GB2167941A - Set of children's cutlery - Google Patents

Abstract

A set of eating implements for a young child comprises two implements, one including a scoop member 20 for the receipt and retention of food thereon, and the other having a pusher member 16 for the collection and delivery of food to the scoop member 20. The pusher member 16 has a concave wall 28 adapted to contact and snugly receive a complementary edge 21 of the scoop member as the members are brought together and engage to form a line of contact therebetween. Each implement has a handle 14, 18 extending out of the plane containing the line of contact for grasping by a child using the implements. In use, the pusher member 16 is moved over a plate to collect food against the wall 28 thereof, and the members brought together to deliver such food to the scoop member 20. The scoop member 20 with food thereon can then be raised to the mouth for feeding. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Set of children's cutlery This invention relates to cutlery and in particular cutlery for use by a young child.

In the distant past, cutlery for a young child tended to include a straight edged pusher and a circular edged spoon. The problems with such cutlery were firstly that the straight edged pusher tended to allow food being gathered by the pusher to slip away from the sides thereof, and secondly that the straight edged pusher member was not particularly effective to position food onto the circular edged spoon.

Recently, cutlery for a young child has tended to include a blunt pronged fork and spoon set. The problem with such cutlery is that the fork is not particularly effective with regard firstly to a pushing function since the prongs enable food to slip through and secondly to a piercing function since blunt prongs are required for a child's safety.

It is an object of the invention to mitigate or overcome one or more of the above mentioned problems.

A set of eating impliments for a young child in accordance with the invention comprises a pusher having a handle and a pushing portion to collect and push food, and a scoop member having a handle and a scoop portion to receive and retain food, the shape of the pusher portion being shaped so as to encompass snugly a part of the scoop portion, whereby food collected by the pusher portion will be transferred onto the scoop portion when such portions are brought together.

Such eating impliments enable a young child to gather and eat food easily and simply.

The shape of the pusher portion is preferably concave such that food collected is effectively retained and easily pushed along. The shape of the scoop portion meanwhile is suitably convex in order to provide an area onto which food may be stored.

The scoop portion preferably has a flat base, which allows the child to push the scoop around on a plate on which the food is placed.

The longitudinal axis of the scoop and pusher portions are suitably turned in from the longitudinal axis of their respective handles, whereby when the handles are grasped, the scoop and pusher portions are turned towards the body of the user. In this regard, reference is made to GB Publication No.

2122875, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.

The longitudinal axis of the scoop portion is preferably turned in from 30 to 60 from the longitudinal axis of the handle, while the longitudinal axis of the pusher portion is suitably turned in from 5 to 250 from the longitudinal axis of the handle.

The scoop portion is turned in from the handle so that it is not necessary for a child to use muscular effort (something over which young children have little precise control) in order to twist the scoop towards their own mouth ortho food on a plate.

In particular, the scoop portion is turned in such that the user merely has to lift the piece of cutlery to their mouth without having to twist the piece of cutlery so that the scoop portion enters their mouth.

For the pusher, the pusher portion is turned in such that the user can simply push the food around on the plate without having to twist the pusher.

The handles of the scoop and pusher are advantageously of generally round, barrel-shape for easy fist-like grasping by a small child.

The handles of both the pusher and scoop also may be provided with a relatively flattened surface adjacent the pusher and scoop portions for the ball of the thumb of the user to allow gripping and control of the piece of cutlery between the ball of the thumb and the four fingers grasping the handle.

When such a piece of cutlery is used by a small child, the child can comfortably hold and grip the handle with a fist, i.e. the clenched fingers, because of the barrel shaped particularly at the outer end of the handle. The thumb of the small child rests in the flattened surface adjacent the operative portion and to assist in this the handle is preferably slightly curved to bring the relatively flattened surface towards the ball of the thumb. This enables the child to have a positive and comfortable grip and control.

The handles of the pusher and scoop are also preferably arched as viewed from the side of the piece of cutlery. The arching of the handle reduces muscular effort or action required by the child as he merely grasps the piece of cutlery and the pusher or scoop portion assumes the desired position relative to the food on the plate.

The arching is preferably such that when the fist of a child grasps the handle, the ball of the thumb of the child coincides with and so easily rests on the flattened surface without muscular effort to position the thumb, i.e. with the thumb reasonably relaxed.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is plan view of a set of eating implements in use in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is side view of the set of eating implements shown in Figure 1.

A set of eating implements comprises a pusher 10 and a scoop member 12.

The pusher 10 has a handle 14 and pushing portion 16 to collect and push food, while the scoop member 12 has a handle 18 and scoop portion 20 to receive and retain food.

The shape of the pushing portion 16 is so shaped so as to encompass snugly the outer edge 21 of the scoop portion 20, whereby food which has been collected by the pusher portion 16 will be transferred onto the bowl 22 of the scoop portion 20 when the two portions 16 and 20 are brought together.

The bowl 22 of the scoop 12 has a flat convex oval shape, and no rim at the front or on part of the sides.

This enable food to be easily pushed onto the bowl, and easily sucked off into the mouth of the child. A rim 24 starts halfway around the oval base of the bowl 22 on one side and slightly closer to the centre on the other side of the bowl. The rim 24 rises rapidly to a high back 26 which prevents food, on the bowl 22 from being pushed, or slipping off again. The back 26 of the flat oval base curves gently upwards into the handle 18, so thatthere is no deep recess in the bowl 22 which would make it difficult for the child to get food off the bowl and into its mouth.

The pushing portion 16 meanwhile, has an outer concave surface 28 which rises steeply up into the handle 14, the surface 28 terminating with two arms 30 which encompass the bowl 22 of the scoop 12 when the two portions 16 and 20 are brought together.

When the pusher 10 is held for use, the bottom of the surface 28 in the form of a curved pushing edge rests flat on the plate or other eating surface, and the surface 28 itself becomes vertical. When not in use and resting on a flat surface, the edge of the pushing portion curves upwards at each arm 30 from the surface upon which it rests and the surface 28 slants away from the edge. The pushing portion is curved,firstly in order to gather food within the curve and keep it contained within the curve whilst it is pushed towards the scoop, and secondly, so that it fits precisely around the bowl 22 of the scoop, ensuring that all food pushed to the scoop gets transferred onto the bowl. For the latter reason, the curve is not semi-circular, but more like a section of an oval, so that it fits the part of the scoop which has no rim.

The longitudinal axis 32 of the scoop and pusher portions 16 and 20 are turned in from the longitudinal axis 34 of their respective handles 14 and 18, whereby when the handles are grasped by a user, the scoop and pusher portions are turned towards the body of the user.

The handles 14 and 18 are also arched as viewed from the side of the pusher 10 and scoop 12, so as to reduce the muscular effort or action required by the child.

The angles and arches of the scoop 12, the handle 18, and the angle of joining of the bowl 22 to the handle all ensure that food, once on the bowl of the scoop can be easily taken to the mouth without use of fine muscle control or coordination of the arm or hand and without spills.

It is the function of getting food to the mouth which makes it necessary for the handle 18 to be arched to a lower angle than that of the handle 14 of the pusher.

The longitudinal axis 32 of the scoop portion is turned in towards the body greater than that of the longitudinal axis 32 of the pusher portion.

In other words, the handle 14 of the pusher is slightly straighter (when viewed from above) than the handle 18 of the scoop. This is because it is not intended that the pusher be brought to the mouth and the shape of the handle 14 provides the best position for the pusher to push food towards the scoop.

The handles 14 and 18 are also provided with a relatively flattened surface 36 and 38 respectfully, the surface 36 and 38 being adjacent the pusher and scoop portions for the ball of the thumb of the user to allow gripping and control of the piece of cutlery.

With regard to the angling, arching and flattened surfaces of the pusher 10 and scoop member 12, reference should be made to GB Publication No.

2122875.

The handle 14 of the pusher 10 also has a flat area 40 provided at the end of the handle distant from the pusher portion 16, to enable the pusher 10 to remain uprightwhen resting on a flat surface, and not roll over onto its side.

The set of implements 10 and 12 are designed to enable a very young baby to feed itself easily and safely and to help develop muscle control and coordination. Suitably the pusher and scoop are made of plastic, whereby there are no hard edges or sharp points, and is thus entirely safe and comfortable even for very small babies.

The handles 14 and 18 are also barrel shaped for easy grip.

Claims (11)

1. A set of eating implements for a young child comprising a scoop member on one implement for the receipt and retention of food; and a pusher member on another implement for the collection and delivery of food to the scopp member, each implement having an handle, the shape of the members being complementary such that a portion of the scoop member can be snugly received in and form a line of contact with a portion of the pusher member whereby food collected by the pusher member in its said portion is transferred to said portion of the scoop member as the portions are brought together.

2. A pair of eating implements according to Claim 1 wherein said portion ofthe scoop member has a flat base and a convex edge, said portion of the pusher member having a concave surface complementeryto said edge for the defining of food onto the scoop member.

3. A set of eating implements according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said portions define a plane of engagement when they are brought together, which plane contains said line of contact between the two portions, the handles extending from their respective said portions out of said plane.

4. A set of eating implements according to Claim 3 wherein the projections of the handles onto said plane form convergent lines.

5. A set of eating implements according to Claim 4 wherein said portions define a line of approach in said plane when they are brought together, said convergent lines defining different angles with said line when the scoop member portion is received in the pusher member portion.

6. Aset of eating implements according to Claim 5 wherein the projection of the scoop member handle defines a larger angle with said line than does the pusher member handle.

7. A set of eating implements according to Claim 6 wherein said angles are respectively in the ranges 30" to 60 and 5" to 25 .

8. A set of eating implements for a young child comprising matching first and second implements, the fist implement having a scoop member with a flat section for resting on a surface and for the receipt and retention of food thereon, and the second implement having a pusher member including a concave wall forthe collection and delivery of food to the scoop member, the flat section of the scoop member being formed with a convex edge which complements the concave wall such that said edge is received by and forms a line of contact with the wall as the scoop and pusher members are brought together along a line of approach, each implement including an arched handle extending out of the plane of said flat section when the members are brought together and in a manner such the projections of the handles onto said plane define convergent lines making different acute angles with said line of approach.

9. A set of eating implements according to Claim 1 or Claim 8 wherein each handle is formed with a flattened surface portion for engagement bythe thumb of a user when the handle is gripped.

10. A set of eating implements according to Claim 1 or Claim 8 wherein the scoop member is formed with a back wall for retaining on the scoop member food delivered thereto by the pusher member.

11. A set of eating implements according to Claim 1 or Claim 8 wherein the shape of the scoop member in plan view is oval, said line of contact extending around an end thereof.