JP2013070983A - Self-help tool for use in eating meal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pair of chopsticks that prevents the occurrence of loss in function due to a strain of guide plates while regulating the trajectory of the tips of the pair of chopsticks on the same plane in a self-help tool for use in eating meals used by a disabled person whose fingers are dysfunctional and a person or the like who switches the dominant hand.SOLUTION: Guide plates 3a and 3b are respectively provided on the upper surface and the lower surface of the hand-held parts 2a and 2b of a pair of chopstick 1a and 1b bodies. The lower-surface guide plate 3b is connected to one chopstick 1b while the upper-surface guide plate 3a is connected to the other chopstick 1a. A spring 5 is fitted inside the hand-held part of the chopstick body in order to always bias the tips of the pair of chopsticks in a direction in which the tips of the pair of chopsticks are expanded. The upper-surface guide plate is attached to the lower-surface guide plate through a pivot 4 so that the tips of the pair of chopsticks are freely openable and closable. A finger catching part is further provided on the surface facing the lower-surface guide plate so that the lower surface of a first finger is placed thereon in the chopstick to which the lower-surface guide plate is connected. A notch part is provided in the upper-surface guide plate so that the finger catching part can be freely fitted thereinto.

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-help device for meals used by a handicapped person with inadequate finger function, a person who replaces a dominant hand, or the like.

  The invention according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-122187 filed earlier by the applicant supports both ends of the bent spring on the inner surface of the hand side of the two chopsticks, and the locus on the same plane when the chopstick tip expands or contracts. The guide side of the chopsticks is clamped with two guide plates that are regulated so as to be drawn and fixed with screws, and a grip and a first finger locking hook that abuts the palm on the chopsticks having the guide plate are provided, and the tip of the chopsticks is closed At times, the part is cut off obliquely so that the contact surfaces are united.

  The invention according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-83788 previously filed by the applicant is provided with a male guide plate and a female guide plate on the inner surface of the hand side of the two chopsticks 1 so that the male guide plate is a female guide plate. A spring that presses the male guide plate into the female guide plate and urges the chopstick tip to always expand is inserted into the female guide plate. A sandwiching protrusion that is inserted into a space with the finger side surface and a finger suspension portion on which the first finger lower surface is placed are integrally provided.

JP-A-9-122187 JP 2000-83788 A

  In the inventions described in both Patent Documents 1 and 2, a guide plate or a chopstick is further moved into and out of the guide plate by the guide plate, and the trajectory of the chopstick tip is regulated on the same plane. Have a female relationship. In these embodiments, the distortion of the guide plate easily damages the relationship between the guide plates or the guide plate and the chopsticks, that is, the opening / closing function of the chopsticks. However, if the play between the guide plates or between the guide plates and the chopsticks is increased in order to prevent the loss of the freely movable relationship due to the distortion of the guide plates, the trajectory of the chopsticks tip becomes insufficient, and on the contrary, those inventions The purpose will be lost.

  In addition to the above, Patent Document 2 further includes a guide convex portion on the inner surface of the front portion of one chopstick body, and a guide concave portion that is detachably engaged with the guide convex portion. Also disclosed is an invention in which the chopstick tips are united when the tip is closed, but the feature of this structure is that the projections engage and disengage from the recesses, that is, the chopstick tip trajectory restriction by the male and female structures. The problem still cannot be solved.

  Therefore, there is a need for a pair of chopsticks that restricts the trajectory of the chopstick tip on the same plane but does not cause or does not cause loss of function due to distortion of the guide plate.

  As a result of earnest research to solve such problems, the present inventor has conceived that the pair of chopsticks has a symmetrical relationship of approximately two times, and has made the present invention. That is, the present invention includes a guide plate on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the hand portion of a pair of chopstick bodies, the lower surface guide plate is connected to one chopstick, and the upper surface guide plate is connected to the other chopstick. Provided is a self-help device for eating, in which a spring for constantly energizing a chopstick tip is inserted inside, and an upper guide plate is pivotally attached to a lower guide plate so that the chopstick tip can be opened and closed. In the second aspect of the present invention, the chopsticks connected to the lower surface guide plate further include a finger suspension portion for placing the first finger lower surface on the surface facing the lower surface guide plate, and the finger suspension is provided on the upper surface guide plate. There is also provided a self-help device for eating, comprising a cut-out part into which the part can be freely inserted.

  The guide plates connected to the chopsticks mutually restrict the trajectory of the other chopstick, thereby restricting the trajectories of the pair of chopsticks on the same plane. In addition, the structure is not a structure in which a male guide plate or chopsticks appear in and out of a female guide plate, but the chopsticks connected with the guide plates are symmetrical twice and slide in the horizontal direction with the guide plate. Loss of chopstick tip opening / closing function due to distortion of the plate is prevented or reduced.

The front view of the self-help device 1 for meals in the 1st aspect of this invention is shown. The A arrow line view in FIG. 1 is shown. The front view of the self-help device 11 for meals in the 2nd aspect of this invention is shown.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a meal self-help device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 and 2 illustrate the first aspect of the present invention. In this embodiment, the two chopsticks 1a and 1b constituting the meal self-help device 1 of the present invention form a pair, and one guide plate 3a and 3b is connected to each of the hand portions 2a and 2b. As shown in FIG. 2, the two chopsticks 1a and 1b connected to the guide plates 3a and 3b are connected to each other when the chopsticks 1a or 1b are rotated halfway (180 °) with respect to the central axis 21, respectively. Symmetry is approximately twice overlapping with the chopsticks 1b or 1a. Therefore, in this aspect, the front view and the rear view, and the right side view and the left side view of the eating self-help device 1 are the same. For convenience, the guide plate 3a connected to the chopsticks 1a is referred to as an upper surface guide plate 3a, and the guide plate 3b connected to the chopsticks 1b is referred to as a lower surface guide plate 3b. The lower surface may be used. The upper surface guide plate 3a is disposed so as to face the lower surface guide plate 3b, and is pivotally mounted 4 near the rear ends of the hand portions 2a and 2b, and a spring 5 is inserted into the inner surface of one chopstick 1a or 1b and the other The chopsticks 1b or 1a of the chopsticks are bombarded to urge the chopsticks tip in a constantly expanding direction. At this time, in order to prevent the spring 5 from falling off from the meal self-help device 1 of the present invention, the spring 5 may be inserted into a position where at least a part of the spring 5 is covered by the guide plates 3a and 3b.

  FIG. 3 illustrates the second aspect of the present invention. In this embodiment, the two chopsticks 11a and 11b constituting the meal self-help device 11 of the present invention make a pair, and one guide plate 13a and 13b are connected to the hand portions 12a and 12b, respectively, and the lower surface guide plate 13b. Of the chopsticks 11b connected to the lower surface guide plate 11b, that is, the upper surface of the chopsticks 11b is provided with a finger hanging portion 16 for placing the lower surface of the first finger (so-called thumb) on the upper surface guide plate 13a. A notch portion 17 is provided to fit freely. The upper surface guide plate 13a is disposed so as to face the lower surface guide plate 13b, and is pivotally mounted 14 near the rear ends of the hand portions 12a and 12b, and a spring 15 is inserted into the inner surface of one chopstick 11a or 11b and the other The chopsticks 11b or 11a are fired to urge the chopsticks tip in a constantly expanding direction. At this time, in order to prevent the spring 15 from falling off from the meal self-help device 11 of the present invention, the spring 15 may be inserted into a position where at least a part of the spring 15 is covered by the guide plates 13a and 13b.

  In the second aspect, the finger hanging part 16 is freely inserted into the notch part 17, so that the outer side surfaces of the pair of chopsticks are picked by the first finger and the second finger or the palm and the second to fifth parts. Instead of grasping with a finger, it is possible to place the lower surface of the first finger, which is a more appropriate way of holding chopsticks, on the upper surface side of the chopsticks, and the user can adjust the trajectory of the chopsticks more freely. The finger-hanging portion 16 and the notch portion 17 into which the finger-hanging portion 16 is freely inserted do not restrict the trajectory of the chopstick tip but prevent the first finger placed on the chopstick 11b from colliding with the guide plate 13a. is there. Therefore, sufficient play can be provided between the finger-hanging part 16 and the notch part 17 into which the finger-hanging part 16 can be freely inserted, and the regulation of the trajectory of the chopstick tip of the food self-help device 11 of the present invention can be prevented. It will not be damaged.

  The second aspect will be described in more detail. The chopsticks 11b can be held by placing the chopsticks 11b on the third finger, placing the first finger on the finger hanging portion 16, and placing the second finger on the guide plate 13a. it can. Accordingly, the chopsticks 11 are held at least at three points by the first to third fingers. The functions of the guide plates 13a and 13b are more accurately performed by the force with which the first finger and the second finger press the chopsticks 11 and the force with which the third finger supports the chopsticks 11 below. The tip of the chopsticks is closed by the force of the first and second fingers closing the chopsticks 11 from the left and right. When the force of closing the chopsticks 11 from the left and right by the first finger and the second finger is weakened, the chopstick tip is naturally opened by the force of the spring 15.

  The example shown in FIG. 3 and the explanation of the second aspect is a right-hand meal self-help device 11, but in this left-hand meal self-help device 11, chopsticks 11 a are provided on the lower surface guide plate 13 b. The chopsticks 11 b includes an upper surface guide plate 13 a having a notch portion 17. Such a left-hand food self-help device 11 is also included in the second aspect of the present invention.

1. Meal self-help equipment 1a, 1b, chopsticks 2a, 2b, chopstick hands 3a, 3b, guide plate 5, spring 11, food self-help equipment 11a, 11b, chopsticks 12a, 12b, chopstick hands 13a, 13b, guide Plate 15, spring 16, finger suspension 17, notch

Claims (2)

  A guide plate is provided on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the hand portion of the pair of chopstick bodies, the lower surface guide plate is connected to one chopstick, the upper surface guide plate is connected to the other chopstick, and the chopstick tip is placed inside the hand portion of the chopstick body. A self-help device for eating, in which a spring that constantly biases in the direction of expansion is inserted, and the upper guide plate is pivotally attached to the lower guide plate so that the chopsticks can be opened and closed.   In the chopsticks connected to the lower surface guide plate, a finger suspension portion for placing the lower surface of the first finger on the surface facing the lower surface guide plate is further provided, and a notch portion in which the finger suspension portion is freely fitted to the upper surface guide plate is provided. The self-help device for meal according to claim 1.

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