Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to drywall panel cutters.

Background of the invention

The use of gypsum drywall has become the most common means of finishing the interior structure of most building structures. The installation and finishing of drywall panels takes relatively little time for experienced workers and provides a smooth surface for further finishing. Cutting drywall panels to size remains one of the more labor-intensive processes during the installation of a drywall, due to the different tools generally used in the measuring, marking, and cutting operations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool that can be used for all or at least most of the drywall panel processing steps.

Description of the invention

A drywall panel is made of a filler material (typically calcium sulfate dihydrate), with or without additives, typically extruded between thick sheets of facer and backer paper. Cutting a drywall panel into suitable sizes is normally done by scoring the facer paper (and a little of the drywall filler material) with a knife. When the line is cut, the panel is bent and folded away from the cut, thereby leaving the two pieces of panel hanging in the backer paper. Finally, the backer paper is cut, and a rasp may be used to neaten up the edges.

A first aspect relates to a drywall cutting tool, comprising:

- a cutting blade with a cutting edge or tip;

- a cutting blade holder; and - a housing; wherein the cutting blade holder is tiltably mounted within said housing, thereby allowing the cutting blade’s cutting edge or tip to move from a first position within said housing to a second or optionally further position outside said housing, preferably while the remaining part of said cutting blade is positioned inside said housing.

The advantage of the cutting blade holder being tiltably mounted within said housing is that the cutting blade’s cutting edge or tip is protected when the cutting tool is not in use. Furthermore, the cutting blade’s cutting edge or tip may be positioned to cut at various angles, thereby also being suitable as a rasp for smoothing the edges of the panel. In one or more embodiments, the cutting blade holder is adapted to rotate up to 270 degrees within said housing, while the remaining 90 degrees of rotation may be blocked by other functions of the housing.

In one or more embodiments, the housing comprises a measuring tape or ruler adapted to measure a distance between said cutting edge or tip and a user defined end point, preferably on a drywall panel to be cut. Thereby, the user can easily cut the drywall panels into suitable sizes with a single tool.

In one or more embodiments, the housing comprises a guide recess or channel spanning between an outer face of said housing and said cutting edge or tip and adapted for receiving a free end of a measuring tape or ruler. This configuration allows a user to insert the free end of a measuring tape or ruler into the housing, thereby adding this option to the drywall cutting tool. The guide recess or channel may be configured for releasably fastening of the free end of a measuring tape or ruler. One such configuration may e.g. be that the guide recess or channel comprises protrusions that can be compressed. The material of the protrusions may be compressible by the inserted free end of a measuring tape or ruler. Alternatively, the protrusions may be mounted in cavities comprising a spring. When the free end of a measuring tape or ruler reaches a protrusion, the protrusion is forced into the cavity by compressing the spring. The protrusion may e.g. be semicircular or spherical to reduce the friction between the protrusion and the free end of a measuring tape or ruler. Again alternatively, the guide recess may be defined by an array of protrusions that are incompressible during normal use. The use of protrusions rather than an entire wall makes it easier to form a relatively narrow guide recess relative to the width of the free end of a measuring tape or ruler to be inserted and with minimal friction. This type of protrusion may also e.g. be semicircular or spherical to reduce the friction between the protrusion and the free end of a measuring tape or ruler.

In one or more embodiments, the housing comprises a wall or flange with a guide recess adapted for receiving an edge of a drywall panel. In this way, the housing will, in combination with the tiltable cutting blade holder, secure an oblique cut of the inserted edge. Different angles may be cut by this configuration, depending on the position of the cutting blade holder. This way of cutting a bit off an inserted edge of a panel makes it possible to form a shallow channel between two adjacent panels, which is subsequently filled with a filler material to provide an even surface.

In one or more embodiments, the housing comprises two opposing walls or flanges defining a space therebetween for said cutting blade to move and each adapted for tiltably engaging with said cutting blade holder. Preferably, said opposing walls or flanges together define a parallel guide recess spanning across said space and adapted for receiving an edge of a drywall panel, and wherein said cutting blade holder is configured for positioning said cutting blade within said guide recess such that its cutting edge or tip extends into said guide recess.

In one or more embodiments, said opposing walls or flanges together define two parallel guide recesses spanning across said space, each of said guide recesses adapted for receiving an edge of a drywall panel, and wherein the cutting blade holder is configured for positioning the cutting blade between said guide recesses such that its cutting edge or tip extends out of said space. This configuration allows a user to cut the backer paper very precisely after the facer paper is cut and the panel is bent and folded away from the cut.

A second aspect relates to a drywall cutting tool, comprising:

- a cutting blade with a cutting edge or tip;

- a cutting blade holder; and

- a housing; wherein the cutting blade holder is releasably fastened to said housing.

In one or more embodiments, the cutting blade holder is releasably fastened to said housing at multiple positions.

In one or more embodiments, the cutting blade holder is releasably fastened to said housing at multiple positions, and wherein the housing comprises multiple guide recesses with different angles of inclination, and each adapted for receiving said cutting blade holder, e.g. for receiving a clamp or guide pin of said cutting blade holder.

As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" or "approximately" one particular value and/or to "about" or "approximately" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about", it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.

It should be noted that embodiments and features described in the context of one of the aspects of the present invention also apply to the other aspects of the invention.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drywall panel cutter in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a backside view of the drywall panel cutter, where the cutting blade holder and cutting blade have been removed;

Figure 3 shows is a perspective view of a cutting blade holder with cutting blade;

Figure 4 shows a drywall panel cutter in accordance with various embodiments of the invention cutting the backer paper of a drywall panel;

Figure 5 shows a drywall panel cutter in accordance with various embodiments of the invention where the free end of a measuring tape or ruler is inserted into its guide recess; and

Figure 6 shows a drywall panel cutter in accordance with various embodiments of the invention where the cutting blade extends into a guide recess.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drywall panel cutter in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. This embodiment is shown with many different embodiments but should not be interpreted limiting for the scope of the invention. The drywall cutting tool 100 comprises a housing 400, a cutting blade holder 300, and cutting blade 200 with both a cutting edge and a cutting tip, and is arrow shaped. This is an advantage as this embodiment may be used for both scoring and rasping. The cutting blade holder 300 is tiltably mounted within the housing 400, and can be fixed in different positions relative to said housing 400. The cutting blade holder 300 may be tilted via its handle 310 that a user can grasp with his or her thumb and an index finger. Thereby, the cutting blade’s 200 cutting edge or tip can be moved from a first position within said housing 400 (as shown) to a second or further position outside said housing 400 (See e.g.

Figures 4-6).

The housing 400 comprises two opposing walls or flanges 420, 430 defining a space 440 therebetween for said cutting blade 200 to move and each adapted for tiltably engaging with the cutting blade holder 300. The opposing walls or flanges 420, 430 together define two parallel guide recesses 422, 432; 424, 434 spanning across said space 440, and each of said guide recesses 422, 432; 424, 434 are adapted for receiving an edge of a drywall panel 20A, 20B (see Figure 4). The cutting blade holder 300 is configured for positioning the cutting blade 200 between said guide recesses 422, 432; 424, 434 such that its cutting edge or tip extends out of said space. This is performed by a fastening mechanism allowing the cutting blade holder to be releasably attached to the housing in the needed position. The mechanism could be as shown in Figures 3 and 4, where the cutting blade holder 300 comprises a latch protrusion 310A, 310B, and a hinge protrusion 320A, 320B; and wherein said opposing walls or flanges 420, 430 each comprises a plurality of latch orifices 452, 454, 456, 458 and a hinge orifice 455. The latch protrusions 310 are configured to releasably engage with the latch orifices 452, 454, 456, 458, and the hinge protrusion 320 is hingely connected to said hinge orifice 455. The cutting blade is here positioned to be able to cut the backer paper of a drywall panel after the facer paper is cut and the panel is bent and folded away from the cut. In Figure 5, the cutting blade 200 is positioned for scoring the facer paper, and in Figure 6, the cutting blade 200 is positioned for functioning as a rasp.

Figure 5 also shows a transparent drywall panel cutter where the free end of a measuring tape or ruler 10 is inserted into its guide recess 410. The guide recess 410 can also be seen in Figure 2. the guide recess is defined by an array (three) of semicircular protrusions 412 that are incompressible during normal use. The use of such protrusions rather than an entire wall makes it easier to form a relatively narrow guide recess relative to the width of the free end of a measuring tape or ruler to be inserted and with minimal friction.

References

10 Measuring ruler

20 Drywall panel

100 Drywall cutting tool

200 Cutting blade

300 Cutting blade holder

310 Latch protrusion

320 Hinge protrusion

330 Handle

410 Guide recess or channel

412 Protrusion

420 Wall or flange

422 Guide recess

424 Guide recess

430 Wall or flange

432 Guide recess

434 Guide recess

440 Space

452 Latch orifice

454 Latch orifice

455 Hinge orifice

456 Latch orifice

458 Latch orifice