Field of the invention

The invention relates to cutting and handling means of fish or game. State of the art In patent document US7874235B2 is presented a device specifically suitable for handling game, wherein the knife blade is inserted upwardly to a handle, which protects the blade. By partially lifting the blade the game leather can be cut. Said device therefore requires separate lifting movements to perform game leather cutting measures.

Short description of the invention

On the basis of the invention is achieved a device for fish or game handling measures which increases fish or game handling safety and quality of handling as well as speed. This is achieved by a device for protecting and guiding a fish or game cutting blade. The device comprises an inlet channel for guiding the cutting blade to its position in the device, a lower jaw and an upper jaw as the protective parts of the cutting blade, the device operating as a sheath protection of the cutting blade being located in at least one of the protective parts, the lower jaw for controlling the cutting blade to the tissue to be cut by making a cutting motion in which the cutting blade comes out of the protective part and hits to the tissue to be cut, and the device comprises a cutting force guide structure for guiding the cutting force of the cutting blade to the tissue to be cut.

The invention is based on protective parts of the cutting blade, the device operating as a sheath protection of the cutting blade being located in at least one of the protective parts, and on the use of a cutting force guide structure for guiding the cutting blade to the tissue to be cut by making a cutting motion and on the cutting force guide structure for guiding the cutting force of the cutting blade to the tissue to be cut.

A benefit of the invention is that the measures for fish or game processing can be performed quickly and safely without a need to perform separate actions to remove the cutting blade from the protective part or to position the cutting blade back to the protective part. Benefits of the invention are emphasized particularly in challenging environments such as on boats or on slippery cliffs. The invention also enables a safe educational use of the fish or game in teaching of cutting and processing to inexperienced persons safely.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 presents a device according to the invention to protect and guide the cutting blade in performing cutting motions in fish cleaning.

Figure 2 presents a detailed cross-sectional view of the device according to one preferred embodiment of the invention for the protection and guiding of the cutting blade

Figure 3 presents a detailed chamfered perspective view of the device for protecting and guiding the cutting blade in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, when the knife is placed in position in said device.

Figure 4 presents elastic counteracting members set around the protective parts according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 presents alternative scaler structures of the device according to the invention. Figure 6 presents examples of fastening mechanisms of the lower jaw of the device according to the invention.

Figure 7 presents examples of movement mechanisms of the upper jaw of the device according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention is a functional sheath for a knife, which allows for cleaning and processing of fish or game safely and quickly without having to pull the knife out of its sheath. Figure 1 presents a device according to the invention to protect and guide the cutting blade in performing cutting motions in fish cleaning. Thus, the two main and also accidents and dangerous incidents causing work stages are left out such as pulling a sharp cutting knife out of its sheath, i.e. protective housing, and setting it back into its sheath. The protective part 104 according to the invention acts as a cutting blade protection and in cleaning situations as movement control means to prevent, for example, internal organs, from piercing. The protective part consists of three interconnected parts: the upper jaw, lower jaw and the connecting part. Said parts open and move in such a way in cleaning fish or game that they open only needed part 106 of the cutting blade. The device according to the invention can be designed so that it can be used for cleaned fish or game as a scraper. Furthermore, e.g. to an upper jaw can be formed a structure for scaling to perform scaling of fish.

Figure 2 presents a detailed cross-sectional view of the device according to one preferred embodiment of the invention for the protection and guiding of the cutting blade. Figure 3 presents a detailed chamfered perspective view of the device for protecting and guiding the cutting blade in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, when the knife is placed in position in said device. The device comprises an inlet channel 100 for guiding the cutting blade to its position in the device, and a lower jaw 101 and an upper jaw 103 as the protective parts 101 , 103 of the cutting blade 1 10, when the device operates as a sheath protection of the cutting blade being located in the protective part 104. In a preferred embodiment according to the invention a supporting bracket 1 15 can be located in the upper jaw keeping the lower jaw 101 in its position by supporting it on both sides. In Figure 2 reference number 120 indicates a space between the lower jaw 101 and the upper jaw 103, to which the cutting blade 1 10 of the knife is positioned as presented in Figure 3. When a grip is taken from a knife handle 1 12 the device according to the invention comprises the lower jaw 101 also for controlling the cutting blade to the tissue to be cut by making a cutting motion in which the cutting blade 1 10 comes out of the protective part 103 and hits to the tissue to be cut. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment according to the invention in the upper jaw 103 is a first cutting aligning part 1 1 1 to ensure that the cutting blade 1 10 targets to the tissue to perform the initial incision of the cutting. The cutting force of the cutting blade is guided to the tissue to be cut by a cutting force guide structure 108 when performing a cutting motion. In one preferred embodiment according to the present invention the cutting force guide structure 108 for guiding the cutting force of the cutting blade to the tissue to be cut comprises at least one elastic counteracting member 1 16 set around the protective parts. Figure 4 presents elastic counteracting members 1 16 set around the protective parts.

The cutting blade 1 10 can be a cutting blade 1 10 of a fish processing knife to perform cutting movements in fish cleaning in order to cut fish tissue or fish skin, or a cutting blade 1 10 of a game processing knife to perform cutting movements in game cleaning in order to cut game tissue or game skin. A scaler part 1 14 can be formed to the device according to the invention to perform movements in scaling of fish. Figure 5 presents alternative scaler structures of the device according to the invention. The scaler 1 14 can be replaceable or formed as a solid part of e.g. the upper jaw 103. The replaceable scaler 1 14 can be accomplished e.g. so that to the upper jaw 103 can be formed grooves to which the scaler part is fixed e.g. by pushing. a scraper part (1 14) is formed to the device to perform scraping cleaning movements of scaled fish or game. By this way the scaler can be changed according to the application to scalers of different sizes and/or of different materials. The scaler 1 14 can also be fixed solidly in the production so that it cannot be changed.

In figures 2 and 3 is also presented a scraper part 1 18 formed to the device according to the invention to perform scraping cleaning movements of scaled fish or game.

Figure 6 presents examples of fastening mechanisms of the lower jaw of the device according to the invention:

A. The upper jaw pushes a wedge that slides into the groove of the cutting blade to prevent loosening of the cutting blade from its sheath.

B. The sheath and the knife handle 1 12 according to the invention has grooves, which engage with each other upon insertion of the blade completely to the device.

C. The sheath member of the device has a clip, which has a counterpart in the knife handle.

D. The cutting blade groove has a protuberance which fits into a slot of the cutting blade, thus locking the cutting blade in its place.

E. The sheath member is attached to the knife handle with a snap.

F. The sheath member has a latch to attach the sheath member to the knife handle.

G. The sheath member has a magnet that sticks to the cutting blade locking the knife handle and sheath member together.

H. The knife handle and the sheath member are tightened to each other by a belt.

I. By a sticker belt is performed tightening in order to ensure such

engagement between the knife handle and the sheath member as above in chapter H. However, the primary fastening is performed by a tightening loop 126 formed by at least one elastic counteracting part 1 16, as presented for example in figures 2 and 3.

Figure 7 presents examples of movement mechanisms of the upper jaw of the device according to the invention:

A. If desired that the fixing piece 124 mounting to the fixing groove 123 does not affect the movement of the upper jaw, is selected a circular shape to the fixing piece 124a, which enables in the slot 360 degrees of movement.

B. By a fixing piece 124b shaped as in place B the upper jaw moves approximately 12 degrees upward. Downward movement is not possible.

C. The fixing piece 124c according to place C allows the upper jaw to an opening of a greater angle according to a chamfer 125 of the fixing piece.

D. The fixing piece 124d according to place D allows downward movement of the upper jaw. Although the invention has been in the above description described with reference to the figures, the invention is not limited to the description and figures but the invention can be modified within the scope of the appended claims.