Knife Block With Storage Slot Blade Sharpeners and Cutlery Set Using Same

• US 20170208978A1
• Filed: 04/07/2017
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunbeam Products, Inc. d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Calphalon Corp. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Andrew Q., Muske, Steven J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,638,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/00 Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials A47F5/0006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/14 Knife racks or stands; Holders for table utensils attachable to plates
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 47/16 Stands, or holders for kitchen articles
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 3/54 of hand or table knives
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 15/08 of knives; of razors
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 15/081 with sharpening elements in interengaging or in mutual contact
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 15/084 the sharpening elements being fitted to knife sheaths, holders or handles

Abstract

A knife block may include a block body with a recessed portion and a block insert positioned at least partially within the recessed portion. The block insert may include a first knife slot and a second knife slot. The knife block may include a first knife sharpener coupled to the block insert, where the first knife slot is sized such that a first knife is sharpened by the first knife sharpener each time the first knife is removed from the first knife slot, and a second knife sharpener coupled to the block insert, where the second knife slot is sized such that a second knife is sharpened by the second knife sharpener each time the second knife is removed from the second knife slot. The knife block may include a first knife storage slot and a second knife storage slot.

Claims

1. A knife block comprising:

a block body comprising a first surface;

a recessed portion extending into the block body, the recessed portion at least partially defined by a second surface that is recessed into the block body with respect to the first surface;

a block insert positioned at least partially within the recessed portion, the block insert comprising a first knife slot and a second knife slot;

a first knife sharpener coupled to the block insert adjacent to the first knife slot, wherein the first knife slot is sized such that a first knife is sharpened by the first knife sharpener each time the first knife is removed from the first knife slot;

a second knife sharpener coupled to the block insert adjacent to the second knife slot, wherein the second knife slot is sized such that a second knife is sharpened by the second knife sharpener each time the second knife is removed from the second knife slot;

a first knife storage slot extending through the second surface, the first knife storage slot aligned with the first knife slot; and

a second knife storage slot extending into the second surface, the second knife storage slot aligned with the second knife slot.

2. The knife block according to claim 1, wherein the first knife sharpener is positioned to contact a first cutting edge of a first knife blade when a first knife is inserted into the first knife slot, withdrawn from the first knife slot, or both, and wherein the second knife sharpener is positioned to contact a second cutting edge of a second knife blade when a second knife is inserted into the second knife slot, withdrawn from the second knife slot, or both.

3. The knife block according to claim 1, wherein the first knife storage slot and the second knife storage slot each extend an equal length into the block body.

4. The knife block according to claim 1, wherein the first surface is parallel to the second surface.

5. The knife block according to claim 1, further comprising a first knife with a first blade height, wherein the first knife slot has a slot height substantially equal to the first blade height.

6. The knife block according to claim 1, wherein the first knife storage slot is oriented lengthwise at a first angle within the block body relative to a horizontal reference and the second knife storage slot is oriented lengthwise at a second angle within the block body relative to the horizontal reference, the first and second angles each being between about 40 degrees and about 55 degrees.

7. The knife block according to claim 6, wherein the first angle and the second angle are each about 45 degrees.

8. The knife block according to claim 1, wherein the knife block has at least a third knife sharpener along a third knife storage slot, the third knife sharpener configured to contact a blade of a knife stored in the third knife storage slot, and wherein each of the first, second, and third knife storage slots has at least a length into the block body, a width across the block body, or a height along the block body that is different than the other of the first, second, and third slots.

9. The knife block according to claim 1, further comprising a third knife storage slot extending through a third surface of the block body, wherein the third knife storage slot does not have a knife sharpener aligned with the third knife storage slot.

10. The knife block according to claim 1, wherein the block insert is mounted in the recessed portion;

and

wherein the first and second knife sharpeners are removably attached to the block insert.

11. The knife block according to claim 1, further comprising first and second indicia on the first surface of the block body, the first indicia associated with a first opening and the second indicia associated with a second opening, the first and second indicia relating to one or more knife characteristics and the first indicia being different than the second indicia.

12. A cutlery set comprising:

a knife block having a block body;

at least a first storage slot and a second storage slot each extending through a face of the block body;

at least a first knife sharpener aligned with the first storage slot and a second knife sharpener aligned with the second storage slot; and

a first knife having a first blade and a first handle and a second knife having a second blade and a second handle, the first storage slot sized to receive the first blade and the second storage slot sized to receive the second blade, wherein the first blade is sharpened by the first knife sharpener each time the first blade is inserted into the first storage slot, and the second blade is sharpened by the second knife sharpener each time the second blade is inserted into the second storage slot;

wherein the first knife sharpener contacts and sharpens a knife edge of the first blade and wherein the second knife sharpener contacts and sharpens a knife edge of the second blade.

13. The cutlery set according to claim 12, wherein the first storage slot has at least one size characteristic that is different from the second storage slot.

14. The cutlery set according to claim 13, wherein the at least one size characteristic is one or more of a length into, a width across, or a height along the block body.

15. The cutlery set according to claim 12, wherein the first storage slot is oriented at a first angle relative to a horizontal reference and the second storage slot is oriented at a second angle relative to the horizontal reference.

16. The cutlery set according to claim 15, wherein the first and second angles are the same and between about 40 degrees and about 55 degrees relative to the horizontal reference.

17. The cutlery set according to claim 16, wherein the first and second angles are between 42 degrees and 48 degrees relative to the horizontal reference.

18. The cutlery set according to claim 12, wherein the first blade has at least one size characteristic that is different than the second blade.

19. The cutlery set according to claim 18, wherein the at least one size characteristic is one or more of a blade length, a blade width, or a blade height.

20. The cutlery set according to claim 12, further comprising:

a block insert of the knife block mounted to the face of the block body;

a first sub-slot through the block insert and aligned with the first storage slot in the block body; and

a second sub-slot though the block insert and aligned with the second storage slot in the block body,

wherein the first and second knife sharpeners are carried by the block and respectively aligned with the first and second sub-slots.

21. The cutlery set according to claim 20, further comprising a faceplate of the knife block covering the block insert, the faceplate having a first opening aligned with the first sub-slot and a second opening aligned with the second sub-slot.

22. The cutlery set according to claim 12, further comprising:

a first knife indicium visibly carried on a portion of the first knife and indicating a characteristic of the first knife;

a second knife indicium visibly carried on a portion of the second knife and indicating a characteristic of the second knife;

a first block indicium visibly carried on a portion of the knife block and associated with the first storage slot, the first block indicium matching the characteristic of the first knife indicated by the first knife indicium; and

a second block indicium visibly carried on a portion of the knife block and associated with the second storage slot, the second block indicium matching the characteristic of the second knife indicated by the second knife indicium.

23. The cutlery set according to claim 22, wherein the first knife indicium is carried on an end of the first handle and the second knife indicium is carried on an end of the second handle.

24. The cutlery set according to claim 22, wherein the first block indicium is provided adjacent a first opening on a faceplate and the second block indicium is provided adjacent a second opening on the faceplate, the first and second openings associated with the first and second storage slots, respectively.

25. The cutlery set according to claim 12, wherein the first knife sharpener can contact and sharpen a knife edge of the first blade when the first knife is inserted into and withdrawn from the first slot and wherein the second knife sharpener can contact and sharpen a knife edge of the second blade when the second knife is inserted into and withdrawn from the second slot.

26. A cutlery set according to claim 12, further comprising a face angle defined by the face of the block body and a bolster angle defined by the first and second handles on the first and second knives, respectively, the bolster angle being the same as the face angle.

27. A cutlery set according to claim 12, wherein the first knife sharpener defines a first sharpener angle that is greater than a first blade edge angle defined by the knife edge of the first knife, and wherein the second knife sharpener defines a second sharpener angle that is greater than a second blade edge angle defined by the knife edge of the second knife.

28. A cutlery set comprising:

a knife block having a block body with a recessed portion;

a set of knives including at least a first knife having a first blade and a second knife having a second blade;

an array of storage slots including at least a first storage slot and a second storage slot each extending through a face of the block body, the first storage slot specifically sized to receive the first blade and the second storage slot specifically sized to receive the second blade;

a block insert positioned at least partially within the recessed portion of the block body, the block insert having at least a first sub-slot through the block insert aligned with the first storage slot and a second sub-slot through the block insert aligned with the second storage slot;

a first knife sharpener coupled to the block insert and arranged specifically to sharpen a knife edge on the first blade each time the first knife is inserted into or withdrawn from the first slot; and

a second knife sharpener coupled to the block insert and arranged specifically to sharpen the second blade each time the second knife is inserted into or withdrawn from the second slot.

29. The cutlery set according to claim 28, wherein the first blade and the second blade are different from one another in at least one of a blade length, a blade width, or a blade height.

30. The cutlery set according to claim 28, wherein the first and second storage slots are different from one another in at least one of a slot length, a slot width, or a slot height.

31. The cutlery set according to claim 28, wherein the first knife and the second knife are different from one another in at least one blade characteristic.

32. The cutlery set according to claim 31, further comprising:

a first knife indicium visibly carried on a portion of the first knife;

a second knife indicium visibly carried on a portion of the second knife, the second knife indicium being different from the first knife indicium;

a first block indicium visibly carried on a portion of the knife block and matching the first knife indicium, the first block indicium associated with the first storage slot; and

a second block indicium visibly carried on a portion of the knife block and matching the second knife indicium, the second block indicium associated with the second storage slot.