Folding knife
AssigneeGB II Corporation dba Columbia River Knife & Tool Company
InventorEdward Tate VanHoy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure concerns embodiments of a folding knife having a locking mechanism for locking a blade in open and/or closed positions. The locking mechanism a first locking element on the blade and a corresponding second locking element on the handle that is adapted to engage the first locking element when the blade is in open and/or closed positions. The blade can be mounted on a leaf spring in the handle for pivotal movement relative to the handle between the open and closed positions. The leaf spring functions to support the blade and provide a biasing force that resiliently biases in a direction laterally toward the second locking element on the handle.
Claims16
A folding knife comprising:
- a handle;
- a blade having a tang that is pivotably connected to the handle and being pivotable relative to the handle about a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position, the tang comprising a laterally extending projection and at least one laterally extending locking element;
- and
- the handle comprising first and second, laterally spaced side portions, the first side portion comprising an aperture and at least one locking notch in communication with the aperture, the projection of the blade tang extending laterally into the aperture such that the projection can rotate within the aperture when the blade is pivoted between its open and closed positions;
- the second side portion comprising a leaf spring having a free end portion that is resiliently biased toward the first side portion, the free end portion pivotably supporting the blade tang by a pivot element extending through the blade tang and the free end portion, the free end portion exerting a biasing force laterally against the blade such that when the blade is pivoted to its open position, the biasing force urges the blade into an open and locked position in which the locking element on the blade extends into and engages the locking notch, and wherein the blade can be released from the open and locked position by manually moving the blade laterally against the biasing force to move the locking element out of engagement with the locking notch.
A folding knife comprising:
- a handle;
- a blade having a tang that is pivotably connected to the handle and being pivotable relative to the handle about a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position, the tang having at least a first locking element;
- and
- the handle comprising first and second, laterally spaced side portions, the first side portion comprising at least a second locking element adapted to engage the first locking element when the blade is pivoted to its open position;
- the second side portion comprising a leaf spring having a free end portion that supports the blade tang for pivoting movement of the blade, the free end portion being configured to apply a biasing force that urges the blade toward the second side portion such that when the blade is pivoted to its open position, the biasing force causes the blade to move toward the second side portion and cause the first locking element to engage the second locking element so as to lock the blade in the open position.
A folding knife comprising:
- a handle;
- a blade having a tang that is pivotably connected to the handle and being pivotable relative to the handle about a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position, the tang having first locking means;
- and
- the handle comprising a leaf spring having a free end portion that supports the blade tang for pivoting movement of the blade, the handle further comprising second locking means for engaging the first locking means when the blade is in its open position;
- the free end portion of the leaf spring being configured to apply a biasing force against the blade such that when the blade is pivoted to its open position, the biasing force causes the blade to move laterally toward the second locking means to cause the first locking means to engage the second locking means so as to lock the blade in the open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.