The present disclosure provides a pencil sharpener for pencils having a lead surrounded by a lead carrier. The pencil sharpener includes a hollow guide channel for the pencil to be sharpened. An inner surface of the guide channel forms a guide surface for a partial area of a lead carrier of the pencil to be sharpened. To prevent contamination of an outer surface of the lead carrier the inner surface of the guide channel is interrupted by at least one cleaning groove extending in an axial direction of the guide channel.

The present invention provides a sharpening completion detection mechanism that does not apply a heavy load to a core tip, and especially proposes a mechanism that moves a pencil in an ejection direction immediately when the sharpening completion detection mechanism detects completion of sharpening to mitigate damage to the core. Specifically, a pencil sharpener according to the present invention includes: a slide unit that translates in pencil insertion and pencil ejection directions; a pencil biasing means supported by the slide unit; a slide locking means that locks a translation position of the slide unit upon the slide unit translating in the insertion direction; and a slide unit unlocking means that releases the lock for the translation position of the slide unit upon the sharpening completion detection means detecting a fully sharpened state of the pencil, and includes slide unit ejecting means that biases the slide unit in the ejection direction with energy stored by movement of the slide unit to a lock position.

A pencil-centering assembly for use in pencil sharpeners or the like that includes a frame; a linking member rotatably mounted within the frame; a plurality of pencil contact levers, wherein each contact lever includes a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion of each pencil contact lever is adapted to engage the linking member, wherein the bottom portion of each pencil contact lever, in combination with the other pencil contact levers, defines a pencil insertion aperture having a center axis, and wherein the bottom portion of each pencil contact lever extends in to the pencil insertion aperture to about the same distance; and at least one biasing member in contact with the linking member, wherein the biasing member exerts force on each pencil contact lever by way of the linking member sufficient to bias each pencil contact lever toward the center axis of the pencil insertion aperture.

A gear assembly that includes a cutting gear having an outer edge and an inner edge, wherein a plurality of gear teeth is formed on the outer edge thereof; and an internal gear having an outer edge and an inner edge. The internal gear further includes a plurality of gear teeth formed on the inner edge thereof, wherein the gear teeth formed on the inner edge of the internal gear are adapted to engage the gear teeth formed on the outer edge of the cutting gear; a plurality of troughs, wherein each trough in the plurality of troughs is formed between two of the gear teeth formed on the inner edge of the internal gear; and a plurality of debris discharge channels, wherein each debris discharge channel is formed at the bottommost portion of each trough and extends away from the trough toward the outer edge of the internal gear.

A combination pencil sharpening and flashlight device includes an outer shell, a battery, a motor, a cutter head, a top cover, a flashlight head, a pair of switches (one for running the motor and the other for turning the flashlight on and off), a charging port, a charger, a battery meter, and a metal file for sharpening pencil lead to a point. The flashlight head preferably comprises light emitting diodes

A pencil-centering assembly for use in pencil sharpeners or the like that includes a frame; a linking member rotatably mounted within the frame; a plurality of pencil contact levers, wherein each contact lever includes a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion of each pencil contact lever is adapted to engage the linking member, wherein the bottom portion of each pencil contact lever, in combination with the other pencil contact levers, defines a pencil insertion aperture having a center axis, and wherein the bottom portion of each pencil contact lever extends in to the pencil insertion aperture to about the same distance; and at least one biasing member in contact with the linking member, wherein the biasing member exerts force on each pencil contact lever by way of the linking member sufficient to bias each pencil contact lever toward the center axis of the pencil insertion aperture.

An electric pencil sharpener includes a power device. The power device is connected to two rotatable rubber wheels by a transmission mechanism. The two rubber wheels are located on two sides of the pencil to be sharpened, are rotated in opposite directions and closely fit a side wall of the pencil to be sharpened, to push upwards or downwards the pencil to be sharpened to move. A gap between the two rubber wheels is adjustable. The electric pencil sharpener further includes a rotatable cutter carrier assembly located below the rubber wheels configured to sharpen the pencil to be sharpened. The electric pencil sharpener can sharpen the pencil of different diameters, and has a sharpening process requiring no human participation, has a wide application and saves manual operation.

A sharpener for a writing instrument includes a receptacle, an entry assembly, and a cutter assembly. The entry assembly is coupled to the receptacle and defines an instrument opening. The entry assembly is configured to receive an end of the writing instrument through the instrument opening along an entry axis. The cutter assembly is configured to revolve about the entry axis in engagement with the entry assembly to sharpen the end of the writing instrument. The cutter assembly is removably engageable with the entry assembly at least by relative translation between the cutter assembly and the receptacle along the entry axis.

A dual cutter-carrier assembly that includes a rotatable carrier having a front portion, a rear portion, and a center portion, wherein the center portion defines an interior cavity that is adapted to receive a pencil to be sharpened; a first cutter pin mounted on the carrier, wherein the first cutter pin has a front portion having an annular groove formed therein; a first cutter rotatably and slidably mounted on the first cutter pin; a second cutter pin mounted on the carrier, wherein the second cutter pin has a front portion having an annular groove formed therein; a second cutter rotatably and slidably mounted on the second cutter pin; a contact plate mounted within the interior cavity at the rear portion of the carrier, having a first yoke mechanically coupled to the first cutter and a second yoke mechanically coupled to the second cutter, wherein the contact plate moves in the direction of a pencil that is being sharpened when the tip of the advancing pencil touches the contact plate, wherein the first and second yokes move the first and second cutters respectively in the same direction as the moving contact plate; and wherein, as the pencil advances to a predetermined distance through the interior cavity, the first and second cutters are adapted to move outward from the interior cavity and away from the tip of the pencil being sharpened.

A reciprocating pencil sharpener has a shavings receptacle, a stationary member, a cutter and a ratchet mechanism. The cutter includes a blade secured to a blade holder. The ratchet mechanism is mounted between the stationary member and the cutter and allows the cutter to rotate relative to the stationary member in one direction only. When a user desires to sharpen a pencil, the user can keep the pencil in the hand and rotate the pencil in reciprocating rotation, thus obtaining the sharpened point of the pencil. Consequently, it is convenient for the user to apply a rotational force and a high efficiency of sharpening operation is achieved.