Pencil sharpener

A pencil sharpener having a collector housing and an integral cover/sharpener-unit releasably attachable to the collector housing with the sharpener extending into the collector housing, the collector housing having side walls comprising

• the cover/sharpener-unit being defined on two opposite sides by two continuous outer guiding surfaces;
• the collector housing having two inner guiding surfaces on two opposite facing walls, the dimensions of the sharpener elements being selected so that said outer guiding surfaces are parallel to and slidably engage said inner guiding surfaces to guide said cover/sharpener-unit during its insertion into and removal from said housing;
• said cover at the sides of the sharpener other than the sides having said outer guiding surfaces is provided with portions which laterally project over the side walls of said housing having said inner guiding surfaces, said side walls serving as support walls for said laterally projecting portions;
• the cover/sharpener-unit being releasably attachable to the collector housing by a snap means which comprises cooperating engageable protrusions and recesses integral with said support walls and said laterally extending portions;
• and
• said support walls being shorter than said guide walls by the thickness of said cover and said snap means comprising protrusions on the outer surfaces of said support walls and extensions on said laterally projecting cover portions, said extensions being undercut to form said recesses so that by pushing said cover onto the collector housing, said protrusions fit into said undercuts and by pulling said cover from the collector housing, the protrusions will disengage from said undercuts.