GB2475031A

GB2475031A - A support or holder having an arm portion with variable resilience

Info

Publication number: GB2475031A
Application number: GB0916100A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Julie Anne Overthrow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-09-15
Filing date: 2009-09-15
Publication date: 2011-05-11
Also published as: GB0916100D0

Abstract

A support device comprises a holder10for receiving an object such as a feeding utensil (e.g. baby bottle or a cup), a container (e.g. paint pot) or an electronic item (e.g. Sat Nay or mobile phone etc.) and a flexible arm14arranged to support the holder at one end of the arm and configurable to position the object in a desired orientation relative to a user. The device further comprises an attachment means16for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the user, and coupled to the arm at an opposite end to that of the holder12, and an actuator18operably coupled to the arm14and arranged to control the resilience of at least a part26of the arm, so that, in use, the arm14can be resiliently deformed such that it returns substantially to a desired orientation relative to the user, in the event that the holder12and/or arm14are displaced. The support device thereby has improved safety characteristics over existing support devices. The portion of the arras with variable resilience26may be a spring and the actuator18maybe a sleeve that slides on the arm14.

Description

A POSITIONABLE SUPPORT DEVICE

The present invention relates to support devices, and particularly relates to positionable support devices for holding objects, such as feeding utensils or containers, in a desired position relative to a user.

One application of the positionable support device of the present invention is as a feeding device, and in particular, as a child's feeding device.

Child feeding devices are commonly known in the prior art. The devices may take the form of a supporting arm with a holder that can hold a feeding utensil, such as baby bottle or cup etc. Such devices are useful to parents and carers of children who able to feed from a baby bottle or cup without the constant attention of the parent/carer, or otherwise, in situations where the child can be monitored during feeding but without the need for the parent/carer to continuously hold the utensil.

Typically, many of the feeding devices also include some form of clamping mechanism, usually a clip or vice, that enables the device to be attached to the child's feeding chair, car seat, cot or other seating apparatus.

However, although the use of support devices for feeding can be beneficial to a parent or carer, there is a potential risk with many of the prior art devices that the child can sustain injury or harm if the child inadvertently comes into abrupt contact with the device during feeding and subsequent use. Such a risk generally arises due to the support devices having substantially rigid or semi-rigid support arms, and/or other components or fixings that are fabricated from typically hard materials, such as metals and hard plastics. Therefore, a child or other user may sustain bruising and/or cuts if he/she accidentally comes into contact with certain parts of the device.

Moreover, this risk can be increased significantly in environments where the chances of the child or user coming into abrupt contact with the feeding device are more likely, such as when the device is attached within a car, whereby deceleration of the vehicle, e.g. due to braking to avoid an obstacle or as a result of a collision, may cause the child or user to move within his/her seat so that abrupt contact with the device occurs.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is a provided a support device, comprising: a holder for receiving an object; an arm arranged to support the holder at one end of the arm and configurable to position the object in a desired orientation relative to a user; an attachment means for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the user, and coupled to the arm at an opposite end to that of the holder; and an actuator operably coupled to the arm and arranged to control the resilience of at least a part of the arm, so that, in use, the arm can be resiliently deformed such that it returns substantially to the desired orientation relative to the user, in the event that the holder and/or arm are displaced.

References herein to a "user" are to be taken to include, but are not intended to be limited to, a child, a disabled child or disabled adult, an elderly person or any other person or individual requiring support of an object or item in close or nearby proximity to that person or individual, irrespective of their age or health. In the case of a child, this is intended to cover any young person between the ages of birth and up to infant, whereby feeding via a baby bottle, cup or other utensil can be achieved.

Moreover, references herein to an "object" are to be understood to include any suitable form of feeding utensil, such as a bottle, cup, baby bottle, baby cup or other container for delivery of liquids, semi-solid (e.g. liquidised) or solid foodstuffs etc. In addition, in other applications of the support device, the "object" may relate to containers, such as paint pots, jars, flower pots, or books or "objects" such as portable electronic devices, for example, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), MP3 players (e.g. IPods) or Sat Nays etc. The provision of an actuator arranged to control the resilience of at least part of the arm, so that the arm can be resiliently deformed, enables the device of the present invention to readily absorb impacts should the user come into abrupt contact with the device. As a result, the arm and/or holder can be easily deflected by the user should the user accidentally or intentionally hit the holder or arm during feeding or subsequent use, for

example.

In this way, by controlling the resilience of the arm, it is possible to advantageously avoid exposing the user to an immoveable support arm or holder, unlike some of the support devices in the prior art. Hence, should the user make abrupt contact with the arm or holder, the arm or holder will be easily moved, thereby minimising, or otherwise eliminating, the risk that the user will sustain injury or harm. In other words, the resilience of the arm effectively "cushions" any impact asserted upon it or the holder by the user, as the energy of the impact is mostly converted into a kinetic energy of movement of the holder/arm away from the point of contact with the user.

Hence, it is evident that the support device of the present invention significantly reduces the risk of injury or harm to a user, and therefore it markedly improves safety during feeding and/or subsequent use, while also providing reassurance to the parent or carer.

However, in addition to the improved safety characteristics of the support device, the resilience of the arm also allows the arm to return to substantially the same orientation that it had prior to the impact with the user. Therefore, the support device has an inherent or "automatic position re-setting" functionality that enables it to return to its essentially original orientation and/or configuration, without the need for the parent/carer to re-adjust the arm or holder. Thus, should the arm and/or holder undergo displacement by the user (i.e. due to an impact), the resilience of the arm will not only absorb much of the energy of the impact, but will also return the holder and/or arm to essentially their original orientations relative to the user.

It is to be understood that the resilience of the arm is selected to be such that the arm or holder are not allowed to return back (i.e. "snap back") to their positions with any significant energy. Therefore, there is no risk of the user sustaining any injury due to the holder and/or arm resiliently returning to their original orientations following impact with the device.

The arm is preferably flexible, in that it is able to bend, deform or otherwise contort so as to be inherently poseable, and preferably includes a resilient member along at least part of its length. The resilient member is preferably responsible for imparting resilience to the arm, or otherwise for enhancing the resilience of the arm in that part of the arm along which the resilient member is located or resides.

The resilient member is preferably located towards the end of the arm that is coupled to the attachment means, and is most preferably located and fixed at the end of the arm. However, it is to be understood that the resilient member may also be located at other positions along the length of the arm, depending on the particular resilient characteristics desired for the arm.

In preferred embodiments, the actuator is arranged to control the resilience of the arm by selectively inhibiting the lateral movement of the resilient member. As a result, the resilience of the arm can effectively be altered by either inhibiting or facilitating the resilient characteristics imparted to the arm by the resilient member. The actuator is preferably in the form of a releasable locking member, which may comprise a moveable sleeve or collar mounted around the arm. The collar is preferably arranged to be moveable between a first position, whereby it substantially overlays the location of the resilient member, and a second position, whereby it overlays a part of the arm that is free of the resilient member.

Preferably the collar is rigid or at least semi-rigid.

Hence, in this way, by moving the collar to the first position it is possible to inhibit the lateral movement of the resilient member by virtue of the collar, i.e. in other words, the collar prevents the arm from bending or deflecting in the region of the resilient member; while moving the collar to the second position, allows the resilient member to bend or deflect thereby causing the arm to resiliently move away from, and return to, its original orientation.

Controlling the resilience of the arm in this way is particularly advantageous, as not only does it allow the safety of the feeding device to be markedly improved, but it also enhances the convenience for the parent or carer, as they can decide to inhibit the resilience of the arm when the user is in an environment where the risk of injury or harm is low, e.g. such as at home or in the garden. As a result, the arm can then be fixed in a desired orientation and the safety of the user can be monitored by the parent or carer while feeding. Thereafter, should the parent or carer wish to leave the user unattended, while they perform another task within the vicinity of the user, they can then move the collar to the second position and allow the arm to resiliently deform should any abrupt contact occur.

The collar preferably has a length that is relatively shorter than the length of the arm, and most preferably has a length of between 10%-20% of the length of the arm. However, it is to be understood that the length of the collar may have any suitable value, depending on the length of the arm and the length of that part of the arm in which the resilient member is located.

In another embodiment, the actuator may be in the form of a switch, preferably a slidable switch operably coupled to the arm, which can slide into a first position to inhibit the lateral movement of the resilient member, or slide into a second position to enable the arm to resiliently deform. In this way, the resilience of the arm can therefore be effectively turned off' or on', by way of sliding the switch between the first and second positions. However, it is to be understood that any suitable form of actuator may be used in conjunction with the support device of the present invention. Moreover, any suitable form of switch or reversible actuating mechanism, or any combination of switch, sleeve or collar etc. may be used to control the resilience of the arm.

The resilient member is most preferably in the form of a helical spring, connected to the end of the flexible arm. However, any other suitable spring. elastomeric material or biasing means may alternatively be used.

Moreover, the resilient member may be comprised of several components (e.g. several springs), one or more of which may be of a different type to the other etc. In some embodiments, the resilient member may directly couple the arm to the attachment means. Therefore, the arm may be connected to the attachment means by way of a helical spring.

The flexible arm preferably comprises a core portion in the form of a poseable linkage, most preferably a cylindrical linkage. The linkage allows the arm to be deformed and configured into any desired shape and/or be positioned in any required orientation. In this way, the holder and utensil can thereby be moved into position relative to the user so that feeding or some other activity can be facilitated. Preferably, the linkage itself is not resilient, or at least not sufficiently resilient so as to return to its original shape/configuration after adjustment etc. It is to be understood, however, that the arm may alternatively comprise any suitable deformable member (e.g. such as a relatively thick wire), which is either fabricated as a single continuous component or else is formed from a plurality of inter-connected segments, each being articulated relative to the other etc. To further improve the safety characteristics of the support device of the present invention, the arm may also be fully, or partially, covered or coated along at least part, or all, of its length by any one of the following: a foam or foam-like layer, a rubberised coating, a plastic coating or a fabric material, or any combination thereof. Hence, in this way, the arm may therefore absorb more of the energy of an impact, and consequently further "cushion" the effects of the contact between the user and the arm.

Thus, it is to be understood that any suitable material may be used to cover or coat the arm to thereby improve its impact absorbing characteristics. The most preferred materials are ideally depressible, in that the surface of the materials depress under the action of a force, of a magnitude less than or equivalent to that exerted by a user. Therefore, the use of rubber, foam and plastic materials is intended to correspond to such varieties that are of a type that may be depressed to thereby cushion an impact. The most preferable material is a high density foam, such as EVA foam, which is known to have very good impact absorbing characteristics, while being sufficiently resilient to resist tearing or breakage of the foam. This latter feature is important in applications where the support device is to be used with a child or disabled person etc. as it prevents pieces of foam material from being broken off, which otherwise could present a choking hazard to the child or disabled user etc. Moreover, in addition, the use of high density EVA also increases the longevity of the device by resisting wear and tear', while also maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the device.

The holder is preferably substantially flexible. Therefore, the holder is preferably fabricated from a resiliently deformable material, such as foam, a foam-like material or rubber etc. As a result, the holder may also advantageously absorb energy from any impacts with the user, thereby further improving the safety of the device. Moreover, due to the inherent flexibility of the holder, the holder is able to stretchably deform, in that it is able to stretch/extend preferably along its length and/or laterally across its width. In this way, the holder is capable of accommodating differing sizes of object, which allows it to be used with a wider range of feeding utensils (e.g. bottles and cups etc.), containers or other devices etc., thereby increasing convenience for the parent, carer, or user. In some embodiments, the holder may even be shaped, and/or be sufficiently resilient, to accommodate bowls or other similarly sized objects.

Furthermore, the use of foam or rubber for the holder is particularly advantageous, as these materials also increase the frictional grip exerted on the utensil, so that the risk of a baby bottle or cup etc. slipping out of the holder is significantly reduced, or essentially eliminated.

The holder is preferably in the form of a generally elongate, hollow cylindrical sleeve, which is open at one end to receive an object, such as a feeding utensil, and may be either sealed or open at the other end.

The holder may also comprise one or more slots, preferably elongate in form, to receive protrusions extending from the object, e.g. handles on a baby cup etc. Therefore, the provision of the slots widens the range of objects that can be used with the support device of the present invention, thereby increasing convenience for the parent, carer or user etc. However, it is to be appreciated that any suitable form of holder capable of gripping and supporting an object of a type intended for use with the present invention may be used in conjunction with the support device as described herein. Moreover, in the case of electronic devices, the holder may be shaped to reciprocally conform with the shape of the electronic device, e.g. a casing of a mobile phone etc. The support device may also comprise an adjustment means for coupling the arm to the attachment means. The adjustment means is preferably arranged to adjust the angular orientation of the arm relative to the attachment. Therefore, in addition to the poseable, flexible arm, the angle at which the arm can be oriented can also additionally be adjusted by virtue of the adjustment means. An advantage of having an additional adjustment mechanism is that more orientations and/or configurations of the arm relative to the user can be adopted, thereby providing the parent or carer with more opportunities for different feeding positions and angles etc. Moreover, the adjustment means may further enhance the safety of the device, as the holder can be angled/oriented in such a way that the risk of abrupt contact with the user is further reduced.

The adjustment means preferably comprise an adjustable clamp, attached to, or otherwise integral with, the attachment means. The clamp is preferably arranged to receive the end of the flexible arm at which the resilient member preferably resides (e.g. the end opposite to the end supporting the holder) and to hold the end by way of a frictional clamping action, which is preferably actuated by a threaded screw, which may pass through the end of the arm. The threaded screw preferably terminates with a control knob, which is preferably ergonomically designed to facilitate ease of tightening/release of the screw.

However, it is to be appreciated that any other suitable form of adjustment means may be used to couple the arm and/or resilient member to the attachment means, so as to permit the angular orientation of the arm to be adjusted relative to the attachment means.

The attachment means of the support device preferably comprise an adjustable clamping mechanism, which is most preferably in the form of a vice, or vice-like arrangement, having a pair of reversibly closable jaws.

In preferred embodiments, the closable jaws are controlled by way of a threaded screw, which serves to alter the separation between the jaws so that they can attach the support device to a surface proximate to the user, e.g. an arm of a car seat or an edge of feeding tray of a high chair etc. The threaded screw preferably terminates with a control knob, which is preferably ergonomically designed to facilitate ease of opening/closing the jaws of the vice.

However, it is to be understood that any suitable attachment means, clamping mechanism or otherwise, may be used to attach the device of the present invention to a fixed surface. References herein to a "surface" are therefore to be taken to refer to any suitable fixing surface or anchor point, whereby the device can be releasably attached, fixed or coupled near to, close by or otherwise, in the vicinity of, the user. Therefore, examples of surfaces to which a child's feeding device may be attached, include, but are not limited to, arms or supports of car seats, feeding trays/platforms of a high chair, arm rests of a high car, arms of a pushchair, buggy, pram or baby swing chair, sides/ends of cots and so on.

In feeding applications, convenience for the parent or carer may be further enhanced, by the provision of a feeding container. The feeding container is preferably coupled to the attachment means and is arranged to receive foodstuffs, such as solid food and/or semi-solid foods (e.g. baby food, finger food and snacks etc.). The container is preferably pivotally coupled to the attachment means to thereby permit the orientation of the container to be changed relative to the attachment means. In this way, the container may therefore be oriented so that it remains substantially horizontal (i.e. relative to the surface of the ground etc.) to avoid spillage of the foodstuff, and/or otherwise to facilitate ease of delivery of the foodstuff to the user by the parent or carer. Hence, irrespective of the orientation of the device itself, the container may be positioned so that the contents of the container do not spill out or otherwise overflow from the container.

The container is most preferably a bowl. However, other forms of container may alternatively be used, depending on the particular foodstuff intended to be delivered to the user. Preferably, the bowl is coupled to the attachment means by way of a universal ball joint, or other pivotable coupling, that permits the orientation of the bowl to be altered relative to the attachment means.

The coupling between the attachment means and the container may also be releasable, so that one or more different containers can be inter-changed, thereby further increasing the convenience for the parent or carer.

The feeding device may further comprise a handle attached to the holder to facilitate positioning of the holder and/or arm relative to the user, and to also permit ease of carrying of the device. The handle may take the form of any suitable device, which can assist with the movement and positioning of the holder and/or arm, and is most preferably, a substantially rectangular hoop that is fixed to the holder proximate to the location at which the arm is attached.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a support device, comprising: a holder adapted to hold an object; an arm arranged to support the holder at one end of the arm and configurable to position the object in a desired orientation relative to a user; and an attachment means for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the user, and coupled to the arm at an opposite end to that of the holder, wherein at least one of the holder, the arm and the attachment means comprises an outer surface that is arranged to resiliently deform in response to physical contact with the user to thereby absorb part of the energy from the contact.

The provision of an outer surface that is arranged to resiliently deform in response to physical contact with the user, significantly improves the safety of the support device as the user is able to avoid encountering a hard surface during an abrupt contact with the device. In terms of the holder, the "outer surface" preferably corresponds to the external surface of the body of the holder, which as discussed in relation to the preceding aspect of the invention, is preferably fabricated from a resiliently deformable material, such as foam or a foam-like material, or rubber etc. In the case of the arm and/or the attachment means, the "outer surface" may correspond to covering or outer layer of: a foam or foam-like layer, a rubberised coating, a plastic coating or a fabric material, or any combination thereof. Hence, in this way, the arm and/or the attachment are able to absorb at least part, or most, of the energy of an impact, and consequently "cushion" the effects of the contact between the user and the device.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a support device, comprising: a holder for receiving an object; an arm arranged to support the holder at one end of the arm and configurable to position the object in a desired orientation relative to a user; and an attachment means for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the user, and coupled to the arm at an opposite end to that of the holder, wherein the holder is fabricated from a resiliently deformable material which is able to stretchably deform in order to accommodate and grip different sizes of object.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a support device, comprising: a holder for receiving an object; an arm arranged to support the holder at one end of the arm and configurable to position the utensil in a desired orientation relative to a user; an attachment means for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the user, and coupled to the arm at an opposite end to that of the holder; and a container coupled to one of the arm or the attachment means and configurable to enable the orientation of the container to be changed relative to the arm and/or the attachment means.

It is to be understood that any of the features and/or functionality of the support device according to any one of the aspects of the present invention may be used with and/or form part of the device according to any of the other aspects of the invention. Therefore, any embodiments of a particular aspect are not intended to be mutually exclusive, and consequently one or more embodiments may be consistent with more than one of the aspects of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 -shows a front view, and part cross-sectional view, of a support device according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 -shows a reverse view, and part cross-sectional view, of the support device of Figure 1 in a different orientation; Figure 3 -shows a side view of another embodiment of the support device of the invention having an attached container; and Figure 4 -shows a perspective view, from the front and to one side, of the support device of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1, there is a shown a particularly preferred S embodiment of the support device according to the present invention. In this specific example, and in each of the specific examples shown in the remainder of the figures, the support device is implemented as a child's feeding device. However, it is to be appreciated that these examples are non-limiting and therefore the support device may be implemented within other (non-feeding) applications without sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

The feeding device 10 comprises a holder 12 for receiving a feeding utensil (not shown), a flexible arm 14 arranged to support the holder, an attachment means 16 for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the child, and a releasable locking member 18 coupled to the arm.

The holder 12 is a generally elongate, hollow cylindrical sleeve which is sealed at one end and open at the other. The open end is sized to receive a utensil, typically a conventional baby bottle or baby cup, which is inserted into the opening and which is then gripped, via frictional engagement, by the internal surface of the holder 12. The holder 12 is fabricated from a flexible foam, such as high density EVA foam, which is able to flex sufficiently so as to permit slightly different sizes of utensil to be accommodated within the holder., while resisting breakage and tearing.

An additional advantage of fabricating the holder 12 from a flexible foam is that it is able to absorb more energy should the child come into abrupt contact with the holder 12 while feeding or playing etc. By "abrupt contact" we mean, for example, whereby the child hits, kicks or otherwise interacts with the device in a sudden or unexpected manner.

Although, the holder 12 in Figure 1 is sealed at one end, it is to be appreciated that in other embodiments, as shown in Figure 4, both ends may be open. Having an opening or open end at the bottom of the holder 12 (i.e. at the end opposite to the end at which the utensil is inserted) allows for easy cleaning of the holder 12, should any drips of spills occur during feeding etc. Moreover, it can also facilitate the removal of the utensil by allowing the parent or carer to exert a pushing force on the bottom of the utensil.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the holder 12 also contains an elongate slot that runs essentially along most of the vertical length/height of the holder 12. The purpose of the slot 20 is to allow any handle of other protrusion on the utensil to be accommodated in the slot, so that the utensil can be fully inserted into the holder 12. An advantage of including a slot 20 in the holder 12 is that a wider range of utensils can be used in conjunction with the feeding device of the present invention, thereby increasing convenience for the parent or carer.

It is to be appreciated that any number of slots 20 may be included in the holder 12 to accommodate different types of baby bottles and baby cups etc. The flexible arm 14 contains a core portion in the form of a poseable cylindrical linkage 22. The linkage 22 allows the arm 14 to be deformed and configured into any desired shape and/or be positioned in any required orientation, as shown in the example of Figure 2. In this way, the holder 12 and utensil can therefore be moved into any position relative to the child, so that feeding can be facilitated.

The linkage 22 is fabricated from metal and consists of a plurality of short inter-connected tubular sections, each being articulated relative to the other. The articulated sections therefore provide the linkage with the functionality to be configured into any desired shape and/or orientation.

The linkage itself is not resilient, in that, once the position of the arm 14 is set in the desired orientation and position, the arm will remain in that configuration until the arm 14 or the holder 12 etc. are acted upon by the child, parent or carer. Therefore, once set, the arm 14 and holder 12 will remain in position, without any tendency for the arm to move under its own action.

Referring again to Figure 1, the arm 14 is covered in a coating 24 of, flexible foam, again a high density EVA foam. The purpose of the foam coating 24 is to absorb energy during an impact with the arm 14, so as to thereby "cushion" the effects of any contact between the child and the arm 14. In this way, the risk of the child sustaining an injury while feeding is significantly reduced, as the child is prevented from coming into direct contact with the metal surface of the linkage 22.

The thickness of the coating may be between 5 mm to 20 mm depending on the density of foam. However, any other suitable thickness may be used depending on the size/thickness of the linkage 22, and the required energy absorbing characteristics of the coating.

Alternative materials for the coating include soft rubber, or rubber-like materials, soft plastics and even fabrics. References herein to "soft rubber" and "soft plastics" are intended to relate to rubber and plastic materials which are depressible under the action of a force, typically of a magnitude less than or equivalent to that exerted by a child on impact with the material. Hence, in other words, "soft" is intended to relate to materials that can be readily (and resiliently) squashed by contact with the child.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the arm 14 includes a resilient member along at least part of its length. The resilient member is a helical spring 26 that is located at the end of the arm (i.e. opposite to the end at which the holder is supported) and couples the arm to the attachment means 16, via adjustment means 28 (discussed below). In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the helical spring 26 is fixed to the end of the linkage 22, thereby imparting resilience to the lower end portion of the arm 14. The spring 26 is selected so that it is able to exert a restoring force which is sufficient to resiliently restore the position of the arm 14 (i.e. due to deformation (bending) of the spring) in the event that the holder and/or arm undergo displacement by the child.

To protect the spring 26 and further increase safety for the child, the spring 26 is encased within the foam coating 24 of the arm 14. However, in other embodiments, the spring 26 may be external to, or protrude beyond, the coating 24, and instead may comprise its own soft helical coating of foam or rubber etc. An actuator in the form of a releasable locking member, comprises a rigid plastic moveable sleeve or collar 18 which is arranged to slide over and along the arm 14. The function of the collar 18 is to control the resilience of the arm 14, 50 that the arm can be resiliently deformed. The ability of the arm 14 to undergo resilient deformation, enables the feeding device of the present invention to readily absorb impacts should the child come into abrupt contact with the holder 12 and/or arm 14 of the device.

Hence. should the child hit, kick or otherwise come into sudden contact with the arm 14 or holder 12, the arm or holder will be easily deflected, by virtue of the spring 26, thereby minimising, or otherwise eliminating, the risk that the child will sustain injury or harm.

To control the resilience of the arm 14, the collar 18 can be moved along the arm so as to selectively inhibit the lateral movement of the spring 26.

Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, when the collar 18 is positioned at the lower end portion of the arm 14, it then resides over the spring 26, which has the effect of preventing the spring from being deformed. Hence, in this configuration the arm 14 has little, or no, resilience and therefore should the holder 12 or arm 14 be displaced, the holder or arm will not return back to their original orientations and positions. In this situation, the parent or carer will then need to re-position the device so that feeding of the child can re-commence.

However, in the event that the child makes abrupt contact with the device when the collar 18 is inhibiting the resilience of the arm 14, the energy absorbing characteristics of the holder 12 and arm coating 24 can be relied upon to minimise any risk of injury or harm to the child.

It is envisaged that a parent or carer may want to inhibit the resilience of the arm when the child is in an environment where the risk of injury or harm is low, e.g. such as at home or in the garden etc. As a result, the arm 14 can then be fixed in a desired orientation and the safety of the child can be monitored by the parent or carer while feeding.

However, should the parent or carer wish to continue feeding without directly monitoring the child, they can then move the collar 18 along the arm 14, as shown in Figure 2, thereby allowing the spring 26 to deform when the arm 14 is acted upon by the child. Hence, in this situation, the arm 14 is able to resiliently deform should the child hit, kick, or otherwise come into sudden contact with the holder 12 or arm 14.

Therefore, the holder 12 and arm 14 are able to move away from the child should abrupt contact occur, thereby avoiding exposing the child to any immovable surfaces and consequently minimising the risk of injury or harm to the child.

It is to be appreciated that the collar 18 is sized so that it is free to move along the arm 14 by sliding it backwards and forwards, as necessary.

However, the collar 18 is selected to have a "snug fit" around the arm 14 so that it is unable to unintentionally move without the direct intervention of the parent or carer. Moreover, the collar 18 is further held in place by action of friction between the coating 24 of the arm and the collar, which in the case of rubber and soft plastics, is more than sufficient to prevent movement of the collar. Therefore, there is no risk of the collar 189 sliding along the arm 14 to accidentally inhibit the resilience of the arm 14 without the parent or carer being aware.

The collar 18 has a length/vertical height of around 10% of the length of the arm 14, and is ideally in the range of 5cm to 10cm. However, any suitable length/vertical height can be used depending on the particular size and configuration of the feeding device.

The spring 26 can directly couple the arm 14 to the attachment means 16.

However, as shown in the example of Figures 1 and 2, the arm 14 is coupled to the attachment means via an adjustment means 28. The function of the adjustment means 28 is adjust the angular orientation of the arm 14 relative to the attachment means 16. Therefore, in addition to the inherent poseability of the arm 14, the angle at which the arm can be oriented can also additionally be adjusted by virtue of the adjustment means. An advantage of having an additional adjustment mechanism is that more orientations and/or configurations of the arm relative to the child can be adopted, thereby providing the parent or carer with more opportunities for different feeding positions and angles. Moreover, the adjustment means 28 may further enhance the safety of the device 10, as the holder 12 and utensil can be angled/oriented in such a way that the risk of abrupt contact with the child is further reduced.

Therefore, in the example of Figures 1 and 2, the arm 14 is coupled to the adjustment means 28 via spring 26. The base of the spring 26 is enclosed within a rigid cylindrical cap or socket 32 to facilitate connection with the adjustment means. The socket 32 may form part of the end of the arm 14 itself, or else may be part of the adjustment means 28. The adjustment means 28 comprises an adjustable clamp, which is able to hold the socket 32 by way of a frictional clamping action, actuated by a threaded screw 30. The screw 30 passes laterally through the socket 32 to thereby allow the arm 14 to pivot about the axis of the screw 30.

The screw 30 terminates with a control knob, which is ergonomically designed to facilitate ease of tightening/release of the screw and clamp.

The ergonomic design encompasses no sharp edges etc. to thereby improve safety for the child.

It is to be appreciated, however, that any suitable form of adjustment means 28 may be used in conjunction with the feeding device 10 of the present invention, in order to couple the arm 14 to the attachment means 16 and to facilitate the adjustment of the angular orientation of the arm relative to the attachment means. Moreover, the adjustment means 28 may be a separate component to the attachment means 16 or else form part of the attachment means 16 itself, while in other embodiments, the adjustment means could be fabricated as part of the arm.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the attachment means 16 comprise an adjustable clamping mechanism in the form of a vice having a pair of reversibly closable jaws 34. The closable jaws 34 are controlled by way of a threaded butterfly screw 36, which serves to alter the separation between the jaws 34 so that they can attach the feeding device 10 to a surface proximate to the child, e.g. an arm of a car seat or an edge of feeding tray of a high chair etc. The body of the vice is generally hemispherical, with smooth edges to improve safety for the child. The butterfly screw 36 is located on one side of the body towards the upper portion of the vice, close to the adjustment means 28. Again, the screw 36 is ergonomically designed to facilitate operation of the vice, while also having no sharp edges etc. To enhance grip, the clamping surfaces of the jaws 34 have a corrugated rubber coating 38 which increases the frictional contact between the jaws and the surface to which the device is attached. In this way, the risk of the device becoming detached from the surface is significantly reduced, or otherwise eliminated.

To improve safety even further, the attachment means 16 can also be coated in the same, or similar, material to that which coats the arm 14.

Therefore, should the child come into contact with the attachment means, the coating will absorb a large part of the energy of the impact, thereby minimising the risk of injury or harm to the child.

It is to be understood, however, that any suitable form of attachment means may be used in conjunction with the feeding device of the present invention, including suitable forms of clamps, clips and other releasable fixings etc. Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, there is shown another embodiment of the feeding device 10. The feeding device 10 is essentially the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 (with like features having been numbered consistently), except that it also includes a feeding container coupled to the attachment means 16.

The feeding container is a circular plastic bowl 39 that is arranged to receive foodstuffs, such as solid food and/or semi-solid foods. The bowl 39 is pivotally coupled to the body of the attachment means 16, by way of a universal ball joint (not shown), to thereby permit the orientation of the bowl 39 to be changed relative to the attachment means (as shown in Figure 4). In this way, the bowl 39 can be oriented so that it remains substantially horizontal (i.e. relative to the surface of the ground etc.) to avoid spillage of the foodstuff, and/or otherwise to facilitate ease of delivery of the foodstuff to the child by the parent or carer. Hence, irrespective of the orientation of the feeding device 10 itself, the bowl 39 can be positioned so that the contents of the bowl do not spill out or otherwise overflow.

In the interests of safety, the bowl 39 may itself be coated on its exterior surface with the same, or similar, material with which the arm 14 and attachment means 16 are coated.

Of course, other forms of container may alternatively be used, depending on the particular foodstuff intended to be delivered. Moreover, the coupling between the attachment means 16 and the container can be releasable, so that one or more different containers can be inter-changed, thereby further increasing the convenience for the parent or carer.

Further still, the coupling may be configured so that more than one container can be attached at any one time, so that different foodstuffs can be kept separate from each other, such as savoury and sweet items etc. As shown in each of Figures 1 to 4, the feeding device according to any embodiment may also include a handle 40 attached to the holder 12, to thereby facilitate positioning of the holder and/or arm relative to the child. Any suitable handle may be used, but in the examples shown, the handle 40 is a generally rectangular hoop, permitting the parent or carer to easily grip the handle to position the holder and/or arm. Furthermore, the handle 40 also serves as a convenient carrying handle for transporting the feeding device between different environments.

Although the support device of the present invention is ideally suited for preventing injury or harm to a child or other user during feeding and/or subsequent use, it will be recognised that one or more of the principles of the invention may extend to other devices, such as children's toys and activity mobiles of a sort that attach to a baby chair, car seat or cot etc., together with any other application where a child, disable person or elderly individual is likely to come into sudden contact with a device/attachment that is located within the vicinity and/or environment of the user.

The above embodiments are described by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A support device, comprising: a holder for receiving an object; S an arm arranged to support the holder at one end of the arm and configurable to position the object in a desired orientation relative to a user; an attachment means for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the user, and coupled to the arm at an opposite end to that of the holder; and an actuator operably coupled to the arm and arranged to control the resilience of at least a part of the arm, so that, in use, the arm can be resiliently deformed such that it returns substantially to the desired orientation relative to the user, in the event that the holder and/or arm are displaced.
2. The device of Claim 1, wherein the flexible arm includes a resilient member along at least part of its length.
3. The device of Claim 2, wherein the resilient member is located towards the end of the arm that is coupled to the attachment means.
4. The device of Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the actuator is arranged to control the resilience of the arm by selectively inhibiting the lateral movement of the resilient member.
5. The device of Claim 4, wherein the actuator is in the form of a releasable locking member.
6. The device of Claim 5, wherein the releasable locking member comprises a moveable collar mounted around the arm.
7. The device of Claim 6, wherein the collar is arranged to be moveable between a first position, whereby it substantially overlays the location of the resilient member, and a second position, whereby it overlays a part of the arm that is free of the resilient member.
8. The device of Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein the collar has a length that is relatively shorter than the length of the arm.
9. The device of any of Claims 2 to 8, wherein the resilient member is in the form of a helical spring.
10. The device of any of Claims 2 to 9, wherein the resilient member couples the arm to the attachment means.
11. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the flexible arm further comprises a core portion in the form of a poseable cylindrical linkage.
12. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the flexible arm is covered along at least part of its length by any one of the following: a rubberised coating, a foam or foam-like layer, a plastic coating or a fabric material, or a combination thereof.
13. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the holder is substantially flexible.
14. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the holder comprises one or more slots to receive protrusions extending from the object. 2?
15. The device of Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein the holder is fabricated from a resiliently deformable material which is able to stretchably deform in order to grip different sizes of object.
16. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the holder is fabricated from a resilient foam or a resilient foam-like material.
1?. The device of any preceding claim, further comprising an adjustment means for coupling the arm to the attachment means.
18. The device of Claim 16, wherein the adjustment means is arranged to adjust the angular orientation of the arm relative to the attachment means.
19. The device of Claim 1? or Claim 18, wherein the adjustment means comprises an adjustable clamp.
20. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the attachment means comprise an adjustable clamping mechanism.
21. The device of Claim 20, wherein the adjustable clamping mechanism is in the form of a vice having a pair of reversibly closable jaws.
22. The device of any preceding claim, further comprising a hollow container coupled to the attachment means.
23. The device of Claim 22, wherein the container is pivotally coupled to the attachment means to thereby permit the orientation of the container to be changed relative to the attachment means.
24. The device of Claim 22 or Claim 23, wherein the container is a bowl.
25. The device of any preceding claim, further comprising a handle attached to the holder to facilitate positioning of the holder and/or arm relative to the user.
26. A support device, comprising: a holder adapted to hold an object; an arm arranged to support the holder at one end of the arm and configurable to position the object in a desired orientation relative to a user; and an attachment means for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the user, and coupled to the arm at an opposite end to that of the holder, wherein at least one of the holder, the arm and the attachment means comprises an outer surface that is arranged to resiliently deform in response to physical contact with the user to thereby absorb part of the energy from the contact.
27. A support device, comprising: a holder for receiving an object; an arm arranged to support the holder at one end of the arm and configurable to position the object in a desired orientation relative to a user; and an attachment means for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the user, and coupled to the arm at an opposite end to that of the holder, wherein the holder is fabricated from a resiliently deformable material which is able to stretchably deform in order to accommodate and grip different sizes of object.
28. A support device, comprising: a holder for receiving an object; an arm arranged to support the holder at one end of the arm and configurable to position the object in a desired orientation relative to a user; an attachment means for attaching the device to a surface proximate to the user, and coupled to the arm at an opposite end to that of the holder; and a container coupled to one of the arm or the attachment means and configurable to enable the orientation of the container to be changed relative to the arm and/or the attachment means.
29. A support device as substantially described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.