US3639983A - Envelope-opening devices - Google Patents

Abstract

An envelope-opening device comprising an integral plastic body having coextensive portions flexibly connected at one end by an integral transverse portion and a longitudinal envelope receiving and guiding open side slot having opposite surfaces on the respective coextensive body portions, with a cutting blade projecting from one of the surfaces into the slot at the end of the slot opposite the hinge portion.

Description

I Umted States Patent [I51 3,639,983 Knipfing [4 1 Feb. 8, 1972 [54] ENVELOPE-OPENING DEVICES 2,8l5,572 12/1957 Deicken ..30/289 3,068,569 l2/l962 CampbelL. ....30/294 [72] Inventor: Richard T. Kmptlng, 8004 San Juan, NE, 3 H8 228 1 I 64 A Albuquerque, N. Mex 87108 9 dams .30/294 [22] Filed: Jan. 13, 1970 Primary ExaminerTheron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters l PP 2,507 Attorney-Strauch, Nolan, Neale, Nies & Kurz 152 us. Cl ..30/294 [57] ABSTRACT [5|] Int.Cl 4 ..B26b 29/00 An envelope-opening device comprising an integral plastic [58] Field at Search ..30/289, 293, 294, DIG. 3 y having coextensive po ti flex y con ected at one end by an integral transverse portion and a longitudinal en- [56] References Cited velope receiving and guiding open side slot having opposite surfaces on the respective coextensive body portions, with a UNITED STATES PATENTS cutting blade projecting from one of the surfaces into the slot at the end of the slot opposite the hinge portion. 693,660 2/1902 Lamont ..30/294 X 2,247,840 7/ l 941 Harrison ..30/289 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEU FEB 8 I972 FIG. 6

l7 L/H FIG. 5

FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

RICHARD 7f K/V/PF/NG Wa QM,

ATTORNEYS ENVELOPE-OPENING DEVICES This invention relates to manual envelope-opening devices of the type wherein a narrow edge margin is severed to enable the envelope contents to be withdrawn.

Devices of this type have been proposed such as disclosed in U.S. Letters Pat. Nos. 673,375; 1,943,193 and 2,815,572 and the present invention constitutes improvement over such prior devices by providing a mechanically simple lightweight, inexpensive but markedly novel structure that is readily fabricated and may be used with safety by anyone.

It is the major object of the invention to provide a novel envelope-opening device wherein the envelope edge is passed through a laterally open slot disposed between two flexibly connected body portions and a projecting cutting blade is mounted on one of the portions to be displaced in the slot during the envelope-opening operation. More specifically the body may be an integral block of plastic formed along one edge with said envelope guide slot and also formed with a further slot extending deeply from the other edge to define the coextensive body portions.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. I is a generally perspective view showing a letter-opening device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is atop plan view;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the envelope guide slot;

FIG. 4 is an opposite side elevational view; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are respective front and rear end views of the device.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The letter opener device of the invention comprises a body 11 of a suitable hard moldable plastic that is preferably integral.

As shown, body 11 is provided along the entire length of one side with an envelope end edge receiving and guiding slot 12 that is laterally open (FIG. 3) and has a flared mouth 13 at the rear end for facilitating entry of the edge of the envelope to be opened. Slot I2 is normally otherwise preferably of constant depth and constant width.

At the forward end of slot 12, a cutting blade 14 having a downwardly and forwardly inclined edge 15 projecting from the top surface 16 of slot 12 is rigidly secured to the body portion 17 above slot 12. Blade edge 15 is parallel to the longitudinally extending vertical backwall 18 of slot 12. The bottom surface 19 of slot 12 is preferably parallel to the top surface 16 in the relaxed position of the device as shown in the drawings.

Body 11 is provided along the side opposite slot 12 with a relatively deep slot 21 that (FIG. 4) extends from the solid transverse rear body portion 22 to be open at end 23 at the front end of the body. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, slot 21 extends across the body to intersect slot 12, whereby the upper body portion 17 carrying blade 14 is effectively connected to the lower body portion 24 only by the relatively narrow solid body end portion 22. Thus the integral body end portion 22 serves as a resilient transverse hinge flexibly interconnecting the upper and lower body portions.

Referring to FIG. 5, it will be seen that in the relaxed condition of the device, the upper body portion 17 has a relatively narrow depending longitudinal side ledge .25 of about the height of slot 12 and its lower face is the top surface 16 of slot At its forward end the lower surface 19 of slot 12 is formed with a depression 26 that is of sufficient depth to accommodate blade 14 during operation of the device as will now be explained.

In operation, starting with the device in its normal relaxed condition shown in the drawings, the comer of envelope E is the envelope between blade 14 and back wall 18 of the slot is severed cleanly as the envelope passes through the slot.

The location and depth of depression 26 are such that the descending blade edge can fully occupy the slot and also it prevents abutment of the blade edge with the slot bottom surface to preserve sharpness of the blade.

Body 11 may be an integral block of any suitably rigid plastic that has sufficient inherent resiliency to permit the hinge action at 22 and restore to relaxed condition after being squeezed during the envelope opening operation. The blade 14 may be fixedly incorporated into the body 11 in any desired manner, and preferably it is permanently installed as by a molding or heat-forming operation so that the device may be a throwaway item.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent 1. An envelope-opening device comprising a body having a length dimension greater than its width, said body including coextensive portions flexibly connected at one end by an integral hinge portion across the width of the body, and means defining a laterally open longitudinal envelope receiving and guiding slot formed along one long side of said device comprising three generally coextensive planar surfaces at right angles to each other, two of said surfaces formed on one of said body portions, the remaining one of said surfaces formed on the other of said body portions and generally disposed parallel to one of said two body portions on said one body portion, and a cutting blade projecting from one of said parallel surfaces towards the other of said parallel surfaces at a point remote from said hinge portion, adjacent the end of said body.

2. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 1, wherein said body is a substantially integral block of plastic material formed along one side edge with said envelope guide slot and being transversely solid at said hinge portion.

3. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 2, wherein said body is longitudinally and laterally slotted to provide said coextensive body portions forwardly of a relatively narrow rear transverse portion that serves as said hinge portion.

4. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 2, wherein said blade is substantially permanently secured to said one of said coextensive body portions.

5. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 3, wherein the body slots are substantially continuous laterally of the body forwardly of said hinge portion.

Claims (5)

1. An envelope-opening device comprising a body having a length dimension greater than its width, said body including coextensive portions flexibly connected at one end by an integral hinge portion across the width of the body, and means defining a laterally open longitudinal envelope receiving and guiding slot formed along one long side of said device comprising three generally coextensive planar surfaces at right angles to each other, two of said surfaces formed on one of said body portions, the remaining one of said surfaces formed on the other of said body portions and generally disposed parallel to one of said two body portions on said one body portion, and a cutting blade projecting from one of said parallel surfaces towards the other of said parallel surfaces at a point remote from said hinge portion, adjacent the end of said body.

2. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 1, wherein said body is a substantially integral block of plastic material formed along one side edge with said envelope guide slot and being transversely solid at said hinge portion.

3. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 2, wherein said body is longitudinally and laterally slotted to provide said coextensive body portions forwardly of a relatively narrow rear transverse portion that serves as said hinge portion.

4. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 2, wherein said blade is substantially permanently secured to said one of said coextensive body portions.

5. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 3, wherein the body slots are substAntially continuous laterally of the body forwardly of said hinge portion.

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