Cutlery – Blades – Razor blade
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2001-12-11
Payer, Hwei-Siu (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Blades
Razor blade
C030S346530
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327784
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a cutting member, according to which method the cutting member is provided with an auxiliary layer on one side and subsequently, by means of an electrochemical processing device, with at least one cutting edge, said cutting member being arranged with respect to an electrode of the electrochemical processing device in such a manner that the auxiliary layer faces away from the electrode.
The invention also relates to a cutting member provided with a plate-shaped carrier, which is provided with a cutting edge and is covered, at least near said cutting edge, with an auxiliary layer.
The invention further relates to a shaving head provided with a cutting member, which is provided with a carrier and a cutting edge for cutting hairs growing from skin, and a manipulator by means of which, in use, hairs are movable along the cutting edge of the cutting member during cutting, said cutting edge of the cutting member and the manipulator adjoining each other and being displaceable relatively to each other in a direction parallel to the cutting edge.
The invention also relates to a shaver comprising a shaving head provided with a cutting member, which is provided with a carrier and a cutting edge for cutting hairs growing from skin, and a manipulator by means of which, in use, hairs can be moved along the cutting edge of the cutting member during cutting, the cutting edge of the cutting member and the manipulator adjoining each other, and the shaver being provided with a driving device for displacing the cutting member and the manipulator of the shaving head with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the cutting edge.
A method of the type mentioned in the opening paragraphs is known from WO 97/17158. The cutting member, which can be manufactured by means of the known method, is a shaving foil which can suitably be used in an electric shaver. The auxiliary layer to be provided in accordance with the known method comprises a polymeric network which is composed of organic and inorganic fragments. After the provision of the auxiliary layer, a pattern of holes is formed in the shaving foil by means of the electrochemical processing device, the shaving foil being arranged with respect to the electrode of the electrochemical processing device in such a manner that the auxiliary layer faces away from the electrode. After the holes have been formed, the auxiliary layer is removed. Since the shaving foil is provided, on one side, with the auxiliary layer during the formation of the holes, each one of the holes thus formed has, on the above-mentioned side, an edge having a radius of rounding which is so small that the edges can be used as cutting edges for co-operation with a shearing element of the electric shaver.
A drawback of the known method resides in that the provision of the auxiliary layer on the shaving foil is rather complicated and time-consuming. Since the auxiliary layer is removed from the shaving foil after the holes have been formed in said shaving foil, the auxiliary layer is not optimally used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph, in which better use is made of the auxiliary layer.
To achieve this, the method in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the auxiliary layer is applied as far as the cutting edge to be provided on the cutting member, while, after the provision of the cutting edge, the auxiliary layer on the cutting member is preserved as a functional auxiliary layer for the cutting member. If the auxiliary layer is applied to a metal carrier of the cutting member, said auxiliary layer may serve, for example, as a corrosion-protection layer for the carrier and may be provided with a material which is suitable for this purpose. Since the auxiliary layer is applied as far as the cutting edge to be formed on the carrier of the cutting member, an edge of the auxiliary layer formed at the location of the cutting edge of the carrier may serve as an additional cutting edge or even as a main cutting edge for the cutting member and may be provided with a material which is suitable for this purpose and whose thickness is also adapted to this purpose. Since, in this manner, the auxiliary layer does not only fulfill a function during the manufacture of the cutting member, but also after the manufacture, when it is used as a functional auxiliary layer for the cutting member, better use is made of said auxiliary layer, so that the effort made to apply the auxiliary layer is better rewarded.
A particular embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the auxiliary layer comprises SiO
2
. The hardness of SiO
2
is greater than that of most metal and steel types. As a result, the edge of an auxiliary layer, containing predominantly SiO
2
and having a suitable thickness, which edge is formed at the location of the cutting edge of the carrier can, very suitably be used as a cutting edge for the cutting member. In addition, SiO
2
adheres very well to steel, so that an auxiliary layer which is predominantly composed of SiO
2
can very suitably be used in combination with a steel carrier.
A further embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the auxiliary layer also comprises ZrO
2
. By providing the auxiliary layer also with ZrO
2
, the hardness of the auxiliary layer and hence the suitability of the edge of the auxiliary layer for use as a cutting edge for the cutting member are further improved. Since, in this further embodiment, the auxiliary layer also comprises a considerable quantity of SiO
2
, a good adhesion of the auxiliary layer in combination with a steel carrier is ensured.
Yet another embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the auxiliary layer has a thickness below 200 nm. It has been found that if the auxiliary layer is made in such a thickness and of a suitable material, such as SiO
2
, said edge of the auxiliary layer formed at the location of the cutting edge of the carrier can suitably be used as the cutting edge of the cutting member.
A particular embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the auxiliary layer has a thickness below 100 nm. At such a thickness of the auxiliary layer, the cutting properties of the edge of the auxiliary layer formed at the location of the cutting edge of the carrier are further improved.
A further embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the cutting member is plate-shaped and is provided with a substantially straight cutting edge. This further embodiment of the method in accordance with the invention can particularly suitably be used to manufacture blades for use in a wet shaver. Such blades have a metal carrier having only a small thickness of, for example, 0.1 mm. Using conventional methods, the provision of a cutting edge having excellent sharpness and hardness on the carrier of such a blade is difficult, or even impossible. Since the edge of the auxiliary layer, which in accordance with the method according to the invention is formed at the location of the cutting edge of the carrier, has excellent cutting properties if the auxiliary layer is made in a suitable thickness and of a suitable material, and hence can be used as the cutting edge for the blade, the lesser cutting properties of the cutting edge formed on the carrier less determine the cutting properties of the blade, and the blade has cutting properties which are substantially determined by the cutting properties of the edge of the auxiliary layer.
Yet another embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention is characterized in that a side of the cutting member remote from the auxiliary layer is provided, by means of a mechanical material-removing device, with a first wedge-shaped part having a relatively small wedge angle, which first wedge-shaped part is situated at a distance from the cutting
Altena Hermanus S. J.
Brussee Maarten
Kramer Foppe
Pragt Johan
Bartlett Ernestine C.
Payer Hwei-Siu
Spain Norman N.
U.S. Philips Corporation
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