Adjustable safety utility knife with easily removable blade holder

Abstract

An adjustable safety utility knife includes an elongated ergonomically shaped handle formed of two elongate shell members each having a peripheral edge and an outer generally convex surface and an inner generally concave surface. The shell members are fastened at the peripheral edges along a vertical parting plane to form an elongated internal cavity. The handle defines a front end, a back end and an intermediate portion suitable for being gripped by a user and also defining top and bottom surfaces extending along opposite sides of the shell members along said peripheral edges. The handle has a slot-like aperture at the front end substantially aligned with the parting plane and dimensioned for passage of a flat cutting blade therethrough. A guide element within the elongated cavity guides the cutting blade between a first position for safely storing the blade fully inside said cavity and a second position for selectively extending the blade beyond the aperture to expose at least a portion thereof. A manually operated button arranged on the top surface is coupled to the guide element for selectively moving the blade between the first and second positions. The handle has a rear opening at the back end for providing access to the elongated internal cavity. A carrier frame has a blade cartridge receiving compartment and dimensioned to be removably receivable within the cavity through the rear opening between a retracted position in which the carrier frame is fully stored within the internal cavity of the handle end and an extended position in which the carrier frame is at least partially moved exteriorly of the back end to provide access of the cartridge receiving compartment. A blade cartridge for storing a plurality of flat cutting blades is receivable within the blade cartridge receiving compartment.