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US 7,000,323 B1Granted
Fixed-blade knife with pivotable side pieces
AssigneeBuck Knives, Inc.
InventorsBrandon Hatcher, Stephen J. Hull, Dean Hussey, Eric P. Linn, Robert L. Pinto, Michael E. Williams, Mathew Hlavac
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fixed-blade knife includes a unitary blade having an implement, a tang, and a pivot region between the implement and the tang. The unitary blade is disposed between a pair of parallel and spaced-apart side pieces that pivot to cover or expose the implement. In the pivoted position wherein the implement is exposed, the side pieces form part of the handle that is used to grasp the knife. A locking structure locks the side pieces in a selectable position, and a limit structure prevents overrotation of the side pieces.
Claims26
A fixed-blade knife having a pivotable handle structure, the knife comprising:
- a unitary blade having an implement, a tang, and a pivot region between the implement and the tang, wherein the unitary blade lies in a blade plane and wherein the tang comprises a carabiner-type clip;
- a pair of parallel and spaced-apart side pieces having the unitary blade disposed therebetween, wherein the side pieces are pivotable relative to the unitary blade about a pivot axis that is perpendicular to the blade plane;
- and
- a side-piece locking mechanism that releasably locks the side pieces in at least one pivoted position.
1 more element
A fixed-blade knife having a pivotable handle structure, the knife comprising:
- a unitary blade having an implement, a tang, and a pivot region between the implement and the tang, and wherein the tang comprises a carabiner-type clip, the unitary blade comprising:
- a blade pivot bore through the pivot region,
- a locking slot through the pivot region, wherein the locking slot comprises a locking-slot angular segment of constant radius centered on the blade pivot bore, and
- an enlarged locking-slot bore at an end of the locking slot;
- a pair of parallel and spaced-apart side pieces having the unitary blade disposed therebetween, the pair of side pieces including a first side piece and a second side piece, wherein each side piece comprising:
- a handle pivot bore aligned with the blade pivot bore,
- a pivot pin extending through the handle pivot bore of each side piece and the blade pivot bore and lying on a pivot axis;
- and
- a side-piece locking mechanism comprising
- a lock-access opening extending through the first side piece and aligned with the locking slot,
- a recess in the second side piece aligned with the lock-access opening and lying parallel to the pivot axis,
- a locking button received through the lock-access opening and the locking slot, received in the recess, and lying parallel to the pivot axis, wherein the locking button comprising:
- a head sized to be accessible through the lock-access opening,
- a base sized to be slidably received in the recess,
- a locking wedge extending from the base toward the head, wherein the locking wedge is too large to fit through the locking slot but does fit into and engage a side of the enlarged locking-slot bore when it is aligned with the recess,
- a shank connecting the head and the locking wedge, wherein the shank is sized to fit through the locking slot, and
- a biasing structure which biases the locking button toward the first side piece.
14 more elements
A fixed-blade knife comprising:
- a unitary blade having an implement, a tang, and a pivot region between the implement and the tang, and wherein the tang comprises a carabiner-type clip, the unitary blade comprising:
- a blade pivot bore through the pivot region,
- a locking slot through the pivot region, wherein the locking slot comprises a locking-slot angular segment of constant radius centered on the blade pivot bore,
- an enlarged locking-slot bore at an end of the locking slot, and
- a limit pin extending outwardly from a side of the unitary blade;
- a pair of parallel and spaced-apart side pieces having the unitary blade disposed therebetween, the pair of side pieces including a first side piece and a second side piece, wherein each side piece comprising:
- a handle pivot bore aligned with the blade pivot bore,
- a limit slot in at least one of the side pieces, wherein the limit slot comprises a limit-slot angular segment of constant radius centered on the blade pivot bore, and wherein the limit pin of the unitary blade engages the limit slot;
- a pivot pin extending through the handle pivot bore of each side piece and the blade pivot bore and lying on a pivot axis;
- and
- a side-piece locking mechanism comprising
- a lock-access opening extending through the first side piece and aligned with the locking slot,
- a recess in the second side piece aligned with the lock-access opening and lying parallel to the pivot axis,
- a locking button received through the lock-access opening and the locking slot, received in the recess, and lying parallel to the pivot axis, wherein the locking button comprising:
- a head sized to be accessible through the lock-access opening,
- a base sized to be slidably received in the recess,
- a locking wedge extending from the base toward the head, wherein the locking wedge is too large to fit through the locking slot but does fit into and engage a side of the enlarged locking-slot bore when it is aligned with the recess,
- a shank connecting the head and the locking wedge, wherein the shank is sized to fit through the locking slot, and
- a spring bore within the base and extending parallel to the pivot axis;
- and
- a spring lying within the spring bore and reacting to a bottom of the recess in the second side piece, the spring biasing the locking button toward the first side piece.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.