Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26B—HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B26B21/00—Razors of the open or knife type; Safety razors or other shaving implements of the planing type; Hair-trimming devices involving a razor-blade; Equipment therefor
  • B26B21/54—Razor-blades
  • B26B21/56—Razor-blades characterised by the shape
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
  • B26B—HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B26B21/00—Razors of the open or knife type; Safety razors or other shaving implements of the planing type; Hair-trimming devices involving a razor-blade; Equipment therefor
  • B26B21/54—Razor-blades
  • B26B21/58—Razor-blades characterised by the material
  • B26B21/60—Razor-blades characterised by the material by the coating material

Definitions

• This disclosure relates to razor blades, and more particularly to methods of treating cutting edges of razor blades.
• PTFE polytctrafluorocthyicne
• a typical PTFE coating is disclosed for example in U.S. Patent number 3,774,703 to Sanderson.
• the coating applied is too thick for optimal shaving comfort, especially during the first shave.
• the thick coating on the cutting edge is peeled back during shaving, especially during this first shave.
• the PTFE coating on the cutting edge of a razor blade acts as a hydrophobic layer between the cutting edge and the hair being cut and also between the cutting edge and the skin surface the cutting edge is passing over.
• the inherent hydrophobic nature of the PTFE coating causes a film-like array of water droplets of a microscopic scale to form and be retained on the cutting edge. This film- like array enhances the effect of the normally lubricious PTFE coating to further reduce the aforementioned cutting force.
• the present disclosure has for its objective to eliminate, or at least substantially alleviate the limitations of the prior art razor blades.
• a surface texture to the cutting edge of a razor blade and/or skin engaging surfaces of the razor cartridge it is possible to lower the friction between these surfaces and corresponding skin and hair surfaces.
• a suitable coating to the textured surface it is possible to increase the hydrophobicity of the surface.
• Surface texturing can be achieved by modification of a surface in an organized pattern or by random roughening of the surface.
• Surface texturing can be by subtraction from the surface or addition thereto or combinations thereof. Examples of subtraction processes include laser etching. Examples of addition processes include deposition of a material by a sputtering or other suitable vacuum deposition process.
• Surface texturing can be applied to the substrate of the cutting edge of a razor blade that is then over-coated with a suitable hard coating, such as alpha-diamond or DLC (diamond-like carbon), both being well known in the art.
• a suitable hard coating such as alpha-diamond or DLC (diamond-like carbon), both being well known in the art.
• Surface texturing can also be applied to the outer surface of a hard coating applied to the substrate.
• Surface texturing can also be applied to the outer surface of a lubricious coating applied to the substrate or to the hard coating.
• Surface texturing can also be applied to the skin engaging surfaces of the
• One advantage of the present disclosure lies in the cutting edge thus textured has increased hydrophobicity and decreased friction relative to the hair being cut during a normal shaving operation thus decreasing the force required to cut the hair resulting in a more comfortable shave for the user.
• Another advantage of the present disclosure lies in the skin engaging surfaces of the cartridge thus textured have increased hydrophobicity and decreased friction relative to the skin surface the razor cartridge is passing over during a normal shaving operation also resulting in a more comfortable shave for the user.
• Fig. 1 is a plan view of an exemplar ⁇ ' textured surface of the present disclosure.
• Fig. 2 is a plan view of another embodiment of a textured surface of the present disclosure.
• Fig. 3A is a plan view of a further embodiment of a textured surface of the present disclosure.
• Fig, 3 B is a plan view of a yet further embodiment of a textured surface of the present disclosure.
• Fig, 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary razor cartridge
• Fig, 5 is a schematic sectional view of the cutting edge portion of a razor blade of the razor cartridge of Fig. 4.
• the cartridge includes a frame 20 having a skin engaging guard surface 30 adapted to engage the skin surface being shaved in advance of one or more razor blades 50 mounted in the frame.
• Each razor blade 50 includes a cutting edge 60
• the frame also includes a skin engaging cap surface 40 adapted to engage the skin surface being shaved after the cutting edges of the one or more razor blades.
• Fig, 5 depicts an enlarged schematic sectional view of the cutting edge portion of the razor blade.
• the razor blade includes a substrate 70 that has a tip 72 and adjacent facets 74 and one or more coatings 80 that are well known in the art such as alpha-diamond or DLC and can have an outer coating 82 of PTFE.
• the surface can be a skin engaging surface of the cartridge frame or the cutting edge of the razor blade.
• the texture can include combinations of regular shapes such as cylindrical 110 and other polygonal shaped elements 120 as depicted in Fig. 1.
• the texture can also include random combinations of irregular or random shapes 210 as depicted in Fig. 2,
• the elements can protrude from or be recessed in the respective surface, Element spacing is at least 10 nm, e.g. at least 50 nm or 100 nm and can be up to about 1 micron or more. Element height is at least 5nm, e.g. at least 10 nm or 25 nm and can be up to 0.1 microns (100 nm).
• the elements can have a constant cross section along their respective height or can be tapered. Surface texturing can be by subtraction from the surface or addition thereto or combinations thereof. Examples of subtraction processes include laser etching or laser ablation.
• Examples of addition processes include deposition of a material by a sputtering or other suitable vacuum deposition process.
• Surface texturing can be applied to the substrate of the cutting edge of a razor blade that is then over -coated with a suitable hard coating, such as alpha-diamond or DLC (diamond-like carbon), both being well known in the art.
• a suitable hard coating such as alpha-diamond or DLC (diamond-like carbon), both being well known in the art.
• Surface texturing can also be applied to the outer surface of a hard coating applied to the substrate.
• Surface texturing can also be applied to the outer surface of a lubricious coating applied to the substrate or to the hard coating.
• Surface texturing can also be applied to skin engaging surfaces, e.g. 30, 40 of the razor cartridge housing.
• a textured surface 300 is depicted.
• the texture is achieved by a regular or irregular plurals of elongated elements 310 applied to the surface.
• the elements can be grooves achieved by e.g. laser ablation or can be deposited by e.g. sputtering a suitable material.
• the grooves preferably extend parallel to the cutting edge of the razor blade (as depicted in Fig, 3B) or another direction that is not in the direction of movement of the razor blade or the razor cartridge having such a razor blade against the skin surface being shaved (as depicted in Fig. 3A).
• Surface texturing can extend over substantially the entire surface having such a texture (as depicted in Fig. 3A) or can extend over portions of the entire surface having such a texture (as depicted in Fig. 3B).
• FIG. 5 shows a schematic sectional view of the cutting edge portion of a razor blade having a surface texture on the substrate 70, the layer of one or more coatings 80 and the outer coating 82 of PTFE.
• the surface texturing can be omitted from one or more surfaces, e.g. the surfaces of the substrate.
• Surface texturing can also be by combinations of the aforementioned features adjacent to or superimposed on one another.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Forests & Forestry (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
• Laser Beam Processing (AREA)
• Dry Shavers And Clippers (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

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Publications (2)

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Cited By (1)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2009
  • 2009-05-19 EP EP09751358.4A patent/EP2303525B1/de active Active
  • 2009-05-19 PL PL09751358T patent/PL2303525T3/pl unknown
  • 2009-05-19 WO PCT/US2009/044485 patent/WO2009143130A2/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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