US2789347A - Seal for electric hair clipper - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1957 J w r 2,789,347

SEAL FOR ELECTRIC HAIR CLIPPER Filed MarchlZ, 1956 United States Patent SEAL FOR ELECTRIC HAIR CLIPPER John F. Wahl and Leo J. Wahl, Sterling, I1l., assignors to Wahl Clipper Corporation, Sterling, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 12, 1956, Serial No. 570,943 Claims. (Cl. 30-208) This invention relates to electric hair clippers, and

driven by mechanism within the case, is positioned between the fixed blade and the case with the forward edge portion of the movable blade protruding somewhat forwardly and laterally of the case. The movable blade has bearing relation with the fixed blade, and the upper surface of the movable blade has a spaced relationship 7 with the case.

Cut hair and other foreign materials tend to enter the clearance space between the movable blade and the case. Such foreign material increases the friction against which the movable blade works and to some extent enters the interior of the case, both to the disadvantage of proper clipper operation.

One object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a seal for the aforesaid clearance space which effectively precludes the entrance of hair and other foreign material.

Another object is to provide such a seal which is selfadjusting in character to compensate for manufacturing variations.

Still another object is to provide a sealing member which readily may be applied to a clipper, or which, if desired, may be a more or less integral part of the clipper case.

In brief, a seal embodying the invention comprises a sheet of resilient material secured or properly related to the forward end of the clipper case, a free edge portion of the sheet extending into pressure-exerting engage- .ment with the adjacent surface of the movable clipper blade. The edge portion of the resilient sheet thus constitutes a fillet which seals the space between the case and movable blade. Variations in dimensions of the aforesaid space are readily compensated for by the resilient characteristic of the sheet material used.

Other objects, advantages and details of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein two embodiments of the invention are shown. It is to be understood that the description and drawing are illustrative only and that the scope of the invention is to be measured by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electric hair clipper embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the head portion of the clipper shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the relationship between the case, movable blade and the :seal of the invention;

Patented Apr. 23, 1957 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a clipper head illustrating a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the head of the clipper shown in Fig. 3, the clearance space between the movable blade and the case being shown somewhat larger than the corresponding space shown in Fig. 2.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the hair clipper there illustrated includes a case 5 enclosing a suitable drive motor (not shown). A fixed clipper blade 6 is mounted at the forward end of case 5. As here shown, fixed blade 6 is secured rigidly to case 5 by screws 7. In other instances a sliding arrangement (not shown) may be provided between blade 6 and case 5 so that the longitudinal position of blade 6 may be adjusted to vary the length of clipper cut.

it will be noted that fixed blade 6 protrudes forwardly and laterally of the end of case 5.

The forward end of case 5 is recessed as shown at 8 to accommodate a movable blade 10, which, like fixed blade 6, protrudes forwardly and laterally of the end of case 5. -As best shown in Fig. 2, movable blade 10 has a lower surface which has a bearing relation with the upper surface of fixed blade 6.

A clearance space 12 exists between the upper surface of movable blade 10 and the adjacent portions of case 5. *It is this clearance space which is sealed against the entry of cut hair and other foreign material by the present invention.

In the form of the invention illustrated in 'Figs. 1 and 2, clipper case 5 has a detachable lid or cover 15 made of suitable material such as molded nylon, for example. Cover'15 is provided with a forward extension 16 which overlies the front end of case 5. Extension 16 is a thin sheet of resilient material which may be molded integrally with cover 15. it has a free edge portion 20 which extends into pressure-exerting engagement (Fig. 2) with the adjacent surface of movable blade 10. This edge portion thus constitutes a fillet which seals the forward clearance space existing between the upper surface of blade 10 and the recessed margin of case 5.

Extension 16 may be and usually is provided with lateral ear portions 22 which are bent with respect to the main plane of extension 16 and are suitably secured to the forward side portions of case 5. These ear portions 22, one being provided on each side of case 5, have edge portions 23 which, like edge portion 20, extend into pressure-exerting engagement with the adjacent surface of movable blade 10. These edge portions 23 thus constitute fillets which seal the clearance space between ends of blade 10 and the adjacent portions of case 5.

As previously mentioned, extension 16 and associated ear portions 22 may be molded integrally with the casing lid or cover 15. The use of the material nylon for extension 16 and ear portions 22 is particularly desirable because of the resilient character of the material and the low friction characteristic it possesses. The latter is particularly important in view of the fact that the edge portions 20 and 23 respectively of extension 16 and ear portions 22 bear with some pressure on the upper surface of blade 10. The resilient characteristic of the material also is of importance to provide the pressure and to compensate for dimensional variations in the construction of the clipper. Thus this sealing arrangement is self-adjusting. The material nylon additionally is particularly suitable because of its noise deadening characteristic and its toughness against wear.

A second or modified form of the invention is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein a sealing member 25 is a separate unit rather than an integral part of the case cover. Mem ber 25, again made of a sheet of resilient material, includes a forward portion or strip 26 suitably secured as by screws or adhesive to the front end of clipper case 27. Strip 26 has a free edge portion 28 which extends into pressure-exerting engagement with the adjacent surface of movable clipper blade 29.

Member 25 also includes a pair of opposite, lateral ear portions 30 which have edge portions 31 extending into pressure-exerting engagement with the adjacent end surfaces of movable blade 29. Ear portions 30 are secured to the sides of case 27 by suitable means such as adhesive or the like.

As in the previous form, edge portions 28 and 31 serve as fillets to seal the clearance space 33 existing between the upper surface of blade 29 and the adjacent portions of case 27. Clearance space 33 in Fig. 4 has been shown larger in size than the corresponding space in Fig. 2 to illustrate the self-adjusting characteristic possessed by the present sealing arrangement.

The thickness of the sheet material used in the sealing members of both forms of the invention preferably is small. For example, nylon can be molded to a thickness as low as 0.005 inch or less, and it has been found that a thickness of this order is highly satisfactory, although a somewhat larger dimension may be used if desired.

When the invention is used on clippers wherein the movable blade is related to the clipper case by means of a slide arrangement so that the length of cut may be varied, the ear portions 22 and 30 of the invention are modified as required to accommodate the sliding mechanism.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and advantages of our invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Various changes in detail may be made without departing from the spirit or losing the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric hair clipper having a case and a movable blade protruding forwardly of said case with a space between said blade and an adjacent portion of said case, the combination therewith of a self-adjusting seal for said space comprising a sheet of resilient material secured to said case and having a free edge portion extending into pressure-exerting engagement with the adjacent surface of said movable blade.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said resilient sheet is comprised of molded nylon.

3. In an electric hair clipper having a case and a movable blade protruding forwardly and laterally of said case with forward and lateral spaces between said blade and adjacent portions of said case, the combination therewith of a self-adjusting seal for said spaces comprising a sheet of resilient material secured to said case, said sheet having a forward portion and lateral portions extending into pressure-exerting engagement with adjacent surfaces of said movable blade.

4. In an electric hair clipper having a case, an upper case cover and a movable blade protruding forwardly of said case with a space between said blade and an adjacent portion of said case, the combination therewith of a forward extension of said cover overlying the forward end of said case, said extension having a free edge portion of resilient material extending into pressure-exerting engagernent with the adjacent surface of said movable blade to provide a self-adjusting seal for said space.

5. In an electric hair clipper having a case, an upper case cover and a movable blade protruding forwardly of said case with forward and lateral spaces between said blade and adjacent portions of said case, the combination therewith of a forward extension of said cover overlying the forward end of said case, said extension having a forward portion and lateral portions of resilient characteristic, said portions extending into pressure-exerting engagement with adjacent surfaces of said movable blade to provide self-adjusting seals for said spaces.

No references cited.

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