GB2317553A

GB2317553A - Cutlery incorporating packaged comestible

Info

Publication number: GB2317553A
Application number: GB9620305A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Michael William Boyers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-09-28
Filing date: 1996-09-28
Publication date: 1998-04-01
Also published as: GB9620305D0

Abstract

An item of cutlery such as a knife 1 as shown is provided with an integral packaged comestible 9, eg butter or other spreadable material sealed against the blade 5 of the knife by a removable cover 11. The blade 5 may be made slightly concave (Figure 3) to accommodate a larger portion 9. Alternatively, the item of cutlery may be a spoon (17, Figure 4) with dehydrated beverage (23) held in its bowl (21) under a removable cover (25).

Description

Cutlerv Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cutlery packaging product comprising an item of cutlery provided with an integral packaged comestible.

Backaround to the Invention In particular catering situations, provision must be made to provide users with comestible products and with cutlery.

For example, the simple provision of bread and butter requires that the user be provided separately with bread, butter and a knife with which to spread the butter. In a canteen or other self service catering environment such would be provided typically at different locations requiring the user to collect a number of separate items from the different locations in order be in position to spread butter on the bread.

In another example, the preparation of a cup of coffee may require arranging for a cup, hot water, a measure of instant coffee and a spoon.

In flight-catering involves the loading of trays of food and drink and every economy of tray loading provides direct advantages to the providers of such services. In addition, space on in flight food trays is at a premium.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention, there is provided an item of cutlery provided with an integral packaged comestible.

The provision of an item of cutlery with an integral packaged comestible permits the user to collect both utensil and comestible from one location in the catering environment and reduces the labour in maintenance of the catering environment.

The item of cutlery may be any form of utensil useful in catering, for example for cutting, spreading or stirring.

The item of cutlery is preferably disposable and manufactured of a plastics material, suitably as an integral moulding in known fashion. Generally, the item of cutlery will comprise a handle portion and a utensil portion and the comestible will be packaged within or adjacent the utensil portion. The form of packaging may suitable be heat sealed blister pack but any packaging suitable for the comestible is appropriate.

The item of cutlery may be provided with a generally flat utensil portion for spreading soft comestible products.

Preferably the item of cutlery is a knife provided with an integral packaged comestible.

The item of cutlery may be provided with a generally concave utensil portion for transferring fluid comestible products such as liquids and flowable solid products. Preferably the item of cutlery is a spoon provided with an integral packaged comestible.

The item of cutlery may be provided with a utensil portion adapted to assist in stirring a liquid.

The item of cutlery may be provided with one or more cutting edges.

The comestible may be any edible product, most usefully one which requires a utensil to consume appropriately.

For example, if the item of cutlery is a knife, the packaged comestible might be a spread such as butter, margarine, a butter substitute, jam, marmalade or the like. The item of cutlery serves the combined functions of storing, dispensing and spreading individual portions of appropriate comestible and may be provided with a cutting edge.

For example, if the item of cutlery is a spoon, the packaged comestible may be a dehydrated drink mix such as, for example, an instant beverage such as coffee or tea. The drink mix is retained in the item of cutlery by a cover member of, for example, metal foil or plastics which is removed for use. It is envisaged that sufficient mix be held for one drink. When the drink mix has been dispensed into a cup or mug, once water is added, the item of cutlery can be used to stir the mix by use of the handle. The container preferably has sufficient volume to hold the correct measure of drink mix for the prescribed use. A cover, suitably a metal foil cover is sealed onto the top rim of the container by any appropriate means to prevent spillage, hydration and contamination of the contents. A tab may be supplied on the cover to facilitate removal of the cover and thus to release the drink mix.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a knife according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a section on 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an alternative form of the embodiment of Figure 1 shown in section.

Figure 3 shows a spoon according to a further embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Descrlption of Embodiments The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 there is depicted a knife 1, formed of a plastics material comprising a handle portion 3, and a blade portion 5. The knife is made as an integral moulding in known manner for disposable cutlery of the type used in self service canteens, for picnics and by airline food service providers. The knife is provided with a stiffening rib 7 again in known fashion.

A comestible, such as a spread, such as butter, soft cheese, a preserve and the like 9, is contained in a package formed by the knife blade portion 5 and a cover material 11, sealed in known fashion to the blade portion 5. A tab or margin 13 of the cover material 11 is provided to facilitate removal of the cover material 11.

In the use, the user merely has to remove the cover material 11 by pulling the tab or margin 13 in the direction indicated by an arrow in Figure 2 to expose the packaged comestible. The packaged comestible may then be spread on using the knife.

The knife blade portion 5 may be provided with a serrated cutting edge 15.

At present, to apply individual portions of margarine, butter, preserves, savoury spreads in a self-serve situation, separate containers of the spread are used in conjunction with a knife the purpose of which is solely for spreading and cutting. The knife of the present invention as herein described brings these separate elements together by storing the spread on the knife blade portion within a heat sealed blister pack. In use, the cover material 11 is removed leaving the pre-measured amount of spread revealed on the spreading surface of the knife. The knife is then used in the normal fashion to distribute the spread over the item to which the spread is being applied.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment in which the knife blade portion 5 is formed slightly concave (exaggerated in Figure 3 for emphasis) in order to accommodate a larger portion of the comestible 9.

If the spread is heat sensitive, obviously the entire item of cutlery may be stored under refrigerated conditions.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a spoon 17 comprising a handle portion 19 and a spoon bowl portion 21.

A comestible 23 suitably a dehydrated beverage is retained in the spoon bowl portion 21 by a cover material 25 (shown in Figure 3 partially removed for clarity). In use, the user removes the cover material 25 from the spoon bowl portion 21 by pulling the cover material 25 in the direction shown in Figure 3 and then dispenses the dehydrated beverage into a cup of hot water (not shown).

It will be understood that the invention is described above by way of example only and modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention may be made.

Claims

1. An item of cutlery provided with an integral packaged comestible.

2. An item of cutlery according to claim 1 provided with a generally flat utensil portion for spreading soft comestible products.

3. An item of cutlery according to claim 2 wherein the tem of cutlery is a knife.

4. An item of cutlery according to claim 1 provided with a generally concave utensil portion for transferring fluid comestible products.

5. An item of cutlery according to claim 4 wherein the item of cutlery is a spoon.

6. An item of cutlery according to claim 1 provided with a utensil portion adapted to assist in stirring a liquid.

7. An item of cutlery substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.