Knife sharpening device

Abstract

A handheld, portable knife sharpening device is provided. The knife sharpening device includes a body that accommodates at least one knife sharpening member. The body is interconnected to a rotatable leg that is used to selectively alter the lateral footprint of the device to make knife sharpening safer and more effective.

Claims

1. A knife sharpening device, comprising: a base portion having an upper surface, a lower surface spaced from said upper surface, said lower surface being generally planar, thereby defining a normal axis; a body portion interconnected to said base portion, said body portion having a first face and a second face spaced from said first face, and an upper surface; a first opening in said upper surface that accommodates a first sharpening member; a second opening in said upper surface that accommodates a second sharpening member; and a monolithic leg having a first end and a second end, said monolithic leg associated with said base portion and operatively interconnected to said body portion, said monolithic leg capable of rotation about a single pivot that has as a centralized axis parallel to said normal axis of said base portion, and wherein said monolithic leg selectively moves from a first position of use, wherein said first end and said second end are positioned adjacent to said body portion, and a second position of use, wherein said first end is positioned away from said first face of said body portion and said second end is positioned away from said second face of said body portion so as to increase a lateral footprint of said knife sharpening device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first sharpening member and said second sharpening member are removable.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said base portion and said monolithic leg have compliant pads adapted for selective engagement with a support surface.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a finger recess incorporated in to at least one of said first face and said second face.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first finger recess incorporated into said first surface and a second finger recess incorporated into said second surface, said first finger recess and said second finger recess being in direct opposition to each other.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said first end and said second end are comprised of arcuate outer surfaces that selectively engage corresponding arcuate surfaces integrated into said base portion.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said first sharpening member is comprised of a first portion and a second portion positioned at an angle relative to each other, and wherein said second sharpening member is comprised of a first portion and a second portion positioned at an angle relative to each other.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said body portion has a panel that when removed exposes said first sharpening member and said second sharpening member.

9. A knife sharpening device, comprising: a base portion; a body portion interconnected to said base portion; a first opening in said body portion that accommodates a first sharpening member; a second opening in said body portion that accommodates a second sharpening member; and a monolithic leg associated with said base portion and operatively interconnected to said body portion, said monolithic leg capable of rotation about a single pivot that has a centralized axis parallel to a normal axis of said base portion, and wherein said monolithic leg selectively moves from a first position of use to a second position of use, wherein a first end and a second end of said monolithic leg is positioned away from and on opposite sides of said body portion.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one of said first sharpening member and said second sharpening member are removable.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one of said base portion and said monolithic leg have compliant pads adapted for selective engagement with a surface.

12. The device of claim 9, further comprising a finger recess incorporated into said body portion.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein said first end and said second end of said monolithic leg are comprised of an arcuate surface that selectively engages corresponding arcuate surfaces integrated into said base portion.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein said first sharpening member is comprised of a first portion and a second portion positioned at an angle relative to each other, and wherein said second sharpening member is comprised of a first portion and a second portion positioned at an angle relative to each other.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein said body portion includes a panel that when removed exposes said first sharpening member and said second sharpening member.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein said monolithic leg has a first end and a second end associated with said base portion, wherein said first position of use locates said first end and said second end adjacent to said body portion, and wherein said second position of use locates said first end away from said body portion and said second end away from said body portion.

17. A knife sharpening device, comprising: a body having at least one groove that accommodates a sharpening member; a base interconnected to said housing; and a monolithic leg rotatably associated by a single pivot point with said base and operatively interconnected to said body, said monolithic leg capable of rotation about a single pivot that has a centralized axis parallel to a normal axis of said base, said unitary monolithic leg having a first position of use wherein said monolithic leg is in line with said body, and a second position of use wherein said monolithic leg is positioned at an angle relative to said body, wherein a first end and a second end of said monolithic leg are positioned away from and on opposite sides of said body.

18. The knife sharpening device of claim 17, wherein said second position of use is defined by said monolithic leg being generally orthogonal to said body.

19. The knife sharpening device of claim 17, wherein at least one groove comprises a first groove for a coarse sharpening member and a second groove for a fine sharpening member.

20. The knife sharpening device of claim 17, wherein said body includes at least one finger recess.

21. The knife sharpening device of claim 17, further comprising: a plurality of detent protrusions on said base; and a plurality of detent recesses on said monolithic leg, wherein said plurality of detent protrusions partially extend into said plurality of detent recesses to secure said monolithic leg in at least one of said first position of use and said second position of use.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of these inventions.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the knife sharpening device of one embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the knife sharpening device shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the knife sharpening device shown in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the knife sharpening device shown in a second position of use wherein a rotatable leg portion of the base is deployed;

(6) FIG. 5 is a right elevation view of the knife sharpening device in the configuration shown in FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the knife sharpening device in the configuration of FIG. 4; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows one embodiment of the present invention in use.

(9) To assist in the understanding of one embodiment of the present invention the following list of components and associated numbering found in the drawings is provided herein:

(10) # Component

(11) 2 Knife sharpening device

(12) 6 Body

(13) 10 Base

(14) 14 Fine sharpening member

(15) 18 Coarse sharpening member

(16) 22 Finger recess

(17) 26 Leg

(18) 28 Pivot

(19) 30 Recess

(20) 34 Recess

(21) 38 Panel

(22) 40 Detent Recess

(23) 42 Detent Protrusion

(24) 46 First end

(25) 52 Second end

(26) 56 Pad

(27) 60 Blade

(28) It should be understood the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details that are unnecessary for an understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(29) FIGS. 1-7 show a knife sharpening device 2 of one embodiment of the present invention that includes a body 6 interconnected to a base 10. The body 6 includes at least one sharpening member. Here, a fine sharpening member 14 and a coarse sharpening member 18 are provided. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that additional sharpening members may be employed, wherein a wider body 6 could accommodate additional sharpening members. The body 6 also includes a finger recess 22 that helps increase the ability to grip and improves the knife sharpening device stability during use. The base 10 also includes a rotatable leg 26. In a first stored position of use, as shown in FIG. 1, the leg 26 is in line with the base 10. FIGS. 4-7 show the knife sharpening device 2 in a second position of use where the leg 26 is generally perpendicular to the body 6, which enhances stability when the knife sharpening device 2 is being used.

(30) FIGS. 1-3 show the knife sharpening device in a first position of use for storage. In this low-profile configuration, the knife sharpening device can easily fit within a user's pocket. The sharpening members in this embodiment comprise the fine sharpening member 14 positioned in a recess 30 within the body. The coarse sharpening member 18 is positioned within a second recess 34 providing the body. The body 6 includes a selectively removable panel 38 that when removed exposes the individual components of the fine sharpening member 14 and the coarse sharpening member 18. Thus, when the fine sharpening member 14 or coarse sharpening member 18 become worn or less effective, they can be adjusted, i.e., rotated in the case of rods or flipped in the case of carbide plates, to provide an ideal sharpening member. Alternatively, the sharpening members can be replaced and the panel 38 reconnected.

(31) FIG. 2 shows how the fine sharpening member 14 and the coarse sharpening member 18 are positioned are comprised of separate components that are positioned at an optimum angle to create optimum sharpening characteristics in the knife blade. That is, the angle is designed such that users can simply place the blade within the groove and pull it perpendicular to the body 6 without having to concentrate on angling the blade properly against the sharpening components. The fine sharpening member is comprised of two ceramic rods angled about 44 relative to each other. The coarse sharpening member is comprised of 2 carbide plates with edges angled about 44 relative to each other.

(32) FIGS. 4-7 show the knife sharpening device 2 in the second position of use wherein the leg 26 is rotated outwardly about a pivot 28 to be positioned generally perpendicular to the body 6. In this configuration, the lateral footprint is increased over the footprint of the knife sharpening device 2 in its first position of use. Accordingly, the body 6 does not tilt or sway when the blade is pulled across the sharpening members. Any movement of the blade sharpening device, which can occur when using the devices disclosed in the references listed above, is unsafe and can adversely affect sharpening and the proper sharpening angle. Although a leg 26 with a first end 46 of the second end 52 is shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the leg 26 need only to extend in the direction of knife pull to increase the device's stability.

(33) The leg may terminate in ends with shaped or arcuate profiles that fit into a corresponding shaped profile in the base 10. This ensures that the leg 26 can only rotate in one direction, as rotation in the opposite direction is prevented by engagement of the end surface with the corresponding surface in the base (See FIG. 6.) FIG. 6 also shows that the base leg may include a plurality of compliant pads 56 that help the device firmly grasp the surface on which it is placed.

(34) FIG. 7 shows one embodiment of the present invention in use. Here, the user grasps the finger recess 22 with their thumb and forefinger after the leg 26 is rotated to the second position of use. The sharpening device configured in this way remains stable as the blade 60 is pulled through each sharpening member and, thus, a high degree of control is achieved.

(35) FIGS. 4-7 also show a detent system that may be used to secure the positions of the knife sharpening device 2, specifically the position of the leg 26 with respect to the base 10. The detent system is used to mechanically resist or arrest rotation of the leg 26 relative to the base 10. FIGS. 4 and 7 show a detent recess 40 on a top surface of the leg 26, and FIG. 6 shows a detent protrusion 42 on a bottom surface of the base 10. The detent protrusions 42 partially extend into the detent recesses 40 to achieve the desired resisting or arresting effect. Therefore, the knife sharpening device 2 may be secured in the first position of use as shown in FIGS. 1-3 and/or the second position of use as shown in FIGS. 4-7.

(36) The detent system may have a variety of configurations. The detent protrusions 42 and the detent recesses 40 are circular in FIGS. 4 and 6-7. However, in some embodiments, the detent protrusions 42 may have a bar shape, and the detent recesses 40 may have a slot shape. Further, the detent protrusions 42 and recesses 40 are partially visible on the leg 26 and the base 10. It will be appreciated that in various embodiments, the detent protrusions 42 and recesses 40 are positioned closer to the axis of rotation and the pivot 28. Accordingly, in these embodiments, the detent protrusions 42 and recesses 40 would not be visible in FIGS. 4 and 6-7. Further still, there may be several variations in the number of detent protrusions 42 and recesses 40. In the embodiment in FIGS. 4-7, there are four detent protrusions 42 and four detent recesses 40 arrayed around axis of rotation and the pivot 28. This allows the leg 26 to be secured in the first and second positions. However, some embodiments of the invention may have any number of detent protrusions 42 and recesses 40 to secure the leg 26 relative to the base 10 in any number of positions of use. It will also be appreciated that some embodiments may not include a detent system.

(37) While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. It is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims. Further, it is to be understood that the invention(s) described herein is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the preceding description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of including, comprising, or having and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.