GB2310196A - A spoon - Google Patents

Description

A SPOON This invention relates to a scoop or spoon for delivering a measured quantity of a powdered substance, and is concerned particularly, but not exclusively, with a spoon for measuring powered milk for mixture with water in the preparation of babies milk.

When preparing babies milk from powdered milk it is important to use the correct ratio of powder to water in order to achieve a consistent and satisfactory quality of milk, and it is therefore necessary to be able to measure the quantity of powder used to a reasonable degree of precision. Previously the quantity of powder has been measured by overfilling a small scoop or spoon having a bowl of known volume, and removing the surplus powder with an implement, e.g. a knife, to obtain a level spoonful. Although this method is efficacious, it requires the use of both hands. which can be inconvenient. such as when the person mixing the milk is looking after a small child at the same time.

According to the present invention there is provided a spoon for delivering a measured quantity of a powdered substance comprising a bowl having an open face, a handle attached to the bowl, and a member movably connected to the handle and movable by means of a hand in which the handle is held to move across the open face of the bowl to displace surplus powder lying above the plane of the open face.

In a convenient embodiment the open face is defined by a substantially uniplanar rim of the bowl and the movable member is a manually actuable bladelike arm having an edge disposed adjacent to and substantially coplanar with the rim the blade-like member being movable parallel to the plane of the rim to and fro across the bowl.

Preferably, the spoon incorporates biasing means which biases the blade like member to a normal rest position adjacent to or alongside the rim of the bowl.

In the preferred embodiment the blade-like member is integrally connected to the handle by a resilient part which acts as a leaf spring to bias the blade-like member to the normal rest position. Most conveniently the handle has a pair of arms which are spaced apart and can be squeezed together for moving the blade-like member across the bowl.

Thus, with a spoon according to this invention a level spoonful of powder can be quickly and easily obtained using only one hand leaving the other hand of the user free for other task, such as holding a container into which the powder is to be delivered or from which the powder is being taken.

A clear understanding of the invention will be gained from the following detailed description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a spoon according to this invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the spoon shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-section of the spoon taken along the line A-A in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of a spoon according to this invention.

With reference to Figures 1,2 and 3 a spoon I comprises a generally oval bowl 2 and an open face defined by a uniplanar rim 3. The bowl 2 has straight side wall portions 4,5 intermediate substantially semi-circular front and rear end wall portions 6,7, and a rounded base. Integrally attached to the bowl is a handle 10. A distal end of a handle 10 comprises an annulus 13, from which extend first and second rectangular arms 11,12 which diverge in the direction away fromv,the annulus 13. The end of the first arm I 1 is connected to the bowl by a fork section comprising two planar parallel elements 14,15 connected by an arcuate cross member 16. A scraper blade 17 is integrally attached to the end of the second arm 12. A forward arcuate portion of the blade 17 has a lower edge positioned normally to abut, or at least lie closely adjacent. the rim 6 of the bowl at one side of the bowl and the blade is shaped to follow the contour of the rim portion against which it abuts. The forward end of the second arm 12 is guided for arcuate movement by the cross member 16 and is engaged beneath a lip 19 provided at the upper edge ofthe member 16. A latch tooth 18 is formed on the cross member 16 at the side remote from the first arm 11, and when the second arm abuts this tooth the blade 17 occupies its normal rest position shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2 shows the position in which the second arm 12 is moulded and this view has been included for ease of illustration. The forward end of the arm 12 is pushed over the latch 18 so that under the inherent resilience of the arm 12 it will be biased against the latch tooth as shown in Figure 1.

In use of the bowl 2 is dipped into a supply of powder so that it becomes over-filled. The arms 11,12 ofthe handle are then squeezed together e.g. between the fingers and thumb of the hand holding the handle, thereby causing the arms to move together and the blade 17 to sweep across the open face bowl 2 and displace the surplus powder lying above the level of the rim 3, which is swept off the bowl and allowed to fall back into the powder container leaving a level spoonful of powder. When the squeezing force is released the arms 11,12 return to the normal rest position due to their resilience. The guide lip 19 serves to maintain the bottom edge ofthe blade 17 in the plane of the rim 3 as it is moved to and fro across the bowl.

In an alternative embodiment of a spoon 24 according to the invention shown in Figure 4. the handle has a planar lower arm 25 projecting from the bowl 29 and lying in the plane of the bowl rim. integrally formed with the distal end of this lower arm is a generally L-shaped upper arm 26 extending towards the bowl 29 and carrying a planar blade 30 of its proximal end. The edge of the blade 30 normally rests against the upper surface of the lower arm 25 adjacent the bowl, and the blade has a length sufficient to span the width of the bowl. A pair of vertical support struts 31,32 engage between the arms close to their distal ends and maintain these ends of the arms in a Vee formation.

After the bowl has been over-filled with powder, the arms are squeezed together, ideally at the position of their greatest separation which causes the upper arm 26 to straighten and thereby cause the blade 30 to slide forwardly across the bowl 29 pushing off any surplus powder above the rim of the bowl. The resilience of the upper arm returns the blade 30 to the normal rest position shown in Figure 4 when the squeezing force is released.

In an alternative embodiment the arms 25,26 are separate and the upper arm is movable longitudinally along the lower arm for moving the blade 30 across the open face of the bowl. A spring acting between the arms would displace the blade through a return stroke.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS:

1. A spoon for delivering a measured quantity of powdered substance comprising a bowl having an open face, a handle attached to the bowl, and a member movably connected to the handle and movable by means of a hand in which the handle is held to move across the open face of the bowl to displace surplus powder lying above the plane of the open face.

2. A spoon according to claim 1, wherein the open face is defined by a substantially uniplanar rim of the bowl, and the movable member has an edge disposed adjacent to and substantially coplanar with the rim, the member being movable parallel to the plane of the rim thereby to level the powder in the bowl.

3. A spoon according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the handle and the movable member are formed integrally.

4. A spoon according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein biasing means bias the movable member to a normal rest position adjacent to or alongside the rim of the bowl.

5. A spoon according to claim 4, including guide means adjacent the bowl for guiding movement of the movable member, the guide means including an abutment defining the rest position.

6. A spoon according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the member is connected to the handle by a resilient part arranged to bias the member to the normal rest position.

7. A spoon according to claim 6, wherein the resilient part has the form of a leaf spring.

8. A spoon according to claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein the handle and the resilient part are formed by a pair of arms spaced apart and arranged to be squeezed together to move the member across the bowl.

9. A spoon substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

10. A spoon substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 4.