Lockable kitchen tong
US6056338A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 4, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 2, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 4, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA47J43/283
- WIPO fieldFurniture, games
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
The invention provides tongs for manually grasping items having two elongate tong members pivotally joined together with a hinge pin. The tong members pivot between an open position and a closed position, each member having a forward grasping end, a hinged portion adjacent and projecting rearward of the hinge pin, and an inner channel extending forwardly and rearwardly from the hinge pin. A novel bow spring has two arms each sliding in the channels between a forward position engaging the channels forward of the hinge pin, and a rearward position engaging the channels in the hinged portion adjacent the hinge pin. The spring resiliently biases the tong members to the open position when the bow spring is in the forward position, and retains the tong members in the closed position when the bow spring is in the rearward position.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.