1.  Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tongs for seizing and lifting an article, and specifically to tongs which are suitably utilized as, for example, kitchen tongs, handicraft or other general-purpose working tongs. 
2.  Description of the Related Art
Tongs are an instrument for seizing an article, in which two bars are usually connected pivotably on a single fulcrum.  For example, hand-held tongs are commonly used for movement of food products between two locations.  Included are sugar tongs, ice tongs and pasta tongs, depending on a type of article to be seized.  Publicly known tongs are of a type in which two bars are fastened at one end to be moved into open and closed positions like in a pair of tweezers as shown in FIG.  11, or in which two bars are so pivoted together near a central portion that the bars work one against the other into open and closed positions like in a pair of scissors as shown in FIG.  12.  See Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (KOKAI) No.  2002-355160 for example.  In the case of the tongs as shown in FIG.  12 for example, the tongs are held by hand like a pair of scissors, in which two handles are operated to open and close the seizing arms of the tongs. 
As can be seen from the above, conventional tongs are held by hand to be pivoted on a fulcrum into open and closed positions, so that article-seizing arms are similarly opened and closed in a pivotal manner.  As a result, the seizing arms are constantly kept in an angled position tapering into one direction, making it impossible to keep the seizing arms in a parallel relationship with each other. 
Apart from the above, there has also been developed a mechanism that is capable of seizing an article, keeping its seizing arms substantially in a parallel position.  For example, in the case of the tongs as shown in FIG.  13, the left and right handles are interconnected via a cross-shaped link such that an elastic member, such as a spring, is placed in between to facilitate an opening and closing of the two tong members.  By manually controlling the direction and strength of the force to be applied while holding the tong members, the illustrated tongs can be moved into opened and closed positions, with the two tong members being kept substantially in a parallel position.  However, as compared with a pivotal motion, in the case in which the force is transferred by a sliding motion, a greater width of gap or play may be required in order to reduce a contact frictional resistance generated at the connection point and also to operate the whole mechanism smoothly.  Unlike a pivotal type, such a slidable type of tongs have been inherently subject to an operational error or ricketiness.  Also, because the tongs in this configuration consist of two bar members in which the seizing arm and the handle portion are integrally formed for each tong member, the tongs have often faced problems that an article larger than the width in the handle portion cannot be held with the seizing arms of the tongs. 
The present invention has therefore been made in view of the conventional problems as mentioned above.  The major object of this invention is to provide tongs which can be opened and closed in a simplified mechanism allowing the seizing arms to be kept in a parallel position, yet without spoiling an advantage of easy openability and closeability similar to scissors.