UTILITY KNIFE WITH EXTENDED TRAVEL CARRIAGE

• US 20100043235A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wen Hao
• Original Assignee: Wen Hao
• Inventors: Hao, Wen
• Granted Patent: US 8,695,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/162
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 5/001 with blades being slid out of handle immediately prior to use

Abstract

A utility knife has a handle generally defining a handle axis and a remote end provided with an opening. A carriage is slidably mounted within the handle for selective movements through the opening between a retracted position in which the carriage is substantially fully received within the handle and a fully extended position in which the carriage is fully extended through the opening to increase the effective length of said handle by a distance Δl. A blade mounted on the carriage shares the movements of the carriage and has an operative portion that can fully penetrate a work to be cut when the handle axis is inclined at an angle α relative to a surface of the work. A finger of a user most proximate to the work surface is positionable a distance h above the work surface during normal use of the utility knife, Δl and α being selected so that the distance Δl is generally greater that 1.0 inch and the angle α is equal to at least 35°.

Claims

1. Utility knife having a handle generally defining a handle axis and a remote end provided with an opening;

a carriage slidably mounted within said handle for movements through said opening between a retracted position in which said carriage is substantially fully received within said handle and a fully extended position in which said carriage is fully extended through said opening to increase the effective length of said handle by a distance Δ

l;

a blade mounted on said carriage for sharing the movements of said carriage and having an operative portion that can fully penetrate a work to be cut when said handle axis is inclined at an angle α

relative to a surface of the work;

a finger of a user most proximate to the work surface positioned a distance h above the work surface during normal use of the utility knife, Δ

l and a being selected so that the distance Δ

l is generally greater than 1.0 inch.

2. Utility knife as claimed in claim 1, wherein Δ

l≧

1.4 inches.

3. Utility knife as claimed in claim 2, wherein Δ

l≧

1.5 inches.

4. Utility knife as claimed in claim 2, wherein Δ

l≧

is whether the range if 1.6 and 1.7 inches.

5. Utility knife as claimed in claim 1, wherein α

is selected to be equal to ≧

35°

.

6. Utility knife as claimed in claim 5, wherein α

is selected to be equal to ≧

48-50°

.

7. Utility knife as claimed in claim 6, wherein α

≈

45°

.

8. Utility knife as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle has upper and lower surfaces, a button coupled to said carriage and actuatable by the thumb of a user being arranged at said upper surface and movable between approximate and remote positions to move said carriage between said retracted and extended positions.

9. Utility knife as claimed in claim 8, wherein said lower surfaces provided with a series of recesses arranged to at least partially receive the finger of the user to effectively increase the distance h.

10. Utility knife as claimed in claim 9, wherein said lower-most recess closest to said remote end of said handle is the deeper than the remaining recesses along said lower surface.

11. Utility knife as claimed in claim 1, wherein said remote end of said handle has a guide edge for properly positioning said handle at said angle α

when said guide edge is positioned coextensively with the work surface of the work.

12. Utility knife as claimed in claim 11, wherein said guide edge is inclined at said angle α

relative to said handle axis.

13. Utility knife as claimed in claim 12, wherein said angle α

is selected between angle 40-50°

.

14. Utility knife as claimed in claim 13, wherein said angle α

≈

45°

.