WO2002017849A1

WO2002017849A1 - A spoon, capable of retaining food in horizontal and vertical positions

Info

Publication number: WO2002017849A1
Application number: PCT/IL2001/000816
Authority: WO
Inventors: Moshe Kelner
Original assignee: Salevo Technologies Ltd.
Priority date: 2000-09-01
Filing date: 2001-08-30
Publication date: 2002-03-07
Also published as: AU2001282493A1; IL138197A0

Abstract

A spoon, comprising: a handle and a spoon bowl, the spoon bowl is characterized by a longitudinally convex shape that extends continuously through the vertical plane, for retaining the contents of the spoon bowl when the spoon is also held in a vertical position.

Description

A SPOON, CAPABLE OF RETAINING FOOD IN HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL POSITIONS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a spoon having a spoon bowl, and

said spoon bowl is characterized by a longitudinally convex shape that

extends continuously through the vertical plane, for retaining the spoon's

contents when the spoon is also held in a vertical position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Unfortunately, many people are unable to use common eating

utensils, most especially a spoon. Whether because of age, disease, or

handicap, simply bringing food from the plate to the mouth without

spilling the food is difficult or impossible. Aside from the practical

reasons, it is important for these people, as a matter of self-esteem, to be

as independent as possible, and this includes the ability to accomplish

such rudimentary tasks as self-feeding.

The typical spoon is rigid and is intolerant of user errors when

bringing the food within the spoon from the plate to the mouth. Although

it is done without thought, bringing the spoon containing food from the

plate to the mouth actually requires a great deal of coordination and skill.

To avoid spilling the food, the spoon must be kept exactly in a stable horizontal position. Any orientation or sudden motion away from the

horizontal will result in the falling of the food from the spoon, and a

sense of failure for the user.

The prior art describes attempts to solve this problem. For example,

U.S Patent No. 5,603,163, issued to Ikner, entitled "Swivel

Spoon", discloses a spoon whose spoon bowl rotates in relation to the

spoon handle axis. A further example is provided by U.S Patent No.

4,993,156, issued to Craven, entitled "Spoons and Other Hand Held

Utensils", which discloses another example of the spoon bowl rotating in

relation to the spoon handle, aided by a weight attached to the spoon

stem. These inventions have been found to be inadequate in solving the

problem of a user incorrectly directing the spoon to their mouth through

three dimensions because of the very limited range of error for which

they can compensate.

Clearly, it would be beneficial to handicapped or unskilled users to

have a spoon that allows self-feeding by having a greater tolerance for

positioning errors when directing the spoon to the mouth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a spoon, comprising a handle and

a spoon bowl, and said spoon bowl is characterized by a longitudinally convex shape that extends continuously through the vertical plane, for

retaining the contents of said spoon bowl when the spoon is also held in

a vertical position.

The handle and the spoon bowl can be either one integral unit or

two independent units having means for joining together. When the

user loads the spoon with food and brings the spoon bowl to the mouth,

the longitudinally convex shape that extends through the vertical plane

compensates for deviations in the spoon bowl's orientation that the user

may make. As the user brings the spoon towards a vertical position, the

originally vertically oriented portion of the spoon bowl approaches

alignment with the horizontal plane. The longitudinally convex shape

that extends continuously through the vertical plane allows the food to

shift position within the spoon bowl, thus preventing the loss of the

food from the spoon bowl.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the spoon has a

hollow handle and the spoon bowl has an integrated stem that is

inserted and rotates within said hollow handle. When a user picks up

the spoon containing food, the food creates a relatively heavy center of

gravity within the spoon bowl. As the user twists the spoon in order to

bring the food to the mouth, the spoon stem connected to the spoon

bowl rotates within the handle, thus providing further compensation for errors in the horizontal orientation of the spoon. Two stops on the

surface of the spoon stem and a protrusion on the inner surface of the

handle provide limits to the amount of spoon bowl rotation. Rotation of

the spoon stem within the spoon handle in a particular direction ceases

when either stop on the spoon stem comes in contact with the protrusion

on the inner surface of the spoon handle. The spoon handle and stem

provide further provide means for retention and release of said stem by

a lever and protrusions. Said lever is contained within the wall of the

handle and has a protrusion upon its inner surface, for engaging the

spoon stem. The spoon stem also has a protrusion, for engaging the

protrusion on the spoon handle lever. When the spoon stem is inserted

fully into the spoon handle, the protrusions engage, retaining the stem

within the handle. Pressing said lever's outer surface on the spoon

handle disengages the stem and lever protrusions, thus allowing for the

release of said stem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is herein described, by way of example only,

with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of the spoon.

Figure 2 illustrates a view from the above the spoon. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to a spoon, comprising a handle and

a spoon bowl, and said spoon bowl is characterized by a longitudinally

convex shape that extends continuously through the vertical plane, for

retaining the contents of said spoon bowl when the spoon is also held in

a vertical position.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the handle and the

spoon bowl are one integral unit.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the handle and

spoon bowl are two independent units having means of joining together,

wherein the handle is hollow, for rotatably receiving a spoon stem

connected to the spoon bowl. Said stem and handle provide means for

the retention and release of said stem, and further provide means to limit

the angle of rotation of said stem within the handle. The means for

retention and release is a lever with a protrusion on its surface, and a

similar protrusion on the surface of the spoon stem. The lever is an

integral part of the handle wall, and has a protrusion upon its inner

surface, for engaging the spoon stem. The spoon stem also has a

protrusion, for engaging the protrusion on the spoon handle lever. When

the spoon stem is inserted fully into the spoon handle, the protrusions engage, retaining the stem within the handle. Pressing said lever's outer

surface on the spoon handle disengages the stem and lever protrusions,

thus allowing for the release of said stem. Two stops on the surface of

the spoon stem, and a protrusion on the inner surface of the handle

provide limits to the amount of spoon bowl rotation.

The device according to the invention will be further described in

detail as relating to Figures 1-2. This description by no means intends to

limit the scope of the invention, but to clarify and illustrate one of the

preferred embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of the spoon having a handle(3)

and a spoon bowl(l). As the user brings the spoon bowl towards a

vertical position, the vertically oriented portion(2) of the spoon bowl

approaches alignment with the horizontal plane. Gravity forces the spoon

bowl contents to shift to the horizontal area of the spoon bowl, and thus

the vertically oriented portion of the spoon bowl becomes the area in

which the spoon contents are retained.

Figure 2 illustrates a view from the above of the spoon having a

bowl and a handle(3) and horizontally(l) and vertically(2) oriented

spoon bowl sections

Claims

1. A spoon, comprising: a handle and a spoon bowl, and said spoon

bowl is characterized , by a longitudinally convex shape that extends

continuously through the vertical plane, for retaining the contents of said

spoon bowl when the spoon is also held in a vertical position.

2. A spoon, according to claim 1, wherein the handle and the spoon

bowl are one integral unit.

3. A spoon, according to claim 1, wherein the handle and the spoon

bowl are two independent units having means of joining together.

4. A spoon, according to claim 3, wherein the handle is hollow, for

rotatably receiving a spoon stem connected to the spoon bowl.

5. A spoon, according to claim 3, wherein the handle and stem

provide means for the retention and release of said stem, and further

provide means to limit the angle of rotation of said stem within the

handle.