Patent ID: 8707564

Claim:
A hand saw comprising: a saw blade having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis that extends through the first end and the second end, and an aperture adjacent the first end; a handle configured to be grasped by a user to reciprocate the saw blade along the longitudinal axis to cut a workpiece, the handle defining an inner cavity; a blade carrier coupled to the handle such that the blade carrier is pivotable with respect to the handle about a pivot axis, the blade carrier defining at least a portion of a blade receiving slot that receives the first end of the saw blade; a blade clamp assembly including a locking member movably coupled to the handle, the locking member extending into the blade receiving slot and at least partially into the aperture of the saw blade to removably couple the saw blade to the blade carrier so that the saw blade pivots with the blade carrier about the pivot axis; and an actuating button manually movable generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the saw blade by the user between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein, in the engaged position of the actuating button, the actuating button engages the blade carrier to retain the blade carrier and the saw blade in one of an extended position and a folded position, wherein in the extended position the saw blade extends from the handle so that the saw blade can be used to cut the workpiece, wherein in the folded position the saw blade is at least partially received within the inner cavity of the handle for storage, wherein, in the disengaged position of the actuating button, the actuating button is disengaged from the blade carrier so that the blade carrier and the saw blade can be pivoted between the extended and the folded positions of the saw blade, wherein the blade carrier includes a plate defining the portion of the blade receiving slot and a post that extends from the plate, wherein the handle includes a spine having an aperture, wherein the post of the plate extends into the aperture of the spine, and wherein the pivot axis extends centrally through the post and the aperture of the spine.