Patent ID: 8079149

Claim:
A hand-held hair cutting appliance comprising: a housing, a first cutting blade and a second cutting blade, said first cutting blade being capable of reciprocating movement relative to the housing; a drive assembly operatively connected to the first cutting blade for drivingly reciprocating the first cutting blade relative to the housing such that the first cutting blade is moveable in a side to side direction relative to the housing and the second cutting blade; and a counter weight adapted for reciprocating movement relative to the housing and the second cutting blade in response to reciprocating movement of the first cutting blade such that the counter weight is moveable in a side to side direction relative to the housing and the second cutting blade, said counter weight having at least one of a mass and a location relative to the first cutting blade to thereby at least partially counter-balance the reciprocating movement of the first cutting blade, wherein the counter weight is configured such that as the reciprocating blade is moved in a side direction relative to the housing and the second cutting blade, the counter weight moves in a side direction relative to the housing and the second cutting blade that is generally opposite the side direction of the reciprocating blade.