GB2461135A

GB2461135A - Ambidextrous scissors

Info

Publication number: GB2461135A
Application number: GB0811919A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Herault
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-06-28
Filing date: 2008-06-28
Publication date: 2009-12-30
Anticipated expiration: 2028-06-28
Also published as: GB2461135B; GB0811919D0

Abstract

A pair of ambidextrous scissors comprises: an upper blade 12; a preferably parallel pair of lower blades 14, 16 that are preferably separated by more than the width of the upper blade; and a pivot 18 for mounting the upper blade with respect to the lower blades so that the upper blade can yaw about an axis through the pivot. The upper blade may move between a first position in which it is engaged with the first lower blade and a second position in which it is engaged with the second lower blade. The blades may comprise actuation portions 22, 24, 26, preferably in the form of holes for the user's finger or thumb. The first and second lower blades may be separate or they may be made from a single, preferably U-shaped, piece of material in which the U-shaped bend is preferably distal from the actuation portions and the lower blades are preferably connected to the same actuation portion. The scissors may also comprise one or more spacers 150 that may be attached to the upper blade and engage with one or both of the lower blades or that may be attached to each of the lower blades and engage with the upper blade.

Description

AMBIDEXTROUS SCISSORS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to ambidextrous scissors.

Background of the Invention

Conventional scissors can be comfortably utilised with one hand, conventional right and left handed scissors being the mirror image of each other. Conventional scissors have two blades which, in use, shear the material between them.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a pair of ambidextrous scissors, the scissors comprising: an upper blade; a pair of lower blades; and a pivot for pivotally mounting the upper blade with respect of lower blades, wherein the upper blade is adapted to yaw about an axis through the pivot.

In an embodiment of the invention, when a right handed user uses the scissors, the action of bringing the blades together will cause the upper blade to yaw towards the left lower blade such that a sheet of material can be cut by a shearing action between the upper blade and the left lower blade. When a left handed user uses the scissors the cutting action will cause the upper blade to yaw towards the right lower blade permitting the sheet of material to be cut by a shearing action between the upper blade and the right lower blade.

Preferably, the upper blade is adapted to yaw between a first position in which the upper blade is engaged with the first lower blade and the second position in which the upper blade is engaged with the second lower blade.

Preferably, the first and second lower blades are parallel.

Preferably, each of the blades defines a cutting edge.

Preferably, the first lower blade cutting edge lies in the same plane as the second lower blade cutting edge.

Preferably, the lower blades are required to be separated by more than the width of the upper blade. This allows the upper blade to shear material against only one lower blade.

Preferably, the scissors comprise at least one actuation portion, each actuation portion being associated with one of the blades.

Preferably, the actuation portions are holes through which a user's thumb or finger can pass.

In one embodiment, the first and second lower blades are separate.

In an alternative embodiment, the first and second lower blades are made from a single piece of material.

Preferably, in this embodiment, the piece of material is bent into a U-shape.

Preferably, the U-shaped piece of material defines the bend, the bend being located distal from the actuation portions. Such an arrangement provides a blunt end to the first and second blades which, when the upper blade is closed with respect to the lower blades, also covers the tip of the upper blade reducing the possibility of injury from the closed scissors.

In an alternative embodiment, both lower blades are connected to the same actuation portion.

In a further embodiment, when the first and second lower blades are defined by a U-shaped piece of material, the bend of the U is adjacent to the actuation portions.

The scissors may comprise one or more spacers. Spacers maybe provided to ensure the top edge of the upper blade remains spaced away from the lower blades. This help prevents jamming of the material being cut..

The/each spacer may be attached to the upper blade and engageable with one or both of the lower blades.

Alternatively, there may be a pair of spacers, each spacer attached to one of the lower blades and engageable with the upper blade.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1-Shows a perspective view of a pair of ambidextrous scissors according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 -Shows a bottom view of the scissors of Figure 1 being used with the right hand (index finger indicated).

Figure 3 -Shows a bottom view of the scissors of Figure 1 being used with the left hand (index finger indicated).

Figure 4 -Shows a design with a single bottom piece connecting the blades from the front.

Figure 5 -Shows a design with a single bottom piece connecting the blades from the back.

Figure 6 -Shows a design with a single bottom piece connecting the blades from the bottom.

Figure 7 -Shows a design with two lower blades/pieces connected at the front.

Figure 8 -Shows a design with two lower blades/pieces connected at the back.

Figure 9 -Shows a design with two lower blades/pieces connected to a single actuation portion.

Figure 10 -Shows a section A-A view from the actuation points of part of a pair of scissors according to a final embodiment of the invention.

Figure 11 -Shows a side view of part of the scissors of Figure 10.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Referring firstly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a pair of ambidextrous scissors, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, the scissors 10 comprising an upper blade 12, a first lower blade 14, a second lower blade 16 and a pivot 18 for pivotally mounting the upper blade 12 with respect to the lower blades 14, 16. As can be seen particularly from Figure 2 and Figure 3, the upper blade 12 is adapted to yaw about an axis 20 through the pivot 18.

The upper blade 12 is attached to an actuation portion 22 in the form of a finger hole. The lower blades 14,16 are attached to actuation portions 24, 26 respectively in the form of thumb holes 24, 26.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, bottom views of the scissors 10 in Figure 1 in first and second configurations, when the user engages the scissors 10 with their right hand (Figure 2), the right index finger 30 engages finger hole 22 associated with the upper blade 12, causing the upper blade 12 to yaw towards the second lower blade 16. In this arrangement a piece of material can be cut between the upper blade 12 and the second lower blade 16 by a shearing action.

However, when a left handed user grips the scissors 10 (Figure 3), the user's left index finger 32 passes through the finger hole 22, associated with the upper blade 12, the upper blade 12 yaws towards the first lower blade 14 permitting material to be cut between the upper blade 12 and the first lower blade 14 by a shearing action.

As can be seen clearly from Figures 2 and 3, the first and second lower blades 14, 16 are made from a single piece of material 34 bent in a U-shape.

This is advantageous because the bend 36 of the U shape material 34 permits, in the closed configuration (shown in Figure 1) for the tip of the upper blade 12 to be contained within the bend 36. Therefore, in the closed configuration, the blade tips are not exposed.

The rest of the figures, 4-9, show a number of different configurations in which this design could be utilised. Figure 4 gives an arrangement where the two lower blades are connected at the point furthest away from the handles. This seems like the optimum way of configuring the blades as they will be held in place at two locations, the handle and the curved blade, with the least amount of material used. Figure 5 gives an arrangement where the two lower blades are connected at the back of the thumb handle with three open ended blades. Figure 6 shows an arrangement where the two lower blades are connected along the lower edge of the thumb blade. Figure 7 and 8 show two ways in which the design can be created by using two separate lower blade that are fixed together, at the front (figure 7) and the rear (figure 8). Figure 9 gives an example of the design with only one handle hole for the thumb blade, which means that the lower blade is only connected to the thumb from one side.

Figures 10 and 11 show views of parts of a pair of scissors 110 incorporating a spacer 150 according to a final embodiment of the present invention. The scissors comprise an upper blade 112 and lower blades 114,116. the spacer 150 is mounted adjacent the pivot 118 and the finger/thumb holes 122,124.

The spacer 150 makes sure that the top edge of the top blade 112 remains in the centre (or just far enough away from either lower blade 114,116 to prevent the top edges of the blades from jamming the material as it flows past). For best results the spacer 150 should be located in such a position that is out of reach of the paper, e.g. close to the actuation points 122,124. Having the spacers 150 in this location prevents the feature from also jamming the paper.

Additional advantages of this is that it reduces the yawing of the top blade 112, which decreases the amount of lateral movement and increases visibility.

Claims

IClaims 1. A pair of ambidextrous scissors, the scissors comprising: an upper blade; a pair of lower blades; and a pivot for pivotally mounting the upper blade with respect to the lower blades, wherein the upper blade is adapted to yaw about an axis through the pivot.
2. The ambidextrous scissors of claim 1, wherein the upper blade is adapted to yaw between a first position in which the upper blade is engaged with the first lower blade and a second position in which the upper blade is engaged with the second lower blade.
3. The ambidextrous scissors of any preceding claim, wherein the first and second lower blades are parallel.
4. The ambidextrous scissors of any preceding claim, wherein each of the blades * ..: defines a cutting edge. **** * * ****:.20 5. The ambidextrous scissors of claim 4, wherein the first lower blade cutting edge lies I..* in the same plane as the second lower blade cutting edge.S
5.5... * . *S.....

*
6. The ambidextrous scissors of any preceding claim, wherein the lower blades are required to be separated by more than the width of the upper blade.
7. The ambidextrous scissors of any preceding claim, wherein the scissors comprise at least one actuation portion, each actuation portion being associated with one of the blades.
8. The ambidextrous scissors of claim 7, wherein the actuation portions are holes through which a user's thumb or finger can pass.
9. The ambidextrous scissors of any preceding claim, wherein the first and second lower blades are separate.
10. The ambidextrous scissors of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first and second lower blades are made from a single piece of material.
11. The ambidextrous scissors of claim 10, wherein in this embodiment, the piece of material is bent into a U-shape.
12. The ambidextrous scissors of claim 11 when dependant on claim 9, wherein the U-shaped piece of material defines the bend, the bend being located distal from the *...actuation portions. I..
13. The ambidextrous scissors of either of claims 8 or 9, wherein both lower blades are * : connected to the same actuation portion. *.*. * *
14, The ambidextrous scissors of claim 11 when dependant on claim 9, wherein when the first and second lower blades are defined by a U-shaped piece of material, the bend of the U is adjacent to the actuation portions.I
15. The ambidextrous scissors of any preceding claim, wherein the scissors comprise one or more spacers.
16. The ambidextrous scissors of claim 15, wherein the/each spacer is attached to the upper blade and engageable with one or both of the lower blades.
17. The ambidextrous scissors of claim 15, wherein the scissors comprise a pair of spacers, each spacer attached one of the lower blades and engageable with the upper blade. * * . S. S * ** * S S.. * -.5 5 *. SS * C.SSSS.Sw* * .I