Patent Publication Number: US-2009229622-A1

Title: Illuminated nail trimmer unit

Description:
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/036,633, filed Mar. 14, 2008, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to nail clippers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to nail clippers with lights. 
     SUMMARY 
     An illuminated nail trimmer unit in accordance with the present disclosure includes a handgrip, a clipper, an illumination controller, and a light source. The clipper includes a nail cutter and a nail cutter actuator. 
     In Illustrative embodiments, the clipper actuator may be positioned either in a storage position or an operative position. When the clipper actuator is positioned in the operative position, the illumination controller is operated to turn on the light source. When the actuator is positioned in the storage position, the illumination controller is operated to turn off the light source. Thus, the nail trimmer unit provides an illuminated light source to aid a user when the user operates the clipper with a single hand. 
     In illustrative embodiments, the illumination controller includes a spring-biased button positioned in the handgrip such that, when the clipper actuator is positioned in the storage position, the button is depressed to maintain the light source off. When the clipper actuator is positioned otherwise, the button is released thereby turning on the light source. 
     In illustrative embodiments, the handgrip includes a top shell and bottom shell, which both have a rigid frame covered at least partially by a soft skin. 
     In illustrative embodiments, the illumination controller includes an open biased switch having a movable contact, a stationary contact, and a contact spring section. When the clipper actuator is in a storage position, pressure is applied to the contact spring section, causing the movable contact to be out of contact with the stationary contact and turn off the light source. When the clipper actuator is not in the storage position, the contact spring section causes the movable contact to be in contact with the stationary contact and thereby operates the illumination controller to cause the light source to turn on. 
     In illustrative embodiments, the illumination controller also includes circuitry that enables the light source to turn off after a period of time, even though the clipper actuator is not in a storage position, to ensure that a battery included in the illuminated nail trimmer unit is not accidentally drained of power by leaving the clipper actuator in an operative position. 
     Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of an illuminated nail trimmer including a handgrip formed to include a top shell and bottom shell, a clipper coupled to the handgrip and in a storage position, and showing in phantom a light source and an illumination controller including a switch, battery, and circuit for activation of the light source; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of an illuminated nail trimmer including a handgrip formed to include a top shell and bottom shell, a clipper coupled to the handgrip and in an operative position, and showing in phantom a light source and an illumination controller including a switch, battery, and circuit for activation of the light source; 
         FIG. 3  is a top elevation view of the illuminated nail trimmer of  FIG. 1  or  2  showing the top shell and the top of the clipper and showing that the light source includes light bulbs positioned to lie on either side of the clipper; 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of the illuminated nail trimmer of  FIG. 2  showing the front of the top shell, bottom shell, clipper formed to include an upper jaw and lower jaw, and light bulbs positioned to lie in proximity to the upper and lower jaws; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear elevation view of the illuminated nail trimmer of  FIG. 2  showing that the top shell and bottom shell cooperate to form a cross-shaped access opening; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the illuminated nail trimmer of  FIG. 2  showing the light source activated prior to the user using the clipper; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the illuminated nail trimmer of  FIG. 2  showing the light source activated during the user using the clipper; 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective assembly view of the illuminated nail trimmer of  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing that a switch included in the illumination controller includes a stationary contact and a movable contact and also suggesting placement of the clipper, switch, circuit, and light source in the interior region of the handgrip; and 
         FIG. 9  is an example of one potential circuit configuration that may be included in the illumination controller. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An illuminated nail trimmer unit  10  includes a handgrip  12 , a clipper  14  coupled to handgrip  12 , a light source  16 , and an illumination controller  18  associated with handgrip  12  and light source  16  as suggested somewhat diagrammatically in  FIG. 1  and illustratively in  FIG. 9 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a spring biased button  21  is provided in an aperture  20  (see  FIG. 3 ) included in the handgrip  12 ; when the spring biased button  21  is in its biased position (i.e., protruding from the handgrip  12 ), a switch (explained in detail with reference to  FIG. 9 ) is operated to energize light source  16  to generate light  24  and shine light  24  on fingers of a child or other person before nails on those fingers are trimmed using clipper  14  as suggested in  FIGS. 6-7 . 
     Handgrip  12  includes a top shell  26 , a bottom shell  28  and side panels  27 ,  29  (illustrated in  FIG. 8 ). Top and bottom shells  26  mate to form an interior region containing illumination controller  18  and a portion of clipper  14 . 
     As suggested in  FIG. 5 , clipper  14  includes a nail cutter  31  and a cutter squeezer  38 . Nail cutter  31  includes a lower stationary member  32  including a bottom plate  33  and a bottom jaw  34  and an upper movable member  35  including a top plate  36  and a top jaw  37 . Cutter squeezer  38  is configured to squeeze nail cutter  31  by, for example, urging movable member  35  (illustrated in  FIG. 8 ) downwardly toward stationary member  32  to move top and bottom jaws  37 ,  34  relative to one another to a closed nail-trimming position shown, for example, in  FIG. 7 . Each of top and bottom jaws  37 ,  34  includes a curved cutting edge  39  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     In an illustrative embodiment, cutter squeezer  38  includes an upright post  40  and a pivotable actuator  42  as shown in  FIG. 3 . Upright post  40  is rooted to bottom plate  33  and arranged to extend upwardly through an aperture  45  formed in bottom plate  33  and an aperture  41  formed in top plate  36 . 
     In use, the clipper actuator  42  is always moved out of a storage position (illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) by a user to cause illumination controller  18  to energize light source  16  to shine light  24  toward fingernails to be trimmed before the actuator  42  is moved to cause movement of top and bottom jaws  37 ,  34  to the closed nail-trimming position. Thus, it should be understood that actuator  42  is a pivotable actuator that can be pivoted about the upright post  40  and lifted and rotated so as to be inverted and in a position for operation of the actuator  42  in cooperation with the nail cutter  31 . 
     When the actuator  42  is in the storage position, actuator  42  is positioned to depress a spring biased button  21  protruding from an aperture  20  in the handgrip  12 . While the spring biased button  21  is depressed, the illumination controller  18  circuitry (described in detail with reference to  FIG. 9 ) controls the light source to be turned off. When the clipper actuator is not in the storage position, the illumination controller  18  controls the light source to turn on. 
     Actuator  42  can be moved downwardly, as suggested in  FIG. 7 , in response to downward application of thumb pressure  101  to actuator  42  by a user to cause top and bottom jaws  37 ,  34  to move toward one another to the closed nail-trimming position. However operation of actuator  42  in this manner does not interfere with the spring biased button  21 . Thus, light  24  always shines on fingernails when they are being trimmed by clipper  14  when using illuminated nail trimmer unit  10 . 
     Light source  16  is turned off automatically once the user places the actuator  42  in the storage position as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     Light source  16  is coupled to the top shell  26  and/or the bottom shell  28  and arranged to lie near the top and bottom jaws  37 ,  34  of clipper  14  as suggested in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . In an illustrative embodiment, light source  16  includes a first light bulb  51  located on one side of top jaw  37  and a second light bulb  52  located on an opposite side of top jaw  37  as suggested in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Both light bulbs  51 ,  52  are coupled to illumination controller  18  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 5 . These light bulbs  51 ,  52  may be implemented as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). 
     Illumination controller  18  includes a battery  54 , a circuit  56 , and an open-biased switch  58  associated with spring biased button  21  as suggested in  FIGS. 2 and 6 . In an illustrative embodiment, the open-biased switch includes a stationary contact and a movable contact. Thus, switch  58  may include a stationary contact and a movable contact normally separated from the stationary contact wherein the movable contact is arranged to be moved upwardly to engage stationary contact to close the open-biased switch  58  when the spring biased button  21  is in the biased position (i.e., protruding from the handgrip  12 ) so as to cause the battery  54  and circuit  56  to cooperate to energize light source  16  and generate light  24 . When the spring biased button  21  is depressed by the actuator  42  (i.e., in the storage position), the stationary and movable contacts of the open-biased switch  58  are separated. Thus, the open-biased switch  58  is open so as to disable cooperation of the battery  54  and the circuit  56  and turn off the light source  16 . 
     In an illustrative embodiment, top shell  26  of handgrip  12  includes an interior rigid upper frame  64  and an exterior soft upper skin  65  overmolded or otherwise mounted onto an exterior surface of rigid upper frame  64 . A rearward portion  66  of rigid upper frame  64  mates with battery compartment  154  as suggested in  FIG. 8 . A forward portion  68  of rigid upper frame  64  and a forward portion of soft upper skin  65  mate with top plate  36  of clipper  14  when clipper  14  is mounted in an interior region of handgrip  12  as suggested, for example, in  FIG. 8 . An intermediate portion  67  of rigid upper frame  64  is arranged to interconnect rearward and forward portions  66 ,  68  of rigid upper frame  64  as suggested in  FIGS. 1 and 8 . 
     In an illustrative embodiment, bottom shell  28  of handgrip  12  includes an interior rigid lower frame  74  and an exterior soft lower skin  75  overmolded or otherwise mounted onto an exterior surface of rigid lower frame  74 . A rearward portion  76  of rigid lower frame  74  mates with battery compartment  154  as suggested in  FIG. 8 . A forward portion  78  of rigid lower frame  74  is arranged to underlie and mate with and support bottom plate  33  of clipper  14  as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     A central aperture  72  is formed in intermediate portion  70  of rigid lower frame  74  of bottom shell  28  of handgrip  12  as shown best in  FIG. 8 . The central aperture  72  may include a female threaded interior that is mateable with screw  71  of the clipper  14  so as to secure the clipper  14  to the bottom shell  28 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 8 . 
     An exterior surface  82  of soft lower skin portion  75  has a textured grip surface  83  formed to include raised laterally extending ribs  84  as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  4 . In an illustrative embodiment, soft lower skin  76  is made of a plastics material. 
     As suggested in  FIGS. 2-4  and  8 , pivotable actuator  42  of clipper  14  includes a pivot lever  130  coupled to an upright post  40  and a thumb pad  132  coupled to a distal end  134  of pivot lever  130 . Thumb pad  132  is made of a textured rubber or plastics material molded or fitted over an outer end of pivot lever  130  in the illustrated embodiment. 
     Pivot lever  130  can be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction in response to application of pressure  101  to thumb pad  132  to move top plate  36  toward bottom plate  33  to move jaws  37 ,  34  toward one another to assume the closed nail-trimming position. 
     A user operates cutter squeezer  38  of clipper  14  as suggested in  FIG. 7  to move top and bottom jaws  37 ,  34  to assume the nail-trimming closed position. Light source  16  has already been energized to generate light  24  based on the positioning of the actuator  42  in an operative position before the user operates cutter squeezer  38  of clipper  14 . 
     With light source  16  on, a user can now see the fingernails of a child. Next, the user positions handgrip  12  so that the child&#39;s nail is between upper jaw  37  and lower jaw  34  of nail cutter  31 . The user then applies strong thumb pressure  101  in a downward direction onto actuator  42  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 7 . 
     As suggested in  FIG. 7 , the user applies downward pressure  101  to thumb pad  132  so as to cause pivot lever  130  to pivot about the pivot axis orthogonal to the upright post  40  and, in turn, apply a downward force to top plate  36  and an opposite upward force to cause bottom plate  33  to move upwardly toward top plate  36 . The downward force applied to top plate  36  of nail cutter  31  and the upward force applied to bottom plate  33  is transferred to top and bottom jaws  37 ,  34 , causing them to move toward one another to assume the closed nail-trimming position. Once pressure  101  is no longer applied to thumb pad  132 , then top and bottom plates  36 ,  33  spring apart to resume their original positions shown, for example, in  FIG. 6 . 
     Battery  54  is sandwiched between rigid lower frame  74  and rigid upper frame  16  and arranged to rest in battery compartment  154  in an interior space formed in rigid lower frame  74  as suggested in  FIG. 7 . 
     Although the circuit  56  included in the illumination controller  18  may be configured in any number of ways,  FIG. 9  illustrates one example of circuitry that may be used to provide the functionality of the illumination controller  18 . As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the circuit  56  may include a pair of LEDs  905 ,  910  (which correspond to the light source  16  illustrated in other figures). Additionally, the circuit  56  may include a plurality of resistance elements  920 - 940  provided in combination with a battery  945  (corresponding to battery  54  illustrated in other figures), capacitor  950 , switch  955  and a plurality of diodes or transistors  960 ,  965 . The resistance elements  920 - 940  may be provided to balance the circuit  56  based on operation of the LEDs  905 - 910  and charging of the capacitor  950  (explained herein). 
     The switch  955  is coupled to, actuated by the button  21  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Thus, as explained above, when the nail actuator  42  is in a storage position, the button  21  is depressed, thereby eliminating power to the LEDs  905 ,  910  provided by battery  945 . However, when the button  21  is released and allowed to return to its spring-biased state of protruding from the handgrip  12 , the switch  955  is operated to provide power to the LEDs  905 ,  910 . 
     In the circuit configuration illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the power is provided via capacitor  950  which is charged by the battery  945  and, when fully charged, turns on diodes  960 ,  965 . This operation of diodes  960 ,  965  then alters the circuit configuration such that the capacitor  950  provides power to the LEDs  905 ,  910  until power dissipates to an unusable level in the capacitor  950 . This configuration provides an automatic shut off feature that enables the light source  16  (i.e.,  905 ,  910  in  FIG. 9 ) to be turned off after a period of time, e.g., four minutes, even though the clipper actuator is not in a storage position. This automatic shut off feature may ensure that the battery included in the illuminated nail trimmer unit is not accidentally drained of power by leaving the clipper actuator in an operative position. 
     An additional optional feature is shown best in  FIG. 5  and provides a cross-shaped opening  156  is positioned at the rear of the handgrip  12 . Opening  138  is defined by a slot provided between the top shell  30  and bottom shell  32  to provide an aperture for inserting an emery board so as to use the handgrip  12  as an emery board holder and improve ease of use of emery boards.