Patent ID: 6742260
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: B26B

Abstract:
An improved structure art design knife comprised of a front cover, a back cover, a hatch, a hatch lock button, a blade holder mechanism, a flat spring, a blade ejection button, a blade, a push button, a cushioning button, an upper grip pad, and a lower grip pad, wherein:the said front cover is a shell plate of one-piece construction having a semicircular opening in the top edge of its anterior section, a semicircular opening in the bottom edge of the anterior section, and a slide slot along the inside of the top edge; the said front cover also has an elongated recess along the top edge of its posterior section and, furthermore, an elongated opening disposed along the bottom portion of the posterior section and a round tape rule enclosure formed inside the posterior section; additionally, a compartment is formed inside the anterior section of the said front cover, the said compartment having an axial hole at the both upper and lower corners of its forward edge, with the said compartment recessively defined by a trapezoidal frame; the said front cover has an oval backing plate situated at its middle section, with the said backing plate having an elongated hole at the center and, furthermore, the said backing plate also has a standoff block at the inner side of its rear edge and a fastener hole is formed through the center of the said standoff block; and a collar hole is disposed through the posterior extremity of the said front cover; the said hatch lock button is oval in shape and has a check plate at one extremity of its inner side; furthermore, the said hatch lock button has a standoff block formed at the center of its inner side and a threaded hole is tapped in the center of the said standoff block; the said locating block is rectangular in shape and has a fastener hole through one side and, furthermore, a blind hole in the other side, with a coil spring inserted into the said blind hole; the said standoff block of the said hatch lock button is inserted into the said elongated hole at the center of the said backing plate of the said front cover, a screw is then inserted into the said fastener hole of the said locating block and tightened into the said threaded hole of the said standoff block, enabling the assembly of the said coil spring and the said locating block such that the said hatch lock button is capable of being toggled back and forth on the said backing plate of the said front cover; the said back cover is a shell plate of one-piece construction having a semicircular opening in the top edge of its anterior section and a slide slot along the inside of the middle section top edge, with a wave-profiled rack arrayed along the bottom edge of the said slide slot; the said rear cover also has an elongated recess along the top edge of its posterior section and, furthermore, an elongated opening is disposed along the bottom portion of the posterior section and a round tape rule enclosure is formed inside the posterior section; additionally, a vertically oriented slide channel is formed inside the anterior section of the said back cover and a threaded hole is tapped at the top edge of the said slide channel; a slide plate extends upward from the said blade ejection button, the said slide plate having an elongated hole through its top edge such that the said elongated hole allows the insertion of a screw which is fastened into the said threaded hole at the said slide channel of the said back cover; the said back cover has a shaft integrated inside the bottom edge of its anterior section and a coil spring is sleeved over the said shaft, with the extended portion of the said coil spring postured horizontally against the bottom edge at the inner side of the said blade ejection button such that the said blade ejection button is constrained within the said slide channel of the back cover, but capable of shifting upward and downward; the said back cover has a threaded mounting hole at the center of its posterior section and, furthermore, a collar hole is disposed through the posterior extremity of the said back cover; the said hatch is shaped such that it is congruous with the said compartment of the said front cover; the said hatch has a hinge pin formed at each of the upper and lower corners of its anterior side, with the said hatch also having an arcuate catch indentation along the outer edge of the posterior side; additionally, a spring attachment slot is formed at both the anterior and the posterior inner sides of the said hatch; the said flat spring is a one-piece component with a mounting tab at each of its two ends that is punched fabricated from sheet metal; two overlapping tensile elements crisscross inward on the said flat spring; and the said mounting tabs of the said flat spring are inserted into the said spring attachment slots along the inner side of the said hatch; the said blade holder mechanism consists of a blade carrier, a push button, and a blade arresting component, wherein: the said push button has a vertical support member at the lower extent of its body; a cylindrical post is formed in the center at one side of the said body and, furthermore, another cylindrical post is formed on the said push button at the lower extent of its anterior edge; and the upper extent of the said push button is surfaced with a pliant lining; the said blade arresting component has a semicircular pawl at the bottom edge of its anterior extremity, a cylindrical post is disposed at the center of the upper edge of the said blade arresting component and, furthermore, a support pin emerges from one side at the posterior extremity of the said blade arresting component and the said blade arresting component has a rectangular block formed on the lower edge of its anterior section; the said blade carrier has a T-shaped insertable element formed along the upper edge of its anterior extremity and a skid element along its lower edge; the said blade carrier has a rectangular recess in the center and, furthermore, a semicircular support pin notch is formed in the upper edge at the posterior extremity of the said blade carrier; the said support pin emerging from one side at the posterior extremity of the said blade holder mechanism blade arresting component is fitted into the said semicircular support pin notch in the upper edge at the posterior extremity of the said blade carrier; a coil spring is sleeved between the said post of the said push button and the other said post disposed at the center of the said blade arresting component; furthermore, the said vertical support member at the lower extent of the said push button is placed through another coil spring and then inserted into the said rectangular recess of the said blade carrier; and the said pawl at the bottom edge along the anterior extremity of the said blade arresting mechanism engages the semicircular notch in the top edge of the said blade, thereby securing the said blade in the said blade holder mechanism; the said post at one side of the said blade holder mechanism push button of the invention herein is insertionally postured within the said wave-profiled rack beneath the upper edge along the anterior section of the said back cover; the said cushioning button is placed into the said semicircular opening in the top edge along the anterior section of the said front cover; the said upper grip pad is unitarily fabricated out of a soft plastic material and embedded in a long recess molded in the top edge along the posterior section of the said front cover; the said lower grip pad is also unitarily fabricated of a soft plastic material but embedded in a long recess molded in the bottom portion along the posterior section of the said front cover; furthermore, the said two hinge pins of the said hatch are coupled into the said axial holes of the said front cover, enabling the closing of the said hatch over the said compartment of the said front cover, with the said hatch lock button latching the said hatch against the said front cover; and the said front cover and the said rear cover are connected together by inserting a screw through the said fastener hole of the said front cover and then tightening it into the said threaded mounting hole of the said back cover, thereby completing the assembly of the art design knife structure.