US20090066097A1

US20090066097A1 - Environmental chopsticks module and chopsticks rest thereof

Info

Publication number: US20090066097A1
Application number: US11/899,454
Authority: US
Inventors: Tsung-Che Lin; Chih-Hsiung Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-09-06
Filing date: 2007-09-06
Publication date: 2009-03-12

Abstract

The present invention discloses an environmental chopsticks module and its chopsticks rest, and the chopsticks rest is provided for binding, storing, using and placing a pair of environmental chopsticks. The chopsticks rest includes two end portions, at least two loops disposed between the two end portions, an opening formed separately on both lateral sides of the two loops, a containing space formed at the internal circumference of the two loops for binding and storing the environmental chopsticks, and at least one racking space formed at a joint of the two loops for using and placing the environmental chopsticks, so as to constitute the environmental chopsticks module and its chopsticks rest.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an environmental chopsticks module and its chopsticks rest, and more particularly to an environmental chopsticks module and its chopsticks rest capable of storing and racking chopsticks, as well as assisting the holding of chopsticks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Chopsticks are indispensable tableware in our daily life, and users generally do not hold the chopsticks all the time while using chopsticks for eating, and a chopsticks rest is not always provided when dining out. The chopsticks are generally placed on a bowl or a dish or leaned slantingly against the edge of the dish, or even placed directly on the top of a table, and such arrangement may slide, roll or drop the chopsticks easily, and dusts and bacteria may be attached onto the chopsticks, which will affect our dietetic hygiene. To prevent the clamping ends of the chopsticks from being contacted with the top of a table or contaminated when the chopsticks are not in use, and overcome the dietetic hygiene issue, related manufacturers have provided solutions as described in R.O.C. Pat. Publication No. 398250 entitled “Chopsticks rest structure”, which comprises a chopsticks rest, and the chopsticks rest has a downwardly concave arc surface or a recession at the top for placing the chopsticks at the concave arc surface or recession after a meal. The chopsticks can be put at appropriation positions during or after a meal, and the middle of the chopsticks rest has a through hole, so that the chopsticks can be inserted and fixed into the chopsticks rest to facilitate its portability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the invention to provide an environmental chopsticks module and a chopsticks rest thereof, so that the two environmental chopsticks can be bound, stored, used and disposed, and also combined to form a clamping tool in different application modes.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides an environmental chopsticks module and a chopsticks rest thereof, and the chopsticks rest includes two end portions, at least two loops disposed between the two end portions, an opening formed separately on both lateral sides of the two loops, a containing space formed at the internal circumference of the two loops for binding and storing the environmental chopsticks, and at least one racking space formed at a joint of the two loops for using and placing the environmental chopsticks, and a force applying fulcrum is formed when an end portion of the environmental chopsticks is placed into the containing space and racked between the two environmental chopsticks, so as to constitute the environmental chopsticks module and its chopsticks rest.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a structure of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views of another application of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a further application of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show various embodiments of the invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 for a perspective view and an exploded view of the present invention respectively, the invention comprises a chopsticks rest 10 and a pair of environmental chopsticks 20, and the chopsticks rest 10 includes two end portions 11 disposed on the same horizontal plane, at least two loops 12 between the two end portions 11, an opening formed separately on both lateral sides of the two loops 12 and defining a containing space 13 at the internal circumference of the opening for binding and storing the environmental chopsticks 20, at least one racking space 14 formed at a joint of the two loops 12 for using and disposing the environmental chopsticks 20, a disposing plane 15 disposed at the bottom of the loop 12 and aligned on a same plane or a different plane with the two end portions 11 (not shown in the figure), and the two end portions 11 or the disposing plane 15 can assist the chopsticks rest 10 to be disposed on a tabletop, wherein the chopsticks rest 10 is a flexible body (made of silicon gel or rubber, etc), and a force can be applied to adjust the internal diameter of the racking space 14 and an interval of the containing space 13 depending on the external diameter of the environmental chopsticks 20; and the environmental chopsticks 20 include two chopsticks, and each chopstick includes a cap 23, a holding member 22 and an extending member 21 sequentially assembled from the top to the bottom according to the assembly configuration, and the external diameter of the cap 23>the external diameter of the holding member 22>the external diameter of the extending member 21, so that the extending member 21 can be stored into the holding member 22, and the cap 23 can store the holding member 22, and the environmental chopsticks 20 can be placed into the containing space 13 with a smaller volume to facilitate its portability.
A first connecting element 211 and a,second connecting element 221 are disposed at a connecting position of the extending member 21 and the holding member 22 for constituting a position limit for the extending member 21 in its extended status, wherein the first connecting element 211 is an external thread, and the second connecting element 221 is a screw lump corresponding to a screw connection, and a position limiting relation of the first position limiting portion 231 and the second position limiting portion 222 are defined at the connecting position of the cap 23 and the holding member 22, and the internal diameter of the first position limiting portion 231 is slightly smaller than the second position limiting portion 222 to constitute a position limiting relation with a tight engagement, and the second position limiting portion 222 is a connecting element for selectively separating and coupling the holding member 22, and a corresponding thread portion is disposed at a connecting position of the connecting element and the holding member 22.
Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the environmental chopsticks 20 of the invention can be placed at the racking space 14 after a meal, and the racking space 14 is equal to or greater than the external diameter of the environmental chopsticks 20, and the racking space 14 can come with a plurality, and each racking space 14 is equal to or greater than the external diameter of the chopstick, so that the extending member 21 is racked from the a tabletop by the chopsticks rest 10 to prevent the extending member 21 from touching the tabletop directly or prevent the extending member 21 from being contaminated by dusts or bacteria, which will cause dietetic hygiene problems to users. In FIG. 3A, the two end portions 11 or the disposing plane 15 can assist the chopsticks rest 10 to be disposed on the tabletop, and the flexibility of the chopsticks rest 10 can bend the two end portions 11 such that its end points form support points of the chopsticks rest 10 when it touches the tabletop as shown in FIG. 3B. When the environmental chopsticks 20 can be placed into the containing space 13 (as shown in FIG. 4), an end portion 11 of the chopsticks rest 10 is racked between the two chopsticks to form a force applying fulcrum, so as to serve as a clamping tool.
While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A chopsticks rest, provided for binding, storing, using and placing a pair of environmental chopsticks, characterized in that the chopsticks rest comprises two end portions, at least two loops disposed between the two end portions, an opening disposed on both lateral sides of the two loops, a containing space formed at the internal circumference of the two loops for binding and storing the environmental chopsticks, and at least one racking space formed at a joint of the two loops for using and placing the environmental chopsticks.

2. The chopsticks rest of claim 1, wherein the two end portions have end points that serve as support points of the chopsticks rest.

3. The chopsticks rest of claim 1, wherein the loop comes with a disposing plane.

4. The chopsticks rest of claim 1, wherein the chopsticks rest is a flexible body, such that a force can be applied to adjust the internal diameter of the containing space according to the external diameter of the environmental chopsticks.

5. The chopsticks rest of claim 1, wherein the chopsticks rest is a flexible body, such that a force can be applied to adjust an interval of the racking space according to the external diameter of the environmental chopsticks.

6. The chopsticks rest of claim 1, wherein an end portion of the chopsticks rest is placed into the containing space of the environmental chopsticks and racked between the two environmental chopsticks to form a force applying fulcrum.

7. The chopsticks rest of claim 1, wherein the racking space comes with a plurality, and each racking space is equal to or greater than the external diameter of a single chopstick of the environmental chopsticks.

8. An environmental chopsticks module, comprising:

a pair of environmental chopsticks, including two chopsticks, and each chopstick including a cap, a holding member and an extending member sequentially from the top to the bottom according to its assembling configuration, and the external diameter of the cap is greater than the external diameter of the holding member which is greater than the external diameter of the extending member, so that the extending member can be stored into the holding member, and the cap can store the holding member;

a chopsticks rest, including two end portions, at least two loops disposed between the two end portions, an opening formed separately on both sides of the two loops, a containing space formed at the internal circumference of the two loops for binding and storing the environmental chopsticks, and at least one racking space formed at a joint of the two loops for using and disposing the environmental chopsticks.

9. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 8, wherein the two end portions have end points that serve as support points of the chopsticks rest.

10. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 8, wherein the loop comes with a disposing plane.

11. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 8, wherein the chopsticks rest is a flexible body, such that a force can be applied to adjust the internal diameter of the containing space according to the external diameter of the environmental chopsticks.

12. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 8, wherein the chopsticks rest is a flexible body, such that a force can be applied to adjust an interval of the racking space according to the external diameter of the environmental chopsticks.

13. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 8, wherein an end portion of the chopsticks rest is placed into the containing space of the environmental chopsticks and racked between the two environmental chopsticks to form a force applying fulcrum.

14. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 8, wherein the racking space comes with a plurality, and each racking space is equal to or greater than the external diameter of a single chopstick of the environmental chopsticks.

15. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 8, further comprises a first connecting element and a second connecting element disposed at a connecting position of the extending member and the holding member for constituting a limit position for the extending member at its extended status.

16. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 15, wherein the first connecting element is an external thread, and the second connecting portion is a screw lump corresponding to a screw connection.

17. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 8, further comprising a first position limiting portion and a second position limiting portion disposed at a connecting position of the cap and the holding member for defining a position limiting relation.

18. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 17, wherein the first position limiting portion has an internal diameter slightly smaller than the second position limiting portion to define a position limiting relation with a tight engagement.

19. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 18, wherein the second position limiting portion is a connecting element for selectively separating and coupling the holding member.

20. The environmental chopsticks module of claim 19, further comprising a corresponding thread portion disposed at a connecting position of the connecting element and the holding member.