Abstract:
A knife block to store and protect sharpened kitchen knives is suggested. The knife block includes a base and a pivotable tray connected together by a adjustable coupling system. The base includes a plurality of apertures therein that are to receive the blades of sharpened kitchen knives. The pivotable tray is configurable to change the geometry and functionality of the knife block from a folded configuration to a straight configuration. In the folded configuration, the knife block is easily deployed upon a counter top in an upright position. In the straight configuration, the knife block can be deployed upon a horizontal or vertical surface, for example upon a wall or within a drawer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a device to secure and store sharpened kitchen utensils when they are not in use. More particularly, the present invention refers to a device to secure and store sharpened kitchen utensils that is convertible from one configuration to another. More particularly still, the present invention relates to a knife block assembly that is easily adapted for use in a drawer, on a counter, or upon a wall. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Knife blocks are traditionally used in kitchens to secure and store sharp kitchen cutting as, tools and their accessories. It is preferred to keep sharpened knives stored away in such devices for several reasons. First, because the knife is sharpened, it is preferred to be kept secure and out of the way for the purpose of safety. If left on a counter or simply tossed in a drawer, a sharpened knife has the potential to cut an unsuspecting person who may come in contact with the blade of the knife. Furthermore, it is desired to keep the sharpened edges of any knives away from small children. Second, it is preferable to store a knife within a knife block to prevent premature dulling of the sharpened edge. Knife edges can become dull if they are struck or bent through repeated contact with other objects. The sharpened edge of a knife will dull gradually over time on its own, through atmospheric conditions or its own physical property limits but this dulling pales in comparison to the amount of dulling that can occur through misuse or excessive wear. The knife block is a device to limit the dulling of a knife as much as possible while providing a save and secure location to reduce the chance of injury to children and those who may otherwise come into contact with the sharpened edge accidentally. 
     A traditional knife block is preferably formed out of a block of wood. The type and composition of the wood is largely unimportant and is usually selected by visual appeal rather than by utility. Other materials may also be selected for a knife block including, but not limited to, plastics, composites, and some metals. Since it is expected that the edge of the knife to be stored within the block may come into contact with the block itself, it is preferable for the material of the block to be softer than the blade material. A relatively small hardness value for the block material prevents the knife from becoming dulled through the simple engagement and removal cycles of the knife to and from the block over time. 
     In some situations, primarily for aesthetic purposes only, it is desired to provide a knife block constructed of a hard material such as steel, glass, etc. In this circumstance, the block can be manufactured from the hard material with a relatively soft lining material incorporated wherever the knife edge may come into contact with the block. This type of construction enables the block to be constructed of a relatively hard material without losing the edge-saving qualities of a relatively soft block construction. 
     One unfavorable aspect of most of the knife blocks currently available on the market today is their predominant bulk and weight. Most knife blocks on the market today are massive objects that require a lot of counter space. Unfortunately, with the advent of various new kitchen devices, counter space is at a high premium. Additionally, many homes do not have sufficient counter space for even the smallest of knife blocks. Because of this lack of space, sharpened knives are often stored loose in drawers and kept with other miscellaneous utensils. This is not preferred because the movement and interaction of the sharpened knives with respect to other utensils causes premature dulling. Furthermore, the risk of someone cutting themselves on a knife that has been randomly placed within a drawer is high. 
     To conserve counter space, various knife holders have been suggested, particularly those designed to be mounted upon a wall or stored within a drawer. While these knife holders offer counter space saving options, they cannot replicate the utility of a countertop knife block. Drawer based systems require that the drawer in question be opened and closed repeatedly each time it is necessary to retrieve or return a knife. It is impractical to expect the user to keep the drawer open throughout the food preparation operations because open drawers present further hazards. Wall-mounted knife storage solutions are not always practical because the food preparation may need to be performed in a location that is not within easy reach of the block. The wall-mounted solution presents the added hazard that a user .may have to travel certain distances with an unsheathed knife, thus increasing the risk of injury. A knife block assembly that addresses limits on kitchen storage space without sacrificing utility is highly desirable. 
     The present invention addresses the shortcomings of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a re-configurable knife block assembly. A preferred embodiment is suggested that includes a base and a swivel that rotates and slides about a pair of dowels upon the base. The base includes cutout slots for the knives and accessories while the tray swivels and slides upon the dowels to arrange the block in either a folded or flat configuration. The flat configuration of the knife block allows a set of knives to be safely and securely stored out of the reach of small children upon a wall or within a drawer, while the folded configuration allows the convenience of traditional countertop access. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is easily and quickly switched from one configuration to another, allowing improved flexibility and ease of use to the end user. 
    
    
     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a more detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view drawing of a knife block in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a countertop configuration; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view drawing of the knife block of FIG. 1 in a drawer configuration; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view drawing of the knife block of FIG. 1 in a wall-mount configuration; 
     FIGS. 4 a - 4   f  are a series of schematic representations of a knife block in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing conversion from a countertop configuration of FIG. 1 to the wall-mount configuration of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 a  is a perspective view drawing of the knife block of FIG. 1 in a countertop configuration with a plurality of knives and a sharpening tool installed therein; and 
     FIG. 5 b  is a perspective view drawing of the knife block of FIG. 2 in a drawer configuration with a plurality of knives and a sharpening tool installed therein. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring initially to FIG. 1, a knife block  10  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in a countertop configuration. Knife block  10  includes a base  12 , and a tray (or guard)  14 , coupled together by pivot dowels  16 . Base  12  includes a top  18 , a bottom  20  and two pair of opposite sides  22 ,  24  and  26 ,  28 . A plurality of cavities including slots  30  and square cut channel  32  extend through top  18  and through base  12  towards bottom  20  and generally define a longitudinal axis. Cavities  30 ,  32  preferably extend through base  12  in a substantially parallel arrangement. Although a variety of materials are acceptable, base  12  is preferably manufactured from wood, with the specific type of wood depending on consumer preference. In the preferred embodiment shown, pivot dowels  16  are rigidly attached to base  12  and extend outwardly from sides  26  and  28  near top  18 . 
     Guard tray  14  includes an end panel  40  and a pair of substantially parallel legs  42 ,  44 , that define a guard axis and each of which includes a guide slot  46  to receive pivot dowels  16 . Each guide track  46  is preferably constructed as an elongated slot  48  with a circular hole  50  at the slot end that is farthest from end panel  40 . End panel  40  connects legs  42 ,  44  together and stabilizes the structure of tray. Tray end  40  is shown in FIGS. 1-3 with a curved profile to facilitate the installation and removal of sharpened knives from block  10  by allowing clearance of their respective handles, but can be configured in a variety of desired shapes. 
     Pivot dowels  16  are preferably define a pivot axis therebetween and are constructed with a truncated cylindrical profile that includes arcuate portions  52  and straight portions  54 . This truncated cylinder profile is preferred because it allows pivot dowel  16  to both slide within a slot and rotate within a hole with little or no resistance. In the preferred embodiment shown, the dimensions and curvature of arcuate portions  52  correspond to the diameter and curvature of circular hole  50  of track  46 , while straight portions  54  correspond to the width of elongated slot  48 . This arrangement allows each pivot dowel  16  and base  12  attached thereto to slide and rotate with respect to tray  14  into an assortment of positions as dictated by the geometry of track  46 . 
     In the countertop position shown in FIG. 1, pivot dowels  16  are positioned such that their straight portions  54  are aligned with slot  48  and engaged completely within track  46 . This position places tray  14  squarely upon the counter surface, leaving base  12  fixedly arranged behind tray  14  upon countertop at an angle a, dictated by the relative position of straight portions  54  to base  12 . A preferred value for angle a is determined by taking into account the mass and center of gravity of base  12  so as to ensure that when tray  14  is positioned with respect to base  12  at α as shown, knife block assembly  10  is stable and will not tip over. Preferably, angle α is determined prior to manufacture so that the straight portions  54  of pivot dowels  16  can be affixed to base  12  at a corresponding angle. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, the knife block assembly  10  is shown in a horizontal configuration that can be contained within a drawer. In the drawer position, base  12  and tray  14  of knife block  10  are horizontally aligned. Pivot dowel  16  is housed within the circular hole  50  of track  46  such that the circular portions  52  abut the inside of hole  50 . Because each dowel  16  has rotated relative to slotted track  48  by an amount equal to the angle α, dowel  16  cannot enter slot  48  and lateral movement relative to legs  42 ,  44  of tray  14  is prevented. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, the knife block assembly  10  is shown in a vertical configuration that can be mounted upon a wall or other generally vertical surface. In the wall-mount position, base  12  and tray  14  are aligned vertically, much in the same manner as they were in the drawer configuration of FIG.  2 . In this position, tray  14  is preferably fastened to the wall or vertical surface by a nail or hook (not shown), thus allowing base  12  to hang freely. Circular sections  52  of pivot dowel  16  engage circular hole  50  of track  46  to prevent base  12  from displacing away from legs  42 ,  44  of tray. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 collectively along with FIGS. 4 a - 4   f  the operation to convert knife block  10  from the countertop (FIG.  1  and FIG. 4 a ) to the wall-mount (FIG.  3  and FIG. 4 f ) configuration can be described. Initially, in FIG. 4 a , knife block  10  is at rest upon a counter top with pivot dowel  16  retained within the slotted portion  48  of track  46 . Then, as shown in FIG. 4 b , base  12  and tray  14  are repositioned with respect to each other to move pivot dowel  16  from slotted portion  48  to circular portion  50  of track  46 . FIG. 4 c  shows tray  14  rotated with respect to base  12  whilst pivot dowel  16  is retained within circular portion  50  of track  46 . FIGS. 4 d  and  4   e  show similar progressive rotation of tray  14  with respect to base  12  until a wall-mount configuration is achieved in FIG. 4 f . Once knife block  10  is configured as shown in FIG. 4 f , it can be mounted upon a wall (as detailed in FIG. 3) or placed within a drawer (as detailed in FIG.  2 ). 
     Referring finally to FIGS. 5 a - 5   b  knife block  10  is shown in various configurations with a plurality of sharpened knives  60  and a sharpening tool  62  installed therein. Knives  60  are slidably engaged within slots ( 30  of FIG. 1) until their handles engage the top  18  of base  12 . In a similar fashion, sharpening tool  62  is slidably engaged within the square cut channel ( 32  of FIG. 1) until it bottoms out. When a knife  60  or tool  62  is needed, the user can simply slidably remove it straight out of the countertop configuration of FIG. 5 a , or lift the handle and slide it out in an upwardly fashion when in the configuration of FIG. 5 b . When knife block  10  is in the wall-mount or horizontal position, knives  60  must be lifted out to remove them, thus providing an added measure of safety to passersby. Returning knives  60  or tool  62  is accomplished by reversing the steps taken to remove them. 
     Although it is preferred that knife block  10  of the preferred embodiment of the present invention be constructed primarily of wood, many other materials may be used. Wooden blocks  10  are preferred because of their low relative hardness compared to the sharpened edges to be contained within as they are less likely to dull or otherwise scratch the blades. Alternatively, the base  12  and tray  14  of knife block  10  may be manufactured of differing materials. Since tray  14  serves to protect the handles of knives and not the sharpened edge, the relative hardness preference need not apply. For example, tray  14  may be constructed of stainless steel whilst base  12  is constructed of a wooden material. 
     Viable alternatives to wooden compositions could include various plastics, composites and even some soft metals. As discussed above, it is even possible for materials harder than the blades of knives to be used if further steps are taken to protect their sharpened edges. Such steps could include softened inserts or alignment guides to keep knife and relatively hard block materials from coming into contact with each other. 
     The knife block shown in the preferred embodiment of the present invention offers a solution to issues of convenience, utility, and safety in the storage of sharpened kitchen utensils. With the block of the present invention stowed within a drawer or hung upon a wall, knives can be easily removed for use. Stowing the block of the present invention upon a wall or within a drawer enables the user to reduce countertop clutter and promote safety of small children or those who might otherwise hurt themselves. Additionally, if the user so desires, the block can be removed from the drawer or wall mount, reconfigured, and stood upon a countertop in a more traditional position. In the countertop position, utility of the knife block is maximized by allowing the user to quickly and easily remove and replace knives or utensils without having to open drawers or reach for a wall. When the cutting operations are complete, the knife block can be reconfigured to the drawer or wall-mount position and again stowed away for safety or convenience. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.