Folding knife with locking mechanism
AssigneeGB II Corporation dba Columbia River Knife & Tool Company
InventorFlavio Yuji Ikoma
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Folding knife embodiments are disclosed herein comprising a blade operable to pivot relative to a handle, between an open position and a closed position, about a pivot axis extending through a tang portion of the blade having at least one locking recess. The knife can have a locking mechanism comprising a rod that extends along the pivot axis through the tang portion and a locking member coupled to the rod which engages the at least one locking recess of the tang portion when the blade is in at least one of the open position or the closed position. The knife can further comprise a push button coupled to the rod, wherein depression of the push button is configured to eject the locking member from the locking recess in the blade, thereby unlocking the blade.
Claims2
A folding knife, comprising:
- a handle comprising first and second opposing handle portions;
- a blade having a tang portion pivotally connected to the handle between the first and second handle portions, the blade being operable to pivot relative to the handle about a pivot axis extending through the tang portion, between an open position and a closed position;
- a leaf spring that contacts the tang portion of the blade at a location spaced from a rear edge of the tang portion when the blade is in the open position and the closed position so as to resist opening of the blade in response to a force less than a predetermined threshold;
- a locking mechanism, separate from the leaf spring, configured to engage a locking feature on the tang portion of the blade when the blade is in the open position to resist pivoting of the blade to the closed position.
A method of opening a folding knife, comprising:
- providing a folding knife comprising a handle, a blade having a tang portion pivotally connected to the handle and being pivotable relative to the handle about a pivot axis extending through the tang portion between an open position and a closed position, and a leaf spring that contacts the tang portion of the blade at a location spaced from a rear edge of the tang portion when the blade is in the open position and the closed position so as to resist opening of the blade in response to a force less than a predetermined threshold;
- applying an opening force to the blade of the folding knife, the opening force being greater than the predetermined threshold;
- and
- pivoting the blade from the closed position to the open position such that a locking mechanism, separate from the leaf spring, engages a locking feature on the tang portion of the blade to lock the blade in the open position and resist pivoting of the blade to the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.