Lamina cutter

• US 20050235500A1
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square One Parachutes Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Square One Parachutes Incorporated
• Inventors: Domenico, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,533,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/294
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 3/08 specially adapted for cutting cardboard, or wall, floor, or like covering materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes

Abstract

A lamina cutter includes a handle with a blade having a cutting edge mounted thereon. A guard member is affixed to the blade, and is positioned at a distance from the handle to establish a channel having a width “w” therebetween. The blade then extends between the handle and the guard member to present its cutting edge across the width of the channel. In use, a lamina (e.g. a sheet) having a thickness “t” (wherein “t”<“w”), is advanced through the channel and against the cutting edge to cut the lamina.

Claims

1. A safety cutter for cutting a lamina which comprises:

a substantially flat, elongated blade defining an axis, said blade having a first side edge and a second side edge, wherein each side edge is substantially coplanar with the axis, and wherein said blade has an in-plane cutting edge extending between the first side edge and the second side edge;

a guard member affixed to the first side edge of said blade and positioned at a first distance from the axis; and

a handle affixed to the second side edge of said blade, said handle being positioned opposite the axis from said guard member at a second distance therefrom to hold said blade in a channel between said handle and said guard member for cutting the lamina as the lamina is advanced along the axis and through the channel.

2. A cutter as recited in claim 1 wherein the first side edge and the second side edge are each substantially parallel to the axis.

3. A cutter as recited in claim 1 wherein the cutting edge of the blade is inclined at an angle α

relative to the axis.

4. A cutter as recited in claim 3 wherein the angle α

is less than ninety degrees (α

<

90°

).

5. A cutter as recited in claim 3 wherein the angle α

is greater than ninety degrees (α

>

90°

).

6. A cutter as recited in claim 1 wherein said blade is made of a stainless steel.

7. A cutter as recited in claim 1 wherein the second distance across the channel between said handle and said guard member is greater than approximately 0.125 inches.

8. A cutter as recited in claim 1 wherein the lamina is selected from a group consisting of paper, cardboard, cloth and plastic sheets.

9. A safety cutter for cutting laminae which comprises:

a first guard means;

a second guard means positioned at a predetermined distance from said first guard means to establish a channel having a width “

w”

therebetween; and

a substantially flat cutting means affixed to said first guard means and to said second guard means to extend across the channel, wherein said cutting means is formed with a cutting edge, and wherein the cutting edge is presented across the width of the channel for cutting a lamina as the lamina is advanced through the channel against the cutting edge.

10. A cutter as recited in claim 9 wherein said second guard means is a handle.

11. A cutter as recited in claim 9 wherein said cutting means is a blade.

12. A cutter as recited in claim 9 wherein the blade defines an axis, and wherein the cutting edge of said blade is inclined at an angle α

relative to the axis.

13. A cutter as recited in claim 12 wherein the angle α

is less than ninety degrees (α

<

90°

).

14. A cutter as recited in claim 12 wherein the angle α

is greater than ninety degrees (α

>

90°

).

15. A cutter as recited in claim 9 wherein the width “

w”

is greater than approximately 0.125 inches.

16. A cutter as recited in claim 15 wherein the lamina has a thickness “

t”

less than the width “

w”

.

17. A method for cutting laminae with a safety cutter which comprises the steps of:

providing a safety cutter having a guard means and a handle positioned at a predetermined distance from the guard means to establish a channel having a width “

w”

therebetween, wherein the safety cutter further includes a substantially flat blade affixed to the guard means and to the handle to extend across the channel, wherein said blade is formed with a cutting edge and the cutting edge is presented across the width of the channel; and

advancing a lamina through the channel and against the cutting edge to cut the lamina.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said advancing step is accomplished by the steps of:

holding the handle of the safety cutter; and

drawing the safety cutter over and through the lamina.

19. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the width “

w”

across the channel between the handle and the guard means is greater than approximately 0.125 inches.

20. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the lamina is selected from a group consisting of paper, cardboard, cloth and plastic sheets.