maintaining ease of handling while providing larger contact surfaces for better skin stretching and hair contact.

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

3Productivity

If the cartridge does not have sufficient skin contact area, then the structure remains compact, but less skin and hair contacts with the cartridge during each shaving stroke

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshaving efficiencyVSAvoidcontact surface area
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The customizing tool is designed to perform multiple functions: it expands the contact surface area for increased skin and hair contact, provides skin stretching capability through its geometric configuration, and can incorporate various surface treatments (lubrication means, exfoliating elements). This multi-functional design increases shaving efficiency by ensuring more comprehensive skin-hair-cartridge interaction during each stroke, addressing the limitation of compact cartridges with small contact areas.

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

Data Source

PatentEP3576910B1Shaving cartridge
Publication Date: 2021.03.31 BIC VIOLEX SA
  • EP3576910B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3576910B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP3576910B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

A shaving cartridge (100) includes a housing (101) extending along a longitudinal axis. The housing has a top side (110), a bottom side (112) opposite to the top side, at least one longitudinal wall (102), and first and second side walls (104, 106). The shaving cartridge also includes at least one shaving blade (116) and a customizing tool (200). The customizing tool is coupled with the housing. The customizing tool includes an upper surface (202) extending external to the at least one longitudinal wall of the housing. The customizing tool includes a side surface (206) extends at an angle from the upper surface and is proximate to the longitudinal wall of the housing and external ends (108) of the first and second side walls. The customizing tool extends from the at least one longitudinal wall or is attached to at least one of the side walls.