[0001] The present invention relates to an improved small size paper cutter for letter opening.
[0002] There are known paper cutters with a cutting blade and a front guide member, that
are provided either as a single item or associated to other articles.
[0003] Reference is made for example to the Italian Utility Model No. 202 447 filed on March
19 th, 1985 and granted on November 24th, 1986 to the present Applicants.
[0004] In the above proposal, the cutter is provided with a cutting angle and a guide member,
and the cutting edge is protected through members that are external to the cutter.
[0005] The object of the present invention is to improve said cutter, by realizing it with
a simpler construction, such as to allow for the incorporation thereof into coupled
rigid thin bodies, e.g. plastics covered cards, or into a similar plastic material
rigid body, at the same time conferring a protection for the cutting edge, thus realizing
an improved small size cutter that is simple and safe.
[0006] It is to note that the improved cutter for letter opening realized according to the
invention, thanks to the design simplicity, provides for a cutter that is extremely
thin and tiny, adapted to be used in a great number of ways.
[0007] That is, said small size cutter can be fitted to different articles such as a ruler,
a pen cap, a stationery article, and so on, either parallel or perpendicular to the
article.
[0008] The subject small size cutter substantially consists of a cutting blade body either
sandwiched between two thin rigid sheets coupled together, or embedded in a body of
rigid plastic material, also thin, positioned at the bottom of an open slit and forming
with such slit an acute cutting angle; the guide member being formed by the wall of
the slit itself, which slit constitutes an effective protection member for the cutting
edge of the small size cutter, thanks to the above placement thereof in the cutter.
[0009] The invention will now be described with more details with particular reference to
the attached drawings, supplied with exemplary purposes only, in which:
Fig. 1 is a scrap side view of a small size cutter according to the invention applied
to the corner of a card;
Fig. 2 is a scrap side view of a small size cutter applied to the rounded corner of
a card;
Fig. 3 is a scrap front view of the small size cutters of Fig.s 1 and 2;
Fig. 4 is a scrap side view of a small size cutter according to the invention equipped
with a spacing member;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the small size cutter of Fig. 4.
[0010] As it is evident from the figures, the small size cutter substantially comprises
a blade body 1, with a sharp edge at 3, either sandwiched between two thin rigid sheets
5 coupled together, or embedded in a body 7 of rigid plastic material, also thin,
positioned at the bottom 9 of an open slit 11, and forming with such slit an acute
cutting angle.
[0011] The guide member of the body 7 (or 5) of the small size cutter, and therefore of
the small size cutter itself, is formed by the walls 13 of the open slit 11.
[0012] Said slit 11, thanks to the placement of the blade body 1 provided at the bottom
thereof, constitutes an effective protection member for the cutting edge 3 of said
blade body 1 of the small size cutter.
[0013] In Fig.s 4 and 5 it is shown an application of the small size cutter according to
the invention at the end of a pen cap or the like.
[0014] When it is desired to laterally position the small size cutter over bodies having
a flat surface such as the cap of a pen or the like, the body 7 which is of course
thin and tiny, and already embeds the blade body 1 of the small size cutter, is applied
spaced from the wall 15 of the cap, such wall being substantially parallel to the
body 7 of the small size cutter so as to make easier its insertion into the envelopes
to be opened, which would otherwise be difficult.
[0015] It is evident that the invention is not limited to the embodiments that have been
disclosed and illustrated, but several modifications and additional improvements can
be applied thereto within the scope of the invention.
1. A small size paper cutter for letter opening, characterized in that it substantially
comprises a blade body (1) with a sharp edge (at 3), either sandwiched between two
thin rigid sheets (5) coupled together, or embedded in a body (7) of rigid plastic
material, also thin, positioned at the bottom (9) of an open slit (11) and forming
with such slit an acute cutting angle; the guide member being formed by the walls
(13) of the open slit (11), which slit (11) constitutes an effective protection member
for the cutting edge (3) of the blade body (1), and therefore of the small size cutter
itself, thanks to the above placement of the body (1) in the slit.
2. A small size paper cutter for letter opening as claimed in claim 1, characterized
in that the body (7) incorporating the blade body (1) of the small size cutter is
applied either parallel or orthogonal in respect of the surface of the article to
be associated with; and in case it is applied parallel, a suitable spacing is provided
for between the body (7) and the article surface (15) in order to make easier the
insertion of the small size cutter itself into envelopes and the like.