Eating aid for use with arm lifters

Abstract

Eating aid characterized in that it is inserted into an arm lifter via an extension rod and hangs from this extension rod at a ball joint below the hand.

Description

[0001] The eating aid supports people with muscle weakness in their hands and fingers in eating independently with a spoon or fork.

[0002] The eating aid can be considered both in conjunction with an arm lifter as offered by various providers, and it can also be attached, for example, with a cuff to the forearm of people who can still use their arms but not their fingers.

[0003] For this purpose, the invention is either attached to the forearm support of the arm lifter or to the forearm itself by means of a cuff.

[0004] The eating aid can be used with different shapes of fork or spoon. Description of the eating aid

[0005] For people with muscular weakness or physical limitations affecting hand strength and therefore hand function, there are now a variety of eating aids designed to enable them to eat independently despite weakness. However, this independence is often reduced to simply pressing a button while an electrically controlled mechanism moves the spoon or fork from the plate to the mouth.

[0006] The invention differs significantly from this one in the following features: • The electromechanical control only affects the arm lifter, while the hand and fingers use their own power to bring the food to the mouth. This ensures that eating remains an autonomous process. • The balancing design largely absorbs the weight of cutlery and food. • The muscles of the hand and fingers are largely relieved of the weight of cutlery and food. • The hand and fingers control the alignment of the cutlery as well as the forking or scooping primarily through their own weight. • The ability to attach individual cutlery (fork or spoon) allows for uncomplicated and spontaneous visits to restaurants. • Small dimensions • lightweight • very simple and inconspicuous transport • The ergonomic shape allows for individual holding and guidance, depending on the degree of muscle weakness or physical disability. • Even large portions can be safely held on a spoon or fork • Using an arm lifter allows for safe and effortless transport from plate to mouth

[0007] The invention serves to maintain independence in eating for all people with muscle weakness in the hand and fingers, who can at least move their forearm by their own strength or with the help of an arm support.

[0008] The invention relieves the fingers and hand of the task of holding the weight of the cutlery and the food being eaten. Instead, the weight of the fingers and hand itself is used to steer and balance the spoon or fork.

[0009] The design allows for playful and effortless eating with a fork and spoon. Even soup can be eaten independently without any problems.

[0010] Materials: The first prototypes were built using aluminum, spring steel, metal adhesive, foam rubber, and a tie rod end holder. Further prototypes were 3D printed from resin.

[0011] The plan is to manufacture it from sturdy plastic and with a silicone band to secure the cutlery.

[0012] Colors: The invention can, in principle, be colored in any desired color.

[0013] The invention is planned to be available in a wide variety of colors. Surface texture: The parts of the construction designed to guide the cutlery are textured and rough to provide a grip for the fingers. Weight: 50 - 60 g Dimensions [cm] (folded): approx. 22 x 10 x 3 cm Setting up the eating aid

[0014] The eating aid consists of the following elements: • Connecting rod to the arm lifter • Locking device on the arm lifter • Ball joint • Supporting structure • Guidance / support for thumb and index finger • Rest / grip option for middle finger / ring finger / little finger • Locking device for cutlery on the underside of the support structure • Foam rubber on the underside of the support structure for better fixation of the cutlery

[0015] The eating aid consists of a supporting structure which is connected to an arm lifter via a ball joint mounted above it and a support arm attached to it.

[0016] The ball joint allows a 360° rotation around its central axis as well as a tilting deflection perpendicular to the central axis.

[0017] The central axis of the ball joint is firmly screwed to the supporting structure of the eating aid.

[0018] The connection between the ball joint and the support arm is freely rotatable around the longitudinal axis of the support arm.

[0019] The ball joint mounted above the supporting structure of the eating aid makes the supporting structure function similarly to a scale with two perpendicular axes of rotation.

[0020] The thumb and index finger rest on the left horizontal arm, while the middle finger, ring finger and little finger lie on the right horizontal arm.

[0021] At the same time, the thumb rests on the "front" arm of the scale, while the other fingers rest on the "back" arm.

[0022] With the improved design, the distinction between "front" and "rear" balance arms becomes less obvious, but the principle remains unchanged.

[0023] For eating, the handle of a spoon or fork is clamped securely into the locking device on the underside of the eating aid, lengthwise in a "left-right" orientation. How the eating aid works

[0024] A spoon or fork is inserted into the locking device at any point on its handle on the underside of the eating aid.

[0025] The middle finger, ring finger and little finger find support or a place to rest on the side opposite the cutlery and, with their own weight, form a counterweight to the cutlery and food.

[0026] The thumb and index finger rest on the gripping surface designed as a crossbar above the cutlery and balance the cutlery laterally with their own weight.

[0027] The ergonomic design of the gripping and support option in the form of an open oval, especially for the middle finger, ring finger and little finger, allows for versatile, comfortable and relaxed handling according to existing muscular or other physical limitations.

[0028] The entire weight of the food, eating utensils, but also of the hand and fingers is absorbed by the eating aid and transferred to the arm lifter via the ball joint and the connecting rod.

[0029] The control of a fork or spoon is achieved by shifting the fingers and thumb, as well as the wrist.

[0030] The arm lifter is then used to bring the spoon or fork to the mouth.

[0031] This is made possible by the following properties of the design • Due to the suspended design, the center of gravity is located below the ball joint. This makes the cutlery self-stabilizing. • The support option for the middle finger, ring finger and little finger, projecting in the opposite direction to the clamped cutlery, forms the lever arm for stabilizing the position in the longitudinal direction of the cutlery. • The muscular effort required for handling is very low, as the position of the cutlery is primarily determined by the weight of the fingers themselves and their position. The force required to lift a spoon or fork is replaced by sliding the fingers along the lever arm. • The ball joint allows complete rotation around the connecting axis to the supporting structure and, perpendicular to this, a tilting angle of approximately 30° in both directions of the axis. • The connection to the ball joint, which can be rotated around the axis of the connecting rod to the arm lifter, allows complete rotation perpendicular to the rotation by the ball joint itself. • The combination of both rotational capabilities results in an almost completely spherical radius of action as well as a tilting angle of the cutlery of approximately 30° each.

Claims

[1] Eating aid, characterized by , that it is inserted into an arm lifter via an extension rod and hangs from this extension rod at a ball joint below the hand. [2] Eating aid according to claim 1 characterized by that the ball joint is rotatable in the longitudinal direction of the extension rod within the extension rod [3] Eating aid, according to claim 1 and 2 characterized by that the ball joint is designed in the form of a tie rod end, the vertical axis of which is firmly screwed to the underlying supporting structure of the eating aid. [4] Eating aid according to claim 3 and characterized by that the supporting structure is built similarly to a hat profile, with left and right legs, and the vertical axis of the ball joint is screwed between these two legs. [5] Eating aid according to claim 4 and characterized by, that the handle of a spoon or fork can be attached to the underside of the supporting structure in a clamping device [6] Eating aid according to claim 5, characterized by that at least the inside of the top of the clamping device is covered with a non-slip foam. [7] Eating aid according to claims 4 and 5 characterized by that the supporting structure according to claim 3 functions like a clothes hanger scale [8] Eating aid according to claim 5 and characterized by , that by different positioning of the fingers and thumb, according to claim 10 the spoon and / or the fork according to claims 2 and 3 can be directed in almost any direction and also rotated about the longitudinal axis [9] Eating aid according to claim 8, characterized in that the device for resting the fingers has the shape of a horizontal oval that is obliquely open on one narrow side. [10] Eating aid according to claims 4 to 9 , characterized bythat it can be made from any malleable and stable material

Images