Patent Publication Number: US-6216346-B1

Title: Hand-held cutter

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/084,764 filed May 8, 1998 entitled HAND-HELD CUTTER. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for cutting various elongate materials, and more particularly a cutter, suited for example to embodiment as a hand-held and operated device for preparing the head of a cigar for smoking, or alternatively for facilitated cutting of rope, tape or other binding material to a desired length. 
     Cigar cutters and punches are well known in the art, and a variety of versions are widely used by cigar smokers to trim the head of a cigar, particularly those that are hand-rolled, prior to lighting. Cigar cutters are distinguished from cigar punches in that the latter devices operate to puncture or remove a demarcated punched section from the head end of a cigar, whereas cigar cutters utilize a blade-cutting action directed crosswise the length of a cigar. 
     Cigar cutters include, for example, the once prevalent “V” cutter, in which the head of the cigar is generally seated in a receiving chamber having an appropriately configured aperture across which a wedge-like, V-shaped blade slidably traverses, to cut out a correspondingly shaped wedge crosswise from the head of the cigar. 
     An alternate arrangement includes two blade members presenting concave arcuate blade edges, the blade members being mounted for overlying slidable movement with respect to one another, with the respective blade edges positioned in opposition to one another. A cigar end is placed between the opposed blade edges, and cut by urging together of the blade members which slidably overly each other. 
     Another type of currently popular cutter consists of a simple guillotine arrangement in which a flat blade member is mounted to a body for slidable movement with respect thereto. A blade edge, generally oriented on a bias with resect to a direction of blade travel, traverses an aperture formed in the cutter body within which the head of the cigar is receivable. 
     In each of the aforementioned cutters, the cutting mechanism involves a simple chopping motion, the blade edge remaining stationary with resect to a blade advancement axis. Because chopping is a mechanically inefficient blade operation, application of significant pressure is often required to effect cutting, particularly when used to prepare larger ring gauge or tightly rolled cigars. Also, once the cutting edges of the blade or blades have been significantly dulled over time, the cigar may be damaged as a result of a cut, resulting in a frayed wrapper or more significant damage to the head. 
     Therefore, a cutter in which a blade is drawn laterally across the object to be cut while transverse pressure is applied by a user, for example in which a novel blade transport mechanism imparts simultaneous rotation to the blade to effect a more effective slicing type operation for cutting of various materials cleanly and easily, would be highly desirable. Moreover, a cutter directed to pre-smoke cigar preparation which would allow the cutting of the head of a cigar before lighting in a manner requiring reduced user effort and less incidence of damage to the cigar, thereby maintaining structural integrity of the prepared cigar after cutting, would be highly advantageous. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a cutter useful for cutting various articles and materials which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a cutter suitable to embodiment as a hand-held and operated cutter which requires less effort on the part of the user, even when cutting resistant materials. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide a cutter which, when embodied as a hand-held and operated cutter directed to pre-smoke preparation of a cigar end, permits simple and reliable transverse cutting of the head of the cigar, and which operates on a slicing mechanism aimed at protecting the cigar from mechanically induced damage. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to provide a cigar cutter in a form which is conveniently carried, economical, and versatily functional. 
     Briefly stated, there is provided a hand-held cutter comprising two support members, which are, for convenience, of relatively flattened configuration, and which are in overlying mounted engagement and slidable with respect to one another along a common axis. A blade member, configured to include a convexly arcuate blade edge, is sandwiched between the two support members, and eccentrically supported at opposed peripheral locations thereon adjacent the blade edge. One of the support members includes a receiving hole of suitable diameter to permit passage of a head of a cigar, or other material or article to be cut or trimmed, at least partially therethrough. The support members are slidably movable from a primed position in which the cutting edge of the mounted blade is free of the receiving hole, to another position, following passage of the blade, edge-first, across the receiving hole. Means responsive to sliding of the support members relative one another for imparting rotation to the arcuately shaped blade edge are provided, whereby as the support members are urged from the open blade primed position to an operation-completed position in which the blade edge has at least partially completed lateral movement relative the support members and has sufficiently traversed the cigar-receiving opening to effect cutting of the inserted article, the blade member cuts same by virtue of simultaneous rotational (slicing) and well as relative lateral chopping movement (compressive) across the cigar-receiving opening. 
     According to a feature of the invention, means for eccentric support of the blade member are provided, conveniently in the form of a pair of pins protruding from each of both sides of the cutting blade. The two support members each includes a guide of arcuate shape and a straight guide, both conveniently in the form of channels (or grooves) adapted to receive the pins captively therein for movement along controlled paths configured such that relative slidable movement imparted to the support members along a common axis thereof moves the blade codirectionally with the axis while imparting rotation thereto. 
     The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a cutter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention directed to a hand-held and operated cigar cutter; 
     FIG. 2 is side view of the circular blade of the embodiment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 a  is a plan view of a cutter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention shown in a primed position prior to performing a cutting operation; 
     FIG. 3 b  is a plan view of the cutter of FIG. 1 a  shown in a closed position after performing a cutting operation and before being re-primed for a subsequent operation; 
     FIG. 4 is a sequential diagrammatic representation of the path of travel of the blade of the device of FIGS. 2,  3   a  and  3   b ; and 
     FIG. 5 is graphical representation of the curve described by an eccentric mounting point of a blade travelling along a straight axis of movement. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the figures, and in particular FIG. 1, an embodiment of the present invention directed to use as a hand-held and operated cigar cutter is depicted, generally designated  10 . Cigar cutter  10  includes two support members  1  and  2  which are mounted in overlying engagement with one other in a manner permitting slidable movement along a common longitudinal axis A. Mounting methods currently employed for conventional cigar cutters may be readily adapted to the presently described invention, or novel approaches may be adopted. In the depicted example, support member  1  includes an operational support half  1   a  and a cover support half  1   b , slidable mounting being advantageously achieved by captive reception of support member  2  therebetween. Support halves  1   a  and  1   b  are fastened together, conveniently by means of screws  3 , positioned as not to impede slidable operation of cutter  10 . Means are provided for maintaining captive retention of support member  2  between halves  1   a  and  1   b  of support member  1 , conveniently in the form of an engagement portion  4  having a thicker profile than an adjacent portion of support member  2  such that a shoulder  4   a  is thereby defined at a boundary therebetween. A channel  5  is formed in cover support member  1   b  in which engagement portion  4  is received and captively held when support halves  1   a  and  1   b  are fastened together. 
     A blade member  6 , shown in detail in FIG. 2, is conveniently of circular shape, and includes a beveled blade edge  6   a . As shown in FIG. 1, blade member  6  is supported in a fixed rotational plane, in juxtaposed position between operational support halve  1   a  and support member  2 . Means for eccentrically mounting blade member  6  to support members  1  and  2  are provided for permitting restricted rotation about a rotational axis slidably movable along common axis A. In the depicted example, such mounting means include a pair of pins  7  extending from each side of blade member  6 , which are respectively received for slidable movement, on one side of blade member  6  within an arcuate channel  8   a  and a pin reciprocation channel  8   b formed in a facing surface of support member  2 , and on the other side of blade member  6  within an arcuate channel  9   a  and a pin reciprocation channel  9   b  formed in a facing surface of operational support half  1   a.    
     Operational support half  1   a  includes an article reception hole  11   a , a center of which is advantageously positioned along axis A. Cover support half  1   b  also includes a corresponding article reception hole  11   b , positioned to align with article reception hole  11   a  when support halves  1   a  and  1   b  are fastened together, to collectively define an article reception hole  11 . In analogous fashion, support halves  1   a  and  1   b  (collectively designated support member  1 ) include finger reception holes  12   a  and  12   b , respectively. Support member  2  includes a corresponding finger reception hole  13  of configuration approximating mutually aligned reception holes  12   a  and  12   b  (collectively defining a reception hole  12 ). Finger holes  12  and  13 , although not integral to the invention nor required for operation, permit convenient one-handed means for slidably moving support members  1  and  2  with respect to one another. 
     Operation of the cigar cutter embodiment of FIG. 1 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b . Cigar cutter  10  is conveniently hand-operated by insertion of a thumb and opposed finger of the same hand through finger reception hole  12  and finger reception hole  13 , respectively. FIG. 3 a  depicts cigar cutter  10  in a primed position in which the cutting edge of mounted blade  6  is free of article reception hole  11  into which the cigar head is inserted prior to cutting thereof. Conveniently, opposed fingers of a user&#39;s hand are inserted into finger holes  12  and  13  and, when urged together, impart slidable movement to support members  1  and  2  with respect to one another. As support member  2  is urged to the left relative to support member  1 , as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3 a , pin  7  of blade  6  received in pin reciprocation channel  8   b  of support member  2  is forced along therewith, while pin  7  on the converse side of blade  6  is guided along in arcuate channel  9   a  formed in operational support half  1   a . At the same time, and in analogous fashion, pin  7  in pin reciprocation channel  9   b  of operational support half  1   a  is moved to the right, while pin  7  on the converse side of blade  6  is guided in arcuate channel  8   a  formed in support member  2 . As both pins are each guided in an arcuate path, pins  7  engaged in each of pin reciprocation channels  8   b  and  9   b  reciprocate up and down therewithin, while advantageously being laterally confined by the configuration of channels  8   b  and  9   b , to prevent blade play. Continued urging results in movement of blade  6 , edge first, across article reception hole  11 , to a final position as shown in FIG. 3 b  with blade  6  eclipsing article reception hole  11 . 
     Arcuate channels  8   a  and  9   a  are advantageously configured to control movement of blade member  6  such that it travels along a straight line axis of movement A as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the circular blade member (depicted in various positions by dotted circles and a solid circle) moves between an initial primed position P 1  with pin  7  at the extreme right boundary of the arcuate guide channel and pin  7  at the uppermost position in reciprocating channel, a middle position P M  with pin  7  at the apex of the arcuate guide channel and pin  7  at the lowermost position in the reciprocating channel, with a center of the blade member  6  corresponding in position to an origin O of the depicted coordinates and a final position P F  with pin  7  at the extreme left boundary of the arcuate guide channel and pin  7  returning to the uppermost position in the reciprocating channel. The pin  7  follows an arcuate path defined by the graph shown in FIG. 5 relative x and y axes in which the blade travels in the x direction with the center of the blade traveling along axis A, and in which the blade is mounted, for example by a pin located a distance y 1  away from the blade center. As the blade member  6  moves in the x direction, an angle φ is formed between the axis A and a straight line connecting opposed pins  7 . The angle φ changes as the blade moves with its center along axis A (three arbitrary blade positions and corresponding angles φ being shown in FIG. 5 for purposes of illustration). Since the arrow segments comprising the triangles, and which represent the distance between the blade center and each of the pins, remain constant independent of axial position of the blade, as shown, an equation defining the arcuate path as a function of blade travel distance can be mathematically derived in a simple manner applying well-known trigonometric principles. 
     Having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.