Folding Utensil

Abstract

An elongated main body section and an elongated handle section each have a free end. Cooperating hinge portions in form of hinge pins or projections and recesses are respectively provided on these free ends and hingedly connect the sections for relative movement between the first and the second position in which they respectively extend in parallelism and in longitudinal alignment with one another. Cooperating cam means is provided on the ends and serves to urge the sections into the first position when they are displaced relative to one another from the second position by a predetermined amount towards the first position, and vice versa.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to utensils, and more particularly to folding utensils.

The term folding utensil as herein employed is intended to refer to all such utensils which can be folded for transportation, storage and the like, and includes household utensils, brushes, combs and the like. It is of course not new to make such utensils in such a manner than they can be folded, for instance with the handle portion being foldable onto or into the main body portion of the utensil. However, heretofore the construction of such utensils has always been relatively complicated because folding usually requires a hinged connection for which it has heretofore generally been necessary to provide separate hinge means, and also because once folded to one or the other of their end positions, such utensils have required separate arresting means for arresting them in the respective position. All of this necessarily increases the expense involved in manufacturing and assembling such utensils, and accordingly their cost on sale.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved folding utensil.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide a folding utensil which is very simple simple and therefore inexpensive to manufacture and sell.

Still more specifically it is an object of the present invention to provide such a folding utensil which does not require separate hinge means and which does not require separating arresting means for arresting the relatively foldable portions in their respective end positions.

In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention recites in a folding utensil which, briefly stated, comprises an elongated main body section having a first end, and an elongated handle section having a second end. Cooperating hinge portions are provided on these ends and hingedly connect the sections for relative movement between a first and a second position in which they respectively extend in parallelism and in longitudinal alignment with one another. Cooperating cam means is provided on these ends and operative for urging the sections into the first position in response to relative displacement of the sections by a predetermined amount from the second position to the first position, and vice versa.

Such a utensil may be a comb, a brush, a folding household utensil of various different kinds, and in fact any utensil which can be made foldable. The hinge portions and cam means are of one piece with the respective sections and consist of the same material as the same, and because the sections are advantageously of synthetic plastic material, such as for instance--but not exclusively--polyamide, the hinge portions and the cam means can be produced at the same time as the body section and handle section are produced so that their formation does not require a separate operating step.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic fragmentary perspective view illustrating a folding utensil embodying the present invention in exploded state;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line II--II of FIG. 1 but with the utensil in assembled state;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the main body section of the utensil shown in FIG. 1, as seen in the direction of the arrow III; and

FIG. 4 is an end view of the handle section of the utensil shown in FIG. 1, as seen in the direction of the arrow IV.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the embodiment of FIG. 1 in folded condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Discussing now the drawing in detail it is emphasized that although the folding utensil according to the present invention has been illustrated in form of a folding brush, this is intended for purely illustrative purposes and that the utensil could of course be of a different type, such as a comb, a knife, a scraper or the like.

Reference numeral 1 identifies the main body section of the utensil, and this main body section is provided with a free end 4 and in the illustrated embodiment with a plurality of bristles 3. Reference numeral 2 identifies the handle section of the utensil, with its free end being identified with reference numeral 10.

Reference numeral 5 indicates the two side parts of the end portion 4, which is thus clearly seen to be bifurcated. These side parts define between themselves a space 6 which at the bottom is closed by a bottom wall as evident from FIGS. 2 and 3. The side parts 5 have inner surfaces 7 (one visible in FIG. 1) facing the space 6 and each provided with an upright elongated depression 8 extending normal to the elongation of the main body section 1. Each of the side parts 5 is further provided with an aperture 9 located within the confines of the respective depression 8 and transversely aligned on a common axis. These depressions 9 may go entirely through the respective side parts 5, or they may extend partially through the side parts 5 from the inner surfaces 7, within the confines of the respective depressions 8.

The end portion 10 of the handle section 2 is configurated so as to be receivable in the space 6 and is provided on its lateral side faces 10a with a pair of projecting elongated ridges 12 which are so configurated as to be matingly receivable in the respective depressions 8. Furthermore, a pair of studs or projections 11 extend outwardly from the ridges 12 at opposite sides of the end portion 10 (compare FIGS. 1 and 4) and are received each in one of the apertures 9 when the end portion 10 is located in the space 6. The space incidentally, converges slightly upwardly from the bottom wall, which is to say that conversely it slightly diverges in direction downwardly from the upper open side of the space 6.

It will be appreciated that with the material of the main body section 1, or at least of the end portion 4 thereof, being elastically deflectable to at least some extent, the end portion 10 is inserted into the space 6 with a snap action by elastic deflection of the parts 5 so that the projections 11 can enter into the respective recesses or apertures 9. When the end portion 10 is thus connected with the end portion 4 of the main body section 1 and when the sections 1 and 2 are in connected condition located in longitudinally aligned position as illustrated in FIG. 1, the ridges 12 are received in the respective depressions 8. If, now, the sections 1 and 2 are hingedly moved or displaced in direction from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the closed or folded position shown in FIG. 5, the ridges 12 will move out of the corresponding depressions 8 under slight deflection of the portions 5 in direction transversely away from one another. This deflection is not so great, however, that the projections 11 would similarly become dislodged from their respective apertures 9. When the sections 1 and 2 have been moved the major part of the distance from their open position shown in FIG. 1 towards their folded position shown in FIG. 5, the upward convergence of the space 6 with concomitant pressing of the parts 5 against the ridges 12 which are rounded along their edges, tends to urge the sections 1 and 2 to perform continued relative movement until they are in the completely folded condition shown in FIG. 5. Of course, in this condition the ridges 12 are again located in the corresponding depression 8, but this time their position in space has been displaced through 180.degree. from the position which they assume in FIG. 1. Thus, in either open or folded condition of the sections 1 and 2, both sections are arrested in their respective conditions.

There are further provided cooperating abutment shoulders 13 and 14 on the sections 1 and 2, respectively, and they abut as shown in FIG. 5 when the sections are in closed or folded condition. Of course, the abutment shoulders 13 and 14 could also be so arranged that they are not entirely in a butment when the sections are in folded condition--because ordinarily the entry of the ridges 12 into the depressions 8 would serve to provide for proper positioning of the sections with reference to one another in folded condition--but only to serve as an auxiliary abutment means in case pressure should be exerted upon the sections in a sense tending to place them further beyond their folded condition. Additional abutment shoulders 15 and 16 are also provided on the sections 1 and 2, respectively, and abut against one another when the sections are in the position shown in FIG. 1, but are connected.

It will be appreciated that all portions of both sections are of one piece with the respective section, and that no additional elements of an extraneous nature or of a different material are involved, and that all portions can be formed on the respective sections at the same time as the sections themselves are produced. No tools and no skill are required for assembling the sections, and no extraneous means are necessary for maintaining the sections in their open or folded condition, respectively.

Thus, a folding utensil according to the present invention can be produced in a most simple and inexpensive manner, and it will be appreciated that it will accordingly be inexpensive to sell.

Naturally many different types of materials can be used. Particularly advantageous are synthetic plastic materials including, but not limited to, polyamides, and one reason why they are especially advantageous is that they permit the simple production of the sections 1 and 2 with their respective portions by one of the various molding processes. This is not to exclude the possibility, of course, that additional components may be utilized in conjunction with the sections 1 and 2. For instance, the bristles 3 need not be molded with and of the same material as the section 1, but could instead be of a different material and separately applied. However, the components which are germane with reference to the present invention, namely the hinge portions and the cam portions, are of one piece with the respective sections.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a folding utensil, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A folding utensil, particularly a folding brush or comb, comprising an elongated main body section having a first end; and elongated handle section having a second end; cooperating hinge portions provided on said ends and hingedly connecting said sections for relative movement between a first and a second position in which they respectively extend in parallelism and in longitudinal alignment with one another; cooperating cam means provided on said ends and operative for urging said sections into said first position in response to relative displacement of said sections by a predetermined amount from said second position towards said first position, and vice versa; first cooperating abutment portions on said ends and adapted to abut when said sections are in said first position; and second cooperating abutment portions on said ends and adapted to abut when said sections are in said second position.

2. A utensil as defined in claim 1; and further comprising a plurality of teeth provided on said main body section and so positioned as to be located between said sections when the latter are in said first position.

3. A utensil as defined in claim 1; and further comprising a plurality of bristles provided on said main body section and so positioned as to be located between said sections when the latter are in said first position.

4. A utensil as defined in claim 1, wherein said sections consist at least in part of synthetic plastic material.

5. A utensil as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said ends is bifurcated and the other end is configurated so as to be receivable in the bifurcation of said one end; and wherein said hinge portions comprise recess means in one of said ends and hinge pin means provided on the other of said ends and receivable in said recess means.

6. A utensil as defined in claim 5, wherein said one end is said first end, and wherein said other end is said second end.

7. A utensil as defined in claim 6, said bifurcated one end comprising two transversely spaced parts defining with one another a space in which said second end is receivable; and wherein said recess means comprises a pair of transversely aligned apertures having a common axis which extends normal to the elongation of said body section.

8. A utensil as defined in claim 7, said parts each having an inner surface facing said space; and wherein said cam means comprises cooperating cam faces on said inner surfaces and on said second end.

9. A utensil as defined in claim 8, said parts being elastically deflectable in direction away from one another and said cooperating cam faces comprising portions of said inner surfaces which converge transversely of said space and of the elongation of said main body section, and surface portions provided on said second end.

10. A utensil as defined in claim 9, said inner surface each being provided with a depression elongated in direction normal to the elongation of said main body section as well as to said common axis, said apertures each being located within the confines of one of said depressions; and wherein said second end comprises outer faces each juxtaposed with one of said inner surfaces and each provided with a ridge elongated normal to the elongation of said handle section, said ridges being formed with respective axially aligned studs projecting outwardly of the respective outer faces and constituting said hinge pin means, said ridges each entering into one of said recesses when said sections are in said first and second positions, respectively.