Abstract:
The invention provides a safety stand for storing one or more knives or knife blades. The stand may have a lock that automatically retains inserted blades or knives and prevents their inadvertent removal. The invention also provides for methods of using the stand for inserting and removing knife blades without a user having to touch the blade itself, thereby reducing the risk of being cut.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   Like kitchen knifes used for slicing bread or for carving meat and fish, rechargeable battery operated kitchen knives have become necessary in most homes. Such knives typically comprise a knife handle containing a motor and batteries and employ a pair of slideably disposed, serrated knife blades to cut food by reciprocating action. The set of blades is removably fixed into the knife handle and powered by the motor. The blades are typically sharp, move rapidly when in use, and are inserted into and removed from the knife handle by hand. 
   Users are often careful not to cut themselves while using such knives to cut food, recognizing the danger of the moving blades. However, a user may lower this level of care when inserting the blades into the knife&#39;s handle or removing them, and so may cut themselves inadvertently on the exposed knife&#39;s serrated edges. The chances of being cut increase each time a set of blades is handled, and each set is typically handled twice per use, namely once to insert and once to remove the blades. 
   To insert a set of blades, a user generally holds the knife handle in one hand while grasping and inserting the set of blades into the handle with the other hand. Often, pressure must be applied to firmly seat the blades within the handle, and the pressure is borne by the blades bearing hand of the user. 
   To remove the blades, a knife&#39;s handle may have a release mechanism activated by the user, which releases the blades so that they may fall out of the handle onto a surface below. The user then picks them up for cleaning or storage. Alternatively, blades are removed when the user activates the release mechanism with one hand while grasping and pulling the blades with the other hand. Some knives do not have a release mechanism and rely on the user being able to firmly grasp and remove the blades by grasping and pulling alone. 
   A user may own several blade sets, each set configured to cut a different food. Since each knife handle typically holds only one set of blades at a time, the idle sets of blades need to be stored safely. When the sets are pairs of reciprocating blades, the slideably interconnected blades sit side by side, and each set of blades is thicker than a conventional knife&#39;s single blade. Consequently, a set of electric knife blades typically can&#39;t be stored in conventional knife blocks for single bladed knives. 
   Without safe storage, removable blades are often kept loose in a utensil drawer or some container. A user must then grasp the blades to remove them, often while pushing aside other utensils or objects, providing another opportunity for being cut by the serrated blades. As each blade is sharp and the pair of them often slip or slide relative to one another while they are being handled, it is not surprising when a user is cut while handling a set of blades. 
   Users are typically careful to keep a knife away from a child or infant while it is assembled and being used. But children are known for reaching up onto kitchen counters or into drawers and grabbing at harmful objects, such as a pair of loose knife blades or even an assembled rechargeable knife. It is easy to imaging how a child could be injured by the exposed blades. 
   A child or young person using an electric knife may not know the correct pressure to apply to the edge of the blades while grasping them for removal or insertion, or the knife handle may slip out of the child&#39;s grasp. In an attempt to recover, the child may be cut in an attempt to grab the falling knife or blades. 
   Standard or traditional knives, comprising a knife blade fixed to a knife handle, often are stored, blade down, in slots defined within a “knife block,” and the knives are held therein by gravity. Even so, a knife block storage system does not provide the safest means for storing such knives, as the knives will typically fall out of the slots, exposing the knife blades, if the block is tipped or falls. 
   It is the object of the instant invention to provide a safer knife storage device. It is another object of the invention to provide a safer knife blade changing device. It is another object of the invention to provide methods for safely inserting, removing and changing knife blades. 

   
     DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described by way of drawing figures where: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a knife and safety stand of the present invention, the knife partly inserted in the safety stand; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the stand of  FIG. 1  with approximately one-half of the outer housing cover removed, and partially in section; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation of a portion the knife of  FIG. 1  with part of the outer housing cover removed. 
       FIG. 4A  is a side view of a blade driver and  FIG. 4B , and a top view of a pair of blades, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  are side views of a portion of the knife of  FIG. 1  with part of the outer housing cover removed, illustrating two positions of the blade release. 
       FIGS. 6A ,  6 B and  6 C side elevation of the stand of  FIG. 1  with part of the outer housing cover removed and in partial section showing two positions of the blade lock relative to the stand base while a knife blade is being inserted into the stand. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates steps for safely inserting one or more knife blades into a knife handle, according to one method of the invention; and 
       FIG. 8  illustrates steps for removing one or more knife blades from a knife handle according to another method of the invention. 
   

   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing: a knife and safety stand device that obviates the need for handling knife blades when inserting them into or removing them from a knife handle; a stand configured to firmly hold and store a knife, without permitting knife removal therefrom using only one hand; a stand configured to firmly hold and store idle knife blades; a method for safely inserting one or more knife blades into a knife handle; and a method for safely changing one or more knife blades in a knife with removable blades. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   With reference first to  FIG. 1 , the device of the invention is shown generally to include a knife  1  and a safety stand  2 . The knife  1  has a handle  10  and at least one blade  12 . The safety stand  2  defines at least one blade slot configured to accept the at least one blade  12 . The safety stand  2  further includes a blade lock  22  configured to retain at least one blade  12  in the blade slot wherein it rests. 
   If the knife of  FIG. 1  is a rechargeable electric knife, it generally includes: a handle  10 ; a motor within the handle  10 ; at least one removable knife blade  12 ; a blade release  13 ; a power source for the motor, for example a removable, rechargeable battery pack  14 ; a trigger  15  to control the motor; and a grip  16 . 
   In  FIG. 1 , the safety stand is shown generally at reference numeral  2  to include a safety stand base  20  and a blade lock  22 . For an electric knife, the safety stand generally includes: a battery pack recharging port  23  and a power cord  24  that supplies power to the battery pack recharging port  23 . 
   Referring now with particularity to  FIG. 2 , while the stand base  20  itself defines at least one blade slot  21  configured to accept at least one knife blade  12 , stand base  20  and blade lock  22  together define at least one blade opening  26 . The blade lock  22  is connected to stand base  20  by a connector  28  that may be elastic, may be resilient, or that may embody both elasticity and resilience. The blade lock has an inner wall  220 . Whenever at least one knife blade  12  is to be inserted into the blade slot  21  in the stand base  20 , the blade  12  first must pass through blade opening  26 . 
   With respect to  FIG. 3 , the knife handle  10  generally has a pair of blade drivers  110  which slideably reciprocate within guide members  112 ,  114  when the drivers  110  are powered by the motor  11 . Generally, removable electric knife blades  12  have insertion ends  122  configured to mate with the blade drivers  110 . 
   In  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , illustrating one embodiment of the invention: Each insertion end  122  has an outward projection  124  that extends from the plane of one surface  126  of each blade  12 . The blade drivers  110  move within guides  112 ,  114  and are configured to accept the outward projections  124  within depressions  116 . When so mated and retained within the guides  112 ,  114 , the blades  12  and drivers  110  are securely fastened together. 
   Each blade driver  110  of this embodiment also has a flange  118 , and the blade release  13  defines upward extensions  132  that are configured to engage the flanges  118 . When the blade release  13  is pressed, the extensions  132  engage the flanges  118 , forcing the projections  124  and depressions  116  apart, enabling removal of the blades  12  from the knife&#39;s handle  10 . 
   Further, as to each blade  12  shown in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4A , each blade  12  comprises a lower cutting edge  120 , an upper non-cutting edge  121 , a blade insertion end  122 , an upper edge  123  of the insertion end  122 , and a lock sentry  128 . The lock sentry  128  of each blade  12  has a curved leading surface  129  and a curved rear surface  130 . As shown in  FIG. 4A , point P 1  is located at where these two curved surfaces  129 ,  130  intersect. The upper edge  123  of the blade insertion end  122  defines a line L. The shortest distance measured from L to P 1  is equivalent to the height h of the rear surface  130  of the lock sentry  128 . Generally, h may vary from about 1 mm to about 20 mm. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4A , h is between 4 mm and 8 mm. 
   With reference now to  FIG. 6 : In  FIG. 6A , the embodiment illustrated has a blade lock  22  attached to safety stand  2  by elastic connector  28 , and blade lock  22  is held snugly against the stand base  20  thereby. 
   Still referring to  FIG. 6 : As in  FIG. 6B , when at least one blade  12  is inserted into blade opening  26 , the blade lock  22  is forced upwards and away from the stand base  20  by leading edge  129  of each lock sentry  128 . The elastic connector  28  is configured to permit this forced displacement of the lock  22  when at least one blade  12  is inserted into a blade opening  26 . As shown in  FIG. 6C , by force of the elastic connector  28 , lock  22  resumes its original position once the rear edge  130  of the lock sentry  128  has cleared the inner surface  220  of the blade lock  22 . 
   The rear edge of the lock sentry  128  is configured to abut an inner wall of the blade lock  22 . The rear edge  130  is further configured not to displace the lock  22  upwards and away from the stand base  20  when a blade removing force is exerted on at least one blade  12  without simultaneously stabilizing the safety stand  2 . When the blade  12  and stand  2  are so positioned, a portion of rear edge  130  at least as great as height h abuts the inner wall  220  of blade lock  22 . When a blade removing force is exerted on at least one blade  12  alone, this force causes retention of the blade  12  by the combined effects of the elastic container  28 , the height h of the lock sentry  128  above the top edge of the blade  12 , and the configuration of the rear edge  130  of the lock sentry  128  and its abutment against the inner wall  220  of the blade lock  22 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 6 , the elastic connector  28  and the height h of the lock sentry  128  above the top edge of the blade  12  are configured to force up the blade lock  22  and permit blade  12  to be withdrawn from the blade slot  21  when a removing force is exerted on blade  12  simultaneously with a stabilizing force being exerted on safety stand  2 . 
   In a second embodiment of the invention, not shown in the drawings, the connector  28  is resilient. The term “connector” does not require that a resilient connector  28  be permanently connected to either the safety stand  2  or the blade lock  22 . Together, blade lock  22  and safety stand  2  define at least one blade opening  26  configured to permit at least one blade  12  to pass there through without displacement of the blade lock  22 . 
   When the lock  22  is pressed down flush with the stand base  20 , the rear edge  130  of the lock sentry  128  is configured to abut an inner wall  220  of the blade lock  22 , and to prevent removal of blades  12  from the blade opening  26  as long as downward pressure on the lock  22  is maintained. When so positioned and a blade removing force is exerted on the blades  12 , the lock  22  retains the blades  12  as long as the lock  22  remains pressed and in the abutment position described above. The height h, the applied downward force, and the configuration of the rear edge of the lock sentry  128  combine to retain the knife blade  12  in the blade opening  26 . 
   Referring still to this second embodiment, not shown in the drawings, when a user inserts at least one blade  12  into the opening  26  with one hand, and with the other hand, presses down on the lock  22 , the user is unable to remove the assembled knife  1  from the stand  2  as long as the lock  22  is pressed into the abutment position. However, the blade release  13  is accessible, and a user may release the knife&#39;s blade  12  into the blade slot  21  by pressing the blade release  13  on the handle  10 . The user can then remove the handle  10  free of the blades  12 . 
   Still referring to this second embodiment, a user may insert a pair of blades  12  already positioned in the safety stand  2  into an empty handle  10 . This insertion is effected by the user stabilizing the stand  2  with one hand, using the other hand to position the knife handle  10  to permit the insertion ends  122  of the positioned blades  12  to mate with the blade drivers  110  in the handle  10 . The assembled knife  1  may then be withdrawn from the stand  2  or may be stored therein. 
   With reference now to  FIG. 7 , to remove blades  12  retained in the safety stand  2  of the first embodiment, one of two methods may be used. The blade lock  22  may be pulled upwards with one hand while the blades  12  are removed using the other hand. Alternately, a user firmly stabilizes the stand  2  with one hand while exerting a removing force on the blades  12  with the other hand. 
   The stands in either embodiment are further configured to balance and hold an assembled knife  1  by its blades  12  within the safety stand  2 , to hold blades  12  alone within the stand  2 , or to hold a combination of blades  12  and an assembled knife  1 . There is no apparent limit to the number of blade openings  26  that a stand  2  may have. 
   While the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments or constructions. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover various modifications or constructions. In addition, while the various elements of the provided embodiments are shown in various combinations and configurations, which are exemplary, other combinations and configurations, including more, less or only a single element, are also within the spirit and scope of the invention.