EP1055436A2

EP1055436A2 - Modular biscuits shaped like puzzle elements

Info

Publication number: EP1055436A2
Application number: EP00104177A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonio Lauro
Original assignee: Barilla Alimentare SpA
Current assignee: Barilla Alimentare SpA
Priority date: 1999-05-28
Filing date: 2000-02-29
Publication date: 2000-11-29
Also published as: ITMI991191A0; ITMI991191A1; EP1055436A3

Abstract

A kit of biscuits and similar dry food products, for infancy consumption, wherein the biscuits (1 to 4) are provided on their peripheral portions with means (1a-4a; 1b-4b) for mutual removable engagement, and are provided on their surface with drawings or portions of drawings (S), so as to form respective elements of a puzzle game.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention refers to biscuits and similar dry food products, particularly for, but not limited to, infancy consumption.

Background of the invention

With non-limiting reference to baby foods, it is well-known that, with the aim of facilitating baby-food relationship, it is often advantageous to combine the act of feeding with a "game" and how this game and its "results" are generally entrusted to the imagination of the person caring for the baby.
It is also known that, in certain cases and for certain baby foods, such as small pasta, small gluten pasta, small and average-sized biscuits, the above work of imagination can be helped by particular shapes given to the food; for example, biscuits and pasta in the shape of letters, numbers, real or imaginative animals, images of characters popular with children etc. are all available on the market.
Even if advantageous from certain points of view, the above-described baby food and in particular the biscuits, have some drawbacks which in some ways limit their consumption to the first infancy range. In fact, the "shape" given to said foods is generally an end in itself and, consequently, the children, especially older ones, are not stimulated to interact with these foods in order to create a fancy game. The shapes and the "patterns" provided in the biscuits only involve a limited participation of the child to a play, because the child can only recognize and watch these shapes and patterns or be told stories concerning them by an adult with more or less imaginative skills, but they do not effectively reach the predetermined aim: to create an interaction between child and product in order to play a game.

Summary of the invention

The problem underlying the present invention is that of overcoming the above limitation by providing products for babies and children, particularly but not limited to dry biscuits and similar baked products, designed in such a way as to stimulate the young consumers towards a wider range of imaginative games, thus providing a valuable help the person responsible for feeding them.
This problem is solved according to the invention by a kit of biscuits or similar dry baby foods, with the structural and functional features set forth in claim 1.
Further characteristics and advantages of this invention will be explained more in detail in the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, with reference to the enclosed illustrative but non-limiting drawings in which:

Brief description of the drawings

Figs 1 to 4 schematically represent some embodiments of modular biscuits included in the kit of biscuits of this invention.
Figs 5 and 6 schematically show further embodiments of modular biscuits according to an alternative embodiment of this invention.
Fig. 7 and 8 schematically show some imaginative arrangements obtained with the modular biscuits shown in the previous figures.

Detailed description of the invention

With reference to figures 1 to 4, an example of a "first" kit of dry biscuits according to the invention is illustrated. Said kit comprises a first plurality of biscuits 1, 2, 3, 4 of the conventional type, for example, shortcakes and the like, which have various shapes and/or have drawn on their surface parts of real or imaginary animals, characters, caricatures, objects and toys; in the illustrated cases, said biscuits are substantially square and are provided with respective relief patterns 1c, 2c, 3c, 4c which represent four portions of an imaginary "figure" which resembles a filled sack S (fig. 7), in a substantially standing position and with a smiling and winking face drawn on its surface, which face can be recognized only once said biscuits 1 to 4 have been interconnected to one another in a suitable way, as described further below (fig. 7).
Each biscuit of said plurality of biscuits 1, 2, 3, 4 is provided on adjacent sides with an appendix or foot (1a, 2a, 3a and 4a) protruding from the edge of the biscuit and lying substantially in the same plane, and a respective "recess" (1b, 2b, 3b, 4b) formed on the edge of said biscuit, having substantially a conjugate profile with respect to said appendix, and therefore adapted for forming a receiving seat, to obtain a fixed removable engagement with the appendices (1a-4a) of other similar biscuits.
The biscuits 1 to 4 constitute, as can be easily seen in the appended drawings, the elements of a little puzzle.
The child can then combine the different elements of the puzzle, engaging in a proper way the biscuits (1 - 4) with one another, forming the above mentioned figure (fig. 7).
It is to be noted that appendices (1a-4a) and recesses (1b-4b) are obtained when the relevant biscuit (1-4) is formed and that the "patterns" on their surface may be formed as a relief or a carved line.
As a further example according to the alternative embodiment of fig. 5 and 6, a second kit of biscuits comprises substantially semicircular biscuits 7 and 8, which are provided with an appendix 7a and a seat 8a on their straight segment 5a, 6a, wherein the appendix and the seat have a substantially conjugated profile, such as to provide a mutual engagement, almost like a removable fixed joint. The combining of the elements of the puzzle, provided by the biscuits, creates a circular body (fig. 8), provided with patterns, drawings, imprints, simulacra of objects and/or animals, preferably of the imaginary type. In this example, a major portion of said patterns is formed as a relief on said appendix 7a.
It is to be noted that the shape and the size of said appendices and of corresponding recesses of biscuits/elements of an edible puzzle according to this invention, are to be determined in a proper way, in order to take into account the deformations, which the biscuits undergo during the steps of rising and baking, in order to ensure the removable engagement (substantially a fixed joint) among two or more elements, as required by the puzzle game.
Obviously, the means for mutual engagement of biscuits/puzzle elements according to the present invention may be other than the above mentioned appendices and recesses, while the biscuits themselves may have different colors, by admixing appropriate ingredients into the initial dough, as is well known in the art. Moreover, the substantially planar shape of the single biscuits may be varied in an arbitrary way, depending on the overall drawing to be formed or the single biscuits may even have a shape corresponding to the parts of such a drawing.
Other alterations and modifications may obviously be introduced in the above invention, according to circumstantial needs, without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined in the following claims.

Claims

A kit of biscuits and similar dry food products, for infancy consumption, characterized in that said biscuits (1 to 4) are provided on their peripheral portions with means (1a-4a; 1b-4b) for mutual removable engagement, and are provided on their surface with drawings or portions of drawings (S), so as to form respective elements of a puzzle game.
A kit of biscuits and similar dry food products for infancy consumption, characterized in that said biscuits (1 to 4) are mutually removably engageable planar elements of an overall drawing (S), selected from the group comprising objects, animals, real or imaginary figures and the like, each biscuit (1 to 4) being shaped as a part of said drawing (S) and being peripherally provided with means (1a-4a; 1b-4b) for said removable engagement.
A kit of biscuits and similar dry food products according to claim 2, characterized in that said removable engagement means comprise at least one appendix (1a-4a) protruding from the edge of each biscuit (1 to 4) and lying substantially in same plane as the biscuit, and at least one recess (1b-4b) formed on the edge of said biscuit (1 to 4) and having a substantially conjugated profile with respect to said appendix (1a-4a).
A puzzle game comprising a plurality of modular elements, characterized in that said elements are dry biscuits (1-4) or similar baby food products, provided with peripheral means (1a-4a; 1b-4b) for their mutual removable engagement and provided on their surface with drawings or portions of an overall drawing (S).
An edible puzzle game.