Patent Application
20130283621
The present disclosure generally relates to folding tools. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a folding tool with a locking mechanism in communication with an implement for selectively locking the implement in an open or closed position.
Many folding tools utilize a locking mechanism that prevents the implement from opening and/or closing unintentionally. For example, existing locking mechanisms for folding knives include “back locks” and “liner locks”. The back lock utilizes a generally metallic member that rides on the back of the blade as the blade rotates between a closed position and an open position. Once the blade is in an open position, the back lock member pivots into place behind a flat portion of the tang of the blade, thereby preventing closure of the blade until the back lock member is manually pivoted out of the way of the blade. The liner lock utilizes a thin, generally metallic liner that springs into place behind a flat portion of the tang of the blade, thereby preventing closure until the liner is manually moved out of the way of the blade. In some situations, the back lock and the liner lock have proven to be unreliable. For example, extended use of the back lock and the liner lock, especially in harsh environments, can result in corrosion and wear issues. An example of a liner lock is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,042,276, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
As an alternative to the back lock and the liner lock, some lock mechanisms utilize a push button as a lock. To bias the push button into a locked position, a compression spring is positioned coaxially with the pivot axis between the push button and the handle of the folding knife. The addition of a compression spring increases the number of components associated with the locking mechanism, which increases the likelihood of problems. In addition, to accommodate the lack of space between the push button and the handle, a recess is typically formed in the end of the button to at least partially house the compression spring. The recess formed in the button weakens the lock mechanism as the hollow portion of the button typically interacts with the tang of the blade to lock the rotation of the blade. To further accommodate the compression spring, a recess may be formed in the handle as well. However, a recess formed in the handle cannot extend through the handle because the handle acts as a reacting surface for the compression spring. Thus, the handle encloses the locking mechanism and traps water and/or debris within the critical moving parts of the folding knife, which may include the locking mechanism and the pivot axis of the blade. In many situations, trapped water and/or debris can result in corrosion and interfere with the operation of the knife. This problem is accentuated when the folding knife is exposed to harsh environments, including underwater applications.
Based upon at least the aforementioned problems, there exists a long-felt and unsolved need to provide a folding tool with a strong lock mechanism that reduces the number of components utilized in the locking mechanism and that allows drainage of water and/or removal of debris from the critical moving parts of the tool, including the locking mechanism.
Embodiments of the locking mechanism disclosed herein can be utilized with any type or form of folding tool or apparatus with a deployable implement or member. For example, embodiments of the locking mechanism disclosed herein can be utilized with multi-tools having various implements including, but not limited to, an awl, a container opener, a driver, a file, a knife, a saw, and scissors. For purposes of illustration and clarity, the embodiments disclosed herein are discussed in relation to a folding knife with a rotatable blade.
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a folding knife comprising a blade, a handle, and a locking mechanism. In various embodiments, the blade is rotatable about a pivot axis that is generally perpendicular to a plane in which the blade rotates. In these embodiments, at least a rear portion of the blade, generally referred to as a tang, is disposed between a first handle portion and a second handle portion in both an open and closed position. Generally, the tang of the blade is rotatably interconnected to the handle, which is comprised of two opposing scales.
It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a folding knife utilizing a push button as a lock. In one embodiment, when the push button is in a locked position, a portion of the push button interacts with a tang of a blade to prevent rotation of the blade. In one embodiment, when the push button is in an unlocked or depressed position, a notch formed in the button is configured to allow the tang of the blade to pass through the notch during rotation of the blade.
It is another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a folding knife having a locking mechanism biased toward a locked position. In one embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a push button coupled to a biasing member. In various embodiments, the biasing member biases the push button towards a locked position in which a portion of the button prevents rotation of a blade of the folding knife. In these embodiments, by depressing the push button, a user can release the lock mechanism to selectively allow rotation of the blade. Further, the biasing member may provide a linear and/or non-linear biasing force.
It is a further aspect of the present disclosure to provide a folding knife with a stronger lock mechanism than existing lock mechanisms. In one embodiment, a push button is coupled to a biasing member, and the biasing member biases the push button towards a locked position in which a portion of the button prevents rotation of a blade of the folding knife. In various embodiments, the biasing member interacts with a sidewall of the button to bias the button. For example, in one embodiment, a free end of the biasing member contacts the sidewall to bias the push button. In another embodiment, a free end of the biasing member extends into a hole formed in the sidewall to bias the push button. In these embodiments, the push button does not require a recession to house a compression spring, as is required in existing button locks. Thus, in these embodiments, a stronger lock mechanism is provided than in existing button locks.
It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a folding knife having a locking mechanism utilizing a laterally displaceable biasing member interconnected to a handle of a folding knife. In one embodiment, a locking mechanism comprises an engagement member and a biasing member. The engagement member generally interacts with the blade of the folding knife to lock the blade in an open or closed position. In one embodiment, the engagement member comprises a push button. The biasing member generally biases the engagement member outwardly towards a locked position in which a portion of the engagement member locks the folding knife and prevents rotation of the blade. In one embodiment, the biasing member comprises a sidespring. The sidespring, in one embodiment, is integrally interconnected to a handle. For example, in various embodiments, the sidespring may be formed in the handle. In these embodiments, various manufacturing methods can be utilized to form the sidespring, including, but not limited to, molding, cutting, or machining, as known in the art. If formed in the handle, the sidespring and the handle comprise a single component of the folding knife, thus reducing the need for additional components and/or material to interconnect or position the sidespring within the handle. This is advantageous because in certain environments, including marine applications, reducing the number of components that will be exposed to the harsh environment results in a more robust knife with a reduced likelihood of failure. In alternative embodiments, the sidespring can be interconnected to a handle portion using methods known in the art, including, but not limited to, adhesives, fasteners, and welding.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a lockable folding knife with improved drainage of water and/or removal of debris out of the moving parts of the folding knife. In one embodiment, an aperture is formed in the handle of the folding knife to accommodate an engagement member, which may be a button, operating as a lock. The aperture allows water to drain and/or debris to be removed out of the folding knife, thus reducing factors that lead to corrosion within the critical moving parts of the knife. For example, a handle aperture provides easy drainage of water from within the knife, which, if not drained, can cause corrosion. As another example, a handle aperture provides easy removal of debris trapped within the folding knife, which, if not removed, can affect the operation of the knife, particularly the rotation of the blade and the displacement of the locking mechanism. Existing button lock folding knifes do not utilize an aperture in the handle of the folding knife because a compression spring housed within the folding knife requires the handle to have a solid surface for the compression spring to properly bias the button into a locked position.
The embodiments discussed herein can be modified to be used in association with any folding tool or apparatus with a rotatable implement or member. The embodiments discussed herein also can be modified to be used in association with any folding knife with a rotatable blade. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure can be utilized with automatic knives, spring-assisted knives, and manual opening folding knives. Similarly, embodiments of the present disclosure may be adapted for use with any type of handle. For example, as used herein, a ‘handle portion’ can refer to a scale, a liner, a spacer, or any combinations thereof. The terms first and second are not intended to connote importance or priority, but are used to distinguish one component from another. Embodiments of knives discussed herein may be constructed of any materials now known or later developed in the art, including, but not limited to, aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and various forms of plastics.
The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or”, as used herein, are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.
The term “a” or “an” entity, as used herein, refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein.
The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Accordingly, the terms “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof can be used interchangeably herein.
It shall be understood that the term “means” as used herein shall be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance with 35 U.S.C., Section 112, Paragraph 6. Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term “means” shall cover all structures, materials, or acts set forth herein, and all of the equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materials or acts and the equivalents thereof shall include all those described in the summary of the invention, brief description of the drawings, detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves.
The Summary is neither intended nor should it be construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is set forth in various levels of detail in the Summary as well as in the attached drawings and the Detailed Description and no limitation as to the scope of the claimed subject matter is intended by either the inclusion or non-inclusion of elements, components, etc. in this Summary. Moreover, reference made herein to “the present invention” or aspects thereof should be understood to mean certain embodiments of the present disclosure and should not necessarily be construed as limiting all embodiments to a particular description.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of these embodiments.
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the disclosure or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the claimed invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.
To assist in the understanding of the drawings, the following is a list of components and associated numbering found in the drawings:
With reference to
The push button 38 shown in
The biasing member 62 of
Referring back to the embodiment depicted in
A method of assembling a locking mechanism of a folding knife 2 having a blade 6 and a handle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided as well. In general, a blade 6 is provided that includes a tang 70 on a rear portion 6B, and a handle is provided with a first handle portion 10 and a second handle portion 14. The first handle portion 10 and the second handle portion 14 may include a liner, a scale, or various combinations thereof. In one configuration, the first handle portion 10 includes a liner 18 and a scale 22. In this configuration, a biasing member 62 is interconnected to the liner 18, and may be integrally formed with the liner 18. After interconnection, a laterally-displaceable free end 58 of the biasing member 62 is inserted into a receiving hole 54 formed in a sidewall 56 of a push button 38 to couple the button 38 to the biasing member 62. The button 38 is positioned within an aperture 34 formed in the first handle portion 10 and the second handle portion 14, and the first handle portion 10 and the second handle portion 14 are interconnected. In addition, a tang 70 of the blade 6 is rotatably interconnected to the handle. Although not depicted, various fasteners, pins, spacers, and other components may be utilized in assembling the folding knife 2, as is known in the art.
Referring now to
Referring to
Referring now to
Referring back to the embodiments illustrated in
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of releasing a locking mechanism of a folding knife 2 having a blade 6 and a handle is provided. In this embodiment, the blade 6 generally includes a tang 70 rotatably interconnected to the handle. In various embodiments, to release the locking mechanism, a user pushes a button 38 in a direction substantially transverse to the folding knife 2. The button 38 displaces a free end 58 of a biasing member 62 laterally relative to a fixed end 66 of the biasing member 62. The user depresses the button 38 until a notch 106 formed in the button 38 is laterally aligned with the tang 70. Once aligned, the blade 6 can be rotated. Upon rotation of the blade 6 to an open or closed position, the free end 58 of the biasing member 62 displaces the button 38 into a locked position.
Referring now to
Referring back to the embodiment depicted in
Referring now to
With reference to
In operation, according to various embodiments, when the button 38 is in a non-displaced position, the ramp portion 134 and/or the third cylindrical portion 138 interacts with the tang 70 of the blade 6 to prevent blade rotation. In a fully depressed position, the alignment surface 118 of the push button 38 abuts the tang 70 of the blade 6. In this position, the notch 106 aligns with the tang 70 and allows rotation of the blade 6. When the blade 6 is rotated between a fully open and a fully closed position, the tang 70 of the blade 6 prevents the biasing member 62 from laterally displacing the button 38 into a locked position. Once in a fully open or closed position, the biasing member 62 laterally displaces the button 38 into a locked position in which a portion of the push button 38 interacts with the tang 70 of the blade to prevent rotation of the blade.
While various embodiments have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. For example, embodiments of the locking mechanism disclosed herein can be utilized with any type or form of folding tool or apparatus with a rotatable implement or member. Further, various features of the disclosure have been grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. However, it should be understood that various features of the certain aspects, embodiments, or configurations of the disclosure may be combined in alternate aspects, embodiments, or configurations. It is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention, as set forth in the following claims.
