Cooking tongs

Abstract

To provide cooking tongs that reduce misalignment of the gripping parts on the legs due to twisting when closed, enabling accurate and delicate gripping. [Solution] The cooking tongs 1 comprises a support part 2 made of metal and having a spring shape formed by folding, a pair of elongated resin members, a first leg part 3A and a second leg part 3B, each having a gripping part 31 for grasping food and an operating part 32 for the user to apply operating force, and a guide part 4 that protrudes from one or more operating parts 32 of the first leg part 3A and the second leg part 3B toward the other operating part side 32, having a first guide surface that contacts or approaches the surface facing one side in the width direction of either the operating part 32 of the first leg part 3A or the second leg part 3B, and a second guide surface that contacts or approaches the surface facing the opposite side in the width direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to cooking tongs used for grasping food ingredients during cooking, and more particularly to cooking tongs that are easy to grasp even fine food ingredients.

Background Art

[0002] During cooking, cooking tongs are used to grasp and release food ingredients by opening and closing a pair of legs having grasping portions facing each other. There are various types of such cooking tongs, but there is a type including a support portion that is plate-shaped and has a spring shape formed by folding back at the central portion, a pair of legs having grasping portions for grasping food ingredients, and the base sides of which are connected to both ends of the support portion respectively. In such a type of cooking tongs, those with legs made of a resin having high heat resistance are popular because they are unlikely to damage the surface of cooking utensils such as frying pans and are thus easily used for cooking. Here, cooking tongs with resin legs are roughly divided into two types: those in which the support portion is also made of resin and the legs and the support portion are formed as one part (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and those in which the support portion is made of metal and the legs and the support portion are joined by insert molding or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0003] Cooking tongs with a support and legs made of resin are easy and inexpensive to manufacture. However, the central part of the support, where the spring shape is formed, needs to be made somewhat thick to ensure strength and resilience that prevents sagging even with repeated use. As a result, the force required to close the legs is large, making them relatively difficult to use when gripping food. On the other hand, cooking tongs with a metal support and resin legs are more expensive than tongs made of resin. However, because the support is made of metal, it is possible to form the spring shape of the support so that the force required to close the legs is small, while ensuring strength and resilience that prevents sagging even with repeated use, resulting in better operability. Considering these characteristics, for cooking where the number of operations tends to be high, such as outdoor cooking, it is preferable to use cooking tongs with a metal support and resin legs in terms of better operability. In cooking tongs with a metal support and resin legs, the less force required to close the legs, the more delicate gripping operations are possible. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3177218 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3146725 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, in cooking tongs where the support is made of metal and the legs are made of resin, the weaker the springiness of the support, which is designed to allow for delicate gripping, the more likely twisting will occur near the center of the support when operating force is applied. When twisting occurs near the center of the support, it causes a greater misalignment of the gripping positions of the pair of legs, making it difficult to grip food accurately and delicately, and increasing the stress felt by the user.

[0006] In view of these points, the object of the present invention is to propose cooking tongs that can grip accurately and delicately by reducing the amount of misalignment of the gripping parts of the legs due to twisting when closed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The cooking tongs according to the present invention are used by the user to grasp food ingredients when cooking, and are deformable between an open shape for releasing food ingredients and a closed shape for grasping food ingredients, depending on the force applied by the user.

[0008] These cooking tongs are A thin metal plate-shaped member, with a support portion having a spring shape formed by a fold in the central part, It is a pair of elongated resin members whose bases are connected to both ends of the support section, and each has a first leg and a second leg, each having a gripping portion located at the tip for grasping food and an operating portion located closer to the base than the gripping portion for the user to input operating force. When the gripping portion of the first leg and the gripping portion of the second leg are positioned facing each other without misalignment in a closed configuration, the guide portion has a first guide surface that contacts or is close to a surface facing one side in the width direction of either the operating portion of the first leg or the operating portion of the second leg, and a second guide surface that contacts or is close to a surface facing the opposite side in the width direction of either the operating portion of the first leg or the operating portion of the second leg, and the guide portion protrudes from one or more points toward the operating portion of the first leg or the operating portion of the second leg toward the other operating portion, It is characterized by having the following features.

[0009] In these cooking tongs, it is preferable that the gripping portions of the first and second legs have a width dimension smaller than the width dimension of the operating portion and a shape that gradually narrows towards the tip.

[0010] In this cooking tong, the guide portion may have a first rib including a first guide surface and a second rib including a second guide surface that project toward the operating portion of the second leg from both edges of the operating portion of the first leg, facing each other, so as to grip both sides of the operating portion of the second leg at a position a first distance away from the tip when the tong is in a closed position. Furthermore, the tong may have a third rib including a second first guide surface and a fourth rib including a second second guide surface that project toward the operating portion of the first leg from both edges of the operating portion of the second leg, facing each other, so as to grip both sides of the operating portion of the first leg at a position a second distance away from the tip, which is different from the first distance when the tong is in a closed position.

[0011] Furthermore, the guide portion may have, when in a closed configuration, a first rib including a first guide surface that protrudes toward the operating portion of the second leg from one edge of the operating portion of the first leg toward the operating portion of the second leg, at a position first distance from the tip on one side of the operating portion of the second leg, and a second rib including a second guide surface that protrudes toward the operating portion of the first leg from the other edge of the operating portion of the second leg toward the operating portion of the first leg, at a position first distance from the tip on the other side of the operating portion of the first leg.

[0012] Furthermore, the guide portion may also have, when in a closed configuration, a first rib including a first guide surface that protrudes toward the operating portion of the second leg toward the operating portion of the second leg toward one edge of the operating portion of the first leg toward a position first distance from the tip on one side of the operating portion of the second leg, and a second rib including a second guide surface that protrudes toward the operating portion of the first leg toward the operating portion of the first leg toward a position second distance from the tip, different from the first distance, on the other side of the operating portion of the first leg.

[0013] Further, a guide hole that penetrates in an elongated shape in the longitudinal direction is formed in the operation portion of the second leg portion, and the guide portion projects from the operation portion of one of the first leg portion and the second leg portion toward the other operation portion side, and when in a closed form, one side surface is a first guide surface and faces one side surface of the guide hole, and the other side surface is a second guide surface and faces the other side surface of the guide hole, and it may be an aspect having an insertion rib.

Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the cooking tongs of the present invention, when closed, the misalignment of the gripping position in the leg portion due to twisting can be reduced, and the food can be gripped accurately and delicately.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1A] It is a perspective view of the cooking tongs according to Embodiment 1 seen obliquely from the left. [[ID=ID=19]] [Figure 1B] It is a perspective view of the cooking tongs according to Embodiment 1 seen obliquely from the right. [Figure 1C] It is a front view of the cooking tongs according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] It is a six-sided view of the cooking tongs of FIG. 1A. [Figure 3] It is a flowchart showing the manufacturing process of the cooking tongs of FIG. 1A. [Figure 4] It is a front view showing the open / closed form of the cooking tongs of FIG. 1A. [Figure 5A] It is a perspective view of the cooking tongs according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 5B] It is a front view of the cooking tongs according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 6A] It is a perspective view of the cooking tongs of Modification 1. [Figure 6B] It is a front view of the cooking tongs of Modification 1. [Figure 7A] It is a perspective view of the cooking tongs of Modification 2. [Figure 7B]Front view of the cooking tongs of Modification 2. [Figure 8A] Perspective view of the cooking tongs of Modification 3. [Figure 8B] Front view of the cooking tongs of Modification 3.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] [Embodiment 1] (Configuration of the cooking tongs 1) FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the cooking tongs 1 according to Embodiment 1 to which the present invention is applied, seen obliquely from the left, FIG. 1B is a perspective view thereof seen obliquely from the right, and FIG. 1C is a front view thereof. FIG. 2 is a six-view drawing of the cooking tongs 1, showing a front view in (a), a left side view in (b), a right side view in (c), a rear view in (d), a top view in (e), a bottom view in (f), a perspective view seen obliquely from the left front in (g), and a perspective view seen obliquely from the right front in (h). First, referring to FIG. 1, the configuration of the cooking tongs 1 will be described. Regarding the six-view drawing of the cooking tongs 1 shown in FIG. 2, it should be referred to as appropriate for better understanding.

[0017] The cooking tongs 1 are used for the user to grasp food when cooking, and are tongs that can be deformed between an open form when releasing the food and a closed form when grasping the food according to the operating force applied by the user. As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the cooking tongs 1 include a support portion 2 having a folded-back shape, a pair of leg portions 3 whose bases are connected to both ends of the support portion 2 respectively, and a guide portion 4 for suppressing the misalignment of the joining positions of the pair of leg portions 3 when in the closed form. In this specification, the side for grasping the food is referred to as the tip side, and the opposite side is referred to as the base side.

[0018] The support portion 2 is a thin metal plate-shaped member, with a central portion curved in the thickness direction and folded edges on both ends of the central portion that open at a predetermined angle. When an external force is applied to bring the ends of the support portion 2 closer together (reducing the opening angle), it bends, and when the external force is removed, it returns to the predetermined opening angle. In other words, the support portion 2 has a spring shape formed by the folded edges of the central portion. The plate thickness, width dimensions, folded edge shape, etc., of the support portion 2 are appropriately set to allow it to bend with a relatively weak force, taking into consideration the ease of operation by the user.

[0019] The pair of legs 3 are elongated resin members for gripping food, consisting of a first leg 3A and a second leg 3B that have similar shapes and are positioned opposite each other. The first leg 3A and the second leg 3B each have a gripping portion 31 located at the tip for gripping food and an operating portion 32 located closer to the base than the gripping portion 31 for the user to apply operating force. The first leg 3A and the second leg 3B are fixed to the respective ends of the support portion 2, and when operating force is applied by the user from the side of the operating portion 32, the support portion 2 bends inward, and the cooking tongs 1 close, ideally so that the gripping portions 31 face each other without misalignment. The gripping portion 31 has a width dimension smaller than the width dimension of the operating portion 32 and a shape that gradually decreases towards the tip, and an anti-slip surface is formed on the food-gripping side, with protrusions extending in a mountain-shaped cross-section in the width direction and continuous at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. As a result, when the gripping portion 31 of the first leg 3A and the gripping portion 31 of the second leg 3B are aligned without misalignment, the pair of legs 3 can accurately grasp even small food items. Here, the first leg and the second leg can be fixed to the support portion by various methods such as screwing, inserting, or gluing, but in Embodiment 1, the first leg 3A and the second leg 3B are fixed to the support portion 2 by integral injection molding so as to cover the tip of the support portion 2.

[0020] The guide section 4 has a V-shaped rib when viewed from the side, which guides the gripping portions 31 of the first leg section 3A and the second leg section 3B to face each other without misalignment. More specifically, the guide section 4 has a first rib 4a and a second rib 4b that protrude from two locations facing each other towards the other operating portion 32 side (the operating portion 32 side of the second leg section 3B in Figure 1B), from a position somewhat close to the gripping portions 31 on both edges of one operating portion 32 of the first leg section 3A and the second leg section 3B (the operating portion 32 of the first leg section 3A in Figure 1B). The first rib 4a and the second rib 4b, which serve as the guide portion 4, protrude from the tip of the first leg portion 3A at a distance of 1 distance (d1) when facing each other. When the gripping portion 31 of the first leg portion 3A and the gripping portion 31 of the second leg portion 3B are in a closed position facing each other without misalignment, the first rib 4b grips both sides of the operating portion 32 of the second leg portion 3B at a distance of 1 distance (d1) from the tip. At this time, the surface of the first rib 4a facing one side of the operating portion 32 of the second leg portion 3B is designated as the first guide surface, and the first guide surface is in contact with or close to one side of the operating portion 32 of the second leg portion 3B. Similarly, the surface of the second rib 4b facing the other side of the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B is used as the second guide surface, and the second guide surface is in contact with or close to the other side of the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B. Since the rib requires a certain degree of precision, the inner material is appropriately removed to prevent sink marks and other defects. Furthermore, although the guide portion 4 is formed integrally with the first leg 3A by injection molding, it may also be formed separately from the first leg 3A and then joined to the first leg 3A.

[0021] (Method of manufacturing cooking tongs 1) Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing process of the cooking tongs 1. As mentioned above, the cooking tongs 1 consist of a pair of legs 3 formed integrally by injection molding and fixed to a support part 2, and a guide part 4 formed integrally with the first leg 3A by injection molding. Next, referring mainly to Figure 3, a method for manufacturing the cooking tongs 1 will be described as an example.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the cooking tongs 1 are manufactured through a process S1 for forming the unfolded shape support, a process S2 for forming the legs, a process S3 for forming the spring shape, and a finishing process S4.

[0023] First, in the unfolded support part formation step S1, the metal plate is cut or punched to form the unfolded outer shape of the support part 2, which is an elongated flat plate, thereby forming the unfolded support part (2).

[0024] Next, in the leg molding process S2, the unfolded support part (2) formed in the unfolded support part forming process S1 is set in an injection molding machine, and resin is injected to form the first leg part 3A at one end of the unfolded support part (2) and the second leg part 3B at the other end, performing integral injection molding. At this stage, the faces of the first leg part 3A and the second leg part 3B that will ultimately face each other are facing the same direction, so the first leg part 3A and the second leg part 3B can be molded under the same conditions and thus finished with equivalent shapes. In addition, the first rib 4a and the second rib 4b are also formed in the leg molding process S2. Furthermore, the molding of the first leg 3A and the second leg 3B may be done in a single injection molding process, or it may be done in two separate injection molding processes, such as first injection molding the first leg 3A, then inverting and reassembling it, and then injection molding the second leg 3B.

[0025] Next, in the spring shape forming process S3, the unfolded support part (2), which integrates the leg part 3 formed integrally in the leg part forming process S2, is set in a bending machine, and the central part of the unfolded support part (2) is bent to form the spring shape of the support part 2, resulting in the final product shape of cooking tongs 1.

[0026] Then, in the finishing process S4, the cooking tongs 1, which have reached their final product shape in the spring shape forming process S3, are checked. Additional processing or cleaning is performed as needed to finish the cooking tongs 1 into a product ready for shipment, and the manufacturing process is completed.

[0027] (How to use cooking tongs 1) Figure 4 is a front view showing the open and closed states of the cooking tongs 1, with (a) showing the open state and (b) showing the closed state. As mentioned above, the cooking tongs 1 are used by the user, who applies force to grasp food, causing them to change between the open state when releasing food and the closed state when grasping food. Next, the method of using the cooking tongs 1 will be explained, also referring to Figure 4.

[0028] When the user is not applying inward force to the operating part 32, etc., the cooking tongs 1 are in an open configuration, as shown in Figure 4(a), with the gripping parts 31 of the first leg 3A and the second leg 3B separated to a certain extent. In this configuration, the cooking tongs 1 cannot grasp food.

[0029] From this open position, when the user applies inward force to the operating part 32, etc., as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 4(a), the support part 2 bends, and the gripping parts 31 of the first leg 3A and the second leg 3B move closer to each other. Once they are close enough, the gripping part 31 of the second leg 3B moves along the first and second guide surfaces of the guide part 4, moving towards a completely closed position as shown in Figure 4(b), without the gripping parts 31 of the first leg 3A and the second leg 3B shifting laterally. During this process of moving closer, the gripping parts 31 of the first leg 3A and the second leg 3B can grip food items between them. In other words, in the cooking tongs 1, when the pair of legs 3 transition to a closed position, a first guide surface is formed to prevent one side from shifting to the other, a second guide surface is formed to prevent the other side from shifting to the other, and a guided surface is formed that is guided by these guide surfaces, so that the gripping portions 31 of the pair of legs 3 face each other without shifting.

[0030] Then, from the state where the food is gripped, if the user reduces the operating force applied inward to the operating part 32, etc., as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 4(b), the spring-like properties of the support part 2 will cause the distance between the gripping parts 31 of the first leg 3A and the second leg 3B to increase, allowing the gripped food to be released. In this way, the cooking tongs 1 can be deformed between an open and a closed state, allowing food to be gripped, released, and moved.

[0031] (Effects / Actions) The cooking tongs 1 according to this embodiment include a metal support part 2 and a pair of resin first legs 3A and second legs 3B connected to each end of the support part 2. The combination of materials used in the cooking tongs 1 makes them less likely to scratch the surface of cooking utensils such as frying pans, and allows for delicate operation by the user by reducing the required force. Furthermore, the cooking tongs 1 are provided with a first rib 4a as a guide portion 4 that protrudes from the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A toward the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B, having a first guide surface that contacts or approaches one side surface (the surface facing one side in the width direction) of the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B when the tongs are in a closed state with the gripping portion 31 of the first leg 3A and the gripping portion 31 of the second leg 3B facing each other without misalignment. They are also provided with a second rib 4b as a guide portion 4 that protrudes from the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A toward the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B, having a second guide surface that contacts or approaches the other side surface (the surface facing the other side in the width direction) of the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B. As a result, with the cooking tongs 1, when the user applies force and the gripping portion 31 of the first leg 3A and the gripping portion 31 of the second leg 3B move closer together, the guide portion 4 prevents twisting and allows them to face each other without slippage, thus enabling accurate gripping of food.

[0032] Therefore, when the cooking tongs 1 are closed, the misalignment of the gripping portion 31 on the leg portion 3 due to twisting is reduced, making them cooking tongs that can grip food accurately and delicately.

[0033] Furthermore, with the cooking tongs 1, the gripping portions 31 of the pair of legs 3 have a width dimension smaller than the width dimension of the operating portion 32, and have a shape that gradually narrows towards the tip, so that even small food items can be accurately grasped.

[0034] [Embodiment 2] Figure 5A is a perspective view of a cooking tong 101 according to Embodiment 2 to which the present invention is applied, and Figure 5B is a front view thereof. As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the cooking tong 101 according to Embodiment 2 has basically the same configuration as the cooking tong 1 according to Embodiment 1, but only the shape of the guide portion 104 and the receiving part of the guide portion 104 on the leg portion 103 are different. For this reason, in the following, only the configurations that differ from Embodiment 1 will be described, and the same configurations will be denoted in Figure 5A with the same reference numerals as in Figure 1A and their description will be omitted.

[0035] The pair of legs 103 in the cooking tongs 101, like the pair of legs 3 in Embodiment 1, form a set of a first leg 103A and a second leg 103B that are arranged opposite each other. The second leg 103B has the same shape as the second leg 3B in Embodiment 1, but the first leg 103A has the same outer shape as the first leg 3A in Embodiment 1, but a guide hole 132a is formed on the inside of the intermediate position of the operating part 132, which is elongated in the longitudinal direction (rectangular in Figure 5A) and penetrates through. In the cooking tongs 1 of Embodiment 1, the outer side of the second leg 3B opposite to the first leg 3A on which the guide part 4 is formed was the guided surface of the guide part 4, but in the cooking tongs 101, the inner side of this guide hole 132a becomes the guided surface of the guide part 104, which will be described later.

[0036] The guide portion 104 protrudes from the center in the width direction of the inner surface of the operating portion 132 of the second leg portion 103B toward the first leg portion 103A, and has an insertion rib 104a which, when in a closed form, has one side surface that serves as a first guide surface and faces one side surface of the guide hole 132a, and the other side surface that serves as a second guide surface and faces the other side surface of the guide hole 132a. This insertion rib 104a fits into the guide hole 132a when the pair of legs 103 come closer to each other.

[0037] In the cooking tongs 101, the first guide surface and the second guide surface are formed by insertion ribs 104a, and the guided surface is formed by guide holes 132a. Therefore, similar to the cooking tongs 1 of Embodiment 1, when closed, the twisting of the pair of legs 103 is suppressed by the guide portion 104, and the gripping portions 131 can be positioned facing each other without misalignment. As a result, the cooking tongs 101, like the cooking tongs 1 of Embodiment 1, are cooking tongs that can grip food accurately and delicately.

[0038] [Other forms] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. It can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention, and for example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0039] (1) The number, material, shape, position, size, processing method, etc. of the components described in the above embodiments are illustrative examples and can be changed within the scope that does not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0040] (2) In the embodiment 1 described above, the guide portion 4 was described as being composed of a first rib 4a and a second rib 4b protruding from the first leg portion 3A, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in the following modified example, the number of ribs that make up the structure, which leg portion the ribs are formed on, and their formation positions can be changed as appropriate.

[0041] [Differentiation] Figure 6A is a perspective view of cooking tongs 1a of Modification 1, and Figure 6B is a front view thereof. Figure 7A is a perspective view of cooking tongs 1b of Modification 2, and Figure 7B is a front view thereof. Figure 8A is a perspective view of cooking tongs 1c of Modification 3, and Figure 8B is a front view thereof. Modifications of the guide section 4 are introduced below. Note that the size and shape of the ribs can be changed as appropriate, but the size and shape of each rib in the modifications introduced below are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0042] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the guide portion 4 of the cooking tongs 1a in the modified example has a first rib 4a and a second rib 4b protruding from two locations facing the operating portion 32 side of the second leg 3B, from a position a first distance (d1) away from the tips of both edges of the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A, similar to the cooking tongs 1 of the embodiment 1. Furthermore, the guide portion 4 of the cooking tongs 1a has a third rib 4c and a fourth rib 4d protruding from two locations facing the operating portion 32 side of the first leg 3A, from a position a second distance (d2) different from the first distance (d1) away from the tips of both edges of the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B. When the gripping portion 31 of the first leg 3A and the gripping portion 31 of the second leg 3B are positioned facing each other without misalignment in a closed configuration, the first rib 4a and the second rib 4b grip both sides of the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B at a distance of 1 distance (d1) from the tip, while the third rib 4c and the fourth rib 4d grip both sides of the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A at a distance of 2 distance (d2) from the tip. At this time, the surface of the third rib 4c facing one side of the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A becomes the second first guide surface, and the surface of the fourth rib 4d facing the other side becomes the second second guide surface. In other words, the ribs constituting the guide portion 4 can be made to protrude from either the first leg 3A or the second leg 3B. Furthermore, the first guide surface and the second guide surface of the guide section 4 may each be formed in multiple locations.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the guide portion 4 of the cooking tongs 1b in the modified example 2 differs from the cooking tongs 1 of the embodiment 1 in that the first rib 4a and the second rib 4b are formed to protrude from separate legs. More specifically, the guide portion 4 of the cooking tongs 1b has a first rib 4a that protrudes from one point toward the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B from a position a first distance (d1) away from the tip of one edge of the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A. The guide portion 4 of the cooking tongs 1b also has a second rib 4b that protrudes from one point toward the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A from a position a first distance (d1) away from the tip of the other edge of the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B. When the gripping portion 31 of the first leg 3A and the gripping portion 31 of the second leg 3B are positioned facing each other without misalignment in a closed configuration, the first rib 4a and the second rib 4b grip both sides of the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A or the second leg 3B at a position a first distance (d1) from the tip. In other words, the ribs constituting the guide portion 4 can be made to protrude independently from either the first leg 3A or the second leg 3B.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the guide portion 4 of the cooking tongs 1c in the modified example 3 differs from the cooking tongs 1 of embodiment 1 in that the first rib 4a and the second rib 4b are formed to protrude from separate legs, and they protrude at different distances from the tip. More specifically, the guide portion 4 of the cooking tongs 1c has a first rib 4a that protrudes from a single point toward the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B from a position a first distance (d1) away from the tip of one edge of the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A. The guide portion 4 of the cooking tongs 1c also has a second rib 4b that protrudes from a single point toward the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A from a position a second distance (d2) different from the first distance (d1) away from the tip of the other edge of the operating portion 32 of the second leg 3B. When the gripping portion 31 of the first leg 3A and the gripping portion 31 of the second leg 3B are positioned facing each other without misalignment in a closed configuration, the first rib 4a and the second rib 4b grip both sides of the operating portion 32 of the first leg 3A or the second leg 3B at different distances from the tip. In other words, the ribs constituting the guide portion 4 may have different distances from the tip between the first guide surface and the second guide surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 101…Cooking tongs, 2…Support part, 3, 103…Pair of legs, 3A, 103A…First leg, 3B, 103B…Second leg, 4, 104…Guide part, 4a…First rib, 4b…Second rib, 4c…Third rib, 4d…Fourth rib, 31, 131…Gripping part, 32, 132…Operating part, 104a…Insertion rib, 132a…Guide hole

Claims

1. Cooking tongs used by the user to grasp ingredients while cooking, which can be deformed between an open shape for releasing ingredients and a closed shape for grasping ingredients depending on the force applied by the user, A thin metal plate-shaped member, with a support portion having a spring shape formed by a fold in the central part, The base of the long resin member is connected to each end of the support, and each leg has a gripping portion located at the tip for grasping food and an operating portion located closer to the base than the gripping portion for the user to input operating force, When the gripping portion of the first leg and the gripping portion of the second leg are positioned facing each other without misalignment in the closed configuration, the guide portion has a first guide surface that contacts or approaches a surface facing one side in the width direction of either the operating portion of the first leg or the operating portion of the second leg, and a second guide surface that contacts or approaches a surface facing the opposite side in the width direction of either the operating portion of the first leg or the operating portion of the second leg, and the guide portion protrudes from one or more locations toward the other operating portion of the first leg and the operating portion of the second leg, Equipped with, Cooking tongs characterized by the following.

2. In the cooking tongs according to claim 1, The gripping portions of the first and second legs have a width dimension smaller than the width dimension of the operating portions of the first and second legs, and have a shape that gradually decreases in width towards the tip. Cooking tongs.

3. Cooking tongs according to claim 1 or claim 2, The guide portion, when in the closed configuration, has a first rib including a first guide surface and a second rib including a second guide surface, which project toward the operating portion of the second leg from both edges of the operating portion of the first leg, facing each other, so as to sandwich both sides of the operating portion of the second leg at a position a first distance from the tip. Cooking tongs.

4. In the cooking tongs according to claim 3, The guide portion further includes a third rib, which includes a second first guide surface, and a fourth rib, which includes a second second guide surface, projecting toward the operating portion of the first leg from both edges of the operating portion of the second leg, so as to clamp both sides of the operating portion of the first leg at a position separated from the tip by a second distance different from the first distance when the guide portion is in the closed configuration. Cooking tongs.

5. Cooking tongs according to claim 1 or claim 2, The guide portion, when in the closed configuration, has a first rib including a first guide surface that protrudes toward the operating portion of the second leg from one edge of the operating portion of the first leg toward the operating portion of the second leg, at a position a first distance from the tip on one side of the operating portion of the second leg, and a second rib including a second guide surface that protrudes toward the operating portion of the first leg from the other edge of the operating portion of the second leg toward the operating portion of the first leg, at a position a first distance or a second distance different from the first distance from the tip on the other side of the operating portion of the first leg. Cooking tongs.

6. Cooking tongs according to claim 1 or claim 2, The operating portion of the second leg has a guide hole formed therein that is elongated in the longitudinal direction and penetrates through it. The guide portion has an insertion rib that protrudes from one operating portion of the first leg portion and the second leg portion toward the other operating portion, and when in the closed configuration, one side faces the first guide surface, which is the surface that faces the one side of the guide hole, and the other side faces the second guide surface, which is the surface that faces the other side of the guide hole. Cooking tongs.

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