DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the invention, illustrating a clip member of the invention in an extended position;
FIG. 2 is a right-side elevational view of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken generally along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, and illustrating the clip member in the extended position;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the invention, illustrating a clip member of the invention in a retracted position;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken generally along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, and illustrating the clip member in the retracted position;
FIG. 6 is a left-side elevational view of a person carrying the knife of the present invention in a pocket, the clip member in the extended position and engaged with the pocket;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken generally along lines 7-7 of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken generally along lines 8-8 of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates a folding knife 10 comprising at least two rigid plates 40, each fixed generally parallel to each with a plurality of rigid spacers 12, thereby forming a space 14 between each two adjacent rigid plates 40. At least one knife blade 30 is pivotally attached between two of the at least two rigid plates 40, the knife blade 30 pivotable between a retracted position 34 (FIG. 5) and an extended position 36 (FIG. 2). The knife blade 30 and each rigid plate 40 are preferably made from a hardened steel, alloy, or other suitably rigid metallic material.
A retractable clip 20 of the present invention includes a base portion 50 slidably fixed between two of the at least two rigid plates 40 (FIGS. 1, 3, 5). The base portion 50 includes a top surface 54, a bottom surface 56, and a peripheral edge 58 joining the top and bottom surfaces 54,56 and generally perpendicular thereto. The base portion 50 includes a generally rectangular guide slot 60 formed therethrough (FIGS. 3 and 5). The knife 20 includes a guide pin 70 fixed between the two rigid plates 40 of the knife 10 and traversing the guide slot 60 of the base portion 50. Preferably the retractable clip 20 is also made from a steel alloy, or other suitably rigid metallic material.
The retractable clip 20 further includes an elongated clip member 80 that is fixed at one end 84 to the base portion 50 (FIG. 1). The clip member 80 has a top surface 82 that is preferably coplanar with the top surface 54 of the base portion 50, and a bottom surface 86 that is generally coplanar with the bottom surface 56 of the clip member 50. A clip member peripheral edge 88 joins the top and bottom surfaces 82,86 of the clip member 80. Preferably, a long axis 65 of the guide slot 60 is generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis 15 of the knife and a longitudinal axis 85 of the elongated clip member 80 (FIGS. 1 and 3).
In use, when in a retracted position 90 (FIG. 4), the retractable clip 20 is substantially contained between the two rigid plates 40 of the knife 10 with one side 64 of the guide slot 60 contacting the guide pin 70. Alternately, in an extended position 95, the clip member 80 of the retractable clip 20 laterally extends outwardly away from between the two rigid plates 40 of the knife 10 and a second side 66 of the guide slot 60 contacts the guide pin 70 to prevent further extension of the clip member 80 and the base portion 50. Preferably the clip member 80 includes at a second end 87 thereof a retention bulb 110 projecting away from the clip member peripheral edge 88 and towards the knife 10 (FIG. 3). As such, when the retractable clip 80 is in the extended position 95 and an object 120, such as a pants or shirt pocket for example, is positioned between the clip member 80 and the knife 10, the retention bulb 110 facilitates retention of the knife 10 on the object 120 by friction.
The base portion 50 preferably further includes a serrated finger pad 100 at one side of the peripheral edge 58. The finger pad 100 is generally parallel to the guide slot 60 and at least partially protrudes from between the two rigid plates 40 of the knife 10. As such, a person's finger or fingernail (not shown) may press against the finger pad 100 to force the base portion 50 and clip member 80 to slide back and forth between the retracted and extended positions 90,95.
The base portion 50 may further include a detent 130 on the bottom surface 56 thereof. The detent 130 cooperates with a spring-biased protrusion 140 of at least one of the rigid plates 40 of the knife 10 (FIGS. 3 and 7), such when the clip 80 is in the retracted position 90 the protrusion 140 is aligned with the detent 130 to provide a tactile resistance when moving the retractable clip 20 from the retracted position 90. Similarly, a second detent 135 on the bottom surface 56 of the base portion 50 may be included that cooperates with the spring-biased protrusion 140 such that when the clip 80 is in the extended position 95, the protrusion 140 is aligned with the detent 135 to provide a tactile resistance when moving the retractable clip 20 from the extended position 95. The spring-biased protrusion 140 may be formed by cutting an elongated U-shaped section 145 in one of the rigid plates 40 (FIG. 3), for example.
The detent 130, in an alternate embodiment (not shown), may be formed in an inward surface 89 of the peripheral edge 58 of the base 50 (FIG. 3). As such, the spring-biased protrusion 140 may engage such a detent 130 along an axis orthogonal to the inward surface 89. Clearly other detent means and methods of exerting a spring bias upon them may be devised by those skilled in the art to create the desired effect of providing tactile feedback when the retractable clip 80 is moved back and forth from its retracted and extended positions 90,95.
While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the exact placement of the detents 130,135, and the exact shape of the clip member 80 may be altered depending upon the design of the particular knife 10 into which the retractable clip 20 is to be installed. Further, the exact shape of the guide slot 60 may be a rounded rectangle as opposed to a squared-off rectangle. The scope and spirit of the present invention may extend to a knife 10 complete with the retractable clip 20, or to the retractable clip 20 by itself for incorporating into any suitable type of knife 10, folding or otherwise. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.
Patent Application
20070289141
