Patent Application
20130014395
This invention relates to razors and more particularly to razor blades with sharp and durable cutting edges having a large tip radii and a narrow profile.
A razor blade is typically formed of a suitable substrate material such as stainless steel, and a cutting edge is formed with a wedge-shaped configuration with an ultimate tip having a radius. Hard coatings such as diamond, amorphous diamond, diamond-like carbon-(DLC) material, nitrides, carbides, oxides, or ceramics are often used to improve strength, corrosion resistance, and shaving ability, maintaining needed strength while permitting thinner edges with lower cutting forces to be used. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can be used to provide friction reduction. Layers of niobium or chromium containing materials can aid in improving the binding between the substrate, typically stainless steel, and hard carbon coatings, such as DLC.
It is desirable to alter the shape of the razor blade to achieve a razor blade with a low cutting force, while at the same time improving safety and comfort. By finding the ideal edge design it is possible to provide a low cutting force blade that is safer on the skin leading to a more comfortable shave.
Prior blades improved shaving comfort by reductions in tip radii and overall profile cross-section, reducing the tug-and-pull associated with cutting through hair. These sharper edges however required special implementation to avoid discomfort associated with the blade-skin interactions. Also, as a consequence of thinning the blade bevel profile, strength and durability can be compromised.
The present invention addresses the problems of balancing the desire for low cutting force, increased safety, and increased comfort. The present invention provides a blade tip having a wider forward profile near the blade tip with a large tip radius while maintaining a narrow profile away from the blade tip.
The large tip radius in conjunction with a narrow blade profile provides a low cutting force blade edge that has less propensity to engage the skin allowing the skin to glide over the edge without nicking, cutting or scraping. Such a blade reduces irritation and increases comfort.
The present invention provides a razor blade comprising a substrate with a coating joined to the substrate defining a coated blade. The coated blade has a cutting edge being defined by a blade tip having a tip radius of from 500 to 1500 angstroms. The coated blade has a thickness of between 0.3 and 0.5 micrometers measured at a distance of 0.25 micrometers from the blade tip, a thickness of between 0.4 and 0.65 micrometers measured at a distance of 0.5 micrometers from the blade tip, a thickness of between 0.61 and 0.71 micrometers measured at a distance of 1 micrometer from the blade tip, a thickness of between 0.96 and 1.16 micrometers measured at a distance of 2 micrometers from the blade tip, and a thickness of between 1.56 and 1.91 micrometers measured at a distance of four micrometers from the blade tip.
Preferably, the coated blade has a thickness of between 2.66 and 3.16 micrometers measured at a distance of 8 micrometers from the blade tip, and a thickness of between 4.06 and 5.06 micrometers measured at a distance of 16 micrometers from the blade tip.
Preferably, the substrate is a martensitic stainless steel having a carbide density of 200 to 1000 carbides per 100 square micrometers as determined by optical microscopic cross-section.
Preferably, the blade tip has a tip radius of from 700 to 1200 angstroms.
The coating may comprise an adhesive layer joined to the substrate. The adhesive layer may comprise niobium.
The coating may comprise a hard coating layer joined to the adhesive layer. The hard coating layer may comprise an amorphous material containing carbon.
The coating may comprise an overcoat layer joined to said hard coating layer. The overcoat layer may comprise chromium.
A lubricious substance may be applied to the overcoat layer. The lubricious material may comprise a polymer. The lubricious material may comprise polytetrafluoroethylene.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as the present invention, it is believed that the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to
Adhesive layer 34 is used to facilitate bonding of the hard coating layer 36 to the substrate 11. Examples of suitable adhesive layer materials are niobium, titanium, and chromium containing material. The adhesive layer may have a thickness from 100 angstroms to 500 angstroms. A particular adhesive layer is made of niobium having a thickness from 150 angstroms to 350 angstroms. PCT 92/03330 describes use of a niobium as an adhesive layer.
Hard coating layer or layers 36 provides improved strength, corrosion resistance and shaving ability and can be made from fine-, micro-, or nano-crystalline carbon-containing materials (e.g., diamond, amorphous diamond or DLC), nitrides (e.g., boron nitride, niobium nitride, chromium nitride, zirconium nitride, or titanium nitride), carbides (e.g., silicon carbide), oxides (e.g., alumina, zirconia), other ceramic materials (including nanolayers or nanocomposites), metals or metal alloys. The carbon containing materials can be doped with other elements, such as tungsten, titanium, silver, or chromium by including these additives, for example in the target during application by sputtering. The materials can also incorporate hydrogen, e.g., hydrogenated DLC. Preferably hard coating layer 36 is made of diamond, amorphous diamond, or DLC. A particular embodiment includes DLC less than 5,000 angstroms, preferably from 300 angstroms to 3,000 angstroms. DLC layers and methods of deposition are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,568. As described in the “Handbook of Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Processing, “DLC is an amorphous carbon material that exhibits many of the desirable properties of diamond but does not have the crystalline structure of diamond.”
Overcoat layer 38 may be used to facilitate bonding of a lubricious material to the hard coating Overcoat layer 38 is preferably made of chromium containing material, e.g., chromium or chromium alloys or chromium compounds that are compatible with polytetrafluoroethylene, e.g., CrPt. A particular overcoat layer is chromium 100-200 angstroms thick. Overcoat layer may have a thickness of from 50 angstroms to 500 angstroms, preferably from 100 angstroms to 300 angstroms. Other materials may be used for overcoat layer 38 to facilitate adhesion of particular lubricious materials.
Lubricious material 40 may be used to provide reduced friction. The thickness of the lubricious material 40 is or course ignored for purposes of calculating the dimensions of the coated blade 13. The lubricious material 40 may be a polymer composition or a modified polymer composition. The polymer composition may be polyfluorocarbon. A suitable polyflourocarbon is polytetrafluoroethylene sometimes referred to as a telomer. A particular polytetrafluoroethylene material is Krytox LW 2120 available from DuPont. This material is a nonflammable and stable dry lubricant that consists of small particles that yield stable dispersions. It is furnished as an aqueous dispersion of about 20% solids by weight and can be applied by dipping, spraying, or brushing, and can thereafter be air dried or melt coated. The lubricious material is preferably less than 5,000 angstroms thick and could typically be 1,500 angstroms to 4,000 angstroms thick, and can be as thin as 100 angstroms, provided that a continuous coating is maintained. Provided that a continuous coating is achieved, reduced telomer coating thickness can provide improved first shave results. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,263,256 and 5,985,459, which are hereby incorporated by reference, describe techniques which can be used to reduce the thickness of an applied telomer layer.
The coated blade 13 includes a wedge-shaped sharpened edge having a blade tip 12 with facets 14 and 16 that diverge from blade tip 12. Blade tip 12 preferably has a radius of from 500 to 1500 angstroms. Blade tip 12 preferably has a tip radius of from 700 to 1200 angstroms. Referring now to
Preferably, the coated blade 13 maintains a narrow profile further from the blade tip 12. The coated blade 13 preferably, has a thickness 31 of between 2.66 and 3.16 micrometers measured at a distance 30 of 8 micrometers from the blade tip 12. The coated blade 13 preferably has a thickness 33 of between 4.06 and 5.06 micrometers measured at a distance 32 of 16 micrometers from the blade tip 12.
The thicknesses provide a framework for improved shaving. The thicknesses provide a balance between edge strength and low cutting force or sharpness. A blade having smaller thicknesses will have lower strength possibly leading to ultimate edge failure if the strength is too low. A blade having greater thicknesses will have a higher cutting force leading to an increased tug and pull and increased discomfort for the user during shaving.
One substrate 11 material which may facilitate producing an appropriately sharpened edge is a martensitic stainless steel with smaller more finely distributed carbides, but with similar overall carbon weight percent. A fine carbide substrate provides for a harder and more brittle after-hardening substrates, and enables the making of a thinner, stronger edge. An example of such a substrate material is a martensitic stainless steel with a finer average carbide size with a carbide density of 200, 300, 400 carbides per 100 square micrometers, to 600, 800, 1000 carbides or more per 100 square micrometers as determined by optical microscopic cross-section.
Razor blade 10 is made generally according to the processes described in the above referenced patents. A particular embodiment includes a niobium adhesive layer 34, DLC hard coating layer 36, chromium overcoat layer 38, and Krytox LW 2120 polytetrafluoroethylene lubricious material 40. Chromium overcoat layer 38 is deposited to a minimum of 100 angstroms and a maximum of 500 angstroms. It is deposited by sputtering using a DC bias (more negative than −50 volts and preferably more negative than −200 volts) and pressure of about 2 millitorr argon. Razor blade 10 preferably has a tip radius of 500 to 1500 angstroms.
The blade tip radius and facet profile of the present invention provides an improvement in blade sharpness, safety, and shaving comfort. The razor blade 10 addresses the problems of balancing the desire for low cutting force, increased safety, and increased comfort. The blade tip has a large tip radius while maintaining a narrow profile away from the blade tip. The large tip radius provides an edge that has lower propensity to engage the skin allowing the skin to glide over the edge without nicking, cutting, or scraping while the narrow blade profile provides a low cutting force blade edge. Such a blade reduces irritation and increases comfort.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application No. 61/507,704 filed on Jul. 14, 2011.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61507704 | Jul 2011 | US |
