Patent Publication Number: US-7210588-B1

Title: Multi-segment knife block

Description:
An embodiment of the invention is related to kitchen knife blocks that store knives. Other embodiments are also described. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Kitchen utensils such as knives, forks, and spoons have typically been stored in a drawer underneath a countertop. Knives in particular, however, have also been stored in a dedicated block, typically made entirely of wood. Such a storage unit has typically been referred to as a “block” which is descriptive of the overall shape of the unit, as well as the fact that it is a solid compact piece of substantial material. Openings shaped in the form of slots are formed that run vertically down from a top surface and into the block, and in which the knives are inserted blade first. 
   More recently, the market has seen a knife block that contains multiple sections that appear to be attached to form a unit, where each section has slotted openings to receive either knives or a pair of scissors. The knives have end caps bearing text labels such as “slicer”, “bread”, “utility”, and “paring” that appear to refer to the function of the particular knife. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” embodiment of the invention in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and they mean at least one. 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of an example multi-segment knife block, with a particular configuration of the segments. 
       FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the example multi-segment knife block, with another configuration of the segments. 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of example segments arranged from largest to smallest and illustrating their progressively increasing angled bottom ends. 
       FIG. 4  is a right elevation of the multi-segment knife configured so that adjacent segments are at similar pivot angles. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Beginning with  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the invention being a kitchen utensil storage unit  104  with multiple segments is shown. In this example, the storage unit  104  is also referred to as a “knife block”, because it provides storage for a number of knives on a kitchen countertop, although as explained below it is quite different than a conventional block. 
   In the example  FIG. 1 , the storage unit  104  has, but is not limited to, five arms or segments  108 _ 1  . . . ,  108 _ 5 , all of which are coupled to a pivot shaft  112 . There is an opening  310  near a bottom end of each segment  108  for the pivot shaft to pass through (see  FIG. 3  which shows some of the segments  108  unstacked, next to each other, for purposes of explanation). 
   Each segment  108  is shaped and coupled to the pivot shaft, so that each segment is moveable relative to another one, about the pivot shaft  112 . Each of the segments  108  may be pivoted with respect to another, where a different configuration of the segments is shown in  FIG. 2 . In that case, segments  108 _ 4 ,  108 _ 5  have been pivoted to the left (to an essentially vertical position), while segment  108 _ 2  has been pivoted to the right. In the example shown, each segment  108  is bar-shaped (see the side view of  FIG. 4 ), with a slotted opening at its top end, to receive, blade first, a respective knife  115 . The cavity that is inside each segment  108  communicates with the slotted opening and is preferably long enough so that the blade of the respective knife lies entirely within the cavity as shown. In addition, the slotted opening is such that the respective knife cannot be rotated while it is being inserted into the cavity. Each segment  108  may be made entirely of wood. 
   In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the storage unit  104  also has a base  120 . The base  120  may be used to support the segments  108  on its top surface as shown, while resting on a kitchen countertop  128 . This is an example of how the storage unit  104  would preferably be sold in a housewares retail establishment, for use while lying on the kitchen countertop  128 . 
   To help secure the segments  108  to the base  120 , the example of  FIG. 1  uses a first end piece  122  that adjoins a far end (or backside) of the segment  108 _ 1 . The end piece  122  is immovable relative to the base  120 , e.g. it may be rigidly affixed to the base  120  via screws and glue, or some other attachment mechanism, or it may be integrated with the base  120  such as in a molding. In addition, a second end piece  123  that adjoins a near end (or front side) of the segment  108 _ 5  is provided that is also immovable relative to the base  120 . The pivot shaft  120  in this case pulls the first and second end pieces  122 ,  123  towards each other, through the hole or opening  310  in each segment ( FIG. 3 ). The pivot shaft  112  may include, for example, a single bolt or screw that is long enough to pass through the segments and then threads into the near end (front side) of the end piece  122 , to hold the segments  108  together. As an alternative, the segments  108  may be pulled or held against each other by some other means, with the pivot shaft being merely for aligning the segments axially, i.e. along its longitudinal axis, and providing a pivot axis for the segments. 
   According to another embodiment of the invention, the first end piece  122  is also bar-shaped, substantially like the other segments  108 , and has an opening to receive, blade first, another knife  117 . The first end piece  122  in that case would have a further cavity that communicates with an opening at its top and is long enough so that a blade of the knife  117  can lie entirely within the cavity. Its slot may also be shaped so that the knife  117  cannot be rotated while being inserted into the cavity. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the end piece  122  may have essentially the same shape as the segments  108 , except that in this case it holds the largest knife  117 . 
   In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , each segment  108  has a respective front side that is parallel to that of another one of the segments, and on which a respective text label is positioned. For example, the adjoining front side of segment  108 _ 4  bears the label “utility”, and is parallel to the back side of segment  108 _ 5 . Both sides are also entirely flat so that the two segments may easily pivot past each other. In addition, the text labels in these examples are vertically oriented, with the letters that spell each word being arranged from top to bottom as shown (other arrangements for the text label on each segment are possible). The text labels are preferably positioned closer to the left side of each segment  108 , to the left of a longitudinal center axis  314  (see  FIG. 3 ). This positioning allows them to be easily recognized by a user who merely has to pivot the segments that are in the way, through a relatively short arc. 
   The respective text label on each segment may be used to textually describe a function of the respective knife. This function relates to one or more of the following characteristics of the respective knife: size and shape of blade; and size and shape of handle. Although in the embodiments illustrated here, there are six different knives each designed to perform a different function, the invention should not be limited by that as there may be a fewer number or a greater number of segments, some or all of which may not have any such text labels on the front sides. 
   Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a front view of example segments  108  arranged from largest to smallest are shown. In addition, at the far left of the figure, an example end piece  122  is shown. The segments and the end piece are vertically oriented, with a center longitudinal axis  314  that is perpendicular to a horizontal axis  315  (where the latter may be at the top surface of the base  120 , see  FIG. 1 ). The shape of the bottom ends of the segments are such that a corner piece has been cutoff or not formed leaving an angled surface  320 ,  322 , or  324 . 
   As can be seen in the example embodiments shown in  FIG. 3 , the angle between the horizontal axis  315  and the surface  320 ,  322 , or  324  becomes progressively larger. For example, surface  320  is at a slightly smaller angle than surface  322 , which in turn is at a slightly smaller angle than surface  324 , where these angles are measured while maintaining the segments  108  upright, that is their longitudinal center axis  314  is perpendicular to the horizontal axis  315 . This physical structure of the segments  108  allows each of the segments to have a different pivot range, once they have been assembled, between a respective first stop position and a respective second stop position. For example, the first stop position of each of the segments  108  happens to be one where the segment  108  is essentially vertical (perpendicular to the horizontal axis  315 ). That is due to the remainder surface  321 ,  323 , or  325  of the bottom end of each segment  108  being essentially parallel to the horizontal axis  315 . Thus, for example, as the segment  108 _ 3  is pivoted to the left, as shown in  FIG. 3 , it will reach the first stop position once the surface  325  becomes parallel with the horizontal axis  315  (and lies essentially flat against the top surface of the base, preventing further rotation of that segment to the left). Similarly, the segment  108 _ 2  reaches its first stop position as it is being pivoted to the left, when its bottom surface  323  becomes parallel with the horizontal axis  315 . Finally, the same effect is achieved with segment  108 _ 1 , where the surface  321  becomes horizontal when the segment  108 _ 1  has been pivoted to its vertical position (albeit over a much smaller pivot range, in this case, due to the shallow angle of the surface  320 ). 
   The different pivot ranges for the segments  108  may be such that the segments, when moved about the pivot shaft from their respective first stop positions to their respective second stop positions, go from being compact to spread out. For example, the second stop position corresponds to the angles made between the surfaces  320 ,  322 , and  324  and the horizontal. If these are designed to be progressively larger, then the respective segments  108  in effect spread out (when viewed from the front, as in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) when they have been pivoted to their far right most position. Similarly, the first stop position corresponds to the angles made between the surfaces  321 ,  323 , and  325  and the horizontal. If these angles are very close to each other, or essentially the same (e.g., about zero degrees for the example shown in  FIG. 3 ), then their respective segments in effect become compactly arranged (once again, when viewed from the front direction) when they have been pivoted to their far left position. 
   It should be recognized, however, that not every segment need have a different pivot range. For example, some of the segments may have the same pivot range between the first and second stop positions. Alternatively, the pivot ranges may increase or decrease monotonically from one segment to the next, as achieved by, for example, arranging the angles of the bottom surfaces of the ends of the segments  108  as depicted in  FIG. 3 . 
   The invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Although the segments shown in the figures are bar-shaped with progressively decreasing height, an alternative here may be to have all of the segments  108  and the end piece  122  be of the same size and shape, sufficiently large to store their respective knives. Also, other ways of implementing the first and second stop positions, in the pivot ranges, are possible. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the claims.