Utility knife that protrudes a blade from a stored stack of blades

• US 6,553,674 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Union Bank of California (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AWI Acquisition Company
• Inventors: Budrow, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMILTON, ISAAC N
• Application Number:
  US10/035,898
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 301/25, 301/62, 303/35
• 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 which has a slidable blade carrier located within an internal chamber of a housing. When the blade carrier is extended it has mounted thereon an engaging block with this engaging block being biased by a single spring to an outer engaging position which will connect the engaging block with the innermost blade of the stack of blades and sliding movement of the blade carrier will result in that innermost blade to protrude from the housing. The engaging block is mounted by a pair of pins which are mounted on the blade carrier. Movement of the blade carrier is accomplished by a thumb button where the inner portion of the thumb button is laterally displaced from the outer portion of the thumb button in order to maximize the space within a blade storage chamber formed within the housing.

Claims

1. A utility knife that protrudes a blade from a stored stack of blades comprising:

a housing having an internal chamber;

a blade track mounted within said internal chamber;

a blade-carrier mounted within said blade track, said blade carrier being movable in a linear direction between an extended position and a retracted position, said blade carrier adapted to retain a single blade with this blade to protrude from said housing when said blade carrier is in said extended position;

a thumb button connected to said blade carrier, said thumb button having an outer portion that is located exteriorly of said housing, said thumb button to be slidingly movable to cause said blade carrier to move between said retracted position and said extended position;

an engaging block mounted on said blade carrier, said engaging block being movable between an engaging position and a non-engaging position, with said engaging block in said engaging position the single blade is engaged by said engaging block and is movable along with said blade carrier between said extended position and said retracted position;

a pair of mounting pins mounted on said blade carrier, said engaging block being movably mounted on said mounting pins, said engaging block being biased by a single spring toward said engaging position; and

a release button mounted on said housing, pressing of said release button when said blade carrier is in said extended position will cause said engaging block to be moved against said spring to said non-engaging position which will then permit extraction of said single blade from said housing.

2. The utility knife as defined in claim 1 wherein:

a line extending between said mounting pins being not in alignment with said linear direction, whereby said engaging block is prevented from canting relative to said blade carrier and is movable evenly and smoothly by said single spring relative to said blade carrier to insure that said engaging block will properly engage with said single blade.

3. The utility knife as defined in claim 2 wherein:

said thumb button having an inner portion, said inner portion being mounted within a receiving chamber formed in said blade carrier, said inner portion being laterally displaced from said outer portion in order to maximize space within a blade storage chamber which is to contain said stored stacked blades.

4. The utility knife as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said thumb button having an inner portion, said inner portion being mounted within a receiving chamber formed in said blade carrier, said inner portion being laterally displaced from said outer portion in order to maximize space within a blade storage chamber which is to contain said stored stacked blades.