Patent Application
20230063254
The present invention generally relates to utensils for gathering beads or other small objects from a surface and returning them to a storage container.
Beads are used for jewelry making and fabric decorating and are usually supplied in jars or small vials, depending on size and quantity of the beads. While larger beads may be poured from a storage container and returned thereto manually, smaller beads or granular materials are difficult to pick up from a flat surface and return to the container. This is especially so when the beads or small objects have a size of 1 mm or less and, particularly, when 0.5 mm or smaller.
Further, the vials or jars used for bead storage frequently have small openings which make returning the beads to the containers challenging. This is so because beads are often supplied in tubular containers of relatively small diameter.
Existing scoop utensils usually have a trowel-like construction which is suited to gathering granular or powdered material from a mound, bag or other large container, but are not suited to gathering small objects from a flat surface, particularly when there are a relatively few objects on the surface or the objects are widely dispersed.
A scoop utensil includes a scoop trough and a handle attached thereto, characterized in that: the trough has a sidewall and a bottom, the sidewall extending upwardly and outwardly from the bottom and having a front sidewall portion with a length, FL, with a relatively straight edge along its upper length for scooping beads, a rear sidewall portion opposing the front sidewall portion with a length, RL, at its upper portion which is shorter than FL and a pair of end sidewall portions having a length, EL at their upper portions, shorter than RL, where the front sidewall portion and the end sidewall portions together define a pair of lateral inclined spouts for pouring beads out of the trough to a container. The handle is contiguous with the rear sidewall portion of the scoop utensil and flares downwardly from an apex of the rear sidewall. In preferred embodiments the end sidewall portions are bowed inwardly toward the interior of the trough and the end sidewall portions define acute angles with the relatively straight edge of the front sidewall portion, such that the lateral inclined spouts have relatively narrow openings as shown.
Material is gathered from a flat surface simply by grasping the handle of the utensil between the thumb and fingers and using the straight edge to scrape material from the surface and into the trough. Typically, the thumb would be atop the handle extending parallel to the trough along its length when grasping the utensil, while 2-3 fingers engage the underside of the handle. Gathered material is poured from the trough through the lateral inclined spouts simply by tilting the utensil while directing a spout at the desired target.
The utensil has a flowing curved unitary design, wherein the bead scoop utensil has an S-shaped end profile and the bottom of the trough may simply be a line where the rear sidewall portion transitions from the front sidewall portion. Optionally, the trough could define a flat portion or a curved portion between the front and rear portions of the sidewall.
Most preferably, the handle flares downwardly a sufficient distance to support the bead scoop utensil in an erect position with respect to a flat surface when placed thereon, with the trough opening directed upwardly so the utensil and any contents of the trough are readily accessible to a user.
Further features and advantages will become apparent from the discussion which follows.
The invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawings wherein like numerals designate similar parts. In the drawings:
There is shown in the various drawings a scoop utensil 10 comprising a scoop trough 12 and a handle 14 attached thereto, characterized in that: trough has a sidewall 16 and a bottom 18, the sidewall extending upwardly and outwardly from the bottom as shown and having a front sidewall portion 20 with an upper length, FL, having a relatively straight edge 22 along its length for scooping beads or other small objects, a rear sidewall portion 24 opposing the front sidewall portion with a length, RL, at its upper portion which is shorter than FL and a pair of end sidewall portions 26, 28 having upper lengths, EL, shorter than RL. Front sidewall portion 20 and the end sidewall portions 26, 28 together define a pair of lateral inclined spouts 30, 32 for pouring beads out of trough 12 to a vial 60 (
Among some of the preferred features illustrated are wherein the end sidewall portions are bowed inwardly toward the interior of the trough as shown at 36; wherein end sidewall portions 26, 28 define acute angles, θ, with edge 22 of the front sidewall portion as shown at 38; and wherein the scoop utensil has an S-shaped end profile as is shown in
Still other preferred features include wherein handle 14 flares downwardly from apex 34 by a sufficient distance 40 to support the bead scoop utensil in an erect position with the trough opening directed upwardly as indicated by arrow A when placed on a flat surface as shown in
Typically, handle 14 has an inner length equal to RL, the length of the rear sidewall portion and the handle has an outer longitudinal edge of length, OL, parallel to RL and shorter than RL and handle 14 may have curved transition portions 42, 44 between its inner and outer lengths. The handle has a thickened border 46 around a periphery thereof in most cases as well as a plurality of gripping ridges 48. The gripping ridges may be on an upper surface 50 of the handle and may extend to apex 34 of the rear sidewall portion of the trough. Ridges 48 may also be provided on a lower surface 52 of handle 14. Most preferably, gripping ridges 48 extend orthogonally to an outer longitudinal edge 54 of the handle.
Ridges may also be provided on an underside 56 of the trough, the ridges also being orthogonal to outer longitudinal edge 54 of the handle.
The scoop utensil of the present invention preferably has a unitary structure, that is a single piece without separable pieces. Most preferably, the structure is formed by injection molding. Thermoplastic materials are preferred with polystyrene compositions being most suitable.
Referring to
Preferably edge 22 is straight or substantially straight; however, some curvature may exist along its length. The edge which engages surface 64 is most preferably tapered or refined from sidewall 20 to a “knife edge” having a thinner profile at its terminus than the profile of sidewall portion 20 distal to the terminus, as shown in
After the beads are gathered from surface 64, a user pours beads 62 into a container 60 with a small mouth 68, as is shown in
This application is based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/239,967, filed Sep. 2, 2021, the priority of which is hereby claimed and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63239967 | Sep 2021 | US |
