Bag cutter and piercer

• US 9,221,664 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spellbound Development Group Inc
• Original Assignee: Spellbound Development Group Inc
• Inventors: Votolato, Earl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAYER, HWEI-SIU C
• Application Number:
  US14/494,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20150013170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 27/00 Hand cutting tools not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. finger rings for cutting string, devices for cutting by means of wires
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/30 Hand-operated cutting devices

Abstract

A bag cutter for opening a sealed package using at least one of a blade and a piercer. Preferably, at least one blade is disposed partially within a cutout of an arm in a manner that exposes an edge of the blade. A piercer can comprise an extension of a cutout edge or be located on any other suitable portion of an arm. Another blade can be provided that is substantially perpendicular to the blade within a cutout, and juxtaposable against a cutting surface.

Claims

1. A cutting apparatus comprising:

a first arm and an opposable second arm;

a first blade comprising a cutting edge, wherein the cutting edge has a first end, a second end and a central portion;

wherein the first arm comprises or is coupled to a blade enclosing material that partially encloses the first blade at the first end and the second end in a manner that leaves the central portion unenclosed;

wherein the opposable second arm comprises or is coupled to a raised portion made at least in part of a first material;

wherein the raised portion at least partially encloses an anvil made at least in part of a second material different from the first material;

wherein at least a first segment of the unenclosed central portion is sized and dimensioned to physically contact at least a portion of at least one of the first raised portion and the anvil;

a second blade that is partially embedded in and extends entirely within a thickness of the first arm in a manner that exposes at least a portion of the second blade at a cutout; and

wherein the first blade is orthogonal to the second blade.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second arms are composed of a continuous piece of plastic.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first arm is continuous with the second arm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cutting edge is flat.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cutting edge is curved.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first blade has a long axis parallel to a long axis of the anvil.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first blade has a long axis orthogonal to a long axis of the anvil.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anvil comprises a compound convex surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cutting edge of the first blade comprises steel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cutting edge of the first blade comprises ceramic.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the raised portion is rounded, and wherein a portion of the anvil that faces the unenclosed central portion is rounded.

12. A cutting apparatus comprising:

a first arm and an opposable second arm;

a first blade comprising a cutting edge, wherein the cutting edge has a first end, a second end and a central portion;

wherein the first arm comprises or is coupled to a blade enclosing material that partially encloses the first blade at the first end and the second end in a manner that leaves the central portion unenclosed;

wherein the opposable second arm comprises or is coupled to a raised portion made at least in part of a first material;

wherein the raised portion at least partially encloses an anvil made at least in part of a second material different from the first material;

wherein at least a first segment of the unenclosed central portion and at least a portion of at least one of the first raised portion and the anvil are configured to cooperate with one another to create a cut;

a second blade that is partially embedded in and extends entirely within a thickness of the first arm in a manner that exposes at least a portion of the second blade at a cutout; and

wherein the first blade is orthogonal to the second blade.

13. A cutting apparatus comprising:

a first arm and an opposable second arm;

a first blade comprising a cutting edge, wherein the cutting edge has a first end, a second end and a central portion;

wherein the first arm comprises or is coupled to a blade enclosing material that partially encloses the first blade at the first end and the second end in a manner that leaves the central portion unenclosed;

wherein the opposable second arm comprises or is coupled to a raised portion;

wherein at least a first segment of the unenclosed central portion is sized and dimensioned to physically contact at least a portion of the raised portion;

wherein the first arm includes;

a first cutout at least partially enclosing a second blade, wherein the second blade is disposed between first and second sides that define a thickness of the first arm; and

a first piercer configured to pierce a workpiece, and disposed at a periphery of the first arm; and

wherein the first blade is orthogonal to the second blade.

14. The cutting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first cutout and the first piercer at least partially overlap, such that a user could pierce and cut a workpiece simultaneously.

15. The cutting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the piercer is an extension of an edge of the first cutout.

16. The cutting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least the portion of the raised portion is rounded.

17. The cutting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second cutout at least partially encloses the second blade.

18. The cutting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second cutout at least partially encloses a third blade.

19. The cutting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the raised portion at least partially encloses an anvil.