Recyclable and compostable eating utensils and other products made from crop-based resin & method of manufacture

Abstract

A product is formed from a crop-based resin that decomposes into a compost within 120 days or less and is heat resistant being able to remain in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity.

1 . A recyclable, biodegradable, rigid product formed from a crop-based resin, said product decomposing into a compost within 120 days or less and being heat resistant, remaining in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity. 
     
     
         2 . The product of  claim 1  where its greatest thickness dimension is 19 millimeters, said product decomposing in a certified commercial composting facility within at least 90 days to produce an environmentally-safe compost. 
     
     
         3 . The product of  claim 1  where said crop-based resin is derived from wheat. 
     
     
         4 . The product of  claim 1  where said product is an eating utensil and meets ASTM D6400-04. 
     
     
         5 . The product of  claim 4  where said eating utensil is a knife, a fork, a spoon or a spork. 
     
     
         6 . The product of  claim 4  where said eating utensil is a chopstick. 
     
     
         7 . The product of  claim 6  where the chopstick is a substantially solid substantially linear structure having a food-gripping end of a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional configuration, an enlarged end opposite the food-gripping end having a substantially triangular cross-sectional configuration, and an elongated intermediate section connecting said ends including a transitional portion having a triangular cross-sectional configuration of smaller dimensions than the enlarged end, said transitional portion tapering from a three wall structure to a five wall structure to terminate at the food-gripping end. 
     
     
         8 . The product of  claim 7  where the exterior surface of the chopstick nearby the food-gripping end is rough to assist in grasping and holding food. 
     
     
         9 . The product of  claim 6  where the chopstick is a substantially linear structure having a food-gripping end of a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional configuration, an enlarged end opposite the food-gripping end having a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional configuration with dimensions greater than the dimensions of the food-gripping end, and an elongated intermediate five wall section connecting said ends that tapers inward from the enlarged end to the food-gripping end and terminates at the food-gripping end, said enlarged end having a cavity therein extending lengthwise into the intermediate five wall section. 
     
     
         10 . The product of  claim 9  where the exterior surface of the chopstick nearby the food-gripping end is rough to assist in grasping and holding food. 
     
     
         11 . The product of  claim 4  where the eating utensil is fully colorized by incorporating a non-toxic dye therein during its formation. 
     
     
         12 . The product of  claim 4  where the eating utensil is marked during its formation with an advertisement. 
     
     
         13 . The product of  claim 4  where the eating utensil is dishwasher-safe and is capable of being reused and washed repeatedly. 
     
     
         14 . A chopstick comprising a elongated substantially linear, rigid body formed from a crop-based resin, said chopstick decomposing into a compost within 120 days or less, said body being able to remain in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity. 
     
     
         15 . The product of  claim 14  where said crop-based resin is derived from wheat. 
     
     
         16 . The chopstick of  claim 15  having an exterior surface nearby a food-gripping end that is rough to assist in grasping and holding food. 
     
     
         17 . The chopstick of  claim 15  where said body has a predetermined length and a handle end and an opposed food-gripping end, each end having essentially the same polygon geometric shape other than rectangular with the dimensions of the handle end being greater than the dimensions of the food-gripping end. 
     
     
         18 . The chopstick of  claim 17  where said body tapers inward between said ends to provide a cross-sectional configuration that is essentially the same geometric shape as the ends but gradually decreases in its cross-sectional dimension along the length of the body. 
     
     
         19 . The chopstick of  claim 15  where said body has a predetermined length and a handle end and an opposed food-gripping end, said ends having different polygon geometric shapes other than rectangular with the dimensions of the handle end being greater than the dimensions of the food-gripping end. 
     
     
         20 . The chopstick of  claim 19  where said body tapers inward between said ends and includes an intermediate transitional portion having a first section nearby the handle end that has a cross-sectional configuration that is essentially the same as the cross-sectional configuration the handle end but smaller dimensions and a second section nearby the food-gripping end that has a cross-sectional configuration that is essentially the same as the cross-sectional configuration of the food-gripping end but greater dimensions, said intermediate transitional portion decreasing in its cross-sectional dimension between the first and second sections. 
     
     
         21 . The chopstick of  claim 14  where said body has a length substantially from 6 to 9 inches and a maximum thickness dimension substantially no greater than 19 millimeters. 
     
     
         22 . The chopstick of  claim 14  where said body has a handle end including a cavity therein adapted to hold removable items therein. 
     
     
         23 . The chopstick of  claim 14  being a substantially solid structure with a food-gripping end having a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional configuration, an enlarged end opposite the food-gripping end having a substantially triangular cross-sectional configuration, and an elongated intermediate section connecting said ends including a transitional portion having a triangular cross-sectional configuration of smaller dimensions than the enlarged end, said transitional portion tapering from a three wall structure to a five wall structure terminating at the food-gripping end. 
     
     
         24 . The chopstick of  claim 14  being a substantially solid structure having a food-gripping end of a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional configuration, an enlarged end opposite the food-gripping end having a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional configuration with dimensions greater than the dimensions of the food-gripping end, and an elongated intermediate five wall section connecting said ends that tapers inward from the enlarged end to the food-gripping end and terminates at the food-gripping end, said enlarged end having a cavity therein extending lengthwise into the intermediate five wall section. 
     
     
         25 . The chopstick of  claim 14  where said chopstick terminates at a food-gripping end having a polygon cross-sectional configuration of three or five sides. 
     
     
         26 . A method of manufacturing an eating utensil comprising forming the utensil from a crop-based resin, said utensil decomposing into a compost within 120 days or less after being discarded and including an elongated rigid component that is heat resistant being able to remain in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity, 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  where said crop-based resin is derived from wheat. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  where said crop-based resin is the stored under sanitary conditions prior to use. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  where the crop-based resin is heat treated to control its moisture content so that it contains substantially from 0 to 3 weight percent water when used to form the eating utensil. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  where the heat-treated crop-based resin is formed into the utensil and packaged automatically in sealed packaging under substantially clean room conditions without being contacted directly by humans or exposed to other sources of contamination. 
     
     
         31 . A recyclable, biodegradable, rigid chopstick formed from a crop-based resin, said chopstick decomposing into a compost within 120 days or less and being heat resistant, remaining in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity, said crop-based resin being molded into the chopstick wherein an exterior surface of the chopstick nearby a food-gripping end is rough to assist in grasping and holding food. 
     
     
         32 . The chopstick of  claim 31  including at an end opposite the food-gripping end an ornamental body. 
     
     
         33 . The chopstick of  claim 32  where the ornamental body corresponds to a sign of the zodiac. 
     
     
         34 . The chopstick of  claim 33  where said crop-based resin is derived from wheat. 
     
     
         35 . The chopstick of  claim 33  said chopstick meets ASTM D6400-04. 
     
     
         36 . A pair of chopsticks, each chopstick having a tip with a rough surface that is inwardly tapered from an eating end to an intermediate portion having a thickness greater than the eating end, said tip being tapered in a predetermined manner so that, when using the pair of chopsticks to grasp food, a substantial portion of the rough surface of the tip of one chopstick is nearby a substantial portion of the rough surface of the tip of the other chopstick, facilitating holding food between said substantial portions of the rough surfaces of the chopsticks. 
     
     
         37 . The pair of chopsticks of  claim 36  where the length of the tapered, rough surface tip of each chopstick is at least one inch. 
     
     
         38 . An eating utensil formed from a crop-based resin and contained within a sealed package of a thin film comprising a crop-based resin,
 said thin film and said eating utensil decomposing into a compost within 120 days, and said eating utensil being heat resistant, remaining in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity.   
     
     
         39 . An insulating sleeve for a cup comprising
 a tapered circular wall formed from a crop-based resin, open at opposed ends, and having an internal surface with a plurality of projections thereon that contact an external surface of a cup to form between the internal surface of the sleeve and the external surface of the cup insulating air pockets upon placing the sleeve on the cup,   said sleeve being heat resistant, remaining in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity, said sleeve having a maximum thickness dimension of 19 millimeters and decomposing in a certified commercial composting facility within at least 90 days to produce an environmentally-safe compost.   
     
     
         40 . The sleeve of  claim 39  wherein the projections comprise a plurality of substantially parallel alternating ridges and grooves extending at least partially between the ends of the sleeve. 
     
     
         41 . A coaster for a cup comprising a planar member having a having a maximum thickness dimension of 19 millimeters and including a depression therein configured to receive a lower end of a cup, said coaster being formed from a crop-based resin that is heat resistant being able to remain in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity and decomposing in a certified commercial composting facility within at least 90 days to produce an environmentally-safe compost. 
     
     
         42 . A stirring device for a hot drink comprising an elongated member having a length substantially from 3 to 7 inches, a width substantially from ¼ to ¾ inch, and a maximum thickness dimension of ¼ inch, said stirring device being formed from a crop-based resin that is heat resistant being able to remain in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity and decomposing in a certified commercial composting facility within at least 90 days to produce an environmentally-safe compost. 
     
     
         43 . A serving system for hot drinks in a cup comprising separate utensils including an insulating sleeve for the cup, a coaster for the cup, and a stirring device, said separate utensils each being formed from a crop-based resin, each said utensil decomposing into a compost in a certified commercial composting facility within at least 90 days to produce an environmentally-safe compost and each being heat resistant being able to remain in hot water at a temperature of at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes without any substantial loss in rigidity.