WO2006046086A1

WO2006046086A1 - Chopsticks holder

Info

Publication number: WO2006046086A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/003491
Authority: WO
Inventors: Louis Vermeirsch
Original assignee: Louis Vermeirsch
Priority date: 2004-10-25
Filing date: 2004-10-25
Publication date: 2006-05-04

Abstract

This invention relates to a chopsticks holder (1) for holding two chopsticks (2), the said holder (1) comprising two interconnected holding elements (3), which have been provided to hold the respective chopsticks (2). By providing the chopsticks (2) with such a holder (1), picking up the food and conveying it to the mouth will become far more easy.

Description

Chopsticks holder

This invention relates to a chopsticks holder for holding two eating sticks, likewise called chopsticks.

When eating oriental dished, elongated chopsticks are used to pick up the various pieces of food and to convey them to the mouth. Now, for many people it is not always easy to use such chopsticks to eat with.

Furthermore, research has shown that frequent use of chopsticks may cause rheumatism in the hands.

The purpose of the present invention is to manufacture a chopsticks holder, because of which it will become easier to use the chopsticks for eating for one thing, and because of which the danger of bone problems, more particularly rheumatic disorder in the hand, manipulating the chopsticks, will be drastically reduced for another thing.

The purpose of the invention is attained by providing a chopsticks holder for holding two chopsticks, the said holder comprising holding elements connected to one another which have been provided to hold tight the respective chopsticks. By providing the chopsticks with such a holder, picking up food will become much easier, because of the holder, the chopsticks will always be kept in the right position and it is no longer possible for them to get crossed.

In a preferred embodiment of the chopsticks holder according to the invention, preferably, the said holding elements are movable against the force of a spring. Preferably, the two holding elements are interconnected by a spring element. This has the advantage that everyone will be able to use chopsticks for eating, because the users will need less force to be exerted in order to move the chopsticks away from one another.

In a more preferred embodiment of the chopsticks holder according to the invention, the spring element is integrally connected to the holding elements . The spring element being preferably made of synthetic material. In this patent application, by integrally is meant that the holding elements as well as the spring element are made in one single operation, so that, as it were, the spring element is bridging the two holding elements by synthetic material.

In another preferred embodiment of the chopsticks holder according to the invention, the spring element is a detached element, preferably, the spring element is a coiled spring. When the spring element is a detached element, preferably, the holding elements are made of synthetic material, wood or metal.

In a more preferred embodiment of the chopsticks holder according to the invention, each holding element is carried out as a sleeve which may be passed over a chopstick.

In a most preferred embodiment of the chopsticks holder according to the invention, the dimensions of each holding element are the following: -the diameter of the sleeve is situated between 7 and 11 millimetre (mm) , more particularly between 8 and 10 mm; -and the length of the sleeve-shaped body is practically 40 mm. The diameter and the length of the sleeve may be adapted in accordance with the thickness of the chopsticks.

When manufacturing the chopsticks holder according to the invention, in a most particular embodiment, the said holder may already be provided with two chopsticks. Both the holder and the two chopsticks being made (injection moulded) in one operation, so that holder and chopsticks form a whole, as it were.

In order to further clarify the properties of the invention and to show its additional advantages and particulars, a more detailed description of the chopsticks holder according to the invention will now follow. It may be obvious that nothing in the following description may be interpreted as being a restriction of the protection of this invention demanded for in the claims.

In this description, by means of reference numbers, reference is made to the attached drawings in which:

-figure 1 is a perspective representation of the chopsticks holder; -figure 2 is a cross-section of a holding element;

-figure 3 is a perspective representation of the chopsticks holder provided for two chopsticks;

-figure 4 is a perspective representation of the chopsticks holder with a bridging by means of a synthetic material.

As represented in figure 1, the chopsticks holder (1) according to the invention comprises two interconnected holding elements (3), each one provided to hold one chopstick (2) . The holding elements are interconnected by means of a spring element, for instance, a coiled spring

(4) . Another possibility, represented in figure 4, consists in interconnecting both holding elements (3) in a. springy manner by means of a bridge of synthetic material.

Because the chopsticks (2) have to be movable against the force of a spring, less force is needed in order to move the chopsticks away from one another.

Both holding elements (3) each are carried out as a sleeve- shaped body (5) (see figure 2) made of wood, metal or synthetic material. By means of the sleeve-shaped body (5), the chopsticks holder (1), as represented in figure 3, may be passed neatly over the two chopsticks (2) . The diameter

(D) of the sleeve of the sleeve-shaped body is situated between 7 and 11 mm, depending on the thickness of the chopsticks (2), and the length (L) of the said body (5) amounts to about 40 mm. The overall length of the chopsticks holder (1), i.e. the sleeve-shaped body (5) plus the coiled spring (4), amounts to about 50 to 60 mm.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Chopsticks holder (1) for holding two chopsticks (2), characterized in that the said holder (1) comprises two interconnected holding elements (3), which are provided to hold the respective chopsticks (2) .

2. Chopsticks holder (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the two holding elements (3) are movable with respect to one another against the force of a spring.

3. Chopsticks holder (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the two holding elements (3) are interconnected by means of a spring element (4) .

4. Chopsticks holder (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the spring element is integrally connected to the holding elements.

5. Chopsticks holder (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the spring element is made of synthetic material.

6. Chopsticks holder (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the spring element (4) is a detached element.

7. Chopsticks holder (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the spring element (4) is a coiled spring (4) .

8. Chopsticks holder (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the holding elements (3) are made of wood, metal or synthetic material.

9. Chopsticks holder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each holding element (3) is carried out as a sleeve (5) which is slidable over a chopstick (2) .

10. Chopsticks holder (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the dimensions of each holding element (3) are the following: the diameter of the sleeve is situated between 7 and 11 mm and the length is about 40 mm.