Abstract:
Provided herein is an illuminating nail clipper for clipping the nails of an animal such as a dog, cat, bird, or the like which allows for the clipping of an individual nail at the desired length to prevent injury or improper length cutting for the animal. The device includes a hand-actuated clipping blade used in conjunction with an adjustable in size nail holder which includes a cutting hole and which allows the nail to be clipped to be firmly held at a particular position relative to the nail cutting blade. Using an appropriate diameter aperture of the cutting hole, the animal nail may be inserted in an aperture of size sufficient to permit the nail to penetrate a particular distance based on the diameter size of the nail, which is tapered. A light source disposed on a flexible arm or conduit can be provided to illuminate an animal&#39;s nail to make it translucent, allowing the operator to see the capillaries within the nail and thus to avoid cutting to the live portion of the nail. In addition, the invention includes a comfortable, ergonomic grip which allows the handles to rest more comfortably and securely in the operator&#39;s hand.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/807,928 filed on Mar. 24, 2004, currently still pending, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated fully by reference thereto. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     This invention relates to instruments useful in the grooming and maintenance of animals. More particularly, it relates to an improved nail clipper useful in controlling the length of keratinous growths, including without limitation nails and claws on dogs and cats, and talons of various birds.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Professional quality animal nail clippers used by both veterinarians and animal owners in trimming the nails of animals, such as those of dogs and cats, have been successfully made and sold for over forty years under the trademark “RESCO” by Tecla Company, Incorporated of Walled Lake, Mich. Such clippers were initially made in accordance with the principles and features of the Laing U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,354 and later pursuant to the improvements of the Clark U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,507, both incorporated herein by reference. More recently a nail clipper of this type has been successfully modified for use in clipping human artificial fingernails by employing the principles and features of the Reiswig U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,190, also incorporated herein by reference. Other prior art patents of general interest directed to guillotine-type cutters and clippers are disclosed in the following U.S. patents, the entirety of all of which are herein incorporated by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 165,402; 205,088; 1,347,651; 1,927,234; 2,820,292; 2,955,354; 3,101,535; 3,299,505; 3,430,340; 3,838,507; 3,845,553; 3,855,699; 3,903,596; 4,228,585; 4,449,297; 4,856,190; 5,065,513; 5,101,563; 5,123,430; and 5,533,363 all of which are herein incorporated by reference.  
         [0004]     During the course of the use of a nail clipper of the prior art, the groomer typically locates the cutting jaws, blades or other cutting means about the nail which is desired to be trimmed, and actuates the cutting mechanism of the clipper, often by squeezing the handles on the clipper device. However, the nail includes not only the dead portion which is desired to be trimmed off of the animal, but also includes a live root portion from which the nail grows, which root portion includes various tissues, including blood vessels and nerves. Owing to the variability across species of the amount which the root protrudes from the limb of the animal, it is not uncommon during a nail trimming procedure for the groomer to inadvertently cut into the root portion, causing pain to the animal, in addition to bleeding and the possibility of infection of the wound so created, which is an inherent disadvantage in the prior art. Nails, claws and talons are examples of keratinous growths.  
         [0005]     Thus, it is an object of the present invention to alleviate and eliminate the cutting into the root or the “quick” of a nail during a nail trimming procedure, with the “quick” being the nerve bundle and blood supply capillaries. It is a further object of the invention to provide a nail clipping tool through the use of which it is possible to alleviate and eliminate the cutting into the root of a nail during a nail trimming procedure. It is also an object of the invention to provide a nail clipper meeting the aforesaid objects, which is ergonomical to the user. These and other objects satisfied by the present invention shall become apparent from the disclosure which follows.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention provides a device useful for cutting items needing to be trimmed, including nails, claws and talons of various animal and bird species. A device according to one form of the invention comprises an first handle means and a second handle means, wherein the first handle means and the second handle means are pivotally connected to one another. There is a cutting tang portion including a hole therethrough into which an item to be trimmed may be disposed. There is a housing portion inside of which is contained a means for effecting cutting of the item when disposed in the hole, wherein the means for effecting cutting is in effective mechanical contact with the first handle means and the second handle means. There is a flexibly orientable means for illumination comprising a flexible conduit having a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion of the flexible conduit is attached to the device at a location selected from the group consisting of: the housing portion, the upper handle, and the lower handle, and wherein the second end portion of the flexible conduit comprises a lamp head in which is disposed a lamp means. There is an electrical storage battery having a positive pole and a negative pole, wherein the positive pole and the negative pole are in effective electrical contact with the lamp means to cause the lamp means to be illuminated.  
         [0007]     The invention further comprises a process for cutting a keratinous growth including nails, claws and talons of a mammalian or avian species which comprises the steps of: a) impinging a source of light having sufficient intensity on the keratinous growth to render the keratinous growth translucent; and b) positioning a cutting device in a desired position on the keratinous growth; and c) cutting the keratinous growth in a selected location.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     In the annexed drawings:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a nail clipper according to the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of a nail clipper according to the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  shows an overhead view of a nail clipper according to the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a side view of a nail clipper according to an alternate form of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  shows a side view of a nail clipper according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of a nail clipper according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of a nail clipper according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  shows a side view of a nail clipper according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIG. 1  there is shown a perspective view of a nail clipper  20  according to the present invention. In this  FIG. 1  there is shown an first handle means  44  and a second handle means  42  which are pivotally connected to one another at the pivot point  47  by means of a conventional fastener, such as a rivet, hinge pin, or the like. There is a cutting tang  30  which includes a cutting zone or hole  14  into which zone  14  a nail, claw, or talon, etc. which is desired to be cut or trimmed may be disposed prior to trimming. There is also a housing portion  49  inside of which is contained a mechanical means for effecting cutting of an item when disposed in the cutting zone  14 , wherein the means for effecting cutting is in effective mechanical contact with the first handle means and the second handle means. The housing portion may be open to the exterior surroundings, or may be closed thereto by virtue of its construction.  
         [0018]     A device according to the invention may include any means for effecting cutting of an item desired to be cut (nails, claws, talons, etc.) contained in any of the prior art references herein incorporated by reference in the foregoing background section, which references are also incorporated into this Detailed Description. Thus, the words “cutting means” as used in this specification and the claims appended hereto includes any and all of such prior art mechanisms for effecting cutting of an item desired to be cut which is disposed in the cutting zone  14  of the cutting tang  30  including those specifically described herein. This includes those mechanisms adapted for use in cutting devices which are configured to be held and used by a single hand of a person operating the device, which device comprises two handle portions that effect a cutting by the handle portions being squeezed together.  
         [0019]     In  FIG. 1  there is also shown a flexible conduit  10 . In one preferred form of the invention, flexible conduit  10  comprises a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion is attached to the device at a location selected from the group consisting of: the housing portion, the upper handle, and the lower handle, by conventional means of attachment. The second end portion of the flexible conduit  10  comprises a lamp head  12  in which is disposed a lamp means ( 51 ,  FIG. 4 ). In addition, there may optionally be a handle grip  40  disposed on the external surface of the first handle means  44 . The handle grip  40  increases comfort in use by being contoured to fit the contours of the hand of the user, and may be made from any material; however soft polymers are preferred, such as semi-crystalline polypropylenes, EP rubbers, and various other thermoset resins known in the art for having a pleasing feel to the touch. The flexible conduit  10  may be attached to a nail clipper according to the present invention by any conventional means, such as by welding, adhesives, screws, rivets, crimping, or other fastening means known in the art. Similarly, the lamp head  12  may be attached to the flexible conduit  10  of a nail clipper  20  according to the present invention by any conventional means, such as by welding, adhesives, screws, rivets, crimping, clamps, or other fastening means known in the art.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of a nail clipper according to the present invention, showing the respective positions of the cutting tang  30 , flexible conduit  10 , lamp head  12 , first handle means  44 , second handle means  42  and handle grips  40 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of a nail clipper according to the present invention, showing the respective positions of the cutting tang  30  having a cutting hole or zone  14  disposed therethrough, flexible conduit  10 , lamp head  12 , first handle means  44 , second handle means  42  and handle grips  40 .  
         [0022]     In  FIG. 4  is shown a side section view of a nail clipper  20  according to an alternate form of the present invention. In this figure, are shown the respective positions of the cutting tang  30 , flexible conduit  10 , lamp head  12 , first handle means  44 , second handle means  42 , handle grips  40 , lamp means  51 , wire  53 , handle grips  40 , battery  18 , lever tang  59 , spring  16 , blade means  55 , and link  57 . This figure shows how in one embodiment the first handle means  44  and second handle means  42  cooperatively function to cause the blade means  55  to move laterally about the hole  14  to shear an item to be cut which is disposed through the hole  14 . By squeezing the handle means  44  and  42  together, the lever tang  59  moves the blade means  55  across the cutting hole  14  by virtue of the lever tang  59  and blade means  55  se being connected to one another by means of the link  57 . Spring  16  has a first end portion which is anchored to the second handle means  42  and a second end portion which is in contact with the lever tang  59 , so that when the handle means are released, the spring pulls back on the lever tang  59  to cause the handles to open up with respect to one another while simultaneously pulling the blade means  55  back to its original position, and such mechanisms are generally known in the art.  
         [0023]     In  FIG. 4  is also shown the battery  18  in effective electrical contact with the lamp means  51  via wire  53 , which is disposed through the flexible conduit  10 . The wire  53  may be single conductor, or multiple conductor, and in one embodiment of the invention the chassis of the device is fabricated from a metallic material such as steel which enables the chassis to function as one of the wires of contact between the battery and the lamp means, thus permitting wire  53  to be a single conductor. In an alternative form of the invention, the chassis is non-conductive, and a second wire is utilized. In one preferred embodiment, there is an electrical switch means  69  disposed on the lamp head  12  whose function is to enable the user to selectively complete and disrupt the circuit, as desired, to turn the lamp on or off; however, the switch means (either single pole or double pole)  69  may be disposed anywhere on the device  20 . In a preferred embodiment, the lamp means  51  is an incandescent lamp, operating at a voltage of about 1.5 volts or less, and the battery is a size AA dry cell battery. In an alternate form of the invention, the battery  18  is a rechargeable battery selected from the group consisting of: nickel metal hydride batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, lithium batteries, and lithium ion batteries; however, any re-chargeable cell is suitable for use in the present invention. According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the battery  18  is of such size dimensions that it resides on-board of a device according to the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  shows a side cutaway view of a nail clipper  20  according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which the battery means  61  is a compact battery such as the type used in wrist watches and other consume devices requiring a compact source of electricity. In this embodiment, the battery  61  is disposed in the lamp head itself. Thus, it is seen that the present invention uses an electrical storage means (battery) to power the lamp means. In a preferred form of the invention, the battery  18  is affixed to the first handle means  44 . In an alternate form of the invention, the battery  18  may be affixed to the second handle means  42 . In either of these embodiments, the handle portion itself may be configured during fabrication to contain a space into which the battery may be housed. In this  FIG. 5  are also shown the flexible conduit  10 , first handle means  44 , second handle means  42  handle grips  40 , spring  16 , blade means  55 , lever tang  59 , and link  57 , which is a tiny rod or stiff wire. In this embodiment, the handle grips  40  are shown to be contoured to match the contours of the human hand.  
         [0025]     The flexible conduit means  10  may be comprised of any material which is rigid enough to maintain the lamp head in any position selected by the user, so as to enable the direction of the light emitted from the lamp head to be oriented in any desired direction. However, the flexible conduit means  10  must also be flexible enough to be bent, straightened, and otherwise shaped as desired. Towards such end, the flexible conduit used by Black &amp; Decker company in the manufacture of its SNAKELIGHT™ flashlight is but one example of a type of conduit means suitable for use in the present invention. Another suitable material useful as the conduit means is a plastic coated metallic tubing which is comprised of a plurality of interlocking annular elements which are reminiscent of scales. The conduit means in one form of the invention is hollow, to enable passage of the wire  53  therethrough. In other embodiments, such as where the battery means is contained within the lamp head, the flexible conduit does not necessarily need to be provided with a hollow interior space through which a wire can be passed, as the wire can be on the outside of the flexible conduit. The flexible conduit means  10  may be as simple as comprising a hollow tube or wire. In addition, the lamp head  12  may include one or more lenses useful for adjustably focusing the light beam emitted from the lamp means  51 , to focus the light beam at a point at a desired distance from the lamp head  12 , as the use of such a lens or lenses for this purpose is known in the art, one example of which is utilized in the MAG-LILTE® flashlights available from MAG INSTRUMENT of Ontario, Calif. The various lamps, flashlights, and the like herein described, including their functional equivalents, are conveniently referred to as means for illumination.  
         [0026]     An alternative form of the invention is shown in  FIG. 6 , which comprises a means for illumination  72  having a portion from which light is emitted  80 , which means for illumination is rigidly affixed to the clipping device  20  using a conventional fastening means, such as a bracket  74  which is affixed to both the means for illumination and any selected portion of the cutting device. In this embodiment are also shown the first handle means  44 , second handle means  42 , and cutting zone  14 .  
         [0027]     Another view of an alternative form of the invention is shown in  FIG. 7 , which guillotine-type device  20  comprises a means for illumination  72  having a portion from which light is emitted  80 , which means for illumination is rigidly affixed to the clipping device  20  using a conventional fastening means, such as a bracket  74  which is affixed to both the means for illumination and any selected portion of the cutting device. In this embodiment are also shown the first handle means  44 , second handle means  42 , and cutting zone  14 . In the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 7  it is also seen that there is provided a conventional filing means  76  disposed on a surface of the cutting device using conventional attachment means such as screws, adhesives, rivets, etc., which filing means  76  is useful for filing sharp edges nails, claws, and talons produced during a cutting operation. The filing means  76  in this and alternate equivalent devices may be metallic, as in common shop files, or may comprise a granular substance such as sand adhesively disposed on a backing, such as in the case of common sandpaper.  
         [0028]     Another alternative form of the invention is shown in  FIG. 8 , which scissors-type device  20  comprises a means for illumination that comprises a flexible conduit  10 . In this embodiment are also shown the first handle means  44 , second handle means  42 , and cutting zone  144 . In the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 8  it is also seen that there is provided a conventional filing means  76  disposed on a surface of the cutting device, using conventional attachment means such as screws, adhesives, rivets, etc.  
         [0029]     A clipping device according to the invention may be comprised of any material, including various metals, polymers, composites, etc. and may also further include features which enable the blade means  55  to be changed or removed from the device, as the use of removable and switchable blades are known in the art.  
         [0030]     Consideration must be given to the fact that although this invention has been described and disclosed in relation to certain preferred embodiments, obvious equivalent modifications and alterations thereof will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in this art after reading and understanding this specification and the claims appended hereto. The present invention includes the subject matter defined by any combination of any one of the various claims appended hereto with any one or more of the remaining claims, including the incorporation of the features of any dependent claim, singly or in combination with other dependent claims into any independent claim, either alone or in combination with the features or limitations of any other independent claim, with the remaining dependent claims in their original text being read and applied to any independent claim so modified. The present invention further includes all possible combinations of the features recited or incorporated by reference in the specification and/or any one of the various claims appended hereto, and alternatively as modified per the foregoing, with any of the features recited elsewhere in the specification or incorporated by reference and/or in any one or more of each of the remaining claims. Accordingly, the presently disclosed invention is intended to cover all such modifications, alterations, and combinations.