Chopsticks fix - a holding and manipulation aid

• US 20050082855A1
• Filed: 07/31/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brent Alan Baxter
• Original Assignee: Brent Alan Baxter
• Inventors: Baxter, Brent Alan
• Application Number:
  US10/903,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20050082855A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 294/99.200
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/103 Chop-sticks

Abstract

A chopsticks holding and positioning aid that effectively both assists the user in holding the chopsticks and also stabilizes these sticks into proper orientation, preventing them from crossing over and even creating an effective gentle spring return action but does not interfere with the natural holding techniques of the user. These chopsticks holders 10 are created with simplicity of design. They are extremely low cost to produce can even be made out of environmentally friendly and recyclable materials, are intended to be disposable. These chopsticks holders 10 are fabricated from single pieces of flexible materials having with no joints, springs nor moving parts. Also, my chopstick aid will fit chopsticks of virtually any dimension and width including disposable wooden chopsticks and thick heavy fine restaurant standards. In addition, when used in stacked combination these chopsticks holders 10 can provide progressive levels or resistance that can be matched with the users ability level or can be used as components in the teaching of chopsticks usage. Furthermore, these tools are esthetically pleasing and visually complementary to chopsticks and can easily be printed serving a secondary function as print sources for Diners to read or be entertained.

Claims

1. A chopstick holder consisting of a unitary interrupted generally rectangular uniform planar strip of resilient material;

said interrupted planar strip having a pair of ends defining a slit there between;

said interrupted planar strip further defining a pair of elongated pushed out portions of the slots in the wall thereof;

said pushed out portions of the slots having a tensile return tendency to return to its original configuration and having a length sufficient to confine one chopstick in each of said pushed out portions by frictional engagement of the sides of the chopstick with the sides of said pushed out portions after lateral insertion of chopsticks in said slots;

said slits positioned whereby a pair of chopsticks secured in respective slots are angled towards each other but with the ends out of contact and having sufficient spacing therebetween to allow the user to place a morsel of food therebetween;

said holder being compressible by the user sufficiently to allow the morsel to be picked up without the ends of the gap closing; and

said interrupted planar strip providing tensile return tendencies sufficient create a serviceable stability and return spring after user squeezes chopsticks, a return tendency strong enough to assist the chopsticks in maintaining proper orientation while being flexible and constant enough to follow the natural joint movement of the digits of the hand without significant interference which would interfere with chopsticks use or learning.