Abstract:
A simple, effective, lightweight, durable, combination tool having removably attachable interchangeable implements, which are interchangeable one with the other. The combination tool has locking means, which releasably locks the removably attachable interchangeable implements into a handle. The handle can have a light for illuminating an area or work surface, and the food being cooked and/or barbecued. The handle can have a timer capable of being set to at least one time duration, and audibly alerting a user at the end of a selected one of such time durations, as to how long the food has been cooked or barbecued.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Techinical Field  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to tools and more particularly to barbecue tools having removably attachable interchangeable implements.  
           [0003]    2. Background of the Invention  
           [0004]    Tools date back thousands of years, as man has sought to devise means for improving his existence, perform tasks, in certain instances otherwise not possible, and increase the efficiency of performing those tasks. Hand tools are often of unitary construction, and as technology has advanced, such tools have features not available heretofore, often making the tools expensive, and difficult to use in similar but different operations.  
           [0005]    There is a need for a simple, effective, lightweight, durable, combination tool having removably attachable interchangeable implements, which requires minimal assembly. One of the most basic needs for such a combination tool is a tool which may be used with at least one removably attachable interchangeable implement to facilitate cooking and/or barbecuing. The functionality of the tool, however, should extend and be adaptable to all types of tools for different uses and purposes. The combination tool should be inexpensive, attractive, quick, and easy to install and remove implements therefrom, the implements being removably attachable therefrom and interchangeable one with the other, and the combination tool being compactly storable.  
           [0006]    The combination tool should have positive locking means, which releasably locks the removably attachable interchangeable implements thereinto a handle. The handle should be capable of illuminating an area or work surface, and in the case of the combination tool directed to facilitating cooking or barbecuing, the handle should be capable of illuminating the food being cooked and/or barbecued. The handle should have a timer capable of being set to at least one time duration, and audibly alerting a user at the end of a selected one of such time durations, for example, as to how long the food has been cooked or barbecued. The handle should have a non slip, easy to grip surface, adapted to facilitate use during greasy and slippery conditions. The combination tool should be inexpensive, the handle being the most technologically complex and most expensive component of the combination tool, making it functionally advantageous and cost effective to have a plurality of removably attachable interchangeable implements adapted for use individually and one at a time with the handle.  
         STATEMENT OF PRIOR ART  
         [0007]    Different tools, utensils, and cutlery have heretofore been known. However, none of the tools, cutlery or utensils adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,673 (DiGirolamo et al) discloses an implement for assisting a user in modifying the user&#39;s eating habits, comprising an instrument such as a fork, knife, or spoon detachably attached to a hollow handle. The handle has a top side having window openings, which have diodes of two different colors visible at the window openings, and circuitry, including a battery and an on/off switch, for causing the diodes to be alternately turned on and off at predetermined intervals.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,089 (Dubus et al) discloses a fork with timer. The fork has a head and a plurality of spaced tines extended from the head, a handle extended from the head remote from the tines; timer circuitry connected to the handle adapted to provide a cue after an elapsed period of time, which may be used to indicate to a user that another bite of food may be taken using the fork; a replaceable power source connected to the fork coupled to the timer circuitry, the power source adapted to energize the timer circuitry; and a switch connected to the fork, the switch coupled between the power source and the timer circuitry, for energizing and de-energizing the timer circuitry.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,970 (Albert) discloses a utensil, which incorporates speech synthesis microelectronics. A switch on the exterior of the utensil handle actuates circuitry inside the utensil handle, including a speech synthesizer semiconductor chip and an amplifier semiconductor chip. Emulated speech generated by the speech synthesizer semiconductor chip is processed by the amplifier semiconductor chip and emitted from a loudspeaker in the utensil.  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,793 (Ratzon et al) discloses a cutlery piece having a food holding portion, a handle, and an electronic device capable of generating light or sound. The electronic device has a light sensor in the food holding portion, which upon receipt of an electric input from the light sensor, after a period of darkness, the electronic device generates a transient light or sound signal.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,819 (Ash) discloses a dietary control eating utensil for indicating when food may be eaten therewith. The utensil has a handle having an elongated transparent material chamber for containing immiscible fluids having different densities, such as air and mineral oil. The lighter density fluid forms a bubble within the chamber, which may be used as a visible signal to a user to indicate when to consume food with the utensil.  
           [0013]    For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a simple, effective, lightweight, durable, combination tool having removably attachable interchangeable implements, which requires minimal assembly. The combination tool should be capable of being used with at least one removably attachable implement to facilitate cooking and/or barbecuing. The functionality of the tool, however, should extend and be adaptable to all types of tools for different uses and purposes. The combination tool should be inexpensive, attractive, quick, and easy to install and remove implements therefrom, the implements being removably attachable therefrom and interchangeable one with the other, the combination tool being compactly storable, and having positive locking means, which releasably locks the removably attachable interchangeable implements thereinto a handle. Optionally, the handle can be capable of illuminating an area or work surface, and in the case of the combination tool directed to facilitating cooking or barbecuing, the handle can be capable of illuminating the food being cooked and/or barbecued. The handle can have a timer capable of being set to at least one time duration, and audibly alerting a user at the end of a selected one of such time durations, for example, as to how long the food has been cooked or barbecued. The handle preferably has a non slip, easy to grip surface, adapted to facilitate use during greasy and slippery conditions. The combination tool should be inexpensive, the handle being the most technologically complex and most expensive component of the combination tool, making it functionally advantageous and cost effective to have a plurality of removably attachable interchangeable implements adapted for use individually and one at a time with the handle.  
         STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    The present invention is directed to a simple, effective, lightweight, durable, combination tool having removably attachable interchangeable implements, which requires minimal assembly. The combination tool is capable of being used with at least one removably attachable implement to facilitate cooking and/or barbecuing. The functionality of the tool is extendable and adaptable to all types of tools for different uses and purposes. The combination tool is inexpensive, attractive, quick, and easy to install and remove implements therefrom, the implements being removably attachable therefrom and interchangeable one with the other, the combination tool being compactly storable, and having positive locking means, which releasably locks the removably attachable interchangeable implements thereinto a handle. The handle is capable of illuminating an area or work surface, and in the case of the combination tool directed to facilitating cooking or barbecuing, the handle is capable of illuminating the food being cooked and/or barbecued. The handle has a timer capable of being set to at least one time duration, and audibly alerting a user at the end of a selected one of such time durations, for example, as to how long the food has been cooked or barbecued. The handle has a non slip, easy to grip surface, adapted to facilitate use during greasy and slippery conditions.  
           [0015]    A combination tool having features of the present invention comprises: a handle, and at least one removably attachable implement adapted for use with the handle, the handle having an implement receiving portion and a spring loaded detent adapted to releasably lock the removably attachable implement thereinto the implement receiving portion of the handle.  
           [0016]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination tool having removably attachable interchangeable implements, constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the combination tool showing a fork implement removably attached to a handle of the combination tool, and an adjacent spatula implement;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a top view of the combination tool showing the fork implement removably attached to the handle of the combination tool;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a top view of the combination tool showing the spatula implement removably attached to the handle of the combination tool;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a top view of the handle of the combination tool;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is a section view of the handle of the combination tool;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is an interior view top and bottom portions of the handle of the combination tool;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an electronic circuit of the combination tool; and  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 9 is a section view of an implement end portion of one of the removably attachable interchangeable implements of the combination tool. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]    The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.  1 - 9  of the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numbers.  
         [0027]    FIGS.  1 - 9  show an embodiment of a combination tool  10 , constructed in accordance with the present invention, for facilitating cooking and/or barbecuing. The combination tool  10  has a handle  12 , a removably attachable fork implement  14 , and a removably attachable spatula implement  16 . The removably attachable fork and spatula implements  14  and  16 , respectively, are adapted for use interchangeably and individually, one at a time with the handle  12 . Other cooking implements such as a spoon or kinfe may removable attached to the handle  12 .  
         [0028]    The removably attachable fork implement  14 , and the removably attachable spatula implement  16  each have an implement end portion  18  having upper bearing surface edges  20 , upper tracks  22 , lower bearing surface  24 , lower tracks  26 , detent receiving slot  28 , flange  30  having hole  32  therethrough, and tool portion  34 . In the instant emboidiment of the combination tool  10 , the removably attachable fork implement  14  has fork tool portion  34 A, and the removably attachable spatula implement  16  has spatula tool portion  34 B, although other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implements having other tool portions may be used. Such ones of the combination tool  10  may be used to facilitate cooking and/or barbecuing and/or other uses and/or purposes.  
         [0029]    The handle  12  has upper interior rails  36 , lower interior rails  38 , and a handle end  40  having a mating opening  42  adapted to matingly receive and guide the implement end portion  18  of the removably attachable fork implement  14 , the removable attachable spatula implement  16 , or other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implement thereinto the handle  12 , matingly therebetween and thereonto the upper interior rails  36  and the lower interior rails  38  of the handle  12 . The mating opening  42  of the handle  12  has slot  44 , having upper bearing surface receiving edges  46  and upper track receiving notches  48 , adapted to matingly receive and guide the upper bearing surface edges  20  of the implement end portion  18  thereonto the upper interior rails  36 , the upper tracks  22  of the implement end portion  18  adjacent and therebetween the upper interior rails  36 , respectively, and lower bearing surface receiving edge  50  and lower track receiving notches  52 , adapted to matingly receive and guide the lower bearing surface  24  of the implement end portion  18  thereonto the lower interior rails  38  therebetween and adjacent the lower tracks  26  of the implement end portion  18 , respectively.  
         [0030]    The handle  12  has a spring loaded detent  54  having a cantilevered spring  56 , a detent stop  58  affixed to the cantilevered spring  56 , and a spring loaded release  60 . The spring loaded detent  54  releasably locks the removably attachable fork implement  14 , the removable attachable spatula implement  16 , or other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implement thereinto the handle  12 . The detent stop  58  has an arcuate shaped end stop  62  and surface  64  angularly disposed from the cantilevered spring  56 . The cantilevered spring  56  is adjoined to lower interior portion  65  of the handle  12  at cantilever spring end  66 . The opposing end  68  of the cantilevered spring  56 , has a substantially arcuate shaped end  70 , and a dimple  74  at top surface  76  proximal to the substantially arcuate shaped end  70 . Top portion  78  of the handle  12  has the spring loaded release  60  mounted therein, the top portion  78  having a hole  80  therein and mounting assembly  82  adapted to house the spring loaded release  60 . The spring loaded release  60  has release button  84  moveably retained in the hole  80  adjacent the exterior surface  86  at the top portion  78  of the handle  12 . The release button  84  has a release rod  88  adjoined thereto, and a coil spring  90  circumferentially wound about the release rod  88 . The coil spring  90  maintains the release button  84  adjacent the exterior surface  86  at the top portion of the handle  12 , when the release button  84  is not depressed.  
         [0031]    The detent receiving slot  28  of the removably attachable fork implement  14 , the removable attachable spatula implement  16 , or other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implement has an arcuate shaped edge  92  and sides  94  adapted to receive the detent stop  58  affixed to the cantilevered spring  56 , and retain the removably attachable fork implement  14 , the removable attachable spatula implement  16 , or other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implement in the handle  12 .  
         [0032]    Upon inserting the removably attachable fork implement  14 , the removable attachable spatula implement  16 , or other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implement into the mating opening  42  of the handle  12 , and pushing the implement end portion  18  into the handle  12 , the detent stop  58  is forced down temporarily, =increasingly depressing the cantilevered spring  56  towards bottom interior portion  96  of the handle  12 , and the flange  30  approaches the handle end  40 . At the end of travel of the implement end portion  18 , the flange  30  abuts the handle end  40 , the detent stop  58  is forced up by the cantilevered spring  56 , locking the arcuate shaped end stop  62  of the detent stop  58  abuttingly against the arcuate shaped edge  92  of the detent receiving slot  28  of the implement end portion  18 , locking the removably attachable fork implement  14 , the removable attachable spatula implement  16 , or other suitable removably attachable implement into the handle  12 .  
         [0033]    The removably attachable fork implement  14 , the removable attachable spatula implement  16 , or other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implement may be removed from the handle  12  by depressing the release button  84 , which forces the end  98  of the release rod  88  against the dimple  74  of the cantilevered spring  56 , forcing the cantilevered spring  56  and the detent stop  58  temporarily towards the bottom interior portion  96  of the handle  12 , clearing the arcuate shaped end stop  62  of the detent stop  58  from abutting against the arcuate shaped edge  92  of the detent receiving slot  28  of the implement end portion  18 , clearing the detent stop  58  from the detent receiving slot  28  of the implement end portion  18 , and withdrawing the removably attachable fork implement  14 , the removable attachable spatula implement  16 , or other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implement therefrom the handle  12 , after which, the release button  84  is released.  
         [0034]    The combination tool  10  can have an electronic circuit  100 , within the handle  12 , having batteries B 1    102 , which supply power to lamp L 1    104 , when switch S 1    106  is closed, and power to integrated circuit IC 1    108  and light emitting diode LED 1    110 , when switch S 2    112  is closed.  
         [0035]    The lamp L 1    104  protrudes therefrom the handle end  40  and therethrough the hole  32  of the flange  30 , when the flange  30  is abutted against the handle end  40 , and the removably attachable fork implement  14 , the removable attachable spatula implement  16 , or other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implement is locked to the handle  12 , allowing light to illuminate the food being cooked and/or barbecued and/or an area or surface in proximity to the combination tool  10 , when the switch S 1    106  is closed.  
         [0036]    The integrated IC 1    108  has timer T 1    114  and audio oscillator A 1    116 , the time constant of the timer T 1    114  being controlled by a particular one of resistors R 1 -R 7    118 , each of which has a different value, a particular one of the resistors R 1 -R 7    118  being selected by switch S 3    120  to be in series with capacitor C 1    122  and the timer T 1    114 . The timer T 1    114  may be set to one of a plurality of time durations, the time duration depending upon the RC time constant of a selected one of the resistors R 1 -R 7    118 , selected therewith the switch S 3    120 , and the capacitor C 1    122 , preferably prior to closing the switch S 2    112 , and applying power to the integrated circuit IC 1    108 .  
         [0037]    Power is supplied to the integrated circuit IC 1    108 , the light emitting diode LED 1    110 , and transistor amplifier Q 1    111 , when the switch S 2    112  is closed, after selection of an appropriated time duration with the switch S 3    120 , which illuminates the light emitting diode LED 1    110 , and starts the timer T 1    114 . The timer T 1    114  signals the audio oscillator A 1    116  to emit an audio signal thereto the transistor amplifier Q 1    111 , which amplifies the audio signal, the amplified audio signal being supplied thereto loud speaker LS 1    124 , which emits an audible sound. The loud speaker LS 1    124  emits the audible sound, upon completion of the time duration previously selected therewith the switch S 3    120 , and audibly alerts a user at the end of the selected time duration, for example, as to how long food has been cooked or barbecued. Upon being alerted, the user may then optionally turn the timer T 1    114 , the audio oscillator A 1    116 , the transistor amplifier Q 1    111 , and the light emitting diode LED 1    110  off, by opening the switch S 2    112 .  
         [0038]    The switch S 1    106  and the switch S 2    112  are accessible at the exterior surface  86  of upper portion  125  of the handle  12  to facilitate control of the lamp L 1    104 , the timer T 1    114 , the audio oscillator A 1    116 , and the light emitting diode LED 1    110 , the light emitting diode LED 1    110 , being viewable at the exterior surface  86  of the top portion of the handle  12 . The switch S 3    120  is a rotary switch, and is mounted at rear end  126  of the handle  12 , the rear end  126  opposing the handle end  40 . Knob  128  is affixed to shaft  130  of the switch S 3    120 , and has time duration markings  132 , indicating respective ones of time durations, a respective one of the time duration markings  132  being aligned with reference mark  134  adjacent the rear end  126  of the handle  12  to select a desired time duration and associated time constant for the timer T 1    114 .  
         [0039]    The batteries B 1    102 , which are typically two 1.5 volt AA batteries, are mounted within lower interior portion  65  of the handle  12 , lower portion  136  of the handle  12  having opening  138  and mating cover  140  to facilitate easy access, installation, and removal of the batteries B 1    102 . The integrated circuit IC 1    108  may be a 74HCT4060 or other suitable integrated circuit. The transistor amplifier Q 1    111  may be a S9013, 2N4401, or other suitable general purpose transistor.  
         [0040]    The handle  12  may be of thermoplastics, thermosetting polymers, hard rubber, or other suitable material or combination thereof, and may be of molded or other suitable construction, and preferably of heat resistant material. The handle  12  may be of other suitable materials, depending upon the applications that the combination tool  10  will be subjected to.  
         [0041]    The upper portion  125  of the handle  12 , and the lower portion  136  of the handle  12  are preferably constructed as separate mating units, fastened one to the other with fasteners  142 , to facilitate manufacturing, assembly, and installation of components therein the handle  12 . The upper portion of the handle  125  has raised exterior ribs  144  to facilitate handling by a user, and the lower portion of the handle  12  has finger grips  146  to facilitate holding the handle  12 , and minimize the chances that the combination tool  10  may slip from a user&#39;s hand, if the handle  12  becomes greasy or wet. The handle  12  is coated with a non slip rubberized coating, non skid surface coating, or other suitable finish to further enhance grip, and minimize the chance of slippage of the combination tool  10  from the user&#39;s hand.  
         [0042]    In the instant case of the present invention of the combination tool  10 , the removably attachable fork implement  14  has the fork tool portion  34 A, and the removably attachable spatula implement  16  has the spatula tool portion  34 B, which are preferably of stainless steel, steel, brass, metal, or other suitable material, and preferably of heat resistant and corrosion resistant material, although other suitable removably attachable interchangeable implements having other tool portions and other suitable materials may be used, for use in other applications. The implement end portion  18  may be of thermoplastics, thermosetting polymers, hard rubber, or other suitable material or combination thereof, and may be of molded or other suitable construction, preferably molded about the fork tool portion  34 A, the spatula tool portion  34 B, or other suitable tool portion, and preferably of heat resistant material.  
         [0043]    The handle  12  also has carrying strap and hanger  148  fastened to the handle  12  adjacent the rear end  126  of the handle  12 .  
         [0044]    Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.