Patent Application
20090126199
Knife sharpeners are old in the art and usually consist of a separate sharpening unit, constructed from steel or other resistant material. Such prior art devices may be in the form of a rod-like configuration. To sharpen, the cutting portion of a knife is repeatedly scraped across the prior art sharpening unit until the cutting portion of a knife has been thinned out, so that it is sharpened.
A shortcoming of prior art knife sharpeners is that they must be stored and then located when needed, which may not always be convenient depending on how well organized the user's kitchen or work area is. In the restaurant or grocery business this may be especially irritating because cooking tools and accessories must often be quickly located and there are often numerous tools and accessories in a tight location.
In addition, prior art knife sharpeners are often awkward and difficult to use because the shape and design of many prior art devices are not ergonomic and require the user to assume awkward and uncomfortable positions.
The present invention addresses the above shortcomings by incorporating a knife sharpener within a knife. The present invention allows the user to easily store and locate the knife sharpener since it is located on the knife itself. In addition, the design of the knife sharpener is ergonomic and allows for safer sharpening of a knife because sharpening is accomplished with the blades of the knives being pointed away from the body.
The present invention incorporates a knife-sharpening element contained within a knife. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the knife-sharpening element of the knife is positioned opposite the cutting edge on the blade of the knife. The sharpening element is comprised of metal with abrasive particles. To sharpen a knife, the blade of a separate knife is repeatedly run across the knife-sharpening element of the invention, and is sharpened by this action.
The sharpening element 1 may be constructed from a variety of metals such as steel, aluminum alloys, or any other rigid, durable material. The material may also come from durable, synthetic materials, as advances in strength and durability in synthetic materials are continually being made. The sharpening element may be constructed from identical material as the cutting element of the blade, or from a different, more resistant material. If the cutting element and sharpening element are constructed from different materials, the elements may be joined through welding or other methods known in the art.
The handle 3 and blade 4 are joined through means known in the art including screws, fasteners, and welding. Die cast molds for handles may be configured to accommodate insertion of a blade during fabrication.
The handle may be constructed from a variety of materials including plastic, rubber, wood, or metal. A separate layer 8 of rubber or soft plastic may be provided to surround the handle portion to improve the users comfort and grip. The layer may be texturized with raised protuberances or comprise perforations for increased friction and grip. The handle may have a longitudinal length sufficient so that it extends past the user's hand when it is being held. The girth of the handle should be greater than half one inch for improved handling.
At the portion of the handle proximal to the blade, a concave ridge 7 may be provided. The concave ridge is large enough for a user to insert his thumb. The ridge may further comprise a rubber or soft plastic material to minimize slippage of the user's thumb when positioned within the ridge. When the user places his thumb in the ridge, the user is afforded greater comfort and stability when gripping the handle and sharpening a knife.
The multiple grooves 5 also provide additional friction against the knife being sharpened when the user runs the knife against the sharpening element. The concave ridge 7 and parallel grooves provides an improved and novel means of sharpening a knife. Increased safety is provided by employing the device to sharpen a knife because the cutting element of the knives are pointed away from the user's body when being sharpened. Various configurations of the sharpening element may exist and still fall under the scope of protection granted by this patent.
The strength of diamond material allows for long and extensive use of the sharpening element. Laypersons can more easily sharpen blades because of the increased friction created by the diamond abrasive when compared to steel rods making up the majority of the prior art. The diamond abrasive 9 may be incorporated in the blade by heating up the blade component of the knife close or at the melting point of the metal from which the blade is constructed and placing the diamond dust within the sharpening element of the blade. The diamond dust should be inserted within the melted blade only enough so that the blade may retain the particles upon cooling. Diamond dust should be exposed on the blade so that direct contact with a second knife may be made. Upon cooling, the diamond dust will be embedded, yet exposed within the blade. Sand or silica may be substituted instead of diamond abrasives for a more economic apparatus.
With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, manner and use are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, while still falling within the scope of the invention.
