GB2308053A

GB2308053A - Cutlery for children

Info

Publication number: GB2308053A
Application number: GB9624266A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vivienne Drummond Jagger
Original assignee: Little People Ltd
Current assignee: Little People Ltd
Priority date: 1995-12-15
Filing date: 1996-11-21
Publication date: 1997-06-18
Also published as: GB9624266D0

Description

Improved Cutlery This invention relates to cutlery and, in particular, cutlery suitable for use by young children and/or babies.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved cutlery comprising a handle portion adapted to be held by a hand of a user, and a food-contacting portion adapted, in use, to contact the food, wherein the handle portion is made of a material which is softer than that with which the food-contacting portion is made of. In addition, the handle portion may be resiliently deformable.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a fork and a spoon according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows the respective side view of the spoon and fork of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the respective top view of the spoon and fork of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows the respective front view of the spoon and fork of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 shows the respective rear viewof the spoon and fork of Fig. I; and Fig. 6 shows the respective bottom view of the spoon and fork of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a fork according to the present invention is shown as generally designated as 100. The fork 100 includes a curved handle 102 which is made

of such thermoplastic rubber materials as Rabalon (Trade Mark) and Kraton (Trade Mark), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Such ensures that the handle 102 is comfortable to hold and prevents slipping between the handle 102 and the user's hand/fingers. Adjacent to the end of the handle 102 adjoining a plastic curved lower portion 104 of the fork 100 are two indentures 106a and 106b symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis of the handle 102 and on the upper surface thereof. The indentures 106a, 106b are suitably sized for receiving at least a part of the thumb of the user.When held in the right hand of the user, the indenture 106b is to receive the thumb of the user, and when held in the left hand, the indenture 106a is to receive the thumb of the user. A number of circular troughs 110 running transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle 102 are provided as recesses for the fingers, e.g. the middle finger, on the lower surface of the handle 102. Such assist in preventing slipping and increasing comfort in use.

A spoon according to the present Invention is also shown in the drawings as generally designated as 200. As in the fork 100 discussed above, the spoon 200 includes a curved handle 202 which is made of such thermoplastic materials as Rabalon (Trade Mark)

and Kraton trade Mark), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Such ensures that the handle 202 is comfortable to hold and prevents slipping between the handle 202 and the user's hand/fingers. Adjacent to the end of the handle 202 adjoining a plastic curved lower portion 204 of the spoon 200 are two indentures 2069 and 206b symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis of the handle 202 and on the upper surface thereof. The indentures 206a 206b are suitably sized for receiving at least a part of the thumb of the user.When held in the right hand of the user, the indenture 206b is to receive the thumb of the user, and when held in the left hand, the indenture 206a is to receive the thumb of the user. A number of circular troughs 210 running transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle 202 are provided as recesses for the fingers, e.g. the middle finger, on the lower surface of the handle 202. Such assist in preventing slipping and increasing comfort in use.

Such improved cutlery are intended for use by children of between 1 and 3 years old and the size thereof is thus designed to fit the hands of such children. In the present embodiments, the direct distance between the end of the handle and that of the lower portion, i.e. the distanced shown in Fig. 1, is in the region of 8 to 14 cm, and preferably about 11 cm.

It should be understood that further modifications may be made to the described embodiments of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, the cutlery may be made in the form of a knife.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Cutlery comprising a relatively resiliently deformable handle member adapted to be held by a hand of a user, and a relatively stiff food-contacting member adapted, in use, to contact the food, wherein the material with which the handle member is made is softer than that with which the food-contacting member is made.

2. Cutlery according to Claim 1 wherein the handle member Is substantially elastically resiliently deformable.

3. Cutlery according to Claim l or 2 wherein the handle member is made of a thermoplastic rubber material.

4. Cutlery according to Claim I or 2 wherein the handle member is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

5. Cutlery according to any of the preceding claims wherein the handle member is curved.

6. Cutlery according to any of the preceding claims wherein the handle member comprises at least one depression for guiding the proper placement of a digit of the user.

7. Cutlery according to Claim 6 wherein the handle member comprises two depressions.

8. Cutlery according to Claim 7 wherein the depressions are at or adjacent an end of the handle member adjoining the food-contacting member.

9. Cutlery according to Claim 8 wherein the handle member comprises the two depressions on its upper surface.

10. Cutlery according to Claim 9 wherein the two depressions are disposed substantially symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of the handle member.

I I. Cutlery according any of the preceding claims wherein the handle member undulates along its longitudinal axis.

12. Cutlery according to Claim 11 wherein the handle member comprises at least one trough member transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof.

13. Cutlery according to any of the preceding claims wherein the food-contacting member is curved.

14. Cutlery according to Claim 13 when dependent on Claim 5 wherein the handle member and the food-contacting member curve in opposite directions.

15. Cutlery according to any of the above claims in the form of a fork.

16. Cutlery according to any one of Claims 1 to 14 in the form of a spoon.

17. Cutlery according to any of the preceding claims wherein the direct distance between the longitudinal ends thereof is between 8 and 14 cm.

18. Cutlery according to Claim 17 wherein the direct distance between the longitudinal ends thereof is substantially 11 cm.

19. Cutlery according to any of the preceding claims for use by children between I and 3 years old.