Multipurpose Combined Spoon and Knife Utensil

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multipurpose kitchen utensil that has an integrated combination of a spoon and a knife. The utensil is designed to scoop a condiment from a jar using the spoon portion and spread the scooped condiment on bread, a bun, sandwich, and more using the knife portion. The utensil obviates requirement of separate spoons and knives for taking out (i.e., scooping) and spreading condiments or edibles. The knife portion is positioned between the spoon portion and a handle portion of the utensil. The utensil enables users to scoop a desired quantity of condiment from any jar and spread same on a food item without any mess and wastage.

Claims

1. A multipurpose utensil comprising: a spoon portion comprising a scoop having an inwardly concave top surface and a smooth scooping edge; a knife portion comprised of a blade having a spreader edge and an opposing spine edge; and a handle portion, wherein said knife portion is positioned between said spoon portion and said handle portion, and further wherein said knife portion merges with said spoon portion at a top end of said knife portion to form a single continuous utensil for scooping and spreading an edible.

2. The multipurpose utensil of claim 1, wherein said knife portion comprises a first length and said handle portion comprises a second length, and further wherein said first length is from about 70 percent to about 80 percent of said second length.

3. The multipurpose utensil of claim 2, wherein said spreader edge is a serrated edge.

4. The multipurpose utensil of claim 2, wherein said top end of said knife portion comprises a first width and a bottom end of said knife portion comprises a second width, and further wherein said first width is narrower than said second width.

5. The multipurpose utensil of claim 2, wherein said handle portion tapers in width from a terminal end of said handle portion to a connected end of said handle portion and said knife portion.

6. The multipurpose utensil of claim 1, wherein a centerline of said handle portion and a major axis of said spoon portion include a common collinear axis.

7. The multipurpose utensil of claim 6, wherein said knife portion is asymmetrical about said common collinear axis.

8. The multipurpose utensil of claim 7, wherein said multipurpose utensil includes a material selected from a group consisting of a stainless steel and an aluminum.

9. The multipurpose utensil of claim 7, wherein said multipurpose utensil includes a material selected from a group consisting of a polyethylene, a polyvinylidene chloride, a low-density polyethylene, a polypropylene, a high impact polystyrene and a polycarbonate.

10. The multipurpose utensil of claim 7, wherein said multipurpose utensil is comprised of a biodegradable material.

11. A multipurpose utensil comprising: a spoon portion comprised of a scoop having an inwardly concave top surface and a smooth scooping edge; a knife portion comprised of a blade having a spreader edge and an opposing spine edge, wherein said knife portion merges with said spoon portion at a top end of said knife portion to form a single continuous utensil for scooping and spreading an edible; and a handle portion; wherein said knife portion is positioned between said spoon portion and said handle portion; wherein a centerline of said handle portion and a major axis of said spoon portion include a common collinear axis; wherein said knife portion is asymmetrical about said common collinear axis; wherein said knife portion comprises a first length and said handle portion comprises a second length; and further wherein said first length is from about 70 percent to about 80 percent of said second length.

12. The multipurpose utensil of claim 11, wherein said spreader edge is a serrated edge.

13. The multipurpose utensil of claim 11, wherein said top end of said knife portion comprises a first width and a bottom end of said knife portion includes a second width, said first width is narrower than said second width.

14. The multipurpose utensil of claim 11, wherein said handle portion tapers in width from a terminal end of said handle portion to a connected end of said handle portion and said knife portion.

15. The multipurpose utensil of claim 11, wherein said multipurpose utensil comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a stainless steel and an aluminum.

16. The multipurpose utensil of claim 11, wherein said multipurpose utensil comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a polyethylene, a polyvinylidene chloride, a low-density polyethylene, a polypropylene, a high impact polystyrene and a polycarbonate.

17. The multipurpose utensil of claim 11, wherein said multipurpose utensil is comprised of a biodegradable material.

18. A method of scooping and spreading an edible, the method comprising the steps of: providing a multipurpose utensil comprised of a spoon portion, a knife portion and a handle portion, wherein said spoon portion is positioned at a proximal end and said handle portion is positioned at a distal end, and further wherein said knife portion is positioned between said spoon portion and said handle portion; holding said handle portion and scooping the edible from a container with said spoon portion; applying the edible to a food item; and holding said handle portion and spreading the edible with said knife portion on the food item, wherein said knife portion includes a blade having a spreader edge and an opposing spine edge.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a centerline of said handle portion and a major axis of said spoon portion include a common collinear axis.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said knife portion is asymmetrical about said common collinear axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of a multipurpose utensil of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a user holding one potential embodiment of the multipurpose utensil of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0022] FIGS. 3A & 3B illustrate perspective views showing use of one potential embodiment of the eating utensil of the present invention for scooping peanut butter from a jar and applying same to a bread slice in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0023] FIGS. 4A & 4B illustrate perspective views showing use of one potential embodiment of the multipurpose utensil of the present invention for scooping jelly from a jar and applying same to a bread slice in accordance with the disclosed architecture; and

[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view showing another potential embodiment of the multipurpose kitchen utensil of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0025] The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.

[0026] As noted above, there exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved utensil that can resolve the problem of using separate spoon and butter knife/knife utensils for making a sandwich or similar dish. There is also a long-felt need in the art for an eating utensil that can function both as a spoon and a butter knife. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a utensil that obviates scooping of condiments or edibles from a jar using a butter knife. Moreover, there is a long-felt need in the art for a multipurpose utensil that can be used for scooping out condiments or edibles from a jar and spreading the condiments or edibles on a sandwich. Further, there is a long-felt need in the art for a utensil that prevents any mess associated with excess condiments or edibles. Furthermore, there is a long-felt need in the art for a multipurpose eating utensil that obviates the requirement of producing separate spoons and butter knives. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a multipurpose eating and food preparation utensil that enables easy scooping out of a spreadable food condiment from a jar and spreading same onto sandwich bread or buns.

[0027] The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a novel spoon and butter knife combination utensil. The utensil includes a spoon portion at a proximal end and a handle at a distal end. A butter knife portion is positioned between said spoon portion and said handle, the spoon portion having a concave bowl for scooping and retaining condiments or edibles like peanut butter, jam, butter, and more from a jar, the butter knife having an edge and a blade used for spreading the condiments or edibles released on the bread, wherein the utensil is gripped using the handle while scooping and spreading condiments or edibles.

[0028] Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of the multipurpose utensil 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The multipurpose utensil 100 is a unique kitchen tool designed to easily create sandwiches without using separate spoons and knives. More specifically, the utensil 100 is a combination of a spoon and a butter knife and can be used for conveniently removing condiments or edibles from a jar and easily spreading condiments or edibles on a sandwich (i.e., a food item). The utensil 100 has a scoop portion 102, a butter knife portion 104, and a handle 106, wherein the butter knife portion 104 is positioned between the scoop portion 102 and the handle 106.

[0029] The scoop component 102 is in the shape of an ordinary spoon or scoop configuration including an inwardly concave top surface 108 and a bottom surface 110. The inwardly concave top surface 108 enables condiments or edibles to be easily stored therein for application on a sandwich. The scoop component 102 has a smooth scooping edge 112 allowing easy scooping of condiments or edibles from a jar and includes a connecting edge 114 that connects to the top end or neck 116 of the knife portion 104.

[0030] The butter knife portion 104 is in the shape of an ordinary butter knife utensil and includes a blade 118, a cutting/spreader edge 120, and a spine edge 122. The spreader edge 120, along with the blade 118, is used for spreading condiments or edibles on a sandwich. The butter knife portion 104 merges with the scoop component 102 at the top end 116 of the butter knife portion 104 forming a single continuous utensil for scooping and spreading condiments or edibles. The top end 116 of the butter knife portion 104 includes a width that is narrower than a width of the bottom end 120 of the butter knife portion 104. A centerline of the handle 106 and a major axis of the spoon portion 102 are collinear along axis 150. The knife portion 104 is asymmetric about axis 150.

[0031] The handle 106 extends rearwardly from the butter knife portion 104 and can be of any type, style, and size. Further, the handle 106 is ergonomic, longitudinal, and grippable. The handle 106 can be wider or narrower than the blade 118 of the butter knife portion 104. In one exemplary arrangement, the handle 106 tapers in width from a terminal end 126 of the handle 106 to a connected end 128 of the handle 106 adjacent to the knife portion 104. A length 136 of the butter knife portion 104 is from about 70 percent to about 80 percent of a length 146 of the handle portion 106. The handle 106 can have anti-slippery coating/protection for an easy and secure usage of the utensil 100. A user of the multipurpose utensil 100 takes hold of the handle 106 and maneuvers the utensil for scooping the condiments or edibles from a jar using the scoop component 102, and then spreads the condiments or edibles over the sandwich using the butter knife portion 104. As long as the design of the handle 106 does not significantly hamper utilization of the utensil 100, the design is proper.

[0032] The utensil 100 includes a one-piece structure and is designed to eliminate use of separate spoons and butter knives for preparing sandwiches. The scoop component 102 and the butter knife portion 104 provide the versatility and function of separate and independent spoons and butter knives. The scoop/spoon portion 102 is positioned at a proximal end of the utensil 100 and the handle 106 is positioned at a distal end of the utensil 100.

[0033] The multipurpose utensil 100 can be made from any material. Further, various parts can be made from the same or different materials. The utensil 100 can be made from materials such as, but not limited to, metal such as stainless steel and aluminum; plastics and polymers such as, but not limited to, polyethylene, polyvinylidene chloride, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, high impact polystyrene and polycarbonate; biodegradable materials such as wood, or some combinations thereof. Preferably, the materials making up the utensil 100 are durable and are either easy to clean or inexpensive and disposable.

[0034] The scoop portion 102 is sized and dimensioned appropriately allowing it to easily scoop condiments or edibles from any conventional jars/bottles. Further, longitudinal lengths 136,146 of the butter knife portion 104 and the handle 106, respectively, are such that they do not reduce the efficiency of the utensil 100. The utensil 100 of the present invention has a one-piece structure and can be made from a conventional molding technique such as injection molding.

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a user holding the multipurpose utensil of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. As illustrated, the handle 106 is held in one hand 202 by a user and is comfortably gripped for using the utensil 100. The length 136 of the knife portion 104 is long enough so that holding the handle 106 does not obstruct the operation of spreading the condiment on bread, a bun, or any other item. The longitudinal length 146 of the handle 106 and the longitudinal length 136 of the knife portion 104 enable a user to easily scoop out condiments or edibles using the spoon portion 102 from a deep jar.

[0036] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate perspective views showing use of the eating utensil 100 of the present invention for scooping peanut butter from a jar and applying to bread in accordance with the disclosed architecture. As illustrated, in FIG. 3A, a scoop of peanut butter 304 is taken out from the jar 302 using the spoon portion 102 of the utensil 100 when the utensil 100 is held using the handle 106 by a user. The spoon portion 102 enables the user to take out a desired quantity of peanut butter 304 and retain same in the spoon portion 102.

[0037] The spoon portion 102 can be used with any conventional jar and can be used to take out any spreadable condiment. The length of the utensil 100 enables users to easily scoop out the condiment at the bottom of the jar.

[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the spreadable peanut butter 304 scooped and retained in the spoon portion 102 is released on the bread 306 and is then spread by the knife spreader edge 120 and the blade 118. The spreader edge 120 functions like a conventional butter knife edge for spreading the condiment 304 and thus, the utensil 100 alone can be used for scooping and spreading condiments or edibles for ease in making, for example, sandwiches.

[0039] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate perspective views showing use of the multipurpose utensil 100 of the present invention for scooping jelly from a jar and applying to bread in accordance with the disclosed architecture. As illustrated, in FIG. 4A, a scoop of jelly 404 is taken out from the jar 402 using the spoon portion 102 of the utensil 100 when the utensil 100 is held using the handle 106 by a user. The spoon portion 102 enables the user to take out a desired quantity of the jelly 404 and retain same in the spoon portion 102.

[0040] The spoon portion 102 can be used with any shape and length of the jar and can be used to take out any spreadable condiment. The length of the utensil 100 enables users to easily scoop out the condiment even when the condiment is at the bottom of the jar.

[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the spreadable jelly 404 scooped and retained in the spoon portion 102 is released on the bread 306 and is then spread by the knife spreader edge 120. The spreader edge 120 functions like a conventional butter knife edge for spreading the condiment 404 and thus, the utensil 100 alone can be used for scooping and spreading condiments or edibles for ease in making, for example, sandwiches.

[0042] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view showing another embodiment of the multipurpose kitchen utensil of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. In the present embodiment, the kitchen utensil 500 has a spoon portion 502, butter knife portion 504, and a detachable handle 506. A length 524 of the butter knife portion 504 is from about 70 percent to about 80 percent of a length 526 of the handle portion 506. The knife portion 504 can have a serrated spreader edge 508. The serrated edge 508 enables easy scraping of the surface of the condiment, creating a nice, soft, and easy to spread stream of the spreadable condiment. The serrated edge 508 can also be used for cutting a bread or a bun. A centerline of the handle portion 506 and a major axis of the spoon portion 502 are collinear along axis 550. The knife portion 504 is asymmetric about axis 550.

[0043] Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “multipurpose kitchen utensil”, “kitchen utensil”, “eating utensil”, and “combined spoon and butter knife utensil” are interchangeable and refer to the multipurpose combined spoon and butter knife utensil 100,500 of the present invention.

[0044] Notwithstanding the foregoing, the multipurpose combined spoon and butter knife utensil 100,500 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the multipurpose combined spoon and butter knife utensil 100,500 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the multipurpose combined spoon and butter knife utensil 100,500 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the multipurpose combined spoon and butter knife utensil 100,500 are important design parameters for user convenience, the multipurpose combined spoon and butter knife utensil 100,500 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

[0045] Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.

[0046] What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.