A soft touch scissors including a first or lower blade assembly having a handle and a blade having a tang molded in the handle and a second or upper handle assembly having a handle and a blade having a tang molded in the handle, the blade assemblies being pivotally connected, and biased by a spring to an open position, a rib on the top of the lower handle assembly and a rib on the bottom of the upper handle assembly located in a position to engage the rib on the lower handle assembly and a latch slidably mounted on the upper handle assembly for movement into engagement with the rib on the lower handle assembly to lock the handle assemblies in a closed position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a soft touch hand grip type scissors and 
more particularly to a lock mechanism for holding the scissors in a closed 
position. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Household scissors of the type set forth in the above-identified 
application included an internally mounted thumb-actuated button which is 
movable between open and closed positions with respect to one of the 
internal hooks. The scissors were locked in the closed position by 
squeezing the handles to move the end of the hook into the path of travel 
of the button. The button was then moved downward to engage the hook. 
However, the internal hooks could be damaged if the button was positioned 
in the closed position when the scissors were closed. The hook could also 
be damaged if the scissors were opened with the button latched to the 
hook. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The scissors according to the present invention has been modified to avoid 
the problems noted above. In this regard the stops or ribs for limiting 
the opening motion of the handle assemblies are formed as an integral part 
of offset sections of the handle assemblies thus increasing the strength 
of the limit stops or rib. 
In another aspect of the invention the actuating button is formed in a "U" 
shape having flanges on the inner surfaces of the side walls of the "U" 
which engage flanges provided on the outside of the limit stops or ribs. 
The side walls of the "U" shaped button being sufficiently flexible to 
release from the flanges on the ribs in the event the scissors are opened 
when locked. 
In another aspect of the invention, the latch is mounted on a rib formed on 
the offset section of the upper handle assembly with a flange extending 
outwardly from each side of the rib. The latch is provided with a pair of 
tabs on the inside of the bight section of the "U" shaped latch which 
engage the flanges on the rib when moved to the operative or latched 
position. The side walls on latch being sufficiently flexible to allow the 
flanges on the ribs to snap into the legs if the scissors are closed with 
the latch in the down position. 
Other principal features and advantages of the invention will become 
apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following 
drawings, the detailed description and the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As shown in the drawing the scissors 10 generally includes a first blade 
assembly 12 and a second blade assembly 14. The blade assemblies are 
pivotally connected by means of a thread forming screw 16. The blade 
assemblies are biased to an open position by means of a compression spring 
18 and are locked in a closed position by means of a latch 20. 
The first or bottom blade assembly 12 includes a blade 22 having a tang 24 
molded into a handle 26. The second or top blade assembly 14 includes a 
blade 28 having a tang 30 molded into a handle 32. The bottom handle 26 
includes a handle portion 34, an angularly offset section 36 and a blade 
mounting section 38. The top handle 32 includes a handle portion 40, an 
angularly offset section 42 and a blade mounting section 44. 
Referring to FIGS. 4A and 5A a hub 46 is molded on the inside of section 
44, FIG. 4A, which matingly engages a recess 48 in the mounting section 38 
of the bottom handle 26, FIG. 5A. The handles 26 and 32 may be molded from 
a 45% fiberglass reinforced nylon material or other similar material and 
covered with a cushion material such as KRATON.TM. as shown in FIGS. 1 and 
2. The blade assemblies 12 and 14 are pivotally connected by inserting the 
hub 48 on blade mounting section 44 into the recess 48 in the blade 
mounting section 38. The hub 48 is seated in the recess by the thread 
forming screw 16. 
Means are provided for limiting the opening motion of the blade assemblies 
12 and 14. Such means is in the form of a rib 52 provided on one side of 
the blade mounting section 44 of the top blade assembly 14. Ribs 54 are 
provided on the angularly offset section 36 of the bottom blade assembly 
12, one of which lies in the path of motion of rib 52. A flange 56 is 
provided on the outside of each of the ribs 54. 
The blade assemblies 12 and 14 are biased to an open position by means of 
the compression spring 18. In this regard, a button 60 is provided on the 
top offset section 42 on rib 55. A button 62 provided between the flanges 
56 on the bottom offset section 36. The compression spring 58 is seated on 
the button 60 on the offset section 42 and the button 62 on the offset 
section 36. 
The blade assemblies 12 and 14 are locked in a closed position by means of 
the latch 20 which is mounted on the offset section 42 of the top blade 
assembly 14. In this regard, the offset section 42 includes a rib 74 along 
the top of the offset section 42. A flange 76 is provided on both sides of 
the lower end of the rib 74. The latch 20, FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, is in the 
form of a "U" having a pair of side walls 66 connected by a bight section 
68. A flange 70 is provided on the inner ends of each of the side walls 66 
and a pair of resilient tabs 72 are provided on the inside of the bight 
section 68. The latch is mounted on the offset section 42 by aligning the 
tabs 72 on either side of the rib 74. It should be noted that in the open 
position the button is pulled upward on the rib 74. When the scissors are 
closed, as shown in FIG. 1, the latch 66 is pushed downward or forward so 
that the tabs 72 slide under the flanges 76 on the rib 74 and the flanges 
70 slide under the flanges 56 on the ribs 54 to lock the scissors in the 
closed position. With this arrangement the button can be quickly and 
easily moved upward on the offset section 42 to release the latch from the 
flanges 56 on the ribs 54. 
Thus, it should be apparent that there has been provided in accordance with 
the present invention a soft touch scissors that fully satisfies the 
objectives and advantages set forth above. Although the invention has been 
described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident 
that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to 
those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such 
alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and 
broad scope of the appended claims.