The invention relates to a nail clipper comprising a plate portion comprising a front forming an abutment surface for a finger tip and having a slot which optionally is arcuate and has a curvature corresponding to that of a fingernail, a clipper blade which is transversely movable relative to the slot and is provided at the rear side of the plate portion in such manner that it can be displaced parallel therewith, and a lever mechanism cooperating with the clipper blade to effect displacement of the clipper blade across the slot, and a spring device cooperating with the lever mechanism and the clipper blade for retracting the clipper blade.

A large number of nail clippers are known, and among the best known is the "Three-in-one"-nail clipper which comprises two spring-loaded jaws which have cutting edges disposed exactly opposite each other and which may be caused to squeeze a nail in the same manner as pincers by means of a lever mechanism with an arm which also serves as a nail cleaner. During use of this known nail clipper, spreading of the nail clippings occurs which is considered unsatisfactory, i.a. for sanitary reasons.

US patent No. 3,855,698 describes a nail clipper based on the "pincers"-principle and which comprises a chamber which can be opened and in which nail clippings are collected.

US patent No. 2,540,782 describes a nail clipper comprising two circular-cylindrical tubes wherein the one tube is arranged telescopically displaceably within the other, and wherein the outer tube is provided with an arcuate slot in which a finger nail can be inserted, and an arcuate clipper which may be caused to slide along said slot by axial displacement of the inner tube relative to the outer tube so as to sever a portion of a fingernail received in the slot, is provided on the inner tube. This known nail clipper

presents the drawback that it requires a substantial finger strength to move the clipper relative to the slot since the construction does not involve a lever principle, and that the section thus obtained has a curvature which is the opposite of the one desired for the tip of a fingernail. Thus, even after several severings, it is difficult to obtain a smooth trimming edge.

A nail clipper of the type discussed above is described in US patent No. 5,065,513. This known nail clipper, which primari¬ ly is to be used for clipping artificial nails and which is in the form of pincers, comprises a planar plate comprising an arcuate slot for insertion of a fingernail from the front of the plate. The plate is mounted on a holding device which constitutes the one lever arm of the pincers. Moreover, the nail clipper comprises a planar clipper blade arranged in contact with the rear side of the plate and being displace- able relative thereto. The clipper blade is influenced by the one end of a lever arm which is pivotably connected to the holding device and the opposite end of which constitutes the second arm of the pincers. Furthermore, the nail clipper is provided with a biasing spring which serves to retract the clipper blade to its starting position following its passage along the arcuate slot by closure of the pincers.

The pincers-design makes the known nail clipper unsuitable for being carried in a pocket and also produces rectilinear cuttings which makes it difficult to impart a desired rounded, smooth trimming edge to a fingernail even by effecting several trimmings. Moreover, the nail clippings produced with the known nail clipper will also be spread.

It is the object of the invention to provide a nail clipper of the type described in the introductory part which is not associated with the drawbacks discussed above.

The nail clipper according to the invention is characterized in that the plate portion which forms the abutment surface for a finger tip is concave and has a curvature which substantially matches the curvature of a finger tip, and that the arcuate slot at the rear side of the concave plate portion is connected with a chamber which can be opened and which serves to collect nail clippings.

The use of a concave plate portion as an abutment surface for a finger tip ensures that a fingernail-clipping produces a smooth trimming edge with a correct curvature in one opera¬ tion, and the presence of the chamber for the collection of nail clippings allows said clippings to be collected in one place and in one operation discharged from the nail clipper chamber when desired.

According to a preferred embodiment of the nail clipper according to the invention, the concave plate portion is pre¬ ferably integral with a housing which at least partially encloses the movable clipper blade and which comprises the chamber for the collection of nail clippings. In this manner the nail clipper can be given such a shape that it can be held in a pocket or a handbag without any nuisance to the user. The housing may be provided with a through-going opening to permit the nail clipper to be arranged in a key ring.

The movable clipper blade is preferably connected with a slide which is displaceable within the housing and in engagement with the lever mechanism. The latter which compri¬ ses a short and a long lever arm may be pivotably mounted in the housing in such a manner that the shorter arm is in engagement with the slide for the clipper blade.

The spring device is preferably constituted of a biasing spring having one end mounted in the housing and the opposite end being in engagement with the lever mechanism and pre-

ferably with the long arm of the lever mechanism. Due to the influence of the lever mechanism's long arm, the slide with the clipper blade will be retracted to its starting position following the completed cutting operation.

According to a preferred embodiment, the housing is provided with a recess having a shape which corresponds to the shape of the long arm of the lever mechanism, and the housing is provided with a locking device for securing the long arm in said recess. By providing the housing with such a recess and a locking device, protruding portions can be avoided altoge¬ ther when the nail clipper is not in use and held e.g. in a ladies' handbag or a pocket.

Preferably the housing is made of plastics and the remaining components of the nail clipper, except for the clipper blade and the biasing spring, are also preferably made of plastics which allows the weight of the nail clipper to be reduced to a minimum.

Preferably the nail clipper housing is composed of two or more elements which are assembled by snap-locking which facilitates the assembly operation and makes it less costly.

It is preferred to use a clipper blade of tempered steel, partly to reduce the force required to sever a nail, partly to produce a clean cut.

The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the drawings, wherein

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a preferred embodiment of a nail clipper according to the invention in its operative position,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to the one shown in Figure 1 but in its resting position, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line III-III through the nail clipper according to Figure 1.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates an outer housing comprising a concave front plate 2 and a cover plate 3. A slot 4 is provided in the front plate 2 and at the rear side of the front plate a clipper blade 5 is provided, said clipper blade being displaceable parallel and in contact with the front plate 2. At its one end, the clipper blade 5 is provided with a cutting edge 6, and at its opposite end it engages with a slide 8.

A recess 9 is provided in the slide 8 and said recess holds the end of a short arm 10 of a lever mechanism which is pivotably mounted about a pin 11 which extends transversely to the housing 1 and which further comprises a long arm 12 which is tapered at its free end. The underside of the long arm 12 is provided with ribs 13 and the undersides of said ribs 13 are in contact with the one end of a biasing spring 14, the opposite end of which is mounted in a holding device 15.

An opening 16 which has a shape corresponding to the contour of the long arm 12 is provided in the cover plate 3, and in the position shown in Figure 2, the long arm 12 levels with the cover plate 3 and is secured in this position by a lock

17 which is mounted displaceably in the longitudinal direc¬ tion of the housing and provided at its one end with a recess

18 which, in the closed position, encloses the tip 19 of the long arm 12.

At this end of the housing 1, the nail clipper is provided with a through-going opening 20 through which e.g. a key ring (not shown) may be inserted.

The slide 8 is guided laterally by two inner walls 21 and 22 and at its end by a guiding device 23.

A chamber 24 which comprises an opening closed by a removable lid 25 is also provided in the housing.

The nail clipper illustrated operates as follows:

Following positioning of a finger tip in contact with the front plate 2 and with the nail to be severed introduced into the slot 4, depression of the longer arm 12 towards the housing 1 will cause the slide 8 to be displaced longitu¬ dinally relative to the front plate 2. Hereby the clipper blade 5 will travel along the slot 4, and when the cutting edge 6 contacts the fingernail received in the slot 4, one single and clean cut will produce an arcuate trimming edge on the nail. The severed nail clipping will remain in the chamber 24 until removed therefrom by detachment of the lid 25. When released, the arm 12 will be retracted to its starting position shown in Figure 1 under the influence of the biasing spring 14 which is deformed during the cutting operation. In this position, the clipper blade 5 will also occupy its starting position and thus, the nail clipper will be set for renewed cutting operations.

If the arm 12 alternatively is moved completely into the opening 16 of the housing 1, it may be secured in this position (cf. Figure 2) by means of the locking device 17 which encloses and secures the tip 19 of the arm 12 in its recess 18.

As will appear from Figure 2, the nail clipper shown consti¬ tutes a compact unit in its closed position and is devoid of

any protrusions or acute edges that may constitute a nuisan¬ ce.