US 5,502,895 AGranted

Folding blade pocket knife

OwnerDenis Lemaireinventor

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Abstract

A folding blade pocket knife including: an elongated handle, defining first and second lateral walls and a cross-sectionally U-shape lengthwise channel therebetween; an elongated cutting blade, sized to fit within the U-channel; a knurled rotary button, pivotally mounting an inner end of the cutting blade to a front end of the handle first wall; a liner lock assembly, including an elongated leaf spring blade, fixedly connected at a rear end thereof to a rear end of the handle second wall, and defining a front portion pretensioned toward and against a front portion of the handle first wall, whereby the leaf spring blade front portion extends transversely of the U-channel to prevent engagement of the cutting blade into the U-channel; and a slider operated cable for pulling the leaf spring blade front portion away from the handle first wall, whereby the leaf spring blade clears the U-channel to enable engagement of the cutting blade into the U-channel. The cutting blade is therefore pivotably between a retracted position, extending within the U-channel, and an extended operative position, extending away from the handle coaxially thereto. Manual rotation of the knurled rotary button allows manual blade extension, without contacting the blade and in an economically efficient fashion.

A folding blade pocket knife comprising:

(a) an elongated handle member, defining first and second, opposite, spacedly interconnected lateral walls and a lengthwise channel therebetween, and also defining front and rear ends;
(b) an elongated blade member, sized to fit within said channel, and defining a free end tip and an opposite inner end portion;
(c) a pivotal member, pivotally mounting said blade inner end portion to said handle front end, whereby said blade member is pivotable relative to said handle member between a folded position, extending within said channel, and an extended position, clearing said channel;
and
(d) a blade extension member, carried by said pivotal member for enabling manual ergonomically efficient pivoting of said blade member about the pivotal axis of said pivotal member;
wherein a single user's hand is required for both supporting said handle member and for operating said blade extension member;
further including blade locking means, for releasably locking said blade member in a fully extended operative position in which said handle member and said blade member are coaxial;
and
wherein said blade locking means includes a liner lock assembly, said liner lock assembly comprising a liner lock plate member anchored to the interior face defined by said handle first wall, said liner lock assembly including an elongated leaf spring finger, said finger being pretensioned in transversely offset fashion toward and against a front portion of said handle second wall, whereby said finger extends obliquely of said channel, said blade inner end portion including a sector shape lock notch, said blade notch being releasably engaged by said transversely offset finger automatically under the pretensioned bias thereof when said blade member reaches said operative fully extended condition thereof;
and further including means for forcibly pulling said finger transversely away from said handle second wall, against its inherent transverse offset, whereby said blade lock notch can be released for enabling blade folding.

7 more elements

Abstract

Claims10