Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CUTTER
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cutter for cutting a sheet of wood or
melamine and, more particularly, to a cutter for precisely and smoothly
cutting a sheet of wood or melamine into a desired shape with a corner of
a desired angle.
2. RELATED PRIOR ART
A cutter is used to cut a sheet of wood or melamine into a desired
shape with a corner of a desired angle. Such a cutter can be a pair of
scissors or a saw.
As disclosed in Taiwanese Utility Model Patent No. M241201, a
conventional cutter includes an upper handle 10, a lower handle 20, a
blade 30 connected to an end of the lower handle 20, an angle-indicating
cutting board 40 connected to an end of the upper handle 10, and an
abutment element 50. The abutment element 50 is part of a movable
connection mechanism that allows the blade 30 to move relative to the
angle-indicating cutting board 40 to reduce a force required to cut a sheet
of wood or melamine.
As disclosed in Taiwanese Utility Model Patent No. 595534, another
conventional cutter includes a jaw 11 formed at an end of a handle, a
blade 12 formed at an end of another handle, an angle-indicating cutting
board 20 supported on the jaw 11, and an angle-adjusting element 30
rotationally supported on the angle-indicating cutting board 20. The
angle-adjusting element 30 allows a sheet of wood or melamine to be
located and kept at a desired angle.
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However, the use of the above-mentioned conventional cutters to cut the sheet
of
wood or melamine is conducted in a step-by-step manner if the sheet of wood or
melamine
is thick. This is because a user inevitably feels stress and fatigue in his or
her hand and has
to pause from time to time during the operation. However, the above-mentioned
conventional cutters do not include any device to hold the sheet of wood or
melamine in
position relative to the blade and the cutting board in such a pause. Hence,
the user has to
align the sheet of wood or melamine to the blade and the cutting board again
after such a
pause, and this is inconvenient. Moreover, a stroke of cutting might not be
perfectly in line
with a following stroke of cutting, and an edge of the sheet of wood or
melamine is not
perfectly rectilinear. Furthermore, the blade tends to be raised from the
sheet of wood or
melamine, and the user could easily get cut by the blade.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate
the
problems encountered in prior art.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a cutter
comprising: a first
handle; a second handle pivotally connected to the first handle; a cutting
board supported
on the first handle; a blade connected to the second handle; an angle holder
comprising
teeth at an edge and a cutout near the teeth; two screws for attaching,the
angle holder to
the first handle; a releasing element extending between the first handle and
the angle holder
and comprising: a first end pivotally connected to the first handle by the
first screw; a second
end opposite to the first end; a button formed at the second end and operable
to pivot the
releasing element; a slot extending near the button, receiving the second
screw, and
comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the releasing element can be
pivoted
relative to the second screw and the angle holder so that the second screw can
be abutted
against a selected one of the first and second ends of the slot; an elastic
restrainer
transversely formed near the second end of the slot and adapted for confining
the second
screw near the second end of the slot; and a cutout corresponding to the
cutout of the angle
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holder; and a spring-biased lock pivotally connected to the first handle,
wherein the spring-
biased lock is allowed to engage with the teeth or enter the cutout of the
angle holder and
the cutout of the releasing element when the first end of the slot is placed
against one of the
screws, wherein the spring-biased lock is removed from the teeth and the
cutouts when the
second end of the slot is placed against the screw.
One aspect of the present invention provides a cutter for precisely keeping a
sheet in
position when cutting of the sheet is temporarily stopped.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a cutter with a blade that is
kept in
position during cutting of a sheet.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a cutter with a blade that
can easily
be released from a cutting board.
To achieve the above, the cutter includes two handles, a blade, a cutting
board, an
angle holder, two screws, a spring-biased lock and a
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releasing element. The handles are pivotally connected to each other.
The cutting board is supported on the first handle. The blade is
connected to the second handle. The angle holder includes teeth at an
edge and a cutout near the teeth. The angle holder is attached to the first
handle by the screws. The releasing element is pivotally connected to
the first handle by the first screw and includes a slot. The spring-biased
lock is pivotally connected to the first handle. The spring-biased lock is
allowed to engage with the teeth or enter the cutout of the angle holder
when the first end of the slot is placed against the second screw. The
spring-biased lock is removed from the teeth and the cutout when the
second end of the slot is placed against the second screw.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will be
apparent from the following description referring to the attached
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the
preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cutter according to the preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a right side view of the cutter shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the cutter shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a right side view of the cutter in another position than
shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a right side view of the cutter in another position than
shown in FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 is a right side view of the cutter in another position than
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shown in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, there is a cutter 10 according to the
preferred embodiment of the present invention. The cutter 10 includes
two handles 12 and 14, a blade 16, a cutting board 20, a releasing element
30, an angle holder 40 and a spring-biased lock 54.
The first handle 12 includes a grip 121 at an end and a jaw 122 at
another end. The blade 16 is connected to the jaw 142 of the second
handle 14.
The second handle 14 includes a grip 141 at an end and a jaw 142 at
another end. The cutting board 20 is supported on the jaw 122 of the
first handle 12.
The first handle 12 is pivotally connected to the second handle 14
like in a pair of scissors. A compression spring (not shown) can be
provided between the handles 12 and 14 so that they tend to open when
they are not squeezed. Accordingly, the blade 16 is away from the
cutting board 20, ready to cut a sheet of wood or melamine.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the angle holder 40 includes an end
connected to the jaw 122 of the first handle 12 by a first screw 50 and
another end connected to the grip 121 of the first handle 12 by a second
screw 52. There is a gap (not numbered) between the angle holder 40
and the first handle 12. The angle holder 40 includes, at an edge, a
plurality of teeth 42 for engagement with the spring-biased lock 54 in a
manner to be described. There is a cutout 44 in the edge of the angle
holder 40, near the teeth 42.
The spring-biased lock 54 includes an end pivotally connected to the
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jaw 142 of the second handle 14 and a free end that tends to move to the
teeth 42 of the angle holder 40. Thus, the free end of the spring-biased
lock 54 can selectively be engaged with the teeth 42 of the angle holder
40 or the cutout 44 referring to FIGS. 4 and 5.
The releasing element 30 includes a button 33 formed at an end, a
slot 32 near the button 33, an elastic restrainer 323 transversely extending
in the slot 32, and a cutout 34 corresponding to the cutout 44 of the angle
holder 40. The slot 32 includes two ends 321 and 322. The elastic
restrainer 323 is located near the second end 322 of the slot 32.
The releasing element 30 is located in the gap between the first
handle 12 and the angle holder 40. The releasing element 30 is movably
connected to the angle holder 40 by the first screw 50 at another end.
The slot 32 receives the second screw 52, which is connected to the angle
holder 40. Thus, the releasing element 30 can be pivoted relative to the
second screw 52 and the angle holder 40. The second screw 52 can
selectively be abutted against the end 321 or 322 of the slot 32.
A spring 36 is arranged between the jaw 122 of the first handle 12
and the releasing element 30 so that the spring 36 tends to abut the first
end 321 of the slot 32 of the releasing element 30 against the second
zo screw 52, which is connected to the angle holder 40. The cutout 34 of
the releasing element 30 is aligned to the cutout 44 of the angle holder 40.
Now, the edge of the releasing element 30 does not extend beyond the
teeth 42 of the angle holder 40. Accordingly, the spring-biased lock 54
can be engaged with the teeth 42 of the angle holder 40 or inserted in the
cutout 44 of the angle holder 40 and the cutout 34 of the releasing
element 30 referring to FIGS. 4 and 5.
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On the contrary, the releasing element 30 can be operated to abut the
second end 322 of the slot 32 against the second screw 52, which is
connected to the angle holder 40. Now, the edge of the releasing
element 30 extends beyond the teeth 42 and the cutout 44 of the angle
-- holder 40. Hence, the edge of the releasing element 30 can disengage
the spring-biased lock 54 from the teeth 42 of the angle holder 40 or the
cutout 44 referring to FIG. 6. Accordingly, the handles 12 and 14 are
opened, and the cutter 10 is ready to cut a sheet of wood or melamine.
The teeth 42 of the angle holder 40 are in the vicinity of the spring-biased
-- lock 54 referring to FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 4, in the beginning of a cutting operation, a user
presses the button 33 of the releasing element 30 to bring the second end
of the releasing element 30 and the second end 322 toward the second
screw 52. Thus, the handles 12 and 14 are opened, and the blade 16 is
-- away from the cutting board 20. That is, between the blade 16 and the
cutting board 20, there is a gap to receive a sheet of wood or melamine.
Hence, the cutter 10 is ready to cut the sheet.
Then, the user can pivot the grip 121 of the first handle 12 toward the
grip 141 of the second handle 14. Thus, the blade 16 is pivoted toward
-- the cutting board 20 to cut the sheet. As the closing of the handles 12
and 14 goes on, the blade 16 gets closer to the cutting board 20 while the
spring-biased lock 54 rattles beneath the teeth 42.
Referring to FIG. 5, the user can temporally release the handles 12
and 14 and relax for a while before he or she continues the cutting
-- operation. The spring-biased lock 54 is automatically engaged with the
teeth 42, and the first handle 12 is kept in a position relative to the second
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handle 14. During the pause, the sheet is kept in position relative to the
cutting board 20 and the blade 16. The blade 16 is kept on the sheet,
and the odds of the user getting cut by the blade 16 are low. Moreover,
the user does not have to align the sheet to the blade 16 and the cutting
board 20 again before he or she continues the cutting operation after the
pause, and this is convenient. Hence, an edge of the sheet resulting from
the entire cutting operation is rendered perfectly rectilinear although the
cutting operation is conducted in several discrete phases.
Referring to FIG. 2, the user can operate the releasing element 30 to
align the cutout 34 to the cutout 44 again. Thus, the spring-biased lock
54 can be inserted in the cutout 34 and the cutout 44 again. Hence, the
handles 12 and 14 are closed.
Referring to FIG. 6, the button 33 is pushed to pivot the releasing
element 30 so that the second end 322 of the slot 32 is moved toward the
second screw 52 and that the spring-biased lock 54 is remove from the
teeth 42 and the aligned cutouts 34 and 44. Accordingly, the handles 12
and 14 can be opened. That is, the releasing element 30 in a releasing
mode. There is no need for the user to operate the spring-biased lock 54,
which is small and short. Hence, the operation of the cutter 10 is
convenient. F-urtherrnore, the user is protected from the spring-biased
lock 54 and the angle holder 40. The operation of the cutter 10 is safe.
Moreover, the pivoting of the releasing element 30 can be continued
to move the elastic restrainer 323 past the second screw 52. The second
end 322 of the slot 32 is placed against a side of the second screw 52 as
the elastic restrainer 323 of the releasing element 30 is placed against
another side of the second screw 52. The elastic restrainer 323 abuts
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against the second screw 52 to cause the releasing element 30 to keep the
teeth 42 and the cutout 44 from the spring-biased lock 54 even when the
handles 12 and 14 are released. That is, the releasing element 30 is kept
in the releasing mode. Now, the cutter 10 is in a mode particularly
useful for cutting a thin sheet.
The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration
of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive
variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the
scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment
shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
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