Patent Application
20090172954
The present invention relates to aviation snips and, more particularly, a set of aviation snips coded to indicate the type and/or cutting direction of each snip.
Aviation snips are hand tools used to cut sheet metal, linoleum, carpet, tile and other materials. The snips typically employ a compound lever mechanism that reduces the amount of effort required to cut the material in comparison to single lever snips commonly known as tin snips. The most common types of aviation snips are the straight cutting aviation snip, the left cutting aviation snip and the right cutting aviation snip. Additionally, there is a straight short cutting or “bulldog” aviation snip, as well as an offset left cutting aviation snip and an offset right cutting aviation snip. The offset snips maintain the user's hands above the work piece during use.
To assist the end user in determining the cutting direction of a particular snip, manufacturers color the handles according to an industry standard color coding system, where yellow indicates a straight cut, red indicates a left cut and green indicates a right cut. Although this system is useful, it does come with a few drawbacks. One drawback is that the color coding is only applied to the handle of the snip, which prevents users from determining the cutting direction of a particular snip if the handle is covered or otherwise not in the user's line of sight. This occurs most often, for example, when the snips are placed in a tool bag or tool box filled with a variety of tools that cover over each other, or in scenarios where the snips are placed in the sheaths or pockets of a tool belt with the handles facing downward (i.e. the snips are placed in the tool belt handles first) so that the sheaths or pockets cover the handles.
Another drawback to the color coding system recited above is that the system typically is the sole system used to assist users in identifying the cutting direction of aviation snips. Therefore, users with color blindness or other visual impairments that make it impossible or difficult to recognize the colors applied to snip handles will not be able to rely on this color coding system to identify the cutting direction of the snips.
Another drawback to the color coding system recited above is that the system provides no indication representative of the specific types of aviation snips (i.e. straight aviation, bulldog aviation, left aviation, right aviation, offset left aviation, offset right aviation, etc.); that is, the system is only capable of indicating cutting direction. Because both straight cutting aviation snips and bulldog (short straight cutting) aviation snips have yellow handles, both left cutting aviation snips and offset left cutting aviation snips have red handles, and both right cutting aviation snips and offset right cutting aviation snips have green handles, users looking into a tool bag, tool box or at their tool belt (especially tool belts where the snip handles are facing upward, i.e. the snips are placed in the tool belt cutting jaw first), will not be able to identify the particular type of snip by color alone. For example, if a user sees a red handled snip in his or her toolbag, he or she will not be able to determine whether the snip is a left cutting snip or an offset left cutting snip, etc.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the above-described drawbacks and/or disadvantages of the prior art.
In accordance with a first aspect, the invention is directed to a plurality of aviation snips, each snip of a different type and including a spine, a handle connected to the spine and a cutting jaw mechanically coupled to the spine. The handle includes an upper grip and a lower grip. Each snip comprises a visible graphic indicia indicative of the respective type of snip and visibly different from the graphic indicia of every other type of snip.
In the currently preferred embodiments of the invention, the visible graphic indicia includes (i) a first substantially vertical visible graphic indicia defining a first length and applied to a straight cutting aviation snip; (ii) a second substantially vertical visible graphic indicia defining a second length shorter than the first length and applied to a short straight cutting or bulldog aviation snip; (iii) a visible graphic indicia including at least a portion thereof that is tilted and/or curved to the left of vertical and applied to a left cutting aviation snip; (iv) a visible graphic indicia including at least a portion thereof tilted and/or curved to the right of vertical and applied to a right cutting aviation snip; (iv) a substantially horizontal visible graphic indicia pointed to the left and applied to an offset left cutting aviation snip; and (v) a substantially horizontal visible graphic indicia pointed to the right and applied to a right offset cutting aviation snip.
In some embodiments of the invention, the visible graphic indicia is an arrow. Preferably, the arrow defines the following variations: a first substantially vertical arrow having a first length, a second substantially vertical arrow having a second length shorter than the first length, a first curved arrow defining a curvature to the left, a second curved arrow defining a curvature to the right, a first substantially horizontal arrow pointing to the left, and a second substantially horizontal arrow pointing to the right. The first vertical arrow represents a straight cutting aviation snip, the second vertical arrow represents a short straight cutting or bulldog aviation snip, the first curved arrow represents a left cutting aviation snip, the second curved arrow represents a right cutting aviation snip, the first horizontal arrow represents an offset left cutting aviation snip, and the second horizontal arrow represents a right offset cutting aviation snip. In some embodiments of the invention, the visible graphic indicia is located about an end portion of the top grip indicating correct orientation of the particular aviation snip during use.
In some embodiments of the invention, the graphic indicia is provided with a tactile feel element to allow a user to determine the type of snip by touching the graphic indicia. In some such embodiments, the graphic indicia is debossed relative an outer surface of the handle, the graphic indicia is raised relative to the outer surface of the handle, the border of the graphic indicia is debossed relative to the outer surface of the handle, and/or the border of the graphic indicia is raised relative to the outer surface of the handle.
In some embodiments of the invention, the snips further comprise a color coding scheme including a plurality of colors. Each color represents a cutting direction of the respective snip, including a straight cutting direction, a left cutting direction and a right cutting direction. In some such embodiments, yellow represents the straight cutting direction, red indicates a left cutting direction and green indicates a right cutting direction. The color coding scheme is located on at least one of: (i) the spine, (iii) the cutting jaw, (iv) on or about the visible graphic indicia, and (iv) any combination thereof.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention is directed to a plurality of aviation snips, each snip of a different type and including a spine, a handle connected to the spine and a cutting jaw mechanically coupled to the spine. The handle includes an upper grip and a lower grip. Each snip comprises means for providing a visual representation of the respective snip and visibly different from said means on every other type of snip of the plurality of snips.
In some embodiments of the invention, the means for providing a visual representation of the respective snip is a visible graphic indicia. In some such embodiments, the graphic indicia is an arrow defining a plurality of variations including: a first substantially vertical arrow having a first length, a second substantially vertical arrow having a second length shorter than the first length, a first curved arrow defining a curvature to the left, a second curved arrow defining a curvature to the right, a first substantially horizontal arrow pointing to the left, and a second substantially horizontal arrow pointing to the right. The first vertical arrow represents a straight cutting aviation snip, the second vertical arrow represents a short straight cutting or bulldog aviation snip, the first curved arrow represents a left cutting aviation snip, the second curved arrow represents a right cutting aviation snip, the first horizontal arrow represents an offset left cutting aviation snip, and the second horizontal arrow represents a right offset cutting aviation snip.
In some embodiments of the invention the means for providing a visual representation of the respective snip includes means for providing a tactile feel to the graphic indicia to allow a user to determine the type of snip by feeling the graphic indicia. In some such embodiments, the means for providing a tactile feel is defined by the graphic indicia being debossed relative an outer surface of the handle, the graphic indicia being raised relative to the outer surface of the handle, the border of the graphic indicia being debossed relative to the outer surface of the handle, and/or the border of the graphic indicia being raised relative to the outer surface of the handle.
In another aspect of the invention, the snips further comprise means for visually indicating a cutting direction of the snip. In one embodiment, said means is a color coding scheme including a plurality of colors, each color representing the cutting direction of the snip including a straight cutting direction, a left cutting direction and a right cutting direction. In a currently preferred embodiment, yellow represents the straight cutting direction, red indicates a left cutting direction and green indicates a right cutting direction. In some embodiments of the invention, the means for visually indicating a cutting direction of the snip is located on at least one of: (i) the spine, (ii) the cutting jaw, (iii) the handle, (iv) on about the visible graphic indicia, and (iv) any combination thereof.
One advantage of the coded aviation snips of the invention is that the visible graphic indicia identifies the respective type of snip, and not just the cutting direction of the snip as with the color coding scheme of the prior art. Yet another advantage of the coded aviation snips of the invention is that it need not be color dependent, and therefore is effective for users with color blindness or other visual irregularities that prevent reliance on the color coding scheme of the prior art. Another advantage of some currently preferred embodiments of the invention is that the user can both visually and non-visually (i.e. by feel) determine the cutting direction (i.e. straight, left, right) of a particular type of snip. Additionally, in some such embodiments, the user can both visually and non-visually (i.e. by feel) determine the exact type of snip of a set of aviation snips (i.e. straight cutting, bulldog, left cutting, right cutting, offset left cutting, and offset right cutting). Furthermore, in some such embodiments, the user can both visually and non-visually (i.e. by feel) determine the correct orientation of the snip during use.
Other objects, advantages and features of the coded aviation snips of the present invention will become more readily apparent in view of the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings.
The invention is directed to a plurality of aviation snips comprising a visual representation indicative of the respective type of snip and visibly different from the visual representation of every other type of snip. In the illustrated embodiments, the plurality of snips includes at least: a straight cutting aviation snip 10 (
Referring to
Referring now to
The visible graphic indicia 60 can be placed on any portion of the snip 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20. In one embodiment, the indicia 60 is located on the handle 24 of the snip, while in the illustrated embodiment, the indicia 60 is located on the respective end portion 30, 32 of one of the grips 26, 28 to indicate the proper orientation of the snips relative to the user's hand during use. Whether the indicia 60 is located on the end portion 30 of the upper grip 26 or the end portion 32 of the lower grip may not be important, so long as the indicia 60 is orientated to indicate the correct cutting direction of each snip.
Referring to
To further assist the user in identifying a particular snip, the visible graphic indicia 60 can incorporate a tactile feel element. A graphic indicia incorporating a tactile feel element is indicated generally in broken lines as 60′ in
Referring now to
In one embodiment of the invention, the visible graphic indicia 60 is placed and/or debossed into an insert 80. The insert is then connected to the spine 22 and the respective handle grip 26, 28 is overmolded about the insert 80. Optionally, a sleeve 82 is overmolded about, or otherwise co-molded with at least one of the handle grips 26, 28 to provide an additional visual indication of the proper orientation of the snip relative to the user's hand during use. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper grip 26 is overmolded about the insert 80 and the sleeve 82 is overmolded about the upper grip 26. At least one of the sleeve 82, upper grip and lower grip 28 can define a textured surface (not shown) for improved gripping and control of the snip during use and/or for added comfort. Further, the sleeve 82 can be colorized for improving the visual indication of the proper orientation of the snip during use and/or for brand identification purposes.
The system for coding aviation snips described herein can provide both visual and non-visual (i.e. by feel) identification of both the cutting direction (e.g. straight, left, right) and the type of snip of a set of aviation snips (e.g. straight cutting, bulldog, left cutting, right cutting, offset left cutting, and offset right cutting). Furthermore, the system can provide both visual and non-visual (i.e. by feel) identification of the correct orientation of the snip during use.
As may be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art based on the teachings herein, numerous changes and modifications may be made to the above-described and other embodiments of the present invention without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, this detailed description of the described embodiments is to be taken in an illustrative, as opposed to a limiting sense.
