CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application no. 61/991,169, filed on May 9, 2015, entitled Spoon Utensil Clasped with Chopsticks and having the inventor (s) listed above.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a spoon head configured to be securely yet readily and releasably grasped by chopsticks. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a spoon head configured such that a user may readily and hygienically switch between using chopsticks to eat solid food and releasably grasping the spoon head to eat/drink liquid food (ie, soup, etc.) .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Chopsticks are known in the art. Spoons are known in the art. Typically, if a person has a solid food dish and soup, the person switches between chopsticks and a spoon, respectively, to eat these dishes. In switching, the person inevitably places the utensil not in use on the table or other surface. Is that table clean? Was someone else eating there previously? This creates a potentially unhygienic situation, plus clutter and the petty nuisance of repeatedly switching utensils.

Some chopstick spoon heads are known in the art, yet these devices typically have two holes in their base and a user wedges the tips of the chopsticks into those holes. In so doing, the user has created a long-handled spoon. The spoon head, however, is not readily detachable, nor is it hygienically detachable. It requires a user to manually wrangle the head off the chopsticks.

Thus, these prior art spoon heads are disadvantageous in that they are not readily switchable between spoon mode or chopstick mode and hence a user cannot enjoy solid and liquid food at the same time using them.

A need exists for a spoon head that may be readily and hygienically engaged and disengaged by chopsticks as a person switches between solid and liquid food, and/or that may be effectively used with different sizes and styles of chopsticks (for example, wider Chinese chopsticks or narrower Japanese chopsticks) . A need further exists for such a spoon head that can be picked up in a precise and/or predictable manner and one that may be stored with or on a bowl, or that will float, for convenient storage when not in immediate use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a chopstick spoon head device that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a spoon head device that may be readily contactable and securely held by a pair of chopsticks.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a spoon head device that is readily and conveniently stowable when not in immediate use.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a spoon head device that accommodates different size and style of chopsticks. These and related objects of the present invention are achieved by use of a spoon head device for use with chopsticks as described herein.

The attainment of the foregoing and related advantages and features of the invention should be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art, after review of the following more detailed description of the invention taken together with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figs. 1-3 are top, side and perspective views of one embodiment of a spoon head device for use with chopsticks in accordance with the present invention.

Figs. 4-6 are a top, side and bottom perspective view of another embodiment of a spoon head device in accordance with the present invention.

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of two other embodiments of a spoon head in accordance with the present invention, respectively.

Figs. 9-10 are perspective views of another embodiment of a spoon head in accordance with the present invention .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figs. 1-3 are top, side and perspective views of one embodiment of a spoon head device 100 for use with chopsticks in accordance with the present invention.

Figs. 4-6 are a top, side and bottom perspective view of another embodiment of a spoon head device 200 in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 4 illustrates spoon head 200 in the in-use position, while Fig. 5 illustrates spoon head 200 on the edge of a bowl. Spoon head 100 of Figs. 1-3 may be used and stowed in a manner similar to spoon head 200.

Spoon head 100 may include a spoon "bowl" 110 with a bottom 112 and contiguous side walls 114 (similar to a conventional spoon) , thus defining a volume to hold liquid. Chopstick tip engaging structures (CTES) 118,119 are preferably positioned at a base region or back end 120 of spoon bowl 110. In the embodiment of Figs. 1-3, the CTES 118,119 may, respectively, include chopstick engaging surfaces 121,122. The chopstick engaging surfaces preferably extend from the bowl and are configured to be readily grasped by chopsticks, so that the chopsticks effectively become a handle of the "spoon" formed thereby. A "hook" or recess-and-hook or other mount structure/arrangement may be provided. Engaging surfaces 121,122 and mount structure 140 may be located in or near a base region 120 of the spoon head. Mount structure 140 allows ready stowage of the spoon head on a bowl or other structure when not in use (or between uses) , thereby keeping it off the table or other surfaces and thereby away from contamination.

Spoon head 100 may be molded or formed from a single piece of material, or may have a plurality of parts coupled together, or be otherwise fabricated (i.e., 3D printing, etc) .

Chopstick engaging surfaces 121,122 may be or approach being cylindrically concave, generally as shown, or be otherwise arranged, i.e., angled, otherwise curved, a combination of angles and curved, etc. In Figs. 1-3, these surfaces are the outward-facing surface of members 125,126, respectively. The surfaces are preferably arranged symmetrical about a longitudinal centerline 130 of the spoon head. When grasping spoon head 100 with chopsticks, the chopsticks essentially become the handle of the spoon, as shown for example in Fig. 4.

By grasping and releasing spoon head 100 as appropriate, a user can alternate between picking up "solid" food items directly with their chopsticks and engaging the spoon head with the chopsticks to scoop up liquid. The distance between the engaging surfaces 121,122 should be suited to comfortable grasping with the chopstick tips. The chopstick engaging surfaces may taper towards each other near the back and/or bottom of the bowl to reflect the natural convergence of chopsticks from a user's hand to their tips.

The size and configuration of engaging surfaces 121,122 are preferably chosen to achieve a firm and stable grip of the chopsticks against the spoon head while also allowing the spoon head to be quickly picked up and set down by the chopsticks. It also enables use of the chopsticks to quickly switch between grasping the spoon head and grasping solid food items.

Members 125,126 may be made from resilient material which can deform slightly when subjected to the grasping force of the chopsticks, thus aiding in grip and accommodating varying angles between the two chopsticks (which can depend on the size of a user's hand, the length of the chopsticks, and the distance from a user's hand to where the chopsticks contact surfaces 121,122) . Members 125,126 may also be formed as a single member with the two contact surfaces 121,122 disposed outwardly therefrom. One suitable material from which the member (s) may be made is resilient plastic. In addition, chopstick engaging surfaces 121,122 may have material which is chosen to provide enhanced friction against the chopsticks to aid in gripping. For example, the spoon head may be made from unfinished wood, or the spoon head may be made of metal or ceramic with or without rubber surfaces attached to members 125,126 to increase friction. Various other materials and combinations of materials are possible without departing from the present invention .

In Figs. 2-3, mount structure 140 is shown. In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the mount structure takes the form of recesses 142 formed towards the bottom of members 125,126. These recesses are configured in size and orien ^¬ tation such that spoon head 100 may rest or hang from the rim of a bowl, e.g., the size and orientation are complementary to the rims of commonly used bowls (see Fig. 5) . Furthermore, the recesses 142 are preferably wide enough for the spoon head to easily rest or hang upon the rim of a bowl, while being small enough to hang securely (a bias member could also be included in enhance secure mounting) . Mount structure 140 is oriented so as to provide a convenient and comfortable angle for a user to grasp chopstick engaging surfaces 121,122 when picking up the spoon head. The spoon head may rest primarily inside or outside of the bowl, and with the spoon bowl facing away from or towards the dish to which it is mounted .

Fig. 2 illustrates that the CTES 118 has a principal axis, B, and may be disposed at an angle a from a best- fit horizontal plane, A (i.e., where a best-fit horizontal plane is a horizontal plane at which the spoon bowl holds the most liquid and that is parallel with the surface of the liquid in the best-fit position) . Alpha, , may have an angle of 0 to 90 degrees, or 5 to 80 degrees, or 10 to 70 degrees, or more ideally 15-60 degrees, i.e., similar to a conventional spoon.

Referring to Fig. 4, another embodiment of a spoon head 200 in accordance with the present invention that is grasped by chopsticks 50 is shown. Spoon head 200 preferably includes a spoon bowl, with a bottom and contiguous wall, a back or base region 220, and two chopstick tip engaging structure (CTESs) 218,219. Each CTES preferably includes a chopstick engaging surface 221,222, respectively.

While the chopstick engaging surfaces of spoon head 100 are concave, surfaces 221,222 of members 225,226 are substantially flat. Secure placement and retention of chopstick tips is achieved with each tip contacting both an engaging member and a portion of the spoon bowl immediately adjacent the engaging member. In this arrangement, the chopstick tips wedge into the base region 220 and securely hold it. Fig. 4 shows spoon head 200 held by chopsticks for use as a spoon.

The chopstick tip engaging structures 218,219 are preferably configured with the back of bowl 210 to have an angle, a, at which the chopsticks may be positioned that is similar to a as described above for spoon head 100.

In Fig. 4, the tips 51 of chopsticks 50 are shown in contact with the engaging surfaces 221,222 of spoon head 200 and with the back side of bowl 210.

Referring to Fig. 5, spoon head 200 is shown mounted to bowl 60. In Fig. 6, a bottom perspective view of spoon head 200 is shown. It can be seen that member 225, 226 have recesses 242 that fit over the rim 61 of bowl 60. There is also a recess 243 in the underside of spoon bowl 210 that aids in forming a mounting structure 240. Engaging surface 222 is shown and engaging surface 221 is generally symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline 230.

Spoon head 200 may include a bowl 210 and a base region 220 similar to spoon head 100. The bowl preferably includes a bottom 212 and side walls 214. Two members 225,226 may extend from bowl 210 and they may be arranged to present engaging surfaces 221,222 at a desired angle and position. The bottom of members 225,226 may include a recess 242 for mounting to a bowl. The bottom rear of bowl 210 may also include an indentation 243 which contributes to mount structure 240 and stowage of the spoon head on a bowl rim (or other structure) between uses .

It should be recognized that the angled shape of the engaging surfaces and their position with the rear of the spoon head serve to guide a user' s chopsticks in to an accurate and predictable position for lifting and holding the spoon head. This accurate, secure positioning may be achieved by other embodiments herein as well. Referring to Fig. 7, a perspective view of another embodiment of a spoon head 300 in accordance with the present invention is shown. Spoon head 300 may include a bowl 310 and a base region 320 similar to spoon heads 100,200. The bowl 310 preferably includes a bottom 312 and contiguous side walls 314. In Fig. 7, the chopstick tip engaging structures CTESs 318,319 are configured in principal part in the shaping of bowl 310. Bowl 310 may include indentations 327,328 towards the base 320 thereof that define chopstick engaging surfaces 321,322 of CTES 318,319, respectively. Lip 361, discussed below, also forms part of forms part of the CTES. The CTESs 318,319 preferably have a principal axis that is disposed at the angle alpha of spoon heads 100,200. A mount structure 340 may include a mount member 341 that is flange-like or otherwise configured. The mount member 341 may include or define a recess 342 used for coupling spoon head 300 to the rim 61 of a bowl (e.g., see Fig . 5 ) .

Referring to Fig. 8, a perspective view of another spoon head 400 for use with chopsticks in accordance with the present invention is shown. Spoon head 400 may include a bowl 410 and a base region 420 similar to spoon heads 100,200,300. The bowl may include a bottom 412 and side walls 414. Two CTESs 418,419 may extend from the bowl and include both guides 431,432 and chopstick engaging surfaces 421,422, respectively. The two guides 431,432 are preferably aligned with contact surfaces 421, 422 on the rear side of bowl 410. In use, a user places the tips of their chopsticks into guide recesses 431, 432 to hold the spoon head laterally, with the tips extending below the guides a sufficient distance to brace against the contact surfaces 421,422 on the back side of bowl 410. In this manner, the spoon head is stably retained and held against further rotation in a vertical plane or horizontal plane, relative to the chopsticks. Spoon head 400 preferably has a mount structure 440 that includes two mount recesses 442 that releasably mount to the rim of a bowl or the like. The embodiment of Fig. 8 may be readily mounted with the cavity of the spoon bowl facing the inside of the dish to which it is mounted. Alternatively, a mount member may descend from a point toward the rear of the spoon head.

Many variations of both the chopstick engaging structure and the rim stowage structure are possible without departing from the present invention. The rim stowage structure need not be continuous with the chopstick tip engaging structure, and in some embodiments they may be configured in different locations on the spoon head. The rim stowage structure may be on the top, bottom, anterior, posterior or side of the spoon head; and the point of contact with the rim of the dish may be above or below the area(s) which are grasped by chopsticks. Some embodiments may have a groove formed into the bottom of the spoon head which can fit upon the rim of a bowl. These and other variations all allow the utensil to conveniently rest upon or hang from the rim of a bowl, cup or other open-top container in a position that is easily accessible to chopsticks. The spoon head may also be configured to hand from a complementary caddy or nest in a complementary stand, etc.

Some embodiments of the spoon head may be capable of stacking or nesting with each other.

A spoon head in accordance with the present invention (100,200,300,400,500, etc.) may be configured to float. Flotation may be achieved by constructing the spoon head out of a material that floats (or adding air, increasing the buoyancy of the material) or by attaching a float to the spoon head.

Referring to Figs. 9-10, perspective views of another embodiment of a spoon head 500 in accordance with the present invention is shown. Spoon head 500 includes many features of the other spoon heads herein - bowl 510, CTESs 518,519, lips 561 - yet also includes float 560. The float 560 or the use of buoyant material for the construction of spoon head 500 not only prevents the spoon head from sinking (and possibly disappearing) , they also function as a "stowage" arrangement permitting the spoon head to float while not in the immediate use, i.e., eliminating the need for the mounting structure 140, 240, etc . Furthermore, float 560, or the manner of fabricating spoon head 500 (air injected into material or a weight added for ballast, etc.) may be positioned such that the spoon head floats in a position which makes the CTES readily accessible by a user when they try to engage the CTESs with their chopsticks. Alternatively, the material or manufacturing process of the spoon head may be such as to create less dense and more dense regions that serve to move or "right" the spoon head to a desired position in liquid . Turning to the CTESs, these structures may include a lip or protrusion (that extends laterally from the centerline (e.g., 130 of Fig. 1) a distance greater than a surface immediately adjacent and closer to the spoon (e.g., guides 431, 432 of Fig. 8) . This lip 161, 261, 361, 461,561 in concert with another point closer to the spoon bowl prevents the spoon head from slipping out, rotating forward and downward. For example, in Fig. 4, each chopstick tip contacts lip 261 and the back side of bowl 210.

The spoon head can be used for any purpose for which a spoon is normally used, and is especially useful for eating meals that may alternately require both spoon and chopsticks. This spoon head eliminates the need to set down the chopsticks (or the spoon) when using a spoon for both soup and non-soup dishes (or, alternately, the need to hold chopsticks in one hand and spoon in the other) . Further, it relieves problems such as a spoon accidentally becoming entirely submerged in soup, the handle of a conventional spoon getting in the way, the user being unable to lift and drink directly from a bowl, and other common inconveniences.

While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention and the limits of the appended claims.