BLADE SHARPENING APPARATUS

Abstract

A blade sharpening apparatus includes a base member including a front face and a rear face and a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted to straighten a blade of a knife. The blade sharpening apparatus further includes an edge sharpener disposed within the base member and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/589,579 filed on Jan. 23, 2012, and entitled “Blade Sharpening Apparatus,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus for unrolling and sharpening a cutting edge on a blade that has its edges rolled or dulled. More specifically, the disclosure is directed toward an improvement including an edge sharpening device.

From time to time it becomes necessary to straighten, realign, and/or sharpen the microscopic edge of a cutting tool such as a knife. During use, the edge of a blade becomes rolled or turned from direct contact with hard objects. It is important to maintain a uniform pressure and a proper even edge angle when sharpening a cutting edge. Previous sharpening devices have involved complex implements that commonly remove material from the cutting edge. Additionally, many of the previous devices are designed for use either only by a right-handed or left-handed person while sharpening one side of the edge at a time, not both. The present disclosure relates to a sharpener having a substantially enclosed versatile biasing assembly that resists contamination during use and provides for outstanding cleaning.

2. Description of the Background

U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,569 owned by the applicant herein describes an apparatus for straightening and sharpening a cutting edge of a blade. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,272 (“the '272 patent”), also owned by applicant herein, describes an apparatus for sharpening a cutting edge on a blade.

Earlier devices for sharpening blades fall into three broad categories: (a) devices having sharpening elements in permanent fixed relationship such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 578,440; 1,851,520; 1,909,743; 2,767,530 and 5,163,251; (b) devices having sharpening elements in movable relationship to each other with fully exposed biasing assemblies such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,110; and (c) devices having sharpening elements in movable relationship to each other with biasing assemblies not shielded from debris such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,041,631; 1,570,083; 2,124,646; 2,885,836; 4,550,632; and 4,624,079 as well as Patent Nos. GB 293,785 and GB 517,242.

There are problems and limitations with all of these earlier devices. Devices having sharpening elements in fixed relationship to each other are relatively inefficient, needing considerably more resistance when passing a blade between the elements in order to sharpen the blade and may not provide optimal sharpening of the blade. These arrangements often remove perceptible metal fragments from the blade, which shortens the useful blade life and is undesirable for contamination reasons.

In movable element arrangements, exposed biasing means, such as counterweights, lever arms, springs and the like, are prone to collect food particles and other debris during use. These sharpening devices are often used in food processing plants where the blades to be sharpened are full of meat particles. Where the spring is not shielded from debris that may accumulate during use, this condition can cause related problems of contamination and disease.

In certain food industries, governmental authorities regulate and inspect the processing of food for sale to consumers. While many sharpening devices produce a sharp blade, these prior devices have disadvantages of exposed parts or configurations that collect debris and contribute to the problems of contamination and disease. Additionally, cleaning the exposed parts of known devices is costly as these require specific attention to the meshed windings of springs and counterweights and the like. Cleaning may require disassembly of the housing in order to clean the apparatus and remove the debris. Sometimes when an operator is using prior art devices, the operator may be of the misconception, in not seeing the debris that is collecting, that all is well and the apparatus does not need cleaning, which in fact is not the case. Thus, there is a need for a blade sharpening apparatus of the present disclosure that eliminates operator error due to unseen contamination, reduces cleaning and maintenance costs, eliminates contamination thereof, and provides for unrolling and sharpening of blades.

SUMMARY

According to one illustrative embodiment, a blade sharpening apparatus comprises a base member including a front face and a rear face and a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted to straighten a blade of a knife. The apparatus further includes an edge sharpener disposed within the base member and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife.

According to a further illustrative embodiment, a blade sharpening apparatus includes a base member including a front face and a rear face and a slot defined in said base member adapted to receive and guide a blade to be sharpened. The apparatus further includes a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted for operation upon guidance of the blade through the slot and an edge sharpener disposed adjacent an end of the slot or an edge of the base member and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife.

According to yet another illustrative embodiment, a blade sharpening apparatus includes a base member including a front face and a rear face and a slot defined in said base member adapted to receive and guide a blade to be sharpened. The apparatus further includes a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted for operation upon guidance of the blade through the slot and a cavity disposed within the rear face of the base member adjacent the slot or an edge of the base member. An edge sharpener is disposed within the cavity and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife, the edge sharpener including first and second opposing sharpening members forming a V-shaped channel and an attachment mechanism for retaining the edge sharpener within the cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features of this disclosure and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent, and the disclosure itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the blade sharpening apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 illustrating oppositely shaped rear spring caps;

FIG. 3 shows a rear spring cap as illustrated in FIG. 2 accommodating a biasing member;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of the blade sharpening apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a front view illustrating the blade sharpening apparatus of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view, taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating a blade sharpening apparatus of another embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a side view, taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view illustrating a blade sharpening apparatus of another embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a side view, taken along the lines 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating a further embodiment of a blade sharpening apparatus including three edge sharpeners;

FIG. 12 a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 illustrating attachment of the three edge sharpeners to the blade sharpener;

FIG. 13 is a top isometric view depicting a first embodiment of an edge sharpener including a rod holder for holding ceramic rods for sharpening an edge of a knife or other implement;

FIG. 14 is a front view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a rear view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a side view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a top view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 is a top isometric view of a second embodiment of an edge sharpener including two carbide blades;

FIG. 19 is a front view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 is a side view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 18;

FIG. 22 is a view along the line of sight 22 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 23 is a view along the line of sight 23 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 24 is a top isometric view of a third embodiment of an edge sharpener including two carbide blades;

FIG. 25 is a front view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a bottom view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 24;

FIG. 27 is a view along the line of sight 27 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 28 is a view along the line of sight 28 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 29 is a front view illustrating a further embodiment of a blade sharpening apparatus including three edge sharpeners and a handle; and

FIG. 30 is a rear view of the blade sharpening apparatus of FIG. 24.

Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, wherein similar structures have like or similar reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to a blade sharpening apparatus. While the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms, several specific embodiments are discussed herein with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered only as an exemplification of the principles of the blade sharpening apparatus disclosed herein, and it is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated.

In the Figures, like reference numerals indicate the same elements throughout. Referring to FIG. 1, a front view illustration of a illustrative blade sharpening apparatus of the present disclosure generally designated as 10 is shown. The blade sharpener 10 generally includes a base member 12 having a front face 14. A slot 18 is formed in the base member for receiving and guiding a blade during sharpening. An entrance 19 allows the blade to be inserted through the slot 18. The base member 12 also includes a pair of apertures 20 and 22 for receiving and substantially entirely enclosing a pair of biasing members 24 and 26 so as to protect them from debris and other particles during use. The pair of apertures go all the way through the base member 12. The blade sharpener 10 of FIG. 1 includes first, second and third sharpening members 28, 30 and 32 (the third sharpening member 32 is positioned behind the second sharpening member 30, which is more clearly illustrated in FIG. 4), curved rods, which are used to sharpen the cutting edge of a knife blade or other cutting tools such as a scissors, shears or hedge trimmers. The sharpening members 28, 30 and 32, as rods, will unroll the tiny microscopic teeth on the edge of the blade when the blade is drawn across the straight ends of the rods using light pressure. After straightening the edge of the blade, the blade is drawn through the curved rods with light pressure to sharpen the blade. While the rods 28, 30, and 32 are shown as being curved, one or more of the rods 28, 30, and 32 may be straight and/or have any other shape.

The base member 12 is provided with stop members 34, 36 and 38, preferably pins with knobs on the distal ends, which are configured to control and limit the rotation of the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 between a first “at rest” position, as illustrated by the solid lines in FIG. 1, and a second position as illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. 1. Stop members 34, 36 and 38 preferably pass completely through the base member 12 for easier removal and reassembly. The stop members 34, 36, and 38 may have a shoulder so they are flush with the front face 14 of the base member 12.

The base member 12 is generally formed of a hard durable plastic, such as polypropylene, that is easily cleaned by water and/or a cleansing solution. The base member 12 can be formed of any desired shape.

Rotatable posts 44 and 46 extend outwardly from the front face 14 of the base member and are rotatable about a central axis of the apertures 20 and 22 respectively. Sharpening rods 30 and 32 are secured to post 46 for rotation therewith and sharpening rod 28 is secured to post 44. As best shown in FIG. 6, the post 44 includes a stem 52 extending from one end. The same stem is present on post 46, which is identical in structure to post 44.

The blade sharpener 10 includes top guide rails 48 and 50 so as to allow a blade to be easily inserted at the upper portion of the slot 18. The guide rails 48 and 50 may be formed of metal and angled toward the entrance 19 of the slot 18 to guide a blade into the slot 18 without the blade contacting the base member 12. Alternately, the guide rails 48 and 50 can be offset with one higher than the other as shown in FIG. 7 to help guide the blade into the slot 18. The gap between guide rails 48 may be slightly narrower than the slot 18.

The sharpening members 28, 30 and 32 are manufactured from suitable material to sharpen a blade, such as, 440 C stainless steel hardened to 59-60 Rockwell C Standard by heat treating or the like. The sharpening members 28, 30 and 32 are illustrated as curved in shape but can also be straight as shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 7-9. The embodiments of FIGS. 1-6 illustrate three sharpening rods, but either of rods 30 or 32 could be eliminated resulting in an apparatus having only two sharpening rods, one extending across the slot 18 from each side thereof. Also, embodiments can be constructed having more than three sharpening rods if desired. The rods 30 and 32 are mounted parallel to each other but are spaced apart to define a gap therebetween through which the sharpening rod 28 extends.

The stop members 34, 36 and 38 can be manufactured from steel, plastic, or other suitable material as is known in the art to be durable and to withstand the rigors of use. The stop members 34, 36 and 38 may be pins that have a shoulder that will be flush when the pins are pressed into the base. Since the stop members go all the way though the base member 12, the stop members 34, 36 and 38 can be more easily removed and reassembled if the stop members 34, 36 and 38 become worn out.

The biasing members 24 and 26 can be made from rotary coil torsion springs having two free ends. In an illustrative embodiment, each torsion spring provides approximately 0.51-0.55 pound-inches of torque to the rotatable posts 44, 46 and the sharpening members 28, and 32 respectively connected thereto. The torsion spring may be selected to provide such biasing torque although other tensions and torque specifications are contemplated depending on the desired application. Other resilient biasing mechanisms capable of accomplishing the same result could be substituted for the torsion spring mechanism.

The base member 12 further includes mounting holes 64 so that the blade sharpening apparatus 10 can be secured to a work station, countertop, machine, assembly line or the like. Bolts can be inserted through mounting holes 64 and mounting surface, and then fastened with nuts and washers as appropriate. Alternately, the blade sharpener 10 can be mounted on the top of a work table or cutting board using grooves 65 in the bottom lip of base member 12.

The posts 44 and 46 can be formed from DELRIN plastic or other suitable material as will be apparent to one skilled in the art. The posts 44 and 46 both include a front cover portion 68 in the form of a skirt that overlies and seals the apertures 20 and 22 on the front face 14 of the base member 12. The front cover portion 68 is rotatably received in a recess 70 (FIG. 6) formed within the apertures 20 and 22.

FIG. 2 shows a rear face 16 of the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1 with oppositely shaped rear spring caps 97 and 98 on each side of the slot 18. In this illustrative embodiment, that can be used in conjunction with any of the later described embodiments, the present disclosure includes two oppositely shaped rear spring caps 97 and 98 that fit into complementary shapes 99 on the rear face 16. The caps 97 and 98 can be D-shaped or any other shape so caps 97 and 98 can only be installed in one position each for proper alignment of the rotatable posts 44 and 46 (or 72 and 74 described later with regard to FIGS. 7 and 8) and the sharpening members. The caps 97 and 98 can be marked with an indicium that corresponds to an indicium on the rear face 16, such as “A” and “B” as shown in FIG. 2. The indicium on at least one rear spring cap corresponds to the indicium on an adjacent portion of the rear face. If the spring caps 97 and 98 are put into the wrong side, it is impossible to assemble the blade sharpener 10 because the flanges will not fit into the base.

The caps 97 and 98 seal the apertures (i.e., 20 and 22) on the rear face 16 of the base member 12 similar to the rear cover portions 58 discussed below and illustrated in FIG. 6. The caps 97 and 98 include central bore 62 and a recess 63, which receives a stem 52. The term “rear cover portions” is meant to define caps 97 and 98. A screw 60 passes through the central bore 62 and is secured into the end of stem 52, thereby sealing the apertures 20 and 22 on the rear face 16 thereof and securing the rotatable posts 44, 46, 72, or 74 in place. In this manner, the posts are secured to the base member 12 and are able to rotate with their associated sharpening members.

As shown in FIG. 3, a cap 97 accommodates a biasing member 24 shielding it from contaminants during use. The side shown in FIG. 3 would face inward toward the rear face 16. The biasing member 24 may be completely inserted into a recess in the cap 97 and, as a torsion spring as shown, is attached at one end 101 to the cap 97 and coiling in a counterclockwise direction. For this specific configuration, the stem 52 would have at least two flattened sides to coordinate with the second end 102 of the biasing member 24, which is shown as three sides of a square. The “B” cap 98 would be of a similar construction, but opposite with the coil rotating in the clockwise direction.

In operation, a blade with rolled edges is positioned at the top of slot 18 and passed downwardly to the bottom of the slot 18 through the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32. The blade is pulled straight down until the sharpening members 28, 30 and 32 contact stop member 36. Then with light pressure, the blade is drawn across the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 until the tip of the blade clears the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 and the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 spring back to the stop members 34 and 38 respectively. This motion unrolls curled edges of the blade.

After the straightening procedure, the blade may also be sharpened. At the top of the slot 18, the handle or hilt end of the blade is positioned close to the front face 14, while the pointed end of the blade extends well beyond the rear face 16, depending on the length of the blade. The blade is ideally pulled about three-quarters of the way down the slot 18 through the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 in one continuous motion. As the blade is drawn from the top of the slot 18 to the bottom, it is also drawn horizontally through the slot 18 so the entire length of the blade is sharpened from the hilt to the point. The sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 contact and sharpen the cutting edge of the blade. As the blade moves downwardly the sharpening members rotate and move downwardly with the blade against the torque of biasing members 24 and 26. The sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 rotate from the first position as shown in full lines in FIGS. 1 and 5 to the second position shown in dotted lines when the blade passes from top to bottom. The sharpening members 30 and 32 extend downwardly and across slot 18 from right to left, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, while the blade 28 extends downwardly and across slot 18 from left to right. The blades intersect in a V-shape to lie across the slot. When sharpening the unrolled blade, the blade should ideally not be pushed all the way down so that the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 come in contact with stop member 36.

Referring to FIGS. 4-6, another embodiment of a blade sharpening apparatus 10 of the present disclosure is illustrated. The blade sharpener 10 generally includes a base member 12 having a front face 14, a rear face 16, and a slot 18 formed in the base member for receiving and guiding a blade during sharpening. The base member 12 also includes a pair of apertures 20 and 22 for receiving and substantially entirely enclosing a pair of biasing members 124 and 126 so as to protect them from debris and other particles during use. The pair of apertures go all the way though the base member 12. The blade sharpener 10 of FIGS. 4-6 includes first, second and third sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 as discussed above.

The base member 12 is provided with stop members 34, 36, and 38 to control and limit the rotation of the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 between a first “at rest” position, as illustrated by the solid lines in FIG. 5, and a second position as illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. 5. The stop members 34, 36 and 38 may pass completely through the base member 12 for easier removal and reassembly. The stop members 34, 36, and 38 may have a shoulder so they are flush with the front face 14 of the base member 12.

Rotatable posts 44 and 46 extend outwardly from the front face 14 of the base member and are rotatable about a central axis of the apertures 20 and 22 respectively. Sharpening rods 30 and 32 are secured to post 46 for rotation therewith and sharpening rod 28 is secured to post 44.

The blade sharpener 10 includes top guide rails 48 and 50 so as to allow a blade to be easily inserted at the upper portion of the slot 18. The guide rails 48 and 50 may be angled toward the slot 18 to guide a blade into the slot 18 without the blade contacting the base member 12. The gap between guide rails 48 may be slightly narrower than the slot 18.

FIG. 6 illustrates how the biasing member 124, or spring, is entirely enclosed within the base member 12, which prevents the accumulation of debris, particles and other contaminants, and which advantageously makes the present disclosure ideally suitable for industrial use.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the post 44 includes a stem 52 extending from one end. The same stem is present on post 46, which is identical in structure to post 44. Disposed within the aperture 20 is a flange 54 configured so that the spring 124 is positioned concentrically over the stem 52. The spring 124 has a pair of free ends, one of which is fastened to the post 44, and the other of which is connected to the flange 54, by suitable fasteners 56A and 56B respectively.

The blade sharpening apparatus 10 further includes rear cover portions 58 for sealing the apertures 20 and 22 on the rear face of the base member 12. FIG. 6 illustrates one such cover portion, which in this case each have an identical configuration. The cover portions 58 are located on the opposite side of the posts 44 and 46. The rear cover portions 58 include a central bore 62 and a recess 63, which receives the stem 52. A screw 60 passes through the central bore 62 and is secured into the end of stem 52, thereby sealing the apertures 20 and 22 on the rear face thereof and securing the rotatable posts 44, 46 in place as previously discussed

The operation of the blade sharpening apparatus embodiment of FIGS. 4-6 is substantially the same as shown and described in FIGS. 1-3 for the illustrative embodiment.

FIGS. 7 and 8, illustrate another embodiment of a blade sharpening apparatus 70 incorporating the features of the present disclosure. The blade sharpener 70 generally includes a base member 12A having a slot 18A with a pair of apertures 20A and 22A located at the lower portion of slot 18A. Sharpening members 28A and 30A are secured in rotatable posts 72 and 74 that extend through apertures 20A and 22A. In this embodiment, the sharpening members 28 A and 30 A are straight and adapted to be secured in the posts 72 and 74 with segments 78 and 80 extending therefrom. The segments 78 and 80 abut stop members 82 and 84 when the apparatus 70 is in the “at rest” position illustrated in full lines in FIG. 7. Each post 72, 74 includes a threaded portion 86, and a rear nut 88 that secures each post within the respective aperture 20A or 22A. A biasing member 85, illustrated as a coil spring, is concentrically mounted over each post 72, 74. The coil spring 85 is shown in FIG. 8 as having one free end constrained by a wall of the apertures 20 and 22 with the other end connected to the post 72 such that the sharpening members are biased to assume a first position shown in full lines in FIG. 7. The resilient biasing member 85 is substantially entirely enclosed within respective apertures 20A and 22A by the nut 88 on the rear face and the threaded portion 86 on the front face. A skirted cover portion (not shown) may be placed on the front face 14A similar to the front cover portion 68 illustrated in FIG. 4. The major distinction between the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-7 and the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 has to do with the orientation of the sharpening members. In the embodiment of FIGS. 4-6, the sharpening members are mounted toward the top of the slot and extend downwardly across the slot. In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8, the sharpening members are mounted toward the bottom of the slot and extend upwardly across the slot.

In operation, the biasing members of FIGS. 7 and 8 position the sharpening members 28A and 30A in the full line position as shown in FIG. 7. The blade is inserted into the upper portion of slot 18A and, by a downward and simultaneous horizontal movement, the sharpening members 28A and 30A are rotated by the motion of the blade to the second position, shown in phantom in FIG. 4, as the blade is sharpened. Upon removal of the blade from the slot, the resilient biasing members 85 rotate the posts 72 and 74 to return the sharpening members 28A and 30A to the first position. The guide rails 48 and 50 are offset with one higher than the other to help guide the blade into the slot 18. One of top guide rails extends farther from the base member than the other to assist the insertion of a blade. Also the guide rails 48 and 50 extend well above the base member to provide a potential hanging means for when the apparatus is not in use.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, another embodiment of a blade sharpening apparatus 90 incorporating the features of the present disclosure is illustrated. The blade sharpener 90 includes a base member 12B having a slot 18B disposed at a mid-portion thereof. The apertures 20B and 2 B are located adjacent the slot 18B at an upper end thereof. The sharpening members 28B and 30B are formed from straight steel rods. This embodiment shows semicircular top guide rails 48.

A pair of rotatable posts 92 is provided, with a post extending through each aperture 20B, 22B. Each post is threaded at both ends with a nut 93 secured over the post at the rear thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 7. A resilient biasing member in the form of a torsion spring 94 is shown mounted within the aperture 20B overlying and concentric with the post 92. The spring 94 is connected at one end to the post 92 and at the other end to the base member. An elbow 96 connects the post 92 to sharpening member 28B.

The operation of the blade sharpening apparatus of FIGS. 9 and 10 is substantially the same as that shown and described in FIGS. 1-6.

A further embodiment of a blade sharpening apparatus 10 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The components of the apparatus 10 that are similar to the previous embodiments are numbered similarly. The apparatus 10 of FIGS. 11 and 12 further includes one or more edge sharpeners 200. The embodiment of FIG. 11 includes three edge sharpeners 200. In particular, and referring to FIG. 12, generally rectangular cavities 202 are formed within the rear face 16 of the edge sharpening apparatus 10. The edge sharpeners 200 are disposed within the cavities and may be retained by screws 204. Optionally, an adhesive, a bolt and nut, a friction fit, an interference fit, material welding, or any other retention mechanism known in the art may be utilized.

An edge sharpener 200 may be placed at the bottom of slot 18. Guide rails 48, 50 similar to those illustrated in connection with any of FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9 may be utilized at or near the opening s of the edge sharpeners 200 on slot 18 of FIGS. 11 and 12.

A first embodiment of an edge sharpener 200 is depicted in FIGS. 13-17. The edge sharpener 200 generally includes a rod holder 210 and two rods 212a, 212b (FIG. 14). The rod holder 210 may have a U-shaped body 214 forming a U-shaped channel 215 with first and second opposing walls 216, 218 joined by a connecting portion 220 that may have a height that is slightly greater than half a height of the walls 216, 218. The connecting portion 220 extends between a first end 222 and a second end 224 of the rod holder 210. The second wall 218 and the connecting portion 220 are truncated at the first end 222 of the rod holder 210 to form an angled wall 230. As best seen in FIG. 14, the angled wall 230 is angled in two manners, in particular, the angled wall 230 is disposed at a first angle A1 that may be between about 2 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 12 and about 28 degrees, and more preferably about 17.5 degrees with respect to a longitudinal axis 232 of the rod holder 210 and may be disposed at a second angle A2 that may be between about 0 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 10 and about 30 degrees, and more preferably about 20 degrees with respect to a lateral axis 234 of the rod holder 210.

As best seen in FIG. 15, the rod holder 210 further includes a first angled channel 240 having a first portion 242 extending through the first wall 216 and a second portion 244 terminating in the connecting portion 220 below the U-shaped channel 215. As seen in FIG. 14, the rod 212a is disposed within the channel 240 with a first end 250 of the rod 212a within the first portion 242, a second end 252 of the rod 212a within the second portion 244, and a central portion 254 of the rod 212a extending into the U-shaped channel 215. Similarly, as best seen in FIG. 15, the rod holder 210 includes a second angled channel 260 having a first portion 262 extending through the second wall 218 and a second portion 264 terminating in the connecting portion 220 below the U-shaped channel 215. Referring to FIG. 14, the rod 212b is disposed within the channel 260 with a first end 270 of the rod 212b within the first portion 262 of the channel 260, a second end 272 within the second portion 264 of the channel 260, and a central portion 274 of the rod 212b extending into the U-shaped channel 215.

Still referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, each of the rods 212a, 212b may be inserted into the rod holder 210 through corresponding apertures 278a, 278b and retained within the respective channels 240, 260 by adhesive, a friction fit, an interference fit, or any other retention mechanism known in the art. Additionally, the rods 212a, 212b may be trimmed, shaved, or of such a shape that the rods 212a, 212b do not extend out of the rod holder 210 beyond an upper surface 280 of the rod holder 210. This provides the rod holder 210 with installed rods 212a, 212b with a size and shape that conforms to the cavity 202, which prevents migration of particles from a knife into the cavity 202. Each of the channels 240, 260 may be disposed at an angle A3, A5 that may be the same or different and may each be between about 2 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 12 and about 28 degrees, and more preferably about 17.5 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis 232. An angle A4, which may be between about 4 and about 90 degrees, preferably between about 4 and about 90 degrees, and more preferably about 35 degrees, may therefore be formed by the intersection of the rods 212a, 212b, wherein exposed edges 282a, 282b and an intersection 284 of the rods 212a, 212b form an edge sharpening tool. While the angles A3, A5 are both shown as being the same, the angles A3, A5 may alternatively be different and, in such instance, the angle A4 would therefore be asymmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis 232.

As best seen in FIGS. 13-15 and 16, a generally cylindrical bore 300 may extend through the connecting portion 220. The bore 300 includes a first section 302 disposed through the second end 224 of the rod holder 210 and a second section 304 disposed through the first end 222 of the rod holder 210. The second section 304 has a side wall with threading that cooperates with threads on a screw and the first section 302 has a greater diameter than the first section 304. An end of screw 306 may be inserted and screwed into the second section 304 to attach the rod holder 210 within the cavities 202 of the blade sharpening apparatus 10. As seen in FIG. 16, the cavities 202 may also include threaded bores aligned with the second section 304 of the bore 300 such that, when the screw 306 is threaded into the second section 304 of the bore 300, threading continues into the threaded bore within the blade sharpening apparatus 10 to attach the rod holder 10. Threading continues until a lower edge 308 of a head 310 of the screw 306 abuts a surface 312 formed between the first and second sections 302, 304 of the bore 300. While one specific embodiment for attachment of the rod holder 210 to the blade sharpening apparatus 10 is described and shown, it should be understood by one skilled in the art that any attachment mechanism known in the art may optionally be utilized and/or variations of the attachment mechanism shown in FIG. 16 are possible.

The rods 212a, 212b of the edge sharpener 200 of FIGS. 12-17 may be made of a ceramic material, for example, a nonporous zirconia or alumina ceramic, or an equivalent ceramic material. Optionally, the rods 212a, 212b may be made of any other material that would allow sharpening of an edge of a knife or cutting instrument having a cutting blade.

A second embodiment of an edge sharpener 400 is depicted in FIGS. 18-23. The edge sharpener 400 comprises a carbide insert, for example a nickel-based carbide, having two carbide blades 404a, 404b. The sharpener 400 may be a unitary or one-piece construction. Each of the blades 404a, 404b includes a top wall 406a, 406b, a bottom wall 408a, 408b, and an outer side wall 410a, 410b extending between respective top walls 406a, 406b and bottom walls 408a, 408b. The side walls 410a, 410b are generally parallel and, with the top and bottom walls 406, 406b, 408a, 408b, form a generally rectangular boundary of the edge sharpener 400. The bottom walls 408a, 408b have widths that are substantially the same and slightly less than an overall width of the sharpener 40 and the top walls 406a, 406a have widths that are less than half the width of the bottom walls 408a, 408b. Angled side walls 412a, 412b extend between the top walls 406a, 406b and the bottom walls 408a, 408b to form a V-shaped cavity 414 between the angled side walls 412a, 412b.

Referring to FIGS. 19, 20, and 22, the angled side wall 412a may be disposed at an angle A6 that may be between about 2 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 12 and about 28 degrees, and more preferably about 17.5 degrees respect to a longitudinal axis 420 of the edge sharpener 400. Further, the angled side wall 412a may be generally parallel to a lateral axis 422 of the edge sharpener 400 (and therefore at an angle A7 of about 90 degrees with respect to a front surface 424 of the blade 404a). An outermost edge 426 of the angled side wall 412b may be disposed at an angle A8 that may be between about 2 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 12 and about 28 degrees, and more preferably about 17.5 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis 420 of the edge sharpener 400 and may be disposed at an angle A9 that may be between about 0 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 10 and about 30 degrees, and more preferably about 20 degrees with respect the lateral axis 422 (and therefore at an angle A10 that may be between about 45 and about 90 degrees, preferably between about 60 and about 80 degrees, and more preferably 70 degrees with respect to a front face 427 of the blade 404b). In particular, the side wall 412b is angled away from the other blade 404a. Similar to the edge sharpener 200 of FIGS. 14-17, the side walls 412a, 412b and an intersection 429 of the sidewalls 412a, 412b form an edge sharpening tool. As also with the embodiment of the edge sharpener 200 of FIGS. 14-17, the edge sharpener 400 may include a bore 430 for insertion of a screw and attachment to the blade sharpening apparatus 10.

A further embodiment of an edge sharpener 400 similar to that of FIGS. 18-23 is depicted in FIGS. 25-28. The only difference is that the side wall 412a is also angled with respect to the lateral axis 422. Referring specifically to FIG. 27, the side wall 412a may be angled inwardly toward the blade 404b at an angle A11 that may be between about 0 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 10 and about 30 degrees, and more preferably about 20 degrees with respect to the lateral axis 422 (and therefore at an angle A12 that may be between about 45 and about 90 degrees, preferably between about 60 and about 80 degrees, and more preferably about 70 degrees with respect to the front surface 424 of the blade 404a).

A further embodiment of a blade sharpening apparatus 10 as seen in FIGS. 29 and 30 is identical to the apparatus of FIGS. 12 and 13 except that the apparatus 10 of FIGS. 29 and 30 includes a handle 500. The handle 500 includes a first generally horizontal portion 502 extending outwardly from the blade sharpener 10 and a second generally vertical portion 504 extending downwardly and away from the horizontal portion 502. The vertical portion 504 is generally parallel to and spaced forwardly from the blade sharpener 10 so that the horizontal portion 502 can be placed onto a surface for support while a user holds the vertical portion 504. A shield 506 extends outwardly from the handle 500 opposite the horizontal portion 502 to protect a user's hand from particles that might migrate from the knife during a straightening or sharpening operation.

As seen in FIGS. 12, 13, 29, and 30, the edge sharpeners 200, 400 may be positioned along an edge 320 of the blade sharpening apparatus 10 or at an end 322 of the slot 18. In one embodiment, if one or more edge sharpeners 200, 400 are positioned along an edge 320 of the apparatus 10, a channel 324 is formed in the edge 320 such that outwardly extending portions 326 are formed beyond the edge 320. The cavity 202 is disposed immediately below the channel 324 such that the rod holder 210 with rods 212a, 212b installed is inserted into the cavity (and attached to the apparatus 10) with the center portions 254, 274 of the rods 212a, 212h, respectively, extending into the channel 324. The outwardly extending portions 326 cover the walls 216, 218 of the rod holder 210 and the channel 324 and the outwardly extending portions 326 form a guiding structure for the blade of a knife.

During use of the blade sharpening apparatus 10, a user may draw a knife through the rods 212a, 212b or the blades 404a, 404b of the edge sharpener 200, 400 one or more times to achieve a desired edge sharpness for the knife. Ceramic and carbide have the ability to remove edge material, thereby transforming a blunt edge to a sharp edge. The addition of one or more edge sharpeners 200, 400 to the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 of the blade sharpening apparatuses 10 of FIGS. 12, 13, 29, and 30 allows a user to straighten and sharpen a knife blade in a single device, which saves time. With the apparatus 10, a user does not have to stop what they are doing to have their knife sharpened or retrieve a new knife.

While three edge sharpeners 200, 400 are depicted in FIGS. 12 and 13, any number of edge sharpeners 200 may be utilized at the end 322 of the slot 18 or positioned along the edge 320 of the blade sharpening apparatus 10. In one embodiment in which multiple edge sharpeners 200 are utilized, the edge sharpeners 200 may have different dimensions, for example, for different sized or shaped knives. In a further embodiment in which multiple edge sharpeners 200 are utilized, the rods 212a, 212b or blades 404a, 404b may have different coarsenesses. In one non-limiting example, the rods 212a, 212b or the blades 404a, 404b of a first sharpener 200, 400 may have a rough coarseness, the rods 212a, 212b or the blades 404a, 404b of a second sharpener 200, 400 may have a medium coarseness, and the rods 212a, 212b or the blades 404a, 404b of a third sharpener 200, 400 may have a fine coarseness.

The edge sharpeners 200, 400 may be utilized with any of the blade sharpening apparatuses 10 disclosed herein. If multiple edge sharpeners 200, 400 are utilized within a blade sharpening apparatus 200, 400, the edges sharpeners 200, 400 need not be the same. In particular, any combination of ceramic and/or carbide blade sharpeners 200, 400 may be utilized.

Any of the embodiments described herein may be modified to include any of the structures or methodologies disclosed in connection with other embodiments.

Further, although directional terminology, such as front, back, upper, lower, etc. may be used throughout the present specification, it should be understood that such terms are not limiting and are only utilized to convey the orientation of different elements with respect to one another.

The above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Although the illustrative embodiments are illustrated and described in connection with particular types of blade sharpening apparatuses, they may be adapted for use with a variety of blade sharpening apparatuses. Other embodiments and equivalent tools are envisioned. Various features have been particularly shown and described in connection with the illustrated embodiments, however, it must be understood that these particular embodiments are merely illustrative and that the disclosure is to be given its fullest interpretation.

Claims

1. A blade sharpening apparatus comprising:

a base member including a front face and a rear face;

a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted to straighten a blade of a knife; and

an edge sharpener disposed within the base member and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife.

2. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade sharpening member includes a slot extending inwardly from an edge of the base member and at least two sharpening members disposed on opposing sides of the slots.

3. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the at least two sharpening members is attached to a biasing member that biases a respective sharpening member toward an opposing sharpening member.

4. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 3, wherein when a blade of a knife is moved along the channel, the blade pushes the sharpening members against the bias of the biasing members until the sharpening members are stopped by respective posts.

5. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sharpening members are curved.

6. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 1, wherein a cavity is disposed within the base member and the edge sharpener is disposed within the cavity.

7. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 6, wherein the edge sharpener includes a holder that is retained within the cavity and first and second opposing sharpening members forming a V-shaped channel.

8. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 7, wherein the holder includes a U-shaped body forming a U-shaped channel with first and second opposing walls joined by a connecting portion, a first channel formed at least partially through the first wall and the connecting portion, and a second channel formed at least partially through the second wall and the connecting portion, wherein the first and second sharpening members are positioned within the first and second channels, respectively.

9. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first and second channels are angled such that the first and second sharpening members are disposed at an angle of between about 4 degrees and about 90 degrees with respect to one another.

10. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 1, wherein the edge sharpener includes two blades each having a top wall, a bottom wall, an outer side wall extending between the top and bottom walls, and angled side walls extending between the top and bottom walls to form a V-shaped cavity therebetween, wherein the top walls have widths that are less than widths of corresponding bottom walls.

11. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 10, wherein a first of the angled side walls forms an first angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that is between about 2 and about 45 degrees and a second of the angled side walls forms a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that is between about 2 degrees and about 45 degrees.

12. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 11, wherein one of the first and second angled side walls includes an edge that is disposed at an outward angle of between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees with respect to a lateral axis of the edge sharpener.

13. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 12, wherein the other of the first and second angled side walls includes an edge that is disposed at an inward angle of between about 0 and about 45 degrees with respect to the lateral axis.

14. A blade sharpening apparatus comprising:

a base member including a front face and a rear face;

a slot defined in said base member adapted to receive and guide a blade to be sharpened;

a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted for operation upon guidance of the blade through the slot; and

an edge sharpener disposed adjacent an end of the slot or an edge of the base member and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife.

15. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 14, wherein the blade sharpening member includes at least two sharpening members disposed on opposing sides of the slot and wherein each of the at least two sharpening members is attached to a biasing member that biases a respective sharpening member toward an opposing sharpening member.

16. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 15, wherein when a blade of a knife is moved along the channel, the blade pushes the sharpening members against the bias of the biasing members until the sharpening members are stopped by respective posts.

17. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 14, wherein the edge sharpener includes a holder that is retained within the cavity, first and second opposing sharpening members forming a V-shaped channel, and a U-shaped body forming a U-shaped channel with first and second opposing walls joined by a connecting portion, a first channel formed at least partially through the first wall and the connecting portion, and a second channel formed at least partially through the second wall and the connecting portion, wherein the first and second sharpening members are positioned within the first and second channels, respectively.

18. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 14, wherein the edge sharpener includes two blades each having a top wall, a bottom wall, an outer side wall extending between the top and bottom walls, and angled side walls extending between the top and bottom walls to form a V-shaped cavity therebetween, wherein the top walls have widths that are less than widths of corresponding bottom walls.

19. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 18, wherein a first of the angled side walls forms an first angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that is between about 2 and about 45 degrees and a second of the angled side walls forms a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that is between about 2 degrees and about 45 degrees.

20. A blade sharpening apparatus comprising:

a base member including a front face and a rear face;

a slot defined in said base member adapted to receive and guide a blade to be sharpened;

a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted for operation upon guidance of the blade through the slot; and

a cavity disposed within the rear face of the base member adjacent the slot or an edge of the base member; and

an edge sharpener disposed within the cavity and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife, the edge sharpener including first and second opposing sharpening members forming a V-shaped channel and an attachment mechanism for retaining the edge sharpener within the cavity.