Patent Publication Number: US-6701620-B2

Title: String cutter

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a string cutter, and more particularly to a string cutter for cutting the silica-gel of the glass, wherein when the cutting string is broken, the broken cutting string will be blocked and stopped by the protection rib, thereby efficiently preventing the broken cutting string from injuring the user&#39;s fingers, so as to protect the user&#39;s safety. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional string cutter in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 5 comprises two handles  5  each having a fixing rod  50 , and a cutting string  6  having two ends each secured on to the fixing rod  50  of one of the two handles  5 . In operation, when the user wishes to detach the fixing silica gel  70  of the glass  7 , the cutting string  6  is passed through the fixing silica gel  70  around the periphery of the glass  7 . Then, each of the two ends of the cutting string  6  may be mounted and secured on to the fixing rod  50  of the respective handle  5 . Thus, the user&#39;s two hands may hold the two handles  5  to exert a sideward force on the periphery of the glass  7 , so that the cutting string  6  may produce a cutting force to cut the fixing silica gel  70  around the periphery of the glass  7 . After the cutting string  6  is moved around a circle of the periphery of the glass  7 , the fixing silica gel  70  around the periphery of the glass  7  may be cut off entirely, so that the glass  7  may be removed easily. However, the cutting string  6  is easily worn out during a long-term utilization or broken due to excessive pull. Thus, when the cutting string  6  is broken due to wear or excessive pull and is sprung toward the handles  5 , the broken cutting string  6  easily touch and hurt the user&#39;s fingers, thereby causing danger to the user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional string cutter. 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a string cutter, wherein when the cutting string is broken due to wear or excessive pull and is sprung toward the handles, the broken cutting string will be blocked and stopped by the protection rib of each of the two handles, thereby efficiently preventing the broken cutting string from injuring the user&#39;s fingers, so as to protect the user&#39;s safety. 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a string cutter, comprising two handles, two fixing devices, and a cutting string, wherein: 
     the cutting string has two ends each secured on one of the two handles by one of the two fixing devices; 
     each of the two handles includes a loop-shaped handgrip for insertion and holding of a user&#39;s fingers, the handgrip of each of the two handles has two sides each provided with a protection rib, for encompassing and protecting the user&#39;s fingers received in the handgrip. 
     Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a string cutter in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side plan cross-sectional assembly view of the string cutter as shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic operational view of the string cutter as shown in FIG. 2 in use; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic practice view of the string cutter in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic practice view of a conventional string cutter in accordance with the prior art. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a string cutter in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises two handles  1 , two fixing devices  2 , and a cutting string  3 . 
     Each of the two handles  1  is secured on one of the two ends of the cutting string  3  by one of the two fixing devices  2 . Each of the two handles  1  includes a loop-shaped handgrip  10  for insertion and holding of the user&#39;s fingers. The handgrip  10  of each of the two handles  1  has two sides each provided with a protection rib  11 , for encompassing and protecting the user&#39;s fingers inserted into the handgrip  10 . The handgrip  10  of each of the two handles  1  is formed with a tapered through hole  12 . 
     Each of the fixing devices  2  includes a fixing rod  20  secured in the through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of one of the two handles  1 . The fixing rod  20  of each of the fixing devices  2  has a first end having an inner wall formed with a passage  21 , a mediate portion having a periphery formed with an opening  210  which communicates with the passage  21 , and a second end provided with a tapered urging portion  24  which is formed with a through hole  25 . 
     The first end of the fixing rod  20  of each of the fixing devices  2  is protruded outward from the through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1 , and has an outer wall formed with an annular groove  22  for mounting a C-shaped snap ring  23 , thereby preventing the first end of the fixing rod  20  of each of the fixing devices  2  from detaching from the through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1 . 
     The urging portion  24  of each of the fixing devices  2  has an outer diameter greater than that of the fixing rod  20  of each of the fixing devices  2 . The tapered urging portion  24  of each of the fixing devices  2  may be forced into the tapered through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1  in a close fit manner, for clamping and securing the cutting string  31  as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Each of the two ends of the cutting string  3  is secured on the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1  by the urging portion  24  of the respective fixing device  2 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, each of the two ends of the cutting string  3  is initially extended through the passage  21  into the opening  210  of the fixing rod  20  of the respective fixing device  2 , then protruded outward from the opening  210  of the fixing rod  20  of the respective fixing device  2 , then extended through the through hole  25  of the urging portion  24  of the respective fixing device  2 , and then extended through the opening  210  into the passage  21  of the fixing rod  20  of the respective fixing device  2 , so that each of the two ends of the cutting string  3  may be secured in the through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1  by the urging portion  24  of the respective fixing device  2 . 
     In assembly, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 with reference to FIG. 1, the first end of the fixing rod  20  of each of the fixing devices  2  may be pushed backward, so that the tapered urging portion  24  of each of the fixing devices  2  may be detached from the tapered through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1  as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     Then, each of the two ends of the cutting string  3  is extended through the passage  21  into the opening  210  of the fixing rod  20  of the respective fixing device  2 , then protruded outward from the opening  210  of the fixing rod  20  of the respective fixing device  2 , then extended through the through hole  25  of the urging portion  24  of the respective fixing device  2 , and then extended through the opening  210  into the passage  21  of the fixing rod  20  of the respective fixing device  2  as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     Then, the tapered urging portion  24  of each of the fixing devices  2  may be forced into the tapered through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1  in a close fit manner as shown in FIG. 2, so that each of the two ends of the cutting string  3  may be secured in the through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1  by the fixing rod  20  and the urging portion  24  of the respective fixing device  2 , thereby securing each of the two ends of the cutting string  3  on the respective handle  1 . 
     In addition, when the cutting string  30  needs to be replaced, the first end of the fixing rod  20  of each of the fixing devices  2  may be pushed backward, so that the tapered urging portion  24  of each of the fixing devices  2  may be detached from the tapered through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1  as shown in FIG. 3, thereby releasing the clamping force of the fixing rod  20  and the urging portion  24  of the respective fixing device  2  on each of the two ends of the cutting string  3 , so that each of the two ends of the cutting string  3  may be pulled out for replacement. 
     In operation, referring to FIG. 4, when the user wishes to detach the fixing silica gel  40  of the glass  4 , the cutting string  3  is passed through the fixing silica gel  40  around the periphery of the glass  4 . Then, each of the two ends of the cutting string  3  may be mounted and secured in the through hole  12  of the handgrip  10  of the respective handle  1  in the above-mentioned manner. 
     Thus, the user&#39;s two hands may hold the two handles  1  to exert a sideward force on the periphery of the glass  4 , so that the cutting string  3  may produce a cutting force to cut the fixing silica gel  40  around the periphery of the glass  4 . After the cutting string  3  is moved around a circle of the periphery of the glass  4 , the fixing silica gel  40  around the periphery of the glass  4  may be cut off entirely, so that the glass  4  may be removed easily. It is appreciated that, the user&#39;s fingers are received in the loop-shaped handgrip  10  of each of the two handles  1 , and may be protected by the protection rib  11  of each of the two handles  1 , so that even when the cutting string  3  is broken due to wear or excessive pull and is sprung toward the handles  1 , the cutting string  3  will be blocked and stopped by the protection rib  11  of each of the two handles  1 , thereby efficiently preventing the broken cutting string  3  from injuring the user&#39;s fingers, so as to protect the user&#39;s safety. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.