Pinching type chopsticks with locking means

Claim 1

Pinching type chopsticks comprising two pinching members, one end of both pinching members being joined together and the other end being open, each pinching member having an inner and an outer face, L-shaped slots in each of said members, said slots having a long leg longitudinally disposed with respect to each respective member and with a short leg transversely disposed at the end of the long leg closest to the joined ends of said members, a pin slidably received within said slots and serving as a selective locking means, said pin having a diameter which is less than the slot width so that said pin can move under the influence of gravity within said slot, said pin having at each of its ends enlarged portions that are outwardly disposed with respect to the outer faces of the respective members, a zigzag formation on each of said outer faces adjacent said long legs of each slot, said formation being engageable with an associated enlarged portion of said pin as said pin is moveable within said long legs of said slots, whereby when the chopsticks are so disposed that said pin lies in said short leg the chopsticks are free for pinching and releasing movement and when the chopsticks are so disposed that said pin lies in said long leg said pin is slidable in a first direction of movement toward said open end of the chopstick to a position in said long slots as determined by the extent of the pinching movement and, at this position, said pin is restrained by the zigzag formation until there is additional pinching movement causing release of said pin and said pin is free to move, in a second direction of movement, toward said short legs.