The Gillette Company

Ming Laura Xu

Joseph Allan DePuydt

William Masek

John Lawrence Maziarz

Matthew Joseph Guay

Craig Stephen Vickery

Robert M Smith

Michael Joseph Bond

Nathan S Hale

Kenneth James Skrobis

Yongqing Ju

Matthew Robert Stone

Bin Shen

Joseph A Depuydt

Wei Han

John Lawrence Marziarz

A razor blade having a substrate with a cutting edge being defined by a sharpened tip is provided where the substrate is comprised of a molybdenum (Mo) content of about 1.6% to about 5% by weight of composition and thicknesses of 1.60-1.75 &#x3bc;m and 9.25-10.00 &#x3bc;m measured at a distance of 4 and 40 &#x3bc;m from the blade tip, respectively. This thickness ratio is between 0.165-0.185. The substrate thickness is about 2.70-3.00 &#x3bc;m at 8 &#x3bc;m from the blade tip, about 4.44-5.00 &#x3bc;m at 16 &#x3bc;m from the blade tip with a thickness ratio measured at 4 &#x3bc;m and 8 &#x3bc;m between 0.56-0.62, and a thickness ratio measured at 4 &#x3bc;m and 16 &#x3bc;m between 0.32-0.40. The edge shape may be defined by equation w=adwith 'a' between 0.50-0.62 and 'n' between 0.76-0.80. A semi-included angle less than 7&#xb0; is measured at a distance of 40 &#x3bc;m or greater from the blade tip. This substrate will have substantially no cracks.

Razor blade

A method of manufacturing a razor blade by providing a razor blank strip having an edge. The razor blank strip is hardened to a hardness greater than 600HV. A pre-bending zone that is spaced apart from an edge of the razor blank is melted with a laser beam. The pre-bending zone is cooled after melting to form a re-solidification portion. The razor blank strip is segmented into individual blades. The individual blades are bent in the pre-bending zone.

Method of manufacturing bent razor blades

A cutting member for a shaving razor includes an elongated blade portion that tapers to a cutting edge, an elongated base portion that is integral with the blade portion, and a bent portion, intermediate the blade portion and the base portion. In some implementations, at least part of the cutting member has a thickness of at least about 0.005 inch (0.127 millimeter).

Cutting members for shaving razors

Cutting members for razors are provided that have a blade portion and a base portion, the blade portion having a cutting edge region terminated at a free end thereof and an opposing non-cutting edge region, the blade portion being bent relative to the base portion in a bent portion spaced from the cutting edge region and adjacent to the non-cutting edge region, wherein the bent portion extends about 108 degrees to about 115 degrees from the base portion, the bent portion having a radius of about 0.30 mm to about 0.45 mm, at least part of the cutting member having a hardness of about hardness of about 540 HV to about 750 HV, and a thickness of the bent portion is less than the average thickness of the cutting member.

Supported blades for use in shaving systems are disclosed. The supported blades include a blade support having a surface that is coated with aluminum. The aluminum coating is on a portion of an outer surface of the blade support or on the lower surface of the blade support or covering the entire lower surface of the blade support. The aluminum coating is less than 5 &#x3bc;m thick and is made of substantially pure aluminum. By providing aluminum coating, corrosion is prevented without the need for aluminum clips. The supported blades may be mounted in a blade unit housing without clips within a cartridge which can be mounted on a detachable or permanent handle of a shaving razor.

Blade supports for use in shaving systems

Cutting members for razors are provided that have been subjected to a localized heat-treating process, e.g., application of laser energy. In some cases, the cutting members include a bent portion, and the localized heat-treating process is used to enhance ductility and thereby facilitate formation of the bent portion.

A method of printing a liquid ink which is produced from a heat activated dye which is selected from a limited group of dyes which are capable of transfer at low energy. A printer which uses liquid ink, such as an ink jet printer, prints an image onto an intermediate substrate medium. The dyes contained in the ink are not substantially activated during the process of printing on to the medium. The image formed by the printed ink is transferred from the medium to a final substrate by the application of heat and pressure for a short period of time to activate the ink. The dye and dispersing/emulsifying agent(s) are selected from a limited group to produce an ink which permits thermal transfer at low energy, with the resulting image, as deposited on the final substrate, having an optical density of 1.0 or greater.Liquid ink is produced using heat activated dyes selected from a limited group of dyes that are capable of heat activation. The dyes are not substantially soluble in the liquid carrier, such as water. One or more emulsifying agents stabilize the ink formulation. A printer that uses liquid ink, such as an ink jet printer, is used to print the ink, and the dye is heat activated after printing.

Growing community of inventors

Wayland, MA, United States of America

Ming Laura Xu