Child's bowl with detachable character head
The child training aid with a detachable character head on a bowl addresses the challenge of developing essential eating skills and habits by enhancing motor skills and mealtime engagement, encouraging trying new foods and empathy.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- IMALAC INC
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-25
AI Technical Summary
Developing essential eating skills and habits in young children, such as hand-eye coordination, trying new foods, maintaining attention during meals, and fostering empathy, is challenging for parents and caregivers.
A child training aid comprising a bowl with a detachable character head that can be secured to its sidewall, featuring a mouth-like opening and internal cavity, allowing children to practice transferring food from the bowl to the character's mouth, thereby enhancing motor skills, curiosity, and mealtime engagement.
Enhances hand-eye coordination, encourages trying new foods, promotes longer mealtime attention, and fosters empathy through interactive and engaging meal experiences.
Smart Images
Figure US2025059973_25062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
CHILD’S BOWL WITH DETACHABLE CHARACTER HEADBACKGROUND1. Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to training aids for developing essential eating skills and habits in young children.2, State of the Art
[0002] It is important for young children between 8 and 18 months old to develop essential eating skills and habits in order to support children in this critical stage of growth. These essential eating skills and habits can include hand-eye coordination when picking up food or using utensils, trying new foods, and maintaining attention and focus on eating at mealtimes. It can be difficult to develop and reinforce these essential eating skills and habits in young children.SUMMARY
[0003] In embodiments, a child training aid (apparatus) is provided that includes a bowl and at least one detachable object. The bowl has a base configured to rest on a highchair tray, a table or other support surface. The base transitions to a sidewall that forms an upper rim of the bowl. The base and sidewall of the bowl define an interior region configured to hold food therein for consumption by a young child. The detachable object is configured to be detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl. The object has a three-dimensional outer surface that is shaped in the form of a head of an animated character or the like. The animated character can be human, animal, or fictional character. The object has a mouth-like opening leading to an internal cavity. The object also has a bottom or base that defines a central opening that leads into the internal cavity. The object is configured such that when the object is detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl, the mouth-like opening faces space disposed above the base of the bowl and the central opening exits to the interior region of the bowl.
[0004] When the object is detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl, a young child can be instructed or allowed to pick up food that is contained within the interior region of the bowland pass food through the mouth-like opening into the internal cavity of the object, whereby such food falls through the central opening of the object toward the base and the interior region of the bowl.
[0005] The combination of the bowl and one or more detachable object(s) can be used as a training aid to develop essential eating skills and habits in a young child.
[0006] Other aspects are described and claimed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic front perspective view of an exemplary of a child training aid that includes a bowl with a detachable character head attached to the sidewall of the bowl.
[0008] Figure 2 is a schematic rear perspective view of the child training aid of Figure 1.
[0009] Figures 3 and 4 are schematic side views of the child training aid of Figure 1.
[0010] Figure 5 is a schematic rear view of the child training aid of Figure 1.
[0011] Figure 6 is a schematic front perspective view of the child training aid of Figure 1 with the detachable character head detached from the sidewall of the bowl.
[0012] Figure 7 is a schematic rear view of the child training aid of Figure 1 with the detachable character head detached from the sidewall of the bowl.
[0013] Figure 8 is a front perspective view of the child training aid of Figure 1, which includes a bowl with a detachable character head attached to the sidewall of the bowl.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] The present disclosure describes a product that includes a child’s bowl with a detachable character head. The product can be used as a training aid to develop essential eating skills and habits in a young child.
[0015] Figures 1 to 8 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a child training aid (apparatus) 1, which includes a bowl 3 and a detachable object 5. The bowl 3 has a base 7 configured to reston a highchair tray, a table or other support surface. The base 7 transitions to a sidewall 9 that forms an upper rim 1 la disposed opposite a lower ledge 1 lb. The base 7 and sidewall 9 of the bowl 3 define an interior region 13 configured to hold food therein for consumption by a young child. In embodiments, the sidewall 9 can be configured with an annular profile as shown in the exemplary embodiment of Figures 1 to 8. In other embodiments, the sidewall can have a curved, frustoconical or other profile.
[0016] The detachable object 5 can be detachably secured to the sidewall 9 of the bowl 3 as shown in Figures 1 to 5. The object 5 has a three-dimensional outer surface 15 that is shaped in the form of a head of an animated character or the like. The animated character can be human, animal, or fictional character. The object 5 has a mouth-like opening 17 leading to an internal cavity as best shown in Figures 1 and 8. The object 5 also has a bottom or base 19 that defines a central opening 21 that leads into the internal cavity as best shown in Figure 7. The object 5 is configured such that when the object 5 is detachably secured to the sidewall 9 of the bowl 3, the mouth-like opening 17 faces space disposed above the base 7 of the bowl 3 and the central opening 21 exits to the interior region 13 of the bowl 1.
[0017] In embodiments, when the object 5 is detachably secured to the sidewall 9, an upper part of the mouth-like opening 17 can be disposed above the upper rim 1 la of the bowl 1 and a lower part of the mouth-like opening 17 can be disposed below the upper rim 11 a of the bowl 1 as best shown in Figures 3 and 4. In other embodiments, when the object 3 is detachably secured to the sidewall 9, the mouth-like opening 17 in its entirety can be disposed above the upper rim 1 la of the bowl 1 or disposed below the upper rim 1 la of the bowl 1. When the object 3 is detachably secured to the sidewall 9, one or more parts of the three-dimensional outer surface 15 of the object 5 (e.g., the ears of the character head of FIGS. 1 to 8) can extend over and possibly engage the upper rim 1 la of the bowl 1 as best shown in Figures 3 and 4.
[0018] The bowl 3 can be made of plastic, ceramic, metal, wood, or other material. The object 5 can also be made of plastic, ceramic, metal, wood, or other material. In embodiments, both the bowl 3 and the object 5 can be made of a dishwasher-safe plastic material that can be safely cleaned a dishwasher without risking damage or degradation. Examples of common dishwasher-safe plastic material includes polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, andacrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
[0019] In embodiments, the object 5 has a clip 23 that extends from the outer surface 15 opposite the mouth-like opening 15. The clip 23 has a top part 25a that is configured to extend over the upper rim 1 la of the bowl 1, and a bottom part 25b that removably mates to and engages a rib or tab 27 that extends outward from the exterior surface of the bowl 3 as best shown in Figure 2. The top part 25a of the clip 23 can possibly engage the upper rim 1 la of the bowl 1 when the object 5 is detachably secured to the sidewall 9 of the bowl 1.
[0020] In embodiments, the rib or tab 27 can be formed by an elongate rib structure that extends outward from the exterior surface of the sidewall 9 of the bowl 1 as best shown in Figures 6 and 7. The bottom part 25b of the clip 23 can be configured to generally conform to the exterior surface of the sidewall 9 of the bowl 3. The bottom part 25b of the clip 23 can have an elongate opening 28 (see Figure 7) that can be positioned to surround and removably engage the rib or tab 27 as best shown in Figure 2. The bottom part 25b of the clip 23 can further have a distal tab 29 with a first portion that extends inward toward the bowl 1 and removably engages the lower ledge 1 lb of the bowl 1 as best shown in Figures 2 and 4. Another part of the distal tab 29 can extend outward away from the bowl 1 and can be configured for manual manipulation by finger pressure to deform the clip 23 and position the object 5 with the bottom part 25b of the clip 23 mating to and engaging the rib or tab 27 and the distal tab 29 mating to and engaging the lower ledge 1 lb of the bowl 1 in order to removably secure the object 5 to the sidewall 9 of the bowl 1. The distal tab 29 can also be manually manipulated by finger pressure to deform the clip 23 to disengage the bottom part 25b of the clip 23 from the rib or tab 27 and the lower ledge 1 lb in order to remove the object 5 from the sidewall 9 of the bowl 1 as shown in Figures 6 and 7.
[0021] In other embodiments, other mechanical structures can be used to detachable secure the object 5 to the sidewall 9 of the bowl 1.
[0022] When the object 5 is detachably secured to the sidewall 9 of the bowl 1, a young child can be instructed or allowed to pick up food that is contained within the interior region 13 of the bowl 1 and pass food through the mouth-like opening 13 into the internal cavity of the object 5 as indicated by arrow 31 in Figure 8. The food will fall through the central opening 21 of the object 5 toward the base 7 and the interior region 13 of the bowl 1 as indicated by dashed arrow33 in Figure 8. The object 5 can be detached from the sidewall 9 of the bowl 1 to facilitate cleaning the bowl 1 and the object 5.
[0023] The shape and color of the outer surface 15 of the object 5 can be varied by design. For example, the shape and color of the outer surface 15 can mimic an animated character as seen in a children’s movie and / or a children’s TV show.
[0024] In embodiments, the bowl 1 can be packaged as a kit with one object 5 or with multiple objects 5 of the same or different designs (e.g., different animated character designs).
[0025] The combination of the bowl 3 and one or more object(s) 5 as described herein can be used as a training aid to develop essential eating skills and habits in a young child. For example, the training aid can encourage one or more of the following: hand-eye coordination: picking up food and using utensils helps children refine their motor skills in a fun and engaging way. trying new foods: playful, animal -themed designs can make mealtime more inviting, encouraging kids to explore a variety of foods with curiosity and excitement. longer attention span at mealtimes: the interactive nature of the bowl and object(s) can help children stay engaged, promoting longer sitting times and more focused eating habits.- teaching empathy and sharing: placing food through the mouth-like opening of the object mimics feeding others, which can foster a sense of empathy and the joy of caring for others. blends functionality with creativity to transform mealtime into a delightful experience that nurtures development, inspires curiosity, and strengthens family connections.
[0026] There have been described and illustrated herein several embodiments of a child’s bowl and detachable character head. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. .It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed.
Claims
AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 15 April 2026 (15.04.2026)Claims
1. [Amended] An apparatus comprising: a bowl and a detachable object; wherein the bowl has a base configured to rest on a support surface and a sidewall that forms an upper rim, wherein the base and sidewall defines an interior region configured to hold food therein, and wherein the sidewall of the bowl has an elongate tab that projects from an exterior surface of the sidewall; and wherein the detachable object has a three-dimensional outer surface that is shaped in the form of a head of an animated character or the like, a mouth-like opening leading to an internal cavity, and a bottom or base that defines a central opening that leads into the internal cavity; wherein the detachable object is configured to be detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl wherein the detachable object is positioned relative to the bowl with the mouth-like opening facing space disposed above the base of the bowl and the central opening exiting to the interior region of the bowl; and wherein the detachable object has a clip, wherein the clip has an upper portion configured to extend over the upper rim of the bowl when the detachable object is detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl, and wherein the clip has an elongate opening that surrounds and mates to the elongate tab of the bowl when the detachable object is detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl.
2. [Original] An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the animated character is a human, animal, or fictional character.
3. [Amended] An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the sidewall of the bowl is configured with an annular profile.
4. [Amended] An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the sidewall of the bowl is configured with a curved, frustoconical or other profile.
5. [Cancelled]
6. [Amended] An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the sidewall of the bowl has a lower ledge spaced below the upper rim of the bowl; and the clip has a lower portion configured to engage the lower ledge of the sidewall of the bowl when the detachable object is detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl.
7. [Amended] An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the sidewall of the bowl has a lower ledge spaced below the upper rim of the bowl; and the elongate tab extends between the upper rim and the lower ledge of the bowl.
8. [Amended] An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the clip can be deformed by manual manipulation to selectively secure the detachable object to the sidewall of the bowl and remove the detachable object from the sidewall of the bowl.
9. [Amended] A kit comprising: a bowl and a plurality of detachable objects; wherein the bowl has a base configured to rest on a support surface and a sidewall that forms an upper rim, wherein the base and sidewall defines an interior region configured to hold food therein, and wherein the sidewall of the bowl has an elongate tab that projects from an exterior surface of the sidewall; wherein each detachable object of the plurality of detachable objects has a three-dimensional outer surface that is shaped in the form of a head of an animated character or the like, a mouth-like opening leading to an internal cavity, and a bottom or base that defines a central opening that leads into the internal cavity; wherein each detachable object of the plurality of detachable objects is configured to be detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl wherein the detachable object is positioned relative to the bowl with the mouthlike opening facing space disposed above the base of the bowl and the central opening exiting to the interior region of the bowl; and wherein each detachable object of the plurality of detachable objects has a clip, wherein the clip has an upper portion configured to extend over the upper rim of the bowl when the detachable object is detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl, and wherein the clip has an elongate opening that surrounds and mates to the elongate tab of the bowl when the detachable object is detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl.
10. [Original] A kit according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of detachable objects have a plurality of three-dimensional outer surfaces that are shaped in the form of a head of different animated characters.
11. [Original] A kit according to claim 10, wherein:the different animated characters comprises at least one human, animal, or fictional character.
12. [Amended] A kit according to claim 9, wherein: the sidewall of the bowl is configured with an annular profile.
13. [Amended] A kit according to claim 9, wherein: the sidewall of the bowl is configured with a curved, frustoconical or other profile.
14. [Cancelled]
15. [Amended] A kit according to claim 9, wherein: the sidewall of the bowl has a lower ledge spaced below the upper rim of the bowl; and the clip has a lower portion configured to engage the lower ledge of the sidewall when the detachable object is detachably secured to the sidewall of the bowl.
16. [Amended] A kit according to claim 9, wherein: the sidewall of the bowl has a lower ledge spaced below the upper rim of the bowl; and the elongate tab extends between the upper rim and the lower ledge of the bowl.
17. [Amended] A kit according to claim 9, wherein: the clip can be deformed by manual manipulation to selectively secure the detachable object to the sidewall of the bowl and remove the detachable object from the sidewall of the bowl.
18. [Amended] A method of training a child, including: providing a bowl and a detachable object according to claim 1, wherein the detachable object is secured to the sidewall of the bowl by the clip with food disposed in the interior region of the bowl; and instructing or allowing the child to pick up food that is contained within the interior region of the bowl and pass food through the mouth-like opening into the internal cavity of the detachable object, whereby such food falls through the central opening of the detachable object toward the base and the interior region of the bowl.
19. [Original] A method according to claim 18, further comprising: detaching the detachable object from the sidewall of the bowl to facilitate cleaning the bowl and the detachable object.