EP4251011A1

EP4251011A1 - Food portion control device

Info

Publication number: EP4251011A1
Application number: EP21820179.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Julien JANÉ; Matthias VIDAL
Original assignee: Maju Diet Concept
Current assignee: Maju Diet Concept
Priority date: 2020-11-25
Filing date: 2021-11-24
Publication date: 2023-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2041-11-24
Also published as: EP4251011B1; FR3116514A1; FR3116514B1; US20240000247A1; WO2022112363A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a food portion control device (100) comprising a hollow body (10) defining a useful volume (11), vertical walls (20a, 20b, 20c) dividing the useful volume into at least two compartments (11a, 11b, 11c), and a central axis (40) from which said walls extend radially, said device comprising a movable wall (30a, 30b, 30c) which is vertical in at least one compartment and which is capable of pivoting about the axis (40) in such a way as to cause a volume of use of only said compartment to vary.

Description

Food portion control device

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention belongs to the field of dietetics, and in particular accessories for controlling food portions such as compartmentalized trays. It relates more particularly to a device with volume-adjustable compartments for controlling food portions for dietary and/or nutritional purposes.

STATE OF THE ART

A balanced diet has many benefits and increases the chances of staying healthy. It is generally recommended to adopt a balanced diet which includes eating approximately the same amount of calories as the body consumes to balance energy intake, in order to maintain a body weight considered normal or ideal. according to recognized standards. A balanced diet is governed by a body of knowledge and practices called dietetics.

Dietetics goes beyond nutrition, from which fairly uniform recommendations arise regardless of the individual, taking into account a personal aspect defined by the lifestyle of each individual. Most often, dietetics tends to find the diet best suited to an individual practicing a given physical activity.

In addition to the quality and nutritional value of food, its quantity is decisive in the development of a diet.

Thus, it is necessary to respect precise food portions, for each type of food (animal or vegetable proteins, vegetables and fruits, starches, etc.), in order to comply with the diet followed and to derive the best benefit from it for the health. Food portion control can quickly become a cumbersome day-to-day task without the right tools. A classic solution is to weigh food using a kitchen scale before serving and eating it. This solution requires the use of at least one weighing container which will be soiled by the different foods, and can cause food waste.

Nowadays, various so-called dietary scales have appeared, sometimes associated with dedicated mobile applications allowing nutritional calculations and other personalized follow-ups to be carried out.

The weighing solutions nevertheless remain complex, in view of the caloric calculations to be performed, and impractical.

Also known are “dosing” trays which include several compartments and come in different shapes and sizes. Some have a bottom and can therefore be used as a plate, and others not, like cookie cutters, and simply allow you to delimit on a plate the volumes to be filled with the different foods.

FIG. 1 schematically represents a tray 1 of this latter category, comprising three compartments 1a, 1b and 1c, reserved for different types of food A, B and C. Tray 1 is intended to be placed on a plate 2 The compartments are then filled and the tray removed from the plate.

The major drawback of such a tray is that each of its compartments defines a fixed volume and therefore does not allow the portions to be varied. Therefore, it cannot match people of different builds.

There are volume-adjustable compartment trays marketed under the Portions Master brand, in which a rotating means provided with radial walls is pivotally mounted in the center of a compartmentalized tray such as that of FIG. 1, the radial walls being positioned at inside the compartments parallel to the fixed walls of the tray so that the rotation of the means causes the volumes of said compartments to vary.

In this solution, the volumes of the compartments vary at the same time and are therefore not adjustable independently of each other, which limits the possible combinations of portions. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art set out above by proposing a simple and one-size-fits-all solution, to be used by anyone regardless of their build and diet.

To this end, the subject of the present invention is a device for controlling food portions, comprising a hollow body defining a useful volume, vertical walls dividing the useful volume into at least two compartments, and a central axis from which said said walls. This device is remarkable in that it comprises a vertical movable wall in at least one compartment, capable of pivoting around the central axis so as to vary a volume of use of said compartment alone.

Thus, the volume of use of each compartment provided with a movable wall can be adjusted independently of the other compartments, in other words without modifying the volumes of use of the other compartments.

According to one embodiment, the device comprises three fixed walls delimiting, two by two, three compartments in the useful volume of the body, and a mobile wall in each compartment.

This particular configuration makes it possible to dose the three main types of food consumed in a main course, namely vegetables, starchy foods and meat (and fish).

According to an advantageous embodiment, the body comprises a bottom to serve directly as a plate, and thus avoid soiling an additional utensil.

Advantageously, each movable wall is capable of occupying different angular positions in its compartment, all or part of the angular positions of said wall being identified by indicators located on a peripheral edge of the body.

These indicators correspond to the volume levels of use of each adjustable compartment and allow a calculation of calories for example.

According to one embodiment, each movable wall is able to slide along the central axis, said axis comprising a locking means to release and block this sliding. This sliding is necessary to raise a rigid movable wall before its pivoting and to lower it afterwards, when the latter is immobilized in an indicator in the form of a groove.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the device further comprises a cover capable of hermetically closing the body.

Thus, the device can be transported while being filled with food.

The fundamental concepts of the invention having just been explained above in their most elementary form, other details and characteristics will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows and with regard to the appended drawings, giving by way of illustration non-limiting example an embodiment of a food portion control device in accordance with the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The figures are given for purely illustrative purposes for the understanding of the invention and do not limit the scope thereof. The different elements are represented schematically and are not necessarily to the same scale. In all the figures, identical or equivalent elements bear the same reference numeral.

It is thus illustrated in:

- Figure 1: (already cited) the use of a food portion control tray of the prior art;

- Figure 2: a perspective view of a food portion control device according to one embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 3: another perspective view of the device showing the movement of a movable wall;

- Figure 4: a perspective view of the device with a cover;

- Figure 5: a schematic top view of the device explaining its operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS In the embodiment described below, reference is made to a food portion control device, in the form of a hermetically sealable container, intended primarily for the application of a dietary regimen. This non-limiting example is given for a better understanding of the invention and does not exclude the production of the device in another form, without a bottom for example, and its use for other purposes.

FIG. 2 represents a device 100 for controlling food portions, comprising a hollow body 10 defining a useful volume 11, fixed interior walls 20a, 20b and 20c, movable interior walls 30a, 30b and 30c in the same number as the fixed walls and attached to them in a default configuration, and a central axis 40, integral with the body, on which the movable walls are articulated and from which all the walls extend radially so as to divide the useful volume 11 into several compartments 11 a, 11b and 11c.

Thus, the volume of each compartment 11 can be adjusted by angularly displacing the movable wall 30 associated with it relative to the fixed wall 20 to which said movable wall is initially attached, as will be explained later.

The body 10, according to the illustrated embodiment, has a generally frustoconical shape closed at its small base by a bottom 12, open at its large base by a peripheral edge 14 and delimited laterally by an internal wall 13 connecting said bottom and edge . This particular shape of the body 10 gives the device 100 the appearance of a bowl or a soup plate.

Of course, this shape is not limiting and the body 10 can be cylindrical with a circular, elliptical, polygonal or other section, or else in the shape of a spherical cap slightly flattened at the bottom. The main thing is that the useful volume 11 , which represents the capacity of the device 100, remains sufficient to contain the desired food portions.

At the center of the bottom 12 of the body 10, the central axis 40 is fixed vertically and extends over a height substantially equal to the height of the useful volume 11 so as to arrive at the level of the peripheral edge 14.

The central axis 40 makes it possible to support the internal walls, fixed 20 and mobile 30, these extending radially from said axis as far as the internal wall 13 of the body 10. To this end, the walls 20 and 30 have a shape which matches the internal shape of the body 10, along their lower and lateral edges, the upper edges of said walls being located flush with the edge of the body 10.

The fixed walls 20 are preferably rigidly fixed to the bottom 12 and to the internal wall 13 of the body 10. For example, these fixed walls 20 can be manufactured in one piece with the body 10, by a conventional method such as molding or additive manufacturing (3D printing).

Therefore, the fixed walls correspond to the limits of the compartments. More specifically, the compartments 11a, 11b and 11c are delimited laterally by the fixed walls 20a and 20b, 20b and 20c, and 20c and 20a, respectively.

The movable walls 30a, 30b and 30c allow for their part to vary the volumes of use of these compartments. Indeed, each movable wall 30 is able to move in the associated compartment and to occupy different angular positions so as to adjust the volume of use of said compartment.

The positions that can be occupied by the movable walls 30a, 30b and 30c are identified by indicators 15a, 15b and 15c, corresponding to progressive variations in volume in each compartment and numbered accordingly.

The indicators 15, according to the illustrated embodiment, are grooves intended to receive the movable walls 30 by an upper right part of their side edges.

According to the embodiment described, each movable wall 30 is mounted to slide along the central axis 40 and rotatably around the latter, and comprises at its proximal edge means adapted to form a sliding pivot connection with the central axis 40.

The central axis 40 comprises at its upper end a locking means 45 blocking or authorizing the translational movements of the movable walls 30 along said axis, depending on whether the locking means is closed or open.

Thus, when a movable wall 30 is positioned, under a given indicator 15, its rotational movement relative to the central axis 40 is blocked by the insertion of an upper part of its distal edge into the groove of the indicator, and its translation movement along said axis is blocked by the locking means 45. The locking means 45 can correspond to any mechanism fulfilling the aforementioned function, such as for example a simple threaded plug sliding on a threaded portion of the axis 40 and whose closing and opening correspond respectively to a movement from top to bottom. and from bottom to top.

Recesses are made at the upper edges of the walls 20 and 30 to allow easy access to the locking means 45 by the fingers of the user.

FIG. 3 represents the food portion control device 100 on which an example of movement of a mobile wall is indicated by consecutive arrows.

This is the movable wall 30b which, initially, is attached to the fixed wall 20b as shown. The displacement of this mobile wall towards the position indicated by the indicator 15b for example consists above all in opening the locking means 45 to release the movement of said wall.

First, the movable wall 30b must be raised (right arrow up) until it comes out of the groove materializing the indicator 15b. The exit from the groove is made possible by the particular shape of the distal edge of the movable wall, namely an inclined edge ending in a straight part of length substantially equal to that of said groove.

Then, the mobile wall 30b must pivot around the central axis 40 until it reaches the level of the indicator 15b (arrow curved towards the right).

Finally, the movable wall 15b must fit into the groove 15b until it abuts against the bottom of the body 10 (right arrow down).

The final position of the movable wall 30b is sealed by closing the locking means 45.

The adjustment of the volume of use of the compartments will be explained later with reference to the example of Figure 5.

It should be noted that this particular operation corresponds only to the embodiment described. In alternative modes, the movements necessary to adjust the volumes of the compartments may be different. For example, the movable walls can have a certain flexibility allowing them to directly perform rotations to change position without vertical sliding. In the latter case, the movable walls function as rotary selectors which are released from their positions by elastic deformation.

FIG. 4 represents the device 100 for controlling food portions, further comprising a removable lid 50 to hermetically close the body 10.

The cover 50 is shaped to cooperate with the peripheral edge 14 of the body 10, and has a right side edge of height substantially equal to that of the peripheral edge 14 so that the flat internal face of said cover is in the immediate vicinity of the upper edges of the walls. 20 and 30 when it is properly placed on the body 10.

This makes it possible to limit the mixing of food placed in the compartments when the device 100 is transported and undergoes sudden movements.

The cover 50 can be placed on the body 10 by clipping.

The cover 50 must have a certain flexibility and can therefore be made of silicone or a suitable plastic material, for example.

Optionally, the peripheral edge 14 can be surrounded by an annular seal to seal the closure with the cover 50.

FIG. 5 schematically represents the operation of the device 100 for controlling food portions.

Each compartment 11 a, 11 b and 11 c, the angular extent of which is represented by a two-way circular arrow, has a volume of use Va, Vb and Vc which can be adjusted according to the position of the movable wall 30a, 30b and 30c associated with said compartment.

Indeed, in each compartment, the movable wall can occupy one position among a plurality of positions identified by numbered indicators.

The default configuration of the device 100 corresponds to movable walls 30 attached to the fixed walls 20. This configuration is represented by the movable walls in broken lines. When a movable wall is attached to its associated fixed wall, the volume of use of the compartment is at its maximum and therefore corresponds to the highest level. Thus, any angular offset of a movable wall 30 lowers the volume of use of the compartment. Therefore, the indicator numbering is demoted from the default position. For example, the compartment 11a has a downgrading of the volume level ranging from 5 to 1, and therefore six volume levels, each of which corresponds to a determined volume of use.

In the example of figure 5, the volumes of use Va, Vb and Vc are all set to level 3 according to the graduations of the compartments.

For each compartment, each level corresponds to a determined volume calculated with the dimensions of the device 100.

Given the dietary use of the device 100, each compartment 11a, 11b and 11c is intended for a particular type of food A, B and C. For example, vegetables and legumes, starches and meat and fish .

As a result, the energy value of each portion can be known with great precision depending on the volume filled.

The different data can be grouped together in a document such as a user sheet containing different tables.

Also, a personalized dietary monitoring can be carried out thanks to a mobile application associated with the device 100 and making it possible to provide the user with a program to follow by indicating to him the configuration to be adopted for each meal according to the need.

It is clear from the present description that certain elements of the food portion control device can be modified, replaced or deleted and that certain adjustments can be made to the use of this device, without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the device may not have fixed walls and may have at least three movable walls so that the pivoting of one wall modifies a volume of a compartment delimited by the other two walls without modifying another compartment.

Claims

1. Device (100) for controlling food portions, comprising a hollow body (10) defining a useful volume (11), vertical walls (20a, 20b, 20c) dividing the useful volume into at least two compartments (11a, 11b, 11c), and a central axis (40) from which said walls extend radially, characterized in that it comprises a movable wall (30a, 30b, 30c) vertical in at least one compartment, capable of pivoting around the central axis so as to vary a volume of use of said compartment alone.

2. Device according to claim 1, comprising three fixed walls (20a, 20b, 20c) delimiting, two by two, three compartments (11a, 11b, 11c) in the useful volume (11), and comprising a movable wall (30a, 30b, 30c) in each compartment.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the body (10) has a bottom (12).

4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each movable wall (30a, 30b, 30c) is capable of occupying different angular positions in its compartment (11a, 11b, 11c), angular positions of said wall being marked by indicators (15a, 15b, 15c) located on a peripheral edge (14) of the body (10).

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each movable wall (30a, 30b, 30c) is able to slide along the central axis (40), said axis comprising a locking means (45) for releasing and block this sliding.

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a cover (50) capable of hermetically closing the body (10).