# US 11,992,964 B2 · Safety cutter with blade change/storage mechanism > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,992,964 B2 - Document ID: US11992964B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/114,488 - Filed: 2020-12-07 - Published: 2021-08-26 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2008-04-29 - Assignees: Pacific Handy Cutter, Inc. - Applicants: Pacific Handy Cutter, Inc. - Inventors: Joseph P. Garavaglia; Brandon L. Spoelstra; Markus E. Gropl; Mark Marinovich - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992964B2 ## CPC - B26B 5/003: {comprising retraction means for the blade or the blade holder} - B26B 29/02: Guards or sheaths for knives - B26B 5/00: Hand knives with one or more detachable blades - B26B: HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (for harvesting A01D; for horticulture, for forestry A01G; for butchering or meat treatment A22; for manufactering or repairing footwear A43D; nail clippers or cutters A45D29/02; kitchen equipment A47J; {vegetable slicers, julienne cutters and similar devices and holders therefor, B26D3/28}; for surgical purposes A61B; for metal B23D; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; plier-like tools with cutting edges B25B7/22; pincers B25C11/02; handles for hand implements, in general B25G; guillotine-type cutters B26D; {perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet, B26F1/26}; for erasing B43L19/00; for textile materials D06H) ## Abstract A cutter apparatus includes a housing and a blade holder coupled to the housing, wherein the housing includes a distal portion (e.g., a blade storage compartment) that is both slidably and pivotally coupled to portions of the housing and configured to serve as a cover for the blade holder. The cutter apparatus can also include a cover release device configured to facilitate repositioning the cover between a locked position at which the cover is secured to the housing and a released position at which at least a portion of the cover is free to pivotally reposition away from the housing providing access to the blade holder. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cutter apparatus comprising: a housing including a distal portion that is both slidably and pivotally coupled at pivot elements thereof to other portions of the housing; a blade holder coupled to the housing; an actuator coupled to the blade holder and repositionable in relation to the housing; and a blade guard mechanically coupled to the housing and configured to be extended and retracted adjacent to the front end of the housing; wherein the distal portion is configured to serve as a cover for the blade holder; wherein the actuator and the blade guard are configured such that the actuator when pushed forward repositions independently of the blade guard to extend a blade from the housing; wherein the actuator and the blade guard are configured to move in tandem as the blade guard is deployed, the actuator being contacted and pushed forward to extend the blade from the housing in response to the blade guard being pushed forward. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cutter apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade holder includes a substantially flat surface and a plurality of protrusions configured to accommodate positioning a blade adjacent to the substantially flat surface with the protrusions extending through one or more apertures in the blade and engaging complementary surfaces of the blade preventing the blade from repositioning along the blade holder. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The cutter apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cover includes one or more blade stabilizing structures that position adjacent to the blade when the cover is in a closed position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The cutter apparatus of claim 3, wherein the protrusions position between the blade stabilizing structures when the cover is moved to the closed position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cutter apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover is repositionable between a locked position at which the cover is secured to the housing and a released position at which at least a portion of the cover is free to pivotally reposition away from the housing providing access to the blade holder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The cutter apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cover and the housing include complementary portions that mutually engage when the cover is in its locked position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The cutter apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cover includes or is coupled to one or more pivot elements that are received by one or more of the complementary portions of the housing when the cover is moved to its released position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The cutter apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more pivot elements include a pair of pivot posts at opposing sides of the cover, respectively. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The cutter apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cover and the housing are configured such that the cover is only repositionable along a path parallel to a surface of the blade holder when moving between the locked position and the released position and not in the released position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The cutter apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a cover release device configured to facilitate repositioning the cover between the locked position and the released position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cutter apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cover release device and the housing include complementary portions that mutually engage when the cover is in the locked position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The cutter apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cover release device includes a flexible portion configured to be repositionable in relation to the housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The cutter apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cover release device is coupled to the cover and configured to allow a user of the cutter apparatus to reposition the cover to the released position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The cutter apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the cover release device is repositionable between portions of the cover that are coupled to the housing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The cutter apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a compartment. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The cutter apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a blade storage compartment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The cutter apparatus of claim 16, wherein the blade storage compartment includes a side opening that is accessible for withdrawing a blade therefrom when the cover is pivoted away from the housing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The cutter apparatus of claim 17, wherein the cover includes a top portion with an opening configured to allow a user of the cutter apparatus to withdraw a blade from the blade storage compartment via the side opening. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The cutter apparatus of claim 16, wherein the blade storage compartment includes a spring that interfaces with a cutout on a blade. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The cutter apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade holder includes or is coupled or connected to a blade carrier that is repositionable in relation to the housing. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The cutter apparatus of claim 20, wherein the cover is repositionable in relation to the housing independent of the blade carrier. ### Claim 22 A cutter apparatus comprising: a housing; a blade holder coupled to the housing; a cover for the blade holder, the cover being coupled to and repositionable in relation to the housing, the cover including a cover release device configured to facilitate repositioning the cover between a locked position at which the cover is secured to the housing and a released position at which at least a portion of the cover is free to pivotally reposition away from the housing providing access to the blade holder; wherein the cover release device includes a flexible portion configured to be repositionable in relation to the housing; wherein the flexible portion includes an engagement member that engages with a complementary portion of the housing when the cover is in the locked position, the engagement member being configured to reposition inward in relation to the housing, responsive to the flexible portion being depressed inward, to disengage the cover release device from the housing; wherein the complementary portion of the housing is a recess extending through the housing, and the engagement member interfits with, and is visible from outside the cutter apparatus as being located within, the recess when the cover is in the locked position. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The cutter apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cover release device and the housing mutually engage when the cover is in the locked position. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The cutter apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cover and the housing mutually engage when the cover is in the locked position. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The cutter apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cover release device is coupled to the cover and configured to allow a user of the cutter apparatus to reposition the cover to the released position. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The cutter apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cover includes or is coupled to one or more pivot elements that are received by one or more complementary portions of the housing when the cover is moved to the released position. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The cutter apparatus of claim 26, wherein the one or more pivot elements include a pair of pivot posts at opposing sides of the cover, respectively. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The cutter apparatus of claim 27, wherein at least a portion of the cover release device is repositionable between the pivot posts. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) The cutter apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cover and the housing are configured such that the cover is only repositionable along a path parallel to a surface of the blade holder when moving between the locked position and its released position and not in the released position. ### Claim 30 (depends on 22) The cutter apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cover is located at the distal end of the cutter apparatus. ### Claim 31 (depends on 22) The cutter apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cover includes a compartment. ### Claim 32 (depends on 22) The cutter apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cover includes a blade storage compartment with a side opening that is accessible for withdrawing a blade therefrom when the cover is released from the locked position and pivoted away from the housing. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The cutter apparatus of claim 32, wherein the cover includes a top portion with an opening configured to allow a user of the cutter apparatus to withdraw a blade from the blade storage compartment via the side opening. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The cutter apparatus of claim 32, wherein the blade storage compartment includes a spring that interfaces with a cutout on the blade. ### Claim 35 (depends on 22) The cutter apparatus of claim 22, wherein the blade holder includes or is coupled or connected to a blade carrier that is repositionable in relation to the housing. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The cutter apparatus of claim 35, wherein the cover is repositionable in relation to the housing independent of the blade carrier. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The cutter apparatus of claim 35, wherein the blade carrier includes or is coupled or connected to an actuator that is repositionable in relation to the housing. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The cutter apparatus of claim 37, further comprising: a blade guard mechanically coupled to the housing and configured to be extended and retracted adjacent to the front end of the housing, wherein the actuator and the blade guard are configured such that the actuator when pushed forward repositions independently of the blade guard to extend a blade from the housing. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The cutter apparatus of claim 38, wherein the actuator and the blade guard are configured to move in tandem as the blade guard is deployed, the actuator being contacted and pushed forward to extend the front blade from the housing in response to the blade guard being pushed forward.