Scissors structure

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6336272
  • Patent Number
    6,336,272
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, August 24, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 8, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Watts; Douglas D.
    Agents
    • Bacon & Thomas, PLLC
Abstract
A scissors structure includes a first blade portion, a second blade portion, a restoring spring, and a substantially I-shaped locking member. The first blade portion includes a first handle defining a first chamber having a front end provided with a first locking stub and a rear end provided with a T-shaped first guide rail having a first guide track. The second blade portion includes a second handle defining a second chamber having a front end provided with a second locking stub and a rear end provided with a T-shaped second guide rail having a second guide track provided with a snapping boss. The restoring spring has a first end secured to the first locking stub and a second secured to the second locking stub. The locking member is slidably mounted between the first guide rail and the second guide rail and has two sides each provided with a T-shaped guide slot for receiving the first guide track and the second guide track. The guide slot has two sides each provided with a retaining flange for limiting the first guide track and the second guide track. The retaining flange defines a positioning notch for locking the snapping boss.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a scissors structure.




2. Description of the Related Art




A conventional scissors structure


50


in accordance with the prior art shown in

FIG. 8

comprises two pivotally connected blades


51


, two handles


54


, a locking pin


52


secured on one of the two blades


51


, a recessed locking piece


53


pivotally mounted on the other blade


51


and detachably locked on the locking pin


52


, and a spring


55


mounted between the two handles


54


.




However, connection between the locking piece


53


and the locking pin


52


is not stable so that the locking piece


53


is easily detached from the locking pin


52


so that the two handles


54


of the scissors structure are easily expanded even when not in use, thereby affecting the locking effect of the scissors structure. In addition, the scissors structure is in use, the locking piece


53


is suspended on the blade


51


as shown in phantom lines so that the locking piece


53


is easily in contact with the handles


54


, thereby greatly influencing the operation of the handles


54


and the cutting action of the blades


51


.




The closest prior art of which the applicant is aware is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,343 to Melter et al., filed on Jan. 7, 1993, entitled by “Trimming scissors and sheath assembly”.




When the scissors are in use, the two handles


24


and


28


are separated from each other and the lock button


20


is attached to the handle


24


. However, the lock button


20


freely slidable on the rails


68


and


70


is easily moved forward, thereby easily hindering the relative movement between the two handles


24


and


28


while the lock button


20


is easily broken when the two handles


24


and


28


are moved toward each other, thereby decreasing the lifetime of the scissors


10


. In addition, the compression spring


18


mounted on the rear end of the lock button


20


is located away from the pivot point of the two handles


24


and


28


, thereby easily clipping or injuring the user's hand. Further, the compression spring


18


is mounted on the rear end of the lock button


20


and is located away from the pivot point of the two handles


24


and


28


so that the tension of the two handles


24


and


28


of the scissors


10


is not efficient.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a scissors structure comprising:




a first blade portion including a first handle defining a first chamber having a front end provided with a first locking stub and a rear end provided with a T-shaped first guide rail, the first guide rail having a front end provided with a first guide track located adjacent to the first locking stub and a rear end defining an access opening;




a second blade portion pivotally mounted on the first blade portion and including a second handle defining a second chamber having a front end provided with a second locking stub and a rear end provided with a T-shaped second guide rail provided with a second guide track, at least one snapping boss mounted on the second guide rail and aligning with the access opening of the first guide rail;




a restoring spring mounted between the first handle and the second handle and having a first end secured to the first locking stub and a second secured to the second locking stub; and




a substantially I-shaped locking member slidably mounted between the first guide rail and the second guide rail and having two sides each provided with a T-shaped guide slot for receiving the first guide track of the first guide rail and the second guide track of the second guide rail, the guide slot having two sides each provided with an inward folded retaining flange for limiting the first guide track of the first guide rail and the second guide track of the second guide rail, the retaining flange defining at least one positioning notch for detachably locking the at least one snapping boss.




Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a scissors structure in accordance with the present invention;





FIG. 2

is an exploded view of the scissors structure as shown in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a top plan operational view of the scissors structure as shown in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 4

is a top plan view of the scissors structure as shown in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 5

is a side plan cross-sectional view of the scissors structure along the line


5





5


as shown in

FIG. 4

;





FIG. 6

is a side plan cross-sectional view of the scissors structure along the line


6





6


as shown in

FIG. 4

;





FIG. 7

is a side plan cross-sectional view of the scissors structure along the line


7





7


as shown in

FIG. 3

; and





FIG. 8

is a perspective view of a conventional scissors structure in accordance with the prior art.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Referring to the drawings and initially to

FIGS. 1-3

, a scissors structure in accordance with the present invention comprises a first blade portion


10


, a second blade portion


20


, a restoring spring


40


, and a substantially I-shaped locking member


30


.




The first blade portion


10


includes a first blade


11


, and a first handle


12


mounted on the first blade


11


. The first handle


12


defines a first chamber


13


having a front end provided with a first locking stub


15


and a rear end provided with a T-shaped first guide rail


14


. The first guide rail


14


has a front end provided with a first guide track


141


located adjacent to the first locking stub


15


and a rear end defining an access opening


142


.




The second blade portion


20


is pivotally mounted on the first blade portion


10


and includes a second blade


21


, and a second handle


22


mounted on the second blade


21


. The second handle


22


defines a second chamber


23


having a front end provided with a second locking stub


25


and a rear end provided with a T-shaped second guide rail


24


provided with a second guide track


241


. At least one snapping boss


242


is mounted on the second guide rail


24


and aligns with the access opening


142


of the first guide rail


14


.




The restoring spring


40


is mounted between the first handle


12


and the second handle


22


and has a first end secured to the first locking stub


15


and a second secured to the second locking stub


25


.




The locking member


30


is slidably mounted between the first guide rail


14


and the second guide rail


24


and has two sides each provided with a T-shaped guide slot


31


for receiving the first guide track


141


of the first guide rail


14


and the second guide track


241


of the second guide rail


24


. The guide slot


31


has two sides each provided with an inward folded retaining flange


32


for limiting the first guide track


141


of the first guide rail


14


and the second guide track


241


of the second guide rail


24


. The retaining flange


32


defines at least one positioning notch


321


for detachably locking the snapping boss


242


therein.




The locking member


30


is provided with a plurality of a plurality of elongated ribs


33


protruding outward for increasing friction of the locking member


30


.




Alternatively, the positioning notch


321


defined in the retaining flange


32


and the snapping boss


242


formed on the second guide rail


24


can be interchangeably mounted. In other words, the positioning notch is defined in the second guide rail


24


, and the snapping boss


242


is formed on the retaining flange


32


.




In operation, referring to

FIGS. 1-7

, the snapping boss


242


is initially locked in the positioning notch


321


so that the locking member


30


is stably secured on the second guide rail


24


of the second handle


22


as shown in

FIGS. 3 and 7

. In such a manner, the first handle


12


and the second handle


22


are pressed outward relative to each other by means of the restoring spring


40


, thereby expanding the scissors structure for use.




When not in use, the user's hand can exert a force on the first handle


12


and the second handle


22


which are moved toward each other so as to move the locking member


30


toward the first guide rail


14


until the retaining flange


32


of the guide slot


31


of the locking member


30


is inserted into the access opening


142


of the first guide rail


14


. The locking member


30


is then moved toward the restoring spring


40


to the position as shown in

FIG. 4

where the first guide track


141


of the first guide rail


14


is received in the guide slot


31


of the locking member


30


and is limited by the retaining flange


32


of the guide slot


31


of the locking member


30


so that the first handle


12


and the second handle


22


are secured by the locking member


30


as shown in

FIG. 6

while the restoring spring


40


is compressed between the first handle


12


and the second handle


22


, thereby folding the scissors structure.




Accordingly, the scissors structure of the present invention has the following advantages.




1. The locking member


30


can be used to lock the scissors structure when it is folded.




2. When the first handle


12


and the second handle


22


are separated from each other, the snapping boss


242


is locked in the positioning notch


321


so that the locking member


30


is secured on and cannot be detached from the second guide rail


24


of the second handle


22


, thereby preventing the locking member


30


from freely sliding forward on the guide track


241


to hinder the relative movement between the first handle


12


and the second handle


22


and to hinder the cutting operation of the scissors structure, and thereby preventing the locking member


30


being hit or broken when the first handle


12


and the second handle


22


are moved toward each other so as to increase the lifetime of the scissors structure.




3. The restoring spring


40


is mounted on the front end of each the two handles


12


and


22


, thereby preventing the user's hand being clipped or injured by the restoring spring


40


.




4. The restoring spring


40


is mounted on the front end of each the two handles


12


and


22


, thereby increasing the tension of the two handles


12


and


22


of the scissors structure.




It should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A scissors structure comprising:a first blade portion (10) including a first handle (12) defining a first chamber (13) having a front end provided with a first locking stub (15) and a rear end provided with a T-shaped first guide rail (14), said first guide rail (14) having a front end provided with a first guide track (141) located adjacent to said first locking stub (15) and a rear end defining an access opening (142); a second blade portion (20) pivotally mounted on said first blade portion (10) and including a second handle (22) defining a second chamber (23) having a front end provided with a second locking stub (25) and a rear end provided with a T-shaped second guide rail (24) provided with a second guide track (241), at least one snapping boss (242) mounted on said second guide rail (24) and aligning with said access opening (142) of said first guide rail (14); a restoring spring (40) mounted between said first handle (12) and said second handle (22) and having a first end secured to said first locking stub (15) and a second secured to said second locking stub (25); and a substantially I-shaped locking member (30) slidably mounted between said first guide rail (14) and said second guide rail (24) and having two sides each provided with a T-shaped guide slot (31) for receiving said first guide track (141) of said first guide rail (14) and said second guide track (241) of said second guide rail (24), said guide slot (31) having two sides each provided with an inward folded retaining flange (32) for limiting said first guide track (141) of said first guide rail (14) and said second guide track (241) of said second guide rail (24), said retaining flange (32) defining at least one positioning notch (321) for detachably locking said at least one snapping boss (242).
  • 2. The scissors structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said positioning notch (321) and said snapping boss (242) are interchangeably mounted.
  • 3. The scissors structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said locking member (30) is provided with a plurality of a plurality of elongated ribs (33) protruding outward for increasing friction of said locking member (30).
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number Name Date Kind
5297343 Melter et al. Mar 1994 A
5987755 Shih Nov 1999 A