Knife sharpening systems

Abstract

Knife sharpener systems and methods are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a knife sharpening system can include a support structure configured to hold a knife having a handle and a blade extending therefrom, and a carriage assembly mounted on the support structure. The carriage assembly can have a sharpening element that is configured to sharpen a cutting edge of the blade. The carriage assembly can be movable relative to the knife blade to cause the sharpening element to apply a force to the cutting edge of the knife blade.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system, comprising:
 a knife sharpening assembly including 1) a support structure configured to hold a knife having a handle and a blade extending therefrom, the support structure having a guide track, a return track, and a cam surface, and 2) a carriage assembly including a carriage and a sharpening element having a sharpening surface configured to sharpen a cutting edge of the blade; and   a knife block including 1) a block body having a cavity configured to receive the knife sharpening assembly and 2) one or more receiving surfaces, each of which having an array of knife storage slots configured to receive the blade.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the support structure includes a clamping assembly configured to maintain the knife in a fixed position. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the clamping assembly includes a pair of jaws configured to engage a portion of the knife. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the cavity of the block body is configured to removably receive the knife sharpening assembly, such that the knife sharpening assembly is removable from the knife block. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising an arm moveably coupled to the carriage;
 wherein the sharpening element is disposed on the arm.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein, with the support structure holding the knife:
 the carriage is configured to move in a first direction within the guide track from a position adjacent to the handle to a position beyond a tip of the blade, causing the sharpening surface to move against and along the cutting edge of the blade; and   when the carriage moves in the first direction, the return track is configured to prevent the carriage from moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the carriage reaches the position beyond the tip of the blade.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the carriage assembly includes a second handle coupled thereto and extending from the support structure to allow a user to move the carriage assembly relative to the support structure in at least the first direction. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a constant-force spring configured to apply a biasing force to the sharpening element and automatically advance the carriage along the guide track in the first direction.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising an arm movably coupled to the carriage; and
 a spring coupled to the arm;   wherein the movement of the carriage in the first direction within the guide track is configured to cause the spring to apply a biasing force to the sharpening element.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a pawl mounted to the support structure and including the cam surface;
 wherein the carriage is configured to switch from moving in the guide track in the first direction to moving in the guide track in the second direction; and   the pawl is configured to urge the arm into the return track in response to the carriage switching from moving in the guide track in the first direction to moving in the guide track in the second direction.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the cam surface is configured to cause the sharpening element to move into the return track from a first track formed in the support structure in which the arm is configured to move during the movement of the carriage in the first direction within the guide track. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the pawl is pivotally coupled to the support structure. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein, when the carriage moves in the second direction, the return track is configured to cause the sharpening element to move downward such that the sharpening element is spaced apart from the cutting edge of the blade. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the sharpening surface sharpens the cutting edge of the blade only when the carriage moves in the first direction. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the knife block comprises an upper receiving surface and a lower receiving surface, each of which having an array of knife storage slots configured to receive the blade. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the knife is one of a plurality of knives each configured to be held by the support structure and sharpened with the sharpening surface, and each of the plurality of knives has a blade that is a different length from one another. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A system, comprising:
 a support structure configured to hold a knife having a handle and a blade extending therefrom, the support structure having a guide track, a return track, and a cam surface; and   a carriage assembly comprising a carriage and a sharpening element having a sharpening surface configured to sharpen a cutting edge of the blade;   a constant-force spring coupled to the carriage assembly and configured to apply a force to the carriage assembly that automatically advances the carriage along the guide track in a first direction; and   a secondary carriage movably disposed in the support structure, the secondary carriage being configured to engage the carriage assembly and move the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction against the force of the constant-force spring;   wherein, with the support structure holding the knife:
 the carriage is movable in the first direction within the guide track from a position adjacent to the handle to a position beyond a tip of the blade, causing the sharpening surface to move against and along the cutting edge of the blade; and 
 when the carriage moves in the first direction, the return track is configured to prevent the carriage from moving in the second direction until the carriage reaches the position beyond the tip of the blade. 
   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the support structure includes a clamping assembly configured to maintain the knife in a fixed position. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising a pawl pivotally coupled to the support structure and including the cam surface. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein, when the carriage moves in the second direction, the return track is configured to cause the sharpening element to move downward such that the sharpening element is spaced apart from the cutting edge of the blade.