Food-pinching tool

Abstract

To provide a food-pinching tool capable of improving a fitting feeling with a hand and fingers and improving operability for pinching food.SOLUTION: A food-pinching tool 10, 40 according to the present invention includes: first and second pinching portions 11, 12 on which the distal phalanxes 3a and 4a of the thumb 3 and the index finger 4 of one hand 1 can be placed; first and second branch portions 21, 22 extending from the first and second pinching portions 11, 12 toward the palm 2 of the one hand 1; a connecting portion 31 connecting the first and second branch portions 21, 22; and an urging portion 32 urging the first and second pinching portions 11, 12 so as to return from a pinching state in which the second pinching portion 12 is relatively close to the first pinching portion 11 to an initial state in which the second pinching portion 12 is relatively separated from the first pinching portion 11, the connecting portion 31 disposed along the palm 2 in a state in which the distal phalanxes 3a and 4a of the thumb 3 and the index finger 4 are placed on the first and second pinching portions 11, 12, respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food picking tool used for picking up food such as sweets and snacks. [Background technology]

[0002] Foods such as potato chips, cookies, and other snacks, as well as rice balls and sandwiches, are primarily eaten by picking them up with the fingers. These foods are sometimes called one-handed foods.

[0003] However, when eating foods such as sweets or snacks, people are often engaged in other tasks such as desk work or playing games, and the fingers that pick up the food at this time are often in an unsanitary state. Furthermore, if fingers with oil from foods such as sweets or snacks come into contact with tools or equipment used for other tasks, these tools or equipment may become dirty with the oil. This is also unsanitary.

[0004] Therefore, tools for picking up foods such as sweets, snacks, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "food picking tools" as necessary) are sometimes used. For example, one example of a food picking tool is sandwich tongs, which has a pair of operating parts arranged opposite each other and spaced apart, a gripping part provided at the tip of each of the pair of operating parts, and a connecting part that integrally connects the ends of the pair of operating parts so that the pair of gripping parts can be moved toward and away from each other (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] For example, a second example of a food picking tool is tongs that have a pair of opposing operating pieces with a clamping portion at the tip, a connecting portion connecting the rear ends of the pair of operating pieces, and an elastic material such as a rubber band for attaching fingers to the operating pieces, and are sized to fit in the palm of the hand (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3190821 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-143696 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the tongs of the first and second examples of the food picking tool are not designed to fit the shape of the hand and fingers. Furthermore, there is poor coordination between the action of picking food with the tongs and the action of the hand and fingers manipulating the tongs. In other words, the tongs of the first and second examples of the food picking tool have the problem of not fitting well to the hand and fingers, and also being difficult to operate for picking food. These problems are one of the reasons why food picking tools have not become more widely used.

[0008] In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a food picking tool that can improve the fit to the hand and fingers and can improve the operability for picking up food. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, one embodiment of a food picking tool is a food picking tool that can pick up food, and includes a first gripping portion formed to allow the distal joint of the thumb of one hand to be placed thereon, a second gripping portion formed to allow the distal joint of the index finger of the one hand to be placed thereon, a first branch portion extending from the first gripping portion toward the palm of the one hand, a second branch portion extending from the second gripping portion toward the palm, a connecting portion connecting the first and second branch portions, and a biasing portion that biases the first and second gripping portions so that the second gripping portion can return from a gripping state in which the second gripping portion is relatively close to the first gripping portion to an initial state in which the second gripping portion is relatively farther away from the first gripping portion than in the gripping state, and the connecting portion is positioned so as to fit along the palm when the distal joints of the thumb and index finger are placed on the first and second gripping portions, respectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The food picking tool according to the above aspect can improve the fit to the hand and fingers, and can also improve the operability for picking up food. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the parts of one hand that operate the food pickers according to the first and second embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the food picker according to the first embodiment in an initial state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the food picker according to the first embodiment in an initial state with one hand placed on it. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the food picking tool according to the first embodiment in a picking state with one hand on the food picking tool. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a food picker according to a second embodiment in an initial state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The food picking tool according to each of the first and second embodiments will be described below. The food picking tool according to each embodiment can pick up foods such as sweets and light meals. Specifically, the food picking tool can pick up one-handed foods such as snacks like potato chips, sweets like cookies, rice balls, sandwiches, pizza, and other light meals.

[0013] In each embodiment, the hand that operates the food picker is the right hand. That is, the food picker in each embodiment is designed for right-handed use. However, the food picker can also be designed for left-handed use. In this case, the food picker for the left hand is configured to be approximately symmetrical in the width direction of the hand to the food picker for the right hand.

[0014] Furthermore, the directions in each embodiment are defined as follows, with one hand as the reference: the thumb side in the width direction of the hand is defined as the inside, and the little finger side in the width direction of the hand is defined as the outside. Also, the palm side in the thickness direction of the hand is defined as the front side, and the back side in the thickness direction of the hand is defined as the back side.

[0015] "First embodiment" A food picker 10 according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0016] First, one hand 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1. One hand 1 has a palm 2 facing the front side. One hand 1 is connected to a wrist (not shown) at the carpal region 2a of the palm 2. Furthermore, one hand 1 has a thumb 3 extending from thenar region 2b of the palm 2, and an index finger 4, a middle finger 5, and a ring finger 6 extending from thenar region 2c of the palm 2.

[0017] The index finger 4 extends from an inner region 2d located on the thenar eminence 2b toward the inside of the hand 1. The middle finger 5 extends from a central region 2e located on the thenar eminence 2b approximately in the center of the width of the hand 1. The ring finger 6 extends from an outer region 2f located on the thenar eminence 2b toward the outside. The hand 1 has a little finger 7 extending from the little finger eminence 2g on the palm 2.

[0018] "Outline of food picking tools" 1 to 4, a food picking tool 10 according to this embodiment is generally configured as follows: The food picking tool 10 has a first picking part 11 on which the distal joint 3a of the thumb 3 of one hand 1 can be placed. The food picking tool 10 has a second picking part 12 on which the distal joint 4a of the index finger 4 of one hand 1 can be placed.

[0019] As shown in particular in Figure 2, food picking tool 10 has a first branch 21 extending from first picking portion 11 toward palm 2 of one hand 1. Food picking tool 10 has a second branch 22 extending from second picking portion 12 toward palm 2 of one hand 1. Food picking tool 10 has a connecting portion 31 connecting first and second branch portions 21, 22.

[0020] The food picking tool 10 has a biasing portion 32 that biases the first and second gripping portions 11, 12 so that the food picking tool 10 can return to the initial state from the gripping state. As shown in Fig. 3, in the initial state, the second gripping portion 12 is further away from the first gripping portion 11 than in the gripping state. In the initial state, food can be released from the first and second gripping portions 11, 12.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the pinched state is a state in which second gripping portion 12 is relatively closer to first gripping portion 11 than in the initial state. In the pinched state, food can be pinched using first and second gripping portions 11, 12. Connecting portion 31 is positioned so as to fit along palm 2 with distal portions 3a, 4a of thumb 3 and index finger 4 placed on first and second gripping portions 11, 12, respectively.

[0022] 2 to 4, the food picking tool 10 according to this embodiment can be roughly configured as follows. As shown in FIG. 2, the first picking portion 11 has a first recessed area 11a that is recessed so that the distal knuckle portion 3a of the thumb 3 can be placed thereon. The second picking portion 12 has a second recessed area 12a that is recessed so that the distal knuckle portion 4a of the index finger 4 can be placed thereon. Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the food picking tool 10 has a grip portion 33 that extends from the connecting portion 31 along the palm 2 so that it can be held by the ring finger 6 and little finger 7 of one hand 1.

[0023] Food picking tool 10 has third gripping portion 13 formed so that distal joint 5a of middle finger 5 of one hand 1 can be placed thereon. Third gripping portion 13 is formed as a separate body from second gripping portion 12 so as to be separated from second gripping portion 12. However, third gripping portion 13 can also be formed integrally with second gripping portion 12.

[0024] As shown in particular in Figure 2, food picking tool 10 has third branch portion 23 extending from third gripping portion 13 toward palm 2. Connecting portion 31 connects first to third branch portions 21 to 23. Referring to Figures 2 to 4, biasing portion 32 biases first to third gripping portions 11 to 13 so that they can return from the gripping state to the initial state.

[0025] 3, in the initial state, in addition to second gripping portion 12, third gripping portion 13 is spaced apart from first gripping portion 11 relative to the gripping state. In the initial state, food can be released from first to third gripping portions 11 to 13.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 4, the pinched state is a state in which, in addition to second gripping portion 12 as described above, third gripping portion 13 is brought relatively closer to first gripping portion 11 than in the initial state. In the pinched state, food can be pinched by first to third gripping portions 11 to 13.

[0027] "Food Picking Tools Details" 1 to 4, the food picking tool 10 according to this embodiment can be configured in detail as follows: As shown in Fig. 2, the third picking portion 13 has a third recessed area 13a that is recessed so that the distal joint 5a of the middle finger 5 can be placed thereon.

[0028] If the third knob is integrally formed with the second knob, the third recessed area can also be integrally formed with the second recessed area. Furthermore, the food picking tool can be configured without the third knob. In this case, the grip portion can extend from the connecting portion along the palm so that it can be held by the middle finger in addition to the ring finger and little finger.

[0029] 1 to 4, food picker 10 is typically sized to fit in one adult hand 1. However, the size of the food picker can be changed depending on the age, sex, race, etc., of the intended user. For example, the food picker can also be sized to fit in one child's hand. For example, the food picker can also be sized to fit in one hand of a Negroid, Caucasian, Mongoloid, or Australoid adult male or female.

[0030] The first recessed area 11a has a placement opening 11b that opens toward the back side in the thickness direction of the hand 1 so that the thumb 3 can be placed thereon. The first recessed area 11a has a passage opening 11c that opens in a direction from the distal joint 3a of the thumb 3 toward its proximal joint 3b so that the thumb 3 can pass between the inside and outside of the first recessed area 11a.

[0031] The second recessed area 12a has a placement opening 12b that opens toward the back side in the thickness direction of the hand 1 so that the index finger 4 can be placed thereon. The second recessed area 12a has a passage opening 12c that opens in a direction from the distal joint 4a of the index finger 4 toward its proximal joint 4b so that the index finger 4 can pass between the inside and outside of the second recessed area 12a.

[0032] The third recessed area 13a has a placement opening 13b that opens toward the back side in the thickness direction of the hand 1 so that the middle finger 5 can be placed thereon. The third recessed area 13a has a passage opening 13c that opens in the direction from the distal joint 5a of the middle finger 5 toward its proximal joint 5b so that the middle finger 5 can pass between the inside and outside of the third recessed area 13a.

[0033] First gripping portion 11 has a front side region 11d located on the opposite side in the thickness direction of hand 1 from the side on which thumb 3 is placed. Second gripping portion 12 has a front side region 12d located on the opposite side in the thickness direction of hand 1 from the side on which index finger 4 is placed. Third gripping portion 13 has a front side region 13d located on the opposite side in the thickness direction of hand 1 from the side on which middle finger 5 is placed. When food picking tool 10 is in a picking state, food is picked by front side regions 11d-13d of first to third gripping portions 11-13.

[0034] The front side regions 11d-13d of the first-third knob portions 11-13 are formed substantially flat. However, the front side region of the first knob portion can be protruding, bulging, or raised to correspond to the distal knuckle portion of the thumb. The front side region of the second knob portion can be protruding, bulging, or raised to correspond to the distal knuckle portion of the index finger. The front side region of the third knob portion can be protruding, bulging, or raised to correspond to the distal knuckle portion of the middle finger. The front side region of each knob portion can be protruding, bulging, or raised in the concave direction of the concave region of that knob portion.

[0035] The connecting portion 31 is positioned to face the palm 2, particularly the inner region 2d and central region 2e of the ball 2c. The connecting portion 31 can also be positioned to face the inner region 2d of the ball 2c. The grip portion 33 extends along the outer region 2f and little finger region 2g of the ball 2c.

[0036] 2, the first branch 21 has a root section 21a that extends from the connecting portion 31 to the proximal joint 3b of the thumb 3. The root section 21a can extend along the thenar eminence 2b of the palm 2. The first branch 21 has a tip section 21b that extends from the proximal joint 3b of the thumb 3 along the thumb 3 to the first knob portion 11.

[0037] In the first branch portion 21, the extending direction of the root region 21a and the extending direction of the tip region 21b intersect at a predetermined intersecting angle. This intersecting angle can be within a range of about 45 degrees to about 135 degrees. The intersecting angle can be preferably within a range of about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees. The intersecting angle can more preferably be within a range of about 75 degrees to about 105 degrees. However, the intersecting angle is not limited to this.

[0038] The second branch 22 extends from the connecting portion 31 along the index finger 4 to the second knob portion 12. The third branch 23 extends from the connecting portion 31 along the middle finger 5 to the third knob portion 13.

[0039] The thickness of first branch 21 is thinner than the thickness of first knob 11. The thickness of second branch 22 is thinner than the thickness of second knob 12. The thickness of third branch 23 is thinner than the thickness of third knob 13. However, the thickness of each branch can also be approximately equal to the thickness of the knob connected to it. The thickness of each branch can also be thicker than the thickness of the knob connected to it.

[0040] Each of the first to third branch portions 21 to 23 is formed to have a plate-shaped element. However, the first to third branch portions are not limited to this. For example, at least one of the first to third branch portions may be formed to have a rod-shaped element or the like.

[0041] 2 to 4, the biasing portion 32 is configured to be elastically deformable. For example, the biasing portion 32 can be configured using a leaf spring. The leaf spring can be made of a metal, particularly steel. However, the leaf spring can also be made of a non-metallic material. For example, non-metallic materials include natural rubber, synthetic resin, wood, bamboo, paper, and fiber.

[0042] In particular, when the biasing portion 32 is configured using a leaf spring, the first to third branch portions 21 to 23 and the connecting portion 31 can be configured as the biasing portion 32. Note that at least a part of the first to third branch portions 21 to 23 and the connecting portion 31 can also be configured as the biasing portion 32.

[0043] However, the biasing portion is not limited to this. For example, the biasing portion can be configured separately from the first to third branch portions and the connecting portion, and can be arranged along at least some or all of the first to third branch portions and the connecting portion. In this case, the biasing portion can be arranged on at least one of the front and back sides of the first to third branch portions and the connecting portion. For example, the biasing portion can be configured to bias the first to third branch portions using a coil spring so that the first to third branch portions can return to the initial state from the pinched state.

[0044] The material used for the first to third knob portions 11 to 13, the grip portion 33, and the stopper portion 34 may be synthetic resin. Note that if the biasing portion is configured separately from the first to third branch portions and the connecting portion, the material used for the first to third branch portions and the connecting portion may also be synthetic resin. However, the material used for the first to third knob portions, the first to third branch portions, the connecting portion, the grip portion, and the stopper portion is not limited to this. For example, the material used for at least one of the first to third knob portions, the first to third branch portions, the connecting portion, the grip portion, and the stopper portion may be natural rubber, silicone, ceramic, metal, wood, bamboo, paper, fiber, etc.

[0045] 2 and 3, in the initial state of the food picker 10, the first and second branch portions 21, 22 are arranged so that the distance between them increases with increasing distance from the connecting portion 31. Furthermore, in the initial state of the food picker 10, the first to third branch portions 21-23 are arranged so that the distance between them increases with increasing distance from the connecting portion 31.

[0046] 2 to 4, in the initial state and the pinching state of the food picker 10, the connecting part 31 can be arranged with a gap between it and the palm 2 in the thickness direction of the hand 1. However, in at least one of the initial state and the pinching state of the food picker, the connecting part can also be arranged so as to come into contact with the palm.

[0047] 2 and 3, in the initial state of food picking tool 10, the concave direction of first recessed area 11a in first gripping portion 11 forms a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the concave direction of second recessed area 12a in second gripping portion 12. Note that first recessed area 11a is defined as the direction in which the fingerprint of distal joint 3a of thumb 3 placed thereon faces, and the concave direction of second recessed area 12a is defined as the direction in which the fingerprint of distal joint 4a of index finger 4 placed thereon faces.

[0048] The tilt angle can be within a range of about 15 degrees to about 105 degrees. The tilt angle can be preferably within a range of about 30 degrees to about 90 degrees. The tilt angle can more preferably be within a range of about 45 degrees to about 75 degrees.

[0049] The concave direction of third recessed area 13a in third gripping portion 13 can be made substantially the same as the concave direction of second recessed area 12a in second gripping portion 12. Note that third recessed area 13a is defined as the direction in which the fingerprint of distal joint 5a of middle finger 5 placed thereon faces.

[0050] 2 to 4, the food picker 10 has a stopper portion 34 located at the longitudinal tip of the grip portion 33 extending from the connecting portion 31. The stopper portion 34 is formed to protrude in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 33. For example, the stopper portion 34 can be formed to protrude radially in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 33. Such a stopper portion 34 is capable of coming into contact with the little finger 7 of the hand 1 so as to restrict movement of the hand 1 in the width direction.

[0051] 3 and 4, when such food picking tool 10 changes from the initial state to the picking state, first picking portion 11 moves relatively closer to second picking portion 12 or second and third picking portions 12, 13 from the inside and front side of second picking portion 12. When food picking tool 10 changes from the picking state to the initial state, first picking portion 11 moves relatively away from second picking portion 12 or second and third picking portions 12, 13 in the opposite direction.

[0052] As described above, the food picking tool 10 according to this embodiment comprises a first gripping portion 11 formed so that the distal joint 3a of the thumb 3 of one hand 1 can be placed thereon, a second gripping portion 12 formed so that the distal joint 4a of the index finger 4 of one hand 1 can be placed thereon, a first branch portion 21 extending from the first gripping portion 11 toward the palm 2 of the hand 1, a second branch portion 22 extending from the second gripping portion 12 toward the palm 2, and a connecting portion 3 connecting the first and second branches 21 and 22. and a biasing portion 32 that biases the first and second knob portions 11, 12 so that the second knob portion 12 can return from a pinched state in which the second knob portion 12 is relatively close to the first knob portion 11 to an initial state in which the second knob portion 12 is relatively farther away from the first knob portion 11 than in the pinched state, and the connecting portion 31 is arranged so as to fit along the palm 2 with the distal joints 3a, 4a of the thumb 3 and the index finger 4 placed on the first and second knob portions 11, 12, respectively.

[0053] In such a food picking tool 10, the connecting portion 31, which is the center of movement of the first gripping portion 11 on which the distal joint 3a of the thumb 3 is placed and the second gripping portion 12 on which the distal joint 4a of the index finger 4 is placed, is arranged along the palm 2. Therefore, when picking up food, the action of bringing the thumb 3 and index finger 4 closer to each other around the palm 2 and the action of bringing the first and second gripping portions 11, 12 closer to each other around the connecting portion 31 can be smoothly linked. When releasing food, the biasing portion 32 allows the action of moving the thumb 3 and index finger 4 away from each other around the palm 2 to be smoothly linked to the action of moving the first and second gripping portions 11, 12 away from each other around the connecting portion 31.

[0054] Furthermore, a smooth transition can be made between the action of bringing the thumb 3 and index finger 4 closer together around the palm 2 when picking up food, and the action of moving the thumb 3 and index finger 4 apart around the palm 2 by the biasing portion 32 when releasing the food. When the distal joint 3a of the thumb 3 is placed on the first gripping portion 11 and the distal joint 4a of the index finger 4 is placed on the second gripping portion 12, and the palm 2 is aligned with the connecting portion 31, the hand 1 is placed on the food picking tool 10 so that it fits snugly. Therefore, the food picking tool 10 according to this embodiment can improve the fit to the hand and fingers and can also improve operability for picking up food.

[0055] In the food picking tool 10 of this embodiment, the first picking portion 11 has a first recessed area 11a that is recessed so that the distal knuckle portion 3a of the thumb 3 can be placed on it, and the second picking portion 12 has a second recessed area 12a that is recessed so that the distal knuckle portion 4a of the index finger 4 can be placed on it.

[0056] In such a food picking tool 10, first recessed area 11a improves the fit of thumb 3 to first gripping portion 11, and second recessed area 12a improves the fit of index finger 4 to second gripping portion 12. Furthermore, first recessed area 11a allows thumb 3 to be stably placed on first gripping portion 11, and second recessed area 12a allows index finger 4 to be stably placed on second gripping portion 12. Therefore, operation of first gripping portion 11 with thumb 3 and operation of second gripping portion 12 with index finger 4 can be stabilized, resulting in improved operability for picking up food.

[0057] The food picking tool 10 according to this embodiment includes a third gripping portion 13 formed so that the distal joint 5a of the middle finger 5 of one hand 1 can be placed on it. Furthermore, the food picking tool 10 according to this embodiment includes a third branch portion 23 extending from the third gripping portion 13 toward the palm 2, a connecting portion 31 connecting the first, second, and third branch portions 21, 22, 23, and a biasing portion 32 biasing the first, second, and third gripping portions 11, 12, 13 so that the food picking tool 10 can return from a gripping state in which the second and third gripping portions 12, 13 are relatively close to the first gripping portion 11 to an initial state in which the second and third gripping portions 12, 13 are relatively farther away from the first gripping portion 11 than in the gripping state.

[0058] In this food picking tool 10, food can be stably picked up by the third picking part 13 in addition to the first and second picking parts 11 and 12. For example, more food items can be stably picked up, and larger food items can be stably picked up. Furthermore, the movements of the thumb 3, index finger 4, and middle finger 5 that operate the food picking tool 10 to pick up food are similar to the movements of directly picking up food with the thumb 3, index finger 4, and middle finger 5. Therefore, the food picking tool 10 can improve the operational feel when picking up food.

[0059] Furthermore, connecting portion 31, which is the center of movement for first knob portion 11 on which thumb 3 is placed, second knob portion 12 on which index finger 4 is placed, and third knob portion 13 on which middle finger 5 is placed, is arranged along palm 2. Therefore, when picking up food, the action of moving index finger 4 and middle finger 5 relatively closer to thumb 3 around palm 2 and the action of moving second and third knob portions 12, 13 relatively closer to first knob portion 11 around connecting portion 31 can be smoothly linked. When releasing the food, biasing portion 32 allows the action of moving index finger 4 and middle finger 5 relatively away from thumb 3 around palm 2 to be smoothly linked with the action of moving second and third knob portions 12, 13 relatively away from first knob portion 11 around connecting portion 31.

[0060] Furthermore, a smooth transition can be made between the action of moving the index finger 4 and middle finger 5 relatively close to the thumb 3 around the palm 2 when picking up food, and the action of moving the index finger 4 and middle finger 5 relatively apart from the thumb 3 around the palm 2 by the biasing portion 32 when releasing the food. When the thumb 3 is placed on the first gripping portion 11, the index finger 4 on the second gripping portion 12, the middle finger 5 on the third gripping portion 13, and the palm 2 is aligned with the connecting portion 31, one hand 1 is placed on the food picking tool 10 so that it fits snugly. In particular, since the middle finger 5 is used for the operation of picking up food without being left loose, the fit to the hand and fingers can be improved, and operability for picking up food can be improved.

[0061] The food picker 10 according to this embodiment includes a grip portion 33 that extends from the connecting portion 31 along the palm 2 so as to be able to be held by the ring finger 6 and little finger 7 of one hand 1 .

[0062] In such a food picking tool 10, the first picking portion 11 can be operated with the thumb 3, and the second picking portion 12 can be operated with the index finger 4, while holding the grip portion 33 with the ring finger 6 and little finger 7. Therefore, the food picking tool 10 can be held stably in one hand 1, and food can be stably picked up by operating this hand 1. In particular, because the ring finger 6 and little finger 7 are used to hold the food picking tool 10 without leaving it free, it is possible to improve the fit with the hand and fingers, and to improve operability for picking up food.

[0063] "Second embodiment" A food picking tool 40 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 5. The food picking tool 40 according to this embodiment is configured similarly to the food picking tool 10 according to the first embodiment, except that it does not have the third picking portion 13 and the third branch portion 23. When the food picking tool 10 is in the picking state, food is picked by the front regions 11d and 12d of the first and second picking portions 11 and 12.

[0064] In the food picking tool 40, the grip portion 33 can extend from the connecting portion 31 along the palm 2 so as to be able to be held by the middle finger 5, ring finger 6, and little finger 7 of one hand 1. In this embodiment, the grip portion 33 can extend along the outer region 2f of the ball portion 2c and the little finger ball portion 2g. However, the grip portion can also extend along the central region and outer region of the ball portion and the little finger ball.

[0065] As described above, with the food picker 40 according to this embodiment, except for the configuration relating to the third picking portion 13 and the third branch portion 23, it is possible to obtain the same actions and effects as the food picker 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0066] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention can be modified and changed based on the technical concept thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1...one hand, 2...palm, 3...thumb, 3a...distal part, 4...index finger, 4a...distal part, 5...middle finger, 5a...distal part, 6...ring finger, 7...little finger 10, 40...food picking tool, 11...first picking portion, 11a...first recessed area, 12...second picking portion, 12a...second recessed area, 13...third picking portion, 21...first branch portion, 22...second branch portion, 23...third branch portion, 31...connecting portion, 32...urging portion, 33...grip portion

Claims

1. A food picking tool that allows food to be picked up, a first gripping portion formed so that the distal part of the thumb of one hand can be placed thereon; a second gripping portion formed so that the distal joint of the index finger of the one hand can be placed thereon; a first branch portion extending from the first knob portion toward the palm of the one hand; a second branch portion extending from the second knob portion toward the palm; a connecting portion connecting the first and second branch portions; a biasing portion that biases the first and second knob portions so as to enable the second knob portion to return from a pinched state in which the second knob portion is relatively close to the first knob portion to an initial state in which the second knob portion is relatively farther from the first knob portion than in the pinched state; Equipped with The connecting portion is arranged along the palm of the hand with the distal knuckles of the thumb and index finger resting on the first and second gripping portions, respectively.

2. the first gripping portion has a first recessed area that is recessed so that the distal joint of the thumb can be placed thereon; 2. The food picking tool according to claim 1, wherein the second picking portion has a second recessed area that is recessed so that the distal knuckle of the index finger can be placed thereon.

3. 2. The food picking tool according to claim 1, further comprising a third gripping portion formed so that the distal joint of the middle finger of said one hand can be placed thereon.

4. a third branch portion extending from the third knob portion toward the palm, the connecting portion connects the first, second, and third branch portions; 4. The food picking tool according to claim 3, wherein the biasing portion biases the first, second, and third gripping portions so as to enable the first, second, and third gripping portions to return from a gripping state in which the second and third gripping portions are relatively close to the first gripping portion to an initial state in which the second and third gripping portions are relatively farther from the first gripping portion than in the gripping state.

5. 5. The food picking tool according to claim 1, further comprising a grip portion extending from the connecting portion along the palm of the hand so as to be able to be held by the ring finger and little finger of the hand.

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