Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G21/00—Table-ware
  • A47G21/02—Forks; Forks with ejectors; Combined forks and spoons; Salad servers

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to a device assembly that can be used for multiple purposes and more specifically to an improved eating utensil assembly that is packaged in a flat or nearly flat configuration.
• the eating utensil assembly can be readily separated into single or multiple eating utensils or implements and can accommodate non- eating purposes in addition to their functionality as eating implements.
• Hybrid forms of eating utensils have also been created in order to allow for alternative functionality or multiple purpose use for the same eating utensil or implement.
• a spoon and fork hybrid is available, where the spoon and the fork member are formed at a common end of the same eating implement or piece of cutlery.
• Examples of eating utensils that can be used for multiple purposes are well known in the art.
• Combination forms of eating utensils, such as a fork and spoon combination where the spoon and the fork members are on opposite ends of the same piece of cutlery, have also been developed.
• combination eating utensils have been developed for different reasons.
• the art is filled with examples of eating utensils that attempt to satisfy the need for a single utensil that can be used for multiple purposes such as the manipulation function of a fork with the transfer function of a spoon or the cutting function of a knife.
• various knife, fork and spoon combinations and hybrids are known where the combination or hybrid is present in a single eating utensil or piece of cutlery.
• U.S. Patent No. 33,285 to Ames discloses a combination of a knife, fork and spoon where a spoon or fork is at the opposite end of a utensil that also has a knife.
• the eating utensils described in the art do not accord much flexibility in how the cutlery can be delivered to the user and the purposes for which the cutlery can be used.
• a limitation of the prior art eating utensils is that in order to permit ease of functioning, the food engagement portions thereof are generally formed in conventional shapes that are convex and curved.
• the configurations of prior art eating utensils accommodate the need for nesting of the utensils during storage or accommodate particular and intended manipulation with the hands.
• the configurations of the prior art utensils have a number of downsides. Firstly, such utensils are not flattened and cannot be easily stored without nesting the utensils together. Secondly, such utensils are more difficult to transport or deliver to the user. Thirdly, such utensils cannot easily be used for other non-eating purposes that would require planar, flat, or nearly planar or nearly flat configurations. Furthermore, the traditional shapes and
• combination eating utensils that include food engagement portions or implements that are in a planar or nearly planar configuration that allows for ease of transfer to the user and for other non-eating purposes that require flat or nearly flattened or planar or nearly planar configurations.
• an implement which can be used for multiple eating and non-eating purposes and that can be easily delivered to the end-user.
• the present invention is an eating utensil assembly that can be easily delivered to the user and that can accommodate other non-eating purposes.
• the invention is a set of at least one, but preferably multiple eating utensils that are joined together and delivered to the user as a single intact device that can be used as an eating utensil upon separation of the various eating utensil implements from each other.
• the eating utensil assembly has multiple food engagement members that are joined together and delivered to the user in a flat or nearly flat or planar or nearly planar configuration. Each of the multiple food engagement members is situated in its own segment of the device.
• the segments are fused or joined together so that the segments form a single unit or piece when the device is delivered to the user.
• the junction between the fused or joined segments or portions can be weakened or made susceptible to separation by pressure so that the segments can be easily separated from each other without damaging the functionality of the eating utensils or food engagement members therein.
• the food engagement member can be used for other non-eating functions, such as for the clipping of papers together.
• the eating utensil assembly has a fork member that can be used for eating, where the tines of the fork can alternatively be used to clip papers or other articles or materials together.
• the nearly flat or flat configuration allows the device to be easily packaged and delivered to the user and allows for other non-eating functions, such as a bookmark or a coaster or to accommodate branding or messaging or other personalized text or imagery as required by the user.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a set of eating utensils that can accommodate other non-eating purposes. Another object of the present invention is to provide a set of eating utensils wherein the food engagement portions thereof are formed in a planar or nearly planar configuration so that the utensil can be delivered to the user easily and to allow for stacking of the assemblies together. Another object of the present invention is to minimize the number of separate utensils required for a user to have in hand in order to accommodate any eating task. A further object of the present invention is to provide for the delivery of utensils for multiple users as a single piece or unit that can be shared or divided.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide for the delivery of utensils for all eating functions, such as fork, knife, spoon or pick as a single piece of unit.
• a still further object of the present invention is to provide a set of eating utensils that can be used in the alternative for non-eating purposes such as a paper clip or as coasters or to accommodate messaging or text, or imagery or branding or the like. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a set of eating utensils suitable for printing or affixation of a trademark, logo or other commercial symbol. The present invention redefines the relationship between the positive and negative spaces in a tradition eating utensil.
• FIG. 1 is a top view perspective of a first embodiment of the multi-purpose eating utensil in accordance with the present invention showing an embodiment with two segments that are in the joined configuration as a single unit or piece.
• FIG. 2 is a top view perspective of the first embodiment of the multi-purpose eating utensil in accordance with the present invention showing an embodiment with one segment separated.
• FIG. 3 is a top view perspective of a second embodiment of the multi-purpose eating utensil in accordance with the present invention showing an embodiment with two segments that are in the joined configuration as a single unit or piece.
• FIG. 4 is a top view perspective of a second embodiment of the multi-purpose eating utensil in accordance with the present invention showing an embodiment with one segment separated.
• FIG. 5 is a top view perspective of a third embodiment of the multi-purpose eating utensil in accordance with the present invention showing an embodiment with two segments joined to each other.
• FIG. 8 is a top view perspective of a fifth embodiment of the multi-purpose eating utensil of the present invention showing an embodiment where the device is used for a non- eating purpose.
• the eating utensil assembly of the invention can accommodate any combination of food engagement members, such as a fork, spoon, knife or pick.
• the food engagement members 5 or tines 5 of the first fork implement or segment 13 are made to fit together and complement or interlock the food engagement members 6 or tines 6 of the second fork implement or segment 14.
• the segments 13 and 14 are separable as described herein along a line of weakness or weakened boundary 7 between the two segments 13 and 14 that can be unjoined or separated upon the application of pressure, while keeping the integrity of the food engagement members 6 or tines 6 intact.
• each segment can become its own eating utensil with at least one food engagement member 6.
• only one segment 13 or 14 is capable of being used as an eating utensil because the second or other segments do not comprise food engagement members.
• the separated or unjoined segments 13 and 14 of the first or second embodiments that are exemplified in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 or FIG.
• the tines or eating utensil food engagement members 6 of the fork implements can be easily appreciated.
• the eating utensil segment has a region opposite the fork tines or eating utensil food engagement members 6 that can be used as a handle 3 for manipulation of the eating utensil by the user.
• the eating utensil can accommodate other food engagement implements or members.
• the eating utensil of the invention can also have a knife member 5 on one or each of the segments. As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 or FIG.
• the knife member 5 can be serrated, but other embodiments of the knife member can also be unserrated or in the form of blade.
• the knife engagement member 5 can be disposed laterally on each segment 13 or 14. Upon separation, the user can employ the fork implement 4 or 6 of the first segment 13 along with a knife implement 5 of a second segment as desired 14. Alternatively, the user can employ one segment of one assembly for a particular purpose while also employment another segment from another assembly for a particular purpose. Any combination is contemplated by the invention.
• the handle 3 members further include a region 15 that can be used to place desired text, imagery or other branding devices. If the knife food engagement member 5 of the implement or eating utensil is employed by the user, a region opposite the knife food engagement member can be used as a handle or to otherwise manipulate the eating utensil.
• the eating utensils are at least two forks and at least two knives and at least two spoons.
• the tines of the fork members are formed from resilient materials as described herein and the device has a flat or nearly flat cross section, thus presenting a planar or nearly planar surface.
• the multi-purpose device assembly of the invention comprises at least one segment or food engagement member, or at least two segments or food engagement members, or at least three segments or food engagement members, or at least four segments or food engagement members, or at least five segments or food engagement members, or at least six segments or food engagement members, or at least seven segments or food engagement members, or at least eight segments or food engagement members, or at least nine segments or food engagement members, or at least ten segments or food engagement members.
• the segments or food engagement members can be fused or joined together so that the segments or food engagement members form a single piece, article or structure.
• the junction between the fused or joined segments or food engagement members can be weakened or made susceptible to separation by pressure so that the segments or food engagement members can be easily unjoined or separated from each other without damaging the functionality of the eating utensils or other non-eating functions of the device as described herein.
• junction between the joined or fused segments or food engagement members weak or susceptible to separation, including employing a perforated junction or other line of weakness bordering each segment, or a boundary bordering each segment that is thinned or made weaker by cutting, laser engraving, moulding and the like.
• Each segment or food engagement members of the eating utensil assembly can accommodate at least one form, or at least two forms, or at least three forms, or at least four forms, or at least five forms, or at least six forms of eating utensils.
• Such forms of eating utensils that can be part of each segment or food engagement members can be a knife, fork, pick or spoon or any combination or hybrid thereof.
• the invention is also capable of being used for non-eating purposes.
• the non-eating purpose of the invention is as a clip.
• FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 illustrate how the multi-purpose device of the invention can be used in a non-eating embodiment. All of the same features that apply to the eating utensil function as described herein are featured for the non-eating purpose embodiments except that the tines 4 or 6 serve to function as a clip member, also now 4 or 6 in this embodiment. In order to function as a clip, the user will not separate the segments 13 or 14 at junction 7, but will keep them intact to some extent.
• the device is used as a clip for holding various items together, such as a paper bag. Any purpose for which a clip may be used is intended.
• the clip is a paper clip that holds sheets of paper together.
• the clip is a paper clip that holds sheets of paper to another surface, such as a folder, or a metal surface, or clothing.
• the clip holds materials other than paper together, such as synthetic or non- synthetic materials.
• the clip member is formed from the tines of the fork member, as described above, and thus present a planar surface that can be used as a clip for paper or other materials or items. Because the device of the invention has multiple segments, as described herein, the device is capable of being used as multiple clips, depending on the number of fork members present in a particular embodiment. In one embodiment, the device has at least one fork member and therefore can be used as a single clip. In another embodiment, the device has at least two fork members and therefore can be used as two clips. In another embodiment, the device has at least three fork members and therefore can be used as three clips. In another embodiment of the invention, the device has at least four fork members, and therefore can be used as four clips. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the device has at least five fork members, and therefore can be used as five clips,
• the device can serve dual functions for the same user or transaction.
• a merchant selling goods such as a food establishment or market
• the device is made from magnetic materials that can be attached to the appropriate surfaces.
• the shape of the invention can be of any non-geometric or any geometric shape, such as an oval, an ellipse, a square, a rhombus, a diamond, a triangle, a rectangle, a cylinder, a trapezoid, a pentagon, a hexagon, a septagon, an octagon, a nonagon, a concave polygon, a constructible polygon, a kite, a convex polygon, a cyclic polygon, a equiangular polygon, a equilateral polygon, a regular polygon, a polydrafter, a balbis, a henagon, or digon.
• any non-geometric or any geometric shape such as an oval, an ellipse, a square, a rhombus, a diamond, a triangle, a rectangle, a cylinder, a trapezoid, a pentagon, a hexagon, a septa
• non-geometric shapes comprise a heart or any other part of the anatomy of a living organism, a dog or any other animal, any animate or any inanimate object such as a tree or a car or other vehicle, or any celestial object, or any trademark or logo or any other sign used to identify a person or business entity.
• the invention has a length, width, radius or other comparable measurement across any two points of at least 0.5 centimeter, or at least 0.6 centimeter, or at least 0.7 centimeter, or at least 0.8 centimeter, or at least 0.9 centimeter, or at least 1.0 centimeter, or at least 1.1 to 1.5 centimeters, or at least 1.6 to 2.0 centimeters, or at least 2.1 to 3.0 centimeters, or at least 3.1 to 4.0 centimeters, or at least 4.1 to 5.0 centimeters, or at least 5.1 to 6.0 centimeters, or at least 6.1 to 7.0 centimeters, or at least 7.1 to 8.0 centimeters, or at least 8.1 to 9.0 centimeters, or at least 9.1 to 10.0 centimeters, or at least 10.1 to 11.0 centimeters, or at least 11.1 to 12.0 centimeters, or at least 12.1 to

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Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (6)

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Citations (5)

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• 2010
  • 2010-05-01 GB GB201007437A patent/GB201007437D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2011
  • 2011-05-02 JP JP2013511142A patent/JP2013541965A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 2011-05-02 WO PCT/US2011/000764 patent/WO2011139353A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2011-05-02 US US13/695,503 patent/US20130232793A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-05-02 CA CA2797793A patent/CA2797793A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-05-02 BR BR112012027990A patent/BR112012027990A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2011-05-02 AU AU2011249023A patent/AU2011249023A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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