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US 8,505,206 B2Granted
Folding knife with opening mechanism
AssigneeGB II Corporation
InventorEdward Tate VanHoy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a folding knife has a biasing mechanism, such as a spring, that applies an opening force to the blade when the blade is in the closed, or folded, position (i.e., the force of the spring creates a moment in the opening direction of the blade). The folding knife includes a latching mechanism that holds the blade in a closed and latched position against the opening force of the spring. To open the blade, manual pressure is applied to the upper edge of the blade (the edge opposite the sharpened edge) to move the blade slightly to a closed and unlatched position to release the blade from being held from the latching mechanism whereupon the blade is then free to pivot under the opening force of the spring.
Claims25
A folding knife comprising:
- a handle portion;
- a blade pivotably connected to the handle portion and having a bottom surface including a sharpened edge and an upper surface opposite the bottom surface, the blade being pivotable relative to the handle portion between a closed position and an open position wherein the sharpened edge is exposed for use;
- a biasing mechanism configured to exert a biasing force against the blade;
- and
- a latching mechanism configured to hold the blade in the closed position against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism and wherein manual pressure applied to the blade in a direction moving from the upper surface to the bottom surface is effective to release the blade from being held by the latching mechanism and therefore allow the biasing force to cause the blade to pivot from the closed position toward the open position.
2 more elements
A folding knife comprising:
- a handle portion;
- a blade pivotably connected to the handle portion and having a bottom surface including a sharpened edge and an upper surface opposite the bottom surface, the blade being moveable from a closed and latched position to a closed and unlatched position, the blade also being pivotable relative to the handle portion from the closed and unlatched position to an open position in a plane defined by the upper surface and bottom surface of the blade, wherein the closed and unlatched position and the open position are at opposite end limits of the path of travel of the blade for pivoting movement of the blade;
- biasing means for exerting a biasing force against the blade;
- and
- latching means for holding the blade in the closed and latched position against the biasing force of the biasing means, said biasing means causing the blade to pivot toward the open position under the biasing force immediately upon the blade being manually moved from the closed and latched position to the closed and unlatched position;
- wherein the blade is configured to be moved from the closed and latched position to the closed and unlatched position in a direction against the biasing force of the biasing means.
3 more elements
A folding knife comprising:
- a handle portion;
- a blade pivotably connected to the handle portion and having a bottom surface including a sharpened edge and an upper surface opposite the bottom surface, the blade being moveable from a closed and latched position to a closed and unlatched position, the blade also being pivotable relative to the handle portion from the closed and unlatched position to an open position in a plane defined by the upper surface and bottom surface of the blade, wherein the closed and unlatched position and the open position are at opposite end limits of the path of travel of the blade for pivoting movement of the blade;
- biasing means for exerting a biasing force against the blade;
- and
- latching means for holding the blade in the closed and latched position against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism and for allowing the blade to pivot toward the open position under the biasing force when the blade is manually moved from the closed and latched position to the closed and unlatched position;
- wherein the handle portion comprises a back edge and an opening opposite the back edge through which the blade travels when pivoted, and wherein the blade is moveable from the closed and latched position to the closed and unlatched position in a direction toward the back edge of the handle.
3 more elements
A folding knife comprising:
- a handle portion having a blade receiving space, a back edge, and an opening into the receiving space opposite the back edge;
- a blade pivotably connected to the handle portion and having a bottom surface including a sharpened edge and an upper surface opposite the bottom surface, the blade being moveable from a closed and latched position to a closed and unlatched position in a direction into the blade receiving space toward the back edge of the handle portion upon application of manual pressure to the blade, the blade also being pivotable out of the blade receiving space from the closed and unlatched position to an open position wherein the sharpened edge is exposed for use;
- a biasing mechanism configured to exert a biasing force against the blade;
- and
- a latching mechanism comprising a slot and a pin, the slot being formed in one of the handle portion and the blade and the pin being secured to the other of the handle portion and the blade and extending laterally into the slot, the slot and the pin cooperating to hold the blade in the closed and latched position against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism and, to allow the blade to pivot outwardly from the closed and unlatched position under the biasing force after the blade is moved further into the receiving space to the closed and unlatched position upon application of manual pressure to the blade;
- the slot comprising a first slot portion and a second slot portion, the first slot portion being shaped to receive the pin when the blade is in the closed and latched position such that the pin engages a side of the slot and prevents opening of the blade under the biasing force, the second slot portion being shaped to receive the pin when the blade is moved to the closed and unlatched position and allow movement of the pin in the second portion of the slot, thereby allowing the blade to move toward the open position under the biasing force.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.