Scissors with bendable and shape-retaining blades

A pair of scissors includes two handles (12, 14) having two overlapping shank portions (16, 18). Two recesses (20, 22) are formed on opposite inner faces of the shank portions (16, 18) respectively. Two blades (24, 26) are made of bendable and shape-retaining metal or alloy, and have inner end portions (28, 30) sandwiched between the shank portions (16, 18) and secured within the two recesses (20, 22) respectively. A pivot screw (50) is threaded through aligned screw holes and openings (32, 34, 36, 38) formed on the two shank portions (16, 18) and the inner end portions (28, 30). Two resilient blade covers (40, 42) are provided on two outer faces of the two blades (24, 26).

FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The present application relates to a pair of scissors with bendable and shape-retaining blades.

BACKGROUND

A conventional pair of scissors usually has two straight and rigid blades for producing a straight cut of hair or other substances such as paper and cloth. Also, there exists scissors with two curved blades for cutting hair. However, this kind of scissors can only produce a curved cut. Since these conventional scissors are made of hard metal, the shapes of cut that can be created by them are quite limited, i.e. scissors with straight blades can only produce a straight cut, and scissors with curved blades can only produce a curved cut. Therefore, there is a need to provide a pair of scissors with bendable and shape-retaining blades that can create cuts of various shapes.

The above description of the background is provided to aid in understanding a pair of scissors, but is not admitted to describe or constitute pertinent prior art to the pair of scissors, or consider any cited documents as material to the patentability of the claims of the present application.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect, there is provided a pair of scissors with bendable and shape-retaining blades, the pair of scissors including:a pair of handles having two overlapping shank portions, two recesses being formed on two opposite inner faces of the two overlapping shank portions and extending from two free ends of the two overlapping shank portions towards the pair of handles respectively, the pair of handles and the two shank portions being non-bendable;a pair of blades having inner end portions sandwiched between the two overlapping shank portions and secured within the two recesses respectively, the pair of blades being made of a bendable and shape-retaining metal or alloy;a pivot screw threaded through two aligned screw holes formed on the two overlapping shank portions and passed through two aligned openings formed on the inner end portions respectively for pivotally connecting the two overlapping shank portions with the inner end portions secured thereinbetween; anda pair of resilient blade covers provided on two outer faces of the pair of blades respectively;wherein the pair of blades and the pair of blade covers are bendable together into a plurality of desired shapes for cutting hair and creating a plurality of haircuts of the desired shapes.

The bendable and shape-retaining metal or alloy may be selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy. The pair of resilient blade covers may be made of a shape-retaining plastic material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyurethane, and polystyrene.

The two recesses are sized and shaped to fit therein the two inner end portions of the pair of blades respectively. The two recesses and the two inner end portions may be rectangular in shape.

The desired shapes may include a straight shape for producing a straight haircut, an upwardly curved shape for producing an upwardly curved haircut, a downwardly curved shape for producing a downwardly curved haircut, a generally U-shape for producing a generally U-shaped haircut, a generally V-shape for producing a generally V-shaped haircut, and a wavy shape for producing a wavy haircut.

According to another aspect, there is provided a pair of scissors including:a pair of handles having two overlapping shank portions, the pair of handles and the two shank portions being non-bendable;a pair of blades having inner end portions connected with the two overlapping shank portions respectively, the pair of blades being made of a bendable and shape-retaining metal or alloy; anda pivot screw threaded through two aligned screw holes formed on the two overlapping shank portions respectively for pivotally connecting the two overlapping shank portions;wherein the pair of blades is bendable into a plurality of desired shapes for producing cuts of the desired shapes.

In one embodiment, two recesses may be formed on two opposite inner faces of the two overlapping shank portions and may extend from two free ends of the two overlapping shank portions towards the pair of handles respectively. The inner end portions may be sandwiched between the two overlapping shank portions and secured within the two recesses respectively. Two openings may be formed on the inner end portions through which the pivot screw passes.

The bendable and shape-retaining metal or alloy may be selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy.

The pair of scissors may further include a pair of resilient blade covers provided on two outer faces of the pair of blades respectively. The pair of resilient blade covers may be made of a shape-retaining plastic material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyurethane, and polystyrene.

The two recesses are sized and shaped to fit therein the two inner end portions of the pair of blades respectively. The two recesses and the two inner end portions may be rectangular in shape.

The pair of scissors can be a pair of hairdressing scissors for creating haircuts of the desired shapes. The plurality of desired shapes may include upward curve, downward curve, U-shape, V-shape, and wavy shape.

Although the pair of scissors is shown and described with respect to certain embodiments, it is obvious that equivalents and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification. The pair of scissors in the present application includes all such equivalents and modifications, and is limited only by the scope of the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred embodiment of the pair of scissors, examples of which are also provided in the following description. Exemplary embodiments of the pair of scissors are described in detail, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that some features that are not particularly important to an understanding of the pair of scissors may not be shown for the sake of clarity.

Furthermore, it should be understood that the pair of scissors is not limited to the precise embodiments described below and that various changes and modifications thereof may be effected by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the protection. For example, elements and/or features of different illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of this disclosure and appended claims.

It should be noted that throughout the specification and claims herein, when one element is said to be “coupled” or “connected” to another, this does not necessarily mean that one element is fastened, secured, or otherwise attached to another element. Instead, the term “coupled” or “connected” means that one element is either connected directly or indirectly to another element or is in mechanical or electrical communication with another element.

FIGS. 1-4show various views of an embodiment of a pair of scissors with bendable and shape-retaining blades. As used herein, the term “bendable” means (a long object) capable of being turned or bent by force from a straight form into a curved or angular form, as well as from a curved or angular form into some other form or back into the straight form. Similarly, as used herein, the term “bend” means turning (a long object) by force from a straight form into a curved or angular form, as well as from a curved or angular form into some other form or back into the straight form. As used herein, the term “shape-retaining” means (a long object) being able to hold its shape when bent and does not bounce back to its original position. And, as used herein, the term “bendable and shape-retaining metal or alloy” means a metal or alloy having bendable and shape-retaining characteristics so that when a long object is made of such metal or alloy, the long object can be bent and held in the bent shape without bouncing back to its original position.

The pair of scissors10may include a pair of handles12,14having two overlapping shank portions16,18. The shank portion16can be integrally formed with the handle12, and the shank portion18can be integrally formed with the handle14. The pair of handles12,14and the two overlapping shank portions16,18may be made of stainless steel or any other suitable material, so that the pair of handles12,14and the two overlapping shank portions16,18may be rigid.

As best illustrated inFIG. 4, a pivot screw50may thread through two aligned internally threaded holes or screw holes32,34formed on the two shank portions16,18respectively for pivotally connecting the two shank portions16,18. The two screw holes32,34may be formed at a central position of the two shank portions16,18. Although it has been shown and described that a pivot screw is used to pivotally connect the two shank portions16,18it is understood that other fastening means such as a pivot pin with enlarged heads at two opposite ends may be used.

Two recesses20,22may be formed on two opposite inner faces of the two overlapping shank portions16,18respectively. The recesses20,22may extend from two free ends52,54of the two overlapping shank portions16,18towards the pair of handles12,14in a longitudinal direction of the pair of scissors10. The recesses20,22may be rectangular in shape.

A pair of blades24,26can be connected with the two shank portions16,18of the pair of handles12,14. Both or one of the pair of blades24,26may have a sharpened cutting edge. According to the illustrated embodiment shown inFIG. 3, the pair of blades24,26can be formed with two sharpened cutting edges56,58respectively. The pair of blades24,26may be made of a bendable and shape-retaining metal or alloy, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, or any other suitable metal or alloy. Although it has been shown and described that the pair of blades24,26are straight blades, it is appreciated that one of the pair of blades24,26can be a toothed blade.

The pair of blades24,26may have two inner end portions28,30sandwiched between the two overlapping shank portions16,18and secured within the two recesses20,22respectively. The two recesses20,22are sized and shaped to fit therein the inner end portions28,30of the pair of blades24,26. According to the illustrated embodiment, the two recesses20,22and the two inner end portions28,30of the pair of blades24,26are rectangular in shape.

The two inner end portions28,30may have a width narrower than that of the pair of blades24,26. The two inner end portions28,30can be formed with two openings36,38respectively, as illustrated inFIG. 4. The two openings36,38may also be formed at a central position of the inner end portions28,30, and are adapted to align with the two screw holes32,34formed on the two overlapping shank portions16,18.

To pivotally connect the pair of blades24,26to the shank portions16,18of the handles12,14, one can first put the inner end portions28,30of the pair of blades24,26into the two recesses20,22respectively. When the inner end portion28of the blade24is put into the recess20of the shank portion16, the opening36of the inner end portion28should align with the screw hole32of the shank portion16. Similarly, when the inner end portion30of the blade26is put into the recess22of the shank portion18, the opening38of the inner end portion30should align with the screw hole34of the shank portion18. Then, the two screw holes32,34and the two openings36,38are aligned together. Finally, the pivot screw50is threaded through the screw hole34, passes through the two openings36,38, and then threaded through the screw hole32. The pivot screw50is tightened and the connection of the pair of blades24,26to the two overlapping shank portions16,18of the pair of handles12,14is completed.

In this position, the two inner end portions28,30of the pair of blades24,26can be tightly secured within the two recesses20,22, and yet the two overlapping shank portions16,18of the pair of handles12,14are free to pivot. To replace the pair of blades24,26, one can simply unfasten the pivot screw50and replace the old blades with new blades.

Although it has been shown and described that the two bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26are connected to the two overlapping shank portions16,18by sandwiching the two inner end portions28,30between the two overlapping shank portions16,18and securing them within the two recesses20,22formed on the opposite inner faces of the two overlapping shank portions16,18, it is understood by one skilled in the art that the two bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26can be connected to the two overlapping shank portions16,18in many other possible ways. For example, the inner end portions28,30of the two bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26can be inserted into two slots formed at the free ends52,54of the two overlapping shank portions16,18respectively, and then secured by the pivot screw50. Another possible way of connection is to have the inner end portions28,30of the two bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26sandwiched between and attached to the opposite inner faces of the two overlapping shank portions16,18without the formation of recesses20,22thereon. A further possible way of connection is to directly connect the inner ends of the two bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26to the free ends52,54of the two overlapping shank portions16,18respectively.

The pair of scissors10disclosed in the present application may be further provided with a pair of resilient blade covers40,42. The pair of resilient blade covers40,42may be provided on two outer faces44,46of the pair of blades24,26respectively. The resilient blade covers40,42may be adhered onto the pair of blades24,26by suitable adhesive material. The resilient blade covers40,42can serve to protect users from injury by the blades24,26during bending of the blades24,26and during a cutting process.

The pair of resilient blade covers40,42may be made of shape-retaining plastic that can retain their shapes when bent. The shape-retaining plastic may be polyethylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, or any other appropriate material.

To prepare the pair of scissors10for cutting hair, a user first closes the scissors10by bringing the pair of blades24,26together so that one blade is lying on top of the other. For creating a straight haircut, it is not necessary to bend the blades24,26. For creating a particular curved haircut such as a wavy haircut, the user needs to bend the pair of blades24,26together with the blade covers40,42into a wavy shape. The user then holds the handles12,14of the scissors10by one hand and opens the scissors10by moving the two handles12,14apart from each other so that the pair of blades24,26would be moved away from each other to a ready-to-cut position, as depicted inFIG. 10. Then, the user can close the scissors10to cut hair between the two blades24,26. A wavy haircut would be created. In this respect, the length of the two blades24may have to be longer than that of regular scissors so that the two blades24can have a length sufficient to be bent into different desired shapes.

When the pair of blades24,26and the pair of blade covers40,42are straight and not bent into any shape, as shown inFIG. 2, the pair of scissors10can be used to create a “straight cut” of the hair at the back a head, or a “straight bangs cut” of the hair above the forehead.

FIG. 5shows the pair of scissors10with the bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26and the resilient blade covers40,42being bent into an upward curve. A user using this pair of scissors10can create upwardly curved haircuts, such as an “upwardly curved cut” of the hair at the back of a head.

FIG. 6shows the pair of scissors10with the bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26and the resilient blade covers40,42being bent into a downward curve. A user using this pair of scissors10can create downwardly curved haircuts, such as a “downwardly curved bangs cut” of the hair above the forehead.

FIG. 7shows the pair of scissors10with the bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26and the resilient blade covers40,42being bent into a generally U-shape. A user using this pair of scissors10can create generally U-shaped haircuts, such as a “U-shaped cut” of the hair at the nape area at the back of a head.

FIG. 8shows the pair of scissors10with the bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26and the resilient blade covers40,42being bent into a generally V-shape. A user using this pair of scissors10can create generally V-shaped haircuts, such as a “V-shaped cut” of the hair at the back of a head.

FIG. 9shows the pair of scissors10with the bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26and the resilient blade covers40,42being bent into a wavy shape. A user using this pair of scissors10can create wavy haircuts, such as a “wavy cut” of the hair at the back of a head.

Hence, stylish haircuts of various shapes can be created using the pair of scissors10with bendable and shape-retaining blades24,26disclosed in the present application.

Although it has been shown and described that the pair of scissors10is used for cutting hair, it is contemplated that the pair of scissors10can be used to cut other substances such as paper, cardboard, cloth, etc.

While the pair of scissors has been shown and described with particular references to a number of preferred embodiments thereof, it should be noted that various other changes or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.