Square Metal Teeth Comb Resists Breakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lice and nit combs with long teeth are prone to breakage due to flexibility, which compromises their ability to effectively grasp and remove head lice and nits from hair without damaging the hair strands.

Innovation Solution

A comb design featuring elongated rigid metal teeth with a square cross-section and rounded edges, securely retained in a plastic body, ensuring the teeth remain rigid and resistant to breakage while allowing effective scraping and retention of lice and nits, with a length ranging from 1.5 inches to 2.72 inches and a gap between edges of 0.0035 to 0.0045 inches to capture lice and nits efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If the length of metal teeth is increased to grasp more hair strands, then the ability to capture lice and nits is improved, but the flexibility of teeth increases causing them to snap in use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelength of teethVSAvoidresistance to breakage

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the cross-sectional geometry parameter of the teeth from circular to square shape. This parameter change fundamentally alters the structural properties, providing significantly higher moment of inertia and resistance to bending forces while maintaining the same length, thus resolving the contradiction between length and breakage resistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines metal teeth with a rigid plastic body structure. The metal material provides the necessary rigidity and strength to prevent snapping, while the plastic body provides structural support. This composite approach ensures the teeth can be long enough to grasp multiple hair strands without compromising on breakage resistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If the space between teeth is reduced to prevent lice and nits from passing through, then the effectiveness of lice removal is improved, but the risk of hair strands getting caught and damaged increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeffectiveness of lice removalVSAvoidhair damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curvature by rounding the edges of the square cross-section teeth. This creates a smooth transition at the corners, preventing sharp edges from catching and damaging hair strands while maintaining the tight spacing necessary to block lice and nits from passing through the comb

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentEP2403374B1Lice and nit removal comb with square shaped metal teeth

Publication Date: 2016.06.01 AMERICAN COMB CORP

Figure 1A
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AI summary

A metal-toothed comb is provided having elongated identical teeth each with a square cross-section along substantially the entire length, elongated edges of each tooth being slightly rounded, free ends of each of the teeth being slightly rounded, whereby the teeth are successively positioned juxtaposed in a common plane, with elongated edges of each tooth opposing one another, and the distance between the teeth being a constant 0.004 inch along the entire length of the gap therebetween, except for a relatively small portion proximate the distal ends of each tooth, which are tapered down to a rounded tip.