Cutlery clip

Abstract

A cutlery clip consists of a plate jaw suitable for holding an edge of a plate and a cutlery jaw suitable for grasping one or more utensils and a napkin. The plate jaw is aligned with the cutlery jaw so that cutlery grasped in the cutlery jaw is conveniently held beneath the edge of the plate to which the plate jaw is attached. A user can open the plate jaw by applying pressure to a top pivoting member of the plate jaw, allowing a plate edge to be inserted into or removed from the plate jaw, without opening the cutlery jaw. By applying more pressure to the top pivoting member, both the plate jaw and the cutlery jaw are easily opened, allowing a user to separate the utensils from the plate.

1 . A clip for removably attaching cutlery to a plate, comprising:
 a. Cutlery jaw having cutlery base member, cutlery pivoting member, cutlery spring, and cutlery hinge, such that said cutlery pivoting member pivots around said cutlery hinge with respect to said cutlery base member, and such that said cutlery spring applies pressure urging the cutlery pivoting member toward the cutlery base member, causing the cutlery jaw to grasp cutlery inserted within the cutlery jaw,   b. Plate jaw having plate base member, plate pivoting member, plate spring, and plate hinge, such that said plate pivoting member pivots around said plate hinge with respect to said plate base member, and such that said plate spring applies pressure urging the plate pivoting member toward the plate base member, causing the plate jaw to grasp the plate inserted within the plate jaw, and   c. wherein said plate base member is also said cutlery pivoting member.   
     
     
         2 . A clip according to  claim 1 , wherein said cutlery base member has a concave segment with an apex and opposing sides suitable for receiving a user's finger and a cutlery supporting segment suitable for supporting the cutlery extending from one side of the concave segment, and has an upper surface and a lower surface. 
     
     
         3 . A clip according to  claim 2 , wherein said cutlery hinge is attached to the upper surface of the concave segment of the cutlery base member. 
     
     
         4 . A clip according to  claim 3 , wherein said plate base member has a hinge supporting segment and a plate bottom engaging segment suitable for engaging bottom surface of the plate, and has an upper surface and a lower surface. 
     
     
         5 . A clip according to  claim 4 , wherein said plate hinge is attached to the upper surface of said hinge supporting segment of said plate base member and said cutlery hinge is attached to the lower surface of said hinge supporting segment of said plate base member, so that the plate hinge is aligned above the cutlery hinge. 
     
     
         6 . A clip according to  claim 5 , wherein said plate pivoting member has a lever segment and a plate engaging segment suitable for engaging top surface of the plate, and has an upper surface and a lower surface, and wherein said plate hinge is attached to the lower surface of the lever segment of the plate pivoting member. 
     
     
         7 . A clip according to  claim 6 , wherein said cutlery hinge further comprises:
 a. dual base member flanges extending from said cutlery base member toward said cutlery pivoting member, each flange having a hole formed therein,   b. dual pivoting member flanges extending from said cutlery pivoting member toward said cutlery base member, each flange having a hole formed therein,   c. cutlery jaw pin,   c. wherein said base member flanges and pivoting member flanges are aligned to allow the cutlery jaw pin to be inserted through each hole formed in each flange, parallel to the lower surface of the cutlery pivoting member and parallel to the upper surface of the cutlery base member.   
     
     
         8 . A clip according to  claim 7 , wherein said plate hinge further comprises:
 a. dual base member flanges extending from said plate base member toward said plate pivoting member, each flange having a hole formed therein,   b. dual pivoting member flanges extending from said plate pivoting member toward said plate base member, each flange having a hole formed therein,   c. plate jaw pin,   c. wherein said base member flanges and pivoting member flanges are aligned to allow the plate jaw pin to be inserted through each hole formed in each flange, parallel to the lower surface of the plate pivoting member and parallel to the upper surface of the plate base member.   
     
     
         9 . A clip according to  claim 8 , wherein said cutlery spring further comprises a cutlery coil spring wrapped around the cutlery jaw pin such that opposite ends of the cutlery spring are in forceful contact with the plate base member and the cutlery base member, holding the plate bottom engaging segment toward the cutlery supporting segment when no external pressure is applied to said plate pivoting member lever segment. 
     
     
         10 . A clip according to  claim 9 , wherein said plate spring further comprises a plate coil spring wrapped around the plate jaw pin such that opposite ends of the plate spring are in forceful contact with the plate base member and the plate pivoting member, holding the plate pivoting member plate engaging segment toward the plate base member plate bottom engaging segment when no external pressure is applied to said plate pivoting member lever segment. 
     
     
         11 . A clip according to  claim 6 , wherein applying a first pressure to said plate pivoting member lever segment causes said plate jaw to open and applying a second pressure to said plate pivoting member lever segment causes said plate jaw and said cutlery jaw to open. 
     
     
         12 . A clip according to  claim 6 , wherein said plate engaging segment of said plate pivoting member is rubber coated. 
     
     
         13 . A clip according to  claim 6 , wherein said plate bottom engaging segment of said plate base member is rubber coated. 
     
     
         14 . A clip according to  claim 6 , wherein said cutlery supporting segment of said cutlery base member is rubber coated. 
     
     
         15 . A clip according to  claim 2 , further comprising finger grip members positioned on said apex of said concave segment of said cutlery base member for guiding a user's finger beneath said apex. 
     
     
         16 . A method of removably attaching cutlery to a plate, comprising the steps of:
 a. Opening a cutlery jaw to receive cutlery,   b. Allowing a cutlery jaw spring to urge a cutlery pivoting member toward a cutlery base member of said cutlery jaw, grasping the cutlery within said cutlery jaw,   c. Opening a plate jaw to receive an edge of a plate,   d. Allowing a plate jaw spring to urge a plate pivoting member toward a plate base member, grasping the plate within said plate jaw,   e. Wherein said plate jaw is positioned directly above said cutlery jaw and said plate pivoting member is also said cutlery base member.