JP2011030729A - Spoon for ingesting liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a spoon for ingesting liquids which facilitates ingestion of liquids using a spoon. <P>SOLUTION: The spoon 1 for ingesting liquids is composed of a bowl part 2 having a hollow 4 and a handle part 3 connected to the bowl part 2, wherein the bowl part 2 comprises a wall part 10 that surrounds the hollow 4 and an edge part 11 that connects to the wall part 10 and protrudes outward from the center of the hollow 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid intake spoon used to give liquids such as water and beverages to a care recipient such as an infant.

  There is a cup as an eating tool generally used when a person takes water. The cup has a sufficient capacity to continuously ingest a large amount of liquid such as water, but its specific shape and capacity vary. Therefore, when a person uses a cup, by naturally controlling the inclination of the liquid when it is taken into the oral cavity according to the shape and capacity, the speed at which the liquid is poured into the oral cavity, etc. according to the degree of opening and closing of the lips, It is necessary to ingest liquid without spilling or stripping. Such control ability can be acquired according to human growth (by the time of childhood), but in the period when the usage of tongue and throat gradually changes from suckling to weaning It is difficult to ingest liquid using a cup while performing proper control.

  For this reason, it is often annoying for the caregiver to help the infant at such time to ingest liquid. As a means for solving such annoyance, it is often seen that a drinking container equipped with a straw such as a so-called infant stroma is used from an early stage. In such cases, the opportunity to use a cup tends to be postponed, and depending on the structure of the drinking container used, the liquid can be ingested in a peristaltic manner just like when breastfeeding. There is a risk of hindrance.

  Therefore, as disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, a liquid intake training method using a spoon or astragalus has been proposed and recommended (desired). Further, Patent Document 1 exists as a related document.

JP-A-2005-118128

Edited by Misumi Mukai, “Infant Feeding Instruction”, 1st edition, 7th edition, Ishiyaku Shuppan Publishing Co., Ltd., January 20, 2008, p.44-45,70-71,80-81

  However, since conventionally known spoons and lotus roots are not designed for liquid intake by infants, considerations on shape and capacity are insufficient, and it is difficult for caregivers to handle them easily.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the spoon for liquid intake which can make it easy to ingest the liquid using a spoon.

  Hereinafter, the spoon for liquid intake of the present invention will be described. In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are appended in parentheses, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

  The spoon for liquid intake (1) of the present invention includes a bowl part (2) in which a depression (4) is formed, and a handle part (3) connected to the bowl part, and the bowl part has the depression. By having the surrounding wall portion (10) and the edge portion (11) connected to the wall portion and projecting outward from the center of the recess, the above-described problems are solved.

  According to this liquid intake spoon, since the edge portion connected to the wall portion surrounding the depression protrudes in the direction from the center of the depression to the outside, even if the liquid intake person is in a state of holding the bowl portion horizontally, The edge can be easily sandwiched between the lips and the liquid can be easily poured.

  In one aspect of the spoon for liquid intake of the present invention, when the dent of the bowl portion is viewed from the front, the edge portion has a vertex (P2) on the center line (CL) of the handle portion, and each other You may form in the arc shape which the several circular arc (Ar1, Ar2, Ar3) from which a curvature radius differs is connected. According to this aspect, since the shape of the edge portion is formed by connecting a plurality of arcs having different curvature radii, when the bowl portion is inserted into the person being assisted, the position of the edge is changed by changing the position of the edge portion. It becomes possible to match the size of the person's mouth.

  In one aspect of the spoon for liquid intake of the present invention, the edge portion is smoothly formed on the wall portion so that the thickness (t) in the depth direction of the recess gradually increases toward the center of the recess. It may be connected. According to this aspect, since the edge portion and the wall portion are connected by a curved surface that is smoothly curved, the lower lip is the boundary between the edge portion and the wall portion when the ingestor sandwiches the edge portion between the lips. Easy to fit. Therefore, it is prevented that a gap is formed between the lower lip of the intake person, the edge of the bowl part, and the boundary between the wall part and the liquid is prevented from spilling through the gap when the liquid is ingested. can do.

  One aspect | mode of the spoon for liquid intake of this invention WHEREIN: The outer peripheral surface (10a) of the said wall part may be formed in the substantially spherical shape protruded in the depth direction of the said hollow. According to this aspect, for example, when the bowl part is taken out from the container while the liquid in the container is being squeezed in the bowl part, the liquid adhering to the outer peripheral surface is guided to the apex side and hardly stays on the outer peripheral surface. Drainability when dripping is improved.

  In one aspect of the spoon for ingesting a liquid according to the present invention, when the bowl portion is horizontally disposed with the depression facing upward, the pattern portion has a height difference (ΔH) higher than the bowl portion. Each of the bowl portion and the handle portion may be configured. According to this aspect, when the bowl portion is horizontal, the handle portion is positioned above the bowl portion. For this reason, when an assistant gives a liquid to the person being assisted by holding the handle, the bowl part can be inserted into the mouth of the person being assisted obliquely from above while the bowl is horizontal. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to match the height of the helper's hand with the height of the helper's mouth in order to prevent liquid spillage from the bowl portion, it is easy to assist the helper.

  In this aspect, the handle portion may be curved in the longitudinal direction with the upper side convex. In this case, as in the case of holding a pencil, the bowl portion can be held horizontally with the handle portion being bent upward when assisting the person being assisted with the handle. Thereby, compared with the case where it is necessary to hold the bowl portion horizontally with the wrist stretched, fine adjustment of the angle of the spoon by the assistant is facilitated, and thus the ease of assistance is improved.

  In one aspect of the spoon for ingesting a liquid according to the present invention, when the bowl portion is horizontally disposed with the depression facing upward, the handle portion is flat in the lateral direction and has an upper curvature. It may have a shape with a larger curvature on the lower side. According to this aspect, the lower surface of the handle portion is easily fitted to the arch-shaped finger crotch portion formed between the bases of the assistant's thumb and index finger, and the fingertip of the index finger is easily aligned with the upper surface of the handle portion.

  One aspect | mode of the spoon for liquid intake of this invention WHEREIN: The capacity | capacitance of the said bowl part may be set in the range of 6-15 ml. Assuming an infant as a person being assisted, if the capacity of the bowl portion 2 is less than 6 ml, it is not suitable for training for infants' liquid intake, as with a normal spoon. Further, when the volume exceeds 15 ml, it is difficult to swallow the liquid spilled from the bowl portion 2 with a single mouth. Accordingly, the capacity of the bowl portion 2 is suitably in the range of 6 to 15 ml.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the edge portion protrudes in the direction from the center of the depression to the outside, the liquid intake person can easily pinch the edge portion with the lips and can easily swallow the liquid. . Moreover, since the edge is smoothly connected to the wall so that the thickness in the depth direction of the depression gradually increases toward the center of the depression, the lower lip of the ingestor is connected to the edge and the wall. It becomes easy to fit the boundary between and the liquid can be surely ingested.

The front view of the spoon for liquid intake which concerns on one form of this invention. The figure which showed the state which looked at the spoon for liquid intake of FIG. 1 from the direction of arrow II. Sectional drawing regarding the III-III line of FIG. Sectional drawing regarding the IVa-IVa line | wire of FIG. Sectional drawing regarding the IVb-IVb line | wire of FIG. Sectional drawing regarding the IVc-IVc line | wire of FIG. Sectional drawing regarding the IVd-IVd line | wire of FIG. The elements on larger scale which expanded a part of bowl part shown by FIG. Explanatory drawing which showed the use condition of the spoon for liquid intake which concerns on one form of this invention. The front view which showed the spoon for liquid intake which concerns on a modification.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of a liquid intake spoon according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view showing the liquid intake spoon of FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow II. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4A to 4D are cross-sectional views taken along lines IVa-IVa, IVb-IVb, IVc-IVc, and IVd-IVd in FIG.

  A liquid intake spoon (hereinafter referred to as a spoon) 1 shown in these drawings is used by an assistant to give liquid food such as water and beverages to a care recipient such as an infant. Of course, the spoon 1 can be used by the person who takes the liquid. The spoon 1 includes a bowl portion 2 for scooping and holding liquid and a handle portion 3 connected to the bowl portion 2. The bowl portion 2 is formed with a recess 4 for holding a liquid. The handle portion 3 is sufficiently longer than the bowl portion 2, and specifically has a length that is about three times the size of the bowl portion 2 in the vertical direction (the left-right direction in FIGS. 1 to 3).

  The bowl part 2 and the handle part 3 of the spoon 1 are integrally formed of the same material. The material of the spoon 1 is selected from materials that are difficult to give discomfort such as a hard touch or a cold touch when inserted into the oral cavity of an infant, for example, polypropylene that is plastic. In order to improve the slipperiness and aesthetics of the handle 3, the entire surface of the handle 3 is processed to give fine irregularities such as a satin pattern or a leather pattern. In addition, as a raw material of the spoon 1, natural materials, such as wood, and metal materials, such as stainless steel, silver, and gold, can be selected in addition to the above materials. Further, the spoon 1 can be made of ceramic, ceramic or glass.

  The bowl portion 2 is provided with a head portion 7 in which a recess 4 is formed and a neck portion 8 connected to the handle portion 3 following the head portion 7. The bowl portion 2 has a wall portion 10 that surrounds the recess 4 and an edge portion 11 that is connected to the wall portion 10 and protrudes outward from the center of the recess 4. The bowl portion 2 has the depth of the depression 4 and the shape thereof set so that the volume thereof is about 10 ml. When an infant is assumed as a person being assisted, the volume of the bowl portion 2 may be set within a range of 6 to 15 ml, more preferably within a range of 7 to 13 ml. If the volume of the bowl part 2 is less than 6 ml, it is not suitable for training for infants' liquid intake, similar to a normal spoon. Further, when the volume exceeds 15 ml, it is difficult to swallow the liquid spilled from the bowl portion 2 with a single mouth. Accordingly, the capacity of the bowl portion 2 is suitably in the range of 6 to 15 ml. The range of the capacity that can be used for various infants is more preferably in the range of 7 to 13 ml. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 </ b> D, the wall portion 10 is formed in a substantially spherical shape with an outer peripheral surface 10 a protruding in the depth direction of the recess 4. Strictly speaking, the outer peripheral surface 10a is formed as a curved surface having a plurality of curvatures and is not a perfect spherical surface, but the apex P1 is located on the extension in the depth direction of the deepest portion 4a of the recess 4 and there is no plane portion. It is formed as a curved surface. Since the wall portion 10 has such a shape, when the bowl portion 2 is taken out from the container while the liquid in the container (not shown) is being sown by the spoon 1 with the spoon 1, the liquid adhering to the outer peripheral surface 10a is the apex P1. It will be difficult to stay on the outer peripheral surface 10a. Therefore, the draining property when the liquid is poured in the bowl part 2 becomes good.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the edge 11 is formed in an arc shape having a vertex P <b> 2 on the center line CL of the handle 3. This shape is formed symmetrically with respect to the center line CL, and one shape with the center line CL as a boundary is formed by connecting three arcs Ar1, Ar2, Ar3 having different radii of curvature. The same applies to the other shape with the center line CL as a boundary. When the radii of curvature of the arcs Ar1, Ar2, Ar3 are R1, R2, R3, a magnitude relationship of R1 <R2 <R3 is established between these radii of curvature. That is, the edge portion 11 is formed in an arc shape in which a plurality of arcs Ar1, Ar2, Ar3 whose radius of curvature gradually increases from the distal end side toward the handle portion 3 side are connected. Since the shape of the edge part 11 is formed in this way, when inserting the bowl part 2 into the person being assisted, the position of the edge part 11 can be changed to match the size of the person being assisted. become.

  FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view in which a part of the bowl portion 2 shown in FIG. 2 is enlarged. As shown in detail in FIG. 5, the edge portion 11 is smoothly connected to the wall portion 10 such that the thickness t in the depth direction of the recess 4 gradually increases toward the center of the recess 4. That is, as shown in the figure, when the end of the edge 11 is the origin 0 and the position in the direction toward the center of the recess 4 is x, the thickness t of the edge 11 is a monotonically increasing function of x. In addition, the change of the wall thickness t shown in FIG. 5 is materialized similarly regarding the circumferential direction of the edge part 11 (refer FIG. 4D).

  As described above, since the edge 11 protrudes in the direction from the center of the depression 4 to the outside, as shown in FIG. 6, an assistant (not shown) holds the bowl 2 horizontally. When the spoon 1 is inserted into the oral cavity of the infant I who is an assistant, the infant I can easily pinch the edge 11 between the upper and lower lips Lu, Ll. Therefore, the infant I can easily drink the liquid stored in the bowl portion 2. Moreover, since the edge portion 11 is smoothly connected to the wall portion 10 while increasing the thickness, the edge portion 11 and the wall portion 10 are connected by a curved surface that is smoothly curved. Therefore, the lower lip Ll of the infant I easily fits the boundary between the edge portion 11 and the wall portion 10. For example, as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 5, when the edge portion 11 is connected to the wall portion 10 with the wall thickness t kept constant, the boundary between the edge portion 11 and the wall portion 10 and the person being assisted A gap is easily generated between the lower lip and liquid is easily spilled through the gap. Since the spoon 1 can prevent the formation of such a gap, the liquid can be surely taken.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the spoon 1 is arranged so that the bowl 2 is horizontal with the depression 4 facing upward, the handle 3 is placed between the bowl 2 and the handle 3. However, the height difference ΔH is higher than that of the bowl portion 2. That is, in the spoon 1, the bowl portion 2 and the handle portion 3 are configured so that such a height difference ΔH is generated. Since such a height difference ΔH is generated in the spoon 1, as shown in FIG. 6, when the assistant uses the spoon 1 to assist the infant I, the bowl portion 2 is placed in a horizontal state from obliquely above. The bowl part 2 can be inserted into the oral cavity of the infant I. Thereby, since it is not necessary to match the height of the helper's hand with the height of the mouth of the infant I in order to prevent liquid from spilling from the bowl portion 2, it is easy to assist the infant I.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG.2 and FIG.3, the handle | pattern part 3 is curving regarding the longitudinal direction by making the upper side convex. Therefore, the bowl part 2 can be held horizontally with the wrists of the assistants bent upwards when assisting the infant I with the handle 3 as in the case where the assistant has a pencil. Thereby, although illustration was abbreviate | omitted, compared with the case where it is required to hold | maintain a bowl part horizontally with the wrist extended (when a handle | pattern part extends linearly etc.), the angle of the spoon 1 by the assistant H Since fine adjustment is easy, the ease of assistance is improved. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the handle 3 of the spoon 1 has a shape in which the cross section is flat in the horizontal direction and the lower curvature is larger than the upper curvature. For this reason, the lower surface of the handle 3 is easily fitted to the arch-shaped finger crotch formed between the bases of the thumb and forefinger of the assistant, and the fingertip of the index finger is easily placed along the upper surface of the handle 3.

  This invention is not limited to the said form, It can implement with a various form within the range of the summary of this invention. In the spoon 1, the change in the wall thickness t of the edge portion 11 is similarly changed in the circumferential direction, but the change in the wall thickness t may be limited to a part of the edge portion 11. The shape of the edge portion 11 shown in FIG. 5 can be partially applied to the bowl portion 2. As a person who is suitable for assistance using the spoon according to the present invention, not only the infants mentioned above but also infants and elderly people who need assistance can be assumed.

  Moreover, in the said form, although the bowl part 2 is formed in the arc shape which connected several mutually different circular arcs, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to implement as a spoon 1 'having a bowl part 2' formed of

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Spoon for liquid intake 2 Bowl part 3 Handle part 4 Indentation 10 Wall part 11 Edge part Ar1, Ar2, Ar3 Arc CL Center line P2 Vertex t Thickness

Claims (8)

A bowl portion in which a depression is formed, and a handle portion connected to the bowl portion,
The bowl portion has a wall portion that surrounds the recess, and an edge portion that is connected to the wall portion and protrudes outward from the center of the recess.   When the dent of the bowl portion is viewed from the front, the edge portion is formed in an arc shape having a vertex on the center line of the handle portion and a plurality of arcs having different curvature radii connected to each other. The spoon for liquid intake according to 1.   The spoon for liquid intake according to claim 1, wherein the edge portion is smoothly connected to the wall portion such that the thickness in the depth direction of the recess gradually increases toward the center of the recess.   The said bowl part is a spoon for liquid intake as described in any one of Claims 1-3 currently formed in the substantially spherical shape which the outer peripheral surface of the said wall part protruded in the depth direction of the said hollow.   The bowl portion and the handle portion are configured so that the height of the handle portion is higher than that of the bowl portion when the bowl portion is horizontally arranged with the recess facing upward, The spoon for liquid intake as described in any one of Claims 1-3.   The spoon for liquid intake according to claim 5, wherein the handle portion is curved with respect to the longitudinal direction with the upper side convex.   When the bowl portion is horizontally arranged with the recess facing upward, the handle portion has a shape in which the transverse section is flat in the lateral direction and the curvature on the lower side is larger than the curvature on the upper side. The spoon for liquid intake according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The spoon for liquid intake according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a capacity of the bowl portion is set in a range of 6 to 15 ml.

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