Multifunctional pocket tool

• US 6,314,600 B1
• Filed: 01/14/1999
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wenger Corporation (Wenger NA)
• Original Assignee: Wenger Corporation (Wenger NA)
• Inventors: Cachot, Maurice
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, III, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANGANAN, JONI BALDOS
• Application Number:
  US09/229,888
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 711/8, 712/5, 712/6, 712/7, 712/8, 712/9, 713/2, 716/7, 716/8, 811/774, 814/90
• US Class Current: 7/128
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 1/003 of pliers'-, scissors'- or wrench-type with at least one movable jaw B25F1/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 1/02 with interchangeable or adjustable tool elements
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/085 for screwdrivers, wrenches or spanners

Abstract

Multifunctional knife/cutting pliers comprising two lateral sides serving as a handle for the tool and surrounding an interior space. At least one other implement is disposed in this interior space so as to pivot about a transverse axis connecting the two lateral sides.

The knife/cutting pliers further comprises a plurality of removable implements to which the user can have access by lifting up a magazine lid over at least one portion of this interior space. The implements are held in the lid by a plurality of corresponding accommodations.

Claims

1. A multifunctional pocket tool, comprising:

two lateral sides, serving as a handle for the tool, an interior space being defined between said two lateral sides;

a magazine lid movable between a closed position that covers at least a portion of the interior space and an open position; and

a plurality of removable implements accessible when the magazine lid is in the open position;

wherein the magazine lid defines accommodations having shapes corresponding to shapes of the removable implements so as to keep the removable implements in place.

2. The pocket tool according to claim 1, further comprising at least one other implement disposed between said lateral sides and being able to pivot about at least one transverse axis connecting said lateral sides.

3. The pocket tool according to claim 2, further comprising at least one flexible back blades and a face of said interior space opposite to that containing the magazine lid, the face being closed off by the at least one flexible back blades allowing said at least one other implement to be held in predefined positions.

4. The pocket tool according to claim 1, wherein at least one removable implement is only partially received in an accommodation of the magazine lid and partially in said interior space.

5. The pocket tool according to claim 4, wherein the removable implements arc structurally different from each other and each include a distinctive portion, said magazine lid including a plurality of identical accommodations that keep the removable implements in place such that the distinctive portion of each of the removable implements is received in said interior space.

6. The pocket tool according to claim 1, wherein said interior space comprises a plurality of hooking means intended to keep the removable implements in place.

7. The pocket tool according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of removable implements are disposed loosely in said interior space.

8. The pocket tool according to claim 7, wherein said magazine lid and said removable implements are entirely contained between planes defined by the said lateral sides.

9. The pocket tool according to claim 1, wherein said magazine lid is separable from the tool.

10. The pocket tool according to claim 9, wherein said magazine lid comprises a support area allowing it to be placed on a flat surface in such a way as to be able to have access to the removable implements.

11. The pocket tool according to claim 1, wherein said magazine lid is fixed to the tool by a hinge.

12. The pocket tool according to claim 1, wherein the magazine lid includes at least one flexible flange that communicates with at least one aperture to enable the magazine lid to be snapped on the tool.

13. The pocket tool according to claim 12, wherein said snapping system includes a deformable flexible element.

14. The pocket tool according to claim 1, further including a locking element that enables the magazine lid to be secured to the tool.

15. The pocket tool according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of each of the removable implements is disposed so as to be parallel relative to each of the other removable implements in said tool.

16. The pocket tool according to claim 15, wherein said parallel, removable implements are oriented obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tool.

17. The pocket tool according to claim 1, further comprising a surface that defines an aperture into which the end of one of the removable implements can be inserted.

18. The pocket tool according to claim 17, wherein said aperture is provided at one of the longitudinal ends of the tool.

19. The pocket tool according to claim 17, wherein said aperture is provided in one, of the lateral sides of the tool.

20. The pocket tool according to claim 1, further comprising an attachment extension piece detachably attached at one of the lateral sides.

21. The pocket tool according to claim 1, wherein the pocket tool is a pocket knife.

22. The pocket tool according to claim 21, wherein the pocket tool is a knife/cutting pliers,

and further comprising pliers that include at least one actuation handle, the at least one actuation handle of the pliers folds up over said magazine lid.

23. A magazine lid for a multifunctional pocket tool, the pocket tool including two lateral sides, serving as a handle of the tool, an interior space defined between said sides, an aperture, and multiple removable implements received by the magazine lid, the magazine lid comprising:

at least one flexible flange that communicates with the at least one aperture to enable the magazine lid to be fixed to, and disunited from, said pocket tool;

wherein the magazine lid defines accommodations having shapes corresponding to shapes of the removable implements so as to keep the removable implements in place.

24. The magazine lid according to claim 23, further comprising a support surface allowing the magazine lid to be placed on a flat surface in such a way as to be able to have access to the removable implements.

25. The magazine lid according to claim 24, wherein said snapping system includes a deformable flexible element.

26. The magazine lid according to claim 23, further including a plurality of accommodations configured to keep the removable implements in place.

27. The magazine lid according to claim 26, wherein the plurality of accommodations all have substantially the same shape, each of the removable implements received by the plurality of accommodations including a distinctive portion that projects from the magazine lid.

28. The magazine lid according to claim 23, wherein at least a part of each of the removable implements is disposed so as to be parallel relative to each of the other removable implements.

29. The magazine lid according to claim 23, wherein said parallel, removable implements are oriented obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the magazine lid.

30. A multifunctional pocket tool, comprising:

two lateral sides, serving as a handle for the tool, an interior space being defined between said two lateral sides;

a magazine lid movable between a closed position that covers at least a portion of the interior space and an open position, the magazine lid defining accommodations;

a hinge at an end of the magazine lid enabling the magazine lid to pivot about a transverse axis of the pocket tool between the closed and open positions;

a plurality of removable implements accessible when the magazine lid is in the open position, the removable implements being held by the accommodations within the interior space when the magazine lid is in the closed position, the removable implements being held by the accommodations by virtue of the accommodations having shapes corresponding to shapes of the removable implements;

at least one other implement disposed between the lateral sides and being able to pivot about at least one transverse axis connecting the lateral sides;

at least one flexible back blades; and

a face of the interior space, opposite to that containing the magazine lid, being closed off by the at least one flexible back blades allowing said at least one other implement to be held in predefined positions.

31. The multifunctional pocket tool according to claim 30, wherein said hinge enables the magazine lid to be moved between three pre-defined positions at 0°

, 90° and

180°

relative to a longitudinal axis of the pocket tool.

32. The multifunctional pocket tool according to claim 30, wherein said accommodations and said magazine lid are disposed so that said removable implements are only accessible when said removable lid is in the open position.

33. The multifunctional pocket tool according to claim 30, wherein said implements are arranged in a plane parallel to said lateral sides, so as to occupy only a single implement thickness in the interior space, and are disposed obliquely relative to a longitudinal axis of the tool, making it possible to house in said interior space removable implements having a length greater than a height of said interior space, each removable implement having a protruding portion enabling the removable implement to be distinguished visually from other removable implements.

34. The multifunctional pocket tool according to claim 30, further comprising snapping means for holding said removable implements.

35. The multifunctional pocket tool according to claim 30, wherein each of said removable implements has a hexagonal base.

36. The multifunctional pocket tool according to claim 30, wherein said at least one other implement includes a tool blade, a can opener and a bottle opener.

37. The multifunctional pocket tool according to claim 30, further comprising tweezers housed in said lateral sides.

38. The multifunctional pocket tool according to claim 30, further comprising an aperture having a shape so as to be able to receive an end of at least one of the removable implements.

39. The multifunctional pocket tool according to claim 30, further comprising an implement extension usable with at least one of said removable implements in order to enhance use of the at least one of the removable implements in areas that are difficult to reach.

40. A multifunctional pocket tool, comprising:

a pair of sides that define an interior space therebetween;

a lid movable between a closed position that covers at least a portion of the interior space and an open position;

multiple accommodations defined in the interior space;

multiple removable implements accessible when the lid is in the open position, each of the removable implements being held by one of the accommodations within the interior space so as to extend obliquely with respect to a longitudinal direction of the sides, the removable implements being held by the accommodations by virtue of the accommodations having shapes corresponding to shapes of the removable implements.

41. The pocket tool according to claim 40, wherein the removable implements extend substantially parallel relative to each other when held by the accommodations.

42. The pocket tool according to claim 40, wherein each of the removable implements has a distinctive portion that projects beyond the corresponding accommodation so as to enable identification of each of the removable implements.

43. The pocket tool according to claim 40, wherein all of the accommodations have substantially the same shape.

44. A multifunctional pocket knife, comprising:

two lateral sides serving as a handle for the knife, the two lateral sides defining an interior space therebetween;

a plurality of first implements disposed side by side between said two lateral sides, the two lateral sides being pivotable about at least one transverse axis that intersects the two lateral sides;

a plurality of removable implements disposed parallel to each other and side by side relative to said first implements in said interior space, said removable elements being oriented obliquely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tool,

a magazine cover movable between a closed position wherein the magazine cover covers at least a portion of the interior space and an open position enabling access to the removable implements, the magazine cover being movable from the closed position to the open position by being manually lifted upwardly;

at least one flexible back blades closing off a section of said interior space opposite to another section that houses the magazine cover, the at least one flexible back blades enabling the plurality of first implements to be held in predefined positions.

45. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 44, wherein said magazine cover includes a plurality of accommodations having shapes corresponding to shapes of the removable implements so as to maintain the removable implements in place, at least one removable implement having a distinctive portion and being only partially received in an accommodation of the magazine cover and partially in said interior space, the distinctive portion of said at least one implement being received in said interior space.

46. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 44, further comprising a deformable flexible element that snaps said magazine cover on said knife.

47. A multifunctional pocket knife, comprising:

two lateral sides, serving as handles for the pocket knife, the two lateral sides defining an interior space therebetween;

a hinge pivotable about an axis that is transverse to the pocket knife;

a magazine cover having an end and being integrally attached to the knife by the hinge at the end, the magazine cover being movable between an open position and a closed position wherein the magazine cover covers at least a portion of the interior space;

multiple accommodations;

multiple removable implements held by the accommodations inside said interior space by virtue of the accommodations having shapes corresponding to shapes of the removable implements;

at least one other implement disposed between said two lateral sides and pivotable about at least one transverse axis that intersects the two lateral sides; and

at least one flexible spring blades disposed at a section of the interior space opposite to another section that houses the magazine cover, the at least one flexible spring blades enabling said at least one other implement to be held in predefined positions.

48. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 47, wherein said at least one flexible spring blades enable the magazine cover to be moved among three predefined positions at 0°

, 90°

or 180°

relative to the longitudinal axis of the knife.

49. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 47, wherein said accommodations and said magazine cover are disposed to only enable said removable implements to be accessible when said magazine cover is in the open position.

50. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 47, wherein at least one of the removable implements has a length that is greater than a height of the pocket knife, said removable implements being arranged in a plane parallel to said two lateral sides so as to occupy only a single implement thickness in the pocket knife, the removable implements also being arranged obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis of the knife, thereby enabling insertion into said interior space of the at least one removable implement having a length greater than the height of said pocket knife, each of the removable implements having a protruding portion enabling each of the respective removable implements to be distinguished visually from other of the removable implements.

51. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 50, wherein each of said removable implements has a hexagonal base.

52. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 47, wherein said at least one other implement includes a knife blade, a can opener and a bottle opener.

53. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 47, further comprising tweezers housed in said two lateral sides.

54. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 47, further comprising an aperture structured to receive an end of at least one of said removable implements.

55. The multifunctional pocket knife according to claim 47, further comprising an implement extension structured for use in combination with at least one of said removable implements to facilitate manipulation in areas that are difficult to reach.