Utensil Cover and Method
A utensil cover is provided and includes a cover body, wherein the cover body includes a cover top having a cover top width and a cover top length, a cover front having a cover front length and a cover front height, a cover rear having a cover rear length and a cover rear height, and a plurality of cover sides, each of the plurality of cover sides includes a cover side length and a cover side height, wherein the cover front, cover rear and plurality of cover sides extend downward from the cover top to form a cover cavity and wherein the cover front height is larger than the cover rear height such that the cover top slopes downward from the cover front to the cover rear
This application claims the benefit of priority of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/764,947 filed Feb. 14, 2013, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to an article for protecting utensils and more particularly to an article for protecting utensils, where the article may be configured to encourage interaction between customers and targeted media.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn order to protect the public by keeping the hygiene of a public food service setting at a certain acceptable standard, commercial restaurants and taverns are required to satisfy local health department regulations. These regulations typically require the restaurant or tavern to protect or isolate eating utensils from the outside environment to help prevent germs and other dirt from landing and settling on the utensils. Although some restaurants choose to delay setting out silverware until a customer is seated, the majority of establishments choose to wrap or ‘roll’ the utensils in a cloth or paper napkin to cover and protect the utensils.
Unfortunately however, it typically takes the restaurant employees several hours of the day to ‘roll’ enough utensil sets to last through an entire day of business. This is undesirable because it prevents or delays the employees from performing other necessary tasks and because the employees are typically paid hourly, it increases the cost to the restaurant owner. Furthermore, if business volume is under estimated and additional utensil sets are needed, then the employees must either ‘roll’ additional utensil sets on the fly or they must delay other tasks to ‘roll’ additional utensil sets. Thus, ‘rolling’ the utensils amounts to thousands of dollars in wasted time and added business costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA utensil cover is provided and includes a cover body, wherein the cover body includes a cover top having a cover top width and a cover top length, a cover front having a cover front length and a cover front height, a cover rear having a cover rear length and a cover rear height, and a plurality of cover sides, each of the plurality of cover sides includes a cover side length and a cover side height, wherein the cover front, cover rear and plurality of cover sides extend downward from the cover top to form a cover cavity and wherein the cover front height is larger than the cover rear height such that the cover top slopes downward from the cover front to the cover rear.
A utensil cover is provided and includes a cover body, wherein the cover body includes a cover top, a cover front, a cover rear and a plurality of cover sides, wherein the cover front, cover rear and plurality of cover sides extend downward from the cover top to form a cover cavity.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like elements are numbered alike:
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Additionally, the cover top 102 includes a cover top internal surface 112, the cover sides 104 include a cover side internal surface 114, the cover front 106 includes a cover front internal surface 116 and the cover rear 108 includes a cover rear internal surface 118 all of which are located within and define the cover cavity 110. It should be appreciated that the utensil cover 100 may also configured to include a pen holder, a credit card holder, a menu holder and/or a receipt holder. In one embodiment, the pen holder, a credit card holder, a menu holder and/or a receipt holder may be located proximate the outer surface of at least one of the cover top 102, cover sides 104, cover front 106 and/or the cover rear 108. In another embodiment, the pen holder, credit card holder, menu holder and/or receipt holder may be located proximate cover top internal surface 112, the cover side internal surface 114, the cover front internal surface 116 and/or the cover rear internal surface 118. It is also contemplated that the pen holder, credit card holder, menu holder and/or receipt holder may also be mixed between the internal surfaces and the external surfaces of the utensil cover 100.
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Moreover, as one or more surfaces of the utensil cover 100 is capable of having images and text, it is contemplated that the utensil cover 100 may be used for advertising/promotional purposes. In one embodiment, the utensil cover 100 may include an advertisement and a scannable code/image (bar code, QR code, VSR, AR code) on the cover top 102. A consumer can view the advertisement and use their personal device to scan the scannable code/image which may bring up a display which can be used to entertain the consumer and/or promote the advertisers brand and the restaurant. For example, in one embodiment a consumer could scan the scannable code/image using their personal device. The device could then be directed to access a website that allows the consumer to do a number of things, such as watch a video about an advertiser, watch a video about local history, listen to music, play a game, shop online in the local store, etc. . . . .
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It should be further appreciated that although the utensil cover 100, 300 is shown as having a utensil cover top 102, 302 that is sloped downward from cover front 106, 306 to cover rear 108, 308, it is contemplated that in other embodiments, the utensil cover top 102, 302 may be include various shapes/designs as desired and/or oriented in any fashion as desired, such as horizontal, sloped from one side to another, sloped downward from cover rear 108, 308 to cover front 106, 306.
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Additionally, a host website may be created to allow the action codes to be custom programmed for each client, as desired. For example, the actions code can be programmed to display a restaurant's specials menu, a mini-game for a chance to win a random prize, local happenings, a client news letter, etc. Moreover, it is contemplated that in other embodiments, a restaurant customer may be able to place food and/or drink orders via their personal device when used with the utensil cover. In such a case, a customer may scan an action code with their personal device and that action code may direct the personal device to a website where the customer can enter in and/or confirm orders. This method may also be used to let a customer pay their bill via their personal device.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions and/or additions may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, unless specifically stated any use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another.
Claims
1. A utensil cover, comprising:
- a cover body, wherein the cover body includes a cover top having a cover top width and a cover top length, a cover front having a cover front length and a cover front height, a cover rear having a cover rear length and a cover rear height, and a plurality of cover sides, each of the plurality of cover sides includes a cover side length and a cover side height, wherein the cover front, cover rear and plurality of cover sides extend downward from the cover top to form a cover cavity and wherein the cover front height is larger than the cover rear height such that the cover top slopes downward from the cover front to the cover rear.
2. The utensil cover of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of gripping portions located on each side of the cover body.
3. The utensil cover of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gripping portions are formed in at least a portion of the plurality of cover sides and include a gripping portion side wall.
4. The utensil cover of claim 1, wherein the cover top includes an open area configured to contain at least one of an image, a word and an action code.
5. The utensil cover of claim 4, wherein the action code includes at least one of a 1-D (linear) barcode, a 2-D (matrix) barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code, an Augmented Reality (AR) code and an image code.
6. The utensil cover of claim 5, wherein the action code is configured to at least one of,
- cause a digital device to be directed to a website; and
- cause an application to be initiated on the digital device.
7. The utensil cover of claim 1, wherein the utensil cover is constructed from at least one of a metal, plastic and composite material.
8. The utensil cover of claim 1, further comprising an actuator and a support article, wherein the support article is configurable between an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration via the actuator.
9. The utensil cover of claim 8, wherein when in the engaged configuration, the support article is configured to at least partially extends into the cover cavity to contain at least one of a napkin and a utensil.
10. The utensil cover of claim 9, wherein when in the disengaged configuration, the support article is configured such that an object contained with the cover cavity is removable.
11. A utensil cover, comprising:
- a cover body, wherein the cover body includes a cover top, a cover front, a cover rear and
- a plurality of cover sides, wherein the cover front, cover rear and plurality of cover sides extend downward from the cover top to form a cover cavity.
12. The utensil cover of claim 11, wherein,
- the cover top includes a cover top width and a cover top length,
- the cover front includes a cover front length and a cover front height,
- the cover rear includes a cover rear length and a cover rear height, and
- the plurality of cover sides includes a cover side length and a cover side height, and
- wherein the cover front height is larger than the cover rear height such that the cover top slopes downward from the cover front to the cover rear.
13. The utensil cover of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of gripping portions located on each side of the cover body.
14. The utensil cover of claim 13, wherein the plurality of gripping portions are formed in at least a portion of the plurality of cover sides and include a gripping portion side wall.
15. The utensil cover of claim 11, further comprising and actuator and a support article, wherein the support article is configurable between an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration via the actuator.
16. The utensil cover of claim 15, wherein when in the engaged configuration, the support article is configured to at least partially extends into the cover cavity to contain at least one of a napkin and a utensil.
17. The utensil cover of claim 16, wherein when in the disengaged configuration, the support article is configured such that an object contained with the cover cavity is removable.
18. The utensil cover of claim 11, wherein the cover top includes an open area configured to contain at least one of an image, a word and an action code.
19. The utensil cover of claim 18, wherein the action code includes at least one of a 1-D (linear) barcode, a 2-D (matrix) barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code, an Augmented Reality (AR) code and an image code.
20. The utensil cover of claim 19, wherein the action code is configured to at least one of,
- cause a digital device to be directed to a website; and
- cause an application to be initiated on the digital device.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 3, 2014
Publication Date: Aug 14, 2014
Inventor: David Eck (Stonington, CT)
Application Number: 14/146,936
International Classification: A47G 21/00 (20060101);