Blade sharpening apparatus

Abstract

A blade sharpening apparatus includes a base member including a front face and a rear face and a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted to straighten a blade of a knife. The blade sharpening apparatus further includes an edge sharpener disposed within the base member and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife.

1 . A blade sharpening apparatus comprising:
 a base member including a front face and a rear face;   a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted to straighten a blade of a knife; and   an edge sharpener disposed within the base member and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife.   
     
     
         2 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the blade sharpening member includes a slot extending inwardly from an edge of the base member and at least two sharpening members disposed on opposing sides of the slots. 
     
     
         3 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each of the at least two sharpening members is attached to a biasing member that biases a respective sharpening member toward an opposing sharpening member. 
     
     
         4 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein when a blade of a knife is moved along the channel, the blade pushes the sharpening members against the bias of the biasing members until the sharpening members are stopped by respective posts. 
     
     
         5 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the sharpening members are curved. 
     
     
         6 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a cavity is disposed within the base member and the edge sharpener is disposed within the cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the edge sharpener includes a holder that is retained within the cavity and first and second opposing sharpening members forming a V-shaped channel. 
     
     
         8 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the holder includes a U-shaped body forming a U-shaped channel with first and second opposing walls joined by a connecting portion, a first channel formed at least partially through the first wall and the connecting portion, and a second channel formed at least partially through the second wall and the connecting portion, wherein the first and second sharpening members are positioned within the first and second channels, respectively. 
     
     
         9 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second channels are angled such that the first and second sharpening members are disposed at an angle of between about 4 degrees and about 90 degrees with respect to one another. 
     
     
         10 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the edge sharpener includes two blades each having a top wall, a bottom wall, an outer side wall extending between the top and bottom walls, and angled side walls extending between the top and bottom walls to form a V-shaped cavity therebetween, wherein the top walls have widths that are less than widths of corresponding bottom walls. 
     
     
         11 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein a first of the angled side walls forms an first angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that is between about 2 and about 45 degrees and a second of the angled side walls forms a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that is between about 2 degrees and about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         12 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein one of the first and second angled side walls includes an edge that is disposed at an outward angle of between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees with respect to a lateral axis of the edge sharpener. 
     
     
         13 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the other of the first and second angled side walls includes an edge that is disposed at an inward angle of between about 0 and about 45 degrees with respect to the lateral axis. 
     
     
         14 . A blade sharpening apparatus comprising:
 a base member including a front face and a rear face;   a slot defined in said base member adapted to receive and guide a blade to be sharpened;   a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted for operation upon guidance of the blade through the slot; and   an edge sharpener disposed adjacent an end of the slot or an edge of the base member and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife.   
     
     
         15 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the blade sharpening member includes at least two sharpening members disposed on opposing sides of the slot and wherein each of the at least two sharpening members is attached to a biasing member that biases a respective sharpening member toward an opposing sharpening member. 
     
     
         16 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein when a blade of a knife is moved along the channel, the blade pushes the sharpening members against the bias of the biasing members until the sharpening members are stopped by respective posts. 
     
     
         17 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the edge sharpener includes a holder that is retained within the cavity, first and second opposing sharpening members forming a V-shaped channel, and a U-shaped body forming a U-shaped channel with first and second opposing walls joined by a connecting portion, a first channel formed at least partially through the first wall and the connecting portion, and a second channel formed at least partially through the second wall and the connecting portion, wherein the first and second sharpening members are positioned within the first and second channels, respectively. 
     
     
         18 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the edge sharpener includes two blades each having a top wall, a bottom wall, an outer side wall extending between the top and bottom walls, and angled side walls extending between the top and bottom walls to form a V-shaped cavity therebetween, wherein the top walls have widths that are less than widths of corresponding bottom walls. 
     
     
         19 . The blade sharpening apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein a first of the angled side walls forms an first angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that is between about 2 and about 45 degrees and a second of the angled side walls forms a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that is between about 2 degrees and about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . A blade sharpening apparatus comprising:
 a base member including a front face and a rear face;   a slot defined in said base member adapted to receive and guide a blade to be sharpened;   a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted for operation upon guidance of the blade through the slot; and   a cavity disposed within the rear face of the base member adjacent the slot or an edge of the base member; and   an edge sharpener disposed within the cavity and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife, the edge sharpener including first and second opposing sharpening members forming a V-shaped channel and an attachment mechanism for retaining the edge sharpener within the cavity.