Automatic safety knife

• US 6,560,873 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pacific Handy Cutter Incorporated (PHC Sharp Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mel Wayne Ortner
• Inventors: Schwartz, Donald R., Kueffner, Fred K., Turley, Timothy A., Ortner, Mel Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): ASHLEY, BOYER DOLINGER
• Application Number:
  US09/863,511
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 30/2, 301/25, 301/53, 301/51, 303/20, 302/93, 302/94, 303/31, 303/30, 303/40, 303/32, 301/62, 302/86, 303/17
• US Class Current: 30/2
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 29/02 Guards or sheaths for knives
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 5/00 Hand knives with one or more detachable blades

Abstract

The present invention has a safety hood which is pivotally mounted to the body of the knife at the front end. The body is pivotally mounted to a spine at the back end. The blade is removably mounted on the spine such that the hood covers the blade when the knife is closed. The hood is biased closed and has a latch to hold it closed unless the latch is released. The user depresses a button, which moves the latch, releasing the hood to push up when the user presses the hood against a working surface. The upward rotation of the hood releases the latch, so that when the hood rotates down the latch automatically re-locks the hood closed. The hood cannot be release again with out releasing the button and re-depressing the button.

Claims

1. In combination with a utility knife having a spine, a body moveably mounted to the spine, a blade mount on the spine, a blade mounted in the blade mount, a pivotally mounted safety hood having a safety mode covering the blade mount and an operating mode exposing the blade mount, an improvement comprising:

a spring biased hood return and lock assembly;

said lock assembly having a body mounted manual release switch having a first axis of movement for the hood;

said assembly having a spring to urge the hood to the safety mode and having a catch to secure said hood in the safety mode until activation of the manual release switch by depressing the manual switch along the first axis of movement releases same, thereby providing an automatic safety mode when the hood is not riding on a working surface;

wherein the automatic safety mode functioning to automatically lock the hood in the safety mode upon a return to the safety mode, regardless of the manual release switch'"'"'s position which could be depressed or released, thereby enabling a user to slice open a box with about a 45 degree or less angle of downward movement and provide an automatic safe covering of the blade when the blade travels beyond the box regardless of the manual release switch'"'"'s position; and

wherein a subsequent return of the hood to the operating mode requires another depression of the manual release switch along the first axis of movement.

2. The utility knife of claim 1, wherein the body is pivotally attached to the spine.

3. The utility knife of claim 1 further comprising:

a moveable button assembly mounted on the body; and

an arm extending forward from one side of the button assembly toward the hood, said arm functioning as a positive stop for the hood.

4. The utility knife of claim 1, wherein the manual release switch has at least two positions.

5. The utility knife of claim 1 further comprising a cavity in the spine to hold one or more extra blades.

6. The utility knife of claim 1, wherein the hood is made from transparent material.

7. A utility knife having a failsafe hood assembly, said utility knife comprising:

a spine;

a cover movably attached to the spine;

a blade mounted on the spine;

a safety hood having a pivot mount functioning to provide a safe position covering the blade and an operating position exposing the blade, thereby allowing a cutting edge of the blade to either work along a working surface or be shielded from working;

a release button to release the safety hood from the safe to the operation position;

a spring assembly functioning to constantly bias the hood towards the safe position;

said pivot mount cooperating with a latch assembly functioning to release the safety hood to move from the safe position to the operating position;

an automatic latching means associated with the latch assembly functioning to automatically lock the hood in the safe position upon a return to the safe position, regardless of the release button'"'"'s position which could be depressed or released, thereby enabling a user to slice open a box with about a 45 degree or less angle of downward movement of the utility knife and provide an automatic safe covering of the blade when the blade travels beyond the box regardless of the release button'"'"'s position; and

wherein a subsequent return of the hood to the operating position requires another depression of the release button.

8. The utility knife of claim 7, wherein the pivot mount means has a mount on the cover.

9. The utility knife of claim 7 further comprising a cavity in the spine to hold one or more extra blades.

10. The utility knife of claim 7 further comprising:

a moveable button assembly mounted on the cover;

a stop extending forward from one side of the button assembly toward the hood, said stop functioning as a positive stop for the hood, thereby providing a variable depth adjustment for the blade.

11. The utility knife of claim 10, wherein the moveable button assembly has at least two positions.

12. The utility knife of claim 7, wherein the hood further comprises a left and a right side and a front cover.

13. The utility knife of claim 12 further comprising the spine having a removable mount for the blade.

14. The utility knife of claim 12, wherein the cover movable attached to the spine is pivotally attached.

15. The utility knife of claim 12, wherein the hood is made from transparent material.

16. A utility knife having an automatic hood assembly, said utility knife comprising:

a spine;

a cover movably attached to the spine;

a blade mounted on the spine;

a safety hood having a pivot mount functioning to provide a safe position covering the blade and an operating position exposing the blade, thereby allowing a cutting edge of the blade to either work along a working surface or be shielded from working;

a spring assembly functioning to constantly bias the hood towards the safe position;

a latch functioning to lock the safety hood in the safe position,

a release button movably mounted on the cover functioning to release the latch and allow the safety hood to move from the safe position to the operating position;

an automatic latch lock associated with the latch and with the release button functioning to automatically lock the hood in the safe position upon a return to the safe position, regardless of the release button'"'"'s position which could be depressed or released;

wherein a user is able to slice open a box with about a 45 degree or less angle of downward movement of the utility knife, and the automatic latch lock provides an automatic safe covering of the blade when the blade travels beyond the box regardless of the release button'"'"'s position; and

wherein a subsequent return of the hood to the operating position requires another depression of the release button.