Abstract:
The present invention is a nail clipper that comprises a reusable handle assembly and a disposable blade assembly, a method for assembling the nail clipper, and a method for replacing the disposable blade assembly. The handles and the blades are releasably coupled when connector portions on the end of the handles are inserted into cavities in the bases of the blades, where a detent secures the handles to the blades. The handles can be detached from the blades by depressing an actuator lever that forces the detents out of their securing position to allow a new set of disposable blades to be connected to the reusable handles.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a nail clipper apparatus with reusable handles and disposable blades, a method to assemble such apparatus, and a method for replacing the disposable blades. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Prior art nail clippers have been designed in various forms, including types resembling pliers or shears, types using a compound lever, types using a grip-operated lever, and types designed to stand on a table top. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. D489,844 (pliers type), 5,701,672 (complex action), 4,644,644 (shear type), 4,176,449 (grip-operated), and 4,564,034 (table top handle). 
         [0003]    Some prior art nail clippers disclose removable or replaceable blades or cutting members. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,331,739, 806,037, and 1,976,067. The blades disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,331,739 and 806,037 are formed from one piece of metal that has a loop or is U-shaped. The blades in U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,739 are connected to the handles or arms by snapping a hinge into a notch. The blades in U.S. Pat. No. 806,037 are connected to the handles or arms by “fingers” and are removed by drawing a pin from its place. The cutters disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,976,067 are H-shaped and have two sets of blades, one set for right-hand and one set for left-hand nail-cutting. These prior art nail clippers have disadvantages that are overcome by the present invention. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present invention is a nail clipper having reusable handles and disposable blades that are releasably coupled. One end of each handle includes a connector portion fitted with a detent. The base of each blade has a chamber and an adjacent receiving cavity to hold the detent. The handles and blades can be detached by depressing actuator levers, one on each side of the base of the blades. The levers cause actuator presses to compress the detents into the connector portions, so that the connector portions of the handles can be withdrawn from the blades. Assembly of the handles and blades can be achieved by inserting the connector portion into the chamber. The side walls of the chambers will force the detents to compress into the connector portions until the position of the detents is even with the receiving cavities, and the detents can emerge into the receiving cavities and secure the coupling. 
         [0005]    These features reduce replacement costs for a user, who only has to replace the blades instead of the entire nail cutter. Additionally, in a salon setting, the ability to use different blades for different clients provides a hygienic advantage by reducing risks of infection and transmitted diseases. Moreover, the secure fit between the reusable handles and the disposable blades affords great utility to the present novel nail clipper and also affords ease of assembly and disassembly. 
         [0006]    The present invention also includes a method for assembling the nail clipper of the present invention and a method for replacing the disposable blades. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The apparatus of the invention is further described and explained in relation to the following drawings wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a top elevation view of the nail clipper in the closed position; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the nail clipper in the closed position; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the nail clipper in the closed position; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a bottom elevation view of the nail clipper in the closed position; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a bottom elevation view of the nail clipper in the open position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an exploded top elevation view of the connector portions of the handles and of the disposable blade assembly, including a sectional view of the base of one of the blades; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a close-up partial side elevation view of the blade assembly; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is an exploded top elevation view of the connector portions of the handles and of the disposable blade assembly, including a sectional view of the base of one of the blades; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is an exploded top elevation view of the connector portions of the handles and of the disposable blade assembly, including a sectional view of the base of one of the blades. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-9 , the present invention is a nail clipper  20  having a reusable handle assembly  22  and a disposable blade assembly  24 . The reusable handle assembly  22  has a first handle  26  and a second handle  28  with a space  38  between them. The inner surface of each handle faces space  38 . The inner surface of first handle  26  has a first section  30  and a second section  32 . The inner surface of second handle  28  has a first section  34  and a second section  36 . Second sections  32  and  36  are proximate to disposable blade assembly  24  while first sections  30  and  34  are further from disposable blade assembly  24 , such that second sections  32  and  36  are between first sections  30  and  34  and disposable blade assembly  24 . 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , at one end of first handle  26  is connector portion  54 , and at one end of second handle  28  is connector portion  56 . Detent  58  is housed, preferably by being spring-loaded, into the lateral edge of connector portion  54  that is facing away from space  38 . Likewise, detent  60  is housed, preferably by being spring-loaded, into the lateral edge of connector portion  56  that is facing away from space  38 . Connector portions  54  and  56  are used to releasably couple handles  26  and  28  to disposable blade assembly  24 . This novel apparatus affords both great utility and ease of assembly and disassembly. 
         [0019]    Nail clipper  20  can be disclosed in a closed position as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 ,  6 , and  7 - 9  or in an open position as shown in  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , on the inner surface of first handle  26 , abutment  42  protrudes into space  38  from in between first section  30  and second section  32 . Abutment  42  anchors fulcrum  44  upon which spring  40  is mounted and rotates. Spring  40  initially resides in a first position adjacent to first section  30  of the inner surface of first handle  26 , which causes nail clipper  20  to be in the closed position as shown in  FIGS. 1-4  and  6 - 9 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , spring  40  can rotate on fulcrum  44  to a second position such that end cap  46  of spring  40  rests on second section  36  of the inner surface of second handle  28 . When spring  40  is in this second position, it biases blades  48  and  50  of nail clipper  20  in an open position. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , attached to handles  26  and  28  is disposable blade assembly  24 , which has a first blade  48  and a second blade  50 . Blades  48  and  50  are pivotally mounted on pivot pin  52 . Blades  48  and  50  can counter-rotate against one another about pin  52 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , on one side of the blade, first blade  48  has concave surface  78 , and similarly, second blade  50  has concave surface  80 . These concave surfaces afford cutting strength and close access of the cutting line to the nail being cut. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , at the base of first blade  48  is first chamber  70 , into which connector portion  56  of second handle  28  is inserted. Adjacent to one lateral edge of first chamber  70  is first receiving cavity  74 , which is preferably a semi-circular cavity that receives detent  60 . Also as shown in  FIG. 6 , at the base of second blade  50  is second chamber  72 , into which connector portion  54  of first handle  26  is inserted. Adjacent to one lateral edge of second chamber  72  is second receiving cavity  76 , which is preferably a semi-circular cavity that receives detent  58 . When detents  58  and  60  are set in receiving cavities  76  and  74 , respectively, the reusable handle assembly  22  is secured via releasable coupling to disposable blade assembly  24  as shown in  FIGS. 1-5  and  7 . Although detents  60  and  58  are preferably spherical, they can be of any geometric shape sufficient to afford a secure and releasable fit with corresponding receiving cavities  76  and  74 . 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , on the exterior lateral surface of the base of first blade  48 , actuator lever  62  is connected to actuator press  66 . Actuator press  66  penetrates through the side of the base of blade  48  and is positioned at first receiving cavity  74 . On the exterior lateral surface of the base of second blade  50 , actuator lever  64  is connected to actuator press  68  as shown in a partial cross-sectional view in  FIG. 6 . Actuator press  68  penetrates through the side of the base of blade  48  and is positioned at second receiving cavity  74 . As an alternative embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 , actuator levers  62   a  and  64   a  can face toward the handles instead of toward the blades. This embodiment would enable a user to depress the actuator levers without the need to reposition his or her hand on the handles. If a user desires to remove disposable blade assembly  24  from reusable handle assembly  22 , then the user may depress actuator lever  62 , which causes actuator press  66  to enter first receiving cavity  74  and release detent  60  of connector portion  56 , thereby releasing and disengaging the coupling and allowing second handle  28  to be detached from first blade  48 . The user may, either simultaneously or in different order, then depress actuator lever  64 , which causes actuator press  68  to enter second receiving cavity  76  and release detent  58  of connector portion  54 , thereby releasing and disengaging the coupling and allowing first handle  26  to be detached from second blade  50 . The user can thus simultaneously depress actuator levers  62  and  64  and quickly remove both handles  26  and  28 . 
         [0023]    If a user desires to attach a replacement disposable blade assembly  24  to reusable handle assembly  22 , connector portions  54  and  56  of handles  26  and  28  are insertable into chambers  70  and  72  of a replacement disposable blade assembly  24 . The side walls of the chambers will force detents  58  and  60  to compress into connector portions  54  and  56  until the connector portions have been inserted deep enough into the chambers that the position of the detents is even with receiving cavities  74  and  76 . At this point detents  58  and  60  can decompress and emerge into receiving cavities  74  and  76 . Once detents  58  and  60  are set into receiving cavities  74  and  76 , the coupling between reusable handle assembly  22  and disposable blade assembly  24  is secure. Preferably, the ends of actuator press  66  and  68  are designed to correspond with the shape of detents  58  and  60  as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  differ in the orientation of actuator levers  62  and  64 . Also preferably, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the side walls of the chambers have guiding grooves  82  and  84  to guide detents  58  and  60  into receiving cavities  74  and  76 . The guiding groove provides the user with the ability to insert a handle into a chamber without having to take time to first orient the handles and the blades. 
         [0024]    Handles  26  and  28  are preferably manufactured using a durable metal compound, such as steel. Blades  48  and  50  are preferably manufactured using a disposable metal compound or a disposable plastic compound. The type of material used is preferably recyclable. 
         [0025]    The present invention also includes a method of assembling nail clipper  20 . A user desiring to assemble nail clipper  20  would select reusable handle assembly  22  and would select disposable blade assembly  24 . The user would then insert connector portions  54  and  56  of handles  26  and  28  into chambers  70  and  72  at the bases of blades  48  and  50 . This step causes detents  58  and  60  to compress into connector portions  54  and  56 . The user would then continue to insert connector portions  54  and  56  into chambers  70  and  72  until the position of detents  58  and  60  is even with receiving cavities  74  and  76 . At this point detents  58  and  60  decompress and emerge into receiving cavities  74  and  76 , thereby securing the coupling between reusable handle assembly  22  and disposable blade assembly  24 . 
         [0026]    Another aspect of the method is the replacement of disposable blade assembly  24 . A user desiring to replace disposable blade assembly  24  would depress actuator levers  62  and  64  to cause the connected actuator presses  66  and  68  to compress detents  58  and  60  into connector portions  54  and  56 , thereby releasing the coupling. The user would then withdraw handles  26  and  28  from blades  48  and  50 , thereby detaching disposable blade assembly  24  from reusable handle assembly  22 . The user would then attach a replacement disposable blade assembly  24  as previously described. Preferably, the user could hold the blade assembly  24  as depicted in  FIG. 8  and simultaneously depress actuator levers  62   a  and  64   a  so as to afford a fluid method of replacement. Thus, as a user places blade assembly  24  in one hand, the hand simultaneously slips over actuator levers  62   a  and  64   a  such that the grasping force both holds the blade assembly  24  and depresses the actuator levers.