Utility knife

Abstract

A utility knife includes a handle base and a neck connected to the handle base for pivotal movement relative to the handle base between a closed position and an open position. The knife also includes a utility blade holder slidingly carried by the neck for sliding movement relative to the neck between a retracted position and an extended position. A utility blade is carried by the blade holder such that movement of the utility blade holder between its extended and retracted positions moves the utility blade between an exposed position in which a cutting edge of the blade is exposed, and a protected position in which the cutting edge of the blade is protected by the neck.

1 . A knife comprising:
 a handle base;   a neck connected to the handle base for movement relative to the handle base between a closed position and an open position;   a utility blade holder slidingly carried by the neck for sliding movement relative to the neck between a retracted position and an extended position; and   a utility blade carried by the blade holder such that movement of the utility blade holder between its extended and retracted positions moves the utility blade between an exposed position in which a cutting edge of the blade is exposed, and a protected position in which the cutting edge of the blade is protected by the neck.   
   
   
       2 . The knife of  claim 1 , wherein the neck pivotally connects to the handle base for pivotal movement relative to the handle base between the closed position and the open position. 
   
   
       3 . The knife of  claim 1 , wherein the blade holder is movable between its extended and retracted position while the neck is in its open position. 
   
   
       4 . The knife of  claim 1 , further comprising a manually operable slide lock that selectively locks the blade holder in the extended or retracted position. 
   
   
       5 . The knife of  claim 1 , further comprising a manually operable neck lock that selectively locks the neck in either of the open and closed positions. 
   
   
       6 . The knife of  claim 1 , wherein the neck is movable into the closed position while the blade holder, is in the extended position and the blade is in the exposed position. 
   
   
       7 . The knife of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the utility blade has a mounting notch formed in a first linear edge and a cutting edge opposite the first linear edge, and   the utility blade substantially has the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, the cutting edge being disposed on a longest edge of the trapezoid.   
   
   
       8 . The knife of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the handle base and neck together define a handle of the knife; and   the handle is longer when the neck is in the open position than in the closed position.   
   
   
       9 . The knife of  claim 1 , wherein a combined length of the handle base and neck when the neck is in the closed position is less than 4.5 inches. 
   
   
       10 . The knife of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a combined length of the handle base and neck when the neck is in the closed position is less than 5 inches; and   a combined length of the handle base and neck when the neck is in the open position is at least 25% longer than the combined length of the handle base and neck when the neck is in the closed position.   
   
   
       11 . A knife comprising:
 a handle base;   a neck connected to the handle base for movement relative to the handle base between a closed position and an open position; and   a utility blade holder slidingly carried by the neck for sliding movement relative to the neck between an extended position and a retracted position, the utility blade holder being shaped and configured to have a utility blade carried by the blade holder such that movement of the utility blade holder between its extended and retracted positions moves the utility blade between an exposed position in which a cutting edge of the blade is exposed, and a protected position in which the cutting edge of the blade is protected by the neck.   
   
   
       12 . The knife of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the handle base and neck together define a handle of the knife;   a closed length of the handle when the neck is in the closed position is less than 5 inches; and   an open length of the handle when the neck is in the open position is at least 25% longer than the closed length.   
   
   
       13 . A knife comprising:
 a handle base;   a neck pivotally connected to the handle base for pivotal movement relative to the handle base between a closed position and an open position;   a utility blade holder slidingly carried by the neck for sliding movement relative to the neck from a retracted position to an extended position; and   a utility blade carried by the blade holder such that movement of the utility blade holder from the retracted position to the extended position moves the utility blade from a protected position in which a cutting edge of the blade is protected by the neck to an exposed position in which the cutting edge is exposed.   
   
   
       14 . The knife of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the utility blade holder is slidingly carried by the neck for sliding movement relative to the neck between the extended and retracted positions; and   movement of the utility blade holder from its extended position to its retracted position moves the utility blade from its exposed position to its protected position.   
   
   
       15 . The knife of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the utility blade has a mounting notch formed in a first linear edge and a cutting edge opposite the first linear edge, and   the utility blade substantially has the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, the cutting edge being disposed on a longest edge of the trapezoid.