Screw Bit Putty Knife

摘要

A utility tool, such a putty knife, includes an elongated handle for manual handling of the utility tool, a blade and a screw bit assembly. The screw bit assembly is rotatably mounted about the rear portion of the handle, has a screw bit, and is operable between a non-operating configuration where the screw bit is nested within the handle, and an operating configuration where the screw bit is drawn out of the handle and securely maintained in a fixed configuration so as to be positioned at a slanted angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the handle. In addition to being able to carry out other various functions, in drywall applications and the like, the tool by virtue of its design and components enables a more ergonomic grip, and to have a greater lever effect for screwing fasteners with its screw bit assembly.

主权项

1. A utility tool comprising:
an elongated handle assembly for manual handling of the utility tool, the handle assembly extending substantially along a longitudinal axis, and having front and rear portions, as well as a peripheral side edge extending between top and bottom gripping surfaces; a blade having an anchoring portion anchored within the handle assembly and an operating portion extending out from the front portion of the handle assembly, the blade extending along a given plane substantially parallel to a corresponding plane defined by the peripheral side edge; a screw bit assembly having a screw bit component and a corresponding swiveling support component pivotably mounted onto the handle assembly, the screw bit assembly being operable between a removably fixed non-operating configuration and a removably fixed operating configuration, where in the non-operating configuration, the screw bit component and swiveling support component are nested within a corresponding recess provided on the peripheral side edge of the handle assembly, between the top and bottom gripping surfaces of the handle assembly, and where in the non-operating configuration, the screw bit component is drawn out of the recess and securely maintained in a fixed configuration so as to be positioned at a fixed slanted angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the handle assembly; and a biasing assembly contained within the handle assembly and having a resilient component cooperating with an inner component of the swiveling support component so as to securely maintain the screw bit assembly respectively along its corresponding pair of removably fixed configurations, the resilient component of the biasing assembly and inner component of the swiveling support component being configured for automatically urging the screw bit assembly towards the operating configuration when the swiveling support component is located between an operating position and a transitional position, and the resilient component of the biasing assembly and inner component of the swiveling support component being further configured for automatically urging the screw bit assembly towards the non-operating configuration when the swiveling support component is located between a non-operating position and the transitional position.