Not Applicable
The present invention lies in the field of beauty tools. The present disclosure relates to a self-opening nipper and methods for manufacturing same.
In the field of beauty tools, nippers are mainly used to nip nails and cuticles. High-quality nippers are mostly made of two pieces of stainless steel, which are joined together to create a crossing structure. Examples of such nippers are illustrated in
Known spring systems are bent or spiral spring systems that are placed in-between the two handles, as shown, for example, in
There are many disadvantages associated with the existing concepts. In production, a significant amount of time and cost are consumed by the finishing processes of the handles. Due to the complex geometry and the defined surface structure needed, these processes are mainly done manually, which makes them even more time and cost intensive. These processes also increase the second class and scrap rate because, during the last finishing process (a step after most of the processing costs have already been invested in the piece) inclusions can become visible. Most of the existing spring systems are made out of several pieces, as shown, for example, in
Thus, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art systems, designs, and processes as discussed above.
The invention provides a self-opening nipper and methods for manufacturing same that overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and that provide such features with less cost and time for manufacture, with less second class pieces and reduced scrap rate, with minimizing the piece count, and with less stress on the moving parts.
The new and innovative nipper concept and manufacturing methods differ from all existing ones by having one spiral spring cover both handles and generate a closed loop on the back side of those handles. This coil spring acts, on one hand, as a surface for the handles and, on the other hand, as an opening spring to open up the nipper in an un-forced condition. Compared to all existing nippers this concept offers fundamental advantages for ergonomics and production.
In case of the new and innovative concept, the handles only need to be machined at their front end close to the joint where the spring is clamped onto them. All the rest of each of the handles does not need to be grinded or polished at all because this surface is otherwise covered by the coil spring. Such a configuration significantly reduces time and cost intensive work processes as well as second-class and scrap rates. If desired, the unfinished ends of the handles can be coated, for example, by a plastic.
The coil spring itself can easily be produced by simple machines from, for example, steel alloy, aluminum alloy or plastic, at a high and constant quality level. Additionally the surface of the coil spring does not need to be grinded or polished because it has a high quality level right away. Complexity is significantly reduced because only one part for the spring system is needed. Further, due to the bigger size of the coil spring compared to existing spring systems, the spring is mechanically stressed much less, thereby creating a required closing force that is much less for closing of the nipper. This leads to an increased level of comfort and a reduction in tiring of the hand muscles. Furthermore, the reduced levels of mechanical stresses ensure that the new spring system withstands many more closing cycles without weakening or breakage as compared to the prior art. The coil spring offers a defined surface structure along the handles, which increases the grip. Especially in wet or oily conditions, the nipper tends to slip less often due to the closure form of the spirals.
Further, the closed back loop of the coil spring increases the contact zone between the hand and the nipper significantly, which results in greater control and a higher precision in handling and nipping, even when being used with the non-dominant hand.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a nipper including two crossing levers movably connected at a joint, each of the levers having a finished distal portion having at least one blade, an unfinished proximal portion, and a coil-spring connector at a junction of the distal and proximal portions, and a coil spring having a hollow interior and two ends, each of the two ends being connected to a respective coil-spring connector and visually covering substantially all of a respective proximal portion. Accordingly, the spiral spring covers both handles and generates a closed loop on the back side of those handles.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method for manufacturing a nipper, including the steps of providing each of two levers with a nipper blade at a finished distal portion having a proximal end, an unfinished proximal portion connected at the proximal end of the distal portion, and a coil-spring connector at a junction of the distal and proximal portions, movably connecting the two levers at a joint to form a nipper with the nipper blades, and visually covering substantially all of the proximal portion of each lever by sliding each end of a coil spring over the respective proximal portion and securing each end of the coil spring at the respective coil-spring connector
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the coil spring is at least one of a steel alloy, an aluminum alloy, and a plastic.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the coil spring is coated by at least one of paint, plastics, gold, silver, nickel, chrome, a carbide coating, and a nitride coating.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the coil spring has a length and is of a material having a thickness that varies along the length of the coil spring.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the coil spring has a length and a cross diameter that varies along the length of the coil spring.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the coil spring has a length and a cross-sectional shape of the spring not of a constant dimension along the length of the coil spring.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the coil spring has a round cross-sectional shape along the length of the coil spring
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the coil spring has a non-round cross-sectional shape along the length of the coil spring.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the coil spring is flat at each of the two ends.
In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the proximal portions are plastic-coated.
In accordance with again a further mode of the invention, the two levers are provided as two mirror-symmetrical levers.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the nipper blades are held apart with the coil spring in a steady-state of the nipper.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a self-opening nipper and methods for manufacturing same, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention.
Additional advantages and other features characteristic of the present invention will be set forth in the detailed description that follows and may be apparent from the detailed description or may be learned by practice of exemplary embodiments of the invention. Still other advantages of the invention may be realized by any of the instrumentalities, methods, or combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, which are not true to scale, and which, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to illustrate further various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention. Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention.
Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
Relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
As used herein, the term “about” or “approximately” applies to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances these terms may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure.
Herein various embodiments of the present invention are described. In many of the different embodiments, features are similar. Therefore, to avoid redundancy, repetitive description of these similar features may not be made in some circumstances. It shall be understood, however, that description of a first-appearing feature applies to the later described similar feature and each respective description, therefore, is to be incorporated therein without such repetition.
Described now are exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to
The coil spring 530 is, for example, coated by paint, plastics, gold, silver, nickel, chrome and/or any carbide or nitride coating. In an exemplary embodiment, a thickness of the material making up the coil spring 2400 is constant along the length of the spring as shown in
Alternatively, the outer diameter of the coil spring 2800 can be greater at the ends of the coil spring 2800 than at the middle thereof as shown in
In an alternative or additional exemplary embodiment, the cross diameter of the coil spring varies along the length of the spring.
In an alternative or additional exemplary embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the rod comprising the coil spring is round along the length of the spring, as shown, for example, in
In an alternative or additional exemplary embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the spring is not round, for example, it is square 3000 as shown in
In an alternative or additional exemplary embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the spring 3200 is not of constant dimensions along the length of the spring as shown, for example, in
In an alternative or additional exemplary embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of rod 3600 comprising the spring is not round along the length of the spring, for example, rectangular or ovular. An example of a rectangular rod shape is shown in
Each of these varying configurations can be used interchangeably or in any combination. Use of different numerals for the various embodiment of the coil spring 530, 2400, 2600, 2800, 3000, 3200, 3600, therefore, is not selected to limit the possibility of such combinations.
The handle half 510 is shown in more particular detail in
The distal section 1110 starts at a stop collar 1210, which in this exemplary embodiment is frusto-conical, decreasing in size away from the proximal section 1112. The distal section 1110 continues with an intermediate pivot portion 2110 and ends with a blade portion 2112, the latter terminating in the blade 511. Each of the stop collar 1210, the intermediate pivot portion 2110, and the blade portion 2112 form a finished part, including both the grinding and polishing steps.
The proximal section 1112 starts at the proximal end of the stop collar 1210 and extends proximally all the way to the proximal end 1114 of the handle half 510. The distal-most portion of the proximal section 1112 has a coil spring connector 1410, an example of which is best shown in
The process for assembling the coil spring 530 of the nipper 500 is shown in
Assisting the retention of the coil spring 530 in the coil spring connector 1410 is a securing ramp 1412 that is sized, in another exemplary embodiment, to have a diameter slightly larger than the cylindrical interior center space of the coil spring 530. In this way, installation of the coil spring 530 onto the proximal section 1112 occurs by slightly stretching the end coils outward as they are slid in the direction of the stop collar 1210. When the first coil enters the coil spring connector 1410, it is caused to spring back inwards and form-lock therein. In contrast to the last coil, the coils adjacent the first coil on the ramp portion remain slightly stretched outwards to form a force-locking or clamped connection that enhances and augments the hold of the form-locking first coil onto the proximal section 1112 to securely retain the coil spring 530 on the proximal section 1112 after installation. An alternative embodiment has the securing ramp 1412 sized to have an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the coil spring 530 but with the last coil having a smaller diameter as shown in
As an end of a typical rod forming a coil spring 530 is not flat, in an exemplary embodiment, each of the ends of the coil spring 530 can be flat, for example, by grinding as shown in
In one exemplary embodiment, the handle half 510′ is a minor image of the handle half 510 shown in
Manufacturing of the nipper 500 occurs by machining each of the handle halves 510, 510′ from a single blank, for example, of stainless steel. Each handle half 510, 510′ is rough formed as shown in
The foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate the principles, exemplary embodiments, and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.