Foldable eating utensil

Abstract

A foldable eating utensil includes a cutlery head, a first rod, and a second rod that are sequentially connected. A bottom portion of the second rod has a restricting portion. When the second rod, the first rod, and the cutlery head are folded, the cutlery head is restricted by the restricting portion of the second rod. With such design, the foldable eating utensil could be retained in a compacted state after folding, so that the folded part could not hinder the work of automatic machine. Therefore, the foldable eating utensil of the present invention is suitable for automated packaging.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A foldable eating utensil, comprising a cutlery head, a first rod, and a second rod, which are sequentially connected in a first direction, which is defined as a direction from a front end to a rear end of the foldable eating utensil, wherein:
 the cutlery head comprising a functional portion and a neck, wherein the neck extends in the first direction from the functional portion;   the first rod, wherein a front end of the first rod is foldably connected to a rear end of the neck;   the second rod, wherein a front end of the second rod is foldably connected to a rear end of the first rod; a bottom portion of the second rod has a restricting portion; after the first rod and the second rod are folded, the cutlery head is then folded to the first rod and the second rod that are folded, and the cutlery head could be restricted by the restricting portion of the second rod, thereby the foldable eating utensil is retained in a compacted state.   
     
     
         2 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the neck has a slot; the first rod has an indentation portion, and a portion of the first rod that is covered by the neck when the cutlery head is folded to the first rod has an overlapped section; a top portion of the second rod has a first engaging block, and the restricting portion is a second engaging block  36  that is connected to the bottom portion of the second rod; when the second rod and the first rod, the first engaging block is engaged into the indentation portion, and the second engaging block is located on the overlapped section; when the second rod, the first rod, and the cutlery head are folded, the second engaging block is engaged into the slot of the cutlery head 
     
     
         3 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a section of the second rod is defined as an engaging block section, when the second rod and the first rod are folded, the engaging block section is overlapped with the overlapped section, the second engaging block is connected to a bottom portion of the engaging block section. 
     
     
         4 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first engaging block is connected to a top portion of the engaging block section; at least a portion of the indentation portion is located in the overlapped section to allow the first engaging block to be engaged with the indentation portion. 
     
     
         5 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first engaging block is disposed at a position that is not corresponding to the second engaging block. 
     
     
         6 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the indentation portion has two first side walls at a right side and a left side, and the first engaging block has two first side surfaces at a right side and a left side; when the first engaging block is engaged into the indentation portion, the two first side surfaces urge against the two first side walls to allow the first engaging block to be fixed in the indentation portion; the slot has two second side walls at a right side and a left side, and the second engaging block has two second side surfaces at a right side and a left side; when the second engaging block is engaged into the slot, the two second side surfaces urge against the two second side walls to allow the second engaging block to be fixed in the slot. 
     
     
         7 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein a second direction is defined to extend from the left side to the right side of the foldable eating utensil; a width of the first engaging block in the second direction is greater than a width of the indentation portion in the second direction; a top edge of each of the two first side surfaces has a first chamfer, and each of the first chamfers is adapted to abut against an edge of one of the first side walls of the indentation portion; a width of the second engaging block in the second direction is greater than a width of the slot in the second direction; a top edge of each of the two second side surfaces has a second chamfer; each of the second chamfers is adapted to abut against an edge of one of the two second side walls of the slot. 
     
     
         8 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first engaging block has a first guiding surface at a top side; the first guiding surface is curved, wherein a middle portion of the first guiding surface is the highest, and a height of the first guiding surface is gradually reduced from the middle portion to two ends of the guiding surface in the first direction; the second guiding surface is curved, wherein a middle portion of the second guiding surface is the highest, and a height of the second guiding surface is gradually reduced from the middle portion to two ends of the guiding surface in the first direction. 
     
     
         9 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the functional portion is either spoon head or fork head. 
     
     
         10 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the functional portion forms a bowl, and the bowl extends in the first direction to an inner side of the neck to form the groove in the inner side of the neck; the slot is disposed in a bottom of the groove; when the second rod, the first rod, and the cutlery head are folded, an rear end of the second rod is received in the groove. 
     
     
         11 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein a bottom side of the neck and the front end of the first rod jointly form a first buckle assembly, and a bottom side of the rear end of the first rod and the front end of the second rod jointly form a second buckle assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first rod has an indentation portion and an overlapped section that is covered by the neck when the cutlery head is folded to the first rod; the restricting portion of the second rod comprises two hook plates that extending downward form a right edge and a left edge of the second rod; when the second rod and the first rod are folded, the two hook plates are located on the overlapped section; the neck of the cutlery head has two caves at a right side and a left side, wherein each of the two caves; when the cutlery head is folded toward the second rod and the first rod, the two hook plates pass through the two caves to engage with the neck. 
     
     
         13 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed  claim 1 , wherein the first rod comprises two lateral hooks that are disposed on a right edge and a left edge of the first rod; when the first rod and the second rod are folded, the second rod is inserted and restricted in a space between the two lateral hooks.