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US 12,226,921 B2Granted
Lockable tool with sliding scale release
AssigneeLatama, LLC
InventorsWalter Halucha, James Fang, J. Reese Weiland, Jr.
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 to 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.
Claims21
A lockable tool, comprising:
- a frame having a rear proximal position, a front distal position, a forward direction along a longitudinal axis from the rear position to the front position, a length along the longitudinal axis, a width in a width direction perpendicular to the length, and a height along a vertical axis perpendicular to the length and the width;
- the frame having a first plate extending along the longitudinal axis from the rear position to the forward position and having an inside surface facing in the width direction, a middle plate parallel to and aligned with the first plate, and a second plate parallel to and aligned with the middle plate, with a gap between the first plate and the middle plate;
- a tool having a distal tip and a proximal base, and a biasing mechanism biasing the tool to the extended configuration, the base having a first notch and being coupled to the frame, the tool displaceable between a closed, retracted configuration wherein the tool is retracted within the frame and an open extended configuration wherein the tool is extended outside the frame and the tip points towards the forward direction;
- the frame and tool configured to form a selectively releasable locking mechanism having at least one projection selectively and releasably received in the first notch of the tool to lock the tool in the retracted configuration, and to unlock the tool by releasing the projection from the first notch;
- the second plate slidably mounted with respect to the middle plate and coupled to the locking mechanism, wherein sliding the second plate along the longitudinal axis with respect to the middle plate moves the projection linearly, in the width direction, out of the first notch to unlock the tool, allowing the biasing mechanism to bias the tool into the extended configuration.
2 more elements
A lockable tool, comprising:
- a frame having a length along a longitudinal axis, a width perpendicular to the length along a width 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 front distal position and having a first outside surface facing in the direction of the width 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 within the frame and an open extended configuration outside the frame, wherein the distal tip points towards the front distal direction;
- 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.
1 more element
A lockable tool, comprising:
- a frame having a length along a longitudinal axis, a width perpendicular to the length along a width 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 width 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 direction and an open extended configuration wherein the distal tip points towards the forward direction;
- releasable lock means linearly slidable in the width direction for locking the tool in the extended or in the retracted configurations when the scale is in a locking position, and unlocking the tool when the scale is slid along the longitudinal axis from the locking position.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.