Folding knife block apparatus
AssigneeTramontine USA, Inc.
InventorsAntonio Jose Galafassi, Kevin Scott Perkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A knife block to store and protect sharpened kitchen knives is suggested. The knife block includes a base and a pivotable tray connected together by a adjustable coupling system. The base includes a plurality of apertures therein that are to receive the blades of sharpened kitchen knives. The pivotable tray is configurable to change the geometry and functionality of the knife block from a folded configuration to a straight configuration. In the folded configuration, the knife block is easily deployed upon a counter top in an upright position. In the straight configuration, the knife block can be deployed upon a horizontal or vertical surface, for example upon a wall or within a drawer.
Claims16
A device to store and protect knives comprising:
- a base block, said base block including a top surface and a plurality of cavities formed therein;
- at least one knife, said knife including a handle with a first and second end and a cutting portion extending from said first end, said cutting portion being retained in one of said cavities of said base block;
- a tray member having a pair of substantially parallel side members and a cross member interconnecting said side members, said tray member being coupled to said base block by a coupling system and moveable between a first position and a second position relative to said base block, said side members being substantially parallel to said base block when in the first position and forming an angle less than 180° with respect to said base block when in the second position;
- and
- wherein in the first position, said first end of said knife handle engages said top surface of said base block and said second end of said knife handle engages said cross member, wherein said top surface of said base block, said side members of said tray and said cross member collectively form an aperture such that said cutting portion of said knife can be slidingly removed in an upwardly fashion from said base block when said tray member is in the first position;
- and
- wherein said coupling system comprises a slotted keyway and a circular hole in the side members of said tray member.
A knife block to store and protect sharpened knives comprising:
- a plurality of knives, each knife including a handle with a first and second end and a cutting portion extending from the first end;
- a base block including a top surface having a plurality of slotted apertures adapted to receive said knives;
- a tray member having a pair of substantially parallel side members and a cross member and coupled to said base block by a coupling including a slotted keyway and a circular hole;
- a truncated cylinder slidably engagable within said slotted keyway and rotatably engagable within said circular hole;
- said tray member having a first position and a second position relative to said base block;
- said tray member being substantially parallel to said base block when in the first position, wherein in the first position the second end of at least one of said knives engages said cross member such that the at least one of said knives can be slidingly removed in an upwardly fashion from said base block;
- said tray member forming an angle less than 180° with respect to said base block when in the second position wherein said tray member is not rotatable relative to said base block in the second position enabling the knife block to be placed upon a counter to allow free access to the knives contained therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.