Folding knife having a locking mechanism

• US 20060174490A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KAI USA Limited (Mohawk Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: KAI USA Limited (Mohawk Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Onion, Kenneth J., Green, Craig, Galyean, Timothy James
• Granted Patent: US 7,458,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/153
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 1/04 lockable in adjusted position

Abstract

A folding knife includes a handle and a blade attached thereto and configured to rotate between an open position and a closed position. A locking element is coupled to the handle, while a pawl is coupled to the blade and configured to engage the locking element as the blade rotates to the closed position, such that the blade is locked in the closed position thereby. Opening pressure on the pawl causes it to release the locking element and also causes the blade to rotate from the closed position toward the open position. The knife blade may include a flicker positioned to extend from a back portion of the handle when the blade is in the closed position. The pawl is coupled to the flicker such that pressure on the flicker causes the pawl to release the locking moves the blade toward the open position. The folding knife may also include an opening assist mechanism.

Claims

1. A folding knife, comprising:

a handle having a blade receiving channel;

a blade pivotably attached to the handle and configured to rotate, relative to the handle, between an open position, in which the blade extends from the handle, and a closed position, in which a portion of the blade is received in the blade receiving channel;

a locking element coupled to the handle; and

a pawl coupled to the blade and configured to engage the locking element as the blade rotates to the closed position such that the blade is locked in the closed position thereby.

2. The folding knife of claim 1 wherein the pawl is positioned such that opening pressure on the pawl causes the pawl to release the locking element and causes the blade to rotate from the closed position toward the open position.

3. The folding knife of claim 1 wherein the knife blade includes a flicker positioned to extend from a back portion of the handle when the blade is in the closed position such that pressure on the flicker biases the blade toward the open position.

4. The folding knife of claim 3 wherein the pawl is coupled to the flicker such that pressure on the flicker causes the pawl to release the locking element and causes the blade to rotate from the closed position toward the open position.

5. The folding knife of claim 4 wherein the pawl is rotatably coupled to the flicker and configured to rotate between a locking position and a non-locking position.

6. The folding knife of claim 4, further comprising a bias element coupled between the pawl and the handle and configured to bias the pawl toward the locking position.

7. The folding knife of claim 3, further comprising an opening assist mechanism configured to apply an opening bias to the blade when the blade is moved beyond an intermediate position.

8. The folding knife of claim 7 wherein the intermediate position is located such that, when the blade is rotated from the closed position toward the open position, the blade reaches the intermediate position before the flicker is fully received into the handle.

9. The folding knife of claim 1, further comprising a blade stop coupled to the handle and configured to prevent rotation of the blade beyond the closed position when the blade is rotated from the open position to the closed position.

10. The folding knife of claim 9 wherein the locking element is formed as part of the blade stop.

11. The folding knife of claim 1, further comprising an opening assist mechanism configured to apply an opening bias to the blade when the blade is moved beyond an intermediate position.