Patent ID: 9421691
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: B26B

Claim Text:
1. A knife with a spring loaded guard assembly comprising: a blade member comprising a blade with a sharpened edge and integral shank; a handle assembly mounted to said shank; and a blade guard assembly comprising a sheath which covers the sharpened edge and being mounted for pivotal movement about said blade member between a stable retracted position adjacent said handle to a stable protective position covering said sharpened edge, said blade guard assembly being spring loaded by a spring configured to bias said blade guard assembly for pivotal movement about a pivot axis and having a biased actuator to retain said blade guard assembly in said stable retracted position and said stable protective position, said sheath comprising an arcuate arm extending from a quasi-circular shoulder plate defining a central opening coaxial with said pivot axis, said spring being a torsion spring having a first end anchored to said shoulder plate and a second end anchored to said shank, wherein said actuator comprises a spring loaded pusher having a detent which projects from a surface of said shank and said shank defines a slot adjacent said pivot axis sized to receive said pusher, a pair of recesses extend radially inwardly from a circumferential periphery on opposite sides of said shoulder plate, and said detent selectively engages one of said recesses to maintain said blade guard assembly in said protective and retracted positions and upon depressing said actuator, said blade guard assembly being pivoted to the protective position from said retracted position by a force of the spring.