Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COMB FOR CLIPPERS
Field of the invention
4 [0001] The present invention relates to a removable comb
intended to be attached onto a hair or beard clipper, and
more particularly to a comb comprising improved attachment
means that makes changing the comb of the clipper easier.
State of the art
[0002] The clipper comb, also called cutting guide, is
used for adjusting the cutting height for the hair or the
hairs of a beard. Some existing cutting guides are firmly
attached to the clipper, whose position can be adjusted by
means of a control member that may be motor-driven.
Moreover, there are removable combs of different sizes
intended to be attached onto the head of the clipper by the
user in order to adapt the cutting height.
[0003] In the latter case, many systems for locking the
comb to the clipper are known. The comb may either be
attached to the inside or to the outside of the clipper's
head. Outer attachment systems are disclosed inter alia in
patent applications CA 2,254,672 Al and US 2008/0184565 Al,
as well as in patent US 4,614,036.
[0004] Patent applications CA 2,254,672 Al
and
US 2008/0184565 Al show a comb that comprises at one end a
flexible tab ensuring attachment onto the clipper's blade.
[0005] In US patent 4,614,036, the comb is attached onto
the clipper by means of a flexible tab positioned at the
base of the comb and comprising a hook that may be engaged
into one of the grooves found on the casing of the clipper.
[0006] The locking systems of the state of the art require
direct handling of the tab in order to allow unlocking of
the comb/clipper assembly. Now, it is not always easy to
manipulate the lock either because it is not easy to access
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or because of the effort required for managing to unblock
the system with the result that the user might break a
nail.
Aims of the invention
[0007] The present invention aims to provide a comb
equipped with attachment means that do not have the
drawbacks of the state of the art.
[0008] It thus aims to produce a comb equipped with easily
accessible attachment means that do not require direct
handling of the latch and only require a small effort from
the user.
Main characteristic elements of the invention
[0009] The present invention relates to a removable comb
comprising a latch allowing, in use, to attach said comb
onto a clipper, said latch being positioned on an arc,
whose curvature increases when pressure is applied to the
sides of the arc, the increase in curvature of the arc
causing the unlocking of the comb.
[0010] According to particular embodiments of the
invention, the comb comprises at least one or a suitable
combination of the following characteristics:
- the latch is positioned in the middle of the arc;
- the latch comprises a protrusion cooperating with a
complementary portion on the clipper;
- said complementary portion is a fixed blade of the
clipper or an adapter to be attached on the clipper;
- the comb is a one-piece comb;
- it comprises teeth with a set height comprised between 3
and 25 mm;
- the arc is configured so that its deflection increases by
a distance from 0.2 to 10 mm, preferably from 0.5 to
3 mm.
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[0011] The present invention also relates to a clipper
comprising a comb as described above.
Short description of the figures
[0012] Fig. 1 illustrates three-dimensional views of combs
as in the invention for three different cutting heights (3,
13 and 25 mm).
[0013] Fig. 2 illustrates a three-dimensional view of the
comb/clipper assembly comprising the comb as in the
invention.
[0014] Fig. 3 illustrates three-dimensional views of the
comb as in the invention intended to be attached onto a
removable adapter.
[0015] Fig. 4 illustrates three-dimensional views of the
comb of Fig. 3 and of the clipper comprising the
aforementioned adapter.
[0016] Fig. 5 illustrates by means of arrows the areas of
the comb that are urged and deformed during the unlocking
of the comb.
[0017] Fig. 6 illustrates a sectional view of the
attachment of the comb as in the invention onto the head of
the clipper blade (without any adapter).
[0018] Fig. 7 illustrates sectional views of how the comb
as in the invention is attached onto the clipper (without
any adapter).
[0019] Figs. 8, 9 and 10 respectively illustrate three-
dimensional views of the successive actions to be performed
by the user for detaching the comb from the clipper. As an
example, the actions are illustrated for the comb as in the
invention that is attached onto the fixed blade of the
clipper (without any adapter). The arrows indicate the
sides of the arc that are pressed for increasing the
curvature thereof, allowing to unlock the comb.
4
Key
(1) Comb
(2) Comb tooth
(3) Curved portion, also called arc
(4) Side of the arc with lateral bearing surface
(5) Latch
(6) Clipper
(7) Tab
(8) Protrusion
(9) Fixed blade
(10) Attachment edge
(11) Opening
(12) Adapter
Detailed description of the invention
[0020] The present invention relates to a removable comb
for a clipper, and more particularly to the means for
attaching said comb to the clipper. The clipper may be a
beard or hair clipper or be intended for animal use.
[0021] The comb 1 as in the invention is illustrated in
Figs. 1 and 3 for different cutting heights. It is provided
with teeth 2 on its face intended to be put into contact
with the skin. On the opposite side, it comprises an arc-
shaped flexible curved portion 3 that is preferably made in
a plastic material integral with the whole of the comb (one-
piece structure).
[0022] The arc 3 comprises two lateral bearing surfaces 4
intended to be pinched by the user upon unlocking the
comb/clipper assembly. The lateral bearing surfaces may
equally be comprised in the continuity of the arc as in
Fig. 3 or form distinctive surfaces of the arc with, for
example, a raised portion or grooves as in Fig. 1.
[0023] The arc 3 comprises a latch 5 ensuring the attachment
of the comb 1 onto the clipper 6 (see Figs. 4 and 7). More
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specifically, the latch ensures the attachment of the comb
onto the fixed blade 9 of the clipper as illustrated in
Fig. 7 or onto an adapter 12 that may be removably mounted
on the clipper as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
3 [0024] The latch 5 is positioned in the middle of the arc
3 and it comprises a protrusion 8 cooperating with the fixed
blade 9 or with the adapter 12. The protrusion 8 may be
positioned at the top of a tab 7 rising from the arc 3 in a
direction that is substantially perpendicular to the plane
formed by the lateral bearing surfaces 4 and the arc 3 (see
Figs. 1 and 7). This protrusion 8 will grip the fixed blade
9 of the comb upon locking the comb on the clipper. The
protrusion 8 may also be positioned on the arc 3 and be
housed upon locking in an opening 11 provided in the adapter
12 (see Fig. 3).
[0025] At least one of the teeth 2 of the combs comprises
an attachment edge 10 positioned inside the tooth. As
illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, the attachment edges 10 are
configured for attaching the head of the fixed blade of the
clipper. The attachment edges 10 may also allow attachment
to the adapter 12, which is itself provided with attachment
means 10 (see Fig. 3).
[0026] During use, upon unlocking of the comb/clipper
assembly, the user will pinch the lateral bearing surfaces
4 of the comb as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 10, which results
in that the deflection of the arc 3 significantly increases
by a distance of the order of 0.2 to 10 mm, preferably from
0.5 to 3 mm. Thus, during the unlocking operation illustrated
in Figs. 8-10, the latch 5 is detached from the fixed blade
9 or from the adapter if the clipper is provided with an
adapter. The user then only has to remove the comb from the
head of the blade.
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Advantages of the comb as in the invention
[0027] The comb may be made at a low cost due to its one-
piece structure.
[0028] The comb may be easily detached from the clipper by
the user. Thus, unlocking is carried out indirectly by means
of the lateral bearing surfaces and consequently does not
require any manipulation of the latch as such.
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