Hard/soft spoon products

#The present invention is directed to an improved utensil made of a composite of materials of different hardness. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a spoon which is made of a hard material forming a skeleton of the spoon and located at the center of its bowl; and a soft material located along the circumference of the spoon's bowl. In addition, the present invention relates to a method of manufacture of the combination-material utensil.

#Currently, soft baby spoons are commonly used in the art. However, the soft spoons can be difficult to use in some circumstances. Structural parts constructed of soft material usually have higher coefficient of friction and therefore can not slide easily across a dish such as a plate or bowl and, as a result, can occasionally be somewhat uncomfortable to use. In addition, due to the softness of the material used in the spoon, the spoon can often bend unnecessarily. Therefore, there is a substantial use in the art for a new utensil which would combine the comfort of the soft-material utensil with the structural integrity and slideability of the utensil made of a hard material.

#In accordance with the invention, a utensil is provided which is constructed out of a combination of a plurality of materials of different hardness. Preferably, the utensil includes a soft material component which makes the utensil more comfortable in use and a hard component which improves the overall structural integrity of the spoon.

#A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the following description of the preferred embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a top view of the combination-material utensil in accordance with the present invention, showing the top outer surface of the utensil;

#FIG. 2 is a side view of the utensil of FIG. 1;

#The present invention is directed to an improved utensil constructed of a combination of different materials having different relative hardness. In the preferred embodiment, the invention is directed to a spoon for babies or children which is constructed of a combination of hard and soft materials.

#Accordingly, pursuant to the present invention, a composite or combination-material utensil is provided having at least two materials of different hardness incorporated therein. In the preferred embodiment, the invention is a baby spoon. The spoon preferably includes a soft material component and a hard material component. In the preferred embodiment, the spoon includes Kraton as the soft material component. The soft material component is a comfortable material which is preferably used on portions of the spoon which are in close contact with the baby's gums, mouth and skin.

#The spoon also preferably includes a hard material component. In the preferred embodiment, the spoon includes polypropylene as the hard material component. The hard material component preferably provides the backbone of the spoon and preferably provides structural rigidity. The hard material can also be incorporated into other specific portions of the spoon, including, for example, the underside of the spoon's bowl (i.e. the food contacting or food containing member). In one such embodiment, the hard material can make it relatively easy to slide the spoon across a bowl or other dish. This facilitates scooping food into the bowl of the spoon and portion control. In addition, use of the the hard material as the backbone prevents the undesirable bending of the spoon which is often found in soft spoons of the prior art. Accordingly, incorporation of the harder material into the spoon can add structural rigidity to the handle and/or to the bowl.