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Recyclable and dispensable cutlery utensil

  • US 11,083,316 B1
  • Filed: 06/16/2011
  • Issued: 08/10/2021
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for dispensing a disposable plastic cutlery article comprising a no-touch utensil dispenser having a first escapement finger and a second escapement finger, the plastic cutlery article comprising:

  • a handle having a handle length extending from a first handle end to a second handle end along a longitudinal axis, said handle being configured for gripping said plastic cutlery article, said plastic cutlery article being configured for positioning in the utensil dispenser with the longitudinal axis being generally horizontal;

    the handle comprising a planar first surface, a planar second surface, a first side, a second side, a shaped region formed into the first handle end, and a stacking region of the handle extending from the shaped region to the second handle end, said first surface extending along substantially all of the handle length from the first handle end to the second handle end, said second surface extending from the shaped region to the second handle end, said first and said second sides extending vertically from mutually opposing edges of said first surface;

    a head extending from the second handle end along said longitudinal axis, the head being configured for contacting and manipulating food;

    said plastic cutlery article being configured for alignment in a generally vertical stack of a plurality of identical plastic cutlery articles in said utensil dispenser, wherein the first surfaces of the plurality of identical plastic cutlery articles in said vertical stack are directed downward, the first surface of a bottommost plastic cutlery article in said vertical stack of the plurality of identical plastic cutlery articles being supported by the first escapement finger of said utensil dispenser at the first handle end of the bottommost plastic cutlery article, and wherein the second surface of said bottommost plastic cutlery article is configured to be in physical contact with the first surface of the handle of an adjacent plastic cutlery article in said vertical stack of the plurality of identical plastic cutlery articles;

    said shaped region formed into the first handle end of the plastic cutlery article providing a handle gap between the first handle end of said bottommost cutlery article and the first surface of said adjacent plastic cutlery article in said vertical stack of said plurality of identical plastic cutlery articles, wherein said handle gap is suitable for insertion therein of the second escapement finger of the utensil dispenser, thereby supporting the first surface of said adjacent plastic cutlery article while the first escapement finger is withdrawn from below the bottommost plastic cutlery article, and the bottommost plastic cutlery article is released from said vertical stack under the sole impulsion of gravity while the adjacent cutlery article is retained in the vertical stack, wherein the first escapement finger overlaps the second escapement finger in a vertical direction.

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