Multi-purpose ice tongs

• US 20040255388A1
• Filed: 04/20/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastrad SA
• Original Assignee: Mastrad SA
• Inventors: Lion, Mathieu, Bignon, Lucas
• Granted Patent: US 7,055,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 7/113
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 1/00 Combination or multi-purpose hand tools associations of tools for different working operations with one portable power-drive means B25F3/00; combined stapling and punching tools B25C5/0214
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 5/02 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 5/14 for double-walled or multi-channel pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/22 Installations of cables or lines through walls, floors or ceilings, e.g. into buildings

Abstract

A multi-purpose ice tongs includes a handle and a pair of tongs that extend from the handle and that collectively are able to pick-up an ice cube or other item typically used in the preparation of drinks. One of the tongs includes a grater surface for grating a food item. The multi-purpose ice tongs can also include a bottle opener that extends from the handle, a knife stored within the handle, and a zester component within the knife. The surface of the handle of the ice tongs may be utilized as an ice hammer, and one end of the handle is made of a suitable material to enable it to crush a food item contained within a drink glass without breaking the glass.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose ice tongs, comprising:

a handle;

a pair of tongs extending from the handle and collectively adapted to pick-up an ice cube; and

a knife removably stored within a recess of the handle, the knife pivotally coupled to the handle.

2. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 1, wherein the knife includes a zester component adapted to remove a peel from a food item.

3. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 1, further comprising a bottle opener extending from the handle.

4. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 1, wherein the handle is adapted to crush ice using a surface of the handle.

5. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 1, wherein the handle has a pillar at one end adapted to crush a food item.

6. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 5, wherein the pillar is made of a material adapted to enable crushing of a food item contained within a drink glass without breaking the glass.

7. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 1, wherein the pair of tongs are sufficiently narrow in size to enable the tongs to be extended into a champagne flute.

8. A multi-purpose ice tongs, comprising:

a handle;

a pair of tongs extending from the handle and collectively adapted to pick-up an ice cube, one of the tongs having a grating surface adapted to grate an item.

9. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, wherein the grating surface is disposed on an inner surface of said one of the tongs, the inner surface of said one of the tongs facing an inner surface of the other tong.

10. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 9, wherein the grating surface is disposed on the inner surface of said one of the tongs at position remote from an end of said tong.

11. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 9, wherein the pair of tongs is adapted to enable a sliding of a picked up item along and between the tongs to the grating surface.

12. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, wherein each of the tongs includes first and second ends, the first end of each of the tongs being attached to the handle, and the second end of each of the tongs including finger-like projections for facilitating picking up of a food item.

13. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, wherein each of the tongs includes first and second ends, the first end of each of the tongs being attached to the handle, and the second end of each of the tongs including a spoon.

14. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, further comprising a bottle opener extending from the handle.

15. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, further comprising a knife removably stored within a recess of the handle.

16. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, wherein the knife is pivotally coupled to the handle, and is stored within the handle in a first position, and exposed in a second position.

17. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, wherein the knife includes a zester component adapted to remove a peel from a food item.

18. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, wherein the handle is adapted to crush ice using a surface of the handle.

19. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, wherein the handle has a pillar at one end adapted to crush a food item.

20. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 19, wherein the pillar is made of a material adapted to enable crushing of a food item contained within a drink glass without breaking the glass.

21. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 8, wherein the pair of tongs are sufficiently narrow in size to enable the tongs to be extended into a champagne flute.

22. A multi-purpose ice tongs, comprising:

a handle having first and second ends, the first end of the handle including a pillar adapted to crush a food item; and

a pair of tongs extending from handle and adapted to pick-up an ice cube.

23. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 22, wherein the handle includes a knife removably stored within a recess of the handle, the knife pivotally coupled to the handle.

24. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 23, wherein the knife includes a zester component adapted to remove a peel from a food item.

25. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 22, further comprising a bottle opener extending from the handle.

26. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 22, wherein the pillar is made of a material adapted to enable crushing of a food item contained within a drink glass without breaking the glass.

27. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 22, wherein one of the tongs has a grating surface adapted to grate an item.

28. A multi-purpose ice tongs, comprising:

a handle having a surface sufficiently strong and adapted to crush ice; and

a pair of tongs extending from the handle and adapted to pick-up an ice cube.

29. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 28, wherein the handle includes a knife removably stored within a recess of the handle, the knife pivotally coupled to the handle.

30. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 29, wherein the knife includes a zester component adapted to remove a peel from a food item.

31. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 28, further comprising a bottle opener extending from the handle.

32. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 28, wherein one of the tongs has a grating surface adapted to grate an item.

33. A multi-purpose ice tongs, comprising:

a handle;

a pair of tongs extending from the handle and adapted to pick-up an ice cube; and

a bottle opener extending from the handle.

34. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 33, wherein the handle includes a knife removably stored within a recess of the handle, the knife pivotally coupled to the handle.

35. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 34, wherein the knife includes a zester component adapted to remove a peel from a food item.

36. The multi-purpose ice tongs of claim 33, wherein one of the tongs has a grating surface adapted to grate an item.

37. A process for picking up and grating a food item, comprising the steps of:

picking up a food item with a pair of ice tongs to provide the food item between ends of the pair of tongs;

sliding the picked up food item from the ends of the pair of tongs between and along lengths of the pair of tongs to a grating surface disposed on one of the tongs; and

moving the food item back and forth on the grating surface disposed on one of the tongs to grate the food item.

38. The process of claim 37, wherein the moving step is carried out by moving the food item back and forth on the grating surface disposed on a surface of one of the tongs facing the other tong.

39. A process for picking up and crushing an ice cube, comprising the steps of:

picking up an ice cube with a pair of ice tongs to provide the ice cube between ends of the pair of tongs;

sliding the picked up ice cube from the ends of the pair of tongs between and along lengths of the pair of tongs to a grater surface disposed on one of the tongs; and

exerting a force to the ice tongs so that the grating surface on one of the tongs is exerted into the ice cube so as to crush the ice cube.

40. The process of claim 39, wherein the exerting a force step is carried out by squeezing the ice tongs together.