Patent ID: 6131292
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: B26B

Abstract:
A utility knife for use with exchangeable knife blades, said knife comprising a first shell (1) and a second shell (2) forming together a hollow handle, a hinge (5) at one end of said hollow handle journalling said shells to each other for opening and closing said shells, a blade mounting at the other end of said hollow handle, a slot between said shells next to said blade mounting so that a knife blade can protrude from said hollow handle through said slot, a shell interlocking mechanism in said hollow handle for releasably interlocking said shells, said locking mechanism comprising a stationary latch section (7, 8) fixed inside one shell of said first and second shells and a rotatable latch section (9, 10, 11, 12) mounted inside the other shell of said first and second shells, said rotatable latch section comprising a journal member (9, 10), a latch member (12) secured to one side of said journal member and facing into said hollow handle when said shells are interlocked, and an operating member (11) secured to another side of said journal member (9, 10), journal bearings (16) secured in said other shell, said journal member (9) being journalled in said journal bearings (16), and a recess (6) in said one shell, said operating member (11) being received in said recess (6) in a latched position for interlocking said latch member (12) with said stationary latch section (7, 8), and wherein said operating member (11) is rotatable out of said recess (6) for unlocking said locking mechanism.