Fork with multiple tines

• US 20120288351A1
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nirmel, Chittaranjan N.
• Original Assignee: Nirmel, Chittaranjan N.
• Inventors: Nirmel, Chittaranjan N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,392,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/722
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 9/00 Forks making forks from sheet metal B21D53/68; making forks by rolling B21H7/08
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 9/02 with tines rigidly connected to the handle
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 9/06 combined with strippers, grippers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/023 Forks; Forks with ejectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/283 Tongs; Devices for picking, holding or rotating food
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/12 Platforms; Forks; Other load supporting or gripping members
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/18 Load gripping or retaining means

Abstract

Conventional multi-tined implements such as cutlery and serving forks, pitchforks and front-end loader machine forks, all have smooth tine surfaces from which the respective items being picked up and transferred by a user may unintentionally slip off and cause harm. All such implements are provided enhanced ability to retain their respective loads during their intentional transfer by a user by the provision of a plurality of topographic discontinuities on selected load-contacting surfaces of their tines. These topographic discontinuities include small barb-like elements generated by wedge-shaped recesses extending into the tines and/or by barb-like projections extending from the tines into inter-tine gaps between adjacent tines. On thus improved food-handling implements all intersections, corners, edges and points incidental to formation of any topographic discontinuities are smoothed out to prevent physical harm to users.

Claims

1. An improved fork, having a rear end and a head at a forward end, the head supporting a plurality of spaced-apart, longitudinally-aligned, tines having respective distal ends for insertion into an object to engage with the same, wherein the improvement comprises:

a first topographic discontinuity provided to a first tine, on a first side surface thereof which faces an opposing side surface of an adjacent second tine,

wherein the first topographic discontinuity is shaped and disposed to permit easy insertion of the first tine into the object and to resist unintentional withdrawal of the first tine from the object.

2. The improved fork according to claim 1, wherein:

the first topographic discontinuity extends into the first side surface to a predetermined depth, and

any sharp intersections, corners, edges and points incidental to formation of the first topographic discontinuity are smoothed out to avoid injury to a user.

3. The improved fork according to claim 2, wherein:

a maximum depth of the first topographic discontinuity does not exceed half the local width of the first tine.

4. The improved fork according to claim 3, wherein:

the first topographic discontinuity comprises a recess that has a wedge shape, defined by a first surface intersecting a second surface at a wedge angle not larger than 90 degrees,

the first surface intersects the first side surface at a first location close to the distal end of the first tine at a predetermined lead angle not larger than 90 degrees, and

the second surface intersects the first side surface at a second location further away from the distal end than the first location.

5. The improved fork according to claim 2, further comprising:

at least one additional topographic discontinuity on the first side surface, each additional topographic discontinuity being separated from the first topographic discontinuity by a respective separation distance.

6. The improved fork according to claim 2, further comprising:

a counterpart topographic discontinuity, provided on the opposing side surface of the adjacent tine and disposed directly opposite to the first topographic discontinuity.

7. The improved fork according to claim 2, further comprising:

a counterpart topographic discontinuity, provided on the opposing side surface of the adjacent tine and disposed to be other than directly opposite to any topographic discontinuity provided on the first tine.

8. The improved fork according to claim 4, wherein:

the first topographic discontinuity comprises a projection tapering outwardly from the first side surface toward the adjacent second tine.

9. The improved fork according to claim 8, wherein:

the tapered projection inclines away from the distal end.

10. The improved fork according to claim 3, wherein:

the first topographic discontinuity further comprises a projection tapering outwardly from the first side surface toward the adjacent second tine, the recess and the projection having a contiguous shared surface.

11. An improved fork, having a handle at a rear end and a head at a forward end, the head supporting a plurality of spaced-apart, longitudinally-aligned, tines having respective distal ends for insertion into an object to engage with and transfer the same, wherein the improvement comprises:

a first topographic discontinuity provided to a first tine, on a first side surface thereof which faces an opposing side surface of an adjacent second tine across an inter-tine gap, wherein the topographic discontinuity extends from the first side surface into the inter-tine gap to a predetermined height,

wherein the first topographic discontinuity is shaped and disposed to permit easy insertion of the first tine into the object to positively engage therewith and to resist unintentional withdrawal of the first tine from the object.

12. The improved fork according to claim 11, further comprising:

a counterpart topographic discontinuity, provided on the opposing side surface of the adjacent tine and disposed directly opposite to the first topographic discontinuity.

13. The improved fork according to claim 11, further comprising:

a counterpart topographic discontinuity, provided on the opposing side surface of the adjacent tine and disposed to be other than directly opposite to any topographic discontinuity provided on the first tine.

14. An improved dining fork that has a handle at a rear end and a head at a forward end, the head supporting a plurality of spaced-apart and longitudinally-aligned tines having respective distal ends shaped for insertion into an item of food to engage with and transfer the same, wherein the improvement comprises:

a topographic discontinuity provided to a first tine, on a first side surface thereof which faces an opposing side surface of an adjacent second tine,

wherein the discontinuity extends into the first side surface to a predetermined depth, and comprises a wedge-shaped recess free of sharp intersections, corners, edges and points,

wherein the wedge shape is defined by a first surface intersecting a second surface at a wedge angle not larger than 90 degrees, and

wherein the first surface intersects the first side surface at a first location close to the distal end of the first tine.

15. The improved fork according to claim 14, wherein:

the topographic discontinuity further comprises a projection tapering outwardly from the first side surface toward the adjacent second tine.

16. The improved fork according to claim 15, wherein:

the tapered projection inclines away from the distal end.

17. The improved fork according to claim 15, further comprising:

a counterpart topographic discontinuity provided on the opposing surface of the adjacent tine other than directly opposite to any topographic discontinuity provided on the first tine.

18. An improved serving fork that has a handle at a rear end and two elongate, longitudinally-aligned, generally parallel, cooperating tines extending forwardly from the handle to respective pointed ends, wherein the improvement comprises:

a plurality of barb-like projections, provided on opposed tine surfaces defining a gap between the tines,

wherein the projections are disposed periodically away from the distal ends of the tines to permit easy insertion of the improved tines into an item of food to positively engage therewith, to thereby enhance retention of the food on the tines during transfer of the food by a user.

19. An improved multi-tined arrangement on a loading fork of a front-end loader machine operable to forcibly insert distal ends of the tines into a load to then lift and physically transfer the load, wherein the improvement comprises:

a plurality of essentially triangular, short, barb-like extensions provided on a first tine, on a first side surface thereof which faces an opposing side surface of an adjacent second tine across an inter-tine gap,

wherein the projections are disposed periodically away from the distal end of the first tine to permit easy insertion thereof into a load to positively engage the improved tine with the load when it is lifted, to thereby enhance retention of the load on the tines during subsequent transfer of the load by a user.

20. An improved multi-tined pitchfork comprising a plurality of cooperatively aligned tines mounted to a head supported to a handle, wherein the improvement comprises:

a plurality of topographic discontinuities provided on at least some of the tines, each of the discontinuities being selected from a group of discontinuities consisting of (a) a plurality of short backwardly-inclined barb-like elements in circumferentially symmetric array located close to the distal end of a tine, (b) a fully circumferential barb-like ring element having a backward leaning triangular cross-section and located close to the distal end of a tine, and (c) a plurality of barb-like elements circumferentially and longitudinally distributed over a substantial portion of a tine.