LAYER COOKIE TONGS

Abstract

Layer cookie tongs include a first arm connected to a first handle and a second arm connected to a second handle. A swivel joint connects the first arm to the second arm. A layer cookie has a first cookie layer, a second cookie layer and a middle filling layer. A filling groove is formed as an indented portion of the middle filling layer edge from the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge. The first arm and the second arm are configured to engage the filling groove. The first arm as a first arm indent, and the second arm has a second arm indent.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of food tongs.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

Layer cookies having a sandwiched filling are popular and consumers like to dip them in milk to improve the taste. A variety of different tongs and some tongs especially designed for cookies have been discussed in the prior art. For example, a some prior art references show layer cookie tongs. In United States patent number D784096S1, Cookie-dipping tongs by inventor R Jones, published Apr. 18, 2017 the claim discloses, “An ornamental design for a cookie-dipping tongs, as shown and described.”

General application tongs include for example, the U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,978, Tongs by inventor John L Marco, published Jul. 10, 1951 discloses, “Broadly, it is an object of my invention to provide tongs of simple and inexpensive construction bent so that a large variety of articles can be picked up. More particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide tongs which can pick up hot and cold objects with ease without the danger of dropping such objects and without the danger of burning the fingers of the user.”

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,747,912, Kitchen Tongs by inventor Murry H Franklin, published. May 29, 1956 discloses, “The principal object of this invention resides in the provision of kitchen tongs which may be used to handle hot meats and vegetables without endangering the hands of the user by burns from steam, hot gases, and grease while cooking, serving and preparing foods.” Also for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,468, entitled Food Turning Tongs by inventor Ralph M Case, published Jan. 2, 1968 discloses, “The present invention relates broadly to culinary instruments, and more specifically to improved turning tongs for use in the broiling, grilling or frying of hamburgers, frankfurters and the like.”

In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,993, entitled Food Handling Tongs by inventor Fannie L. Lowery et al., published May 11, 1999 the specification discloses, “Food handling tongs having a first arm and a second arm, each of which includes a front end, a rear end and a middle portion, and pivotally connected to one another in a scissors-like manner. A bottom plate is attached to an upper surface of the first arm and a top plate is attached to the lower surface of the second arm whereby the top and bottom plates move toward and away from one another as the food handling tongs are moved between open and closed positions. A plurality of parallel rows of serrated teeth are formed on an inner surface of the top and bottom plates. Each row of teeth extends between a pair of opposed sides of each plate. The rows are positioned one after the other from a front end of the plates to a rear end of the plates. The rear end of each arm includes a looped handle member which forms a finger receiving opening. A coil spring extends between the first and second arms and is positioned between the pivotal connection of the arms and the handle members to bias the food handling tongs towards the closed position.”

Also for example, in United States patent number 20040104586A1, Tongs by inventor Hidenobu Hamazaki et al., published Nov. 27, 2007 the abstract discloses, “A first tong member includes a first 4-joint linkage, in which both pairs of opposite rods are substantially equal, in length, to each other; a second tong member likewise includes a second 4-joint linkage, in which both pairs of opposite rods are substantially equal; and the first and second linkages have one of the foregoing rods in common. The first linkage has a first arm extended from the rod opposite to the common rod, and the second linkage likewise has a second arm extended from the rod opposite to the common rod, so that when respective actuating tails of the first and second tong members are operated in an arcuate manner, an opening width in the article-seizing area is configured to be capable of being adjusted, while the first and second extended arms in a substantially parallel relationship with each other maintain a substantially constant distance defined in between.”

In the U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,083, Food utensil by inventor Sarah Rose published Jun. 3, 2004 the abstract discloses, “The present invention describes a utensil for retrieving contents from a container.”

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Layer cookie tongs include a first arm connected to a first handle and a second arm connected to a second handle. A swivel joint connects the first arm to the second arm. A layer cookie has a first cookie layer, a second cookie layer and a middle filling layer. A filling groove is formed as an indented portion of the middle filling layer edge from the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge. The first arm and the second arm are configured to engage the filling groove. The first arm as a first time indent, and the second arm has a second arm indent. The first arm is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge. The second arm is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge. The first arm and the second arm both have a flexible arm portion and a rigid arm portion. The first arm and the second arm both have an arm engagement edge. The arm engagement edge is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge at a first cookie contact, and is configured to engage the second cookie layer edge at a second cookie layer contact.

The first arm as a first arm indent, and the second arm has a second arm indent. The arm engagement edge is formed at the first arm indent and the second arm indent. The first arm is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge. The second arm is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge. The first arm and the second arm both have a flexible arm portion and a rigid arm portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the present invention in open position.

FIG. 3 is a view of the present invention grasping a layer cookie.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the present invention in closed position.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the present invention in closed position.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the present invention in closed position when the flexible portion is elongated.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the present invention in open position when the flexible portion elongated.

The following callouts can be a useful guide for referencing the callout numbers on the drawings.

• 20 Tongs
• 21 First Arm
• 22 Second Arm
• 23 First Handle
• 24 Second Handle
• 25 First Arm Indent
• 26 Second Arm Indent
• 27 First Arm Tip
• 28 Second Arm Tip
• 29 Swivel Joint
• 30 Layer Cookie
• 31 First Cookie Layer
• 32 Second Cookie Layer
• 33 Middle Filling Layer
• 34 Filling Layer Edge
• 35 First Cookie Layer Edge
• 36 Second Cookie Layer Edge
• 37 Cookie First Contact
• 38 Cookie Second Contact
• 39 Filling Layer Edge Contact
• 41 Filling Groove
• 42 Flexible Arm Portion
• 43 Rigid Arm Portion
• 44 Cookie Profile
• 45 Arm Profile
• 46 Arm Engagement Edge

DISCUSSION DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As seen in FIG. 1, a pair of tongs 20 has a first arm 21 and a second arm 22. A first handle 23 is attached to the first arm 21, and a second handle 24 is attached to a second arm 22. The first arm 21 has a first arm indent 25 and the second arm has a second arm indent 26. The first arm 21 has a first arm tip 27 and the second arm has a second arm tip 28. The first arm 21 and the second arm 22 are connected at a swivel joint 29. The first arm and the second arm can be formed from elongated cylindrical steel rods.

As seen in FIG. 2, a pair of tongs 20 is in the open position where the first arm 21 is biased away from the second arm 22. The first handle 23 is also biased away from the second handle 24. The first arm indent 25 and the second arm indent 26 are preferably shaped to conform to and external periphery of a layer cookie. The first arm tip 27 and the second arm tip 28 are preferably slightly rounded to allow grasping of the layer cookie. The swivel joint 29 allows the first arm 21 to swivel relative to the second arm 22.

As seen in FIG. 3, a first arm tip 27 and a second arm tip 28 of the tongs 20 can grasp the layer cookie 30 around a cookie profile 44 which is attached to the arm profile 45 at an arm engagement edge 46. The engaging portion of the tips are preferably radiused to conform to a radius of the cookie. The layer cookie 30 preferably has a filling groove 41 defined around a central periphery of the cookie. The first arm and the second arm can have a flexible arm portion 42 and a rigid arm portion 43 so that a user can hold the tongs 20 at the rigid arm portion 43 and then the flexible arm portion 42 act as leaf springs so that the arm profile 45 having the arm engagement edge 46 can apply optimum bias to the cookie profile 44. Optimum bias allows grasping without disassembly of the cookie.

As seen in FIG. 4, the tongs 20 engage the layer cookie 30 via a first arm 21 and a second arm 22. The first cookie layer 31 and the second cookie layer 32 can sandwich a middle filling layer 33. The middle filling layer 33 preferably includes a filling layer edge 34 at a circumferential periphery of the middle filling layer 33. The first arm 21 engages the first cookie layer edge 35 of the first cookie layer 31 and engages the second cookie layer edge 36 of the second cookie layer 32. The first cookie contact 37 occurs at the first cookie layer edge 35, and the second cookie contact 38 occurs at the second cookie layer edge 36. Additionally, the first arm 21, and the second arm 22 can engage to a filling layer edge 34.

As seen in FIG. 5, the tongs 20 may have a profiled cross-section pair of arms including the first arm 21 and the second arm 22. The pair of arms can engage the layer cookie 30 at the filling groove 41 between the first cookie layer 31 and the second cookie layer 32 at a middle filling layer 33. The profile can be a bullnose profile.

As seen in FIG. 6, the tongs 20 can have a different length of the flexible portion, where the first arm 21 and the second arm 22 are both elongated while the first handle 23 and the second handle 24 are not. The first arm indent 25 and the second arm indent 26 may provide a spring bias that is adapted to the texture of the layer cookie. Similarly, the first arm tip 27 and the second arm tip 28 can be used to engage the left and right sides of the cookie. In this way, the cookie can be grasped using the flexible tips.

As seen in FIG. 7, the tongs 20 in open position with a longer flexible portion in open position can have a first arm 21 extending parallel to a second arm 22 to allow for grasping a larger size cookie. Preferably, the layer cookie is configured to lodge in the first arm indent 25 and the second arm indent 26. The first arm indent and the second arm indent can have a radius of curvature configured to conform to the circular disc-shaped cookie.

The first and second cookie layer can be made with a dough such as a dough including butter, powdered sugar, dark cocoa powder, salt, vanilla and flour. The cream filling middle layer can be made with a mixture including powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and water. The first cookie layer, the second cookie layer and the middle filling layer are preferably disc-shaped such that the first cookie layer and the second cookie layer have a larger diameter than the middle filling layer. The first and second cookie layers are more rigid than the middle filling layer. The dough for the first and second cookie layer can be made with a recipe having the proportions of 1½ cups butter, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup dark cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1½ cups flour. The cream middle filling layer can be made with a recipe having the portions of 3 cups powdered sugar, ½ cup butter, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract and water.

The first and second cookie layers are baked at 350° F. for approximately 10 minutes. Preferably, the diameter of the middle filling layer has a ratio to the first cookie layer and the second cookie layer of 90%. The middle filling layer has a tensile force sufficient to retain the cookie layers while dipping.

Claims

1. Layer cookie tongs comprising:

a. a first arm connected to a first handle;

b. a second arm connected to a second handle;

c. a swivel joint connecting the first arm to the second arm;

d. a layer cookie comprising a first cookie layer, a second cookie layer and a middle filling layer; and

e. a filling groove formed as an indented portion of the middle filling layer edge from the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge, wherein the first arm and the second arm are configured to engage the filling groove.

2. The layer cookie tongs of claim 1, wherein the first arm as a first time indent, and wherein the second arm has a second arm indent.

3. The layer cookie tongs of claim 1, wherein the first arm is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge, and wherein the second arm is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge.

4. The layer cookie tongs of claim 1, wherein the first arm and the second arm both have a flexible arm portion and a rigid arm portion.

5. The layer cookie tongs of claim 1, wherein the first arm and the second arm both have an arm engagement edge, wherein the arm engagement edge is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge at a first cookie contact, and is configured to engage the second cookie layer edge at a second cookie layer contact.

6. The layer cookie tongs of claim 5, wherein the first arm as a first arm indent, and wherein the second arm has a second arm indent, wherein the arm engagement edge is formed at the first arm indent and the second arm indent.

7. The layer cookie tongs of claim 5, wherein the first arm is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge, and wherein the second arm is configured to engage the first cookie layer edge and the second cookie layer edge.

8. The layer cookie tongs of claim 5, wherein the first arm and the second arm both have a flexible arm portion and a rigid arm portion.