GB2234425A

GB2234425A - Chop-sticks

Info

Publication number: GB2234425A
Application number: GB8916978A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yu Chiu Mau
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-07-25
Filing date: 1989-07-25
Publication date: 1991-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 2009-07-25
Also published as: GB8916978D0; GB2234425B

Abstract

For enabling a beginner or inexperienced person to hold the chop-sticks correctly and to manipulate them more efficiently, the chop-sticks 10, 12 are provided in the head portions 10a, 12a with a number of recesses 20, 22, 30, 32, 34 for co-operation with specific fingers or parts of fingers. The recesses are preferably provided with indicia to indicate the correct fingers to be located in the respective recesses. <IMAGE>

Description

CHOP-STICKS This invention relates to improvements in chopsticks.

Chop-sticks are the instruments commonly used by Chinese people in taking food. They are used extensively nowadays in many countries of the world.

Eating with a pair of chop-sticks involves manipulating the sticks in the fingers of either the left or the right hand. However, for efficient performance frequent practice is required in order to place the fingers on the correct parts of the sticks and to manipulate them correctly. This is particularly a problem in the case of people who may be unfamiliar with this form of eating utensil.

Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide a form of chop-sticks which may assist the beginner or inexperienced person in placing the chop-sticks correctly in the hand and manipulating them efficiently.

Broadly, the invention provides a pair of chopsticks, each of which is provided towards one end with at least one recess for co-operation with a part of a finger of the hand which is to hold the chop-sticks.

Each chop-stick will normally have more than one recess, since in use each stick will co-operate with more than one finger of the hand. It is preferable that one of the chop-sticks has a greater number of recesses than the other. Also, because the two sticks of the pair do not lie in the same parts of the hand, the positioning of recesses in one stick will normally be different from the positioning of the recesses in the other stick.

Unlike conventional chop-sticks, the pair of chopsticks of this invention are different from each other and generally are not interchangeable. In order to save production time and costs, or for other reasons, it may therefore be desirable for each chop-stick to be formed of two sections joined rigidly together. The lower sections of the sticks which are used to pick up and grip food, can be identical in both sticks of the pair.

On the other hand, the upper sections of the sticks, which are provided with the recesses, will generally be different for each chop-stick of the pair and require a separate manufacturing process. Of course, each chopstick may be formed from a single length of material if desired.

The material used to make the chop-sticks of this invention may be any suitable material, such as those commonly used in the art, e.g. wood, plastic.

In order to assist the user in the location of the correct finger or part of a finger in the correct recess for optimum performance, it is desirable that the recesses bear indicia. Any suitable system of indicia may be used, for example, a system of letters or numbers indicating which finger should co-operate with each respective recess when the chop-sticks are in use. The indicia may be present in or near the recesses and may taken any suitable form, e.g. embossed, impressed, applied to the surface etc.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in further detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of chopsticks in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pair of chopsticks of Figure 1 in a correct position in the right hand, showing the location of the various recesses of each chop-stick in relation to parts of the hand.

In Figure 1 there is shown a pair of chop-sticks for right-hand use, consisting of an upper chop-stick 10 and a lower chop-stick 12, each chop-stick being formed of a generally cylindrical head portion lOa, 12a and a slightly tapering end portion lOb, 12b. The two sections of each stick are secured rigidly together by any suitable means, for example a screw member, a male/female joint, an adhesive or a combination thereof.

The head portion 10a of the upper chop-stick 10 is provided with two recesses 20, 22 offset with respect to one another in opposite sides of the stick, recess 20 being the more remote from the end portion lOb.

The head portion 12a of the lower chop-stick 12 is provided with three recesses 30, 32, 34. Recesses 30 and 32 are positioned on opposite sides of the stick and longitudinally spaced from one another, recess 30 being the more remote from end portion 12b. Recess 34 is positioned adjacent to recess 32, but longitudinally displaced a short distance therefrom towards end portion 12b.

Figure 2 shows the chop-sticks of Figure 1 in position in the right-hand, ready for use. For optimum performance, recesses and fingers will co-operate as follows, as shown in the Figure: Recess 20 with end of thumb 50; Recess 22 with index finger 60; Recess 30 with middle of thumb 50; Recess 32 with end of third finger 70; Recess 34 with end of fourth finger 80.

Thus, the upper chop-stick 10 may be controlled using the thumb and index finger alone, while the lower chop-stick 12 may be controlled and supported by the thumb, third and fourth fingers. This allows both chopsticks to be manipulated with ease and accuracy.

To assist in locating the correct fingers in the recesses as listed above, indicia are provided (although not shown in the figures) in each of the recesses. By way of example, these can be in the form of the letters A, B, C, D, E applied, e.g. by painting, printing or affixing of labels, to the recesses 20, 22, 30, 34, 32, respectively. A simple key may be provided to identify which finger (or part of a finger) is represented by which letter. Alternatively, other forms of indicia, e.g. numbers, symbols, or Chinese characters may be used, as desired.

Some or all of the recesses of the chop-sticks may be shaped and/or oriented so as to better accommodate the fingers. For example, recesses 32, 34, among others, may be unsymmetrical, being shaped and oriented so as to match the outline of the fingers with which they are to co-operate. This may afford a better grip of the chopsticks in the hand and improved manipulation thereof.

This embodiment of the invention has been described in a form for right-handed use, since the majority of people are right-handed. However, an embodiment of the invention for left-handed use can be readily made simply by altering the position of the recess 34 relative to recess 33 in the lower chop-stick 12 (the relative positions of the other recesses in the lower chop-stick 12 and the entire upper chop-stick 10 being the same as for the right-handed pair of chop-sticks described above). For a left-handed pair of chop-sticks, instead of the recess 34 being adjacent recess 32 in the far side of the stick as shown in Figure 1, the recess 34 is now formed, adjacent recess 32, in the near side of the stick. Thus, due to the asymmetry of the two hands, when these sticks are held in the left hand, the end of the fourth finger will still co-operate with recess 34, the end of the third finger with recess 32 and the middle of the thumb with recess 30, as before.

In other embodiments of the invention it may be possible to adjust the numbers and/or positions of recesses to allow the same pair of chop-sticks to be usable by both right-handed and left-handed people alike.

Claims

1. A pair of chop-sticks, characterised in that each chop-stick is provided towards one end with at least one recess for co-operation with a part of a finger of the hand which is to hold the chop-sticks.

2. A pair of chop-sticks according to claim 1, wherein each chop-stick comprises an end portion for picking up food and a head portion which is provided with said recesses, said portion being provided by separable sections which, for use, are rigidly joined together.

3. A pair of chop-sticks according to claim t or claim 2, wherein each chop-stick has a plurality of recesses for co-operation with a user's fingers when these are correctly engaged with the chop-sticks, the relative positioning of recesses in one chop-stick being different from the relative positioning of recesses in the other chop-stick.

4. A pair of chopsticks according to claim 3, wherein one of the chop-sticks has first and second recesses and the other chop-stick has third, fourth and fifth recesses, said first and second recesses being in opposite sides of said one chop-stick and offset with respect to one another, said first recess being closer to said one end of said one chop-stick than is said second recess, said third and fourth recesses being in opposite sides of said other chop-stick and longitudinally spaced from one another, said third recess being closer to said one end of said other chop-stick than is said fourth recess, said fifth recess being adjacent said fourth recess and longitudinally displaced a short distance therefrom towards said one end of said other chopstick, said first, second, third, fourth and fifth recesses being arranged for co-operation with the end of the thumb, index finger, the middle of the thumb, the end of the third finger and the end of the fourth finger, respectively, of one hand.

5. A pair of chop-sticks according to claim 4, wherein said fifth recess adjacent said fourth recess is laterally displaced from an axial plane bisecting the third and fourth recesses in a sense whereby said pair of chop-sticks is for use in the right hand.

6. A pair of chop-sticks according to claim 4, wherein said fifth recess adjacent said fourth recess is laterally displaced from an axial plane bisecting the third and fourth recesses in a sense whereby said pair of chop-sticks is for use in the left hand.

7. A pair of chop-sticks according to any preceding claim, wherein at least some of the recesses are unsymmetrical so as to match the outline of a finger which is to co-operate therewith correctly.

8. A pair of chop-sticks according to any preceding claim, wherein indicia are provided in or near each recess for assisting in locating the correct finger of the hand in the correct recess.

9. A pair of chop-sticks substantially as described herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings.