Hole cutter with chip egress aperture

1. A hole cutter for cutting a work piece, comprising:

a substantially cylindrical blade body defining a circumference and a longitudinal axis;

a cutting edge formed on one end of the blade body; and

a plurality of aperture portions formed through the blade body, the plurality of aperture portions including a first aperture portion and a second aperture portion adjacent the first aperture portion,

wherein the first aperture portion is spaced from the cutting edge such that a portion of the blade body lies between the cutting edge and the first aperture portion, the first aperture portion defining a first fulcrum spaced from the cutting edge by a first distance,

wherein the second aperture portion is spaced from the cutting edge such that a portion of the blade body lies between the cutting edge and the second aperture portion, the second aperture portion defining a second fulcrum spaced from the cutting edge by a second distance that is greater than the first distance,

wherein the first aperture portion and the second aperture portion are configured to receive therethrough a lever to lever a slug out of the interior of the blade body by applying a sufficient levering force against the second fulcrum to lever the slug toward the first fulcrum, and applying a sufficient levering force against the first fulcrum to lever the slug toward the cutting edge, and

wherein the plurality of aperture portions together define an aperture area, and one of: (i) the blade body defines a diameter of 13/16 inches or less and a ratio of the aperture area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.13; (ii) the blade body defines a diameter within a range from ⅞ inch to 1 7/16 inches and a ratio of the aperture area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.18; (iii) the blade body defines a diameter within a range from 1½ inches to 3⅜ inches and a ratio of the aperture area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.10; and (iv) the blade body defines a diameter of at least 3½ inches and a ratio of the aperture area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.11.

2. The hole cutter of claim 1 , wherein the first aperture portion is in communication with the second aperture portion via a slot portion.

3. The hole cutter of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first aperture portion and at least a portion of the second aperture portion are aligned along a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

4. The hole cutter of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first aperture portion and at least a portion of the second aperture portion are aligned along a line at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.

5. The hole cutter of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first aperture portion and the second aperture portion is bounded by a bottom edge axially spaced a third distance from the cutting edge, a top edge spaced a fourth distance from the cutting edge greater than the third distance, and a side edge connecting the bottom edge to the top edge and oriented at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.

6. The hole cutter of claim 1 , wherein the first fulcrum is defined by a first edge of the first aperture portion that is curved, and the second fulcrum is defined by a second edge of the second aperture portion that is curved.

7. The hole cutter of claim 1 , wherein the first fulcrum is defined by a first bottom edge of the first aperture portion that is straight and transvers to the longitudinal axis and the second fulcrum is defined by a second edge of the second aperture portion that is straight and transverse to the longitudinal axis.

8. The hole cutter of claim 7 , wherein the first aperture portion further includes a first top edge that is generally parallel to the first bottom edge and that is spaced from the cutting edge.

9. The hole cutter of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first aperture portion and the second aperture portion is axially elongated.

10. The hole cutter of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of aperture portions further includes a third aperture portion formed through the blade body adjacent the second aperture portion and spaced from the cutting edge such that a portion of the blade body lies between the cutting edge and the third aperture portion, the third aperture portion defining a third fulcrum spaced from the cutting edge by a third distance that is greater than the second distance, the third aperture portion configured to receive therethrough a lever to lever a slug out of the interior of the blade body by applying a sufficient levering force against the third fulcrum to lever the slug toward the second fulcrum.

11. A hole cutter for cutting a work piece, comprising:

a substantially cylindrical blade body defining a circumference and a longitudinal axis;

a cutting edge formed on one end of the blade body; and

a plurality of slots formed through the blade body, each of the slots spaced from the cutting edge such that a portion of the blade body lies between the cutting edge and each of the slots,

wherein the slots define a plurality of fulcrums with the slots configured to receive a lever therethrough to facilitate levering a slug out of an interior of the blade body by applying a sufficient levering force against the fulcrums to lever the slug toward the cutting edge, the plurality of fulcrums including a first fulcrum axially spaced a first distance from the cutting edge and a second fulcrum axially spaced a second distance from the cutting edge that is greater than the first distance, and

wherein the plurality of slots together define a slot area, and one of: (i) the blade body defines a diameter of 13/16 inches or less and a ratio of the slot area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.13; (ii) the blade body defines a diameter within a range from ⅞ inch to 1 7/16 inches and a ratio of the slot area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.18; (iii) the blade body defines a diameter within a range from 1½ inches to 3⅜ inches and a ratio of the slot area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.10; and (iv) the blade body defines a diameter of at least 3½ inches and a ratio of the slot area to the blade body circumference is at least 0.11.

12. The hole cutter of claim 11 , wherein one of: (i) the blade body defines a diameter within the range from ⅞ inch to 1 7/16 inches and the plurality of slots comprises at most two slots; (ii) the blade body defines a diameter within the range of from 1½ inches to 3⅜ inches and the plurality of slots comprises at least two slots; and (iii) the blade body defines a diameter of at least 3½ inches and the plurality of slots comprises at least three slots.

13. The hole cutter of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of slots include a first slot and a second slot, at least one of the first slot and the second slot is bounded by a bottom edge axially spaced a third distance from the cutting edge, a top edge spaced a fourth distance from the cutting edge greater than the third distance, and a side edge connecting the bottom edge to the top edge and oriented at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the blade body.

14. The hole cutter of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of slots include a first slot and a second slot, the first fulcrum is defined by a first edge of the first slot that is curved, and the second fulcrum is defined by a second edge of the second slot that is curved.

15. The hole cutter of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of slots include a first slot and a second slot, the first fulcrum is defined by a first bottom edge of the first slot that is straight and transvers to the longitudinal axis and the second fulcrum is defined by a second edge of the second slot that is straight and transverse to the longitudinal axis.

16. The hole cutter of claim 15 , wherein the first slot further includes a first top edge that is generally parallel to the first bottom edge and that is spaced from the cutting edge.

17. The hole cutter of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of slots include a first slot and a second slot and at least one of the first slot and the second slot is axially elongated.

18. The hole cutter of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of slots include a first slot and a second slot and the first slot is not in communication with the second slot.

19. The hole cutter of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of slots include a first slot and a second slot and at least a portion of the first slot and at least a portion of the second slot are aligned along a line at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.

20. The hole cutter of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of slots further define a third fulcrum and configured to receive a lever therethrough to facilitate levering a slug out of an interior of the blade body by applying a sufficient levering force against the third fulcrum, the third fulcrum axially spaced a third distance from the cutting edge that is greater than the second distance.