SPOON

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a spoon.

[0002] The invention relates to an infant feeding spoon that is particularly suitable for use as a so-called first feeding spoon for use during weaning when an infant is beginning to ingest solid food for the first time. Typically such an infant would be in the age range of about 4 to 12 months but such a feeding spoon may be used on any other individuals as may be appropriate.

[0003] The spoon according to the invention can, at least in some instances, also be used advantageously for administering medicine or food to physically impaired persons that have difficulty in effectively clearing the contents of a conventional spoon.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0004] Numerous different infant feeding spoons have been proposed and manufactured for the purpose of feeding an infant solid foods and training such an infant to eat solid foods. However, the major improvements that have been presented over the past few years are focused on heat sensitive spoon materials that change colour and softer flexible spoons with a two material construction.

[0005] There has, however, as far as applicant is aware, been very little innovative activity around the mouth ergonomics for infants. Two of what are apparently the most popular infant feeding spoons available on the market both have a two material construction method to make soft rubbery contact surfaces and both are smaller versions of standard larger spoon geometry. Neither of these infant feeding spoons appears to address the ergonomics of first spoons or training spoons from the perspective of an infant totally unused to ingesting anything other than milk in one form or another.

[0006] Applicant perceives a need for an infant feeding spoon that may be more ergonomically suited to use as a first spoon.

[0007] In order to facilitate an understanding of the present invention and this patent specification, a spoon will be regarded as having a handle, a neck at which the cross-sectional size of the handle is at a minimum and where the handle connects with a head of the spoon that increases in size from the neck, and a food or medicine receiving recess.

[0008] Thus, with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a typical prior art infant feeding spoon has a handle (A); a neck (B); a head (C); and a food or medicine receiving recess (D). The food or medicine receiving recess is typically elongate and either oval or somewhat egg shaped in plan view with its length extending in the direction of the handle. The depth of the food or medicine receiving recess is typically about 4 to 5 mm; its length is about 35 to 40 mm; and its width is about 20 mm. A straight line (E) joining a front edge (F) of the food or medicine receiving recess and a rear edge (G) thereof is typically roughly horizontal in the operative position and crosses a straight line (H) extending in the general direction of the length of the handle portion of the spoon a short distance rearwards of the neck.

[0009] In another application of spoons, the administration of medicines or food to physically impaired persons using a conventional spoon is often difficult and may result in the spoon not being cleared properly of whatever medicine or food is located upon it.

[0010] WO 00/10442 A1 discloses a prior art infant feeding spoon consisting of a combination-material food utensile constructed of materials having different relative hardness. The skeleton or backbone of the utensile is constructed of a hard material providing structural integrity and allowing the utensile to easily slide along the bottom of a dish such as bowl or a plate. Outside edges of the utensile and portions of its handle are constructed of a relative soft material such as Kraton or silicon and provide for comfortable contact with the inside of the mouth and gums.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A spoon according to the invention is defined by the features of claim 1.

[0012] Still further preferred features of the invention provides for the spoon or food receiving recess to be shallow relative to a straight line joining the top edges of two opposite sides of the spoon or food receiving recess, with such a depth preferably being about 1.5 to 2 mm; and for the sides of the spoon or food receiving recess to be somewhat concave between the front edge and rear edge thereof to provide a smooth surface to the recess for the purpose of a person's lips clearing food off the recess surface.

[0013] The entire spoon may be of a solid construction in which instance it can conveniently be made of suitable plastics materials that may be moulded as a single moulding or, alternatively, with different materials in different steps to provide a satisfactorily rigid structure with a soft rubbery outer surface. Of course, it is possible to injection mould the spoon of other materials such as a foam filled plastics material. Solid or hollow spoons can also be made of a suitable plastic material or metal whilst solid spoons can generally be made of wood, engineered wood, or metal. Numerous different possibilities exist as regards manufacture of the spoons and those identified above are not intended to be exhaustive in any way.

[0014] A method for manufacturing the spoon according to claim 8 is defined by the features of claim 9.

[0015] The method defined above has the advantage that registration formations formed on the inner plastic element for the purpose of locating it in the second mould can be over moulded in the third moulding step so that they are totally covered by the second half of the outer cover.

[0016] In order that the above and other features of the invention may be more fully understood, an expanded description based on one particular geometric embodiment of the invention follows with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In the drawings:-

Figure 1

is a plan view of a typical prior art infant feeding spoon;

Figure 2

is a side view thereof;

Figure 3

is a plan view of one embodiment of spoon according to the invention;

Figure 4

is a conceptual side view thereof;

Figure 5

is an inverted plan view thereof;

Figure 6

is a side view thereof;

Figure 7

is a perspective view thereof;

Figure 8

is an end view of the spoon from the front end thereof;

Figure 9

is an end view from the rear end thereof;

Figure 10

is a sectional side view of the spoon taken along line X - X in Figure 3;

Figure 11

is a cross-section taken through the neck of the spoon along line XI - XI in Figure 3 and showing the peripheral shape along line XI - XI;

Figure 12

is a cross-section taken along line XII - XII in Figure 3, namely at the rear of the spoon or food receiving recess and showing the peripheral shape along line XII - XII;

Figure 13

is a cross-section taken along line XIII - XIII in Figure 3, namely through the centre of the spoon or food receiving recess and showing the peripheral shape along line XIII - XIII;

Figure 14

is a sectional side view of a spoon that is manufactured according to a preferred manufacturing process according to the invention; and,

Figure 15

is an exploded view showing the different layers making up the spoon illustrated in Figure 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 13 of the drawings, a spoon (1) has a handle (2), a neck (3), a head (4), and a spoon or food receiving recess (5). The spoon or food receiving recess has a front edge (6) and a rear edge (7).

[0019] The cross-sectional size of the spoon is at its smallest at the neck and increases from the neck to a position corresponding to the rear edge of the spoon or food receiving recess. The neck is located distinctly rearwards of the rear edge of the spoon or food receiving recess such that a distance of about 20 mm exists between the rear edge of the spoon or food receiving recess and the neck.

[0020] The outer surface of the spoon is smoothly contoured to provide a smooth contact surface for the lips, for example of an infant using same, to encircle the spoon between the neck and spoon or food receiving recess. The peripheral and therefore the cross-sectional shape of the neck is approximately oval, as illustrated in Figure 11 with a major axis that measures from 12 to 16 mm and preferably about 14 mm. The peripheral and therefore the cross-sectional shape of the spoon at the rear edge of the spoon or food receiving recess is enlarged and also approximately oval with an upper side (11) of the oval bulging upwards, as illustrated in Figure 12, with the major axis of the oval measuring from 18 to 22 mm and preferably about 20 mm.

[0021] The spoon or food receiving recess has a shape in plan view that reasonably closely approximates a circular shape with a width of about 20 mm and a length of about 25 mm. The spoon or food receiving recess is shallow relative to a straight line joining the top edges (12) of two opposite sides of the spoon or food receiving recess, as illustrated in Figure 13, with such a depth preferably being about 1.5 to 2 mm. Also, as shown clearly in Figure 13, the thickness of the spoon in the region of the spoon or food receiving recess is considerable and may measure from 4 to 5 mm. This provides a substantial region over which the lips of a person can slide whilst removing food from the recess. The sides of the spoon or food receiving recess may be somewhat concave between the front edge and rear edge thereof to provide a smooth surface to the recess for the purpose of the lips clearing food off the recess surface. This is shown clearly in Figure 6 and is indicated by numeral (13). This concavity may be about 3 or 4 millimetres in extent.

[0022] The arrangement is such that the rear edge of the spoon or food receiving recess is significantly raised such that a straight line (15) joining the front edge of the spoon or food receiving recess and the rear edge thereof extends in the same general direction as a straight line (16) extending in the general direction of the length of the handle of the spoon, as shown in Figure 4.

[0023] One of the consequences of this arrangement is that the bottom profile of the spoon follows a shallower feeding plane and this is believed by applicant to improve ergonomics.

[0024] In the illustrations making up Figures 1 to 13, the illustrated embodiment of spoon is shown as being made of a single material with a plastic hatching being employed in respect of the sections, simply by way of illustration. However there are numerous different ways in which the spoon can be manufactured, some of which have been mentioned above. It could even be made hollow if it be made of a suitable material by a suitable procedure. The important thing is that the peripheral shape of the spoon is substantially as shown in Figures 11 to 13 so that a person's lips sliding over the outer surface of the spoon do so smoothly and uninterruptedly.

[0025] Nevertheless, at the present time, applicant prefers to employ a method of manufacturing the spoon according to the invention as illustrated in Figures 14 and 15. In this instance a relatively rigid inner plastic element (21) is moulded firstly with registration formations (22) to ensure proper registration of the prefabricated plastic element with a die in which a subsequent moulding procedure takes place. In that subsequent moulding procedure one half, in this instance the upper half (23) of a very much softer rubbery outer cover, is moulded onto the inner plastics element to cover a first major surface thereof.

[0026] A third moulding procedure is then employed to apply a second-half (24) of the softer outer cover onto the inner plastics element to cover a second major surface thereof and the registration formations. The registration formations can thus be totally covered with the outer cover.

[0027] Whatever process is employed to make the spoon according to this invention, the resultant spoon is seen as having various areas of interacting geometry to give it a unique profile.

[0028] As will be quite apparent from the foregoing, the spoon of this invention is especially well suited to use as an infant feeding spoon. The plan shape and size of the spoon or food receiving recess of the spoon reduces the amount of food that can be placed on the spoon recess. The raised rear edge of the spoon recess forms an elevated ridge, which creates a backstop for food and triggers the upper lip in order for a child to latch onto the spoon and ingest all the food. The raised rear edge apparently causes a child to bite down, suck the food off and clear the spoon of any food.

[0029] The result of the invention is a feeding plane that is tilted forwards towards an infant's mouth which appears to improve the infant's ability to ingest and swallow the food on the spoon. The shortened food retaining recess eases the overbite required of an infant to clear the food off the spoon. This also allows a child to bite and close their lips over the food and not into it thereby reducing smearing of food on the face.

[0030] Whilst being primarily aimed at infant feeding spoons, a spoon made according to this invention can also be used to good effect in the feeding or administration of medicines to physically impaired persons who are unable to effectively use conventional cutlery in order to feed themselves or take medicines. Indeed it is envisaged that a health carer could advantageously use a spoon according to this invention in order to feed or administer medicines to a physically impaired person.

[0031] Numerous variations may be made to the embodiment of the invention described above without departing from the scope hereof.

Claims

1. A spoon (1) having a handle (2), a neck (3), a head (4), and a spoon or food receiving recess (5) that has a front edge (6) and a rear edge (7), wherein the rear edge (7) forms an elevated ridge that is raised such that a straight line joining the front edge (6) and the rear edge (7) extends in the same general direction as a straight line extending in the general direction of the length of the handle (2) of the spoon (1), wherein the cross-sectional size of the spoon (1) is at its smallest at the neck and increases from the neck (3) to a position corresponding to the rear edge (7) of the spoon or food receiving recess (5) with the outer surface being smoothly contoured to provide a smooth contact surface for the lips of a person using same to encircle the spoon between the neck and spoon or food receiving recess, wherein the food receiving recess has a shape in plan view that closely approximates a circular shape with a width of between 18 to 25 mm and a length of between 20 and 30 mm and wherein the neck (3) is spaced from the spoon or food receiving recess (5) by a distance of the same order as the dimension of the spoon or food receiving recess (5), so that the neck (3) is located rearwards of the rear edge (7) of the spoon or food receiving recess (5) by a distance of between 15 and 25 mm.

2. A spoon (1) as claimed in claim 1 in which the cross-sectional shape of the neck (3) is approximately oval with the cross-sectional shape of the spoon (1) at the rear edge (7) of the spoon or food receiving recess (5) being larger and approximately oval with an upper side (11) of the oval bulging upwards.

3. A spoon (1) as claimed in claim 1 in which the width of the spoon or food receiving recess (5) is about 20 mm and the length thereof is about 25 mm.

4. A spoon (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the spoon or food receiving recess (5) is shallow relative to a straight line joining the top edges (12) of two opposite sides of the spoon or food receiving recess (5).

5. A spoon (1) as claimed in claim 4 in which the depth of the spoon or food receiving recess (5) relative to the straight line joining the top edges (12) of two opposite sides of the spoon or food receiving recess (5) is from 1.5 to 2 mm.

6. A spoon (1) as claimed in claim 1 in which the sides of the spoon or food receiving recess (5) are somewhat concave between the front edge (6) and rear edge (7) thereof to provide a smooth surface (13) to the recess (5) for the purpose of a person's lips clearing food off the recess surface.

7. A spoon (1) as claimed in claim 6 in which the depth of the concavity is about 3 to 4 millimetres in extent.

8. A spoon (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the entire spoon (1) is of a solid construction consisting of a relatively rigid inner plastic element and a soft rubbery outer surface.

9. A method of manufacturing a spoon as claimed in claim 8 in which a relatively rigid inner plastic element (21) is moulded firstly; followed by a second moulding step in which approximately one half (23) of an outer cover is moulded onto the inner plastics element to cover a first major surface thereof and thereafter a third moulding step is carried out in which a second-half (24) of an outer cover is moulded onto the inner plastics element to cover a second major surface thereof.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 in which registration formations (22) are formed on the inner plastic element (21) and the registration formations are used to locate the inner plastic element in a second mould for the purpose of moulding the said one half (23) of an outer cover onto the inner plastic element in the second moulding step.

Ansprüche

1. Löffel (1) mit einem Griff (2), einer Verengung (3), einem Kopfteil (4) und einer Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5), die einen vorderen Rand (6) und einen hinteren Rand (7) aufweist, wobei der hintere Rand (7) eine erhabene Kante bildet, die erhöht ist, sodass sich eine gerade Linie, die den vorderen Rand (6) und den hinteren Rand (7) verbindet, in der gleichen allgemeinen Richtung erstreckt wie eine gerade Linie, die sich in der allgemeinen Richtung der Länge des Griffs (2) des Löffels (1) erstreckt, wobei die Querschnittsgröße des Löffels (1) an der Verengung am geringsten ist und von der Verengung (3) zu einer Position, die dem hinteren Rand (7) der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) entspricht, zunimmt, wobei die Außenfläche eine glatte Kontur aufweist, um eine glatte Kontaktfläche für die Lippen einer Person bereitzustellen, die diese nutzt, um den Löffel zwischen der Verengung und der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung zu umschließen, wobei die Essensaufnahmevertiefung in der Draufsicht eine Form aufweist, die sich nahezu einer kreisförmigen Form mit einer Breite zwischen 18 und 25 mm und einer Länge zwischen 20 und 30 mm annähert, und wobei die Verengung (3) von der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) um einen Abstand mit der gleichen Größenordnung wie die Abmessung der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) beabstandet ist, sodass die Verengung (3) um einen Abstand zwischen 15 und 25 mm hinter dem hinteren Rand (7) der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) liegt.

2. Löffel (1) nach Anspruch 1, bei dem die Querschnittsform der Verengung (3) ungefähr oval ist, wobei die Querschnittsform des Löffels (1) an dem hinteren Rand (7) der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) größer und ungefähr oval ist, wobei sich eine obere Seite (11) des Ovals nach oben wölbt.

3. Löffel (1) nach Anspruch 1, bei dem die Breite der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) ungefähr 20 mm beträgt und deren Länge ungefähr 25 mm beträgt.

4. Löffel (1) nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, bei dem die Löffel- und Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) relativ zu einer geraden Linie, die die oberen Ränder (12) von zwei gegenüberliegenden Seiten der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) verbindet, flach ist.

5. Löffel (1) nach Anspruch 4, bei dem die Tiefe der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) relativ zu der geraden Linie, die die oberen Ränder (12) von zwei gegenüberliegenden Seiten der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) verbindet, zwischen 1,5 und 2 mm beträgt.

6. Löffel (1) nach Anspruch 1, bei dem die Seiten der Löffel- oder Essensaufnahmevertiefung (5) zwischen dem vorderen Rand (6) und dem hinteren Rand (7) davon in etwa konkav sind, um eine glatte Fläche (13) an der Vertiefung (5) bereitzustellen, damit die Lippen einer Person Essen von der Vertiefungsfläche entnehmen können.

7. Löffel (1) nach Anspruch 6, bei dem die Tiefe der Konkavität ungefähr 3 bis 4 Millimeter im Umfang beträgt.

8. Löffel (1) nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, bei dem der gesamte Löffel (1) eine massive Konstruktion ist, die aus einem relativ starren, inneren Kunststoffelement und einer weichen gummiartigen Außenfläche besteht.

9. Verfahren zum Herstellen eines Löffels nach Anspruch 8, bei dem ein relativ starres, inneres Kunststoffelement (21) zuerst geformt wird; gefolgt durch einen zweiten Formschritt, bei dem ungefähr eine Hälfte (23) einer Außenhülle auf das innere Kunststoffelement geformt wird, um eine Hauptfläche davon zu bedecken, und danach ein dritter Formschritt ausgeführt wird, bei dem eine zweite Hälfte (24) einer Außenhülle auf das innere Kunststoffelement geformt wird, um eine zweite Haupthälfte davon zu bedecken.

10. Verfahren nach Anspruch 9, bei dem Erfassungsformationen (22) auf dem inneren Kunststoffelement (21) gebildet sind und die Erfassungsformationen verwendet werden, um das innere Kunststoffelement in einer zweiten Form anzuordnen, damit die erste Hälfte (23) einer Außenhülle in dem zweiten Formschritt auf das innere Kunststoffelement geformt wird.

Revendications

1. Cuillère (1) ayant une poignée (2), un col (3), une tête (4) et une cuillère ou un évidement de réception d'aliments (5) qui a un bord avant (6) et un bord arrière (7), dans laquelle le bord arrière (7) forme une arête élevée qui est surélevée de sorte qu'une ligne droite joignant le bord avant (6) et le bord arrière (7) s'étend dans la même direction générale qu'une ligne droite s'étendant dans la direction générale de la longueur de la poignée (2) de la cuillère (1), dans laquelle la taille de section transversale de la cuillère (1) est à sa plus petite taille au niveau du col et augmente du col (3) à une position correspondant au bord arrière (7) de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5), la surface extérieure étant profilée de manière régulière pour fournir une surface de contact lisse pour les lèvres d'une personne l'utilisant pour encercler la cuillère entre le col et la cuillère ou l'évidement de réception d'aliments, dans laquelle l'évidement de réception d'aliment a une forme en vue de dessus qui se rapproche étroitement d'une forme circulaire d'une largeur comprise entre 18 et 25 mm et d'une longueur comprise entre 20 et 30 mm et dans laquelle le col (3) est espacé de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5) à raison d'une distance du même ordre que la dimension de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5), de sorte que le col (3) est situé vers l'arrière du bord arrière (7) de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5) à raison d'une distance comprise entre 15 et 25 mm.

2. Cuillère (1) selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle la forme en coupe transversale du col (3) est approximativement ovale avec la forme en coupe transversale de la cuillère (1) au niveau du bord arrière (7) de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5) étant plus grande et approximativement ovale avec un côté supérieur (11) de l'ovale bombé vers le haut.

3. Cuillère (1) selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle la largeur de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5) est d'environ 20 mm et sa longueur est d'environ 25 mm.

4. Cuillère (1) selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la cuillère ou l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5) est peu profond par rapport à une ligne droite joignant les bords supérieurs (12) de deux côtés opposés de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5).

5. Cuillère (1) selon la revendication 4, dans laquelle la profondeur de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5) par rapport à la ligne droite joignant les bords supérieurs (12) de deux côtés opposés de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5) est de 1,5 à 2 mm.

6. Cuillère (1) selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle les côtés de la cuillère ou de l'évidement de réception d'aliments (5) sont quelque peu concaves entre le bord avant (6) et le bord arrière (7) de ceux-ci pour fournir une surface lisse (13) à l'évidement (5) afin de permettre aux lèvres d'une personne d'éliminer les aliments de la surface de l'évidement.

7. Cuillère (1) selon la revendication 6, dans laquelle la profondeur de la concavité est d'environ 3 à 4 millimètres d'étendue.

8. Cuillère (1) selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la cuillère entière (1) est d'une construction solide constituée d'un élément en plastique intérieur relativement rigide et d'une surface extérieure en caoutchouc souple.

9. Procédé de fabrication d'une cuillère selon la revendication 8, dans lequel un élément en plastique intérieur (21) relativement rigide est moulé en premier ; suivi d'une deuxième étape de moulage dans laquelle environ une moitié (23) d'un couvercle extérieur est moulée sur l'élément en plastique intérieur pour recouvrir une première surface principale de celui-ci et ensuite une troisième étape de moulage est effectuée, dans laquelle une seconde moitié (24) d'un couvercle extérieur est moulé sur l'élément en plastique intérieur pour recouvrir une seconde surface principale de celui-ci.

10. Procédé selon la revendication 9, dans lequel des formations d'enregistrement (22) sont formées sur l'élément en plastique intérieur (21) et les formations d'enregistrement sont utilisées pour localiser l'élément en plastique intérieur dans un second moule afin de permettre de mouler ladite une moitié (23) d'un couvercle extérieur sur l'élément en plastique intérieur dans la deuxième étape de moulage.

Drawing