Sheath and knife combination

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 a sharpening sheath and a knife is known from US Pat. No. 5,649,999, which is provided with a safety device that makes it possible to fix the knife in the sheath to prevent the knife from being accidentally dropped.

[0003] However, such devices have the drawback of including a safety lock that is not very ergonomic, since the user must use both hands to unlock the knife. In fact, the safety lock is located at the most vulnerable part of the knife, i.e., the cutting edge of the blade, which weakens the knife. In addition, since the cutting edge is a critical part of the knife, a safety lock at the weakest part of the part is difficult to implement on an industrial level and therefore more difficult to produce in a factory. Furthermore, this can hinder sharpening, since the safety lock can prevent the movement of the blade during 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 kitchen 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 the cutting edge of the blade, the sheath comprising, in its upper part, a fixing element which cooperates with a safety element formed on the ridge of the blade to fix the kitchen 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, and 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 the fixation of the knife in the sheath and prevents the blade from being accidentally dropped, especially during transport of the sheath.

[0009] Furthermore, such a locking device has the advantage of providing good ergonomics of use, as 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 in a very ergonomic way by applying downward pressure to 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 locking 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 is operated by the user's hand, which is placed on the non-cutting side of the knife, whether to engage or disengage the mechanism. 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, in which the hand must be placed under the handle of the knife, on the blade side of the knife, to disengage the safety, which involves the 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 where 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 cutting edge, located near the access opening.

[0017] Such an embodiment makes it possible to guide the cutting edge in order to facilitate the 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 cutting edge, the locking element being formed by the bottom of the notch.

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

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

[0021] Such an embodiment has the advantage of ensuring good guidance of the cutting edge 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 allows 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 allows the width dimension of the sharpening device to be reduced.

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

[0031] Such an embodiment allows the blade to be sharpened over substantially the entire length 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 base of the sheath.

[0033] Such a structure has the advantage of being 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 cradle.

[0037] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the sharpening device is rotatably mounted on 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 mount 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 by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheath and knife, with the knife depicted on the outside of the sheath, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sheath of FIG. 1. [Figure 3]2 is a perspective view of the sheath of FIG. 1 with a knife inserted into it, the sheath being depicted without its outer shell to allow visual access to the sheath's mechanisms. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the sheath and knife in the position shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the removable outer shell of the sheath. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the sheath of FIG. 1, excluding the knife. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sharpening device with the sheath of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 2A and 2B 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 low position under spring compression; and c) the knife is partially outside the sheath. [Figure 10] 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; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Only those elements necessary for understanding the invention are depicted. To facilitate interpretation of the drawings, the same elements are given the same references throughout the 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 device refer to the device in use, with the device 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 that projects outside the sheath 1 when the blade 20 is stored in the sheath 1.

[0044] 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 storage thereof, 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 with walls converging towards the access opening 10 and allowing the tip of the blade 20 of the knife 2 to be guided towards the access opening 10.

[0045] The platform 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 upward from the base 30 at an angle of approximately 65° to 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 attached to the base 3 and has an inverted U-shaped cross section, including at each of its ends a rib 42, visible in FIG. 5, which engages with a guide groove 32 formed longitudinally in each side of the base 30 of the base 30.

[0047] 3 and 4, the shell 4 includes 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 includes a guide member 5 attached to the interior of the shell 4 at its curved part that 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 that 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 catch 45 into opening 51 and engagement of head 52 in recess 44 allows the front end of guide member 5 to be removably attached to the front end of shell 4 .

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

[0051] As can be seen in Figure 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 outer 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, allowing the outer shell 4 to be maintained in position on the pedestal 3.

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

[0053] Facing the centering ring 50, the sheath 1 advantageously comprises a sharpening device 6 carried by an arm 7 pivotally mounted on the mount 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, that is pivotally mounted near the front end of the cradle 3 by a first axis 71 that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cradle 3. In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, the first axis 71 is supported by two side walls 35 that extend perpendicularly on either side of the front end of the arm 7 and that 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, to 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 that 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 that 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 receptacles 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, allowing free access to the space arranged between the two sharpening members 60. The two sharpening members 60 are frictionally fixed inside their receptacles 61 by the support of a part of the body of the sharpening device 6, not shown, against the ends of the sharpening members 60. The sharpening members 60 therefore do not rotate in their receptacles 61, although they may rotate slightly when subjected to friction by the blade 20 during insertion or withdrawal of the blade 20 from 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, with cup 74 facing 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 located near the handle 21 of the knife 2, into which a locking element 55, consisting of the bottom of the 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 allows 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 Figure 9, the knife is first depicted in a locked position (first position 9a) in which the locking element 55 is engaged in the safety recess 22. The knife is then depicted in an 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 a 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 sharpen the blade 20, he moves the tip of the knife 2 so that it faces the diamond-shaped opening formed by the notch 54 and the two sharpening members 60, as can be seen in FIG. 6, 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, as 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 the blade 20's travel 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] Furthermore, 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 contours of the cutting edge of the blade 20, and the sharpening device 6, 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 arranged 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 in constant 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 locking 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 within the sheath 1. To remove the knife 2 from the sheath 1, as shown in FIG. 10 , the user must first apply downward pressure to the handle 21 of the knife 2 to remove the locking element 55 from the safety recess 22, and then apply a pulling force to the handle 21 of the knife 2 to remove the blade 20. Such an operation prevents any accidental dropping of the knife 2, which may occur, for example, when the sheath 1 is handled during transportation.

[0068] Furthermore, the sheath 1 manufactured in this way also has the advantage of allowing for easy cleaning of the interior of the sheath 1. Indeed, after removing the knife 2, the user can easily remove the shell 4 from the cradle 3 by holding the cradle 3 with one hand and then applying a pulling force to the shell 4 so that the grooves 53 are disengaged from the locking catches 34 arranged on the top of the grill 31 by elastic deformation of the head 52. He can then slide the shell 4 onto the cradle 3, each guide groove 32 of the cradle 3 having an open longitudinal end on the access opening 10 side that allows the ribs 42 to be pulled out of the shell 4. After cleaning the interior of the sheath 1, he can reattach the shell 4 to the cradle 3 by performing the above-mentioned operations in 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 that projects into the blade ridge and cooperates with a locking recess formed in the top of the sheath.

Claims

1. A combination of a sheath (1) and a kitchen 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), and said sheath (1) comprising, in its upper part, a safety formed on the ridge of said blade (20) for longitudinally fixing said kitchen knife (2) in said sheath (1). a locking element cooperating with an element, wherein the receiving device for the cutting blade of the blade (20) is carried by an arm (7) rotatably mounted in the sheath (1), the sheath (1) comprising biasing means (8) acting on the arm (7) to move the receiving device for the cutting blade of the blade (20) towards the upper side of the sheath (1), wherein one of the locking element and the safety element is formed by a recess and the other is formed by a protrusion engaging in the recess.

2. 2. The combination of 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. 4. The 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 the bottom of the notch (54).

6. 6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the notch (54) for receiving the ridge of the 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 the sharpening device (6) is rotatably mounted on the 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 located close to the access opening (10).

12. 12. A combination according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the biasing means comprise 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 claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the sheath (1) comprises a base (3) and an outer shell removably attached to the base (3).

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