Knife sharpener

Abstract

A knife sharpener has at least two sharpening strips. The sharpening strips are arranged to adjoin each other in the width direction and intersect with each other. The sharpening strips are elastically deformable and include spread portions, respectively. The spread portions stretch from the intersecting point to one ends of the strips and are splayed to form a V-shaped groove having a vertex angle. The sharpener has abrasive surfaces formed on one surfaces of the spread portions, respectively. The abrasive surfaces form both side faces of the groove. The sharpener further has a fixing member fixing the other ends of the strips and stoppers brought into contact with the strips to limit maximum opening width of said groove. The abrasive surfaces are bent by the fixing member and stoppers to increase the vertex angle when a blade edge of a knife is sharpened in the groove.

1 . A knife sharpener comprising: 
 at least two sharpening strips arranged to adjoin each other in a width direction thereof and intersect with each other at an intersecting point, said sharpening strips each being elastically deformable and including spread portions, the spread portions stretching from the intersecting point to one ends of said sharpening strips and being splayed to form a V-shaped groove having a vertex angle;    abrasive surfaces formed on one surfaces of the spread portions, respectively, said abrasive surfaces forming side faces of said groove; and    bending means for bending said abrasive surfaces to increase the vertex angle when a blade edge of a knife is sharpened in said groove.    
   
   
       2 . The knife sharpener according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said bending means includes    a fixing member fixing the other ends of said sharpening strips and    stoppers brought into contact with said sharpening strips to limit maximum opening width of said groove.    
   
   
       3 . The knife sharpener according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a case accommodating said sharpening strips and having a slot stretching in the width direction of said sharpening strips, the slot receiving the blade edge of the knife movably in a direction of blade length of the knife when the blade edge is sharpened.    
   
   
       4 . The knife sharpener according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 said case is formed into a box-like shape and has a wall with the slot in shape of a straight line formed therein and inner wall surfaces serving as the stoppers.    
   
   
       5 . The knife sharpener according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 four or more of said sharpening strips are alternately arranged along the width direction thereof.    
   
   
       6 . The knife sharpener according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an outer case accommodating said case such that said case is protrudable therefrom and serving as a holding portion when the blade edge of the knife is sharpened.    
   
   
       7 . The knife sharpener according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 a plurality of said grooves are radially arranged around a rotary shaft to be rotatable integrally with said rotary shaft, and the spread portions of said sharpening strips are splayed in a radial outward direction of the rotary shaft, and    said knife sharpener further comprises a motor for rotating the rotary shaft.    
   
   
       8 . The knife sharpener according to  claim 7 , wherein 
 said case is disposed to be rotatable integrally with the rotary shaft and is formed into a cylinder-like shape, said case having a circumferential wall with the slot in a ring shape formed therein and inner wall surfaces serving as the stoppers.