Pocket cutter

Abstract

A pocket cutter knife with a retractable cutting blade that is operated via a blade control unit. The blade control unit includes a thumb slider switch, a blade carrier, and a tension component that are operably connected to extend and retract a cutting blade that is held by the blade carrier. The pocket cutter may also include a magnet retained within the body shell of the pocket cutter.

1 . A blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter comprising:
 a slider button comprising a connector post formed with a gap and configured to move a blade operably connected to the connector post transversely, the connector post adapted to extend beyond a transverse groove in a pocket cutter housing; and   a spring mounted to a wall of the housing, the spring comprising a short arm and a long arm, a portion of the short arm abutting a protrusion extending from a top portion of a first housing shell of the housing to provide leverage to the short arm and enable a biasing of the long arm extending through the connector post gap and the slider button operably connected thereto to a blade retracting position.   
     
     
         2 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the short arm comprises a long component and a short component, the long and short components of the short arm meeting at a 90° angle to form an “L” shape. 
     
     
         3 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 2 , wherein the long component of the short arm abuts a portion of a first sidewall of the protrusion and the short component of the short arm abuts a portion of a second sidewall of the protrusion to prevent dislodgment of the short arm from the protrusion. 
     
     
         4 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion spans across at least a third of the long component of the short arm and is sloped downward relative to a top edge of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is disposed below a border of the cutter housing. 
     
     
         6 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the spring comprises a coil portion disposed about an engagement post extending from a first housing shell of the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 6 , wherein the engagement post is received in a receiving hole formed in the second housing shell of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 6 , wherein the protrusion is disposed below the engagement post, relative to a top edge of the first housing shell. 
     
     
         9 . A blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter comprising:
 a slider button comprising a connector post formed with a gap and configured to move a blade in mechanical communication with the connector post transversely, the connector post gap adapted to extend beyond a transverse groove in a pocket cutter housing; and   a torsion spring comprising a coil portion disposed about a spring post extending from an interior wall of a first housing shell of the housing, the spring comprising a long arm and a short arm, the long arm of the spring extending through the connector post gap to enable biasing the slider button to a retracted position.   
     
     
         10 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 9 , wherein the spring post is an engagement post and is configured to be received by a receiving hole in a second housing shell of the housing to secure the spring to the housing. 
     
     
         11 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 9 , wherein the short arm comprises a long component and a short component, the long and short components of the short arm meeting at a 90° angle to form an “L” shape. 
     
     
         12 . The blade actuation control unit for use in a pocket cutter of  claim 11 , wherein a portion of the long component of the short arm abuts a first sidewall of a protrusion extending from an interior surface of the first housing shell to enable leveraging of the slider button, and the short component of the short arm abuts a second sidewall of the protrusion to prevent dislodgment of the short arm from the protrusion. 
     
     
         13 . A pocket cutter, comprising:
 a housing comprising a front housing shell and a rear housing shell;   a slider button comprising a connector post in mechanical communication with a blade, the connector post formed with a gap and configured to move the blade transversely, the connector post gap adapted to extend beyond a transverse groove in the housing; and   a spring mounted to the front housing shell and comprising a short arm and a long arm, wherein the long arm extends through the connector post gap to impart a biasing force on the blade that provides resistance against deployment of the blade and enables leveraging of the slider button and the blade in mechanical communication therewith to a retracted position within the housing.   
     
     
         14 . The pocket cutter of  claim 13 , wherein the short arm abuts a protrusion extending from a top portion of a front housing shell of the housing to impart a biasing force on the long arm. 
     
     
         15 . The pocket cutter of  claim 13 , wherein the short arm comprises a long component and a short component, the long and short components of the short arm meeting at a 90° angle to form an “L” shape. 
     
     
         16 . The pocket cutter of  claim 15 , wherein the long component of the short arm is biased against a first sidewall of the protrusion extending from an interior surface of the cutter housing and the short component of the short arm abuts a second sidewall of the protrusion to prevent dislodgment of the short arm from the protrusion. 
     
     
         17 . The pocket cutter of  claim 13 , wherein the short arm is biased against a protrusion extending from an interior surface of the cutter housing, the protrusion disposed below a border of the cutter housing. 
     
     
         18 . The pocket cutter of  claim 13 , wherein the protrusion is sloped downward relative to a top edge of the blade. 
     
     
         19 . The pocket cutter of  claim 13 , wherein the spring is a torsion spring and comprises a coil portion disposed about a spring post extending from the first housing shell. 
     
     
         20 . The pocket cutter of  claim 19 , wherein the spring post is an engagement post configured to be received in a receiving hole formed in the rear housing shell to secure the spring to the housing.