The Air Trim pet nail grinder is designed to enhance safety and comfort by reducing dust inhalation during grooming. Featuring an integrated fan, it actively directs dust away from the user's face, ensuring a safer and more comfortable grooming experience.
Pet nail grinders are frequently used in vet clinics and grooming salons to smooth a dog’s nails and maintain a comfortable length.
However, traditional grinders create a cloud of fine nail dust that is difficult to avoid inhaling. Over time, this can pose health risks, as dog nails may carry bacteria that can irritate the users lungs.
A cloud of dust is emitted from
shaving the nail away.
It is common for the user to
inhale the dust.
Dog's nails carry bacteria that
can irritate the users lungs.
The initial concept during sketch ideation was to place a shield between the user and the sanding drum to capture dust generated during use.
Made from pink foam and laser cut chip board, some low fidelity prototypes were brought to a local vet clinic for user feedback on the ergonomics of the handle
and shield concept.
Feedback revealed the front grip of each prototype did not allow the user to properly hold the device. They demonstrated the correct way to hold a nail grinder and expressed their concern for the shield concept noting it would interfere with the dog’s nails while in use.
“The grip position is different than how I normally need to hold the device.”
“The skinnier the neck the better. Some flatness would give it more stability.”
“A dust shield would get in the way of grinding the nails.”
The main body was refined based on user feedback to ensure an ergonomic grip position.
Since the original shield concept would interfere with the dog’s nails, an alternative solution was explored.
Dimensions were taken from the internal components of an existing device to use as constraints to inform the final design.
.png)
The use of a fan to disperse dust is common in Dremel products. In this application, the fan will be housed within the front grip of the nail grinder, keeping it safely enclosed to prevent contact with both the user and the dog.
This design allows airflow to effectively divert nail dust away from the user, reducing the risk of inhalation.
The fan will spin along
with the sanding drum.
During use, a breeze directs
dust away from the user.
Nested inside the handle, the fan will not interfere with the dog's nails or the users grip.
Parts were 3D printed, sanded, primed, and painted. Tire weights were used to simulate the device’s weight. A metal straw served as the rotor, housing the
fan insert and attaching to the sanding drum, which was made from parts
of an existing device and blue sandpaper.
.png)
