Mechanism Description - Razor Ali Hanni Student ID: 40157164 A report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of ENCS 282 Concordia University February 2021 INTRODUCTION A razor is a cutting instrument usually used for shaving or cutting hair. The word razor finds its roots in the old French with the word “rasour” which means to scrape or to shave. A razor can come in multiple forms and shapes. Indeed, razors have always been used for the same purpose, but the form and technology of the object changed a lot throughout history. Nowadays, razors can be electric, based on rotary blade movement, or even a simple straight razor with a disposable blade. Here, the razor in question is a simple electric modern razor that uses replaceable blade cartridges as can be seen in figure 1 [1]. The razor main function is to shave while keeping the skin hydrated to prevent irritation. Figure 1. Electric modern razor with replaceable blade cartridges. Even though razors can come in a panoply of different material and colors, this description is about Ali Hanni’s personal razor the Gillette Fusion 5 ProGlide. The razor’s color is generally metallic with black and orange lines around the different parts. The razor has a “T” shape where the blades are on the upper side with a long handle beneath them. The razors height is 13cm. It is mainly made of plastic. Rubber on the handle helps to make the razor easy to hold. The blades are made of steel. At the bottom of the handle there is a hood covering battery hold that receives the single triple A battery that powers the razors. Under the replaceable blade cartridge is a button that links the cartridges to the handle. When pressed this button ejects the blades so another set can be placed. On the middle of the razor there is another button that turns on the razor. The razor is 1 2 made up of 5 main parts namely the blades, the blade cartridge, the moisturizing strip, pivot structure and the handle. 3 DESCRIPTION Blades When talking about razors, the term blade refers to a thin, flat metal piece, with a sharp edge, placed in a particular angle, whose main purpose is to cut hair short without damaging the skin. Since they are made of metal, the blades have a metallic color. In the razor there are 5 blades. The blades are very close to each other. The blades are positioned so as to be practically parallel to the skin when the razor is in use. The blades’ placement can be seen in figure 2 [2]. That particular angle allows the blades to be very efficient, meaning to cut the hair very short while reducing the contact surface of the cutting edge of the blades with the skin, which reduces the risks of injury. Each blade is 35mm long, 4mm wide and 0.12mm thick. Razor blades are made of razor steel, a type of stainless steel composed of chromium, carbon components and iron [3]. A cartridge contains all the blades making changing blades a straightforward process. Figure 2. Razor blades placed inside the cartridge. Blade Cartridge The general purpose of a blade cartridge is the same as that of an ink cartridge for a printer as it allows to seamlessly refill the missing or deteriorated component. However, unlike the printer, a blade cartridge is used to change blades on a razor. The blade cartridge is composed of two main pieces a lower part that links the cartridge to the handle and an upper part that holds the blade and the moisturizing strip. The lower part’s color is metallic grey, and the upper part is black. The upper part has the shape of a rectangular prism and is 40mm long, 15mm wide, and 5mm thick. The lower part holds the upper part so as to allow it to perform a rotational movement of about 45 4 degrees. The axis of rotation is parallel to the blades and allows the razor to follow curves better and therefore shave more efficiently. The razor’s brand “Gillette” is written on the back of the lower part. The cartridge is completely made of plastic except for the blades and the moisturizing strip. The plastic used is very soft and feels robust. In figure 5 is shown the blade cartridge as seen from the front [4]. The lower part fits into a device located on the handle that can hold and eject the cartridge when a button is pressed. On the front side of the blade cartridge is a moisturizing strip. Figure 3. Blade cartridge as seen from the front. Moisturizing Strip In order to provide a good quality shave, the blades used in a razor have to be very sharp on the edges. This can cause many skin irritation and injuries. In order to avoid such issues, the moisturizing strip helps keep the skin lubricated at all times. A moisturized skin is important since it reduces friction between the blade and the skin which decreases irritation and the risk of injury. The moisturizing strip is blue. There are two parts to the strip, one on the upper side just above the blades, and one on the lower side which goes around the cartridge. The upper strip is wet and gluey when touched. It is made of polyethylene Glycol, a common lubricating chemical [5]. It has a rectangular form of 35mm long and 4mm wide with a thickness of less than 0.5mm. The lower strip is less moisturized. It is called the elastomeric fin guard. It is made of non-lubricated plastic. 5 Its function is to spread the moisturizer and ensure that it penetrates the skin. It feels more like soft rubber and has multiple lines on its surface that makes it feel soft. The lines are parallel to the blade. However, the entire upper part of the razor holds on the pivot structure. Pivot Structure It is often difficult to reach and shave certain parts of the face. In order to solve this problem, the blade cartridge holds on a pivot structure. The pivot structure is located at the top of the handle. The upper part of the handle consists of a structure that holds the blade cartridge. The pivot structure is made so it allows the blade carteridge to slightly rotate (approximately 15 degree rotation). The axis of rotation is perpendicular to the blade and is shown in figure 4 bellow [6]. The pivot structure has a diamond shape of 30mm long and 40mm wide. In figure 5 is represented the pivot structure without the blade cartridge [7]. A plastic button covered by an orange rubber membrane ejects the blade cartridge in place when pressed. When the button is pressed, two small plastic pieces, who were prviously invisible, come forward and push on the blade cartridge which is then dislodged from its attachment to the handle. Figure 4. Angle of rotation allowed by the upper part of the handle. 6 Figure 5. Pivot structure without the blade cartridge. Handle In a razor, the handle is the part that allows the user to hold the razor comfortably and securely. Unlike a comb’s handle, the handle on the razor has multiple rubber part on it in order to give the user a firm grip since the razor is often in contact with water and have to be used in a humid environment. The handle’s color is dark metallic and is made of two different plastic resin, the polystyrene, and the polypropylene. However, even if both parts are made of plastic, the handle feels much more solid than the blade cartridge. Holding the handle feels like if it was made of metal. The handle has a cylinder shape and is 105mm long and the circular base has a diameter of 16mm. All the upper half of the lower part of the handle is covered in rubber. This were the user holds the razor. The rubber has a very rough texture and has several notches to improve the stability of the grip. In fugure 6 are shown the back face and front face of the handle [8] [9]. On the back face is a power button that activates the razor’s electric system. At he bottom of the handle is a removable cover that protects a bettery holder. In order to be powered, the razor needs an AAA battery. The power generates micropulses among the blades to improve glide during shaving. 7 a) b) Figure 6. a) Back face of the handle – b) Front face of the handle 8 CONCLUSION The function of the razor is to cut hair, usually very short thanks to the sharp blades and the acute angle between the blades and the skin. The Fusion 5 ProGlide Powered, a razor from Gillette is composed of 5 main parts, the blades, the blade cartridge, the moisturizing strip, the pivot structure, and the handle. Shaving has been part of the daily life of a majority of humans. Having a safe and comfortable shaving is important and with the advancement of technology, things will continue to get better as for this matter. 9 References 1. Idealo, Gillette Fusion ProGlide Flexball Power, URL: https://tinyurl.com/y92nw89v, 2021-02-17. 2. Walmart, Gillette 5 Mens Razor Blade Refill Cartridges, URL: https://tinyurl.com/pj6vbzb6, 2021-02-17. 3. Free Patents Online, Razor Blade Steel, URL: https://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2016/0361828.html, 2021-02-17. 4. Razorist, Explained: Gillette’s ProGlide, ProGlide Shield, ProGlide Chill, Fusion5 and Power Razor Differences, URL: https://tinyurl.com/5wdzw5r3, 2021-02-17. 5. Gillette, Dry Surfaces Cause Friction, URL: https://tinyurl.com/57y5bpef, 2021-02-17. 6. Visitfair, Genuine Gillette Fusion Proglide Flexball Shaving Razor Blades For Men, URL: https://tinyurl.com/2hb76rdy, 2021-02-22. 10 7. Gillette, Fusion5 Proglide Power Razor With Flexball Technology, URL: https://tinyurl.com/mzucma3b, 2021-02-22. 8. Gillette, Fusion5 Proglide Power Razor With Flexball Technology, URL: https://tinyurl.com/2aadeaxx, 2021-02-22. 9. Gillette, Fusion5 Proglide Power Razor With Flexball Technology, URL: https://tinyurl.com/h3s3m4fj, 2021-02-22.
