Utensil with wavy head

Abstract

A utensil includes an elongate handle and a head. The head has a non-planar configuration such that different regions of the head can be used to mix, fold, stir, spread, lift, or otherwise manipulate food. The head includes a wavy portion with a transverse profile that varies along a length of the head.

1 . A spatula comprising:
 an elongate handle; and   a head having a longitudinal axis and including an upper portion coupled to the elongate handle and a wavy lower portion defining a lower end of the head, the wavy lower portion including:
 a first arcuate portion extending from the upper portion to the lower end of the head, the first arcuate portion including a first free edge extending longitudinally along the head and a first concave surface on a back side of the head, the first concave surface extending along most of a first distance from the first free edge to the longitudinal axis; and 
 a second arcuate portion extending from the upper portion to the lower end of the head, the second arcuate portion including a second free edge extending longitudinally along the head and a second concave surface on a front side of the head, the second concave surface extending along most of a second distance from the second free edge to the longitudinal axis. 
   
     
     
         2 . The spatula of  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion is substantially planar and the wavy lower portion has a sinusoidal shaped cross-section with an amplitude that varies with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The spatula of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first concave surface and the second concave surface defines a channel that extends longitudinally along most of a longitudinal length of the head. 
     
     
         4 . The spatula of  claim 3 , wherein the channel has a depth that increases towards the lower end of the head. 
     
     
         5 . The spatula of  claim 3 , further comprising a main body of the head having a front face, a rear face, and a thickness defined from the front face to the back face, the channel having a maximum depth that is larger than half of the thickness of the main body of the head. 
     
     
         6 . The spatula of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the wavy lower portion has a substantially S-shaped cross-sectional profile that is taken perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The spatula of  claim 1 , wherein the first arcuate portion and the second arcuate portion are substantially rotationally symmetric about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The spatula of  claim 1 , wherein the wavy lower portion has a lower edge extending between the first free edge and the second free edge, the lower edge has a substantially sinusoidal shape as viewed along the longitudinal axis of the head. 
     
     
         9 . A spatula comprising:
 an elongate handle; and   a head including an upper portion coupled to the elongate handle and a wavy lower portion, the wavy lower portion including a tip and a transverse profile with an amplitude that increases towards the tip.   
     
     
         10 . The spatula of  claim 9 , wherein the wavy lower portion includes:
 a first arcuate portion extending away from a longitudinal axis of the head in a first direction, the first arcuate portion including a first free edge extending longitudinally along the head and a first concave surface on a back side of the head, the first surface extending along most of a first distance from the first free edge to the longitudinal axis; and   a second arcuate portion extending away from the longitudinal axis of the head in a second direction, the second direction being generally opposite to the first direction, the second arcuate portion including a second free edge extending longitudinally along the head and a second concave surface on a front side of the head, the second surface extending along most of a second distance from the second free edge to the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         11 . The spatula of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first concave surface and the second concave surface has a radius of curvature at the tip that is larger than a distance between the first and second free edges of the head. 
     
     
         12 . The spatula of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first concave surface and the second concave surface has a radius of curvature that gradually increases towards the tip. 
     
     
         13 . The spatula of  claim 9 , wherein the wavy lower portion has a front face and rear face that define a substantially uniform thickness across a width of the head. 
     
     
         14 . The spatula of  claim 9 , wherein the wavy lower portion includes channels on opposite sides of the head that have depths that vary with respect to a long axis of the head. 
     
     
         15 . The spatula of  claim 9 , wherein the tip has a sinusoidal edge that extends between opposing longitudinally extending side edges of the head. 
     
     
         16 . The spatula of  claim 9 , wherein the head has a wavy front face and a wavy back face, the wavy front face and back face have complementary shapes. 
     
     
         17 . The spatula of  claim 9 , wherein the head includes a front face and rear face, the front face includes a forwardly convex surface, a forwardly concave surface laterally adjacent to the forwardly convex surface, the rear face includes a rearwardly concave surface opposite the forwardly convex surface and a rearwardly convex surface opposite the forwardly concave surface. 
     
     
         18 . A spatula comprising:
 a handle; and   a head coupled to the handle, the head comprising
 a forwardly concave surface defining a first channel on a front side of the head, the first channel extending across most of a first distance between a longitudinal axis of the head and a first side edge of the head; and 
 a rearwardly concave surface defining a second channel on a back side of the head, the second channel extending across most of a second distance between the longitudinal axis of the head and a second side edge of the head located opposite the first side edge. 
   
     
     
         19 . The spatula of  claim 18 , wherein the head has a generally S-shaped transverse profile. 
     
     
         20 . The spatula of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first channel and the second channel has at least one of a substantially U-shaped profile and a substantially V-shaped profile.