Mountable and foldable utensil with structure for hindering and limiting movement of utensil components

A mountable and foldable utensil comprising:

• a handle to enable a user to hold the utensil, the handle having a longitudinal axis;
• an instrument having a utility portion, a mounting portion, and a tab portion, the instrument having a longitudinal axis;
• a pivot block rotatably connected to the handle and secured to the tab portion of the instrument;
• first movement limiting structures connected to the pivot block and to the handle to limit movement of the instrument relative to the handle when the longitudinal axes of the instrument and of the handle are generally parallel;
• second movement limiting structures connected to the pivot block and to the handle to limit movement of the instrument relative to the handle when the longitudinal axes of the instrument and of the handle are generally perpendicular;
• first movement hindering structures connected to the pivot block and to the handle to hinder movement of the instrument relative to the handle;
• and
• second movement hindering structures connected to the pivot block and to the handle to hinder movement of the instrument relative to the handle.

A method for assembling a foldable utensil with detents, comprising the steps of:

• providing a handle having a longitudinal axis;
• providing an instrument having a longitudinal axis;
• providing a pivot block;
• forming first movement limiting structures on the handle and on the pivot block to prevent relative movement between the instrument and the handle when the longitudinal axes of the instrument and the handle are generally parallel to one another;
• forming second movement limiting structures on the handle and on the pivot block to prevent relative movement between the instrument and the handle when the longitudinal axes of the instrument and the handle are generally perpendicular to one another;
• securing the instrument to the pivot block;
• rotatably connecting the pivot block to the handle;
• forming first movement hindering structures on the pivot block and the handle;
• and
• forming second movement hindering structure on the pivot block and the handle.

A mountable and foldable utensil comprising:

• a handle having a longitudinal axis;
• an instrument having a utility portion, a tab portion and a curved mounting portion, the curved mounting portion being located between the utility portion and the tab portion, the curved mounting portion enabling the utensil to be mounted to a rim of a container having side walls, and the instrument having a longitudinal axis;
• a pivot block connected to the handle to enable rotation about a horizontal axis and to the instrument at the tab portion, the pivot block enabling the handle and the instrument to move between a position where the longitudinal axes of the handle and the instrument are generally parallel to each other and a position where the longitudinal axes of the handle and the instrument are generally perpendicular to each other;
• movement limiting structures connected to the pivot block and to the handle to limit movement of the instrument relative to the handle when the longitudinal axes of the instrument and the handle are generally parallel to one another, wherein the utensil is moveable between a use position where the longitudinal axes of the handle and the instrument are generally parallel to one another and a folded storage position where the curved mounting portion is enabled to rest on the rim of the container the container having sidewalls, where the instrument is enabled to extend generally horizontally over contents in the container, and the longitudinal axis of the handle is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the instrument and the handle is enabled to extend along one of the sidewalls of the container;
• the pivot block includes two shafts;
• and
• the handle includes two arms where each arm includes an opening to receive a respective one of the shafts of the of the pivot block.