Abstract:
A knife guard ( 100 ) selectively guards a tip ( 202 ) of a blade ( 206 ) of a knife ( 200 ) while exposing at least a portion of a cutting edge ( 208 ) of the blade, the knife including a handle ( 204 ) coupled to the blade. The knife guard includes a handle portion ( 106 ) for supporting the handle of the knife. The knife guard further includes a blade portion ( 104 ) coupled to the handle portion for partially receiving the blade such that at least a portion of the cutting edge is exposed. The knife guard also includes a nose portion ( 102 ) coupled to the blade portion for covering the tip of the blade.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to guards for knives, and more particularly to knife guards that may be used by a user for field dressing an animal. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   As is well known and understood, hunting is one of the most prolific leisure time activities in many countries. Reports as early as the 1980s, for example, indicate that over three million deer are killed annually in the United States, on top of which untold thousands of elk and moose are also killed each year. Such numbers are oftentimes exceeded in other countries, such as Canada, as well. With the high cost of meat, it will well be realized how more and more each day, the meat on such animals becomes increasingly valuable. Venison on a deer, for example, is well worth between two hundred and three hundred dollars depending upon the size of the deer. 
   However, as will be appreciated, if it is desired to obtain such meat and to bring it home without it having a gamy taste, it becomes necessary to gut the animal as quickly as possible after the kill. One problem with doing this is that it is important to not cut the entrails or intestines of the animal while field dressing it, otherwise the waste products will spoil the meat. Further, it has been found that the fluids, such as blood, released during dressing the animal often lubricate the surfaces of the knife. This often results in injuries as the hunter&#39;s hand slips from the handle of the knife, sliding across the cutting edge of the knife. 
   Thus, there exists a need for a knife guard which permits the knife to cut the skin of the animal while impeding the cutting of the entrails or intestines of the animal, while also impeding injuries to the user of the knife. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   One embodiment of a knife guard formed in accordance with the present invention selectively guards a tip of a blade of a knife while exposing at least a portion of a cutting edge of the blade, the knife including a handle coupled to the blade. The knife guard includes a handle portion for supporting the handle of the knife. The knife guard also includes a blade portion coupled to the handle portion for partially receiving the blade such that at least a portion of the cutting edge is exposed. The knife guard further includes a nose portion coupled to the blade portion for covering the tip of the blade. 
   Another embodiment of a knife guard formed in accordance with the present invention selectively guards a cutting edge and a tip of a blade of a knife. The knife guard includes a body having a channel for receiving and supporting the knife during use, the channel having a blade portion for receiving the blade of the knife and a handle portion for receiving the handle of the knife. The knife guard also includes a nose portion coupled to the body for covering the tip of the blade. 
   Still another embodiment of a knife guard formed in accordance with the present invention for selectively guarding a cutting edge and a tip of a blade of a knife. The knife guard includes a body adapted to receive and support the knife during use, the body having a blade portion for receiving the blade of the knife and exposing at least a portion of the cutting edge of the knife, and a handle portion for receiving the handle of the knife. The knife guard also includes a nose portion coupled to the body for covering the tip of the blade. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a knife guard formed in accordance with the present invention shown having received a knife and as being held by a hand of a user; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the knife guard and knife of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the knife guard and knife of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the knife guard of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1–4 , one embodiment of a knife guard  100  formed in accordance with the present invention is depicted. Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , generally described, the knife guard  100  is adapted to receive and support a knife  200 , such that a tip  202  of a blade  206  of the knife  200  is covered while at least a portion of a cutting edge  208  of the blade  206  is exposed. 
   More specifically, the knife guard  100  includes a nose portion  102  and a blade portion  104 . The nose portion  102  covers the tip  202  of the blade  206  such that the tip  202  does not cut the entrails of the animal (not shown) during dressing of the animal. The blade portion  104  receives the blade  206  in such a manner that at least a portion of the cutting edge  208  of the blade  206  is exposed to cut the skin of the animal, while the nose portion  102  covers the tip  202  of the blade  206  to guard against cutting of the entrails. The knife guard  100  further includes a handle portion  106 . The handle portion  106  cradles the handle  204  of the knife  200 . Thus, the knife guard  100  permits the knife  200  to be securely held during the cutting of the skin of the animal while also simultaneously impeding the cutting of the entrails of the animal, thereby reducing the chance of contamination of the meat. 
   Still referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , this detailed description will now focus upon the structure of the knife guard  100 . As mentioned above, the knife guard  100  includes the nose portion  102 , blade portion  104 , and handle portion  106 , which collectively form a body  108  of the knife guard  100 . The body  108  is preferably made of a semi-rigid or rigid material, a few suitable examples being plastic, wood, and metal, and is preferably manufactured through injection molding techniques. 
   The nose portion  102  is adapted to receive the tip  202  of the blade  206  within a slot  110  in the nose portion  102 . The nose portion  102  is blunt shaped so as to slide along a surface without damaging the surface. The blunt shape of the nose portion  102  allows the nose portion  102  to slide along the entrails of the animal without cutting the entrails. In the illustrated embodiment, the nose portion  102  is substantially spherical in shape. The nose portion  102  includes several voids  112  used to reduce the amount of material used in forming the nose portion  102  and to lighten the knife guard  100 . Although the nose portion  102  is depicted and described as spherical in shape, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the nose portion  102  may be shaped in other suitable shapes, a few suitable examples being conical, frustoconical, oval, and convex, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   Still referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the blade portion  104  will now be described. The blade portion  104  extends between the nose portion  102  and the handle portion  106 . The blade portion  104  includes a channel  114  disposed along the length of the blade portion  104 . The width of the channel  114  is selected to receive the blade  206  of the knife  200 . Preferably, the width of the channel  114  is selected to be just slightly wider than the width of the blade  206  to permit the blade  206  to be received easily within the channel  114  but still provide some support to the blade  206  to impede the blade from tilting. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , the height of the channel  114  may vary to selectively expose the cutting edge  208  of the knife  200 . In the illustrated embodiment, the height of the channel  114  is varied such that the channel  114  extends above the height of the cutting edge  208  near the tip  202  of the blade  206  and again at the rear end of the cutting edge  208 , where the channel  114  meets the handle portion  106 . The height of the channel  114  dips down between these points to expose the cutting edge  208  therebetween. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the handle portion  106  will now be described. The handle portion  106  is adapted to receive the handle  204  of the knife  200 . The handle portion  106  extends aft of the blade portion  104 . An exterior surface of the handle portion  106  may include a plurality of protrusions  124 , as shown, for increasing a user&#39;s grip on the handle portion  106 . 
   The handle portion  106  includes a channel  116  disposed along a length of the handle portion  106 . The width of the channel  116  is selected to receive the handle  204  of the knife  200 . Preferably, the width of the channel  116  is selected to be just slightly wider than the width of the handle  204  to permit the handle  204  to be received easily within the channel  116  but still provide some support to the handle  204  to impede the handle from tilting. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , the height of the channel  116  may vary. The height of the channel  116  along a majority of the length of the channel  116  is preferably selected so that at least a portion of the handle  204 , such as the griping ridges  210  of the handle  204 , extend above the channel  116 . Thus, when a user wraps his/her hand around the knife guard  100  with a knife  200  received therein, the hand contacts both the knife guard  100  and the knife  200  simultaneously such that the user is able to press the two together. This helps to prevent the knife  200  from moving within the knife guard  100 . 
   In the illustrated embodiment, the height of the channel  116  increases towards the forward end of the handle  204 . The raising of the height of the channel  116  in this region preferably forms a thumb stop  118 . The thumb stop  118  is adapted to engage the thumb of the user during use, and is used to help impede the thumb of the user from slipping forward and contacting the cutting blade  206  of the knife  200 . The channel  116  preferably has an open end  120 , best seen in  FIG. 4 . The open end  120  permits knife handles of longer length to be received within the channel  116 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the channel  116  ends at its forward end at a shoulder  122 . The shoulder  122  is formed at the meeting of the channel  114  of the blade portion  104  with the channel  116  of the handle portion  106 . The width of the channel  114  of the blade portion  104  is less than the width of the channel  116  of the handle portion  106 , thereby forming a shoulder  122  for engaging the handle  204  of the knife  200 . The shoulder  122  impedes movement of the knife  200  in the direction of the blade  206 . 
   In light of the above description of the structure of the knife guard  100 , the operation of the knife guard  100  will now be discussed. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the knife guard  100  may be used to field dress an animal. The knife guard  100  is adapted to receive most any hunting knife  200 . The knife  200  is inserted cutting edge  208  up, with the tip of the blade  206  inserted in the nose portion  102 . The handle  204  of the knife  200  rests in the trough or channel  116  of the handle portion  106 . Using a firm grip on the handle portion  106  of the knife guard  100 , the nose portion  102  is inserted within a small incision made at the base of the belly just ahead of the pelvic bone of the animal (not shown). The knife guard  100  and accompanying knife  200  are pushed forward, slicing the animal open to the brisket. The nose portion  102  slides past the entrails of the animal, substantially reducing the chance of the entrails becoming punctured. 
   While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.