TRIANGULAR-SHAPED ORNAMENTAL NAIL CLIPPER WITH SIDE FLAP

TECHNICAL FIELD:

This invention relates to a triangular-shaped nail clipper with ornamental cutting edges and a side flap which, in corabination, produce an apparatus with a body of relatively short length compared to conventional nail clippers which, with light finger pressure applied to the triangular-shaped activating lever moves the jaws of the nail clipper together to cut the nail and produce an ornamental design on the nail while the side flap enables the user to maintain the same relative position of the design on multiple nails. The invention has multiple advantages. It can be produced with a relatively short body length with its triangular shape enabling it to achieve increased spring-back properties due to the width of the base of the apparatus in comparison to the width of the jaws. An ease of operation comparable to the operation of a conventional nail clipper is acheived even using the short body design through the use of the triangular-shaped activating lever which enables the user to exert an activating force across the entire width of the activating lever using the thumb or forefinger. An important element of the invention is the concept of enabling the user to apply a force across the width of the handle which force is concentrated at the relatively narrow jaws of the apparatus producing an easy cut of even a very thick and tough nail.

In certain embodiments the invention has the added advantage

of being capable of producing a multi-arch design on the nail which is cut. The use of the side flap enables the user to apply

the nail clipper and produce the ornamental design at the same relative position on each nail that is cut. This side flap extends around the tip of the finger and down the side of the finger enabling the user to easily maintain the same relative position of the ornamental design on each nail which is cut.

BACKGROUND ART:

The following issued patents comprise a portion of the developed pertinent prior art:

U.S. Patent No. 1,433,936 issued to Campbell in 1922;

U.S. Patent No. 3,093,147 issued to Bassett in 1963;

U.S. Design Patent No. Des.192,590 issued to Leopoldi in 1962;

U.S. Design Patent No. Des.232,127 issued to Rock in 1974; and

U.S. Design Patent No. Des.264,509 issued to Rock in 1982.

None of the above-cited patent references disclose a construction of a nail clipper which teaches or anticipates the novel device of the invention described herein. U.S. Patent No. 3,093,147 issued to Bassett discloses a nail clipper having mating cutting jaws which are lever-actuated but does not disclose the triangular shape, cutting edges which produce an ornamental design on the nail, or a side flap to maintain the same relative position of the design on each nail cut. The Patent No. 1,433,396 issued to Campbell does disclose semi¬ circular teeth but those teeth, as disclosed by the patent, project down from the edges of the jaw and it is the downward projections which actually cut into and sever one aspect of the nail from another. It is apparent that the use and function as well as the result achieved by the semi-circular teeth disclosed by the Campbell device to improve the cutting capability of the

jaws do not produce an ornamental design on the cut nail. In fact, the application of the Campbell device to a nail produce a conventional single semi-circular shaped cut and not the multiple arch cut produced by application of the instant invention. Additionally, the Campbell patent does not disclose the use of a triangular-shaped body or a side flap to maintain design registration.

The Leopoldi and Rock design patents all disclose nail clippers ^* having a wide-body design. The Leopoldi patent however does not exhibit the wide-body characteristic at the point of attachment or connection between the upper body member and the lower body member which is an integral aspect of the instant invention. The Rock patent issued in 1974 discloses a nail clipper exhibiting a large width dimension relative to its length dimension. It certainly ^* does not disclose one of the primary features of the triangular body and actiavting lever of the instant invention which is a relatively wide connection between the lower body member and the upper body member and a wide activating lever at the point of the application of force combined- with cutting jaws which are narrow relative to the width of the; connection between the lower body member and the upper body member and the force application area on the activating leverr:.. The Rock patent issued in 1982, while it may disclose cutting jaws which are relatively narrow compared to the clipper body and activating lever, does not disclose the wide connection surface between the upper body member and the lower body member which, ϋn. comparison to the width of the cutting jaws permits the

application of the retraction force generated at the connecting points of the upper and lower body members through the much smaller cutting jaw area.

As previously noted, a nail clipper with ornamental cutting edge is the subject of an application now pending before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, Serial No. 06/848,744 (Examiner Fridie). The instant invention is distinct from the invention disclosed by that application through the use of the triangular shape body and activating lever with the ornamentally shaped jaws and the use of a side flap to maintain design registration on the nail cut.

None of the inventions cited above disclose, in addition to a device for producing an ornamental edge on a nail, a device for maintaining the relative position of the ornamental shape on the nail such as the edge flap disclosed by the instant invention. None of the cited inventions disclose a combination ornamental cutting jaw, triangular-shaped body and actuating lever with the use of an edge flap to maintain cut registration. In fact none of the references even disclose a nail clipper exhibiting a wide body at the point of connection between the upper body member and the lower body member and a wide body activating lever, both in conjunction with relatively narrow cutting jaws which enable the application of a relatively large force to bring the jaws together and cut the nail as well as a relatively large force to retract the jaws apart once the nail is cut.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION:

The present invention provide an apparatus for producing an ornamental design or cut on fingernails and toenails. The apparatus includes a triangular-shaped body with the cutting jaws located at one vertex of the triangular shape. The body consists of two oppositely disposed triangular shaped members which are attached along the length of the base of the triangular shape opposite to the jaws. The two members of the body are shaped such that the two jaws, each jaw located at the vertex opposite the attached base of the triangular member, are normally apart. The apparatus also includes a triangular-shaped activating lever attached to a post which extends vertically through the body members centered laterally at the mid-point of the jaws and longitudinally in the proximity of the jaws such that the distance from the post to the base of the body exceeds the distance from the post to the jaws by a multiple of at least three. The post is attached to the lower triangular member of the body such that it will pivot or turn in the lower member. The post extends through an opening in the upper member and is attached above the upper member to the triangular-shaped activating lever. The triangular-shaped activating lever is attached to the post such that it can turn on the post in a 360- degree arc in relation to the members of the triangular-shaped body. The activating lever has a shape across the horizontal plane such that when the activating lever is turned to the open position for use, it becomes a lever with the fulcrum applied at

and across the top triangular-shaped body member and against the vertical axis of the post. The force applied down and across the base of the triangular-shaped activating lever forces the ornamentally-shaped jaws together cutting the nail and producing an ornamental shape.

The jaws of the apparatus consist of at least three concave or convex arches which, when forced together by the action of the activating lever on the upper body member, produce an ornamental cut on the nail to correspond to the shape of the jaws. The side flap is attached to either or both sides of the lower jaw. This side flap extends around the tip of the member whose nail is being cut to enable the user to maintain the same relative position of the nail cut on each member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

A more complete understanding of the invention and its advantages will be apparent from the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is top perspective view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevation view of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a left side elevation view showing the application of the jaws and side flap to a nail;

FIG. 4 is a bottom elevation view of the baseplate member;

FIG. 5 is a top elevation view of the activating lever turned in its storage position on the upper body member;

FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the jaws, side flap and a nail cut to ornamental shape;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the jaws of the apparatus.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION: Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus includes a lower body member 1, an upper body member 2, an activating lever 3, a post 4, jaws 5, and a side flap or side flaps 6. The lower body member 1 and the upper body member 2 are triangular in shape and attached along the side or base of the triangular shape opposite to the vertex where the jaws 5 are located. The lower body member 1 and the upper body member 2 may be formed of metal or some other material with spring or memory properties. The upper body member 2 is bent or curved on the horizontal plane such that the jaw located at the vertex opposite the base is separated from the jaw at the vertex of the lower body member. The post 4 extends vertically through openings in the upper body member 2 and the lower body member 1 with means operative to attach the post 4 to the lower body member 1 such that the post will be retained in its opening through the lower body 1 but is free to rotate around its center vertical axis in its hole through the lower body member 1 and the upper body member 2. The activating lever 3 is attached to the post 4 and shaped such that when it is in the closed position it fits congruent with the upper body member 2 and parallel along the plane formed by the upper body member 2 with the horizon. While in the open position for use, the activating lever is shaped such that when turned to that open position from the closed position on the post 4, the activating lever 3 forms a lever against the upper body member 2 with a downward force and against the post 4 with an upward force

along the vertical axis of the post 4 when a force is applied at the end of the activating lever 3 opposite to the end secured by the post 4. The action of the activating lever 3 against the post 4 and the upper body member 2 forces the jaw 5 of the upper body member against the jaw 5 of the lower body member 1 bringing the two jaws together with sufficient force to cut a fingernail or toenail into the ornamental shape formed by the jaws 5. The s-ide flap 6 attached to one or both sides of the lower body member 1 extends around the tip of the finger or toe and down its side to enable the user of the apparatus to maintain the same relative position of the ornamental design on each nail cut. The application of the apparatus to a nail with the use of the side flap is shown in FIG. 3.

Many modifications can be made in the exemplary structure described above without exceeding the scope of the present invention. While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof.