| JP4075016 | Gripping and carving tools |
| JP3127504 | Two-pronged chopsticks |
| WO/1999/049764 | SPOON |
| US20110221217A1 | 2011-09-15 | |||
| CN103340548A | 2013-10-09 | |||
| KR20100134221A | 2010-12-23 | |||
| US1717644A | 1929-06-18 | |||
| FR2786678A1 | 2000-06-09 |
| CLAIMS A one piece, three arm folding tongs characterized in that it is made as a single piece with three arms, 3, 4 and 5 and two folding joints 1 and 2. Arms 3 and 5 fold and snap, 6 locks into 7. Each arm, 3, 4 and 5 has a spring joint (torsion rod) 12, 13 and 14 respectively which allows the sections 15, 16, 17 to rotate about the joints. The sections are moved by means of levers when the operator presses the handles 21 and 22, 23. Lever 9 pushes lever 1 1 and lever 8 pushes lever 10. The forces of the levers cause the section 15 to rotate about the axis of the joint 12 and the section 17 to rotate about the axis of the joint 14. The section 16 rotates about the axis of the joint 13 because of the force exerted on the handle 21 . A one piece, three arms, foldable tongs according to claim 1 characterized by U shaped cantilever joints in place of the torsion bar shaped joints 12, 14. A one piece, three arm foldable tongs according to claim 1 characterized by truncated cone shaped side arms so that in the locked (snapped) position the trunk has a conical versus pyramidal shape. Arms 3, 4, 5 are replaced by arms each having the shape of a 120-degree truncated cone side section so that when arms 3 and 5 are locked together, the circumference of the truncated cone is created. |
TITLE: ONE-PIECE FOLDABLE TONGS WITH THREE ARMS
The invention relates to a hand tool that combines the simplicity of tongs, which is manufactured as a single piece, with the usability of a three arms gripper which can grasp irregular shape objects.
Tongs are manufactured in different sizes and shapes. They are defined as tools with two arms which are connected in a joint and are able to open and close in order to hold or release an object.
Whenever there is a requirement to hold irregular shaped items or to grasp more than one irregular shaped item, the tongs fail behind. In these cases, three arm grippers are used. The usage of these grippers is limited to industrial applications or to recycling management. Furthermore, regardless of their size, grippers are tools composed of many pieces. There are no one-piece tongs or grippers with three arms and a controlled opening.
The advantage of a plastic one-piece, foldable, three arm tongs is the low cost of manufacturing and their high usability. Indicative and not restrictive, it can be used as a utensil for food that was eaten with the hands such as cheese curls, popcorn, or dry nuts.
The gripper is made as a one-piece article with two joints for folding, 1 and 2, plus three articulated arms, namely 3, 4 and 5 (Fig 1 - 3). The joints operate between arms 3 and 4 on one side and 4 and 5 on the other side of the central arm 4. The arms carry their own torsion bar type joint; arm 3 has joint 12, allowing section 15 to move. The arm 4 has its own joint 13, allowing section 16 to move. The arm 4 has its own joint 13 allowing section 16 to move. The arm 5 has its own joint 14, allowing section 17 to move (Fig 1).
Pressing arm 3 against 4 and 5 against 4, arms 3 and 5 converge to reach contact. (Fig 4). Arm 3 has a beam with a male overhang 6, and arm 5 has a female hole 7 so that arms 3 and 5 snap and lock together. When the two arms are locked, the piece forms a pyramidal shape, as shown in Figure 6.
In the secured position, lever 8 of arm 4 is above lever 10 of arm 3, and lever 9 of arm 4 is above lever 1 1 of arm 5 (Fig 7). Arm 3 has the joint 12 which acts as a spring hinge (torsion bar) so that when a force is applied to lever 10, it rotates section 15 with respect to 12 and when the force ceases, section 15 returns to its original point.
The arm 4 has the joint 13, which acts as a spring hinge (torsion bar), so that when the handle 21 is pressed, it rotates section 16 with respect to 13 and returns to the original point when no pressure is applied. The arm 5 has the joint 14, which acts as a spring hinge (torsion bar), so that when a force is applied to lever 1 1 , the 17 rotates with respect to 14, and when the force ceases, the 17 returns to its original point.
The tongs are used as a tool by pressing the handle 21 with one finger and 22, 23 with the other (thumb and forefinger, respectively, or the other way round). By applying slight pressure, as shown by the arrows in Figure 6, the tongs are controlled by their operator and are ready for use.
The operation of the tongs is as follows, we press with two fingers the handles 21 and 22, 23 so that the distance between them decreases by a few millimeters. With the pressure that we apply, section 16 rotates with respect to joint 13, and levers 8 and 9 come into contact with levers 10 and 1 1 , pressing them. Lever 10 forces section 15 to rotate with respect to joint 12, and lever 1 1 forces section 17 to rotate with respect to joint 14. The result of the transfer of ferees is that ends 18, 19, and 20 of sections 15, 16 and 17 respectively, move away from each other (Fig. 8). We direct the tool to the object(s) we want to grasp so that they are inside the imaginary triangle created by the edges of sections 18, 19, 20. We release the force we exert on the handles 21 and 22, 23 so that the sections 15, 16, 17 try to return to their original point. Once they come into contact with the objects, we want them to hold, they exert a force, as shown in Figure 10.
The combination of three forces is what allows objects to be held, even if they, individually or as a whole, have an irregular shape. We move the tool applying slight pressure to the handles 21 and 22, 23 to the point where we want to deposit the transported materials. To release them, we follow the same procedure as described above, in which case sections 15, 16, 17 are rotated so that the distance between the ends 18, 19, 20 increases, and the transported materials are released.
The “rest” position of the tool is when handles 21, 23, 23 touch a horizontal surface (Fig 9).