Patent Publication Number: US-2023136968-A1

Title: Handle for barbecue tools and for other implements

Description:
This application claims priority to US Provisional Application No. 63/274902, filed Nov. 2, 2021, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A is disclosed which has the ability to attach to certain metallic tops or sides. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of the spatula; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of the spatula handle; 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of the rounded spatula handle; 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of the oval spatula handle; 
         FIG.  5    is an overhead view of the front side of the spatula handle; 
         FIG.  6    is a perspective view of the back side of the spatula handle; 
         FIG.  7    is a close-up perspective view of the hinge; 
         FIG.  8    is a close-up perspective view of the hinge when the handle is in the open position; 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective open view of the front side of the spatula handle; 
         FIG.  10    is a perspective open view of another embodiment of the spatula handle; 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective open view of yet another embodiment of the spatula handle; 
         FIG.  12    is a perspective view of the spatula in use; 
         FIG.  13    is a perspective view of another embodiment of the spatula tool positioned at the distal end of the handle; 
         FIG.  14    is a perspective view of a barbecue fork with the handle; 
         FIG.  15    is a perspective view of a barbecue ash stirrer with the handle; and 
         FIG.  16    is a perspective view of a barbecue sauce brush with the handle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     This disclosure is for a handle that allows for the easy hanging or management of barbecue tools while cooking. The handle has applications to barbecue spatulas, other barbecue tools, and even craftsman tools. 
     To illustrate the practical functional capabilities of this disclosure, a barbecue spatula  1  is shown, having a blade  2 , also known as the tool part of the spatula  1 . The blade  2  is made of metal, although in alternative embodiments, the blade is made of plastic, silicon, or wood. In one embodiment, and for example only, the blade  2  has precut holes  3  through its surface  4 , and through the underside  5  of the blade  2 . In another embodiment, there is a serrated edge  6  at the front  7  or side  8  of the blade  2 . Other embodiments of the blade  2  have more, fewer or no holes or blades. For the purposes of this disclosure, all complete barbecue devices such as the barbecue brush, a barbecue spatula, a barbecue fork, etc., including the handles and tools, are referred to as barbecue implements. 
     In one embodiment of the disclosure, a shaft  11  at the distal end  20  of blade  2  is held in place between a front side  13  and rear side  14  of a handle  12 . The front side  13  of the handle  12  has an upper front side section  15  and a lower front side section  16 . The rear side  14  of the handle has a distal end  17  and a proximal end  18 . In other embodiments, the shaft  11  connects to other tools, such as brushes, forks, etc. and even other non-barbecue tools, including screwdrivers, etc. 
     In one embodiment, the shaft  11  extends along the entire length of the lower front side section  16 . There are many ways to secure the extension  11  in the handle  12 , including glue, rivets, mere force, and any other way known in the art. In another embodiment, the shaft  11  extends only part of the length of the lower front side section  16 . In another embodiment, the shaft  11  is attached to the proximal end  18  of the rear side  14  or the proximal end  19  of the lower front side section  16  by rivets, adhesive or any other means known in the art. In another alternative embodiment, the shaft  11  is attached to the distal end  17  of the rear side  14 . There are many methods of attachment known in the art. 
     It should be noted that in one embodiment, the handle  12  is made of wood, and in another embodiment, the wood is fire resistant or coated/saturated with a fire resistant substance. In yet another embodiment, the handle  12  is made out of plastic, some other resin substance, metal, or ceramics. Other materials may be used as well and there may be a combination of materials used. 
     The front side section  13  and the rear side section  14  of the handle  12  are flat and rectangular shaped. In another embodiment, the handle sections  13 ,  14  are rounded  71 . In another embodiment, the handle sections are oval  72 . In another embodiment, only the front side  13  is rounded or oval. Any geometric shape of the handle  12  is acceptable. 
     As shown in the figures the lengths of the upper front side section  15  and the lower front side section  16  are complementary and together form the length of the handle  12 . The boundary  21  can be positioned almost anywhere along the length of the front side  13  of the handle  12 , as long as the positioning is practical, as will be explained, infra. Of course, the longer in length the upper front side section  15 , the shorter in length the lower front side section  16  is, and vice versa. 
     The distal end  26  of the upper front side section  15  is attached by a hinge  22  to the distal end  17  of the rear side  14  of the handle  12 . Almost any kind of hinge can be used to allow for the upper front side section  15  to swing out from the rest of the handle  12 . In one embodiment knuckles  23 ,  24 ,  25  of the hinge are extensions of both the distal end  17  of the rear side  14  of the handle  12  and the distal end  26  of the upper front side section  15  of the handle  12 . A pin  33  is secured through the center of the knuckles  23 ,  24 ,  25 . In another embodiment, in a hinge with leaves, the hinge leaves are glued, screwed, or nailed to a distal end  26  of the upper front side section  15  and to the distal end  17  of the rear side  14  of the handle  12 . 
     In one embodiment, the knuckle  24 , also referred to as the central knuckle, has a flat surface  40 , also referred to as a stop surface  40 , which prevents the front side  13  of the handle  12  from being opened any greater than about 90 degrees in relation to the rear side  14  of the handle  12 . In yet another embodiment, there is no stop surface  40  and the front side  13  and rear side  14  of the handle  12  can open as wide as the hinge  22  allows. 
     In yet another embodiment, there is, in place of a traditional hinge  22 , a strip of cloth, flexible plastic or steel belted material. For the purposes of easy identification, all of these items, including the term “hinge” will fall under the term “flexing connector.” 
     In one embodiment, on the inside surface  27  of the upper front side section  15  are three depressions or cutouts  28 . In another embodiment, there are more than three depressions or cutouts. In another embodiment, there are one or two cutouts  28 . In one embodiment, as shown, the cutouts  28  are round. In another embodiment, the cutouts  28  are square. In yet another embodiment, the cutouts  28  are rectangular or any other geometric shake, and in yet another embodiment, the cutouts are oval. In yet another embodiment, the cutouts  28  are amorphous. 
     In another embodiment, on the inside surface  29  of the rear side  14  handle  12  are cutouts  30  that correspond to the cutouts  28  on the inside surface  27  of the upper front side section  15  of handle  12 . In one embodiment, the cutouts  30  are of different shapes than the cutouts  28  on the inside surface  27  of the upper front side section  15  but are generally still positioned opposite the cutouts  28 . 
     In one embodiment, magnetic inserts  31  are positioned on the inside of the plurality of the cutouts  28  of the inside surface  27  of the upper front side section  15  of handle  12 . In one embodiment, the magnetic inserts  31  have the same approximate or “identical” shape and the same approximate or “identical” diameter and height as the geometric shape of the cutouts  28 . In one embodiment, the magnetic inserts  31  are wedged into the cutouts  28  such that there is a tight fit, and the magnetic inserts  31  are held in place by force. In another embodiment, the magnetic inserts  31  are held in place by glue. In another embodiment, the magnetic inserts  31  are secured by pins. Any method known in the art can be used. Furthermore, there may be differences in the shape and diameter and height from each other. 
     In yet another embodiment, magnetic inserts  31  fit within the plurality of the cutouts  28  of the inside surface  27  of the upper front side but do not have same geometric shape as the cutouts  28 . 
     Opposite the magnetic inserts  31  are ferromagnetic inserts,  41 , inserts to which magnets are attracted, positioned within at least one of the cutouts  30  of the inside surface  29  of the rear side  14  of the handle  12 . As with the magnetic inserts  31 , the ferromagnetic inserts  41  can be varied in shape, either matching the shape of the cutouts  30  inside surface of the rear side  14  of the handle  12 , or having a different shape. For instance, and as above, if the cutout  30  is round, the ferromagnetic insert  41  is round, and can be secured into the round cutout  30 . In an alternative embodiment, the ferromagnetic insert  42  is a different shape than the round cutout. Again, the cutout  30  can be any shape, as can the ferromagnetic insert  41 , as long as the ferromagnetic insert  41  has the ability to fit within the cutout. Any method can be used to secure the ferromagnetic insert  41  into the cutout  30 . Similarly, the cutout  28 , as well as the magnetic inserts  31  can be any shape as long and the magnetic inserts  31  can fit within the cutout  28 . 
     In one embodiment, the cutouts and the magnetic inserts  31  and the ferromagnetic inserts  41  are approximately equal in height. In another embodiment, the height of the magnets  31  and ferromagnetic structures  41  are approximately equivalent to the height of the respective cutouts  28 ,  30 . In another embodiment, the magnetic inserts  31  are taller than the cutouts  28 , and the ferromagnetic inserts  41  are shorter than the cutouts  30  by the same height as the differences between the magnetic inserts  31  and the cutouts  28 . In yet another embodiment, the ferromagnetic inserts  41  are taller than the height of the cutouts  30  and the magnetic inserts  31  are shorter than the cutouts  28  by the same height differential between the ferromagnetic inserts  41  and the cutouts  30 . 
     In yet another embodiment, cutouts  28  have different shapes in the same inside surface  27  of the same upper front side section  15 . In other words, the cutouts  28  in the same inside surface  27  of the same upper front side sections  15  can vary in shape and size from each other. This applies to the cutouts  30  on the upper inside surface  29  of the rear side  14  of the handle  12 . 
     In another embodiment, there are no cutouts. The magnet(s) is (are) a flat magnetic plate  50 , positioned on the inside surface  27  of the upper front side section  15  of the handle  12 . There can be one long flat plate, one plate located near the distal end of the handle  12 , or any other arrangement. Opposite the flat magnetic plate  50  is a flat ferromagnetic plate  51  positioned on the inside surface  29  of the rear side  14  of the handle  12 . The flat magnetic plate  50  and the flat ferromagnetic plate  51  can sit respectively on top of the inside surface  27  of the upper front side section  15  on the inside surface  29  of the rear side  14  of the handle  12 . There can be one magnetic plate  50  opposite a ferromagnetic plate  51  or insert  41 , or there can be a multiple of ferromagnetic plates  51  opposite an equal number of magnetic plates  50 . The magnetic plate(s)  50  and the ferromagnetic plate(s)  51  can be attached to their respective surfaces or sections by any means known in the art, and as stated above for the other magnetic and ferromagnetic structures. 
     In one embodiment, the magnetic plate  50  or magnetic insert  31  are positioned near the distal end of the handle  12  when there is only one magnetic structure being used. 
     In another embodiment, the handle  12  has an edge thumb indent  60  to allow for the easy opening of the handle  12 . More specifically, on at least one of the sides  61  of the handle is an indent  62  on the edge of the rear side of the handle  14  and directly opposite it on the upper front side section is an indent  63  on the edge of the upper front side section  15  of the handle  12 . The edge thumb indent  60  can also be used as a thumb rest when a person is holding onto the handle  12 . In one embodiment, the edge thumb indent  60  is on one edge of the handle  12 . 
     In another embodiment, the edge thumb indent  60  is on the other, edge of the handle  12 . In yet another embodiment, the edge thumb indent is on both edges of the handle  12 . 
     Using the handle is simple. One merely opens up the handle  12  by placing their thumb in the thumb indent and pushes to separate the rear side  14  of the handle  12  from the upper front side section  15 . The upper front side section  15  is then magnetically attached to the metal shelf of a grill, such that the blade hangs downward. There is no need to look around to find a place to place the spatula where it won&#39;t fall on the ground. It is firmly attached to the metal shelf, where it is readily accessible. In one embodiment, the tool (in  FIG.  12   , the spatula) can be facing forward or backward. In another embodiment, the tool is positioned at the distal end of the handle. 
     This handle can be applied to other barbecue implements, including but not limited to a barbecue fork  70 , an ash stirrer  80 , a cleaning brush, and a barbecue sauce brush  120 . 
     Similarly, in another embodiment, the handle can be used for paintbrushes, screwdrivers, hammers, and other tools. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosure described above without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.