Patent Application
20090056144
The invention generally relates to razors and electric razors. More specifically, the invention relates to a new razor cutting head design for razors and electric razors.
There are numerous electric and non-electric razors commercially available for personal grooming purposes and the number is growing. Manufacturers are continuously redesigning existing razor designs to get “closer” and “more comfortable” shaves. Many of these improvements include adding additional blades or some type of moisturizer or lubricating strip to the razor head. Despite these advancements, many consumers are still not satisfied with the currently available razors.
Of the numerous choices, there are primarily two leading electric razor head types—reciprocating and rotating.
Both of the above described razor head designs provide inefficient cutting. As the blade comes into contact with the hair, the force applied to the hair follicle causes the hair to deform and/or bend. As the hair bends, the blade, in many instances, will cut the hair at a higher point or will jaggedly cut the hair. In either instance, the razor fails to provide the “clean” and “close” shave desired by consumers.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a cutting head for an electric razor. The cutting head may include a blade support member and a plurality of blades. The blade support member may attach to an electric razor and reciprocate back and forth. The plurality of blades may be located on the blade support member. In addition, the plurality of blades move in a cutting direction towards a hair to be cut and have a contact angle that is acute with respect to the cutting direction. In some embodiments, the contact angle is between 30 and 60 degrees. In other embodiments, the contact angle is substantially 45 degrees.
In accordance with some embodiments, the cutting head may also include a screen that covers the plurality of blades. The screen protects a user from cuts that may be caused by the plurality of blades. The plurality of blades may be integral to the blade support member. The plurality of blades may also include a cutting surface formed at the edge of grooves cut into the blade support member.
In alternative embodiments, the cutting head for an electric razor may include a blade support member, a plurality of disc members, and a plurality of blade members. The blade support member may attach to an electric razor. The plurality of disc members may attach to the blade support member in an array and may rotate about an axis such that the rotation is substantially planar with the blade support member.
The plurality of blade members may extend radially out from each of the plurality of disc members, and move in a cutting direction towards a hair to be cut. Each of the plurality of blade members may have a contact angle that is acute with respect to the cutting direction. In some embodiments, the plurality of blade members are swept such that the blade member is convex with respect to the cutting direction. In other embodiments, the plurality of blade members are swept such that the blade member is concave with respect to the cutting direction.
In accordance with some embodiments, the contact angle of each of the plurality of blade members can be between 30 and 60 degrees. In accordance with other embodiments, the contact angle of each of the plurality of blade members can be substantially 45 degrees. The cutting head may also have a screen covering the array of disc members and configured to protect a user from cuts caused by the plurality of blade members.
In accordance with other embodiments, a cutting head for a razor may include a blade support member and a plurality of blades. The blade support member can attach to a razor handle. The plurality of blades may be located in and supported by the blade support member. The plurality of blades move in a cutting direction towards a hair to be cut and have a contact angle that is acute with respect to the cutting direction. In some embodiments, the contact angle is between 30 and 60 degrees. In other embodiments, the contact angle is substantially 45 degrees.
Embodiments of the present invention provide new razor head designs that provide superior shaves as compared to razors currently on the market. Specific embodiments include blade support members and a variety of blades that contact hairs at angle. The new razor design can be incorporated into rotating electric razors, reciprocating electric razors, and standard non-electric razors.
As shown in
As shown in
The reduced resistance discussed above comes predominately from two factors. First, the acute contact angle A2 causes the cutting edge 230 to move in a somewhat side-wise manner. This side-wise movement causes the cutting edge 230 to contact a reduced section of the hair 220 and increases the force per area. Second, as discussed in greater detail below, the acute contact angle A2 reduces the effective thickness of the cutter.
As briefly mentioned above, the acute contact angle A2 reduces the effective thickness of the cutting surface. In particular, as shown in
The amount of the reduction in effective thickness is dependent upon the degree of the acute contact angle A2. As the acute contact angle A2 decreases, the distance 250B increases. As mentioned above, this increase in distance 250B decreases the effective thickness (and effectively makes the cutter sharper). Table 1 shows the effective cutting surface thickness for three specific acute contact angles A2—30, 45, and 60 degrees. It is important to note that the values within the effective thickness column are the relative thicknesses as compared to a standard 90 degree contact angle. For Example, at 60 degrees, the cutting surface has a thickness that is approximately 0.866 (e.g., 86.6%) that of a 90 degree cutting surface.
It can be seen from the above Table 1 that a 30 degree contact angle A2 has the greatest reduction in effective thickness (e.g., 0.500 that of a 90 degree blade). Additionally, there is little advantage to be gained at an acute contact angle A2 above 60 degrees. Although angles between 30 and 60 degrees are described above, acute contact angles A2 less than 30 degrees can be used when construction, materials, and cost factors are favorable.
Various embodiments incorporating the acute contact angle design are described in greater detail below. It is important to note that although the various embodiments described below refer to an acute contact angle A2, many embodiments will also necessarily have an obtuse contact angle A3 (
In contrast to the prior art razor heads shown in
In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the blades 120 can be integral to the blade support member 310. For example, as shown in
As mentioned above, the blade support member 210 can attach to a variety of reciprocating type electric razors. Therefore, the blade support member 210 can have an attachment means located on the bottom of the support member 210. The exact type of at attachment means will depend on the make and model of the electric razor to which the razor head 200 is being attached.
Although the blades 220 will provide an improved shave at a variety of acute contact angles A2, it is preferable that the acute contact angle A2 be between 30 and 60 degrees. In embodiments having cutting surfaces 340/350 on both sides of the blades 220, it is preferable that the acute contact angle A2 be 45 degrees so that each cutting surface 340/350 meets the hairs to be cut at the same angle regardless of whether it is on the forward or backward reciprocation.
As shown in
It is important to note that, although
Each of the rotating cutting discs 420 include a number of blade members 430 extending radially out from the center of the cutting discs 420,
In some embodiments of the rotating electric razor head 400 and as mentioned above, the blade members 430 can be curved or swept, as shown in
It is important to note that, although the cutting discs 420 are shown to have swept blades 430, the cutting discs can have also have non-swept (e.g., straight edged) blades 460,
In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the benefit of having an acute contact angle can also be incorporated into a standard, non-electric razor head, as shown in
Although the acute contact angle A2 and blade angle A6 can be any angle suitable for cutting a hair, in preferred embodiments of this non-electric razor head the acute contact angle ranges between 30 and 60 degrees. However, because non-electric razors typically only operate in a single direction, best results are likely achieved at an acute contact angle of 30 degrees due to the lowest effective thickness (see Table 1).
It is important to note that, although the Figures corresponding to the above described embodiments show a specific number of blades, embodiments in accordance with this invention can have any number of blades or blade members. For example, the non-electric shave head 500 can have 1 or more blades 520. Additionally, the rotating shave head 400 can have more or less than 5 rotating discs 420 in the array and each rotating disc 420 can have more or less than 8 blade members 430.
Although various exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made which will achieve some of the advantages of the invention without departing from the true scope of the invention.
