Sliding blade utility knife

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076846-B2
Application number	US-201514826552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2015
Priority date	Aug 15, 2014
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A tool includes a housing and a slidable blade assembly configured to move between a first, second and third positions. The blade assembly is configured to receive a removable blade, such that the blade is stored within the housing when the blade assembly is in the first position, a portion of the blade extends outwardly from the housing when the blade assembly is in the second position, and the blade is completely outside of the housing when the blade assembly is in the third position, facilitating removal from the blade assembly. The housing comprises a guide path associated with movement of the blade assembly. The guide path includes a first path portion associated with the blade assembly being in the first position or the second position, and a second path portion associated with the blade assembly being in the third position, the first and second path portions being noncontiguous.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool comprising:
a housing comprising a first side and a second side;
a slidable blade assembly configured to slidably move between a first position, a second position, and a third position, the slidable blade assembly configured to selectively receive a removable blade such that the blade is stored within the housing when the slidable blade assembly is in the first position, a portion of the blade extends outwardly from the housing when the slidable blade assembly is in the second position, and the blade is completely outside of the housing and exposed for removal of the blade from the slidable blade assembly without removing or separating any portion of the first side or the second side of the housing, when the slidable blade assembly is in the third position; and
wherein the housing comprises a guide path formed between the first side and the second side and associated with movement of the slidable blade assembly, the guide path including a first path portion associated with the slidable blade assembly being in the first position and the second position, a second path portion associated with the slidable blade assembly being in the third position and an intermediate path portion coupling the first path portion with the second path portion, wherein a flange of the housing separates the first path portion from the second path portion and defines the intermediate path portion, wherein movement of the slidable blade assembly between the first path portion and the intermediate path portion is at least partially in a first direction that is not parallel with the first path portion, wherein the first direction is towards one of the first side and the second side of the housing, and wherein a latch associated with the slidable blade assembly selectively engages one of one or more latch receptacles formed in the housing and associated with the first position or the second position, and wherein moving the slidable blade assembly in the first direction disengages the latch from the one of the one or more latch receptacles.

2. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the first direction that is not parallel with the first path portion is generally perpendicular to a direction of the first path portion.

3. The tool of claim 1 , wherein movement of the slidable blade assembly between the intermediate path portion and the second path portion is at least partially in a second direction that is not parallel with the first path portion.

4. The tool of claim 3 , wherein the second direction that is not parallel with the first path portion is forms an acute angle with the direction of the first path portion.

5. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the first path portion is collinear with the second path portion.

6. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the slidable blade assembly is biased into one or more of the first path portion and the second path portion.

7. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the slidable blade assembly comprises a post coupled to a button, the post extending from within the housing to the button through a space in the housing defining the guide path.

8. The tool of claim 7 , wherein when the slidable blade assembly is in the first position or the second position, sliding movement of the slidable blade assembly is prevented until the button is pressed.

9. The tool of claim 8 , wherein pressing the button disengages the latch from the one of the one or more latch receptacles.

10. The tool of claim 7 , wherein the button is biased to an unpressed position when the button is pressed.

11. The tool of claim 7 , wherein the first side is coupled to the second side, wherein the space in the housing defining the guide path is formed between the first side and the second side.

12. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a first portion pivotable relative to a second portion, such that the first portion may be stored within an aperture in the second portion.

13. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising blade storage to contain one or more additional blades within the housing.

14. The tool of claim 13 , wherein the blade storage is accessible via a lid pivotable relative to the housing.

15. The tool of claim 14 , wherein the housing comprises a first portion pivotable relative to a second portion, such that the first portion may be stored within an aperture in the second portion; and wherein the blade storage is located adjacent to the aperture inside the second portion.

16. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the slidable blade assembly comprises a magnet configured to hold the blade against the slidable blade assembly.

Assignees

• Stanley Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Ranieri Eric
• Lombardi Keith M
• Strickland Kenneth W
• Lin Cajan
• Parente John

Classifications

• B26B5/001 Primary

  with blades being slid out of handle immediately prior to use · CPC title