JPS588360B2 - envelope opener - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a letter opening device.

A typical envelope opener is shaped like a knife or a dagger, and is inserted under the flap of a sealed envelope to cut the flap primarily by shearing.

Of course, the blade is sharp enough to cut the folded piece in a distorted manner, but sharp enough not to pose a danger to the user.

Therefore, most envelope openers have edges that are not sharp enough to injure the skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an envelope opener having a sharp blade that can easily cut the flap of an envelope.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an envelope opener having a sharp cutting blade that is not exposed during handling.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a protected cutting blade;
An object of the present invention is to provide an envelope opening device having a device for moving the cutting blade into cutting engagement with the flap of a sealed envelope.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In practicing the present invention, applicant provides an envelope opener having a thin finger formed with a relatively pointed tip adapted to be inserted into the underside of the flap of a sealed envelope. do.

The finger carries a sharp razor blade or similar portion extending upwardly from the finger at a position remote from the tip so that the blade can be inserted into the envelope as the finger is moved through the underside of the envelope flap. The folded piece is cut naturally.

The sides of the fingers are thickened towards the rear of the blade, i.e. transversely to the length of the fingers, so as to separate the cut paper.

An elongated hood carries the fingers and extends generally parallel to and above the fingers.

The opener of the present invention has depending sides that are brought into intimate relationship with the fingers and blade to create a narrow space that cannot be penetrated by human fingers.

Complementary shaped recesses and ridges are formed on the inner surfaces of the sides and depending sides of the fingers, which cause the flaps and panels of the envelope supported on each side of the fingers to be placed under tension when engaged with the blades. It can be tensioned to facilitate cutting.

Now, with particular reference to Figures 1 to 3, the writing instrument 1
0 is shown.

The writing instrument 10 may be a mechanical pencil or a fountain pen, but the one shown is a ballpoint pen, and includes a pocket clip 12, a ball point 14, and an operation button 16 for this point.

The unsealer 18 includes an elongated finger 20,
The tip 22 is sufficiently sharp that the tip 22 can be inserted into a small loop formed between the folded papers, for example under the flap of a regular envelope (not shown), and the envelope The underside of the folded piece can be moved along the length of the folded piece.

A sharp razor blade 24 is carried by the finger extending upwardly from the finger so as to cut the top of the flap as the finger moves across the envelope.

The blade 24 includes a finger and a hood 2 extending above the finger.
Preferably, it extends completely across the space between 6 and 6.

When the envelope opener 18 is in place on the cap of the ballpoint pen 10, the finger 20 is attached to the cap 28 of the pen 10.
and extends along the cap at least to the rear of the cutting blade 24.

Thus, cap 28 is a surrounding member with depending sides, which surrounds blade 24 and finger 20.
is surrounded from both sides, and a small opening is formed between the hanging side parts 30 and 31 and the blinker 20 so that a human finger cannot fit therein.

One side 30 is made slightly shorter than the other side 31,
Preferably, the tip 22 of the user finger 20 can be visually checked to confirm the correct latching state.

In the preferred blade configuration shown in FIG. 3, the cutting edge of the blade extends upwardly toward the rear end of the finger and then toward the front end of the finger, i.e., curved upwardly, so that the blade and hood There are no sharp edges left in between.

Paper particles can become wedged and accumulate at these sharp edges, interfering with the cutting process.

A suitable device, such as an adjustment screw 33, may be used to hold the blade 24 in place on the finger 20.

A groove 29 can be formed in the cap 28 so that the envelope opener 18 subassembly can be pressed into the groove 29 and secured in place.

The envelope opener 34 of the present invention can be formed as a separate, independent device, with depending protective sides 3 if desired.
8 and the insertion finger 40 can be formed together with the hood 36 by molding or casting.

Additionally, blade 42 can be integrally formed with the fingers and hood, or blade 42 can be a separate member secured by suitable devices (not shown).

If desired, the inside of the depending side 38 and the side of the finger can be formed with complementary shaped protrusions 44 and recesses 46 (FIG. 5) to allow the operator to adjust the side 38 of the hood more or less easily. The envelope panels and flaps can be pulled tightly onto the fingers by pressing to prevent the paper from sagging or the like which would interfere with the cutting operation by the blade.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sides of finger 20 become thicker toward the rear end and are continuous with the surface of cap 28.

In FIG. 4, the sides of finger 20 are thickened at 48 so that the cut paper separates smoothly along the sides and between the sides and the rear edge of side 38 of the hood. It is made to exist in between.

Having described the invention in terms of its preferred embodiments,
It will be apparent that modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and concept of the invention, as defined by the claims below.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a letter opener embodying the features of the invention and carried by the cut-out portion of a writing pen. Figure 2 is a front view of the envelope opening device. FIG. 3 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the blade. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the specific example shown in FIG. 10...Writing instrument, 20...Finger, 22...Finger tip, 24...Blade, 26...Hood, 2
8... Cap, 30, 31... Drooping side part, 34... Envelope opener, 36... Hood, 38... Protective side part, 40
...Finger, 42...Blade, 44...Protuberance,
46... Concavity.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A finger having a relatively pointed tip inserted into the underside of the flap of a sealed envelope, the finger pointing toward a wide rear end spaced from the tip. a non-cutting finger gradually tapered in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the finger; and a sharp cutting plate extending upwardly from the finger at the rear end and facing the tip. , an elongated hood joined to the finger at the rear end by a joint portion, supporting the finger, and further extending forward from the rear end almost parallel to the upper part of the finger; and continuous with a side surface of the finger. and extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the finger to a rearward widened width of the blade, and extending so as to partially surround the finger and prevent access to the blade. an enclosure having a depending side, the leading edge of the depending side being adjacent to the tip of the finger but leaving room for visibly exposing the tip; a trailing edge of the section extends beyond the flared sides of the finger and the joint and forms a space therebetween for retracting an opened envelope; A letter opening device characterized by: 2. The envelope opening device according to claim 1, further comprising complementary-shaped raised portions and recessed portions formed on the side portions of the fingers and the inner surfaces of the depending side portions, respectively. 3. The envelope opening device according to claim 1, wherein the blade is detachably fixed to the finger. 4. The cutting edge of the blade is formed to extend upwardly from the finker and extends first away from and then toward the tip of the finker. Letter opening device as described in section. 5. A device for attaching a letter opening device to a cut-out portion of the body of a writing instrument, the attachment device comprising: the attachment device extending in the longitudinal direction of the writing instrument such that the hood forms the cut-out portion of the body. The envelope opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: 6. Claim 1, characterized in that one leading edge of the hanging side of the hood is located between the tip of the finger and the blade to facilitate placement of the envelope in the envelope opener. Letter opening device as described in section.