NAIL CLIPPER ASSEMBLY
The nail clipper assembly includes a base having a pair of opposing nail clipping blades spring biased away from one another. A lever capable of actuating the clipping blades is rotationally attached to the base. A housing substantially enclosing the base and lever includes an aperture through which the clipping blades may at least partially extend. A manually actuable button coupled to the housing engages the lever to move the clipping blades toward one another so that a user may cut a nail with the nail clipper assembly.
The present invention relates to a nail clipper assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a nail clipper assembly that provides ergonomic activation of the nail cutters and stores nail clippings.
Nail clippers are generally well known in the art and are designed to remove or cut off portions of toenails and/or fingernails. Such nail clippers are typically compact and designed to be carried in a pocket or purse where it is readily available for later use. Some nail clippers include additional nail care tools such as a file that can manicure or round-out rough or jagged nail edges. Other nail clippers may include a tip extending or projecting from one end or a side of the nail clippers for use in cleaning dirt or debris out from underneath the nail. Yet other nail clippers may further include a clip for connecting the nail clipper to an item such as a key ring or may include an integral pocket knife.
Conventional nail clippers are usually made of a solid material such as metal or hard plastic. Such nail clippers typically include some form of a lever or handle that swings or pivots about a fulcrum and is used to activate a pair of cutting edges. The cutting edges themselves are almost always made out of a sharpened metal material and may be concave in shape to better fit the arc of the nail head. The cutting edges are disposed at one end of a pair of spring-biased arms or elongated bars secured together at a second, opposite end. The spring-biased arms/bars ensure that the cutting edges remain in an open position when the nail clipper is not being used. The cutting edges activate through pivotal depression of the lever about a fulcrum that extends through both spring-biased arms/bars and engages the underside of the lower arm/bar near the end having the cutting edges. The lever also rotationally couples to the fulcrum and may include some protrusion or “toe” that presses against the top spring-biased arm to drive the cutting edges into contact with one another when depressed. That is, the user depresses the lever toward the surface of the spring-biased arm, forces the fulcrum upward such that engagement with the lower spring-biased arm causes each spring-biased arm to move toward one another thereby bringing the cutting edges together in a clipping relationship.
The lever or handle may have a tendency to rotate left-to-right or right-to-left about the fulcrum during the cutting operation. This is particularly problematic because the lever or handle is generally elongated and fails to provide stability against such rotational movement. In turn, this may impede comfort, use of the nail clippers and the accuracy of cutting the nail. A single pivoting lateral lever may even require excessive and imprecise handle movement to perform the cutting operation. For example, the sharp edges of the nail clipper may inadvertently pinch, cut or nick the skin surrounding the fingernail or toenail of the person handling the nail clipper. This primarily occurs due to the misalignment of the nail clipper relative to the nail. Consequently, inadvertent movement of the lever or handle during the cutting operation may cause such misalignment. Poor lighting can also be particularly problematic as the user is unable to align the nail clippers in the proper position and depth to cut the nails without injury. Oftentimes, the nail clippers may extend too far up underneath the nail such that the user clips a portion of the skin where the nail contacts the nail bed. This can be particularly painful and may even cause bleeding. Additionally, the exposed cutting edges may damage clothing during transportation when placed in a pocket or purse. The cutting edges may also have a tendency to damage the interior of a drawer when placed therein for storage. Some prior art nail clippers include a selectively removable guard to protect the aforementioned items from damage. But, the guard itself may be easily lost or become dislodged from the nail clippers during transportation. When detached, the guard is an ineffective preventative measure against damage to surrounding objects or containers.
Conventional nail clippers also fail to retain fingernail or toenail clippings. This is particularly undesirable for purposes of maintaining the cleanliness of the area surrounding where the toenails or fingernails are cut. It is therefore preferable that conventional nail clippers include some means for containing nail clippings. Moreover, clippings tend to scatter or jump randomly away from the cutting edges during the cutting process. This is particularly problematic when a person endeavors to cut their fingernails, for example, in public. It is highly desirable to contain the clippings in order to prevent a mess from forming around the floor, surrounding furniture and other places nearby.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for a nail clipper that provides ergonomic and safe activation of the nail cutters and stores nail clippings. Such an improved nail clipper should include a compartment for storing one of a plurality of differently sized and/or shaped conventional nail clippers, should include an ergonomic pushbutton that activates the clipping mechanism, should include a compartment for storing nail clippings, and should be easy to manufacture and cost effective. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe nail clipper assembly includes a base having a pair of opposing nail clipping blades spring biased away from one another. A lever is rotationally attached to the base and used to actuate the clipping blades. The nail clipper assembly further includes a housing substantially enclosing the base and lever. The housing includes an aperture through which the clipping blades at least partially extend so a user may cut toenails or fingernails. A manually actuable button engages the lever to move the clipping blades toward one another to perform cutting. The housing generally forms into a compartment for retaining nail clippings. Additionally, the housing preferably includes a pair of sidewalls adjacent to opposite ends of the clipping blades. The sidewalls buffer the cutting depth of the clipping blades and may also cooperate with the base to retain the nail clippings within the compartment. The sidewalls are also preferably configured to prohibit angled cuts and contact of the clipping blades with skin surrounding the nail. This particular feature enhances the safety of the nail clipper assembly disclosed herein.
The button preferably couples to the lever to permit single plane movement thereof, thereby enhancing one-handed operational stability in view of levers that are otherwise freely rotationally attached to the base. The button preferably encompasses the lever and includes a surface area relatively larger than the surface area of the lever. The contour of the button complements the outer surface of the housing and is ergonomically contoured for one-handed operation. In one preferred embodiment, the nail clipper assembly includes a file disposed on the exterior of the housing. Such a file may include silicon carbide to ensure operational longevity.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention for a nail clipper assembly is referred to generally by the reference number 10. In
As shown in
Also as shown in
Furthermore, the nail clipper assembly 10 includes a file 22 as generally shown in
The nail clippers 30 include a handle or lever 38 rotationally connected to a fulcrum 40 that extends through a top plate 42 having the cutting edge 16 and a bottom plate 44 having the cutting edge 18. The top plate 42 is spring-biased relative to the bottom plate 44 about a pivot 46 opposite the cutting edges 16, 18. The pivot 46 positions the cutting edges 16, 18 in an open position as generally shown in
The fingernail clippings are effectively captured within the interior chamber 54 of the outer housing 12. In a preferred embodiment, the outer housing 12 is manufactured from one of a variety of ABS plastics to ensure durability while remaining lightweight. The outer housing 12 effectively prevents clippings from being propelled laterally by having the walls of the front surface 20 positioned at the opening between each of the cutting edges 16, 18. A nail cut off by the cutting edges 16, 18 resides within a chamber 60 (
The nail clipper assembly 10 may also be used as a promotional gift item such that the outer housing 12 may receive customizations such as logos or slogans. The logo or slogan may affixed to any surface of the outer housing 12 such that the logo or slogan is easily viewable when users clip nails. The outer housing 12 itself may include a variety of different colors or stylizations depending on the desired use. The nail clipper assembly 10 may also include a ring for attachment to a keychain or a lanyard via a cutout or other attachment mechanism formed in the outer housing 12. The nail clipper assembly 10 is also designed to clip, trim and repair artificial nails and may have alternative uses such as snipping a fishing line.
Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made to each without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A nail clipper assembly, comprising:
- a base having a pair of opposing nail clipping blades spring biased away from one another;
- a lever attached to the base; and
- a housing substantially enclosing the base and the lever, the housing including an aperture through which the clipping blades at least partially extend, and a manually actuable button for engaging the lever to move the clipping blades toward one another.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a compartment for retaining nail clippings.
3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the housing includes a pair of side walls adjacent to opposite ends of the clipping blades.
4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the side walls buffer the cutting depth of the clipping blades.
5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the side walls cooperate with the base to retain the nail clippings.
6. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the side walls are configured to prohibit angled cuts and contact of the clipping blades with skin surrounding the nail.
7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the lever rotationally attaches to the base.
8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the button couples to the lever to permit single plane movement thereof.
9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the button encompasses the lever and includes a surface area relatively larger than the surface area of the lever.
10. The assembly of claim 1, including a file disposed on the exterior of the housing.
11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the file comprises silicon carbide.
12. A nail clipper assembly, comprising:
- a base having a pair of opposing nail clipping blades spring biased away from one another;
- a lever rotationally attached to the base; and
- a housing substantially enclosing the base and the lever, the housing including an aperture through which the clipping blades at least partially extend, and a manually actuable button for engaging the lever to move the clipping blades toward one another, wherein the housing comprises a compartment for retaining nail clippings.
13. The assembly of claim 12, including a file comprising silicon carbide disposed on the exterior of the housing.
14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the button couples to the lever to permit single plane movement thereof.
15. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the housing includes a pair of side walls adjacent to opposite ends of the clipping blades that cooperate with the base to retain the nail clippings.
16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the side walls buffer the cutting depth of the clipping blades and are configured to prohibit angled cuts and contact of the clipping blades with skin surrounding the nail.
17. A nail clipper assembly, comprising:
- a base having a pair of opposing nail clipping blades spring biased away from one another;
- a lever attached to the base;
- a housing comprising a compartment for retaining nail clippings substantially enclosing the base and the lever, the housing including an aperture through which the clipping blades at least partially extend; and
- a manually actuable button for engaging the lever to move the clipping blades toward one another, wherein the button encompasses the lever and includes a surface area relatively larger than the surface area of the lever.
18. The assembly of claim 17, including a file comprising silicon carbide disposed on the exterior of the housing.
19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the housing includes a pair of side walls adjacent to opposite ends of the clipping blades that cooperate with the base to retain the nail clippings.
20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the side walls buffer the cutting depth of the clipping blades and are configured to prohibit angled cuts and contact of the clipping blades with skin surrounding the nail.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 14, 2009
Publication Date: Mar 17, 2011
Inventor: Edward Pacio (Calabasas Hills, CA)
Application Number: 12/559,104
International Classification: A45D 29/02 (20060101);