Patent Publication Number: US-2006016306-A1

Title: Landscape utility knife assembly

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates in general to the field of utility knives and, more particularly, to those utility knives for cutting landscape liners.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      It is often desirable in landscapes and gardens to prevent weeds from commingling with other plants and the erosion of soil due to weather. In order to prevent such undesirable results, it is helpful to lay a protective liner in the form of a tarp or fabric on the surface of the soil. To provide adequate coverage of the soil and not detract from the aesthetic design created by the landscaper, the liner is often cut to match the geometric shape of the garden or landscape area. The prior art landscape utility knife in  FIG. 1  proves to be effective for cutting the outer boundary of the design because an edge exists from which the prior art knife can begin the cut into the liner. The prior art knife consists of a blade exposed and recessed in a housing shaped to resemble the head of a duck. An area protruding adjacent to the blade serves to guide the liner into the blade as the tool cuts and is dull and rounded to prevent the tip from puncturing the liner. More particularly,  FIG. 1  is a left side perspective view of the prior art in cutting tools for landscape liners. Edge  7  is used to guide the liner into cutting blade  6  when the prior art device is pulled toward the user. Point  8  of the prior art is dull and rounded to prevent the tip from puncturing the landscaping liner.  
      For purposes of ease and efficiency, the landscape liner is often laid before any plants are placed into the landscape or garden area. In order to place plants into the landscape or garden area after the landscape liner is laid, the landscaper must make incisions in the middle region of the liner or tarp to permit the plants to contact the soil. Because this middle region of the liner does not present an edge from which to begin the cut, the prior art is unable to make the necessary incisions in the middle region of the liner. Rather, to utilize the prior art, a separate tool is needed to first puncture the middle region of the liner, thereby creating an edge in the liner from which a cut may begin. For purposes of ease and efficiency, it is desirable to have a single tool that can both puncture the liner, thereby creating an edge, and cut the incision in the middle region of the landscape liner.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In accordance with the present invention, a landscape knife assembly is disclosed that provides advantages over conventional landscape liner cutting tools.  
      One embodiment of this invention is a knife assembly consisting of a replaceable blade and a housing. The housing is composed of three regions: a handle region, a blade region, and a penetration region. Together, these regions form an acute angle whereby the blade region is flanked on opposite sides by the handle and penetration region. The housing could be decoratively designed to resemble an animal or character. For example, the handle, blade, and penetration regions could be fashioned to resemble a bird.  
      The handle extends from the blade region for a length that permits the knife assembly to be used comfortably with one hand. The handle could be designed to ergonomically match the user&#39;s hand by creating a plurality of indentions on the inside edge of the handle. Further, the handle region could contain a means to aid in holding the knife assembly, for example, knurling or rubber grips. The end of the handle opposite the blade region could contain a small hollowed region extending from the surface of one side of the handle to the opposite side. This hollowed region could be used to attach the knife assembly to some other device, such a tool belt or workbench, to facilitate the transporting and storing the knife assembly.  
      The blade region contains a replaceable blade accessible from one side of the blade region by a removable covering. The removable covering is held in place by a fastening mechanism such as a screw. The blade region exposes the cutting edge of the replaceable blade permitting the landscaping liner to be cut by the replaceable blade. The edge of the blade region adjacent to the exposed area of the replaceable blade is shaped to guide the landscape liner toward the cutting edge of the exposed replaceable blade.  
      The penetration region extends from the blade region opposite the handle region. The end of the penetration region opposite the blade region forms a sharp point sufficient to puncture a landscape liner. The edge of the penetration region is adjacent to the exposed area of the replaceable blade and shaped to guide the landscape liner toward the cutting edge of the exposed replaceable blade.  
      A technical advantage of the present invention is that with a single hand and a single tool, a landscaper can puncture the middle of a landscape liner and make the cuts necessary to place plants in the middle region of a landscape or garden area. The same knife assembly can be used to puncture the liner, thereby creating an edge, and cut the incision in the middle region of the landscape liner. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      A more complete understanding of the present invention and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like references numbers indicate like features. It is to be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.  
       FIG. 1  is a left side perspective view of the prior art in cutting tools for landscape liners.  
       FIG. 2  is a left side perspective view of one embodiment of the landscape knife assembly in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIGS. 3A-3C  are exemplary cross-sections of portions of the landscape knife assembly in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  is a right side perspective view of one embodiment of the landscape knife assembly in accordance with the present invention demonstrating the ability to effectively puncture a landscape liner and begin cutting from the middle region of the liner.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       FIG. 2  is a left side perspective view of one embodiment of the landscape utility knife assembly, indicated generally at  10 , in accordance with the present invention. Knife assembly  10  could be decoratively designed to resemble an animal or character. For example, blade region  18  and penetrating region  20  could be made to resemble a bird&#39;s head and beak, respectively. Knife assembly  10  consists of a housing indicated generally at  14 . Housing  14  is comprised of a handle region  16 , a blade region  18 , and a penetration region  20 . A replaceable blade  12  may be located at blade region  20 . Together, regions  16 ,  18 , and  20  form an acute angle.  
      The handle region  16  extends from the blade region for a length that permits the knife assembly to be used comfortably with one hand. Handle region  16  could be designed to ergonomically match the user&#39;s hand by creating a plurality of indentions on edge  32 . Further, the surface of handle region  16  could contain a means to aid in holding the knife assembly, for example, knurling or rubber grips. At the end of handle region  16  opposite of blade region  18 , a small hollowed region  22  extends from one side of the handle to the other. Hollowed region  22  could be used to attach knife assembly  10  to some other device thereby facilitating transportation and/or storage.  
      Blade region  18  contains replaceable blade  12  accessible by removable covering  24  on one side of the blade region. Replaceable blade  12  is exposed and recessed at the vertex of the angle formed by the housing  14 . Removable covering  24  is attached to housing  14  by a fastening mechanism commonly used in the art of utility knives such as screw  26 . As is known in the art, removal of the screw  26  allows for a portion of housing  14  to provide access for removing and/or inserting a blade. The replaceable blade  12  may be a standard utility knife blade commercially available at hardware stores and the like. Blade region  18  exposes the cutting edge of replaceable blade  12  permitting the landscape liner to be cut by replaceable blade  12 . Edge  34  of blade region  18  is shaped to guide the landscape liner toward the cutting edge of the exposed replaceable blade  12 . Though described herein as a replaceable blade, it will be recognized that blade  12  need not be replaceable but rather may be permanent.  
      Penetrating region  20  is adjacent to blade region  18 . The end of penetrating region  20  forms a sharp point  28  that can be used to puncture a landscaping liner. Point  28  is configured to be sufficiently sharp to penetrate a landscape liner. Edge  30  of the penetrating region forms an acute angle with the other regions of housing  14  to guide the liner into the cutting edge of replaceable blade  12  as knife assembly  10  is pulled toward the user.  
       FIG. 3A  illustrates exemplary cross-sections of portions of the landscape utility knife assembly  10  of  FIG. 2 . More particularly,  FIG. 3A  illustrates an exemplary cross-section  52  of penetration region  20  along cross-section line X-X of  FIG. 2 . In addition,  FIG. 3A  illustrates an exemplary cross-section  50  of blade region  18  along cross-section line Y-Y of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3A  further illustrates a view looking into the replaceable blade  12  and also illustrates a landscape liner  40  located between the penetration region  20  and the blade region  18 .  FIGS. 3B and 3C  are additional exemplary cross-sections of penetration region  20  along cross-section line X-X of  FIG. 2 . The cross section of penetration region  20  may represent a variety of shapes, including circle  54  as shown in  FIG. 3B  or triangle  56  as shown in  FIG. 3C  or other shapes. Regardless of the shape of the cross-section of penetrating region  20 , the end of penetrating region  20  desirable forms a sharp point  28  sufficient to puncture a landscape liner.  
      Housing  14  could be constructed from a number of materials suitable for landscape utility knives, including metal or plastic. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , knife assembly  10  is constructed of injection molded plastic. The housing  14  may be formed of one material such that all regions (the handle, blade and penetration regions) are formed of the same material. Alternatively, different regions may be formed of different materials. In addition, portions (or all) of the housing may be hollow. In one embodiment the blade region may be hollow, however, the other regions may be solid or hollow.  
       FIG. 4  is a right side perspective view of one embodiment of the landscape knife assembly  10  in accordance with the present invention demonstrating the ability to effectively puncture a landscape liner  40  and begin cutting from the middle region of the liner. A technical advantage of the present invention is that with a single hand and a single tool, a landscaper can quickly and smoothly puncture the middle of a landscape liner and make the cuts necessary to place plants in the middle region of a landscape or garden area. The same knife assembly can be used to puncture the liner, thereby creating an edge, and cut the incision in the middle region of the landscape liner.  
      Further modifications and alternative embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown and described are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. Various changes may be made in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts. For example, equivalent elements or materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention.