Electronically powered knife

Claim 2

A drive assembly for a single blade electronically powered knife, said drive assembly comprising: a case, longitudinally oscillatable rod extending into the case, a blade mount anchored to an outside end of the rod, a transversely and longitudinally acting resilient isolation means secured between said blade mount, said rod and the case, whereby to inhibit direct contact, and a sinusoidally oscillating electric power source acting between the case and the rod, which, when energized, imparts to the rod and to the blade mount a sinusoidal elastic longitudinal wave motion whereby to set up a sinusoidal elastic wave motion in the blade.

Claim 3

A drive assembly as in claim 1 wherein there is a blade on the blade mount, said blade having flat sides and a longitudinally extending cutting edge intermediate said sides, and a spring mass structure comprising the combination of blade, blade mount, and rod, said spring mass structure having an oscillation rate at or near resonant frequency and in phase with said power source.

Claim 4

A drive assembly as in claim 1 wherein the power source is a solenoid having a central bore therethrough and the rod extends through said central bore.

Claim 5

A drive assembly as in claim 3 wherein there is a transversely mounted clapper of magnetic material attached to the rod at a location adjacent to and spaced from one end of the solenoid forming part of a magnetic path through the solenoid when the solenoid is energized.

Claim 6

A drive assembly as in claim 4 wherein there is a means acting between the rod and the blade mount to adjust the distance between the clapper and the blade mount whereby to vary the amplitude of the sinusoidal motion.

Claim 7

A drive assembly as in claim 1 wherein there is a bearing block in the case having a bearing bore therethrough reciprocatably receiving the end of the rod which is in the case, there being a transversely and longitudinally acting resilient isolation mount secured between the bearing and the case.

Claim 8

A drive assembly as in claim 6 wherein there is a lock nut in engagement with the bearing block and in threaded engagement with the the rod end which is in the case whereby to selectively set the assembly at a different resonant frequency.

Claim 9

A drive assembly for a single blade electronically powered knife, said drive assembly comprising: a case, a longitudinally oscillatable rod extending into the case, a blade mount anchored to an outside end of the rod, a resilient isolation bearing secured between the blade mount and the case, and a sinusoidally oscillating electric pOwer source acting between the case and the rod which when energized, imparts to the rod and to the blade mount a sinusoidal elastic longitudinal wave motion whereby to set up a sinusoidal elastic wave motion in the blade, the power source being a solenoid having a central bore therethrough and the rod having a position extending through said central bore, the power source being a D.C. battery driven circuit comprising a coil for the solenoid, and a transistor oscillator having leads connected respectively to opposite ends of the coil and to the coil at an intermediate location, whereby to periodically pulse said solenoid.

Claim 10

A drive assembly for a single blade electronically powered knife, said drive assembly comprising: a case, a longitudinally oscillatable rod extending into the case, a blade mount anchored to an outside end of the rod, a resilient isolation bearing secured between the blade mount and the case, and a sinusoidally oscillating electric pOwer source acting between the case and the rod which when energized, imparts to the rod and to the blade mount a sinusoidal elastic longitudinal wave motion whereby to set up a sinusoidal elastic wave motion in the blade, the power source being a solenoid having a central bore therethrough and the rod having a position extending through said central bore, the power source being a D.C. battery driven circuit comprising a coil for the solenoid, and a transistor oscillator having leads connected respectively to opposite ends of the coil and to the coil at an intermediate location, whereby to periodically pulse said solenoid.

Claim 11

A drive assembly as in claim 8 wherein the frequency is between about 300 and 1,000 cycles per second.

Claim 12

A drive assembly as in claim 3 wherein the power source is an A.C. push pull coil for the solenoid in communication with an A.C. electric power source operating at a per second cycle rate of between about 60 and 1,000 cycles per second.

Claim 13

A drive assembly as in claim 2 wherein there is a neck of rectangular cross sectional shape forming an interconnection between the blade mount and the blade, the long axis of said neck lying in a direction transverse to the flat sides of the blade.