Patent Description:
Disposable tableware is common tableware. Currently, disposable tableware is mainly plastic tableware, such as a plate, a table knife, a fork, a spoon and the like made of plastics. Plastic tableware is usually made of materials capable of directly contacting with food. With the increasing environmental awareness, people realize that most of the plastic tableware in the market is not biodegradable, such as PP, PET, PE and the like. Therefore, researches for replacing plastic tableware with degradable tableware have been considered. Among them, tableware made of polylactic acid (PLA) material is an industrially degradable tableware that can replace plastic tableware. However, polylactic acid tableware is expensive due to the high cost of polylactic acid materials, and thus it is difficult to be widely used.

Therefore, it is considered to use materials which are more environment-friendly and have low production cost to manufacture environment-friendly tableware. Among them, pulp molded tableware is relatively popular in the market in recent years, and such tableware has advantages and characteristics of replacing a part of plastic tableware. When the existing pulp molding tableware is produced, raw materials such as paper and plant residues need to be crushed to form a certain concentration of pulp aqueous solution. The water is sucked away through a vacuum system to form a wet blank, and the wet blank is then dried through high-temperature hot pressing to form a dry product.

However, pulp molded tableware is mainly made of paper and other raw materials, which has low hardness, and is prone to deform during use. For tableware such as a table knife, a fork, a spoon, and the like, the handles are prone to deform after being held for a while by a user. In addition, the teeth of the fork are prone to break, there are also problems such as bending and deformation between the handle and the main body of the table knife, fork, and spoon. Once tableware such as a table knife, a fork, a spoon and the like are bent and deformed, the tableware will no longer be used, and the popularization and the application of the pulp molding tableware are limited.

For this reason, some existing pulp molded tableware have flaps arranged on the periphery of the main body to increase the strength of the main body, but the problem of the deformation of the handle caused by force is not considered. For example, the cross section of the handle includes a bottom wall and two side walls. When a user holds the handle, the user often presses against the two side walls with fingers to cause the two side walls to deform towards the middle. Due to poor resilience of the pulp molded tableware, when the user holds the handle for a long time, the handle is prone to deform, especially when the user needs to cut off food by force, the handle is more prone to deform due to excessive holding force, which affects the use of the pulp molded tableware.

On the other hand, some existing pulp molded tableware are provided with reinforcing ribs on the main body or the handle, but the reinforcing ribs are concave towards one direction, namely the reinforcing ribs are concave towards one direction from one plane. In this way, the slope of the edges of the reinforcing ribs changes abruptly, and during molding, the edges of the reinforcing ribs are prone to cracking, resulting in an increase in the defective rate of pulp molded tableware.

<CIT> discloses a spork structure includes a spoon body, a handle and two outer serrated plates, and <CIT> discloses a type of plastic tableware which comprises a handle and a corresponding holding section.

The first object of the present invention is to provide an environment-friendly tableware which has high strength and is less prone to deform.

The second object of the present invention is to provide an environment-friendly tableware which is less prone to crack during molding and has a high yield.

In order to achieve the above first object, the present invention provides a disposable environment-friendly tableware which is formed by molding and hot-pressing environment-friendly tableware according to claim <NUM>, comprising a handle and a main body, wherein the main body is positioned at one end of the handle; on a cross section transverse to an extending direction of the handle, the handle has a bottom wall and side walls located at both ends of the bottom wall, a first edge flap is arranged at a free end of each side wall, a thickness of the first edge flap is equal to a thickness of each side wall, and corners of the first edge flap are rounded.

Preferably, the first edge flaps corresponding to the side walls respectively are on the same plane.

In a further solution, each of the side walls is inclined to a corresponding first edge flap, and an angle between each of the side walls and the corresponding first edge flap is an obtuse angle.

In a still further solution, a periphery of the main body is provided with a second edge flap, and a thickness of the second edge flap is equal to that of the main body.

In a still further solution, the environment-friendly tableware is a fork, the main body is provided with at least two teeth, and a periphery of each tooth is provided with the second edge flap.

In a still further solution, a concave reinforcing portion is provided in the middle of at least one of the teeth. In this way, the strength of the teeth is further increased through the reinforcing portion, and the situation of tooth breakage can be effectively avoided.

The environment-friendly tableware is provided with a reinforcing rib, the reinforcing rib extends from the handle to the main body, and the reinforcing rib comprises a concave portion and convex portions positioned at both ends of the concave portion on a cross section transverse to an extending direction of the reinforcing rib.

In a still further solution, the concave portion is provided with a first surface and a second surface which are adjacent, and an included angle between the first surface and the second surface is between <NUM>° and <NUM>°.

In a still further solution, a curvature radius of an outer surface of the concave portion is <NUM> to <NUM>; and/or a curvature radius of an outer surface of the convex portion is between <NUM> and <NUM>; and/or a curvature radius of an inner surface of the convex portion is between <NUM> and <NUM>.

In a still further solution, on a cross section transverse to an extending direction of the reinforcing rib, a thickness of the concave portion is smaller than that of the reinforcing rib.

In a still further solution, the thickness of the concave portion is the distance from the end point of the convex portion closest to the upper surface of the environment-friendly tableware to the end point of the concave portion closest to the lower surface of the environment-friendly tableware.

In a still further solution, the thickness of the reinforcing rib is the distance from the end of the convex portion closest to the upper surface of the environment-friendly tableware to the first edge flap closest to the lower surface of the environment-friendly tableware.

In a still further solution, the reinforcing rib is wavy.

The invention provides the first edge flaps are arranged at the free ends of the two side walls of the handle, and when a user holds the handle, fingers are pressed against the two first edge flaps, so that force is applied to the side walls through the two edge flaps, the applied force is loaded on the side walls in the direction perpendicular to the side walls, and the situation that the side walls are loaded with oblique upward force is avoided, the direction of the loaded force is changed, and the situation that the stress distribution on the side walls is uneven is reduced. When the force applied to the two first edge flaps is removed, the two side walls can spring back, and the situation that the handle is damaged and will no longer be used is avoided.

In addition, since the thickness of first edge flaps is equal to the thickness of the side walls, on the one hand, the anti-squeeze ability of the handle is increased through thicker first edge flaps, on the other hand, when the environment-friendly tableware is molding, it is only necessary to keep the distance between the upper mold and the lower mold fixed. The molding process is simple, which is beneficial to the production of the environment-friendly tableware.

The corners of the first edge flaps are set to be rounded, namely edges are not arranged at the corners of the first edge flaps, so that the phenomenon that a user touches the edges of the first edge flaps to cause discomfort when holding the handle can be avoided, and the user can better apply force in opposite directions to avoid damage to the handle.

And when a user holds the handle, the applied forces are actually loaded oppositely from the same plane, the force applied on the two side walls are more uniform, and the handle is less prone to damage.

In addition, since the side walls and the first edge flaps are not perpendicular to each other, so that the open end of the cross section of the handle is relatively large. After the two side walls are slightly deformed by being squeezed, only the open end is slightly moved inwards, which does not lead to a fundamental change in the shape of the handle, and can improve the strength of the handle.

The invention improves the second edge flap on the main body can improve the strength of the main body, and prevent the main body from being deformed during use which would otherwise cause the environment-friendly tableware to be unusable.

When the environment-friendly tableware is fork, the second edge flap is provided on the periphery of each tooth, the strength of each tooth is increased through the second edge flap, so as to avoid tooth breakage during the use of the fork. In addition, the strength of the teeth is further increased through the reinforcing portion, and the situation of tooth breakage can be effectively avoided.

In addition, the strength of the handle and the main body can be increased through the reinforcing ribs, and particularly the strength of the joint of the handle and the main body is increased. Because the reinforcing rib includes a concave portion and convex portions, that is, the cross section of the reinforcing rib is wavy instead of being concave in a single direction, therefore the slope of the edge of the reinforcing rib will not change abruptly. During molding, the edge of the reinforcing rib is not prone to cracking, thereby greatly improving the yield of pulp molded tableware.

In addition, by arranging the proper included angle between the two surfaces of the concave portion, the stress of the reinforcing rib can be dispersed, and the bending resistance of the environment-friendly tableware is effectively improved.

In addition, by setting the curvature radiuses of the outer surface of the concave portion, the outer surface of the convex portion and the inner surface of the convex portion, it is possible to avoid cracking during the molding process due to the too small curvature radiuses of the concave portion and the convex portion, thereby improving the yield of the environment-friendly tableware.

In addition, the thickness of the concave portion in the invention is relatively small, which is beneficial to the packaging and transportation of the environment-friendly tableware, and avoids that the packaging and use of the environment-friendly tableware are affected by the excessive thickness of the concave portion of the reinforcing rib.

The present invention is further described with reference to the following figures and embodiments.

The environment-friendly tableware of the present invention is disposable tableware, and is formed by molding and hot-pressing environment-friendly and naturally degradable materials such as paper pulp and plant fiber. This environment-friendly tableware is environment-friendly and can be degraded in a natural environment, and the environment is not easily polluted even if the tableware is thrown away after being used.

The environment-friendly tableware of the present invention mainly comprises tableware such as a table knife, a spoon, a fork and the like, which are provided with handles and main bodies. Therefore, the present invention mainly aims at improving the handles and the main bodies to improve the bending resistance of the environment-friendly tableware.

Referring to <FIG>, the environment-friendly tableware of this embodiment is a pulp molded spoon with an elongated handle <NUM> and a main body <NUM>, the main body <NUM> being provided at one end of the handle <NUM>. When the spoon is in use, a user usually holds the handle <NUM> with fingers, and the main body <NUM> is used for containing food. When the spoon is used for containing food, the main body <NUM> usually touches hard objects such as plates and the like, so the connection part of the main body <NUM> and the handle <NUM> is most prone to bending. Once the main body <NUM> is bent relative to the handle <NUM>, the spoon will no longer be able to be used. In order to strengthen the rigidity of the joint between the main body <NUM> and the handle <NUM>, a reinforcing rib <NUM> is provided between the handle <NUM> and the main body <NUM> in this embodiment.

As can be seen from <FIG>, the reinforcing rib <NUM> is substantially in the form of an elongated strip extending from the handle <NUM> to the main body <NUM>. See <FIG>, the reinforcing rib <NUM> is concave from the upper surface of the spoon towards the lower surface, and, in a cross-section taken in the direction of extension of the reinforcing rib <NUM>, the reinforcing rib <NUM> comprises a recess <NUM> and convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> at both ends of the concave portion <NUM>.

The bottom wall of the concave portion <NUM> is not flat, and in this embodiment, the concave portion <NUM> has a first surface <NUM> and a second surface <NUM>, and an included angle α formed between the first surface <NUM> and the second surface <NUM> is an obtuse angle. Preferably, the included angle α is between <NUM>° and <NUM>°, and more preferably, the included angle α is between <NUM>° and <NUM>°. In addition, a side wall <NUM> is connected to one end of the first surface <NUM>, and the convex portion <NUM> is formed between the side wall <NUM> and the first surface <NUM>; a side wall <NUM> is connected to one end of the second surface <NUM>, and the convex portion <NUM> is formed between the side wall <NUM> and the second surface <NUM>.

It can be seen from <FIG>, the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is not concave in one direction, but concave and convex in two directions, i.e. the concave portion <NUM> is concave from the upper surface to the lower surface of the spoon, and the two convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> are convex from the lower surface to the upper surface of the spoon, so that the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is wavy, and there is no abrupt change in the slope from a plane to an inclined plane at the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM>, i.e. no edges are formed. In this way, cracks are not easily formed at the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> during the molding process, and the yield of the pulp molding spoons is improved.

Preferably, the curvature radius R2 of the outer surface of the concave portion <NUM> is between <NUM> and <NUM>, and the outer surface of the concave portion <NUM> is the surface of the concave portion <NUM> close to the lower surface of the spoon; the curvature radius R3 of the outer surface of the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> is between <NUM> and <NUM>, wherein the outer surface of the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> is the surface of the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> close to the upper surface of the spoon; the curvature radius R1 of the inner surface of the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> is between <NUM> and <NUM>, wherein the inner surface of the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> is the surface of the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> close to the lower surface of the spoon.

By setting a reasonable curvature radius for the outer surface of the concave portion <NUM> and a reasonable curvature radius for the inner surface and the outer surface of the convex portion <NUM>, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of cracks on the surfaces of the concave portion <NUM> or the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> during molding due to the curvature radius being designed to be too small.

An edge flap <NUM> is connected to the free end of the side wall <NUM> and an edge flap <NUM> is connected to the free end of the side wall <NUM>. Preferably, the edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> have a thickness equal to the thickness of the side walls <NUM>, <NUM>. The provision of the edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> increases the bending strength of the reinforcing rib <NUM> and prevents the reinforcing rib <NUM> from being deformed by squeezing and bending.

Referring to <FIG>, the thickness of the concave portion <NUM> is D1, i.e., the distance from the end point of the convex portion <NUM> closest to the upper surface of the spoon to the end point of the concave portion <NUM> closest to the lower surface of the spoon is D1. The thickness of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is D2, i.e., the distance from the end of the convex portion <NUM> closest to the upper surface of the spoon to the end point of the edge flap <NUM> closest to the lower surface of the spoon is D2. As can be seen from <FIG>, the thickness D1 of the concave portion <NUM> is smaller than the thickness D2 of the reinforcing rib <NUM>.

In order to improve the strength of the handle <NUM>, in this embodiment, the handle <NUM> is designed to be a hollow shape with one side open. Referring to <FIG>, in the extending direction of the handle <NUM>, the cross section of the handle <NUM> includes a bottom wall <NUM> and side walls <NUM> and <NUM> at both ends of the bottom wall <NUM>. One end of the side wall <NUM> is connected to the bottom wall <NUM>, the other end of the side wall <NUM> is a free end, and a first edge flap <NUM> is provided at the free end of the side wall <NUM>. Preferably, the side wall <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM> have a curved transition, i.e., no edge is provided between the side wall <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM>. One end of the side wall <NUM> is connected to the bottom wall <NUM>, the other end of the side wall <NUM> is a free end, and a first edge flap <NUM> is provided at the free end of the side wall <NUM>. Preferably, the side wall <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM> have a curved transition, i.e., no edge is provided between the side wall <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM>. Thus, the handle <NUM> forms a recess <NUM> on the side towards the lower surface of the spoon, and the free ends of the two side walls <NUM>, <NUM> can move closer to each other under force.

It can be seen from <FIG>, the two opposite side walls <NUM>, <NUM> are provided with first edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM>, respectively. Preferably, the two first edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> are located on the same surface, so that when the user grips the handle <NUM>, the applied force F1 acts on the ends of the first edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM>, respectively, and the applied force F1 is directed towards each other. In this way, the side walls <NUM>, <NUM> are forced towards the middle and deformed. When the applied force F1 is removed, the side walls <NUM> and <NUM> will spring back. Due to the low elasticity of the pulp and the like materials, the side walls <NUM> and <NUM> do not spring back much, but as long as the load on the first edge flaps <NUM> and <NUM> is not too large, the side walls <NUM> and <NUM> can still rebound within a certain range, thereby preventing the handle <NUM> from being severely deformed.

Assuming that the first edge flap is not provided on the spoon handle, as shown in <FIG>, the spoon handle is provided with a bottom wall <NUM> and two side walls <NUM>, and when the user holds the handle, the side walls <NUM> will be directly pressed. Because the position where the user presses the side walls <NUM> is not fixed, if the user presses the free ends of the side walls <NUM>, the directions of the forces applied are not opposite, but inclined, which will cause uneven stress on the side walls <NUM>, and easily cause severe deformation of the side walls <NUM>. As a result, the two side walls <NUM> will lean inwards, and the use of the spoon is affected.

In this embodiment, the side wall <NUM> and the first edge flap <NUM> are not arranged vertically, but are inclined to each other, and the side wall <NUM> is substantially arc-shaped, and the angle between the side wall <NUM> and the first edge flap <NUM> is an obtuse angle. The side wall <NUM> and the first edge flap <NUM> are also inclined to each other, the side wall <NUM> are substantially arc-shaped, and the angle between the side wall <NUM> and the first edge flap <NUM> is also an obtuse angle.

Preferably, the thicknesses of the first edge flaps <NUM> and <NUM> are equal, and the thicknesses of the first edge flaps <NUM> and <NUM> are equal to the thicknesses of the side walls <NUM> and <NUM>. In this way, on one hand, the thicknesses of the first edge flaps <NUM> and <NUM> are designed to be relatively large, the anti-squeeze capability of the first edge flaps <NUM> and <NUM> can be improved, and the first edge flaps <NUM> and <NUM> are prevented from being easily deformed by being squeezed due to too small thicknesses. On the other hand, the distance between the upper mold and the lower mold can be maintained uniform during the molding of the spoon. The spoon of this embodiment is molded by a compression molding machine. For this reason, when performing hot pressing, only the distance between the upper mold and the lower mold needs to be adjusted, which can ensure that the spoon is formed by compression molding that satisfies the thickness requirement. The structure of the upper mold and the lower mold is simple, which is beneficial to simplify the molding process of the spoon.

In addition to the first edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> provided on both side walls <NUM>, <NUM> of the handle <NUM>, a first edge flaps is also provided at the end of the handle <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the free end of the handle <NUM> is also provided with a first edge flap <NUM>, and the thickness of the first edge flap <NUM> is equal to the thickness of the handle <NUM>. Furthermore, the corners of the first edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are all rounded, i.e. no edges are provided. The user does not feel uncomfortable without pressing against the edge when holding the handle <NUM>. It can be seen that the provision of a first edge flap around the periphery of the handle <NUM> can improve the overall bending resistance of the handle <NUM>.

A second edge flap <NUM> is provided at the periphery of the main body <NUM> of the spoon. In this embodiment, the thickness of the second edge flap <NUM> is equal to the thickness of the main body <NUM>, and the second edge flap <NUM> extends around the circumference of the main body <NUM>. At the same time, the corners of the second edge flap <NUM> are also designed to be rounded. The purpose of providing the second edge flap <NUM> on the periphery of the main body <NUM> is to improve the bending strength of the main body <NUM> and prevent the main body <NUM> from being bent and deformed under force.

Preferably, the thickness of the entire spoon is equal, i.e., the thickness is equal for each part of the handle <NUM>, the main body <NUM> and the reinforcing rib <NUM>, which simplifies the production process of the spoon. Specifically, since the spoon is formed by pulp molding and hot pressing, the wet blank needs to be placed on the lower mold when the spoon is pressed by the press molding machine, and the thickness of the formed spoon is controlled by controlling the downward distance of the upper mold. Therefore, during hot press molding, the distance between the upper mold and the lower mold needs to be controlled, so that the spoon with uniform thickness can be obtained by pressing. The design of the upper mold and the lower mold is simple, and the control is not complicated. Preferably, the thickness of the spoon may be between <NUM> and <NUM>, preferably between <NUM> and <NUM>.

In addition, the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is designed into a wave shape in this embodiment, and the first edge flap is arranged on the periphery of the handle <NUM>, and the second edge flap is arranged on the periphery of the main body <NUM>, both of which can facilitate the stacking of spoons. In the production process, the stacking and positioning of a plurality of spoons can be conveniently realized, so as to facilitate the realization of automated production and also facilitate the transportation of spoons. Before the spoon is used, one spoon can be conveniently separated from a plurality of stacked spoons, which is convenient for taking the spoons.

Referring to <FIG>, the environment-friendly tableware of this embodiment is a table knife made of environment-friendly material. The table knife includes a handle <NUM> and a main body <NUM>, wherein the handle <NUM> is elongated, and the main body <NUM> is located at one end of the handle <NUM>. Since the connection between the main body <NUM> and the handle <NUM> is the most prone to bending, the present embodiment provides a reinforcing rib <NUM> between the handle <NUM> and the main body <NUM> in order to enhance the rigidity of the connection between the main body <NUM> and the handle <NUM>.

The reinforcing rib <NUM> is substantially elongated and extends from the handle <NUM> to the main body <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the reinforcing rib <NUM> is concave from the upper surface of the table knife toward the lower surface, and, in a cross section in the extending direction of the reinforcing rib <NUM>, the reinforcing rib <NUM> includes a concave portion <NUM> and convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> at both ends of the concave portion <NUM>.

The bottom wall of the concave portion <NUM> is not flat, and in particular, the concave portion <NUM> has two adjacent surfaces, and the included angle formed between the two surfaces is an obtuse angle. Preferably, the included angle is between <NUM> ° and <NUM> °, more preferably between <NUM> ° and <NUM> °. In addition, both ends of the concave portion <NUM> are respectively provided with side walls <NUM> and <NUM>, and a convex portion <NUM> is formed between the side wall <NUM> and the concave portion <NUM>; a convex portion <NUM> is formed between the side wall <NUM> and the concave portion <NUM>.

It can be seen from <FIG>, the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is not concave in one direction, but concave and convex in two directions, i.e. the concave portion <NUM> is concave from the upper surface to the lower surface of the table knife, and the two convex portions <NUM> and <NUM> are convex from the lower surface to the upper surface of the table knife, so that the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is wavy, and there is no abrupt change in the slope from a plane to an inclined plane at the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM>, i.e. no edges are formed. In this way, cracks are not easily formed at the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> during the molding process, and the yield of the pulp molding table knives is improved.

In addition, by properly setting the curvature radiuses of the inner surface and the outer surface of the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM> and <NUM>, cracks on the surfaces of the concave portion <NUM> or the convex portions <NUM> and <NUM> during molding due to the condition that the curvature radiuses of the inner surface and the outer surface of the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM> and <NUM> is too small can be avoided. In addition, the thickness of the concave portion <NUM> is less than the total thickness of the reinforcing rib <NUM>.

An edge flap <NUM> is connected to the free end of the side wall <NUM>, and the edge flap <NUM> has a thickness equal to the thickness of the side wall <NUM>. The provision of the edge flap <NUM> increases the bending strength of the reinforcing rib <NUM> and prevents the reinforcing rib <NUM> from being deformed by squeezing and bending.

In order to improve the strength of the handle <NUM>, in this embodiment, the handle <NUM> is designed to be a hollow shape with one side open, that is, in the extending direction of the handle <NUM>, the cross section of the handle <NUM> includes a bottom wall and side walls at both ends of the bottom wall. One end of the side wall is connected with the bottom wall, the other end of the side wall is a free end, and a first edge flap is provided at the free end of the side wall. And the first edge flaps on both side walls are located on the same surface, so that when a user grips the handle <NUM>, the forces applied to the ends of the first edge flaps, respectively, are drawn together towards the middle and deformed after the two side walls are forced. When the applied forces are removed, the two side walls will spring back. In addition, the thicknesses of the two first edge flaps are equal, and the thickness of the first edge flap is equal to that of the side wall. The cross-sectional shape of the handle <NUM> of this embodiment is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the handle of the first embodiment, and will not be described again.

Referring to <FIG>, a first edge flap <NUM> is also provided at the free end of the handle <NUM>, and the first edge flap <NUM> has a thickness equal to the thickness of the handle <NUM>. It can be seen that the periphery of the handle <NUM> is provided with a first edge flap, and the corners of the first edge flap are all rounded, i.e. no edges are provided. The user does not feel uncomfortable without pressing against the edges when gripping the handle <NUM>.

Further, a plurality of teeth <NUM> are provided on one side of the main body <NUM> of the table knife, and a second edge flap <NUM> is provided on the other side of the main body <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, a second edge flap <NUM> is provided at the end of the main body <NUM>. Preferably, the thickness of the second edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> is equal to the thickness of the main body <NUM>, and the corners of the second edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> are also designed to be rounded. The purpose of providing the second edge flaps <NUM> and <NUM> on the main body <NUM> is to improve the bending strength of the main body <NUM> and to prevent the main body <NUM> from bending and deforming under force.

In this embodiment, the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is designed into a wave shape, and the first edge flap is arranged on the periphery of the handle <NUM>, and the second edge flap is arranged on the main body <NUM>, both of which can facilitate the stacking of the table knives. In the production process, the stacking and the positioning of a plurality of table knives can be conveniently realized, so as to facilitate the realization of automated production and also facilitate the transportation of the table knives. Before the table knife is used, one table knife can be conveniently separated from a plurality of stacked table knives, which is convenient for taking the table knife.

Referring to <FIG>, the environment-friendly tableware of this embodiment is a fork made of an environment-friendly material. The fork includes a handle <NUM> and a main body <NUM>, wherein the handle <NUM> is elongated, and the main body <NUM> is located at one end of the handle <NUM>. Since the connection between the main body <NUM> and the handle <NUM> is the most prone to bending, the present embodiment provides a reinforcing rib <NUM> between the handle <NUM> and the main body <NUM> in order to enhance the rigidity of the connection between the main body <NUM> and the handle <NUM>.

The reinforcing rib <NUM> is substantially elongated and extends from the handle <NUM> to the main body <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the reinforcing rib <NUM> is concave from the upper surface of the fork toward the lower surface, and, in a cross section in the extending direction of the reinforcing rib <NUM>, the reinforcing rib <NUM> includes a concave portion <NUM> and convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> at both ends of the concave portion <NUM>.

The bottom wall of the concave portion <NUM> is not flat, and specifically, the concave portion <NUM> has a first surface <NUM> and a second surface <NUM> adjacent to each other, and the included angle formed between the first surface <NUM> and the second surface <NUM> is an obtuse angle. Preferably, the included angle is between <NUM> ° and <NUM> °, and more preferably, the included angle is between <NUM> ° and <NUM> °. In addition, a side wall <NUM> is connected to one end of the first surface <NUM>, a side wall <NUM> is connected to one end of the second surface <NUM>, a convex portion <NUM> is formed between the first surface <NUM> and the side wall <NUM>, and a convex portion <NUM> is formed between the second surface <NUM> and the side wall <NUM>.

It can be seen from <FIG>, the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is not concave in one direction, but concave and convex in two directions, i.e. the concave portion <NUM> is concave from the upper surface to the lower surface of the fork, and the two convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> are convex from the lower surface to the upper surface of the fork, so that the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is wavy, and there is no abrupt change in the slope from a plane to an inclined plane at the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM>, i.e. no edges are formed. In this way, cracks are not easily formed at the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> during the molding process, and the yield of the pulp molding forks is improved.

In addition, by properly setting the curvature radiuses of the inner and outer surfaces of the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM> and <NUM>, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cracks on the surfaces of the concave portion <NUM> or the convex portions <NUM> and <NUM> during molding due to the excessively small curvature radiuses of the inner and outer surfaces of the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM> and <NUM>. In addition, the thickness of the concave portion <NUM> is less than the total thickness of the reinforcing rib <NUM>.

An edge flap <NUM> is connected to the free end of the side wall <NUM>, and the edge flap <NUM> has a thickness equal to the thickness of the side wall <NUM>; an edge flap <NUM> is connected to the free end of the side wall <NUM>, and the edge flap <NUM> has a thickness equal to the thickness of the side wall <NUM>. The provision of the edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> increases the bending strength of the reinforcing rib <NUM> and prevents the reinforcing rib <NUM> from being deformed by squeezing and bending.

In order to improve the strength of the handle <NUM>, in this embodiment, the handle <NUM> is designed to be a hollow shape with one side open, that is, in the extending direction of the handle <NUM>, the cross section of the handle <NUM> includes a bottom wall and side walls at both ends of the bottom wall. One end of the side wall is connected with the bottom wall, the other end of the side wall is a free end, and a first edge flap is provided at the free end of the side wall. And, the first edge flaps on both side walls are located on the same surface, so that when a user grips the handle <NUM>, the forces applied to the ends of the first edge flaps, respectively, are drawn together toward the middle and deformed after the two side walls are forced. When the applied forces are removed, the two side walls will spring back. In addition, the thicknesses of the two first edge flaps are equal, and the thickness of the first edge flap is equal to that of the side wall. The cross-sectional shape of the handle <NUM> of this embodiment is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the handle of the first embodiment, and will not be described again.

Referring to <FIG>, a first edge flap <NUM> is also provided at the free end of the handle <NUM>, and the first edge flap <NUM> has a thickness equal to the thickness of the handle <NUM>. It can be seen that the first edge flap is disposed around the periphery of the handle <NUM>, and the corners of the first edge flap are all rounded, i.e. no edges are provided. The user does not feel uncomfortable without pressing against the edges when gripping the handle <NUM>.

Furthermore, a second edge flap <NUM> is provided on the periphery of the main body <NUM> of the fork, and four teeth <NUM> are provided on the main body <NUM> of the fork, and a second edge flap <NUM> is provided on the periphery of each tooth <NUM>. The thickness of the second edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> is equal to that of the main body <NUM>, and the corners of the second edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> are designed to be rounded. It can be seen that the second edge flap is provided on the periphery of the main body <NUM>. The purpose of providing the second edge flaps <NUM> and <NUM> on the main body <NUM> is to improve the bending strength of the main body <NUM> and to prevent the main body <NUM> from being bent and deformed under force.

In addition, concave reinforcing portions <NUM> are provided at the middle of the two teeth <NUM> in the middle, and the reinforcing portions <NUM> are concave from the upper surface to the lower surface of the fork. The reinforcing portions <NUM> can improve the bending resistance of the teeth <NUM> and avoid the teeth <NUM> from breaking during the use of the fork.

In this embodiment, the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is designed into a wave shape, and the first edge flap is arranged on the periphery of the handle <NUM>, and the second edge flap is arranged on the periphery of the main body <NUM>, both of which can facilitate the stacking of the forks. In the production process, the stacking and positioning of a plurality of forks can be conveniently realized, so as to facilitate the realization of automated production and also facilitate the transportation of the forks. Before the fork is used, one fork can be conveniently separated from a plurality of stacked forks, which is convenient for taking the fork.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the environment-friendly tableware of this embodiment is a fork made of environment-friendly material, which is different from the third embodiment in that the fork of this embodiment is provided with three teeth. The fork includes a handle <NUM> and a main body <NUM>, wherein the handle <NUM> is elongated, and the main body <NUM> is located at one end of the handle <NUM>. Since the connection between the main body <NUM> and the handle <NUM> is the most prone to bending, the present embodiment provides a reinforcing rib <NUM> between the handle <NUM> and the main body <NUM> in order to enhance the rigidity of the connection between the main body <NUM> and the handle <NUM>.

The reinforcing rib <NUM> is substantially elongated and extends from the handle <NUM> to the main body <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the reinforcing rib <NUM> is concave from the upper surface toward the lower surface of the fork, and in a cross section in the extending direction of the reinforcing rib <NUM>, the reinforcing rib <NUM> includes a concave portion <NUM> and convex portions <NUM> and <NUM> at both ends of the concave portion <NUM>.

It can be seen from <FIG> and <FIG>, the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is not concave in one direction, but concave and convex in two directions, that is, the concave portion <NUM> is concave from the upper surface to the lower surface of the fork, and the two convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> are convex from the lower surface to the upper surface of the fork, so that the cross section of the reinforcing rib <NUM> is wavy, and there is no abrupt change in the slope from a plane to an inclined plane at the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM>, that is, no edges are formed. In this way, cracks are not easily formed at the concave portion <NUM> and the convex portions <NUM>, <NUM> during the molding process, and the yield of the pulp molding forks is improved.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a second edge flap <NUM> is provided on the periphery of the main body <NUM> of the fork, and three teeth <NUM> are provided on the main body <NUM> of the fork, and a second edge flap <NUM> is provided on the periphery of each tooth <NUM>. The thickness of the second edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> is equal to that of the main body <NUM>, and the corners of the second edge flaps <NUM>, <NUM> are designed to be rounded. It can be seen that the second edge flap is provided on the periphery of the main body <NUM>. The purpose of providing the second edge flaps <NUM> and <NUM> on the main body <NUM> is to improve the bending strength of the main body <NUM> and to prevent the main body <NUM> from being bent and deformed under force.

In addition, concave reinforcing portions <NUM> are provided at the middle of the three teeth <NUM>, and the reinforcing portions <NUM> are concave from the upper surface to the lower surface of the fork. The reinforcing portions <NUM> can improve the bending resistance of the teeth <NUM> and avoid the teeth <NUM> from breaking during the use of the fork.

Finally, it should be emphasized that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, such as variations in the length and width of the handles of the table knife, fork and spoon; or changes in the number of teeth of the main body of the fork; or changes in the thickness of the table knife, fork, spoon, etc., which are intended to be included within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claim 1:
An environment-friendly disposable tableware which is formed by molding and hot-pressing environment-friendly and naturally degradable materials, comprising:
a handle (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) and a main body (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the main body (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) is positioned at one end of the handle (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
on a cross section transverse to an extending direction of the handle (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), the handle (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) has a bottom wall (<NUM>) and side walls (<NUM>, <NUM>) located at both ends of the bottom wall, a first edge flap (<NUM>, <NUM>) is arranged at a free end of each side wall (<NUM>, <NUM>), a thickness of the first edge flap (<NUM>, <NUM>) is equal to a thickness of each side wall (<NUM>, <NUM>), and corners of the first edge flap (<NUM>, <NUM>) are rounded;
whereby the environment-friendly tableware is provided with a reinforcing rib (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>), the reinforcing rib (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) extends from the handle <NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM> to the main body (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>), characterized in that
the reinforcing rib (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) comprises a concave portion (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) and convex portions (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) positioned at both ends of the concave portion (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) on a cross section transverse to an extending direction of the reinforcing rib (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>).