Tableware

Abstract

The aim is to provide a table plate that allows for easy consumption of ingredients that are difficult to pick up or pierce with a fork, such as the last bit of pasta left at the end of a meal. [Solution] The dining plate 10 has a circumferential direction Y, a radial direction X, and a storage area 15 on which food ingredients 4 are placed, and a guide portion 20 is provided in the storage area 15 to guide the tip 2 of a fork 1 into and out of the storage area 15.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tableware dish.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, tableware dishes having a functional structure adapted to the shape of the tableware are known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tableware dish provided with a recess in the shape of a spoon head in a region where pasta is served.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] According to the tableware dish disclosed in Patent Document ⁇, since a recess in the shape of a spoon head is provided in the region where pasta is served, an appropriate amount of pasta can be wound up with a fork in the recess. Therefore, it is possible to eat neatly while winding it up with a fork without using a spoon.

[0006] However, for example, when a single piece of pasta remains on the tableware dish, or for ingredients that are small in quantity and difficult to pierce or scoop up with the tip of a fork, even if the ingredients are brought to the vicinity of the recess while applying them to the tip of the fork, it is difficult to scoop them up.

[0007] [[ID=??]] The present invention aims to improve the prior art, and provides a tableware dish that can easily eat even ingredients that are difficult to pierce or scoop up with the tip of a fork, such as the pasta that remains slightly at the end.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention relates to a table plate having a circumferential direction, a radial direction, and a storage area for food ingredients, and is provided with a guide portion for guiding the tip of a fork into and out of the storage area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the table plate of the present invention, a guide section is provided in the food-holding area for guiding the tip of a fork into and out of the area where food is placed. Therefore, even food that is difficult to pierce or scoop up with the tip of a fork, such as the last bit of pasta, can be easily eaten by positioning the tip of the fork under the food in the guide section and scooping it up. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] The drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention, including not only essential components of the invention but also optional and preferred embodiments. [Figure 1] A perspective view of a table plate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A plan view of a tableware plate. [Figure 3] (a) A diagram showing how ingredients are guided into the guide section. (b) A diagram showing how ingredients are scooped up in the guide section. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV shown in Figure 3(b). [Figure 5] (a) A perspective view of a table plate according to the second embodiment. (b) A diagram showing how food is scooped up using the guide section. [Figure 6] (a) A perspective view of a table plate according to the third embodiment. (b) A diagram showing how food is scooped up using the guide section. [Figure 7] (a) Enlarged view of the guide section in one example of the embodiment. (b) Enlarged view of the guide section in another example of the embodiment. (c) Enlarged view of the guide section in yet another example of the embodiment. [Figure 8](a) An enlarged view of the guide section in an example of yet another embodiment. (b) An enlarged view of the guide section in an example of yet another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, a table plate 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the table plate 10 according to this embodiment is circular and has a radial direction X and a circumferential direction Y, and has a bottom wall 11, a circumferential wall 12 surrounding the bottom wall 11, and an upper edge (rim) portion 13 extending in the circumferential direction Y above the circumferential wall 12. The bottom wall 11 and the circumferential wall 12 form a storage area 15 on which food ingredients 4 such as pasta, meat dishes, and fish dishes are placed. The upper edge portion 13 may not be flat, but may be inclined toward the storage area 15 so that food ingredients 4 can be easily scooped up.

[0013] A guide portion 20 is located on the outer surface of the storage area 15 of the dining plate 10 to guide the tip 2 of the fork 1 into and out of the storage area 15. The guide portion 20 is formed from a plurality of guide grooves 21 that extend in the radial direction X and are arranged in the circumferential direction Y.

[0014] The table plate 10 may not be circular as shown in the figure, but may be rectangular, elliptical, triangular, or have various other shapes. Therefore, if the table plate 10 is rectangular, the radial direction X means the direction extending from the center of the table plate 10 toward the upper edge 13, intersecting with the circumferential direction Y.

[0015] In the illustrated example, four guide grooves 21 are formed in the guide portion 20. However, as long as the technical effects of the invention of the present application can be achieved, even one guide groove 21 may be provided, or two, three, or four or more guide grooves 21 may be provided. Further, the guide portion 20 may not be formed from the guide groove 21, but may be formed from one or a plurality of protrusions. Furthermore, the guide groove 21 and those protrusions may be curved instead of linear, or may be a combination of the guide groove 21 and the protrusions. Also, its length is not limited to that shown in the drawing, and may be longer or shorter than the illustrated embodiment.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3(a), for example, when the tableware plate 10 is used as a pasta plate, even if one tries to scoop up the remaining little pasta (ingredient) 4 with the tip 2 of the fork 1, it is difficult to scoop it up because the surface is slippery due to sauce, olive oil, etc. Also, since the pasta 4 is thin, it cannot be pierced with the tip 2.

[0017] In the tableware plate 10 according to the present embodiment, first, the remaining pasta 4 is moved to the guide portion 20 while being pushed with the tip 2 of the fork 1. Next, each claw 3 of the branched tip 2 of the fork 1 is inserted into the guide groove 21 of the guide portion 20, respectively.

[0018] Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3(b), since the tip 2 of the fork 1 enters below the pasta 4, the pasta 4 can be easily scooped up simply by lifting the fork 1 as it is.

[0019] In this way, even for ingredients that are difficult to pierce or wind up with each claw 3 of the tip 2 of the fork 1, by guiding the ingredient to the guide portion and lifting it with the tip 2 of the fork 1 positioned below the ingredient 4, it can be easily scooped up and eaten, so it is excellent in convenience.

[0020] The guide groove 21 of the guide section 20 has an open end 21a into which the tip 2 of the fork 1 enters, and a closed end (innermost end) 21b located on the opposite side. Because the guide groove 21 has a closed end 21b, each of the tines 3 of the tip 2 of the fork 1 can be brought into contact with the closed end 21b, allowing food to be placed on the tip and scooped up in a stable manner. In the illustrated example, the closed end 21b is rectangular, but it may be rounded in shape to achieve seamless movement of the fork.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the length dimension (radial dimension) L1 of the guide portion 20 is preferably 0.3 to 0.8 times the length dimension L2 of the tip 2 of the fork 1. If the former is less than 0.3 times the latter, the portion of the tip 2 guided by the guide portion 20 will be small, making it difficult to stably scoop up the food 4. On the other hand, if it exceeds 0.8 times, most of the tip 2 will be guided into the guide groove 21, making it easier for the tip 2 to get caught on the side wall of the guide groove 21 when scooping up with the fork 1.

[0022] Furthermore, the guide groove 21 has a shape that deepens as it goes further inward, that is, as it goes outward in the radial direction X. Because the guide groove 21 has a downward slope, the tip 2 of the fork 1 that enters the guide groove 21 is tilted slightly downward, allowing the food 4 to be placed more stably on the tip 2.

[0023] The guide groove 21 can be located anywhere in the accommodation area 15, but as shown in the illustrated example, positioning it to extend radially outward in the X direction from near the boundary between the bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12 makes it easier to guide the tip 2 of the fork 1 into the guide groove 21 by utilizing the curvature of the peripheral wall 12, compared to when it is located near the center of the bottom wall 11.

[0024] <Second Embodiment> Referring to Figures 5(a) and 5(b), in the table plate 10 according to this embodiment, the width dimension W1 of the open end 21a of the guide groove 21 of the guide section 20 is larger than the width dimension W2 of the closed end 21b. Because the guide groove 21 has a configuration that allows the open end 21a to be relatively large, even if the tip 2 of the fork 1 enters the guide groove 21 with some lateral movement, it can move toward the closed end 21b while contacting the side wall of the guide groove 21. Specifically, it is preferable that the width dimension W2 of the closed end 21b of the guide groove 21 is slightly larger than the width dimension of the fork tines 3, while the width dimension W1 of the open end 21a is 1.1 to 1.4 times the width dimension of the fork tines.

[0025] <Third Embodiment> Referring to Figures 6(a) and (b), according to the table plate 10 of this embodiment, the guide portion 20 has a semicircular recess 25 that surrounds the guide groove 21. In this case, for example, when using a fork 1 with a branched tip (spork) as shown in the figure, when the tip 2 of the fork 1 is guided to the guide portion, the concave base portion (cup) 6 of the fork 1 is positioned in the recess 25, allowing the food to be scooped up with the tip in a stable manner.

[0026] <Other examples> Referring to Figure 7(a), in one example of an embodiment of the table plate 10 according to the present invention, the guide groove 21 of the guide portion 20 has a meandering shape. By having the guide groove 21 have a meandering shape in this way, the design is improved, and when the tip 2 of the fork 1 is made of a flexible material such as silicone resin, the tip 2 can be deformed and enter the guide groove 21.

[0027] Referring to Figure 7(b), in one example of another embodiment, the guide portion 20 is formed from two guide grooves 21. Also, referring to Figure 7(c), the guide portion 20 is formed from one guide groove 21. Even in this configuration where the guide portion 20 is attached, food can be easily scooped up by guiding the tip 2 of the fork 1 into the guide portion 20.

[0028] In another embodiment shown in Figure 8(a), the guide portion 20 is formed from a plurality of ribs 30 extending in the radial direction X. By guiding the food into the guide portion 20 and inserting the tip 2 of the fork 1 between the plurality of ribs 30, the food can be easily scooped up. In the embodiment shown in Figure 8(b), the guide portion 20 is formed from a single rib 30. Even in this case, it can still function as a guide to guide the tip 2 of the fork 1 and scoop up the food 4.

[0029] The present invention described above may include at least the following embodiments. These embodiments may be adopted separately or in combination with each other. (1) The guide portion is formed from one or a plurality of grooves that extend in the radial direction and are arranged in the circumferential direction. (2) The guide portion is formed from one or a plurality of ribs extending in the radial direction and arranged in the circumferential direction. (3) The enclosure further comprises a bottom wall and a circumferential wall forming the enclosure area, and the guide portion extends radially outward from near the boundary between the bottom wall and the circumferential wall. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 fork 2 Tip 4. Ingredients (pasta) 10 Tableware 11 Bottom wall 12 Peripheral wall 30 Ribs X radial direction Y circumferential direction

Claims

1. A table plate having a circumferential direction, a radial direction, and a storage area for food ingredients, and provided with guides for guiding the tip of a fork into and out of the storage area.

2. The table plate according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is formed from one or a plurality of grooves extending in the radial direction and arranged in the circumferential direction.

3. The table plate according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is formed from one or a plurality of ribs extending in the radial direction and arranged in the circumferential direction.

4. A table plate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a bottom wall and a peripheral wall forming the aforementioned storage area, wherein the guide portion extends radially outward from near the boundary between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall.

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