| 摘要 |
A rear-pivot-point lever, cam-enabled, captured-spring-biased nail trimmer is disclosed. A base plate with a front cutting edge is pivotally connected to a top plate with a front cutting edge at a central base pivot point. A spring is captured between the plates in a manner that biases the front cutting edges of the trimmer apart until the trimmer is actuated. The top plate has a rear end for receiving and pivotally cooperating with a cammed actuating lever, the front end of which is pushed downward/forward to act against the bias of the spring to close the cutting edges to cut a nail. Because the lever arm pivots at a pivot point or axle at or near the rear end of the trimmer, the thumb and finger(s) of the user are positioned at or near the front of the trimmer during use, and therefore, near the nail being trimmed. This results in stable and non-twisting operation. The lever may be swung around the plates of the trimmer to rest below the bottom plate in a compact configuration. |
| 主权项 |
1. A nail trimmer adapted to be in an open position, an actuated position for cutting a nail, and a storage position, the nail trimmer comprising:
a bottom plate and a top plate pivotally connected at a central pivot point between the front ends and rear ends of said plates, wherein the front end of each plate comprises a cutting edge; a spring captured between the top plate and bottom plate and biasing the front ends of the plates apart to the open position; a lever having an elongated rear portion having a longitudinal axis, an elongated front tip portion having a longitudinal axis, and an elongated middle portion having a longitudinal axis and being between said rear portion and said front tip portion and connected to the rear portion at a junction, wherein the middle portion longitudinal axis is at an obtuse angle to the rear portion longitudinal axis; wherein said rear portion has a rear lever end pivotally connected to said top plate at a rear pivot point that is at or near the rear end of the top plate and that is rearward from the rear end of the bottom plate, and, wherein, in the open position, the rear portion extends forward beside the top plate so that the rear portion longitudinal axis is generally parallel to the top plate, and the middle portion and front tip portion extend upward and forward above said top plate, and wherein the lever further has a cam protrusion on a bottom side of the lever near said junction, wherein, when said front tip portion is pushed toward the top plate, the lever pivots in a first direction and the cam protrusion contacts and cooperates with a top surface of the bottom plate to force the rear end of the bottom plate and the rear end of the top plate apart so that the cutting edges are moved together into the actuated position to cut said nail; and wherein the lever pivots in a direction opposite to said first direction to enter the storage position wherein the rear portion extends downward from said rear pivot point and behind the rear end of the bottom plate, the middle portion is below, parallel to, and against a bottom surface of the bottom plate, and the front tip portion is below and adjacent to the bottom surface of the bottom plate. |
