Juvenile Training Knife And Fork

Abstract

A knife and fork each slotted in the direction of elongation, a slide member with enlarged ends in the knife slot, and the end of the fork slot enlarged relative to the remainder thereof for disengageably receiving one of said slide member enlarged ends.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a knife and fork combination and more particularly to such a combination for juvenile training.

It is a principle object of this invention to provide a knife and fork combination for training a young child in the use of a knife and fork for cutting food and for facilitating cutting while at the same time training the child.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general the invention features a knife and fork adapted for interconnection. The knife includes an elongated slot parallel to and along the length of the cutting edge thereof and a slide member having enlarged ends slidably positioned in the slot. The fork includes a slot elongated in the direction of the handle having an enlarged end adjacent the handle, for insertion of an enlarged end of the slide member, and a portion of predetermined width smaller than the enlarged ends for retaining the slide member therein. With the knive and fork thus interconnected, cutting may proceed normally with the slide member holding the knife and fork together in proper relationship. Preferably the slide member is cylindrical in form and the major extent of said fork slot is of said predetermined width. Also, in a preferred embodiment the slots are so interrelated that the cutting edge of the knife is moveable beyond the ends of the fork tines when the knife and fork are interconnected.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a disconnected knife and fork according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the knife and fork of FIG. 1 connected and ready for use; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, fork 10 comprises an elongated handle 12, a plurality of tines 14 extending from one end thereof in the direction of elongation of the handle and an integral interconnecting web 16. A longitudinally extending fork slot 18, longitudinally aligned with handle 12 and tines 14, is provided in web 16 of fork 10. Slot 18 has a predetermined width at end 20 thereof adjacent tines 14. At the other end 22, slot 18 is enlarged to a width greater than the said predetermined width. In the preferred embodiment shown, slot 18 has a keyhole shape with a uniform predetermined width from end 20 adjacent tines 14, throughout the major extent of its length, until it reaches end 22, provided with an enlarged generally circular enlarged aperture thereat.

Knife 30 comprises a handle 32 and a blade portion comprising a cutting edge 34 on one elongated side edge of an elongated blade web 36. An elongated knife slot 38 is provided in web 36 generally parallel to and coextensive with the length of cutting edge 34. The knife slot 38 has a width narrower than the enlarged width of fork slot 18 adjacent end 22, preferably equal to said predetermined width of slot 18 adjacent end 20.

Positioned in knife slot 38 and extending therethrough is a slide member 42 having a maximum dimension transversely of slot 38 slightly smaller than the width of knife slot 38 and said predetermined width of fork slot 18 for a slip fit therein. Spaced apart, a distance slightly greater than the aggregate thickness of knife and fork 10, 30 adjacent their respective slots 18, 38, on slide member 42 are enlarged ends 44, 46 larger than the width of knife slot 38 and said predetermined width of fork slot 18 and smaller than the enlarged width of fork slot 18 adjacent end 22 thereof. In the preferred embodiment, best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, slide member 42 comprises a cylinder and the enlarged ends 44, 46 thereof comprise circular flanges at the cylinder ends.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the elongated edge 40 of knife slot 38, remote from cutting edge 36, is spaced from the cutting edge 36 by a distance at least equal to and preferably greater than the aggregate of the distance from the ends of tines 14, remote from fork handle 12, to the adjacent end 20 of fork slot 18 plus the width of slide member 42 transversely of knife slot 38. Edge 40, however, is spaced from cutting edge 34 a distance less than a distance from the ends of tines 14 to the remote end 22 of fork slot 18.

In use for cutting, one flange 44 or 46 of slide member 42 is inserted through enlarged end 22 of fork slot 18. Knife 30 is then moved downwardly to engage fork slot 18 at its predetermined width. Knife 30 may then be reciprocated longitudinally for cutting. When cutting is complete, knife 30 is disengaged from fork 10 by removing flange 44 or 46 from slot 18 through enlarged end 22 thereof.

Advantageously for children, knife 30 will not slip away from fork 10 during cutting due to the engagement of flange 44 or 46 with fork 10. On the other hand, the elongated slotting of the knife permits normal cutting action and the elongated slotting of fork 10 accommodates the thickness of the item being cut. Knife 30 is readily engaged with fork 10 for cutting use and is readily disengaged for normal use of the fork.

Other embodiments of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art which are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a fork comprising an elongated handle, tines at one end of said handle extending therefrom in the direction of elongation of said handle, and a connecting web of material interconnecting said handle and said tines, said connecting web having a fork slot therein between said handle and said tines elongated in the direction of elongation of said handle, an elongated portion of said fork slot having a predetermined width from one end thereof adjacent said tines and said fork slot having the other end thereof adjacent said handle enlarged in width beyond said predetermined width; and

a knife comprising a handle, an elongated blade extending from one end of said handle, said blade comprising a blade web having a cutting edge on one elongated side thereof and an elongated knife slot in said blade web extending generally parallel to and substantially the length of said cutting edge, and a slide member in said fork slot and said knife slot and extending therethrough, said slide member having a maximum dimension transversely of said knife slot smaller than the width of said knife slot and the predetermined width of said fork slot, said slide member having transversely enlarged ends on each side of said knife slot, each enlarged end wider than the width of said knife slot and predetermined width of said fork slot and narrower than the enlarged width of said fork slot, said enlarged ends spaced from each other a distance greater than the aggregate thickness of said fork and said knife at the respective said slots thereof, and the elongated edge of said knife slot remote from said cutting edge spaced from said cutting edge a distance less than the distance between the ends of said tines remote from said fork handle and said other end of said fork slot and at least as great as the aggregate of the distance between the ends of said tines remote from said fork handle and said one end of said fork slot plus said transverse dimension of said slide member,

whereby said knife and fork are disengageably connected for use together and separately.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which said slide member comprises a cylinder axially extending through said slot, said enlarged ends thereof comprising circular flanges at the ends of said cylinder.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 which said fork slot is of said predetermined width throughout its length except at the end thereof adjacent said handle of said fork.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3 in which said slide member comprises a cylinder axially extending through said slot, said enlarged ends thereof comprising circular flanges at the ends of said cylinder.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which said edge of said knife slot remote said cutting edge is spaced from said cutting edge a distance greater than the aggregate of the distance by which said one end of said fork slot is spaced from the end of said tines remote from said fork handle plus said transverse dimension of said slide member.

6. The combination claimed in claim 5 in which said fork slot is of said predetermined width throughout its length except at the end thereof adjacent said handle of said fork.

7. The combination claimed in claim 6 in which said slide member comprises a cylinder axially extending through said slot, said enlarged ends thereof comprising circular flanges at the ends of said cylinder.

8. The combination claimed in claim 7 in which said predetermined width of said fork slot and the width of said knife slot are equal.

9. For use in combination with a fork comprising an elongated handle, tines at one end of said handle extending therefrom in the direction of elongation of said handle, and a connecting web of material interconnecting said handle and said tines, said connecting web having a fork slot therein between said handle and said tines elongated in the direction of elongation of said handle, an elongated portion of said fork slot having a predetermined width from one end thereof adjacent said tines and said fork slot having the other end thereof adjacent said handle enlarged in width beyond said predetermined width,

a knife comprising a handle, and an elongated blade extending from one end of said handle, said blade comprising a blade web having a cutting edge on one elongated side thereof, the improvement in which comprises:

an elongated knife slot in said blade web extending generally parallel to and substantially the length of said cutting edge, and a slide member in said knife slot extending therethrough, said slide member having a maximum dimension transversely of said knife slot smaller than the width of said knife slot and the predetermined width of said fork slot, said slide member having transversely enlarged ends on each side of said knife slot, each enlarged end wider than the width of said knife slot and predetermined width of said fork slot and narrower than the enlarged width of said fork slot, said enlarged ends spaced from each other a distance greater than the aggregate thickness of said fork and said knife at the respective said slots thereof, and the elongated edge of said knife slot remote from said cutting edge spaced from said cutting edge a distance less than the distance between the ends of said tines remote from said fork handle and said other end of said fork slot and at least as great as the aggregate of the distance between the ends of said tines remote from said fork handle and said one end of said fork slot plus said transverse dimension of said slide member,

whereby said slide member may be inserted in said fork slot for connecting said knife and fork together during use thereof.