US 12,304,092 B2
Folding knife safety mechanism
Scott M. Hangartner, Hartland, WI (US)
Assigned to Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, Brookfield, WI (US)
Filed by Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, Brookfield, WI (US)
Filed on Apr. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/711,454.
Application 17/711,454 is a continuation of application No. 16/814,642, filed on Mar. 10, 2020, granted, now 11,298,837.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/816,748, filed on Mar. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0219341 A1, Jul. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. B26B 1/04 (2006.01); B26B 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC B26B 1/048 (2013.01) [B26B 1/06 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A folding knife comprising:
a handle comprising a top and a bottom opposite the top;
an internal cavity defined by the handle;
a blade rotatably coupled to the handle, the blade rotating with respect to the handle into and out of the internal cavity between a retracted position and an extended position out of the bottom of the handle, the blade defining a recess;
a sliding lock slidably coupled to the handle; and
a locking spring coupled to the handle, a first end of the locking spring is positioned within the recess when the blade is in the retracted position, wherein the sliding lock slides in a first direction with respect to the handle to disengage the locking spring from the recess, the locking spring comprising a displacement wall surface that is angled with respect to the first direction, wherein when the sliding lock is moved in the first direction, the interface between the sliding lock and the displacement wall surface biases the first end of the locking spring upward such that the first end of the locking spring is positioned outside of the recess.