Touchless utensil used to serve drinks

Abstract

An apparatus including a touchless utensil used to serve drinks is provided. The apparatus includes the touchless utensil operable to enable a user to move a drinking glass without the user touching the drinking glass. The touchless utensil includes an elongated handle portion and an engaging portion attached to the elongated handle portion and including a C-shaped gripper including a major arc spanning more than 180 degrees. The elongated handle portion and the engaging portion are coplanar.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus including a touchless utensil used to serve drinks, comprising:
 the touchless utensil operable to enable a user to move a drinking glass without the user touching the drinking glass, the touchless utensil including:
 an elongated handle portion; and 
 an engaging portion attached to the elongated handle portion and including a C-shaped gripper including a major arc spanning more than 180 degrees; and 
   
       wherein the elongated handle portion and the engaging portion are coplanar. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the C-shaped gripper is oriented in a horizontal plane; and
 wherein the touchless utensil is constructed of a material with a constant thickness in a vertical direction.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the material includes plastic. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the material includes wood. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the material includes metal. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the material includes glass. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion includes two C-shaped grippers, wherein each of the C-shaped grippers includes a major arc spanning more than 180 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion includes four C-shaped grippers, wherein each of the C-shaped grippers includes a major arc spanning more than 180 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . A system including a touchless utensil used to serve drinks, comprising:
 a tapered drinking glass including side walls with a more narrow portion at a vertically lower portion of the tapered drinking glass and with a more wide portion at a vertically higher portion of the tapered drinking glass; and   the touchless utensil operable to enable a user to move the tapered drinking glass without the user touching the drinking glass, the touchless utensil including:
 an elongated handle portion; and 
 an engaging portion attached to the elongated handle portion and including a C-shaped gripper including a major arc spanning more than 180 degrees, wherein the C-shaped gripper is operable to nest against a vertically central portion of the tapered drinking glass; and 
   
       wherein the elongated handle portion and the engaging portion are coplanar. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the C-shaped gripper terminates at a first end at an engaging portion first tip and terminates at a second end at an engaging portion second tip; and
 wherein a distance between the engaging portion first tip and the engaging portion second tip is greater than a width of the tapered drinking glass at the more narrow portion, thereby enabling the C-shaped gripper to engage the drinking glass at the more narrow portion without disturbing the drinking glass.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 the engaging portion including a plurality of C-shaped grippers; and   a tapered drinking glass for each of the plurality of C-shaped grippers.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the C-shaped gripper is oriented in a horizontal plane; and
 wherein the touchless utensil is constructed of a material with a constant thickness in a vertical direction.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the material includes plastic. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the material includes wood. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the material includes metal. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the material includes glass. 
     
     
         17 . A method including a touchless utensil used to serve drinks, comprising:
 holding an elongated handle portion of the touchless utensil, wherein the touchless utensil includes an engaging portion attached to and coplanar with the elongated handle portion, includes a C-shaped gripper including a major arc spanning more than 180 degrees, and is operable to enable a user to move a tapered drinking glass without the user touching the tapered drinking glass;   engaging the engaging portion of the touchless utensil to the tapered drinking glass, wherein the tapered drinking glass includes a more narrow portion at a vertically lower portion of the tapered drinking glass and with a more wide portion at a vertically higher portion of the tapered drinking glass, engaging the engaging portion to the tapered drinking glass includes placing the more narrow portion within the C-shaped gripper;   lifting the touchless utensil vertically upward relative to the tapered drinking glass such that the C-shaped gripper nests against a vertically central portion of the tapered drinking glass; and   using the elongated handle portion to move the tapered drinking glass.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 moving the tapered drinking glass to a surface at which the tapered drinking glass is to be served;   setting the tapered drinking glass upon the surface;   lowering the touchless utensil vertically downward relative to the tapered drinking glass; and   disengaging the touchless utensil from the tapered drinking glass.