The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No.

16/431 ,470, filed June 4, 2019; which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/680,246 filed June 4, 2018; all of which are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Single-use eating utensils, such as chopsticks, are detrimental to the

environment due to over-utilization of resources and the unnecessary generation of waste. For example, China uses approximately 20 million trees each year to supply China’s demand for disposable, single-use chopsticks. At approximately 4,000 chopsticks per tree, that is roughly 80 billion chopsticks per year. Greenpeace has dedicated a campaign to the chopstiek problem, blaming it for the destruction of 1.18 million square meters of forest every year.

The problems caused by reusable chopsticks are well recognized. As set forth by Erica Lee in DES 40A Winter 2018 University of California, Davis - Department of

below:

Disposable wooden chopsticks, a staple utensil at Asian restaurants throughout the world, are often tossed in the trash without second thought. These seemingly harmless wooden sticks, treated with multiple chemicals and thus making them not biodegradable, take up a great deal of space in landfills. These disposable wooden chopsticks generate tons of waste in the duration of their life cycle, from their inception, to their transportation, and to the end of their lives. Although alternative methods to reuse wooden chopsticks have been devised, they still produce waste and it will be a while before these methods are implemented on a larger scale.

In addition to the carbon dioxide emissions from the machinery used to manufacture single-use chopsticks, the chemical processing of the wooden chopsticks produces hazardous chemical waste. Generally, the wooden chopsticks are bathed in a solution of different chemical compounds, but the most common ingredient used is sulfur dioxide (Nuwer, Rachel “Disposable Chopsticks Strip Asian Forests” The New York Times, 24 Oct. 2011 , green.blogs.nytimes.com/2G11/10/24/disposable-chopstieks- strip-asian-forests/.“Nuwer”)

Transportation of disposable wooden chopsticks from factory to restaurants around and across the Pacific has its economic benefits, but the thousands of miles traveled has its effect on the environment. Chinese-made disposable chopsticks are both consumed in China and exported to Japan, Korea, and the United States (Nuwer). Arguably, the transportation of the chopsticks produces the largest amount of waste in the whole lifecycle of a pair of disposable chopsticks due to the sheer millions of tons of exhaust from cargo ships and trucks.

Once used, disposable wooden chopsticks are thrown away and placed into landfills. Since wooden chopsticks are bleached and treated with the chemical bath, they are not compostable. When wooden chopsticks are discarded, they end up in landfills and eventually biodegrade over a few decades. China goes through roughly forty-five billion pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks a year, while the international market goes through over eighteen billion pairs of the wooden chopsticks. Over ninety percent of these wooden chopsticks end up in landfills around the world (Gardner, Daniel K.“China's fight against disposable chopsticks.” Los Angeles Times, Los

Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2010, articles.latimes.com/2Q10/aug/15/opinion/la-oe-Q815- gardner-chopsticks-20100815.

“Gardner”).

One solution to not using wooden chopsticks is for people to carry their own, reusable chopsticks. But the problem is that reusable chopsticks are often made out of metal or plastic, and by nature are long and inconvenient to carry around. If people are to bring reusable chopsticks everywhere, they will want somewhere clean to put the reusable chopsticks. That means keeping the reusable chopsticks in a case that is even bigger and bulkier than the reusable chopsticks in their current form.

Therefore, there exists a need for convenient, reusable chopsticks that are easy to carry, store, and easy to clean. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to reusable chopsticks that are foldable into a compact configuration for storage and are easily transportable in a storage case. The chopsticks each comprise a rigid external structure and at least one flexible internal member that permits the external structure of the chopstick to be foldable along segments to a compact configuration for storage. In a folded configuration, the reusable chopsticks have a significantly reduced length of approximately one-half to one-fourth or less of their extended length when in use. The external structure of the chopstick is preferably formed of multiple rigid segments, each segment preferably being connected to at least another one of such segments by the flexible internal member(s). In the extended configuration, the rigid segments connect to form the rigid external structure to maintain configuration of the chopstick suitable for use during eating without collapsing. After use, the chopstick can be folded into the compact configuration for storage. A storage case is provided to store the chopsticks in the folded configuration in a compact form. The chopsticks of the present invention are collapsible chopsticks that self- assemble.

The chopsticks are in an extended configuration preferably when at least two of the segments are coupled together with the flexible infernal member to form the rigid external structure of the chopstick. In a preferred embodiment, the coupling of the segments to one another via reciprocal interdigitating ends, such as with male and female configured ends, form a rigid structure once assembled. The flexible internal member being under tension within the chopstick to maintain the segments coupled together. The elastic nature of flexible internal member, returning from a stretched state in the folded configuration to a less-stretched state in the extended configuration, functions to essentially automatically extend and reconfigure the chopstick to the extended configuration.

The chopstick is in a folded configuration preferably when at least two of the segments are uncoupled from one another and moved apart by stretching the flexible internal member connecting the at least two segments and folding the flexible internal member between at least two segments. The present invention provides a convenient reusable chopsticks that are easy to carry and store.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from review of the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further

understanding of the present invention disclosed in the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate aspects of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 A is a top, front, right side perspective view of a first embodiment of foldable reusable chopsticks in an extended configuration in accordance with the present invention, being held by a user’s hand in an exemplary eating position.

FIG. 1 B is a side elevational view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 1A, being folded by a user’s hands.

FIG. 1 C is a side elevational view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 1A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 1 D is a schematic, partial cross-sectional view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 1A, in a partly folded position.

FIG. 1 E is a schematic, partial cross-sectional view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 1A, with the internal flexible member in a stretched position.

FIG. 1 F is a schematic, partial cross-sectional view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 1 A with two segments coupled together with the internal flexible member.

FIG. 1 G is a top, front, left side perspective view of a storage case with two pairs of the chopsticks of FIG. 1 A stored therein. FIG. 2A is a top, front, right side perspective view of a second embodiment of foldable reusable chopsticks in an extended configuration in accordance with the present invention, being held by a user’s hand in an exemplary eating position.

FIG. 2B is a side elevational view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 2A, being folded by a user’s hands.

FIG. 2C is a side elevational view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 2A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 2D is a schematic, partial cross-sectional view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 2A, in a partly folded position.

FIG. 2E is a schematic, partial cross-sectional view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 2A, with the internal flexible member in a stretched position.

FIG. 2F is a schematic cross-sectional view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 2A with two segments coupled together with the internal flexible member.

FIG. 3A is a top, front, right side perspective view of a third embodiment of foldable reusable chopsticks in the extended configuration in accordance with the present invention, being held by a user’s hand in an exemplary eating position.

FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of one of the chopsticks of FIG. 3A, being folded by a users hands.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the present invention may be practiced !t will be apparent, however, to those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention is not limited to the specific details set forth herein and may be practiced without these specific details.

Referring to Fig. 1A, a pair of chopsticks 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown held in a hand of a user. Pair of chopsticks 100 include a first chopstick 100a and a second chopstick 100b. Each of chopsticks 100a and 100b are identical such that only chopstick 100a is being described in detail herein, it being understood that such descriptions of chopstick 100a equally apply to chopstick 100b.

Chopstick 100a preferably includes a front segment 102, a middle segment 104, and a rear segment 108. Chopstick 100a has a trailing end 108 and a tip 110 opposite trailing end 108 and a central longitudinal axis (CLA) passing through end 108 and tip 110. Each of segments 102, 104, 106 is configured to be coupled to at least another one of segments 102, 104, 106, respectively, when positioned adjacent to one another along the central longitudinal axis (CLA) to form chopstick 100a. Segments 102, 104, 106 may be solid or at least in part hollow and are preferably sufficiently rigid to form an outer“shell ^” in the form of a chopstick 100a when assembled together.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 B-1 F, chopstick 100a preferably includes a first flexible member 120 connected to front segment 102 and middle segment 104 and a second flexible member 122 connected to middle segment 104 and rear segment 106. Flexible member 120 preferably terminates into tabs 124, 125 at opposite ends of flexible member 120. Similarly, flexible member 122 preferably terminates into tabs 126 and 127 at opposite ends of flexible member 122. Preferably, front segment 102 includes a recess 130 and middle segment 104 includes a recess 132 configured to receive tabs 124 and 125, respectively, of flexible member 120. Similarly, middle segment 104 preferably includes a recess 134 and rear segment 106 preferably includes a recess 136 configured to receive tabs 126 and 127, respectively, of flexible member 122. !t appreciated that flexible members 120 and 122 can be coupled to segments 102, 106, and 106, respectively, in various ways that would be readily understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art such as, but not limited to, bonding, forming, sonic welding, for example.

As shown in Figs. 1 B-1 F, in preferred embodiments of chopstick 100a, front segment 102 includes a male end 140; middle segment 104 includes a female end 142 and an opposite male end 144; and rear segment 106 includes a female end 146. It is appreciated that the ends of segments 102, 104, 108 are not limited to a male or female configuration and can be otherwise configured to provide for the interdigitating of the segments. End 140 preferably has reduced dimension portion and forms a shoulder at the intersection of the remainder of segment 102. Reduced dimension portion 140 is correspondingly sized and configured to fit info end 142, with the shoulder of end 140 functioning as a stop. In a preferred embodiment, the cooperative engagement of ends 140, 142 is of close tolerance to form a friction fit between segments 102 and 104 and maintain segments 102 and 104 in a relatively fixed relationship to each other when coupled to prevent unwanted separation during use of chopstick 100a. The coupling of segments 104 and 106 and any additional segments operate similar to segments 102 and 104 in the manner just described and is incorporated herein by reference.

As shown in Figs. 1A-F, in a preferred embodiment chopstick 100a has three segments 102,104, 106. However, it is appreciated that chopstick 100a can have anywhere from two segments to 6 segments or more depending on the length of the chopsticks desired. It is further appreciated that the size, shape, and number of segments per chopstick is not limited to the examples shown and described herein, and can vary.

Chopstick 100a can be configured from an extended configuration to a folded configuration. Chopstick 100a is in an extended configuration when at least two of segments 102,104, 106 are coupled together to form rigid chopstick 100a with flexible members 120, 122 attached therein. Flexible members 120, 122 being under sufficient tension within chopstick 100a to maintain segments 102,104,106 coupled together in a rigid relationship in the extended configuration.

Chopstick 100a is in a folded configuration (Fig. 1 C) when at least two of segments 102, 104, 106 are uncoupled from one another and moved apart in an opposite direction along central longitudinal axis (CLA) and stretching flexible members 120, 122, respectively. When in the collapsed configuration, segments 102,104,106 are placed in a generally parallel position to one another, and each flexible member 120 and 122 is folded at least in-part between at least two of segments 102, 104, 106 as shown in Fig. 1 C.

In the extended configuration, segments 102, 104, 106 preferably are positioned coaxial to one another along the central longitudinal axis (CLA) of chopstick 100a Flexible members 120, 122 maintain segments 120, 104, 108 under tension in rigid relationship to one another to prevent the unintended collapse of chopstick 100a during use. In the folded configuration, segments 102,104,106 preferably are positioned generally parallel to one another as described herein and shown in Fig. 1 C.

Segments 102,104,106, as examples, generally can have a circular cross section, an oval cross section, a triangular cross section, or a rectangular cross section transverse to the central longitudinal axis (CLA) or any other configuration, size or shape that is suitable for use as a chopstick. Segments 102, 104, 106 are preferably formed of materials including at least one of stainless steel, titanium, other metals, carbon fiber, composite materials, wood, non-recycled plastics, plant-based plastics, recycled plastics, materials suitable for use with food, and other recyclable and renewable materials. Stainless steel is a preferred material as it is biocompatibie, does not rust, recyclable, strong, upcycled stainless steel, ability to be laser engraved in black. Titanium is also biocompatibie, does not rust, recyclable, highly strong/weight ratio, upcycled titanium supplier, super strong, ability to have laser engraving in color. The metal segments 102,104,106 can be laser engraved with logos, designs and artwork. Alternatively, any sufficiently rigid material suitable for its intended purpose may be used including plastics and composite materials to form segments 102,104,106 or any other material suitable for use in chopsticks.

It is preferred that flexible members 120, 122 be sufficiently elastic and flexible to be stretchable (as indicated by arrows A in Fig. 1 E) along the central longitudinal axis (CLA) of chopstick 100a to maintain segments 102, 104, 106 under tension and be further stretchable to allow separation of segments 102, 104, 106 and folding of flexible members 120, 122, respectively, between two of separated segments 102, 104, 106 (as indicated by arrows B in Fig. 1 D). Preferably, flexible members 120, 122 are formed of materials including as examples at least one of plastics, non-recycled plastics, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), silicones, natural rubbers including latex, plant-based plastics, and other recyclable and renewable materials. Referring to Fig. 1 G, chopstiek 100a is shown in the folded configuration being inserted in the direction of arrow C in a storage case 200. In the folded configuration, flexible member 120, 122 is shown exposed and folded between segments 102,104,106 such that segments 102,104,106 are stacked and positioned parallel to one another in a compact configuration. In the folded configuration, chopstiek 100a fits within first storage area 210 of storage case 200 and is held by storage case 200 in the folded configuration. Similarly, chopstiek 100b fits within second storage area 212 of storage case 200 and is held by storage case 200 in the folded configuration.

Storage areas 210 and 212 can be covered by lid 202 coupled by a hinge to storage case 200 to further protect chopsticks 100a and 100b and stow them for ease of carrying. Storage case can further include a closure tab 204 and a magnet closure 206 for keeping storage case 200 closed. Storage case 200 can also include a ring 208 such as a split ring for holding keys or attaching to other items.

As shown in Fig. 1 G, when chopstiek 100a is removed from storage case 200, chopstiek 100a returns to the extended configuration and chopstiek 100a is ready for use. The elastic nature of flexible members 120 and 122, returning from a stretched state in the folded configuration to a less-stretched state in the extended configuration, functions to essentially automatically extend and reconfigure chopstiek 100a to the extended configuration. The qualities of the materials of the flexible members 120, 122 permit for repeated cycles stretching from a stretched state to a less-stretched state without significant degradation in elasticity or breakages.

In a preferred embodiment, the storage case can be made from and include materials including for example: recycled materials, bio-plastics, plant-based plastics, woods, metals, composite materials, plant-based composite such as for example a wbeat-fiaxseed-bamboo based composite and others, recycled ABS plastic injection molded materials, metal hinges, neodymium magnets, and glue. It is appreciated that other materials suitable for the intended purpose of forming chopsticks and a storage case are contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention. In another preferred embodiment, a chopstick rest is provided supporting the chopsticks when placed on a surface such as a table. The chopstick rest can be built-in to the chopsticks themselves or the storage case or be a separate structure.

Figs. 2A-2F show another preferred embodiment of a pair of chopsticks 100’ showing an alternative configuration of segments 102,104,106. In this preferred embodiment of chopstick 100a’, front segment 102’ includes a male end 140’ having an at least in part a V-shape; middle segment 104’ includes a female end 142’ having an at least in part V-shaped recess for receiving male end 140’ and an opposite male end 144’ having an at least in part V-shape; and rear segment 106’ includes a female end 146’ having an at least in part V-shaped recess for receiving male end 144’ The correspondingly-shaped configurations of the interconnecting male and female ends provide for a stable connection of the segments in the extended configuration. The remaining elements of chopstick 100a’ are similar to the corresponding elements described for chopstick 100a and are incorporated herein by reference.

At least a portion V-shaped end 144’ preferably has a reduced dimension and forms a shoulder at the intersection of the remainder of segment 104’. V-shaped end 144’ is correspondingly sized and configured to fit into V-shaped recess 146’, with the shoulder of end 144’ functioning as a stop. In a preferred embodiment, the cooperative engagement of ends 144’, 146’ is of close tolerance to form a friction fit between segments 104’ and 106’ and maintain segments 104’ and 106’ in a relatively fixed relationship to each other when coupled to prevent unwanted separation during use of chopstick 100a’. The coupling of segments 102’ and 104’ and any additional segments operate similar to segments 104’ and 106’ in the manner just described and is incorporated herein by reference.

Figs. 3A-3B show another preferred embodiment of a pair of chopsticks 100” showing an alternative configuration of segments 102”, 104”, 106”. In this preferred embodiment of chopstick 100a”, front segment 102” includes a male end 140” having an at least in part conical shape; middle segment 104” includes a female end 142” having an at least in part conical-shaped recess for receiving male end 140” and an opposite male end 144” having an at least in part conical shape; and rear segment 106” includes a female end 148” having an at least in part conical-shaped recess for receiving male end 144”. The correspondingly-shaped configurations of the

interconnecting male and female ends provide for a stable connection of the segments in the extended configuration. The remaining elements of chopstick 100a” are similar to the corresponding elements described for chopstick 100a and are incorporated herein by reference.

At least a portion conical-shaped end 144” preferably has a reduced dimension and forms a shoulder at the intersection of the remainder of segment 104”. Conical- shaped end 144” is correspondingly sized and configured to fit into conical-shaped recess 146”, with the shoulder of end 144” functioning as a stop. In a preferred embodiment, the cooperative engagement of ends 144”, 146” is of dose tolerance to form a friction fit between segments 104” and 106” and maintain segments 104” and 106” in a relatively fixed relationship to each other when coupled to prevent unwanted separation during use of chopstick 100a”. The coupling of segments 102” and 104” and any additional segments operate similar to segments 104’ and 108’ in the manner just described and is incorporated herein by reference.

It should be understood that aspects of the embodiments herein generally may be interchanged in whole or in part. The disclosure further includes the individual parts and/or combinations/subassemblies, methods of making the parts, methods of assembling the parts and methods of using the chopsticks and the storage case.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub combination.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific

embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fail within the broad scope of the following claims. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.