Patent ID: 9592612
Date: 2017-03-14
CPC Classifications: B26B

Claim:
1. A folding knife comprising: an implement having an upper edge, a lower edge, a tang and a distal end; a handle portion comprising a first scale and a second scale, said first scale and said second scale having a forward end, a rear end, an upper end and a lower end; said tang of said implement rotatably interconnected to said handle portion, said tang comprising a notch and a shelf portion with a radius of curvature extending between the notch and the shelf portion to enable rotation of the implement; a locking member provided between said first scale and said second scale, said locking member comprising a body portion, said body portion having at least one aperture for securing to at least one of said first and second scales preventing said body portion from rotation, said body portion further comprising an upper arm and a deflectable lower arm extending from said body portion linearly relative to one another, and separated by a predetermined distance, said upper arm and said lower deflectable arm extending less than half a length of said body portion, wherein said body portion, said upper arm and said deflectable lower arm comprise a monolithic locking member, and wherein the deflectable lower arm is in contact with said tang to provide a biasing force on said tang at all rotational positions of said implement; wherein said upper arm comprises a rigid portion of the locking member, and wherein said upper arm is fixed relative to the handle portion; said deflectable lower arm being biased toward said lower end of said handle portion and wherein said lower arm is deflectable toward said upper arm and said body portion remains secured against rotation when said implement is rotated with respect to said handle portion; said notch adapted to engage the locking member and secure the implement in an open position; said shelf portion adapted to engage the locking member and secure the implement in a closed position; wherein a point is provided at an intersection of the shelf portion and the radius of curvature and wherein the implement is biased toward a closed position when the locking member is provided at a position at or between the shelf portion and the point; and wherein said deflectable lower arm is deflectable in a first direction and bound by said first and second scales in a second direction, said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction; wherein distal ends of said upper arm and said lower arm are positioned proximate to each other and abut a back end portion of the tang provided vertically relative to said notch forming a generally L shape with said notch when the folding knife is provided in the open position; wherein said upper arm comprises a fixed stop position and limits rotation of the implement at least when the implement is provided in the open position; and wherein an entirety of the locking member is disposed between the first scale and the second scale and no portion of said locking member extends outside a perimeter of said first and second scales in said implement open position, closed position, and all rotational positions between said open and closed positions.