blade

Abstract

To provide a knife with high strength that avoids partial thinning of a blade body by grinding a portion of the blade body during knife formation.SOLUTION: A knife comprises: a blade body that is provided, at a back-end section thereof, with a space which is divided in a thickness direction and which is opened at a back-end side; and a handle to be gripped by a user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a blade. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, kitchen knives with a ferrule have adopted a structure in which the blade is connected to the ferrule by inserting the blade into a slit in the ferrule and then welding the blade. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of manufacturing a blade by welding the blade and ferrule together, and then grinding the blade after welding and attaching a handle (paragraph 0009, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 05-038570 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional structure in which the ferrule and blade are welded, it is necessary to polish the welded part of the blade and ferrule, which reduces the thickness of the blade at the welded part and can reduce the strength of the assembled knife. There is a demand for a blade with the same structure as one that has a blade and ferrule, which does not require polishing the blade even when the blade and ferrule are joined. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following means.

[0006] A blade according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a blade that is divided in the thickness direction at the rear end thereof to provide a space that is open on the rear end side, and a handle that is gripped by a user.

[0007] The blade of the above configuration can be made equivalent to one with a ferrule without the need for welding or polishing between the blade and the ferrule. It can also be made with a high-strength blade that will not be thinned in parts by polishing.

[0008] In the above-described blade, it is preferable that the space is formed by joining together the cutting edge and back edge of the rear end of the blade divided in the thickness direction.

[0009] According to the blade having the above-described structure, a space formed integrally with the blade can be provided at the rear end of the blade with a relatively simple structure.

[0010] In the above blade, it is preferable that the handle is connected to the blade via a space.

[0011] According to the blade having the above-described configuration, the blade and the handle can be connected with a relatively simple configuration without welding or the like.

[0012] In the above blade, the handle may be the part where the space for the blade is provided.

[0013] The blade having the above configuration can be configured to have a handle that is formed integrally with the blade and is easy to grip.

[0014] The blade preferably further comprises a connecting member provided at the rear end and having a connecting mechanism at the rear end, and the handle is connected to the blade via the connecting member.

[0015] According to the blade having the above configuration, a connecting member is provided instead of a mouthpiece, and even if the connecting portion is welded and polished as in the conventional case, making the portion thinner, the strength of the blade is not affected.

[0016] In the above-mentioned blade, preferably, the side surface of the blade is a continuous surface from the cutting edge to the rear end, and the rear end is configured to widen in the thickness direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the blade of the first embodiment after space formation processing. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment, showing a state in which the connecting member is attached to the blade after the space forming process. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the knife including the blade and the handle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the blade of the first embodiment before the space forming process. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the rear end portion of the blade divided in the thickness direction in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the rear end portion of the blade to which the connecting member is attached after the space forming process in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the connecting portion between the blade and the ferrule in the knife of the comparative example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the blade of the second embodiment after the space forming process. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the second embodiment, showing a state in which the connecting member is attached to the blade after the space forming process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the rear end portion of the blade to which the connecting member is attached after the space forming process in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The blade of one embodiment of the present invention has a unique structure in which the rear end of the blade is divided in the thickness direction of the blade and an open space is provided on the rear end side. This type of blade provides sufficient strength without thinning the joint between the blade and the ferrule by grinding.

[0019] A kitchen knife, which is one embodiment of the blade of the present invention, will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. In each drawing, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0020] [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blade 2 having a space 31 provided at the rear end 3 of a kitchen knife 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] The blade 2 is made of metal such as stainless steel, and is formed by stamping from a plate material or by forging. A space 31 is formed at the rear end 3 of the blade 2 by space forming processing, which will be described later. The blade 2 has an end surface 21 on the cutting edge side ground and polished to form a cutting edge. The blade 2 has a cutting point 22 at its tip and a rear end 3 at its rear end.

[0022] The rear end surface 32, which is the surface on the rear end side of the rear end portion 3, is a rounded octagonal ring when viewed from the rear end side, with a groove-like hollow in the center forming space 31. In other words, space 31 is open to the rounded octagonal shape on the rear end side. The blade 2 has a shape that expands in the thickness direction from the expansion start point 33 located on the rear end side to the rear end surface 32, and the inside of this portion that expands in the thickness direction forms space 31. Note that rear end surface 32 does not necessarily have to be an octagonal ring, but may be a polygonal ring, a circular or elliptical ring, or any other shape.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blade 2 with the connecting member 4 attached. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the rear end 3 where the connecting member 4 is attached to the blade 2, seen from the back side indicated by arrow A in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the plate-shaped connecting member 4 is joined to the rear end 3 of the blade 2.

[0024] The connecting member 4 is made of a different metal than the blade 2. When viewed from the rear end, the connecting member 4 has a rounded octagonal shape similar to the outer edge of the rear end 3 of the blade 2 when viewed from the rear end. In other words, the connecting member 4 is shaped like a lid that covers the space 31 of the blade 2. The connecting member 4 has an internal thread portion 41 that penetrates from the rear end surface 42 to the front end surface 43. The front end surface 43 of the connecting member 4 abuts against the rear end surface 32 of the blade 2 and is joined by welding or the like. The blade 2 and the connecting member 4 may be joined by welding their abutting portions from the outside. As shown in FIG. 6 , a rear-side joint 34 is provided on the rear side of the rear end 3, formed by joining during the space-forming process described below. Similarly, a blade-side joint 35 is provided on the blade side of the rear end 3. These welded portions may be polished, but polishing the welded portions does not thin the blade itself or reduce its strength. The connecting member 4 may be made of the same metal as the blade 2.

[0025] FIG. 3 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the knife 1 including the blade 2. However, the blade 2 excluding the rear end 3 is shown in a side view rather than a cross-section. As shown in FIG. 3, the knife 1 comprises the blade 2, a connecting member 4, a core shaft 5, a grip 6, and a butt cap 7. The handle H of the knife 1 is formed by assembling the core shaft 5, the grip 6, and the butt cap 7 to the connecting member 4 of the blade 2. The handle H is also called a "handle." Note that the configuration described here is one example of the configuration of the handle H, but a handle H with a configuration different from that described here may be used as long as it can be gripped by a user when using the knife 1.

[0026] The core shaft 5, which is a core on the shaft, is made of metal or synthetic resin, and is formed by machine cutting or molding. A male thread portion 53 is integrally formed on the end face 52 of the core shaft 5 so as to protrude. The core shaft 5 has a circular cross section centered on the center line 5a from the head portion 51 to the butt portion 54. A female thread portion 56 is formed on the end face 55 of the core shaft 5. When the male thread portion 53 of the head portion 51 of the core shaft 5 is threadedly engaged with the female thread portion 41 of the connecting member 4 of the blade 2, the end face 52 of the head portion 51 abuts against the rear end face 42 of the connecting member 4, and the core shaft 5 extends from this connecting member 4.

[0027] The grip portion 6 is molded from a synthetic resin or the like. A through-hole 63 with a circular cross section is formed in the grip portion 6 from the head portion 61 to the butt portion 62. Restriction surfaces 64 that restrict rotation of the core shaft 5 within the grip portion 6 are formed by cutting out flat surfaces on both the left and right sides of the inner peripheral portion 62a of the butt portion 62. The inner diameter of the inner peripheral portion 61a of the head portion 61 is larger than the inner diameter of the inner peripheral portion 62a of the butt portion 62.

[0028] When the core shaft 5 is inserted into the through hole 63 in the gripping portion 6 from the head 61 side and the gripping portion 6 is attached to the outer periphery of the core shaft 5, the movement restriction mechanism holds the core shaft 5 in a state where its movement is restricted relative to the gripping portion 6.

[0029] The bottom cap 7 is made of metal, synthetic resin, or the like, and is formed by machine cutting or molding. An external thread 72 is formed on the end surface 71 of the bottom cap 7. When the external thread 72 is screwed into the internal thread 56 of the bottom portion 54 of the core shaft 5, the bottom cap 7 and the core shaft 5 are connected. When the bottom cap 7 is rotated to tighten the screw, the grip portion 6 is clamped between the bottom cap 7 and the connecting member 4.

[0030] [Space formation processing] Next, we will explain the space forming process for forming the space 31 in the rear end 3 of the blade 2. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the blade 2 before the space forming process. Before the space forming process is performed, the blade 2 is an entirely flat metal plate. Before processing, the rear end 3a of the blade 2 extends in the width direction W in a plan view, that is, in the direction of the spine side and the blade side.

[0031] In the space forming process, first, the blade 2 is divided in the thickness direction from the rear end surface 32a forward, i.e., toward the cutting edge 22. At this time, the blade 2 is divided across its entire width. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the rear end portion 3a of the blade 2 divided in the thickness direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the blade 2 is divided in the thickness direction in the region from the rear end surface 32a to the expansion start point 33, and the rear end portion 3a of the blade 2 is divided into a first rear end portion 36a and a second rear end portion 36b. The thickness of the first rear end portion 36a and the second rear end portion 36b is approximately half the plate thickness of the blade 2 before division.

[0032] Next, the rear end 3a is subjected to a drawing process or the like from the rear end side to adjust the distance between the first rear end 36a and the second rear end 36b. Next, the first rear end 36a and the second rear end 36b are joined by welding or the like at the back end surface and the blade end surface, so that the rear end surface 32a is processed into a rounded octagonal ring shape. At this time, as shown in Figures 6 and 1, a back side joint 34 is formed at the back end and a blade side joint 35 is formed at the blade end. As a result, the rear end of the blade 2 is formed with a rear end 3 having a space 31 divided in the thickness direction and open to the rear end side. After processing, the rear end surface 32 of the rear end 3 is a rounded octagonal ring shape as described above.

[0033] 6 is an enlarged view of the rear end portion 3 of the blade 2 when the connecting member 4 is attached after the space forming process, as viewed from the dorsal side indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1. The rear end portion 3 is formed with the above-mentioned dorsal joint portion 34 by joining during the space forming process. In a plan view viewed from the dorsal side, the rear end side of the rear end portion 3 from the expansion starting point 33 is widened in the thickness direction of the blade 2. The connecting member 4 is joined to the rear end portion 3 by welding or the like so that the front end surface 43 of the connecting member 4 abuts against the rear end surface 32.

[0034] In the blade 2 of this embodiment, the space 31 is formed by such space forming processing, so that the side surface of the blade 2 is a continuous surface from the cutting edge to the rear end 3 without any joints or the like.

[0035] [Comparison with the configuration of the comparative example] FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of a comparative example of a kitchen knife 101 having a blade 102 and a ferrule 103. In this comparative example, the blade 102 is plate-shaped and has not been subjected to space-forming processing. A groove-shaped slit 131 is formed in the ferrule 103. The rear end 121 of the blade 102 is inserted into the slit 131 of the ferrule 103 and welded at a welded portion 122, thereby joining the blade 102 and the ferrule 103. After this, the welded portion 122 must be polished to adjust the shape and remove any raised weld marks on the surface, which makes the blade 102 partially thinner than the base material of the blade 102 near the welded portion 122.

[0036] On the other hand, the knife 1 of this embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6 does not require grinding to thin the blade 2, as in the comparative example described above. Therefore, the knife 1 of this embodiment is configured with a blade 2 that has higher strength than the comparative example. Also, if there is a part where the blade is thin, stress will concentrate in this part, and in some cases it may break, but the blade 2 of embodiment 1 does not become thin, so it is less likely to break.

[0037] Furthermore, the ferrule 103 of the comparative example is made of a softer material than the stainless steel or the like that is normally used for the blade 102. On the other hand, in embodiment 1, the rear end portion 3 is integral with the blade 2 and is therefore made of the same hard stainless steel as the blade 2. Therefore, the ferrule 103 of the comparative example needs to be solid to maintain strength, but the rear end portion 3 of the knife 1 of embodiment 1 can be made sufficiently strong even if it has a hollow structure with space 31. Furthermore, the hollow structure of the knife 1 of embodiment 1 makes it lighter than a solid structure like the ferrule 103 of the comparative example.

[0038] Furthermore, groove-like irregularities may be formed on the rear end 3 of the blade 2. The shape of the irregularities may be determined arbitrarily. As described above, the blade 2 of this embodiment is formed from a hard material, so sufficient strength can be maintained even when such irregularities are formed. On the other hand, if such irregularities are formed, the irregularities will be formed exactly in the area where the user grips the blade, and will act as a non-slip surface for the knife 1.

[0039] [Embodiment 2] Next, a kitchen knife 201 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. This embodiment has some common configurations and features with the first embodiment, so the following description will omit the commonalities with the first embodiment and will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a blade 202 in a kitchen knife 201 of the second embodiment, in which a space 231 is provided at a rear end 203 thereof.

[0041] The blade 202 is made of a metal such as stainless steel, and is formed by stamping from a plate material, forging, or the like. A space 231 is formed in the blade 202 by space forming processing. A rear end portion 203 is provided at the rear end of the blade 202.

[0042] The rear end surface 232, which is the surface on the rear end side of the rear end portion 203, is a rounded rectangular ring shape, with a groove-like recess in the center that forms a space 231. In other words, the rear end side of the space 231 is open in a rounded rectangular shape. The blade 202 has a shape that expands in the thickness direction from the expansion start point 233 located on the rear end side to the rear end surface 232, and the inside of this part that expands in the thickness direction forms the space 231.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the blade 202 with the connecting member 204 attached thereto. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the rear end 203 where the connecting member 204 is attached to the blade 202, and its surroundings, as seen from the back side as indicated by arrow B in FIG. 8. The rear end 203 of the blade 202 is connected to the connecting member 204 having the shape shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Note that the connecting member 204 is not limited to this shape, and may have any other shape as long as it is a shape that intervenes in the connection between the handle and the blade 202. Also, a configuration may be adopted in which the blade 202 and the handle are connected without the connecting member 204 being interposed therebetween.

[0044] The connecting member 204 is made of a different metal than the blade 202. The connecting member 204 has a rounded octagonal shape when viewed from the rear end. The connecting member 204 has a female thread 241 formed in a groove shape from the rear end surface 242. The connecting member 204 has a protrusion 244 protruding from the front end surface 243. The protrusion 244 is inserted into the space 231 of the blade 202, and the blade 202 and the connecting member 204 are joined by welding the abutting portion between the rear end surface 232 of the blade 202 and the front end surface 243 of the connecting member 204. As shown in FIG. 10 , a dorsal-side joint 234 is provided on the dorsal side of the rear end 203, formed by joining during the space-forming process. Similarly, a blade-side joint 235 is provided on the blade side of the rear end 203. The connecting member 204 may be made of the same metal as the blade 202 .

[0045] A space 231 is formed in the rear end portion 203 of the blade 202 of the second embodiment by the same space forming process as that described in the first embodiment. In the blade 202 of the second embodiment, the divided area is smaller than that of the blade 2 of the first embodiment.

[0046] [Variations] The blade of the present invention, which is equipped with a blade having a space at the rear end, is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can adopt the following modified configurations, for example.

[0047] For example, in a knife of a modified example, the rear end of the blade may function as a handle as it is. In the blade forming such a knife, for example, the expansion start point is near the center in the longitudinal direction of the base plate material, and a space is formed at the rear end that is sufficiently longer in the longitudinal direction than in the first embodiment. According to this aspect, the rear end of the blade where the space is provided can function as a handle.

[0048] In addition, in the blade of the modified knife, instead of forming the space across the entire width of the blade, the blade may be divided except for both ends in the width direction. In this way, a space can be formed at the rear end of the blade without forming a back-side joint and a blade-side joint where the back side and the blade side are joined.

[0049] Although the connecting member 4 in the embodiment is configured to connect the blade and the handle by screwing together, the blade and the handle may be connected by a means other than screwing together. In this case, the connecting member 4 is configured to have a connecting mechanism other than a screw hole.

[0050] Furthermore, the same configuration as that of the above embodiment may be adopted for blades other than knives.

[0051] [Features of this embodiment] The kitchen knife, which is an example of a blade, described in the first and second embodiments and the modified examples has the following characteristics, for example.

[0052] The kitchen knife 1 of the first embodiment comprises a blade 2 and a handle H. The blade 2 is divided in the thickness direction at the rear end 3, and a space 31 is provided that is open to the rear end side. The handle H can be gripped by a user. The kitchen knife 201 of the second embodiment has a similar configuration.

[0053] With this configuration, it is possible to achieve a configuration equivalent to that of a knife with a ferrule without providing a conventional ferrule, so welding and polishing between the blade and the ferrule are not necessary, and a knife 1 can be obtained with a high-strength blade that does not become partially thin due to polishing.

[0054] In the knife 1 of embodiment 1, the space 31 is divided in the thickness direction at the rear end 3 of the blade 2, where the back side and the blade side are joined to form a back side joint 34 and a blade side joint 35. The knife 201 of embodiment 2 has a similar configuration.

[0055] According to such a blade, the space 31 formed integrally with the blade 2 can be provided at the rear end 3 of the blade 2 with a relatively simple structure.

[0056] In the knife 1 of embodiment 1, the handle H is connected to the blade 2 via the space 31. The manner of connection is not limited to the configuration in the embodiment and is arbitrary, but for example, the handle H is connected to the blade 2 by a configuration in which the female thread portion 41 of the connecting member 4 is threadedly engaged with the male thread portion 53 of the core shaft 5. The knife 201 of embodiment 2 can also have a similar configuration.

[0057] With such a blade, the blade 2 and the handle H can be connected with a relatively simple structure without welding or the like.

[0058] As explained in the modified example, the blade may be a kitchen knife or other cutting tool in which the rear end portion of the blade having the space therein functions as a handle. Such a cutting tool can have a handle that is formed integrally with the blade and is easy to grip.

[0059] Furthermore, the kitchen knife 1 of embodiment 1 is provided with a connecting member 4 at the rear end 3. A female screw portion 41 that functions as a connecting mechanism with the handle H is provided on a rear end surface 42 of the connecting member 4. The handle H is connected to the blade 2 via the connecting member 4. The kitchen knife 201 of embodiment 2 has a similar configuration. The connecting mechanism is not necessarily limited to a screw.

[0060] With such a blade, a connecting member 4 is provided instead of the conventional mouthpiece, and even if the connecting portion is welded and polished as in the conventional case, making the portion thinner, the strength of the blade is not affected.

[0061] Furthermore, in the kitchen knife 1 of embodiment 1, the side of the blade 2 is a continuous surface over the entire surface from the cutting edge 22 to the rear end 3, and the rear end 3 is configured to be wider in the thickness direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1, 201...Kitchen knife 2, 202...sword blade 3, 3a, 203...Rear end 31, 231…space 32, 32a, 232...Rear end surface 33, 233...expansion start point 34, 234...dorsal junction 35, 235...blade side joint 4, 204...Connecting member 41, 241... Female thread 42, 242...Rear end surface 43, 243...front end surface 244...Convex part 5... Core shaft 6...Gripping part 7…Butt cover H...Handle

Claims

1. A blade having a rear end portion divided in the thickness direction and having an open space on the rear end side; a handle for a user to grasp; The handle is the part of the blade where the space is provided. Blade.

2. The space is formed by joining the blade side end and the back side end of the rear end of the blade divided in the thickness direction, The blade according to claim 1.

3. A blade having a rear end divided in the thickness direction and an open space on the rear end side; a handle that is gripped by a user; a connecting member joined to the rear end portion and having a female thread portion on a rear end surface thereof that functions as a connecting mechanism, The handle is connected to the blade via the connecting member. Blade.

4. The side of the blade is a continuous surface from the tip to the rear end, The rear end portion is widened in the thickness direction. The blade according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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