Utility Knife with Tape Hook Recess

Abstract

A utility knife includes a body having a front end and a rear end opposite the front end. A blade holder, supported by the body, is moveable relative to the body, to move a blade between an extended position and a retracted position. The blade extends through a blade aperture when in the extended position. The blade aperture is sized to receive a hook attached to the blade of a tape measure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A utility knife comprising:
 a body comprising a front end and a rear end opposite the front end;   a blade holder supported by the body, the blade holder moveable relative to the body to move a blade between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein the blade has a thickness;   a blade aperture through which the blade extends when in the extended position, the blade aperture comprising a first end section having a width, a central section having a width, and a second end section having a width, wherein the respective widths of the first end section and the second end section is from 100% to 125% of the thickness of the blade, wherein the width of the central section is greater than 150% of the thickness of the blade.   
     
     
         2 . The utility knife of  claim 1 , wherein the respective widths of the first end section and the second end section are each less than 115% of the thickness of the blade, wherein the width of the central section is greater than 170% of the thickness of the blade. 
     
     
         3 . The utility knife of  claim 1 , wherein the central section of the blade aperture has a height greater than the respective heights of both the first end section and the second end section of the blade aperture. 
     
     
         4 . The utility knife of  claim 1 , wherein the blade aperture is defined in the front end of the body, wherein the blade holder is slidable relative to the body to move the blade through the blade aperture between the extended position and the retracted position. 
     
     
         5 . The utility knife of  claim 1 , wherein the blade aperture is defined in the blade holder and the blade holder is pivotally coupled to the body to pivot the blade between the extended position and the retracted position. 
     
     
         6 . The utility knife of  claim 3 , wherein the width of the first end section is equal to the width of the second end section and the height of the first end section is equal to the height of the second end section. 
     
     
         7 . A method of using a utility knife comprising:
 grasping a utility knife having a blade aperture and a blade extending from the blade aperture;   coupling a tape measure hook attached to a tape blade of a tape measure to the blade aperture of the utility knife;   extending the tape blade of the tape measure from a housing of the tape measure along a workpiece to a desired measurement of the workpiece while the tape measure hook is coupled to the blade aperture of the utility knife; and   cutting the workpiece with the blade of the utility knife at the desired measurement while the tape measure hook is coupled to the blade aperture of the utility knife.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising locking the tape measure in place via a locking mechanism of the tape measure. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising extending the blade of the utility knife through a front end of the utility knife.