Knife Extended Handle Grip for Pinch Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current knife designs fail to provide a comfortable, secure grip for the thumb and forefinger during the pinch or chef's grip, leading to discomfort, slippage, and potential injury, especially when handling knives in culinary tasks.
Innovation Solution
The extended handle grip design extends onto the base and spine of the knife blade, featuring a thumb grip area and a proximal phalanx platform to securely hold the user's thumb and forefinger, preventing slippage and providing comfort by conforming to the contours of the fingers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the user grips the back end of the blade with thumb and forefinger in the pinch grip, then control over the knife is improved, but discomfort and risk of injury increase due to lack of support and slippage
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is segmented into multiple grip zones including a thumb rest at the heel and finger grips along the handle, allowing different parts of the hand to rest on different surfaces. This segmentation distributes pressure and provides continuous support, preventing the discomfort and slippage associated with traditional pinch grips while maintaining precise control.
2Ease of operation
If a traditional handle design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but grip comfort and control are insufficient during extended use
Solution Approach 1:
The handle incorporates curved and contoured surfaces including a rounded thumb rest and ergonomically shaped finger grips that conform to the natural curvature of the hand. These curved surfaces distribute pressure more evenly across the thumb and fingers, significantly improving grip comfort during extended use while adding only moderate complexity to the handle structure.
3Force
If the forefinger stretches to its full extension to rest on the platform, then downward cutting force is increased, but stress to the joints increases with extended use
Solution Approach 1:
The thumb rest and finger grips are positioned to provide support before the cutting action begins. The thumb rests on the heel while fingers grip the handle, creating a pre-positioned stable platform that supports the hand in a relaxed, natural position. This preliminary support structure eliminates the need for the forefinger to stretch to full extension, maintaining force application capability while preventing joint stress during extended use.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A knife with an extended handle includes one side of the handle, either as part of the original structure or bonded or welded to that original structure, that projects or extends forward onto the base of the knife blade on one side thereof, thereby providing a gripping surface for the user's thumb, and onto or alongside the spine of the knife blade to provide a proximal phalanx platform for the user's forefinger. The spine may have a notch formed therein proximal, and wherein the finger platform rests in or alongside the notch. The finger platform may have a concave surface contour, and the concave surface contour may be coextensive with the notch.