Spring-armed kitchen utensils and locking mechanism therefor
AssigneeGourmet Settings Inc.
InventorHelen Kerr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A locking utensil is provided. The utensil has a pair of pivoting spring-loaded arms each having a forward functional end and a rear attachment end. The utensil includes a locking assembly, featuring an eccentrically shaped cam disposed in a channel between the arms. One side of the cam has a projecting shoulder dimensioned to frictionally engage an inside surface of the channel when the shoulder side of the cam is rocked into contact with the inside surface. The cam can releasably retain the arms closed to lock them. An actuator tab that extends out of the channel is used to rock the cam into and out of locking engagement.
Claims20
A locking utensil, comprising:
- a pair of arms each having a forward functional end and a rear attachment end;
- the arms being nested together at their attachment ends and pivotably fastened together at a main pivot, the nested attachment ends defining a channel between them;
- a spring disposed in the channel to bias the functional ends of the arms outward to an open position, except when the arms are brought together for gripping an object or for locking the arms in a closed position;
- and
- a locking assembly comprising:
- a cam disposed in the channel and pivotable therein in a rocking motion independently of the main pivot;
- the cam being eccentrically shaped and having two opposing sides, one of the sides having a projecting shoulder dimensioned to frictionally engage an inside surface of the channel when the shoulder side of the cam is rocked into contact with said surface, to thereby releasably retain the arms in locking engagement in the closed position;
- and
- an actuator tab extending at least partway out of the channel for rocking the cam side to side into and out of locking engagement.
A locking tongs, comprising:
- a pair of arms each having a forward functional end and a rear attachment end;
- the arms being nested together at their attachment ends and pivotably fastened together at a main pivot, the nested attachment ends defining a channel between them;
- a biasing means disposed in the channel to bias the functional ends of the arms outward to an open position, except when the arms are brought together for gripping an object or for locking the arms in a closed position;
- and
- a locking assembly comprising:
- a cam disposed in the channel and pivotable therein in a rocking motion independently of the main pivot;
- the cam having a projecting shoulder dimensioned to frictionally engage an inside surface of the channel when the shoulder is rocked into contact with said surface, to thereby releasably retain the arms in locking engagement in the closed position;
- and
- an actuator tab extending at least partway out of the channel for rocking the cam into and out of locking engagement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.