Utensil for mounting on a container and folding for minimizing storage space of the container and utensil combination

A method for assembling a mountable and foldable utensil, comprising the steps of:

• providing a handle having a longitudinal axis;
• providing an instrument having a longitudinal axis;
• providing a pivot block;
• forming a forward wall and two forward extending arms on the handle;
• forming first movement limiting structures on the handle and on the pivot block to prevent relative movement around a rotational axis between the instrument and the handle when the longitudinal axes of the instrument and the handle are generally parallel to one another;
• forming first movement hindering structures on the pivot block and the handle to hinder relative movement around the rotational axis between the instrument and the handle when the longitudinal axes of the instrument and the handle are generally parallel to one another;
• securing the instrument to the pivot block;
• and
• rotatably connecting the pivot block to the handle on the extending arms.

A mountable and foldable utensil comprising:

• a handle having a longitudinal axis, the handle comprising:
• a first movement limiting structure;
• an instrument having a longitudinal axis, the instrument comprising:
• a utility portion;
• a tab portion;
• a curved mounting portion disposed between the utility portion and the tab portion along the longitudinal axis of the instrument,
• wherein the curved mounting portion has a concave surface and a convex surface, and
• wherein a first portion of the concave surface closer to the tab portion is parallel to a second portion of the concave surface that is closer to the utility portion, thereby forming a gap between the first portion and the second portion of the concave surface,
• such that when the mountable and foldable utensil is mounted, via the curved mounting portion, on a rim of a condiment container having a side wall with a thickness that is shorter than a width of the gap, the first portion is disposed on a first side of the side wall and the second portion is disposed on a second side of the side wall;
• and
• a pivot block having a first axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the instrument, and a second axis that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the instrument and generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the gap,
• wherein the pivot block is connected to the tab portion and rotatably connected to the handle, which enables the instrument and the handle to rotate about the second axis of the pivot block from a use position where the longitudinal axes of the handle and instrument are generally parallel to each other to a storage position where the longitudinal axes of the handle and the instrument are generally perpendicular to each other, and
• wherein the pivot block comprises:
• a second movement limiting structure disposed to abut the first movement limiting structure in the use position, thereby permitting rotation about the second axis in a first direction toward the storage position, and limiting rotation around the second axis in an opposite direction past the use position.