Eating utensil for correctional institutions

• US 4,610,087 A
• Filed: 12/24/1984
• Issued: 09/09/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: State of New Mexico As Represented By The Corrections Industries Division of The NE Mexico Corrections Department
• Original Assignee: State of New Mexico
• Inventors: Winfield, Barbara L., Mickelson, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Meister, James M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knoble, John L.
• Application Number:
  US06/685,446
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 30/142, 30/147-150, 30/322-328, 30/47, D 7/137, D 7/138, D 7/151-152, 16/110 R, 16/111 R, 16/114 R, 16/DIG. 19, 403/2
• US Class Current: 30/147
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/02 Forks; Forks with ejectors; Combined forks and spoons; Salad servers
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 3/00 Hand knives with fixed blades handles, attaching the handles B25G
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness

Abstract

An eating utensil, such as a fork, spoon or dinner knife, for use in correctional institutions. The utensil is formed of a polymeric plastics material and includes a handle which is constructed so as to prevent the utensil from being formed into a sharpened weapon by grinding or other alteration. In the preferred embodiment the handle includes a shallow recess on the bottom side, and a plurality of diagonal slots on the top side, which effectively prevent any portion of the handle from being fashioned into a sharpened instrument of sufficient length to constitute a dangerous weapon.

Claims

1. An eating utensil, such as a fork, spoon or dinner knife, comprising an elongate handle formed of a polymeric material, said handle having a longitudinal axis, and wherein said handle includes a plurality of slots formed therein transverse to said axis so as to prevent said handle of said utensil from being fashioned into a sharp weapon, said slots being of a depth sufficient to render said handle so weak as to effectively preclude it from being sharpened and used as a weapon, and said slots yet being sufficiently shallow that said handle is of sufficient strength for its ordinary purpose.

2. The eating utensil defined in claim 1 wherein said handle includes opposite sides, said slots being formed on one side of said handle, and wherein said handle further comprises a shallow concave recess formed on the side of said handle opposite said slots and which extends the major length of said handle.

3. The eating utensil defined in claim 2 wherein said slots have bottom surfaces which are convexly curved so as to conform with the surface of said shallow concave recess on the opposite side of the handle.

4. The eating utensil defined in claim 3 wherein said slots extend diagonally with respect to said axis of said handle.

5. A fork comprising an elongate handle formed of a polymeric material, said handle having a longitudinal axis, and wherein sand handle includes a plurality of slots formed therein transverse to said axis so as to prevent the handle of the fork from being fashioned into a sharp weapon, said slots being of a depth sufficient to render said handle so weak as to effectively preclude it from being sharpened and used as a weapon, and said slots yet being sufficiently shallow that said handle is of sufficient strength for its ordinary purpose.

6. The fork defined in claim 5 wherein said handle includes opposite sides, said slots being formed on one side of said handle, and wherein said handle further comprises a shallow concave recess formed on the side of said handle opposite said slots and which extends the major length of said handle.

7. The fork defined in claim 6 wherein said slots have bottom surfaces which are convexly curved so as to conform with the surface of said shallow concave recess on the opposite side of the handle.

8. The fork defined in claim 7 wherein said slots extend diagonally with respect to said axis of said handle.

9. The fork defined in claim 5, said fork including prongs and a bowl, and wherein said fork further comprises a thin web formed in said bowl between said handle and said prongs of said fork.

10. The fork defined in claim 5, said fork including prongs and a bowl, and wherein said fork further comprises at least one opening formed in said bowl of said fork between said handle and said prongs of said fork.

11. A dinner knife comprising a blade and elongate handle formed of a polymeric material, said handle having a longitudinal axis, and wherein said handle includes a plurality of transverse slots formed therein so as to prevent the handle of the dinner knife from being fashioned into a sharp weapon, said slots being of a depth sufficient to render said handle so weak as to effectively preclude it from being sharpened and used as a weapon, and said slots yet being sufficiently shallow that said handle is of sufficient strength for its ordinary use.

12. The dinner knife defined in claim 11 wherein said handle includes opposite sides, said slots being formed on one side of said handle, and wherein said handle further comprises a shallow concave recess formed on the side of said handle opposite said slots and which extends the major length of said handle.

13. The dinner knife defined in claim 12 wherein said slots have bottom surfaces which are convexly curved so as to conform with the surface of said shallow concave recess on the opposite side of the handle.

14. The dinner knife defined in claim 13 wherein said slots extend diagonally with respect to said axis of said handle.

15. The dinner knife defined in claim 11, wherein said blade includes at least one web formed in said blade so as to prevent said blade from being useful as a weapon.

16. The dinner knife defined in claim 11, wherein said blade includes at least one opening formed therein so as to prevent said blade from being useful as a weapon.