Technology Request

Ref: 07 GB NMRT 0HN4

Date: 26/03/2007 21:50:57

Title: Electric Shavers with Maintenance Free Lubrication

Abstract: The UK research team of a multinational company seeks a solution to improve the lubrication of washable shaver heads on electric shavers. The improvement solution must provide sufficient friction lowering so that the power consumption of the shaver is measurably reduced. Responders should already hold at least initial data to prove their approach works and enables tests to be run.

Description: An important trend in dry shaving is using shavers with 100% washable shaving heads. When the shaving head is washed, the sebum from the skin, which functions in non-washable shaver heads as a lubricant, is removed and the shaver cutter blades and skin foil are left without lubricant. In practical field use, when some small amount of lubrication is usually present on the cutting parts the stronger wear of the shaver head in washable shavers requires a much shorter shaver head replacement cycle than is desired. The current solution to this problem is lubrication of the cutter/foil interface of shavers by an inconvenient direct lubrication method, which regularly drops oil on the cutter/foil system. For this purpose, an extra oil bottle is presently included with each shaver in the product package. However, the oiling process is highly disliked by the consumers, as dry shavers are considered a convenience appliance that should not need regular extra maintenance. Past investigations have shown that coatings thicker than 1 µm on the cutting system reduce the cutter performance severely. Thicker coatings will usually round the cutting edges beyond the presently used submicron radius, which leads to unacceptable cutting underperformance. Possible approaches to the improvement solution could include a thin coating (<1 µm thick) on cutter or foil of the cutter/foil system, or automatic continuous provision of a lubricant from a passive depot (which may not be washed out). Also of interest would be also the use of nano-particles and new deposition techniques to achieve the uniform friction reducing coating. Technical Specifications / Specific technical requirements: Any solutions proposed must satisfy the following requirements: 1. All materials proposed must be safe for prolonged exposure to skin. 2. Any processing used to produce the friction lowering performance must not exceed 150° C for the foil during any time of manufacturing or application process. 3. Proposed measures and materials must be free of any liabilities and patent rights to be used in a dry shaver. 4. Measures may not increase the friction between shaving foil and skin remarkably. 5. The coating should retain the shiny appearance of the skin side of the foil. Coating or metallurgical changes: 1. The coating must retain the submicron radius on the foil edges. 2. The shaving foil must retain its flexibility. 3. The coating must survive the equivalent of 400 shaving periods. 4. Any friction modifier proposed must work automatically for the consumer (no special or additional steps required by the user). 5. The performance will not be affected whether the shaving head is washed out or not.