Cutting blade

Abstract

A bladed implement, such as kitchen knife or part of a pair of scissors, comprising a handle, and a blade with a tip at an end distal from the handle, a sharp edge, a spine, and a first side and a second side extending between the sharp edge and the spine; wherein the blade tip is defined by a surface of a protruding feature, such as protrusions, which protrudes outwardly from one or both of the first side and the second side of the blade, the surface being of an increased surface area compared to prior art bladed implements, thereby being less likely to cause unintended damage or accidental injury.

Description

[0001] APPARATUS

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to bladed implements, including cutting implements, and in particular handled blades such as domestic knives, comprising enhanced safety features.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Knives have a plurality of uses in domestic and professional settings, for example in food preparation. Knives comprise a handle for gripping by a user’s hand, and a blade, integral with or attached to the handle and extending away from the handle. The blade of the knife usually comprises a straight or serrated cutting edge, and a tip, and an and of the blade distal from the handle.

[0006] Knives may cause unintended damage, or accidental injury, for example when used by a child or a vulnerable adult in a domestic setting, by slipping of the knife during use, or by the knife falling from a surface. Knives may also be used for illegal purposes, with knife crime being an ever increasing concern.

[0007] Known blunt-tip knives comprise a vertically rounded tip, i.e. the end of the blade is curved between the spine and the cutting edge. Such knives are still able to cause damage if thrust with sufficient force. Furthermore, known blunt-tip knives may also compromise on strength of material and / or cutting ability.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a bladed implement with enhanced safety features, whilst maintaining an expected level of functionality. Advantages of the present invention will be further described below.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In a first aspect, the present invention provide a bladed implement comprising a handle and a blade extending away from handle, the blade comprising: a tip at an end of the blade distal from the handle; a sharp edge; a spine; a first side; and a second side; wherein the first side and the second side extend between the sharp edge and the spine; and wherein the tip is defined by a surface of a protruding feature which protrudes outwardly from at least one of the first side and the second side.

[0011] The present invention provides a bladed implement, such as a regular kitchen knife, with a safety feature which minimizes a risk of injury, whilst maintaining an optimum functionality of the bladed implement. For example, when the bladed implement comprises a knife, an optimum cutting ability of the knife is maintained whilst safety is enhanced,

[0012] The blunt tip of a blade of an implement in accordance with the present invention provides a surface area which is significantly increased compared to prior art blades, therefore decreasing the likelihood, and extent, of any damage which can be caused by the blade. The blade is therefore less effective as a stabbing weapon, reducing the potential for it to be used in a violent crime. Furthermore, the blade minimise the risk of unintended damage when falling, or accidental injury when used by an individual with less skill in using blade and / or impaired motor skills. The blade of the present invention also aligns with broader public health and safety policies aimed at reducing knife violence and injuries. Unlike prior bulbous tips found for example in GB24701 19A that may taper or lack full extension, the protrusions ensure uniform width increase across the tip height, maximising anti-stab efficacy without tapering risks.

[0013] The protruding feature may extend substantially the full length between the spine and sharp edge. This maximises the contact surface area between the protruding feature and the blade.

[0014] The protruding feature may be formed integrally with the blade. This avoids a risk of the protruding feature becoming dislodged from the blade during use and preserves blade integrity versus attached knobs found for example in US182415 which could fail.

[0015] The protruding feature preferably does not impinge upon the sharp edge. The functionality of the blade is therefore not affected by the presence of the blade.

[0016] The surface defining the tip may be curved in at least one plane, for example it may be curved in two planes. The two-plane curvature distributes force multi-directionally, reducing penetration even at angles. The protruding feature may comprise a first protrusion extending outwardly from the first side of the blade, and a second protrusion extending outwardly from the second side of the blade.

[0017] The first and second protrusions may each extend between the spine and the sharp edge. The surface tip is therefore correspondingly extended between the top, i.e. the spine, and the bottom, i.e. the sharp edge, of the implement, thereby maximising the surface area of the surface forming the tip.

[0018] The first protrusion may extend outwardly from the first side of the blade by at least 1 mm, and the second protrusion may extend outwardly from the second side of the blade by at least 1 mm. The width of the spine of typical blades is about 1 mm. The width of the tip of the blade is therefore about at least 3mm.

[0019] In an alternative the first protrusion may extend outwardly from the first side of the blade by at least 2mm, and the second protrusion may extend outwardly from the second side of the blade by at least Omm. The width of the spine of typical blades is about 1 mm. The width of the tip of the blade is therefore about at least 3mm.

[0020] The cutting edge may be between about 3.5 to about 8 inches in length.

[0021] The cutting edge may be smoothly blended with the first and / or second protrusion. This prevents snagging of the cutting edge.

[0022] The bladed implement may comprise a kitchen knife, such a paring knife, a utility knife, a santoku knife, a bread knife, or a chef’s knife. When the implement comprises a knife, the sharp edge of the implement would form a cutting edge. The kitchen knife could for example have a blade length of between 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) and 8 inches (20.3 cm). The protruding feature could also be applied to one or both blades of scissors of any size, or to any other bladed implement.

[0023] The implement may alternatively comprise a part of a pair of scissors. A pair of scissors could comprise two implements in accordance with the present invention. The implement may alternatively comprise any other bladed implement, including noncutting implements.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of producing of a bladed implement according to the first aspect of the invention; the method comprising producing the blade, producing the protruding feature, and producing the handle.

[0025] Producing the blade and the producing the protruding feature may comprise forming the blade and the protruding feature integrally, within a mould.

[0026] The method may further comprise producing the handle integrally with the blade and the protruding feature, within the mould.

[0027] Alternatively, the method may further comprising assembling a sub assembly comprising the blade and the protruding feature, to the handle.

[0028] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

[0030] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference the accompanying drawings in which:

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a bladed implement according to the prior art;

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a bladed implement according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3A is a schematic top view of a bladed implement according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3B is a detailed partial schematic view of bladed implement of figure 3A; Figure 4A to Figure 36 are views of bladed implements in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] Figure 1 illustrates a bladed implement comprising a knife 2 in accordance with the prior art. The knife 2 comprises a handle for gripping by a user’s hand, and a blade 6. The blade 6 comprises a sharp edge 10, and a non-sharp / noncutting edge / spine, 12. A first flat side surface 12 and a second flat side 16, each extending between the cutting edge 10 and the spine 12. The blade 6 culminates in a sharp tip 8, remote from the handle 4.

[0037] Figure 2 illustrates a cutting implement according to the present invention. The comprises a knife 102, comprising a handle 104, and a blade 106. The blade 106 has a spine 112, and a sharp edge, which in the present embodiment comprises a cutting edge 1 10 A first side 114 of the blade 106 and a second side 1 16 of the blade 106 each extend between the cutting edge 1 10 and the spine 1 12.

[0038] Compared to the prior art knife 2 of figure 1 , the blade 106 is shorted by a length L, which may be example be 2cm. Furthermore, the shape of the tip 108 in a vertical axis (defined by V in figure 2, i.e. when the knife 102 is orientated such that the cutting edge 110 is lowermost / pointing downwardly, and the spine 112 is directly above the cutting edge 110), is modified with respect to the prior art, to be curved. In other words, rather than the sharp tip 8 of the prior art knife 2, the tip 108 of the knife 102 of the present invention is curved, between the between the spine 1 10 and the cutting edge 1 12.

[0039] Figures 3a and 3b are top views of a knife 102 in accordance with the present invention. A width of the spine 1 12 of the blade 106 (i.e. a distance between the first side 1 14 and the second side 116) is exaggerated for illustrative purposes.

[0040] The blade 106 of the knife 102 of the present invention further comprises a protruding feature 50, located generally at the end of the blade 106 distal from the handle 104. (The protruding feature 50 is omitted in figure 2 for clarity).

[0041] In the present embodiment, the protruding feature 50 comprises a first protrusion 50A, extending from the otherwise flat surface of the first blade side 114, and a second protrusion 50B, extending from the otherwise generally flat surface of the second blade side 116. The protrusions 50A, 50B extend outwardly from the respective side 114, 1 16, and also extend partially along the respective side 114, 1 16 in a direction towards the handle 104. The width of the spine of typical blades at the tip end is about 1 mm. The protrusions 50A, 50B preferably each extend outwardly from the blade by at least about 1 mm, making the width of the tip of the blade about at least 3mm.

[0042] An end surface 52A of the first protrusion 50A (defined at the end of the first protrusion 50A furthest from the handle 104), meets and blends smoothly with the end surface 52B of the second protrusion 50B (defined at the end of the second protrusion 50B furthest from the handle 104).

[0043] Moving away from the tip 108 of the blade 106, each protrusion 50A, 50B initially increases in width, to a point of maximum width 54A, 54B. the maximum width of the protrusion from the respective side 114, 116 of the blade 106 may be, for example, 1 mm. From the point of maximum width 54A, 54B, the protrusions 50A, 50B each decrease in width, moving in a direction towards the handle 104. The protrusions 50A, 50B, each meet the respective flat surface of the side sections 1 14, 1 16, at a junction 56A, 56B.

[0044] As illustrated in the side views of figures 4A onwards, the protrusions 50A, 50B extend around the full extent of the tip 108 of the blade 106, i.e. the protrusions 50A, 50B each extend between the spine 112 and the cutting edge 1 10. The protrusions 50A, 50B extend away from the tip 108 along each side surface 114, 1 16 by a similar amount along their length, i.e. such that the junction 56A, 56B between each protrusion 50A, 50B and the respective side surface 114, 116 is curved.

[0045] In the present invention, the modified tip 108 of the blade 106 comprises a surface which is defined by a single, smooth end surface of the protruding feature, distal from the handle 104. Specifically in the present embodiment, the surface of the tip 108 is defined by the combined end surfaces 52A, 52B of the protrusions 50A, 50B.

[0046] In the embodiment of as shown in figures 3A and 3b, the end surfaces 52A, 52B of the protrusions 50A, 50B curve in a horizontal direction, (i.e. orthogonal to the vertical direction as defined above, and denoted by H in figures 2 and 3b). Therefore the surface of the tip 108 is curved in two planes. The protruding feature 50 / protrusions 50A, 50B may be of a different shape to that illustrated in figures 3A and 3B. For example, the protrusions 50A, 50B of the embodiment of figures 26, 27 and 30 each have an end surface 52A, 52B which is substantially orthogonal to the side surface 114, 116 of the blade 106. The surface of the tip, as defined by the end surfaces of the protrusions 50A, 50B, is therefore curved in one plane, and substantially flat in another plane.

[0047] In other embodiments of the present invention, the protrusions 50A, 50B may extend by a varying amount away from the 108 along each side surface 1 14, 1 16. For example in the embodiment of figures 18 and 19, and that of figures 24 and 25, the junction (only 156A of which is visible in the these figures) between the protrusions 50A, 50B and the respective flat side 1 14, 116 of the blade 106 is substantially straight, i.e. the protrusions 50A, 50B each extend further away from the tip 108 towards their midpoints.

[0048] Referring to the prior art knife 2, the surface area of the tip 8 is very small. When a force is applied in the direction of the tip 8, for example as a result of the knife 2 being thrust forwards by a user, or by gravity acting upon a knife falling tip-first, when the tip strikes an objection, this force applied across the very small surface area of the tip 8, resulting in a high pressure, likely to pierce and cause damage to the object it strikes.

[0049] Known blunt-end knives have a narrow edge, and although such knives may cause less damage that a sharp-tipped tipped, any force applied to an object upon contact will be focused in a single, narrow point, creating high pressure on the object it is contact; blunt- end knives can therefore still cause damage to be object if thrust with sufficient force.

[0050] In all embodiments of the present invention, the modified tip 108, defined by the end surface of the protruding feature 50 at the distal end of the blade 106, has a significantly greater surface area than prior art knives. The protrusions 50A, 50B act to extend a nominal surface area of the tip 108 in two axes, i.e. in both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis.

[0051] As a result of the significantly increased surface area of tip 108, when a knife according to the present invention strikes an object, any forwards force will be spread over an increased area of the object compared to a prior art knife. A reduced pressure is thereby applied by the modified tip 108 to the object, reducing likelihood and / or extent of damage caused by the knife 102 to the object.

[0052] The protruding feature 50 of the present invention provides no restriction on the material which can be used to manufacture the blade, therefore an optimum strength material can be used. Furthermore, the protruding feature 50 does not impinge upon the cutting edge 110. The cutting edge 110 can therefore be designed as usual; protruding feature 50 does not affect the cutting performance of the knife 102 when being used to cut an item.

[0053] The protruding feature 50 (such as protrusions 50A, 50B) is preferably formed of the same material as the rest of the blade 106, and more preferably, is formed integrally with the rest of the blade 106. A method of forming a knife according to the present invention therefore includes forming the blade and the protrusions in a single mould. The handle may be formed as a separate component, to be assembled to the blade, or to a subassembly comprising the blade and protruding feature. Alternatively, the handle may be formed integrally with the blade and / or blade and the protruding feature within a single mould.

[0054] The protruding feature of the present invention is applicable to any type and size of knife, for example a paring knife, a utility knife, a santoku knife, a bread knife, or a Chef’s knife, having blade lengths from, for example, 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) to 8 inches (20.3 cm). The protruding feature could also be applied to one or both blades of scissors of any size, i.e. a pair of scissors could comprise two pivotally connected cutting implements in accordance with the present invention. The protruding feature of the present invention could be applied to any other bladed implement.

[0055] Although the embodiments described above comprise one protrusion extending away from each of the first side and the second side of the blade, other embodiments could include more than one protrusion, or one or more protrusions only extending from one side of the blade.

[0056] Furthermore, although the sharp edge of the embodiments described above comprise a cutting edge, the sharp edge may alternatively not provide a cutting edge. For example, the blade could comprise a component of a tool such as a scraper or a palette knife, which comprise an edge which is sharp, but which is not specifically designed for cutting. Such a blade can nonetheless be provided with a protruding feature as described above to enhance safety whilst maintaining functionality of the tool. Furthermore, blades of tools which have an open blade and therefore two sharp tips / corners could be provided with a protruding feature on each tip / corner.

[0057] Furthermore, the bladed implement may by formed from a metallic material including but not limited to steel, stainless steel, carbon steel, vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium and mixtures thereof, or a ceramic, stone, or carbon fibre material. Moulding allows high-carbon steel without welds, enhancing durability over prior features which were physically attached rather than being integrally formed.

[0058] All embodiments of the present invention provide an improved knife with a plurality of potential uses. A non-exhaustive list of potential examples of uses of the bladed implement is provided below:

[0059] - Culinary education: the present invention provides a safe training knife for beginner cooks or culinary students to minimise injury risks during learning;

[0060] - Young cooks: the present invention provides a safe, child-friendly knife suitable for supervised cooking activities, encouraging safe kitchen habits from a young age;

[0061] Elderly or disabled users: the present invention provides is suitable for use by individuals with poor or diminished motor skills, or conditions such arthritis, providing enhanced safety to such users, without sacrificing usability;

[0062] - Camping / outdoor user: the knife of the present invention provides a safer alternative to regular cutting implements in camping gear or outdoor survival kits, where accidental misuse could be hazardous and is common;

[0063] Hospital and care facility settings: the knife of the present invention is suitable for use in in environments such as mental health facilities or rehab centres, where safety tools such as cutting implements are a necessity;

[0064] Public sector: the knife of the present invention could be approved for use in prison kitchens or institutions, to comply with safety regulations whilst maintaining functionality;

[0065] Professional catering: the knife of the present invention could be used in fast- paced and busy environments, where accidental injuries are common due to stress / urgency; - Travel: travel-friendly Tools: the cutting implement of the present invention can be adapted to be a travel-friendly / airport-compliant kitchen knife, for cooking enthusiasts who travel.

[0066] Further potential applications of the bladed implement of the present invention are:

[0067] - Specialized kitchen tools: knife-specific variants of the design of the present invention (falling with the scope of the claims) could be applied to specific knives, such as bread knives, cleavers, or carving tools, i.e. the protrusions can be tailored to the specific requirements of the knife for unique safety and functionality;

[0068] - Multi-purpose utility blades: for gardening or crafts, where accidental injuries are common with traditional sharp tools;

[0069] - Educational tools: a knife according to the invention could be paired with educational kits, teaching safe cutting techniques alongside its use the knife in this example could further be provided with a rounded tip and a blunt cutting edge;

[0070] - Military / civilian de-escalation tools;

[0071] - Non-cutting tools: bladed implements which are not designed to cut, such as scrapers, palette knives, or other such implements, could incorporate the protruding feature of the present invention to enhance safety, for example for use by users with impaired motor functions as described above.

Claims

Claims1. A bladed implement comprising a handle and a blade extending away from handle, the blade comprising: a tip at an end of the blade distal from the handle; a sharp edge; a spine; a first side and a second side; wherein the first side and the second side extend between the sharp edge and the spine; and wherein the tip is defined by a surface of a protruding feature which protrudes outwardly from at least one of the first side and the second side.

2. An implement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the protruding feature extends substantially the full length between the spine and sharp edge.

3. An implement as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the protruding feature is formed integrally with the blade.

4. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protruding feature does not impinge upon the sharp edge.

5. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface defining the tip is curved in at least one plane.

6. An implement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the surface defining the tip is curved in two planes.

7. An implement as claimed any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protruding feature comprises a first protrusion extending outwardly from the first side of the blade, and a second protrusion extending outwardly from the second side of the blade.

8. An implement as claimed in claim 7 wherein the first and second protrusions each extend between the spine and the cutting edge.

9. An implement as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the first protrusion extends outwardly from the first side of the blade by at least 1 mm, and the second protrusion extends outwardly from the second side of the blade by at least 1 mm.

10. An implement as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the first protrusion extends outwardly from the first side of the blade by at least 2mm.

11. An implement as claimed any one of the preceding claims, comprising a kitchen knife, wherein the sharp edge comprises a cutting edge.

12. An implement as claimed in Claim 11 wherein the cutting edge is between about 3.5 to about 8 inches in length.

13. An implement as claimed in Claim 11 or Claim 12 wherein the cutting edge is smoothly blended with the first and / or second protrusion.

14. An implement as claimed any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising part of a pair of scissors, wherein the sharp edge comprises a cutting edge.

15. An implement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a tool, wherein the sharp edge is a non-cutting edge.

16. A method of producing of a bladed implement according to any of claims 1 to 15, the method comprising producing the blade, producing the protruding feature, and producing the handle.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein producing the blade and the producing the protruding feature comprises forming the blade and the protruding feature integrally, within a mould.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising producing the handle integrally with the blade and the protruding feature, within the mould.

19. A method as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17, further comprising assembling a sub assembly comprising the blade and the protruding feature, to the handle.

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