INTERLOCKING CUTLERY AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20120036724A1
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walters, Richard S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/340
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/06 Combined or separable sets of table-service utensils; Oyster knives with openers; Fish servers with means for removing bones kitchen equipment A47J
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/10 characterised by material or shape B25G1/01, B25G1/02 take precedence ; for hand tools comprising coating rollers B05C17/0205
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49819 with conveying of work or disassembled work part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49822 by applying force

Abstract

A utensil that includes a functional end and a handle associated with the functional end. The handle includes a longitudinal axis, a first surface, and a second surface. The first surface includes at least one protrusion configured to separably couple the utensil to a second utensil. The second surface is configured to receive at least a portion of a third utensil. The at least one protrusion is configured such that the utensil and the second utensil are configured to be at least one of coupled and decoupled with respect to one another via relative movement in a plane parallel to a reference plane that intersects a plane extending between the first and second surfaces.

Claims

1. A utensil comprising:

a functional end; and

a handle associated with the functional end, the handle having a longitudinal axis,

wherein the handle comprises a first surface and a second surface,

wherein the first surface comprises at least one protrusion configured to separably couple the utensil to a second utensil,

wherein the second surface is configured to receive at least a portion of a third utensil, and

wherein the at least one protrusion and the second surface are configured such that the utensil and the second utensil are configured to be at least one of coupled and decoupled with respect to one another via relative movement in a plane parallel to a reference plane that intersects a plane extending between the first and second surfaces.

2. The utensil of claim 1, wherein the reference plane intersects the plane extending between the first and second surfaces such that the reference plane is perpendicular to the plane extending between the first and second surfaces.

3. The utensil of claim 1, wherein the second surface comprises a channel configured to receive at least a portion of a protrusion from the third utensil.

4. The utensil of claim 1, wherein the protrusion comprises a neck portion and a head portion, wherein the head portion has a wider cross-section than a cross-section of the neck portion.

5. The utensil of claim 4, wherein the cross-section of the head portion comprises one of a rectangular shape, a circular shape, triangular shape, and a star shape.

6. The utensil of claim 4, wherein the second surface comprises a channel having a cross-sectional shape configured to receive at least the head portion of the protrusion.

7. The utensil of claim 1, wherein the second surface comprises a channel extending along at least a portion of the longitudinal axis of the handle.

8. The utensil of claim 1, wherein the handle defines a length, and the second surface comprises a channel extending along a portion of the length of the handle, wherein the portion comprises less than half the length of the handle.

9. The utensil of claim 1, wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a portion configured to detach from the utensil.

10. The utensil of claim 1, wherein the second surface comprises a channel configured to receive at least a portion of the protrusion from the third utensil, and wherein the channel extends in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle.

11. The utensil of claim 1, wherein the at least one protrusion and the second surface are configured such that the utensil and the second utensil are configured to be decoupled with respect to one another via relative movement in a direction that is neither in a plane parallel to the reference plane nor orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the handle.

12. A plurality of utensils comprising at least two of the utensils of claim 1, wherein a protrusion of a first one of the plurality of utensils is received by a second surface of a second one of the plurality of utensils.

13. The utensil of claim 12, wherein the protrusion of the first one of the plurality of utensils and the second surface of the second one of the plurality of utensils are configured such that the first surface is spaced from the second surface.

14. A method for separating a first utensil from a second utensil to which the first utensil is separably coupled, wherein the first utensil comprises:

a functional end; and

a handle associated with the functional end, the handle having a longitudinal axis,

wherein the handle comprises a first surface and a second surface,

wherein the first surface comprises at least one protrusion configured to separably couple the first utensil to the second utensil,

wherein the second utensil comprises;

a functional end; and

a handle associated with the functional end, the handle having a longitudinal axis,

wherein the handle of the second utensil comprises a first surface and a second surface, the second surface of the second utensil being separably coupled to the first utensil via at least a portion of the at least one protrusion of the first utensil, and

wherein the at least one protrusion of the first utensil and the second surface of the second utensil are configured such that the first utensil and the second utensil are configured to at least one of couple and decouple with respect to one another via relative movement in a plane parallel to a reference plane that intersects a plane extending between the first and second surfaces of the first utensil, and

wherein the method comprises;

applying force to at least one of the first utensil and the second utensil, such that the first utensil and the second utensil are separated from one another.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein applying force comprises applying force along the longitudinal axis of the handle of the first utensil.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein applying force comprises applying force in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle of the first utensil.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein applying force comprises applying force tending to separate the handle of the first utensil from the handle of the second utensil.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein applying force comprises applying force perpendicular to the plane parallel to the reference plane.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein applying force comprises applying force sufficient to detach at least one protrusion from the first surface of the first utensil.

20. A method for dispensing at least one utensil, the method comprising:

performing the method of claim 14; and

dispensing the first utensil.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the protrusion and the second surface of the second utensil are configured such that the first surface of the first utensil is spaced from the second surface of the second utensil.