Cutlery – Cutting tools – Plural cooperating blades
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-16
2002-10-01
Payer, Hwei-Siu (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Cutting tools
Plural cooperating blades
C030S262000, C030S261000, C030S254000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06457241
ABSTRACT:
The present invention refers to ergonomic scissors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In most cases, scissors have two rings provided on the sides opposite to the blades, through these rings the user engages the thumb and the third or index finger, to hold and operate the scissors.
Such scissors are however not very easy to use for such persons as children or the handicapped, and scissors whose rings are meant for someone right-handed are not easy to use for someone left-handed and vice-versa.
Furthermore, such standard scissors are not practical when used by hairdressers. In fact, a beautician must remove his or her thumb from the ring in order to grab another tool, then re-engage his or her thumb into the ring to use the scissors again. These movements may have to be repeated many times throughout the day; they are tiring, and at times, painful.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to remedy all of these inconveniences.
To that effect, in these scissors, one of the branches includes a rest embossment for the four fingers excluding the thumb, whereas the other branch includes a rest embossment for the thumb. The rest embossment for the four fingers presents an exterior, lateral face to rest these fingers upon, and is joined to a hook, curved in the direction opposite the blade. This lateral, concave face outlines, along with the lateral face of the rest embossment, a housing for the third or the ring finger of the user. The convex face allows, at the location of the base of that hook, a tightening of the hook between the engaged finger and the adjacent finger. The rest embossment for the thumb presents an exterior lateral face aimed to hold the thumb and is widened in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the blades' movement. Furthermore, the scissors include at least one elastic device located between the internal and lateral faces of the rest embossments. This device tends to normally maintain the scissors in a position of mutual separation.
The hook allows a hold of the scissors merely by the positioning of the third or fourth finger in the housing outlined by said hook and by tightening the base of the hook between the engaged and the adjacent fingers. The thumb therefore has no role in the grip of the scissors and is there only to activate the scissors against the reactive force of the elastic device. As a result, the thumb is free in relation to the scissors and can be used to grasp any other tool with the help of the index and third fingers, such as a comb in the case of a beautician, without having to engage or disengage the thumb from the corresponding ring. All fingers but the thumb also allow, jointly with the thumb, through their ample resting surface against said embossment to perfectly direct the scissors while cutting. Furthermore, a left-handed as well as a right-handed person may use the scissors, according to this invention, in the same way, and comfortably.
Preferably, at least one of the rest embossments has, at the location of its extremity closest to the blade, one curved end which is laterally oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the scissors and towards its exterior, the concave face of this extremity being united in a continuous manner to the aforementioned rest embossment.
This extremity forms a ledge for the side of the index finger for the rest embossment for the four fingers or, for the tip of the thumb for the rest area for the thumb. These ledges allow a firm longitudinal grip of the scissors and good control of the direction when cutting. Said curved extremity and/or the concave face may be shaped in such a way to achieve the best orientation of the thumb when the user grasps the scissors.
Suitably, the rest embossment for the four fingers entails a curved end, such as previously described, and the distance separating said hook and the curved extremity corresponds approximately to the width of the fingers positioned between the hook and this extremity.
The convex face of the hook, the lateral face where the fingers rest and the concave face of said curved extremity outline thereby a space strictly adapted to receive one or more fingers. This increases the reliability of the grip of the scissors and the ease of its manipulation.
The rest embossment for the thumb may present, in the farthest portion relative to the blades, an inflexion towards the exterior of the scissors.
The lateral face of this portion espouses thereby the shape of the thumb and increases, in a longitudinal direction, the pressure surface of the thumb against this rest area. The grip and the control of the scissors are further enhanced.
With the same goal, the rest embossment for the four fingers may present, in its farthest portion relative to the blades, a similar inflexion towards the exterior of the scissors.
Suitably, the scissors entail two helicoidal and conical springs that are both attached to the branches by their smaller extremities. These two springs come into contact through their larger extremities when closing the scissors.
These two springs constitute thereby the elastic device and allow a perfect return to the open position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 887494 (1908-05-01), Mulertz
patent: 3869793 (1975-03-01), Ferguson
patent: 4528707 (1985-07-01), Aida
patent: 5279034 (1994-01-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5463814 (1995-11-01), Stowell et al.
patent: 6249977 (2001-06-01), Knoop
Payer Hwei-Siu
Schweitzer Cornman Gross & Bondell LLP
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