KNIFE SHARPENER
A blade sharpening apparatus comprising a rotor, including a plurality of interleaved fingers, operative to interface with the cutting edge of a blade. The rotor is coupled to a rotary drive, such as an electric motor, thereby automating the sharpening process. Preferably, each of the fingers is flexible and includes a lead-in in the form of a radius or chamfer to prevent kick back from the heel of the blade or knife being sharpened. It is also preferable that the sharpening fingers include a portion of abrasive material or surface treatment.
Traditionally, knives such as butcher's knives and chefs knives were sharpened or honed using a honing steel and/or whetstone. However, as many people did not have the necessary skill to use such steels to produce good cutting edges on their knives, many different types of knife sharpeners have been developed over the years. While these knife sharpeners are easier to use for the average person, they generally have one or more practical limitations and so there is still a quest to develop an improved knife sharpener. Accordingly, there is a need for a knife sharpener that replicates the honing action of a traditional chef/butcher steel, but with more speed, efficiency and accuracy.
SUMMARYProvided herein is a blade sharpening apparatus comprising a rotor, including a plurality of interleaved fingers, operative to interface with the cutting edge of a blade. The rotor is coupled to a rotary drive, such as an electric motor, thereby automating the sharpening process. Preferably, each of the fingers is flexible and includes a lead-in in the form of a radius or chamfer to prevent kick back from the heel of the blade or knife being sharpened. It is also preferable that the sharpening fingers include a portion of abrasive material or surface treatment.
The rotor may be formed of a unitary casting or stamping or may be an assembly including first and second rotors. Each rotor could include a hub with a plurality of fingers extending radially therefrom. Each of the rotors is disposed about a rotor shaft such that respective fingers of the first and second rotors are interleaved with one another.
The foregoing and other features, utilities, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles thereof. Like items in the drawings are referred to using the same numerical reference.
The technology of the present application will be explained with reference to the figures. While the knife sharpener is explained with particular reference to certain devices and materials, it should be understood that those devices and materials are exemplary in nature and should not be construed as limiting.
The disclosed blade sharpening apparatus replicates the honing action of a traditional chef/butcher steel, but with more speed, efficiency and accuracy. The sharpening angles are set by intersecting fingers, eliminating human error that has plagued the traditional manual Steel for many years. The present invention relates to a knife blade sharpener that utilizes overlapping, resiliently flexible fingers or strips, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,327, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Illustrated in
Rotor assembly 20 is disposed on shaft 25 and includes first rotor 30(1) and second rotor 30(2) interleaved with each other. Each rotor includes fingers 34(1) and 34(2) respectively. Opposed inwardly facing surfaces of these fingers interface with the blade being sharpened. Rotor assembly 20 rotates within housing 12, which includes slot 13 exposing a portion of rotor assembly 20. Thus, with further reference to
It should be understood that while the rotor has been described as an assembly, it is contemplated that the rotor could also be formed of a single unitary construction. Such construction could be a casting or stamping formed from sheet-metal. The rotors are preferably formed of a metallic material such as aluminum or steel but could be formed of a suitable plastic material as well. Each finger may include an abrasive material impregnated into the surface or bonded to the surface of each finger. Alternatively the surface of each finger could be disrupted such as by crosshatching as a means to provide an abrasive surface to aid in sharpening the blade.
Accordingly, the present invention has been described with some degree of particularity directed to the exemplary embodiments. It should be appreciated, though, that the present invention is defined by the following claims construed in light of the prior art so that modifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the inventive concepts contained herein.
Claims
1. A blade sharpening apparatus comprising:
- (A) a rotor, including a plurality of interleaved flexible fingers, operative to interface with the cutting edge of a blade; and
- (B) a rotary drive coupled to said rotor.
2. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fingers each include a lead-in.
3. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said lead-in is a radius.
4. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rotary drive is an electric motor.
5. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said fingers are abrasive.
6. A blade sharpening apparatus comprising:
- (A) a rotor assembly including first and second rotors, wherein each said rotor includes a hub with a plurality of fingers extending radially therefrom, said rotors being disposed about a rotor shaft such that respective fingers of said first and second rotors are interleaved with one another; and
- (B) a rotary drive coupled to said rotor shaft.
7. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said fingers are flexible.
8. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said fingers each include a lead-in.
9. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said fingers are flexible.
10. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said lead-in is a radius.
11. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said rotary drive is an electric motor.
12. A blade sharpening apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said rotor assembly includes an abrasive.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 10, 2008
Publication Date: Jun 18, 2009
Applicant: FURI BRANDS, INC. (City of Commerce, CA)
Inventor: Mark James Henry (Mill Valley, CA)
Application Number: 12/331,601