Battery-powered carving knife having a rechargeable battery pack

• US 20030192191A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KDW Company Limited
• Original Assignee: INTERNATIONAL CONCEPTS, INC.
• Inventors: Wong, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 6,976,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/277.4
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0013 Boards or blocks for cutting or chopping meat
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 49/006 with contiguous, oppositely reciprocating saw blades
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 51/16 of drives or feed mechanisms for straight tools, e.g. saw blades, or bows
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 7/005 Counter reciprocating blades

Abstract

A battery-powered carving knife is shown having a housing and a switch, which connects and disconnects a battery to a motor. A drive mechanism including a worm gear together with a cam member causes reciprocation of reciprocating blade mounts to reciprocate back and forth in an out of phase fashion. The motor is positioned forward within the housing in motor receiving section, with the drive shaft of the motor facing rearwardly. The blade mounts are driven by the motor, and reciprocate in a position below the motor. The motor and blade mounts are positioned in front of a handgrip section, thereby improving the ergonomics of the device. Alternatively, the drive shaft can be positioned facing forward.

Claims

1. A battery pack for an electric carving knife having a housing including a front motor receiving section and a rear handgrip section, the handgrip section having a reduced cross-section as compared to the front motor receiving section, said battery pack comprising:

a plurality of individual batteries; and

a shrink wrap covering;

wherein said individual batteries are enveloped within said shrink wrap and maintained in an arrangement with a triangular cross-section.

2. The battery pack for an electric carving knife as set forth in claim 2 further including six individual batteries.

3. The battery pack for an electric carving knife as set forth in claim 3 wherein said six individual batteries are rechargeable.

4. The battery pack for an electric carving knife as set forth in claim 4 wherein the composition of said individual batteries is Nickel Metal Hydride.

5. A battery pack for an electric carving knife having a housing including a front motor receiving section and a rear handgrip section, the handgrip section having a reduced cross-section as compared to the front motor receiving section, said battery pack comprising:

a plurality of individual batteries; and

a shrink wrap covering;

wherein said battery pack is housed within the handgrip section of said electric carving knife and said battery pack is rechargeable.

6. The battery pack for an electric carving knife as set forth in claim 5 wherein said battery pack is further comprised of six individual batteries.

7. The battery pack for an electric carving knife as set forth in claim 6 wherein said individual batteries are comprised of Nickel Metal Hydride.

8. The battery pack for an electric carving knife as set forth in claim 5 wherein said shrink wrap covering envelopes said individual batteries and retains said individual batteries in a set configuration.

9. The battery pack for an electric carving knife as set forth in claim 8 wherein said set configuration has a triangular cross-section.

10. An electric carving knife for driving a pair of carving knife blades, the knife comprising:

a housing having a front motor receiving section and a rear handgrip section, the handgrip section having a reduced cross-section as compared to the front motor receiving section;

a motor positioned in said front motor receiving section for driving the knife blades;

a battery pack positioned in the reduced cross-section handgrip section, said battery pack comprising a plurality of batteries arranged in series.

11. The electric carving knife of claim 10, wherein said batteries are arranged in an elongate stack.

12. The electric carving knife of claim 11, wherein said battery pack is comprised of six batteries, arranged in two stack of three batteries, where each stack of three batteries are configured in a triangular configuration.

13. The electric carving knife of claim 12, wherein said battery pack is at least substantially encapsulated within an insulating covering.

14. The electric carving knife of claim 10, wherein said individual batteries are comprised of Nickel Metal Hydride.

15. The electric carving knife of claim 14, wherein said Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are approximately 1.2 volts each.

16. An electric knife for driving a pair of knife blades, the knife comprising:

a housing having a front motor receiving section and a rear handgrip section, the handgrip section having a reduced cross-section as compared to the front motor receiving section, and defining a battery receiving cavity for the receipt of a battery;

a motor positioned in said front motor receiving section;

a drive mechanism interconnecting said motor to the knife blades are driven asymmetrically; and

a battery pack positioned in said battery receiving cavity and interconnected to said motor, said battery pack comprising at leas three batteries arranged in a triangular cross section.

17. The electric knife of claim 16, wherein said battery pack is comprised of six batteries, arranged in two stack of three batteries, where each stack of three batteries are configured in a triangular configuration.

18. The electric knife of claim 17, wherein said battery pack is at least substantially encapsulated within an insulating covering.

19. The electric knife of claim 17, wherein said individual batteries are comprised of Nickel Metal Hydride.

20. The electric knife of claim 19, wherein said Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are approximately 1.2 volts each.

21. The electric knife of claim 20, wherein said batteries have substantially the same amperage, wherein said identical amperage can range between 1500 and 2300 ma, to provide multiple battery pack lifetime duration.

22. The electric knife of claim 17, wherein said knife further comprises reciprocating blade mounts positioned adjacent said motor, and being in an overlapping manner in a longitudinal direction with said drive mechanism interconnecting said motor to said reciprocating blade mounts such that the knife blades are driven asymmetrically.

23. The electric knife of claim 22, wherein said drive mechanism comprises a worm gear attached to and driven by said motor drive shaft and a cam member driven by said worm gear, said cam member imparting reciprocating movement to said blade mounts.

24. The electric knife of claim 23, wherein said worm gear is attached to said motor drive shaft and rotates about a longitudinal axis.

25. The electric knife of claim 24, wherein said cam member is comprised of a spur gear meshing with said worm gear, and rotating about an axis transverse with said longitudinal axis.

26. The electric knife of claim 25, wherein said cam member includes cam lobes positioned on opposite side of said spur gear, said cam lobes being eccentric relative to said transverse axis and 180°

out of phase relative to each other.

27. The electric knife of claim 26, wherein said reciprocating blade mounts are substantially L-shaped to include an upstanding foot portion and an elongate leg portion, said upstanding foot portions having elongate slots which overlap said cam lobes.

28. The electric knife of claim 27, wherein said drive mechanism further includes a guide member configured to receive said elongate leg portion of a corresponding pair of said blade mounts when said blade mounts are juxtaposed.

29. The electric knife of claim 27, wherein said motor is positioned with said drive shaft extending rearwardly, towards said elongate handle, and said upstanding feet portions extend upwardly towards said motor drive shaft, and said elongate leg portions of said reciprocating blade mounts extend forwardly and include blade mounting sections situated adjacent the forward section of said front motor receiving section, and said front motor receiving section including an access opening, accessing said blade mounting sections.

30. The electric knife of claim 28, wherein said motor is positioned with said drive shaft extending forwardly, away from said elongate handle, and said upstanding feet portions extend upwardly towards said forwardly facing motor drive shaft, said elongate leg portions of said reciprocating blade mounts extend rearwardly in the general direction of said rear handgrip section and include blade mounting sections, and said front motor receiving section including an access opening, accessing said blade mounting sections.