This invention relates to cutlery and, more especially, this invention relates to cutlery comprising a knife and a fork. Optionally the cutlery may include a spoon.

Social etiquette requires that cutlery be held in a certain way. Parents need to teach their children how to hold cutlery. However, parents often find it difficult to make the time to teach their children how to hold cutlery. Often children eat alone, or with other children in childcare settings. In such circumstances, the children may fail to receive the required supervision for holding the cutlery. The result is that the children are highly likely to hold the cutlery in an incorrect position, which can be socially unacceptable.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided cutlery comprising a knife and a fork, the knife having a handle and a blade portion, the fork having a handle and a prong portion, and the handle of the knife and the handle of the fork being such that:

(i) each handle has an end portion which is substantially at right angles to a longitudinal axis of the handle;

(ii) in use of the cutlery, the handle is held in the hand of a user, the end portion extends downwardly away from the palm of the hand of the user, and the end portion causes the user to hold the cutlery in a correct holding orientation;

(iii) each handle has a locating depression that receives the tip of the index finger of the user such that the index finger is located on top of the handle and in a correct holding orientation; and

(iv) each handle has a pair of sides which are adjacent to the locating depression and which are such that in use with the index finger in the locating depression, then one side receives the thumb of the user and the other side receives the middle finger of the user, whereby the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb are in a correct holding orientation.

The cutlery of the present invention is advantageous in that it causes the user to hold the cutlery in the correct holding orientation. Thus, if the user is a child, then the child automatically learns the correct holding position for the cutlery. If the user eventually progresses to other types of cutlery, then they will intuitively use the cutlery in the correct holding orientation due to what they have learned using the cutlery of the present invention.

The locating depression may be a circular locating depression. Other shapes for the locating depression may be employed so that, for example, the locating depression may be an elliptical locating depression.

The pair of sides may form two sides of a formation which is triangular in cross section. Formations which are other than triangular in cross section may be employed so that, for example, the two sides may be opposite sides of a quadrilateral.

The blade of the knife may be a wide blade for aiding with the pushing of food. The knife may have another type of blade if desired.

The prong portion of the fork may have a concave portion. The concave portion is advantageous in positioning food on the fork. Other shapes for the prong portion of the fork may be employed.

The cutlery may include a spoon, and in which:

(i) the spoon has a handle and a concave scoop portion;

(ii) the spoon has first and second grip formations which extend in use upwardly in the direction of the open mouth of the concave scoop portion;

(iii) the handle of the spoon has a third grip formation which extends in use in the opposite direction to the first and second grip formations; and

(iv) the first, second and third grip formations cause the user to hold the spoon in a correct holding orientation.

The third grip formation may extend from the handle at a position between the first and second formations. The third grip formation may be positioned elsewhere if desired.

The cutlery may be made of a plastics material. Any suitable and appropriate plastics material may be employed. With the plastics material, the cutlery can easily be moulded to shape. Preferably the cutlery is moulded to shape such that it has smooth surfaces which do not have crevices for retaining food. With smooth surfaces, the cutlery is easily washed. The cutlery may be made of other materials if desired so that, for example, the cutlery may be made of a metal such for example as stainless steel.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from the rear and one side of a knife;

Figure 2 is a perspective view from the front and the other side of the knife shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a perspective view from the front and one side of a fork;

Figure 4 is a perspective view from the rear and the other side of the fork shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view from the rear and one side of a spoon; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view from the front and the other side of the spoon as shown in Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 - 4, there is shown cutlery 2 comprising a knife 4 and a fork 6. The knife 4 has a handle 8 and a blade portion 10. The fork 6 has a handle 12 and a prong portion 14.

Each handle 8, 12 has an end portion 16 which is substantially at right angles to a longitudinal axis of the handle 8, 12. In use of the cutlery 2, the handle 8, 12 is held in the hand of a user. The end portion 16 extends downwardly away from the palm of the hand of the user. The end portion 16 causes the user to hold the cutlery 2 in a correct holding orientation.

Each handle 8, 12 has a locating depression 18 that receives the tip of the index finger of the user such that the index finger is located on top of the handle 8, 12 in a correct holding orientation.

Each handle 8, 12 has a pair of sides 20, 22 which are adjacent to the locating depression 18 and which slope inwardly away from the locating depression 18. The sides 20, 22 are such that, in use, with the index finger of the user in the locating depression 18, then one side 20, 22 receives the thumb of the user and the other side 20, 22 receives the middle finger of the user. The index finger, the middle finger and the thumb are thus in a correct holding orientation. The side 20, 22 which receives the thumb of the user and the side 20, 22 which receives the index finger of the user will depend upon if the cutlery 2 is being held by a user who is right handed or left handed.

The locating depression 18 is a circular locating depression. The locating depression 8 may be of other shapes if desired.

The sides 20, 22 form two sides of a formation which is triangular in cross section. Formations of other cross sectional shapes may be employed providing that the required two sides 20, 22 are present.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the blade portion 10 of the knife 4 has teeth 24. The blade portion 10 is a wide blade for aiding with the pushing of food. The blade portion 10 may be a narrower blade portion 10 if desired. As can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, the prong portion 14 of the fork 6 has four prongs 26. More or less prongs 26 may be employed so that, for example, the prong portion 14 may have three prongs.

The prongs 26 are curved as shown. The curve causes the prongs 26 to have a concave portion 28 for receiving food. If desired, the prongs 26 may be formed without the concave portion 28 in which case the prongs 26 will simply curve gently from their tips to their bases.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, the cutlery 2 optionally and preferably includes the spoon 30. The spoon 30 has a handle 32 and a concave scoop portion 34.

The handle 32 of the spoon 30 has first and second grip formations 36, 38 respectively. The first and second grip formations 36, 38 extend in use upwardly in the direction of the open mouth 40 of the concave scoop portion 34. The handle 32 of the spoon 30 has a third grip formation 42. The third grip formation 42 extends in use in the opposite direction to the first and second grip formations 36, 38.

The first, second and third grip formations 36, 38, 42 cause the user to hold the spoon 30 in a correct holding orientation.

The third grip formation 42 extends from the handle 32 at a position between the first and second grip formations 36, 38. The third grip formation 42 may be positioned elsewhere with respect to the first and second grip formations 36, 38 if desired. The first and second grip formations 36, 38 are shown as being elliptical but they may be of other shapes. The third grip formation 42 is shown as being circular but it may be of other shapes.

The cutlery 2 is preferably moulded from a plastics material but it may be made from other materials.

The cutlery 2 is advantageous in that it causes the user, for example a child, to hold the cutlery 2 in the correct holding orientation. The user thus learns the correct holding orientation for social etiquette. Having learnt the correct holding orientation, the user will always be encouraged to remember this correct holding orientation when using other cutlery.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the handles 8, 12, 32 may be of a shape other than that shown. The end portion 16 may be of a shape other than those shown. The first, second and third grip formations 36, 38, 42 may be of shapes other than those shown. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.