Finger-Worn Cutting Device With Flexible Ring Body
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional utility knives require two hands for operation, posing safety concerns and being easily misplaced, as they need one hand for cutting and another for bracing, which can lead to accidents and loss.
Innovation Solution
A cutting device with a ring-shaped body that fits on the user's finger, featuring a flexible body member and a stiff cutting assembly with a protrusion and aperture configuration, allowing single-handed operation while minimizing the risk of accidents and loss through secure finger retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a utility knife is designed for single-handed operation, then safety is improved and portability is enhanced, but cutting performance and control are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from traditional two-handed planar cutting to a three-dimensional finger-worn configuration. The blade extends from the finger tip, creating a new spatial dimension for cutting operations. This allows the cutting action to occur in a different plane while maintaining single-handed operation, thus improving safety without sacrificing cutting performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The finger itself serves as an intermediary between the user's hand and the cutting tool. By wearing the knife on the finger, the body part naturally positioned near the cutting line becomes the mounting structure. This intermediary approach allows close proximity to the cutting action while maintaining control, resolving the contradiction between safety and operational effectiveness.
2Ease of operation
If a utility knife is made portable and wearable, then ease of transport is improved, but the risk of misplacement and loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs the action of securing the knife to the user's finger in advance, before any cutting task begins. By designing the knife to be worn on the finger from the outset, the system eliminates the need to search for or retrieve the knife during work. The preliminary attachment to the body ensures continuous possession and tracking of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The user's finger serves as the self-service retention mechanism. The knife's own structure, designed to fit on the finger, automatically provides secure attachment without requiring external tools, clips, or separate retention devices. The body part itself performs the service of keeping the knife secure and trackable.
3Ease of operation
If the body member is made flexible to fit the finger, then comfort and secure fit are improved, but structural strength is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The body member is constructed from composite materials that combine flexibility and structural strength. The material composition allows the ring to conform to the finger's shape for comfort while maintaining sufficient strength to support the blade and withstand cutting forces. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between flexibility for fit and strength for durability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the body member have different material properties optimized for their specific functions. The portion contacting the finger may be more flexible for comfort, while the blade mounting area has enhanced structural strength. This local differentiation of material quality allows the single body member to satisfy both comfort and strength requirements simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A cutting device is disclosed. The cutting device has a body member formed from a first material and including a cavity extending along a length of the body member from a first end of the body member to a second end of the body member that is disposed on an opposite side of the body member as the first end, a cutting assembly formed from a second material and attached to the body member, the cutting assembly including a protrusion, and a cutting member disposed on the cutting assembly. The body member includes an aperture extending from the cavity to a third end of the body member that is disposed between the first and second ends. The cutting assembly is attached to the body member based on the protrusion being received in the aperture. The first material is more flexible than the second material.