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US 12,036,687 B2Granted
Lockable tool with sliding scale release
AssigneeLatama, LLC
InventorWalter Halucha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lockable tool with a sliding scale release is formed with a frame and a tool coupled to the frame with a locking mechanism to lock the tool into an extended or retracted configuration. A release mechanism is attached a scale on the side of the frame. The scale is coupled to the frame. The tool is constructed such that sliding the scale along a longitudinal axis of the frame automatically unlocks the tool from the extended or retracted configurations. The tool can open and/or close automatically. The tool, such as a knife, can swing open or extend out a front opening in the frame.
Claims20
A lockable tool, comprising:
- a frame having a rear proximal position, a forward distal position, a forward direction from the proximal position to the distal position, a rear direction from the distal position to the proximal position, and a length along a longitudinal axis, a width perpendicular to the length along a horizontal axis, and a height along a vertical axis perpendicular to the length and the width;
- the frame having a first wall extending along the longitudinal axis from the rear proximal position to the forward distal position and having a first outside surface facing in the direction of the horizontal axis;
- a first scale over the first outside surface of the frame, the first scale slidably mounted and adapted to reciprocate along the frame in the longitudinal direction, and defining an inner space between an inside surface of the first scale and the first outside surface of the frame,
- a tool having a distal tip and a proximal base, the base coupled to the frame and the tool displaceable between a closed, retracted configuration wherein tool is enclosed within the inner space and an open extended configuration wherein the distal tip is extended outside the inner space in the forward direction from the proximal position;
- the frame and tool configured to form a selectively releasable locking mechanism having at least one projection and at least a first notch and a second notch, the projection selectively and releasably received in the first notch to lock the tool in the extended configuration, and in the second notch to lock the tool in the retracted configuration, and released from the first notch to unlock the tool from the extended configuration, and released from the second notch to unlock the tool from the retracted configuration;
- the first scale coupled to the locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism and first scale are coupled to each other and adapted such that when the projection is in the first notch, sliding the first scale with respect to the frame along the longitudinal axis releases the projection from the first notch and when the projection is in the second notch, sliding the first scale with respect to the frame releases the projection from the second notch.
3 more elements
A lockable tool, comprising:
- a frame having a length along a longitudinal axis, a width perpendicular to the length along a horizontal axis, and a height perpendicular to the length and width along a vertical axis, the frame having a first wall extending along the longitudinal axis from a rear proximal position to a forward distal position and having a first outside surface facing in the direction of the horizontal axis;
- a first scale mounted at the first outside surface in a sliding arrangement along the longitudinal axis;
- a tool having a distal tip and a proximal base coupled to the frame and displaceable between a closed, retracted configuration wherein the distal tip points towards the rear proximal direction and an open extended configuration wherein the distal tip points towards the forward distal direction;
- a rotatable shaft mounted on the frame, the tool coupled to the shaft, the shaft having a stepped configuration with a major diameter and a minor diameter, smaller than the major diameter, the major diameter portion of the shaft includes a pair of symmetric V-shaped notches on opposite sides thereof and the minor diameter portion of the shaft extends through the base of the tool, to pivotally couple the tool to the frame;
- the V-shaped notches being part of a selectively releasable locking mechanism coupled to the first scale and adapted to selectively lock the tool in the extended configuration and in the retracted configuration and to unlock the tool when the locking mechanism is released by sliding the first scale along the longitudinal axis.
2 more elements
A lockable tool, comprising:
- a frame having a length along a longitudinal axis, a width perpendicular to the length along a horizontal axis, and a height perpendicular to the length and width along a vertical axis, the frame having a first wall extending along the longitudinal axis from a rear proximal position to a forward distal position and having a first outside surface facing in the direction of the horizontal axis;
- a first scale mounted over the first wall-in a sliding arrangement along the longitudinal axis;
- a tool having a distal tip and a proximal base coupled to the frame and displaceable between a closed, retracted configuration wherein the distal tip is covered by the first scale and an open extended configuration wherein the distal tip points extends in the forward direction from the frame and first scale;
- releasable lock means for locking and unlocking the tool coupled to the scale and tool to selectively lock the tool in either the extended or in the retracted configurations when the lock means is in a locking position, and for unlocking the tool to permit the tool to be displaced between the extended and retracted configurations, by sliding the scale along the longitudinal axis.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.