Winged cutter

A hand-held cutting tool includes a handle and one or more embedded blade cutters at a distal end portion of the handle, the cutter(s) each having a channel within which a blade with a cutting edge is secured/held, one of the channels including a protrusion shaped to laterally redirect an item to be cut in relation to a side wall of the channel and/or being provided in part by a wing portion of the cutting tool.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to cutters and cutter apparatuses, in particular, hand-held cutting tools including a handle and one or more embedded blade cutters at a distal end portion of the handle, the cutter(s) each having a channel within which a blade with a cutting edge is secured/held, one of the channels including a protrusion shaped to laterally redirect an item to be cut in relation to a side wall of the channel and/or being provided in part by a wing portion of the cutting tool.

BACKGROUND ART

A great variety of knives, cutters, safety cutters, and cutter apparatuses are known. Features variously found in prior knives, cutters, safety cutters, and cutter apparatuses include mechanisms and devices facilitating, for example, blade deployment, blade change, or blade storage.

Hand held cutting devices having a cutting channel with a blade recessed therein are known. See e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. D498,404 S, D714,611 S and D767,966 S.

It would be useful to be able to provide a hand-held cutting tool that has a cutting head channel with a cutting edge secured/held therein with surfaces or other structures that laterally redirect an item being advanced along the channel during a cutting operation to prevent the item (e.g., a film or other thin material) from first making contact with the cutting edge at an acute intersection point of the cutting edge and a side of the channel (and, as a result, catching or getting wedged into the acute intersection point).

It would be useful to be able to provide such a hand-held cutting tool in which the cutting tool includes an additional cutting head channel with a cutting edge secured/held therein and configured for cutting a second different type of item (e.g., a relatively thicker material such as cardboard).

It would be useful to be able to provide, for a hand-held cutting tool that has two embedded blade cutters each with a channel within which a blade with a cutting edge is secured/held, cutting head wing (or hook) portions that are different in shape and configured to accommodate different types of materials to be cut by the two embedded blade cutters, respectively.

It would be useful to be able to provide a hand-held cutting tool with a distal end portion that includes one or more cutting heads with improved structural integrity, durability or strength and/or a structure at the distal end portion facilitating improved gripability and handling of the cutting tool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an example embodiment, a hand-held cutting tool includes a handle and a cutting head connected to the handle, the cutting head including a channel having a blade with a cutting edge secured/held therein, the channel including a protrusion curving and laterally extending from a side wall of the channel and shaped to laterally redirect an item to be cut in relation to the side wall as the item is advanced along the channel toward the cutting edge during a cutting operation.

In an example embodiment, a hand-held cutting tool includes a handle configured for gripping about a lengthwise portion of the handle between opposite ends thereof and one or more cutting heads connected to the handle, the cutting head(s) including two channels, the channels each having a cutting edge therein at the same end of the handle at opposite sides thereof respectively, one of the channels including a protrusion therein shaped to laterally redirect an item in relation to a side wall of the channel as the item is advanced/repositioned along the channel moving toward the cutting edge of the one channel during a cutting operation.

In an example embodiment, a hand-held cutting tool includes a handle configured for gripping about a lengthwise portion of the handle between opposite ends thereof and two embedded blade cutters each with a channel within which a blade with a cutting edge is secured/held at a distal end portion of the handle at opposite sides of the distal end portion, respectively, the two embedded blade cutters each having a wing portion, the wing portions being different in shape and including a long wing and a short wing extending from a distal most end of the cutting tool, the long wing being longer as measured lengthwise along the handle than the short wing.

In an example embodiment, a hand-held cutting tool includes a handle configured for gripping about a lengthwise portion of the handle between opposite ends thereof with one or more cutting heads being connected to the handle, the handle including a recess at a side thereof, the handle including, and the recess being in part defined by, a ring-like curved periphery portion at a base of the handle, the handle including an additional recess at the side of the handle, the handle including an arcuate ridge that defines a distal most convex inner periphery portion of the recess and at an opposite side of the arcuate ridge, a concave inner periphery portion of the addition recess.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1-8, in an example embodiment, a hand-held cutting tool (or cutting apparatus)100includes a housing110(e.g., shaped to be hand-held as shown), an embedded blade (or blades)112and a tape splitter (or tape splitter component)114. The housing110includes a handle (or handle portion)120, and has a left side122and a right side124at opposite sides of the blade112. The housing110includes a cutting head (portion)130at a distal end (or distal end portion)131of the handle120. As shown inFIGS. 1-4, the handle120includes recesses142and144at the left side122and the right side124, respectively, of the handle120(e.g., recessed side portions/areas of the handle as shown). In this illustrated example embodiment, the housing110also includes a clip150that is connected to (or integrally formed with) the handle120, the clip150including a resilient member151extending generally lengthwise along the handle (e.g., shaped/configured as shown). An opening160is provided through the handle120facing the clip150as shown. In an alternative embodiment, the handle (or handle portion)120does not include the clip150(or any other clip) or the opening160.

The housing110and the tape splitter114can be formed of various materials, for example, a moldable composite material (e.g., a material: glass-filled polymer or glass-filled plastic (GF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nylon), and by various processes (e.g., insert molded). For example, the housing110can be molded or otherwise formed around the blade112such that the left and right sides of the housing are (permanently) positioned in relation to each other with the blade112secured therebetween and adjacent to each other. The term “embedded blade” can refer (for example) to a blade that is secured within or to or otherwise connected to a cutting head and/or handle of a hand-held cutting tool. The blade112can be formed of various materials, for example, steel (e.g., SAE 1095 steel heat treated to HRC 58-60).

Referring again toFIGS. 1-4, the cutting head (portion)130includes one or more cutting heads connected to the handle120. For example, the handle120is configured for gripping about a lengthwise portion121of the handle120between opposite ends thereof. In this example embodiment, the cutting head(s) include two channels—(cutting) channels236and336, the channels each having a cutting edge therein at the same end of the handle at opposite sides thereof respectively. In this example embodiment, the one or more cutting heads have wing portions including a long wing230and a short wing330that define outer side walls238and338of the channels236and336, respectively; the long wing230is longer as measured lengthwise along the handle120than the short wing330; and the channel236includes a protrusion240therein facing the long wing230. The protrusion240is shaped, e.g., curving and laterally extending from a side wall239of the channel236as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, to laterally redirect an item in relation to the side wall239as the item is advanced/repositioned along the channel236toward a cutting edge (or cutting edge portion)113of the blade112during a cutting operation.

In example embodiments and implementations, a hand-held cutting tool is provided that has a cutting head channel with a cutting edge secured/held therein with surfaces or other structures that laterally redirect an item being advanced along the channel during a cutting operation to prevent the item (e.g., a film or other thin material) from first making contact with the cutting edge at an acute intersection point of the cutting edge and a side of the channel (and, as a result, catching or getting wedged into the acute intersection point). Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, in this example embodiment, the protrusion240is a bump that extends from the side wall239smoothly curving/transitioning from the side wall along the channel236to a raised profile242(e.g., as shown) and smoothly curving/transitioning back into the side wall239(immediately/)directly adjacent to a location244at the side wall239of the channel236where the cutting edge113extends from and intersects with the side wall239of the channel. The side wall239of the channel236and the cutting edge113form an angle of approximately 60° (e.g., between 50° and 70°). The protrusion240extends, in height (normally) from the side wall239of the channel236, less than half way across the (width of the) channel236(from the side wall239to the outer side wall238). The side wall239of the channel236from which the protrusion240extends is an external side edge/portion132of the handle120at the distal end portion131of the handle120.

Thus, in an example embodiment, a hand-held cutting tool includes a handle and a cutting head connected to the handle, the cutting head including a channel having a blade with a cutting edge secured/held therein, the channel including a protrusion curving and laterally extending from a side wall of the channel and shaped to laterally redirect an item to be cut in relation to the side wall as the item is advanced along the channel toward the cutting edge during a cutting operation. In an example embodiment, the protrusion is a bump that extends from the side wall smoothly curving/transitioning from the side wall along the channel to a raised profile and smoothly curving/transitioning back into the side wall directly adjacent to a location at the side wall of the channel where the cutting edge extends from and intersects with the side wall of the channel. By way of example, the side wall of the channel and the cutting edge form an angle of approximately 60° and/or the protrusion extends from the side wall of the channel less than half way across the width of the channel. In example embodiments and implementations, the side wall of the channel from which the protrusion extends is an external side edge/portion of the handle at a distal end portion of the handle.

In example embodiments and implementations, a hand-held cutting tool is provided in which the cutting tool includes an additional cutting head channel with a cutting edge secured/held therein and configured for cutting a second different type of item (e.g., a relatively thicker material such as cardboard). In the illustrated example embodiment, such an additional cutting head channel is provided/defined in part by the short wing330, which is configured without a protrusion (such as discussed in relation to the channel236provided/defined in part by the long wing230) and shaped for cutting a relatively thicker material such as cardboard (rather than a film or other thin material). Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, the channel336is defined at opposite sides thereof by the outer side wall338(of the short wing330) and a side wall339, which is provided by (i.e., is part of) an external side edge/portion134of the handle120at the distal end portion131of the handle120. A cutting edge (or cutting edge portion)115is secured/held within the channel336(e.g., as shown). Accordingly, in this example embodiment, the channels236and336each have a cutting edge therein at the same end of the handle at opposite sides thereof respectively. The long wing230and the short wing330both extend from a distal most end (or planar surface)133of the cutting tool. The long wing230and the short wing330are different in shape (e.g., respectively provided as shown). The long wing230and the short wing330include surfaces (or surface areas)231and331, respectively, defining (portions of) the outer side walls of the channels236and336such that the channels of the cutting head(s) are wider at end(/proximal) portions243and343of the long wing230and the short wing330than at the cutting edges113and115of the channels, respectively. In this example embodiment, the cutting edges113and115are provided by a single (the same) embedded blade (e.g., a single unitary piece/component secured/held within the cutting head portion130of the cutting tool (or winged cutter). Alternatively, the cutting edges113and115can be provided by different (e.g., separate) blades. In other embodiments, the cutting edges113and115are shaped differently (e.g., curved at a cutting edge portion within a channel) and/or have a different cutting edge orientation (e.g., angle) in relation to the side walls of a channel. Thus, in an example embodiment, a hand-held cutting tool includes a handle configured for gripping about a lengthwise portion of the handle between opposite ends thereof and one or more cutting heads connected to the handle, the cutting head(s) including two channels, the channels each having a cutting edge therein at the same end of the handle at opposite sides thereof respectively, one of the channels including a protrusion therein shaped to laterally redirect an item in relation to a side wall of the channel as the item is advanced/repositioned along the channel moving toward the cutting edge of the one channel during a cutting operation. In example embodiments, the one or more cutting heads have wing portions including a long wing and a short wing that define outer side walls of the channels, the long wing being longer as measured lengthwise along the handle than the short wing, and the protrusion faces the long wing.

In example embodiments and implementations, a hand-held cutting tool has two embedded blade cutters each with a channel within which a blade with a cutting edge is secured/held, the embedded blade cutters each have a cutting head wing (or hook) portion, and the wing (or hook) portions are different in shape and configured to accommodate different types of materials to be cut by the two embedded blade cutters, respectively. By way of example, such wing (or hook) portions including a long wing and a short wing extending from a distal most end of the cutting tool, the long wing being longer as measured lengthwise along the handle than the short wing. In the illustrated example embodiment, the channel236of the embedded blade cutter including the long wing230is defined at opposite sides thereof by the external side edge/portion132of the handle120at a distal end131of the handle120and surfaces (or surface areas)231of the long wing230. And the channel336of the embedded blade cutter including the short wing330is defined at opposite sides thereof by the external side edge/portion134of the handle120at a distal end131of the handle120and surfaces (or surface areas)331of the long wing230. The surfaces (or surface areas)231of the long wing230face the handle120and are provided/formed (e.g., at different angles, respectively) such that the channel236is wider at the end(/proximal) portion243of the long wing230. The surfaces (or surface areas)331of the short wing330face the handle120and are provided/formed (e.g., at different angles, respectively) such that the channel336is wider at the end(/proximal) portion343of the short wing330. Referring toFIGS. 7 and 8, the end(/proximal) portion243of the long wing230includes tapered surfaces241at opposite (left and right) sides thereof as shown. The end(/proximal) portion343of the short wing330includes tapered surfaces341at opposite (left and right) sides thereof as shown, and is narrower and sharper at its tip than the end(/proximal) portion243of the long wing230.

Referring toFIGS. 1-4, in this example embodiment, the channel236of the embedded blade cutter including the long wing230includes generally U-shaped channel portions237(e.g., curved surface as shown) distal to the cutting edge113at opposite sides of the blade that guide the item as the item is advanced further along the channel236toward distal exits/ends235of the channel236after the item is cut, the distal exits/ends235of the channel emerging at opposite (left and right) sides of the long wing230proximal in relation to the distal most end (or planar surface)133. The channel336of the embedded blade cutter including the short wing330includes generally U-shaped channel portions337(e.g., curved surface as shown) distal to the cutting edge115at opposite sides of the blade that guide the item as the item is advanced further along the channel336toward distal exits/ends335of the channel236after the item is cut, the distal exits/ends335of the channel emerging at the distal most end (or planar surface)133and defining a narrowest portion137of the distal most end (or planar surface)133.

Thus, in an example embodiment, a hand-held cutting tool includes a handle configured for gripping about a lengthwise portion of the handle between opposite ends thereof and two embedded blade cutters each with a channel within which a blade with a cutting edge is secured/held at a distal end portion of the handle at opposite sides of the distal end portion, respectively, the two embedded blade cutters each having a wing portion, the wing portions being different in shape and including a long wing and a short wing extending from a distal most end of the cutting tool, the long wing being longer as measured lengthwise along the handle than the short wing. In example embodiments, the channel of the embedded blade cutter including the long wing is defined at opposite sides thereof by a side edge/portion of the handle and surfaces of the long wing. The channel of the embedded blade cutter including the long wing includes a protrusion extending from the side edge/portion of the handle and facing the long wing. The channel of the embedded blade cutter including the short wing does not include any protrusions along the channel that face the cutting edge. In example embodiments, the surfaces of the long wing face the handle and are provided/formed such that the channel is wider at an end(/proximal) portion of the long wing. In example embodiments, the channel of the embedded blade cutter including the long wing includes generally U-shaped channel portions distal to the cutting edge at opposite sides of the blade that guide the item as the item is advanced further along the channel toward distal exits/ends of the channel after the item is cut, the distal exits/ends of the channel emerging at opposite sides of the long wing proximal in relation to the distal most end of the cutting tool. In example embodiments, the channel of the embedded blade cutter including the short wing includes generally U-shaped channel portions distal to the cutting edge at opposite sides of the blade that guide the item as the item is advanced further along the channel toward distal exits/ends of the channel after the item is cut, the distal exits/ends of the channel emerging at the distal most end of the cutting tool and defining a narrowest portion of the distal most end.

In example embodiments and implementations, a hand-held cutting tool is provided with a distal end portion that includes one or more cutting heads having improved structural integrity, durability or strength and/or a structure at the distal end portion facilitating improved gripability and handling of the cutting tool. By way of example, the handle includes a recess (or recessed portion or area), such as the recesses142and144at the left and right sides of the handle, and an arcuate ridge170that defines a distal most (convex) inner periphery portion172of the recess; and the arcuate ridge170at opposite ends182,184thereof is generally normal/perpendicular to and adjoins (e.g., is integrally formed with) the side edge/portion132and the side edge/portion134(adjacent to the cutting channels236and336), respectively, at the opposite sides of the distal end131of the handle. In this example embodiment, the handle120includes, and the recess is in part defined by, a ring-like curved periphery portion180at a base (proximal portion)183of the handle120; and the handle120includes an additional recess (or recessed portion or area), such as the additional recesses192and194at the left and right sides of the handle, and the arcuate ridge170defining at an opposite/distal side thereof, a (concave) inner periphery portion196of the addition recess. Referring toFIG. 3, in this example embodiment, the additional recess has an irregular shape defined by three (contiguous) inner periphery surfaces (or sections) provided by two (symmetrical) (substantially linear) periphery side wall portions197,198of the handle and by the (concave) inner periphery portion196. The inner periphery surfaces (or sections) provided by the two periphery side wall portions197,198are of equal length and equal angles in relation to a symmetry axis, namely, a central longitudinal axis200(denoted “LA”) of the handle. The handle120further includes the tape splitter114(e.g., integrally formed with and) extending from a proximal end212of the ring-like curved periphery portion180. In this example embodiment, the tape splitter210is centered and symmetrical in shape in relation to the central longitudinal axis200of the handle. In example embodiments, the hand-held cutting tool100includes, within the ring-like curved periphery portion180at the base (proximal portion)182of the handle120, an opening220(e.g., a lanyard or hanger hole opening provided as shown).

Thus, in an example embodiment, a hand-held cutting tool includes a handle configured for gripping about a lengthwise portion of the handle between opposite ends thereof with one or more cutting heads being connected to the handle, the handle including a recess at a side thereof, the handle including, and the recess being in part defined by, a ring-like curved periphery portion at a base of the handle, the handle including an additional recess at the side of the handle, the handle including an arcuate ridge that defines a distal most convex inner periphery portion of the recess and at an opposite side of the arcuate ridge, a concave inner periphery portion of the addition recess. By way of example, the additional recess has an irregular shape defined by three contiguous inner periphery surfaces provided by two periphery side wall portions of the handle and by the concave inner periphery portion. In example embodiments, the inner periphery surfaces provided by the two periphery side wall portions are of equal length. The one or more cutting heads include two embedded blade cutters at opposite sides of the handle, the embedded blade cutters each having a channel within which a blade is held/secured; and the arcuate ridge at opposite ends thereof is generally normal/perpendicular to and adjoins the two side wall portions at the opposite sides of the handle, respectively. In example embodiments, the arcuate ridge at the opposite ends thereof is integrally formed with the side wall portions. The handle further includes a tape splitter extending from a proximal end of the ring-like curved periphery portion. In example embodiments, the tape splitter is integrally formed with the proximal end of the ring-like curved periphery portion. The tape splitter is centered and symmetrical in shape in relation to a central longitudinal axis of the handle.

Although the present invention(s) has(have) been described in terms of the example embodiments above, numerous modifications and/or additions to the above-described embodiments would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the scope of the present invention(s) extend to all such modifications and/or additions.