Patent ID: 8196624

Claim:
A pencil sharpener comprising: a housing comprising a base and an axially spaced top surface defining an opening, said housing being disposable in a generally upright orientation supported on said base and a receiving cavity in said housing and communicating with said opening for receiving a pencil in an upright orientation generally orthogonal to the base and top surface, said top surface disposed generally parallel to said base, said base having a platform with a resilient tongue having a catch; a receptacle having an open top and being transversely slidably receivable in said housing between an open position and a closed position wherein said receptacle is substantially fully received in said housing and having an indentation in a bottom portion of said receptacle, said indentation being engaged by said catch in the closed position; an electrically operated sharpener assembly disposed in said housing above said received receptacle and below said top surface; and a first switch disposed in said housing and responsive to the insertion of an end of a pencil into said receiving cavity; so that when a pencil end is axially inserted into said opening and receiving cavity and said receptacle is disposed in a closed position, said sharpener assembly is activated to sharpen said pencil and shavings from said pencil fall into said receptacle.