PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15867842
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-01
Publication Date: 2019-07
Patent Classification: ["451", "005000"]

Abstract:
An automated hand tool sharpening and cleaning system for sharpening the two opposed cutting edges of domestic, industrial, sport, or hobby hand tool like a knife blade is provided by the invention. The apparatus comprises a six-axis robotic arm, a pneumatic gripper, a vision sensor camera for profiling the blade edges, a robotic controller, and sequentially-arranged grinding, coarse sharpening, fine sharpening, and buffing rotating wheel assemblies used to grind, sharpen, and buff or polish the cutting edges of the knife blade. The blade cutting edges are profiled by the camera image that is processed by associated software to define the blade by multiple points defined along its edge, followed by a set of algorithms that are used to clean up any discrepancies in the profile data. The resulting corrected profile data is then translated into a set of machine control commands fed to the robotic arm and pneumatic gripper via the robot controller for manipulating the knife blade edges via the robotic arm with respect to each of the grinding, coarse sharpening, fine sharpening, and buffing/polishing wheels and an associated wash station for remove bits of metal and other residue resulting from the sharpened knife blade.

Claim (Index 5):
The automated hand tool sharpening system of  claim 1  further comprising a finishing sharpener for removing any imperfections along the cutting edge of the sharpened cutting edge of the hand tool, said hand tool having a working surface with opposed cutting edges, said finishing sharpener comprising:\n (a) a panel member having a front surface and a top edge, and an elongated slot extending partially therein from the top edge and defined by a left edge and a right edge; \n (b) a pair of counterweights, each of which is pivotably secured to the panel member at a pivot point adjacent to and on opposite sides of the upper end portion of the slot; \n (c) a pair of sharpening steels having an upper attachment end, a curved upper segment extending downwardly from the upper attachment end, and a straight lower end segment extending downwardly from the curved upper segment, each of the sharpening steels being connected at its attachment end to one of the attachment tabs secured to the panel member, and each of the sharpening steels being swingable downwardly in crossed relation about its pivot point along the slot in a plane adjacent and parallel to the plane of the panel member, the crossed relation defining an intersection point; \n (d) at least one U-shaped guard wire mounted to the front face of the panel member having an upper leg, a lower leg, and a central section therebetween, the wing overlaying one of the sharpening steels to protect it from becoming disengaged from the panel member; \n (e) wherein the counterweights pull the crossed sharpening steels upwardly into their standby position with their lower edge resting upon the upper leg of the guard wire when the hand tool working surface is not engaged; \n (f) wherein as the working surface of the hand tool is pushed downwardly in the slot of the panel member by the robotic arm to contact the intersection point of the crossed sharpening steels, the intersection point is moved lower along the slot, bowing the sharpening steels under tension applied by the weight of the counterweights, the sharpening steels sharpening the opposing cutting edges of the hand tool working surface as the hand tool is drawn downwardly, outwardly, and through the slot.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 7.0
- Percentile: 86.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.0
- Patent Class: 451.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['15610169', '14822397', '13315101', '14715822', '14802757']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.7873352224627344
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5544716388854738
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7640488641050084
- Mean Citation Score: 376.809922
- Max Citation Score: 472.4275
- Similarity Product: 400.9782167170942

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test