State of patent applications as of Jan 2022

Last Updated on May 7, 2022 by Staff

As of Jan 2022, we have filed 3 US utility applications, and 2 US design applications on various training chopsticks. The two design patents have been granted. The first utility application has been granted and issued. The second utility application has been allowed, and will be issued in Feb 2022. The third utility application has not yet been examined.

Table of Contents

Ergonomic Chopsticks – US11213149B2 – Issued 2022-01-04

A right hand holding the embodiment of ergonomic chopsticks at the closed end of the standard grip and motion.

This is the first utility application we’ve ever filed. The full application complete with drawing illustrations can be found here: Ergonomic chopsticks – US20210059445A1. Claims in this application were allowed in November 2021, and the patent was issued in January 2022. See US11213149B2 on Google Patents (US 11,213,149 B2).

Abstract

Ergonomic chopsticks come with low-profile protrusions that are strategically placed. These protrusions generate tactile feedback on particular surfaces of a user’s fingers, without hindering normal movements of fingers and chopsticks. They guide beginners and lifelong users alike to adopt a proper chopstick grip, allowing users to extend chopstick tips wide apart over an angle of 40 degrees. They help users twirl chopsticks from the closed posture to the wide-open posture, and back, based on principles of the planetary gear train, while ensuring that fingers and chopsticks stay within the standard grip form. As a result, a user can wield ergonomic chopsticks to embrace large food items with ease, manipulate these large items with dexterity and finesse in the same way she can small items, and generate enough compression force to hold all items firmly between ergonomic chopsticks.

Training Chopsticks – US11246436B2 – Issued 2022-02-15

A right hand holding the first embodiment of training chopsticks, now at the closed end of the standard grip and alternating motion.

This is the second utility application we filed. The full application complete with drawing illustrations can be found here: Training Chopsticks – US20210196065A1. Claims in this application were allowed in December 2021, and the patent was issued in February 2022, as US 11,246,436 B2 at USPTO (US11246436B2). See US11246436B2 at Google Patents.

Abstract

Chopstick Buddies – US20210196065A1 – Issued 2022-05-03

A view of a right hand holding a pair of plain chopsticks, assisted by the two chopstick buddies of the first embodiment mounted on the bottom chopstick, such that the thumb remains comfortably distant from the ring finger knuckle, and that the IP joint of the thumb does not need to be unnaturally extended flat.

This is the third utility application we filed. The application was published after 18 months, but has not yet entered the examination stage. The full application complete with drawing illustrations can be found here: Chopstick Buddies – US2021282579A1. The patent was issued on May 3rd, 2022 by USPTO as US 11,317,746 B2 (US11317746B2).

Abstract

Chopstick buddies illustrated by various embodiments of the present disclosure are attachments to a chopstick. Chopstick buddies allow a human hand to avoid the awkward thumb pose required by the standard chopstick grip, while still being able to hold both chopsticks firmly as extensions of fingers. Chopstick buddies accomplish this without interfering with finger movements of the standard grip. As a result, users continue to enjoy benefits of the standard grip, despite not complying with the required and awkward thumb pose. These benefits include: the ability to extend tips of the chopsticks wide apart to embrace a food item, to manipulate chopsticks with dexterity, and to generate enough compression force to hold food items firmly between tips, with ease.

Ergonomic Nugget – USD934037S – Issued 2021-10-26

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the front side, the top side, and the right side thereof.

This is the first design patent we filed. This Ergonomic Nugget for Chopsticks is 3D-printable. The full application complete with drawing illustrations can be found here: Design Patent on Ergonomic Nugget for Chopsticks – USD934037S. The patent was issued in October 2021. See USD934037S on Google Patents (US D934,037 S).

Training Chopsticks – USD933430S – Issued 2021-10-19

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the front side, the top side, and the right side, at another configuration, the open posture, of the training chopsticks.

This is the second design patent we filed. The Training Chopsticks is 3D-printable. The full application complete with drawing illustrations can be found here: Design Patent on Training Chopsticks – USD933430S. The patent was issued in October 2021. See USD933430S on Google Patents (US D933,430 S).