Knife With Safety Tab And Nested Blade Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional utility and tactical knives face issues such as inadvertent actuator contact leading to unintended blade movement, cumbersome blade replacement processes, and large size, which can cause user frustration and safety hazards, as well as occupy excessive space.
Innovation Solution
A knife design featuring a blade holder that moves between closed and open positions via an actuator, with a locking mechanism and a compact storage system for spare blades, allowing for quick blade replacement without disassembly and minimizing actuator exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the actuator is exposed along the housing to facilitate blade deployment, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of inadvertent contact causing unintended blade movement increases
Solution Approach 1:
A safety tab acts as an intermediary element between the user and the actuator. The safety tab must be deliberately moved to expose the actuator, preventing accidental activation while maintaining ease of intentional deployment. The safety tab serves as a mediating control that filters unintended interactions.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional blade replacement procedures are used requiring disassembly, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade replacement mechanism is segmented into independent components: a removable blade, a blade holder, and a release button. This segmentation allows the blade to be quickly removed and replaced without disassembling the entire housing, maintaining manufacturing precision while dramatically reducing replacement time and operational complexity.
3Reliability
If the housing is made large to accommodate all components, then reliability and component protection are improved, but the volume and portability of the knife deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The knife employs a nested configuration where the blade is housed within the handle, and a receptacle for spare blades is integrated into the handle structure. This nesting allows all components to be compactly arranged, maintaining reliability through proper component protection while minimizing the overall volume of the knife for better portability.
4Ease of operation
If the actuator is positioned to be easily accessible, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of ergonomic issues and unintended activation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety tab is positioned to require preliminary deliberate action before the actuator becomes accessible. This preliminary action filters out accidental activations while maintaining ergonomic ease of operation for intentional deployment, as the safety tab is designed to be easily moved by deliberate user action.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1E
Figure 1F~1G
AI summary
A knife 300 may include a housing 331, a blade 310 or a blade holder, an actuator 338, and a button 339. The blade or the blade holder may be movably attached to the housing. The blade or the blade holder may be configured to move relative to the housing between a closed position in which a cutting edge 311 of the blade is positioned entirely within the housing and an open position in which the cutting edge is positioned at least partially outside of the housing. The actuator may be movably attached to the housing and configured to move the blade or the blade holder from the closed position toward the open position. The actuator may be configured to move relative to the housing between an extended position in which the actuator is positioned at least partially outside of the housing and a retracted position in which the actuator is positioned entirely within the housing. The button is configured to releasably engage a coupler 337 or the blade holder when the blade or the blade holder, respectively, is in the closed position, thereby preventing pivotal movement of the blade or the blade holder relative to the housing.