JP7506722B2 - spoon - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a spoon suitable for scooping paste-like foods such as bottled jam, yogurt, and margarine.

This type of spoon is known to be made primarily from rubber materials such as silicone rubber, and contains a core material to reinforce the rigidity of the handle and base.

JP 2002-65438 A JP 2009-207856 A

When eating jam in a jar, yogurt in a cup, or paste-like foods in a dish, with a normal metal or resin spoon, the curved surfaces, flat surfaces, and corners of the container are different from the shape of the spoon's tip and pot, so there is little surface area that comes into contact with the spoon, and food can end up remaining in the container.
In Patent Document 1, the tip of the spoon scooping part is connected to and coated with silicone rubber around the periphery of the core material, and the silicone rubber part is curved and elastically deformed to fit tightly inside the container. However, because the tip of the core material itself is approximately square , it cannot fit tightly against sharply curved inner surfaces or inner angular surfaces.
In Patent Document 2, by using silicone only on the surface and rim of the scooping part, the adhesive surface area with the plate is increased compared to the original spoon, but it cannot adhere to sharp corners and cannot scoop.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, the spoon of the present invention is characterized by having a rigid core member that forms a sharp-angled pot portion toward the tip, and having flexible spatula portions on both the left and right sides of the pot portion.

The spoon of the present invention can fit the tip of the spatula tightly to the complex shaped inner surface of a container, such as one with a curved inner surface or a rectangular prism-shaped inner surface, and can scrape out or scoop up any sticky contents that stick to it.

A top perspective view of the first embodiment. Plan view of the first embodiment Right side view of the first embodiment 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of the first embodiment; Front view of the first embodiment 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B' of the first embodiment; 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC' of the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first use state of the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment in a first use state; FIG. 11 is a plan view of the second use state of the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a front view of the second use state of the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the third usage state of the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a plan view of the fourth use state of the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a side view of the fourth use state of the first embodiment; A perspective view of the top side of the second embodiment. A perspective view of the bottom side of the third embodiment.

The spoon of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
A first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, a spoon (1) has a handle (2) and a jar (3) with a depression at the other end to hold scooped food. The tip (4) of the jar (3) is formed at an acute angle with the apex being near the extension of the handle (2). The jar (3) is a rigid core member (5). On both sides of the jar (3) are spatula parts (6) made of a flexible material and relatively wider than the other parts. In this embodiment, the spatula parts (6) protrude or bulge on both sides. That is, the spatula parts (6) are made of silicone rubber, as described later, and as shown in Fig. 7, the width from the edge of the core member (5) to the outer edge of the flexible spatula part (6) is wider than other parts, for example, the jar part (3) in Fig. 6, i.e., the silicone rubber part at the widest point of the core member (5). As shown in FIG. 2, the pot portion (3) and the spatula portion (6) form a scooping portion (8) which is generally rectangular overall and has a tip side (7).

As shown in FIG. 2, if the tip edge (7) of the scooping portion (8) is located 2 to 5 mm outside the tip (4) of the pot portion (3), the tip edge (7) can be easily bent from the vicinity of the tip (4). The tip edge (7) may be formed thin and formed into a nearly straight line or a gently curved edge that is convex toward the tip. The pot portion (3) forms an acute angle with the tip (4) as its apex, widening toward the handle (2). In this case, the angle of the tip (4) is preferably within the range of 70 degrees to 30 degrees, and the width of the scooping portion (8) is preferably set to a width that can be inserted into the mouth. The width of the tip edge (7) should also be similar.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the handle (2) and the pot (3) are connected together.

As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the pot portion (3) has a depression, and the spatula portion (6) is curved so as to be connected to the shape of the depression, and the entire scoop portion (8) forms a depression. Also, as shown in Figure 6, the cross section B-B' is closer to the handle of the scoop portion (8) and the width of the spatula portion (6) connected to the pot portion (3) is narrow, but in the cross section C-C' shown in Figure 7, the spatula portion (6) connected to the pot portion (3) is wider at a position closer to the tip edge (7) of the scoop portion (8). In this way, by making the width of the spatula portion (6) wider, which is made of a material more flexible than the core member (5) of the pot portion (3), the spatula portion (6) can be made to fit tightly inside the container at a wide range of angles, from flat surfaces to curved surfaces and interior angles.

The core member (5) of the pot portion (3) connected to the handle (2) is preferably made of a material that is rigid enough not to bend easily when force is applied. For example, it may be made of hard plastic, metal, or wood. The handle (2) and pot portion (3) may be formed as a single unit, or may be molded separately and then joined together to form a connected unit. The spatula portion (6) is preferably made of a material such as silicone rubber that has flexibility and elasticity so that it bends when pressed and returns to its original shape when the force is released. The silicone rubber referred to here not only forms the spatula portion (6), but is connected to the spatula portion (6) to cover the pot portion (3). The spatula portion (6) is also thick and flexible enough to bend close to the edge of the core member (5) of the pot portion (3).

As shown in Figure 8, when scooping from an inner corner of a container consisting of three sides, if the tip (4) of the spoon (1) is pressed against the corner, the wide and flexible left and right spatula parts (6) bend to match the angle of the inner wall of the container, and the tip edge (7) is pressed against the inner wall while scooping out the scooped contents, which can be placed in the depression of the scoop part (8). At this time, depending on the angle at which the spoon (1) is inserted, the tip edge (7) can bend upward or downward, depending on how it is used and the amount of force applied. In Figures 8 and 9, the tip edge (7) is bent upward, but in Figures 10 and 11, it is bent downward. In either case, when the scoop part (8) is released from the inner wall surface, it returns to its original shape with a depression due to its elasticity, so the contents remain on the scoop part (8). In particular, since the spatula part (6) is also curved, the contents tend to remain on the scoop part (8). On the other hand, since the urn portion (3) is formed in the core member (5), it can securely hold relatively heavy contents. Also, because the corners of a prismatic container are approximately 90 degrees, as mentioned in paragraph 0009, the angle of the tip (4) of the urn portion (3) must be 90 degrees or less, and 70 degrees or less is preferable. Furthermore, in order to form the urn portion (3) of the core member (5), it is preferable that the angle of the tip (4) be 30 degrees or more.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, even when placed on a flat surface inside a container, force is applied from the handle (2) to the tip (4), causing the spatula (6) to bend, and the entire tip edge (7) to be in close contact with the inner wall surface.

As shown in Figure 12, the spatula (6) on the side of the scoop (8) can be pressed against the spherically curved inner surface of the container to adhere to the curved surface. As shown in Figures 13 and 14, when the tip (4) is pressed against the curved surface, the left and right ends of the tip edge (7) bend along the curved surface, starting from the tip (4). In this case, the contents can be placed in the depression of the scoop (8) in the same way as described in paragraph 0013 above.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the spoon (1) may be formed by covering the entire core member (5) formed by the pot portion (3) connected to the handle (2) with a resin coating layer (9), and the pot portion (3) and the spatula portion (6) may be connected and coated at the same time. In this case, the resin coating layer (9) may be made of a material that matches the flexibility of the spatula portion (6), such as low-hardness silicone rubber, but since there is a rigid core member (5), the spoon (1) can maintain its ease of use and strength.

Alternatively, a rigid flat plate may be punched out and then molded to produce a core member (5) in which a recessed pot portion (3) and a handle (2) are integrated, and the handle (2) and other portions may be molded into a three-dimensional shape using a resin coating layer (9) to make them easier to grip.

In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the pot portion (3) is made of high-hardness silicone rubber and is integral with the handle (2) to give it thickness and maintain rigidity, and spatula portions (6) that are made thinner and flexible are connected to the left and right sides of the pot portion (3) to form the scooping portion (8). In this embodiment, the high-hardness silicone rubber that forms the rigid pot portion (3) itself corresponds to the core member (5). Also, when it is necessary to reinforce the area from the handle (2) to the tip portion (4), it is recommended to provide a single thin auxiliary core member (10).

Alternatively, instead of using hard silicone rubber, it can be molded using soft plastic and molded as described in paragraph 0018.

As shown in Figures 15 and 16 of the second and third embodiments, if the entire spoon (1) is covered with silicone rubber or the like and molded as a single piece, there will be no steps or connecting parts, so moisture will not get in and dirt will not stick to the steps or connecting parts, making it hygienic.

As in all the above examples, the spatula portion (6), particularly the tip edge (7), is thin and made of a flexible material with low hardness. The spatula portion (6) itself deforms when force is applied, but the rigid pot portion (3) provides support and the shape of the depression can be maintained when the weight of the weight placed on the scoop portion (8) is applied.

In addition, although the tip edge (7) is flexible, the tip (4) of the pot portion (3) can be inserted into ice cream, jelly, or other objects that retain their shape, and can be used as a base point for cutting, so even if the spatula portion (6) itself is not hard enough to cut, it is possible to cut off and scoop up a mouthful.

By changing the size (making it larger) with the same structure, it can be used as a cooking spoon, i.e. as a rubber spatula or spatula for cooking. Also, by removing as much of the contents as possible before washing dishes or containers, detergents and oily dirt do not have to be flushed down the drain, which is good for the environment. It can also be used for this purpose. In that case, the length by which the tip edge (7) protrudes beyond the tip part (4) will be longer than in the case of the spoon described in paragraph 0009, taking into account the balance with the width.

Reference Signs List 1 Spoon 2 Handle 3 Pot 4 Tip 5 Core member 6 Spatula 7 Tip edge 8 Scooping part 9 Resin coating layer 10 Auxiliary core material

Claims (3)

A spoon having a long handle and a pot at the tip of the handle along the long axis,
The pot portion is a core member having rigidity that forms an acute angle shape with a tip portion on the long axis as a vertex on an extension of the handle,
The spoon has a flexible spatula portion that widely protrudes or bulges from the core member symmetrically with respect to the long axis , and a scooping portion is formed by the pot portion and the spatula portion,
The tip edge of the scooping portion is provided outside the tip of the pot portion, and the tip edge of the scooping portion is formed by the tip edge of the spatula portion,
The tip edge of the spatula portion forms a continuous straight edge or a gently curved edge that is convex toward the tip side ,
A spoon characterized in that the left and right ends of the tip edge of the spatula portion are formed so as to be bendable with the tip portion as a base point . 2. The spoon according to claim 1, wherein said scooping portion is generally rectangular in shape. The spoon according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the spatula portion protrudes or bulges from the core member in a substantially triangular shape.