Abstract:
A nail clipping device is disclosed which is designed to increase ease of use for users with diminished capacity, improve uniformity, and increase efficiency of a manicure. The device includes a lever and base each associated with a blade; the blades are biased apart and the device includes at least one stand-off to magnify pressure applied to the lever. The base may be designed to rest on a work surface eliminating the need for a user to squeeze the blades together. A cutting end of each blade comprises a shape; in one embodiment the cutting ends are detachable allowing interchangeability for different shapes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/993,404 filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on May 15, 2014, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates, in general, to manicuring tools and, more specifically to a device for shaping a fingernail or toenail. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    For many years, people have been manicuring or having manicured toenails and/or fingernails. The process almost always includes a plurality of steps and iterations comprising, generally, the steps of cutting, shaping and smoothing the nail&#39;s edges. 
         [0004]    A nail—toe or finger—comprises a nail plate. The nail plate is attached to the body by the nail matrix located under the cuticle and from which the nail grows and by the nail bed which is located between the finger (or toe) and the nail. The portion of the nail plate near the cuticle is the lunula; the opposite end of the nail plate is called the distal edge. There are two opposing sides of the nail plate running between the lunula and the distal edge. It is the distal edge that is typically cut and shaped during a manicure; the top surface of the nail may be buffed smooth to and thereafter polished. 
         [0005]    In general, the manicure includes several pre-treatment steps to prepare the nail for filing and shaping. Once prepared, the nail is first cut into the rough semblance of the desired finished shape, leaving extra length for filing and shaping. This first cut is a gross cut addressing the distal edge of the nail plate and the two opposing sides. It is typically meant to shorten and give a general shape to the end of the distal edge of the nail. The gross cut advisedly leaves the nail a bit longer than is desired for the finished nail. This extra length allows for shaping via filing through which some length will be lost. The gross cut maybe accomplished using straight scissor-type blades or slightly curved clipper-type blades. When a clipper is used to cut the distal edge it typically leaves relatively abrupt corners on the nail; thereafter, a smaller set of scissors or the clippers may again be used to address the abrupt corners by cutting to blunt the corners and to still further shape the nails. Thereafter, a file is used to create the final desired shape, and to smooth the corners as desired. It requires some skill and experience to obtain a set of 10 highly similarly shaped nails. In addition to the gross cut, and blunting the corners, the nail edges are filed as a finer means to attain the desired length and shape. Often adjustments need to be made in the process in order to achieve general uniformity in nail tip shape, and it is not unusual to lose nail length in doing so. More importantly, as one nail is shaped, the one shaped just prior may need to be adjusted a bit; these adjustments go on as each of the additional nails are filed and shaped which can be quite time consuming. Buffing the nail may follow to smooth the nail&#39;s surface and add smoothness to the edge prior to adding nail polish. 
         [0006]    Even those who do not go to the trouble of manicuring or having manicured their nails per se may still regularly trim their nails. For either task, the elderly or any with tendonitis, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or other ailments that affect the strength or coordination of the hands struggle with the devices currently available for trimming or cutting fingernails and toe nails. The struggle is compounded by the need to use the currently available devices several times for each nail in order to accomplish the uniformity that most desire. 
         [0007]    What was needed was a way to accurately shape and cut the nail by using a simple, one step cut. What was also needed was a means to reduce or eliminate filing for the purpose of shaping and thereby save time and increase ease of achieving uniformity of nail shape and length. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention comprises a tool for significantly reducing the time and effort needed to shorten and shape the nail whether for a decorative manicure or for a routine trim. The present invention avoids the problems of prior art methods of manicuring. 
         [0009]    Previously known methods and associated equipment employ a slightly curved or straight set of blades and require several different cuts of the same nail in an effort to provide only a semblance of the desired final shape. This general shape is then painstakingly perfected through filing and readjustment of the shape and length. This routine is reiterated for each of the ten digits during which the length and shape of some of the ten nails may be adjusted several times until the set of ten appears uniform in shape and desired length. 
         [0010]    The present invention provides a method to obtain the desired shape, uniformly for each nail, with a single cut for each nail. It also provides a device which is designed to facilitate ease of cutting the nail; the assembly is especially designed for use by those with reduced strength or coordination. 
         [0011]    The present invention employs at least one pre-shaped set of blades  20 , said blades set in a clipping device  10  having a first lever  30 , a base  40 , and a biasing member  50 . The device  10  may be used by placing the base  40  on a surface and then positioning the distal edge  102  of a nail  100  between the preshaped blades  20   a  and  20   b . Thereafter, the first lever  30  is pressured resulting in pressing together the blades  20   a  and  20   b  to cut the distal edge  102  of the nail  100  in precisely the desired shape which reflects the shape  25  of the preshaped blades  20   a  and  20   b . The opposing sides  104 ,  106  of the nail  100  may be smoothed of any edges thereafter if desired, but shaping the nail  100  is no longer necessary. In one clip, the present invention  10  cuts and shapes the nail  100  thereby avoiding the multiple cuts, and the extensive filing that may otherwise be necessary to result in nails of uniform shape and length. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a finger and fingernail; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the details of lever  30  and base  40 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the base  40   
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the blades  20   a  and  20   b;    
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a close-up view showing the arrangement of blades  20   a  and  20   b  and biasing element  50 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is another view of the blades  20   a  and  20   b;    
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a side view of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The present invention provides a device  10  to shape a nail  100  and a method of using the device  10  to achieve a uniform manicure in less time than prior manicuring methods. In one embodiment, the device  10  includes a pair of blades  20   a  and  20   b , a first lever  30  and a base  40  which are separated by a biasing element  50  biasing a first end  32  of the first lever  30  and a first end  42  of the base  40  apart. The biasing element  50  may comprise a metal or plastic spring or springs, a tab or strut-like element made of resilient and compressible material, a resilient biasing member. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand there are many ways to provide resilient bias between two elements which are associated at one end in a spaced apart manner. The blades  20   a  and  20   b  each comprise a cutting end,  34  and  44 . The cutting ends further comprise a shape  25 . The device  10  may comprise integration of a second end  36  of the first lever  30  which may be associated with the blade  20   a  near its cutting end  34  for example, at  70 . The second end  46  of the base  40  may be associated with the lower blade  20   b  near its cutting end  44 . In another embodiment, the lower blade  20   b  may be an integrally formed part of the base  40  or the lower blade  20   b  may be formed to also serve as the base  40 . 
         [0021]    One embodiment of the device  10  comprises engagement  60  of a non-cutting end  20   c  and  20   d  of each of the blades  20   a  and  20   b  to each other, with the biasing element  50  positioned oppositely near the cutting ends  34  and  44 . The first lever  30  is associated with blade  20   a  near the cutting end  34 ; the base  40  is associated with blade  20   b  near its cutting end  44 . Alternatively, the device  10  may comprise means to detachably associate  80  the cutting ends  34  and  44  and the blades  20   a  and  20   b . This detachable association  80  may comprise a snap-lock, biasing device, pin, friction fit, or the like. This embodiment would allow the device to employ interchangeable cutting end pairs, having different shapes for cutting the nails. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment the first lever  30  comprises a depression or stand-off  90  which extends toward the blade  20   a ; when pressure is applied to the first lever  30  the stand-off leverages that pressure to the blade  20   a  to close its cutting end  34  against cutting end  44 . In some embodiments the base  40  may include a similar stand-off  90  on the base  40  for better positioning of the blade  20   b  and cutting end  44  relative to blade  20   a . The embodiments comprising blade  20   b  integrated with base  40  or serving as base  40  may provide means for operation that does not require the user to squeeze the first lever  30  and the base  40  together while holding the device but, instead, allows for operation by placing the base  40  on a surface and pressuring the first lever  30  toward the base to cut the nail  100 . 
         [0023]    In some embodiments the base  40  may be formed substantially the same as the first lever  30  and may or may not include a stand off. This embodiment would be more amenable to the user holding the assembly  10  in one hand between fingers and thumb and squeezing the lever  30  and the base  40  together to cut the nail  100 . However, an appropriately shaped base  40  could allow operation either by squeezing lever  30  and base  40  together, or by pressuring the lever  30  while base  40  rests against a work surface  110 . 
         [0024]    The method of using the device requires selecting a pair of generally identically shaped cutting ends  34 ,  44  of the appropriate and desired shape  25  and attaching them to blades  20   a  and  20   b ; alternatively, one may select a device  10  that includes cutting ends  34 ,  44  permanently affixed to blades  20   a  and  20   b . The upper cutting end  34  associated with lever  30  is then positioned above the first finger&#39;s nail&#39;s distal edge  102 , the lower cutting end  44  below, with the center of the blades&#39; shape generally over the center of the nail&#39;s distal edge; the base  40  and the lower cutting end  44  may be generally horizontally aligned although such alignment is not required. In one embodiment, a horizontally parallel alignment is achieved by using a base  40  shaped to provide a spaced apart relationship between the lower cutting end  44  and a work surface  110  on which the base  40  rests, thereby allowing the finger to rest on the work plane  110  and the nail&#39;s distal edge  102  to easily slide between the cutting ends  34  and  44 . Other arrangements may be employed to allow the finger to rest appropriately below the lower cutting end, including providing a finger rest associated with the device, or a slightly raised platform  40   a  upon which the cutting ends and blades are mounted. Once positioned, the base  40  of the device  10  rests on work surface  110 . The first lever  30  is depressed and the cutting ends  34  and  44  cut the nail in the shape  25  of the cutting ends  34  and  44 . The shape  25  may be oval, square, round, oblong, etc. Each cut is substantially identical in shape and clean. Minimal smoothing of the cut edge is all that is required. Each nail can, in its turn, be inserted between the cutting ends and using the free hand or other means of applying pressure, the first lever  30  is easily pressed downward (more particularly minimized in embodiments comprising the stand-off) toward the work surface  110  and the base  40  to simply effect the nail&#39;s cut without two-handed operation, and with minimal pressure. 
         [0025]    One advantage of the present invention is to facilitate minimal cut strokes to assist those with arthritis or other painful maladies of the joints or wrist that may be bothered by squeezing. 
         [0026]    A second advantage of the present invention is to provide a simpler method to achieve a good manicure without the assistance of another person. 
         [0027]    A third advantage is to avoid multiple cuts and to minimize or eliminate the time consuming task of adjusting the shape of each of the nails relative to the others to achieve uniformity in shape and length. 
         [0028]    The present invention has been described with particularity, however, it should be understood that the shape of the blade pair may take on any of many. Further, while it is important that one blade be associated with the lever, and another blade be associated with the base (or another element highly similar to the lever) in order to provide the simplest use, the exact means and arrangement of that association is not particularly important so long as it addresses the need to provide means to cut a fingernail that requires less hand strength or coordination. One embodiment describes one or two stand-offs or depressions positioned against either or both blades in a manner to create means for closing the cutting blades using less movement of the lever, and/or less pressure to do so. The simplicity of cutting a nail by simply pressing on the lever while the base is supported by a table or counter-top is inventive. Further, providing pre-shaped blade reduces the efforts required to obtain a uniform nail set. Detachable/replaceable blades further extend the usefulness of the assembly by allowing its use to attain different nail shapes as desired. Other relationships that allow for such ease of use are also contemplated by the invention.