KR20140013686A

KR20140013686A - Fork

Info

Publication number: KR20140013686A
Application number: KR1020120081776A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 김홍순; 최진옥
Original assignee: 김홍순; 최진옥
Priority date: 2012-07-26
Filing date: 2012-07-26
Publication date: 2014-02-05

Abstract

The fork has a head with several pointed windows for taking food, a body connected to the head to serve as a handle, a sensor for sensing food in the windows and eating of food in the windows, and a sound installed in the body , An output device configured to output light or both, and a control device configured to control the output device according to the sensing result of the sensor.

Description

Fork {FORK}

The present invention relates to a fork, and more particularly, to a fork for assisting food intake.

At the beginning of the fork, children do not eat as intended. Children at childcare centers or kindergartens do not want to eat well, making it difficult for children to keep their eating habits properly.

Embodiments of the present invention, when the eating of the food is detected, the popular character engraved on the body lights up or give praise to the food eating by the voice of the popular character to make children interested in the meal voluntarily to eat food Provide a fork to do it.

The fork according to an embodiment of the present invention is a head having a plurality of pointed windows for taking food, a body connected to the head to serve as a handle, the sensor is attached to the food and the food for sensing the food in the windows And an output device installed in the body and configured to output sound, light, or both, and a control device configured to control the output device according to the sensing result of the sensor.

The sensor may include an optical sensor installed inside the center of the head or inside a pointed window. The control device may be configured to determine that the food is plugged into the window of the head if the external light is not detected by the light sensor, and determine that the food is inserted into the window when the external light is detected by the light sensor. .

The sensor may include a first optical sensor installed inside the pointed window and sensing external light, and a second optical sensor installed inside the center of the head and having external light. The control device determines that the food is plugged into a pointed window when the sensing signal that detects the external light is not transmitted from the first light sensor and the sensing signal that senses the external light is transmitted, and the food window is pointed. If it is determined that the food is being eaten when it is determined that the food is being eaten when the sensing signals sensing the external light from the first and second light sensors are not transmitted, the first and second When the sensing signals sensing the external light from the second optical sensors are transmitted, the food may be determined to be in a state where food is not eaten.

The head may be made of an insulating transparent material that can transmit light output from the output device to the outside.

The head and the body can be separated from each other.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the food is consumed, popular characters engraved on the body are lit or praised for eating the food with the voice of a popular character, so that the children are interested in the meal and the children voluntarily consume food And to have the right eating habits.

1 is a view for explaining a fork according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but may be implemented in various forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, the fork includes a head 10A, 10B, 10C, a body 20, a sensor 30A, 30B, an output device 40A, 40B, and a control device 50. The heads 10A, 10B and 10C and the body 20 are removable.

The head may include a head portion 10A connected to a plurality of pointed windows 10C for taking food and a head connection portion 10B connected to the body 20. Body 20 is connected to the head (10A, 10B, 10C) and serves as a handle when eating food. The sensors 30A and 30B sense food being inserted into the heads 10A, 10B and 10C and eating and drinking. The output devices 40A, 40B are installed in the body 20 and are configured to output sound, light, or both. The control device 50 is configured to control the output devices 40A, 40B according to the sensing results of the sensors 30A, 30B.

Each component will be described in more detail as follows.

The heads 10A, 10B, and 10C may be formed of a transparent insulating material (eg, silicon), and a popular character may be drawn on the surface of the head portion 10A to which pointed windows 10C to which food is inserted are connected.

The body 20 may be divided into a support and a lid. The lid includes a light-projecting portion 23 having a marking such as a character, a figure or a character that can induce the interest of children in a material through which light can pass, do. The support is formed with grooves in which the head extension 10B and the control device 50 can be seated, and an opening for connecting the inside and the outside to facilitate replacement of the battery 51 that supplies power to the control device 50. A space 51 is formed. Normally, the space 51 is covered by the cover 22, and the cover 22 is fixed to the body 20 by fastening means such as bolts.

The sensors 30A and 30B may be configured as optical sensors for sensing external light. In addition, the sensors 30A and 30B may be configured to sense external light on the upper surface of the heads 10A, 10B and 10C, or both external light on the upper surface and external light on the lower surface. When the sensor is installed in only one position of the fork, the sensor may include an optical sensor 30A installed inside the center of the head portion 10A, or the sensor may be pointed at least one or more of the pointed windows 10C in the head portion 10A. It may include an optical sensor 30B installed inside the window 10C. Among them, the sensor preferably includes an optical sensor 30A provided inside the center of the head portion 10A.

These sensors 30A and 30B are protected from external air or liquid through waterproofing. The sensing signal of the sensor (eg, 30A) may be transmitted to the control device 50 through wires (eg, 31A) embedded in the heads 10A, 10B, and 10C.

The control device 50 may be installed in the body 20, and may be connected to the wire 31A or 31B of the sensor 30A or 30B by the wire 50A. The control device 50 determines that the food is plugged into the pointed window 10C when the sensing signal that detects the external light from the optical sensor (eg, 30A) is not transmitted, and then after the sensing signal is transmitted, the optical sensor When the sensing signal sensed with the external light is transmitted from the 30A, it may be configured to determine that the food is eaten.

The output devices 40A and 40B may include a light emitting device 40A, such as an LED that emits light, and a speaker 40B that outputs sound. The light emitter 40A of the output device emits light through the light emitter 23 and the light emitter 40B of the output device emits light through the light emitter 23 under the control of the control device 50 by the sensing signal of the light sensor 30A The voice of the character engraved in the transparent portion 23 can be outputted.

For example, when it is determined that food is inserted into the pointed window 10C of the head portion 10A according to the sensing signal of the sensor 30A, the controller outputs a character's voice while encouraging ingestion of food while light is emitted from the character. 50 may control the output devices 40A, 40B. Subsequently, when it is determined that the food that is inserted into the pointed window 10C of the head portion 10A is eaten according to the sensing signal of the sensor 30A, the character's voice complimenting the eating of the food is output while the light is emitted from the character. The control device 50 can control the output devices 40A and 40B. Here, a variety of carter's voices can be output so that the children do not lose interest.

The output devices 40A and 40B may be installed inside the body 20 together with the control device 50 and the output devices 40A and 40B may be attached to the control device 50. [

In particular, although not shown in the drawings, the heads 10A, 10B, and 10C are made of a material capable of transmitting light, such as a transparent plastic material, and the light of the light emitting device 40A is introduced into the heads 10A, 10B, and 10C. By irradiating, when the light of the light emitting device 40A is emitted through the light-transmitting unit 23, the light of the light emitting device 40A is also emitted to the outside in the head (10A, 10B, 10C) to further induce children's interest You can also To this end, the light emitting element 40A for changing the position of the light emitting element 40A or irradiating light into the head 10A, 10B, 10C so that light can be irradiated into the head 10A, 10B, 10C is provided. Can be installed additionally.

In this case, the sensor 30A, 30B senses the light generated from the light emitting element 40A, and the control device 50 determines that the food is inserted into the head 10A, 10B, 10C, or that the food is stuck. Errors can occur. Thus, the control device 50 is preferably designed to ignore sensing signals received from the sensors 30A, 30B while the output devices 40A, 40B are operating. As a result, the control device 50 may determine that the food is inserted into the head 10A, 10B, or 10C or eaten by the sensor only by sensing signals of the sensors 30A and 30B generated by sensing external light. .

In the above, the case where only one sensor (for example, 30A) is installed in the heads 10A, 10B, and 10C has been described as an example. However, when only one sensor 30A is installed, it may be difficult to clearly sense that food is inserted and that food is plugged in. Therefore, at least two sensors 30A and 30B may be provided in the heads 10A, 10B and 10C. Specifically, it is as follows.

The sensor includes a first optical sensor 30A having a pointed window 10C of the head portion 10A installed therein, and a second optical sensor 30B provided inside the head portion 10A corresponding to the center of the head. can do. In this case, sensing signals of the photosensors 30A and 30B may be transmitted to the control device 50 through different buried wires 31A and 31B. In addition, when the food is inserted into the pointed window 10C, the first optical sensor 30A is preferably disposed at a position where the external light is not sufficiently transmitted by the food. On the other hand, even if food is inserted into the pointed window (10C), the second optical sensor (30B) is preferably installed in a position such that the external light is not delivered to the outside when the food is fed and the food is inserted into the mouth. Do.

The control device 50 is inserted into the pointed window 10C when the sensing signal that does not detect the external light from the first optical sensor 30A and the sensing signal that detects the external light from the second optical sensor 30B are transmitted. When the sensing signals are transmitted and the sensing signals transmitted from the light sensors 30A and 30B are sensed, the food is plugged in and eaten to be judged as missing from the pointed window 10C. Can be.

More specifically, the control device 50 has a first state in which food is eaten according to sensing signals of the light sensors 30A and 30B (that is, a first state in which there is no food in the head), and the food is in the head portion 10A. The second state is inserted into the pointed window (10C) of, and the third state of the process in which food is eaten into the mouth is configured to be determined. For example, when sensing signals sensing external light from the photosensors 30A and 30B are transmitted, the control device 50 enters a first state in which food is eaten (that is, food is not inserted into the head). To judge. Subsequently, when a sensing signal for detecting external light from the first optical sensor 30A and a sensing signal for detecting external light from the second optical sensor 30B are transferred, the control device 50 may have food heads 10A. Judging to the second state that is inserted into the pointed window (10C) of. Subsequently, when sensing signals that do not sense external light are transmitted from the photosensors 30A and 30B, the control device 50 determines that the food is in the third state of the process of eating food into the mouth. Subsequently, when sensing signals that sense external light are transmitted from the photosensors 30A and 30B, the control device 50 may be configured to determine that the food is in the first state.

In this way, the control device 50 may be configured to sequentially determine from the first state to the third state according to the input timing, order, time, etc. of the sensing signals input from the photosensors 30A, 30B.

When the control device 50 determines that the food is inserted into the heads 10A, 10B, and 10C according to the sensing signals of the sensors 30A and 30B, the control device 50 emits light from the character and encourages intake of food. The control device 50 may control the output devices 40A and 40B to output the voice of. Subsequently, when the control device 50 determines that the food inserted in the heads 10A, 10B, and 10C has been eaten through the third state according to the sensing signals of the sensors 30A and 30B, it is determined that the food is light. The controller 50 may control the output devices 40A and 40B so that the voices of the characters complimenting the eating and drinking of the food are output.

In the above description, the case where the sensor is constituted by an optical sensor has been described, but the sensor may be constituted by a thermal sensor. In this case, the sensor detects a change or difference in external temperature at the top and bottom of the head, or a change or difference in external temperature at the center and edge of the head, and food is inserted into the control head according to the heat detection signals of the sensor. The control device may be configured to distinguish between the state and the state that food is eaten. Such a thermal sensor may be installed at the same position as the above-described position where the optical sensor is installed.

In this way, children can have fun by making a fork to output light and sound to encourage the intake of food by sensing food when there is food on the fork, and after the food is ingested. You can make sure you eat and have the right diet.

Meanwhile, the fork (particularly the head) is cleaned by designing a groove of the body 20 on which the head extension 10B and the head extension 10B are seated so that the heads 10A, 10B, 10C and the body 20 are separated. Can be facilitated. At this time, the wirings 31A and 31B are embedded in the heads 10A, 10B and 10C, and correspond to the ends of the wirings 31A and 31B and only the connection pads connected to the control device 50 extend the head. It is exposed at the end of 10B. However, the sensors 30A, 30B and the wirings 31A, 31B installed inside the heads 10A, 10B, and 10C are protected from corrosion, short circuit, or damage by external moisture or foreign matter through waterproofing. Of course, the control device 50 and the output devices 40A and 40B installed in the body 20 may also be waterproofed to protect against corrosion, short circuit, or damage caused by external moisture or foreign matter.

10A: head portion 10B: head connection portion
20: body 21: space
22: lid 23:
30A, 30B: Sensor 31A, 31B: Buried Wiring
40A: light emitting element 40B: speaker
50: Control device 50A: Wiring

Claims

A head having several pointed windows for taking food;
A body connected to the head to serve as a handle;
A sensor for sensing the food into the windows and the eating of the food into the windows;
An output device installed in the body and configured to output sound, light or both; And
And a control device configured to control the output device according to the sensing result of the sensor.

The method of claim 1,
The sensor includes a fork including an optical sensor installed inside the center of the head or inside the pointed window.

3. The method of claim 2,
The control device determines that the food is plugged into the window of the head if the external light is not detected by the optical sensor, and the food is plugged into the window when the external light is detected by the optical sensor. Fork configured to judge in a closed state.

The sensor according to claim 1,
A first optical sensor installed inside the pointed window and configured to sense external light; And
And a second optical sensor installed inside the center of the head and configured to have the external light.

The method of claim 4, wherein the control device,
When the sensing signal for detecting the external light is not transmitted from the first optical sensor and the sensing signal for detecting the external light is transmitted from the second optical sensor, it is determined that the food is plugged into the pointed window,
After it is determined that the food is inserted into the pointed window, if the sensing signals for detecting the external light are not transmitted from the first and second light sensors, the food is determined to be eating.
And determining that the food is not eaten when the sensing signals sensing the external light are transmitted from the first and second light sensors after the food is determined to be eaten.

The method of claim 1,
The head is a fork made of an insulating transparent material that can transmit the light output from the output device to the outside.

The method of claim 1,
A fork, wherein the head and the body are removable.