Pocket knife with a weighing element

• US 7,886,442 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flytec AG (Jocasi Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Flytec AG (Jocasi Holding AG)
• Inventors: Camenzind, Lorenz, Joder, Peter, Lerch, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Ashley; Boyer D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLORES SANCHEZ, OMAR
• Application Number:
  US10/519,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20050241071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,792 Days
• Field of Search: 301/55, 301/51, 301/52, 301/64, 7118-119, 177/148, 177/126, 177/149, 177/245, 177/256, 177/263, 177/175
• US Class Current: 30/151
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 1/00 Combination or multi-purpose hand tools associations of tools for different working operations with one portable power-drive means B25F3/00; combined stapling and punching tools B25C5/0214
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 11/001 of the Swiss-knife type
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means

Abstract

A pocket knife having at least one pull-out cutting tool or blade, provided on at least one side with a lateral covering covering said knife, and at least three blockable assembly axes which hold together the knife or the cutting tool in a pull-out or retracted position. A weighing element is arranged inside the pocket knife. Said element can be extracted about at least one of the axes or at least one other axis and/or is displaceably mounted during weighing. The weighing element is actively connected to a transmitting device in order to transmit the weight that is to be measured to a measuring sensor.

Claims

1. A pocket knife for measuring a weight of a load suspended therefrom, the pocket knife comprising:

a body;

at least one cutting tool or blade positioned and configured to be folded out of the body;

a side cover of the body covering at least one side of the at least one cutting tool or blade;

at least three mounting spindles positioned and configured to foldably secure the at least one cutting tool or blade to the body and operable to lock the cutting tool in a folded-in or folded-out position with respect to the body;

a measuring sensor positioned at the body and operable to measure the weight; and

a transmission arrangement configured to pivot about one spindle of the at least three mounting spindles;

a weighing element mounted to the body such that the weighing element is foldable out of the body, the weighing element being configured to receive the load and to transmit to the transmission arrangement in a first force direction the weight of the load; and

the transmission arrangement configured to change a force direction of the load from the first force direction to a torque force rotating about the one spindle by the pivoting about the one spindle when the weighing element receives the load,

wherein the measuring sensor is operatively connected to the weighing element by the transmission arrangement for transmitting the torque force as the weight of the load directly to the measuring sensor.

2. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission arrangement includes a lever element having a first end and a second end, the lever element positioned and configured to be at least operatively connected to the weighing element in order to transmit the weight to the measuring sensor by the first end of the lever element moving down and the second end moving up in a lever manner in response to the weight transmitted.

3. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weighing element is foldable out of the body about one spindle of the at least three mounting spindles.

4. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 3, wherein the weighing element is mounted to one spindle of the at least three mounting spindles such that the weighing element, according to the weight of the load, moves transversely to the spindle within a pre-specified distance.

5. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weighing element and the transmission arrangement are mounted in such a manner that there is no or little friction resisting their movement relative to the body.

6. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 5, wherein the weighing element and the transmission arrangement are mounted by bearings selected from the group consisting of friction bearings, ball bearings and flexural bearings.

7. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weighing element and the transmission arrangement are mounted in a resilient manner wherein the transmission element is connected to a retaining element via a resilient mounting spindle.

8. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a measuring arrangement for detecting an angular position of the weighing element based on a longitudinal axis of the knife body.

9. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 8, wherein the measuring arrangement is selected from the group consisting of a Hall sensor, an optical sensor and a potentiometer having a resistance path and a slide.

10. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an evaluation microprocessor operable for receiving data detected by the measuring sensor and transmitted to the microprocessor in wireless fashion.

11. The pocket knife as claimed in claim 1, further comprising evaluation electronics connected to the measuring sensor operable to determine the measured weight.