The present invention relates to the organization of attachment guide combs, of the type having a V-shaped groove, by their attachment to compatible forms which are interconnected.
Before giving the background of the embodiments of the present invention it is first important to understand the background of attachment guide combs of the type having a V-shaped groove and their use with electric hair clippers.
The hair clipper kit found in most homes today includes an electric hair clipper and a set of four to ten attachment guide combs of different lengths, all stored loose in a box. A typical example of the hair clipper kit is shown in the 2004 Langley U.S. Pat. No. 6,807,736.
The hair clipper has changed little since the 1925 WAHL U.S. Pat. No. 1,558,729. It has a moving blade that reciprocates against a stationary blade. The stationary blade is rectangular with protruding edges. The accessory attachment guide combs snap onto the stationary blade, secured at its edges, and allow the operator to cut hair to a chosen length.
The stationary blade has a design ideally suited to its function. The attachment guide combs have been subsequently designed to be compatible with these dimensions. The present design was earlier taught in the 1934 Adelmo U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,430 and was more recently taught in the 1999 Wahl U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,526.
An essential grooming tool, there are a wide variety of hair clipper kits and attachment guide combs available today. Across most makes and models the stationary blade of the hair clipper maintains the same dimensions, allowing the attachment guide combs to be interchangeable.
The attachment guide comb has five principal advantages over the standard flat comb: selectable length, easy attachment, stable support, lifting teeth and an unobstructed path for hair.
Selection of the length of hair cut by attaching the appropriate attachment guide comb has made it possible for unskilled operators to use an electric hair clipper to achieve a hair cut of uniform length. Once in place, the attachment guide comb prevents the blade from getting closer to the scalp than the length of the attachment guide comb teeth will allow.
Easy attachment to the head of the hair clipper allows an unskilled operator to quickly attach attachment guide combs. Only one hand is required once the attachment guide comb is attached.
The stable support provided by the attached guide comb means that the clipper will not rock or wobble in any direction when resting on the scalp. The attachment guide comb is designed with teeth that form a rectangular base of support as wide as the hair clipper and with a length typically between ½ inch up to a few inches depending on the size of the attachment guide comb.
The teeth of the attachment guide comb lift the hair to the blade. The teeth of the attachment guide comb are very different from the teeth of a standard flat comb. The teeth of the standard flat comb are rods while the attachment guide comb's teeth are flat walls which rise from the scalp all the way up to the cutting blade. The attachment guide comb is pushed through the hair which is gathered into the comb. The strands of hair are then supported by these vertical teeth as the hair is cut.
Finally, with an attachment guide comb the path for the uncut hair beneath the clipper blade is unobstructed. This means that hair can be gathered into the comb and pass through it without encountering obstructions. This allows the attachment guide comb to be pulled smoothly through the hair. This unobstructed path is made possible by the position of the back of the attachment guide comb, to which all the teeth are attached. The back of the comb is positioned above and behind the blade of the clipper and does not come into contact with the hair.
There is one problem with the means by which the attachment guide combs attach to the stationary blade of the hair clipper. It is that the leading edge of the clipper, which consists of a series of small teeth, must support the larger teeth of the attachment guide comb. This requires the attachment guide comb teeth to be positioned so as to line up with the ends of the stationary blade's teeth. Unfortunately the attachment guide comb's teeth, being flexible, can slip off the supporting small metal teeth of the guide comb, losing its support and bending to one side.
The present invention is focused on the organizer for attachment guide combs but included are five embodiments which employ a comb: the scissor comb, the razor comb, the vacuum comb, the dryer comb, and the liquid dispensing comb. These expanded uses for the employment of attachment guide combs also mean that there are expanded uses for organizing attachment guide combs. The background of each of these tools is as follows.
The attachment of a comb to a pair of scissors has been developed for two reasons: to prevent the scissors from cutting skin and to regulate the length of hair cut.
The 1993 Malone U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,245 teaches safety scissors with a comb adjacent to the blade edge. This scissor comb effectively prevents anything that cannot fit between the comb teeth from reaching the blade. This design was not intended to regulate the length of hair cut and lacks this advantage.
Designed to regulate the length of hair cut, the 1868 Craig U.S. Pat. No. 84,860 taught a comb which attached to a pair of scissors, the distance between the two being adjustable by a sliding support. The 1911 Fordyce U.S. Pat. No. 1,004,404 taught a clip-on comb attachment that could be quickly detached by a spring clip. The 2000 Horvath U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,107 teaches a pair of scissors with a comb contemplated for use in trimming facial hair. All three designs have comb backs at surface level obstructing the path for the uncut hair and would therefore not pull smoothly through the hair.
The attachment of a comb to a razor blade for the purpose of cutting hair has the advantages of being economical, simple to use, and silent (an advantage in pet grooming). Examples include the 1908 Owens U.S. Pat. No. 892,679, which taught a comb designed to be clipped on to a straight razor, and the 1909 Becker U.S. Pat. No. 919,307, which taught a holder that held a common safety razor against a common comb. The 1987 Custer U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,841 taught an economical safety razor holder with a sliding comb member which permitted limited adjustment of the comb length. The Custer design has both a narrow support base and a comb back at surface level and would therefore not work well being pulled through the hair.
The attachment of a comb to a vacuum source to clean the hair has the advantage of dislodging more material by agitating the hair. It is important that the length of the comb's teeth correspond to the thickness of the hair. If the teeth are too short they will only partially penetrate the hair. If the teeth are too long the vacuum will lose suction through the gap between the surface of the hair and the vacuum inlet.
Many vacuum combs have addressed cleaning a single length of hair. The 1932 Suter U.S. Pat. No. 1,878,345 and the 1957 Cohen U.S. Pat. No. 2,780,829 both teach short toothed vacuum attachments intended for use on the short haired coats of horses. The 1992 Kruger U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,853 and the 1998 Silvera U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,748 both teach vacuum attachments with long toothed combs suitable for use on the coat length of some dogs and cats.
Several devices have addressed the need for combing through hair of different thicknesses. The 1967 Woodruff U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,500 taught an attachment with a fixed short comb in combination with a long comb which could be rotated into place. The 1971 Dove U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,546 taught a comb with adjustable length, a lever moving the teeth in and out of the housing. The 1972 Loscalzo U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,736 taught a vacuum comb with a plurality of different comb lengths, which could be snapped into position, while also addressing the narrow support base that the comb provides by adding a depth stop to the rear of the attachment, which could be changed with the comb. Though limited and complex, these designs would be effective on different hair thickness.
The attachment of a comb to a hair dryer has the advantage of improving the circulation of air through the hair. For example the 1972 Weber U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,818 teaches a hollow comb attached to a hair dryer by a flexible tube. The 1976 Tucker U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,231 teaches a comb attached directly to the mouth of a hair dryer. Still other examples are the 1985 Andis U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,362, and the 2004 Langley U.S. Pat. No. 6,775,922 which teach a plurality of attachments, some of which include a comb. Though complex and lacking comb length adjustment, all these devices have in common the advantage of having hot air blowing between the comb's teeth.
The attachment of a comb to a fluid dispenser has the advantage of increasing the fluid's circulation. The two types are those which use a container and those that use a faucet, such as a garden hose.
Devices drawing fluid from a container, typically a deformable container or squeeze bottle, are intended for use with shampoo and other hair treatments. The 1938 Wallenius U.S. Pat. No. 2,108,184, 1970 Iesersek U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,311, 1989 Morgan U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,439 and 2001 Burrowes U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,607 are all examples of this type.
Devices drawing fluid from a faucet such as a garden hose are typically contemplated for use in applying large quantities of water to the hair. The 1977 Houston U.S. Design Pat. No. D244,712 is an example of a simple device of this kind, intended for use in washing a dog. The 1997 Frank U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,502 teaches a combed device intended for use in washing pets.
Though all the above liquid dispensing combs are effective, each features a comb of a specific length and lacks length adjustment.
All the tools in the above background are useful and have enjoyed some degree of commercial success though only the hair clipper kit is universally recognized by and available to consumers.
It would be advantageous for the other five tools in the background above to employ hair clipper attachment guide combs for the five advantages of the guide comb described, as well as for their consumer familiarity, lack of complexity, and the economy of scale which makes them extremely economical.
The storage and organization the attachment guide combs within the hair clipper kit within a case or bag has always represented a problem. The attachment guide comb is very three dimensional and designed to slide along a surface. This has meant that the attachment guide combs easily shift and move around in a container and are not easily contained.
None of the attempts to organize and store attachment guide combs thus far have employed any means beyond those used in storing any other object. Typical solutions have been the McCambridge U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D545,500 and D548,888 which are essentially trays or caddies with the attachment guide combs resting within receptacles which must be appropriately dimensioned to accommodate each size comb. Without additional securing means the combs could easily fall out while being transported. These holders are also bulky and are not customizable, the number, type and location of attachment guide combs being fixed.
There has never been an attachment guide combs organizer that takes advantage of the attachment means which every attachment guide comb possesses.
The attachment guide comb organizer and the other diverse embodiments of the present invention all employ the same novel device: a form which functions as a dummy hair clipper head, or dummy blade, and thereby allows attachment guide combs to be attached anywhere, not just to an electric hair clippers stationary blade, and thereby allowing the attachment guide combs to be secured, organized and employed in new ways. The additional uses that the dummy blade makes possible creates means there are additional reasons, beyond the traditional hair clipper kit, for which the organization and storage of attachment guide combs is useful.
What is meant by a dummy hair clipper head, or dummy blade, is a form (as in a structure) which conforms to at least those dimensions of a hair clipper's head (typically its stationary blade) which are necessary for its compatibility with attachment guide combs. This form, not itself being a functional blade, as is the stationary blade of a hair clipper, has the function of providing a means of attachment for attachment guide combs of the type intended for electric hair clippers. Similarly a mannequin, or dummy of a human, conforms to the dimensions necessary for clothing to fit it properly.
The first and primary embodiment of the present invention is a means of organizing a set of attachment guide combs by attaching them to a series of interconnected compatible forms. This embodiment is elaborated on to include the interconnected blades being free standing, arranged along a contour, flexibly interconnected, connected to and within a container, and including compatible forms with flexibility and reduced structure. The applications for organizing attachment guide combs have been expanded by the many embodiments which have become possible as a result of the central inventive concept of employing a dummy blade.
The second such embodiment is a conventional barber scissor fastened to a dummy clipper head to which the attachment guide combs can be attached. Once assembled, a scissor comb is created which is safe (the comb guarding the blade), and an effective means of trimming the hair to a uniform length with minimal noise or vibration.
The third embodiment is a razor comb having a razor held in a dummy clipper head with a handle. With the attachment of an attachment guide comb a razor comb is created.
The attachment guide combs typically have a V shaped groove as part of their attaching means. Both the dummy clipper heads for the razor comb and the scissor comb employ a novel method of engagement with the V shaped groove of the attachment guide comb which has several benefits and broader applications. Instead of engaging with the vertex of this groove they engage it along both the upper and lower portions so as not to extend fully into the groove.
The remaining embodiments include a conduit dummy blade which is hollow and open between the comb's teeth and attachable to a hose on top. This hose can then be attached to a vacuum's attachment hose, a hair dryer or faucet, whereby a vacuum comb, dryer comb, or liquid dispensing comb is created.
Essentially, the central concept of the present invention is an adapter that functions to allow the attachment of attachment guide combs to an organizer, a container and to other existing devices. All of the constituent elements benefit from economies of scale and are in most households already. The present invention solves persistent problem with hair clipper kit organization. In it's employment to make new devices, it lacks the complexity of the tools it effectively replaces and it is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. With the present invention the addition of a few pieces of plastic to a standard hair clipper kit transforms it from a single tool into a well organized tool kit with a plurality of uses. Additionally the organization of attachment guide combs has new applications in scissor, razor and conduit based kits.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
The present invention is directed to the attachment of attachment guide combs of the type having a V-shaped groove to compatible forms, or dummy blades, other than the stationary blade of an electric hair clipper. A precise understanding of a typical electric hair clipper, attachment guide combs and their compatibility is important to understanding the embodiments of the present invention.
Referring to
The stationary blade 50 is 1.8 inches wide and 1.5 inches from front to back.
The region of cutting teeth 54 at the front of the blade and a central support region 56 both curve toward the inner side of the blade. They are ground flat resulting in two raised flat plateaus 0.025 inches above the remainder of the stationary blade.
It is with these two raised regions that the reciprocating blade 58 is in contact, as shown in
The rear region 60 is flat and extends to 0.5 inches from the rear edge of the stationary blade 50, at which point the central support region 56 begins to curve toward the inner side. It is by this rear region 60 that the blade 50 is secured to the hair clipper 52 by two bolts 62.
The stationary blade 50 is made from 0.075 inch thick steel, making for a blade 50 with an overall thickness of 0.1 inches from the top of the raised regions 54 and 56 to the bottom, outer surface, of rear region 60. The leading edge along the region of cutting teeth 54 is tapered to 0.025 inches and consists of a series of teeth with flat tips.
Referring to
Once attached, the attachment guide comb 64 is secured to the stationary blade 50 along its leading edge, the tapered edge of the region of cutting teeth 54, by a V shaped groove 66 in the series of comb teeth 67. The teeth 67 line up with the flat tips of the teeth which make up the leading edge along the region of cutting teeth 54.
The V shaped groove 66 terminates on each end in the groove abutments 68 which rise up to prevent the blade 50 from moving from side to side. The distance between the inside surfaces of the groove abutments 68 is 1.8 inches, corresponding to the width of the blade 50. The V shaped groove's position within the comb can be better understood by referring to
At a distance of 0.5 inches from the rear edge of the comb back 70, two side abutments 72 abut the side edges of the blade 50. The distance between the side abutments 72 is also 1.8 inches corresponding to the width of the blade 50 and they prevent movement from side to side.
The rear edge of the blade 50 is secured by a latch 74. The distance between the latch 74 and the groove 66 is 1.5 inches corresponding to the length of blade 50 and preventing movement forward or backward.
A series of three protrusions 76 rise 0.1 inches and are located within the rear 0.5 inches of the comb back 70. The protrusions 76 abut the outer surface of the blade 50 along the flat rear region 60. In combination with the V shaped groove 66 and latch 74 these protrusions hold the comb's back 70 parallel to and 0.1 inches from the outer surface of the rear region 60 and 0.2 inches from the level of the upper surface of the region cutting teeth 54.
It is in this way that the attachment guide comb 64 is secured to the blade 50 as shown in
The procedure for the attachment of the comb 64 to the hair clipper 52 is shown in
In use, as shown in
There are eight teeth 67 which rest on their longest side when in use as shown in
Another common variation on the attachment guide comb which has an open back, and no rear latch, will be described later.
The first embodiment of the invention is a comb organizer 78 and is shown in
The thin leading edge is 0.025 inches higher than the thick rear edge which also conforms to those dimensions of the stationary blade 50. The underside of the thick rectangle 84 is flat for more than 0.5 inches from the rear edge providing a suitable surface for the abutments 76, just as the rear region 60 does of the stationary blade 50 as described earlier.
With these dimensions the dummy blade 80, made of a suitably rigid material, would be compatible with the attachment guide comb 64. Additionally the leading edge of the dummy blade 80, being continuous, makes a superior engagement with the V-shaped groove 66 to that made by the stationary blade 50, as it obviates the possibility of the teeth 67 slipping and losing support as described above.
The comb organizer 78 could most easily be made in one piece integral with the lid of the box and its description here in parts is for clarity and to allow a precise understanding of the dimensions. Attached to the lid 86 of the clipper kit box 88, said organizer would provide a means of storing and organizing combs as quick and effective as their attachment to the stationary blade 50.
The support that this embodiment of the dummy blade 80 would provide to the attachment guide comb 64 would be superior to that which is provided by the hair clipper's actual stationary blade. For some purposes, such as simple storage and organization, this is not necessary and variations on the dummy blade 80 would have some advantages. These variations will be shown and described later.
The dummy blade B 98 is shown from two angles in
In the case of the scissor comb 92, the primary reason dummy blade B 98 contacts the V shaped groove at edges 100 and 102 is precisely so that it can be shorter than the blade 50 and not extend as far forward into the V shaped groove 66. This is because it is important that the cutting blade of the scissor 92 be positioned ahead of the dummy blade B 98 as in the form shown said dummy blade B 98 represents an obstruction to the flow of hair. This novel means of dual engagement of the V shaped groove 66 is part of the razor comb of the present invention as well and has broad applications.
The dummy blade B 98 could alternatively engage the vertex of the V shaped groove with a leading edge consisting of a series of long teeth, as the stationary blade 50 does though with much longer teeth (this alternate form is considered obvious within the present invention and is not shown).
The dummy blade B 98 is 0.25 inches thick. The rear edge is reduced to 0.075 inches as shown, to be compatible with the comb's latch 74.
A groove 104 is carved into the upper surface of dummy blade B 98 at a 30 degree angle. In use the attachment guide comb 64 hold the comb's back 70 and blade 50 at a 30 degree angle with the surface. This groove 104 is carved at 30 degrees so that the scissor 92 will be parallel to the surface. The groove 104 is also suitably above the upper edge 100 so that when attached the scissor 92 will have its cutting edge above the tops of the comb's teeth 67, as shown in
The groove 104 is carved in a curve congruent to the back edge of the blade of the scissor 92. Once secured by the screw 96 the blade of the scissor 92 will be firmly connected to and held in place against the dummy head B 98.
Once assembled, the scissor comb 90 could be pulled through the hair and a series of cuts made with the scissor to achieve an overall cut of uniform length. Additionally, the attachment guide comb 64 and dummy head B 98 would effectively guard the blade and make the scissor comb 90 much safer to use than a scissor alone.
The third embodiment of the present invention, the razor comb 106 is shown in
The razor 112 is held in position on the base plate 114 by two cylindrical protrusions 116 which are inserted into apertures 118 of said razor 112. The top plate 110 is then placed over the base plate 114 passing the threaded post 119 of the base plate 114 through the hole 122 of the top plate 110 and finally inserting the cylindrical protrusions 116 into corresponding cylindrical depressions (not shown) in the underside of the top plate 110. The handle 108, which has a threaded socket (not shown), is then threaded onto the post 119 and the four pieces are thereby secured together.
The top plate 110 and base plate 114 together constitute a dummy blade with dimensions identical to dummy blade B 98 with the exception of the presence of the threaded post 120 and the omission of the groove 104. The dummy blade of plates 110 and 114 engages the V shaped groove 66 in the same novel fashion as dummy blade B 98 (refer to
While the scissor comb 90 cuts entirely above the V shaped groove 66, the razor blade 112 of the razor comb 106 is near the vertex of the V shaped groove 66, in approximately the same location the cutting teeth of the clipper 52 would be.
As stated with the scissor comb 90 an alternate form (considered obvious within the present invention and lacking several advantages stated above) for the dummy clipper head of the razor comb 106 would be long teeth which would engage the vertex of the V shaped groove 66 as the blade 50 does, leaving the razor 112 exposed between said teeth (as the Custer U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,841 does).
Once assembled, the razor comb 106 could be pulled through the hair and the razor 112 would be both effectively guarded and the length of hair cut reliably, regulated by the attachment guide comb 64.
The remaining embodiments of the present invention all involve the use of a conduit dummy blade 120, shown in
The conduit dummy blade 120 is hollow with a length from the rear edge 122 to its leading edge 124 of 1.5 inches and a width of 1.8 inches. The leading edge 124 is 0.025 inches above the plane of the upper surface of the rear edge 122. The dummy rear edge 122 is 0.075 inches thick for compatibility with the latch 74 and the underside is flat for more than 0.5 inches from the dummy rear edge 122 providing a suitable surface for abutment by the protrusions 76. With these dimensions the conduit dummy blade 120 corresponds to the stationary blade 50 and is compatible with the attachment guide comb 64. Additionally, as the leading edge 124 is continuous, a superior engagement with the V shaped groove 66 is made to the engagement made by the stationary blade 50 for the reasons discussed previously.
The front of the dummy conduit blade 120 is wedge shaped as shown in
Referring to
The upper surface of the conduit dummy blade 120 slopes up from near the rear edge 122 until it meets the wedge of the front of dummy conduit blade 120. Out of this inclined surface on the upper side of the conduit dummy blade 120 conical pipe 128 rises and expands to suitably terminate in conduit socket 130 threaded to accommodate a standard 1 inch lip of a plastic bottle or garden hose.
The fourth embodiment of the present invention is the connection of a plastic bottle 132 to the restricted flow conduit dummy blade 121 as shown in
Referring to
The fifth embodiment of the present invention involves connecting a vacuum source to create a vacuum comb. Conduit Dummy blade 120 with its large opening would have an attachment guide comb 64 connected to it and a hose 136 connected as described above. The other end of the hose 136 would connect to a cylindrical adapter 140 with an inside diameter appropriate for connection with the attachment vacuum hose 142 of a household vacuum. In this way, once connected the vacuum comb could be combed through the hair as the vacuum removed dislodged debris.
The sixth embodiment of the present invention is a third application of the conduit dummy blade 120, the dryer comb. The device is assembled as described above with the exception that the cylindrical adapter 140 would be replaced by a larger cylindrical adapter 144 suitable for connection to the barrel of a hair dryer 146. In this way, once connected a dryer comb could be combed through the hair as hot air blew between the teeth 67.
In each of the diverse embodiments employing the dummy hair clipper head taught here only a few of the many forms that the dummy hair clipper head could take are shown. These forms have been selected for the clarity with which they illustrate the nature of the present invention It is likely that their form would change in mass production, though they would still represent the principle of the present invention.
Like the elongated teeth on a dummy head mentioned in the description of the scissor comb 90 and the razor comb 106, there are many variations which are within the scope of the present invention.
The precise dimensions given for both the stationary blade 50 and the attachment guide comb 64 and their means of engagement are to illustrate a typical example. Variations in these dimensions and the method of attachment should be construed as being within the scope of this patent.
The novel dual engagement of the V-shaped groove 66 which is part of the scissor comb 90 and razor comb 106 should not be construed as being limited to these two devices. This novel method of connection to a guide comb has broad application to both the dummy hair clipper heads of the present invention as well as to the hair clipper itself.
The several variations on the unifying inventive principle of the dummy hair clipper head, as they have been taught here, are shown together in
The comb organizer embodiment, which is the focus of the present application and the first embodiment described earlier, is elaborated on below. It is first important to understand the variation on the attachment guide comb which does not have a rear latch 74. It is described here as an open back attachment guide comb 150, which is prior art well known in the art, and it makes an additional variations on the comb organizer 78 possible.
Referring to
All of the variations on the present invention taught here would be compatible with the open back attachment guide comb 150, though some would require slight modifications from what has been shown in the drawings. The conduit dummy blade 120 would simply need to include ridged or narrowed sides to make a solid engaging contact with the side abutments 72 as shown on the open back attachment guide comb 150, and the dummy blades similar to what is shown with dummy blade B 98 could simply be thinner or tapper at the sides. The open back attachment guide comb 150 offers additional possibilities and more versatility for the comb organizer 78.
This open back style of attachment guide comb allows for the backless parallel comb organizer 152 shown in
Another comb organizer which could be utilized by the backless attachment guide comb 150 is the backless side by side comb organizer 154 shown in
For simply storing and organizing any attachment guide comb the structure of the comb support can also change. In organizing the combs it is not necessary for all of the teeth to be supported with the same rigidity that is important while they are being employed. While being stored the attachment guide comb is not likely to be under stress, and if it is and teeth are bent to the side, it is acceptable.
Referring to
For the same reason it is not necessary for the leading edge to be rigid for the purposes of storage it is not necessary for the leading edge to support every tooth 67. In order to hold the attachment guide comb 64 in place it is preferable that contact be made with the side abutments 72 and at least partial contact be made with the V-shaped groove 66. Referring to
It would also be useful to have a modular system for organizing the attachment guide combs in which the number and location of dummy blades 80 is adjustable, and thereby the locations at which the attachment guide combs 64 can be stored would be adjustable.
The location of the attachment guide combs being stored is also controlled by the structure of the connections between the forms to which they attach.
Having the hair clipper 52 and the attachment guide combs 64 interconnected as they are in
None of the specifics of the detailed description above should be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. They are in fact not necessarily the preferred embodiments (as mentioned the guide comb organizer would be most practically produced as a single integral piece and was describe in parts for the sake of clarity).
Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the following claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
Having thus described the invention,
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/470,256, filed Sep. 6, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference for any and all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11470256 | Sep 2006 | US |
Child | 12422993 | US |