Cutter-carrier assembly for use with pencil sharpeners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843503-B2
Application number	US-201815937368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A dual cutter-carrier assembly that includes a rotatable carrier having a front portion, a rear portion, and a center portion, wherein the center portion defines an interior cavity that is adapted to receive a pencil to be sharpened; a first cutter pin mounted on the carrier, wherein the first cutter pin has a front portion having an annular groove formed therein; a first cutter rotatably and slidably mounted on the first cutter pin; a second cutter pin mounted on the carrier, wherein the second cutter pin has a front portion having an annular groove formed therein; a second cutter rotatably and slidably mounted on the second cutter pin; a contact plate mounted within the interior cavity at the rear portion of the carrier, having a first yoke mechanically coupled to the first cutter and a second yoke mechanically coupled to the second cutter, wherein the contact plate moves in the direction of a pencil that is being sharpened when the tip of the advancing pencil touches the contact plate, wherein the first and second yokes move the first and second cutters respectively in the same direction as the moving contact plate; and wherein, as the pencil advances to a predetermined distance through the interior cavity, the first and second cutters are adapted to move outward from the interior cavity and away from the tip of the pencil being sharpened.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cutter-carrier assembly for use with pencil sharpeners, comprising:
a rotatable carrier having a center portion, wherein the center portion defines an interior cavity configured to receive a pencil to be sharpened;
a cutter rotatably and slidably mounted such that the cutter extends a predetermined distance into the interior cavity for removing material from the pencil being sharpened;
a contact plate mounted within the interior cavity, the contact plate being configured to move in the direction of the pencil being sharpened when a tip of the advancing pencil touches the contact plate;
a motor configured to rotate the rotatable carrier; and
a switch coupled to the motor, the switch being configured to turn the motor off,
wherein the cutter is configured to move in the same direction as the moving contact plate,
wherein the cutter is configured to move outward from the interior cavity and away from the tip of the pencil being sharpened, wherein the pencil advances to a predetermined distance through the interior cavity.

2. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a sliding link pin coupled to the contact plate, wherein the sliding link pin is configured to trigger the switch to turn the motor off.

3. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cutter pin coupled to the rotatable carrier, the cutter pin having a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the cutter is rotatably and slidably mounted on the cutter pin, wherein the contact plate comprises a first yoke coupled to the front portion of the cutter pin;
a second cutter pin coupled to the rotatable carrier, the second cutter pin having a front portion and a rear portion; and
a second cutter rotatably and slidably mounted on the second cutter pin, wherein the contact plate comprises a second yoke coupled to the front portion of the second cutter pin.

4. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 3 , wherein the cutter and the second cutter are helical and equal in length and diameter.

5. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a housing, wherein the rotatable carrier, the cutter pin, the cutter, and the contact plate are stored within the housing.

6. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical linkage coupled to the rotatable carrier and at least one visual indication device configured to indicate that sharpening is complete.

7. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one spring coupled to the contact plate, wherein the at least one spring returns the contact plate to a starting position when the pencil is removed from the interior cavity.

8. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cutter disengages the pencil when the pencil is fully sharpened.

9. A cutter-carrier assembly for use with pencil sharpeners, comprising:
a rotatable carrier comprising a front portion, a center portion, and a back portion;
at least one cutter pin coupled to the rotatable carrier;
at least one cutter mounted on the at least one cutter pin;
a contact member coupled to the at least one cutter pin and configured to slide toward the back portion of the rotatable carrier when a pencil pushes the contact member;
a switch coupled to the contact member configured to slide with the contact member; and
a motor configured to rotate the rotatable carrier,
wherein the at least one cutter pin is configured to slide with the contact member away from the front portion of the rotatable carrier and radially outward from the center portion of the rotatable carrier as the at least one cutter pin slides toward the back portion of the rotatable carrier.

10. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 9 , wherein the switch is configured to turn-off the motor as the switch slides to the back portion of the rotatable carrier.

11. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 9 , wherein the rotatable carrier is configured to receive the pencil through the center portion.

12. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 11 , wherein the at least one cutter is configured to disengage the pencil as the contact member slides within the rotatable carrier.

13. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a spring mounted on the rotatable carrier, wherein the spring is configured to return the contact member and the at least one cutter pin to a starting position when the pencil is removed from the center portion of the rotatable carrier.

14. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one cutter is helical.

15. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one cutter is configured to rotate about the at least one cutter pin.

16. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a mechanical linkage between the rotatable carrier and at least one visual indication device.

17. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a pencil sharpener housing configured to store the rotatable carrier assembly within the pencil sharpener housing.

18. The cutter-carrier assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one cutter disengages the pencil when the pencil is fully sharpened.

19. A cutter-carrier assembly for use with pencil sharpeners, comprising:
a rotatable carrier having a center portion, wherein the center portion defines an interior cavity configured to receive a pencil to be sharpened;
a first cutter rotatably and slidably mounted such that the first cutter extends a predetermined distance into the interior cavity for removing material from the pencil being sharpened;
a contact plate mounted within the interior cavity, the contact plate being configured to move in the direction of the pencil being sharpened when a tip of the advancing pencil touches the contact plate;
a first cutter pin coupled to the rotatable carrier, the first cutter pin having a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the first cutter is rotatably and slidably mounted on the first cutter pin, wherein the contact plate comprises a first yoke coupled to the front portion of the first cutter pin;
a second cutter pin coupled to the rotatable carrier, the second cutter pin having a front portion and a rear portion; and
a second cutter rotatably and slidably mounted on the second cutter pin, wherein the contact plate comprises a second yoke coupled to the front portion of the second cutter pin,
wherein the first cutter is configured to move in the same direction as the moving contact plate,
wherein the first cutter is configured to move outward from the interior cavity and away from the tip of the pencil being sharpened, wherein the pencil advances to a predetermined distance through the interior cavity.

Assignees

• Sanford Lp

Inventors

• Schumacher Michael J
• Cicenas Chris W

Classifications

• B43L23/008 Primary

  with rotating cutting bodies · CPC title

• B43L23/02

  with gearing · CPC title