Painters and drywallers use a variety of tools to perform a variety of tasks while painting and drywalling. Switching between the various tools wastes time and added space is required to store such tools. To save time and space, a single tool can be provided for painters and drywallers that enables the painter/drywaller to perform the variety of tasks. For example, a single tool can be provided for cleaning a paint roller, scraping paint, cleaning cracks, working putty, and opening paint cans.
Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein relate to a tool, and more particularly to a multi-purpose folding tool.
In an embodiment, a tool is provided that includes a handle assembly including a top portion having first and second ends and a bottom portion having first and second ends. The tool also includes a lock plate disposed between the top and bottom portions and having first and second ends, a deflectable arm having a free end biased towards the top portion, a fixed end opposite the free end, an inner edge, an outer edge, and a detent near the free end and the inner edge. The tool additionally includes a blade disposed between the top portion and the lock plate where a top surface of the blade abuts a bottom surface of the top portion and a bottom surface of the blade abuts a top surface of the lock plate. The blade has first and second ends, an indent in the bottom surface near the first end for engaging the detent in a closed position, and a ramp on the bottom surface near the indent defining a reduced thickness portion of the blade that reduces in thickness from the indent towards an edge of the blade to reduce contact between the detent and the blade during rotation of the blade. The blade is rotatable about the first end between the closed positioned where the second end of the blade is held within the handle assembly by the deflectable arm, and an open position where the second end of the blade is outside the top and bottom portions and the first end of the blade is engaged by the free end of the deflectable arm to hold the blade in the open position.
Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which particular embodiments and further benefits of the provided subject matter are illustrated as described in more detail in the description below.
Embodiments of the provided subject matter relate to a tool having a blade with an indent in a bottom surface thereof near its first end for engaging a detent on a deflectable arm in a closed position. The blade also includes and a ramp on its bottom surface near the indent defining a reduced thickness portion of the blade that reduces in thickness from the indent towards an edge of the blade to reduce contact between the detent and the blade during rotation of the blade.
With reference to the drawings, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views. However, the inclusion of like elements in different views does not mean a given embodiment necessarily includes such elements or that all embodiments of the invention include such elements.
Referring to
The lock plate 16 includes a deflectable arm 20 that is biased in a first position in
By way of example and not limitation, the coupling between the top portion 12, bottom portion 14, and lock plate 16, among others can be a screw, a bolt and nut, a rivet, a male and female coupling of elements, among others. For example, the top portion 12, bottom portion 14, and lock plate 16 may each include a plurality of openings, discussed in more detail below, for receiving rivets 22, 24, 26, and 28 to couple the components together. The top portion 12, bottom portion 14, lock plate 16, and blade 18 may each also include a pivot opening, discussed in more detail below, for receiving a pivot formed by first and second coupling screws 30 and 32 that couple the components together and allow the blade 18 to pivot relative to the top portion 12, bottom portion 14, and lock plate 16.
Referring now to
The top portion 12 also includes a plurality of grip areas 60 on the outer surface 44 in the form of indentations for a user to grip, an area 62 on the outer surface 44 for indicia, a support structure 64 extending throughout the inner surface 46 for strength, and a notch 66 extending inwardly from a side 68 of the top portion 12 to expose the deflectable arm 20 and a loop 70 (
Referring now to
The bottom portion 14 also includes a plurality of grip areas 100 on the outer surface 84 in the form of indentations for a user to grip, a clip 102 integrally formed with the outer surface 84 for clipping to a pocket or a belt for example, and a support structure 104 extending throughout the inner surface 86 for strength. The clip has a fixed end 106 formed with the bottom portion 14 and a free end 108 that can be deflected away from the bottom portion 14.
The top and bottom portions 12 and 14 may be made of any suitable material, such as a polymer composite, and may be formed in any suitable manner, such as injection molding. In an embodiment, the polymer composite includes nylon reinforced with fiberglass, such as between ten to twenty percent fiberglass.
Referring now to
The lock plate 16 also includes an opening 130 between the openings 126 and 128 near the second end 112 for receiving a protrusion 222 of a hammerhead 210 (
The lock plate 16 is substantially trapezoidal in shape and sized substantially similar to the top and bottom portions 12 and 14 except for the rounded portion 132. The lock plate 16 has a substantially L-shaped cutout having a cutout portion 140 extending axially near a middle of the lock plate 16 and a cutout portion 142 extending perpendicular to the axis and opening to an outside of the lock plate 16. The cutout portion 140 has a length longer than a length of the cutout portion 142. In an embodiment the length of the cutout portion 140 is more than twice the length of the cutout portion 142, and in another embodiment more than three times the length. The cutout separates the lock plate 16 into a body portion 144 and the deflectable arm 20. The lock plate 16 may be one-piece formed in any suitable manner, such as by stamping, or may be formed as multiple pieces connected in a suitable manner.
The deflectable arm 20 includes a first end 146 being a free end spaced from the body portion 144 by the cutout portion 142, a second end 148 being a fixed end integrally formed with the body portion 144, an inner edge 150 spaced from the body portion 144 by the cutout portion 140, and an outer edge 152 that when the tool is assembled is substantially aligned with the corresponding edge of the bottom portion 14. The outer edge 152 includes a serrated region 154 extending along a portion of the outer edge 152 for a user to grip when moving the deflectable arm 20 between positions.
The deflectable arm 20 is biased in the first position where the free end 146 is above a plane of the body portion 144 such that the deflectable arm 20 forms an incline from the fixed end to the free end, and the deflectable arm 20 is deflectable to the second position during movement of the blade 18 where the deflectable arm 20 is substantially in the same plane as the body portion 144. The angle of incline of the deflectable arm 20 is sized to give a positive lock action in the first position when the blade is in the open position and to resist deflection if contacted by a user during operation, and to resist movement of the blade without an external force when the blade 18 is in the closed position. For example, the free end 146 may be raised above the top surface 114 and thus the body portion 144 approximately three millimeters.
The deflectable arm 20 also includes a detent 160, such as a detent ball spaced from the first end 146 and the inner edge 150, and an elongate opening 162 spaced from the inner and outer edges 150 and 152. The detent 160 extends upward from the deflectable arm perpendicular to the axis, for example approximate greater than five tenths of a millimeter and has a diameter of approximately one and eight tenths of a millimeter. The detent 160 is axially spaced form the first end 146 and spaced from the inner edge 150 so as to reduce the amount of contact between the detent and the blade 18 during movement between the open and closed positions. For example, the detent 160 may be spaced from the free end 146 approximately five millimeters.
The elongate opening 162 may be spaced from the inner and outer edges 150 and 152 to form two continuous regions of the deflectable arm 20 around the opening 162 to increase the strength of the deflectable arm 20 while distributing forces exerted on the deflectable arm. The elongate opening 162 may be provided at or near the second end 148 of the deflectable arm 20 and is longer in a direction from the fixed end 148 to the free end 146 than in a direction from the inner edge 150 to the outer edge 152. The elongate opening 162 has an inner edge 164 proximate and parallel to the inner edge 150, and an outer edge 166 proximate and parallel to the outer edge 152 such that the continuous regions maintain substantially constant widths.
Referring now to
The blade 18 also includes an indent 200 in the bottom surface 176 near the first end 170 for engaging the detent 160 of the lock plate 16 when the blade 18 is in the closed position, and a ramp 202 near the indent 200 that defines a reduced thickness portion of the blade 18 that reduces in thickness from the indent 200 towards the end 182. The indent 200 is spaced further from the opening 178 towards the second end 172 than other designs and closer to the side 182 reducing contact between the detent 160 and the bottom surface 176 of the blade 18 during movement. The ramp 202 also reduces contact between the bottom surface 176 of the blade 18 and the detent 160 during rotation of the blade 18 by causing the detent 160 to disengage from the blade 18 before reaching the side 182. This reduces wear to the blade 18 and the detent 160 thereby increasing the life of the folding tool 10. The indent 200 extends into the blade 18 in one example approximately one millimeter and has a diameter of approximate one and six tenths of a millimeter.
Referring now to
To assemble the folding tool 10, the rivets 22, 24, 26 and 28 can be inserted through the respective openings 52, 54, 56, and 58 in the top portion 12. Optional rivet tubes 230 and 232 (
The blade 18 can then be inserted within the handle assembly until the opening 178 is aligned with openings 48, 88, and 118 and washers 234 and 236 are positioned on either side of the blade 18. The washers may be made of a suitable material, such as stainless steel for a high duty cycle, and the washer 234 may have a larger diameter than washer 236. The washer 234 may be positioned between the top surface 174 of the blade 18 and the bottom surface 46 of the top portion 14, and the washer 236 may be positioned between the bottom surface 176 of the blade 18 and the top surface 114 of the lock plate 16. The coupling screws 30 and 32 are then positioned in the openings 48, 88, 118 and 170 and coupled together, for example by tightening the screws together using a suitable tool such as a torque screwdriver, to hold the washers 234 and 236 and the blade 18 in the assembly while allowing the blade 18 to pivot.
During use of the folding tool 10, to move the blade 18 from the closed position to the open position, the user moves the blade 18 via the loop 70 thereby causing the deflectable arm 20 to move to the second position and allowing the blade 18 to be swiveled or rotated about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. After the detent 160 has disengaged from the blade 18 when the detent 160 reaches the ramp 202, the blade 18 will be in an intermediate position as shown in
To move the blade 18 from the open position to the closed position, the deflectable arm 20 is moved to the second position and held in the second position by the user as the blade is rotated until it contacts the deflectable arm 20, which will be in the intermediate position. As rotation of the blade 18 continues, the detent 160 moves up the ramp 202 and then contacts the bottom surface 176 of the blade 18 moving the deflectable arm 20 to the second position. Once the blade reaches the closed positon the detent 160 will engage the indent 200 and the deflectable arm 20 will be in the intermediate position.
Turning now to
The folding tool 310 includes a top portion 312, a bottom portion (not shown), a lock plate 316, a blade 318, and a hammerhead 510. The lock plate 316 includes a deflectable arm 320 that is biased in a first position to prevent movement of the blade 318 from an open position as shown to a closed position when in the first position and to allow movement of the blade 318 when in a second position.
The top portion 312, bottom portion, and lock plate 316 may each include a plurality of openings for receiving rivets 322, 324, 326, and 328 to couple the components together, and each include an opening for receiving a pivot 330, which may be formed in any suitable manner.
The blade 318 includes a bottle opener 480 on a side 482, a cutter 484 on the side 482, a scraper and/or spreader 486, a paint can opener 488 on a side 490, a roller cleaner 492 on the side 490, a loop 370 inwardly spaced from the side 490, and a nail puller 494. The lock plate 316 includes a rounded portion 432 that can be used as a flathead screwdriver and/or as an opener. The folding tool 310 additionally includes one or more tool portions, and as illustrated first and second tool portions 496 and 498 that are movable from stored positions within the top and bottom portions to exposed positions, one of which is shown, allowing the tool portions to be used. The tool portions 496 and 498 may include openings that receive the rivets 326 and 328 respectively to secure the tool portions 496 and 498 and to serve as pivots. The tool portions 496 and 498 may be suitable tool portions, for example the tool portion 496 may be a Philips screwdriver and the tool portion 498 may be a flathead screwdriver.
Turning now to
The folding tool 510 includes a top portion 512, a bottom portion 514, a lock plate 516, a blade 518, and a hammerhead 710. The lock plate 516 includes a deflectable arm 520 that is biased in a first position to prevent movement of the blade 518 from an open position as shown to a closed position when in the first position and to allow movement of the blade 518 when in a second position.
The top portion 512, bottom portion 514, and lock plate 516 may each include a plurality of openings for receiving rivets 522, 526, and 528 to couple the components together, and each include an opening for receiving a pivot 530, which may be formed in any suitable manner.
The blade 518 includes, a cutter 684 on a side 682, a scraper and/or spreader 686, a paint can opener 688 on a side 690, a roller cleaner 692 on the side 690, and a loop 570 inwardly spaced from the side 690. The lock plate 516 includes a rounded portion 632 that can be used as a flathead screwdriver and/or as an opener.
The aforementioned blades 18, 318, 518 may include suitable edges, such as a scraping edge, a beveled edge, a cutting edge, among others, and can be a shape having one or more edges, angles, curves, and the like to provide functionality. For instance, the blade can include one or more edges for scraping, removing of material (e.g., putty), cleaning (e.g., coating roller cleaning, paint roller cleaning, roller cleaning, etc.), enlarging or opening cracks (e.g., opening or enlarging cracks for patching, repair, touch-ups, etc.), applying a material (e.g., applying putty, etc.), among others. Features on one of the blades 18, 318, and 518 may be included on others.
The aforementioned elements (e.g., tool 10, top portion 12, bottom portion 14, lock plate 16, and blade 18, among others), and the like have been described with respect to interaction between several components and/or elements. It should be appreciated that such elements can include those elements or sub-elements specified therein, some of the specified elements or sub-elements, and/or additional elements. Further yet, one or more elements and/or sub-elements may be combined into a single component to provide aggregate functionality. The elements may also interact with one or more other elements not specifically described herein.
In the specification and claims, reference will be made to a number of terms that have the following meanings. The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify a quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term such as “about” is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Moreover, unless specifically stated otherwise, a use of the terms “first,” “second,” etc., do not denote an order or importance, but rather the terms “first,” “second,” etc., are used to distinguish one element from another.
As used herein, the terms “may” and “may be” indicate a possibility of an occurrence within a set of circumstances; a possession of a specified property, characteristic or function; and/or qualify another verb by expressing one or more of an ability, capability, or possibility associated with the qualified verb. Accordingly, usage of “may” and “may be” indicates that a modified term is apparently appropriate, capable, or suitable for an indicated capacity, function, or usage, while taking into account that in some circumstances the modified term may sometimes not be appropriate, capable, or suitable. For example, in some circumstances an event or capacity can be expected, while in other circumstances the event or capacity cannot occur—this distinction is captured by the terms “may” and “may be.”
This written description uses examples to disclose the subject matter, including the best mode, and also to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, including making and using a devices or systems and performing incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differentiate from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/292,568 filed on Feb. 8, 2016. The entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62292568 | Feb 2016 | US |