Patent Application
20250114957
The present disclosure relates generally to electric or battery-operated hair cutting appliances such as hair clippers, hair trimmers, and more particularly, to a bladeset with tapered teeth for such devices.
Electric hair trimmers or clippers, collectively referred to here as clippers, are commonly used by stylists, barbers, animal groomers or individuals for styling hair, and typically include a handle having a housing for enclosing a motor and a blade assembly associated with the handle. The blade assembly is generally fixed to the handle at a certain orientation for receiving driving power from the motor.
A bladeset in the blade assembly includes a stationary blade and a moving blade reciprocating laterally and substantially parallel relative to the stationary blade to provide a scissors-type cutting action by way of the relative movement of teeth positioned along an edge of each of the moving and stationary blades. Each blade includes a plurality of forward projecting teeth that are spaced apart along a front blade edge that defines a cutting line. The individual geometry and relative spatial relationship of the projecting teeth optionally have a variety of forms, to achieve a variety of different hair cutting characteristics. Some tooth geometries and relationships are well suited for bulk removal of hair, while other geometries and relationships are better suited for finer work such as fading and blending.
For example, a stagger tooth bladeset, such as that seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,091 to Melton, includes a moving blade with alternating long and short teeth. In such a stagger tooth blade, the teeth optionally exhibit uniform geometry, and optionally have blunted edges which are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the blade.
Accordingly, there is the need for a hair clipper bladeset which provides enhanced blending or tapering of hair.
The above-listed need is met or exceeded by the present bladeset with tapered teeth. The present bladeset preferably includes at least one of a moving blade and a stationary blade with a first plurality of long teeth and a second plurality of short teeth arranged so that the short teeth alternate between the long teeth. One feature of a blade of the present bladeset is that tips of the long teeth of the blade have tapered edges, which are tapered at an angle α with respect to a straight line extending perpendicularly from a base of the blade. Alternatively, or additionally, the short teeth of the present blade include the tapered edges. Another feature of the present blade is that the height of the short teeth is preferably greater than a distance between the base and the bottom of the tapered edge of the long teeth.
The present blade is an improvement for blending or tapering hair, especially adjacent sharp “outlining” cuts. Specifically, the present blade reduces “fly away” hairs that escape traditional cutting blades by being close to the bladeset tips as the moving blade reciprocates relative to the stationary blade.
More specifically, the present bladeset is operationally connected to a hair clipper and includes a stationary blade and a moving blade configured for reciprocating laterally relative to the stationary blade. At least one of the stationary blade and the moving blade includes a base and a plurality of teeth extending from the base. The plurality of teeth includes a set of long teeth, each of the long teeth having a tip spaced a first distance from the base defining a first cutting line; and a set of short teeth, each of the short teeth having a tip spaced a second distance from the base defining a second cutting line spaced apart from the first cutting line. The first cutting line is farther from the base than the second cutting line.
Each of the long teeth include first and second cutting faces, such that at least one of the first and second cutting faces of the long teeth includes a first tapered edge having an end at the tip of the long teeth. Alternatively, or additionally, each of the short teeth include first and second cutting faces, such that at least one of the first and second cutting faces of the short teeth includes a second tapered edge having an end at the tip of the short teeth.
In a preferred embodiment, the first cutting face and the second cutting face of the long teeth each include the first tapered edge and extend transversely from the base.
In another preferred embodiment, consecutive long teeth of the set of the long teeth alternate which of the first cutting face and the second cutting face of the long teeth include the first tapered edge. Preferably, the first tapered edge extends at an angle α from the at least one of the first cutting face and the second cutting face of the long teeth, where the angle α is measured between a straight line extending perpendicularly from the base and the first tapered edge. Preferably still, the angle α is between 5 degrees and 25 degrees.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the first cutting face and the second cutting face of the short teeth each include the second tapered edge. Preferably still, the first cutting face and the second cutting face of the short teeth extend transversely from the base.
In preferred embodiments, consecutive short teeth of the set of short teeth alternate as to which of the first cutting face and the second cutting face of the second teeth include the second tapered edge, and the second tapered edge extends at an angle β from the at least one of the first cutting face and the second cutting face of the short teeth where the angle β is measured between a straight line extending perpendicularly from the base and the second tapered edge, such that the angle β is between 5 degrees and 25 degrees.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the second distance is larger than a distance between the bottom of the first tapered edge and the base.
The present disclosure also includes a hair clipper which includes a clipper housing defining a longitudinal axis and a cutting end, and a clipper bladeset operationally connected to the cutting end. The clipper bladeset includes a stationary blade and a moving blade configured for reciprocating laterally relative to the stationary blade, such that at least one of the stationary blade and the moving blade includes a base and a plurality of teeth extending from the base. The plurality of teeth includes a set of long teeth, each of the long tooth having a tip parallel to and spaced a first distance from the base defining a first cutting line, and a set of short teeth, each the short teeth having a tip parallel to and spaced a second distance from the base defining a second cutting line spaced apart from the first cutting line. The first cutting line is farther from the base than the second cutting line.
Each of the long teeth include first and second cutting faces, such that at least one of the first and second cutting faces of the long teeth includes a first tapered edge having an end at the tip of the long teeth. Alternatively, or additionally, each of the short teeth include first and second cutting faces, such that at least one of the first and second cutting faces of the short teeth includes a second tapered edge having an end at the tip of the short teeth.
Referring to
As seen in
Referring to
The first and second cutting faces 48, 50 of the long teeth 42 and the short teeth 44 extend transversely from the base 46. Each of the long teeth 42 and the short teeth 44 include a tip 52, which optionally is flat as illustrated and is oriented at an angle parallel to the base 46.
As seen in
In the present embodiment of the blade 40, the first long tooth 42a of the blade does not include the tapered edge 54 between the tip 52 and the second cutting face 50. Instead, the tip 52 and the second cutting face 50 form a perpendicular edge 56. Similarly, the second long tooth 42b of the blade 40 does not include the tapered edge 54 between the tip 52 and the first cutting face 48. The tips 52 of the long teeth 42 are preferably parallel and form a first cutting line CL1 which is parallel to the width “W” of the blade 40. Likewise, the tips 52 of the short teeth 44 are preferably parallel and form a second cutting line CL2 which is also parallel to the width “W” of the blade 40.
Referring to
A third long tooth 42c has a similar configuration as the long tooth 42a, such that the tapered edges of long teeth 42b, 42c face one another. There is also a short tooth 44 between the long teeth 42b, 42c.
The first tapered edges 54 extend at an angle α from the first or second cutting face 48, 50, where the angle α is measured between a straight line extending perpendicularly from the base 46 and the first tapered edge. Preferably, the angle α is between 5 degrees and 25 degrees. In the present embodiment of the blade 40, the short teeth 44 include perpendicular edges 56 between the tip 54 and the first and second cutting faces 48, 50.
In another preferred embodiment of the present blade 40, the second distance D2, which corresponds to the height of the short teeth 44, is at least large enough so that the short teeth extend beyond the base 46 a distance greater than a distance D3 between the bottom of the first tapered edge 54 and the base.
In the present embodiment of the blade 70, the first short tooth 44a of the blade does not include the second tapered edge 72 between the tip 52 and the second cutting face 50. Instead, the tip 52 and the second cutting face 50 form the perpendicular edge 56. Similarly, the second short tooth 44b of the blade 70 does not include the second tapered edge 72 between the tip 52 and the first cutting face 48.
The second tapered edge 72 extends at an angle β from the first or second cutting face 48, 50, where the angle β is measured between a straight line extending perpendicularly from base 46 and the second tapered edge. Preferably, the angle β is between 5 degrees and 25 degrees.
While particular embodiments of the present bladeset with tapered teeth have been described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.
