Abstract
An electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus includes a housing having a front face and a rear face, two sides, a top and a bottom. The front face of the housing having an open slot at least 0.5 mm in height and between 0.7 cm and 4 cm in width, the slot having a front-facing opening and a rear-facing opening. Within the housing and proximal to the rear-facing opening is a vertically translating nail-cutting blade plate associated with an electric motor that is configured to translate the nail-cutting blade plate consecutively down and up. The blade plate is a solid material having an opening therein, wherein the top of the opening comprises a cutting blade with a cutting edge within the opening such that the cutting edge is adjacent the rear-facing element.
Claims
1. An electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus comprising: a) a housing having a front face and a rear face, two sides, a top and a bottom; b) the front face of the housing having an open slot at least 0.5 mm in height and between 0.7 cm and 3 cm in width, the slot having a front-facing opening and a rear-facing opening; c) within the housing and proximal to the rear-facing opening is a vertically translating nail-cutting blade plate associated with an electric motor that is configured to translate the nail-cutting blade plate consecutively down and up; and d) the nail-cutting blade plate comprising a solid material having an opening therein with a top of the opening and a bottom of the opening, wherein the top of the opening in the solid material comprises a cutting blade with a cutting edge within the opening in the solid material such that the cutting edge is adjacent the rear-facing opening.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the front-facing opening in the slot further comprises a recess for accepting tips of digits or toes when fingernails or toenails, respectively, are inserted into the slot.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the electric motor is configured to continually move the entire blade plate up and down.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the electric motor engages the blade plate with a rotating cam that engages the blade plate to repetitively move the blade plate up and down.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the blade plate is supported within a groove located behind the front face of the housing, with the cutting edge proximal to the slot.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein a bracing plate located against a side of the blade plate distal from the cutting edge stabilizes blade plate as the blade plate moves up and down.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the bracing plate can be inserted or removed from the apparatus by sliding the brace plate within a second groove that secures the blade plate within the apparatus.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein upon removal of the bracing plate from the apparatus, the blade plate becomes exposed and can be removed from the apparatus.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the bracing plate has raised or extending elements on a surface to transmit pressure against the blade plate.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the electric motor is configured to move the entire blade plate up and down, with a time delay in transition from at least one direction to the other.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the electric motor engages the blade plate with a rotating cam that engages the blade plate to repetitively move the blade plate up and down.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the blade plate is supported within a groove located behind the front face of the housing, with the cutting edge proximal to the slot.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a bracing plate located against a side of the blade plate distal from the cutting edge stabilizes blade plate as the blade plate moves up and down.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the bracing plate can be inserted or removed from the apparatus by sliding the brace plate within a second groove that secures the blade plate within the apparatus.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein upon removal of the bracing plate from the apparatus, the blade plate becomes exposed and can be removed from the apparatus.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the bracing plate has raised or extending elements on a surface to transmit pressure against the blade plate.
17. A method of cutting human nails on digits selected from the group consisting of fingers and toes comprising: providing an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus comprising: a) a housing having a front face and a rear face, two sides, a top and a bottom; b) the front face of the housing having an open slot at least 0.5 mm in height and between 0.7 cm and 3 cm in width, the slot having a front-facing opening and a rear-facing opening; c) within the housing and proximal to the rear-facing opening is a vertically translating nail-cutting blade plate associated with an electric motor that is configured to translate the nail-cutting blade plate consecutively down and up; and d) the blade plate comprising a solid material having an opening therein with a top of the opening and a bottom of the opening, wherein the top of the opening in the solid material comprises a cutting blade with a cutting edge within the opening in the solid material such that the cutting edge is adjacent the rear-facing opening; the method comprising inserting a human nail into the slot, and the electric motor translating the cutting blade down and across the human nail inserted into the slot, thereby cutting off a portion of the human nail inserted into the slot.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the front-facing opening in the slot further comprises a recess for accepting tips of digits or toes when fingernails or toenails, respectively, are inserted into the slot, and the recess cushioning the tips of digits while prevent flesh in the digits from entering the slot.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein when the electric motor continually moves the blade plate up and down.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein when the electric motor moves the blade plate up and down, with a time delay in transition from at least one direction of up or down to the other direction.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front access plate on an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a reciprocating cutting blade in an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(3) FIG. 3A is a left-side perspective view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(4) FIG. 3B is a top-side perspective view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(5) FIG. 3C is a right-side perspective view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(6) FIG. 3D is a front view of a nail slot showing a flat bottom edge and a curved top edge.
(7) FIG. 4 is a front view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(8) FIG. 5 is a left-side view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(9) FIG. 6 is a back-to-front perspective view of an opened electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(10) FIG. 7 is a front-to-back perspective view of an opened electrically-powered nail to cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(11) FIG. 8A is a front-to-back perspective view of electrical clips to attach a power source to a motor driving movement of the blade in an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(12) FIG. 8B is a back-to-front perspective view of electrical clips to attach a power source to a motor driving movement of the blade in an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(13) FIG. 9A is a front-to-back perspective view of electrical motor used to assist in motivating cutting blade movement.
(14) FIG. 9B is a back-to-front perspective view of electrical motor used to assist in motivating cutting blade movement.
(15) FIG. 10A shows a perspective view of a front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system of the present invention.
(16) FIG. 10B shows a side cutaway view of the front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system of the present invention shown in FIG. 10A, but without the blade shown.
(17) FIG. 10C shows a side cutaway view of the front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system of the present invention shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, but with the blade shown supported by a spring and glide controls.
(18) FIG. 11A shows a perspective view of a front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system of the present invention with the cover plate removed to expose the interior supports for the blade.
(19) FIG. 11B shows a perspective view of a front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system of the present invention with the cover plate removed to expose the blade supported by interior supports.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(20) An electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus includes a housing having a front is face and a rear face, two sides, a top and a bottom. The front face of the housing having an open slot at least 0.5 mm in height and between 0.7 cm and 4 cm in width, the slot having a front-facing opening and a rear-facing opening. Within the housing and proximal to the rear-facing opening is a vertically translating nail-cutting blade plate associated with an electric motor that is configured to translate the nail-cutting blade plate consecutively down and up. The blade plate is a solid material having an opening therein, wherein the top of the opening includes a cutting blade with a cutting edge within the opening such that the cutting edge is adjacent the rear-facing element. The dimensions in height facilitate nail thickness entry into the cutting position. Some nails are more curved that others and thicker than others, so that these dimensions may significantly vary upwards, but will not vary to lesser heights as it would severely limit the number of people that could use the clipper. Upper heights can be 0.75 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.25 mm, 1.5 mm and even as much as 3.5 mm to allow toe nails that have been damaged and malformed to fit within the opening and be exposed to the blades. The opening may be relatively uniform in thickness, or have a greater height on one side (or in the middle) than on the other side (or sides) to allow easier unassisted entry into the opening at one position and then repositioning of the nail within the opening to align the entire nail within the opening. The blade used is preferably made of metal, a rust-resistant metal such as stainless steel or titanium, and other components may be to variously made of polymeric materials and metal (the motor must have some metal components).
(21) The front-facing opening in the slot further preferably includes a recess for accepting tips of digits or toes when fingernails or toenails, respectively, are inserted into the slot, but without allowing any significant penetration of the flesh of the digit or toe into the opening where the blade could contact the flesh in a cutting orientation. This may be a three-dimensional depression, a cavity, a molded open area, or cutout volume in the front face of the housing.
(22) The apparatus preferably has the electric motor configured to continually move the blade plate up and down, or the electric motor is configured to move the blade plate up and down, with a time delay in transition from at least one direction to the other. A timing element, rheostat or any other timing device may be used to allow time between downward movements of the blade plate for the user to exchange or reorient toes or fingers that are to have their nails trimmed without having to gauge when it is timely to insert a nail in the slot. An indicator light may also be present on the apparatus indicating an appropriate time period when a nail may be inserted as opposed to the user guessing when the slot may not be blocked by the blade plate in an extended, lowered position.
(23) The apparatus may perform its up-and-sown movement of the blade plate by the electric motor engaging the blade plate with a rotating cam that engages the blade plate to repetitively move the blade plate up and down. The cam may have a post which impacts against the bottom of the blade plate or engages a slot in the blade plate (preferably relatively below the opening to the blade, so that the blade plate is pulled down and pushed up by the rotating movement of the post extending from the cam, driven by the motor).
(24) The apparatus preferably has the blade plate supported within a groove located behind the front face of the housing, with the cutting edge proximal to the slot. The cutting edge of the blade plate should intimately slide across the slot during its repetitive movement. In the apparatus, a bracing plate may be located against a side of the blade plate distal from the cutting edge. The bracing plate stabilizes the blade plate as the blade plate moves up and down. The bracing plate can be inserted or removed from the apparatus by sliding the brace plate within a second groove that secures the blade plate within the apparatus. Upon removal of the bracing plate from the apparatus, the blade plate becomes exposed and can be removed from the apparatus. The blade plate is free sliding, and can be slid upward out of the apparatus (e.g., for replacement or sharpening) or it may be manually or tool-removed from the groove.
(25) The apparatus may be configured wherein the bracing plate has raised or extending elements on a surface to transmit pressure against the blade plate. As the bracing plate is fixed within the apparatus, these elements press against the blade plate to assure a strong pressure of the blade against the slot.
(26) A review of the figures will assist in an understanding of the present invention.
(27) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front access plate 100 on an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention. The front access plate 100 has a forward-facing surface 102, a right side 110, a left side 112, an opening 104 for insertion of a removable clippings collection tray (not shown), a recessed area 106 for positioning nails into a blade accessing nail receiving slot 108. The plate 100 may be permanently affixed onto an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention, or may be slideable into place on the front of the electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus.
(28) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a reciprocating cutting blade unit 200 in an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention. The blade unit 200 has a structural frame 202, a blade providing opening 210, a cam attending opening 204 to assist in movement of the blade unit 200, a bottom surface 205 of the blade unit 200, and a blade 212 which is moved repeatedly up and down to slice nails inserted into the electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention. The blade 212 is shown here in a distal portion of the blade unit 200, but may be on a more proximal position in the blade unit 200. That is, the cutting edge of the blade 212 may be farther from or closer to surface 214 of the blade unit 200. As later explained, a rotating element with an eccentrically positioned cam post has the post positioned within the cam attending opening 204. As the cam post is eccentrically driven, it forces the blade unit 200 up and down to drive the blade 212. The cam attending opening 204 would likely (as later shown) be wider (parallel to the bottom 206 of the blade unit 200 than represented in FIG. 2.
(29) FIG. 3A is a left-side perspective view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 300 according to the present invention. The electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 300 is shown with a top 302, bottom 304, removeable nail cuttings tray 306, on-off button 308, external power source connection 310, digit-supporting recessed area 320 and nail-accepting slot 322. Although an external power source is illustrated in this FIG. 3A, an internal battery-source (not shown) may of course be used. Identical numbers in FIGS. 3B and 3C are identical elements in the electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 300 according to the present invention.
(30) FIG. 3B is a top-side perspective view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 300 according to the present invention. A bottom plate 312 and legs 314 are shown. The legs 314 may be pads to prevent the electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 300 according to the present invention from scratching surfaces on which it is placed.
(31) FIG. 3C is a right-side perspective view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 300 according to the present invention. A back surface 316 is also shown.
(32) FIG. 3D is a front view of a nail-accepting slot 322 showing a flat bottom edge and a curved top edge.
(33) FIG. 4 is a front view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 400 according to the present invention. The recessed digit receiving area 420 with a nail-accepting slot 422 is shown. The removeable clippings capture tray 406, bottom 404 and on-off button 408 is shown, along with the height h and width w of the device.
(34) FIG. 5 is a left-side view of an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 500 according to the present invention. The electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 500 has a top 502, bottom 504, electric receptor 510, right side wall 512 and on-off button 506.
(35) FIG. 6 is a back-to-front perspective view of an opened electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 600 according to the present invention. Shown on the opened electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 600 are an electric motor 602, support box 604 for the on-off button 606, and an external structural frame 608 to support forward elements in the opened electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 600. The external electric source connection 612 is shown overlaying the bottom or base 614.
(36) FIG. 7 is a front-to-back perspective view of an opened electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 700 according to the present invention. Again are shown an electric motor 702, support box 704 for the on-off button 706, and an external structural frame 708 and 710 to support forward elements in the opened electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus 700. Among the forward elements are the insertable/removable front plate 728, the recessed area for positioning digits 730, a chute 726 for capturing nail clippings (not shown) and directing them for deposit into removable clipping tray 722 with a capture area 724 for the nail clippings. A support frame 720 for guiding the removable tray 722 is shown. The motor may contain a timing function (not shown) such as a circuit, rheostat or microchip to control the speed, time repetition sequence, time intervals and the like for operation of the motor so that the blades moves up and down at an effective rate (e.g., a complete cycle every 5-50 seconds). The circuit may be a field programmable gated array (FPGA) or ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), the first being programmable, and the second being hardened in the integrated circuit.
(37) FIG. 8A is a front-to-back perspective view of electrical clips 800 to attach a power source to a motor driving movement of the blade in an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention. The two sets of clips, one clipped to the on-off controls 802 and the other connected to the motor 804 are shown. Clip 806 may be a ground or stabilizing clip to prevent excess internal movement of the clips 800. Identical numbers in FIG. 8A are identical elements described in FIG. 8A.
(38) FIG. 8B is a back-to-front perspective view of electrical clips 800 to attach a power source to a motor driving movement of the blade in an electrically-powered nail cutting apparatus according to the present invention.
(39) FIG. 9A is a front-to-back perspective view of electrical motor 900 used to assist in motivating cutting blade movement. The motor 900 is shown with an electric plug 906, rotating shaft 902 and eccentric cam post 904. As the motor 900 rotates the shaft 902. Looking at the movement of the eccentric cam post 904 and the cam attending opening 204 to assist in movement of the blade unit 200, as shown in FIG. 2, as the cam post 904 is rotated up, the blade unit 200 is elevated to a highest position. As the cam post 904 rotates down, it presses against the lowest interior edge of the cam attending opening 204 to force movement of the blade unit 200 in a downward path. The downward force will press the blade 212 against and through any nail extending into the device. The motor 900 speed and torque applied to the cam post 9042 will determine the frequency of cutting operations and the force applied during those cutting operations. The motor may be programmed to move continuously (same rotation frequency and speed for the shaft 902, or may have its speed in a step manner, such as to move the blade unit 200 down at an optimal speed, stop at a lowest position of the blade unit 200, lift the blade unit at a desired speed (less significant because the speed is merely to reset the blade unit 200 to a pre-cutting position (as with an elevated guillotine blade), and then optionally pause (a light may be used to indicate that a pause position has been reached), and the shaft 902 rotated to force the blade unit 200 down to cut any nail that has been inserted into the device.
(40) FIG. 9B is a back-to-front perspective view of electrical motor 900 used to assist in motivating cutting blade movement. Electrical plugs 906 and the forward positioned shaft 902 are also shown.
(41) FIG. 10A shows a perspective view of a front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system 1000 of the present invention. The front plate 1002 is shown with the nail accessing curved opening 1004, the chute 1006 for directing nail clippings,
(42) FIG. 10B shows a side cutaway view of the front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system of the present invention 1000a shown in FIG. 10A, but without the blade shown. The forward blade support elements 1008 are glide supports on both sides of a blade (not shown). The front plate 1002 and the chute 1006 are also shown.
(43) FIG. 10C shows a side cutaway view of the front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system of the present invention 1000b shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, but with the blade 1012 shown supported by a spring 1014 and glide controls 1010. The top portion 1016 of the spring 1014 maintain pressure on the blade 1012 so that the blade 1012 remains flush against the inside of the front plate 1002 as the blade 1012 slides up and down.
(44) FIG. 11A shows a perspective view of a front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system of the present invention with the cover plate removed to expose the interior supports for the blade.
(45) FIG. 11B shows a perspective view of a front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system of the present invention with the cover plate
(46) FIG. 10C shows a side cutaway view of the front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system 1000 of the present invention shown in FIG. 10A, but with the blade 1010 shown. The cover 1002 is on the front of the clipping system 1000. The bottom cutting edge 1012 of the blade 1010 is shown supported to between the cover 1002 and a spring/tension-providing plate 1014, with a top, forward pressing component 1016 keeping the blade 1010 as it is driven during a cutting operation.
(47) FIG. 11A shows a perspective view of a front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system 1100 of the present invention with the cover plate removed to expose the interior supports 1118a and 1118b for the blade (not present). There is spacing 1120 behind each of the interior supports 1118a and 1118b and in front of the forward section 1116 of the spring/tension-providing plate 1014 (of FIG. 10B).
(48) FIG. 11B shows a perspective view of a front section of the electrically-powered nail clipping system 1100 of the present invention with the cover plate removed to expose the blade 1110 supported by interior supports of the interior supports or glide controls 1118a and 1118b on the sides to control a blade (not shown) and in front of the spring/tension-providing plate 1014 above a back plate 1119 above the chute 1106. The combined tension between the interior supports 1118a and 1118b and in front of the spring/tension-providing plate 1014 established part of a biasing, guiding track for the blade 1110 to travel along and not be deflected out of alignment as cutting edge of the blade slices through a nail.
(49) Although specific materials, dimensions and descriptions are provided, these examples are mere species within the generic concepts of the present invention.
