US Patent 10953556 Switchblades

Switchblades are disclosed herein. A switchblade includes a handle body, a blade pivotally coupled to the handle body, and a release mechanism for pivoting the blade about a blade pivot axis to transition the blade from a folded position to a deployed position. The release mechanism includes a release spring, a sear, and an actuator. The release spring is configured to transition from a retained configuration to a released configuration to drive the blade from the folded position to the deployed position. The sear is configured to retain the release spring in the retained configuration while the sear is in a retaining position. The actuator includes an actuator arm that is configured to move relative to a portion of the handle body to transition the sear from the retaining position to a releasing position.