JP2011194008A - Dining utensil - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dining utensil the handle part of which can be simply bent, hold a bent condition, and perform deformation of a high degree of freedom.SOLUTION: In the dining utensil such as a spoon and a fork, which consists of an action part which acts in contact with food like spooning up, thrusting, and carving, a connection part connected with the action part, and a handle part connected with the connection part, the handle part consists of one member with the end part or halfway part of the handle part held by the connection part to form a loop, and the handle part has flexibility, in which bending is easy, and consists of a linear material which can hold the bent condition.

Description

  This invention is easy to handle for persons with disabilities in the upper limbs, elderly people, infants, etc., who are difficult to use eating utensils, and is designed to be easily handled by non-disabled persons. It is about.

Conventionally, common utensils such as spoons, forks, etc. have a working part that touches food, such as scooping, cutting, and piercing, a connecting part connected to the working part, and a handle part connected to the connecting part. The shape of the handle is generally a straight, elongated and flat bar.

However, it is difficult for persons with disabilities in the upper limbs, elderly people, infants, etc. to use meal tools such as the aforementioned spoons and forks.
Here, hereinafter, meal tools such as spoons and forks will be simply expressed as meal tools, and people with disabilities in the upper limbs, elderly people, infants, etc. will be referred to simply as disabled people. Express.

Conventionally, as a problem in meals for persons with disabilities, continuing to hold the meal utensils and adjusting the direction of the action part of the meal utensils can be cited.
Regarding the gripping of eating utensils, the shape of the handle that is easy to grip has been devised. In addition, with regard to the adjustment of the direction of the action part of the eating utensil, a device has been devised that bends the handle part and the periphery of the handle part so that the angle of the action part of the eating utensil is easy to carry out, such as crawling and the mouth. I came.

Conventionally, such a device has been created by processing a meal utensil according to an individual. However, as disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, the method uses an insertion-type sponge material in a handle. There are many methods that require labor, such as using a simple method such as using a thermoplastic resin or stone plastic clay on the handle or bending it with a vise.

At present, there are a large number of food utensils that are easy to handle for the handicapped and have been devised, and it is common to select from commercially available products. In addition, some food utensils that can be easily adjusted according to the user's shape have been proposed. Among them, those that can bend the handle or the periphery of the handle according to the user hold the utensil. It can help both to continue and to adjust the orientation of the action part of the eating utensil.

For example, as a well-known eating utensil, there is a eating utensil whose handle is made of a shape memory polymer, and can be bent by heating. The pre-shaped handle has several types of shapes, and after selecting an appropriate one, it can be deformed according to the user (product name: Will One et al., Seifang Manufacturing Co., Ltd.).

In Patent Document 1, a handle portion is mainly composed of a pair of metal wires facing each other at an interval. It can be bent, and the handle with a little width is easy to grip, and the direction of grip is easy to understand. In Patent Document 2, a configuration in which an elastic member is sheathed on a flexible core material is used for a handle or the like. The handle can be bent to adjust the angle, and the handle surface can be easily fitted by an elastic member when gripped. Patent Document 3 is to connect and fix a wire core in which a linear core material is wrapped with a flexible material as an auxiliary member, which can be attached to and detached from the hand or arm simply by bending, and the angle of the action portion can be adjusted. It is said.

As a whole, the shape of the handle part of the eating utensil that increases the contact part to the body is possible, so the handle part is fixed to the body, it is easy to grip, and the direction angle of the action part can be adjusted. Can compensate for the difficulties.
However, the shape of these eating tools that are easy to handle for people with disabilities is often more difficult to handle for non-disabled people. The shape of the eating utensil, the gripping method and the operating method are closely related and need to be combined appropriately for the user.

Here, the classification of grasp is mentioned. As disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2, in the grasp classification, the example of the spoon is classified into the three-side grasp of the intermediate grasp system. The manner of grasping the spoon by grasping the three surfaces is as shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 24, the contact area between the spoon and the body will be described. The first fixation is the heel side surface 801 around the middle finger DIP joint, that is, the thumb side around the joint on the most fingertip side of the middle finger and the heel side surface 802 of the index finger joint. That is, the thumb side of the joint at the base of the index finger, and the finger pad 803 of the thumb, that is, the thumb pad. In addition, the index finger end 804, that is, the index finger end, supports the spoon handle 805.

On the other hand, a person with a disability tends to have difficulty grasping the elongated and flat rod-shaped handle portion, which is the shape of the handle portion of a general eating tool as described above, by grasping the three surfaces. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 25, there are many examples in which the handle portion 808 uses a slightly thick bar shape by a gripping method in which the fingers 806 and the palm 807 are wrapped. Such a hand type for grasping a rod-like object with the contact part of the body with fingers and palm corresponds to a grasping force grasping system in the grasping classification disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2 described above. This is the type that appears when firmly fixing an object to

Noto 3012863 Publication Japanese Utility Model No. 3122734 JP 2005-176959 A

Kyoko Mitsuishi, Satomi Ishio, Noriyuki Mitsuishi, Yukihiko Nakajima. Self-help tool using a spoon. Occupational therapy journal. 2003, 37 (3), p. 233-238 Noriko Kamakura and Shigeru Tanaka. Kinematics training for PT / OT students-from biomechanics to kinematics-. Miwa Shoten, 1994, p. 133-137

  However, disability situations vary. The shape of the thick and cylindrical handle is widely known as a meal tool for people with disabilities. However, when grasping using a three-sided grasp, the gap between the index finger and the middle finger is required to be wide and difficult to grasp. . In addition, when grasping the gripping force with the thick and cylindrical handle wrapped around with fingers and palms, gripping is easy, but the operation is difficult by the same method as grasping on three sides, and shoulders and elbows are difficult. It is necessary to devise an operation method such as moving the wrist or changing the way the wrist is moved. When it is not possible to cope with the contrivance of the operation method, there is a tendency to further devise meal tools such as changing the angle of the direction of the action part and changing the length of the handle part. However, many people are confused by the shape and operation of new dining utensils.

Such a situation is often seen in people who gradually decline in function, such as elderly people, and it is difficult to obtain suitable eating utensils. The situation of disabilities is changing, and it is desirable that the eating utensils can be used even for non-disabled persons and can be used even when disabilities occur. For this purpose, it is desirable that the shape of the handle can be variously deformed and can be deformed according to the use situation.

The pattern using the shape memory polymer described above is easy to obtain the pattern shape suitable for the user, but there is a limitation that the deformed shape obtained depends on the shape of the pattern portion selected in advance, and the nature of the shape memory Furthermore, fine adjustment is somewhat difficult. Moreover, in the point that there is no elasticity in the handle | pattern part surface, it lacks a feeling of fitting and is disadvantageous for lasting holding | grip. Deformation requires temperature adjustment and is cumbersome, and is inconvenient in terms of hygiene management in that it cannot disinfect hot water or use a tableware dryer.

In Patent Document 1, the distance between the opposing wires is maintained, and the deformable content is to bend or twist a slightly wide elongated surface. Although the thickness and cross-sectional shape of the handle can be changed depending on the shape of the elastic member to be mounted, it can be said that the shape is basically obtained by bending one rod-like handle.

In patent document 2, the deformation | transformation which bends so that the direction of an action part may be changed is main, and the shape of a handle | pattern part remains substantially hold | maintained. In Patent Document 3, it is assumed that the filament core material is attached as a supplementary pattern part and is removed after loosening. If fine angle adjustment is required, it is adjusted each time it is attached. Therefore, it is considered complicated.

In addition, being deformable means that the labor and time required for the deformation work are also important. The deformation work is performed at the same time as the evaluation that is provisionally matched with the user, and is usually repeated several times. If it takes time, both the user and the supporter who performs the work will be burdened, so it is desirable to be able to adjust easily.

In the above, we have focused on the handle of meal tools. However, when thinking about the whole meal operation using eating utensils, there are not only gripping and operation problems, but also, for example, difficulties in taking it into the mouth, and there are more complex obstacle situations. There are many examples that are difficult to deal with. The above-described method of further processing meal items and creating them individually will be important in the future.

In the case of creating and processing meal utensils individually, selection of the meal utensils to be used as a material is preferentially selected so that the action portion is suitable for the user, and the processing is often performed on the handle portion. Although there is a factor that processing of the action part is generally difficult, there is an advantage that it is easy to obtain a suitable eating utensil by processing the pattern part individually because the shape part has a large individual difference.

However, for example, when a handle is formed by attaching a resin or clay grip material to the handle, if the handle is straight, the grip material may be displaced or a gap may be easily formed between the handle and the grip material. There is a problem. In addition, the greater the difference between the shape of the handle portion of the meal utensil used as the material and the shape of the grip material, the more time is required for molding. Further, in the case of processing for changing the direction angle of the action portion, it is often necessary to further finely adjust the angle after the creation. For this reason, it is desirable that there is a meal utensil considering the ease of processing.

Moreover, it is not easy to examine details of suitable eating utensils in selecting and processing eating utensils. It is recommended to consult with professional occupations such as occupational therapists and try and determine candidate eating utensils, but the environment with many types of eating utensils may be limited and efficient, It is desirable to have a meal tool for evaluation that can be specifically examined.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the following eating utensils have been invented.
The eating tool according to claim 1, wherein the eating tool is a spoon, a fork or the like, and the action part acting on food, such as scooping, piercing, cutting, etc., the connection part connected to the action part, and the connection part connected to the connection part In the eating utensil comprising the handle portion, the handle portion is formed of a single member, the end portion or the middle portion of the handle portion is held by the connecting portion to form a loop, and the handle portion is easily bent. It is a eating utensil characterized by being made of a linear material that is flexible and can hold a bent state.

2. The meal according to claim 1, wherein the handle portion forms a surface in which a part or all of the linear material is covered with an elastic coating material. It is a tool.

In the eating tool of Claim 3, the uneven | corrugated | grooved part was provided in a part or all part of the surface of the said handle | pattern part, The eating tool of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned.

The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting portion detachably holds the handle portion.

The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connecting portion detachably holds the action portion.

In the eating utensil according to claim 1, since the handle portion is made of a linear material that is easily bent and can hold the bent state, the handle portion can be easily bent, Can support gripping.
Similarly, since the handle portion can be bent, the angle of the direction of the action portion can be adjusted, so that the adjustment of the direction of the action portion of the eating utensil can be supported.

The handle part is made of a single member, and the loop part is formed by holding the end part or midway part of the handle part in the connecting part. The contact range can be adjusted, so it is easy to balance the fixity and operability suited to the user.

Similarly, the fact that the handle portion forms a loop is a structure that can take a wide range of contact with the body, but is lightweight and easy to handle even for people with weak muscle strength or those who are easily fatigued.

Similarly, the fact that the handle portion forms a loop means that the contact part to the body can be a surface surrounded by the loop, so that the handle portion is prevented from rolling, etc. The position and direction are easy to understand.

Similarly, the fact that the handle portion forms a loop can be used by inserting a hand inside the loop to prevent the eating utensils from falling.

Similarly, the fact that the handle portion forms a loop can be a shape close to two parallel rods by bending the loop, and is a handle portion shape that is easy for a person who has used chopsticks for many years. .

Similarly, the fact that the handle portion forms a loop enables a simple operation in a short time such as being easily deformed into a twisted shape in the operation of deforming the handle portion. Both burdens can be reduced. This makes it easy to make adjustments by a nearby supporter when necessary, even in daily eating utensil use situations, so it is possible to deal with users who have a change in state and is highly convenient.

In the eating utensil according to claim 2, by forming a surface in which the handle portion covers a part or all of the linear material with a coating material having elasticity, the fit feeling when gripped is increased, Grasping utensils can be held stably.

Similarly, by forming a surface in which the handle portion is covered with a coating material having elasticity around a part or all of the linear material, the handle portion can be stably held when holding the connecting portion. .

In the eating tool of Claim 3, it can be made to function as a slipper by providing the uneven | corrugated | grooved part in part or all of the surface of the said handle | pattern part, and a hand is hard to slip when holding a eating tool , Can be gripped stably.

Similarly, providing a concavo-convex portion on a part or all of the surface of the handle portion can function as a slipper, and when the handle portion is deformed to produce a portion where the handle portions contact each other Since it is difficult to slip, the shape of the deformed handle is easily retained.

Similarly, the provision of the concavo-convex portion on part or all of the surface of the handle portion can function as a slipper and can stably hold the handle portion on the connecting portion.

Similarly, the provision of uneven portions on part or all of the surface of the handle portion can function as a slipper, and when attaching another grip material to the handle portion, it is difficult to slip, so it is stable. Can be fixed.

In the eating tool of Claim 4, the said connection part becomes easy to deform | transform a handle | pattern part by hold | maintaining the said handle | pattern part so that attachment or detachment is possible.

Similarly, the connecting part holds the handle part in a detachable manner, so that twisting of the coating material that occurs during the deforming operation of the handle part can be eliminated, and the deformation becomes easy.

Similarly, the connecting portion can detachably hold the handle so that the loop length of the handle can be adjusted according to the user.

In the eating utensil according to claim 5, since the connecting part detachably holds the action part, in the eating utensil using the handle part, the combination with the action part can be changed. It becomes possible to form a proper eating utensil.

It is a top view which shows the form of Example 1 by this invention. It is arrow sectional drawing in the FIG. 1A-A line. It is arrow sectional drawing in the FIG. 1B-B line. It is a top view which shows the modification of the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the Example, and the form at the time of utilization. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the Example, and the form at the time of utilization. It is a perspective view which shows the modification and application example of the Example. It is a top view which shows the form of Example 2 by this invention. It is arrow sectional drawing in the FIG. 8C-C line. It is explanatory drawing of the cap in the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the process in which one edge part of the handle | pattern part is attached or detached to a connection part in the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the process in which one edge part of the handle | pattern part is attached or detached to a connection part in the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the process in which one edge part of the handle | pattern part is attached or detached to a connection part in the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the process in which one edge part of the handle | pattern part is attached or detached to a connection part in the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the form at the time of use of the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the form at the time of use of the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the form of Example 3 by this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the one edge part and action part of the handle | pattern part from the connection part in the Example. It is a top view which shows the form of Example 4 by this invention. It is arrow sectional drawing in the FIG. 20D-D line. It is a perspective view which shows the process example of the Example. It is a perspective view which shows the form at the time of utilization of the example of a process of the Example. It is a reference figure of three sides grasp. It is a reference figure of grasping grip strength.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a plan view showing an example in which the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a spoon, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. It is.

In FIG. 1, the eating utensil 1 has a neck portion 30 connected to a head portion 40, a connecting portion 20 connected to the neck portion 30, and a handle portion 10 connected to the connecting portion 20 in a loop shape. In the present embodiment, the head indicated by reference numeral 40 and the neck 30 indicated by reference numeral 30 are provided for convenience. As a concept, the reference numerals 40 and 30 constitute an action part.

The connecting portion 20 and the neck portion 30 are fixed by inserting the handle portion side end 31 of the neck portion 30 into the neck holding portion 21 of the connecting portion 20. The connecting portion 20 and the handle portion 10 are fixed by inserting the end portions 100 and 101 of the handle portion 10 into the handle portion holding portions 22 and 23 of the connecting portion 20. A cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the connecting portion 20 is as shown in FIG.

In addition, about the shape and structure of the connection part 20, it is not restricted above. Another method may be sufficient as the method in which the connection part 20 hold | maintains the handle | pattern part 10, and it may be removable, and the position to hold | maintain may be a middle part of the handle | pattern part 10. FIG. Another method may be sufficient as the method in which the connection part 20 hold | maintains the neck part 30, and attachment or detachment may be sufficient.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of the handle portion 10 is a flexible coating that has a flexible structure that can be easily bent and can hold the bent state. It is formed by covering with a material 12, and the cross-sectional shape of the linear material 11 is substantially a perfect circle, and the covering material 12 is a substantially perfect circle. In addition to this, the cross-sectional shape is not particularly limited, such as a polygon or a circle.

Further, on the surface of the coating material 12 of the handle portion 10, small convex portions 13 were provided on the entire surface at intervals to make them slip. In addition to the convex portion, a concave portion may be used, and the shape and range of the concave and convex portion are not limited, for example, the convex portion and the concave portion are continuously provided in a wave shape. Moreover, it is good also as without a convex part and a concave part.

The shapes of the head 40 and the neck 30 are not particularly limited. The head 40 may be a fork or a knife, and the shape of the spoon may be different from the shape illustrated in FIG. The shape may be different from the shape illustrated in FIG. 1 such that the neck portion 30 is bent.

Regarding the material, in this example, the filament material 11 of the handle 10 was titanium. In addition to titanium, it is desirable to use a titanium alloy, stainless steel, nickel alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, or the like that has flexibility, is relatively lightweight, and is not easily broken.
The covering material 12 covering the filament material 11 of the handle 10 was made of silicon. It is desirable to use a type having elasticity and sufficient strength such as an elastomer resin other than silicon.

The head 40 and neck 30 are made of titanium, and the connecting part 20 is made of polypropylene resin. In addition to the above, metal materials such as titanium alloy, stainless steel, nickel alloy, aluminum and aluminum alloy, resin materials such as silicon, etc. Those having sufficient strength and relatively light weight are desirable.

As for the size, the filament material 11 of the handle portion 10 has a diameter of about 2 mm to 4 mm, the diameter of the covering material 12 of the handle portion 10 has a diameter of about 5 mm to 10 mm, and the length of the loop-shaped handle portion 10, that is, the connected portion of the handle portion 10. Reference numeral 110-111, which is the length from one boundary 110 to the other boundary 111 indicating a portion not held by the portion 20, is preferably about 30 cm to 65 cm, but is not limited to this example.

The size of the connecting portion 20 is preferably about 15 mm to 30 mm in width, about 20 mm to 40 mm in length, and about 7 mm to 20 mm in thickness, but is not limited to this example. The size of the connecting portion 20 is desirably a size that can hold the handle portion 10 and the neck portion 30 and does not get in the way during meal use.
The sizes of the head 40 and the neck 30 are not particularly limited. In this example, the head 40 has a length of about 3 cm to 6 cm, a width of about 2 cm to 3 cm and a thickness of about 5 mm, and the neck 30 has a length of about 1 cm to 5 cm, a width of about 3 mm to 2 cm and a thickness of about 1 mm to 5 mm. It is not limited to examples.

In the eating utensil according to the present invention having the above structure, the handle portion 10 has a loop shape, and the handle portion 10 has flexibility that is easy to bend and can hold the bent state from the linear material 11. Therefore, it can be freely deformed and at the same time it is easy to stably hold the deformed shape. The deformation work is also simple. The covering material 12 of the handle portion 10 has elasticity, has a sliding function by the convex portion 13, and is easily gripped stably.

Next, a usage example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7 show an example in which the loop length of the handle portion 10, that is, the reference numerals 110 to 111 is set to about 35 cm in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the first embodiment. The substantially middle point 102 of the loop forming the handle 10 is bent and deformed so that two opposite sides, that is, one side of reference numerals 110-102 and one side of 111-102 are substantially in contact with each other.

The deformed shape of the handle portion 10 is a flat and elongated shape close to the handle portion of a general eating utensil, but can be easily fitted to the hand and can be stably held by the covering material 12 having elasticity. Further, the convex portion 13 on the surface of the handle portion 10 makes it difficult for the hand to slip when gripped.
Therefore, the example of FIG. 4 can compensate for a slight difficulty such as a person who feels that it is easy to slip with a general eating utensil. Moreover, it is a shape which can be used for non-disabled people without a sense of incongruity.

  FIG. 5 shows a modification and usage form in the first embodiment. The middle point 102 of the loop forming the handle part 10 is bent, and the two opposite sides, that is, a gap 103 between one side of reference numerals 110-102 and 111-102 is slightly opened, and the contact parts 120, 121 near the index finger base The middle finger contact portion 122, the thumb contact portions 123 and 124, the forefinger end contact portion 125, and the ring finger contact portion 126 are bent and deformed along the shape of the hand.

The shape of the slightly wide handle 10 formed by the loop is easy to understand the position and direction when gripping, and the handle 10 does not roll and can be gripped stably.
Even in the case of the person having difficulty in the example of FIG. 4, in the example of FIG. It is possible to perform a meal operation without greatly changing the operation method.

Further, the contact portions 120 to 126 between the handle portion 10 and the hand are almost the same as the contact portions when gripping the chopsticks, and the shape of the handle portion 10 in the example of FIG. 5 is a person who has been familiar with chopsticks for many years. The shape of the touch is easy to get used to. The example of FIG. 5 may be accepted and useful even when confusion increases with new eating utensils and operation methods such as dementia.

FIG. 6 shows a modified example and a usage form in the first embodiment. The deformation is such that the middle point 102 of the loop forming the handle portion 10 is bent so that the finger can be inserted through the two opposite sides, that is, the interval 103 between one side of reference numerals 110-102 and 111-102. The angle adjustment unit 127 of the direction is bent and deformed while twisting.

The shape in which the fingers are inserted through the inside of the loop of the handle portion 10 allows gripping while preventing the spoon from falling.
Moreover, the deformation | transformation operation | work is simply possible, and since the loop-shaped handle | pattern part 10 is easy to bend while twisting, the fine adjustment of the angle adjustment part 127 is also easy. Therefore, the adjustment of the direction of the action part of the eating utensil can be easily supported. This is highly convenient because it is easy for a user who has a state change to make adjustments by a nearby supporter when necessary.

FIG. 7 shows an application example of FIG. This is an example in which a detachable ball-shaped grip 14 is attached to the handle 10 and the grip portion is thickened. Since the convex portion 13 on the surface of the handle portion 10 is slippery, it is easy to fix the grip 14. Thus, the breadth of use can be further expanded by using the meal tool of a present Example together with another grip material.

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, Example 2 is an example from which Example 1 differs in the structure of a connection part. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of the configuration is omitted.

8 is a plan view showing an example in which the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a spoon, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 8, FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a cap, and FIGS. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a process of attaching and detaching one end portion of the handle portion to the connecting portion.

  In FIG. 8, the eating tool 2 has a neck portion 30 connected to a head portion 40, a connecting portion 200 connected to the neck portion 30, and a handle portion 10 connected to the connecting portion 200 in a loop shape. The connecting portion 200 includes a stopper 210, a cap 220, a main body 230, and a cover 240 as will be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, the connecting portion 200 holds the neck portion 30 by inserting and fixing the handle portion side end 31 of the neck portion 30 to the neck holding portion 231 of the main body 230 of the connecting portion 200.

As for the method of holding the handle portion 10 by the connecting portion 200, as shown in FIGS. 8, 11, and 12, one end portion 100 of the handle portion 10 is inserted into the handle portion holding portion 232 of the main body 230 of the connecting portion 200. Are fixed.

The other end 101 of the handle is detachably held by the connecting portion 200. The holding method will be described. First, as shown in FIG. The handle part 101 is inserted from the handle part side end 221 of the cap 220 to the neck part side end 222, and then the handle part end part 101 is inserted from the handle part side end 211 of the stopper 210 of the connecting part 200 to the hole bottom 212.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 12, the stopper 210 into which the handle end 101 is inserted is pushed into the step 223 in the cap 220 and fixed.
As shown in FIG. 9, the inner diameter 224 of the cap 220 becomes narrower as it approaches the stepped portion 223 from the neck side end 222. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the stopper 210 is provided with a notch 214, and the handle portion side end 211 of the stopper 210 can be bent so that the notch 214 is narrowed.
When the stopper 210 into which the handle end 101 is inserted is pushed into the cap 220, the stopper inner diameter 215 is reduced as the cap inner diameter 224 is reduced, and at the same time, the convex portion 213 of the stopper 210 is pressed against the handle 10. Since the surface of the handle 10 is elastic due to the coating material 12 and has the convex portion 13, the handle 10 becomes slippery and the handle end 101 is stably held in the stopper 210 and the cap 220. The external appearance is as shown in FIG.

Next, the cap 220 into which the handle end portion 101 and the stopper 210 are pushed is attached so that the concave portion 225 of the cap 220 fits into the convex portion 233 of the main body 230 of the connecting portion 200. The external appearance is as shown in FIG.

Next, the cover 240 of the connecting portion 200 is inserted into the main body 230 to which the cap 220 described above is attached so that the groove 234 of the main body 230 and the convex portion 241 of the cover 240 are fitted, and the minute convex portion 235 of the main body 230 is inserted. The cover 240 is fixed so as to fit into the minute recess 242. The external appearance is as shown in FIG.

By fixing the cover 240 to the main body 230, the stopper 210 and the cap 220 into which the handle end portion 101 is inserted can be fixed so as not to be removed. The handle end portion 101 can be used during meal use or during deformation of the handle portion 10. Even if force is applied from various directions, it can be held so as not to be detached from the connecting portion 200. Moreover, what is necessary is just to perform the method of removing the handle | pattern part edge part 101 from the connection part 200 in the reverse order of the said holding method.

In a state in which the handle portion end 101 is removed from the connecting portion 200, the handle portion 10 can be cut short with pliers or the like and adjusted to be short, and the handle portion 10 and the connecting portion 200 are fixed again by the holding method. Can be used.

In addition, about the structure and shape of the connection part 200, it is not restricted above. Both the connecting portion 200 and the end portions 100 and 101 of the handle portion 10 may be detachable or non-detachable, and the holding position may be a midway portion of the handle portion 10. The holding method may be other methods. Moreover, the connection part 200 and the neck part 30 may be detachable, and the holding method may be another method. Other methods may be used for adjusting the length of the handle 10, and the length may not be adjustable. However, the connecting portion 200 holds the handle portion 10 and the neck portion 30 during meal use, and the handle portion 10 forms a loop shape.

Regarding the material, the material of the connecting portion 200 was a polypropylene resin. In addition to polypropylene resin, a resin material such as silicon, a metal material such as titanium, titanium alloy, stainless steel, nickel alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, etc., having sufficient strength and relatively light weight is desirable.

  The size of the connecting portion 200 is preferably about 15 to 30 mm in width, about 20 to 40 mm in length, and about 7 to 25 mm in thickness, but is not limited to this example. The size of the connecting portion 200 is desirably a size that can hold the handle portion 10 and the neck portion 30 and does not get in the way during meal use.

In the eating utensil according to the present invention having the above structure, one end portion 101 of the handle portion 10 is detachably held by the connecting portion 200. Therefore, if the handle end portion 101 is removed, it is easy to perform complicated deformation. Moreover, the twist of the coating material 12 which arises during a bending process can also be eliminated. In addition, since the handle portion 101 can be cut and the handle portion end 101 can be held again by the connecting portion 200, the loop length of the handle portion 10, that is, the code 110-111 is adjusted to a length suitable for the user. can do.

Next, a usage example of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17 show an example in which the loop length of the handle 10, that is, the reference numerals 110 to 111 are set to about 65 cm in the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a modification of the second embodiment, and FIG. 16 is a usage form of FIG. Deformation of the handle 10 can be achieved by forming the gripping part in the palm with two small loops, ie, reference numerals 130 and 131, so that a three-dimensional grip can be obtained. Easy to adjust the shape.

In addition, the contact portions 132 and 133 near the index finger base are deformed so as to follow the shape of the hand, and further, by increasing the interval 134, a handle shape having a wide contact range to the body is possible.

Further, the convex portion 13 provided on the surface of the handle portion 10 makes it difficult for the hand to slip, and the contact portion between the handle portions 10 is also less likely to slip, so that the shape of the deformed handle portion 10 can be easily maintained and stable gripping can be achieved. Is possible.

Further, by bending the angle adjusting unit 135 while twisting, the angle of the direction of the head 40 can be changed, and the adjustment of the direction of the action part of the eating utensil can be supported. Since the pattern portion 10 can be easily deformed, adjustment can be performed by a close support person even when the user has a state change.

In the examples of FIGS. 15 and 16, the structure has a wide contact range with the body, is lightweight, and can be attached and detached without breaking the shape of the deformed handle 10. Even when fine adjustment to fit the body is required at the time of wearing, the work can be easily performed.

FIG. 17 shows a modified example and a usage form in the second embodiment. The deformation of the handle 10 is made into two spaces, that is, reference numerals 136 and 137, and a space through which fingers are inserted.
By widening the interval 138 between the two loops 136 and 137, the example of FIG. 17 is more secure than the example of FIG. Also suitable for. Further, the angle adjusting unit 139 is bent while being twisted, and the adjustment of the direction of the action part of the eating utensil can be supported.

In this way, the examples shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 make use of the fact that the handle 10 is long, and the shape that prioritizes the fixation of the eating utensil to the body is possible, so that persons with relatively severe disabilities Useful for. Moreover, in the operation | work which deform | transforms the handle | pattern part 10 into a complicated shape, since the handle | pattern part edge part 101 is detachable, since it is easy to arrange a shape and the twist of the coating material 12 can be eliminated, deformation | transformation work Is easy.

In addition, the length of the handle 10, that is, the adjustment of the reference numerals 110 to 111 can be adjusted to be short according to the size and usage of the user's hand. It can be used widely without limiting the situation.

A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing an example in which the embodiment 3 of the present invention is applied to a spoon, and FIG. 19 shows a state in which one end portion and an action portion of the handle portion are removed from the connecting portion. It is a perspective view.

In FIG. 18, the eating tool 3 has a neck portion 300 connected to a head 400, a connecting portion 500 connected to the neck portion 300, and a handle portion 10 connected to the connecting portion 500 in a loop shape. In the present embodiment, the head indicated by reference numeral 400 and the neck indicated by reference numeral 300 are provided for convenience, and as a concept, reference numerals 400 and 300 constitute the action part. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of the configuration is omitted.

18 and 19, a connecting portion 500 is formed by connecting a clip-shaped upper portion 510 and a lower portion 530 to a fitting portion 501 of a main body 520, and a spring is provided between a knob 513 of the upper portion 510 and a knob 533 of the lower portion 530. 502 is attached. The sandwiching portion between the neck holding portion 511 of the upper portion 510 and the neck holding portion 521 of the main body 520 and the sandwiching portion between the recess portion 522 of the main body 520 and the recess portion 532 of the lower portion 530 are closed by the force of the spring 502, When force is applied to bring the knobs 513 and 533 closer, they open.

Between the recesses 522 and 532 of the connecting portion 500, one end portion 101 or the midway portion 112 of the handle portion 10 having a loop shape can be fitted and sandwiched and held detachably. Since the handle portion 10 is covered with an elastic coating material 12 and the convex portion 13 also functions as a slipper, when the handle portion 10 is held between the recesses 522 and 532 of the connecting portion 500, The handle 10 is stably held. In addition, the middle part shown by the code | symbol 112 illustrates the location, and is not limited to the location shown in figure.

Further, the other end 100 of the handle is inserted and fixed to the handle holding portion 523 of the main body 520 of the connecting portion 500.

A protective cap 503 is attached to the handle end 101 so that the removable handle 101 does not get injured by touching the body.
When the portion from the end portion 101 to the middle portion 112 of the handle portion 10 held by the connecting portion 500 is long, the handle portion 10 is not disturbed during use, such as being rounded to the vicinity of the connecting portion 500. Alternatively, the protective cap 503 may be attached to the handle end portion 101 that is cut by pliers or the like and cut.

Moreover, the method by which the connecting portion 500 holds the handle 10 is not limited to the above, and other methods may be used. Both of the handle end portions 100 and 101 may be detachable or non-detachable, and the position for holding the handle portion 10 may be a midway portion.

The neck holding portions 511 and 521 of the connecting portion 500 have a sliding function with an uneven surface, and the handle portion side end 301 or midway portion 302 of the neck portion 300 is sandwiched between the neck holding portions 511 and 521. It can be held and detachably held. In addition, the middle part shown by the code | symbol 302 illustrates the location, and is not limited to the location shown in figure.

The method by which the connecting portion 500 holds the neck portion 300 in a detachable manner is not limited to the above, and other methods may be used, or the attachment and detachment may not be possible. The structure and shape of the connecting portion 500 are not limited to this example.

Regarding the connecting portion 500, the material is mainly made of polypropylene resin, the neck holding portions 511 and 521 are made of elastomer resin, and the spring 502 is made of stainless steel. In addition to the above, the connecting portion 500 is preferably made of a resin material such as silicon, a metal material such as titanium, a titanium alloy, stainless steel, a nickel alloy, aluminum, and an aluminum alloy that has sufficient strength and is relatively light.
The size of the connecting portion 500 is preferably about 25 mm to 40 mm in width, about 25 mm to 40 mm in length, and about 15 to 30 mm in thickness, but is not limited to this example.

The protective cap 503 is made of silicon. In addition, an elastomer resin or the like having elasticity and sufficient strength is desirable.
The size of the protective cap 503 is preferably about 2 cm to 5 cm in length and about 5 mm to 10 mm in inner diameter, but is not limited to this example. It is necessary that the size of the protective cap 503 is not removed from the handle end 101 during use of a meal or the like.

The neck portion 300 held by the connecting portion 500 and the head portion 400 connected to the neck portion may be any eating tool such as a spoon or fork, and are not particularly limited in shape, material, size, and the like.
The shape of the head 400 may be a fork or a knife, and the shape of the spoon may be different from the shape illustrated in FIGS. The shape of the neck 300 may be different from the shape illustrated in FIGS.

The material of the neck portion 300 and the head portion 400 is titanium in this example, but is not particularly limited, such as a resin material or a metal material. In this example, the head 400 has a length of about 3 cm to 6 cm, a width of about 2 cm to 3 cm and a thickness of about 5 mm, and the neck 300 has a length of about 5 cm to 12 cm, a width of about 3 mm to 2 cm and a thickness of about 1 mm to 5 mm. However, the present invention is not limited to this example.

In the eating utensil of Example 3 having the above structure, the connecting portion 500 detachably holds one end portion 101 or the midway portion 112 of the handle portion, so that the handle portion 10 is not cut off. The length, that is, the reference numerals 110 to 111 can be adjusted, and the method for attaching and detaching the handle 10 is very simple. For this reason, the degree of freedom of deformation of the handle portion 10 becomes higher than that of the second embodiment, and the deformation work becomes easier.

Further, since the connecting portion 500 holds the neck portion 300 detachably, the neck portion 300 and the head portion 400 connected to the neck portion, that is, the shape, size, and material of the action portion can be easily replaced with different ones.

As an application of the third embodiment, it is useful for evaluation in order to capture an outline of eating utensils suitable for individuals in the fields of medical care and welfare. In particular, the deformation of the handle 10 can be easily performed, and the action part, that is, the neck 300 and the head 400 connected to the neck 300 can be replaced. Thus, a suitable meal utensil model can be made in a short time.

Based on the deformed eating utensil model, it is easy to select from a large number of commercially available eating utensils as well as the eating utensils according to the present invention. In addition, there is nothing suitable for a commercially available eating utensil, and even when individually preparing a dining utensil, it can be created by looking at the deformed eating utensil model, and the burden on the user and creator Can be greatly reduced.

This method of use is directly related to medical and welfare positions, sales outlets, etc., who are in a position to receive consultation about eating utensils, but users can obtain better information and use eating utensils. It is meaningful because it leads to decisions.

The form of the 4th example of the present invention is explained.
FIG. 20 is a plan view showing an example in which the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a fork. In FIG. 20, the eating tool 4 has a neck portion 30 connected to a head portion 41, a connecting portion 600 connected to the neck portion 30, and a handle portion 700 connected to the connecting portion 600 in a loop shape. In the present embodiment, the head indicated by reference numeral 41 and the neck 30 indicated by reference numeral 30 are provided for convenience, and as a concept, reference numerals 41 and 30 constitute an action part.

The handle 700 is made of a single linear material 703, and the ends 701 and 702 of the handle 700 are fixed to the connecting portion 600 to form a loop.
In addition, about the structure and shape of the connection part 600, it is not restricted to a present Example. The method by which the connecting part 600 holds the handle 700 may be different from this example, one or both of the handle ends 701 and 702 may be detachable, and the holding position may be in the middle of the handle 700. . The method of holding the neck portion 30 by the connecting portion 600 may be a method different from this example, or may be detachable.

As shown in FIG. 21, the DD 700 cross-sectional view of the handle 700 has a substantially circular shape, but is not particularly limited to a polygon or a circle.

Further, the surface of the linear material 703 of the handle 700 was provided with a concave portion 704 in a spiral shape so as to be slippery. In addition, it is good also as a convex part, and it is good also as without a concave part and a convex part, and the shape and range of an uneven part are not limited.

The structures and shapes of the head 41 and the neck 30 are not particularly limited. The head 41 may be a spoon or a knife, and the shape of the fork may be different from the shape illustrated in FIG. The shape may be different from the shape illustrated in FIG. 20, such as the neck portion 30 being bent.

Regarding the material, in this example, the wire material 703 of the handle 700 is made of titanium, and the connecting part 600, the neck part 30 and the head part 41 are made of titanium.
In addition to titanium, the linear material 703 is desirably a type that has flexibility, is relatively lightweight, and is not easily broken, such as titanium alloy, stainless steel, nickel alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy.
The material of the connecting part 600 and the neck part 30 and the head part 41 has sufficient strength, such as titanium, metal materials such as titanium alloy, stainless steel, nickel alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, and resin materials such as silicon and polypropylene resin. A relatively light weight is desirable.

The size is preferably about 2 to 6 mm in diameter of the linear material 703 of the handle 700, and the length of the loop-like handle 700, that is, about 701 to 702 is about 30 to 65 cm, but is not limited to this example. . The length of the connecting portion 600 is desirably about 20 mm to 30 mm and about 8 mm to 15 mm in width, but is not limited to this example. The sizes of the head 41 and the neck 30 are not particularly limited. In this example, the head 41 has a length of about 3 cm to 6 cm and a width of about 2 cm to 3 cm and about 5 mm, and the neck 30 has a length of about 1 cm to 5 cm, a width of about 3 mm to 2 cm and a thickness of about 5 mm, and a thickness of about 1 mm to 5 mm. It is not limited to examples.

In the eating utensil 4 according to the present invention having the above-described structure, the handle 700 has a loop shape, the handle 700 has flexibility that can be easily bent, and the linear material 703 that can hold the bent state. Therefore, the handle 700 can be deformed with a high degree of freedom, and the deformation work is also simple. Moreover, since the surface of the handle | pattern part 700 has the recessed part 704, it is hard to slip.

As an application of a present Example, it is useful as a material in the case of processing a meal utensil individually. By deforming the handle 700 and combining other grip materials, a handle suitable for an individual can be created.

As the grip material to be combined, a detachable, for example, a sponge-like grip that is wound or sandwiched can be used. Moreover, it can also be used by covering with a grip material that fixes the shape of the deformed handle 700, for example, a thermoplastic resin or stone plastic clay. In that case, the deformed handle is compared with a linear handle. 700 has an advantage that the grip material is not easily displaced.

Further, since the concave portion 704 is provided on the surface of the handle portion 700 and becomes a slipper, it becomes easy to fix the grip material to be combined. By using this embodiment, it becomes easy to process the eating utensils according to the individual.

Next, a usage example of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 22 shows an example in which the meal utensil 4 according to the present embodiment is processed to create the meal utensil 5, and FIG. 23 shows the usage pattern of FIG.

In FIG. 22, the eating utensil 5 has a neck portion 30 connected to the head portion 41, a connecting portion 600 connected to the neck portion 30, and a handle portion 710 connected to the connecting portion 600.

In order to create the eating utensil 5, first, the linear material 703 of the handle 700 of the eating utensil 4 is deformed to be a framework of the eating utensil 5 having a shape suitable for the user. In this example, the portion to be gripped in the palm is formed by a small loop 706, the contact portions 707 and 708 near the index finger base are shaped along the hand, and the angle adjusting portion 709 facing the head 41 is bent while being twisted. Is deformed.

Next, the deformed linear material 703 is covered with the grip material 705 except for a part of the angle adjusting portion 709, and is shaped so as to follow the shape of the hand gripped by the user. The shape of the part 710 is adjusted.

The material of the grip material 705 in this example was a commercially available thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin is a material that can be easily obtained and used in the current medical and welfare field, so it has been used in this example, but has a drawback that it cannot be used in a tableware dryer. An appropriate material may be used according to the situation of the user and the supporter to create, and is not limited to this example.

The eating utensil 5 thus created can be grasped stably because the handle portion 710 and the contact surface of the hand are provided to the maximum extent, while the shape of the hand to be grasped is the same as that for grasping the three surfaces. Moreover, compared with the example of FIG. 16 in the said Example 2, it has become a meal tool suitable also for the person with the very strong force to grasp because most of the handle | pattern part 710 is being fixed. Furthermore, since a part of the angle adjusting unit 709 is not covered with the grip material 705, the angle of the orientation of the head 41 can be finely adjusted according to the use situation.

Regarding the processing, in this example in which the eating utensil 4 is processed as a material, compared to the case of processing a general elongate rod-shaped handle portion as a material, the degree of freedom of deformation of the linear material 703 of the loop-shaped pattern portion 700 is as follows. Since it is high and the work is simple, it is possible to make a basic skeleton suitable for the user in a short time, and because of the skeleton, the grip material 705 is attached to the handle 710 of the eating utensil 5. It is easy to form into the shape.

When the grip material 705 is applied, the grip material 705 is easily attached by the linear material 703 and the concave portion 704 of the handle 700 of the deformed eating utensil 4, and therefore, the processing work is easy.
Moreover, it can also create so that the fine adjustment of a meal utensil can be performed later by the device, such as the range which attaches the grip material 705, or a raw material.

This greatly reduces the labor and time required to process and prepare meals individually, so that even people with disabilities who are difficult to deal with commercially available products can obtain suitable meals. It is meaningful because it is easy.

As described above, in Examples 1 to 4, an example in which the user is mainly assumed to be disabled has been shown. However, the present invention can be used regardless of the presence or absence of a failure, and is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, by using a bent handle on the edge of tableware to prevent the handle of food utensils from falling during cooking, it is designed to make use of the shape of the bent handle. You can also enjoy the use. In the range which does not deviate from the meaning of the present invention, it can be freely modified according to the user, and a free usage method is possible.

  The eating utensils according to the present invention are manufactured in the tableware industry, in sales the tableware sales and welfare utensils industry, in the field of medical, welfare, etc. It is expected to be used by general consumers regardless of presence or absence.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Eating tool, 2 ... Eating tool, 3 ... Eating tool, 4 ... Eating tool, 5 ... Eating tool, 10 ... Pattern part, 11 ... Linear material, 12 ... Coating material, 13 ... Convex part, 14 ... Grip , 20 ... connection part, 21 ... neck part holding part, 22 ... handle part holding part, 23 ... handle part holding part, 30 ... neck part, 31 ... handle part side end, 40 ... head part, 41 ... head part, 100 ... end Part, 101 ... end part, 102 ... middle point, 103 ... interval, 110 ... boundary, 111 ... boundary, 112 ... intermediate part, 120 ... contact part, 121 ... contact part, 122 ... contact part, 123 ... contact part, 124 ... Contact part 125 ... Contact part 126 ... Contact part 127 ... Angle adjustment part 130 ... Small loop 131 ... Small loop 132 ... Contact part 133 ... Contact part 134 ... Spacing 135 ... Angle adjustment part 136... Loop, 137... Loop, 138... Interval, 139. 00 ... connecting portion, 210 ... stopper, 211 ... pattern portion side end, 212 ... hole bottom, 213 ... convex portion, 214 ... cut portion, 215 ... inner diameter, 220 ... cap, 221 ... pattern portion side end, 222 ... neck side End 223 ... Stepped part 224 ... Inner diameter 225 ... Recessed part 230 ... Main body 231 ... Neck part holding part 232 ... Pattern part holding part 233 ... Convex part 234 ... Groove 235 ... Minute convex part 240 ... Cover , 241 ... convex part, 242 ... minute concave part, 300 ... neck part, 301 ... handle part side end, 302 ... midway part, 400 ... head part, 500 ... connecting part, 501 ... fitting part, 502 ... spring, 503 ... protective cap 510, upper part, 511 ... neck holding part, 513 ... knob, 520 ... main body, 521 ... neck part holding part, 522 ... concave part, 523 ... handle part holding part, 530 ... lower part, 532 ... concave part, 533 ... knob, 600 ... Connecting part , 700 ... handle part, 701 ... end part, 702 ... end part, 703 ... linear material, 704 ... concave part, 705 ... grip material, 706 ... small loop, 707 ... contact part, 708 ... contact part, 709 ... angle Adjusting part, 710 ... handle part, 801 ... heel side surface around middle finger DIP joint, 802 ... heel side face of index finger base, 803 ... finger pad of finger, 804 ... terminal finger end, 805 ... handle part, 806 ... finger, 807 ... palm, 808 ... handle

Claims (5)

In eating utensils consisting of an action part that touches food such as scooping, piercing, cutting, etc., a connection part connected to the action part, and a handle part connected to the connection part. The handle portion is made of a single member, and an end portion or a midway portion of the handle portion is held by the connecting portion to form a loop, and the handle portion is flexible and easily bent. A food utensil comprising a linear material capable of maintaining a dry state. 2. The eating tool according to claim 1, wherein the handle portion forms a surface in which a part or all of the linear material is covered with a coating material having elasticity. The utensil according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an uneven portion is provided on a part or all of the surface of the handle portion. The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting portion detachably holds the handle portion. The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connecting portion detachably holds the action portion.

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