Nail clippers and method of using

Abstract

A nail clipper whose jaws are configured to reduce the risk of clipping the tip of a toe or finger when trimming the nail thereof. The clipper includes first and second jaws, with the second jaw opposing the first jaw and being sufficiently adjacent the first jaw to define a gap therebetween for receiving the nail of a finger or toe. The clipper further includes a feature for pivoting the first and second jaws toward each other. A blade is provided on the first jaw and extends toward the second jaw, and a plate is provided on the second jaw so as to oppose the blade of the first jaw. The plate has a planar surface against which the blade abuts when the first jaw is fully pivoted toward the second jaw by the pivoting feature. As such, only one of the jaws is formed to have a cutting feature (blade), so that the jaws cooperate to cut through a nail from only one side of the nail.

1 . A nail clipper for trimming nails of fingers and toes, the nail clipper comprising: 
 a first jaw;    a second jaw opposing the first jaw and sufficiently adjacent the first jaw to define a gap therebetween for receiving the nail of a finger or toe;    means for pivoting the first and second jaws toward each other;    a blade on the first jaw extending toward the second jaw; and    a plate on the second jaw opposing the blade of the first jaw, the plate having a planar surface against which the blade abuts when the first jaw is fully pivoted toward the second jaw by the pivoting means;    whereby only the first jaw comprises means for cutting the nail and the first and second jaws cooperate to cut through the nail from only one side thereof.    
   
   
       2 . The nail clipper according to  claim 1 , wherein the blade is substantially normal to the plate when the first jaw is pivoted into contact with the second jaw.  
   
   
       3 . The nail clipper according to  claim 1 , wherein the blade extends toward the second jaw in a first direction and the blade has an arcuate cross-section in a plane normal to the first direction.  
   
   
       4 . The nail clipper according to  claim 1 , wherein the blade extends toward the second jaw in a first direction, the plate lies in a plane normal to the first direction, and the plate terminates at a distal edge beyond the blade so that a lip portion of the plate is outside the first and second jaws when the first jaw is fully pivoted toward the second jaw by the pivoting means.  
   
   
       5 . The nail clipper according to  claim 4 , wherein the distal edge of the plate has an arcuate contour in the plane normal to the first direction.  
   
   
       6 . The nail clipper according to  claim 1 , wherein the pivoting means utilizes the first jaw as a fulcrum for pivoting the first jaw toward the second jaw.  
   
   
       7 . A method of using the nail clipper according to  claim 1 , the method comprising: 
 inserting a nail of a digit into the gap between the first and second jaws so that the plate is beneath the nail and shields the digit beneath the nail from the blade of the first jaw; and then    pivoting the first and second jaws toward each other until the nail is trimmed as a result of the blade cutting through the nail until the blade abuts the plate.