Patent ID: 7210230

Claim:
Cuticle cutter having the general configuration of scissors comprising: a first cutter blade and handle combination; a second cutter blade and handle combination pivoted to said first cutter blade and handle combination by means of a pivot element, each said cutter blade consists of a cutting end, a central pivot portion through which said pivot element passes and a spigot; a substantially longitudinal passage in each said handle, into which the spigot of the respective first or second cutter blade is received; and resilient releasable attachment means being provided to retain each said spigot in said passage in its respective handle; characterised in that: each said attachment means comprises a spring element ( 10 ; 10 ′) formed with a protuberance mounted laterally in said passage and a lateral recess ( 7 ; 7 ′) formed in said spigot 5 ; 5 ′) of the respective cutter blade ( 1 ; 1 ′), said recess ( 7 ; 7 ′) receiving the protuberance to maintain the cuticle cutter in a mounted configuration and said spring element ( 10 ; 10 ′) being flexed to permit separation of the cutter blade from the handle ( 2 ; 2 ′) on the application of a longitudinal separating force between the handle and the cutter blade; and each said handle ( 2 ; 2 ′) has an axially extending outer portion ( 12 ; 12 ′) which, in the mounted configuration of the cuticle cutter, extends as far as said central pivot portions of said cutter blades 1 ; 1 ′) whereby, on opening said cuticle cutter to a maximum extent, a laterally outer surface of each cutter blade engages said axially extending outer portion ( 12 ; 12 ′) of the handle associated with the other of said cutter blades to produce said longitudinal separating force between said cutter blades and their associated handles.