Patent ID: 7131204

Claim:
A utility knife comprising: a housing; a blade carrier movably mounted in the housing and including a blade supporting surface for supporting a blade, wherein the blade carrier is movable between a retracted position with at least a substantial portion of the blade retracted in the housing, and at least one extended position with at least a portion of the blade extending outwardly of the housing; a catch pivotally mounted on the blade carrier and movable relative to the blade supporting surface between a first position engageable with the blade located on the blade carrier and substantially preventing relative movement of the blade and the blade carrier, and a second position spaced away from the blade located on the blade carrier and permitting removal of the blade from the blade carrier; an actuator mounted on the blade carrier, coupled to the catch, and manually engageable to both (i) move the blade carrier between the retracted and extended positions to, in turn, move the blade located on the blade carrier between retracted and extended positions, and (ii) move the catch between the first and second positions to release the blade from the blade carrier; and a stop surface engageable with at least one of the actuator and the catch in the first position.