Abstract:
There is provided a blade assembly having a stationary comb or blade and a recepricating cutter. The blade Assembly permits for adjustment over a range of cut lengths and detachability/convertability to a range of hair clippers.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/282,558, filed Apr. 9, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a hair clipper. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hair clipper having an improved blade assembly. The blade assembly provides for adjustability over a range of cut lengths and detachability over a range of hair clippers. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Hair clippers with the ability to vary cut length capability have been known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,589 provides a hair clipper having a movable blade that is moved relatively to an adjuster handle mounted on the housing of the clipper. The movable blade can be moved in the rearward direction along the longitudinal axis to reduce the cut length when the adjuster handle is moved in the forward direction along the longitudinal axis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,772 provides an adjuster handle that is slidably fitted on an outer round surface of the housing and linked to the movable blade through a linkage member. The movable blade is shifted in the edgewise direction to increase and reduce the cut length by rotating the adjuster handle about a longitudinal axis of the housing. 
     It is also known to provide a hair clipper having a blade assembly that can be detachably mounted to the clipper. Two examples of detachable blade assemblies for a hair clipper are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,182,597 and 2,928,171. These patents illustrate blade assemblies that include a tongue-receiving socket for mounting the assembly on an associated support tongue. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,048 provides means for allowing the tongue-receiving socket to be detachably connected with various support tongues having different configurations to enable assorted blade assemblies to be combined and used with a single clipper. 
     None of the above provide for a blade assembly that is both adjustable over a range of cutting lengths and interchangeable between different hair clippers. For example, specific blades, given their relative size and physical characteristics, are required to obtain a specific desired cut. None of the above-identified clippers provide an operator with the needed versatility associated with a uniform blade assembly having both adjustable and detachable qualities. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair clipper that has an adjustable blade assembly. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide such a hair clipper in which the adjustable blade assembly can be used interchangeably with any clipper having a similar engagement configuration. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a hair clipper in which the blade assembly has greater flexibility and versatility in the type and size of blades that can be used in conjunction with the hair clipper. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are covered by a blade assembly for a hair clipper that has a pocket type structure, and a blade assembly that includes a stationary comb blade and a cutter blade. The blade assembly is adapted to be secured to the pocket type structure. The pocket type structure or pocket includes a bracket for detachably securing the blade assembly to the clipper. In a preferred embodiment, the cutter blade is connected to a mounting plate along through holes therein. The comb blade has through holes therein, which are adapted to receive blade screws. The blade screws extend through the holes and are threadably engaged with the pocket through the holes in the mounting plate. The mounting plate permits the cutting blade to reciprocate, and biases the cutting blade towards the comb blade by a set of coil springs positioned between the mounting plate and the pocket. 
     The blade assembly is adjusted by positioning the front edge of the comb blade closer or farther from the front edge of the cutter blade. A control lever is secured to an end of an actuator that extends through the pocket. Thus, rotation of the actuator, via the control lever, causes the mounting plate and/or a guide disposed on the cutter blade to urge the front edges of the cutter blade and the comb blade toward and/or away from each other. 
     Thus, the present invention to provide an improved hair clipper that is capable of facilitating hair shearing to a desired length in a convenient and versatile manner, while at the same time ensuring ease of use. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair clipper, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the hair clipper of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the hair clipper FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the blade assembly of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bracket and tongue support assembly of the hair clipper of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view inverted and rotated ninety degrees of the blade assembly of the hair clipper of FIG. 1; 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and, in particular, FIG. 1, there is shown a hair clipper in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention generally represented by reference numeral  1 . The clipper  1  has a housing  70 , and a motor (not shown) located in the housing and having a device or driving mechanism (not shown) through which a driving lever  26 , shown in FIG. 3, oscillates, and an electrical connector  90  for activating the motor. The motor and driver can be any conventional driver known for use in a hair clipper. The motor is constructed, preferably, of an electrically insulated material, such as plastic. Housing  70  can preferably be made of metal or plastic. Housing  70  has a user operating switch  75  for turning the motor “on” and “off”, a support tongue  100  having a bracket  105 , shown in FIG. 5, preferably integrally formed to enable the support tongue to be pivotally mounted and supported on a front end of the housing. Housing  70  preferably also has a plurality of first grippers or grip structures  85  on one face and, also preferably has a plurality of second grippers or grip structures  80  on its opposite face. 
     Referring to FIG. 4, housing  70  is adapted to receive a front end structure or pocket  30  for receipt of a blade assembly  5 . Pocket  30  has a U-shaped structure with a pair of opposed walls  32  having apertures  33  therein, shown more clearly in FIG.  4 . Apertures  33  are sized to receive a rod or actuator  35 . Rod  35  is connected at one end to a control lever  45 . Referring to FIG. 3, housing  70  preferably has a planar structure  95  for covering oscillator and drive assembly. Housing  70  also has at front or forward end  72 , and a drive lever  74  that projects from the housing to enable operative engagement with a guide  25  shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, bracket  105  has a pair of laterally spaced arms  107  that have curled ends to form a pair of hinge loops  110 , and a middle portion of the bracket extending outwardly from the inclined front end  72  of the clipper housing  70 . Hinge loops  110  having an aperture in each loop separately spaced for receiving a hinge pin  120 . Hinge pin  120  extends through the aperture in each pair of hinge loops  110  to hingedly mount support tongue  100  on housing  70 . Tongue  100  is pivotable from an open position shown in FIG. 5 in which the tongue  100  extends in a forward direction away from housing  70 , to a closed position (not shown) in which the tongue  100  lies against a middle portion of the bracket  105  on the front end  72  of the housing  70 . A spring or the like (not shown) is connected, preferably fixed, to the underside of bracket  105  that engages support tongue  100  and holds the support tongue in either the open or closed position. 
     Referring to the preferred embodiment of FIG. 4, pocket  30  includes a bracket  40  for detachably securing blade assembly  5  to housing  70 . Bracket  40  is preferably metal. Blade assembly  5  has a guide  25 , a stationary comb blade  10  and a cutter or cutting blade  15  that is connected to guide  25  and adapted to be positioned adjacent the comb blade  10 . Blade assembly  5  also has a mounting plate  20 . Mounting plate  20  has a series of recesses  22  and on or more, preferably two through holes  21 . Preferably, blades  10  and  15  are made of steel. Guide  25  is engageably connected (not shown) to driving lever  26  that extends from the motor in housing  70 . Guide plate  25  has a plurality of vertical posts  27  positioned approximately ninety degrees with respect to the teeth of comb blade  10  and cutter blade  15 . Posts  27  are adapted to mate with recessed  22  of mounting plate  20 . 
     Comb blade  10  has one or more, preferably two, through holes  64  therein, that are adapted to receive a corresponding number of blade screws  65 . Blade screws  65  extend through holes  64  of comb blade  10  through holes  21  in mounting plate  20  and engage pocket  30 . Mounting plate  20  permits cutting blade  15  to reciprocate, and biases the cutting blade  15  towards comb blade  10  by a set of coil springs  50  Positioned between guide  25  and mounting plate  20 . A control lever  45 , that is preferably tapered, is secured to the end of an actuator  35 . Actuator  35  extends through aperture  33  in pocket  30  and is connected to the pocket by a washer  55  and screw a  60 . Screw  60  fits in an aperture of control lever  45  and is secured to an end of actuator  35 . Rotation of actuator  35 , via control lever  45 , causes mounting plate  20  and/or guide  25  to urge the front edges of cutter blade  15  and comb blade  10  toward and/or away from each other. This adjusts the distance between comb blade  10  and cutter blade  15  and, thus, adjusts the length or depth of cut. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, blade assembly  5  is shown assembled to pocket  30 . The blade assembly  5  and pocket  30  are ready to be affixed onto clipper  1 . 
     As described in detail in the foregoing, blade assembly  5  and pocket  30  provide an assembly for many clippers in which an operator greater flexibility in the cut lengths that can be made by the clipper. In addition, blade assembly  5  provides a greater versatility of use, as it is capable of being operably connected to a variety of different clippers that have a complementary receiving structure.