Abstract:
The present invention relates to a modified feeding utensil comprising a feeding utensil component and a receptacle component. The receptacle component is either permanently or detachably positioned below the feeding utensil to avoid spills.

Description:
RELATED U.S. PATENT APPLICATION DATA 
       [0001]    This patent application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/294,130, filed Jan. 12, 2010. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a modified feeding utensil comprising a feeding utensil component and a receptacle component. The receptacle component is either permanently or detachably positioned below the feeding utensil component to avoid spills. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A young child may need assistance in feeding such that a caretaker offers food on a utensil to be consumed by the child. Frequently some of the offered food does not reach the mouth of the child, but is spilled. The present invention provides a modified feeding utensil which minimizes the amount of spillage when feeding the child. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In one aspect, the invention provides a modified feeding utensil. The modified feeding utensil comprises a feeding utensil component, a receptacle component for collecting food that spills from the feeding utensil component positioned below the feeding utensil component, and a positioning component connecting the feeding utensil component to the receptacle component. The receptacle component comprises a bottom surface and one or more sides, 
         [0005]    The feeding utensil component may be a spoon, fork or the spout of a bottle. The receptacle component comprises a bottom surface and one or more sides. The bottom surface may have the shape of an oval or circle with upright or sloping sides. The bottom surface may have the shape of a triangle, square, rectangle, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon with one or more upright sides or with one or more sloping sides. The positioning component comprises one or more rods or straps which connects the feeding utensil component to the receptacle component. The positioning component allows for permanent or detachable positioning of the receptacle component below the feeding utensil component. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of a modified spoon with an oval-shaped receptacle bottom surface. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention discloses a modified feeding utensil which minimizes the amount of food (solid or liquid) spillage while feeding an individual (child or adult). The modified feeding utensil comprises a feeding utensil component, a receptacle component for collecting solids or liquids that spill from the feeding utensil component positioned below the feeding utensil component and a positioning component. The positioning component connects the feeding utensil component to the receptacle component. 
         [0008]    The feeding utensil component may comprise a fork or spoon or a spout for the transfer of liquid from a bottle. The receptacle component comprises a bottom surface with one or more sides. The bottom surface may be of any shape. As an illustration, the receptacle component bottom may be a circle or oval shape with an upright or sloping side. The receptacle component bottom may take on other geometric shapes, for example, a triangle, square, rectangle, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, undecagon, dodecagon and on and on. These receptacle components may have one or more upright sides or one or more sloping sides. For example, for a square bottom shape 3 of the sides may be upright but the fourth one closest to the neck of an individual may be sloping, When the sides are sloping sides, the sides are angled so that spills slide down the sides to the bottom of the receptacle component. 
         [0009]    The feeding utensil component and receptacle component are positioned so that the feeding utensil component is above the receptacle component and the receptacle component is below the feeding utensil component. In this manner most food or liquid that falls off the feeding utensil component lands safely in the receptacle component rather than on an individual. The feeding utensil and receptacle components are positioned so using the positioning component. The positioning component may comprise one or more rods or flat straps. The feeding utensil and receptacle components may be detachably positioned in such a way so that the receptacle component collects most of the food that spills from the feeding utensil component. The feeding utensil and receptacle components may be detachably positioned using a positioning component with, for example, snaps or Velcro straps at the ends of the rods or flat straps. Alternatively, the feeding utensil component and receptacle component may be permanently molded to the positioning component. 
         [0010]    The feeding utensil, receptacle and positioning components may be constructed out of plastic or metal. The feeding utensil and receptacle components should be rigid or unbendable. The positioning component may be rigid or unbendable. Alternatively, the positioning component could be bendable under certain conditions, but unbendable at other conditions. For example, the positioning component could be made from a temperature-sensitive plastic. The positioning component could be warmed up by rubbing with hands or in a microwave to make it bendable. Once the positioning component is warmed it can be molded into a desired shape, then cooled down, and connected to the feeding utensil and receptacle components. 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of one of many embodiments of this invention. In this embodiment, the feeding utensil component  10  is a spoon  12  containing some peas. The receptacle component  16  has an oval-shaped bottom surface  18  and a sloping side  20  to collect any peas that may spill. The receptacle component  16  is positioned below the feeding utensil component  10  so as to allow the approach of the individual&#39;s mouth in order to allow the individual to consume the food or liquid. The receptacle component is positioned below the feeding utensil component by a positioning component  21  using one or more rod supports  22 . In  FIG. 1 , the supports are permanently molded to the feeding utensil component and the receptacle component. Most of the peas that fall off the spoon land in the oval-shaped receptacle. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, the feeding utensil component is a fork containing some peas. The receptacle component has a trapezoidal-shaped bottom surface and four upright to collect any peas that may spill. The receptacle component is positioned below the feeding utensil component so as to allow the approach of the individual&#39;s mouth in order to allow the individual to consume the peas. The receptacle component is positioned below the feeding utensil component by a positioning component using one rod support. The support is permanently molded to the feeding utensil component and the receptacle component. Most of the peas that fall off the fork land in the trapezoidal-shaped receptacle. 
         [0013]    While the invention has been described in the foregoing with reference to details of the illustrated embodiment, these details are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.