EP1194269B1 - Knife - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand-held jack-knife according to the invention essentially comprises a blade and a handle articulated around an axis of rotation. This articulation is formed by a hollow bush the axial opening thereof passes completely through the handle and which is fixedly secured in rotation to the table. The blade can be operated by means of knobs. A stop catch may be formed by a tab, the free end of which may engage in housings of the bush-knob system. This knife finds its application in the fields of, for example, mountain climbing, pot-holing, deep-sea fishing, water and aerial sports.

Description

Technical field of the invention

The invention relates to hand folding knives, whether or not provided with catch notches.

We know many achievements of such knives (see e.g. WO-A-99/58302), but their use in certain fields of activity, requires that they be united with their user through an adequate link; this is particularly the case for rock climbing, caving, sea fishing, water and air sports, etc ... In other circumstances, they must be fixed or attached to a support fixed, for example, for presentation, possibly anti-theft, on a display.

Certainly, it suffices to drill a hole in the handle of said knives to satisfy this requirement; but this hole which must be of sufficient size for the passage of the link (for example a mountaineering carabiner) must be placed on a extra length of the handle so as not to hinder the complete closing of the blade and must be of a diameter substantially less than the largest transverse dimension of said sleeve. The invention proposes to resolve this difficulty without increasing the longitudinal size of the knife.

• plan longitudinal du couteau : un plan parallèle au plan médian de la lame.
• direction longitudinale du couteau : une direction parallèle au plan longitudinal allant sensiblement de l'extrémité libre du manche à l'extrémité libre de la lame, le couteau étant en position ouverte.

In the following description, we will designate by:

• longitudinal plane of the knife: a plane parallel to the median plane of the blade.
• longitudinal direction of the knife: a direction parallel to the longitudinal plane going substantially from the free end of the handle to the free end of the blade, the knife being in the open position.

Subject of the invention

A knife according to the invention therefore essentially consists of a handle and of a blade articulated around an axis of rotation. This articulation is constituted by a hollow socket whose axial opening with an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal plane knife, and whose size is adapted to the size of the link or fixing used, crosses the handle from side to side, and is integral in rotation with the knife blade. This opening may be cylindrical in shape, but of preferably, it will have a flared shape towards the outside for example, in the shape of half torus. This form allows an easier introduction of the link or adapts better at the curvature of the binding (padlock handle, mountaineering carabiners).

This socket is generally integral in rotation with at least one means of operation, outside the handle, and allowing the opening and closing of the blade.

This operating means consists, for example, of one or two rollers circular. The wheel is externally striated and / or has reliefs to be easily operated with one hand with the thumb or a other finger.

The locking catch consists of at least one elastic tongue, one of the ends is integral with the handle of the knife, and the other end, free, engages by spring effect, in an adequate housing of the socket assembly wheel when the blade is fully opened. This full opening is determined by the support of the heel of the blade on a stop placed in the handle of the knife.

The tongue is either elastic or rigid and articulated at their base around an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the longitudinal plane of the knife, and subject to the action an elastic device (spring, elastomer, etc.) acting outwards.

The tongue has, in their active part, a flat and elongated shape; the length of the tongue is arranged either in a substantially radial direction, either in a direction substantially tangential to the movement of blade rotation on the handle.

The housing located in the sleeve-wheel assembly presents in section parallel to the axis of rotation, and in a tangential direction with respect to the movement of rotation, the shape of a right prism of trapezoidal section whose large base is directed towards the end of the tongue, and the bearing plane on which presents an inclination of 8 ° to 12 ° relative to the axis of rotation.

This arrangement allows, in the open position of the knife to block the blade and compensate for mechanical play due to machining and initial assembly tolerances and / or wear and tear in service of moving parts. End support planes tongues preferably have the same inclination.

The effect comes out of the tabs, is exerted from the inside to the outside, the housing end being preferably located on the inner face of the wheel parallel to the longitudinal plane of the knife.

For unlocking the stopper and closing the blade, one or two buttons - pushers can be provided in the handle, to push the tab towards the outside, and thus allow the rotation of the blade - socket - wheel assembly by report to the handle.

It should be noted that the tongue can also be used, the blade of the knife being in the closed position, to create hard friction, preventing accidental opening of the blade. In this case, a housing, in the form of a trapezoidal prism, similar to that of the catch, is also practiced in the sleeve-wheel assembly, but whose inclination is from 45 ° to 80 ° in order to allow the separation towards the interior of the tongue under a weak force of opening of the blade exerted on the wheel or the blade.

Brief description of the drawings

• figure 1 : vue globale en élévation du couteau, en position "ouvert",
• figure 2 : vue globale du dessus du couteau, en position "ouvert",
• figure 3 : vue en coupe selon la ligne AA de la figure 1,
• figure 4 : vue en coupe selon la ligne BB de la figure 3,
• figure 5 : détail en coupe suivant la ligne CC de la figure 4,
• figure 6 : variante, vue en coupe suivant la ligne BB de la figure 3,
• figure 7 : détail, vue en coupe selon la ligne DD de la figure 6,
• figure 8 : vue globale d'un manche monobloc

The invention will be better understood using the following example, illustrated by the figures below:

• FIG. 1: overall view in elevation of the knife, in the "open" position,
• FIG. 2: overall view from above of the knife, in the "open" position,
• FIG. 3: sectional view along the line AA in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 4: sectional view along line BB of FIG. 3,
• FIG. 5: detail in section along the line CC of FIG. 4,
• FIG. 6: variant, sectional view along line BB of FIG. 3,
• FIG. 7: detail, sectional view along line DD of FIG. 6,
• figure 8: overall view of a monobloc handle

Description of a preferred embodiment

In all the figures, the curvilinear arrow indicates the direction in which the knife is closed.

A knife according to the invention consists of a blade (1) and a movable handle (2) in rotation and with gentle friction, one with respect to the other, around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal plane (4) of the knife. The blade (1) is sharpened on one sides (5) and has a non-sharp edge (6) on the other.

The handle consists of a spacer (7), two plates (8) made of sheet steel and a trim (9) made of wood, horn, plastic or rubberized material, etc. held in place by rivets (10).

The articulation between the handle (2) and the blade (1) being constituted by a bush in steel (11) having in its center a hexagonal periphery (12) perpendicular to the axis (3) which fits into a hexagonal opening in the blade (1) of the knife.

This sleeve (11) is pierced along the axis (3) with a circular hole (13), and is linked to two steel knobs (14), this connection is made by any known means such as soldering, gluing, crimping, shrinking, etc. The weld (15) can be performed using a laser beam.

In the plate (8) that at the top of FIG. 3 is cut for example by laser, a tongue (16) in two grooves (17); this is' bent outward from the knife and machined at its free end, as shown in figure 5, following two inclined planes (18) making an angle with the axis (3) of 10 °.

This tongue (16) as the plate (8) are made of a steel treated after shaping and machining, to give it the required elasticity.

The internal surface (14 ') of the wheel (14) has a prismatic housing trapezoidal, whose generatrices are substantially parallel to the direction longitudinal of the knife (20), and whose blanks make an angle of 10 ° with the axis (3).

When the blade (1) is fully opened, the heel (21) of the latter comes into abutment on the end (7 ') of the spacer (7), and the free end of the tongue (16) engages in the housing (19) of the wheel (14) immobilizing the blade in this position and exerting a force (F), which compensates for any play in the joint.

The device is completed by a push button (22) integral with the handle (2) which, by pressing inwards releases the free end of the tongue (16) from the housing (19) of the wheel (14), which unlocks the blade and allows closing knife in the direction of the curved arrow.

The example refers to the case of a single tongue (16), but the knife can have two tabs, each located in one of the plates (8), the release of the stopper then requiring a double action in opposite directions on the two push buttons.

This provision provides enhanced security against involuntary release or accidental notch.

Figure 6 shows a variant of the stopper. In this case, the tongue elastic (16) is attached to the inside of the handle (2) and is fixed there, at its base, for example by two rivets (23). The tongue (16) is arranged tangentially relative to the movement of the blade and its free end (24), machined at a bevel with an angle of 10 °, and engages in the housing (19) of the thumb wheel (14).

The free end (24) of the tongue (16) is approximately located on a radius passing through the axis (3).

The handle can also be in one piece (Figure 8) and be made of metal or plastics, possibly reinforced with short fibers (glass, carbon) and obtained by molding, including the tab (s) (16).

In this case, the tabs are accessible from the outside of the handle.

A simple local pressure, with a finger near its free end, next to the wheel, then allows the release of the stop notch without the intermediary of push buttons.

In the case of reinforced plastics, and for better elasticity of the tongue, it is preferable that it is reinforced by long fibers, arranged along its length.

Claims (15)

1. A jack-knife formed by a blade (1) and a handle (2) articulated on one another around an axis (3) perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the knife (4), the articulation being formed by a hollow bush (11) the opening (13) whereof passes completely through the handle,
   wherein this bush (11) is fixedly secured in rotation to the blade (1) of the knife.
2. The knife according to claim 1, wherein the opening (13) is of tapered shape towards the outside.
3. The knife according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hollow bush (11) is provided with at least one operating means external to the handle (2) enabling manual opening and closing of the blade (1).
4. The knife according to claim 3, wherein the operating means is formed by a circular knob.
5. The knife according to claim 4, wherein the knob (14) is externally ribbed and / or presents external raised parts.
6. The knife according to one of the claims 1 or 5, comprising a stop catch, wherein the latter is formed by at least one tab (16) one of the ends whereof forms part of the handle (2) and the other free end whereof engages by spring effect in a corresponding housing (19) of the bush - knob (11, 14) assembly when the blade is fully open.
7. The knife according to claim 6, wherein the housing (19) is situated on the internal face (14') of the knob (14) and presents, in cross-section parallel to the axis of rotation (3) and in a direction tangential to the rotation movement of the blade (1), the shape of a straight prism with a trapezoid cross-section the large base whereof is directed towards the free end of the tab (16) and the bearing plane (20) whereof on the end of the tab (16) makes an angle of 8° to 12° with respect to the direction of the axis (3) of rotation.
8. The knife according to claim 7, wherein the end (24) of the tab (16) presents a complementary shape (18, 20) to that of the housing (19).
9. The knife according to one of the claims 6 to 8, wherein the length of the tab (16) is arranged appreciably in the longitudinal plane of the knife in the longitudinal direction.
10. The knife according to one of the claims 6 to 8, wherein the length of the tab (16) is arranged in the longitudinal plane of the knife and appreciably tangentially to the rotation movement of the blade.
11. The knife according to one of the claims 6 to 9, wherein the free end (24) of the tab (16) engages in a housing of the bush - knob assembly with a bearing angle comprised between 45° and 80°, the blade being closed.
12. The knife according to one of the claims 6 to 11, comprising at least one pushbutton (22) enabling the stop catch to be released.
13. The knife according to one of the claims 6 to 12, wherein the tabs (16) are made of treated steel.
14. The knife according to one of the claims 6 to 12, wherein the tabs (16) are rigid, movable around their base, and act towards the outside due to the effect of a flexible means.
15. The knife according to one of the claims 6 to 12, wherein the tabs (16) are made of plastic material, reinforced by long fibers (glass, carbon) arranged according to their length.

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