Patent Application
20100107417
The present invention is in the fields of eating utensils and dental cleaning devices, more particularly the invention relates to an eating utensil that incorporates a dental cleaning device.
Eating activity often involves the use of disposable eating utensils, such as plastic forks, spoons and/or knives, typically at away-from-home locations where devices for teeth cleaning after eating are unavailable. Such eating activity may include planned picnics, picnics-on-the-go, fast food, takeout, lunch boxes, bagged lunches at work, eating-on-the-go, delivered specialties, catered food engagements, entertainment events, birthdays, cocktail-parties, weddings and other parties.
U.S. design Pat. D254,239 to Julius for a COMBINED FORK AND SEPARATABLE TOOTHPICK shows the ornamental design for the subject matter.
U.S. design Pat. D463,221 to Sanders for EATING UTENSIL WITH TOOTHPICK INCORPORATED THEREIN shows a fork, spoon and knife each with a toothpick located on the front side near the handle end; presumably the toothpick is removably attached in each case.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,877,547 for COMBINATION TOOTHPICK AND STIRRING OR EATING IMPLEMENT to Feaster discloses wooden spoons, forks and stirring sticks configured with knockout-removable toothpicks.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,072,777 to Takahashi for CUTLERY shows a spoon and a fork each with a pair of toothpicks removably attached on the rear side.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,020 to Hammond et al for COMBINATION SPOON AND TOOTHPICK shows and discloses a toothpick and spoon combination including a handle portion with a separable toothpick member for use after eating. The combination utilizes support members from which the toothpick may be broken away.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide disposable plastic utensils incorporating a dental hygene device such as a toothpick and/or dental floss for maintaining good oral health at eating events where dental hygene devices may not be otherwise available
It is a further object to provide an embodiment including a toothpick configured with a hooked or otherwise offset point for reaching and cleaning regions of the teeth that are virtually inaccessible with a conventional straight toothpick.
The foregoing objects have been met in the present invention wherein a plastic spoon, fork, knife of combination thereof is equipped with a removable dental cleaning device such as a toothpick and/or mounted dental floss for use after eating in a location where dental hygiene items may not be otherwise available.
The above and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings in which each drawing represents an embodiment of the present invention:
In an embodiment similar to that in
While the invention has been shown practiced in the form of a fork as the eating utensil for illustrative purposes, it is to be understood that the invention can be practiced in conjunction with other eating utensils including but not limited to spoons, knives, chopsticks, tongs, and combinations thereof such as a spork combining a spoon and a fork.
While the invention is directed primarily to an unfulfilled need and expected demand in conjunction with disposable plastic eating utensils which are likely to be popular at picnics and other social or public eating events where regular dental cleaning facilities are unavailable, the invention could be practiced in conjunction with more permanent type eating utensils intended for more general use. The material in the eating utensil can be metal or any material that can provide the break-away feature. As an alternative to the generally one-piece construction shown for the eating utensil, it could be made from a plurality of parts joined by fastenings such as welding or adhesives.
Standard fork or spoon designs could include, but are not limited to, such features as ribbed-supports and similar structural/cosmetic elements.
The score lines can vary in configuration, type, shape and depth, i.e. thickness at the thinnest point. As an alternative to making the score lines to break-away, some items could be made to bend-away for use without actually detaching, or to remain sufficiently stiff to utilize the dental cleaning device while still attached to the eating utensil.
As alternatives to the dental cleaning device being attached to the eating utensil in a permanent or break-away manner with score lines as shown, the invention could be practiced with such attachment made by other fasteners such as temporary glue, magnets, snap-fits, Velcro or the like. It could be arranged for break-away parts to be re-attached.
In embodiments where the dental cleaning device is a toothpick, extreme sharpness at the working end of the toothpick should be avoided as hazardous; instead the point should be made slightly rounded, sufficient to avoid injury, while still shaped optimally to provide effective cleaning capability.
The dental cleaning device, shown as a toothpick or flosser, could also include items such as a tooth brush, finger-brush or tongue cleaner integrated into the eating utensil by attachment means such as mold-integration, adhesive or welding, or alternatively bundled in an eating-kit package including one or more eating utensils and/or related items such as a napkin.
As an alternative to floss where a flosser is shown, a rigid, semi-rigid or flexible thin fin or blade could be provided to clean between and around the teeth.
As an alternative to the flosser with a piece of floss suspended between two prongs as shown, the floss could be provided stored in the eating utensil body, attached loose thereto or bundle-wrapped.
For embodiments such as those shown in
The dental cleaning device could further provide an appropriately designed rough or raised surface, located on its surface or on that of the eating utensil, that could aid in the removal of debris located on the inner walls of the teeth. The debris removal would occur on the insertion and removal of the dental cleaning device.
As an alternative to incorporating the dental cleaning device within or directly attached to the eating utensil, one or more cleaning device and one or more eating utensil could be included separately side-by-side in sheet of plastic made and arranged to enable break-away removal for use.
Supplemental items such as dental floss, tissue paper or mouth wash could be provided either separately, stored within or attached to the eating utensil body in some manner, optionally bundle-wrapped.
The invention may be embodied and practiced in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and all variations, substitutions and changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
Priority is claimed for provisional patent application 06/1,133,106 filed Jun. 25, 2008.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61133106 | Jun 2008 | US |
