Patent ID: 7698821

Claim:
A knife comprising: a handle; a blade that is rotatably connected to the handle, with the rotation between the handle and the blade defining a plane of rotation; locking hardware adapted to lock and unlock the relative rotational motion of the blade and handle, the locking hardware comprising: a user interface surface moveable relative to the handle between at least a first position, a second position and a third position, with the movement between the first position and the second position being at least substantially in a plane at least substantially parallel to the plane of rotation, and with the movement between the second position and the third position being in a direction that is at an angle substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation, a lock structure, located or connected to unlock the relative rotational motion of the blade and handle only when the user actuation surface is in the third position, first biasing hardware structured, located or connected to bias the user interface surface from the third position towards the second position, and second biasing hardware structured, located and/or connected to bias the user interface surface from the second position towards the first position, so that when no force is applied to the user actuation surface, said user actuation surface will move to the first position through second position, wherein said second biasing structure comprises a bias plate having a length extending at least substantially in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation, having a first end portion with a first hole formed therethrough, and a block having a length extending at least substantially in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation, having a first end portion with a second hole formed therethrough.