Kitchen scissors

Abstract

A width-direction dimension W1 of these kitchen scissors 1 is set to 20-30 mm, and a dimension at a position where a thickness-direction dimension is largest is set to 13-25 mm. A dimension at a position where the thickness-direction dimension is smallest is set to 7-13 mm. A length dimension L1 of first and second finger holes 12, 22 in the longitudinal direction is 50-80 mm. In first and second scissor parts 10, 20, at connection parts of inside parts 131, 231 and outside parts 132, 232, a thickness of a portion on the first finger hole 12 or second finger hole 22 side is gradually reduced toward the first finger hole 12 or second finger hole 22 side to form an inclined surface seamlessly connected from the inside parts 131, 231 toward the connection parts.

Description

Kitchen Scissors

[0001] The present disclosure relates to kitchen scissors used for cutting food ingredients.

[0002] Conventionally, there are scissors disclosed in Patent Document 1. The finger holes formed in each handle of these scissors are configured as openings dimensioned to accommodate a plurality of fingers. The openings forming the finger holes are elongated holes along the longitudinal direction of the scissors, and have rounded contours, so as to have a shape corresponding to a plurality of aligned fingers.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 7442230

[0004] As scissors, one application is kitchen scissors for cutting food ingredients. Since kitchen scissors are also used for cutting thick and hard food ingredients, they are required to fit the hand comfortably for easy use, allow easy application of force, and furthermore not cause fatigue even after prolonged use or cutting hard food ingredients. Particularly in recent years, various food ingredients are cut with kitchen scissors without using a kitchen knife, and such requirements have been increasing. However, in the above-mentioned scissors, the openings forming the finger holes are only provided with a rounded shape, so they do not fit the hand sufficiently and are difficult to use as kitchen scissors. In addition, load is applied to a specific part of the hand, so fatigue easily occurs when the scissors are used for a long time or used to cut hard food ingredients.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide kitchen scissors that not only fit the hand for easy use, but also allow easy application of cutting force, and furthermore do not cause fatigue even after prolonged use or cutting hard food ingredients.

[0006] The first aspect of this disclosure is a kitchen scissors that opens and closes by rotating with respect to a pivot center (C1), with one direction being the longitudinal direction, comprising a first scissor part (10) and a second scissor part (20), each having blades (11, 21) on one side in the longitudinal direction with respect to the pivot center, and a grip (13, 23) having finger holes (12, 22) on the other side, wherein each grip of the first and second scissor parts has an inner part (131, 231) that extends in the longitudinal direction and is gripped, and an outer part (132, 232) that is connected to the inner part and located outside the fingers, and the direction in which the blades of the first and second scissor parts overlap is the thickness direction, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction is the width direction. Of the connection points (133a, 133b, 233a, 233b) between the inner and outer parts of the first and second scissor sections, the portion on the finger hole side of the rear end connection point (133b, 233b) furthest from the blade has a gradually decreasing thickness dimension toward the finger hole side, is seamlessly connected from the inner part to the rear end connection point, and is inclined with respect to a plane parallel to the longitudinal and width directions. The portion of the inner part where the finger holes are located has a tapered shape in which the dimension in the thickness direction (T1) decreases as it moves away from the pivot center, and the dimension (T1L) at the position with the largest dimension in the thickness direction (TL) is 13 mm or more and 25 mm or less, and the dimension (T1S) at the position with the smallest dimension (TS) is 7 mm or more and 13 mm or less, the dimension (W1) in the width direction from the finger hole side of the inner part of the first scissor part to the finger hole side of the inner part of the second scissor part is 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less, and in the longitudinal direction, the dimension (L1) from the side of the finger holes closest to the pivot center to the side furthest from the pivot center in both the first scissor part and the second scissor part is 50 mm or more and 80 mm or less.

[0007] This configuration makes it possible to create kitchen scissors that fit comfortably in the hand, allow for easy application of force, and reduce fatigue even during prolonged use or when cutting hard ingredients.

[0008] The reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component indicate an example of the correspondence between that component and the specific components described in the embodiments described later.

[0009] Figure 1 is a front view of kitchen scissors according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a view of the kitchen scissors of Figure 1 from above. Figure 3 is a view of the kitchen scissors of Figure 1 from the right side. Figure 4 is a binarized front view of the kitchen scissors shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a binarized perspective view of the kitchen scissors shown in Figure 1. Figure 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIA-VIA in Figure 1. Figure 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIB-VIB in Figure 1. Figure 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIC-VIC in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the gripping state of the kitchen scissors as seen from the direction shown in Figure 2. Figure 1 shows the gripping state of the kitchen scissors as seen from the direction shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the results of a user test. Figure 3 shows the results of a user test.

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, including the other embodiments described below, parts that are the same or equivalent to each other will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0011] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a kitchen scissors 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. Figures 1 to 3 show a front view of the kitchen scissors 1 and a view of Figure 1 from above or to the right. To better understand the shape of the kitchen scissors 1, Figures 4 and 5 show a front view and a perspective view of the kitchen scissors 1 with the image binarized to show shading.

[0012] [Configuration of Kitchen Scissors 1] The kitchen scissors 1 shown in Figures 1 to 8 are used for cutting food ingredients, and can be used not only for thin or soft ingredients, but also for cutting large or hard ingredients.

[0013] The X, Y, and Z axes are shown in the drawings attached to this specification. As shown in Figure 1, the X-axis is the direction from left to right on the paper when viewing the kitchen scissors 1 from the front, i.e., the longitudinal direction; the Y-axis is the direction from top to bottom on the paper perpendicular to the X-axis, i.e., the width direction of the kitchen scissors 1; and the Z-axis is the direction of thickness of the kitchen scissors 1, which is perpendicular to the X and Y axes. Furthermore, the left side of the kitchen scissors 1 on the paper in Figure 1, i.e., the blade side, is called the tip, and the right side on the paper in Figure 1 is called the rear end.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the kitchen scissors 1 have a structure in which a first scissor part 10 and a second scissor part 20 are connected via a shaft part 30. With the center of the shaft part 30 as the pivot point C1, the first scissor part 10 and the second scissor part 20 open and close to cut food. When the first scissor part 10 and the second scissor part 20 are closed, the direction extending from the shaft part 30 to the blades 11 and 21 of each scissor part 10 and 20 corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the kitchen scissors 1. Hereafter, when simply referred to as the longitudinal direction, it refers to the longitudinal direction of the kitchen scissors 1.

[0015] Kitchen scissors 1 are used when cutting food by tilting the longitudinal direction horizontally or to the horizontal direction, so that the thickness direction is approximately horizontal. When the kitchen scissors 1 are held in the manner shown in Figures 7 and 8, specifically in the manner in which the right hand is positioned on the far side of the paper in Figure 1, the first scissor part 10 is the side operated by the first finger (thumb) F1, and the second scissor part 20 is the side operated by the second to fifth fingers (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger) F2 to F5 other than the first finger F1. The following explanation will use the case of using kitchen scissors 1 in the manner shown in Figures 7 and 8 as an example. If the straight line extending in the longitudinal direction passing through the pivot center C1 of the kitchen scissors 1 is taken as the center line, the kitchen scissors 1 are constructed to be roughly rotationally symmetric with respect to that center line as the center of rotation. Therefore, by reversing the orientation of Figure 1, the kitchen scissors 1 can also be used with the second scissor section 20 on the side operated by the first finger and the first scissor section 10 on the side operated by a finger other than the first finger.

[0016] The first scissor section 10 has a shaft section 30 which serves as the pivot point C1, with a first blade 11 on one longitudinal side and a first grip 13 having a first finger hole 12 on the other side, and these are connected via a scissor body 14 and a tang 15. The second scissor section 20 has the same structure as the first scissor section 10, and has a second blade 21 and a second grip 23 having a second finger hole 22, and these are connected via a scissor body 24 and a tang 25.

[0017] The first blade 11 and the second blade 21 are made of a metal such as stainless steel and are shaped to extend longitudinally, with the inside of the kitchen scissors 1 being the blade portion when it is opened. The first and second blades 11 and 21 are made of roughly the same thickness in parts other than the blade portion, and the blade tip is formed by gradually decreasing the thickness in the circumferential direction relative to the pivot center C1. The blade length of the first and second blades 11 and 21 is arbitrary, but is set to, for example, 50 mm or more and 100 mm or less to make it easier to apply cutting force.

[0018] The first finger hole 12 is an opening formed in the first grip 13 into which the first finger F1 is inserted. The second finger hole 22 is an opening formed in the second grip 23 into which three or more of the second to fifth fingers F2 to F4, other than the first finger F1, are inserted. Specifically, all four fingers from the second to fifth fingers, or three fingers from the third to fifth fingers, as shown in Figure 8, are inserted into the second finger hole 22. For this reason, the dimensions of the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 are such that at least three fingers can be inserted, and as shown in Figure 1, the length dimension L1 from the furthest tip to the furthest rear end in the longitudinal direction is set to be 50 mm or more and 80 mm or less.

[0019] The first grip 13 and the second grip 23 are the parts of the kitchen scissors 1 that are held by the user, and each has the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 described above.

[0020] The first grip 13 has an inner portion 131 and an outer portion 132. In this embodiment, the first grip 13 is made of a different material from the portion constituting the first blade 11, such as a thermoplastic resin (e.g., polypropylene, ABS resin) or rubber. The first grip 13 is formed by insert molding, etc., so as to cover the core that extends from the tang 15 to the opposite side of the first blade 11 (not shown), but the portion of the first grip 13 that houses the core and its extension constitute the inner portion 131. The inner portion 131 is the portion of the first grip 13 that is grasped by the user. The outer portion 132 is connected to the inner portion 131 and is located on the outside of the first finger that is inserted into the first finger hole 12. Specifically, the outer portion 132 is connected to the furthest forward and furthest rear ends of the inner portion 131 which extends in the longitudinal direction. The boundary between the inner part 131 and the outer part 132 is shown by a dashed line in Figure 1. Hereafter, the boundary that is the connection point at the very front will be referred to as the front end boundary 133a, and the boundary that is the connection point at the very rear will be referred to as the rear end boundary 133b.

[0021] The second grip 23 has an inner portion 231 and an outer portion 232, and has the same configuration as the first grip 13. Of the boundaries between the inner portion 231 and the outer portion 232 of the second grip 23, the boundary that is the connection point at the very front is called the front end boundary 233a, and the boundary that is the connection point at the very rear is called the rear end boundary 233b.

[0022] The inner portions 131 and 231 are thicker at their longitudinal midpoints than at other points along their longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 2, the dimension of the inner portions 131 and 231 in the thickness direction as viewed from the Y-axis direction is called the thickness dimension T1. The thickness dimension T1 gradually changes in the areas where the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 are located. The inner portions 131 and 231 have a tapered shape, with the thick dimension T1 being largest at the tip or near the tip where the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 are formed, and the smallest at the rearmost tip, where the thickness dimension T1 is smallest, and the thickness dimension T1 gradually decreasing from position TL to position TS. Specifically, the thickness dimension T1 at position TL is 13 mm or more and 25 mm or less, and the dimension T1S at position TS is 7 mm or more and 13 mm or less. The difference between the dimension T1L at position TL and the dimension T1S at position TS is set to 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less, preferably 5 mm or more and 7 mm or less. In addition, in the inner parts 131 and 231, the portion closer to the tip than position TL also has a gradually decreasing thickness dimension T1 towards the tip. However, if the thickness dimension T1 is largest in the vicinity of the position where the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 are formed in the inner parts 131 and 231, rather than at the very tip, then the thickness dimension T1 may decrease towards the tip from that position. At a minimum, it is sufficient that position TL is provided at or near the very tip, and that the shape tapers with a gradually decreasing thickness dimension T1 towards position TS from there.

[0023] The center of gravity of the kitchen scissors 1 in the longitudinal direction can be designed arbitrarily, but here it is positioned towards the rear end of position TL.

[0024] Furthermore, in the inner portions 131 and 231, the midpoint in the longitudinal direction where the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22 are located bulges outwards toward the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22 compared to other parts in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 1, the distance from the part of both inner portions 131 and 231 closest to the first finger hole 12 to the part closest to the second finger hole 22 is called the width dimension W1. In the inner portions 131 and 231, the width dimension W1 gradually changes along the longitudinal direction, and the width dimension W1 is largest in the middle section of the longitudinal direction, resulting in a bulging shape that bulges outwards the most toward the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22. The position WL in the middle section of the longitudinal direction that bulges outwards the most toward the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22 is the position with the largest width dimension W1, and the front and rear ends are smaller than position WL. Furthermore, among the two inner portions 131 and 231, the widthwise dimension W1 is smallest at the rear end position WS, which is the rearmost position.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, in the portion where the first finger hole 12 is formed, the inner portion 131 is divided into four equal parts, and in order from the tip side to the rear end side, these are designated as the first region (R1), second region (R2), third region (R3), and fourth region (R4). The position of the second region (R2) or third region (R3) is set to the position WL, which is the largest. The width dimension W1 is set to be 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less throughout the entire longitudinal region. Furthermore, the difference between the dimension W1L at position WL and the dimension W1S at position WS in the width dimension W1 is set to be 1 mm or more and 4 mm or less, preferably 2 mm or more and 3 mm or less.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 6A, the outer parts 132 and 232 of the inner parts 131 and 231, that is, the parts on the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22 side, gradually decrease in thickness towards the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22 to facilitate gripping. In addition, the inner parts 131 and 231 closest to the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22 are rounded. As a result, the outer parts 132 and 232 of the inner parts 131 and 231 have an elliptical arc shape in cross-section. The inner parts 131 and 231 opposite to the outer parts 132 and 232, that is, the sides where the inner parts 131 and 231 face each other, can have any shape, but here they are made into a circular arc shape with a larger radius of curvature than the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22 side. Therefore, the overall cross-sectional shape of the inner parts 131 and 231 is roughly that of an isosceles triangle with rounded corners, where the vertex angle is obtuse.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the outer portions 132 and 232 have a roughly elliptical arc shape that surrounds the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22. As shown in Figure 2, the thickness of the outer portions 132 and 232 is called the thickness dimension T2. ​​The thickness dimension T2 is approximately the same throughout the entire area of ​​the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22, and is set to be 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The thickness dimension T2 is matched to the dimension of position TS in the inner portions 131 and 231, and the outer portions 132 and 232 and the inner portions 131 and 231 are seamlessly connected at the rear end boundaries 133b and 233b. Furthermore, at the front end boundaries 133a and 233a, the thickness dimension T2 is gradually increased compared to the rear end, resulting in a seamless connection with the inner portions 131 and 231.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 and 6B, the outer portions 132 and 232 bulge outwards towards the first finger holes 12 and 22 at the midpoint in the thickness direction, throughout the entire area where the first finger holes 12 and 22 are located, compared to other parts. That is, the outer portions 132 and 232 gradually decrease in thickness towards the first finger holes 12 and 22, and furthermore, the sides toward the first finger holes 12 and 22 are rounded, resulting in an elliptical arc shape in cross-section. The shape of the outer edge side of the outer portions 132 and 232, that is, the wall surface opposite to the inner edge side which becomes the first finger holes 12 and 22, is arbitrary, but here it is set to a circular arc shape with a larger radius of curvature than the inner edge side. Therefore, the overall cross-sectional shape of the outer portions 132 and 232 is generally semi-elliptical.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, at both the front and rear ends, the contours of the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 are rounded into an R shape at the connection points between the inner parts 131 and 231 and the outer parts 132 and 232. Here, the radius of curvature of this R shape is set to be 4 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the width W2 is defined as the dimension in the direction normal to the tangential direction of the contours of the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 of each outer portion 132, 232. This width W2 differs between the portions 132a, 232a that face the inner portions 131, 231 of the outer portion 132, 232 (hereinafter referred to as the facing portions) and the portions 132b, 232b that are at the rear end (hereinafter referred to as the rear end portions), with the latter being larger than the former. As a result, as shown in Figures 6B and 6C, the rear end portions 132b, 232b have a shape that bulges out more toward the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 than the facing portions 132a, 232a, so the angle θ between the XY plane and the wall surface of the outer portion 132, 232 is gentler. For example, the angle θ at the opposing parts 132a and 232a is set to 30 to 60°, and the angle θ at the rear ends 132b and 232b is set to 15 to 40°. Specifically, the width W2 at the rear end boundaries 133b and 233b, which are the connection points between the inner parts 131 and 231 and the outer parts 132 and 232, is set to 9 mm or more and 17 mm or less, providing a region with a large area where the angle θ with respect to the XY plane is gentle.

[0031] Furthermore, the first grip 13 and the second grip 23 have hit points 134 and 234 formed between the inner portions 131 and 231. The presence of hit points 134 and 234 ensures the spacing between the inner portions 131 and 231 and allows them to withstand the load when the kitchen scissors 1 are closed. The hit points 134 and 234 are formed at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the portion where the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 are formed, and are located in the second region (R2) to the third region (R3) shown in Figure 1. The hit points 134 and 234 and the position WL where the widthwise dimension W1 is largest are both located within the ranges of the second region (R2) and the third region (R3). These may both be located in the same region, one in each region, or both or one in each region. Preferably, in the longitudinal direction, the hit points 134 and 234 are located at the same position WL. Here, the hit points 134 and 234 are provided on both inner parts 131 and 231, but it is sufficient if they are provided on at least one of them.

[0032] The scissor body 14 is made of thick plate and is connected to the first blade 11. The scissor body 14 has a through hole (not shown) formed from its flat surface toward the second scissor part 20. The scissor body 24 is also made of thick plate and is connected to the second blade 21. The scissor body 24 has a through hole (not shown) formed from its flat surface on the far side of the paper in Figure 1 toward the first scissor part 10. A shaft portion 30, made of a bolt and nut, is fitted into the through holes formed in both scissor bodies 14 and 24, and acts as a pivot center C1, rotatably connecting the first scissor part 10 and the second scissor part 20.

[0033] The joints 15 and 25 are the parts that connect the scissor bodies 14 and 24 to the respective grips 13 and 23. On the side of the joints 15 and 25 opposite the scissor bodies 14 and 24, there is a core (not shown) that extends and is covered by the respective grips 13 and 23.

[0034] [Effects of Kitchen Scissors 1] In kitchen scissors 1 configured as described above, various effects can be achieved by defining the values ​​of each part based on the following considerations.

[0035] Regarding the dimensions T1L and T1S, which are the width dimension W1 and the thickness dimension T1 at positions TL and TS, it is preferable to make them sized so that when bending your fingers to grip the inner parts 131 and 231, it is easy to wrap your fingers around the inner parts 131 and 231 and apply force.

[0036] When gripping the inner parts 131 and 231 of the handle, the grip is applied with the third to fifth fingers F3 to F5 as you move away from the pivot center C1. Since the length of the third to fifth fingers F3 to F5 decreases in order, a tapered shape where the thickness dimension T1 decreases as you move away from the pivot center C1 allows for a firmer grip with the third to fifth fingers F3 to F5.

[0037] Furthermore, regarding the length dimension L1, when using the kitchen scissors 1, it is preferable to insert the first to second joints of the third to fifth fingers F3 to F5 to operate them, which allows for stable and easy application of force. For people with small hands, it is preferable to insert the first to second joints of the second to fifth fingers F2 to F5 to operate them, which allows for stable and easy application of force. If the length dimension L1 is too small, the third to fifth fingers F3 to F5 will not fit, making it difficult to operate, and if it is too large, the fingers may move around inside the first finger hole 12 or the second finger hole 22, potentially leading to instability.

[0038] Taking these points into consideration, we conducted various user tests. Specifically, we pre-set appropriate values ​​for the handle size and the length dimension L1 of the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22, manufactured more than 50 prototypes with that length dimension L1, and conducted user tests on them.

[0039] Here, we have data showing that the average hand width is approximately 74 mm for Japanese women and approximately 83 mm for Japanese men. We used this data to set an appropriate value for the length dimension L1. Specifically, the upper limit of the length dimension L1 is set assuming that men will insert four fingers into the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 when using the kitchen scissors 1. However, since the hand is not inserted up to the MP joint into the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 when using the kitchen scissors 1, we have confirmed that making the length dimension L1 slightly smaller than this value allows the hand to fit better against the inner walls of the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22. For this reason, the upper limit of the length dimension L1 is set to 80 mm. The lower limit of the length dimension L1 is set assuming that women will insert three fingers into the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 when using the scissors. The width of three fingers of a woman is approximately 55 mm (≒ 74 mm × 3 / 4), and making the length dimension L1 slightly smaller than this value allows the hand to fit better against the inner walls of the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22. Therefore, the lower limit of the length dimension L1 is set to 50 mm.

[0040] In this manner, more than 50 prototypes were manufactured with the length dimension L1 set to 50 mm or more and 80 mm or less, and sensory tests were conducted as user tests with approximately 10 people with different hand sizes. Figures 9 and 10 show the results of sensory tests to determine whether the prototype kitchen scissors 1 were easy to grip or not. In each figure, the O mark indicates that everyone felt they were easy to grip, while the Δ and X marks indicate cases where the number of people who felt they were easy to grip was greater than the number of people who felt they were difficult to grip, respectively.

[0041] First, the ease of gripping the kitchen scissors 1 when closed and when opening and closing them was evaluated by setting the length dimension L1 to a range of 50 mm or more and 80 mm or less, while varying the width dimension W1 from 15 mm to 35 mm. Figure 9 shows the evaluation results. As shown in this figure, when the length dimension L1 is 50 mm or more and 80 mm or less, the evaluation was that the scissors are easy to grip when the width dimension W1 is 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

[0042] Next, the length dimension L1 is set to 65 mm, which is the median value in the range of 50 mm or more and 80 mm, and the width direction dimension W1 is also set to 25 mm, which is the median value in the range of 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less. When the thickness-direction dimensions T1L and T1S at positions TL and TS were changed, the same evaluation as in FIG. 9 was performed. FIG. 10 shows the evaluation results. As shown in this figure, it was found that the product is easy to grip when the dimension T1L is 12 mm or more and 25 mm or less, and the dimension T1S is approximately 6 mm or more and 14 mm or less.

[0043] Here, the sensitivity test was performed using the median value of the appropriate range for the length dimension L1 and the width direction dimension W1. The sensitivity test was also performed by changing the dimensions T1L and T1S for the case where the length dimension L1 is 50 mm and the width direction dimension W1 is 20 mm, which are the minimum values of the appropriate range, and the case where the length dimension L1 is 80 mm and the width direction dimension W1 is 30 mm, which are the maximum values of the appropriate range. As a result, in all cases, the results were generally the same as the evaluation results shown in FIG. 10, but several people felt that it was difficult to grip when the dimension T1S was 6 mm or 14 mm. For this reason, when the dimension T1S was set to 7 mm, which is slightly larger than 6 mm, and to 13 mm, which is slightly smaller than 14 mm, the investigation was conducted, and all participants in the test evaluated that it was easy to grip.

[0044] It is considered that the evaluation results obtained when the length dimension L1 and the width direction dimension W1 are set to the minimum and maximum values of the appropriate range can be applied to all values within the appropriate range. This can also be seen from the fact that in the user test using the median value shown in FIG. 10, all the numerical values evaluated as easy to grip in the cases of the minimum value and the maximum value resulted in being easy to grip. Therefore, when the length dimension L1 is 50 mm or more and 80 mm or less, and the width direction dimension W1 is 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less, if the dimension T1L is 12 mm or more and 25 mm or less, and the dimension T1S is 7 mm or more and 13 mm or less, the kitchen scissors 1 can be made into a size that is easy to grip.

[0045] Therefore, the width dimension W1 and dimensions T1L and T1S were set based on the results of this sensitivity test. As a result, the kitchen scissors 1 were able to simultaneously exhibit the effects shown in (1) below.

[0046] (1) Kitchen scissors 1 have a width dimension W1 of 20 mm or more, and the dimension T1L at the widest point TL of the thickness dimension T1 is 13 mm or more. As a result, the dimensions are matched to the human hand, allowing the grip to be held lightly and making it easy to hold. In addition, the width of the part that is gripped by the hand when cutting food makes it easier to apply force. Furthermore, by setting the width dimension W1 to 30 mm or less and the dimension T1L to 25 mm or less, the grip part does not become too thick.

[0047] Furthermore, the difference between dimension W1L and dimension W1S is set to 1 mm or more and 4 mm or less, preferably 2 mm or more and 3 mm or less. This prevents the difference between dimension W1L and dimension W1S from being too large, and allows the width dimension W1 to gradually decrease from position WL to position WS. Thus, the inner parts 131 and 232 are made to a width that is easy to grip with the hand, and the width dimension W1 gradually decreases, allowing it to fit comfortably in the palm of the hand when gripped.

[0048] Furthermore, by setting the dimension T1L at the largest position TL to be 13 mm or more and 25 mm with respect to the thickness direction dimension T1, the kitchen scissors 1 can have a certain height when placed on a tabletop, making it easy to pick up. Additionally, the thickness direction dimension T1 is reduced as it moves away from the rotation center C1 to form a tapered shape, and the dimension T1S at the smallest position TS is set to 7 mm or more and 13 mm or less, preventing the thickness when gripped from becoming too thin. For this reason, when gripping the inner portions 131 and 231, they can be fitted to the palm of the hand. Further, the difference between the dimension T1L and the dimension T1S is set to 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less, preferably 5 mm or more and 7 mm or less. This prevents the difference between the dimension T1L and the dimension T1S from becoming excessively large, and allows the thickness direction dimension T1 to decrease gradually from the position TL to the position TS. Therefore, while the inner portions 131 and 232 have a thickness that is easy to grip with a hand, the gradual reduction of the thickness direction dimension T1 allows the scissors to fit the palm of the hand when gripped.

[0049] Furthermore, by setting the length dimension L1 of the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 in the longitudinal direction to 50 mm or more and 80 mm, the kitchen scissors 1 can be used in a mode where three or more of the second to fifth fingers F2 to F5 are inserted into the finger hole on the opposite side from the side where the first finger F1 is inserted. In this case, as shown in Fig. 8, the kitchen scissors 1 are used by gripping both inner portions 131 and 231 with the entire palm of the hand. Since the thickness direction dimension T1 is set as described above and the inner portions 131 and 231 are formed in a tapered shape, the longitudinal direction of the kitchen scissors 1 can be oriented along the forward direction of the user even without bending the wrist, as shown in Fig. 7.

[0050] Further, the thickness of the portions on the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22 side among the connecting parts between the inner portions 131, 231 and the outer portions 132, 232 in the first scissors part 10 and the second scissors part 20 is gradually reduced toward the first finger hole 12 and second finger hole 22 side, forming inclined surfaces seamlessly connected from the inner portions 131 and 231 toward the connecting parts. Accordingly, the shape conforms to the contour of the ball of the thumb, which can alleviate the load applied to the ball of the thumb during use, making it less tiring even when used for a long time or cutting hard food materials.

[0051] Therefore, it becomes possible to create kitchen scissors that fit comfortably in the hand and are easy to use, make it easy to apply cutting force, and are less tiring to use even during prolonged use or when cutting hard ingredients.

[0052] (2) The width W2 at the rear end connection point between the inner parts 131, 231 and the outer parts 132, 232, that is, at the rear end boundary 133b, 233b, is set to 9 mm or more and 17 mm or less.

[0053] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, at the rear end connection points of the first scissor section 10 and the second scissor section 20, the thenar eminence makes contact with the first scissor section 10, where the first finger F1 is inserted, while the fingertip of the fifth finger F5 makes contact with the second scissor section 20. Therefore, by increasing the width of the dimension W2 in this section, in addition to ensuring a comfortable feel for the thenar eminence, space for the fifth finger F5 can be secured, and a structure can be created that makes it difficult to pinch the fifth finger F5 between the two grips.

[0054] (3) At the rear end connection points between the inner parts 131, 231 and the outer parts 132, 232, the contours of the first finger hole 12 and the second finger hole 22 are rounded into an R shape, and the radius of curvature of the R shape is 4 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

[0055] The connection point at the rear end is where the thenar eminence or the fingertip of the fifth finger (F5) makes contact. Therefore, by making the connection point at the rear end R-shaped and setting the radius of curvature of the R-shape to 4 mm or more and 10 mm or less, the contact with the thenar eminence and the fifth finger (F5) can be made softer, resulting in a shape that is easier to use and less tiring.

[0056] (4) The hit points 134 and 234 and the position WL where the widthwise dimension W1 is largest are both located within the ranges of the second region (R2) and the third region (R3), preferably in the longitudinal direction, at the same position.

[0057] In this way, by forming the hit points 134 and 234 at the position WL where the width dimension W1 is largest, or in its vicinity, the hit points 134 and 234 can be positioned at or near the position where the greatest force is applied when cutting food. Therefore, the load applied to the inner parts 131 and 231 can be absorbed by the hit points 134 and 234, making it possible to ensure the strength of the first grip 13 and the second grip 23.

[0058] (5) The thickness dimension T2 of the outer portions 132 and 232 is set to 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less throughout the entire area of ​​the outer portions 132 and 232.

[0059] In this way, by setting the thickness of the outer parts 132 and 232 and making the inner parts 131 and 231 thicker, the thickness of the outer parts 132 and 232 can be made thinner, the first grip 13 and the second grip 23 can be made into a well-balanced shape, the overall weight can be reduced, and the bulky appearance can be alleviated. When using the kitchen scissors 1, a twisting force is applied around the center line, but if the thickness of the outer parts 132 and 232 is thinned, the outer parts 132 and 232 will flex in the thickness direction based on that twisting force, making them fit the hand better and reducing the likelihood of hand pain.

[0060] (6) The center of gravity of the kitchen scissors 1 in the longitudinal direction is positioned towards the rear end of the position TL where the thickness dimension T1 is largest.

[0061] In this way, by positioning the center of gravity of the kitchen scissors 1 in the longitudinal direction towards the rear end of position TL, that is, on the opposite side from the first blade 11 and the second blade 21, the kitchen scissors 1 can be raised so that the blades do not touch the table when placed on a table. This makes it possible to keep the blades clean when using kitchen scissors 1 for cutting food.

[0062] (7) The kitchen scissors 1 of this embodiment are designed to fit comfortably in the hand and be easy to use, as well as to allow for easy application of cutting force, and are also designed to reduce fatigue even during prolonged use or when cutting hard ingredients. As a result, the kitchen scissors 1 can be used for a long time for various purposes, reducing waste and contributing to SDG Goal 12, "Responsible Consumption and Production." Furthermore, because the kitchen scissors 1 are easy for anyone to use, they contribute to Goal 10, "Reduce Inequalities," one of the 17 goals of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) adopted at the UN Summit.

[0063] (Other Embodiments) This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims. Needless to say, in the embodiments described above, the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless explicitly stated to be particularly essential or are clearly considered essential in principle. Also, in the embodiments described above, when numerical values ​​such as the number of components, numerical values, quantities, or ranges are mentioned, the embodiments are not limited to those specific numbers unless explicitly stated to be particularly essential or are clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Also, in the embodiments described above, when the shape, positional relationship, etc., of the components are mentioned, the embodiments are not limited to those shapes, positional relationships, etc., unless explicitly stated or are clearly limited to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc.

[0064] For example, in the above embodiment, the first scissor portion 10 and the second scissor portion 20 are shaped to be rotationally symmetric with respect to the center line, but rotational symmetry is not necessarily required.

[0065] 1...Kitchen scissors, 10, 20...First and second scissor parts, 11, 21...First and second blades, 12, 22...First and second finger holes, 13, 23...First and second grips, 14, 24...Scissor body, 15, 25...Tang, 30...Shaft, 131, 231...Inner part, 132, 232...Outer part, 132a, 232a...Opposite part, 132b, 232b...Rear end side part, 133a, 233a...Front end boundary where the connection point is, 133b, 233b...Rear end boundary where the connection point is, 134, 234...Hit point, C1...Center of rotation, F1-F5...First to fifth fingers

Claims

1. Kitchen scissors that open and close by rotating around a pivot center (C1) with one direction as the longitudinal direction, comprising a first scissor part (10) and a second scissor part (20) having blades (11, 21) on one side in the longitudinal direction with respect to the pivot center, and a grip (13, 23) with finger holes (12, 22) on the other side, wherein the grips of the first and second scissor parts each have an inner part (131, 231) that extends in the longitudinal direction and is gripped, and an outer part (132, 232) that is connected to the inner part and located outside the fingers, wherein the direction in which the blades of the first and second scissor parts overlap is the thickness direction, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction is the width direction. Of the connection points (133a, 133b, 233a, 233b) between the inner and outer parts of the first and second scissor sections, the portion on the finger hole side of the rear end connection point (133b, 233b) furthest from the blade has a gradually decreasing thickness dimension toward the finger hole side, is seamlessly connected from the inner part to the rear end connection point, and is inclined with respect to a plane parallel to the longitudinal and width directions. Kitchen scissors, wherein the portion of the inner part where the finger holes are located has a tapered shape in which the dimension in the thickness direction (T1) decreases as it moves away from the pivot center, and the dimension (T1L) at the position with the largest dimension in the thickness direction (TL) is 13 mm or more and 25 mm or less, and the dimension (T1S) at the position with the smallest dimension (TS) is 7 mm or more and 13 mm or less, the dimension (W1) in the width direction from the finger hole side of the inner part of the first scissor part to the finger hole side of the inner part of the second scissor part is 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less, and in the longitudinal direction, the dimension (L1) from the side of the finger holes closest to the pivot center to the side furthest from the pivot center in both the first scissor part and the second scissor part is 50 mm or more and 80 mm or less.

2. The kitchen scissors according to claim 1, wherein the dimension (W2) of the connecting portion at the rear end in the direction normal to the tangential direction of the contour of the finger hole is 9 mm or more and 17 mm or less.

3. The kitchen scissors according to claim 1, wherein at the rear end connection point, the contour of the finger hole is a rounded R shape, and the radius of curvature of the R shape is 4 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

4. The kitchen scissors according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the grips of the first scissor portion and the second scissor portion is provided with a hit point (134, 234) located between the respective inner portions, the hit point being positioned at the location where the width dimension (W1) at the finger hole is formed is largest.

5. The kitchen scissors according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the grips of the first scissor portion and the second scissor portion is provided with hit points (134, 234) located between the inner portions of each, and when the finger holes are divided into four regions in the longitudinal direction, the regions are designated as the first region (R1), the second region (R2), the third region (R3), and the fourth region (R4) in order from the rotation center side, and the position where the width dimension (W1) at the position where the finger holes are formed is largest and the hit points are both located within the ranges of the second region and the third region.

6. The kitchen scissors according to claim 1, wherein the dimension (T2) in the thickness direction of the outer portion is 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less over the entire area of ​​the outer portion.

7. The kitchen scissors according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the position of the center of gravity of the kitchen scissors in the longitudinal direction is located on the opposite side from the blade from the position of the grip in the first scissor part and the second scissor part that has the largest dimension in the thickness direction.

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