Folding Knife Tool-Free Disassembly via Rotating Locking Cap

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Solution Overview

Problem

Folding knives with removable blades often require tools for disassembly, making them cumbersome in harsh conditions where quick cleaning, sharpening, or replacement is necessary.

Innovation Solution

A folding knife design featuring a handle with laterally spaced side portions, a pivot mechanism, and a locking mechanism that allows for easy disassembly without tools, using a pivot member with a non-circular head and a cap that can be rotated between locked and unlocked positions, enabling lateral movement of the side portions for blade removal and reassembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of repair

If a folding knife has a removable blade structure, then the blade can be cleaned, sharpened, or replaced in the field, but the disassembly requires tools which makes it cumbersome in harsh conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblade removal easeVSAvoiddisassembly convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The locking mechanism is designed to be actuated by the user's finger directly on the cap without requiring external tools. The cap rotates between locked and unlocked positions, allowing the user to easily disassemble the knife by simply rotating the cap with their finger, making the system self-serviceable in field conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The knife is divided into separable components (blade, handle portions, pivot mechanism) that can be easily disconnected. The locking mechanism segments the connection between handle portions, allowing clean separation when unlocked, enabling field maintenance without tools

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the locking mechanism uses a non-circular head pivot member with rotatable cap, then tool-free disassembly is enabled, but the mechanism complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetool-free disassemblyVSAvoidlocking mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pivot member has a non-circular head portion that engages with a corresponding non-circular aperture in the cap. This asymmetric geometry prevents rotational movement when locked and enables controlled rotation when unlocked, providing tool-free operation while maintaining relatively simple component geometry

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The cap is designed to rotate dynamically between locked and unlocked positions. This dynamic element allows the locking mechanism to transition between two states (locked/unlocked) through simple rotational motion, avoiding complex multi-component locking systems while enabling tool-free operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11571823B2Easily disassembled folding knife

Publication Date: 2023.02.07 GB II CORP COLUMBIA RIVER KNIFE & TOOL CO

AI summary

A folding knife includes a handle and a blade. The handle includes a first side member, a second side member, a connector, and a locking member. The first and second side members are pivotably coupled to the connector such that the first and second side members are pivotable relative to one another. The blade includes a pivot member extending laterally from a surface of the blade, and the pivot member is disposed between the first and second side members. The locking member of the handle is movable between an unlocked position and a locked position. In the unlocked position, the first and second side members of the handle are pivotable relative to one another and can disengage the pivot member of the blade. In the locked position, the first and second side members are restrained from movement relative to one another and engage the pivot member of the blade.