Patent ID: 8567071
Filing Date: 2013-10-29
Classification: B26B

Abstract:
1. A utility knife comprising: a housing; a blade; a blade carrier located in said housing and movable in an axial direction between a fully retracted position, a fully extended position, and an intermediate position between the fully extended position and the fully retracted position, a latch movable with said blade carrier for locking said blade carrier in said fully retracted position and said fully extended position; the blade carrier comprising a locking tab movable between a first position where the locking tab is engaged with a notch on a top edge of the blade and a second position where the locking tab is released from the notch on the blade, the notch having a first width in the axial direction; an actuator mounted on the housing and movable relative thereto between a locked position and an unlocked position, said actuator moving said locking tab from the first position to the second position when the blade carrier is in the intermediate position and the actuator is moved to the unlocked position, thereby allowing removal of the blade from the blade carrier in the intermediate position; a retention member disposed to engage a first face of the blade adjacent the top edge to hold an opposite face of the blade against said blade carrier, said retention member having a second width in the axial direction that is greater than the first width such that said retention member cannot be inserted into said notch in a direction transverse to the axial direction.