PROTECTIVE SHEATH DEVICE FOR KNIFE

Abstract

A protective sheath device includes a housing member having a chamber formed by an erected side panel, an upper panel, a bottom panel, and a tilted side panel having a bottom portion extended toward the bottom panel for forming a slot between the tilted side panel and the bottom panel, a blade member engaged into the chamber of the housing member and having a handle, the housing member includes a rearwardly extended knob located above the handle and having a relatively thinner front portion and a relatively thicker rear portion, and having a planer surface formed in the knob for being engaged with and pushed by a thumb of the user to separate the housing member from the blade member.

Description

The present invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/938,607, filed 3 Nov. 2010, pending and to be abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a protective sheath device, and more particularly to a protective sheath device including an improved structure or configuration or mechanism for solidly and stably and firmly anchoring or retaining the blades of the kitchen cutlery, kitchen tools and various other implements within the sheaths and for allowing the blade to be easily and quickly removed from the sheath by the user.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various kinds of typical protective sheath devices have been developed and provided for receiving or engaging with or for storing blades of kitchen cutlery, kitchen tools and various other implements, and comprise various structurally independent mechanisms for securing blades within the sheaths, such as straps, clips and clamps.

For example, U.S. Patent Application No. 2011/0139645 to Ranieri et al. discloses one of the typical protective sheath for storing blades of kitchen cutlery, kitchen tools and various other implements, and also comprises an enclosed chamber or cavity formed therein for receiving or engaging with the blade of the kitchen cutlery, kitchen tools and various other implements to be sheathed and protected.

However, one disadvantage of the protective sheath is that the chamber or cavity or compartment formed or provided in the protective sheath is an enclosed space that the water contained in the protective sheath may not be easily flown out or drained out of the protective sheath.

In addition, the anchoring or retaining or securing structures or configurations or mechanisms, such as straps, clips and clamps formed or provided in the protective sheath may be used for securing blades within the sheaths with a gripping or clamping force.

However, another disadvantage of the protective sheath is that the blades are solidly and stably and firmly received or engaged or anchored or retained within the sheaths with the gripping or clamping forces and may not be easily and quickly removed from the sheaths, and the users have to use both their hands to remove the blades from the sheaths.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,159 to Linden discloses another typical protective sheath or package for storing blades or scissors and comprising an enclosed chamber or cavity formed in a casing for receiving or engaging with the blade of the kitchen cutlery or scissors to be sheathed and protected.

However, the disadvantage of the protective sheath or package is that the blades also may not be easily and quickly removed from the sheaths, and the users have to use both their hands to remove the blades from the sheaths.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional protective sheath devices for storing blades of kitchen cutlery, kitchen tools and various other implements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a protective sheath device including an improved structure or configuration or mechanism for solidly and stably and firmly anchoring or retaining the blades of the kitchen cutlery, kitchen tools and various other implements within the sheaths and for allowing the blade to be easily and quickly removed from the sheath by the user.

The other objective of the present invention is to provide a protective sheath device including an improved structure or configuration or mechanism for allowing the water contained in the protective sheath to be easily flown out or drained out of the protective sheath.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a protective sheath device comprising a housing member including a chamber formed therein, and formed and defined by a first side panel, an upper panel, a bottom panel, and a second side panel extended downwardly from the upper panel and located beside the first side panel, the second side panel being tilted and inclined relative to the first side panel and including an upper portion extended from the upper panel and including a bottom portion extended toward the first side panel and the bottom panel for forming a triangular structure for the chamber of the housing member, and the housing member including an enclosed front portion and an open rear portion, the bottom portion of the second side panel being spaced from the bottom panel of the housing member for forming a slot between the bottom portion of the second side panel and the bottom panel of the housing member and for water draining purposes, a cutlery implement including a blade member engaged into the chamber from the open rear portion of the housing member, and including a handle extended rearwardly and outwardly from the blade member for being gripped by a user, the second side panel of the housing member including a resilience for biasing the blade member and for retaining the blade member within the chamber of the housing member, and the housing member including a knob extended rearwardly and outwardly from the upper panel of the housing member and extended rearwardly beyond the open rear portion of the housing member and located and positioned above the handle of the cutlery implement, and the knob including a relatively thinner front portion extended from the upper panel of the housing member and a relatively thicker rear portion, and including a planer surface formed in the rear portion of the knob for being contacted and engaged with a thumb of the user and for being forced or pushed by the user in order to move and space or separate or disengage the housing member from the blade member of the cutlery implement.

The planer surface of the knob is preferably and substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the knob for being smoothly and comfortably contacted or engaged with the thumb of the user and for allowing the knob to be pushed or actuated or operated by the user.

The housing member includes an opening formed in the second side panel and communicating with the chamber of the housing member for allowing the mark on the blade member to be seen through the opening of the second side panel of the housing member.

The housing member includes an orifice formed in the rear portion of the knob, and a fastening belt is engaged through the orifice of the knob and engaged around the handle for securing the handle of the cutlery implement to the housing member.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a protective sheath device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the protective sheath device;

FIG. 3 is a side plan schematic view of the protective sheath device;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the protective sheath device, taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an outer sheath or housing member of the protective sheath device;

FIG. 6 is a side plan schematic view of the outer sheath or housing member of the protective sheath device;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the protective sheath device, taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 8, 9 are side plan schematic views similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the protective sheath device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-7, a protective sheath device in accordance with the present invention comprises an outer sheath or housing member 10 including a compartment or chamber 11 formed therein, and formed or defined by a primary or first side wall or fence or panel 12, an upper wall or fence or panel 13, a bottom wall or fence or panel 14, and a downwardly extending or dependent secondary or second side wall or fence or panel 15 extended downwardly from the upper panel 13 and disposed or located beside the first side panel 12, and as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the second side panel 15 is tilted or inclined relative to the first side panel 12 and includes an upper portion 16 secured to or extended from the upper panel 13 and disengaged or spaced or separated from the first side panel 12 for a relatively greater distance than the lower or bottom portion 17 of the second side panel 15, in which the bottom portion 17 of the second side panel 15 is located or positioned closer to the first side panel 12 or extended toward the first side panel 12 and/or the bottom panel 14 for forming or defining a triangular structure or configuration for the chamber 11 of the housing member 10.

The triangular chamber 11 of the housing member 10 is provided for receiving or engaging with a knife blade or blade member 40 of the kitchen cutlery, kitchen tools and various other cutlery implements 4, and the second side panel 15 of the housing member 10 is preferably made or manufactured with a soft or spring or resilient materials and includes a suitable or selected resilience for biasing and forcing or clamping and for solidly and stably and firmly anchoring or retaining the blade member 40 of the cutlery implement 4 within the chamber 11 of the housing member 10, and for preventing the blade member 40 from being disengaged or separated from the housing member 10 inadvertently. It is preferable that the housing member 10 includes an enclosed or sealed front portion 18 and an open rear portion 19 arranged for snuggly and safely receiving or engaging with the blade member 40 and for allowing the blade member 40 to be engaged into the chamber 11 from the open rear portion 19 of the housing member 10.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the lower or bottom portion 17 of the second side panel 15 is disengaged or spaced or separated from the bottom panel 14 of the housing member 10 for a suitable or selected distance for forming or defining a gap or groove or slot 20 between the bottom portion 17 of the second side panel 15 and the bottom panel 14 of the housing member 10 and for water outwardly flowing or draining purposes. The cutlery implement 4 further includes a hand grip or handle 41 attached or mounted or secured the blade member 40 or extended rearwardly and outwardly from the blade member 40 for being gripped or grasped or held by the user 8 (FIGS. 8, 9), in which the handle 41 is disposed or located or extended outside the housing member 10. The second side panel 15 preferably includes a window or opening 21 formed therein and communicating with the chamber 11 of the housing member 10 for allowing the mark 42 formed or provided or applied on the blade member 40 to be seen through the window or opening 21 of the second side panel 15 of the housing member 10.

The housing member 10 further includes a longitudinal hand grip or extension or knob 30 extended rearwardly and outwardly from the upper panel 13 of the housing member 10 and extended rearwardly beyond the open rear portion 19 of the housing member 10 and located or positioned above the handle 41 of the cutlery implement 4, and the knob 30 includes a relatively smaller or thinner front portion 31 attached or mounted or secured to or extended from the upper panel 13 of the housing member 10, and includes a relatively greater or thicker rear portion 32 having a curved or planer surface 33 formed therein and substantially tilted or inclined or perpendicular to a longitudinal direction or axis 9 (FIG. 6) of the knob 30 for smoothly and comfortably contacting or engaging with the thumb 80 of the user 8 (FIGS. 8, 9) and for being pushed or actuated or operated by the user 8.

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the user 8 is gripping or grasping or holding the handle 41 of the cutlery implement 4, the thumb 80 of the user 8 may be located or positioned above the handle 41 of the cutlery implement 4 and may be easily and readily contacted or engaged with the knob 30 that is also located or positioned above the handle 41 of the cutlery implement 4 such that the thumb 80 of the user 8 may easily and readily apply or exert a force onto the knob 30 and such that the housing member 10 may be easily and readily pushed and forced to move forwardly and away from the cutlery implement 4 with the thumb 80 of the user 8 and thus for allowing the cutlery implement 4 to be easily and quickly disengaged or removed and separated from the housing member 10.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-3, the housing member 10 further includes a hole or cavity or aperture or orifice 34 formed therein, such as formed in the rear portion 32 of the knob 30 for threading or receiving or engaging with a fastening wire or rope or cable or belt 50 or the like which may be wound or engaged around the handle 41 for solidly and stably attaching or mounting or securing or coupling or anchoring or retaining or positioning the handle 41 of the cutlery implement 4 to the housing member 10 selectively. It is to be noted that the knob 30 is extended rearwardly and outwardly from the upper panel 13 of the housing member 10 and located or positioned above the handle 41 of the cutlery implement 4 for allowing the knob 30 to be easily and readily contacted or engaged with the thumb 80 of the user 8 that is also located or positioned above the handle 41 of the cutlery implement 4.

Accordingly, the protective sheath device in accordance with the present invention includes an improved structure or configuration or mechanism for solidly and stably and firmly anchoring or retaining the blades of the kitchen cutlery, kitchen tools and various other implements within the sheaths and for allowing the blade to be easily and quickly removed from the sheath by the user.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A protective sheath device comprising:

a housing member including a chamber formed therein, and formed and defined by a first side panel, an upper panel, a bottom panel, and a second side panel extended downwardly from said upper panel and located beside said first side panel, said second side panel being tilted and inclined relative to said first side panel and including an upper portion extended from said upper panel and including a bottom portion extended toward said first side panel and said bottom panel for forming a triangular structure for said chamber of said housing member, and said housing member including an enclosed front portion and an open rear portion,

a cutlery implement including a blade member engaged into said chamber from said open rear portion of said housing member, and including a handle extended rearwardly and outwardly from said blade member for being gripped by a user, said second side panel of said housing member including a resilience for biasing said blade member and for retaining said blade member within said chamber of said housing member, and

said housing member including a knob extended rearwardly and outwardly from said upper panel of said housing member and extended rearwardly beyond said open rear portion of said housing member and located and positioned above said handle of said cutlery implement, and said knob including a relatively thinner front portion extended from said upper panel of said housing member and a relatively thicker rear portion, and including a planer surface formed in said rear portion of said knob for being contacted and engaged with a thumb of the user and for being pushed by the user to move and separate said housing member from said blade member of said cutlery implement.

2. The protective sheath device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said planer surface of said knob is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said knob.

3. The protective sheath device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing member includes an opening formed in said second side panel and communicating with said chamber of said housing member for allowing said blade member to be seen through said opening of said second side panel of said housing member.

4. The protective sheath device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing member includes an orifice formed in the rear portion of the knob, and a fastening belt is engaged through the orifice of the knob and engaged around the handle for securing the handle of the cutlery implement to the housing member.

5. The protective sheath device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bottom portion of said second side panel of said housing member is spaced from said bottom panel of said housing member for forming a slot between said bottom portion of said second side panel and said bottom panel of said housing member and for water draining purposes.