Electric razor

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Electric razor
Philips Norelco 9700 Rotary Electric Shaver (30973817280).jpg
Rotary-style electric razor
Oscillating electric razor.jpg
Foil-type electric razor
Other namesDry razor, electric shaver, shaver
Classification Personal grooming device
TypesRotary, foil, corded, battery-powered
Related Electric hair clippers, safety razor

The electric razor (also known as the dry razor, electric shaver, or simply shaver) is a razor with a rotating or oscillating blade. The electric razor usually does not require the use of shaving cream, soap, or water. The razor may be powered by a small DC motor, which is either powered by batteries or mains electricity. Many modern ones are powered using rechargeable batteries. Alternatively, an electro-mechanical oscillator driven by an AC-energized solenoid may be used. Some very early mechanical shavers had no electric motor and had to be powered by hand, for example by pulling a cord to drive a flywheel.

Contents

Electric shavers fall into two main categories: foil or rotary-style. Users tend to prefer one or the other. Most rotary-style shavers are cordless—they are charged up with a plug charger or they are placed within a cleaning and charging unit.

History

The first person to receive a patent for a razor powered by electricity was John F. O'Rouke with his US patent 616554 filed in 1898. [1] [2] The first working electric razor was invented in 1915 by German engineer Johann Bruecker [3] . Others followed suit, such as the American manufacturer Col. Jacob Schick who patented their first electric razor in 1930. [4] [5] The Remington Rand Corporation developed the electric razor further, first producing the electric razor[ citation needed ] in 1937. Another important inventor was Prof. Alexandre Horowitz, from Philips Laboratories in the Netherlands, who invented the concept of the revolving (rotary) electric razor. It has a shaving head consisting of cutters that cut off the hair entering the head of the razor at skin level. [6] [7] Roland Ullmann from Braun in Germany was another inventor who was decisive for development of the modern electric razor. [8] He was the first to fuse rubber and metal elements on shavers [9] and developed more than 100 electrical razors for Braun. [10] In the course of his career Ullmann filed well over 100 patents for innovations in the context of dryshavers. [11] The major manufacturers introduce new improvements to the haircutting mechanism of their products every few years. Each manufacturer sells several different generations of cutting mechanism at the same time, and for each generation, several models with different features and accessories to reach various price points. The improvements to the cutting mechanisms tend to 'trickle-down' to lower priced models over time.

The standard AA-size Ni-Cd battery (600 mAh) is soldered in place, deterring user replacement. Shaver battery.JPG
The standard AA-size Ni-Cd battery (600 mAh) is soldered in place, deterring user replacement.

Early versions of electric razors were meant to be used on dry skin only. Many recent electric razors have been designed to allow for wet/dry use, which also allows them to be cleaned using running water or an included cleaning machine, reducing cleaning effort. Some patience is necessary when starting to use a razor of this type, as the skin usually takes some time to adjust to the way that the electric razor lifts and cuts the hairs. Moisturizers designed specifically for electric shaving are available.

Battery-powered electric razors

Since at least the mid-1960s, [12] battery-operated electric razors have been available using rechargeable batteries sealed inside the razor's case, previously nickel cadmium or, more recently, nickel metal hydride. Some modern shavers use Lithium-ion batteries that do not suffer from memory effect. Sealed battery shavers either have built-in or external charging devices. Some shavers may be designed to plug directly into a wall outlet with a swing-out or pop-up plug, or have a detachable AC cord. Other shavers have recharging base units that plug into an AC outlet and provide DC power at the base contacts (eliminating the need for the AC-to-DC converter to be inside the razor, reducing the risk of electric shock).

Razor vs Trimmer

An electric razor and an electric trimmer are essentially the same devices by build. But the major difference between the both comes in terms of their usage and the blades that they come with.

Electric razors are made for specifically for providing a clean shave. It has lesser battery power but more aggression towards clipping hair. Electric Trimmers on the other hand are not meant for clean shaves. They come with special combs fixed onto them that aid in proper grooming and trimming of the beard stubs to desired shapes and sizes. [13]

General

Some models, generally marketed as "travel razors" (or "travel shavers"), use removable rechargeable or disposable batteries, usually size AA or AAA. This offers the option of purchasing batteries while traveling instead of carrying a charging device.

Related Research Articles

Shaving Removal of hair with a razor or other bladed implement

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down—to the level of the skin or otherwise. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair. A man is called clean-shaven if he has had his beard entirely removed.

Lawn mower Machine that uses one or more revolving blades to cut a lawn to an even height

A lawn mower is a machine utilizing one or more revolving blades to cut a grass surface to an even height. The height of the cut grass may be fixed by the design of the mower, but generally is adjustable by the operator, typically by a single master lever, or by a lever or nut and bolt on each of the machine's wheels. The blades may be powered by manual force, with wheels mechanically connected to the cutting blades so that when the mower is pushed forward, the blades spin, or the machine may have a battery-powered or plug-in electric motor. The most common self-contained power source for lawn mowers is a small internal combustion engine. Smaller mowers often lack any form of propulsion, requiring human power to move over a surface; "walk-behind" mowers are self-propelled, requiring a human only to walk behind and guide them. Larger lawn mowers are usually either self-propelled "walk-behind" types, or more often, are "ride-on" mowers, equipped so the operator can ride on the mower and control it. A robotic lawn mower is designed to operate either entirely on its own, or less commonly by an operator by remote control.

Pencil sharpener Device for sharpening a pencils writing point by shaving away its worn surface

A pencil sharpener is a tool for sharpening a pencil's writing point by shaving away its worn surface. Pencil sharpeners may be operated manually or by an electric motor. It is common for many sharpeners to have a casing around them, which can be removed for emptying the pencil shavings debris into a trash bin.

Razor Device to remove body hair

A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of unwanted body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, disposable razors, and electric razors.

String trimmer Garden tool for trimming grass or groundcover with a flexible line instead of a blade

A string trimmer, also called a "weed eater", "whipper-snipper", "weed-whacker", "weed-whip", "line trimmer" or "strimmer", is a garden tool for cutting grass and groundcover which uses a flexible monofilament line instead of a blade. It consists of a rotating spindle from which the string protrudes, at the end of a long shaft with a handle. String trimmers are commonly used for cutting low foliage near obstacles or on steep or irregular terrain.

Safety razor device to remove body hair, modern variant (non-electric)

A safety razor is a shaving implement with a protective device positioned between the edge of the blade and the skin. The initial purpose of these protective devices was to reduce the level of skill needed for injury-free shaving, thereby reducing the reliance on professional barbers.

Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G).

AC adapter external, enclosed power supply that converts mains electricity for an appliance

An AC adapter, AC/DC adapter, or AC/DC converter is a type of external power supply, often enclosed in a case similar to an AC plug. Other common names include plug pack, plug-in adapter, adapter block, domestic mains adapter, line power adapter, wall wart, power brick, and power adapter. Adapters for battery-powered equipment may be described as chargers or rechargers. AC adapters are used with electrical devices that require power but do not contain internal components to derive the required voltage and power from mains power. The internal circuitry of an external power supply is very similar to the design that would be used for a built-in or internal supply.

Philishave

Philishave was the brand name for the electric shavers manufactured by the Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care unit of Philips. In recent years, Philips had extended the Philishave brand to include hair clippers, beard trimmers and beard shapers. Philips used the Philishave brand name for their shavers from 1939 to 2006.

X-Acto is a brand name for a variety of cutting tools and office products owned by Elmer's Products, Inc. Cutting tools include hobby and utility knives, saws, carving tools and many small-scale precision knives used for crafts and other applications.

Schick (razors) brand of personal care and safety razors

Schick is a brand of personal care and safety razors owned by Edgewell Personal Care. The company was founded in 1926 and was purchased by Energizer in 2003 from Pfizer. Energizer split into two companies in 2015 and Schick became part of Edgewell Personal Care.

Wahl Clipper American company manufacturing grooming products

The Wahl Clipper Corporation, is an American grooming company based in Sterling, Illinois. Wahl manufactures grooming products for people and animals.

Epilator Method of hair removal

An epilator is an electrical device used to remove hair by mechanically grasping multiple hairs simultaneously and pulling them out. The way in which epilators pull out hair is similar to waxing, although unlike waxing, they do not remove cells from the epithelium of the epidermis. Aside from the spring in early spring-type epilators, there are no parts in epilators that require regular replacement. Epilators come in corded, rechargeable and battery-operated designs. The battery-operated devices can be used wet or dry. They may also come with various attachments, like a smaller head to help with epilation of hard-to-reach areas, or an exfoliation head that may help exfoliate the skin before and after epilation.

Hedge trimmer garden tool

A hedge trimmer, shrub trimmer, or bush trimmer is a gardening tool or machine used for trimming hedges or solitary shrubs (bushes). Different designs as well as manual and powered versions of hedge trimmers exist.

Shaving in Judaism

Judaism prohibits shaving with a razor on the basis of a rabbinic interpretation of Leviticus 19:27, which states, "You shall not round off the side-growth on your head, or destroy the side-growth of your beard." The Mishnah interprets this as a prohibition on using a razor on the beard. This prohibition is further expanded upon in kabbalistic literature. The halakhic prohibition applies to shaving off the pe'ot (sidelocks) and corners of the beard by means of a razor.

Remington Products, commonly known as simply Remington, is a worldwide personal care corporation which manufactures razors (shavers), epilators, and haircare products for both men and women. It is a subsidiary of Spectrum Brands and Oak Hill Capital.

Automobile auxiliary power outlet Circular power outlet for electrically powering accessories inside a vehicle.

An automobile auxiliary power outlet in an automobile was initially designed to power an electrically heated cigarette lighter, but became a de facto standard DC connector to supply electrical power for portable accessories used in or near an automobile, directly from the vehicle's electrical system.

Black & Decker DustBuster

The Black & Decker DustBuster is a cordless vacuum cleaner that was introduced in January 1979.

Jacob Schick American businessman

Col. Jacob Schick was an American inventor and entrepreneur who patented the first electric razor and started the Schick Dry Shaver, Inc. razor company. He is the father of electric razors. Schick became a Canadian citizen in 1935 to avoid an investigation by the Joint Congressional Committee on Tax Evasion & Avoidance after he moved most of his wealth to a series of holding companies in the Bahamas.

Brushcutter (garden tool)

A brushcutter is a powered garden or agricultural tool used to trim weeds, small trees, and other foliage not accessible by a lawn mower or rotary mower. Various blades or trimmer heads can be attached to the machine for specific applications.

References

  1. Waits, Robert K. (2013). Before Gillette: The Quest for a Safe Razor - Inventors and Patents 1762-1901. Lulu.com. ISBN   9781257216024.
  2. U.S. Patent 616,554
  3. ABC der Deutschen Erfindungen. Reportage von Dorothee Ott und Kristine von Soden. Hessischer Rundfunk, 23. Dezember 2010.
  4. "Jacob Schick Invents the Electric Razor". Today in History. ConnecticutHistory.org. May 13, 2017.
  5. U.S. Patent 1,757,978
  6. DE 694507 "Haarschergeraet"
  7. CA 401667 "HAIR CUTTING DEVICE"
  8. "A History of Braun Design, Part 1: Electric Shavers - Core77". Core77. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  9. Terstiege, Gerrit, ed. (2009). The making of design: from the first model to the final product. Basel: Birkhäuser. ISBN   9781299719897. OCLC   852656502.
  10. GmbH, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (2010-12-27). "Braun-Ausstellung: Elektrisch und trocken gegen 15.000 Barthaare". FAZ.NET. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  11. "Google Scholar". scholar.google.ch. Retrieved 2017-10-22.
  12. Electric Shaver Museum. Pedewei.home.xs4all.nl. Retrieved on 2012-09-14.
  13. "How to clean and maintain an Electric Shaver". Home Zene. 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2019-10-04.