JP2002320542A - Fork, and fork set - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fork wherein determining the direction is not required, and in addition, which can be used by simply applying a force when a food is stuck, regarding the fork which is used by toddlers. SOLUTION: This fork is equipped with a handle section 11 which is long in one direction, and a head section 12 equipped with sticking teeth 13 for sticking, provided at the distal end of the handle section. In such a fork, a plurality of the sticking teeth 13 are provided parallel with each other on the head section. Then, a virtual plane including the plurality of sticking teeth, being arranged in parallel, is constituted in a manner to become a flat surface which does not bend.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for allowing a baby to use a fork by himself / herself, for example, in a state where a mother or other caregiver gives a meal during a period of ingesting food other than breast milk or milk. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a fork and a fork set suitable for use as a meal tool suitable for a development stage such as a baby's hand, palm and oral cavity for use in a process of developing into a baby.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, when an infant about 12 to 36 months of age is practicing at home, such as a baby food or a normal food, it is difficult to use a small fork or spoon made for the infant. Western tableware is used. Of these, the fork is configured as shown in FIG. As shown, the fork 1 has a handle 2 long in one direction, and a head 3 provided at the tip of the handle 2. Stab teeth are formed in the head section 3 to pierce food, and the head section 3 including the stab teeth is formed to be curved as shown.

[0003] For this reason, as shown in FIG. 17, when the head portion 3 is used in a correct vertical orientation, the curved stab is positioned in a direction in which the stabs can easily bite into the food 4. If you hold and apply power,
The food 4 can be stabbed by the stabs of the head 3. Thereby, the head part 3 can pierce the food 4 and hold it.
In addition, by setting the orientation as shown in FIG. 18, the food can be placed on the upper surface of the stab and can be carried to the mouth.

[0004]

However, such a fork 1 is a tool which is relatively difficult to use for an infant who is in the middle of development, such as a hand, a palm and an oral cavity. That is, as shown in FIG. 18, when the fork 1 is used upside down when the fork 1 is used incorrectly, the stabbing teeth of the head 3 are directed away from the food 4, and the food 4 cannot be stabbed. Further, when the food is taken into the oral cavity, if the curved concave surface faces upward, the function of the arm is undeveloped and the force of holding the lip is weak, so that it is difficult to take the food into the oral cavity.

[0005] As described above, for example, with respect to the use of hands and palms, it is difficult for infants who cannot use the direction of the head portion 3 properly and grip the handle portion 2 in the course of development. Not only is it difficult to orient the conventional fork 1 in the right direction, but also the head part 3 including the stab teeth is fitted to the head part 3 including the stabs as shown in FIG. As shown by the arrow, it was difficult to apply force, and it was an extremely difficult to use tableware.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is not necessary to determine the direction of a fork used by an infant, and a simple force is required to pierce food. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fork that can be used even when worn, and a fork set in which a fork in a more suitable form can be used in accordance with the progress of the development stage of the hand, palm and oral cavity of an infant or the like.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a head having a long handle in one direction and a head provided with a piercing piercing tooth provided at a tip of the handle. A plurality of the stab teeth are provided in the head portion in parallel with each other, and such that a virtual surface including the plurality of stab teeth arranged in parallel is a plane that is not curved. This is achieved by a fork that is configured.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the head has a head at the tip of the handle, and the head has stab teeth for piercing. A plurality of stab teeth are formed and arranged in parallel. The virtual surface including the plurality of parallel stabs is flat and not curved. For this reason,
As described with reference to FIG. 18, the direction of the stab is not changed by the vertical direction of the fork. Therefore, even if the infant grips the handle and changes the direction, the food is not affected. You can stab. In addition, since the stab is not curved as described above, it is not necessary to adjust the direction of the applied force in accordance with the bending direction of the stab as in the related art. Here, the stabs need to have a plurality of parallel stabs continuous in a plane that is not curved, but in this virtual plane, the individual stabs are formed in a zigzag manner. You may have been. This fork is preferably a fork to be used by a person requiring assistance such as an infant or the like by himself.

The invention according to a second aspect is characterized in that, in the configuration according to the first aspect, the plurality of stab teeth of the head portion are each formed linearly. According to the configuration of claim 2, if the piercing teeth are formed in a straight line, when the food is pierced, the lips are not easily caught, and even after the baby is carried to the mouth, even if the infant has a weak force to close the lips, the lips can be gently lightened. It is easy to leave food in the mouth simply by closing and pulling out the stab.

A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration of the first or second aspect, the width of the head portion is approximately 20 mm or more and 25 mm or less. According to the configuration of claim 3, the width of the head portion is
Approximately two-thirds of the distance between the corners of the mouth of an infant from about 12 months to about 2 years of age, and the tip of the stab is inserted into the oral cavity with the tip of the stab being oriented almost vertically. It is suitable for the case. In other words, if the width of the head portion is less than 20 mm, it is difficult to carry the fork to the mouth because the fingers are not developed enough, and it also induces the lips to close in a pursed manner, and the lips are firmly closed. There is a problem that food cannot be taken. If it is more than 25 mm, it is difficult to enter the mouth, so that the act of inserting the head from the side of the lips, that is, the position of the corner of the mouth is induced, which is not desirable. Further, since the lips are difficult to close, there is a problem that the food cannot be taken in and cannot be smoothly pulled out of the mouth.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of any one of the first to third aspects, the length of the stab teeth formed on the head portion is approximately 12 mm or more and 18 mm or less. And According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, the length of the stab corresponds to the size of the food that can be taken by an infant of about 12 months to about 2 years according to the size of the oral cavity. In other words, the length of the stab is
If it is shorter than 12 millimeters, the food cannot be stabbed to a sufficient depth, so it is easy to fall out and has the adverse effect of dropping it while carrying it to the mouth. If the length is longer than 18 mm, the fingers are not well-functioned and cannot be stabbed well. In addition, when taking food that has been deeply stabbed until it reaches the base of the stab, the tip of the finger is deeper into the mouth. There is a problem that it is difficult to pull out the food while holding it with the lips, and there is also a problem of safety.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, a substantially spherical knob is provided at an end of the handle opposite to the head.
According to the configuration of claim 5, the infant has a tendency to pinch the tip of the long one with the fingertip. Utilizing such behavioral tendencies, fingertips, especially thumbs, index fingers,
A substantially spherical shape is formed at the end of the handle as a shape that can be easily grasped by three middle fingers. In this way, the infant can pick up the spherical tip, thereby promoting the action of grasping the handle using the fingertip, not the entire palm, and can train a proper holding method using a so-called pen grip.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the fifth aspect, the surface of the knob is formed of an elastic material. According to the configuration of claim 6, since the surface of the knob portion is formed of an elastic material, the infant is less likely to slip when picked with a fingertip, and is easily gripped.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the fifth or sixth aspect, the knob is formed in a spherical shape, and has a diameter of approximately 10 mm or more and 15 mm or less. According to the configuration of claim 7, it is easy to grasp with a small fingertip of an infant and the size is equivalent to the handle to be held by the pen grip, so that the grip is shifted so that the handle is gripped by the pen grip. Cheap. In addition, the diameter of the knob portion is set to approximately 10 mm or more and 15 mm or less,
The feeling of discomfort when the handle is gripped with the pen grip can be reduced.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of any one of the first to seventh aspects, the cross-sectional shape of the handle is an ellipse or an ellipse long in the direction in which the plurality of stabs of the head are arranged. It is characterized by becoming. According to the configuration of the eighth aspect, if the cross-sectional shape of the handle is, for example, a polygonal cross-section, it has an angle, which hinders gripping. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the handle is a long ellipse or an ellipse in the direction of a virtual plane including a plurality of stabs arranged in parallel, so that when the baby grips and holds the handle, the head The multiple stabs of the part will always be substantially horizontal and will be correctly positioned. Here, the term “long ellipse or ellipse” includes a form in which a corner such as a rectangular cross section or a rhombus is chamfered.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, at least a part of the surface of the handle is formed of an elastic material.
According to the configuration of claim 9, since at least a part of the surface of the handle portion is formed of an elastic material having a large frictional resistance, the infant is less likely to slip when gripped and held.

[0017] The object of the present invention is a fork comprising a handle portion long in one direction and a head portion provided with a piercing stab provided at the tip of the handle portion. A plurality of the stabs are provided in the head portion in parallel with each other, and a virtual surface including the plurality of stabs arranged in parallel is configured to be a flat surface that is not curved. A fork comprising a first fork, a handle portion that is long in one direction, and a head portion provided with a piercing stab tooth provided at the tip of the handle portion, wherein the stab teeth are mutually attached to the head portion. A fork set comprising: a plurality of parallel forks, and a second fork configured such that a virtual surface including the plurality of parallel stabs is a curved surface. By
It is achieved.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, when the baby starts to use the fork and starts to take food by himself using the fork, for example, from 12 months to two years old. Until about the time, by using the first fork, you can stab food even if you handle the handle in any way and change its direction,
When you pierce food, you can start a fork meal without the need for special force direction control. Next, when infants mainly use eating utensils to ingest food, and when it is possible to distinguish between stabbing and scooping, for example, when they are over two years old, a plurality of stabs are arranged in parallel. By using the second fork, which is configured so that the virtual surface including the curved surface becomes a curved surface, it is possible to practice how to use a widely used fork. In other words, the infant first experiences the handling of foods with the stab-equipped tableware by the first fork, and based on this experience, can use not only the stab, but also various uses such as scooping and cutting. . Further, in the state of advanced development of the hands, palms, oral cavity, and the like, it is possible to practice using a fork having a curved stab, based on such physical growth. In this case, the second
Has all the features defined in claims 2 to 9, except that the virtual surface including the plurality of piercing teeth arranged in parallel is configured to be a curved surface. Can be configured as a fork. This fork is preferably a fork for an assistant such as an infant to use by himself.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the tenth aspect, the center of gravity of the second fork is set to be located closer to the head than the center of gravity of the first fork. According to the structure of the eleventh aspect, the first fork having a light tip corresponds to the purpose of stabbing with an immature gripping method and carrying the stabbed food to the mouth and ingesting the head portion, and the head portion can be weakly pressed. It is easy to adjust in the direction to the food, and after piercing the food, it is easy to guide the heavier tip to the lips, but with the second fork, not only stabbing but also scooping with the development of fingers In a case where the food is to be worked on with more advanced technology, it is possible to urge the head part to face down and correctly head toward the food.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the eleventh aspect, a head portion of the first fork including the stab is formed of a plastic material, and a head portion of the second fork including the stab. Is formed of a metal material. According to the configuration of claim 12,
Since the head of the second fork is heavier than the head of the first fork, the center of gravity of the fork can be located closer to the head. Furthermore, when the baby food is in the completion period and the user begins to eat food of the same hardness as an adult, it is easy not only to pierce but also to cut the food. Further, it is possible to prevent the head portion from being damaged as the biting force increases.

[0021]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below is a preferred specific example of the present invention, and thus various technically preferable limitations are added. However, the scope of the present invention particularly limits the present invention in the following description. The embodiment is not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise stated.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a fork according to an embodiment of the present invention, and in particular, show a configuration of an embodiment of a first fork. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the fork 10, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the fork 10 of FIG. 1, FIG.
FIG. 3A shows a cross-sectional structure of the fork 10, and FIG.
3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2, and FIG.
3 (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, fork 10
Is a head portion 12 having a handle portion 11 that is long in one direction and a stab tooth 13 provided at the tip of the handle portion 11.
And In the fork 10, for example, the head portion 12 and, as shown in FIG. 3, the handle portion 11 integrated therewith are all made of a lightweight material, for example, a synthetic resin. It is molded with.

The head portion 12 is provided with a plurality or a large number of piercing teeth 13 parallel to each other, and in this embodiment, for example, four piercing teeth 13 are sharpened so that food can be pierced. . Head 1 of this fork 10
The stab teeth 13 provided integrally with the head portion 12 and arranged in parallel with each other are flat surfaces including a plurality of stab teeth 13 arranged in parallel, and a virtual surface is not curved.
In other words, the head section 12 is configured to have a plane in which the plurality of stab teeth 13 are arranged in parallel, and to be a plane coinciding with the plane indicated by XY in FIG.

For this reason, as described with reference to FIG. 18, the direction in which the stab teeth 13 are directed does not change depending on the vertical direction of the fork 10.
You can stab the food no matter how you hold it and change its orientation. Further, since the plurality of stabs 13 are not curved as described above, it is not necessary to control the direction of the applied force in accordance with the bending direction of the stab as in the related art. Thereby, even if the infant holds the handle 11 improperly, the food can be pierced without much difficulty.

In order to obtain such an operation and effect, the head portion 12 does not necessarily have to be formed in a plane, and the stab teeth 13 only need to be in the XY plane of FIG. In addition, since the stab teeth 13 are formed in a straight line, when the baby pierces the food with the stab teeth 13, the stabs are not easily caught, and the lips or the teeth are closed with a weak force after being carried to the mouth. It is easy to leave food in the mouth simply by pulling out the stab. Therefore, in the case where such an effect is not aimed at, or in the case where emphasis is placed on the retention of pierced food, the piercing teeth 13 may be shaped to extend in a zigzag manner in the XY plane, for example.

The head 12 of the fork 10
In FIG. 2, the width W1 is approximately 20 mm or more and 25 mm or less. This width W1
Supposes that infants who are users are infants of about 12 months to about 2 years old, corresponding to about two-thirds of the distance between the mouth corners at both ends of the mouth. ing. This is suitable for the case where the tip of the stab tooth 13 is inserted almost vertically into the oral cavity. In other words, if the width of the head portion 12 is smaller than 20 mm, it is difficult to carry the fork 10 to the mouth because the development of fingers is immature, and it also induces the lips to close in a pursed manner. There is an adverse effect that the food cannot be taken in by closing it tightly. If the width of the head portion 12 is larger than 25 mm, it is difficult to insert the head portion into the oral cavity, so that the act of inserting the head portion from the side of the lips, that is, the position of the corner of the mouth is induced, which is not desirable. Further, since the lips are difficult to close, there is a problem that the food cannot be taken in and cannot be smoothly pulled out of the mouth.

Further, the length L3 of the stab teeth 13 formed on the head portion 12 is set to be approximately 12 mm or more and 18 mm or less. The length of the stabbing teeth 13 corresponds to the size of food that can be taken by infants of about 12 months to about 2 years old according to the size of their oral cavity.
In other words, if the length L3 of the piercing teeth 13 is shorter than 12 mm, the food cannot be pierced to a sufficient depth, so that it is easy to come off and drop while transporting to the mouth. If the length is longer than 18 mm, the fingers are not well-functioned and cannot be stabbed well. In addition, when taking food that has been deeply stabbed until it reaches the base of the stab, the tip of the finger is deeper into the mouth. There is a problem that it is difficult to pull out the food while holding it with the lips, and there is also a problem of safety.

Further, the fork 10 has a substantially spherical knob 15 at the end of the handle 11 opposite to the head 12. The knob 15 may be formed in various forms such as a semi-spherical shape and an elliptical shape, in addition to a substantially perfect spherical shape as illustrated. The knob 15 is formed in consideration of the following features of the hand function of the infant. In other words, infants tend to pinch the tip of a long one with their fingertips. Utilizing such a tendency of behavior, a substantially spherical shape is formed at the end of the handle as an easy-to-pinch shape at the tip of the handle, particularly with the three fingers of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. . In this way, the infant can pick up the ball tip, which is the knob 15, to encourage the user to use the fingertip, not the entire palm, to grasp the handle, and can train a proper holding method using a so-called pen grip. This will be described in more detail later.

The surface of the knob 15 of the handle 11 is made of an elastic material. That is, FIGS. 2 and 3
3A, the end 11b of the handle 11 opposite to the head 12 has its entire surface covered with an elastic material such as an elastomer. I have. In this embodiment, the elastomer as the elastic material is, for example, JIS-K6253 (ISO761).
9) A type A material having a hardness of about 60 is selected. Thus, the knob 15 is less likely to slip when the baby picks it with a fingertip, and is more easily gripped. The diameter of the spherical knob 15 is, for example, not less than 10 mm and not more than 12 mm. Thus, the size is set so that it can be easily grasped by a small fingertip of an infant.

The cross-sectional shape of the handle 11 of the fork 10 is as shown in FIGS. 3 (b) and 3 (c).
The direction in which the plurality of piercing teeth 13 are arranged in the head portion 12 (FIG. 2)
In the Y direction).
That is, if the cross-sectional shape of the handle portion 11 is, for example, a quadrangular cross-section, it is to avoid hindrance to the practice of gripping by infants, which will be described later, due to corners.
The cross section of the handle 11 is an ellipse or an ellipse that is long in the Y direction in FIG.
When 1 is held, the plurality of piercing teeth 13 of the head portion 12 are arranged in a substantially horizontal direction, so that correct positioning can be performed. Here, the thickness of the handle 11 is about 8 mm on the short axis and 10 on the long axis in the elliptical cross section.
mm, and if the finger is too thick, the finger cannot be turned around the handle. Therefore, it is difficult to grip the entire palm, and if the finger is too thin, the handle cannot be gripped. For this reason, it is preferable to form the handle 11 so that the outer circumference of the handle 11 is 25 mm to 40 mm. Further, as described above, since the surface of the end portion 11b of the handle portion is formed of an elastic material, it is difficult for a baby to slip when the baby is holding it, so that it can be easily held. In the fork 10, the length L1 of the handle 11 in FIG.
Is, for example, about 78 mm, and the total length L2 is 100 mm.
It is preferable that the length L1 of the handle 11 is 60 mm to 80 mm. If L1 is longer than 80 mm, the infant tends to grab the tip of the handle, so the distance from the head 12 to the end 15 is too large, making it difficult to operate. If L1 is shorter than 60 mm, it is smaller than the width of the palm. I can't handle it.

The fork 10 as the first fork of the present embodiment is configured as described above, and is used as follows. Before describing how to use the fork 10, the relationship between the development of the motor function of the infant's hand or palm and how to grasp the food such as a fork or a spoon will be described. FIG. 4 shows a case where the infant grasps a long object such as the handle 11 of the fork 10 or the part B, and when the exercise ability of the fingertip is not developed, a palm called “palm grasp” as shown in FIG. Is held. FIG. 4A is a diagram of the state of the palm grasp seen from the front, and FIG. 4B is a diagram of the state of the palm grasp seen from the back.

Next, the fingertips slightly move, and as shown in FIG. 5, the piercing finger and the thumb are slightly disengaged from the gripping state of the palm grasp, and the grasping method is called “Fonger grasp”. . However, as for the way of holding foods such as forks and spoons, neither palm grape nor vongar grape is inappropriate because it cannot perform fine movements such as adjusting the angle of the head part or changing the direction, and is not suitable for general adults. Without the use of pen grips when using food utensils, these foods cannot be used successfully.
That is, in the pen grip, as shown in FIG. 6, the palm is hardly used, and the abdomen and side portions of the three fingers of the index finger, the thumb, and the middle finger are mainly held.
This makes it possible to control this more freely by moving the finger.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the fork 10 is correctly gripped with the hand H using the pen. In this drawing, a state is shown in which a portion 11a of the handle portion 11 of the fork 10 from the head portion 12 is held using three fingers of the index finger, thumb and middle finger of the hand H. It is necessary to learn how to grip with such a pen grip at the stage of training the infant's eating behavior, and if the pen grip holds a location close to the head 12 as shown, the head 12 is controlled. It's easy to do.

However, it is difficult for an infant who can only grip as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 to immediately execute the pen grip as shown in FIG. The user can practice gripping as shown in FIG. FIG. 8 utilizes the tendency of the infant to try to grab the end of a long one as the tendency of the infant. In particular, by utilizing such a tendency of behavior, it is possible to encourage the user to positively pinch the spherical knob 15 at the tip of the handle with the fingertips, especially the three fingers of the thumb, index finger and middle finger. The part 15 is gripped in the form of a pen grip as shown. As this is repeated, the practice of holding the handle portion 11 with the same gripping method can be gradually realized, and the pen grip as shown in FIG. 7 can be executed in due course.

FIG. 9 shows a state in which the end 11b of the handle 11 of the fork 10 opposite to the head 12 is held by a pen grip. If such a position is gradually maintained by evolving from the holding method of FIG. 7, a position at a distance from the head unit 12 can be maintained. This is preferable because the head 12 having the stab teeth 13 can be moved more freely. Further, as described above, the end portion 11b is provided with an elastomer on its surface to prevent slipping. Therefore, if the holding method is used in such a manner, the fork 10 can be used for an infant who tends to lack fingertip power and is likely to win. Can be used without dropping.

Further, by practicing the pen grip using the fork 10, the eating behavior as shown in FIG. 10 can be improved. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how the fork 10 is inserted into the lips M when the infant takes food into the mouth M by eating behavior. FIG. 10A shows a state in which the head unit 12 is lying with respect to the lips M, that is, a state in which the stab teeth 13 are lying. This means that, for example, when the baby cannot be held unless the palm grasp or the vonger grasp described in FIGS. 4 and 5 is used, the infant moves while adjusting the movement of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist of the hand holding the fork 10. The inability to do so, combined with attempting to move the upper arm together, has been observed to carry food into the mouth in such an inappropriate manner.

On the other hand, when the fork 10 can be held with the pen grip by practicing as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 9, the wrist or fingertip is moved to move the head to the lip. Since it can be carried, the direction of the head portion 12 and the stab 13 of the fork 10 can be controlled, and as shown in (2) and (3) of FIG.
With the stab teeth 13 oriented substantially perpendicular to the lips M, it becomes possible to realize the same way of carrying food as an adult, and inserting it into the mouth.

FIG. 11 shows how to take in the food held by the fork 10 into the oral cavity. FIG.
1 (a) is a state in which the food held by the fork 10 is simply dropped into the widely opened mouth M, and FIG. 11 (b) is a state in which the food held by the fork 10 is received by using the teeth T to scrape the food. FIG. 11C shows a state where the food held by the fork 10 is held down by the lips M and taken into the oral cavity.

If the fork 10 cannot be held properly and the relationship between the fork 10 and the mouth M is inserted as shown in (1) or (2) of FIG.
Of the head portion 12 or the stab teeth 13 cannot be received sufficiently from the lips to the inside. For this reason, inappropriate eating behavior occurs as shown in FIG. 11A or 11B. Therefore, fork 1
As a result of the practice of the infant holding and eating the child's 0 by himself and developing to be able to move the wrist and the fingertip while controlling it finely, the orientation of the fork 10 with respect to the mouth M is shown in FIG. 10 (3). 11 and, together with the stronger force to close the lips, FIG.
As shown in (c), the food can be properly taken into the oral cavity.

In this case, as described above, the fork 10
The head portion 12 of FIG.
By setting the distance to 0 mm or more and 25 mm or less, the direction of the fork 10 with respect to the mouth M is changed as shown in FIG.
As shown in (3), the head section 12 can be correctly inserted into the oral cavity. Further, since the length L3 of the stabbing teeth 13 formed in the head portion 12 is approximately 12 mm or more and 18 mm or less, food can be easily taken into the oral cavity, and FIG. As shown in (2), the food can be properly taken into the oral cavity.

FIG. 12 shows a second fork 2 of this embodiment.
FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the second fork 20 of FIG. 12, and FIG. 14 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of FIG. The second fork 20 has a lot in common with the first fork 10, and the fork 20 has a handle 21 long in one direction and a stab tooth for piercing provided at the tip of the handle 21. And a head unit 22 having a head 23. In the fork 20, for example, the head portion 12 is formed of a heavier metal material, such as stainless steel, unlike the fork 10. The handle 21 is formed of a lightweight material, for example, a synthetic resin, and is formed of, for example, polypropylene.

The handle 21 is provided on the handle 11 of the fork 10.
It is set longer, for example, in FIG.
Is 80 m for the same reason as fork 10.
m. The length L5 of the head part 22 is about 32 mm, and the head part 2 is formed by extending the head part side of the handle part from a stopper part 25 described later.
The length L6 to the tip of No. 2 is about 24 mm.
This prevents the infant from hitting the lip with the slight step of the stopper portion 25, thereby preventing the risk of inserting the stab teeth 23 in the back of the mouth, ensuring safety and dropping food into the back of the mouth. Since it is possible to prevent food from being taken out, chewing and swallowing the food taken into the oral cavity can promote correct food intake. In addition, handle 21
As with the handle 11 of the fork 10, the surface of one of the end sides 21a and 21b is covered with an elastic material to exhibit the same effect. .

The fork 20 is particularly different from the fork 10 in the shape of the head portion 22 and the stab teeth 23, which are curved as shown in FIGS. The degree of this curvature is, for example, a radius of curvature R of about 39 mm, so that the food can be easily placed on the concave surface as in a normal fork. In addition, since the stab teeth 23 are similarly curved, the retention of stabbed food is also enhanced. At this time, for example, “stab” on the lower surface of the handle portion 21 in FIG.
By describing “Scoop” on the upper surface of the handle 21 in 3, it may be a guide for selecting the up and down direction during use. In connection with this, a design of a character or the like is often given to a fork or the like for infants, and infants tend to use the character print surface up. For this reason, if emphasis is placed on the use of piercing food as a fork, for example, printing of a character or the like may be provided on the lower surface of the handle 21 in FIG. Further, the handle 21 and the head 23 are set at a predetermined angle such that the angle θ in FIG. 13 is, for example, about 10 degrees, so that the food can be easily stabbed and placed, and the food can be easily placed. After being taken into the mouth, it is easy to pull out the fork.

The fork 20 having such a feature is sold as a set with the fork 10, so that the fork 10 is used first according to the stage of development of the infant, and then the fork 20 is used. Suitable feeding training can be realized. That is, as described above, the fork 10 starts to grip the fork, and then stabs the food and carries it to the mouth, as described above, at a stage where the athletic function of the hand and the palm is quite insufficient. Basic training in use is realized, and at the same time, the fork 10 is moved to the forefinger, middle finger and thumb.
The aim is to encourage the transition to a pen grip by accustoming to holding with a finger.

After such training, the infant can begin to hold the fork 20 with the pen grip, and the orientation of the head portion 22 can be freely controlled by the fine movement of the wrist or fingertip. Can be controlled. FIG. 15 shows the locus of movement of the fork 10 with respect to the container C1 containing the food by arrows. Fork 1
0 means, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 15, when the movements of fingers and wrists are still undeveloped and food can only be stabbed in a linear motion, the basic use of fork stab You can practice.

On the other hand, the fork 20 can be used not only to stab food but also to scoop and cut food as a more advanced use of forks with the development of infants. For example, when the handle is held by the pen grip as described with reference to FIG. 9 for the fork 10, the center of gravity of the fork 20 is located closer to the head 22 than the fork 10. That is, the head portion 22 is made of metal and is heavy, and its stab teeth 23
It is easy to face in the direction of food naturally, and it is easy not only to stab hard food, but also to cut the food by changing the direction of the head.

Further, when the infant with advanced functions of the arms and hands moves the head 22 along the locus as shown by the arrow in FIG. 16, the head 22 and the stab teeth 23 scoop the food along the curve. The food can be placed firmly because of the curved shape. Also, in the case of scooping instead of stabbing food, if the movement of the head part 22 is similarly controlled by the movement of the wrist, the fork can be used almost like an adult. .

As described above, the fork 10 and the fork 20
By using these in order according to the stage of development of the infant, it is possible to carry out training to acquire the ability to use a fork like an adult while ingesting food without difficulty at the stage of development.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the use of the first fork and the second fork in a step-by-step manner in the process of developing the hands, palms, arms, and the like of an infant as a fork use target has been described. For example, a person who can use a fork by himself, but in a rehabilitation process, such as assisting a person with a hand or arm disorder, may be in a common state. The first and second forks may be used in stages for such rehabilitation. Conversely, in the elderly, the development stage of the above-mentioned physical functions may be traced in reverse. In this case, the use may be reversed from the second fork to the first fork by reversing the above-described order. In the case of use by an adult, the size of the head portion and the like are modified accordingly. By doing so, it is possible to respond. Such a case is also included in the scope of the present invention. Some of the configurations of the above-described embodiments and modified examples can be omitted as necessary, can be combined with each other, or can be combined with another configuration that is not disclosed.

[0051]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to determine the direction of a fork used by an infant, and it is possible to use a simple force to pierce food. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fork and a fork set in which a fork having a more suitable form can be used in accordance with the progress of the development stage of the hand, palm and oral cavity of an infant.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a fork (first fork) of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the fork of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4A and 4B show a palm grasp as a gripping method of a long member or a part, wherein FIG. 4A is a front view and FIG.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a finger grasp as a method of gripping a long member or a part.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a pen grip as a method of gripping a long member or a part.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where the fork 10 is held by a pen grip.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where a knob of the fork 10 is held.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where the fork 10 is held by a pen grip.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how a fork 10 is inserted into a lip M when an infant takes food into a mouth M by eating behavior.

11A and 11B show how to take in a food held by a fork into an oral cavity, where FIG. 11A shows a state where the food held by a fork is simply dropped into a widely opened mouth M, and FIG. FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating a state in which the food held by the fork is received so as to be sharpened by using the teeth T, and FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating a state in which the food held by the fork is suppressed by the lips M and taken into the oral cavity. .

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a second fork 20 of the present embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the second fork 20 of FIG.

FIG. 14 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the second fork 20 of FIG.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing, with arrows, a locus of movement of a fork with respect to a container C1 containing food.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing, with arrows, a locus of movement of a fork for scooping food in a container C2 containing food.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a fork and food when a conventional fork is used correctly.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a fork and food when a conventional fork is used in a wrong direction.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... (first) fork, 11 ... handle (part),
Reference numeral 12: head portion, 13: stab teeth, 15: knob portion, 20: (second) fork, 21: handle (portion), 22: head portion, 23 ·・ ・ Stab teeth.

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A fork comprising a handle portion extending in one direction and a head portion provided with a piercing stab tooth provided at a tip of the handle portion, wherein the stab teeth are parallel to each other on the head portion. A fork, wherein a plurality of stabs are arranged in parallel with each other, and a virtual surface including a plurality of stabs arranged in parallel with each other is a flat surface that is not curved. 2. The fork according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of stabs of the head is formed in a straight line. 3. The fork according to claim 1, wherein the width of the head portion is approximately 20 mm or more and 25 mm or less. 4. The fork according to claim 1, wherein the length of the stab teeth formed on the head portion is approximately 12 mm or more and 18 mm or less. 5. A knob having a substantially spherical knob at an end of the handle opposite to the head.
4. The fork according to any one of to 3 above. 6. The fork according to claim 5, wherein the surface of the knob is formed of an elastic material. 7. The knob portion is formed in a spherical shape,
7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the diameter is approximately 10 mm or more and 15 mm or less.
A fork according to any of the above. 8. The cross-sectional shape of the handle portion is an ellipse or an oval shape that is long in a direction in which the plurality of stabs of the head portion are arranged. Fork. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the surface of the handle is made of an elastic material.
9. The fork according to any one of items 1 to 8, 10. A fork comprising a handle portion elongated in one direction, and a head portion provided with a piercing stab tooth provided at a tip of the handle portion, wherein the stab teeth are mutually attached to the head portion. A first fork provided with a plurality of parallel forks, and configured so that a virtual surface including the plurality of stabs arranged in parallel is a plane that does not curve, a handle portion long in one direction; And a head provided with a piercing stab tooth provided at the tip of the handle portion, wherein the head portion is provided with a plurality of the stab teeth in parallel with each other, and A fork set comprising: a second fork configured such that a virtual surface including a plurality of stabs arranged in parallel is a curved surface. 11. A fork set, wherein the center of gravity of the second fork is set to be located closer to the head than the center of gravity of the first fork. 12. A head portion including the stab of the first fork is formed of a plastic material, and the second fork is formed of a plastic material.
The fork set according to claim 11, wherein a head portion including the stab teeth of the fork is formed of a metal material.