The present invention relates to a multipurpose eating utensil. More particularly this invention concerns such a utensil that can be used as at least as a spoon or fork, but also as a knife, and that can be carried or stored flat.
It is known to make a so-called spork of a single piece of plastic, with one end formed as a standard flat eating-utensil handle, and the other end formed with a slightly cup-shaped bowl for use as a spoon and an outer edge provided with teeth for use as a fork. Such a utensil is typically provided to small children who are not capable of switching between utensils, and who might harm themselves with standard forks, not to mention the harm that could be done even with a plastic knife.
It is also known to provide a pen knife with spoon, fork, and of course knife attachments so that it can be used, for instance, by a camper who need not carry a selection of utensils for eating when away from civilization.
None of these applications is fully satisfactory. The child's spork is useless when food has to be cut or, for instance, it is necessary to spread something like butter. The camper's device requires manipulation for switching from one use to the other. Both systems do not store flat, that is they cannot be reduced to a shape that is efficient for storage and transport.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved multipurpose eating utensil.
Another object is the provision of such an improved multipurpose eating utensil that overcomes the above-given disadvantages, in particular that can be used as both a spoon and a fork and, if desired, a knife also.
A further object is to provide such a utensil that can be used without manipulation for any of its two or three applications.
Another object is to provide such a utensil that can be stored perfectly flat, that is lying in a plane so that it takes is up very little space and can be stacked.
A multipurpose eating utensil has according to the invention a pair of geometrically similar side parts of generally isosceles trapezoidal shape formed of thin but flexible sheet material and each having a longitudinally extending and short minor base edge, a longitudinally extending and long major base edge generally parallel to the respective minor base edge, and front and rear generally straight side edges diverging from outer ends of the respective minor base edges to outer ends of the respective major base edges. The minor base edges are closely juxtaposed and substantially parallel to each other. The front side edges extend an angle of less than 180° away from each other and the rear side edge similarly extend at an angle of 180° away from each other. A front utensil part formed of thin but flexible sheet material has a pair of straight inner edges juxtaposed closely with the front side edges, an outer edge formed with a pair of longitudinally projecting fork tines, and a longitudinally extending side edge formed as a cutting tool. A rear utensil part formed of thin but flexible sheet material has a pair of straight inner edges juxtaposed closely with the rear side edges and an outer edge joining outer ends of the respective inner edges. An inner hinge interconnects the minor base edges for pivoting of the two side parts relative to each other about an axis substantially parallel to the inner edges between a storage position with the two side parts generally coplanar and a use position with the two parts extending at an angle of less than 180° to each other. Respective front and back hinges connect the inner edges of the front and back parts to the respective side edges of the side parts such that in the storage position all parts are substantially coplanar and in the use position the front and rear parts extend at an acute angle to the
Thus this is a very simple structure that can lie completely flat. With the two side parts bent up into the use position, in which their outer edges go from straight to arcuate, the front and rear end parts tip up and the structure becomes fairly stiff. The front end part with the tines forms a fork and its edge forms knife. The rear end part forms a spoon. When the two side parts are not pressed together, the structure goes flat again.
The hinges according to the invention are formed of silicone molded to the parts. They may in be fact be formed by a layer of silicone surrounding the parts. Such a structure can be made at extremely low cost.
In another arrangement that can be made at even lower cost, the parts and hinges are all unitarily formed of plastic. The hinges are thin membranes between the parts.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
As seen in
The two side parts 10 and 20 are identical isosceles trapezoids with their shorter minor base edges 11 and 21 parallel, longitudinal, and closely juxtaposed, their major base edges 12 and 22 also longitudinal and parallel but turned away from each other, their side edges 13 and 23 extending at 45° to the longitudinal extend and forming a longitudinally open V-shape, and their side edges 14 and 24 similarly extending at 45° to the longitudinal and forming a longitudinally oppositely open V-shape.
The one end part 30 has inner edges 31 and 32 extending at 90° to each other and closely juxtaposed with and parallel to the respective edges 14 and 24 and a circularly arcuate outer edge 33 connecting ends of the edges 31 and 32. This part 30 forms the spoon of the invention as described below.
The other end part 40 has inner edges 41 and 42 extending like the edges 31 and 32 parallel to the respective edges 13 and 23 and an opposite edge formed with four longitudinally projecting triangular tines 43, of which an outer one is formed along its generally longitudinally extending edge with teeth 44. The tines 43 form the fork and the teeth 44 the knife of the invention as described below.
The edges 11 and 21 are connected together by a hinge 51, the edges 14 and 21 by a hinge 52, the edges 24 and 32 by a hinge 53, the edges 13 and 41 by a hinge 54, and the edges 23 and 42 by a hinge 55. This hinge can be made of silicone molded over the parts 10, 20, 30 and 40, could be integral with the parts 10, 20, 30, and 40 if they were all made for instance of plastic, or could be purely mechanical hinges with knuckles and pintles.
The instant invention thus typically lies completely flat, that is with all the parts 10, 20, 30, and 40 coplanar. This makes it easy to carry in a pocket or backpack, and makes it possible to even carry a large number of them in a very small space.
For use all that is necessary as shown in
(In this regard it is noted that in reality the outer edges 12 and 22 of the parts 10 and 20 are, contrary to what is shown in
The toothed edge 44 can be used as a knife in both the flattened (
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