EATING UTENSIL THAT PREVENTS FOOD FROM DROPPING DURING LOSS OF FINE MOTOR CONTROL

Abstract

An eating utensil that prevents food from dropping during loss of fine motor control by way of a retractable cover is disclosed. The head of the eating utensil is operatively associated with the retractable cover so that the latter is movable relative to the former between an open configuration and a closed configuration preventing food from spilling from the head of the utensil regardless of the head's orientation. An actuated arm engages both the utensil head and an elastic membrane of the retractable cover to effectuate selective control between the open and closed configurations. The actuated arm is operatively associated with system circuitry and electronics housed in a handle of the eating utensil, whereby the user can control power to the retractable cover.

Claims

1. A utensil comprising: a supporting surface; an actuated arm operatively associated with the supporting surface so the actuated arm is selectively movable between a first perimetral edge of the supporting surface and an opposing second perimetral edge thereof; a retractable cover is in mechanical communication with both the actuated arm and the supporting surface so that the retractable cover extends along an arc path when the actuated arm moves from the first perimetral edge to the second perimetral edge forming an enclosure of the supporting surface in a closed configuration, whereby items supported by the supporting surface are prevented from moving beyond the perimetral edges of the supporting surface; and a handle housing a motor for selectively moving the actuated arm.

2. The utensil of claim 1, wherein the actuated arm has an arcuate body that enables said arc path.

3. The utensil of claim 2, wherein the retractable cover comprises an elastic membrane that stretches between a collapsed condition and a stretched condition associated with the closed configuration.

4. The utensil of claim 3, further comprising a head connector that removably attaches to the supporting surface to form a first sealed engagement between a first edge of the elastic membrane and the first perimetral edge of the supporting surface.

5. The utensil of claim 4, further comprising an arm connector that removably attaches to the supporting surface to form a second sealed engagement between a second edge of the elastic membrane and the actuated arm.

6. The utensil of claim 5, where in the closed configuration the second sealed engagement also forms another sealed engagement with the second perimetral edge of the supporting surface.

7. The utensil of claim 6, wherein the arcuate body of the actuated arm extends between a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the proximal end operatively associates with the motor by way of a shaft coupler.

8. The utensil of claim 7, further comprising a system circuitry electrically associated with the motor, wherein the system circuitry is configured to selectively movement of the actuated arm between the first and second perimetral edges so that the actuated arm is stoppable between the first and second perimetral edges.

9. The utensil of claim 8, wherein the head connector has plate connectors dimensioned and shaped to removably attach to the supporting surface.

10. The utensil of claim 9, wherein the actuated arm is positioned adjacent to the first perimetral edge the utensil is in an open configuration for loading items on to or off of the supporting surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, illustrating an operative association between a spoon bowl 10, a retractable cover 20 thereof, and a handle 60.

[0014] FIG. 2A is a detailed perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the retractable cover 30 of the subject disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 2B is a front elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, illustrating the movability of an actuated arm 20 between a first position and a second position, whereby if the retractable cover 30 were engaged with the actuated arm 20 food (not shown) and supported by the spoon bowl 10, the user by way of an activation button 50 on the handle 60 could selectively move the subject disclosure between a closed configuration and one of a plurality of open configurations.

[0016] FIG. 2C shows various views of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure in a closed configuration.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows various elevation views of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a cutaway section view of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, illustrating a system circuitry 95, a power source 80, a charging system 70, and a motor 90 electrically coupled and housed within an outer shell of the handle 60. The activation button 50 is shown accessible to users along the outer shell, while electrically communicating to the system circuitry 95.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECT DISCLOSURE

[0019] The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the subject disclosure. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the subject disclosure, since the scope of the subject disclosure is best defined by the appended claims.

[0020] Broadly, an embodiment of the present subject disclosure provides a handheld tool 100 having a utensil head 10 coupled to a handle 60, wherein the handle 60 houses a system circuitry 95 and other electronic components for making the subject disclosure operable to selectively enclose the utensil head 10 by way of a retractable cover 30.

[0021] Hereinafter the utensil head 10 will be referred to as spoon bowl though it is understood that the subject disclosure is applicable to other types of utensil types and other tool types. Spoon bowl 10 is where food is scooped into as one would do in a regular spoon. Spoon bowl 10 also operatively associates with actuated arm 20 so that the latter is movable relative to the former between an open, retracted configuration and a closed, extended configuration temporarily enclosing the scooped food in spoon bowl 10. During movement of the handheld tool 100 from tableware to mouth or from food container to tableware, the retractable cover 30 may form a sealed engagement with the rim 12 of spoon bowl 10. The actuated arm 20 pivots between a first position adjacent to a first portion of the rim 12 and a second position adjacent to an opposing second portion of the rim 12, as illustrated in the top and bottom views of FIG. 3. The first position may be associated with the open condition while the second position is associated with the closed condition or vice versa depending on the handiness of the user. The actuated arm 20 may be mounted to a shaft coupler 40 of handle 60, whereby actuated arm 20 is selectively controlled by a motor 90 via the shaft coupler 40.

[0022] The shaft coupler 40 interconnects the motor 90 housed in the handle 60 to the actuated arm 20 external to the housing of the handle 60. Motor 90 is housed in the handle 60 along with, and electrically coupled to a system circuitry 95, a charging system 70, and a power source 80. An activation button 50 is also electrically coupled to system circuitry 95, though the activation button 50 is disposed along, and thus accessible via the external environment, an outer shell of the housing of the handle 60.

[0023] The retractable cover 30 engages both spoon bowl 10 and actuated arm 20. Retractable cover 30 provides an elastic, flexible and collapsible membrane 32, creating a barrier that encloses the scooped food on the spoon bowl 10 in the closed condition, enabling the user to safely shuttle the scooped food from place to place without spilling.

[0024] The actuated arm 20 has an arcuate body extending between two end points 22 and 24. The second end point 24 may take the form of a linear neck that operatively associates with the shaft coupler 40. The arcuate shape of the actuated arm 20 defines an arc path when it moves from the first position to the second position and therefore enables a dome-shaped covering of the stretched membrane 32 is the closed configuration. The membrane 32 in the closed configuration creates a stretched, extended condition cover over the food items in the spoon bowl 10, eclosing the scooped food. In some embodiments, the distal edge of the membrane 32 forms a sealed engagement with the second portion of the rim 12. In the closed condition, the actuated arm 20, in the second position, urges or biases the membrane 32 in the stretched, extend condition of the closed configuration, until the user is ready to move the actuated arm 20 toward the first position, effectuating the open configuration.

[0025] In some embodiments, a user can selectively move the retractable cover 30 so that the opening provided between the membrane 32 and spoon bowl 10 (so that the scooped food is accessible to the external environment) is less than fully open. In other words, it is understood that the actuated arm 20 may be controlled to occupy a position between the first position and the second position so that the size of the provide opening is selectively determined based on the task at hand.

[0026] To use the device embodied by the subject disclosure properly, whereby scooped food is enclosed within spoon bowl 10, the user must follow the following steps. Step 1, user establishes the open configuration of the handheld tool 100 and then puts the spoon bowl 10 into their desired food item, loading spoon bowl 10 with food as one would normally with a simple spoon.

[0027] Step 2, user then triggers the activation button 50 when they are ready to contain the food and prevent it from falling out of supporting surface of the spoon bowl 10. This will actuate the actuated arm 20 to move from the open configuration to the closed configuration, illustrated in FIG. 2B, which will trap all the scooped food underneath the operatively associated retractable cover 30 that extends in an arc path until it reachs the opposite rim 12 of the spoon bowl 10, which in turn stretches the elastic, flexible food-safe membrane 32 over the top of the spoon bowl 10, enclosing the food inside completely.

[0028] Step 3, now that the user has enclosed the food in the closed configuration, the user can freely remove the handheld tool 100 from their tableware or food container, transporting the food safely towards their mouth, plate, or other container as desired by the user. During this transport, the food and handheld tool 100 itself can be shaken, vibrated, and bumped without dislodging food from its enclosed spoon bowl 10.

[0029] Step 4, once the user has transported the enclosed food to their target destination, the user triggers the activation button 50, rotating the actuated arm 20 from the second position toward the first position, moving the membrane 32 between the closed configuration toward the open configuration. This arcuate rotation of the actuated arm 20 releases the stretched membrane 32 to collapse to an unstretched condition in the open configuration. This will leave the food exposed and unprotected again, ready to be placed in the mouth of the user or into a container.

[0030] Repeat the above steps for each mouthful of food eaten. When the device runs out of power, charging the handheld tool 100 is effectuated by engaging a compatible charging stand or dock, which wirelessly charges the power source 80 via the charging system 70. Using the comfortable and ergonomic handle 60 to hold the handheld tool 100 makes it easy and comfortable to use. If the user must replace the actuated arm 20 for any reason, they can do so using the locking solution built into the arm coupler 40.

[0031] The retractable cover 30 may include an arm clip 34 and a bowl clip 36. Arm clip 34 is dimensioned and shaped to secure an upper/second edge of the elastic membrane 32 to the actuated arm 20. The arm clip 34 may be an arcuate tube or channel for receiving the actuated arm 20. Bowl clip 36 may include a rigid plate 37 having plate connectors 38 that removably secure to the bowl connection points 18 of the spoon bowl 10. Bowl clip 36 may rigidly engage a lower/send edge of the membrane 32. The elastic membrane 32, arm clip 34 and bowl clip 36 may be in mechanical communication with each other to work as one assembly to allow the easy replacement of this functional part of the subject disclosure.

[0032] The system circuitry 95 may be configured so that if user presses the activation button 50 one, motor 90 actuates the actuated arm 20 until it hits an electrical limit switch/sensor which tells it to stop, indicating it has finished its open or close operation. If user presses button 50 twice, the system circuitry 95 may be configured so that the motor 90 will start to actuate but then interrupt itself and freeze mid rotation after the second press until another activation button 50 triggering resumes the initial movement.

[0033] If user puts device on a charging device or dock, the handheld tool 100 will charge and reset itself if needed. If motor 90 encounters an obstacle, the system circuitry 95 may be configured to sense an electrical current spike and freeze the actuated arm 20 in place to avoid crushing or pinching objects. There may be safety timers being run by the system circuitry 95 to make sure the motor 90 can never ignore a faulty electrical current spike reading and keep trying to rotate. Likewise, in the event the motor 90 does not receive a good warning that it is encountering an obstacle, the system circuitry 95 may be configured to automatically shut off the motor 90 after a set period.

[0034] The subject disclosure may be manufactured using processes including but not limited to the following: three-dimensional (3D) printing; injection molding; resin casting; sheet metal forming; computer numerical control (CNC) machining; laser cutting; adhesion and bonding; ultraviolet (UV) curing; over-molding; printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication machinery; soldering; coating and spraying; thermoforming processes; and printing via computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software.

[0035] The subject disclosure focuses on the novelty of containment anti-spilling method as a solution for the problem at hand. The spoon bowl 10 may be made using laser cutting and metal sheet forming technologies. The actuated arm 20 may be made using CNC wire bending or other stamping methodologies. The retractable cover 30 may be made using injection molding, over-molding, and other advanced molding technologies. Arm coupler 40 may be made using CNC milling/lathe and other CNC technologies. Activation button 50 may be made using injection molding. Handle 60 may be made using 3D printing and advanced molding techniques. Charging system 70 and system circuitry 95 may be made using advanced PCB fabrication techniques. Power source 80 may be made using standard battery manufacturing techniques. Motor 90 may be made using various CNC and sheet metal stamping processes.

[0036] More sensors may be operatively associated with the system circuitry 95 to gather data about the user that can lead to actionable insights. Retractable cover 30 could be mounted in the opposite configuration as it is normally to account for a left-handed user. Activation button 50 could be mounted in a different position or be made up of a different kind of button or switch to perform the same functions described in this application. Charging system 70 could be made to accommodate some other efficient means of charging power source 80. There could be two actuated arms 20 instead of one, and they could meet in the middle position of their rotational arc rather than one arm traveling from one rim of spoon bowl 10 to the other. There could be a more rigid means of covering and containing the food inside spoon bowl 10 which would act as a hard cover over the food rather than a soft retractable cover 30.

[0037] The subject disclosure enables an electric handheld eating utensil capable of efficiently, elegantly, and effectively keeping food from spilling off the spoon for those who have fine motor control challenges that affect their hand motor function or cause hand tremors. The subject disclosure could also be used to capture other items that are small and would typically be moved by a handheld utensil or device such as small pieces in a manufacturing environment, or in a craft making environment. This may give folks who could not typically handle these items due to their lack of fine motor control the ability to do so again without risk of dropping the items.

[0038] The term supporting surface may be the upward facing surface of the spoon bowl 10 or the supporting surface may be any surface that a utensil or tool uses to physically support an item, such as the concave surface of a fork, the inner surface of a scooper tool, and the like.

[0039] As used in this application, the term about or approximately refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. And the term substantially refers to up to 80% or more of an entirety. Recitation of ranges of values herein is not intended to be limiting, referring instead individually to any and all values falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated, and each separate value within such a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.

[0040] For purposes of this disclosure, the term aligned means parallel, substantially parallel, or forming an angle of less than 35.0 degrees. For purposes of this disclosure, the term transverse means perpendicular, substantially perpendicular, or forming an angle between 55.0 and 125.0 degrees. Also, for purposes of this disclosure, the term length means the longest dimension of an object. Also, for purposes of this disclosure, the term width means the dimension of an object from side to side. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term above generally means superjacent, substantially superjacent, or higher than another object although not directly overlying the object. Further, for purposes of this disclosure, the term mechanical communication generally refers to components being in direct physical contact with each other or being in indirect physical contact with each other where movement of one component affect the position of the other.

[0041] The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., such as, or the like) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the embodiments or the claims. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any unclaimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosed embodiments.

[0042] In the following description, it is understood that terms such as first, second, top, bottom, up, down, and the like, are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0043] It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the subject disclosure and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject disclosure as set forth in the following claims.