A knife can be carried and stored in a sheath. Typically, the sheath protects and covers at least the edge of the knife. In order to retain a knife within a sheath, pinch points (i.e., friction) and straps are commonly used. However, when the user needs to use the knife that is located within the sheath, quick deployment of the knife is imperative. This requires that the retention means be easy to operate, even in a high stress situation. Also, when not in use, retention of the knife within the sheath is very important for safety and reliability purposes. Therefore, improvements in a knife and sheath design that allows for quick deployment while also maintaining sufficient retention are needed.
The present disclosure relates generally to a knife and sheath.
In one aspect of the present disclosure a sheath for a knife is disclosed. The sheath includes a main body that includes a top face, a front face and a pair of side faces. The front face is wider than the side faces. The sheath includes a cavity that is defined by the main body. The cavity includes an opening in the top face and is configured to receive at least a portion of the knife. The sheath includes a latch that is disposed in the main body. The latch is spring loaded and has a projection as least partially positionable within the cavity.
In another aspect of the present disclosure a sheath and knife combination is disclosed. The sheath and knife combination includes a knife and a sheath. The knife includes a tang and a blade. The sheath includes a main body that has a least a top face, a front face, and a pair of side faces. The front face is wider than the side faces. The sheath includes a cavity that is defined by the main body. The cavity has an opening in the top face and the cavity is sized and shaped to receive at least the blade of the knife. The sheath and knife combination includes a latch that is disposed in the main body. The latch is spring loaded and has a projection as least partially positionable within the cavity.
In one aspect of the present disclosure a sheath for a knife is disclosed. The sheath includes a main body that includes a top face, a front face and a pair of side faces. The front face is wider than the side faces. The sheath includes a cavity that is defined by the main body. The cavity includes an opening in the top face and is configured to receive at least a portion of the knife. The sheath includes an adjustable knife retention element that is disposed in the main body. The adjustable knife retention element is at least partially positioned within the cavity and is configured to exert a force on the knife when positioned within the cavity.
A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based.
The following drawings are illustrative of particular embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The drawings are not to scale and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description. Embodiments of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings.
Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the appended claims.
The knife and sheath combination 100 are configured to be carried by a user for utility or combat use. In some examples, the knife and sheath combination 100 may be secured to a piece of clothing or equipment. The knife 102 is configured to be retained in the sheath 104 by way of a latch 106 disposed within the sheath 104. In some examples, the knife 102 can be inserted and retained within the sheath 104 in either a left-hand orientation or a right-hand orientation; therefore, the knife and sheath combination 100 is ambidextrous. Further, in some examples, the knife and sheath combination 100 is ruggedized so that the knife and sheath combination 100 can withstand harsh environments and resist wear, stress, and abuse. In some examples, the knife and sheath combination 100 can include materials and/or coatings to help ruggedize the knife and sheath combination 100.
In the depicted example, the blade 108 is a drop point blade. However, it is considered within the scope of the present disclosure that the blade 108 can have other blade shapes such as a clip point, tanto, serrated or other. In some examples, the blade 108 can be coated to increase corrosion resistance, resist reflection, and allow for easier cleaning. In some examples, the blade 108 can be constructed of PD-1 steel and be differentially hardened.
The blade 108 also includes at least one slot 114. In the depicted embodiment, the blade 108 includes a pair of slots 114 located at either side of the blade 108. In some examples, the slot 114 can be an aperture that passes completely through the blade 108. In other examples, each slot 114 is an indention that does not pass completely through the blade 108.
In other examples, the blade 108 can include a thumb ramp or a finger guard.
In the depicted example, the knife 102 includes a full tang 110. In other examples, the knife 102 can have other tang constructions such as a partial tang or a skeletonized tang. The handle 112 of the knife 102 is configured to surround at least a portion of the tang 110. In some examples, a portion 116 of the tang 110 can be exposed at an end of the tang 110, opposite of the blade 108. The exposed portion 116 can be utilized as a pommel and can be used as a hammer or a glass breaking tool. In some examples, the tang 110 has a shape that is generally similar to the shape of the handle 112. For instance, in some examples, the tang 110 can include a finger guard 111 that follows the shape of the handle 110.
In the depicted embodiment, the handle 112 has a two-piece construction that includes a pair of sides 118. The sides 118 are secured to one another and to the tang 110 of the knife 102 by way of fasteners 119. In the depicted embodiment, the handle 112 includes three fasteners 119 that are configured to join the side 118 to the tang 110. The handle 110 further includes a finger groove 120 that can aid the user is maintaining a grip on the knife 102 while also protecting the finger of the user. In some examples, the handle 110 can be constructed of a phenolic laminate. In other examples, the handle 110 can utilize other synthetic materials or organic materials, such as wood.
The latch 106 is disposed in the front portion 122 of the sheath 104 and configured to secure the knife 102 within the sheath 104. The latch 106 includes a button 130 that is operable by the user to selectively remove the knife 102 from the sheath 104. In some examples, the button 130 is pivotable. The latch 106 will be described in more detail with respect to
The back portion 124 also includes a drain hole 140 positioned at a bottom 129 of the sheath 104. The drain hole 140 passes through the back portion 124 and into the cavity 126 so as to allow water to drain from the cavity 126. Further, in some examples, the back portion 124 can be manufactured from metal. In some examples, it is machined from aluminum. In some examples, the aluminum can be anodized.
The button 130 of the latch 106 is pivotable about the latch pin 162, which is secured through the button 130 and into the front portion 122 of the sheath 104. Further, the button 130 is spring loaded by the series of springs 164 and biased to a latched position, as will be discussed in further detail with respect to
The detent assembly 266 retains the latch pin 162. The detent assembly 266 includes a pin 1670, a spring 172, and a set screw 174. The detent assembly 266 is positioned within the button 130, and the pin 170 is configured to interface with a notch in the latch pin 162. To adjust the amount of resistance the pin 170 provides, the user can either tighten or loosen the set screw 174.
The friction spring 168 is optional in the sheath 104. In the depicted example, the friction spring 168 is secured to the back portion 124 and is configured to pass into the cavity 126. The friction spring 168 can provide extra pressure to the blade 108 of the knife 102 when the knife 102 is positioned within the cavity 126 so to prevent any jostling of the knife 102 within the cavity 126 and to aid in retention. In some examples, the spring 168 is a stainless steel spring. In other examples, the spring 168 may be constructed of a synthetic plastic material.
The non-perpendicular positioning of the projection 144 with both the knife 102 and the longitudinal axis of the cavity 126 also allows the knife 102 to be inserted into the sheath 104 without operating the button 130. This allows for a user to simply insert the knife 102, upon which the projection 144 slides open until it reaches the slot 114. At such a time, the projection will interface with the slot 114, thereby locking the blade 108 within the cavity. Therefore, the latch 106 automatically locks the knife 102 within the sheath 104 when the knife 102 is inserted.
As can be seen from
The latch 206 is substantially similar to the latch 106 above, except that latch 206 is configured to be selectively held in the unlatched (i.e., open) position. For example, the latch 206 can be pivoted to the unlatched position when removing the knife 102 from the sheath 204. The latch 206 can then remain in the unlatched position until being manually pivoted to the latched position. This pivoting back to the latched position can occur, for example, once the knife 102 has been placed back in the sheath 204. By retaining the latch 206 in the unlatched position, it allows the knife 102 to be removed and replaced within the sheath 204 without the latch 206 contacting the blade 108 of the knife 102. In some examples, the latch 206 includes a button 230 that is held open using at least one plunger assembly 202 positioned within at least one plunger pin recess 203 of the sheath 204. The at least one plunger assembly 202 is configured to be a locking feature that is configured to hold the latch 206 in the unlatched position.
The adjustable knife retention element 265 is substantially similar to the friction spring 168. The adjustable knife retention element 265 can provide pressure to the blade 108 of the knife 102 when the knife 102 is positioned within a cavity 226 of the sheath 204 so as to prevent any jostling of the knife 102 within the cavity 226 and to aid in retention. The adjustable knife retention element 265 utilizes a biasing component 267 and a fastener 268. As the fastener 268 is tightened, pressure is increased on the component 267, and therefore retention is increased within the sheath 204.
The button 230 differs from button 130, as button 230 includes a locking feature 232 that is configured to interface with at least one plunger assembly 202. In some examples, the locking feature 232 is a recess. In other examples, the locking feature 232 is a projection. In the depicted example, the locking feature 232 is an indentation that is disposed on either side 233 of the button 230 (as shown in
In the depicted example, the plunger assembly 202 includes a set screw 250, a spring 252, and a pin 254. The plunger assembly 202 is configured to be positioned within the plunger pin recess 203 of the sheath 204. Specifically, the pin 254 is configured to interface with the locking feature 232 of the button 230 to hold the latch 206, specifically the button 230, in the unlatched position. The spring 252 allows the pin 254 to be spring loaded so that the pin 254 is held in place in the locking feature 232 of the button 230, but can also be disengaged from the locking features 232 by manually pivoting the button 230 and overcoming the spring force of the spring 252. In some examples, the set screw 250 can be used to adjust the amount of force that the spring 252 exerts on the pin 254, thereby affecting the locking characteristics of the button 230. For example, the set screw 250 can be tightened to increase the holding force of the pin 254 within the locking feature 232 of the latch 206, thereby requiring a higher manual force from the user to disengages the pin 254 from the locking feature 232.
The adjustable knife retention element 265 is shown to include the biasing component 267 and fastener 268. In the depicted example, a series of spring washers 269 are utilized between the fastener 268 and the spring-like component. 267. In some examples, the washers 269 are disc springs and are configured to be selectively compressed by the fastener 268, thereby exerting a higher and higher force on the biasing component 267. When the force is increased on the biasing component 267, the retention force on the blade 108 of the knife 102 is increased.
The biasing component 267 is shown to be at least partially within the cavity 226. In some examples, the biasing component 267 can include a pair of arms 227 that interface with a portion of the sheath 204 so as to retain the biasing component 267 within the sheath 204.
The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the claims attached hereto. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the following claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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62446229 | Jan 2017 | US |