Abstract:
Self-righting tongs including a pair of handles that are connected together. A pair of jaws is affixed to the handles. At least one of the jaws is provided with a mass that is greater than the combined mass of both of the handles.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to handling, hand and hoist-line implements and, more particularly, to tong-type implements. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    It is well known that the consumption of food contaminated by microscopic organisms or germs can cause disease. Sufficiently pathogenic germs can kill. For these reasons, food must be handled with meticulous care, especially in commercial kitchens where food for large numbers of people is prepared. 
         [0003]    Cleanliness reduces the likelihood that germs will be spread in a kitchen. People preparing food for human consumption must wash their hands. Countertops and work surfaces must be washed regularly. And, all implements for making and serving food must be sanitized. 
         [0004]    Tongs are one implement widely found in sanitary kitchens. Tongs have dozens of uses, but most frequently are employed to lift, carry, turn, and serve food. Unfortunately, germs spread from dirty hands and work surfaces can sometimes foul the handles of tongs. 
         [0005]    The handles of conventional tongs lay flat on work surfaces when set down and are easily contaminated by germs on the work surfaces. These handles can contact food and spread disease-causing germs. A need, therefore, exists for tongs that can sustain themselves in an upright position when released from a hand of a user to minimize the spread of germs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In light of the problems associated with conventional tongs for preparing and serving food, it is a principal object of the invention to provide self-righting tongs with handles that automatically assume an elevated position when set upon a work surface so as to minimize the likelihood of contamination of the handles by germs. The elevated handles are especially convenient to locate and grasp when preparing and serving food. Furthermore, the handles of my self-righting tongs are unlikely to become fully submerged in liquid-filled pots or bowls. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the invention to provide self-righting tongs of the type described that promote hygienic food handling practices. In restaurants, my tongs can be employed at buffets and salad bars to limit the spread of germs. 
         [0008]    Another object of the invention is to provide tongs of the type described that are maintained in an elevated position without external supports. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the invention to provide self-righting tongs that are intuitive to use, requiring little if any instruction do receive their benefits. 
         [0010]    It is an object of the invention to provide improved features and arrangements thereof in tongs for the purposes described which are lightweight in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and fully dependable in use. 
         [0011]    Briefly, the self-righting tongs in accordance with this invention achieves the intended objects by featuring a pair of handles that are connected together. A pair of jaws is affixed to the handles. At least one of the jaws is provided with a mass that is greater than the combined mass of both of the handles. In one embodiment, the handles are connected together at one of their ends and, in another embodiment, the handles are connected between their ends. 
         [0012]    The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following detailed description of the tongs illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The present invention may be more readily described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a top view of self-righting tongs in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the self-righting tongs of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the self-righting tongs of  FIG. 1  with a different, unbalanced positioning thereof being shown in broken lines. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of my self-righting tongs. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the self-righting tongs of  FIG. 4  with a different, unbalanced positioning thereof being shown in broken lines. 
       
    
    
       [0019]    Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the accompanying drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , self-righting tongs in accordance with the present invention are shown at  10 . Tongs  10  include a pair of elongated handles  12  connected together by a spring hinge  14  in a tweezers-like manner. One of a pair of weighted jaws  16  is respectively affixed to the free end of each of handles  12 . 
         [0021]    Handles  12  are formed from a resilient plastic material. Each of handles  12  has a shape resembling that of an inverted “V” when viewed from the side with a lower handle member  18  being connected to an upper handle member  20  at an obtuse angle. Each of lower handle members  18  is provided with a tapered socket  22  at its free end. Each of the upper handle members  20  is sized to fit into the hand of a user for a comfortable grip. 
         [0022]    Spring hinge  14  is made from a resilient plastic material and is integrally formed with handles  12 . Spring hinge  14  has a pair of hinge members  24  that are connected together at an acute angle. The free ends of hinge members  24  are connected to the free ends of upper handle members  20  such that handles  12  become farther apart moving away from spring hinge  14  for easily grasping food between handles  12 . The connection of hinge members  24  is placed between upper handle members  20  so as to provide tongs  10  with a shape like that of an “M” when viewed from above. 
         [0023]    Jaws  16  are formed from metal or other suitably dense material. Jaws  16  are long and narrow bars having dimensions that are approximately the same as those of upper handle members  20 . Jaws  16  are connected to lower handle members  18  at an obtuse angle that places upper handle members  20  and jaws  16  in substantially parallel planes with lower handle members  18  sloping between the parallel planes. 
         [0024]    The connection of jaws  16  to handles  12  is facilitated by pins  26 . As shown, a pin  26  is integrally formed with, and projects upwardly and rearwardly from, each of jaws  16 . Pins  26  have a tapered, pyramidal form that resists turning when snugly inserted into correspondingly shaped sockets  22  in lower handle members  18 . A layer of adhesive cement (not shown) on pins  26  retains them permanently in place within sockets  22 . 
         [0025]    The configuration of jaws  16  can be varied in accordance with their intended purpose and is a matter of design choice. For example, jaws  16  can be provided with tines for serving spaghetti or can be provided with slots for draining lettuce. Paddle-like jaws are excellent for grasping loose materials and stirring foods. Unadorned bars, like those serving as jaws  16  in  FIGS. 1-3 , provide excellent, all-around, gripping surfaces. 
         [0026]    The weight of jaws  16  is set so as to maintain jaws  16  flush with supporting surface  28  while handles  12  and spring hinge  14  are cantilevered from jaws  16  above surface  28 . It is expected, therefore, that jaws  16  will weigh slightly more than handles  12  and spring hinge  14  together. Jaws  16  can, of course, weigh more than this, but extra weight can add to the cost of tongs  10  and make them somewhat more tiring to use for extended periods. 
         [0027]    Jaws  16  can be weighted in a variety of ways. The preferred way of weighting jaws  16  is, as indicated above, by forming them wholly from a dense material. Alternatively, separate weights can be attached to the exterior of jaws  16  or can be embedded within jaws  16 . Such weighting arrangements are deemed equivalent if handles  12  are elevated or tipped upright solely by gravity acting upon jaws  16 . 
         [0028]    The use of tongs  10  is straightforward. First, handles  12  are grasped lightly between the thumb and remaining fingers of a user&#39;s hand and tongs  10  are elevated above supporting surface  28 . Next, handles  12  are moved to a place where jaws  16  are positioned on opposite sides of an item to be lifted, say, a meatball. Now, handles  12  are slowly squeezed together against the resistive force of spring hinge  14  so that the meatball is gently grasped by jaws  16 . After transporting the meatball to the desired location, it can be released from jaws  16  simply by releasing the squeeze upon handles  12 . Then, tongs  10  can be set back down upon surface with the weight of jaws  16  retaining handles  12  above surface. Any germs or dirt that may have passed from the user&#39;s hands to handles  12  cannot contaminate surface  28  or pass to food on surface  12 . After use of tongs  10  is completed, tongs  10  can be washed with soap and water and, then, stored in a convenient location for immediate reuse. 
         [0029]    With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , alternative tongs  30  can be seen. Tongs  30  include a pair of elongated handles  32  and  34  connected together by a pivot pin  36  in a scissors-like manner. A lightweight jaw  38  is affixed to the lower, free end of handle  32 . A heavily weighted jaw  40  is affixed to the lower, free end of handle  34 . 
         [0030]    Handle  32  is formed from a resilient plastic material and has a serpentine shape when viewed from the side. Handle  32  includes a lower handle member  42  that is connected to an upper handle member  44  at an obtuse angle. Lower handle member  42  is connected to, and extends upwardly and rearwardly from, paddle-like jaw  38  that is integrally formed therewith. Upper handle member  44  has a bottom segment  46 , through which pivot pin  36  passes, which is connected to, and extends upwardly and rearwardly from, lower handle member  42 . Upper handle member  44  also has a medial segment  48  that is connected to, and extends upwardly and rearwardly from, bottom segment  46  so as to be parallel with lower handle member  42 . Upper handle member  44  also has a top segment  50  that is connected to, and extends upwardly and rearwardly from, medial segment  48  and is formed into a loop that is normally positioned below top segment  50  and is sized to receive fingers from a hand of a user. 
         [0031]    Handle  34  is formed from a resilient plastic material and has a serpentine shape when viewed from the side. As shown, handle  34  includes a lower handle member  52  that is connected to an upper handle member  55  at an obtuse angle. Lower handle member  52  has an upper segment  54  that is connected to, and extends upwardly and rearwardly from, a lower segment  56 . Lower segment  56  is provided with a socket  58  at its free end. Upper handle member  55  has a bottom segment  60 , through which pivot pin  36  passes, which is connected to, and extends upwardly and forwardly from, upper segment  54 . Additionally, upper handle member  55  has a medial segment  62  that is connected to, and extends upwardly and rearwardly from, bottom segment  60  so as to be parallel with upper segment  54 . Upper handle member  55  also has a top segment  64  that is connected to, and extends upwardly and rearwardly from, medial segment  62  and is formed into a loop that is sized to receive fingers from a hand of a user. 
         [0032]    Pivot pin  36  connects handles  32  and  34  together. Pivot pin  36  passes through the centers of segments  46  and  60  that are flattened somewhat for reinforcement purposes. Pivot pin  36  is shown to be a rivet with enlarged heads on its opposite ends but can be a screw which permits tongs  30  to be disassembled for easy cleaning, reconditioning and repair. 
         [0033]    Jaw  40  is formed from metal or other dense material. Jaw  40  is a flat, long and narrow bar that is held horizontally. Jaw  40  is connected to handle  34  at an obtuse angle relative to segments  52  and  55 . Jaw  40  has an outline that is substantially the same as that of jaw  38  and will snugly engage jaw  38  from below when top segments  50  and  64  are squeezed together. The configuration of jaws  38  and  40  can be varied in accordance with their intended purpose and is a matter of design choice. 
         [0034]    The connection of jaw  40  to handle  34  is facilitated by a pin  66 . Pin  66  is integrally formed with, and projects rearwardly from, jaw  40 . Pin  66  has a tapered, pyramidal form that resists turning when snugly inserted into the correspondingly shaped socket  58  in lower handle member  52 . A layer of adhesive cement placed on pin  66  retains it permanently in place within socket  58 . 
         [0035]    The weight of jaw  40  is set so as to maintain jaw  40  flush with a supporting surface  68  while handles  32  and  34  are cantilevered from jaws  38  and  40  above surface  68 . Jaw  40  will weigh slightly more than the combined weight of handles  32  and  34 . Jaw  40  can be provided with additional weight if desired. 
         [0036]    Jaw  40  can be weighted in many ways. One manner of weighting jaw  40  is by forming them wholly from a dense metal. Also, one or more weights (not shown) can be attached to the exterior of jaw  40  or can be embedded within jaw  40 . 
         [0037]    As with tongs  10 , the use of tongs  30  is straightforward. First, the top segments  50 ,  64  of handles  32 ,  34  are grasped lightly with the thumb and remaining fingers of a user&#39;s hand and tongs  30  are elevated above supporting surface  68 . Next, handles  32 ,  34  are moved to a place where jaws  38 ,  40  are positioned on opposite sides of an item to be lifted. Now, handles  32 ,  34  are squeezed together so that the item is grasped by jaws  38 ,  40 . After transporting the item to the desired location, the item can be released from jaws  38 ,  40  and set down by moving the thumb and fingers of the user&#39;s hand away from one another. Then, tongs  30  can be placed upon surface with the weight of jaw  40  retaining handles  32 ,  34  above surface. Any germs or dirt that may have passed from the user&#39;s hands to handles  32 ,  34  cannot contaminate surface  68  or pass to food on surface  68 . After use of tongs  30  is completed, tongs  30  can be washed with soap and water and, then, stored in a convenient location for reuse. 
         [0038]    While tongs  10  and  30  have been described with a high degree of particularity, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made to them. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to tongs  10  and  30 , but encompasses any and all tongs within the scope of the following claims.