Patent ID: 8099870

Claim:
A folding knife, comprising: a handle extending along a longitudinal axis and having first and second handle members positioned in spaced relation to one another and defining a groove therebetween; at least one of said first and second handle members defining an elongated slot therethrough; a blade having a tang portion and being pivotally movable with respect to said handle between first and second terminal positions; a blade bias device that selectively urges said blade from said first terminal position towards said second terminal position; a blade lock for locking said blade in either of said first and second terminal positions, comprising: a user actuated button extending through said elongated slot and movable from a first position in a first direction generally parallel to said longitudinal axis to a second position, and in a second direction generally transverse to said longitudinal axis to a third position, such that upon said blade being in said first terminal position and said button being moved to said third position, said blade is urged towards said second terminal position by said blade bias device; at least one spring that biases said button away from said third position and towards said first position, such that in the absence of an external force being applied to said button sufficient to overcome said at least one spring, said at least one spring automatically biases said button towards said first position; and a lock cylinder movable in said second direction and having a first end that is movable into and out of engagement with said tang, and a second end that is positioned in releasably contacting relation to said button, whereby movement of said button in said second direction effects movement of said lock cylinder in said second direction.