Abstract:
Combination grooming scissors that are particularly adapted for the grooming of an animal. The grooming scissors include a hair cutting portion and a hair thinning portion in one device. The thinning portion of the grooming scissors can be disposed nearest the pivot point of the scissors and the cutting portion can be disposed nearest the end tip of the scissors. This enables the scissors to be used to thin the hair of the animal without cutting the hair. The tip of the scissors is advantageously blunt to prevent inadvertent stabbing of the animal during use.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/896,100 entitled “GROOMING SCISSORS”, filed Mar. 21, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to grooming scissors that are particularly useful for the grooming of furred animals, such as dogs. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Two different types of scissors or shears are typically utilized to cut hair, such as the hair of a domestic animal, such as a dog. Thinning scissors are employed to reduce the density of the hair in one or more areas, which allows the remaining hair to more readily lie in a desired position. Thinning scissors typically include cooperating cutting blades where one of the blades is formed with serrations along its length. The other type of scissors typically employed is a standard cutting scissors in which two cooperating blades slidably engage one another with the hair between the blades to cut the hair to a desired length. 
         [0006]    When grooming an animal such as a dog, it is important to groom the animal as rapidly as possible since the animal may become restless after a short period of time. Further, animals such as dogs may make sudden and unexpected movements during the grooming process, which can result in the animal being harmed by the blades of the scissors, particularly the sharp tip at the end of the scissors. 
         [0007]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide grooming scissors that are particularly useful for the grooming of an animal such as a dog. The scissors provide the combined functionality of cutting scissors and thinning scissors and also provide increased safety in the event of sudden movement by the animal being groomed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Accordingly, the present invention provides combination grooming scissors for hair cutting and hair thinning and a method of grooming an animal, such as a dog, using the scissors. The scissors advantageously combine the functions of hair cutting scissors and hair thinning scissors, while also reducing the likelihood that an animal being groomed using the scissors will be injured by the scissors due to a sudden movement made by the animal. 
         [0009]    According to one embodiment, grooming scissors are provided that are adapted for the cutting and thinning of hair. The grooming scissors include a first blade, wherein the first blade comprises a base portion that is adapted to be engaged by one or more fingers of a user, and a distal end that is sufficiently blunt to prevent inadvertent stabbing of an animal being groomed. A pivot point is disposed between the base portion and the distal end, and a cutting edge is disposed between the pivot point and the distal end. The grooming scissors also include a second blade that is pivotally connected to the first blade, wherein the second blade comprises a base portion that is adapted to be engaged by one or more fingers of a user, a distal end that is also sufficiently blunt to prevent inadvertent stabbing of an animal being groomed, a pivot point disposed between the base portion and the distal end, a thinning edge portion and a cutting edge portion. 
         [0010]    According to one aspect of the invention, the thinning edge portion is proximate to the pivot point and can include a plurality of serrations extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the edge of the second blade. According to this aspect, the cutting edge portion can advantageously be disposed proximate to the blunt distal end of the second blade. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a pair of combination scissors according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates a pair of combination scissors according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 3(   a )- 3 ( b ) illustrate scissor blades having a sharp end and having a blunt end. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an embodiment of grooming scissors  10  according to the present invention. The grooming scissors include a pair of opposed blades  12  and  14  that are pivotally attached to each other at a pivot point  20 . The first blade  12  includes a base portion  24  that is adapted to be engaged by one or more fingers of a user to operate the scissors  10 . For example, the base portion  24  can include an aperture for receiving one or more fingers of a user. The base portion  24  can also include an extension  30  disposed on an outer edge of the base portion  24  that is adapted to be engaged by the finger(s) of a user to provide improved leverage and cutting force when using the grooming scissors  10 . 
         [0015]    A cutting edge  13  extends along the first blade  12  between the pivot point  20  and a blunt distal end  26  of the first blade  12 . The cutting edge  13  can extend along substantially the entire length of the first blade  12  between the pivot point  20  and the blunt end tip  26 , or a portion thereof. The cutting edge  13  cooperates with a cutting edge  15  on the second blade  14  to form a cutting portion  18  adapted to cut hair to a desired length. 
         [0016]    The blunt end  26  is not pointed, as is common in many scissors, but rather is blunt and obtuse. That is, the distal end of the first blade does not terminate in a sharp pointed end, but rather tapers to terminate in a blunt end that is not capable of piercing the skin of the animal or otherwise causing significant discomfort for the animal if the animal is inadvertently poked with the distal end of the blade. For example, the distal end can be rounded. This feature advantageously prevents inadvertent stabbing of an animal being groomed, such as when the animal makes a sudden and unexpected movement. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b,  an upper portion of two scissor cutting blades is illustrated. The cutting blade  112   a  illustrated in  FIG. 3(   a ) can be considered a cutting blade having a sharp distal end, whereas the cutting blade  112   bt  illustrated in  FIG. 3(   b ) can be considered a cutting blade having a blunt distal end. The blade  112   a  terminates at a distal end  126   a  that is sharp and pointed, which could cause significant discomfort for an animal being groomed. Thus, the width W s  of the distal end  126   a  (i.e., the width measured where at least one of the two opposed side edges of the blade begins to converge by curving toward the other) is a very small fraction of the average width of the cutting blade taken along its length between the pivot point and the distal end, designated for simplicity in  FIG. 3(   b ) as W a . 
         [0018]    In contrast, the cutting blade  112   b  having a blunt distal end  126   b  will not cause significant discomfort for an animal if the animal is inadvertently poked with the distal end  126   b  during grooming. In this regard, the width W b  of the distal end  126   b,  measured where at least one of the two opposed edges of the blade begins to converge by curving toward the other, is a substantial fraction of the average width W a  of the blade  112   b  taken along its length. According to one embodiment, the distal end  126   b  of the blade  112   b  has a width W b  that is at least about 25 percent, more preferably at least about 50 percent and even more preferably at least about 75 percent of the average width W a  of the blade taken over the length of the first blade  112   b.  In an even more preferred embodiment, the distal end of the first blade has a width that is at least about 90 percent of the average width of the cutting portion of the first blade. Although such widths are preferred to provide a blunt distal end, what is an important aspect of the present invention is that the distal end is sufficiently blunt to prevent discomfort to the animal being groomed. 
         [0019]    Referring back to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the first blade  12  is pivotally connected to a second blade  14 . The second blade  14  includes a base portion  22  that is adapted to be engaged by one or more finger (e.g., a thumb) of a user to operate the scissors  10 . The second blade  14  also includes a blunt distal end  28  that is sufficiently blunt to prevent inadvertent stabbing of an animal during the grooming process. In this regard, the foregoing description of the first blade with reference to  FIG. 3   b  is also applicable to the second blade  14 . It is an also an aspect of the present invention that the distal ends of each of the blades  12  and  14  are sufficiently blunt to prevent injury to the animal whether in the closed position ( FIG. 1 ) or open position ( FIG. 2 ). 
         [0020]    The second blade  14  includes a thinning edge  17  and a cutting edge  15 . In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the cutting edge  15  is disposed closest to the blunt end  28  and the thinning edge  17  is disposed closest to the pivot point  20 . In this manner, thinning of an animal&#39;s hair can be accomplished using the thinning portion  16  without inadvertently cutting portions of the animal&#39;s fur with the cutting portion  18 . It will be appreciated that the thinning portion  16  can include serrations that are substantially perpendicular to the edge of the cutting blade  14 . 
         [0021]    The blades of the grooming scissors according to the present invention can be fabricated from a variety of materials including metal or a hard plastic material. 
         [0022]    It is a significant advantage of the present invention that the grooming scissors include the functions of both thinning scissors and cutting scissors in a single instrument. It is also an advantage of the present invention that the ends of the blades are individually blunt and also are blunt when the scissors are in a closed position. 
         [0023]    While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and adaptations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention.