Knife Sharpener With Rotating, Surface-Rolling Sharpening Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing knife sharpening methods using knife stones require significant user effort and are time-consuming due to the need to overcome gravity and friction, leading to low efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A knife sharpener with a hand shank and sharpening member, where mounting portions with a larger diameter than the hand shank allow for axial rotation, enabling the sharpening member to roll on a surface and reciprocate relative to the knife, enhancing efficiency and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the user holds the knife and applies force against the knife stone to perform reciprocating motion, then the knife can be sharpened, but the user needs to provide greater strength which reduces sharpening efficiency and is time-consuming and laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional sharpening approach by making the sharpening member rotate around the knife rather than the knife moving against a stationary stone. The knife is clamped stationary while the sharpening member performs reciprocating motion and rotation, eliminating the need for the user to manually move the knife and apply force.
Solution Approach 2:
The sharpening member is designed to automatically perform reciprocating motion through its rotation around the knife. The mechanical structure includes a reciprocating mechanism that converts rotational motion into back-and-forth sharpening action, making the system self-operating without requiring manual manipulation of the knife.
2Productivity
If the sharpening member has a larger mounting portion diameter than the hand shank, then the motion range increases and friction increases for better sharpening, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting portions are designed as spherical or rounded structures with larger diameter than the hand shank. This curvature allows the sharpening member to rotate smoothly around the knife while maintaining stable contact. The spherical geometry naturally provides the needed motion range and friction surface area without requiring complex mechanical linkages.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design improves sharpening efficiency by allowing the sharpening member to cover a larger motion range and increase friction, reducing user effort and time required for sharpening.
Implementation Method 1
increase friction
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a knife sharpener. The knife sharpener includes a hand shank and a sharpening member. Mounting portions are arranged at two ends of the hand shank. An outer diameter of each of the mounting portions is greater than an outer diameter of the hand shank. The sharpening member is connected to the mounting portions, so that the sharpening member and the hand shank rotate axially. During use, the knife sharpener is put on an operating platform, such as the ground or a tabletop, and the knife is fixed on one side of the knife sharpener. The knife can tilt towards an end portion of the knife sharpener to make a cutting edge lean against the sharpening member. During sharpening, a user pushes the hand shank back and forth with the palm, so that the knife sharpener moves back and forth relative to the knife.