Feeding appliance
By designing feeding equipment with sliding shifters and shift heads, the problem of difficult food control when feeding spoons manually is solved, achieving a more accurate and convenient feeding process, suitable for infants and other users in need.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410899574.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-07-07
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-05
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-07
AI Technical Summary
When existing spoons are manually fed to infants, disabled people or elderly people, it is difficult to control food flow and swallowing, resulting in food spills and inconvenience.
A feeding device is designed, including handles and bowls, equipped with a slidable shifter and shift head that can be retracted or extended for easy scoop and feeding of food, and has scale markings and forks Toothed portion, suitable for liquid, mud or solid food.
Improves food control and feeding accuracy, reduces food waste, and provides a more convenient and hygienic feeding experience, suitable for babies and other users in need.
Smart Images
Figure CN119257412A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention generally relates to a feeding device that is particularly designed for feeding infants, but it may also have applicability and other situations, such as disabled or elderly people who need assistance when feeding. Background Art
[0002] Manually feeding infants, disabled or elderly people with a spoon may pose several challenges or problems. For example, infants may have limited motor skills and coordination, making it challenging for them to eat with a spoon. They may struggle to open their mouths, coordinate tongue movements, or have trouble swallowing.
[0003] When babies learn to eat from a spoon, they often lack the ability to control the flow of food or hold it in their mouths. This can lead to spills, messes, and frustration for both baby and caregiver.
[0004] To address the challenges of manually feeding babies with a spoon, some approaches involve using appropriate utensils, such as baby spoons with shallow bowls and soft tips that are designed to be gentle on their gums and teeth. These utensils can help babies eat and make the process easier to manage.
[0005] The present invention seeks to provide an apparatus which will overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least provide an alternative.
[0006] It should be understood that if any prior art information is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or any other country. Summary of the invention
[0007] A feeding utensil is provided herein, comprising a utensil having a handle and a bowl at opposite ends. It also comprises a displacer slidable along the utensil and having a displacer head interacting with a surface of the bowl.
[0008] The displacer may start out narrow and uniform at the handle end, widening toward the displacing head. It may be retracted to expose a bowl surface for holding material, and extended to push material for feeding.
[0009] In specific embodiments, the substance may be a liquid, a puree, or a solid, including pureed baby food.
[0010] The utensil may have a concave shape, with the displacer retained within the recess. The recess may be continuous across the handle and bowl, narrowing from the bowl towards the handle.
[0011] The shifter and recess may be designed so that the outer surface of the shifter and the adjacent surface of the utensil are flush toward the proximal end of the handle, except for a central region of the shifter that is ergonomically protruding for manipulation.
[0012] The shifter may feature a finger engagement member for sliding it, located in a central region.
[0013] The bowl may have graduated markings along its surface which may be aligned with the edge of a displacement head for measuring a substance. The bowl may also have end grooves forming tines of a fork, giving it a fork-like appearance.
[0014] In an embodiment, the displacer can be separated from the appliance for cleaning or use of the appliance without the displacer. The appliance can define a channel, and the displacer can have a clip that engages the sides of the channel, allowing the displacer to slide along it. The channel is preferably open so that the clip portions can be squeezed together to disengage the clip from the channel. The lower surface of the proximal region of the appliance can have a rubberized outer skin. The appliance is primarily designed for feeding infants, but may also have other applications.
[0015] In summary, the described feeding device provides convenience, accuracy, and adaptability, providing an improved feeding experience for infants and potentially benefiting users in a variety of situations.
[0016] Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Although any other forms may be included within the scope of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] Figure 1 A feeding utensil according to a first scoop-shaped embodiment is shown;
[0019] Figure 2 A feeding utensil according to a second fork-shaped embodiment is shown;
[0020] Figure 3 Shown in the retracted position Figure 1 A perspective view of the apparatus;
[0021] Figure 4 Shown in extended position Figure 1 A perspective view of the apparatus;
[0022] Figure 5 shows a top perspective view of a shifter of an appliance according to one embodiment;
[0023] Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 An underside perspective view of a shifter of FIG. 1 ; and
[0024] Figure 7 Shows Figure 1 A perspective view of the underside of the device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] The feeding utensil 100 comprises a utensil 101 defining a proximal handle 102 and a distal bowl 103. The utensil 100 further comprises a displacer 104 slidably retained along the utensil 101, the displacer 104 defining a displacer head 105 that engages a surface 106 of the bowl 103.
[0026] See also Figure 1 100, the proximal side is described as being at or toward the bottom of the tool 100, and the distal side is described as being at or toward the top of the tool 100. The displacer 104 may have a relatively narrow and uniform width proximal portion that widens toward the displacing head 105 at its distal end. The displacer 104 may be positioned relative to the tool 101. Figure 3 Retracted position shown and Figure 5 The device slides between the extended position shown, in which the surface 106 of the bowl 103 is exposed to retain the substance, and in the extended position to push the substance away from the surface 106 of the bowl 103 for feeding.
[0027] In an embodiment, the substance may be a liquid, a puree, or a solid, and may contain a nutrient or a medication. In a specific embodiment, the substance comprises a baby food product. The utensil 101 may be shaped to define a longitudinal recess 107 in which the shifter 104 is slidably retained. The recess 107 may be continuous across the handle 102 and the bowl 103. In other words, the recess 107 may narrow from the bowl 103 toward the handle 102.
[0028] Reference Figure 2 , the recess 107 may terminate at a proximal end 108 without the handle 102, and the proximal end 109 of the displacer 104 does not extend beyond the proximal end 110 of the recess 107. Figure 3 , the recess 107 and the shifter 104 can be configured so that the outer surface 111 of the shifter 104 and the adjacent surface 112 of the utensil 101 are substantially flush toward the proximal end of the utensil 100. However, the recess 107 and the shifter 104 can be configured so that the central area 113 of the shifter 104 can protrude proximally from the recess 107 for operation.
[0029] The shifter 104 can define a finger engagement member 114 that is configured to engage a finger to assist in sliding the shifter 104. The implement 100 can be configured such that the handle 102 is grasped by the index finger and the distal end of the thumb engages the finger engagement member 114. In the illustrated embodiment, the finger engagement member 114 takes the form of a notch. In other embodiments, the finger engagement member 114 can include a friction protrusion, such as a bump, a rib, etc. The finger engagement member 114 can be substantially located in a central region 113 of the shifter 104. The lowest point of the finger engagement member 114 can be ergonomically located above an adjacent surface 115 of the handle 102.
[0030] refer to Figure 1 , the bowl 103 can define a transverse region 116 along which the displacement head 105 moves transversely between the retracted position and the extended position. The transverse region 116 can have a substantially uniform cross-section along the length of the utensil 100, and the displacement head 105 can define a butt edge 117 (at the end) that is substantially consistent with the cross-section. Figure 5 ), so as to reduce or eliminate the gap between the displacement head 105 and the bowl 103 when displacing the substance from the bowl 103. According to this configuration, the displacement head 105 can displace liquid, such as liquid medicine, from the bowl 103.
[0031] The surface 106 of the bowl 103 may define graduated markings 118 along it that may be aligned with the edge 117 of the displacement head 105 to measure the substance. For example, the graduated markings 118 may be configured to indicate 5 mL increments (considering the volume of the bowl 103) so that, for example, a liquid medication may be dispensed in 5 mL units. Figure 2 , the bowl 103 may have end slots 119 defining a tine portion 120 therebetween. Figure 1 The embodiment of the utensil 100 shown may be spoon-shaped, while Figure 2 The illustrated embodiment of the implement 100 may be fork-shaped.
[0032] The shifter 104 is preferably detachable from the appliance 101 to facilitate cleaning or use of the appliance 100 without the shifter 104. Figure 5 -7, the tool 101 can define a channel 121, wherein the shifter 104 defines a clip 122 having a clip portion 123, the clip portion 123 engaging a corresponding side 124 of the clip channel 121 so that when the shifter 104 slides between the retracted position and the extended position, the clip 122 can slide along the channel 121. The clip channel 121 is preferably open so that the clip portion 123 can be squeezed together to disengage the clip 122 from the channel 121. Figure 7 As further shown in FIG. 1 , the lower surface of the proximal region of the tool 101 may have a rubberized outer skin 125 .
[0033] To use the feeding device 100, the handle 102 is first grasped with the index finger. The thumb is then positioned to engage the finger engagement member 114, which can be prominently seen at the central area 113 of the shifter 104. The device is designed to be ergonomically comfortable, allowing the shifter 104 to be easily manipulated.
[0034] To scoop up material, such as baby food, the displacer 104 is first slid to the retracted position, such as Figure 3 This action exposes the surface 106 of the bowl 103, enabling it to hold the substance. The user then dips the bowl 103 into the substance, ensuring that it is fully filled.
[0035] Once the bowl 103 is filled, the shifter 104 moves to the extended position, such as Figure 5 This movement pushes the substance from the surface 106 of the bowl 103. The abutment edge 117 of the displacement head 105 ensures smooth and complete displacement of the substance, reducing waste and ensuring accurate portions, as facilitated by the graduated markings 118 on the bowl 103.
[0036] During feeding, depending on the nature of the substance being fed, the utensil 100 can be used in its spoon-like configuration (e.g. Figure 1 ) or its forked configuration (as shown Figure 2 For example, for thicker purlins or small solid blocks, a forked configuration may be more appropriate.
[0037] After use, as reference Figure 5 As described above, the displacer 104 can be removed from the utensil 101 for thorough cleaning. The clip 122 is disengaged by squeezing the clip portions 123 together, allowing the displacer 104 to be removed from the clip channel 121. This design ensures that the utensil 100 is sanitary and easy to maintain. The rubberized outer skin 125 on the lower surface of the proximal region of the utensil 101 provides a secure grip, enhancing usability and comfort during feeding.
[0038] The apparatus 100 of the present invention is particularly suitable for feeding infants, although it may have other applicability as well.
[0039] For the purpose of explanation, the foregoing description uses specific terms to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not required to practice the present invention. Therefore, for the purpose of illustration and description, the above description of specific embodiments of the present invention is given. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise form disclosed, and in view of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible. These embodiments are selected and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, so that other technical personnel in the art can best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications, which are suitable for the intended specific use. The attached claims and their equivalents are intended to define the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A feeding utensil, comprising: a utensil defining a proximal handle and a distal bowl; a displacer slidably retained along the utensil and defining a displacing head that interfaces with a surface of the bowl, wherein the displacer slides relative to the utensil between a retracted position that exposes the surface of the bowl to retain a substance and an extended position that pushes the substance away from the surface of the bowl for feeding.
2. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: The tool is shaped to define a longitudinal recess, and wherein the displacer is slidably retained within the recess.
3. The feeding device according to claim 2, wherein: The recess is continuous across the handle and bowl.
4. The feeding device according to claim 2, wherein: The recess terminates short of the proximal end of the handle, and the proximal end of the displacer does not extend beyond the proximal end of the recess.
5. The feeding device according to claim 2, wherein: The recess and the displacer are configured such that an outer surface of the displacer and an adjacent surface of the implement are substantially flush toward a proximal end of the implement.
6. The feeding device according to claim 2, wherein: The recess and the shifter are configured such that a central region of the shifter can protrude proximally from the recess for ergonomic operation.
7. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: The shifter defines a finger engager configured to engage a finger to assist in sliding the shifter.
8. The feeding device according to claim 7, wherein: The implement is configured such that the handle is held by the index finger and the distal end of the thumb engages the finger engagement member.
9. The feeding device according to claim 7, wherein: The finger engagement members are located substantially in a central region along the length of the instrument.
10. The feeding device according to claim 7, wherein: The recess and the shifter are configured such that a portion of the shifter having the finger engagement members protrudes from the recess.
11. The feeding device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The lowest point of the finger engagement member is above the adjacent surface of the handle.
12. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: The bowl defines a transverse region along which the displacement head moves laterally between the retracted position and the extended position, and wherein the transverse region has a substantially uniform cross-section along the length of the appliance.
13. The feeding device according to claim 12, wherein: The displacement head defines an abutment edge that substantially conforms to the cross-section.
14. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: The bowl defines a lateral region along which the displacement head moves laterally between the retracted position and the extended position, and wherein the lateral region includes graduated markings along the lateral region that are alignable with an edge of the displacement head.
15. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: The bowl is designed to hold liquid.
16. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: The bowl has end slots defining tine portions therebetween.
17. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: The displacer can be disconnected from the implement.
18. The feeding device according to claim 17, wherein: The tool defines a clip channel, and wherein the displacer defines a clip having clip portions that engage respective sides of the clip channel.
19. The feeding device according to claim 18, wherein: The clip channel is open so that the clip portions can be squeezed together to disengage the clip from the channel.
20. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: The lower surface of the proximal region of the tool has a rubberized outer skin.