Cutting tool

Abstract

A cutting tool with handle and a cutting member that includes a feed slot with a cutting blade and a guiding member with a discus-like shape formed by two opposing convex surfaces is provided. The cutting blade is arranged on one convex surface leading the material to be cut into the slot to the cutting blade. The tool handle extends substantially parallel with the plane containing the at least one cutting blade in order to improve the manual control of the tool by pulling or pushing.

Claims

1. A cutting tool including a handle and a cutting member for cutting or shearing a material, the cutting member comprising: a feed slot provided between a cutting blade and a co-operating counter member, which for a cutting cooperation of the cutting blade and the co-operating counter member, an acute angle is formed therebetween; a guiding member with a discus shape formed by two convex surfaces on either side of a central plane through the guiding member, wherein the central plane is perpendicular to a plane containing at least one of the cutting blade and the co-operating counter member; wherein each of the two convex surfaces are bounded by a curved front edge and by a trailing edge that is a curved edge or a rectilinear edge, wherein the curved front edge and the trailing edge are approximately at least one of semi- and semi-oval-shaped, wherein at least the curved front edge is joined together; wherein a recess is provided in an upper side of a first convex surface of the two convex surfaces, and in the recess, the cutting blade is arranged such that the cutting blade extends above the first convex surface, at least one of the cutting blade and the co-operating counter member being oriented with a cutting edge oriented towards a front end of the guiding member; and wherein the handle extends substantially parallel with the plane containing at least one of the cutting blade and the co-operating counter member and is positioned with an extension above a second convex surface of the two convex surfaces.

2. The cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein the handle is located above the feed slot.

3. The cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein the cutting edge of the cutting blade is pointing in a cutting direction, and the handle is provided in front of the cutting blade with respect to a cutting direction in order to facilitate use of the tool by a pulling movement.

4. The cutting tool according to claim 3, wherein the handle extends farther away from the cutting blade in the cutting direction than the guiding member.

5. The cutting tool according to claim 1, further comprising an additional knife member of the cutting tool, the additional knife being placed without co-operation with the cutting blade.

6. The cutting tool according to claim 5, wherein the handle is elongate, and the additional knife member is an elongate knife blade in extension of said elongate handle; wherein the elongate knife blade is provided with a cutting knife edge and has a front end farthest away from the handle and an opposite end that is attached to the handle; wherein the guiding member is provided at a side that is opposite the cutting knife edge.

7. The cutting tool according to claim 6, wherein the guiding member is provided on a holder part, and there is provided the cutting blade extending at an acute angle from this side in an oblique direction away from a front end and forms the feed slot between the guiding member and the handle.

8. The cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein the two convex surfaces have a largest width and length of between 10 and 30 mm.

9. The cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein the two convex surfaces have a maximum width of between 20 mm and 250 mm, a maximum length of between 30 mm and 300 mm, and a maximum height of between 10 mm and 50 mm measured at the largest distance between the two convex surfaces.

10. The cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein the two convex surfaces have rounded corners between the curved front edges and the rear edges.

11. The cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein the guiding member has a length and a width that is several times a thickness.

12. The method for using a cutting tool according to claim 1, the use comprising removing nets from Christmas trees, unpacking of packaged products, or slaughtering of animals.

13. A cutting tool including a handle and a cutting member for cutting or shearing a material, the cutting member comprising: a feed slot provided between a cutting blade and a co-operating counter-cutting blade, which for a cutting cooperation of the cutting blade and the co-operating counter-cutting blade, an acute angle is formed therebetween; a guiding member with a discus shape formed by two convex surfaces on either side of a central plane through the guiding member, wherein the central plane is perpendicular to a plane containing at least one of the cutting blade and the co-operating counter-cutting blade; wherein each of the two convex surfaces are bounded by a curved front edge and by a trailing edge that is a curved edge or a rectilinear edge, wherein the curved front edge and the trailing edge are approximately at least one of semi- and semi-oval-shaped, wherein at least the curved front edge is joined together; wherein a recess is provided in an upper side of a first convex surface of the two convex surfaces, and in the recess, the cutting blade is arranged such that the cutting blade extends above the first convex surface, at least one of the cutting blade and the co-operating counter-cutting blade being oriented with a cutting edge oriented towards a front end of the guiding member; and wherein the handle extends substantially parallel with the plane containing at least one of the cutting blade and the co-operating counter-cutting blade and is positioned with an extension above a second convex surface of the two convex surfaces.

14. The cutting tool according to claim 13, wherein the handle is located above the feed slot.

15. The cutting tool according to claim 13, further comprising an additional knife member of the cutting tool, the additional knife being placed without co-operation with the cutting member.

16. The cutting tool according to claim 13, wherein the two convex surfaces have rounded corners between the curved front edges and the rear edges.

17. The method for using a cutting tool according to claim 13, the use comprising removing nets from Christmas trees, unpacking of packaged products, or slaughtering of animals.

18. A cutting tool including a handle and a cutting member for cutting or shearing a material, the cutting member comprising: a feed slot provided between two cooperating cutting blades, which for a cutting cooperation of the two cooperating cutting blades, an acute angle is formed therebetween; a guiding member with a discus shape formed by two convex surfaces on either side of a central plane through the guiding member, wherein the central plane is perpendicular to a plane containing at least one of the two cutting blades and the co-operating counter member; wherein each of the two convex surfaces are bounded by a curved front edge and by a trailing edge that is a curved edge or a rectilinear edge, wherein the curved front edge and the trailing edge are approximately at least one of semi- and semi-oval-shaped, wherein at least the curved front edge is joined together; wherein a recess is provided in an upper side of a first convex surface of the two convex surfaces, and in the recess, the two cutting blades are arranged such that at least one of the two cutting blades extends above the first convex surface, at least one of the two cutting blades being oriented with a cutting edge oriented towards a front end of the guiding member; and wherein the handle extends substantially parallel with the plane containing at least one of the two cutting blades and is positioned with an extension above a second convex surface of the two convex surfaces.

19. The cutting tool according to claim 1, wherein the handle is located above the feed slot.

20. The method for using a cutting tool according to claim 18, the use comprising removing nets from Christmas trees, unpacking of packaged products, or slaughtering of animals.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

(1) Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a tool;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a partial view of another embodiment of a tool;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a guiding member for use in the tool,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a view of another embodiment of a guiding member for use in a tool;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a view of a further embodiment of a guiding member for use in a tool;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a view of a further embodiment of a guiding member for use in a tool;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a view of a further embodiment of a guiding member for use in a tool;

(9) FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of a tool;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a top view of a third embodiment of a guiding member for use in a tool;

(11) FIG. 10 shows a side view of a further embodiment of inserts for use in a tool;

(12) FIG. 11 shows a side view of a further embodiment of inserts for use in a tool;

(13) FIG. 12 shows a side view of a further embodiment of inserts for use in a tool;

(14) FIG. 13 shows a side view of a further embodiment of inserts for use in a tool;

(15) FIG. 14 shows a schematic view of a further embodiment of a tool;

(16) FIG. 15 shows a view of a further embodiment of a tool;

(17) FIG. 16 shows a view of a further embodiment of a tool;

(18) FIG. 17 shows a view of a further embodiment of a tool;

(19) FIG. 18 shows a view of a further embodiment of a tool;

(20) FIG. 19 shows a view of a further embodiment of a tool;

(21) FIG. 20 shows a view of a further embodiment of a tool;

(22) FIG. 21 shows a view of a further embodiment of a tool; and

(23) FIG. 22 shows a sketch of a tool suitable for use in slaughtering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(24) In the different figures, identical or corresponding elements will be designated by the same reference numerals. There will, therefore, not be given a specific explanation for each element in connection with each single embodiment.

(25) FIG. 1 shows a cutting tool 1 comprising a handle 2 and a cutting blade 3 for cutting through a net 4 that is used for packaging of a Christmas tree 5 in such a way that the branches are kept resiliently pressed together.

(26) The cutting member 3 comprises two cutting blades 6,7, each having a cutting edge 6″, 7″. Thus, there is formed an feed slot 9 with an insertion angle 8 between the two cutting blades 6,7, where the net or other material is inserted for cutting by the two cutting blades 6,7. The handle 2 comprises a holder part 10 in which the cutting blades 6,7 are fastened by screws 11. These screws 11 can be arranged such that the cutting blades 6,7 are replaceable. As an alternative to the fastening by screws 11, the holder part can 10 can be mounted by elements that engage by a snap-action with other holding elements of the handle 2. Thus, a holder part into which the cutting blades 6,7 are embedded by molding can easily be replaced by using such snap action. An example of a snap-action is a restraint of an element by means of a hook that engages behind an edge, wherein either the hook or the edge is provided flexibly displaceable laterally to the edge.

(27) The handle 2 further comprises a handle portion 12 that makes it possible for the user to hold the tool. The handle portion 12 has an orientation parallel to the arrow 13, which is in a cutting direction, which is also the orientation of the cutting blades 6,7.

(28) The cutting member 3 further comprises a guiding member 14. The guiding member 14 comprises a first convex surface 15. Appearing more clearly from FIG. 3, the first convex surface 15 has a recess 17 for receiving the cutting blades 6,7. As is apparent from FIG. 1, the surface 18 of the first convex surface 15 is located a little higher than the upper surface of the cutting blade 6. Thereby, the net 4 will be conveyed into the feed slot 9 without hindrance when it slides over the first convex surface 15. Because of the convexity of the surface 15, there will be a stretch in addition to the one that already result from the contractive force of the net around a tree. Thereby, the net will be kept very tight when it is fed into the slot, which eases the cutting.

(29) As it more clearly appears in FIG. 3, the guiding member 14 has a curved front edge 19 and a substantially rectilinear rear edge 20, where the recess 17 is located in the first convex surface 15. As seen from above, the guiding member 14 is approximately semi-circular or shaped as part of an oval. This appears especially clearly from FIG. 5-7, which illustrate different possible curved shapes for the guiding member 14.

(30) In FIG. 2, a counter-cutting blade 21 is seen held in a housing 22 by screws 23. A second cutting blade is provided in the form of a rotational disc 24. The rotating disk interacts with the counter-cutting blade 21. The rotational disk 24 is polygonal, thus, having a number of rectilinear cutting blades 25. Each of these cutting blades 25, form an acute angle 9 with the counter-cutting blade 21, ensuring the cutting of the net not only by the acute angle but also by the rotation, so that the net is cut effectively by the rotation of the knife 24. The activation is done by a switch 27 that is located on the housing 22. The housing 22 contains a motor and possibly batteries in case of battery-powered tool. Thus, the housing 22 functions as a handle for the tool. FIG. 2 shows the lower surface of the housing 22 extending below the lower surface of the second convex surface 16. However, it is preferred that the lower surfaces are in the same plane, as shown in FIG. 1.

(31) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the guiding member 14 differing slightly from the one that is shown in FIG. 3. The guiding member 14 in FIG. 3 is provided with rounded corners 26 at the transition between the curved edge 19 and the rectilinear edge 20. This ensures that there is no risk for the net getting caught, if it is necessary to make a rearward pull of the tool during use.

(32) Because of the tool's curved front edge, insertion between the net 4 and the tree 5 will occur automatically. Because of the curved shape, the guiding member 14 will ensure that the tool is not caught by the net or the branches. At the same time, the convex shape leads to a stretching of the net so as to more securely hold it tightly during the cutting by the cutting blades.

(33) FIGS. 5-7 illustrate various forms of the guiding member 14. Thus, FIGS. 5 and 7 show curved edges 19. These are formed as part of an oval, either at the tip or along an elongate side. FIG. 6 shows a curved edge 19 that has the shape approximately as a semi-circle.

(34) FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of a cutting tool 1. In this figure, the cutting tool is shown schematically. This figure serves to illustrate that the handle 2 can be located at a position immediately above the feed slot 9. Further, this embodiment shows a curved cutting blade 6′ extending as a smooth arc. The cutting blade 6′ is substantially shaped as a parabola that partially surrounds the feed slot 9. With this configuration, wherein the handle 2 is located above the feed slot 9, less twisting of the arm is achieved when the user is applying the cutting tool 1.

(35) FIG. 9 shows a side view of a third embodiment of guiding member 14. Unlike the guiding member 14 of FIG. 4, the roundings 26 connecting the curved front edge 19 with the rectilinear rear edge 20 are retracted relatively to the rectilinear rear edge 20. This gives rise to two rearwards directed areas 26′. These areas 26′ reduce the risk of the tool getting stuck when it is retracted when used for cutting of a net. By the rounding 26 with the retracted edges 20, some kind of “protection” is achieved that ensures that cut parts of the net located on either side of the tool are conveyed along the outer side and will not get stuck, in contrast to the case with a sharper transition between the rectilinear rear side 20 and the curved front edge 19.

(36) FIG. 10 shows a holder part 28 which by means of holding elements, for example, snap-members (not shown), may be inserted, for example snapped, into a holder part in the handle portion. In the holder part 28, two straight cutting edges 6,7 are embedded by molding, thus, forming the feed slot 9.

(37) FIG. 11 corresponds to FIG. 10, apart from the holder part 28 being provided with a curved cutting edge 6′ similar to that one of FIG. 8. The cutting blade 6′ partially surrounds the feed slot 9. The holder part 28 is also designed to be fixed by holding elements, for example by a snap-action.

(38) In FIGS. 12 and 13, there are shown embodiments corresponding to FIGS. 10 and 11. However, these embodiments are shown with cutting edges 6 and 7, or 6′ respectively, which have a significantly larger extension. This allows for a longer cutting edge having a cutting effect with higher reliability when cutting the net. The length of the rectilinear cutting edges 6,7 in the feed slot and, thus, also of the two side portions of the curved cutting edge 6′ may be from about 20 mm to about 70 mm. The distance at the inlet opening of the feed slot 9 will be determined based on safety concerns, so that it prevents a hand getting into the feed slot. Therefore, the feed slot 9, typically, has a height at the inlet opening of less than 18 mm.

(39) FIG. 14 shows a tool 1 in which the handle portion 12 is mounted above the housing 22 by two mounting pins 31a. A location of the handle portion 12 above the housing 22 provides good balance of the tool. Thus, a twist in the user's hand is reduced. Placing a handle portion 12, as shown in FIG. 14, can also be applied to the motorized embodiments as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. In this embodiment, at the underside of the housing, a knife 29 is mounted with a cutting blade 30 facing rearwards relatively to the tool's use when cutting a net. The knife 29 is used to make a hole in a net or to perform other cutting as locations where there is no possibility to establish a stretching of the net on the guiding member 14. This is particularly advantageous for making a hole in a net in a situation where the net is tightened at the base of a tree. Subsequently, the guiding member 14 is inserted into the hole and the cutting action can start. The cutting blade 30 is directed rearwards, so that there is no risk of getting caught during normal use of the cutting member 3.

(40) FIGS. 15-18 show an image of a further tool 1 as seen from different angles.

(41) In the tool of FIGS. 15-18, a recess 31 is provided in the first convex surface 15. The cutting edge 7, thus, extends above the first convex surface 15 as it is placed in the recess 31. At its upper side, the cutting blade 7 is connected to a holder 32 for the handle 12.

(42) In this embodiment, the curved front edge 19 has a transition to the rear edge 34 in the form of rounded corners 33. The rear edge 34 is shown as curved in this embodiment. The rear edge 34 may alternatively be rectilinear. Further, in FIGS. 15 and 17, the reference numeral 35 indicates the forward end of the guiding member 14. The point 35, thus, constitutes the point which is at the front during a cutting operation where the tool is moved with the knife in a forward direction 13.

(43) In the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 15-18, there is provided a further knife member in the form of a knife 29. The knife 29 will, as mentioned above, be used for making a hole in the net before cutting commences with the guiding member 14 located between the product and the packaging.

(44) The cutting edge 30 will also in this situation be directed rearwards with regard to the guided direction during the normal cutting motion. Thus there is no risk of it getting caught during normal use of the cutting member 3.

(45) It is noted that the cutting direction of the blade 29 and the cutting blade 7 are mutually opposite.

(46) FIGS. 19-21 show a further embodiment of a cutting tool according to the invention, where a guiding member 14 has substantially the same shape as illustrated in FIGS. 15-18. That is, the cutting blade 7, also in this embodiment, is located in a recess in the first convex surface 15.

(47) The handle with the handle portion 12 is positioned by a holder part 36 at the rear end of the guiding member 14. The holder part 36 is positioned upwards relatively to the upper side of the first convex surface 15. The handle portion 12 extends forward so that it is in a position above and in front of the cutting blade 7. The handle portion 12 extends farther away from the cutting blade 7 than the guiding member 14, making the pulling movement during the cutting easy. Also in this embodiment, a single cutting blade 7 co-operates with a counter-holder 31, which is provided at the underside of the handle portion 12.

(48) In this construction, the further blade 29 is positioned above the cutting member 3 and the cutting blade 30 is directed forwards in the same direction as the cutting blade 7.

(49) This tool will be used with a “pulling” movement of the handle portion 12 in the guiding direction 13, which also corresponds to the orientation of the handle portion 12.

(50) The orientation of the handle portion 12 will in all embodiments correspond to the orientation of the arrow 13. The arrow 13 will also indicate the direction of movement that the tool during a normal cutting motion of the cutting blade third

(51) It is preferred that any embodiment of the tool is provided with a knife 29 that is suitable for breaking a packaging, such that there is provided an initial cut of the packaging.

(52) FIG. 22 shows a knife 39, intended for use in slaughtering, comprising a handle 2 in extension of a knife blade 37, wherein the knife blade 37 is provided with a pointed front part 38 and with a cutting knife edge 37′ at one elongate side and a blunt edge 37″ at the opposite elongate side of the knife blade 37. The knife blade 37 is suitable for breaking skin of an animal similar to the breaking that is done with the knife 29 of the embodiments described above. The knife blade 37 is also suitable for the general slaughter work. The handle 2 has a first end 2′, which is opposite to the pointed front part 38, and a second, opposite end, which is closer to the pointed front part 38. On that side of the knife 39 that is opposite the cutting edge 37′, there is provided a guiding member 14 on a holder part 36′ as well as a cutting blade 7 extending at an acute angle from this side towards the guiding member 14 and in an oblique direction away from the pointed front part 38. Thereby the handle 2 and the cutting blade 7 form a feed slot 9 that is open in the direction towards the first end 2′ of the handle 2. Also, this tool will then be used with a “pulling” movement of the handle 2, that is, in a direction with the first end 2′ of the handle 2 at the lead during the movement.

(53) As is apparent from FIG. 22, a portion of the handle 2 advances in extension of the blunt knife edge 37″ such that the distance from the handle 2 along the blunt edge 37″ of the knife blade 37 to the pointed front part 38 is shorter than the distance from the handle 2 to the pointed front part 38 along the cutting knife edge 37′, for example at least 15% or at least 25% shorter than the length of the cutting knife edge 37′. There are also other options for providing the guiding member 14 on the knife 39. For example, guiding member 14 may be attached to the knife blade 37, for example attached to a holder part 36′ that is molded onto the knife blade 37. In order to ensure that the holder part 36′ is not sliding off the knife blade 37, the knife blade 37 may be provided with holes along the blunt edge 37″ through which the polymer material of the holder part 36′ is molded.

(54) Such a knife 39 is advantageous in connection with slaughtering, where the blade knife 37 is used to cut a hole in an animal, especially the abdomen, and the guiding member 14 is inserted under the skin at the abdomen for raising the abdominal wall by pull in the handle 2 and simultaneously cutting it with the cutting blade 7 without risk of the intestinal wall being damaged by the cutting blade during cutting.

(55) It is noted that the cutting knife edge 37′ of the knife blade 37 is directed opposite to the cutting direction 13 of the cutting blade 7 by pulling the handle 2. The handle 2 extends farther away from the blade 7 in the cutting direction 13 than the guiding member 14, making the pulling movement during cutting easy and provides a good control of the tool during use.

(56) In FIG. 22, the plane 40 containing the cutting blade 7 is indicated as a dotted line 40, and the center plane of the guiding member 14 is indicated by another dotted line 41, and it is noted that the two planes 40, 41 are perpendicular to each other.

(57) A typical maximum length and maximum width of the guiding member 14 is 10-30 mm, for example 10-20 mm. The greatest thickness is typically 3-5 mm. Also in this case, the width and length is larger than the thickness and advantageously larger than several times the thickness, for example at least twice the thickness.

(58) Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

(59) For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.