WO2007049887A1

WO2007049887A1 - Chopsticks with fork

Info

Publication number: WO2007049887A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/004314
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nan Hee Lee
Original assignee: Nan Hee Lee
Priority date: 2005-10-24
Filing date: 2006-10-23
Publication date: 2007-05-03
Also published as: KR20070016904A

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a fork and chopstick combination, which has a training function to help a novice become accustomed to using chopsticks. The fork and chopstick combination includes a body, a coupling part, and a pair of hinge parts. The body has a pair of branching parts, with branching ends provided on the respective branching parts. The coupling part elastically couples the branching parts of the body to each other. The pair of hinge parts is provided on facing portions of the branching parts to be adjacent to the coupling part. In this case, each of the branching ends has a fork part, and each of the hinge parts comprises at least one groove formed at a predetermined position in the corresponding branching part.

Description

CHOPSTICKS WITH FORK

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to an integrated pair of tong-shaped chopsticks having the function of a fork or the function of both a fork and a spoon and, more particularly, to a fork and chopstick combination that has a training function to help a novice become accustomed to using chopsticks. Background Art

[2] A conventional fork and chopstick combination is constructed so that a fork part is provided on the lower end of each of separate chopsticks. Thus, the conventional fork and chopstick combination cannot be used to teach a novice how to use chopsticks. One example of the conventional fork and chopstick combination is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in the drawing, the conventional fork and chopstick combination is problematic in that it comprises two long forks, each having a pointed end, to be used as chopsticks, so that it is very dangerous for children to use the fork and chopstick combination.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[3] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problem occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fork and chopstick combination, which helps a person who is new to using chopsticks to easily become accustomed to using chopsticks, teaches the person how to correctly hold the chopsticks, and is made of a material obtained by mixing 75% to 85% polycarbonate with 15% to 25% glass fiber, thus preventing food stains from remaining on the fork and chopstick combination, and preventing the fork and chopstick combination from becoming deformed or broken even if the fork and chopstick combination is sterilized using boiling water, therefore making it easy to keep the fork and chopstick combination sanitary.

[4] Another object of the present invention is to provide a fork and chopstick combination, in which a groove is formed in the inner surface of the upper end of a body to provide a live hinge, thus allowing a person to easily use the fork and chopstick combination without great effort, therefore preventing the fingers from strain, and allowing people of all ages and both genders to easily use the fork and chopstick combination. Technical Solution

[5] In order to accomplish the objects, the present invention provides a fork and chopstick combination, including a body branching into two parts to have a pair of branching parts, with branching ends being provided on the respective branching parts; a coupling part elastically coupling the branching parts of the body to each other; and a pair of hinge parts provided on facing portions of the branching parts to be adjacent to the coupling part, wherein each of the branching ends has a fork part, and each of the hinge parts has at least one groove formed at a predetermined position on the corresponding branching part.

[6] The branching ends have symmetrical curved surfaces.

[7] A pair of contact parts is provided on facing portions of the branching parts, each of the contact parts being flat.

[8] A pair of contact parts is provided on facing portions of the fork parts, each of the contact part having a serrate shape.

[9] The body consists of 70% polycarbonate and 30% glass fiber.

[10] The body consists of 70% polycarbonate and 30% polyetherimide (PEI).

Advantageous Effects

[11] As described above, the present invention provides an integrated pair of tong- shaped chopsticks having the function of a fork, which teaches a person who is new to using chopsticks how to correctly hold the chopsticks, and helps the person become accustomed to using the chopsticks.

[12] Further, the invention provides an integrated pair of tong-shaped chopsticks having the function of both a fork and a spoon, thus being useful for various purposes, and being convenient to carry, therefore being useful for trips or in lunchboxes.

[13] According to the present invention, live hinges are formed in the body of the fork and chopstick combination, so that the fork and chopstick combination is easily manipulated, and lower portions under the middle portion of the body are in contact with each other in a straight line, so that the two sides of the body do not become misaligned, and the fingers are not overstrained in spite of repeated hand movements.

[14] Furthermore, the fork and chopstick combination of the present invention is made of a mixture of polycarbonate and glass fiber in a ratio of 7:3, so that tensile strength is increased by 20%, and the fork and chopstick combination has high strength and elastic modulus at high temperatures, and is resistant to repeated cleaning operations and multiple sterilization using an autoclave, and has high long-term heat resistance to endure temperatures of up to 18O⁰C. The fork and chopstick combination is transparent, so that various designs are possible. Brief Description of the Drawings

[15] FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional fork and chopstick combination;

[16] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fork and chopstick combination, according to the present invention;

[17] FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views showing the fork and chopstick combination, according to the present invention;

[18] FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing the fork and chopstick combination, according to the present invention;

[19] FIG. 6 is a side view showing the fork and chopstick combination, according to the present invention; and

[20] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for the Invention

[21] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fork and chopstick combination, according to the present invention.

[22] As shown in FIG. 2, the fork and chopstick combination of the invention includes a body 10 having the shape of tongs.

[23] The body 10 branches at one end thereof into two parts, thus having a pair of branching parts 11 and 12. The branching parts 11 and 12 have on respective free ends thereof branching ends 15 and 16.

[24] The branching parts 11 and 12 are coupled to each other via a coupling part 20 in such a way as to be elastically movable. A pair of contact parts 51 and 52 is provided on facing portions of the branching parts 11 and 12. Each of the contact parts 51 and 52 is formed to be flat.

[25] The branching ends 15 and 16 have respective fork parts 15a and 16a. A pair of contact parts 40 is provided on facing portions of the fork parts 15a and 16a to correspond to each other. Each of the contact parts 40 has a straight-lined shape or a serrate shape. Thus, when the branching parts 11 and 12 are closed to contact each other and the branching ends 15 and 16 are closed to contact each other, the contact parts 40 engage with each other. Further, the shape, extent of pointedness, and length of each of the fork parts 15a and 16a may be variously changed.

[26] FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views showing the fork and chopstick combination, according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is the state where the branching parts are opened, and FIG. 4 is the state where the branching parts are closed so that the fork and chopstick combination can be used as a fork or a spoon.

[27] As shown in FIG. 4, when the branching parts 11 and 12 of the body 10 are closed, the pair of contact parts 51 and 52 comes into complete contact with each other. Thus, when the fork and chopstick combination is used as a fork or spoon, the two sides of the fork and chopstick combination do not become misaligned, so that it is very easy to use.

[28] FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing the fork and chopstick combination, according to the present invention.

[29] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, hinge parts 31 and 32 are provided on respective facing portions of the branching parts 11 and 12 to be adjacent to the coupling part 20. The hinge parts 31 and 32 may be formed as one or more grooves 31a and 32a which are formed in predetermined portions of the respective branching parts 11 and 12.

[30] That is, the hinge parts 31 and 32 are thinner than the branching parts 11 and 12, because of the one or more grooves 31a and 32a, thus forming live hinges. The live hinges allow the branching parts 11 and 12 and the branching ends 15 and 16 to be more smoothly opened out and closed up.

[31] Further, two or more grooves 3 Ia or 32a may be formed in each of the branching parts 11 and 12 to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval.

[32] Meanwhile, closing parts 31b and 32b are provided on the upper surfaces of the respective grooves 31a and 32a. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the grooves 31a and 32a are closed by the closing parts 31b and 32b when seen from the top. The closing parts 31b and 32b provide predetermined elasticity to the branching parts 11 and 12.

[33] FIG. 6 is a side view showing the fork and chopstick combination, according to the present invention.

[34] The fork and chopstick combination will be described in detail with reference to

FIG. 6. That is, body supporting parts 60 protrude from the middle portion of the body 10. Thus, when the fork and chopstick combination is placed on a planar surface, the front portion of the fork and chopstick combination does not contact the planar surface, but the rear portion of the fork and chopstick combination contacts the planar surface. Thereby, even if the fork and chopstick combination is laid on a table during a meal, food remaining on the fork and chopstick combination does not make the table dirty, and impurities are not transferred from the table to the fork and chopstick combination. Therefore, the fork and chopstick combination of the present invention is very sanitary.

[35] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Branching ends 15' and 16' of a body 10 have symmetrical curved surfaces, thus forming the shape of divided spoon parts.

[36] Meanwhile, the fork and chopstick combination of the present invention may be made of a mixture of 70% polycarbonate and 30% glass fiber.

[37] Thus, in the present invention, the ratio of polycarbonate to glass fiber is 7:3, so that tensile strength is increased by 20%, strength and elasticity are high at high temperatures, and the fork and chopstick combination of this invention is resistant to repeated cleaning operations and multiple sterilizations using an autoclave. Further, the fork and chopstick combination has high long-term heat resistance, so that it can bear temperatures of up to 18O⁰C. The fork and chopstick combination has a transparent color, so that various designs are possible. [38] Further, the fork and chopstick combination of the present invention may be made of a mixture of 70% polycarbonate and 30% polyetherimide (PEI).

[39] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

[40]

Claims

[1] A fork and chopstick combination, comprising: a body branching into two parts to have a pair of branching parts, with branching ends being provided on the respective branching parts; a coupling part elastically coupling the branching parts of the body to each other; and a pair of hinge parts provided on facing portions of the branching parts to be adjacent to the coupling part, wherein each of the branching ends has a fork part, and each of the hinge parts has at least one groove formed at a predetermined position on the corresponding branching part. [2] The fork and chopstick combination according to claim 1, wherein the branching ends have symmetrical curved surfaces. [3] The fork and chopstick combination according to claim 2, wherein a pair of contact parts is provided on facing portions of the branching parts, each of the contact parts being flat. [4] The fork and chopstick combination according to claim 3, wherein a pair of contact parts is provided on facing portions of the fork parts, each of the contact part having a serrate shape. [5] The fork and chopstick combination according to claim 1, wherein the body consists of 70% polycarbonate and 30% glass fiber. [6] The fork and chopstick combination according to claim 1, wherein the body consists of 70% polycarbonate and 30% polyetherimide (PEI).