Eating aids for eating with one hand

Abstract

Eating aids for eating with only one hand, designed as an eating aid for a person who, due to a disability of the arm and / or hand, can only use either a knife or fork on one side at the table, characterized in that the eating aid is designed in such a way as to compensate for this handicap.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to eating aids for eating with one hand according to the preamble of claim 1: Such eating aids serve as tools to support people with unilateral physical disabilities who want to live independently despite their handicap, which includes eating independently with only one hand.

[0002] With over 500,000 people in Germany with limited arm and hand function and a legitimate right to a self-determined life, it is important that a large number of inventors have already succeeded in devising and creating aids for such areas of life that allow physically impaired people to participate in such a life in their own home.

[0003] When eating, people without physical disabilities use a knife and fork. Using them requires coordination with both hands; they work as a team: while one hand cuts with the knife, the other holds the food in place with the fork. To get the food into the mouth, it is first pushed onto the fork with the knife and then brought to the mouth.

[0004] The fork thus fulfills several functions: spearing food, holding it in place so that a knife can cut it and then push it onto the fork. The fork then transports the bite to the mouth.

[0005] A knife serves two functions: it cuts food. Its second task is to then push the food onto the fork. However, if only one hand is available for such teamwork, the functions of the missing second hand must be replaced by appropriate aids.

[0006] A common tool is a wooden breakfast board onto which various implements are mounted. This board has stainless steel spikes, skewers, or nails onto which food can be impaled and then prepared with one hand and a knife.

[0007] Another well-known eating aid or tool is a similar preparation aid from the company Onamin. This involves a separate, skewer-like plastic fastener that is attached to a pre-formed notch on the edge of a plastic board using a clamping device.

[0008] Another well-known eating aid or tool to make it easier to transfer food onto a fork and spoon and to prevent it from sliding over the edge of the plate is a raised rim on a plastic plate.

[0009] Another well-known eating aid or tool is a separate plastic plate rim extender, a ring that clips onto the rim of the plate to prevent food from being pushed over the edge. However, attaching it is only possible with a standard round plate and requires some practice.

[0010] Another well-known eating aid or tool is a plastic plate whose base is divided into sections that act as barriers. This makes it easier to cut food into pieces and push it onto a fork or spoon.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to propose an eating aid or tool for one-handed eating for people with one-handed or one-arm limitations, which avoids the disadvantages of the previously described prior art. The aids already known are preferably intended for use in the home and are often attached to wooden or plastic boards. While taking them to a hotel, restaurant, or pub, or even to a meal at a friend's house, is possible, it is hardly practical.

[0012] The aid is designed to enable a person with a one-handed, one-arm disability to hold cutlery such as a fork, spoon, or knife in one hand, and to serve as a receptacle or support for food to be eaten, cut, or picked up with the cutlery. This objective is achieved by the subject matter of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0013] The proposed eating aids and tools are designed to assist people with limited arm and hand use. They are advantageously small and portable, allowing them to be taken to restaurants and other food service establishments. They can be used on any type of plate, regardless of size, shape (flat or with a slanted edge), or shape (oval or round). The only requirement for the plate as a base for the aid(s) is a smooth surface such as glass, porcelain, or suitable plastic.

[0014] Various aids can be easily created using one or more of the features disclosed in main claim 1, the dependent claims, the description, and the drawing. Two particularly advantageous embodiments of these aids are described in more detail in this application. However, the invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0015] Even people with physical disabilities can confidently eat dishes there that would normally require the use of both hands with a knife and fork. They can fully utilize the existing dishes and cutlery together with the tools of the proposed invention, without needing assistance from others.

[0016] The tools of the proposed invention allow travelers to cut and spread their own bread rolls at the breakfast table without needing assistance. A lunch or dinner buffet at the hotel, with all its variety, can also be enjoyed independently and without worry using these new tools.

[0017] The tools of the proposed invention can also be used in one's own household, utilizing existing dishes and cutlery, are suitable for use with food and can also be put in the dishwasher.

[0018] According to claim 1, an eating aid is created for people with limited arm and hand function that makes it possible to perform all the necessary actions required to successfully complete an eating process independently with just one hand, without having to enlist the help of another person.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a fastening device is formed and attached to the eating aid, with which the eating aid can be easily and securely attached to a surface with a smooth surface (e.g. plate or similar) and easily removed again.

[0020] The respective fastening device may be designed to have a suction device for attaching it to the surface, in particular the plate. This can be easily achieved, for example, by the suction device comprising one or more suction cups.

[0021] This single or multiple suction cups allow the eating aid to be used effectively on virtually any plate, provided it has a surface to which the suction cup can be attached, especially before eating. One option is to attach the suction cup to a central point on the plate, such as a recessed area for food, where the attachment is very stable.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, one or more suction cups are formed at the ends of respective screw bolts, which engage in a respective hole, in particular an elongated hole open on one side, on a body, especially on the fastening part or on another part of the eating aid, with a nut, in particular a wing nut, being screwed onto the respective screw bolt. This nut is then located above the fastening part or other abutment. This makes attaching the suction cups to the eating aid and securing them to the surface simple and secure.

[0023] This can be particularly advantageously supported by providing an adjustment device on the body to influence the suction effect of one or more suction cups on the surface.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the body may be made of plastic. However, it may also be made of another material.

[0025] The invention also provides a combination of a base, in particular a plate, with a completely or at least partially smooth surface and an aid attached thereto according to one of the preceding claims.

[0026] As previously explained, such an eating process consists of several steps, each requiring two hands: first, food is to be portioned into bite-sized pieces on a surface such as a plate or a small board. A food utensil is needed to prevent the food from shifting or sliding on the surface while one hand cuts or slices it with a knife. This utensil is called a 'skewer'. A preferred skewer can be made from a plate, in particular one approximately 3 mm thick, 120 mm long, and 75 mm wide, preferably made of plastic. However, a version made of metal or another material is also conceivable. A stepped design with a height of approximately 25 mm divides the plate into two parts: a mounting part, which could, for example, have dimensions of approximately 3 x 50 x 75 mm, and a base part, which could, for example, have dimensions of approximately...It can be 3x70x75 mm. Both parts are firmly connected to each other.

[0027] The fastening element may preferably have at least two openings passing through it, which may in particular be designed as elongated holes.

[0028] The elongated holes can be designed as two slots approximately 5 mm wide and 25 mm long, which may be open on one side. They run parallel to and approximately 4 mm from the long sides of the mounting part. The elongated holes accommodate the threads of two threaded suction cups.

[0029] After inserting the threaded suction cups into the elongated holes and pressing them firmly onto the smooth surface, the skewer is secured to the surface with threaded screws such as wing nuts or knurled screws. A threaded hole, preferably made of plastic, is located centrally between the elongated holes and approximately 5 mm from the rear edge of the mounting piece. This hole serves as a spacer and allows for height adjustment of the skewer. It significantly increases the holding power of the suction cups and enables the skewer to be attached to both beveled and flat surfaces, ensuring that its base rests firmly on the intended mounting surface.

[0030] The base of the board can have skewers. For example, it can have two skewers, approximately 40 mm high and 5 mm thick, extending vertically upwards, positioned about 20 mm from the step along the side edge and spaced about 60 mm apart from each other. These skewers allow for the skewering of suitable foods such as sausages, meat skewers, or roulades. A bread roll can also be skewered on its edge and then sliced.

[0031] One or more spikes can be formed in the front area of ​​the base. In a preferred embodiment, five spikes, approximately 12 mm long and 6 mm thick, are arranged in two rows of three and two spikes respectively, preferably evenly spaced. Slices of bread, meat, or even a fried egg, etc., can be impaled on these spikes and handled with a knife using one hand.

[0032] When food is picked up from a plate with a fork, this is normally done with a knife, which acts as a counterweight, pushing the food onto the fork. However, if a person with a one-handed disability lacks their second hand, an alternative assistive device must be found.

[0033] This further task is accomplished according to a further development of claim 1, which is called a 'slider'. This slider has a plate. This plate can preferably be made of plastic, but another material such as metal can also be used. The plate has dimensions of approximately 60 x 80 x 8 mm. It stands vertically with the edge of its broad side of 80 mm resting on the ground. Its front edge is slightly curved inwards in height (concave); I call this the 'overhang'.

[0034] A plate, preferably made of plastic, can be attached to the back of the overhang – for example, at a distance of approximately 20 mm from the ground and firmly connected to it at a 90° angle. This plate can have dimensions of approximately 40 x 80 x 8 mm. It serves as a fastening element.

[0035] The mounting bracket may have at least two elongated holes. Preferably, it may have two elongated holes approximately 5 mm wide and 25 mm long, with the opening facing the end of the broad side and spaced approximately 4 mm apart from the long sides of the mounting bracket. These holes accommodate the threads of two threaded suction cups. After inserting the threaded suction cups into the elongated holes and pressing them firmly onto the smooth surface, the slider is attached to the surface using threaded screws such as wing nuts or knurled screws. These screws allow the slider to rest securely on the surface, whether on a beveled edge or on the flat part of a plate, with the edge of the overhang resting on the floor.

[0036] A threaded hole is located centrally between the elongated holes, spaced, for example, 5 mm from the end of the mounting bracket. This hole accommodates a screw that acts as a spacer and allows for height adjustment of the slider. This ensures that the slider can be securely attached to both a beveled rim and the flat part of a plate. If, for example, the mounting bracket were fixed to a beveled rim with deeply inserted suction cups and correspondingly tightened screws, the front of the base would be slightly lifted and would no longer sit flush against the plate. Tightening this screw presses its tip against the rim of the plate, increasing the distance between the mounting bracket and the rim, thus allowing the base to lie flat against the plate again.Since the suction cups are slightly lifted during this process, the suction force improves simultaneously, as it is proportional to the effective surface area. Even with a skewer that rests flat on a plate base with a mounting and base part, its suction force increases when this screw is tightened. In this way, a simple adjustment device is created to influence the suction effect of one or more suction cups on the surface. The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to several exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0037] It shows: Fig. 1: A first eating aid designed according to the invention. This aid is based on a plastic body in the form of a plate. This aid is called a ‘skewer’. It is shown in a perspective view, in which a mounting part and a base part are separated from each other by a step, both being firmly connected to each other, the mounting part having two elongated holes into which two suction cups with threaded rods can be inserted, and furthermore having a threaded bore into which a screw is screwed, and the base part having two long and five short skewers; Fig. 2: a further eating aid designed according to the invention, based on a body, preferably in the form of a raised wall, called a ‘slider’, in perspective view, in which a fastening part and a sliding part are separated from each other and are firmly connected to each other, wherein the fastening part has two elongated holes into which two suction cups with threaded rods can be inserted, and furthermore has a threaded bore into which a screw is screwed, and wherein the sliding part consists like a wall of an upright plate which is firmly connected at its rear to the fastening part and which is moderately concave on the front as an overhang; Fig. 3: a partial section of a further eating aid designed according to the invention, based on a body called ‘skewer’, in perspective view, in which a bread roll is skewered sideways onto two skewers of the base plate, where it can be cut open with a knife; Fig. 4: Another eating aid designed according to the invention, based on a body called a 'pusher', in perspective view, in which food (here by way of example pea vegetables) is pushed onto a fork by its overhang. Fig. 5: a partial view of a further eating aid designed according to the invention, based on a body called ‘skewer’, in which a slice of meat is placed on spikes and fixed in such a way that it can be cut with a knife;

[0038] The in Fig. The skewer 1 shown consists of the interconnected parts base part skewer 1a and fastening part skewer 1b. The base part skewer 1a has two long skewers 6 and five short spikes 7.

[0039] The mounting element skewer 1b has one or more—here two—holes, in particular elongated holes 3, into which two suction cups with threads 4 can be inserted, and a threaded screw 5 that is screwed into a matching thread 5a. Both parts are connected by a step skewer 2, which slightly raises the mounting element 1b above the base part 1a. The elongated holes can be open on one side, so that a number of suction cups with threaded bolt sections 10 corresponding to the number of holes can be inserted into the threads. The screw 5 preferably passes vertically through the mounting element 1b and can press against the base of the plate with its free end, thus optimizing the suction cup effect.

[0040] The in Fig. The slide 8 shown here is formed from the interconnected parts overhang slide 8a and fastening part slide 8b.

[0041] The overhanging slider 8a is formed here from a plate which is placed vertically on the floor with its lower edge like a wall and which has a concave surface on its front and which connects on its rear in an area with a small distance to the floor to the fastening part slider 8b in such a way that both parts have an angle of 90° to each other.

[0042] The fastening part slider 8b has two elongated holes 9 which are open towards its outer rear edge and into which two suction cups with thread 10 can be inserted and in the middle of which a threaded screw 11 is screwed into a matching thread 11b.

[0043] The Fig. Figure 3 shows a section of a skewer 1 with its base part skewer 1a and a skewered bread roll 12.

[0044] The Fig. Figure 5 shows a section of a skewer 1 with its base part skewer 1a and a skewered piece of meat 13.

[0045] The Fig. Figure 5 shows a variant of a slider 8 on which a fork 14 has pushed peas 15 onto the preferably concave or possibly also rather flat front 8a. Reference symbol list 1. Philistine 1a Bottom part Spießer 1b Fastening part skewer Level 2 philistines 3 elongated holes 4 suction cups with threaded skewers 5 threaded screw skewer 5a thread 6 skewers 7 thorns 8 sliders 8a Overhang Slider 8b Mounting part slider 9 slotted sliders 10 suction cups with threaded sliders 11 Threaded screw slider 11b thread 12 rolls 13 Meat 14 Fork 15 peas

Claims

[1] One-handed eating aids designed to assist a person who, due to a disability of the arm and / or hand, can only use either a knife or fork on one side at the table, characterized by that the eating aid is designed in such a way as to compensate for this handicap. [2] Eating aid according to claim 1, characterized by that these allow people to eat independently and autonomously both in their own home and outside without outside help. [3] Eating aids according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that it is designed in such a way that it can be used when the person is operating a knife with one hand. [4] Eating aids according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that it is designed in such a way that it can be used when the person is using a fork with one hand. [5] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by , that it is formed from a tool (1) that is so small that it can be carried by the person, e.g. in a breakfast box. [6] Eating aid according to one or more of the preceding claims 4 or 5, which replaces the function of a fork, characterized by , that it is formed from a tool (1) designed to skewer and hold food so that it can be cut with a knife. [7] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by , that it has a body with a base part (a1a), wherein one or more skewering devices (6,7) are attached to the base part (1a) which replace the function of a fork. [8] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by, that a fastening part (1b) is further formed on the body, which is connected to the base part (1a), wherein a fastening device (1b,3,4,5,5a) is further formed and attached to the base part, with which the eating aid (1) can be easily and securely attached to a surface with a smooth surface (e.g. plate or similar) and easily removed again. [9] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the function of a knife is replaced by a tool (8) by attaching an overhang (8a) to this tool (8), which serves as a counterhold for pushing food onto a fork (14), which can thus be brought to the mouth. [10] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by, that a fastening device (8b,9,10,11,11b) is attached to the tool (8) with which the tool (1) can be easily and securely attached to a surface with a smooth surface (e.g. plate or similar) and easily removed again. [11] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the tool (8) is so small that it can be carried in, for example, a breakfast box. [12] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by that the respective fastening device has a suction device for suction to the surface, in particular the plate. [13] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by that the suction device includes one or more suction cups. [14] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized bythat one or more suction cups are formed at the ends of respective screw bolts, which engage in a respective hole, in particular in an elongated hole open to one side, on a body, in particular on the fastening part or on another part of the eating aid, wherein a nut, in particular a wing nut, is screwed onto the respective screw bolt. [15] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by that the body is equipped with an adjustment device to influence the suction effect of one or more suction cups on the surface. [16] Eating aids according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by that the body is made of plastic. [17] Combination of a base, in particular a plate having a completely or at least partially smooth surface and an eating aid attached thereto according to one of the preceding claims.

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