Knife having removable blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12441011-B2
Application number	US-202519092504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2025
Priority date	Jun 17, 2019
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A knife comprising a handle and a blade assembly. The blade assembly includes a blade, a tang, and blade assembly connection structure. The handle includes a receiver configured to receive the tang, and includes handle connection structure. The blade assembly connection structure and handle connection structure are arranged to releasably lock the blade assembly in an installed position on the handle with the tang in the tang receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A knife comprising:
a handle having a handle body and a sleeve in the handle body, the handle body including opposite forward and rearward ends, the forward end of the handle body including a front opening, a first side opening, and a second side opening, the first and second side openings disposed on opposite sides of the handle body, each of the first and second side openings being contiguous with and extending rearward from the front opening; and
a blade assembly including:
a blade;
a tang connected to the blade and extending rearward from the blade, the tang configured to be insertable into the front opening of the handle body and slidable into the sleeve of the handle for releasably mounting the blade assembly to the handle; and
a blade assembly connection structure supported by the tang, the blade assembly connection structure sized and shaped to cover the front opening and the first and second side openings of the forward end of the handle body when the blade assembly is releasably mounted to the handle, the blade assembly connection structure including first and second arms, the first arm arranged to cover the first side opening of the forward end of the handle body when the blade assembly is releasably mounted to the handle, the second arm arranged to cover the second side opening of the forward end of the handle body when the blade assembly is releasably mounted to the handle, the tang having a rear end located rearward of the blade assembly connection structure;

wherein the handle and the blade assembly are configured to releasably lock together to maintain the tang in the sleeve for releasably mounting the blade assembly to the handle.

2. The knife of claim 1 , wherein the blade assembly connection structure includes a collar arranged to cover the front opening of the forward end of the handle body when the blade assembly is releasably mounted to the handle.

3. The knife of claim 2 , wherein the first and second arms each have opposite edges extending rearward from the collar, the opposite edges of the first arm being located along a first side of the tang and the opposite edges of the second arm being located along an opposite second side of the tang.

4. The knife of claim 1 , wherein the first arm is spaced apart from a first side of the tang and the second arm is spaced apart from a second side of the tang, the handle configured to be present between the first arm and the first side of the tang and present between the second arm and the second side of the tang when the blade assembly is releasably mounted to the handle.

5. The knife of claim 4 , wherein the sleeve of the handle includes a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion configured to be present between the first arm and the first side of the tang when the blade assembly is releasably mounted to the handle, and the second side portion configured to be present between the second arm and the second side of the tang when the blade assembly is releasably mounted to the handle.

6. The knife of claim 4 , wherein the handle body includes a first channel and a second channel, and wherein the blade assembly connection structure of the blade assembly includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion, the first protrusion arranged to be received by the first channel of the handle body for releasably mounting the blade assembly to the handle, and the second protrusion arranged to be received by the second channel of the handle body for releasably mounting the blade assembly to the handle.

7. The knife of claim 6 , wherein the first and second channels each have an open forward end.

8. The knife of claim 7 , wherein the first channel includes opposite sides extending rearward behind the open forward end of the first channel, the first protrusion being configured to be received between the opposite sides of the first channel for releasably mounting the blade assembly to the handle, and wherein the second channel includes opposite sides extending rearward behind the open forward end of the second channel, the second protrusion being configured to be received between the opposite sides of the second channel for releasably mounting the blade assembly to the handle.

9. The knife of claim 8 , wherein the first protrusion is inboard, toward the tang, of the first arm, and wherein the second protrusion in board, toward the tang, of the second arm.

10. The knife of claim 1 , wherein the blade assembly connection structure of the blade assembly includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion, the first protrusion extending inboard with respect to the first arm toward the tang and being configured to mate with the handle for releasably mounting the blade assembly to the handle, the second protrusion extending inboard with respect to the second arm toward the tang and being configured to mate with the handle for releasably mounting the blade assembly to the handle.

11. The knife of claim 10 , wherein the first arm is spaced apart from a first side of the tang and the second arm is spaced apart from a second side of the tang, the handle configured to be present between the first arm and the first side of the tang and present between the second arm and the second side of the tang when the blade assembly is releasably mounted to the handle.

12. The knife of claim 11 , wherein the first arm is configured to form a taper fit with the first side opening and the second arm is configured to form a taper fit with the second side opening.

13. The knife of claim 1 , wherein the first and second side openings each taper as the first and second side openings extend rearward, and wherein the first and second arms each taper as the first and second arms extend rearward to correspond to the taper of the first and second side openings.

14. The knife of claim 1 , wherein the blade assembly connection structure comprises a first bracing portion and a second bracing portion, the first and second bracing portions sandwiching the tang between the first and second bracing portions.

15. The knife of claim 14 , wherein the first bracing portion is between the tang and the first arm, and the second bracing portion is between the tang and the second arm.

16. The knife of claim 15 , wherein the blade assembly connection structure includes a first gap between the first bracing portion and the first arm and a second gap between the second bracing portion and the second arm.

17. The knife of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has an elongate opening with an open front end configured to receive the tang for mounting the blade assembly to the handle, the open front end of the sleeve being located rearward of the front opening of the handle body.

18. The knife of claim 17 , wherein the handle body comprises a first handle body member and a second handle body member, the first and second handle body members being connected together, the first and second handle body members sandwiching the sleeve between the first and second handle body members.

19. The knife of claim 18 , wherein the handle body includes overmolding defining an outer exposed grip surface for assisting an operator in gripping the handle.

20. The knife of claim 1 , wherein the handle or the blade assembly includes a catch configured to lockingly engage the other of the handle or the blade assembly to releasably lock the handle and the blade assembly together.

21. The knife of claim 20 , further comprising a press surface configured to be manually pressed toward the tang to move th

Assignees

• Aob Products Company

Inventors

• Cauley Jr Dennis W
• Tayon James
• Cottrell Michael
• Burke Justin
• Steere Brian
• Martin Kyle
• Vesich Anthony
• Kinamore Matthew
• Wheeler Seth
• Lindsay Michael
• Varnum Ryan
• Smith Curtis
• Neville Josh
• Dalton Mark
• Kinney Timothy S

Classifications

• B25G3/18

  comprising catches or pawls · CPC title

• B26B9/00

  Blades for hand knives · CPC title

• B26B5/00 Primary

  Hand knives with one or more detachable blades · CPC title