Importance

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Abstract

An improved automatically retractable cutting device includes (a) a housing having a guide slot, with one or more notches disposed in the guide slot, (b) a return spring within the housing, and (c) a blade carrier disposed within the housing and biased by the return spring. The blade carrier includes a thumb piece extending through the guide slot, the thumb piece having a protuberance adapted to at least partially frictionally engage the notch during movement of the thumb piece along the guide slot to enable the thumb piece to be held in position adjacent to the notch with reduced force. Each notch may include a forward direction ramping surface, whereby reduced force is required to prevent further blade extension, and/or a reverse direction ramping surface, whereby reduced force is required to prevent blade retraction. Each ramping surface is preferably angled at less than ninety degrees. The housing may be formed by attachable halves, each of which includes notches, whereby the notches are substantially symmetrically aligned when the housing is assembled.

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First Claim