External Pivot Folding Knife for Convertible Opening Action
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional folding knife designs are complex to assemble and maintain, requiring significant disassembly to change the action or function of the knife, and are limited in their ability to easily switch between manual and automatic opening mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The modular folding knife design allows for easy assembly and service from the outside of the handle, with externally assembled pivot hardware and bearings that can be adjusted or exchanged to change the action or function of the knife without disassembling the handle assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional stacked construction with internal washers or bearings is used, then the knife provides stable blade support and smooth rotation, but the assembly becomes complex and difficult to maintain or modify
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bearing and washer components from the internal stacked construction and relocates them to the exterior of the handle. The bearing is mounted on the outside of the handle body, and the washer is positioned between the blade and the external bearing, allowing these components to be accessed, removed, or replaced without disassembling the handle structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the knife into distinct functional modules: the handle body, the blade, the external bearing assembly, and the washer. This modular segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured, assembled, and maintained, reducing the overall complexity of the assembly process while maintaining reliable blade rotation.
2Reliability
If internal washers or bearings are assembled between blade and handle, then the knife provides stable operation, but changing the action or function requires significant disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing is extracted from the internal assembly and mounted externally on the handle. This external positioning allows the bearing to be accessed, adjusted, or replaced by simply removing a few external fasteners rather than disassembling the entire handle structure, significantly improving ease of repair and action modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic adjustment of the knife's action by allowing the bearing and washer components to be easily modified. Users can change the bearing type or washer thickness to alter the blade opening speed and smoothness, providing dynamic adaptability without permanent modification to the handle structure.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple components (blade, washers, bearings) must be aligned inside handle slot, then the knife provides precise blade positioning, but the assembly process becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing is taken out of the internal handle slot assembly and mounted externally. This eliminates the need to align multiple components (blade, washers, bearings) within the confined handle slot space, dramatically simplifying the assembly process while the external bearing still provides precise blade positioning through its mounting geometry.
Data Source
AI summary
A folding knife includes a handle, a blade, and first and second bearing pivots. The handle has first and second bearing apertures that open to an exterior of the handle. The blade is disposable at least partially within the handle and between the first and second bearing apertures. The first and second bearing pivots are insertable respectively into the first and second bearing apertures. Each of the first and second bearing pivots includes a thrust bearing surface, and at least one of the first and second bearing pivots includes a radial bearing surface about which the blade is configured to rotate. At least one of the first and second bearing pivots is selectively replaceable from the exterior of the handle to convert the knife between manual and automatic functions.