Cutlery implement

• US 7,228,632 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• 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: Logiudice, Paul Angelo, Williams, Ryan, Demers, Brian, Fedor, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Ashley; Boyer D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamilton; Isaac N.
• Application Number:
  US10/158,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20030226263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 302/984, 303/40, 301/47, 81D/IG.5, D73/93, D76/49, D76/53, D76/64
• US Class Current: 30/298.4
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 3/00 Hand knives with fixed blades handles, attaching the handles B25G
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 81/05 Wrench scales and indicia

Abstract

A cutlery implement includes a blade, a tang and a handle. An insignia or making is located on an end surface of the handle facing away from the blade, the insignia indicating the type of blade attached to the handle. The blade and tang are part of a single piece of forged metal. The tang extends substantially the entire length of the handle and includes a surface visible from the top of the handle.

Claims

1. A cutlery set comprising:

a plurality of cutlery implements, including at least a first knife and a second knife, each of the first knife and said second knife having a working element comprising a blade and a handle to which the working element is attached, wherein the blade of the first knife differs from the blade of the second knife;

a block including a plurality of openings configured to receive the cutlery implements, the plurality of openings including at least a first opening configured to receive the blade of the first knife and a second opening configured to receive the blade of the second knife, so that when the first knife and the second knife are positioned, respectively, in the first opening and the second opening, the handle of the first knife and the handle of the second knife extend out of the block;

a first alphanumeric marking disposed on a butt end portion of the handle of the first knife so as to face generally away from the block when the blade of the first knife is sheathed in the first opening, the first marking indicating at least the type or length of the blade of the first knife; and

a second alphanumeric marking disposed on a butt end portion of the handle of the second knife so as to face generally away from the block when the blade of the second knife is sheathed in the second opening, the second marking, differing from the first marking and indicating at least the type or length of the blade of the second knife.

2. The cutlery set according to claim 1, wherein the type of the first knife is selected from the group consisting of a chef knife, a boning knife, a bread knife, a utility knife, and a parer.

3. The cutlery set according to claim 1, wherein the first knife and the second knife each include a tang extending substantially along the length of the handle.

4. The cutlery set according to claim 3, wherein the handle is formed so that a top surface of the tang is exposed to view.

5. The cutlery set according to claim 3, wherein the tang and the blade of each of said first knife and second knife are formed from a single piece of forged metal.

6. The cutlery set according to claim 1, wherein the first marking is provided on a first end cap affixed to the butt end of the handle of the first knife and the second marking is provided on a second end cap affixed to the butt end of the handle of the second knife.

7. The cutlery set according to claim 1, wherein the first marking and the second marking are etched, engraved or stamped, onto the butt end portion of the handle.

8. The cutlery set according to claim 1, wherein each of the first knife and the second knife include a tang extending from the blade, to which the handle is attached, and a bolster positioned between the tang and the blade.

9. The cutlery set according to claim 8, wherein the blade, bolster and tang are parts of a single piece of forged metal.

10. The cutlery set according to claim 9, wherein the tang includes a top surface that is visibly exposed along a top of the handle.

11. The cutlery set according to claim 8, wherein the width of the handle adjacent the bolster is not greater than ⅗

the width of the handle at a midpoint along the length of the handle, thereby providing a comfortable fit for a hand.

12. The cutlery set according to claim 8, wherein the height of the handle adjacent the bolster is approximately 4/7 the height of the handle at a midpoint along the length of the handle.

13. The cutlery set according to claim 1, wherein the handle is configured so that a top line extending along the top of the handle includes a single peak and a bottom line extending along a bottom of the handle is curved and includes a single valley and an end surface of the handle is substantially planar and is angled so that a line connecting the top line and the bottom line is angled so that a point where the bottom line intersects with the end surface is closer to the blade than a point where top line intersects with the end surface.

14. The cutlery set according to claim 1, wherein the first marking and the second marking include numbering indicating, respectively, the length of the blade of the first knife and the length of the blade of the second knife.

15. A method for identifying different types of cutlery knives, comprising:

providing a set of cutlery knives, including at least a first knife and a second knife, each of the first knife and said second knife having a working element comprising a blade and a handle to which the working element is attached, wherein the blade of the first knife differs from the blade of the second knife;

providing a block including a plurality of openings configured to receive the cutlery implements, the plurality of openings including at least a first opening configured to receive the blade of the first knife and a second opening configured to receive the blade of the second knife, so that when the first knife and the second knife are positioned, respectively, in the first opening and the second opening, the handle of the first knife and the handle of the second knife extend out of the block;

providing a first alphanumeric marking on a butt end portion of the handle of the first knife so as to face generally away from the block when the blade of the first knife is sheathed in the first opening, the first marking indicating at least the type or length of the blade of the first knife; and

providing a second alphanumeric marking disposed on a butt end portion of the handle of the second knife so as to face generally away from the block when the blade of the second knife is sheathed in the second opening, the second marking differing from the first marking and indicating at least the type or length of the blade of the second knife.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the type of the first knife is selected from the group consisting of a chef knife, a boning knife, a bread knife, a utility knife, and a parer.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first knife and the second knife each include a tang extending substantially along the length of the handle.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the handle is formed so that a top surface of the tang is exposed to view.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the tang and blade of each of said first knife and second knife are formed from a single piece of forged metal.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprising providing the first marking on a first end cap affixed to the butt end of the handle of the first knife and providing the second marking on a second end cap affixed to the butt end of the handle of the second knife.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein providing the first marking and the second marking includes etching, engraving or stamping the first marking and the second marking, onto the butt end portion of the handle.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of the first knife and the second knife include a tang extending from the blade, to which the handle is attached, and a bolster positioned between the tang and the blade.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the blade, bolster and tang are parts of a single piece of forged metal.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the tang includes a top surface that is visibly exposed along a top of the handle.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the width of the handle adjacent the bolster is not greater than ⅗

the width of the handle at a midpoint along the length of the handle, thereby providing a comfortable fit for a hand.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the height of the handle adjacent the bolster is approximately 4/7 the height of the handle at a midpoint along the length of the handle.

27. The method according to claim 15, wherein the handle is configured so that a top line extending along the top of the handle includes a single peak and a bottom line extending along a bottom of the handle is curved and includes a single valley and an end surface of the handle is substantially planar and is angled so that a line connecting the top line and the bottom line is angled so that a point where the bottom line intersects with the end surface is closer to the blade than a point where top line intersects with the end surface.

28. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first marking and the second marking include numbering indicating, respectively, the length of the blade of the first knife and the length of the second knife.