Countertop Knife Sharpener

Abstract

An abrasive sharpener including a housing configured with a front opening formed to pass a blade therethrough, a support member provided inside and proximate a bottom of the housing, and configured to support a spine of a blade so that an edge of the blade faces a top of the housing, and a sharpening heat having at least one abrasive element forming a generally V-shaped sharpening angle configured to contact the edge of the blade when at least a portion of the blade is inside the housing, wherein the sharpening head is configured to be movable bidirectionally, and to be biased toward a bottom of the housing, so as to maintain contact with the edge of the blade as the blade is moved in and out of the housing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present general inventive concept relates to abrasive sharpeners, and, more particularly, to a countertop manual abrasive sharpener.

BACKGROUND

Numerous designs for abrasive sharpeners for knives and the like having abrasive elements forming a V-shaped sharpening slot are conventionally known. Various examples of such sharpeners present the V-shaped sharpening slot for the sharp edge of the knife to be placed therein and to be moved along one or both directions manually by the user to sharpen the knife's edge. However, the typical user of such a sharpener may not have very much experience and/or knowledge regarding sharpening knives, and therefore will not know how much force to place on the knife in the sharpening slot, or at what angle to place the knife, etc., to provide optimal sharpening and/or not damage the blade of the knife. Further, such users of such sharpeners may easily injure themselves, as such handling of a knife is inherently a dangerous activity. Thus, there may exist a desire for a sharpening device or system that will allow safer sharpening of a knife, and that takes the guesswork out of placement and action of the knife during the sharpening process.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, an abrasive sharpener is provided to support the spine of a knife or other type of blade during a sharpening operation so that a user of the sharpener does not have to determine a sharpening force to be applied between the edge of the knife and the abrasive component or components of the sharpener.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present general inventive concept.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing an abrasive sharpener including a housing configured with a front opening formed to pass a blade therethrough, a support member provided inside and proximate a bottom of the housing, and configured to support a spine of a blade so that an edge of the blade faces a top of the housing, and a sharpening heat having at least one abrasive element forming a generally V-shaped sharpening angle configured to contact the edge of the blade when at least a portion of the blade is inside the housing, wherein the sharpening head is configured to be movable bidirectionally, and to be biased toward a bottom of the housing, so as to maintain contact with the edge of the blade as the blade is moved in and out of the housing.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an abrasive sharpener including a housing configured with a front opening formed to pass a blade therethrough, a support ramp provided inside and proximate a bottom of the housing, and configured to support a spine of a blade at a predetermined angle relative to a bottom of the housing and so that an edge of the blade generally faces a top of the housing, a sharpening head provided inside the housing adjacent the front opening and having at least one abrasive element forming a generally V-shaped sharpening angle configured to contact the edge of the blade when at least a portion of the blade is inside the housing, a blade rest portion extending from a front of the housing under the front opening, a groove formed on a top of the blade rest portion and configured to receive the spine of the blade and align the blade to be passed through the front opening and under the sharpening head, and a notch on a front surface of the sharpening head to guide a point of the glade through the generally V-shaped sharpening angle, wherein the sharpening head is configured to be movable bidirectionally, and to be biased toward a bottom of the housing, so as to maintain contact with the edge of the blade as the blade is moved in and out of the housing.

Other features and aspects may be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The following example embodiments are representative of example techniques and structures designed to carry out the objects of the present general inventive concept, but the present general inventive concept is not limited to these example embodiments. In the accompanying drawings and illustrations, the sizes and relative sizes, shapes, and qualities of lines, entities, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. A wide variety of additional embodiments will be more readily understood and appreciated through the following detailed description of the example embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an abrasive sharpener according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 2 illustrates a partially exploded view of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4A-B illustrate perspective and exploded views of a sharpening head of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept, and FIG. 4C illustrates the generally V-shaped sharpening angle of the sharpening head;

FIG. 5 illustrates an isolated view of the sharpening head of FIGS. 4A-B during a knife sharpening operation;

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective partial view of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the partial view of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8A-C illustrate different phases of a knife sharpening operation using the partial view of the abrasive sharpener illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 illustrates a knife sharpening operation for a differently sized blade using the partial view of the abrasive sharpener illustrated in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 10 illustrates an abrasive sharpener according to another example embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and illustrations. The example embodiments are described herein in order to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures.

The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the structures and fabrication techniques described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modification, and equivalents of the structures and fabrication techniques described herein will be suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. The progression of fabrication operations described are merely examples, however, and the sequence type of operations is not limited to that set forth herein and may be changed as is known in the art, with the exception of operations necessarily occurring in a certain order. Also, description of well-known functions and constructions may be simplified and/or omitted for increased clarity and conciseness.

Note that spatially relative terms, such as “up,” “down,” “right,” “left,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over or rotated, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

According to various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, an abrasive sharpener is provided to support the spine of a knife or other type of blade during a sharpening operation so that a user of the sharpener does not have to determine a sharpening force to be applied between the edge of the knife and the abrasive component or components of the sharpener. The abrasive sharpener may be designed as a tabletop or countertop type of device, with a protective and/or aesthetically pleasing housing for easy storage, and so that it can be rested on a surface and held secure with one hand while a user moves the knife blade in and out of the housing of the sharpener. The user simply passes the blade through the abrasive sharpener with the spine facing downward, and a sharpener assembly with a generally V-shaped sharpening angle is configured to move up and down so as to travel along the curve of the blade as the user presses the blade into, and out of, the housing of the abrasive sharpener. The sharpener assembly may be configured so that the sharpening head is biased downward on the edge of the blade with a uniform force regardless of the position of the sharpening head along its line of bidirectional movement. Thus, much of the guesswork of a layman performing a sharpening operation may be eliminated, as well as errors, bad technique, and the like. The sharpening device provides much convenience, as it can be stored on a counter top, and may even be used without moving it from its storage position. The user can easily and quickly pass the blade through the sharpener a desired number of times, without having to provide any force between the blade and the sharpening agent of the abrasive sharpener. It is understood that while the drawings described herein refer to sharpening a knife blade, various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept may be used to sharpen cutting edges of a variety of instruments having generally flat cutting edges. As such, the term blade as used herein may generally refer to such flat cutting edges having a dull or squared opposite edge, such as the spine of a knife.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an abrasive sharpener according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. As illustrated in this example embodiment, an abrasive sharpener 100 includes a housing 104 that houses and conceals much of the inner componentry, and provides a convenient place for a user to hold the abrasive sharpener during a sharpening operation. The housing 104 of this example embodiment includes an upper portion 108 and a bottom or base portion 112 which may be configured to be selectively detached from one another to provide a user with access to the components inside for maintenance, repair, etc. The top of the upper portion 108 is configured as a grip or handle 116 that can be gripped by the user with one hand, so that the other hand can be used to move a knife or other such blade in and out of the housing 104 of the abrasive sharpener 100. Various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept may provide different features to improve the grip of a user on the handle 116, such as finger grooves, stippling, anti-slip adhesives, etc., or any combination thereof, to help prevent a user's hand from slipping on the housing 104 while sharpening a blade. An extending portion or guard 120 may be also be provided near a front of the housing 104 to provide extra protection against a user's hand slipping forward and coming down on the edge of the blade being sharpened.

The housing 104 is configured with a front opening 124 through which a blade is passed to be sharpened by a sharpener head or sharpening head 128 that is configured to be movable up and down to move a generally V-shaped sharpening angle 206 (shown in FIG. 4C) configured to contact the edge of the blade along the edge of the blade, as which will be described herein. While the front opening 124 is shown with a wide lower portion exposing at least a portion of the sharpening head 128, so as to accept a wide variety of knife handle types, and an upper slit or slot 140 which is configured to more closely approximate a width of a blade, various other example embodiments may provide only a slit type opening, or no slit portion at all. With the wide portion of the front opening 124 shown in FIG. 1, parts of the sharpening head 128 may be accessed without disassembling the overall housing 104. In various example embodiments in which the sharpening head 128 is more concealed by a fully slit front opening, a user may have to remove a portion of the housing 104 to gain such access. The sharpener 100 is provided with an extending portion below the front opening 124 to act as a blade platform or rest 132 on which a user can place the tip of a blade to position the blade for sharpening. The blade rest 132 is configured with a generally U-shaped positioning groove 136 that is configured to receive the spine of the blade, so that a user can easily place the spine of the blade in the groove 136 to properly guide the blade through the front opening 124 and under the sharpening head 128. Various example embodiments may provide a positioning groove with a general V-shape or other shapes/configurations. The groove 136 of the blade rest 132 may have a squared bottom to help indicate the proper orientation of the blade for sharpening, and may have a tapered or flared portion proximate the top of the groove 136 to aid in easy positioning of the blade in the groove 136.

FIG. 2 illustrates a partially exploded view of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 1. It is understood that the abrasive sharpener 100 may be configured in a host of other configurations, having more or fewer and/or differently arranged components, without departing from the scope of the present general inventive concept. In this example embodiment, a pair of inner frame members 144 are provided inside the housing 104, and are located respectively on either side of a blade path arranged to support a blade being sharpened. This blade path may include a blade support, as described herein, to support the spine of the blade being sharpened as it moves in and out of the housing 104. A plurality of support ribs 108 extend from the inner frame members 144 to provide structural stability to the upper portion 108 of the housing 104 which is configured to be fitted around the inner frame members 144 when installed onto the base portion 112. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sharpening head 128 is provided with a pair of sliding members 152 arranged respectively proximate the front and rear of the sharpening head 128, and configured to extend into a corresponding plurality of guide slots 156 formed on the inner surface of the upper portion 108 of the housing 104. The sliding members 152 are configured to register with the guide slots 156 so that the raising and lowering movement of the bidirectional sharpening head 128 is maintained in bidirectional alignment. It is understood that a host of differently configured sliding guiding arrangements may be employed by the abrasive sharpener without departing from the scope of the present general inventive concept. A pair of constant force springs 160 are provided to bias the sharpening head 128 in a downward direction relative to the “top” and “bottom” of the housing 104, and are configured to provide a substantially uniform downward force regardless of the position of the sharpening head 128 on its bidirectional path. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the coiled portions of the constant force springs 160 rest in an upper space formed between the sliding members 152, and the distal ends of the constant force springs 160 extend downward into respective side spaces formed between the sliding members 152. Each distal end of the constant force springs 160 is provided with a coupling hole 164 that is configured to fit over a corresponding protuberance or boss 168 formed proximate the bottom of the inner surface of the upper portion 108 of the housing 104 to anchor the distal ends of the constant force springs 160 in place. With such an arrangement, when the sharpening head 128 is moved up or down by the contact with a curved blade edge moving in and out of the housing 104, the spooling or unspooling of the constant force springs 160 provides the substantially uniform downward pressure on the sharpening head 128. As such, the user does not have to supply the force between the sharpening head 128 and the blade, and the proper desired force can be delivered by the constant force springs 160 which provide a generally uniform force downward when the blade is moving both in and out of the housing 104. The user simply has to keep the spine of the blade pressed down onto the blade supporting member(s) of the sharpener 100 when moving the blade in and out of the housing 104 for a proper sharpening operation. In the example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the guard 120 provided on the housing 104 is configured so that the upper range of movement of the sharpening head 128 passes through the guard 120. It is noted that the sharpening head 128 of this example embodiment is configured to be installed inside the upper portion 108 of the housing 104, but is shown resting on the base portion 112 at its lowest movement position simply for ease of understanding the drawing. Various example embodiments may provide a host of different configurations, including differently arranged constant force springs, or a single constant force spring, or different biasing components, etc., without departing from the scope of the present general inventive concept.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 1. As illustrated in this example embodiment, the abrasive sharpener 100 may be provide with a plurality of foot members 172 that may be configured to help prevent the sharpener 100 from moving during a sharpening operation, and to protect a tabletop or counter surface underneath. Various other example embodiments may provide differently configured bottom surfaces, such as anti-slip adhesives and the like. As illustrated in FIG. 3, part of the sharpening head 128 exposed through the front opening 124 of the housing 104 includes a front access portion 176 that is configured to be removable to access sharpening bodies located behind the access portion 176 (described herein). The access portion 176 is secured to another portion of the sharpening head 128 by fastening members 180, and thus can be easily and conveniently removed through the front opening 124 of the housing 104 without disassembling the abrasive sharpener 100. In this example embodiment, the access portion 176 is configured with a blade notch 184 at the bottom of the access portion 176 to guide a blade edge under the sharpening head 128 to perform a sharpening operation. Thus, when a user places the spine of a blade into the positioning groove 136 of the blade rest 132, the tip of the blade will be substantially aligned with the blade notch 184, and the user is able to move the blade under the sharpening head 128 in the proper alignment for the sharpening operation.

FIGS. 4A-B respectively illustrate perspective and exploded views of the sharpening head 128 of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept, and FIG. 4C illustrates the generally V-shaped sharpening angle 206 of the sharpening head 128. The sharpening head 128 includes an anti-trapping arm, which may be referred to herein as a support horn 188, that extends back from a rear portion of the sharpening head 128 to contact the edge of a blade and prevent the sharpening head 128 from sliding down over the heel of a blade if the blade is pushed too far into the housing 104. Such a situation may be particularly possible with blades that have no bolster to help stop forward movement of the heel of the blade under the sharpening head 128. The support horn 188 of this example embodiment is configured as a sleeve for holding two edge protecting members 192 in an arrangement such that at least a portion of the protecting members 192 respectively contact a blade on either side of the sharpened edge at a point behind the sharpening head 128, so as to keep the sharpening head 128 raised if the heel of the blade passes underneath. In this example embodiment, the protecting members 192 may be ceramic dowels positioned side by side such that the groove formed between the dowels, and exposed by an opening 190 in the sleeve (shown in FIG. 5), is positioned above the sharpened edge of the blade for protected contact between the horn 188 and the blade edge.

The area of the sharpening head 128 behind the front access portion 176 is configured as an angled mounting portion 196 with a mounting recess 200 in which a pair of abrasive members 204 are seated and secured in place when the front access portion 176 is attached over the abrasive members 204. The mounting recess 200 is configured so that the abrasive members 204, which may be, for example, carbides, abrasive ceramic stones, bodies coated with abrasive grit, etc., partially overlap to form the generally V-shaped sharpening angle 206 configured to contact the edge of the blade. The V-shaped sharpening angle 206 is formed between the two lower and inner portions of the overlapping abrasive members 204, as illustrated in FIG. 4C, and is aligned with the blade notch 184 when the sharpening head 128 is fully assembled. As illustrated in FIG. 4B, mounting recess 200 is configured such that one of the abrasive members 204 is seated lower than the other abrasive member 204, to allow the partial overlapping that forms the V-shaped sharpening angle. The abrasive members 204 may be generally diamond shaped, and thus can be rotated, flipped, and swapped for one another in order to provide a host of new edges to the V-shaped sharpening angle. As the front access portion 176 is secured over the abrasive members 204 by the fastening members 180 passing through the through holes 212 and into the screw holes 208 formed on the angled mounting portion 196, a user can easily remove the access portion 176 through the front opening 124 of the housing 104 to manipulate the abrasive members 204 into the desired configuration, or to replace or perform maintenance on the abrasive members 204. Various example embodiments may provide a host of differently configured abrasive members, or may employ a single abrasive member forming the generally V-shaped sharpening angle, without departing from the scope of the present general inventive concept. As previously described, side openings 216 are formed between the sliding members 152 on both respective sides of the sharpening head 128 to form space to receive the uncoiled distal ends of the constant force springs 160 at the various possible positions of the sharpening head along its bidirectional path. While the constant force springs 160 may not necessarily be a component of the sharpening head 128 in various example embodiments, they are shown in FIGS. 4A-B to aid in illustrating this example configuration of the sharpening head 128. The rear surface of the front access portion 176 of this example embodiment is formed at an angle corresponding to that of the angled mounting portion 196 so as to securely “sandwich” the abrasive members 204 therebetween. The angle of the angled mounting portion 196, and therefore that of the abrasive members 204 relative to the edge of the blade passing under the sharpening head 128, is formed to the desired sharpening angle, e.g., 30 degrees. In various example embodiments different one or more sharpening heads which provide different angles to the blade may be exchanged so as to provide the desired sharpening angle between the abrasive members 204 and the blade edge. For example, a user may change out sharpening heads conveniently by removing the upper portion 108 of the housing 104, sliding the installed sharpening head out, sliding the desired sharpening head into its place, and reinstalling the upper portion of the housing 104 onto the base portion 112. Therefore, a user can easily change between angles of, for example, 30 and 40 degrees relative to the blade edge, through such a swapping procedure. Such an operation is especially convenient in this example embodiment of the present general inventive concept, as the constant force springs 160 are not attached to the sharpening head 128, but rather simply abut an upper surface of the sharpening head 128 between the sliding members 152 to provide the downward bias on the sharpening head 128. In other example embodiments the constant force springs or other biasing components may be coupled to the sharpening head instead of, or along with, the housing 104.

FIG. 5 illustrates an isolated view of the sharpening head 128 of FIGS. 4A-B during a knife sharpening operation. As illustrated, a typical kitchen knife having a blade 220, sharp edge 224, spine 228, point 232, and handle 234 is being used in this sharpening procedure. In this drawing, the remaining components of the sharpener 100 have been omitted in order to illustrate the placement of the sharpening head 128 over the edge 224 of the blade 220 during the sharpening operation. In FIG. 5 a user has inserted the blade 220 fully into the sharpener 100, with the spine 228 of the knife situated in or on a support surface inside the sharpener 100, until the sharpening head 128 is proximate the heel 250 (shown in FIG. 8A) of the blade 220. After the point 232 of the blade 220 is inserted through the front opening 124 of the sharpener 100 and contacted the generally V-shaped sharpening angle 206, the sharpening head 138 is forced upward by the contact between the sharpening angle 206 and the blade edge 224 so that the sharpening head 128 follows the curve of the blade 220, all the while being biased downward onto the edge 224 at a substantially uniform force by the constant force springs 160 at all positions along the bidirectional path of the sharpening head 128. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the support horn 188 extends back over the blade 220, with the edge 224 located in the groove between the edge protecting members 192 that are contacting the blade 220 on either respective side of the edge 224, and therefore the sharpening head 128 is prevented from falling down behind the heel 250 of the knife if the user inserts the knife too far into the sharpener 100. In this example embodiment, a support brace 238 is provided to enhance the structural integrity of the support horn 188.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective partial view of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the partial view of the abrasive sharpener of FIG. 6. Much of the structure of the sharpener 100 has been omitted in this drawing to more clearly illustrate a blade support member 246 or ramp that is configured inside the sharpener to support the spine of a knife inserted into the sharpener 100. The blade support member 246 can be set at a desired angle, as shown with the ramp of this example embodiment, on which the spine of the blade travels to work in conjunction with the sharpening inserts or abrasive members 204 forming the generally V-shaped sharpening angle 206 of the sharpening head 128. For example, the blade support member 246 may be set at a 5 degree incline to create a desired angle of attack on the sharpening inserts by the edge of the blade. The angle of the blade support member 246 determines the “bite” of the sharpening operation on the knife edge, with a smaller bite resulting in easier movement of the knife through the sharpener. In this example embodiment a guide groove 242 is provided on the blade support 246 and configured to receive the spine of the blade therein so as to provide more sliding support for proper placement of the blade when moving in and out of the sharpener 100. In various example embodiments the guide groove 242 may be generally V-shaped to accommodate various size of blades so that the spine is at least somewhat supported on each side of the spine. In the example embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6-7 the blade support 246 may be set at a nonadjustable angle, but various other example embodiments may provide a blade support that is pivotably coupled proximate a forward end so that the angle of the ramp may be adjustable. In such example embodiments a fixing member configured to fix the ramp at the desired angle may be provided either inside or outside the housing 104, and may be, for example, a tension screw that is loosened to move the ramp, and then tightened to hold the ramp at the desired angle.

FIGS. 8A-C illustrate different phases of a knife sharpening operation using the partial view of the abrasive sharpener illustrated in FIG. 6. Again, various components of the sharpener 100 have been omitted in these drawings to more clearly illustrated the sharpening operation of the knife being inserted into the sharpener 100. As illustrated in FIG. 8A, shortly after the tip of the knife has been inserted into the sharpener 100, and the edge 224 of the blade is passing under the sharpening head 128, the contact between the edge 224 and the abrasive members 204 pushes the sharpening head 128 upward to follow along the curve of the edge 224 of the blade. FIGS. 8B-C show the further progression of the insertion of the knife into the sharpener 100, with the spine 228 of the blade seated in the guide groove 242 of the blade support 246, and the sharpening head 128 moving upward due to the contact between the knife edge 224 and the abrasive members 204 of the sharpening head 128. At all points of movement of the sharpening head 128, the constant force springs 160 coupled to the housing 104 provide a substantially uniform force pressing the sharpening head 128 down onto the knife edge 224.

FIG. 9 illustrates a knife sharpening operation for a differently sized blade using the partial view of the abrasive sharpener illustrated in FIG. 6. As shown, the sharpener 100 is configured to accommodate a number of differently sized knives, and will operate in the same fashion with all sizes. In FIG. 6 a small kitchen knife 254 is being sharpened in the abrasive sharpener 100. As the sharpening head 128 is biased downward and rests at its lowest position of bidirectional movement when no blade is underneath, the sharpening head 128 travels up and down while exerting substantially uniform force downward on the knife edge regardless of how far the sharpening head 128 is moved.

FIG. 10 illustrates an abrasive sharpener according to another example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. While the example embodiments described herein have included a housing that is generally configured to enclose and conceal an entirety of the blade inserted through the front opening of the housing, the abrasive sharpener 300 is configured with a housing 304 having rear opening through which the tip end of the blade may pass during the sharpening operation. The rear opening may be configured as a slit opening similar to slit portion of the front opening 124 of the previously described sharpener 100, since there is no need to accommodate the bolster, handle, etc., of the knife at the rear opening of the sharpener 300. Such a design may be more aesthetically pleasing for an abrasive sharpener that is mean to be openly stored on a countertop, and/or may be desired for taking up less space. As a portion of the blade may be exposed with the abrasive sharper 300 as shown in FIG. 10, and the edge of the knife is facing upward while exposed, various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept may include an additional guard, or other anti-slip measure, proximate the rear of the housing to prevent a user's hand from slipping off of the housing and onto the blade during a sharpening operation.

Various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept may provide an abrasive sharpener that can easily sharpen a variety of knife sizes, such as, for example, a range of 1″ to 10″. Regardless of the size, the sharpener has the ability to sharpen the entire length of the cutting edge, from tip to heel. The abrasive sharpener may be configured to accept all handle types, and most all blades, including, but not limited to, standard style kitchen knives such as chef's, paring, santoku, fillet, boning, bread, and carving knives. The sharpener may be configured for countertop use, with no other tools required. A user simple places the spine of such a knife downward when inserting the blade into the sharpener, and maintains the contact of the spine on the blade spine support of the sharpener while moving the blade in and out of the sharpener, and the constant force biased sharpening head will move along with the curve of the blade and provide the same sharpening force on the knife edge along the entire curve of the edge being sharpened. The abrasive sharpener of the present general inventive concept takes all guesswork out of a sharpening operation, as the user simply slides the spine of the knife over a blade support while the sharpener supplies a substantially uniform sharpening force on the edge of the blade. Various example embodiments may reverse the arrangement of the various components such that the spine of the blade is held upwards, with the sharpening head being biased upwards onto the downward facing knife edge while the user holds the knife spine upwards into a blade spine support, without departing from the scope of the present general inventive concept.

Various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept may provide an abrasive sharpener including a housing configured with a front opening formed to pass a blade therethrough, a support member provided inside and proximate a bottom of the housing, and configured to support a spine of a blade so that an edge of the blade faces a top of the housing, and a sharpening heat having at least one abrasive element forming a generally V-shaped sharpening angle configured to contact the edge of the blade when at least a portion of the blade is inside the housing, wherein the sharpening head is configured to be movable bidirectionally, and to be biased toward a bottom of the housing, so as to maintain contact with the edge of the blade as the blade is moved in and out of the housing. The sharpening head may be configured to be biased at a substantially uniform force toward the bottom of the housing during movement of the sharpening head. The sharpening head may be biased toward the bottom of the housing by one or more constant force springs coupled to the housing. The sharpening head may include an access portion configured to be selectively detachable from, and attachable to, the sharpening head so that the at least one abrasive head is manipulable. At least a portion of the front opening may be configured to allow the access portion of the sharpening head to be removed through the front opening. The sharpening head may further include an angled mounting portion configured to have the at least one abrasive member mounted thereon, wherein a rear surface of the access portion is angled to correspond to the angled mounting portion such that the at least one abrasive member is secured on the angled mounting portion when the access portion is attached. The sharpening head may further include at least one recess configured to receive the at least one abrasive member therein. The at least one abrasive member may includes two abrasive members, and the at least one recess may include first and second recesses having different depths and configured to respectively receive the two abrasive members such that the abrasive members overlap to form the generally V-shaped sharpening angle. The two abrasive members may be configured to be interchangeable and/or rotatable to provide a plurality of selectable sharpening edges to form the generally V-shaped sharpening angle. The abrasive sharpener may further include a support horn extending from a rear of the sharpening head and configured to contact a blade edge extending back from the sharpening head to prevent the sharpening head from moving down over a heel of the blade edge. The support horn may include a pair of ceramic dowels configured to respectively contact opposite sides of the blade edge. The abrasive sharpener may further include a blade rest portion extending from a front of the housing under the front opening, and a groove formed on a top of the blade rest portion and configured to receive the spine of the blade and align the blade to be passed through the front opening and under the sharpening head. The sharpening head may include a notch on a front surface thereof that is configured to guide a point of the blade through the generally V-shaped sharpening angle. The abrasive sharpener may further include a plurality of guide slots formed on at least one inner surface of the housing, and a plurality of sliding members provided on the sharpening head and configured to respectively register with the plurality of guide slots so as to maintain constant orientation of the sharpening head during bidirectional movement. The abrasive sharpener may further include a ramp member inside the housing on which the support member is provided, the ramp member being configured to maintain a constant angle of the spine of the blade relative to the bottom of the housing during a sharpening operation. At least a portion of the front opening may be formed as a slit configured to maintain a vertical position of the blade during a sharpening operation. The abrasive sharpener may further include a handguard portion extending from an upper and forward area of the housing. At least a portion of the sharpening head may be configured to move through the handguard during an upper range of bidirectional movement. The abrasive sharpener may further include a rear opening in the housing configured to allow a portion of the blade to extend out of a rear of the housing.

Various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept may provide an abrasive sharpener including a housing configured with a front opening formed to pass a blade therethrough, a support ramp provided inside and proximate a bottom of the housing, and configured to support a spine of a blade at a predetermined angle relative to a bottom of the housing and so that an edge of the blade generally faces a top of the housing, a sharpening head provided inside the housing adjacent the front opening and having at least one abrasive element forming a generally V-shaped sharpening angle configured to contact the edge of the blade when at least a portion of the blade is inside the housing, a blade rest portion extending from a front of the housing under the front opening, a groove formed on a top of the blade rest portion and configured to receive the spine of the blade and align the blade to be passed through the front opening and under the sharpening head, and a notch on a front surface of the sharpening head to guide a point of the glade through the generally V-shaped sharpening angle, wherein the sharpening head is configured to be movable bidirectionally, and to be biased toward a bottom of the housing, so as to maintain contact with the edge of the blade as the blade is moved in and out of the housing.

Numerous variations, modifications, and additional embodiments are possible, and accordingly, all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the spirit and scope of the present general inventive concept. For example, regardless of the content of any portion of this application, unless clearly specified to the contrary, there is no requirement for the inclusion in any claim herein or of any application claiming priority hereto of any particular described or illustrated activity or element, any particular sequence of such activities, or any particular interrelationship of such elements. Moreover, any activity can be repeated, any activity can be performed by multiple entities, and/or any element can be duplicated.

It is noted that the simplified diagrams and drawings included in the present application do not illustrate all the various connections and assemblies of the various components, however, those skilled in the art will understand how to implement such connections and assemblies, based on the illustrated components, figures, and descriptions provided herein, using sound engineering judgment. Numerous variations, modification, and additional embodiments are possible, and, accordingly, all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the spirit and scope of the present general inventive concept.

While the present general inventive concept has been illustrated by description of several example embodiments, and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the general inventive concept to such descriptions and illustrations. Instead, the descriptions, drawings, and claims herein are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive, and additional embodiments will readily appear to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description and drawings. Additional modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.

Claims

1. An abrasive sharpener comprising:

a housing configured with a front opening formed to pass a blade therethrough;

a support member provided inside and proximate a bottom of the housing, and configured to support a spine of a blade so that an edge of the blade faces a top of the housing; and

a sharpening heat having at least one abrasive element forming a generally V-shaped sharpening angle configured to contact the edge of the blade when at least a portion of the blade is inside the housing;

wherein the sharpening head is configured to be movable bidirectionally, and to be biased toward a bottom of the housing, so as to maintain contact with the edge of the blade as the blade is moved in and out of the housing.

2. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, wherein the sharpening head is configured to be biased at a substantially uniform force toward the bottom of the housing during movement of the sharpening head.

3. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, wherein the sharpening head is biased toward the bottom of the housing by one or more constant force springs coupled to the housing.

4. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, wherein the sharpening head comprises:

an access portion configured to be selectively detachable from, and attachable to, the sharpening head so that the at least one abrasive head is manipulable.

5. The abrasive sharpener of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the front opening is configured to allow the access portion of the sharpening head to be removed through the front opening.

6. The abrasive sharpener of claim 4, wherein the sharpening head further comprises:

an angled mounting portion configured to have the at least one abrasive member mounted thereon,

wherein a rear surface of the access portion is angled to correspond to the angled mounting portion such that the at least one abrasive member is secured on the angled mounting portion when the access portion is attached.

7. The abrasive sharpener of claim 6, wherein the sharpening head further comprises:

at least one recess configured to receive the at least one abrasive member therein.

8. The abrasive sharpener of claim 7, wherein the at least one abrasive member includes two abrasive members, and the at least one recess includes first and second recesses having different depths and configured to respectively receive the two abrasive members such that the abrasive members overlap to form the generally V-shaped sharpening angle.

9. The abrasive sharpener of claim 8, wherein the two abrasive members are configured to be interchangeable and/or rotatable to provide a plurality of selectable sharpening edges to form the generally V-shaped sharpening angle.

10. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, further comprising a support horn extending from a rear of the sharpening head and configured to contact a blade edge extending back from the sharpening head to prevent the sharpening head from moving down over a heel of the blade edge.

11. The abrasive sharpener of claim 10, wherein the support horn comprises a pair of ceramic dowels configured to respectively contact opposite sides of the blade edge.

12. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, further comprising:

a blade rest portion extending from a front of the housing under the front opening; and

a groove formed on a top of the blade rest portion and configured to receive the spine of the blade and align the blade to be passed through the front opening and under the sharpening head.

13. The abrasive sharpener of claim 12, wherein the sharpening head comprises a notch on a front surface thereof that is configured to guide a point of the blade through the generally V-shaped sharpening angle.

14. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of guide slots formed on at least one inner surface of the housing; and

a plurality of sliding members provided on the sharpening head and configured to respectively register with the plurality of guide slots so as to maintain constant orientation of the sharpening head during bidirectional movement.

15. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, further comprising a ramp member inside the housing on which the support member is provided, the ramp member being configured to maintain a constant angle of the spine of the blade relative to the bottom of the housing during a sharpening operation.

16. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the front opening is formed as a slit configured to maintain a vertical position of the blade during a sharpening operation.

17. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, further comprising a handguard portion extending from an upper and forward area of the housing.

18. The abrasive sharpener of claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the sharpening head is configured to move through the handguard during an upper range of bidirectional movement.

19. The abrasive sharpener of claim 1, further comprising a rear opening in the housing configured to allow a portion of the blade to extend out of a rear of the housing.

20. An abrasive sharpener comprising:

a housing configured with a front opening formed to pass a blade therethrough;

a support ramp provided inside and proximate a bottom of the housing, and configured to support a spine of a blade at a predetermined angle relative to a bottom of the housing and so that an edge of the blade generally faces a top of the housing;

a sharpening head provided inside the housing adjacent the front opening and having at least one abrasive element forming a generally V-shaped sharpening angle configured to contact the edge of the blade when at least a portion of the blade is inside the housing;

a blade rest portion extending from a front of the housing under the front opening;

a groove formed on a top of the blade rest portion and configured to receive the spine of the blade and align the blade to be passed through the front opening and under the sharpening head; and

a notch on a front surface of the sharpening head to guide a point of the glade through the generally V-shaped sharpening angle;

wherein the sharpening head is configured to be movable bidirectionally, and to be biased toward a bottom of the housing, so as to maintain contact with the edge of the blade as the blade is moved in and out of the housing.