Tined Spoon

Abstract

A handheld eating utensil has a handle, a bowl connected to the handle and a plurality of projections (tines) connected to the handle. Each projection (tine) has an elongate surface. At least a portion of each projection's elongate surface overlaps and resides over a convex surface of the bowl and faces away from said convex surface.

1 . A handheld eating utensil comprising:
 a handle,   a bowl connected to the handle, said bowl having a concave surface, a convex surface, a longitudinal axis, a first transverse axis, and a second transverse;   a plurality of projections connected to the handle, each projection having an elongate surface, a respective base end, and a respective free end; each projection has a respective longitudinal and a respective first transverse axis and a respective second transverse axis; each projection extends in a direction of its respective longitudinal and respective first transverse axis, along a respective pathway for a respective total length measured from the respective base end of the respective projection to the respective free end; and wherein   at least a portion of each projection's elongate surface overlaps and resides over said convex surface of said bowl.   
     
     
         2 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of each projection resides wholly within an innermost perimeter circumscribing the entire concave surface of the bowl. 
     
     
         3 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of each projection nests within the innermost perimeter circumscribing the entire concave surface of the bowl. 
     
     
         4 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 2 , wherein said portion of each projection within the innermost perimeter circumscribing the entire concave surface of the bowl is 1/16, 2/16, 3/16, 4/16, 5/16, 6/16, 7/16, 8/16, 9/16, 10/16, 11/16, 12/16, 13/16, 14/16, 15/16, and 16/16 of each projection's respective total length. 
     
     
         5 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 2 , wherein said portion of each projection within the innermost perimeter circumscribing the entire concave surface of the bowl is from 6% to 100% of each projection's respective total length. 
     
     
         6 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 2 , wherein the portion of each projection that resides wholly within the innermost perimeter circumscribing the entire concave surface of the bowl is angular, said angle less than 180 degrees, said angular surface formed with said elongate surface, at least a portion and said angular elongate surface facing way from said concave surface of said bowl. 
     
     
         7 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 6 , wherein the angularity of each projection sharpens as the elongate surface approaches the free end portion of each projection. 
     
     
         8 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 6 , wherein a most maximum sharpness of angularity of the angular portion of each projection measured in the direction of each projection's longitudinal axis and first transverse axis exceeds a most maximum sharpness of angularity of the bowl's concave surface measured along a line along the concave surface of the bowl in a direction of the bowl's longitudinal axis from a most rearward end of the bowl to a most forward end of the bowl. 
     
     
         9 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 2 , wherein a portion of the elongate surface of each projection overhangs a portion of the elongate surface downstream of the portion of the elongate surface that overhangs. 
     
     
         10 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the elongate surface of each projection is concave along at least a portion of each projection's respective total length. 
     
     
         11 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 10 , wherein a curve of the concave elongate surface of each projection sharpens as the concave elongate surface approaches the free end portion of each projection. 
     
     
         12 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 10 , wherein a most maximum degree of curvature measured along a curve of the concave elongate surface exceeds a most maximum degree of curvature measured along a line taken the bowl's concave surface in the direction of the bowl's longitudinal axis from a most rearward end of the bowl to a most forward end of the bowl. 
     
     
         13 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 12 , wherein an arc angle of a shortest arc length forming the most maximum degree of curvature is greater than or equal to 70 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 2 , wherein a void space envelopes at least a portion of each projection for 360 degrees in a direction of a first and second transverse axis of each enveloped projection, and the void space extends along at least a portion of the respective total length of each projection. 
     
     
         15 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 14 , wherein the portion of each projection surrounded 360 degrees includes an underside surface of the projection, at least a portion of which is convex, and faces the bowl concave surface. 
     
     
         16 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 14 , wherein each projection having the portion enveloped for 360 degrees includes a portion connected to the bowl within an innermost perimeter circumscribing the entire concave surface of the bowl. 
     
     
         17 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 1 , wherein a void space envelopes for 360 degrees each projection along its respective total length, said void space continues unbroken from the base end of each projection and further envelopes for 360 degrees a back from which each projection extends; said void space further continues unbroken and envelopes for 360 degrees a length of an actuator away from which the back extends, at least a portion of a surface of the back and/or an elongate surface of one of said projections is angular for a length in a direction of a longitudinal axis of said handle, said angular surface having an angle of less than 180 degrees and faces in direction away from said concave surface of said bowl, said angular surface overlapping said concave surface of said bowl. 
     
     
         18 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 17 , wherein the actuator, back, and projections are movable relative to the bowl, by the hand of a user, from a first position to a second position and when a user lets up pressure on the actuator, moveable from the second position to the first position. 
     
     
         19 . The handheld eating utensil of  claim 18 , wherein when each projection resides in said first position there is a first distance between at least a portion of an underside of each projection and the concave bowl surface; in said second position there is a second distance between the underside of each projection portion and the concave bowl surface overlapped; said second distance less than the first distance, said distance measured in the direction of each of the projection's first transverse axis. 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a handheld eating utensil comprising:
 forming a handle;   forming a bowl to have a concave surface, a convex surface, wherein the bowl includes a longitudinal axis, a first transverse axis, and a second transverse axis;   connecting the bowl to the handle;   forming a plurality of projections to have an elongate surface, a respective base end, and a respective free end; each projection has a respective longitudinal, a respective first transverse axis and a respective second transverse axis; each projection extends in a direction of its respective longitudinal and respective first transverse axis, along a respective pathway for a respective total length measured from the respective base end of the respective projection to the respective free end of the projection;   connecting said plurality of projections to said handle; and wherein   at least a portion of each projection's elongate surface overlaps and resides over said convex surface of said bowl said elongate surface facing away from said convex surface.