GB2136274A

GB2136274A - Improvements in and relating to spoons

Info

Publication number: GB2136274A
Application number: GB08405148A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Hughes
Original assignee: LOFTUS ANTHONY LOUIS
Current assignee: LOFTUS ANTHONY LOUIS
Priority date: 1983-03-10
Filing date: 1984-02-28
Publication date: 1984-09-19
Also published as: GB8405148D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a spoon comprising a bowl (1) and a handle (2) which are relatively angularly moveable about an axis (4) extending longitudinally of the spoon, relative angular movement being limited to about 180 DEG . Relative angular movement is provided by a shaft coaxial with axis (4) on the bowl (1) which is received in a bore in the handle (2). For holding the bowl and spoon together and limiting relative angular movement, the shaft carries a retractable stud (7) which engages in a slot (8) in the handle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to spoons The present invention relates to improvements in spoons.

According to the present invention there is provided a spoon comprising a bowl and a handle, wherein the bowl is mounted for limited angular movement relative to the handle about an axis extending generally longitudinally of the spoon.

Advantageously, the handle is provided with a preferred rest position which it assumes when resting on a support surface, for example by providing it with a flattened surface portion for contacting the support surface, the bowl being then in a normal position opening upwardly. The bowl is preferably rotatable relative to the handle in both directions when the handle is in its rest position and the bowl in its normal position, and preferably through about 900.

For cleaning purposes, the handle may be detachably connected to the bowl, and this detachable connection may be provided by the means permitting limited relative angular movement.

In a preferred embodiment, the bowl is provided with a shaft which is received within a bore in the handle, the shaft extending coaxially with the axis of relative angular movement of the handle and the bowl, the bowl and handle rotating about the axis of the shaft. The shaft may carry a stud which is engageable in a slot in the handle, interengagement of the stud and slot retaining the bowl and handle together and limiting relative angular movement between the two. The stud may be externally accessible and may be releasably engaged in the slot to permit detachment of the bowl from the handle. For example the stud may be mounted on the shaft for radial movement between an extended and a retracted position, and may be resiliently biased to its extended position.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a spoon according to the present invention shown in a position it will assume resting, for example, on a support surface; Figure 2 is a plan view of the spoon as shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-lV of Figure 3; Figures 5 to 9 show diagrammatically use of the spoon of Figure 1; and Figures 10 and 11 are a plan view and side view respectively of another embodiment of spoon according to the present invention.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the spoon comprises a bowl 1 and a handle 2, both of which may have any suitable overall shape. The handle advantageously has a preferred rest position which it will assume when resting on a support surface, for example, as shown, it has a generally flattened under-surface portion 3 which contacts the support surface, and in this orientation the bowl is in its normal position facing upwardly, as shown in Figure 1.

The bowl is angularly moveable relative to the handle 2 about an axis 4 extending generally longitudinally of the spoon, the relative angular movement being limited. To provide this relative angular movement, the bowl 1 ts provided with a cylindrical shaft 5 which is received within a correspondingly dimensioned cylindrical bore 6 in that end of the handle 2 adjacent bowl 1. The axis of shaft 5 is coaxial with axis 4. Relative angular movement between the handle and bowl is limited, and the handle and bowl are retained together, by a stud 7 carried by the shaft 5 and which engages in a slot 8 in the handle 2. The slot 8 extends circumferentially of the handle over a limited distance to limit relative angular movement.Advantageously, the slot extends over 1 800 and is arranged so that the bowl 1 can pivot relative to the handle 2 through 900 on either side of the rest position of the handle shown in Figure 1.

To permit disengagement of the handle and spoon, for example for cleaning purposes, the slot 8 opens on the outside of the handle to allow access to the stud 7, and the stud 7 is mounted in the shaft 5 to be radially moveable relative thereto between the extended position, as shown, and a retracted position within the shaft. The stud 7 is resiliently biased to its extended position. As shown, the shaft 5 is hollow and receives a Ushaped resilient element 9 which bears against the stud 7 at one end to bias the stud to its extended position relative to the shaft 5. As shown, the element 9 is positioned relative to a lateral opening 10 in the shaft 5 so that it can be removed from the shaft 5.

The above described spoon may be made of any suitable material, such as metal or plastics, or a combination of the two, depending on the requirements on use.

The above described spoon is particularly suited for use by children or invalids who have difficulty with wrist movements. The spoon is designed to operate as shown diagrammatically in Figures 5 to 9. As shown in Figure 5, the spoon is located on a dish containing food in the orientation shown in Figure 1. The spoon can then be moved towards a piece of food to be picked up.

Contact with the piece of food pivots the bowl (Figure 6) and pivoting will continue until a limit position of the bowl relative to the handle is reached (Figure 7) when the bowl will tend to engage under the food. As soon as the food starts to move on to the bowl, the bowl will tend to pivot back (Figure 8) to its normal orientation (Figure 9) in which it can then be conveyed to the mouth. In the mouth, movement of the lips can pivot the bowl to discharge the food into the mouth. In all the above described stages, the handle can stay in its initiai rest orientation so that the entire operation of picking up the food and conveying it to the mouth can be effected without pivoting of the wrist. It will be appreciated in the foregoing that it is essential to have a limit on the pivotal movement of the bowl, otherwise the bowl will simply rotate over the food rather than engaging underneath the food.

It will be appreciated that the bowl and handle of the spoon may take a variety of different shapes. For example, as shown in Figures 10 and 1 the bowl 1 may be connected to the handle 2 by a stem 11 from which the shaft 5 extends. In this embodiment, the construction of the shaft 5, the stud 7, and the bore 6 and slot 8 in the handle 2 are as described above.

Claims

1. A spoon comprising a bowl and a handle, wherein the bowl is mounted for limited angular movement relative to the handle about an axis extending generally longitudinally of the spoon.

2. A spoon according to Claim 1, wherein the handle is provided with a preferred rest position which it assumes when resting on a support surface, the bowl being then in a normal position opening upwardly.

3. A spoon as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the handle is provided with a flattened surface portion for contacting the support surface in the rest position thereof.

4. A spoon as claimed in either Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the bowl is rotatable relative to the handle in both directions of relative rotation, when the handle is in its rest position and the bowl in its normal position.

5. A spoon as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the bowl is rotatable relative to the handle through 900 in either direction when the handle- is in its rest position and the bowl in its normal position.

6. A spoon as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bowl is rotatable through about 1 800 relative to the handle.

7. A spoon as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle is detachably connected to the bowl.

8. A spoon as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bowl is provided with a shaft which is received within a bore in the handle, the bowl and handle being relatively rotatable about the axis of the shaft.

9. A spoon as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the shaft carries a stud which is engageable in a slot in the handle, interengagement of the stud and slot retaining the bowl and handle together and limiting relative angular movement thereof.

10. A spoon as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the stud is releasably engageable in the slot to permit detachment of the handle from the bowl.

1 A spoon as claimed in either Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein the stud is accessible externally of the handle and is resiliently mounted in the shaft so as to be retractable there within to permit release of the handle from the bowl.

12. A spoon substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A spoon substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.