Clip-scoop with anti-slipping functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914624-B2
Application number	US-201515527493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Nov 18, 2014
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a scoop (1) comprising a bowl (2) and a handle connected to the bowl (2) and comprising a clip (6). The clip (6) can be used for re-closing a bag containing a product to be dosed by the bowl (2). The clip (6) is delimited by a free edge (9), and there is a gap (12) between the free edge (9) of the clip (6) and handle edges (10) of regions of the handle (3) surrounding the clip (6). At least a part of the clip edge (9) and at least a part of the handle edges (10) delimiting the gap (12) are provided with teeth (13) in the form of teeth-shaped protrusions. The teeth (13) at the clip edge (9) and the teeth (13) at a proximate handle edge (10), respectively, are arranged at alternating positions along a longitudinal extension of the gap (12).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A scoop comprising:
a bowl; and
a handle having a proximal end connected to the bowl, the handle extending to a distal end,
wherein:
the handle comprises a clip having a clip base connected to a region of the handle comprising the distal end,
except for at the clip base, the clip is defined by a free edge where the clip is not connected to the handle, the clip protruding towards the proximal end of the handle,
a gap is defined between the free edge of the clip and handle edges of regions of the handle surrounding the clip,
at least a part of the free edge of the clip and at least a part of the handle edges delimiting the gap are provided with teeth in the form of teeth-shaped protrusions, and
the teeth at the free edge of the clip and the teeth at a proximate handle edge, respectively, are arranged at alternating positions along a longitudinal extension of the gap,
wherein a longitudinal distance between one point of a tooth and a corresponding point of a nearest tooth along a same edge in a longitudinal direction of the gap is between 1 and 2 times a width of the gap,
wherein each tooth comprises a first and a second tooth edge which meet at a tip, the teeth extending from the free edge of the clip each have an individual length defined by the distance between the tip and the free edge of the clip, the teeth extending from the handle edges each have an individual length defined by the distance between the tip and the corresponding handle edge, and the total of the individual length of each of the teeth extending from the free edge of the clip and the individual length of each of the teeth extending from the handle edges is less than the gap such that the teeth extending from the free edge of the clip do not overlap the teeth extending from the handle edges in a longitudinal direction of the gap.

2. The scoop according to claim 1 , wherein a transverse distance between neighbouring parts of the teeth is between a fifth and a third of the width of the gap.

3. The scoop according to claim 1 , wherein an angle between the first and the second edges of each of the teeth is between 45° and 75°.

4. The scoop according to claim 1 , wherein a hole is provided at each end of the gap, wherein a transversal dimension of the hole is larger than the width of the gap.

5. The scoop according to claim 1 , wherein the clip has a length which is between 10% and 40% of a total length of the scoop.

6. The scoop according to claim 1 , wherein a length of a part of the scoop from the clip base and to an outermost edge of the distal end of the handle is at most 1.5 times a length of the clip.

7. The scoop according to claim 1 , wherein the handle extends substantially in a plane.

8. The scoop according to claim 1 , wherein the proximal end of the handle is thicker than the distal end of the handle.

9. A scoop comprising:
a bowl; and
a handle having a proximal end connected to the bowl, the handle extending to a distal end,
wherein:
the handle comprises a clip having a clip base connected to a region of the handle comprising the distal end,
except for at the clip base, the clip is defined by a free edge where the clip is not connected to the handle, the clip protruding towards the proximal end of the handle,
a gap is defined between the free edge of the clip and handle edges of regions of the handle surrounding the clip,
at least a part of the free edge of the clip and at least a part of the handle edges delimiting the gap are provided with teeth in the form of teeth-shaped protrusions, and
the teeth at the free edge of the clip and the teeth at a proximate handle edge, respectively, are arranged at alternating positions along a longitudinal extension of the gap,
wherein a longitudinal distance between one point of a tooth and a corresponding point of a nearest tooth along a same edge in a longitudinal direction of the gap is between 1 and 2 times a width of the gap,
wherein each tooth comprises a first and a second tooth edge which meet at a tip, the teeth extending from the free edge of the clip each have an individual length defined by the distance between the tip and the free edge of the clip, the teeth extending from the handle edges each have an individual length defined by the distance between the tip and the corresponding handle edge, and the total of the individual length of each of the teeth extending from the free edge of the clip and the individual length of each of the teeth extending from the handle edges is less than the gap such that the teeth extending from the free edge of the clip do not overlap the teeth extending from the handle edges in a longitudinal direction of the gap,
wherein a hole is provided at each end of the gap, wherein a transversal dimension of the hole is larger than the width of the gap,
wherein a first section of the free edge of the clip faces a first handle edge of the handle edges; and the teeth comprise (i) a first tooth extending from the first section of the free edge of the clip at a first longitudinal distance along the gap from the hole, (ii) a second tooth extending from the first handle edge at a second longitudinal distance along the gap from the hole, (iii) a third tooth extending from the first section of the free edge of the clip at a third longitudinal distance along the gap from the hole, (iv) a fourth tooth extending from the first handle edge at a fourth longitudinal distance along the gap from the hole, and (iii) a fifth tooth extending from the first section of the free edge of the clip at a fifth longitudinal distance along the gap from the hole, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance which is less than the third distance which is less than the fourth distance which is less than the fifth distance.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa
• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Nuijen Rik
• Schoenmakers Angela
• Schraml Rafael

Classifications

• B29C45/2628

  with mould parts forming holes in or through the moulded article, e.g. for bearing cages · CPC title

• B65D77/245

  Utensils for removing the contents from the package, e.g. spoons, forks, spatulas (B65D77/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G09F19/00

  Advertising or display means not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B29C45/2602

  Mould construction elements · CPC title

• B65D33/1658 Primary

  Elements for flattening or folding the mouth portion (B65D33/30 takes precedence) · CPC title