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Title:
FINGER TIP POSITIONING DEVICE AND KIT
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2017/142409
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a fingertip positioning member for coupling to a nail clipper, comprising a first and a second cutting edge together forming a clipping line for the purpose of facilitating clipping of the nail while applying the combination of the fingertip positioning member and the nail clipper, the fingertip positioning member comprising: - a preferably substantially elongate body comprising a contact surface for making contact with a contact surface of the nail clipper, - coupling means for coupling to the nail clipper, and - a placing support for laying a fingertip against the placing support for suitable positioning with the nail thereof in supported manner relative to the nail clipper.

Inventors:
MIDDELKOOP EMELY HÉLÈNE (NL)
Application Number:
PCT/NL2017/050096
Publication Date:
August 24, 2017
Filing Date:
February 17, 2017
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
EHMS HOLDING B V (NL)
International Classes:
A45D29/02
Foreign References:
JP2005192716A2005-07-21
DE2413887A11975-10-02
JP2006204637A2006-08-10
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
HOEBEN, Ferdinand Egon (NL)
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Claims:
CLAIMS

1. Fingertip positioning member for coupling to a nail clipper, comprising a first and a second cutting edge together forming a clipping line for the purpose of facilitating clipping of the nail while applying the combina¬ tion of the fingertip positioning member and the nail clipper, the fingertip positioning member comprising:

- a preferably substantially elongate body compris¬ ing a contact surface for making contact with a contact surface of the nail clipper,

- coupling means for coupling to the nail clipper, and

- a placing support for laying a fingertip against the placing support for suitable positioning with the nail thereof in supported manner relative to the nail clipper.

2. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the placing support is arrangeable in front of the clipping line of the nail clipper.

3. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the placing support is arrangeable sub¬ stantially below the clipping line.

4. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the coupling means are configured for co-action with a guide member of the nail clipper.

5. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the coupling means are embodied as a slot for receiving the guide member of the nail clipper therethrough.

6. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the coupling means are embodied as a slot comprising an engaging edge, pref- erably along the periphery of the slot, for engaging a head of the guide member of the nail clipper.

7. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in claim

6, wherein the engaging edge is embodied as a material moulded into the body which differs from the material of the body.

8. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in claim

7, wherein the engaging edge is embodied as a metal body following the edge of the slot.

9. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the coupling means are embodied substantially in a flange form extending in the coupling means.

10. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the placing support is embodied as a curved surface, in this case a sur- face with a curvature therein, suitable for finding alignment with a fingertip.

11. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the placing sup- port is configured to receive a claw-like nail, such as a nail of a cat, dog and/or a rodent.

12. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the placing sup- port is suitable for receiving the whole of a curved end surface of the fingertip.

13. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the claims 1-11, wherein the placing support is suitable for receiving substantially an strip part of a curved end surface of the fingertip, wherein the strip part is preferably situated along the nail. 14. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims with a length greater than the length of the nail clipper, preferably greater than 1.1 times the length of the nail clipper, more preferably greater than 1.2 times the length of the nail clipper, more preferably between one and two times the length of the nail clipper.

15. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising one or more parts of an engaging surface for providing an engagement on one or more fingers of a hand, such as a ribbed engag¬ ing surface forming a handgrip.

16. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising at least one enclosing member for enclosing the nail clipper along the edge of the contact surface thereof.

17. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising an enclosing edge along the contact surface thereof.

18. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the coupling means comprise adjusting means for adjusting the distance, such as embodied by means of ribs or toothing in the slot.

19. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising retaining edges for retaining clipped nail parts, such as immediately after separation of these nail parts from the nail.

20. Fingertip positioning member as claimed in claim 19, wherein the retaining edges are arranged on one or both sides at the location of a position of arrangement of the cutting edge of the nail clipper.

21. Kit comprising a fingertip positioning member as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims together with a nail clipper.

Description:
FINGER TIP POSI TIONING DEVICE AND KI T

The present invention relates to a fingertip posi ¬ tioning member for coupling to a nail clipper, comprising a first and a second cutting edge together forming a clip ¬ ping line for the purpose of facilitating clipping of the nail while applying the combination of the fingertip posi ¬ tioning member and the nail clipper. The present invention also relates to a kit comprising a nail clipper and a fin- gertip positioning member according to the present invention. Nail clippers have been known for many years as a suitable manner of clipping nails. A nail clipper is generally more practical in use than scissors, since the nail clipper clamps the nail in fixed orientation before the nail is clipped. The nail clipper nevertheless has the drawback that it is still possible to damage the fingertip during clipping of the nail. In order to obviate such a drawback the present invention provides a fingertip posi ¬ tioning member for coupling to a nail clipper, comprising a first and a second cutting edge together forming a clip ¬ ping line for the purpose of facilitating clipping of the nail while applying the combination of the fingertip posi ¬ tioning member and the nail clipper, the fingertip posi ¬ tioning member comprising:

- a preferably substantially elongate body compris ¬ ing a contact surface for making contact with a contact surface of the nail clipper,

- coupling means for coupling to the nail clipper, and

- a placing support for laying a fingertip against the placing support for suitable positioning with the nail thereof in supported manner relative to the nail clipper.

A first advantage according to the present invention is that, by means of applying such a fingertip positioning member in mutual coupling with a nail clipper, damage to the fingertip is prevented because of the stable placing, or fit' , of the fingertip against the placing support. Where the existing nail clipper tapers from the cutting edge away from the fingertip, and does not therefore pro ¬ vide any support at all, with use of the present invention it is precisely at the fingertip that support is provided relative to the nail clipper.

A further advantage according to the present inven- tion is that a predetermined length of the nail can be set by means a predetermined distance between the contact sur ¬ face and the cutting edge. Such a length is envisaged be ¬ tween for instance 0.1 mm and 2 cm, more preferably be ¬ tween 0.2 mm and 1.2 cm, more preferably between 0.3 mm and 1 cm. Any other limit to the lengths of the fingernail not to be cut is likewise provided for within these length ranges .

According to a first preferred embodiment, the plac ¬ ing support is arrangeable in front of the clipping line of the nail clipper. It hereby becomes possible to clip a nail to a predetermined length while applying the finger ¬ tip positioning member according to the present invention. The placing support is more preferably arrangeable here substantially below the clipping line. This is advanta- geous in the case the nail is located on the upper side of the finger.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the coupling means are configured for co-action with a guide member of the nail clipper. Use is hereby made in advanta- geous manner of the structure of the nail clipper and the member is mounted firmly and robustly on the nail clipper.

The coupling means are more preferably embodied as a slot for receiving the guide member of the nail clipper there through. The head of the guide pin of the nail clip- per can hereby be applied in advantageous manner for mounting of the member.

The coupling means are more preferably embodied as a slot comprising an engaging edge, preferably along the pe- riphery of the slot, for engaging a head of the guide mem ¬ ber of the nail clipper.

In a further preferred embodiment the placing sup ¬ port in the fingertip positioning member is embodied as a curved surface, in this case a surface with a curvature therein, suitable for finding alignment with at least a part of a fingertip.

A further aspect according to the present invention relates to a kit comprising a fingertip positioning member according to one or more of the foregoing claims together with a nail clipper. Advantages are hereby obtained as ac ¬ cording to the above described preferred embodiments.

Further advantages, features and details of the pre ¬ sent invention will be described in greater detail herein- below on the basis of one or more preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Similar, though not necessarily identical components of different preferred embodiments are designated with the same refer ¬ ence numerals.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fingertip posi- tioning member in accordance with a first preferred embod ¬ iment according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of this preferred embodi ¬ ment .

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred embod- iment according to Fig. 1 in combination with a nail clipper .

Fig. 4 is a side view hereof.

Fig. 5 shows a further preferred embodiment in com ¬ bination with a nail clipper. Fig. 6 is a perspective view hereof.

Fig. 7 is a further perspective view hereof.

Fig. 8 shows a number of views with a receiving groove for receiving a nail of an animal according to a further preferred embodiment.

Fig. 9 shows ten views of a further preferred embod ¬ iment according to the present invention.

A first preferred embodiment according to the pre ¬ sent invention relates to a fingertip positioning member 1 comprising an elongate body 5 having on the front side a placing support 3 in the form of a curved surface 3. This surface serves for positioning of the fingertip there- against in order to support it relative to the nail clip ¬ per combinable with the fingertip positioning member, and in particular a cutting edge 16, 17 thereof.

Fingertip positioning member 1 has a contact surface 5 for making contact with an underside of the nail clip ¬ per. Also provided is a slot 4 for co-action with a guide pin 15 of the nail clipper. A toothed edge 9 is provided here for the purpose of providing a predetermined number of positions. A smooth edge can likewise be provided in ¬ stead of toothed edge 9 for the purpose of providing an infinite number of positions.

Provided along the periphery of contact surface 5 is a support edge 6. It is envisaged that the size of the nail clipper is such that it fits within support edge 6, but that there is also clearance between the clipper and the support edge. A close fit is not required. This is possible because the mounting by means of guide pin 15 of the nail clipper imparts a high measure of sturdiness.

For the sake of completeness, the nail clipper com ¬ prises a lower metal cutting member 14, an upper metal cutting member 13 and a pressing element 2 for moving cutting edges 16, 17 toward each other along guide pin 15. A further preferred embodiment relates to fingertip positioning member 21 (Fig. 5) . This has a placing support 3 which makes contact with a strip of the fingertip for positioning thereof relative to the nail clipper and the cutting edges thereof.

Slot 4 of this preferred embodiment has the smooth edge referred to in the foregoing. This slot also has a passage opening for passage of the guide pin of the nail clipper for the purpose of removing fingertip positioning member 21 relative to the nail clipper.

Provision is made in both preferred embodiments that the edge 7 of the slot which serves to engage the guide pin is manufactured from a metal for the purpose of an in ¬ creased durability thereof. In the case of a method for manufacturing the member by means of an injection moulding process this edge 7 is in such a case moulded into the ma ¬ terial of the body during the injection moulding process.

The preferred embodiment according to Fig. 8 has a fingertip positioning member 31 provided with a different- ly formed placing support with a groove 32 formed therein for receiving a nail of an animal. A nail of an animal is hereby positioned in reliable manner relative to the cut ¬ ting edge of element 14.

In Fig. 9 the nail clipper is shown in each case in a foremost and a rearmost position, between which it is adjustable depending on the desired nail length.

For the purpose of preventing clipped nail parts flying about immediately upon severing thereof, in the preferred embodiment of fingertip positioning member 51 retaining edges 52, 52' are provided on either side there ¬ of. The retaining edges have respective upper edges 53, 53'. These upper edges 53, 53' are formed with a curved shape having on the front side a somewhat steep onset in order to achieve sufficient height to function when the cutting edge of the nail clipper is situated in a position close to the leading edge.

After being clipped the nail parts are collected be ¬ tween the retaining edges. The nail parts can always be shaken out, or several parts of severed nail can be held in the space between the retaining edges and the nail clipper .

The present invention has been described in the foregoing on the basis of several preferred embodiments. Different aspects of different embodiments are deemed de ¬ scribed in combination with each other, wherein all combinations which can be deemed by a skilled person in the field as falling within the scope of the invention on the basis of reading of this document are included. These pre- ferred embodiments are not limitative for the scope of protection of this document. The rights sought are defined in the appended claims.