Foldable eating utensil

Abstract

A foldable eating utensil includes a cutlery head, a first rod, and a second rod that are sequentially connected. A neck of the cutlery head connected to the first rod having a second restricting portion corresponding to the neck. When the second rod is folded toward the first rod, the second rod is restricted by the second restricting portion from leaving the first rod. When the cutlery head is folded toward the compacted first and second rods, the first rod is restricted by a first restricting portion for retaining the foldable eating utensil compacted. Since the second rod is restricted by the second restricting portion, during a process of folding the compacted first and second rods toward the cutlery head by an automatic machine, the work of the automatic machine could not be hindered by the second rod leaving the first rod. 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, and the neck has a first restricting portion:   the first rod, wherein a front end of the first rod is foldably connected to a rear end of the neck: the first rod has a restricting portion:   the second rod, wherein a front end of the second rod is foldably connected to a rear end of the first rod: when the second rod is folded toward the first rod, the second rod is restricted by the second restricting portion from moving away from the first rod, thereby keeping the first rod and the second rod compacted: when the cutlery head is folded toward the first rod and the second rod that are compacted, the first rod is restricted by the first restricting portion, thereby keeping the foldable eating utensil in a compacted state.   
     
     
         2 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first restricting portion is a protruding block, and the first rod has a slot, the slot is adapted to be engaged with the protruding block: when the cutlery head is folded toward the first rod and the second rod that are compacted, the protruding block of the cutlery head is inserted into the slot. 
     
     
         3 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein when the cutlery head is folded toward the first rod, a section of the first rod where is covered by the neck of the cutlery head is defined as a slot section: the slot is disposed on a top surface of the first rod, and at least a portion of the slot is located in the slot section for being engaged with the protruding block: the second restricting portion is located at a position where is closer to the rear end of the first rod than the slot section. 
     
     
         4 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first hinge joint is located between the front end of the first rod and the neck, and the second hinge joint is located between the rear end of the first rod and the front end of the second rod: a length of the slot in the first direction is equal to a leng of the protruding block in the first direction: a length of the second rod in the first direction is greater than a length between the second hinge joint and the second restricting portion in the first direction: the length of the second rod in the first direction is smaller than or equal to a distance between the second hinge joint and the slot. 
     
     
         5 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a width between the side surfaces of the protruding block in the second direction is greater than a width between a left side and a left side of the slot: the protruding block is flexible, so that the protruding block is able to be inserted into the slot. 
     
     
         6 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the protruding block has two side surfaces at the right and the left sides and a guiding surface at a top side: the guiding surface is curved, wherein a middle portion of the guiding surface is the highest, and a height of the guiding surface is gradually reduced from the middle portion to two ends of the guiding surface in the first direction. 
     
     
         7 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first rod has two first edges at a right side and a left side, the second restricting portion comprises at least one lateral hook that is connected to at least one of the two first edges: each of the at least one lateral hook is flexible, and an interior side of a top portion of each of the at least one lateral hook has a protrusion, wherein the protrusion is adapted to lock the second rod. 
     
     
         8 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the second restricting portion comprises two lateral hooks, and each of the two lateral hooks is disposed on one of the two first edges: each of the two lateral hooks is symmetrically disposed on one of the two first edges of the first rod along the first direction. 
     
     
         9 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the second restricting portion comprises two lateral hooks, wherein each of two lateral hooks is disposed on one of the two first edges of the first rod in a staggered manner. 
     
     
         10 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the functional portion is either spoon head or fork head. 
     
     
         11 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 10 , 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 protruding block is located at a bottom side of the groove, and at least a portion of the protruding block extends out of the groove. 
     
     
         12 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the neck has two neck peripheries at the right and left sides of a top edge of the groove of the neck: the first restricting portion comprises two lateral hooks that extend upward and are respectively located on two neck peripheries of the neck: an interior side of each of the lateral hooks has a protrusion: when the cutlery head is folded toward the first rod and the second rod that are folded, the two lateral hooks, the protrusions of the two lateral hooks prevent the first rod from leaving the cutlery head. 
     
     
         13 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the neck has two neck peripheries at the right and left sides of a top edge of the groove of the neck: the first restricting portion comprises two tilted lateral hooks that extend upward and are tilted medially: a top portion of each of the tilted lateral hooks has a curved portion: when the cutlery head is folded toward the first rod and the second rod that are folded, the two tilted lateral hooks, the curved portions of the two tilted lateral hooks prevent the first rod from leaving the cutlery head. 
     
     
         14 . The foldable eating utensil as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the neck has two neck peripheries at the right and left sides of a top edge of the neck; the first restricting portion comprises two lateral hooks that extend upward and are respectively located on two neck peripheries of the neck; a top edge of each of the lateral hooks has a curved surface; the left and the right side of the first rod has two first edges; a width between the two first edges of the first rod in the second direction is greater than a width between the two interior side surface of the lateral hooks; when the cutlery head is folded toward the first rod and the second rod that are folded, the first rod is inserted between the two lateral hooks.