Lever-actuated folding knife
OwnerWilliam J. Taylor, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A folding knife designed to be easily opened with one hand and having a thumb-actuated opening lever to pivot the blade from closed to opened positions. The thumb-actuated lever in a first preferred embodiment has an opening lever driving a sector gear that engages a drive gear for opening the blade. The opening lever remains within the plan-view outline of the knife body at all times. In another disclosed embodiment, the opening lever drives a cam which, in turn, causes a second lever to pivot within the body of the knife. Gear teeth on this second lever engage and rotate a blade drive gear, causing the blade to pivot between closed and opened positions. The opening lever in still another disclosed embodiment includes a thumb-operated slider having a cam surface engaging a follower to pivot a blade opening lever.
Claims18
A folding knife having a body and comprising:
- a knife blade mounted in the body for pivotable movement between a closed position and an opened position;
- a blade opening lever mounted for movement on a first axis relative to the body and operatively interconnected with the blade so that movement of the blade opening lever over a predetermined arc moves the blade between the closed and opened positions;
- a manual actuation lever selectively movable on a second axis relative to the body;
- means operatively interconnecting the manual actuation lever with the blade opening lever so as to move the blade opening lever on the predetermined arc in a direction to move the blade from closed to opened position, in response to predetermined manual actuation of the actuation lever;
- the manual actuation lever being pivotable on the second axis;
- and
- the interconnecting means moving the blade opening lever over the predetermined arc in response to pivoting movement of the manual actuation lever.
The knife as in claim 5, wherein the bearing portion is coaxial with the second axis and turns thereon in response to pivoting movement of the actuation lever.
A folding knife having a body and comprising:
- a knife blade mounted in the body for pivotable movement on a first axis between full closed and full open positions;
- a driven member operatively connected to the knife blade;
- a drive member supported in the body for pivotable movement on a second axis and in driving relation to the driven member;
- a manual actuation lever pivotably mounted on the body and selectively operative to rotate the drive member, so as to pivot the knife blade from the full closed position to the full open position;
- and
- the actuation lever is disposed outside the body for engagement between the thumb and palm of a hand so that the actuation lever can be pivoted by thumb pressure, whereby the knife blade can be opened to the full open with only that one hand.
A folding knife having a body and comprising:
- a knife blade mounted in the body for pivotable movement on a first axis between closed and open positions;
- a driven member operatively connected to the knife blade;
- a drive member supported in the body for pivotable movement on a second axis and in driving relation to the driven member;
- a manual actuation lever pivotably mounted on the body for engagement between the thumb and palm of a hand so that the lever can be pivoted by thumb pressure and operative to rotate the drive member, so as to pivot the knife blade from the closed position to the open position;
- the driven member comprises a pinion;
- and
- the drive member comprises a gear segment having teeth meshing with the pinion and extending on a segment arc substantially only coextensive with the arc of travel required to pivot the knife blade between closed and open positions;
- whereby the absence of teeth beyond the segment arc prevents moving the pinion and gear segment therebeyond.
A folding knife having a body and comprising:
- a knife blade mounted in the body for pivotable movement between a closed position and an opened position;
- a blade opening lever mounted for movement on a first axis relative to the body and operatively interconnected with the blade so that movement of the blade opening lever over a predetermined arc moves the blade between the closed and opened positions;
- a manual actuation member selectively movable on a linear path relative to the body as the blade opening lever moves on the predetermined arc;
- a slidable member operatively associated with the manual actuation member and having a cam surface;
- a follower engaging the cam surface for displacement in response to sliding movement of the slidable member by the manual actuation member;
- and
- the follower being operatively interconnected with the blade opening lever so as to move the blade opening lever on the predetermined arc from the closed to the opened positions, in response to predetermined manual actuation of the actuation member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.