Patent Publication Number: US-8117755-B2

Title: Precision cutter

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a cutter for paper and other materials. More specifically, it relates to esthetically pleasing cutter or knife with a concealed blade that is particularly useful in cutting single sheets of paper, or other thin materials, with precision. 
     B. Description of the Prior Art 
     There are many patents relating to paper cutters or utility knives that are known in the art. Among them are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,493,781; 2,677,180; 4,884,342; 4,974,320; 5,001,955; 5,809,656; 4,455,894; 5,561,905; 6,615,495; 4,081,907; D297,076; D197,228; 48,953; D156,056; 6,256,888; and 6,735,872. While each of the patents listed above describe various unique features of paper cutters and similar devices, none describe the particular features of the paper cutter of the present invention. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is an esthetically pleasing curvilinear knife, or cutter, that has a concealed blade, and is suitable for use in precision cutting of thin materials, such as single sheets of paper, thin plastic sheets and the like. The cutter comprises a handle with a blade support structure protruding from the neck thereof, a blade embedded in the blade support structure, and a cap that fits over the blade and blade support structure, thereby concealing the blade from view. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the precision cutter of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a view of the cutter of the invention, with parts broken away, showing the relationship of the blade and blade support structure, with the handle and the cap. 
         FIG. 3  is another view of the cutter of the invention, with parts broken away, showing another aspect of the relationship of the blade, the blade support structure, with the handle, and the cap. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of one part of the blade support structure of the cutter of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one part of the blade support structure, forming a part of the cutter of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of one part of the blade support structure, forming a part of the cutter of the invention, showing the position of the blade within the support structure. 
         FIG. 7  is a view along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 , showing the position of the blade in the blade support structure, looking down from the top. 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the blade used in the precision cutter of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of the handle of the precision cutter of the invention, with parts shown in phantom, showing a weight positioned inside the handle. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view through the line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The precision cutter of this invention is shown in its entirety in  FIG. 1 . As shown, the cutter  10  is an elongated curvilinear object of varying diameter. As seen in perspective, the cutter  10  comprises a handle  12 , and a cap  14 . The handle  12  has a bulbous base  16 , and a thinner neck  18 . 
     The handle  12  is tubular, and is open at the top  20  of the neck  18 . 
     The cap  14  is also bulbous in shape, and tubular. It is open at the lower end  22  thereof. 
     The external diameters of the lower end  22  of the cap  14 , and the diameter of the top  20  of the neck  18  are the same. Thus, as seen in  FIG. 1 , when the cap  14  is in place over the projecting blade and blade support structure (not shown), the appearance of the precision cutter  10  is one of a unitary object. 
     A blade  24  having a sharp cutting edge  25  for the cutter is shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8 , in particular. The blade  24  can be made of any material that is capable of maintaining a sharp cutting edge, but preferably it is made of steel or a ceramic material. 
     The blade  24  is imbedded in a blade support structure  26  comprising two individual components. 
     A first component  28  is molded around the blade  24  at its upper end  30 , and has a tubular configuration at its lower end  32 . The blade  24  is mounted in the blade support structure  26  in a manner such that its cutting edge  25  is parallel to horizontal surfaces, when the cutter  10  is held at an approximate angle of about 45 degrees relative to horizontal. See  FIG. 8 , showing the angle of the cutting edge  25  of the blade  24 . 
     The second component  34  of the blade support structure  26  is cylindrical in shape, and hollow at its center. As seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5  the second component  34  has a lower section  36  of reduced diameter, a middle section  38  of slightly enlarged diameter, and a top section  40  of reduced diameter. The external diameter of the lower section  36  is slightly less than the internal diameter of the opening at the top  20  of neck  18  of the handle  12 , so that the lower section  36  of the second component  34  of the blade support structure  26  can be inserted into the tubular opening in the top  20  of the handle  18 , as seen in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  9 . 
     The lower edge of the middle section  38  then abuts the edge at the top  20  of the neck  18  of the handle  12 , preventing further penetration of the second component  34  into the opening in the handle  12 . 
     A circular ring  42  is molded around the middle section  38 , projecting outward from the surface thereof, for reasons explained below. 
     The reduced diameter top section  40  also has two circular rings,  44  and  46 , molded around it, projecting outward therefrom. 
     As seen in  FIG. 9 , the handle  12  is hollow in its center. A weight  48  is positioned in the hollow center of the handle  12 . The weight  48  is cylindrical and can be made of iron, steel, or other heavy metal or material. It is desirable that the weight  48  be off center of the central axis of the handle  12 , thus the weight is supported by a support cushion  50  at a point near the base  16  of the handle  12 . The cushion  50  pushes the weight off the central axis. The cushion can be plastic, fabric, or other substance. The purpose of the off center weight  48  this is so that when the cutter  10  is rolled on a flat surface, the cutter  10  will come to a stop at the same position each time. This insures that any identifying indicia on the outer surface of the cutter  10  is always correctly placed. Thus, any advertising that may be imprinted on the outer surface can be placed thereon, with the certain knowledge that it will always is visible to the user of the cutter, or anyone else visualizing it when the cutter is laying on a flat surface. 
     In the manufacture of the cutter  10  of this invention, the first component  28  containing the blade  24 , is slipped over the second component  34 , and held in place by the pressure of the internal surface of the component  28  against the rings  44 , and  46 . Thereafter, the second component  34  is inserted into the open end of the handle  12  as far as possible. This is illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Once the blade  24 , and blade support structure  26  are in position and secured to the handle  12 , the cap  14  is then slipped over the blade  24 , and blade support structure  26 , and secured in place by friction fit of the internal surface of the cap  14  against the ring  42 . 
     The handle  12  and cap  14  are preferable made of plastic, but could also me made of a metal such as aluminum, if desired. 
     As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, numerous modifications and substitutions may be made to the above described embodiment of the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the preceding portion of this specification is to be taken as illustrative, as opposed to a limiting sense.