Abstract:
A tool for cutting compressible material, such as fiberglass insulation, comprised of a handle, a pivotable blade carrier housing, a blade carrier, with or without a razor blade slidable within the blade carrier and a compression wheel means is disclosed. A slidable locking mechanism slidably coupling the razor blade within the blade carrier allows the razor blade to be retracted into the tool. Pulling the tool along the surface of insulation material while applying downward pressure to the handle and hence compression wheel allows the rotating wheel to compresses the compressible material allowing a razor blade to make a straight cut through the entire thickness of the compressible material.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION; CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/336,908, Arent, et al., filed Jan. 6, 2003, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/346,703, filed on Jan. 7, 2002, entitled “Utility Knife with Compression Wheel”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference. The Applicant hereby claim the benefits of this earlier pending regular and provisional application under 35 U.S.C. Section 119(e). 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to an improved cutting device adapted to cut fibrous compressible material, such as fiberglass insulation and other deep porous fabrics. Conventional devices are either ill-suited for cutting this type of material or are difficult and awkward to utilize.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Conventional utility knives, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,518 to West (“West”), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,428 to Wilcox (“Wilcox”), are typically used to cut insulation and other compressible and non-compressible materials. Disadvantageously, several passes of the knife are usually required for a complete cut due to the thickness, low density and composition of these materials. In order to overcome this disadvantage, a user will sometimes place a straight edged flat object such as a board along the cut line to help compress the material prior to cutting. This method of cutting material is both awkward and difficult.  
         [0004]     Adaptations of traditional utility knife designs such as those seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,831 to Beckers et al., (“Beckers”), U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,974 to McIlhatten (“McIlhatten I”), U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,320 to Pelletier (“Pelletier”), U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,852 to Napolitano (“Napolitano”), U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,594 to Szafranski (“Szafranski”), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,780 to McIlhatten (“McIlhatten II”), have each attempted to overcome the cited disadvantage as well as other shortcomings of conventional utility knives. However, each invention has its own disadvantages.  
         [0005]     For example, in West, a utility knife comprising a pair of complementary opposing elongated body sections is disclosed. The body sections are pivotally connected at a midpoint section of the handle and blade retaining portions. The body sections interlock by a tongue/slot engagement. A releasable locking means in the handle portion employs a button slidable in transverse openings. Notwithstanding its cited advantages, this utility knife does not have a compression wheel adapted to compress the material to be cut, nor does the blade carrier pivot away from the handle for ease of blade insertion or replacement.  
         [0006]     Similarly, in Wilcox, a releasably locking handle for a retractable blade utility knife is disclosed. In Wilcox, the handle is formed from a pair of elongated mating handle halves connected by a central pivot. A slidable blade carrier is supported between the handle halves. The handle has a dual locking mechanism which provides for a pivotal opening of the handle when the blade carrier is in a fully forward position. A magnet which is fixed in the handle slidably supports the blade carrier. This utility knife does not have a compression wheel adapted to compress the material to be cut, nor does the blade carrier pivot away from the handle for ease of blade insertion or replacement.  
         [0007]     In Pelletier, a utility knife including a handle with a razor cutting blade end and a toothed cutting wheel, not a compression wheel, at the other end is disclosed. An alternate embodiment includes a necked handle with a toothed cutting wheel affixed to a retractable arm which thereby allows the toothed cutting wheel to be retracted within the handle. The cutting wheel means is adapted to score a material such as drywall, not to compress a compressible fibrous material such as insulation. The objective of the Pelletier invention is distinctly different from that of the present invention. Furthermore, the blade is not secured such that its carrier can be pivoted away from the handle for ease of blade insertion or replacement.  
         [0008]     In Napolitano, a fiberglass insulation cutting tool is disclosed which includes a blade extending forwardly from the front portion of a one-piece housing having a handle grip for the user to grasp onto. The front portion of the tool is rounded at the bottom and is tapered inwardly from its sides, to compress the fiberglass insulation the blade as the tool is dragged rearwardly. This means of compressing insulation does not use a compression wheel and hence is less precise than the present invention, nor does the invention disclose a blade carrier adapted to pivot away from the handle for ease of blade insertion or replacement.  
         [0009]     In Szafranski, a hand-operated tool for cutting fibrous compressible insulation batts, and similar fibrous compressible materials is disclosed. The tool includes an elongated cutter blade housing and a planar sheet of plexiglass bent into a “C”-shaped configuration. End portions of the “C”-shaped plexi-glass sheet fit over the ends of the cutter blade housing, so that the “C”-shaped sheet forms a presser element for the insulation batt, when placed on the top surface thereof. When the cutter blade is drawn through the batt material, the presser element compresses the material so that the cutter blade is enabled to penetrate the batt material. However, the invention of Szafranski does not utilize a rotatable compression wheel. Disadvantageously, the “C”-shaped configuration increases friction, and hence requires more effort in the cutting process. Furthermore, the probability of causing a tear in the insulation are increased.  
         [0010]     In McIlhatten I, a unitary device that does not require a utility knife, only a blade, is disclosed. The device of McIlhatten I, does not utilize a compression wheel adapted to compress the material to be cut, nor does the invention disclose a blade carrier adapted to pivot away from the handle for ease of blade insertion or replacement.  
         [0011]     In Beckers, a conventional saw for cutting fibrous insulation batts in a single motion with one hand is disclosed. The device of Beckers, does not utilize a compression wheel adapted to compress the material to be cut, nor does the invention disclose a blade carrier adapted to pivot away from the handle for ease of blade insertion or replacement.  
         [0012]     In McIlhatten II, a cutting tool for cutting a sheet of compressible fibrous material is disclosed. Similar to the device of Szafranski, the cutting tool includes a blade which forms part of a cutting assembly which is mounted on a supporting base for movement between an upper position in which the blade is located above the material to be cut when the supporting base rests on the material which a lower position in which the cutting blade extends below the supporting base. The cutting assembly the upper position and moved to the lower position by downward pressure from the hand of the operator which also causes the supporting base to compress the fibrous material so that when the cutting tool is moved longitudinally along the upper surface of the fibrous material, the material is cut by the blade. Similar to Szafranski, however, the invention of McIlhatten II does not utilize a rotatable compression wheel, thus resulting in increased friction between the cutter and the material. As a result, more effort is required in the cutting process and the probability of tearing the insulation are increased.  
         [0013]     The present invention is an improvement over conventional and the disclosed utility knives in that it incorporates, among other things, a compression wheel located proximate the blade end of the handle which delivers several advantages over the conventional art as described herein as well as a blade carrier adapted to pivot away from the handle for ease of blade insertion or replacement.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     The present invention comprises a utility knife with an integrated compression wheel located proximate the blade end of the handle. The compression wheel is adapted to compress the material to be cut prior to coming in contact with the cutting blade, resulting in a cleaner cut. On the end opposite the blade end, a fixed or pivotably adjustable stuffblade is provided to assist in inserting insulation in confined spaces. A blade carrier is secured in a housing member which, in one embodiment, is pivotably mounted to the handle. The housing member can be released at one end thereof so as to permit said end to pivot away from the handle, facilitating the insertion or removal of a razor blade, such as a snap off blade, in the blade carrier. 
     
    
     FIGURES OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a top, exploded view of the utility knife of the present invention with a first side in the foreground;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a bottom, exploded view of the utility knife of the present invention with the first side in the foreground;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a view of the first side of the utility knife of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a view of a second side of the utility knife of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a view of the front end of the utility knife of the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a view of the back end of the utility knife of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a view of the top side of the utility knife of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a view of the bottom side of the utility knife of the present invention; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the present invention illustrating the ability of the pivotable blade carrier housing to pivot away from the handle to facilitate razor blade insertion and removal. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]     The present invention is an improved utility knife comprised of a handle, a fixed or pivotable blade carrier housing having slot openings at the ends thereof, a blade carrier and sled for extending and retracting a razor blade, such as a snap-off blade, a compression wheel means and, in one embodiment, a fixed or pivotable stuff blade at the end of the handle opposite the slot opening. The blade carrier is mounted within a pivotable blade carrier housing which is pivotably mounted to the handle so as to permit one end of the pivotable blade carrier housing to pivot away from the handle, so as to facilitate blade insertion and removal.  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a top, exploded view of an embodiment of the utility knife of the present invention with a first side in the foreground is presented. As seen in  FIG. 1 , the handle has a first elongated member  101  and a second elongated member  102  which are detachably secured and mated along a longitudinal plane. A spacer member  117  is secured between the underside portions of elongated members  101 ,  102 . The underside of elongated members  101 ,  102  have a curved form adapted to provide a secure fit between the handle and the hand of the user.  
         [0026]     A razor blade  105 , such as a snap-off blade, is received into blade carrier  106 . Razor blade  105  is thus able to slide in and out of blade carrier  106 . Blade carrier  106  is held in place between first elongated member  101  and second elongated member  102  by pivotable blade carrier housing  103 . Blade carrier  106  is located substantially within pivotable blade carrier housing  103 , with a portion thereof extending through slot opening  104  of pivotable blade carrier housing  103 . In this configuration, an end of razor blade  105  is operable to move toward and away from slot opening  104  and blade carrier  106 . Pivotable blade carrier housing  103  is pivotably coupled at the first end of handle  100  at a pivot point located on the bottom, first end of pivotable blade carrier housing  103 . The pivot point comprises shaft  115  which is inserted into round transverse aperture  113 . At the bottom, second end of pivotable blade carrier housing  103 , latch  114  is molded integral thereto  
         [0027]     As noted, razor blade  105  slidably extends from blade carrier  106  for movement thereof. The slidable locking mechanism comprises male threaded knobbed bolt  107 , and a female threaded shaft within sled  116 . Sled  116  is insertable into the interior walls of blade carrier  106 , with sled  116  being coupled to razor blade  105  and adapted to slide along the inner walls of blade carrier  106 . The coupling of razor blade  105  to sled  116  permits razor blade  105  to be locked into one of a plurality of positions, with one end thereof being located outside of blade carrier  106 .  
         [0028]     A compression wheel means  120  is rotatably coupled to handle  100  proximate slot opening  104  of pivotable blade carrier housing  103 . Compression wheel means  120  can be any smooth or teethed, substantially circular wheel, made of a material such as hardened rubber, plastic, steel or metal, which can compress compressible material.  FIG. 1  illustrates compression wheel means  120  having an outer toothed gear  109  along the circumference of compression wheel  110  and being rotatably coupled to handle  100 . Toothed gear  109  and compression wheel  110  can be combined in a single integral unit. The three dimensional relation of the compression wheel means  120  to handle  100  and razor blade  105  is such that if razor blade  105  is substantially in the y-z plane, then the axle through the center of the compression wheel means  120  is parallel to the x-axis perpendicular to the longitudinal y-axis of the handle  100 . A partition  111  on each interior side of the first elongated member  101  and second elongated member  102  isolate the compression wheel means  120  inside handle  100 .  
         [0029]     Attached to the end of the handle  100  opposite the razor blade end is stuff blade  112 . Stuff blade  112 , used to force insulation or other material into confined spaces, can be fixed into a stationary position or made to pivot into and out of handle  100 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 2  is a bottom, exploded view of an embodiment of the utility knife of the present invention with the first side of handle  100  in the foreground. From this perspective, improved views of sled  116  of the slidable locking mechanism, stuff blade  112 , partition  111 , latch  114 , and cutout  118  are seen. Tension member  201  is adapted to provide tension to pivotable blade carrier housing  103  against housing  100 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is a view the first side of an embodiment of the utility knife of the present invention. As seen therein, the form factor of handle  100  serves to conceal approximately ⅓ of the compression wheel means  120  in partition  111  (as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). This is but one of any number of configurations that can be utilized to rotatably hold the compression wheel means  120  in place. First side  302  of blade carrier  106  has a cutout along its longitudinal side, so as to permit locking mechanism sled  116  (as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) to slide from a rear position to a forward position. Male threaded knobbed bolt  107  is coupled to sled  116  and can be loosened so as to allow sled  116  to slide along the inner walls of blade carrier  106  and hence permit the extension and retraction of razor blade  105  from blade carrier  106 . Stuff blade  112  is seen fixably secured to the end of handle  100  opposite the blade end, but can be pivotably attached at pivot point  301  so as to permit stuff blade  112  to be utilized from a plurality of positions.  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  is a second side of an embodiment of the utility knife of the present invention. As seen therein, the second side of pivotable blade carrier housing  103  is closed. The end of blade carrier  106  that extends from pivotable blade carrier housing  103  is angled from about 20 degrees to 50 degrees to expose only a portion of razor blade  105  while adding support to the sides of razor blade  105 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 5  is a front end view of an embodiment of the utility knife of the present invention. As seen therein, pivotable blade carrier housing  103  is dimensioned so as to form slot  104  at the first end thereof in which blade carrier  106  is insertable.  
         [0034]      FIG. 6  is a back end view of an embodiment of the utility knife of the present invention showing the relative positions of fixed stuffblade  112 , knobbed bolt  107  and toothed gear  109  of the compression wheel means  120 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 7  discloses the top side of an embodiment of the utility knife of the present invention has pivotable blade carrier housing  103 , blade carrier  106 , stuff blade  112 , and knobbed bolt  107 .  
         [0036]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the bottom side of an embodiment of the utility knife of the present invention is shown illustrating the relative positions of stuff blade  112 , knobbed bolt  107 , toothed gear  109  of the compression wheel means  120 , latch  114  which snaps into cutout  118  of spacer member  117 . Ribs  801  can be molded integral to spacer member  117  so as to increase the frictional co-efficient between the utility knife and the user.  
         [0037]     As noted, latch  114  is received and snapped into cutout  118  to hold pivotable blade carrier housing  103  in place relative to handle  100 . Referring to  FIG. 9 , when latch  114  is released, the second end of pivotable blade carrier housing  103  can be rotated away from handle  100 . This permits sled  116  and razor blade  105  to be pulled out of blade carrier  103 . This facilitates the efficient insertion of replacement of razor blades.  
         [0038]     The handle, pivotable blade carrier housing, blade carrier, stuff blade and compression wheel components of the present invention can be made out of a variety of materials depending on the requirements of the user. These include, but are not limited to hardened rubber, resilient plastic, metal, aluminum or steel components. The hand grip member may be made of any material that is comfortable, yet assists the user in securing the utility knife. Such materials include resilient rubber, plastic and the like.  
         [0039]     The advantageous position of the compression wheel means proximate the blade end of the handle provides added leverage in front of the grip portion of the handle to increase the amount of pressure which is exerted on the insulation. The utility knife of the present invention is thus operable to compresses and cut fibrous material such as fiberglass insulation in one continuous motion. In other words, a single motion compresses and cuts.  
         [0040]     In operation, the user grasps the handle behind the compression wheel wrapping the fingers around the utility knife and the hand grip member. The user places the blade and compression wheel evenly on the surface to be cut and applies downward pressure. The user pulls the utility knife back along the cutting line, allowing the compression wheel to compress the cutting material prior to contact with the blade.  
         [0041]     The utility knife with compression wheel and pivotable blade carrier housing for holding the blade carrier offers several advantages over conventional utility knives. For example, the user is assured an easier cut as less pressure will be required to cut compressed material. With less play in the cutting material there is a decrease in cutting variance as the gripping teeth help keep the cut straight. As a result, the user will have less waste due to cutting errors.  
         [0042]     The innovative teachings of the present invention are described with particular reference to a utility knife with a compression wheel means and pivotable blade carrier housing for holding the blade carrier. The utility knife of the present invention is not limited to cutting compressible material. Furthermore, the present invention can be made with or without a stuff blade opposite the blade portion of the invention can be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art that the arrangements, uses, and embodiments described herein provide only a few examples of the many advantageous uses and innovative teachings herein. Various alterations, modifications and substitutions can be made to the cutting device of the disclosed invention without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of the invention.