Combination of sheath and knife

Abstract

To provide a combination of a sheath and a knife which ensures immobilization of the knife, and is ergonomic to use.SOLUTION: There is provided a combination of: a sharpening sheath (1); and a knife (2) comprising a blade (20) intended to be accommodated in the sheath (1). Therein: the sheath (1) comprises: a cavity (40) intended to receive the blade (20) and an access opening (10) at one end of the cavity (40); the sheath (1) comprises, in a lower portion thereof, a device for receiving a cutting edge of the blade (20); the sheath (1) includes, in an upper portion thereof, a locking element (55) which cooperates with a safety element (22) provided on a back of the blade (20) to longitudinally immobilize the knife (2) in the sheath (1); the device for receiving the cutting edge of the blade (20) is carried by an arm (7) rotatably mounted in the sheath (1); and the sheath (1) comprises energizing means (8) acting on the arm (7) to move the device for receiving the cutting edge of the blade (20) towards the locking element (55).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a combination of a sheath and a knife including a blade intended to be stored in the sheath. [Background technology]

[0002] A combination of sharpening sheath and knife, equipped with a safety device that makes it possible to fix the knife in the sheath to prevent the knife from being accidentally dropped, is known from US Pat. No. 5,399,633.

[0003] However, such a device has the drawback of including a safety device that is not very ergonomic, since the user must use both hands to unlock the knife. In fact, the safety lock is placed at the most fragile part of the knife, i.e. the cutting edge of the blade, which weakens the knife. In addition to this, there is the fact that the cutting edge is a critical part of the knife, so a safety lock at the weakest part of the part is difficult on an industrial level and therefore more difficult to produce in a factory. Moreover, this may hinder sharpening, since the safety lock may prevent the movement of the blade during its sharpening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] French Patent Application Publication No. 2715340 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention is intended to remedy this drawback.

[0006] The technical problem on which the invention is based is to propose a sheath-knife combination, in which the sheath is equipped with a safety device, ensures fixation of the knife and is ergonomic to use. Another object of the invention is to propose a sheath-knife combination that is easy to manufacture and ergonomic. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To that end, the subject of the present invention is a combination of a sheath and a knife including a blade intended to be stored in the sheath, the sheath comprising a cavity intended to receive the blade and an access opening at one of the ends of the cavity, the sheath comprising in its lower part a device for receiving a cutting edge of the blade and in its upper part a fixing element which cooperates with a safety element formed on the ridge of the blade to fix the knife longitudinally in the sheath, the device for receiving the cutting edge of the blade being carried by an arm rotatably mounted in the sheath, the sheath comprising biasing means acting on the arm to move the device for receiving the cutting edge of the blade towards the fixing element.

[0008] Such a fixing device has the advantage that it ensures fixation of the knife in the sheath and prevents the blade from being accidentally dropped, in particular during transport of the sheath.

[0009] Moreover, such a locking device has the advantage of realizing good ergonomics of use, since locking of the knife is automatically generated under the action of the pressing force applied by the biasing means when the safety element reaches the level of the locking element during insertion of the knife into the sheath. Unlocking of the knife is also performed very ergonomically by applying a downward pressure on the knife handle to disengage the locking element from the safety element on the blade ridge and then applying a pulling force on the blade ridge.

[0010] Another advantage of the present invention is that the fixing device makes it possible to keep the knife safely in the sheath during handling of the combination according to the invention, so that a user holding the combination by the handle of the knife will not have the sheath separated from the knife, and vice versa.

[0011] Another advantage of the present invention is that the locking mechanism of the knife, whether to engage or disengage the mechanism, is operated with the user's hand placed on the non-cutting side of the knife. The user's hand is advantageously positioned opposite the cutting blade, with the support provided on the non-cutting side. This is contrary to known safety systems, where to disengage the safety the hand must be placed under the handle of the knife, on the blade side of the knife, with the attendant risk of injury.

[0012] The device may also have one or more of the following features, taken alone or in combination:

[0013] According to one advantageous aspect of the invention, the locking element and safety recess are arranged to immobilize the knife in a storage position in which the locking element engages the safety element and the entire blade is inserted into the sheath.

[0014] Such an embodiment has the advantage of providing greater safety of use by immobilizing the knife in a position where the blade is hidden by the sheath and therefore inaccessible to the user.

[0015] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the safety element consists of a recess.

[0016] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the sheath advantageously includes a guide device for the blade ridge, located in the vicinity of the access opening.

[0017] Such an embodiment makes it possible to guide the blade ridges in order to facilitate engagement of the locking element with the safety element.

[0018] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the guide device comprises a notch for receiving the ridge of the blade, the fixing element being formed by the bottom of the notch.

[0019] Such an embodiment has the advantage that it ensures with the same element the lateral guidance of the blade and its longitudinal fixation.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the receiving notch in the cutting edge is V-shaped.

[0021] Such an embodiment has the advantage of ensuring good guidance of the blade ridges into the sheath.

[0022] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the receiving device for the cutting edge of the blade is formed by a sharpening device.

[0023] Such an embodiment allows the blade to be automatically sharpened during its insertion into and / or its removal from the sheath.

[0024] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the sharpening device is rotatably mounted on the arm.

[0025] Such mobility of the sharpening device at the end of the arm enables the sharpening device to follow the curvature of the blade and always be positioned at the same angle of attack relative to the cutting edge of the blade, so that sharpening of the blade is optimized regardless of its curvature.

[0026] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sharpening device comprises two sharpening members arranged in a V shape.

[0027] Such an embodiment allows for balanced sharpening on both sides of the blade.

[0028] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, both sharpening members are arranged in two offset planes, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sheath.

[0029] Such an arrangement makes it possible to reduce the width dimension of the sharpening device.

[0030] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the sharpening device is located adjacent the access opening.

[0031] Such an embodiment allows the blade to be sharpened over substantially the entire length that is inserted into the sheath.

[0032] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the biasing means comprises a biasing spring, advantageously a coil spring, interposed between the arm and the mount of the sheath.

[0033] Such a structure has the advantage that it is simple and economical to manufacture.

[0034] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the sheath includes a cradle and an outer shell removably mounted on the cradle.

[0035] Such an embodiment allows for simplified cleaning of the inside of the sheath.

[0036] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the arm includes a first longitudinal end rotatably mounted to the base.

[0037] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the sharpening device is rotatably mounted at the second longitudinal end of the arm.

[0038] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the first longitudinal end is pivotally mounted to the frame about a first axis and the sharpening device is pivotally mounted to the arm about a second axis, the first and second axes being parallel to each other.

[0039] According to the description given below of particular embodiments of the invention, presented as non-limiting examples, the objects, aspects and advantages of the invention will be better understood with reference to the attached drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sheath and a knife, with the knife depicted on the outside of the sheath, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sheath of FIG. [Diagram 3]2 is a perspective view of the sheath of FIG. 1 with a knife inserted into the sheath, the sheath being depicted without its outer shell to allow visual access to the sheath's mechanisms. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of the sheath and knife in the position shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the removable shell of the sheath. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the sheath of FIG. 1 , without the knife. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sharpening device with the sheath of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 2A-2C are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the sheath and knife of FIG. 1 in three positions: a) the knife is inserted into the sheath, b) the knife is in a lowered position under spring compression, and c) the knife is partially outside the sheath. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a side view of a user's hand positioned over a sheath and knife according to the present invention to remove the knife. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] Only those elements necessary for understanding the invention have been depicted. To facilitate interpretation of the drawings, the same elements are given the same references throughout all figures.

[0042] It will be noted that the terms "horizontal," "vertical," "lower," "upper," "top," "bottom," "front," "rear," "longitudinal," and "lateral" used in this document to describe the sharpening apparatus refer to the apparatus in use, with the apparatus resting flat on its base.

[0043] 1, 3 and 4 show a sharpening sheath 1 and a knife 2 including a blade 20 intended to be stored in the sheath 1, the knife 2 conventionally including a handle 21 which projects outside the sheath 1 when the blade 20 is stored in the sheath 1.

[0044] According to Fig. 2, the sheath 1 comprises a mount 3 and a shell 4 attached to one another and is advantageously manufactured from a plastic material. The mount 3 and the shell 4 are of elongated shape defining a cavity 40 intended to receive the blade 20 of the knife 2 for its storage, the sheath 1 having a rear end with an access opening 10 through which the blade 20 of the knife 2 can be inserted into the cavity 40. Upstream from the access opening 10, the shell 4 has a guide skirt 41 having walls converging towards the access opening 10 and enabling the tip of the blade 20 of the knife 2 to be guided towards the access opening 10.

[0045] The base 3 comprises a base 30 with an underside intended to rest flat on a support, and a front end formed by a grille 31 extending upwards from the base 30 forming an angle of approximately 65° with the underside of the base 30, the grille 31 closing the front end of the sheath 1 and advantageously obtained by moulding together with the base 30.

[0046] The shell 4 is advantageously removably mounted to the base 3 and has an inverted U-shaped cross section and includes at each of its ends, a rib 42, visible in FIG. 5, which engages with a guide groove 32 formed longitudinally in each of the sides of the base 30 of the base 3 of the base 3.

[0047] According to Figures 3 and 4, the shell 4 comprises a guide for the upper part of the blade 20 of the knife 2, also referred to as the ridge of the blade 20, which comprises a guide member 5 attached to the inside of the shell 4 at its curved part which defines the top of the shell 4, and which extends along the longitudinal axis of the sheath 1 from the open end of the sheath 1 to the grill 31 which defines the front end of the sheath 1.

[0048] Preferably, the guide member 5 includes an opening 51 near its front end into which engages a catch 45 carried by the outer shell 4, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 4, and the front end of the guide member 5 includes an upwardly projecting head 52 which engages in a suitable recess 44 formed in the front end of the outer shell 4.

[0049] Insertion of the catch 45 into the opening 51 and engagement of the head 52 in the recess 44 allows the front end of the guide member 5 to be releasably attached to the front end of the shell 4 .

[0050] The guide member 5 is advantageously attached in a snap-on manner to the rear end of the outer shell 4, which includes a centering ring 50 that resiliently engages between two fixing clips 43 protruding on the edge of the access opening 10 in the outer shell 4.

[0051] As can be seen in FIG. 2 , the head 52 of the guide member 5 is engaged longitudinally in a recess 33 formed in the upper end of the grille 31 when the shell 4 is placed on the pedestal 3, and the head 52 includes an underside including a groove 53 in which a fixing catch 34 located at the bottom of the recess 33 is resiliently engaged, enabling the shell 4 to be maintained in position on the pedestal 3.

[0052] 5 and 6, centering ring 50 includes an inverted V-shaped notch 54 that provides centering of the ridges in blade 20 relative to shell 4 when blade 20 is inserted into sheath 1. As shown in FIG.

[0053] Facing the centering ring 50, the sheath 1 advantageously comprises a sharpening device 6 carried by an arm 7 pivotally mounted on the carriage 3, the sharpening device 6 being biased towards the centering ring 50 by a biasing spring 8 acting on the arm 7. Preferentially, the arm 7 is movable in the plane of the blade 20 between a high position in which the biasing spring 8 is fully extended and a low position in which the biasing spring 8 is fully compressed.

[0054] 2 and 3, the arm 7 includes a first end, referred to as the front end, pivotally mounted near the front end of the pedestal 3 by a first axis 71, which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pedestal 3. In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, the first axis 71 is supported by two side walls 35, which extend perpendicularly on either side of the front end of the arm 7 and which contribute to the rigidity of the connection between the base 30 and the grille 31.

[0055] The arm 7 includes a second end, referred to as the rear end, at which the sharpening device 6 is pivotally mounted about a second axis 72 that preferentially extends parallel to the first axis 71, the device being pivotable relative to the arm 7 over an angular range of at least 15°, preferably about 30°.

[0056] In the example shown in the figures, the arm 7 includes two side tabs 73 which project towards the rear of the arm 7 and between which the sharpening device 6 is placed, and the second axis 72 is advantageously formed by a cylindrical stud of circular cross section which projects laterally on the sharpening device 6 and engages in a circular opening formed in the side tabs 73.

[0057] As can be seen more particularly in FIG. 8 , the sharpening device 6 includes a U-shaped body supporting two sharpening members 60 arranged to form a V when viewed in a projection plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sheath 1, i.e. when the sharpening device 6 is viewed in the direction of insertion of the blade 20 into the access opening 10 of the sheath 1, the two sharpening members 60 being offset on the longitudinal axis of the sheath 1 and each extending in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0058] The two sharpening members 60 are advantageously arranged in two receivers 61, consisting of two cylinders of ceramic material and designed to maintain the two sharpening members 60 in a V-shape, the device 6 including a slot 63 formed between the two U-legs, freeing access to the space arranged between the two sharpening members 60. The two sharpening members 60 are frictionally fixed inside their receivers 61 by the support of a part of the body of the sharpening device 6, not shown in the figures, against the ends of the sharpening members 60. The sharpening members 60 therefore do not rotate in their receivers 61, although they do rotate slightly when they are subjected to friction of the blade 20 during the insertion or withdrawal of the blade 20 in the sheath 1.

[0059] In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, biasing spring 8 is a coil spring disposed between cradle 3 and the underside of arm 7, near the rear end of arm 7. To ensure retention of biasing spring 8 between arm 7 and cradle 3, cradle 3 includes cup 36 that retains the lower end of biasing spring 8, and the underside of arm 7 includes cup 74 that retains the upper end of biasing spring 8, such that cup 74 faces cup 36 when arm 7 is brought toward cradle 3.

[0060] Advantageously, the ridge of the blade 20 of the knife 2 includes a safety recess 22, preferably arranged near the handle 21 of the knife 2, into which a locking element 55, consisting of the bottom of a notch 54, is engaged when the blade 20 is fully inserted into the sheath 1, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Such insertion of the locking element 55 into the safety recess 22 enables the knife 2 to be longitudinally locked in the storage position within the sheath 1 under the upward action of the biasing spring 8 on the arm 7.

[0061] In Fig. 9 the knife is first depicted in the locked position (first position 9a) in which the locking element 55 is engaged in the safety recess 22. The knife is then depicted in the unlocked position (second position 9b) in which the locking element 55 is outside the safety recess 22 and the biasing spring 8 is compressed. The knife is then finally depicted in the released position (third position 9c) in which the locking element 55 is free and the safety recess 22 is free.

[0062] Next, the operation of the sharpening sheath 1 will be explained.

[0063] When a user wants to store the blade 20 of the knife 2 in the sheath 1 or wants to sharpen the blade 20, he moves the tip of the knife 2 so that it faces the diamond-shaped opening, visible in Fig. 6, formed by the notch 54 and the two sharpening members 60, and then inserts the blade 20 of the knife 2 with a longitudinal movement into the sheath 1. During this movement, the ridge of the blade 20 is centered at the bottom of the V-shaped notch 54, when the cutting edge of the blade 20 is centered by the V-shape formed by the two sharpening members 60.

[0064] This dual positioning of the cutting edge of the blade 20 and the ridge of the blade 20 allows the user to obtain a sharpening angle that remains symmetrical and constant throughout the entire length of travel of the blade 20 within the sheath 1 without having to manually orient the blade 20. Thus, sharpening symmetry is ensured and the sharpening angle is equal on each side of the blade edge, allowing for even and centered wear of the blade 20.

[0065] Moreover, during the insertion or removal of the blade 20 into or from this sheath 1, the pivoting movement of the arm 7 allows the sharpening device 6 to follow the contour of the cutting edge of the blade 20, which, under the action of the biasing spring 8, applies a moderate pressure to the cutting edge of the blade 20 when the tip of the blade is inserted into the access opening 10 of the sheath 1, and then applies an increasingly greater pressure as the height of the blade 20 increases when the knife 2 is inserted into the sheath 1 (as can be seen in Figures 9b and 9c). The strong friction between the cutting edge of the blade 20 and the sharpening member 60 results in sharpening of the blade 20.

[0066] Finally, since the sharpening members are positioned one behind the other in the insertion direction of the blade 20, the possible oscillation of the sharpening device 6 relative to the second end of the arm 7 allows the sharpening member 60 to remain constantly in contact with the blade 20 and correctly oriented relative to the blade, which allows the sharpening of the blade 20 to be optimized.

[0067] When the blade 20 of the knife 2 is fully inserted into the sheath 1, the fixing element 55 of the centering ring 50 is inserted into the safety recess 22 formed in the ridge of the blade 20 under the action of the biasing spring 8. The knife 2 is then safely maintained in the sheath 1. To remove the knife 2 from the sheath 1, the user must first apply a downward pressure to the handle 21 of the knife 2 to remove the fixing element 55 from the safety recess 22, as shown in FIG. 10, and then apply a pulling force to the handle 21 of the knife 2 to remove the blade 20. Such an operation avoids any accidental dropping of the knife 2, which may occur, for example, when the sheath 1 is handled during transportation.

[0068] Moreover, the sheath 1 thus manufactured also has the advantage of allowing easy cleaning of the inside of the sheath 1. Indeed, after removing the knife 2, the user can easily remove the shell 4 from the stand 3 by holding the stand 3 with one hand and then applying a pulling force to the shell 4 so that the grooves 53 are disengaged by elastic deformation of the head 52 from the fixing catches 34 arranged at the top of the grille 31. He can then slide the shell 4 onto the stand 3, each guide groove 32 of the stand 3 having, on the side of the access opening 10, an open longitudinal end that allows the withdrawal of the ribs 42 from the shell 4. After cleaning the inside of the sheath 1, he can reattach the shell 4 to the stand 3 by carrying out the above-mentioned operations in the reverse order.

[0069] Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described and shown, since this embodiment is provided only as an example: modifications may still be made, in particular with regard to the arrangement of the various elements or by substituting technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

[0070] Thus, in an alternative embodiment not shown, the shell may not be detachable from the cradle, and the cradle and sheath shell may be manufactured as one piece, for example.

[0071] Thus, in an alternative embodiment not shown, the safety recess may be replaced by a safety element which protrudes into the blade ridge and cooperates with a fixing recess formed in the upper part of the sheath.

Claims

1. A combination of a sheath (1) and a knife (2) including a blade (20) intended to be stored in said sheath (1), said sheath (1) comprising a cavity (40) intended to receive said blade (20) and an access opening (10) at one of the ends of said cavity (40), said sheath (1) comprising, in its lower part, a receiving device for the cutting edge of said blade (20), said sheath (1) comprising, in its upper part, a safety formed on the ridge of said blade (20) for longitudinally immobilizing said knife (2) within said sheath (1). a locking element cooperating with an element, said blade receiving device of said blade (20) being carried by an arm (7) rotatably mounted in said sheath (1), said sheath (1) including biasing means (8) acting on said arm (7) to move said blade receiving device of said blade (20) towards said upper side of said sheath (1), said locking element and said safety element being one formed by a recess and the other formed by a protrusion engaging in said recess.

2. 2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the locking element and the safety element are arranged such that the locking element immobilizes the knife (2) in a storage position in which the locking element is engaged with the safety element and the entire blade (20) is inserted into the sheath (1).

3. 3. The combination of claim 2, wherein the safety element comprises a recess.

4. A combination according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sheath advantageously comprises a guide (54) for the ridge of the blade (20), arranged in the vicinity of the access opening (10).

5. 5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein the guide device includes a notch (54) for receiving the ridge of the blade (20), and the fixing element comprises a bottom of the notch (54).

6. 6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein said notch (54) for receiving said ridge of said blade (20) is V-shaped.

7. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device for receiving the cutting edge of the blade (20) comprises a sharpening device (6).

8. A combination according to claim 7, characterized in that said sharpening device (6) is rotatably mounted on said arm (7).

9. 9. The combination according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the sharpening device (6) comprises two sharpening members (60) arranged in a V-shape.

10. 10. The combination according to claim 9, characterized in that the two sharpening members (60) are arranged in two offset planes parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sheath (1).

11. A combination according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the sharpening device (6) is positioned adjacent to the access opening (10).

12. 12. The combination according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the biasing means comprises a return spring (8), advantageously a coil spring, interposed between the arm (7) and the sheath mount (3).

13. 13. The combination according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sheath (1) comprises a base (3) and an outer shell removably attached to the base (3).

Images