Folding Knife Handle Pivoting Mechanism for One-Handed Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional folding knives often require dexterity to open and close, making one-handed operation awkward for individuals with limited dexterity, as they typically involve applying pressure directly to the blade or its extension portion.
Innovation Solution
A folding knife design with a blade-opening mechanism integrated into the handle, allowing the blade to be opened and closed by pivoting a side portion of the handle, which engages a pin to pivot the blade between closed, intermediate, and open positions, enabling one-handed operation without direct pressure on the blade.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If direct pressure is applied to the blade or its extension portion to open/close the blade, then the blade can be opened or closed, but the operation becomes awkward and difficult for individuals lacking dexterity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a side portion of the handle as an intermediary element. Instead of requiring the user to directly manipulate the blade, the user applies pressure to the side portion, which then transmits the force through the pin-channel mechanism to pivot the blade. This intermediary approach simplifies the operation for users with limited dexterity while maintaining control over blade movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the handle into functional portions, specifically identifying a side portion that can pivot relative to the handle body. This segmentation allows the side portion to act as an independent control element for blade operation, separating the user's input action from the blade movement and making the overall operation more manageable.
2Ease of operation
If a thumb-stud or similar mechanism is affixed directly to the blade to assist in pivoting, then the blade can be pivoted from closed to open position, but the mechanism becomes integrated with the blade rather than the handle
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attaching the opening mechanism to the blade (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by attaching the mechanism to the handle's side portion. The side portion pivots in response to user input, and this handle-based movement is what drives the blade opening action through the pin-channel engagement. This inversion relocates the control mechanism from the blade to the handle.
3Ease of operation
If the side portion is pivoted from the first position to the second position, then the blade pivots from closed to intermediate position, but additional pivoting is required to reach the open position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the channel shape and pin engagement such that pivoting the side portion continuously drives the blade through multiple positions (closed → intermediate → open) in a single continuous motion. The channel's geometric design ensures that the pin moves along a path that corresponds to progressive blade opening, eliminating the need for separate discrete actions to achieve different blade positions.
Data Source
AI summary
A folding knife having a blade-opening mechanism incorporated in the handle of the knife. The blade-opening mechanism in one form can be used to pivot the blade from the closed position to the open position by manually applying pressure to the blade-opening mechanism rather than to a portion of the blade. The blade-opening mechanism in one embodiment also can be adapted to function as a closing mechanism for pivoting the blade closed without applying pressure to the blade. In particular embodiments, the handle desirably includes a pivotable side portion that is coupled to the tang portion of the blade such that manually pivoting the side portion is effective to cause pivoting movement of the blade.