U.S. patent application number 10/765391 was filed with the patent office on 2005-07-28 for nail clipper.
Invention is credited to Di Bitonto, Anthony, Formosa, Dan, Muenchinger, Mark, Rumble, Sally.
Application Number | 20050160604 10/765391 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34654317 |
Filed Date | 2005-07-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050160604 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Di Bitonto, Anthony ; et
al. |
July 28, 2005 |
Nail clipper
Abstract
A nail clipper is provided in which the bottom has a projection
bumper for positioning fingers of the user, and/or the cutting
surfaces are colored as to be distinct from the nail to be clipped,
and/or the upper surface of the clipper is configured so as to form
saddle over the lower surface.
Inventors: |
Di Bitonto, Anthony;
(Brooklyn, NY) ; Rumble, Sally; (New York, NY)
; Muenchinger, Mark; (Brooklyn, NY) ; Formosa,
Dan; (Montvale, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DICKSTEIN SHAPIRO MORIN & OSHINSKY LLP
1177 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS (6TH AVENUE)
41 ST FL.
NEW YORK
NY
10036-2714
US
|
Family ID: |
34654317 |
Appl. No.: |
10/765391 |
Filed: |
January 28, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
30/28 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 29/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
030/028 |
International
Class: |
A45D 029/00 |
Claims
1. A nail clipper comprising top and bottom elongated members, each
of which has a top surface, a bottom surface, a pair of side
surfaces, and distal and proximal ends; the distal ends of the top
and bottom elongated members being interconnected; each of the
proximal ends of the top and bottom members having a cutting edge
disposed in opposing nail clipping relationship; a post extending
from the top surface of the bottom elongated member adjacent the
proximal end thereof through an opening in the top member adjacent
the proximal end thereof to a point above the top surface of the
top elongated member; a lever coupled to the post above the top
surface of the top member, the lever adapted to cause movement of
the cutting edges between a cutting position and non-cutting
position; and a bumper disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom
member, the bumper having an edge disposed distant from the second
end of the bottom member.
2. A nail clipper according to claim 1, wherein the post extends
through the bottom member and the bumper covers the portion of the
post extending through the bottom member.
3. A nail clipper according to claim 2, wherein said edge of the
bumper is disposed distant from the second end of the bottom member
about 1/4 or less of the distance from the proximal end to the
distal end of the bottom member.
4. A nail clipper according to claim 1, wherein said edge of the
bumper is disposed distant from the proximal end of the bottom
member about 1/4 or less of the distance from the proximal end to
the distal end of the bottom member.
5. A nail clipper according to claim 1, wherein the bumper extends
from about the proximal end to said edge and has a generally
triangular shape whose apex is distant from the bottom elongated
member.
6. A nail clipper according to claim 5, wherein said lever includes
a thumb accepting depression.
7. A nail clipper according to claim 6, wherein the cutting edges
are offset from a central longitudinal axis of the top and bottom
elongated members.
8. A nail clipper according to claim 1, wherein the cutting edges
are offset from a central longitudinal axis of the top and bottom
elongated members.
9. A nail clipper according to claim 1, wherein the proximal ends
of the top and the bottom elongated members have a color which
contrasts the nail to be clipped.
10. A nail clipper according to claim 9, wherein a portion of each
member of the pair of sides of the top elongated member adjacent
the distal end thereof extend below the bottom surface of the top
member so as to form a generally U-shape with the bottom surface,
and wherein the distance between the pair of side surfaces of the
top member is greater than the distance between the pair of side
surfaces of the bottom member.
11. A nail clipper comprising top and bottom elongated members,
each of which has a top surface, a bottom surface, a pair of side
surfaces, and distal and proximal second ends; the distal ends of
the top and bottom elongated members being interconnected; each of
the proximal ends of the top and bottom members having a cutting
edge disposed in opposing clipping relationship; a post extending
from the top surface of the bottom elongated member adjacent the
proximal end thereof through an opening in the top member adjacent
the proximal end thereof to a point above the top surface of the
top elongated member; a lever coupled to the post above the top
surface of the top member, the lever adapted to cause movement of
the cutting edges between a cutting position and non-cutting
position, wherein the second end of the top and bottom elongated
members have a color which contrasts the nail to be clipped.
12. A nail clipper according to claim 9, wherein a portion of each
member of the pair of sides of the top elongated member adjacent
the distal end thereof extend below the bottom surface of the top
member so as to form a generally U-shape with the bottom surface,
and wherein the distance between the pair of side surfaces of the
top member is greater than the distance between the pair of side
surfaces of the bottom member.
13. A nail clipper according to claim 11, wherein the cutting edges
are offset from a central longitudinal axis of the top and bottom
elongated members.
14. A nail clipper comprising top and bottom elongated members,
each of which has a top surface, a bottom surface, a pair of side
surfaces, and distal and proximal ends; the distal ends of the top
and bottom elongated members being interconnected; each of the
proximal ends of the top and bottom members having a cutting edge
disposed in opposing clipping relationship; a post extending from
the top surface of the bottom elongated member adjacent the
proximal end thereof through an opening in the top member adjacent
the proximal end thereof to a point above the top surface of the
top elongated member; a lever coupled to the post above the top
surface of the top member, the lever adapted to cause movement of
the cutting edges between a cutting position and non-cutting
position, wherein a portion of each member of the pair of sides of
the top elongated member adjacent the distal end thereof extend
below the bottom surface of the top member so as to form a
generally U-shape with the bottom surface, and wherein the distance
between the pair of side surfaces of the top member is greater than
the distance between the pair of side surfaces of the bottom
member
15. A nail clipper according to claim 14, wherein the cutting edges
are offset from a central longitudinal axis of the top and bottom
elongated members.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] One type of a conventional nail clipper is shown in FIGS. 1
and 2. A lever 10 having a triangle shaped section 11 at its front
side and a U-shaped opening 13 at its front end is provided. The
clipper includes a lower body 14 and an upper body 15 which are
fixed together at their proximal ends and include holes 16, 17 near
their distal ends. A pin 18 is inserted through holes 16, 17 in the
bodies 14, 15 and through the U-shaped opening 13 in lever 10, and
a second pin 19 is inserted through a pinhole 20 in lever 10 and a
pinhole 21 in pin 18 so that the lever 10 can be combined with the
upper body 15. The tips of the distal ends of upper and lower
bodies 14, 15, are provided with a pair of opposed curved cutting
edges 22, 23 for cutting a nail. The pin 18 has a large sized
bottom end 24 which serves to engage the bottom surface of the
lower body 14 so that the lower body 14 will not separate from pin
18. In some instances, the bottom end 24 of pin 19 is soldered or
screwed onto the bottom surface of lower body 14.
[0002] The conventional nail clipper is assembled together as shown
in FIG. 2. Pressing down lever 10 to compress the upper body 15
causes cutting edges 22, 23 to move so as to clip a nail placed
between them.
[0003] An alternate conventional arrangement showed in FIG. 3. In
this construction, pin 18 is typically a rotatable, dowel-like rod
having an enlarged head 24 at one end that seats on the underside
of lower body 14 and a hook portion 25 at the other end thereof. An
opening is provided in one end of the lever 10 so that pin 18 can
fit through the opening and capture lever 10 by the hook portion.
The lever has a cam protrusion 26 that contacts the upper side of
the upper body 15 in a slideable relationship to form a fulcrum for
transferring force from lever 10 to bodies 14, 15.
[0004] The present invention is designed to provide improvements in
such conventional nail clippers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides an improved nail clipper
which is more convenient to use than conventional nail clippers. In
a first embodiment, the bottom surface of the bottom body is
provided with a bumper terminating at a point intermediate the
proximal and distal ends. The bumper provides for easier finger
placement and increased stability when cutting, particularly with
respect to individuals who made be elderly or infirmed. In the
second embodiment, the cutting areas of the clipper are provided
with a contrast color which makes it easier to visualize the nail
area being cut. In a third embodiment, the upper member has a
generally U-shape which envelops the bottom member and provides
increased cutting leverage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional
nail clipper;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the nail clipper of FIG.
1;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a side view of a second conventional nail
clipper;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a nail
clipper according to the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a
nail clipper according to the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a top view of the second embodiment of a nail
clipper of the present invention; and
[0012] FIG. 7 is a cross-section showing a modification of the top
elongated member of the second embodiment and the relationship
between the so modified top modified section and bottom elongated
member.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The nail clipper of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
4, et seq., is composed of top and bottom elongated members, 101,
102, each of which has a respective top surface 103, 104 and a
bottom surface 105, 106 interconnected by a pair of side surfaces
107/108. Proximal ends 109, 110 of the elongated members 101, 102
are interconnected in any convenient fashion. The distal end 111 of
the top member 101 is provided with a cutting edge 113 and the
distal end 112 of the bottom member 102 is provided with an
opposing cutting edge 114. The cutting edges 113, 114 are movable
to enable a nail positioned between them to be cut. The cutting
edges are preferably curved. They may be centered on the long axis
of the top and bottom members 101, 102, as shown in FIG. 4, or
offset from that axis, if desired. The extent to which the cutting
edges 113, 114 project below or above the respective top and bottom
members control the distance that those members may approach each
other during the cutting operation.
[0014] Aligned openings 115, 116 are provided in the top and bottom
members 101, 102 adjacent their distal ends. A post 117 extends
through openings 115, 116 and terminates above the top surface 103
of the top member 101. The other end of post 117 can terminate in
an enlarged head (not shown) which seats against the bottom surface
106 of bottom member 102. The post 117 and enlarged head may either
be fixed to the bottom member or be free standing. The nail clipper
is provided with a lever 118 which is coupled to post 117 at the
portion above the top surface of the top member 101. Lever 118 can
be coupled to post 117 so as to be pivotally engaged as shown in
FIG. 1 or 2 or in FIG. 3 or in other arrangements, as desired.
[0015] In this embodiment of the invention, a bumper 119 is
provided on the bottom surface 106 of the bottom member 102. The
bumper 119 can be a solid or hollow mass extending downwardly from
the bottom surface 106. It can be hard or pliable. An end of bumper
119 is positioned at a point that is part way between the proximal
and distal ends bottom member 102. In the embodiment shown in FIG.
4, one edge of bumper 119 is positioned about 1/4 or less of the
distance between from the distal end toward the proximal end. The
bumper 119 preferably extends to the cutting edge 114 and
preferably, covers the enlarged head of post 117. This arrangement
helps to maintain post 117 in place should post 117 become
uncoupled from lever 118 and also assists in preventing a finger
from sliding toward the cutting edges. A second upwardly extending
bumper 119a is provided on top surface 105 of elongated member 101
in FIG. 4 extending from cutting edge 113 to pin 117 to reinforce
the distal end of member 101, but this can be eliminated if
desired.
[0016] In a second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, bumper 119
extends from the distal end of lower member 102 and forms a
triangular shaped grip. This bumper arrangement causes the fingers
of the user to naturally lie on either side of the triangle's apex
and away from the cutting edges 113, 114, thereby generally
achieving the same biasing away from the cutting surfaces as in
FIG. 4. In this alternative, a triangular shaped member 120 with a
thumb accepting depression 121 can provided on the lever 118 (FIG.
5). The cutting surfaces in the FIG. 4-5 embodiment are displaced
from the longitudinal axis of top and bottom elongated members 101,
102.
[0017] In a third embodiment, the distal ends 111, 112 of top and
bottom elongated members 101, 102, preferably including the cutting
edges 113, 114, are provided with a color designed to contrast with
the nail which is to be cut. See, FIG. 6. The color may be, for
instance, red, yellow or other colors. This arrangement assists in
positioning the cutting edges 113, 114 relative to the nail,
especially in situations where the user has impaired eyesight.
[0018] The cutting edges 113, 114 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6
generally lie in the plane of top and bottom elongated members 101,
102. As a result, less force is applied to the cutting edges when
lever 118 is depressed than realized in the embodiment shown in
FIG. 4. To address this situation, a modification of the third
embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 7. A portion of the
thickness of top elongated member 101 facing bottom member 102
disposed adjacent distal end 111 distant from cutting edge 113 is
reduced while the thickness adjacent the cutting edge as well as
the extent of the sides 107 are maintained. Thus, the sides 107 of
top member 101 in this arrangement not only connect the top surface
103 to the bottom surface 105, they also extend beyond bottom
surface 105 in that portion of top member 101 away from its distal
end. In this portion, sides 107 and bottom surface 105 of top
elongated member 101 combine to form a generally U-shape having an
opening facing the top surface 104 of bottom elongated member 102.
The distance between sides 107 of top member 101 is greater than
the distance between sides 108 of the bottom member 101. The
U-shape thus forms a saddle over the bottom elongated member 102.
When lever 118 is depressed, the bottom surface 105 of the proximal
end of top member 101 is the first part of top member 101 to
contact bottom member 102 and such contact tends acts to prevent
further movement of top member 101. The greater the rigidity of top
member 101, the greater the prevention of movement. The
modification, however, causes the sides 107 of top member 101 at
its proximal to extend beyond the respective side surface 108 of
the bottom elongated member 102 when the top and bottom elongated
members 101, 102 are urged against one another, thereby permitting
the top and bottom members 101, 102 a greater extent of travel and
applying more pressure urging cutting edges 113, 114 into contact
with one another.
[0019] Various changes and modifications can be made in the nail
clipper of the present invention without departing from the spirit
and scope thereof. For instance, the various embodiments disclosed
can be combined as desired. Thus, the various embodiments described
herein were intended to be illustrative only and were not intended
to limit the invention.
* * * * *