Bio-degradable food handling devices and systems and methods for making the devices

A bio-degradable food handling device (50) comprising:

• a first leaf strip (52) defining an adaxial portion (52X) and an abaxial portion (52Y);
• and
• at least one second leaf strip (54) defining a adaxial portion (54X) and an abaxial portion (54Y),
• wherein
• a bonding agent is applied on at least one of half of the abaxial portion (52Y) of said first leaf strip (52) along a longitudinal direction of said first leaf strip (52) and a half of the abaxial portion (54Y) of said second leaf strip (54) along a longitudinal direction of said second leaf strip (54) to attach said first leaf strip (52) onto said second leaf strip (54) in which half of the abaxial portion (52Y) of said first leaf strip (52) is overlapped onto half of the abaxial portion (54Y) of said second leaf strip (54) thereby facilitating formation of an overlapped first and second leaf strip (52, 54);
• and
• said overlapped first and second leaf strip (52, 54) is spiral rolled onto an elongated fixture member (R) to facilitate formation of said bio-degradable food handling device (50).

A bio-degradable food handling device (40) comprising:

• a first leaf strip (42) defining an adaxial portion and an abaxial portion;
• and
• at least one add-on leaf strip (44) defining an adaxial portion and an abaxial portion, wherein
• the abaxial portion of said first leaf strip (42) and the abaxial portion of said at least one add-on leaf strip (44) are scraped;
• a bonding agent is applied on at least a longitudinal edge portion of the abaxial portion of said first leaf strip (42) to attach the longitudinal edge portion with corresponding portion of said first strip (42) when said first leaf strip (42) is adapted to be spiral rolled onto an elongated fixture member (R) to facilitate formation of an elongated rolled member (42R);
• a bonding agent is applied on at least one of the scraped abaxial portion of said add-on leaf strip (44) and the scraped abaxial portion of the elongated rolled member (42R);
• the abaxial portion of said at least one add-on leaf strip (44) is spiral rolled onto the abaxial portion of said elongated rolled member (42R) to attach said at least one add-on leaf strip (44) onto said elongated rolled member (42R) thereby facilitating formation of said bio-degradable food handling device (40);
• said bio-degradable food handling device (40) is removed from the elongated fixture member (R) after curing of bonding agent;
• and
• said bio-degradable food handling device (40) is configured to be used as at least one of a drinking straw, a stirrer, a chopstick, a balloon stick and a candy stick.

A system (100) for making a multi-layered bio-degradable food handling device (10), said system (100) comprising:

• a leaf strip width cutting system (106) adapted to cut a portion of at least one leaf strip (12) along a longitudinal direction of the leaf strip to obtain the leaf strip with a predefined width;
• a leaf strip scraping system (108) adapted to scrape an abaxial portion of the leaf strip (12);
• a leaf strip spiral rolling system (110) adapted to spiral roll the leaf strip (12) on an elongated fixture member (R) to facilitate formation of an elongated rolled member (12R);
• and
• an add-on leaf strip attaching system (112) adapted to facilitate attaching of at least one add-on leaf strip (14L, 14R) onto the elongated rolled member (12R) thereby facilitating formation of the multi-layered bio-degradable food handling device (10).

A method (200) of making a multi-layered bio-degradable food handling device (10), said method (200) comprising:

• cutting a portion of each leaf strip (12, 14L, 14R) along a longitudinal direction of the leaf strip (12, 14L, 14R) to obtain each leaf strip with a predefined width;
• scraping a portion of an abaxial portion of each leaf strip (12, 14L, 14R) along a lengthwise direction of each leaf strip;
• rolling the leaf strip (12) onto an elongated fixture member (R) to facilitate formation of elongated rolled member (12R);
• applying a bonding agent on at least one of a scraped abaxial portion of at least one add-on leaf strip (14L, 14R) and the scraped abaxial portion of the elongated rolled member (12R);
• and
• attaching the abaxial portion of at least one add-on leaf strip (14L, 14R) onto abaxial portion of the elongated rolled member (12R) to facilitate formation of the multilayered bio-degradable food handling device (10).

A bio-degradable food handing device (60) comprising:

• a leaf strip (62) having an adaxial portion (62X) and an abaxial portion (62Y), where the abaxial portion (62Y) of said leaf strip (62) is scraped;
• and
• a bonding agent is applied on at least a longitudinal edge portion of the scraped abaxial portion (62Y) of said leaf strip (62),
• wherein
• said leaf strip (62) is adapted to be rolled on an elongated fixture member (R) to facilitate formation of said bio-degradable food handing device (60);
• and
• the longitudinal edge portion of the scraped abaxial portion (62Y) is attached onto corresponding portion of the adaxial portion (62X) of said leaf strip (62) during rolling of said leaf strip (62) onto the elongated fixture member (R) thereby facilitating formation of said bio-degradable food handing device (60);
• said bio-degradable food handing device (60) is a single layered bio-degradable food handing device (60);
• and
• said bio-degradable food handing device (60) is configured for use as at least one of a drinking straw, a stirrer, a chopstick, a balloon stick and a candy stick.

A system for making a single layered bio-degradable food handling device (60), said system comprising:

• a leaf strip spiral rolling device (110A) comprising,
• a driving unit (110AM);
• and
• a tail stock assembly (110AT) opposite to said driving unit (110AM), where said tail stock assembly (110AT) comprises a tail stock (110ATT), a live center holder (110ATH) adapted to be loaded to said tail stock (110ATT) through a spring (110ATS) and a live center (110ATC), where said live center (110ATC) is freely mounted onto said live center holder (110ATH),
• wherein
• one end of an elongated fixture member (R) is coupled to an output shaft of said driving unit (110AM) and another end of the elongated fixture member (R) is engaged with said live center (110ATC) of said tail stock assembly (110AT);
• a bonding agent is applied on at least a longitudinal edge portion of a scraped abaxial portion (62Y) of a leaf strip (62);
• one end of the leaf strip (62) is engaged to the elongated fixture member (R);
• said driving unit (110AM) is adapted to rotate the elongated fixture member (R) to spiral roll the leaf strip (62) onto the elongated fixture member (R) thereby facilitating formation of the bio-degradable food handing device (60);
• and
• the longitudinal edge portion of the scraped abaxial portion (62Y) attaches onto corresponding portion of the adaxial portion (62X) of the leaf strip (62) during rolling of the leaf strip (62) onto the elongated fixture member (R) thereby maintaining the bio-degradable food handing device (60) in a rolled position.

A method (300) of making a single layered bio-degradable food handling device (60), said method (300) comprising:

• scraping a portion of an abaxial portion (62Y) of a leaf strip (62) along a lengthwise direction of the leaf strip (62);
• applying a bonding agent on at least a longitudinal edge portion of the scraped abaxial portion (62Y) of the leaf strip (62);
• and
• rolling the leaf strip (62) onto an elongated fixture member (R) to facilitate formation of the bio-degradable food handling device (60),
• wherein
• the longitudinal edge portion of the scraped abaxial portion (62Y) attaches onto corresponding portion of the adaxial portion (62X) of the leaf strip (62) during rolling of the leaf strip (62) onto the elongated fixture member (R) thereby maintaining the bio-degradable food handing device (60) in a rolled position.