US 6,279,233 B1Granted

Self contained feeding spoon

OwnerRalecia L. Cameroninventor

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Abstract

A transparent self contained spoon which includes a food storage tank and a manually operable food dispensation valve and which allows food to be dispensed into the bowl of the spoon conveniently and without spillage. The feeding spoon has a flattened bowl at one end for supporting soft foods or liquids as they are placed into the mouth. The other end of the spoon is branched to form two completely separated structures, the handle and the food storage tank. The handle is linearly aligned with the bowl of the spoon, and the food storage tank extends upwardly from the handle at an angle. The food storage tank is hollow, and has an increased diameter relative to the handle so as to accommodate several ounces of soft food or liquid. By mounting the food storage tank at an upward angle relative to the bowl of the spoon and handle, gravity is used to urge the food material into the bowl portion and complicated mechanical parts are not required to propel the food toward the bowl of the spoon. A manually operated valve is placed between the bowl of the spoon and the food storage tank to allow user controlled dispensation of the food material into the bowl of the spoon. A recloseable cap is provided over an opening at the upper end of the food storage tank to allow easy filling and sealing of the storage tank. This opening is large to making filling the tank easy and neat.

An apparatus used to dispense soft foods and liquids, the apparatus comprising an elongate body, the elongate body comprising a first end, a second end, and a mid portion, said mid portion extending between said first end and said second end, the elongate body comprising a hollow interior and a longitudinal axis,

the first end comprising a bowl portion,
the second end is bifurcated so as to form two completely separated and diverging branches, said two completely separated and diverging branches comprising a first branch and a second branch, said first branch and said second branch each extending integrally from said mid portion such that the hollow interior of said elongate body is continuous between said first end and said two completely separated and diverging branches of said second end,
said first branch extends in linear alignment with the longitudinal axis so as to provide a handle for manually grasping the apparatus, and
said second branch provides a tank for storage of soft foods and liquids, the second branch extending upward from the longitudinal axis at an angle theta, wherein the angle theta is selected from angles ranging between 45 and 90 degrees such that when said first branch lies in the horizontal plane, said second branch lies above said first branch,
said second branch comprises has a proximal end adjacent said mid portion of said elongate body, and wherein said second branch further comprises a distal end opposed the proximal end, said distal end of said second branch terminating in a reclosable opening,
said hollow interior of said mid portion providing a channel within the mid portion which extends between the bowl portion at said first end and the tank at said second branch of said second end, said channel providing a means by which soft foods and liquids can travel within interior of the apparatus from the tank to the bowl portion,
said mid portion further comprising a valve, said valve providing a means by which the rate of flow of soft foods and liquids from the tank to the bowl portion can be controlled.

4 more elements

Abstract

Claims4