Covering for an item of cutlery

Abstract

A covering for an item of cutlery includes a covering shaped to be fitted in an interchangeable way onto a grip portion of the item of cutlery. The covering has at least one orifice suitable for expelling air when the covering is fitted onto the grip portion, so as to ensure a firm adhesion of the covering during use.

Claims

1. A covering for an item of cutlery shaped to be mounted in an interchangeable way onto a grip portion of said item of cutlery, wherein said comprises: a pocket-shaped portion having a pocket with an opening which gives access to said pocket, said pocket-shaped portion being shaped to be fitted onto said grip portion, wherein said covering comprises at least one orifice configured for expelling air when said covering is mounted onto said grip portion so as to ensure an adhesion of said covering onto the item of cutlery during use.

2. The covering according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of orifices is provided.

3. The covering according to claim 1, wherein said at least one orifice is configured as one or more through-holes which provide access to an inner portion of said pocket from outside of the covering.

4. The covering according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional orifice in a distal position with respect to said opening of said pocket-shaped portion.

5. The covering according to claim 1, wherein said item of cutlery is a fork and said covering comprises covering tines which form a coupling of shape with tines of said fork.

6. The covering according to claim 5, wherein a knurling is provided on said covering tines from a lateral and/or internal part to said covering tines, said knurling being configured for increasing a roughness of a lateral edge of said covering tines.

7. The covering according to claim 5, wherein a countersink is defined at a base of at least two of said tines that are consecutive to each other, said countersink being configured for increasing an anchoring surface of the covering to said item of cutlery.

8. A covering for a fork, wherein said covering comprises: a pocket-shaped portion; and an auxiliary grip portion which extends from said pocket-shaped portion, wherein said pocket-shaped portion is shaped to be fitted onto tines of said fork, said auxiliary grip portion having a different shape with respect to the grip portion of the fork and being spoon-shaped, and wherein orifices are defined on said pocket-shaped portion.

9. A covering for a blade, wherein said covering is shaped to achieve a coupling of shape with said blade and comprises orifices defined on a front surface of said covering.

10. The covering according to claim 1, wherein said covering is made of Crystallized PLA (CPLA).

11. The covering according to claim 1, further comprising a protective wrapper configured for containing said covering, said protective wrapper being shaped to be opened by a user in order to fit the covering onto the item of cutlery.

12. A method of use of a covering for an item of cutlery, comprising: providing the covering according to claim 1; and protecting a grip portion of the item of cutlery by housing the grip portion into the covering.

13. An item of cutlery, wherein said item of cutlery comprises: a handle; and a grip portion; and a covering according to claim 1, further comprising a stop portion between said handle and said grip portion, said stop portion defining a stop on which said covering rests.

14. An assembly comprising: an item of cutlery; and a covering for said item of cutlery, the covering being shaped to be fitted in an interchangeable way onto a grip portion of said item of cutlery, wherein said covering comprises a pocket-shaped portion having a pocket with an opening which gives access to said pocket, said pocket-shaped portion being shaped to be fitted onto said grip portion, and wherein said covering comprises at least one orifice configured for expelling air when said covering is fitted onto said grip portion so as to ensure an adhesion of said covering onto the item of cutlery during use.

15. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the at least one orifice is a plurality of orifices.

16. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein said at least one orifice is configured as one or more through-holes which provide access to an inner portion of said pocket from outside of the covering.

17. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the covering is fork-shaped and a countersink made at a base of at least two tines of the covering that are consecutive to each other, the item of cutlery being a fork which comprises, at a base of the at least two tines of the fork that correspond to the at least two tines of the covering, a countersink complementary to a countersink of the covering and configured to couple with the countersink of the covering in a snap-like way, thereby improving a hold of the covering on the fork.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Further features and additional advantages of the present invention are highlighted with the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, given only by way of non-exhaustive example, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

[0053] FIG. 1 shows an item of cutlery, specifically a fork;

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a covering applied to the item of cutlery of FIG. 1 in a front view;

[0055] FIG. 2A shows a covering applied to the item of cutlery of FIG. 1 in a rear view;

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a specific view of the grip portion of a fork with the applied covering, according to the present invention and an enlarged view, which highlights the covering tines which form a coupling of shape with the fork tines. FIG. 3 further shows in an enlarged view, specifically of knurls (31a) produced along the tines which form gripping teeth (31a) to better hold picked food to the tines;

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a specific view of the grip portion of the item of cutlery with the applied covering, according to the present invention and an enlarged view, which highlights orifices produced on the covering, specifically on each covering tine;

[0058] FIG. 5 shows a specific view of the countersink (35) produced at the base of at least one covering tine which couples with a countersink (35′) produced in the fork, in such a way as to form a quick snap-like hooking;

[0059] FIGS. 6, 6A and 6B respectively show a fork to which a covering that reproduces the shape of a spoon is applied, in a front and rear view;

[0060] FIGS. 7 and 7A specifically show the spoon-shaped covering;

[0061] FIG. 8 shows a covering applied to a knife;

[0062] FIG. 8A shows an enlargement of the covering of FIG. 8 which highlights the cutting blade made on the covering;

[0063] FIG. 9 shows, in a perspective view, a fork -shaped covering applied to a metallic fork and inserted inside a protective packaging;

[0064] FIG. 10 shows, in a perspective view, the covering for a fork which highlights the shape of the pocket-shaped portion for its insertion and the possible (but not essential) fork countersink (35′) which couples with the covering countersink (35) creating a coupling with a certain mechanical interference, specifically a snap-like coupling;

[0065] Lastly, FIG. 11 shows an axonometric view in which the covering 50 is in the form of a knife having the access opening (43′) through which, like the other embodiments, it can be fitted onto the item of cutlery (in this case, a fork) and equipped with at least one orifice 51 (two orifices in the preferred embodiment) for the air expulsion. The knife-shaped covering has a cutting side 52.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0066] A covering 30 applied to an item of cutlery 100 (FIG. 1) is shown with reference to FIGS. 2 and 2A. The item of cutlery 100 (FIG. 1) comprises a handle portion 20 and a grip portion 10, shaped for gripping food. The grip portion 10 is for example the one defined by tines 11 of a fork, or by a concave portion of a spoon or by a blade 10′ of a knife.

[0067] In a first embodiment, the covering 30 is applied to a fork and is shaped to be fitted in an interchangeable way onto a grip portion 10 of the fork 100 adapted to pick food.

[0068] Specifically, the covering 30 comprises covering tines 32 which, once mounted onto the metallic item of cutlery 100, define a coupling of shape which reproduces the tines 11 of the fork.

[0069] Specifically, the covering comprises a first opening 43′ (see for example FIG. 10) to insert the tines into the covering.

[0070] The covering 30 comprises at least one further orifice 31, specifically several orifices 31, as described in detail below, which expel air during the insertion phase from the opening 43′ of the pocket-shaped portion 43 of the covering 30 onto the grip portion 10 of the item of cutlery 100. The covering 30 is fitted onto the metallic item of cutlery starting from the head end of the metallic item of cutlery itself, and made to slide through the opening 43′ (FIG. 10) along the grip portion of the metallic item of cutlery until this is fully lined.

[0071] As better shown in FIG. 4, the arrangement of orifices 31 enables the expulsion of the air present between the covering's internal surface and the metallic surface of the item of cutlery, in order to have a sucking effect, which enables the covering fitted onto the item of cutlery to remain in a firm position. In other words, orifices 31 enables air to expel outside the covering, which would instead remain trapped to create an air cushion effect which would compromise stability during use (without orifices, as per the solution according to prior art).

[0072] In this way, instead, orifices 31 enable a firm adherence of the covering 30 onto the metallic surface of the item of cutlery 100. Specifically, orifices 31 enable air to be expelled which would otherwise remain trapped in correspondence of a distal end with respect to the opening 43′ through which the covering 30 is inserted.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 10, in the case of a covering for a fork, orifices 31 enable air to be expelled in correspondence of each single tine thereof, ensuring a firm adherence of the covering. In fact, air would be trapped in this area of the fork and would not be expelled through the opening 43′ during the covering's mounting phase.

[0074] Orifices 31 (one or more than one) are through-holes which pass transversely through the covering from the outside to intercept obviously the access opening (43′) in order to be able to expel air.

[0075] Preferably, the covering 30 is made of Crystallised PLA (CPLA). Given that such material is biodegradable and compostable and resistant to temperatures up to 80° C., it is therefore suitable to handle hot food.

[0076] The product is obtained by moulding though a mould that can be opened into two parts, generally two symmetrical halves.

[0077] Each part (or symmetrical half) has an imprint which retraces the shape of tines just to produce the covering after the injection of material.

[0078] When the two parts of the mould are coupled, the two corresponding imprints of the two mould parts overlap and shape the pouring seat which shapes the fork-shaped covering, such that the injection of material shapes the fork shape.

[0079] As mentioned, the covering must shape a pocket with the corresponding tines.

[0080] For this purpose, one half of the two moulds also includes a metallic element (substantially a core) which replicates the shape of the covering to be produced, such as the fork and which can be transferred from a position where it is inserted into the said imprint of the said half and a position extracted from it.

[0081] Therefore, during the material injection phase, said fork (or core) is translated inside the imprint which retraces the covering shape. Therefore the material injected into the closed mould floods the imprint surrounding the fork and thus takes on the shape of fork covering. The same occurs for the other shapes of knife or spoon.

[0082] When the mould is reopened, the fork is retreated thereby exiting from the produced shape covering and frees the covering.

[0083] At this point, an extractor expels the produced covering.

[0084] Orifices are produced through pins which raise vertically from the base of said imprint present in the mould half in which it translates and there is said fork which inserts into the said imprint (the imprint retraces the covering shape to be produced, as mentioned).

[0085] In this way, the same pins which raise upwards intercept the fork vertically, thus forming support stanchions for the fork itself.

[0086] This has two effects.

[0087] On the one hand, the pins form orifices and on the other, they support the same fork stopping possible inflection thereof inside the imprint during the injection phase of moulding the fluid material.

[0088] Such material has, in fact, a remarkable injection pressure and this may cause an inflection of the fork inside the imprint, thus causing a productive defect of the covering.

[0089] The presence of such pins necessary for forming orifices also has a support function of the fork which is the negative around which the covering is produced in the productive phase in the mould.

[0090] When the injection has been completed, the mould opens again into two halves. The fork is retreated and thus extracted from the produced covering and extractors exit from the base of a mould half to expel outside the produced covering pushing it along an ejection direction orthogonal to the plane of the said mould half.

[0091] In addition to the above-described function of air expulsion, in the moulding phase, orifices 31 thus enable the injection of the aforementioned material, stopping flexions of the item of cutlery that may make the production difficult.

[0092] As described below, orifices 31 are arranged on each covering tine 32 so as to replicate the shape of the fork tines 11 and ensure a homogenous injection of material, given that they prevent flexions of the fork in the mould. This enables a precise covering with improved features of structural resistance.

[0093] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2, 2A, and in FIG. 3, the covering 30 is produced to form a coupling of shape with the tines 11 of the metallic item of cutlery 100. Thus, the covering 30 comprises covering tines 32, each shaped to fit onto one of the corresponding tines 11 of the metallic fork.

[0094] On each covering tine 32, an orifice 31 turned towards the rear part of the fork is produced (FIG. 2A and FIG. 4).

[0095] In detailed constructive features, the covering tines 32, as shown in FIG. 3, comprise sharp ends suitable for favouring a better penetration of them into food, such as meat or similar foods.

[0096] In addition, covering tines 32 comprise a lateral knurling 31a which is also suitable for favouring a better grip of food. Knurling 31a forms a series of teeth on the lateral part of covering tines 32 (on one or both sides of each tine).

[0097] In other constructive features, covering tines 32 can also comprise, in combination with the description above or independently, a countersink 35 made at the base of at least two covering tines 32, consecutive to each other, which increases the anchoring surface of the covering 30 to the item of cutlery (FIG. 5).

[0098] In fact, although the covering can be applied to any fork, it is possible to produce a suitable metallic fork which, as per FIG. 1, forms at the base of the two central tines a countersink produced to house said countersink 35 of the covering, thereby generating a snap-like coupling which firmly maintains the coupling, in combination with the expulsion of air through orifices.

[0099] A constructive variant of the covering 40 is shown with reference to FIG. 6, 6A and 6B.

[0100] In this case, the covering 40 is spoon-shaped and is still applied to a fork 100, specifically in correspondence to the grip portion 10 of the fork.

[0101] Substantially, an inner pocket is still provided to fit the covering onto the item of cutlery but the external shape forms a surface which generates a spoon.

[0102] Thus, in greater detail, the covering 40 comprises, in that case, a covering portion 43, FIG. 7A and a portion of auxiliary grip 45 of food which extends from the covering portion 43 (FIG. 7) and they form a spoon as a whole.

[0103] Constructively, the covering portion forms an inner pocket 43 shaped to be fitted onto the grip portion 10 of the fork, that is on the tines 11 of the fork, exactly as described above. In this way, the covering 40 reproduces the form of a spoon or of a knife (not shown) starting from a fork as a basic item of cutlery.

[0104] The pocket-shaped portion 43 achieves a shape coupling on the external part with all tines 11 of the fork, wholly incorporating them. In other words, the pocket-shaped portion 43 has an opening such as to surround from the external part, all tines of the fork, enabling, at the same time, a firm connection with the item of cutlery. A firm connection is achieved by shaping the opening of the pocket-shaped portion 43 so that this is fitted by sliding along the end tines, opposite each other, of the item of cutlery 100 until the same pocket-shaped portion 43 covers fully the tines 11, incorporating them all in the same portion of pocket-shaped covering. Differently from the description above, with reference to the covering 30 applied to the fork, in this case, the covering 40 still forms a coupling of shape which does not reproduce the shape of tines 11 of the item of cutlery, but it simply forms a pocket-shaped coupling of shape which encompasses them all.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 7A, the covering 40 in the form of a spoon provides two orifices 41 produced in the rear part of the spoon cavity, in correspondence to the pocket-shaped portion 43, with the purpose of air release to facilitate the insertion of the covering 40. In the same way, orifices 41 define the supplementary injection points to favour the expansion of material into the mould cavities during the productive process.

[0106] The coverings 30 and 40 described above therefore make a metallic fork 100 modular, given that they are interchangeable on it as accessories according to use.

[0107] With reference to FIG. 8, a covering 50 shaped to be fitted onto a knife to cover its blade 10′ is shown.

[0108] In this case, the covering 50 also forms a coupling of shape with the blade 10′ and comprises orifices 51 produced on its front surface. In addition, the covering 50 comprises a cutting edge 52 (FIG. 8a) with a serrated shape which reproduces the function of the knife blade 10′.

[0109] Lastly, FIG. 9 shows the covering 30 of FIGS. 2 and 2A applied to the fork 100. The covering 30 is advantageously kept inside a wrapper 60, which, for example, is made of paper or plastic material.

[0110] Mounting the covering 30 therefore involves unwrapping the covering 60 and still maintaining the grip of fingers in contact with the wrapper 60, fitting the covering 30 onto the fork. In this way, the positioning of the covering 30 onto the fork 100 occurs without direct contact thereof by the user, given that the wrapper 60 can be used as a protection during mounting phases. This feature ensures thorough hygiene for the user. The same method of insertion and preservation in the wrapper 60 are naturally possible for different types of covering 40 and 50. Specifically, the covering 60 can provide a tear line which facilitates its opening. The tear line is advantageously positioned in correspondence to the base of the covering. In this way, the user can open the wrapper in correspondence to the covering's base, maintaining it between fingers on the part of covering tines 32. Therefore so that once the wrapper 60 has been opened, mounting the covering 30 on the item of cutlery is facilitated with the correct orientation of the base of the covering towards the item of cutlery.

[0111] According to another feature of the present invention, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6, a metallic item of cutlery 100 is described which comprises a stop portion 12 formed on the lateral part in correspondence to a connection area between the handle 20 and the grip portion 10 of the item of cutlery 100.

[0112] Specifically, the item of cutlery 100 reproduces, for example, the shape of a common fork, as shown in FIG. 1. It provides, in correspondence to a connection area between the handle 20, at the base with the grip portion 10, a projecting part which defines the stop 12 on which the covering 30 rests when it is fitted onto the item of cutlery (FIG. 2). The same FIG. 1 shows the item of cutlery 100, according to the present invention, made of stainless steel which has a regular handle 20, with the upper part linearised in the form and such as to be used without covering 30.

[0113] Thus, the preferred embodiment of the invention provides a fork, spoon, or knife-shaped covering suitable for covering a metallic fork. Therefore, it would be possible to have a set of coverings (spoon, item of cutlery and fork) suitable for covering the traditional metallic fork.

[0114] Obviously, as already described in the application, the covering could be suitable for covering any item of cutlery.

[0115] Furthermore, in all the embodiments, the covering could be treated with anti-microbial material, such as silver ions.

[0116] The above description of one or more specific embodiments shows the invention from a conceptual point of view so that others, using the known art, can modify and/or adapt, in various applications, the embodiments without further searches and without exceeding the inventive concept. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are to be intended as equivalent to those of the specific embodiment. The means and materials to achieve the various described functions can be of any nature without exceeding the inventive scope. Used expressions or terms have a merely descriptive and thus non-limiting aim.