US 5,904,250 AGranted

Bound set therefor of disposable cutlery

AssigneeDe Ster NV

InventorJef De Schutter

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Abstract

The invention relates to a bundle (40) of disposable cutlery implements (6) (knives, forks or spoons). The bundle (40) consists of a stable stack of nesting implements (6) secured together by a strip or band (42). The implements have a handle (8) and an operative part (10) (blade, tines or bowl). The handle (8) of each implement (6) has a roughly U-shaped cross section over its entire length. The two arms (14) and (16) of the U-section form a blunt angle with the web (18). At the end of the handle both arms are joined together also to form a blunt angle with the wall section (20) formed by the web. In order to be able to form large stable stacks of nesting implements of the same kind while reducing the volume of packaging material required, the two arms (14) and (16) of the handles (8) are extended beyond the transition (22) to the operative part (10) and gradually taper to merge with the edge thereof.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A stack of stackable knives, each one of said stackable knives comprising:

a) a handle having a front end and a spaced apart rear end;
b) said handle including a substantially U-shaped cross section over substantially the entire length thereof;
c) said U-shaped cross section including a left leg, a spaced apart right leg, and a top wall portion joining said left leg to said right leg;
d) a knife blade disposed at said front end of said handle;
e) a transition zone disposed between and connecting said knife blade to said handle;
f) said knife blade including a cutting edge disposed on the left side thereof, a knife back disposed on the right side thereof, and a tip at the front thereof;
g) an extended portion of said right leg extending through and past said transition zone and defining said knife back, and said knife back tapering leftwardly and terminating substantially at said tip of said knife blade for enhancing stacking stability in said transition zone, for enhancing stacking stability of said knife blade, and for enhancing the strength of said knife blade;
h) an extended portion of said left leg extending through and past said transition zone into said knife blade for enhancing the strength and stackability of said knife blade and said transition zone;
and,
i) an extended portion of said top wall portion extending through and past said transition zone into said knife blade for enhancing the strength and stackability of said transition zone and said knife blade.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.