HK40009691B - Safety device for assist opening knife - Google Patents

Description

Safety device for assisting in opening knives

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to folding tools, and more particularly, to folding tools having a safety lock that prevents unintended deployment of a blade that is opened by a spring-actuated assist device.

Background Art

Folding knives are very useful tools used in many aspects of daily life. There are many types and styles of folding knives. A "manual" folding knife is a conventional type of tool in which the blade can be manually moved by the user between a closed or stowed position, in which the sharp edge of the blade is securely retained within the handle, and an open position, in which the blade is extended in an operable position. Some folding knives include a mechanism to assist in deploying the blade. These assisted-opening knives allow the user to easily deploy the blade with one hand. Many folding knives also include a mechanism to lock the blade in the open position, primarily as a safety feature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments will become readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective and exploded view of a folding knife having a safety lock mechanism that prevents the blade from unintentionally deploying, according to various embodiments.

2A is a side view of the knife shown in FIG. 1 in a partially assembled state with the blade in a locked, open, extended position and the safety switch in an engaged, locked position, according to various embodiments.

2B is a side view of the partially assembled knife shown in FIG. 1 with the liner removed, the blade in a locked, open, extended position, and the safety switch in an engaged, locked position, according to various embodiments.

3 is a side view of a cushion according to various embodiments.

4A is a side view of a safety switch according to various embodiments.

4B is a perspective view of a safety switch according to various embodiments.

5A is a cross-sectional view of the knife shown in FIG. 2 in a partially assembled state with the blade in a closed position and the safety switch in an engaged, locked position, according to various embodiments.

5B is a cross-sectional view of the knife shown in FIG. 2 in a partially assembled state, wherein the blade is in a partially open position and the safety switch is in an engaged, locked position as the blade transitions from an open, extended position to a closed position, according to various embodiments.

5C is a cross-sectional view of the knife shown in FIG. 2 in a partially assembled state with the blade in a closed position and the safety switch in an open, unlocked position, according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of the present invention and in which are shown by way of illustration embodiments that may be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be used and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the various embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn in a manner that is helpful for understanding the embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are order dependent.

The description may use perspective-based descriptions, such as up/down, back/front, and top/bottom. These descriptions are only used to facilitate discussion and are not intended to limit the application of the disclosed embodiments.

The terms "couple" and "connect," as well as their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended to be synonymous with each other. More specifically, in certain embodiments, "connected" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical contact with each other. "Coupled" may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical contact. However, "coupled" may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other.

For the purposes of the description, phrases in the form "A/B" or "A and/or B" mean (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the description, phrases in the form "at least one of A, B, and C" mean (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C). For the purposes of the description, phrases in the form "(A)B" mean (B) or (AB), i.e., A is an optional element.

The description may use the terms "an embodiment" or "embodiments", which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. In addition, the terms "including", "comprising", "having", etc. used with respect to the embodiments are synonymous and are generally intended to be "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least", the term "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", etc.).

Regarding the use of any plural and/or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art can appropriately convert from plural to singular and/or from singular to plural depending on the context and/or application. For clarity, various singular/plural arrangements may be explicitly set forth herein.

Opening-assist mechanisms have been incorporated into folding knives for some time (see, for example, U.S. Patents Nos. 7,748,122 and 8,171,645). Typically, with knives incorporating opening-assist mechanisms, the blade is held in the closed position without requiring a trigger to deploy the blade. Instead, the opening-assist function is provided by a spring that operates to deploy the blade. When the user manually rotates the blade from the closed position toward the open position, the spring mechanism reaches a threshold point, after which the spring forces the blade to the open or deployed position. Such knives are particularly useful for one-handed operation, where a simple tap of a finger or thumb deploys the knife blade. However, in knives incorporating opening-assist mechanisms, for safety reasons, it is important that the blade remain in the closed position until the user intentionally and deliberately deploys the blade to the open position. Therefore, there has been a need for a new and/or improved safety lock mechanism for opening-assist knives. The present disclosure addresses this need.

The present disclosure relates to a folding tool having a safety lock mechanism that prevents or inhibits the deployment of an implement, such as a knife blade, when a safety feature is engaged, i.e., in a "safety on" position. In certain embodiments, the folding tool is a folding knife and the implement is a knife blade. In certain embodiments, the disclosed tool includes a locking mechanism that securely locks the blade in an open, extended position (e.g., a lock as described in U.S. Patent No. RE 41,259, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein). In embodiments, the disclosed tool includes an opening assist mechanism, such as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 7,748,122 and 8,171,645, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

As disclosed herein, a folding tool includes a safety lock mechanism that effectively prevents the blade from accidentally deploying when the safety lock is in a locked, safe, engaged position and the blade is in a closed position. One of the unique features of the disclosed safety lock mechanism is that the safety lock mechanism is configured so that the blade can be actively closed when the safety lock is in an engaged, locked position or a disconnected, unlocked position. In other words, when the blade is open, the safety lock mechanism can be engaged and will not interfere with the action of closing the blade. These and other features are particularly important for knives with an auxiliary deployment mechanism to prevent unwanted deployment of the blade while still allowing safe and easy one-handed operation of the knife to open or close the blade.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a folding tool, such as a folding knife, that includes a safety lock mechanism that prevents undesired deployment of an implement, such as a knife blade. In an embodiment, the folding tool includes a handle having a first handle half and a second handle half, the first handle half and the second handle half being held in a spaced-apart relationship, such as to form an implement slot for receiving an implement in a closed position. In an embodiment, the implement is pivotally connected between the first handle half and the second handle half by a pivot pin, and the implement is movable between an open position and a closed position by rotating about the axis. The implement, such as a knife blade, includes a tang and a working portion, such as a sharp portion of the knife. As disclosed herein, the folding tool also includes a safety lock mechanism that prevents undesired deployment of the implement.

While the safety lock mechanism is specifically designed for knives with an opening assist mechanism, it should be noted that the safety lock mechanism disclosed herein can be used with other knives, including manual and/or fully automatic knives. In one embodiment, the safety lock mechanism includes a safety switch positioned between a first handle half and a second handle half. The safety switch includes a central portion having a front end, a rear end, a top side, and a bottom side, and is capable of moving from a first safety engaged position to a second safety disengaged position, for example, by sliding back and forth between the two handle halves. In one embodiment, the safety switch includes two wing portions extending laterally from the central portion. In one embodiment, the two wing portions are configured to slide within two opposing wing grooves, one located on the inner, facing sides of the first and second handle halves, respectively. Typically, each handle half is constructed from a pad and a sidewall, with the pad located on the inner side and the sidewall located on the outer side of the handle. However, it is contemplated that each handle half can be manufactured as a single, integral component. In an embodiment, the safety switch is configured to interact with a portion of a tang of the appliance to prevent the appliance from opening when the safety switch is in the safety engaged position. In certain embodiments, the tang includes a scalloped recess or notch adjacent to a front end of the safety switch when the appliance is in the closed position, such that the front end of the safety switch is at least partially located within the scalloped recess or notch and thereby prevents the appliance from rotating from the closed position toward the open position.

Alternatively or additionally, the tang may include a small protrusion extending from the tang, and when the tool is in the closed position, the protrusion is adjacent to the front end of the safety switch, such that the front end of the safety switch prevents the tool from rotating from the closed position to the open position. In certain embodiments, the front end of the safety switch includes a front surface and a buffer. In embodiments, the tang portion includes a fin that extends from the rest of the tang and provides a lever for actuating the auxiliary mechanism. In embodiments, the fin includes a scalloped recess and/or a protrusion separated from the sharp portion of the blade by a choil. When the safety switch is in the locked, safe, engaged position, the buffer is seated in the scalloped recess and prevents the blade from rotating from the closed position to the open position by the protrusion striking or impacting the front surface of the safety switch. This interaction effectively prevents the blade from unintentionally unfolding. In embodiments, the scalloped recess and/or protrusion provide a stop for accommodating the buffer and the front surface of the safety switch. The safety lock mechanism thus ensures that the knife cannot be accidentally opened. When the knife is in the safe engaged position, the front end of the safety lock mechanism prevents the blade from rotating, keeping it closed. However, when the safety lock mechanism is moved to the safe disengaged position, the blade can be opened. Typically, opening the blade is achieved by a separate movement of the safety switch to the disengaged position.

In certain embodiments, the safety lock mechanism includes a force-generating member that holds the safety switch within the wing slot and prevents unintended movement of the safety switch, for example by applying pressure, wherein the applied pressure makes unintended or unassisted movement of the safety switch difficult. In embodiments, the force-generating member includes a spring, such as a compression spring or a leaf/cantilever spring. In embodiments, the spring is a leaf/cantilever spring and is integrally formed with the gasket. Regarding the wings of the safety switch, in embodiments, each of the two wings includes an upper guide surface and a lower guide surface that allow the wing to slide back and forth and position the wing within the wing slot.

One of the unique features of the safety lock mechanism disclosed herein is that the safety switch can be moved to a safe action position when the appliance is opened without preventing the appliance from closing (e.g., see Figures 5A to 5C). This is achieved by configuring the safety switch to pivot vertically relative to the tool handle as the appliance is closed, for example, from an open position to a closed position, when the safety switch is in the safe action position. When the appliance is fully closed, the safety switch returns to the safe action position. In some embodiments, each of the two wings includes a front inclined surface and a rear inclined surface, wherein the front inclined surface and the rear inclined surface are configured to allow the safety switch to rotate about the wing in response to upward pressure acting on the front end of the safety switch. In an embodiment, the front inclined surface is substantially parallel to the rear inclined surface.

In some embodiments, the safety switch can be indexed or held in a safe applied position and/or a safe disconnected position so that the switch must be moved manually from one position to the other and will not accidentally slip. In some embodiments, this holding is made possible by including an indexing cavity located in the top of the wing and corresponding indexing teeth located on or within the wing groove. In this case, the safety switch is positioned in the locked position or the unlocked position by the interaction of the indexing teeth with the indexing cavity. Typically, some downward pressure must be applied to overcome the force of the force generating member, which applies a constant upward pressure on the safety switch before the wing can move on the indexing teeth.

In certain embodiments, a central portion of the safety switch includes a central channel located on the bottom side and separating the two side rails, wherein the central channel is configured to receive the working end of the blade when in the closed position. In an embodiment, the two wings are coupled to the two side rails. In an embodiment, the safety switch includes a thumb-actuated surface extending outward from the handle of the folding tool. In an embodiment, the tool includes an opening assist mechanism. In an embodiment, the opening assist mechanism includes a cylindrical sleeve arranged around a pivot pin and a torsion spring arranged within the cylindrical sleeve and arranged around the pivot pin. In an embodiment, the folding tool includes a locking lever movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position locks the tool in the open position, and moving the locking lever to the second position releases the tool from being locked in the open position. In an embodiment, the locking lever is biased toward the first position by one or more springs. In an embodiment, the tang includes a first inclined surface that interacts with the locking lever in the open position.

Referring now to the drawings, a folding knife 10 with a closed blade safety lock as disclosed is shown in Figures 1 to 5C. In an embodiment, the blade 15 can be locked in an open, extended position, for example, using a locking mechanism. The knife 10 also includes a safety lock mechanism that holds and locks the blade 15 in the closed position and prevents unintended deployment of the blade 15 via the opening assist mechanism 30.

FIG1 shows a folding knife 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in an exploded perspective view. As shown in FIG1 , the folding knife 10 includes an elongated handle 12 including a first handle half 13 having a first sidewall 14 and an associated first pad 20, and a second handle half 17 having a second sidewall 18 and an associated second pad 22. The handle also includes a spacer 11 disposed within the handle 12 and located between the first handle half 13 and the second handle half 17. A blade 15 is pivotally attached to the handle 12 at one end, referred to herein as the "front" end of the handle 12, between the first handle half 13 and the second handle half 17. The blade 15 is pivotally movable about a blade pivot pin 25 along a blade plane between an open position and a closed position. Other relative directional terms correspond to this convention: the "rear" or engaging end of the handle 12 is opposite the front end; the "upper" portion of the blade is the blunt, non-working portion, and the "lower" portion of the blade is the sharp, working portion; "inner" or "inwardly" refers to the structural center of the knife, etc. The X-Y plane is a plane parallel to the plane of the handle 12 and blade 15. The blade 15 travels in the X-Y plane as it rotates between the closed position and the open position. The Z plane is a plane transverse to the X-Y, and the blade pivot pin 25 extends longitudinally in the Z plane. To achieve smooth movement of the blade 15, a bushing 26 is arranged between the side of the blade 15 and the first liner 20 and arranged around the pivot pin 25, and a bushing 27 is arranged between the side of the blade 15 and the second liner 22 and arranged around the pivot pin 25. In the illustrated embodiment, the knife 10 includes a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism of the knife 10 includes a locking lever 28 extending transverse to the plane of the handle 12, with opposite ends of the locking lever 28 extending in slots 29 in the side walls 14 and 18 that are operatively aligned with paired slots 31 in the liners 20 and 22. The locking lever 28 is spring-loaded with two U-shaped or horseshoe-shaped locking springs 60, one of which is associated with each of the liners 20 and 22 and positioned between the adjacent liners 20 and 22 associated with the side walls 14 and 18. The first end of each locking spring is fixed to the associated liners, and the second end of the locking spring is attached to the locking lever 28 so that when the blade is in the open position, the locking lever 28 is always urged by the spring in the "forward" direction, i.e., in the direction from the handle 12 toward the tip of the blade 15. The locking lever 28 and the spring acting on the locking lever 28 lock the blade 15 in the open position, as shown, for example, in U.S. Patent No. RE41,259. When the blade 15 is fully opened, such as in the open position, the locking lever 28 is driven forward and interacts with the detent 32 of the blade 15 to lock the blade 15 open. The open blade stop pin 21 stops the rotation of the blade 15 in the open position. In the open position, the open blade stop pin 21 is located at the shoulder 33 of the blade 15. The knife 10 also includes a safety lock mechanism that includes portions of the blade tang 16, the pads 20 and 22, and the safety switch 50.

Turning to Figures 2A to 5C, the safety lock mechanism and the components that make up the safety lock mechanism will be discussed. Figure 2A is a side view of a partially constructed knife 10 showing the components of the safety lock mechanism, which include the blade 15, the liner 22, and the safety switch 50 (the liner 20 will be located behind the liner 22 and can include all of the features discussed, see Figure 2B, which shows the components with the liner 22 removed). As shown in Figure 2A, the liner 22 includes a force generating member 61, which in this case is a leaf spring that drives the safety switch 50 upward. The safety switch 50 includes wings 51 arranged on two sides of the safety switch 50 (only one is visible), and the wings 51 slide within the wing slots 62 of the liner 22. The central portion 56 spans between the two liners in the assembled knife. The wings 51 span the wing slots 62 present in the two liners. The wing slot 62 includes front teeth 63 and rear teeth 64, which serve as position retainers for maintaining the wing 51 in the locked and unlocked positions, respectively. The wing 51 includes a lower sliding surface 53 and an upper sliding surface 54, which allow the safety switch 50 to move forward and rearward within the wing slot 62. The wing 51 includes an indexing cavity 52, which is configured to receive one of the teeth 63 and 64 depending on whether the safety switch 50 is in the locked or unlocked position. The force generating member 61 is configured to apply a force to the bottom sliding surface 53 of the locked blade lock safety switch 50, thereby causing the upper sliding surface 54 and the indexing cavity 52 to engage with the front teeth 63 and the rear teeth 64. Therefore, to move the safety switch 50 from the closed position to the open position (or vice versa), the user presses down on the top of the safety switch 50 and slides the safety switch 50 from one tooth to the other. For clarity, the pad 22 is shown in FIG3 . As can be seen from FIG3 , the gap or width of the wing slot 62 is smaller than the gap or width of the wing slot 62 when the wing is inserted, reflecting the tension applied by the force generating member 61 when the wing is inserted. The wing slot 62 includes front teeth 63 and rear teeth 64, which serve as position retainers for holding the wing 51 in the locked and unlocked positions, respectively.

Figures 4A and 4B illustrate details of the safety switch 50. As described above, the safety switch 50 includes wings 51 having indexing cavities 52 and disposed on either side of a central portion 56. The central portion 56 also includes a front end 80 and a rear end 81. Furthermore, the safety switch 50 includes a thumb actuation surface 57 that protrudes from the tool handle when the tool is assembled, allowing the user's finger or thumb to access the safety switch 50, for example, to slide the safety switch 50 back and forth between a locked and unlocked position. The wings 51 include several surfaces designed to allow the safety switch 50 to slide back and forth and rock when the tool blade is moved from an open position to a closed position while the safety switch 50 is in the locked, safe, engaged position. As described above, the lower sliding surface 53 and the upper sliding surface 54 allow the safety switch 50 to move forward and backward within the slots in the wings. The front and rear inclined surfaces 58, 59 are configured to allow the safety switch 50 to pivot within the wing slots, for example, in response to rotation of the blade from the open position toward the closed position when the safety switch is in the safety engaged position, and to allow the front end 80 of the safety switch 50 to move upward. This movement will be discussed in more detail below with reference to Figures 5A to 5C. The front end 80 includes a front scalloped recess 82, a bumper 83, and a front surface 84. These aspects of the safety switch 50 will be further discussed with reference to Figures 5A to 5C. As best shown in Figure 4B, the bottom of the center portion 56 includes a central channel 85 that separates two side rails 86. The central channel 85 and the rails 86 are configured so that the blade of the knife can be inserted into the center portion 56 when the blade is in the closed position. The two side rails 86 also provide locations for attachment of the wings 51.

Turning now to Figures 5A and 5B, the operation of the safety lock mechanism will be discussed. The mechanism is comprised of features of the blade 15, the liner 20, and the safety switch 50. Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view of the partially assembled knife shown in Figure 2, with the blade 15 in the closed position and the safety switch 50 in the locked position for safety engagement. The tang portion 16 of the blade 15 includes several features that work in conjunction with the safety switch 50 to provide a safety lock mechanism that helps prevent unwanted auxiliary deployment of the blade 15. As described in detail above, the liner 20 provides the force that holds the safety switch 50 in place and provides a channel for movement of the safety switch 50. The tang portion 16 includes a fin 90 that extends from the rest of the tang and provides a lever for actuating the auxiliary mechanism. The fin 90 includes a scalloped recess 92 and a protruding portion 93 that is separated from the sharp portion of the blade 15 by a wedge 91. The scalloped recess 92 and the protrusion 93 provide a stop for accommodating the bumper 83 and the front surface 84 of the safety switch 50. When the safety switch 50 is in the locked, safety-activated position, the bumper 83 is seated in the scalloped recess 92, and the protrusion 93 strikes or impacts the front surface 84 of the safety switch 50, preventing the blade 15 from rotating from the closed position to the open position. This interaction effectively prevents the blade 15 from unintentionally deploying. One of the unique features of the disclosed safety lock mechanism is that the safety lock mechanism can be set in the locked, safety-activated position while the blade is in the open, extended position, while still allowing the blade to close. Furthermore, the locked, safety position is maintained when the blade is closed. This is illustrated in FIG. 5B , which is a cross-sectional view of the partially assembled knife shown in FIG. 2 , wherein, when the blade 15 transitions from the open, extended position toward the closed position, the blade 15 is in the partially open position, and the safety switch 50 is in the locked, safety-activated position. As the blade 15 transitions from the open, extended position toward the closed position, the fin 90 pushes the buffer 82 upward, causing the safety switch 50 to rotate about the wing 51. The wing 51 is allowed to rotate by means of the inclined surfaces 58 and 59. When the blade 15 has been fully rotated to the closed position (as shown in Figure 5A), the buffer 83 slides back into the scalloped recess 92 under pressure from the force generating element 61, where the blade 15 is now restricted from returning to the open, extended position. Figure 5C is a cross-sectional view of the knife shown in Figure 2 in a partially assembled state, wherein the blade 15 is in the closed position and the safety switch 50 is in the unlocked position that is disconnected. In this position, it is obvious that the buffer 84 is no longer in a position to prevent the blade 15 from being deployed.

Turning to FIG. 1 , an opening assist mechanism is generally shown at 30 . While the details of how such a mechanism operates will not be discussed in detail herein, its general structure can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,748,122 and 8,171,645 , the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Briefly, a cylindrical sleeve 44 extends through a hole 40 formed in the liner 20 and an alignment hole 42 formed in the liner 22 . The cylindrical sleeve 44 also extends through an alignment pivot hole 46 extending through the tang portion 16 of the blade 15 . In the assembled knife 10 , the cylindrical sleeve 44 fits snugly and securely through the pivot hole 46 in the tang 16 of the blade 15 , such that the cylindrical sleeve 44 defines a rotational pivot axis for the blade 15 that extends transversely relative to the plane of the blade 15 and the handle halves 13 and 17 . Thus, the sleeve 44 is axially aligned in the Z direction transverse to the X-Y plane. A torsion spring 45 is disposed within the cylindrical sleeve 44. At one end of the cylindrical sleeve 44, the sleeve cover 37 fits within a slot in the cylindrical sleeve 44. One leg of the torsion spring 45 fits within the slot in the cylindrical sleeve 44, while the other leg of the torsion spring 45 fits within a recess 47 in the tang portion 16 of the blade 15.

Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various alternatives and/or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments may be implemented in numerous ways. This application is intended to cover any variations or modifications of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is expressly intended that the embodiments be limited only by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (19)

1. A folding tool, comprising: A handle having a first handle half and a second handle half, the first handle half and the second handle half being spaced apart to form a utensil groove between the first handle half and the second handle half; An appliance, the appliance being pivotally connected between a first handle half and a second handle half by a pivot pin, and being movable between a fully open position and a fully closed position, the appliance including a handle foot and a working part; Safety lock mechanism, including: A safety switch, positioned between a first handle half and a second handle half, is movable from a first safe operating position to a second safe disconnect position and has a central portion and two wings. The central portion has a front end, a rear end, a top side, and a bottom side. The two wings extend laterally from the central portion, allowing them to slide within wing grooves in the first and second handle halves. When the appliance is in the fully open position, the safety switch is movable to the first safe operating position without preventing the appliance from moving to the fully closed position while the safety switch remains in the first safe operating position. A protrusion located in the handle leg, the protrusion being configured to interact with the front end of the safety switch when the safety switch is in the first safe operating position; and A force-generating component that holds the safety switch in place. Wherein, when the safety switch is in the first safe operating position, the safety switch rotates about the wing located in the slot of the wing to allow the device to move from the fully open position to the fully closed position while the safety switch remains biased to the first safe operating position, and wherein, once the device is in the fully closed position, the safety switch returns to the first safe operating position to prevent the device from opening. 2. The folding tool according to claim 1, wherein each of the two wings includes an upper guide surface and a lower guide surface, and wherein the upper guide surface and the lower guide surface slide within a groove in the wing. 3. The folding tool of claim 1, wherein each of the two wings includes a forward tilting surface and a rearward tilting surface, and wherein the forward tilting surface and the rearward tilting surface are configured to allow the safety switch to rotate about the wing located in a slot in the wing in response to an upward pressure acting on the front end of the safety switch. 4. The folding tool according to claim 1, wherein the handle further includes a fan-shaped recess adjacent to the protrusion, and wherein, when the safety switch is in the first safety action position, the front end of the safety switch is held in the fan-shaped recess. 5. The folding tool according to claim 1, wherein the wing has an indexing cavity, and the wing has an indexing tooth in a slot, and wherein the safety switch is positioned in a locked or unlocked position by the interaction of the indexing tooth with the indexing cavity. 6. The folding tool of claim 1, wherein the central portion of the safety switch includes a central channel located on the bottom side and separating the two side rails, wherein the central channel is configured to receive the working portion of the device when in the closed position. 7. The folding tool according to claim 6, wherein the two wings are connected to the two side rails. 8. The folding tool of claim 1, wherein the safety switch includes a thumb-actuated surface extending from the handle of the folding tool. 9. The folding tool of claim 1, wherein the first handle half and the second handle half each include a sidewall and a pad, and wherein each pad has the force-generating member coupled to the pad. 10. The folding tool of claim 9, wherein the force-generating member and the pad are a single integral material piece. 11. The folding tool according to claim 1, wherein the force-generating member comprises a spring. 12. The folding tool of claim 11, wherein the spring comprises a leaf spring/cantilever spring. 13. The folding tool according to claim 1, wherein the tool comprises a knife blade. 14. The folding tool according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes fin-like members. 15. The folding tool according to claim 1 further includes an opening auxiliary mechanism. 16. The folding tool of claim 15, wherein the opening auxiliary mechanism comprises a cylindrical sleeve arranged about the pivot pin and a torsion spring arranged within the cylindrical sleeve and about the pivot pin. 17. The folding tool of claim 1, further comprising a locking lever movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position locks the tool in an open position, and moving the locking lever to the second position releases the tool from being locked in the open position. 18. The folding tool of claim 17, wherein the locking lever is biased toward the first position by one or more springs. 19. The folding tool of claim 17, wherein the handle includes a first inclined surface that interacts with the locking lever in the open position.