Patent ID: 8726524

Claim:
A power operated rotary knife comprising: a head assembly including a gearbox assembly, an annular rotary knife blade, a blade housing, and a blade-blade housing bearing structure; the blade housing coupled to the gearbox assembly and including an annular blade support section defining a bearing surface formed on an inner wall of the annular blade support section; the annular rotary knife blade including a body and a blade section extending axially from the body, the body including an upper end and a lower end spaced axially apart and an inner wall and an outer wall spaced radially apart, the blade section extending from the lower end of the body, the outer wall defining a knife blade bearing surface and a set of gear teeth, the set of gear teeth being axially spaced from the upper end of the body and from the knife blade bearing surface; the blade-blade housing bearing structure disposed between the knife blade bearing surface and the blade housing bearing surface to support the knife blade for rotation with respect to the blade housing; and a gear train of the gearbox assembly, the gear train including a drive gear having a plurality of gear teeth that mesh with the set of gear teeth of the knife blade to rotate the knife blade with respect to the blade housing.