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Utility knife

  • US 6,449,850 B1
  • Filed: 08/13/1999
  • Issued: 09/17/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A utility knife comprising:

  • an elongated handle having a front end and a rear end, said elongated handle defining a cavity therein and including carrier guide structure provided within said cavity, said elongated handle comprising a first plastic handle portion and a mating second plastic handle portion, each having front and rear ends corresponding to the front and rear ends of said elongated handle;

    releasable locking structure associated with said first plastic handle portion and said second plastic handle portion, said releasable locking structure constructed and arranged to releasably lock said first plastic handle portion to said second plastic handle portion;

    a blade carrier assembly constructed and arranged to carry a knife blade and to be manually slidable on said carrier guide structure in a longitudinal direction with respect to said elongated handle to selectively extend the knife blade outwardly from the front end of the elongated handle or retract the knife blade into said cavity;

    said first plastic handle portion comprising;

    first interlock structure including a pair of forwardly-extending first projections and a pair of rearwardly-extending first recesses; and

    a projecting tab proximate the front end of said first plastic handle portion and extending toward the front end of said first plastic handle portion;

    said second plastic handle portion comprising;

    second interlock structure including a pair of rearwardly-extending second projections and a pair of forwardly-extending second recesses; and

    a longitudinal slot proximate the front end of said second plastic handle portion, said first and second plastic handle portions being constructed and arranged to be cooperatively mated with one another to form said elongated handle by longitudinally displacing said first plastic handle portion relative to said second plastic handle portion so that (i) said forwardly-extending first projections of said first interlock structure operatively engage with said forwardly-extending second recesses of said second interlock structure, (ii) said rearwardly-extending second projections of said second interlock structure operatively engage with said rearwardly-extending first recesses of said first interlock structure, and (iii) said projecting tab of said first plastic handle portion extends forwardly into said longitudinal slot formed in the front end of said second plastic handle portion, wherein an inside surface of said projecting tab and an opposed interior surface of the longitudinal slot formed in the front end of said second plastic handle portion define an opening in the front end of the elongated handle through which said knife blade can be extended and retracted, said releasable locking structure preventing longitudinal displacement of said first plastic handle portion relative to said second plastic handle portion thereby preventing separation of said first plastic handle portion from said second plastic handle portion, and said releasable locking structure being releasable to enable said first and second plastic handle portions to be longitudinally displaceable relative to one another to enable (i) said forwardly-extending first projections to be longitudinally moved out of said forwardly-extending second recesses, (ii) said rearwardly-extending second projections to be longitudinally moved out of said rearwardly-extending first recesses, and (iii) said projecting tab to be longitudinally moved out of said longitudinal slot and thereby allow separation of said first and second plastic handle portions.

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