Patent Publication Number: US-10786911-B2

Title: Knives

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is the national stage application of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2017/070386, filed on Aug. 10, 2017, and entitled “Knives” which claims priority to European Patent Application No. 16183889.1, filed on Aug. 11, 2016 and entitled “Knives,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
     The present invention relates to knives, in particular knives which may be used as kitchen utensils or for food preparation, such as for chopping vegetables, fruit or other foodstuffs. 
     A known knife comprises a body with a handle and a blade, the blade having two sides, an upper edge and a sharp lower edge for cutting. Knives like this have been used relatively effectively for many years but they can be difficult to control, for example when trying to chop up chives or herbs or other items such as carrots into very thin slices. 
     The present invention aims to alleviate at least to a certain extent the problems of the prior art. Alternatively, the present invention aims to provide a useful knife. 
     According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a knife having a body with a handle and a blade, the blade having two sides, an upper edge and a sharp lower edge for cutting, the body having an upper side which includes at least two indentations which are spaced apart from one another, wherein at least one of the indentations is formed in the upper edge of the blade. This is extremely useful since the indentation on the upper edge of the blade can be contacted by the hand of a user, such as by a finger, for example to push down gently on the upper edge of the blade and to control chopping motion. 
     At least one of the indentations may be located at a forward region of the handle. This can be positioned for engagement by a hand gripping the handle. This is advantageous since an indentation in the forward region of the handle can be conveniently engaged by the thumb or a finger of a user and in combination the user can use the other hand to engage the indentation formed on the upper edge of the blade, therefore controlling the knife very accurately, for example for chopping up of chives, other herbs, carrots or other vegetables or fruit or other foodstuffs with significant control, using two hands. 
     This indentation located at a forward region of the handle, when viewed sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife, may have a cross-section which is curved and concave. Advantageously, the curve may substantially match with an intended cooperating hand portion of a user, such as the underneath of a thumb or finger of a user which may be used to press down on this indentation located at a forward region of the handle. Furthermore, in a cross-section across the knife perpendicular to its longitudinal direction and through sideways across the knife, the indentation located at a forward region of the handle may be concave, or slightly convex, or substantially flat. 
     The concave cross-section may have a portion which may be substantially circular, substantially with a radius less than 5 cm, typically less than 3 cm, e.g. about 1 cm to 2 cm for engagement by a thumb or finger of a hand gripping the handle. With the portion substantially having a radius of 1 to 2 cm, the thumb or finger of a user can very effectively engage a large portion or all of the surface area of this indentation, the user may feel from this that the thumb or finger and hand generally is correctly positioned on the knife and may also press down on the indentation while engaged in a chopping action. 
     In a cross-section across the knife perpendicular to its longitudinal direction and through sideways across the knife, the indentation located at a forward region of the handle may have a distinct curvature or shape which is different to portions of the handle on either side thereof. Additionally, this indentation may encompass only a partial segment of the perimeter of said cross-section. Advantageously, this may allow for quick and easy location of this indentation by the user. 
     Each of the two sides of the blade may include a substantially flat main portion. In this case, the substantially flat portions of the two sides may be arranged tapering towards each other in a downward direction towards the sharp lower edge. The lower edge may be taper/wedge ground. In an alternative embodiment the blade may be hollow ground or have another grind applied, the substantially flat main portions may in other embodiments be substantially parallel to one another and at least one chamfered cheek or ground area may be provided leading down towards the sharp edge which may be ground in various different ways, e.g. taper/wedge or hollow ground. 
     The upper edge and sharp lower edge of the knife may meet at a point. 
     The at least one indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade may be located nearer the point than where the substantially flat main portions of the blade approach the handle. 
     The curvature of the sharp lower edge of the blade may be greater below the indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade than the curvature of the sharp lower edge at a point nearer the handle. 
     Advantageously, this allows the indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade to be located near what is substantially a pivot point when the knife is positioned for a vertical cut and is rocked with the handle moving up and down and the sharp edge cutting through foodstuff and continually substantially engaged with a chopping board or other cooperating surface under the foodstuff. The user can place one or more fingers of one hand resting on the indentation formed on the upper edge of the blade substantially at this area of generally pivoting motion in the forward/backward direction along the knife and the other hand can be used to rock the knife up and down using the handle to perform a fast chopping action which may be an easily controlled sequence of very finely controlled and thin chops, especially when the thumb or finger of a hand gripping the handle is used on the indentation at a forward region of the handle. 
     The indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade, when viewed sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife, may have a cross-section which is curved and concave. This advantageously allows the user to feel where the indentation is and the indentation is not sharp or likely to damage the hand of the user. 
     The cross-section of the indentation formed in the upper edge of the knife may have a portion which is substantially circular, substantially with a radius more than 5 cm, typically more than 6 or 7 cm, about 8 to 12 cm or about 10 cm. Advantageously, the user may be able to place two or three fingers, such as two or three out of the index, middle and ring fingers, on the indentation formed in the upper edge of the knife, the curvature of the indentation and its size enabling the user to feel easily the position of this hand on the knife and the orientation of the knife relative to the hand. 
     The radius of the indentation formed in the upper edge of the knife blade may be larger than the radius of an indentation formed in the forward region of the handle. Advantageously, it may therefore be easily recognisable by the user that the two indentations are for the placing of different hand parts and different numbers of hand parts on the two indentations, for example, the thumb or finger on the indentation formed at the forward region of the handle and two or three fingers on the indentation formed in the upper edge of the knife blade. 
     The indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade along the length of the upper edge may be more than 2 cm, typically more than 3 or 4 cm, about 4 to 6 cm long being one preferred range. Advantageously, with this indentation about 4 to 6 cm long, a majority of adult users of the knife or at least an adult user with a hand of average size may easily engage two or three fingers and/or thumb of one hand in this indentation. 
     The upper edge of the blade may have a distinct width and may be blunt at least in the region of the indentation formed therein. Advantageously, despite the knife overall being a sharp instrument with which considerable care must be taken, the blunt upper edge which can thus be noticeably blunt to the user can clearly, to the user, be safe for engagement by the hand and in particular pushing down on it. In some preferred embodiments, the distinct width of the upper edge may vary in length along the knife blade but in the region of the indentation may be more than 0.5 mm, at least part of this region may be more than 1 or 1.5 mm wide, some portions being up to about 2 mm wide or more across the knife upper edge. At least some of these examples may be with chefs&#39; knives in which the upper edge of the blade is in the region of 10 to 25 cm long, for example within the region of about 12 to 20 cm long. The total length of the knife including its handle may in some cases be from about 170 to 400 mm long, for example 250 to 350 mm long, one example being about 320 mm long, although other lengths being envisaged. 
     The upper edge of the blade, apart from the indentation, may include at least one substantially straight portion which may extend towards a handle region from the indentation in the upper edge, and may have an upwardly convex portion leading to a point of the knife. 
     The blade of the knife may have a first end forming a point of the blade and a second end which is adjacent to the handle of the knife. The at least one indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade may be located nearer to the first end of the blade than the second end of the blade. Advantageously, this allows the indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade to be located near what is substantially a pivot point when the knife is positioned for a vertical cut and is rocked with the handle moving up and down and the sharp edge cutting through foodstuff and continually substantially engaged with a chopping board or other cooperating surface under the foodstuff. The user can place one or more fingers of one hand resting on the indentation formed on the upper edge of the blade substantially at this area of generally pivoting motion in the forward/backward direction along the knife and the other hand can be used to rock the knife up and down using the handle to perform a fast chopping action which may be an easily controlled sequence of very finely controlled and thin chops, especially when the thumb or finger of a hand gripping the handle is used on the indentation at a forward region of the handle. 
     The upper edge of the blade, when viewed sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife, may be substantially straight or straight except for the at least one indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade. The upper edge of the blade may have a first portion extending from the first end of the blade to the at least one indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade, and a second portion extending from the second end of the blade to the at least one indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade. The second portion of the substantially straight upper edge of the blade may extend over at least or more than half of the length of the upper edge of the blade. The first and second portions of the substantially straight upper edge of the blade may be aligned to be substantially level and parallel with each other, when viewed sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife. Advantageously, this allows the indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade to be located near what is substantially a pivot point when the knife is positioned for a vertical cut and is rocked with the handle moving up and down and the sharp edge cutting through foodstuff and continually substantially engaged with a chopping board or other cooperating surface under the foodstuff. The user can place one or more fingers of one hand resting on the indentation formed on the upper edge of the blade substantially at this area of generally pivoting motion in the forward/backward direction along the knife and the other hand can be used to rock the knife up and down using the handle to perform a fast chopping action which may be an easily controlled sequence of very finely controlled and thin chops, especially when the thumb or finger of a hand gripping the handle is used on the indentation at a forward region of the handle. 
     An upper side of the handle of the knife may have a portion adjacent to the blade wherein the upper side of the handle is aligned to be substantially level with the upper edge of the blade, when viewed sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife. 
     The lower edge of the blade may taper upwards to meet the upper edge of the blade at a point. 
     An upper edge of the at least one indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade may be unitary with and fabricated from the same material as the blade, and may be configured for direct contact with a hand. Advantageously, this may provide for comfortable use of the knife, combined with good hygiene and easy cleaning. 
     The sharp lower edge of the blade may have a rear end portion, an imaginary line of extension of which, in a rearward direction away from a point of the knife, may extend below the handle. Advantageously, this may provide for the user to use the blade of the knife in a generally pivoting motion in the forward/backward direction along the knife, whilst rocking the handle of the knife up and down, to perform a fast chopping action which may be an easily controlled sequence of very finely controlled and thin chops. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a knife having a body with a blade, the blade having two sides, an upper edge and a sharp lower edge for cutting, the body having an upper side which includes at least one discontinuity such as an indentation, each of the two sides of the blade including a substantially flat main portion, the upper edge and sharp lower edge of the knife meeting at a point, the discontinuity being formed in the upper edge and being nearer the point than a rear end of each main portion. Advantageously, even without any indentation on a handle, the knife blade may have the useful functionality described above for the indentation on the upper edge of the blade. 
     Instead of being an indentation, the discontinuity may comprise a raised portion or in some case a widened portion of the upper edge. The blade in this case may be formed integrally with a handle or it may be a simple blade unit, for example one of a set of blade units which may be connectable and disconnectable from one or more separate handle units which are additional items. The discontinuity may comprise a platform, texture, hump or recess. 
     The upper edge of the blade, when viewed sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife, may be substantially straight except for the at least one indentation, which is formed in the upper edge of the blade. The upper edge of the blade may have a first portion extending from the point of the blade to the at least one indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade, and a second portion which is substantially straight or straight when viewed in a direction sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife and extends from the second end of the blade to said at least one indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade. The second portion of the substantially straight upper edge of the blade may extend over at least or more than half of the length of the upper edge of the blade. The first and second portions of the substantially straight upper edge of the blade may be aligned to be substantially level and parallel with each other, when viewed sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife. Advantageously, this allows the indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade to be located near what is substantially a pivot point when the knife is positioned for a vertical cut and is rocked with the handle moving up and down and the sharp edge cutting through foodstuff and continually substantially engaged with a chopping board or other cooperating surface under the foodstuff. The user can place one or more fingers of one hand resting on the indentation formed on the upper edge of the blade substantially at this area of generally pivoting motion in the forward/backward direction along the knife and the other hand can be used to rock the knife up and down using the handle to perform a fast chopping action which may be an easily controlled sequence of very finely controlled and thin chops, especially when the thumb or finger of a hand gripping the handle is used on the indentation at a forward region of the handle. 
     The knife may further comprise a handle, wherein an upper side of the handle has a portion adjacent to the blade which is aligned to be substantially level with the upper edge of the blade, when viewed sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife. 
     The lower edge of the blade may taper upwards to meet the upper edge of the blade at the point. 
     An upper edge of the at least one indentation formed in the upper edge of the blade may be unitary with and fabricated from the same material as the blade, and may be configured for direct contact with a hand. Advantageously, this may provide for comfortable use of the knife, combined with good hygiene and easy cleaning. 
     At least one of the indentations may be located at a forward region of a handle of the knife body for engagement by a hand gripping the handle. This indentation, when viewed sideways from a left side towards a right side of the knife, may have a cross-section which is curved and concave. Furthermore, in a cross-section across the knife perpendicular to its longitudinal direction and through sideways across the knife, the indentation located at a forward region of the handle may be concave, or slightly convex, or substantially flat. 
     In a cross-section across the knife perpendicular to its longitudinal direction and through sideways across the knife, the indentation located at a forward region of the handle may have a distinct curvature or shape which is different to portions of the handle on either side thereof. Additionally, this indentation may encompass only a partial segment of the perimeter of said cross-section. Advantageously, this may allow for quick and easy location of this indentation by the user. 
    
    
     
       The sharp lower edge of the blade may have a rear end portion, an imaginary line of extension of which, in a rearward direction away from a point of the knife, may extend below the handle. Advantageously, this may provide for the user to use the blade of the knife in a generally pivoting motion in the forward/backward direction along the knife, whilst rocking the handle of the knife up and down, to perform a fast chopping action which may be an easily controlled sequence of very finely controlled and thin chops. The present invention may be carried out in various ways and a preferred embodiment of a knife in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a knife in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear elevation of the knife shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation of the knife shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows the knife of  FIGS. 1 and 3  in side elevation and as being used to chop vegetables located on a cutting board on a worktop; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the knife shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom plan of the knife shown in  FIGS. 1 to 5 . 
     
    
    
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a chef&#39;s knife  10  includes a blade  12  and a handle  14 . 
     The blade  12  includes a main body portion  16  with a top edge  18 , a sharp lower edge  20  and flat sides  22 . 
     The flat sides  22  taper towards each other in the downward direction as shown in  FIG. 3  and the sharp lower edge  20  is a wedge-ground formation about 1 to 2 mm in height formed by grinding the flat sides  22 . 
     The main body portion  16  is made of steel integrally with flaring side chamfers  24 ,  26 , a handle abutment or connection portion  28  and a handle tail or tang  30  which is not shown other than in dashed lines in  FIG. 4 . The tang  30  is encased in a relatively hard plastics handle grip  32  which is co-moulded with relatively soft plastics grip portions  34 ,  36 , the handle grip  32  having a butt end  38 . The grip portions  34 ,  36  may be arranged for engagement by particular fingers of a human hand, for example by the ring and little fingers (not shown). 
     A top portion  40  of the handle connection portion  28  includes an indentation or thumb/finger recess  42  which as seen in the side view of  FIG. 4  has a curved concave upwardly facing cross-section or shape so that it is comfortably engageable by a thumb or finger of a human hand (not shown) for pushing down on the knife  10 . The cross-section or shape of the thumb or finger recess  42  when viewed from the side as shown in  FIG. 4  may be arcuate or radiussed, substantially with a radius in the region of 1 to 2 cm. 
     The top edge  18  of the blade  12  has a width at a rear portion  44  of the main body portion  16  of about 2 to 3 mm and the width of the top edge may be constant or narrowing and tapering towards a discontinuity portion  46  of the top edge  18  which includes a discontinuity  48  in the form of an indentation in the top edge  18  of the blade  12 . The discontinuity  48  as shown in  FIG. 4  has an upwardly concave shape and is curved or arcuate when viewed from the side as in  FIG. 4 , the top edge  18  at the discontinuity  48  nevertheless still being blunt and having a width of about 1½ to 2 mm. The concave cross-section of the discontinuity  48  may be substantially a radius which may be substantially larger than that of the thumb or finger recess  42 , the radius of the discontinuity  48  in this specific embodiment being about 10 to 12 cm although this may vary in other embodiments. The length of the discontinuity  48  between two ends of its concavity in this specific embodiment is about 4.5 cm enabling about two or three fingers of an average-sized adult hand to rest in the discontinuity  48 . 
     In other embodiments, instead of being an indentation, the discontinuity  48  may consist of a platform, a texture, hump or other discontinuity formed on the top edge  18 , especially for being useful for the guidance by touch of one or more, typically two or three, fingers of an average-sized adult hand to be positioned on the discontinuity and to push down on and otherwise control the top edge  18  during cutting operations. 
     As shown in the side view of  FIG. 4 , the sharp lower edge  20  of the blade  12  meets the top edge  18  at a sharp point  50 . The discontinuity  48  is near the point, e.g. nearer than it is to the handle grip  32 . The sharp lower edge  20  becomes more curved leading from a rear end  52  thereof towards a region  54  thereof near the discontinuity portion  46 . The sharp lower edge ( 20 ) of the blade ( 12 ) may have a rear end portion, an imaginary line of extension of which, in a rearward direction away from a point of the knife, may extend below the handle ( 14 ). This means that when the knife  10  is held in one hand and placed on a chopping board  56  on a worktop  58  with the blade  12  substantially vertical for substantially vertical cutting of foodstuffs  60 ,  62 , the region  54  of the lower edge  20  near the discontinuity portion  46  may act roughly as a pivot point as the sharp lower edge  20  is rolled along the chopping board  56 . With one hand on the handle grip  32  and its thumb or finger engaged in the thumb or finger recess  42  and the other hand having two or three fingers resting or pushing on the discontinuity  48 , the latter hand may easily feel the position of the discontinuity  48  and also be in the region of roughly a pivot point for the blade  12 . It will be appreciated that the motion is not a true pivoting action though since the sharp lower edge  20  can be rolled along the chopping board in either direction or pushed or pulled along it for a slicing action. With two hands controlling the knife and the hand engaging the discontinuity  48  safely feeling its position there, the user can control the knife very well to chop up and down with a rolling action of the sharp lower edge  20  along the chopping board  56  or indeed a slicing action in which there is slip of the sharp lower edge  20  relative to the foodstuffs  60 ,  62  for quick and accurate chopping of the foodstuff. The foodstuff may comprise vegetables or fruits or other foodstuffs of various sorts, including but not limited to chives, herbs, carrots and the like. 
     The sharp lower edge  20  may be serrated in other embodiments. 
     Various modifications may be made to the described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.