Manually actuated scissors
For manually actuated shears with a ratchet mechanism it is proposed to provide an additional lever that circumvents the ratchet mechanism and enables the operation of the shears in a direct cut mode in which a single closing process of the handle levers also causes complete closing of the blade arrangement.
1. Manually actuated shears comprising:
a first handle lever having a counter-knife rigidly fixed at a distal end of the first handle lever;
a knife plate with a cutting edge pivotally connected to the first handle lever at a first articulated axle and configured to rotate about the first articulated axle, wherein the knife plate and the counter-knife define a blade arrangement;
a second handle lever pivotally connected to the first handle lever at a second articulated axle and configured to rotate about the second articulated axle;
a ratchet lever pivotally connected to the second handle lever and having a pin located at a distal end of the ratchet lever, the pin engaging a recess located in rear end of the knife plate defining a plurality of catch grooves corresponding to various stages of the ratchet lever; and
a locking lever that is operably connected to the second handle lever,
wherein the knife plate of the blade arrangement is movable between a fully opened and fully closed position,
wherein the locking lever is configured to be shifted manually between a first functional position in which the locking lever is spaced from the knife plate and a second functional position in which the locking lever contacts the knife plate and the locking lever is configured to be held in the second functional position by a spring,
wherein when the locking lever is in the first functional position, the ratchet lever is engaged with the knife plate such that the pin of the ratchet lever operably interacts with the plurality of catch grooves such that force exerted on the first handle lever and the second handle lever is transmitted to the blade arrangement and moves the knife plate of the blade arrangement between the fully open and the fully closed position, wherein the various stages of the ratchet lever are assigned to corresponding closing angle ranges defined by a position of the pin in relation to the plurality of catch grooves and the knife plate is movable in relation to the counter-knife between the fully open and the fully closed position through repeated opening and closing movements of the first and second handle levers to respectively insert the pin in different ones of the plurality of catch grooves corresponding to the various stages of the ratchet lever, and
wherein when the locking lever is in the second functional position, the locking lever couples the first handle lever and the second handle lever with the blade arrangement such that force exerted on the first and second handle lever is transmitted to the blade arrangement through the locking lever and the knife plate of the blade arrangement is movable between a fully open and fully closed position with a single closing movement of the first and second handle levers.
2. Manually actuated shears according to claim 1 ,
wherein a maximal opening width of the blade arrangement is defined as a distance between the cutting edge of the knife plate and counter-knife when the knife plate of the blade arrangement is in the fully open position,
wherein a maximal opening width of the first and second handle levers is defined as a distance between the first and second handle levers when the knife plate of the blade arrangement is in the fully open position, and
wherein the maximal opening width of the blade arrangement is the same when the locking lever is in the first functional position or the second functional position and a maximal opening width of the first and second handle levers is the same when the locking lever is in the first functional position or the second functional position.
3. Manually actuated shears according to claim 1 , wherein the locking lever is coupled with an actuating element and is shiftable between the first and second functional positions by manual actuation of the actuating element.
4. Manually actuated shears according to claim 1 , wherein in the second functional position, the locking lever, on the movement of the first and second handle levers and a movement of knife plate of the blade arrangement linked with the locking lever, is braced pivotably about the first articulated axle having a first pivot axis on the second handle lever and a contact surface on the rear section of the knife plate.
5. Manually actuated shears according to claim 1 , wherein in the second functional position, the locking lever braces the rear section of the knife plate that faces away from the first articulated axle against a manual force on the second handle lever.
6. Manually actuated shears according to claim 1 , wherein the locking lever extends into a space between the first and second handle levers that faces away from the cutting edge.
7. Manually actuated shears according to claim 1 , wherein in the first functional position, the locking lever lies in an indentation of the second handle lever.
8. Manually actuated shears comprising:
a first handle lever having a counter-knife rigidly fixed at a distal end of the first handle lever;
a knife plate with a cutting edge pivotally connected to the first handle lever at a first articulated axle and configured to rotate about the first articulated axle, wherein the knife plate and the counter-knife define a blade arrangement;
a second handle lever pivotally connected to the first handle lever at a second articulated axle and configured to rotate about the second articulated axle;
a ratchet lever pivotally connected to the second handle lever and having a pin located at a distal end of the ratchet lever, the pin engaging a recess located in rear end of the knife plate defining a plurality of catch grooves corresponding to various stages of the ratchet lever; and
a locking lever that is operably connected to the second handle lever,
wherein the knife plate of the blade arrangement is movable between a fully opened and fully closed position,
wherein the locking lever is configured to be shifted manually between a first functional position in which the locking lever is spaced from the knife plate and a second functional position in which the locking lever contacts the knife plate and the locking lever is configured to be held in the second functional position by a biasing member,
wherein when the locking lever is in the first functional position, the ratchet lever is engaged with the knife plate such that the pin of the ratchet lever operably interacts with the plurality of catch grooves such that force exerted on the first handle lever and the second handle lever is transmitted to the blade arrangement and moves the knife plate of the blade arrangement between the fully open and the fully closed position, wherein the various stages of the ratchet lever are assigned to corresponding closing angle ranges defined by a position of the pin in relation to the plurality of catch grooves and the knife plate is movable in relation to the counter-knife between the fully open and the fully closed position through repeated opening and closing movements of the first and second handle levers to respectively insert the pin in different ones of the plurality of catch grooves corresponding to the various stages of the ratchet lever, and
wherein when the locking lever is in the second functional position, the locking lever couples the first handle lever and the second handle lever with the blade arrangement such that force exerted on the first and second handle lever is transmitted to the blade arrangement through the locking lever and the knife plate of the blade arrangement is movable between a fully open and fully closed position with a single closing movement of the first and second handle levers.
9. Manually actuated shears according to claim 8 , wherein in the first functional position, the locking lever lies in an indentation of the second handle lever.
10. Manually actuated shears according to claim 8 , wherein the locking lever extends into a space between the first and second handle levers that faces away from the cutting edge.
11. Manually actuated shears according to claim 8 , wherein in the second functional position, the locking lever braces the rear section of the knife plate that faces away from the first articulated axle against a manual force on the second handle lever.