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Shape Memory Safety Utensil

a memory safety and utensil technology, applied in the field of utensils, can solve the problems of serious burns on the inside of the mouth of a person, children and elderly people often cannot or do not recognize such indications,

Inactive Publication Date: 2016-04-07
OMNITEK PARTNERS LLC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes a new spoon that has a feature to prevent people from accidentally burning their mouths. The spoon is simple and inexpensive to make. This helps to promote safe eating habits.

Problems solved by technology

Many people, especially children and the elderly burn their mouths after eating food that it too hot.
For instance, eating soup that is too hot from a soup container often leads to serious burns on the inside of a person's mouth.
However, children and elderly people often cannot or do not recognize such indications.

Method used

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  • Shape Memory Safety Utensil

Examples

Experimental program
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Effect test

embodiment 200

[0036]A top view of a first variation of the embodiment 200 of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 3A. In this variation, the shape memory alloy neck portion 203a is shown to be constructed with a relatively thin strip of shape memory alloy material which is connected to the concave portion 201 on one end such as by welding, brazing or the like and is fixed to the spoon handle 202 on the other end, with the handle being an appropriate food grade plastic that is molded over the end portion 205a as shown in FIG. 3A.

[0037]Alternatively, as shown in the top view of FIG. 3B of a second variation of the embodiment 200 of FIG. 1, at least one shape memory alloy neck portion 203b configured as a wire is used to connect the concave portion 201 to the spoon handle 202. The handle 202 can be made out of an appropriate food grade plastic that is molded over the end portion 205b of the at least one shape memory alloy “wire” neck portion 206.

[0038]The shape memory alloy wires (of round, square or other shape...

embodiment 220

[0040]In an alternative embodiment 220 shown in FIG. 4, a distance between a center region 221 of the concave portion 201 and the shape memory alloy neck portion 222 connecting the concave portion 201 to the spoon handle 202 may be reduced to allow for its rapid heating to the aforementioned transition temperature and its consequent deformation, for example to the configuration 223 shown in the schematic of FIG. 5. In the alternative embodiment 220, the frontal section 224 (FIGS. 4 and 5) of the shape memory alloy neck portion 222 is attached close to the mid-section of the bottom side of the concave portion 201. However, other portions of the shape memory alloy neck portion 222 can still contact the concave portion 201 while not being fixedly connected. As a result, heat is transferred rapidly from the hot food inside the spoon, but more importantly, as the user brings the spoon in contact with food, the regions around the sections 224 and 225 of the shape memory alloy neck portion...

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PUM

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Abstract

A method for preventing holding of one or more of a hot liquid or hot food in a utensil. The method including: configuring a utensil portion for holding one or more of a liquid or food to have a first orientation relative to a handle portion when a temperature of a shape memory alloy neck portion connecting the utensil portion to the handle portion is below a transition temperature and changing the orientation of the utensil portion relative to the handle portion to a second orientation when the temperature of the shape memory alloy neck portion is greater than the transition temperature so as to not hold the liquid or food.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,174 issued on Jan. 3, 2012, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by its reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates generally to utensils, and more particularly, to a spoon having a concave portion for holding a liquid or food when the temperature of the liquid is less than a predetermined threshold (transition) temperature and where the head changes its orientation relative to a handle portion of the spoon making the concave portion unable to hold the liquid or food when the temperature of a shape memory alloy neck portion connecting the concave portion to the handle portion is greater than the predetermined threshold (transition) temperature.[0004]2. Prior Art[0005]Many people, especially children and the elderly burn their mouths after eating food that it too hot. For instance, eating soup that is too hot from a ...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A47G21/04
CPCA47G21/04A47G21/02A47G2021/008
Inventor RASTEGAR, JAHANGIR S.SPINELLI, THOMAS
Owner OMNITEK PARTNERS LLC
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