The present disclosure relates to mechanisms to lock the blade of a knife in a closed position, such as a butterfly style knife, for example, a BALI-SONG® knife.
A butterfly style knife is a conventional and very traditional knife that has ancient origins and which is greatly appreciated by knife enthusiasts. Described generally, a butterfly style knife, such as sold under the tradename BALI-SONG® by the BENCHMADE knife company, has a single blade that is pivotally attached to two separate handle pieces at two separate pivot points located on opposite sides of a tang portion of the knife blade. These knives have a fully closed position in which the two handle halves are rotated over the blade so that the blade is fully stowed between (and at least partially within) the opposed handles. In this position, the sharp edge of the blade, or sharp edges if both sides of the blade are sharpened, is safely retained in one or both of the handles. These knives also have a fully open position. In the fully open position, the two handle halves have been rotated 180 degrees from the fully closed position so that the blade extends away from the now-paired handle halves into a position ready for use. In this position the two handle halves are oriented parallel to one another and the user grasps both handle halves at once to define a unitary handle. The two pivot points or pivot axes between the blade and the two handle halves hold the blade in a rigid working position relative to the handle.
The foregoing basic description of a butterfly style knife, such as a BALI-SONG® knife, is useful to describe some of the features of these knives that aficionados of the knives enjoy. Specifically, butterfly style knives, such as a BALI-SONG® knife, are used to perform a variety of elaborate “moves” in which the user flips the blade from closed to open positions, from open to closed, and numerous positions in between. These elaborate techniques are well-known to knife users and have a long history borne out of use of butterfly style knives, such as a BALI-SONG® knives, for defensive, combat and ceremonial purposes. There are many videos showing BALI-SONG® techniques on online video channels such as YouTube and they are instructive on how these knives are used.
Embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in understanding embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are order dependent.
The description may use perspective-based descriptions such as up/down, back/front, and top/bottom. Such descriptions are merely used to facilitate the discussion and are not intended to restrict the application of disclosed embodiments.
The terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.
For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “A/B” or in the form “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “at least one of A, B, and C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C). For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “(A)B” means (B) or (AB) that is, A is an optional element.
The description may use the terms “embodiment” or “embodiments,” which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments, are synonymous, and are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.).
With respect to the use of any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
Most butterfly style knives, such as BALI-SONG® knives, include a latch that holds the two handle halves together when the knife is in either the fully closed position or the fully open position. There are several types of conventional latches for these knives, but the most common latch is defined by an elongate latch arm that is pivotally attached to the rearward, exposed end of one of the two handle halves. When the two handle halves are oriented parallel to one another, for example when the knife is fully closed or when the knife is fully open, the elongate latch arm may be pivoted about its attachment to one handle half toward the other handle half where the distal end of the latch arm engages a cooperatively shaped seat on the other handle half. Once engaged, the latch arm secures the two handle halves with the knife in either the open or closed position as the case may be.
While the elongate latch arm described above is a useful safety device, it will be appreciated that during the elaborate flipping techniques for users of the butterfly style knives, such as a BALI-SONG® knife, the two handle halves cannot be latched together, else the handles could not be manipulated relative to the blade as is required to perform the techniques. As such, the elongate latch arm can be seen by some users as an impediment to proper use of the knife for performing elaborate flipping techniques. Indeed, because some of the techniques are performed so rapidly and with such precision that there is only minimal clearance between the user's hand and arm during the technique, the elongate latch arm can get in the way and can even hit the user's hand and/or arm. In addition, the inclusion of a latch on a butterfly knife results in unequally weighted handles.
The purpose of locking the butterfly knife in the closed position is to protect the user by the handles from the blade edge. This interferes with proper flipping technique and some users remove or cut the elongate latch arm off their butterfly style knives, such as a BALI-SONG® knife. While this defeats an obvious safety mechanism, it allows the sophisticated user to perform their moves without interference from the latch arm. But even more bothersome to many users is the fact that during the flipping techniques the latch arm itself flips back and forth as the handles are rapidly manipulated and flipped. In some cases, the latch flopping around can cause damage to the latch, handle, or the blade. By removing the latch from the design, the handles will be equally weighted. However, without a latch, the butterfly knife would not be able to lock, presenting an obvious safety issue.
In view of the forgoing and other reasons, there is a need for innovative apparatuses and methods that allow users of butterfly style knives, such as a BALI-SONG® knife, to enjoy the safety afforded by the handle latch mechanisms, but without the negative aspects described above. The present disclosure defines such an apparatus. Those of skill in the art will readily recognize that while the disclosure is drafted with respect to a specific type of knife, the disclosure is not limited to knives but extends to any tool that requires movement of one structure relative to another.
Disclosed herein is a butterfly type or style knife having a latchless locking mechanism. A disclosed latchless butterfly knife, such as a latchless BALI-SONG® knife, includes a first handle half and a second handle half. This designation is somewhat arbitrary and is meant to aid in describing a latchless butterfly knife, such as shown in
One of the unique features of the disclosed latchless butterfly knife is that the locking mechanism uses features present on both the liners and the tang to allow the blade to be locked in a closed position by simple translocation of the blade (and blade tang) relative to the liners, and therefore the handle halves. In embodiments, the tang includes a pair of tang slots disposed on either side, e.g. top and bottom of the tang, that are each configured to accept a locking pin as the blade is moved to a closed position from an open position. In embodiments, these tang slots are further configured to retain their respective lock pins to prevent the rotation of the handle half when the blade is in a locked position, for example, after the blade is moved from an unlocked to locked position. The blade can be moved from an unlocked position to this locked position by translocating the blade relative to the handle halves, providing for an elegant and well-balanced design. By way of example, the handles/liners lock/unlock the blade by translating the stop pin into the blade tang slot by pushing the blade into/out of the handles (see, for example,
In certain embodiments, the liners include a jimping section configured to prevent the first handle half and the second handle half from independently sliding relative to the tang. The liner jimping (small extrusions/extensions and notches) is used to prevent relative translational motion between the two handles when locking and unlocking the knife. In some embodiments, the jimping is interdigitated between the opposing liners of the two handle halves. The jimping section can be configured as needed to the type, size, and/or style of knife.
In some embodiments, each of the left and right handle portions include an exterior sidewall coupled to the respective liners. Different decorative exterior sidewalls and different materials can thus be used to surface the knife. In embodiments, the exterior sidewall includes a handle spacing extension on a butt end of the exterior sidewall that is configured to provide space between the handle halves when in the closed position. One or more handle spacing extensions may be configured on the exterior sidewalls of the left and or right handle portions. Alternatively, the handle spacing extensions may be extensions of one or more liners. In embodiments, handle spacing extensions could be on the left and/or right handle portions in addition to, or instead of, on one or more liner. A handle spacing extension could be configured on the butt end of the sidewall or liner (near the tang of the blade) or on the distal end of the sidewall or liner (near the blade tip when in the closed position).
In embodiments, the tang includes ears oppositely disposed on the tang and configured for a user to manipulate to move the blade from the first locked position to a second unlocked position and vice versa. In embodiments, the tang includes an end bumper extending from the tang and configured for pushing the blade into the locked position from a second unlocked position.
Also disclosed is a latchless locking system that may include any of the other features disclosed herein. In embodiments, the latchless locking system includes a handle half. In embodiments, the handle half includes a left handle portion and a right handle portion held apart to form a blade groove there between. In embodiments, the left handle portion and the right handle portion each include a liner that has a pivot slot. In embodiments, the handle half includes a lock pin disposed between the left handle portion and the right handle portion. In embodiment, the latchless locking system includes a blade having a tang that is pivotally and slidably coupled to the handle half with a pivot pin. In embodiments, the tang includes a tang slot configured to accept the locking pin as the blade is moved to a closed position from an open position and a hook portion extending at least partially over the tang slot, the hook portion being configured to capture the lock pin when the blade is in the locked position and thereby prevent rotation of the blade from the locked and closed position to the open position. In embodiments, the pivot slots each include a biasing member that biases the pivot pin between the locked position and the unlocked position. In embodiments, the biasing member is a leaf spring integral to the liner. In embodiments, the liners further include a through bore for positioning the lock pin. In embodiments, a washer is disposed between the liners and the tang. In embodiments, the pivot slots include a channel separating the biasing members from nose portions of the liner, which allow the biasing members to move independently of the nose portions. In embodiments, the pivot slots include a first indentation corresponding to a locked position and a second indentation corresponding to the unlocked position.
Turning now to the figures, embodiments of the disclosed butterfly-type knife including a latchless locking mechanism will be discussed. The basic components of the knife 100 will be described first, prior to a detailed description of the latchless locking mechanism. The knife 100 includes a blade 102 that is pivotally and separately attached to two independent handle halves 110 and 112 at pivot points hidden in this view. The pivot points are at the “forward” end 111 of the handle halves 110 and 112 and the pivots are defined by pivot shafts (see
Turning now to
Handle section 115 and handle section 117 are pivotally coupled to the tang 107 of the blade 102 at a pivot point around pivot shaft 140. Similarly, handle section 119 and handle section 121 are pivotally coupled to the tang 107 of the blade 102 at a pivot point around pivot shaft 144. Handle section 115 and handle section 117 are spaced apart and rigidly held together by spacer block 122 and nut 125 at the butt end, and, along with the pivot shaft 140, form the unitary structure of handle half 110, with blade groove disposed therein. Similarly, handle section 119 and handle section 121 are spaced apart and rigidly held together by spacer block 136 and nut 139 at the butt end, and, along with the pivot shaft 144, form the unitary structure of handle half 120, with blade groove disposed therein. As further shown in
At the heart of the latchless locking mechanism for a butterfly knife are the liners as shown in
Turning now to now to
Turning to
Turning to
Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that embodiments may be implemented in a very wide variety of ways. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
This application claims the priority benefit of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/779,412, filed Dec. 13, 2018, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62779412 | Dec 2018 | US |