External Bearing Pivot Folding Knife for Serviceable Action Conversion

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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 often involve multiple components that complicate manufacturing and assembly.

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 without disassembling the handle assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional stacked construction with internal washers and bearings is used, then the knife provides stable blade support and smooth action, but the assembly becomes complex and difficult to maintain with significant disassembly required for any changes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblade support stabilityVSAvoidassembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The knife is divided into modular components: handle, blade, pivot pin, washer, and bearing that can be independently assembled and disassembled. The bearing is positioned externally at the end of the handle rather than stacked internally, allowing each component to be serviced separately without disassembling the entire structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bearing and washer are extracted from the internal stacked construction and positioned externally at the end of the handle. This extraction simplifies the internal handle structure and allows the bearing to be easily accessed and replaced without disassembling the handle or blade assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If conventional internal washer and bearing assembly is used, then the blade action is smooth, but changing the action or function requires significant disassembly and is difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblade action smoothnessVSAvoidaction change difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The action components (bearing, washer, pivot pin) are segmented as separate removable modules. The bearing sits externally on the pivot pin, and the washer is positioned between the blade and handle. This segmentation allows any of these components to be independently removed and replaced to change the blade action characteristics without affecting other parts of the knife.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bearing and washer configuration is made dynamically adjustable. By removing and replacing different bearing types or washer positions, the user can dynamically change the blade action from smooth to tighter, or convert manual opening to automatic opening functionality without permanent modification to the knife structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Volume of moving object

If multiple internal components are assembled inside the handle slot, then the knife structure is compact, but alignment of handle, blade, and washers becomes complicated for assembly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandle compactnessVSAvoidassembly alignment difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The compact internal stacked construction is replaced with a segmented external arrangement. The bearing is positioned externally at the end of the handle, the pivot pin protrudes from the handle end, and the washer is positioned between the blade and handle. This segmentation eliminates the need for precise multi-component alignment within a confined handle slot, as components are assembled in a linear sequence from the outside in.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Stability of the object's composition

If conventional stacked construction is used, then the blade is securely captured in the handle, but the number of parts increases and production costs rise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblade retentionVSAvoidnumber of parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The pivot pin serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the rotation axis for the blade, provides structural support, and serves as the mounting element for the externally positioned bearing. The washer provides both thrust bearing support and positional reference. This functional merging reduces the number of separate components needed compared to conventional stacked constructions that require separate pins, multiple washers, and internal bearing mounts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250153373A1Folding knife, folding knife kit, knife kit, and methods

Publication Date: 2025.05.15 DAREX LLC

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.