Patent Publication Number: US-9901202-B2

Title: Portable food handling devices

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/215,662, filed Mar. 17, 2014, now allowed, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/790,285, filed Mar. 15, 2013, the entire content of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure generally relates to portable food handling devices for use during eating foodstuffs, especially those often considered as difficult, awkward, or messy to handle, such as slices of pizza, hot dogs, doughnuts, bagels, etc., and, more particularly, for holding and eating such foodstuffs in a sanitary, tidy manner, that is without soiling one&#39;s hands, without spilling drippings, pieces, or toppings of the foodstuff, and without requiring the use of any traditional eating utensils, such as knives and forks, and, still more particularly, relates to portable food handling devices that are used to feed solid foodstuffs in a comfortable and sanitary manner directly to a user&#39;s mouth without using utensils and can be beneficial in both indoor and outdoor activities, sports arenas, cafeterias, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, schools, universities, cars, boats, planes, as well as in disaster relief kits, and the like. In addition, the food handling devices are advantageously sized to fit inside lunch boxes. 
     Pizza is an example of a foodstuff that is often difficult to handle, especially when the foodstuff is hot. The commonest form in which pizza is served is a generally triangular sector slice taken from a circular pie, generally formed when the pie is cut by several diametrical slices, This form is difficult to handle mostly because of the soft and limp nature of the pointed end, which tends to droop and allow any loose toppings, usually lubricated by cheese and sauce, to slide off and often end up on the user&#39;s hands, food tray, or lap, or on the floor. Other types of messy foods include, for example, a hot dog, especially when smothered with multiple loose toppings, a hamburger, a gyro, a taco, a burrito, etc. Frequently, toppings, including sauce, can fall off from the foodstuff, even when held with two hands. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the instant disclosure, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portable food service assembly containing a plurality of food handling devices in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of one of the food handling devices of the assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of a detail of the device of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged end view of the device of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a broken-away, enlarged perspective view of another food handling device for the assembly of  FIG. 1  in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken on line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged, perspective view of a detail of the device of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged, side view of the device of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged top plan view of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a food handling device in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional view taken on line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional view taken on line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 13  is a broken-away, side view of another embodiment of a food handling device in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 14  is a broken-away, bottom plan view of the device of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a broken-away, side view of a detail of the food handling device of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 16  is a broken-away, enlarged, sectional view of a variant mounting of the food service assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 17  is a broken-away, side view of another variant mounting of the food service assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 18  is a broken-away, side view of another variant mounting of the food service assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 19  is a sectional view of still another embodiment of a food handling device in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 20  is a part-sectional view of yet another embodiment of a food handling device in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 21  is a sectional view of an additional embodiment of a food handling device in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 22  is a side view taken on line  22 - 22  of  FIG. 21 . 
         FIG. 23  is a side view of a variant detail of the embodiment of  FIG. 21 . 
         FIG. 24  is a broken-away, side sectional view of another detail of the embodiment of  FIG. 21 . 
         FIG. 25  is an end view of the detail of  FIG. 24 . 
         FIG. 26  is a broken-away, par-sectional, perspective view of another embodiment of a food handling device in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 27  is a sectional view of a food handling component used with the food handling device of  FIG. 26 . 
         FIG. 28  is a side view of the food handling component of  FIG. 27 . 
         FIG. 29  is a sectional view of yet another embodiment of a food handling device in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 30  is an enlarged, sectional view of part of the food handling device of  FIG. 29 . 
         FIG. 31  is an enlarged, top plan view of the food handling device of  FIG. 30 . 
         FIG. 32  is a part-sectional, part-diagrammatic, view of an additional embodiment of a food handling device in accordance with this disclosure. 
         FIG. 33  is a sectional view taken on line  32 - 32  of  FIG. 32 . 
         FIG. 34  is a broken-away, top view of a detail of the food handling devices. 
     
    
    
     Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and locations of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     The device and assembly components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 1-4 , a portable service assembly  110  includes a plate or serving platter  114 , a support  112  held by a user  118 , and a base  116 . The support  112  need not be a cylindrical column as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , but could have other shapes, e.g., a stepped column, a frustoconical column, or a part-cylindrical and part-frustoconical column. The column could be solid or hollow, and has a diameter sized to be readily gripped in the palm of a user&#39;s hand so that the assembly  110  may easily be carried by one hand from place to place. The hollow interior of the column could be used to store any item, such as napkins, straws, electronic devices, utensils, writing implements, condiment packages, etc. The base  116  in  FIG. 1  has a planar bottom surface for stable mounting on a support surface, such as the floor or a table. If the support surface is made of a magnetically attractable material, then, in one advantageous embodiment, the bottom surface of the base  116  may be constituted of a magnetic material for magnetic attraction to, and holding by, the magnetically attractable support surface. The base  116  could therefore be of one-piece with the column, or could be a separate detachable part that can be readily attached to the column. For example, the base  116  can be threadedly or magnetically attached to the column, or can be attached by a snap-type action.  FIGS. 16-18 , as described below, illustrate other mounting arrangements relative to support surfaces. 
     A drink container or liquid substance-containing cup  124  may be mounted, and held with a friction fit, in a central hollow cylindrical portion  113  of the assembly  110 , preferably inside an opening in the platter  114 . The container  124  may be removed and replaced at will. The container  124  need not be frustoconical in shape as illustrated, but could have other shapes, e.g., cylindrical. The container  124  may contain water, or cold beverages, such as soda, a milk shake, alcoholic beverages, etc., or hot beverages, such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soup, etc., or any semi-liquid substance, such as yogurt, hummus, mustard, ketchup, etc. Use of the container  124  is optional. 
     A plurality of food handling devices  120  are radially arranged on the platter  114 . The food holding devices  120  need not be radially arranged as shown, but could be arranged in different numbers and layouts. A representative food handling device  120  is shown individually in  FIG. 2 . The food handling device  120  includes a portable, elongated, tubular holder  126  bounding an interior in which a foodstuff, e.g., a slice of pizza, a pastry, a cake, a gyro, a doughnut, a taco, a hot dog, a hamburger, a burrito, a pirogi, a sandwich, etc., is placed. The holder  126  has a longitudinal channel or slot  128 . The holder  126  can have various shapes, for example, a cylindrical shape, or a conical shape suitable for compact storage, transport, and handling. A movable member  130 , shown individually in the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , has an elongated support portion or body  134 , a handle portion  132  at one end of the body  134 , an upright arm portion  136  at an opposite end of the body  134 , and a neck portion  138 . The movable member  130  is initially positioned inside the holder  126  such that the handle portion  132  is located outside an open axial end of the holder  126 , and the neck portion  138  is positioned in the longitudinal slot  128 . 
     Using a slice of pizza  140  (see  FIG. 4 ) as an example of a foodstuff that can advantageously be placed inside the holder  126 , the pizza slice  140  is placed on top of the movable member  130  such that its rear crust at its broader end is adjacent the upright arm portion  136 . In use, the user  118  takes one of the food handling devices  120  off the platter  14  with one hand, and brings the device  120  near the user&#39;s mouth. Then, the user  118  grips and manipulates the handle portion  132  with the user&#39;s other hand, and progressively pulls the movable member  130  towards the user  118  with the user&#39;s other hand, and incrementally slides the pizza slice  140  out of the holder  126 , thereby enabling the user  118  to progressively advance the pointed front leading end of the pizza slice  140  in steps out of the holder  126  towards the user&#39;s mouth in order to eat the pizza slice  140  bite-by-bite in a sanitary manner, that is, without dropping any toppings from the pizza slice  140 , without soiling one&#39;s hands, and without requiring the use of any traditional eating utensils. During the eating, the handle portion  132  is pulled down, thereby bending and folding the support portion  134  out of the way from the user&#39;s mouth. Advantageously, the movable member  130  is made of a bendable, flexible material. As noted above, pizza is an unusually difficult food to handle in a non-awkward manner. Prior to use of the food handling device  120 , the pizza slice  140  and all its toppings are fully contained within the device  120 . During eating, only the leading end of the pizza slice  140  is exposed for eating. 
     The holder  126  may have sensors  146  to indicate, and to record, the quantity of the foodstuff that has been moved a distance through the holder  126  and has been eaten. This recorded information can be stored, together with the caloric value of the particular foodstuff, and can be sent to remote monitoring facilities that calculate the user&#39;s daily calorie consumption data, to thereby monitor the health, and assist in controlling the weight of, the user. The holder  126 , together with a foodstuff therein, may be placed in a refrigerator, and subsequently in a thermos or lunch box, for further subsequent consumption in any venue, for example, schools, food stands, workplaces, stadiums, recreational outdoor activities, sporting events, etc. As shown, the outer and inner walls of the holder  126  may be formed with raised outer ribs  142  and/or raised inner ribs  144 . The outer ribs  142  enable the user  118  to more securely hold the holder  126 . The channels between the inner ribs  144  may collect drippings from the pizza slice  140  or other foodstuff. Both the outer ribs  142  and the inner ribs  144  also serve as thermal insulators to prevent any heat from the pizza slice  140  or other hot foodstuff from being transferred to the user&#39;s hand. The holder  126  may be constituted of any material, for example, a resilient material that permits the holder  136  to be squeezed, but when constituted of a corrugated board material, the ribs  142 ,  144  are advantageously formed of the flutes or corrugations of the board material. The holder  126  may alternatively be provided with smooth outer and inner walls. The holder  126 , together with the foodstuff, may also be microwaveable. 
       FIG. 5  depicts another embodiment of a food handling device  220  that is similar to the food handling device  120 . The food handling device  220  includes a tubular holder  226  bounding an interior in which the foodstuff  140 , as described above, is placed. The holder  226  has a longitudinal channel or slot  228 . The holder  226  can have various shapes, for example, a cylindrical shape, or a conical shape suitable for compact storage, transport, and handling. A pulling assembly  230  includes a bracket  234  mounted on the holder  226  for sliding longitudinal movement lengthwise of the slot  228 , and a movable member  240  shown individually in  FIG. 7 . As best seen in  FIG. 6 , the bracket  234  has an outer flange  236  located outside the holder  226 , an inner flange  238  located inside the holder  226 , a connecting portion  242  that interconnects the flanges  236 ,  238  and that is located in the slot  228 , and a passage  244  that extends through the flanges  236 ,  238  and the connecting portion  242 . The movable member  240  has a handle portion  246  at one end, a neck portion  248  that extends through the passage  244 , an upright arm portion  250 , and an elongated body or support portion  252  that preferably terminates in a concave edge  254 . The handle portion  246  is positioned perpendicularly to the passage  244 . Prior to use of the food handling device  220 , the pizza slice  140  and all its toppings are fully contained within the device  220 . During eating, only the leading end of the pizza slice  140  is exposed for eating. 
     Again using the pizza slice  140  as an example of a foodstuff that can advantageously be placed inside the holder  226 , the pizza slice  140  is placed on top of the movable member  240  such that its rear crust at its broader end is adjacent the upright arm portion  250 . In a variation, the pizza slice  140  need not be placed on top of the movable member  240 , but instead, could be positioned axially adjacent the pizza slice  140 . In use, the user  118  holds the device  220  with one hand near the user&#39;s mouth. Then, the user grips the handle portion  246  or the bracket portion  234  with the user&#39;s other hand, and progressively pulls the movable member  240  towards the user with the user&#39;s other hand, and incrementally slides the bracket  234  and the movable member  240  lengthwise of the slot  228  and the holder  226 , thereby enabling the user to progressively advance the pointed front leading end of the pizza slice  140  in steps out of the holder  226  in order to eat the pizza slice  140  bite-by-bite in a sanitary manner, that is without spilling any toppings, without soiling one&#39;s hand, and without requiring the use of any traditional eating utensils. The movable member  240  can either carry the pizza slice, or push the pizza slice  140 , during such movement. 
     The concave edge  254  helps to insure that the user will not bite down hard on the movable member  240  during eating. Similarly, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the outer end of the holder  226 , i.e., the end that is closest to the user&#39;s mouth during eating, is rearwardly tapered by an angle “D”, to again prevent the user from biting down hard on the outer end of the holder  226 . The concave edge  254  on the movable member  240  and the outer tapered end of the holder  226  could also be implemented on the movable member  130  and the holder  126  described above. A plurality of food handling devices  220  may be arranged on the platter  114  in analogous manner to that described above for food handling devices  120 . 
       FIG. 9  also depicts a pair of stops  258  that abut against the upper flange  236  of the sliding bracket  234  and prevent the sliding bracket  234  from moving past the stops  258 . Similar stops could be provided on the holder  126  described above to prevent the movable member  130  from moving off the holder  126 . In addition, the holder  226  could be provided with the above-described sensors  146 . The holder  226  is advantageously constituted of the same materials described above for holder  126 . 
     Turning now to the food handling device  10  of  FIGS. 10-12 , a portable holder is configured from an elongated, adjustable strip having opposite end regions  12 ,  14  that are brought together to form an annular body portion  16  bounding an interior. The strip is advantageously made of a resilient material, such as plastic, but could also be made of other materials. A first pair of fasteners  18  are fastened together, and a second pair of fasteners  22  are fastened together, each fastener being preferably of the snap type, with enough excess material from the strip, to form an annular central portion  20 . The above-described foodstuff  140  is supported on a movable member  30 , and they are jointly mounted within the interior of the annular body portion  16 . The opposite end regions  12 ,  14  extend at least partly diametrically across the annular body portion  16  into engagement with the foodstuff  140  and serve as a resilient holding portion for fixedly holding the foodstuff  140  against movement. A plurality of eating accessories, such as utensils, e.g., a knife, fork, spoon, or pair of chopsticks, as well as napkins or straws, are mounted and held within the annular central portion  20 . In addition, one or more such eating accessories could be mounted in a V-shaped recess located at the top of the annular body portion  16 . 
     In use, as shown in  FIG. 12 , the pizza slice  140  is placed on the movable member  30 , advantageously configured as a plate, e.g., a paper plate, and the plate with the pizza slice  140  thereon are bent into a curved shape to conform to the inner circumferential surface of the annular body portion  16  and jointly placed underneath the resilient holding portion  12 ,  14 , which advantageously is first pushed up to make clearance for the curved plate with the pizza slice  140  thereon, and then released to return by spring action from the central portion  20  to the illustrated position. As noted above, the resilient holding portion  12 ,  14  engages the pizza slice  140  and holds the same stationary. Then, the user  118  holds the device  10  with one hand, and grips a rear portion of the movable member  30  with the other hand, and progressively pulls the movable member  30  along a longitudinal direction relative to the pizza slice  140  away from the user with the other hand, thereby enabling the user to incrementally expose the pointed front end of the pizza slice  140  in order to eat the pizza slice  140  bite-by-bite in a sanitary manner, that is without spilling any toppings, without soiling one&#39;s hand, and without requiring the use of any traditional eating utensils. A plurality of food handling devices  10  may be arranged on the platter  114  in analogous manner to that described above for food handling devices  120 ,  220 . 
     Turning now to the food handling device  50  of  FIGS. 13-14 , a portable holder includes a base portion  56  on which a movable member  52  and the above-described foodstuff  140  are supported, a raised projection  54  for holding the foodstuff  140 , and a slot  58  through which the movable member  52  passes. Preferably, the movable member  42  is curved in an arch to add strength to support the pizza slice  140 . In use, as shown in  FIG. 13 , the user  118  holds the holder with one hand, grips a rear portion of the movable member  52  with the other hand, and progressively pulls the movable member  52  through the slot  58  along a longitudinal direction relative to the pizza slice  140  away from the user with the other hand, thereby enabling the user to incrementally expose the pointed front end of the pizza slice  140  in steps in order to eat the pizza slice  140  bite-by-bite in a sanitary manner, that is without spilling any toppings, without soiling one&#39;s hand, and without requiring the use of any traditional eating utensils. The raised projection  54  serves as a stop flange against which the rear end of the pizza slice  140  abuts, and holds the pizza slice  140  in a fixed position during movement of the movable member  52 . In a variation, the raised projection  54  can be a pointed barb or tooth which pierces the pizza slice  140  to fix the latter in a stationary position. A plurality of food handling devices  50  may be arranged on the platter  114  in analogous manner to that described above for food handling devices  120 ,  220 ,  10 . 
       FIG. 15  depicts one method of adjusting the perimeter of the annular body portion  16  of the device  10 . Thus, one end portion  10 A of the strip has a projecting portion with a pair of resilient prongs  40 , and the other end portion  10 B of the strip has a plurality of recesses  42  arranged successively apart lengthwise of the strip. The resilient prongs  40  engage with a snap type action into any selected one of the recesses  42  to adjust the perimeter of the annular body portion  16  of the strip to accommodate different sizes and shapes of the foodstuff and the movable member placed therein. 
     Thus, for the food handling devices  10 ,  50 , the pizza slice  140  is held stationary, while each moving member  30 ,  52  is moved relative to the pizza slice  140  away from the user. By contrast, for the food handling devices  120 ,  220 , the movable members  130 ,  240  are jointly movable with their respective pizza slices  140  towards the user. 
     As described so far, the lower end of the support  112  of the food service assembly is adapted to be supported on top of a generally horizontal support surface, such as a table top or countertop, with the aid of the base  116 . Other mounting configurations are also contemplated. For example,  FIG. 16  depicts a spring-biased clip or clamp  150  having opposing jaws  152  that grip upper and lower surfaces of a generally horizontal support surface  154 . The jaws  152  could also be concave to grip opposite sides of a different support surface, such as a round post or pole. The lower end of the support  112  is connected to the clamp  150  via an adapter  156  in which a resilient cushion  158  is received. The cushion  158  compresses under the weight of the food service assembly and self-adjusts as needed in order to compensate for any tilting of the support  112  created by any variation in the size of the support surface  154  and any variation in the opening of the clamp  150 . The adapter  156  need not be mechanically fixed to the clamp  150  as shown, but could be magnetically attached thereto, and could also be mounted for turning movement about a vertical axis thereon. 
     As another example, the lower end of the support  112  can be mounted on a round post or pole staked into the ground or sand as on a beach, or in the snow.  FIG. 17  depicts a ski pole  160  on which a food service assembly comprised of the platter  114  and the support  112  are detachably mounted with the aid of a tubular clamp  162 . 
     As another example, as shown in  FIG. 18 , the lower end of the support  112  can be configured with a first enlarged frustoconically-shaped adapter portion  60  that, in turn, is located above a second enlarged frustoconically-shaped adapter portion  62 . The adapter portions  60 ,  62  need not be frustoconically-shaped, and the support  112  can comprise only one of these adapter portions, or additional adapter portions. Each adapter portion  60 ,  62  is configured to be received in a correspondingly sized compartment in a cupholder that may be provided in a vehicle, such as a car, boat, or plane, typically in a console or dashboard area adjacent a seat, or in an armchair or seat, such as those located in theaters, arenas, stadiums, outdoor seating areas, etc. Thus, the support  112  of  FIG. 18  enables the food service assembly  110  of  FIG. 1  to be conveniently supported and stably held anyplace where a cupholder exists. No additional adapter is required, because at least one of the adapter portions  60 ,  62  will fit into the correspondingly sized compartment of the cupholder. This feature is of especial benefit when the user is being served at a drive-through station of a fast food store. 
     As also shown in  FIG. 18 , the support  112  may have an adjustable length. For example, the support  122  may comprise a pair of telescoping sections  112 A,  112 B whose overall length is adjustable by sliding one of the sections relative to the other of the sections. This adjustability may be used to position a food handling device at about the same elevation as a user&#39;s mouth. For example, a patient at a hospital or rehabilitation center, an invalid, or an incapacitated or handicapped person may be unable to use one of his or her hands to hold the food handling device, in which case, the food handling device may conveniently be placed on the platter  114  and remain thereon so that the platter  114  holds the food handling device. Then, the length of the support  112  and, hence, the elevation of the platter  114  relative to a support surface, e.g., the floor, a table, etc., can be varied to position the food handling device at about the same elevation as the user&#39;s mouth. The upper end  66  of the upper section  112 B may be connected to the platter  114  by various types of connections, both detachable and permanent. For example, the platter  114  may be detachably mounted on the support  112  with a threaded fit, a non-threaded fit, a friction fit, an interference fit, a snap action fit, or a clearance fit. 
       FIG. 19  depicts another embodiment of a food handling device  300  in which the solid foodstuff  140  is mounted in a chamber  302  of a tubular holder  304 . A detachable end cap  306  is removably mounted at one end of the holder  304 . A movable member  308  includes a handle  310  outside the holder  304 , and a shaft  312  that threadedly engages an opposite end of the holder  304 , and that extends into the chamber  302 . A pusher  314  is mounted at the end of the shaft  312 . Once the cap  306  is removed, manually turning the handle  310  causes the shaft  312  to turn and the pusher  314  to advance axially, thereby horizontally pushing the foodstuff  140  out of the chamber  302 . Advantageously, a user turns the handle  310  in angular increments so that the solid foodstuff  140  can be directly fed to the user&#39;s mouth and sanitarily eaten bite-by-bite without the aid of utensils. 
       FIG. 20  depicts another embodiment of a food handling device  320  that is similar to the food handling device  300 , except that the handle  308  and the shaft  312  have been replaced by a squeezable air pump  316  that is in gaseous communication via a check valve  472  in a duct  474  with an internal pressure compartment  318  of the holder  304 . Advantageously, once the cap  306  is removed, a user manually squeezes the pump  316  in increments so that pressurized air is admitted into the duct  474  and pushes against and moves the check valve  472  to an open position, thereby opening a flow path to the internal pressure compartment  318 . The pressurized air in the internal pressure compartment  318  then urges the pusher  314  axially, and also horizontally and incrementally advances the solid foodstuff  140 , thereby again allowing the solid foodstuff  140  to be directly fed to the user&#39;s mouth and sanitarily eaten bite-by-bite without the aid of utensils.  FIG. 20  also depicts the aforementioned platter  114  on which any of the food handling devices described herein may be supported. Advantageously, the platter  114  has a peripheral, raised flange  115  to prevent any food handling device from accidentally falling off the platter  114  when the platter  114  is tilted and/or when the height of the support  112  is adjusted. The food handling device may be placed against the flange  115  to hold the food handling device in place while a user eats directly from the device while holding the support  112  in one hand. 
       FIG. 21  depicts another embodiment of a food handling device  330  that may be removably mounted inside an outer housing  332  that has a removable cap  334 . Preferably, the housing  332  and the cap  334  are made of a thermally-insulating material to serve as a thermos for a foodstuff in the food handling device  330 . The food handling device  330  includes a tubular holder  336  having an internal compartment  338  in which a solid foodstuff is contained during eating. An end closure  340  is threadedly connected at region  342  to the holder  336 . A movable member includes a handle  344 , an annular corrugated member  346 , an annular indexing member  348 , and a pusher  350  that is connected to the corrugated member  346 , for example, by a pin connector  476 . The outer surface of the corrugated member  346  has a series of annular peaks or ridges that alternate with a series of annular valleys or grooves. The indexing member  348  is fixedly held within the end closure  340  and, as shown in  FIG. 22 , has a series of radially extending, resilient fingers  352  separated by radial slits. Advantageously, once the cap  334  is removed, a user manually pushes the handle  344  and the corrugated member  346  axially until the fingers  352  of the indexing member  348 , which initially is seated in one of the valleys, resiliently yield, and allow the indexing member  348  to become seated in another of the valleys of the corrugated member  346 . The incremental, stepwise advancement of the corrugated member  346  also horizontally and incrementally advances the pusher  350  and the foodstuff lengthwise along the chamber  338  so that the solid foodstuff can be directly fed to the user&#39;s mouth and sanitarily eaten bite-by-bite without the aid of utensils. The user can also grip the handle  344  and manually retract the pusher  350  horizontally in order to reload the food handling device with another foodstuff. 
     Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 23 , the member  346  can be provided with an outer spiral thread  478  so that the handle  344  and the member  346  can be manually turned in one circumferential direction in a manner analogous to advancing a screw to advance the member  346  relative to the indexing member  348 . Manually turning the handle  344  and the member  346  in an opposite circumferential direction causes the member  346  to retract in order to make room for another foodstuff. As also shown in  FIG. 23 , the handle  344  may be pivotably connected to the member  346  at pivot  480  to allow the handle to be folded flat when not in use against the member  346 . The member  346  can be of one-piece construction, or may comprise a plurality of sections, each attachable by a connector  482  to a shaft  484 . The number of such sections is selectable to adjust the length “L” of the member  346 . The size and shape of the ridges, grooves, and the spiral is also selectable to adjust the size of each increment by which the foodstuff is advanced. The member  346  is cleanable and re-usable. 
       FIG. 24  depicts a front end piece  486  that is threadedly mounted at the outer end region of the tubular holder  336 . A closure  488  is pivotably mounted on the front end piece  486  at the pivot  492  for movement between an open and a closed position. The closure  488  has a fastener  496  that engages the front end piece  486  in the closed position. As shown in  FIG. 25 , the front end piece  486  has a plurality of equiangularly arranged, concave, resilient lips  490  constituted of a soft, flexible material. The lips  490  bound a central dispensing opening  494 . In the open position, when the user either axially manually pushes the member  346  ( FIG. 21 ) or manually rotates the member  346  ( FIG. 23 ), the foodstuff is pushed out through the opening  494  past the lips  490  directly into the user&#39;s mouth so that it can be sanitarily eaten bite-by-bite without the aid of utensils. The lips  490  help prevent accidental spillage of the foodstuff. The soft and concavely curved nature of the lips  490  enables them to be comfortably positioned in contact with the user&#39;s lips and mouth. A sensor, e.g., a transducer  498 , is threadedly mounted inside the tubular holder  336  adjacent to the front end piece  486 . The sensor  498  is an annular disc having a central opening through which the foodstuff is pushed. The sensor  498  includes a strain gauge that can measure the quantity of the foodstuff that has been moved through the front end piece  486  and has been eaten. This information can be stored, together with the caloric value of the particular foodstuff, and can be sent to remote monitoring facilities that calculate the user&#39;s daily calorie consumption data, to thereby monitor the health, and assist in controlling the weight of, the user. 
       FIG. 26  depicts another embodiment of a food handling device  360  that is advantageously configured for eating a hot dog, i.e., a cooked sausage  362  served in a sliced bun  364 , or a burrito, or like solid foodstuffs. The hot dog is placed in a longitudinal main channel  366  of a holder  368 . The holder  368  has a pair of longitudinal guide channels  370  at opposite sides of the main channel  366 , and may have another pair of side channels  372  at opposite sides of the guide channels  370 . The side channels  372  may advantageously hold condiments, such as mustard, or other foodstuffs, such as relish or sauerkraut.  FIGS. 27-28  depict a movable member  380  that is used to manually advance the hot dog being served on the food handling device  360 . The movable member  380  has a pair of resilient side walls  374  that may be urged toward each other to capture the hot dog therebetween. The inner surfaces of the side walls  374  may be roughened or serrated to better grip the hot dog. The side walls  374  have lower feet  376  that are slidably mounted in the guide channels  370 . Advantageously, a user manually squeezes the side walls  374  together to grip the hot dog, and then incrementally manually advances the hot dog lengthwise of the main channel  366  so that the hot dog can be directly fed into the user&#39;s mouth and sanitarily eaten bite-by-bite without the aid of utensils. As shown in  FIG. 28 , an end wall  382  is provided at the rear of the movable member  380 . The hot dog can abut the end wall  382 . A series of detachable portions  384  may be provided on the end wall  382 . The inner surfaces of the detachable portions  384  may be roughened or serrated to better grip the hot dog. A selected number of the detachable portions  384  may be detached from the end wall  382  to adjust the height of the end wall  382  to better match the height of the hot dog. As shown in  FIG. 28 , the side walls  374  may also be corrugated and compressible to adjust the height and width of the side walls  374  to better match the height and width of the hot dog. The corrugated side walls  374  provide a better grip on, and also provide better heat isolation from, the hot dog. 
       FIGS. 29-31  depict another embodiment of a food handling device  400  that is advantageously configured for eating a doughnut, a bagel, a cake, or an analogous solid foodstuff  406 . The food handling device  400  includes a holder  404  that has a central projection  408  that can extend into a central hole in the foodstuff  406 , an annular main channel  410  that surrounds the projection  408  and that holds the foodstuff  406 , and an annular side channel  410  that surrounds the main channel  410  and that may advantageously hold condiments or the like. A central bore  414  underneath the projection  408  receives a stub  416  of a housing  402  in which the food handling device  400  may be contained. The housing  402  may have snap-type connectors  418  or other connectors to enable the housing  402  to be opened or closed. A movable member  420  rests on top of the foodstuff  406  and is manually turnable in either circumferential direction about a vertical axis. An inner surface of the movable member  420  may be roughened or serrated to better grip the foodstuff  406 . As shown in  FIG. 31 , the movable member  420  has a cutout  422  in which a portion of the foodstuff  406  is exposed. Advantageously, a user manually turns the movable member  420  to a desired angular extent, and can directly eat the portion of the foodstuff exposed in the cutout  422  in a sanitary, bite-by-bite manner without the aid of utensils. The cutout  422  is provided with rounded edges that are not sharp to prevent injury to the user during eating. 
       FIGS. 32-33  depict still another embodiment of a food handling device  450  in which the foodstuff is mounted in a chamber  452  of a tubular holder  454 . The closure  488  and the front end piece of  FIG. 24  may be mounted on the outer end of the holder  454 . A movable member includes a motor  456  outside the holder  454 , and a shaft  458  that threadedly engages the holder  454 , and that extends into the chamber  452 . A food stop or abutment member  460  is mounted at the end of the shaft  458  to abut against a foodstuff received in the chamber  452 . The motor  456  is operative for automatically turning the shaft  458  in either circumferential direction under the control of controllers  462 . The motor  456  is mounted on a support  464  and is energized by a battery  461 . A sliding piston  466  is mounted for telescoping sliding movement inside a cylinder  468  that is mounted on the support  464 . The piston  466  is connected to the holder  454  by a pin  471 . A heater  470  may be provided on the holder  454  to warm the foodstuff therein. Advantageously, a user actuates a controller  462  to energize the battery-powered motor  456  and turn the shaft  458  in one circumferential direction, thereby causing relative motion between the stop  460  and the bolder  454 . The foodstuff remains stationary, while the holder  454  is moved horizontally and incrementally toward the left in  FIG. 32 . The foodstuff is thus incrementally exposed so that it can be directly eaten in a sanitary, bite-by-bite manner without using utensils. The user can actuate the other controller  462  to energize the motor  456  and turn the shaft  458  in the opposite circumferential direction, thereby causing the holder  454  to move toward the right in  FIG. 32 , whereupon the holder  454  may be loaded with another foodstuff. The aforementioned sensor  498  ( FIG. 24 ) can also be supported by the holder  454  at its front end region to measure the quantity that the foodstuff has been moved. 
     The food handling devices disclosed herein can be advantageously used virtually anywhere indoors or outdoors, and even in weightless environments, in many different types of activities. The various holders disclosed herein, e.g., holders  304 ,  336  and  454 , may advantageously be constituted of a light-transmissive material on which a series of markings  500 , as shown in  FIG. 34 , is applied. The markings  500  may be accompanied by alphanumeric indicia and may be formed integrally with the holders, or may be printed or otherwise applied on the holders. The foodstuff is visible through the respective light-transmissive holder, and the markings  500  serve as visual indicators as to the distance through which the foodstuff has been moved or exposed. This distance can be used to determine the caloric value of the particular foodstuff being eaten. The food handling devices disclosed herein can be advantageously made at least in part of disposable and/or biodegradable materials. The food handling devices disclosed herein can be washed in a dishwasher, cooled in a refrigerator, and heated in a microwave oven. 
     In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings. For example, the food service assemblies and food handling devices described herein can also be used by campers, or military personnel, or participants in any outdoor or indoor activities, such as picnics, block parties, beach activities, hiking, or sports activities, especially those where it is difficult to keep one&#39;s hands clean. 
     The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued. 
     Moreover, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” “including,” “contains,” “containing,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, or contains a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a,” “has . . . a,” or “contains . . . a,” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, or contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially,” “essentially,” “approximately,” “about,” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to, as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The term “coupled” is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed. 
     The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.