Razor blade coating
A razor blade substrate having a substrate that includes a blade edge portion having a profiled geometry which is covered by a strengthening coating deposited on the razor blade substrate at least at the blade edge portion. The strengthening coating covering the blade edge tip, having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two coating sides converge toward a blade edge tip. The strengthening coating includes a strengthening layer made of a titanium- and boron-containing material.
1. A razor blade comprising a blade edge portion, the razor blade comprising:
a razor blade substrate having a substrate edge portion in the blade edge portion of the razor blade, the substrate edge portion having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two substrate sides converging toward a substrate tip,
a strengthening coating deposited on the razor blade substrate at least at the blade edge portion, the strengthening coating covering the substrate tip, the strengthening coating having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two coating sides converging toward a coating tip,
the strengthening coating including a strengthening nanocrystalline layer made of a mixture of titanium and boron, with at least one of Titanium-rich areas and Boron-rich areas, where “rich” is used by reference to a stoichiometric TiB2 composition,
wherein the average proportion of boron and titanium atoms in the strengthening layer is between 1.3:1 and 2.3:1.
2. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystalline layer comprises titanium diboride areas.
3. The razor blade according to claim 2 , wherein the areas of titanium diboride are non-columnar.
4. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the strengthening nanocrystalline layer comprises nanocrystalline arrangements, wherein the atoms of the nanocrystals are arranged in a hexagonal lattice configuration.
5. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the strengthening layer comprises featureless crystallites having a characteristic dimension between 2 and 15 nanometers (nm).
6. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the strengthening layer is deposited under conditions which, when applied to deposition on a flat witness sample, provide a coating having a density above 3.9 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3).
7. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein a combined thickness of the blade substrate and strengthening coating, measured between the two coating sides orthogonal to a line bisecting the blade edge portion, at a distance of 5 micrometers from the coating tip, is between 1.8 and 2.5 micrometers, and preferably between 1.9 and 2.4 micrometers.
8. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein a combined thickness of the blade substrate and strengthening coating, measured between the two coating sides orthogonal to a line bisecting the blade edge portion, at a distance of 20 micrometers from the coating tip, is between 5.1 and 7.3 micrometers, and preferably between 5.4 and 7.1 micrometers.
9. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the razor blade substrate is made of stainless steel.
10. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the strengthening coating comprises an interlayer between the razor blade substrate and the strengthening layer.
11. The razor blade according to claim 10 , wherein the interlayer comprises titanium.
12. The razor blade according to claim 11 , wherein the interlayer is made of titanium.
13. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the strengthening coating comprises a metal-containing overcoat layer over the strengthening layer.
14. The razor blade according to claim 13 , wherein the overcoat layer comprises Chromium.
15. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the strengthening layer is the sole layer of the strengthening coating.
16. The razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the strengthening layer, measured normal to the substrate side, is between 20 and 400 nanometers (nm).
17. The razor blade according to claim 16 , wherein the thickness of the strengthening layer, measured normal to the substrate side, is between 20 and 150 nanometers (nm).
18. The razor blade according to claim 16 , wherein the thickness of the strengthening layer, measured normal to the substrate side, is between 40 and 250 nanometers (nm).
19. The razor blade according to claim 1 , further comprising a polymer coating over the strengthening coating.
20. A razor blade according to claim 1 , wherein the strengthening layer disorderly comprises areas having different proportions of titanium and boron atoms,
wherein, in at least one area, the proportion of boron and titanium is comprised between y:1 and z:1, wherein y and z are comprised between 1.3 and 1.99, and y is lower than z, and/or wherein, in at least one area, the proportion of boron and titanium is comprised between u:1 and v:1, wherein u and v are comprised between 2.01 and 2.3 and u is lower than v.
21. A razor head comprising a cartridge and a razor blade according to claim 1 , the razor blade being mounted in the cartridge.
22. A razor comprising a handle and a razor head according to claim 21 , the razor head being attached to said handle.
23. A razor blade comprising a blade edge portion, the razor blade comprising:
a razor blade substrate having a substrate edge portion in the blade edge portion of the razor blade, the substrate edge portion having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two substrate sides converging toward a substrate tip,
a strengthening coating deposited on the razor blade substrate at least at the blade edge portion, the strengthening coating covering the substrate tip, the strengthening coating having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two coating sides converging toward a coating tip,
wherein the strengthening coating comprises a mixture of titanium and boron,
wherein the strengthening layer is deposited under conditions which, when applied to deposition on a flat witness sample, provide a coating the density of which is above 3.9 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3).
24. A razor blade comprising a blade edge portion, the razor blade comprising:
a razor blade substrate having a substrate edge portion in the blade edge portion of the razor blade, the substrate edge portion having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two substrate sides converging toward a substrate tip,
a strengthening coating deposited on the razor blade substrate at least at the blade edge portion, the strengthening coating covering the substrate tip, the strengthening coating having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two coating sides converging toward a coating tip,
wherein the strengthening coating comprises a mixture of titanium and boron,
wherein a combined thickness of the blade substrate and strengthening coating, measured between the two coating sides orthogonal to a line bisecting the blade edge portion, at a distance of 5 micrometers from the coating tip, is between 1.8 and 2.5 micrometers, and preferably between 1.9 and 2.4 micrometers.
25. The razor blade according to claim 24 , wherein a combined thickness of the blade substrate and strengthening coating, measured between the two coating sides orthogonal to a line bisecting the blade edge portion, at a distance of 20 micrometers from the coating tip, is between 5.1 and 7.3 micrometers, and preferably between 5.4 and 7.1 micrometers.
26. A razor blade comprising a blade edge portion, the razor blade comprising:
a razor blade substrate having a substrate edge portion in the blade edge portion of the razor blade, the substrate edge portion having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two substrate sides converging toward a substrate tip,
a strengthening coating deposited on the razor blade substrate at least at the blade edge portion, the strengthening coating covering the substrate tip, the strengthening coating having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two coating sides converging toward a coating tip,
wherein the strengthening coating comprises a mixture of titanium and boron,
wherein a combined thickness of the blade substrate and strengthening coating, measured between the two coating sides orthogonal to a line bisecting the blade edge portion, at a distance of 20 micrometers from the coating tip, is between 5.1 and 7.3 micrometers, and preferably between 5.4 and 7.1 micrometers.
27. The razor blade according to claim 26 , wherein a combined thickness of the blade substrate and strengthening coating, measured between the two coating sides orthogonal to a line bisecting the blade edge portion, at a distance of 5 micrometers from the coating tip, is between 1.8 and 2.5 micrometers, and preferably between 1.9 and 2.4 micrometers.