A kit of biscuits so shaped as to form three dimensional imaginative arrangements

Abstract: A kit of dry biscuits and similar baby food products, comprising: a first plurality of biscuits (1, 2, 3, 9), which are provided with an appendix (1a, 2a, 3a, 9a) protruding from a border of each biscuit and substantially lying in the same plane as the biscuit, the appendix having a predetermined width and being formed in the same forming step of the corresponding biscuit (1, 2, 3, 9); a second plurality of biscuits (4, 6, 7, 8), in each of which at least one substantially trapezoidal seat (5) is formed, having a major base (5a) and a minor base (5b) which are slightly wider and slightly narrower, respectively, than the width of the appendix (1a, 2a, 3a, 9a) of biscuits (1, 2, 3, 9) of the first plurality; the biscuits (1, 2, 3, 9; 4, 6, 7, 8) of the first and second plurality being engageable in a modular fashion by means of a removable fixed engagement of the appendices (1a, 2a, 3a, 9a) into the corresponding seats (5) with mutual positioning, substantially at right angles, in order to create three-dimensional imaginative arrangements, in which the biscuits (4, 6, 7, 8) of the second plurality form bases for supporting the biscuits of the first plurality in a standing position.

Description: Technical field The present invention refers to biscuits and similar dry food products, particularly for, but not limited to, infancy consumption. Background of the invention With non-limiting reference to baby foods, it is well-known that, with the aim of facilitating baby-food relationship, it is often advantageous to combine the act of feeding with a "game" and that this game and its "results" are generally entrusted to the imagination of the person caring for the baby. It is also known that, in certain cases and for certain baby foods, such as small pasta, small gluten pasta, small and average-sized biscuits, the above work of imagination can be helped by particular shapes given to the food; for example, biscuits and pasta in the shape of letters, numbers, real or imaginative animals, images of characters popular with children etc. are all available on the market. For instance US-A-5 481 841 shows a set of cookies in the shape of insects, which may be used as a puzzle. Even if advantageous from certain points of view, the above-described baby food and in particular the biscuits, have some drawbacks which in some ways limit their consumption to the first infancy range. In fact, the "shape" given to said foods is generally an end in itself and, consequently, the children, especially older ones, are not stimulated to interact with these foods in order to create a fancy game. In fact and with particular reference to biscuits, their shapes and their substantially flat and thin configuration limit the way in which they can be used to play therewith, since they can only be simply arranged in various positions on a plane and consequently they do not effectively reach the predetermined aims. Summary of the invention The problem underlying the present invention is that of overcoming the above limitation by providing baby food products, particularly but not limited to dry biscuits and similar bakery products, designed in such a way as to stimulate the young consumers towards a wider range of imaginative games, thus providing a valuable help to the person responsible for feeding them. The basic idea for solving said problem is that of providing a kit of biscuits or similar baby foods, of various shapes and sizes, but all designed to form respective units of the puzzle type, to be arranged both horizontally and vertically. On the basis of this idea, the above problem is solved according to the invention by a kit of biscuits or similar dry baby foods, having the structural and functional features set forth in claim 1. Further characteristics and advantages of this invention will be explained more in detail in the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, with reference to the enclosed illustrative but non-limiting drawings in which: Brief description of the drawings figs 1, 2, 3 and 3a schematically represent some embodiments of a first plurality of modular biscuits included in the kit of biscuits of this invention. Figs 4 - 8 schematically show some embodiments of a second plurality of modular biscuits included in the kit of biscuits of this invention. Fig. 9 shows, in perspective, an imaginative configuration obtained with the modular biscuits of this invention. Detailed description of the invention With reference to the above figures, an example of a kit of dry biscuits for babies according to the invention is illustrated. Said kit comprises a first plurality of biscuits 1, 2, 3, 9 of the conventional type, for example shortcakes and similar, which have various shapes such as real or imaginary animals, characters, caricatures, objects and toys; in the illustrated cases, said biscuits represent an old watermill (fig. 1), a stylized tree (fig. 2) and a cartoon figure (fig. 3 and 3a) respectively. Each biscuit of said first plurality of biscuits 1, 2, 3 and 9 is provided with an appendix or foot, protruding from the edge of the biscuit and substantially in the same plane as the biscuit, wherein said appendix (1a, 2a, 3a, 9a) is integral with said biscuit, i.e. it is produced in the same conventional operation in which the biscuit itself is molded/formed The kit of this invention includes a second plurality of biscuits 4, (fig, 4), preferably flat with varying, conventional shapes, for example, round, square, rectangular, etc; a substantially trapezoidal (or dove-tailed) seat 5 is formed in each of said biscuit 4. Said seat 5, which can be either blind or preferably a through-hole, is also obtained with the corresponding biscuit 4, in any position whatsoever, at the time of biscuit forming. According to this invention, each biscuit 4 of the second plurality of biscuits can be used as a support for a biscuit 1 (or 2, 3, 9) in a standing position. For this purpose, it is sufficient to engage appendix 1a (or 2a, 3a, 9a) into the seat 5 of a biscuit/base 4, so forming a removable fixed engagement, substantially at right angles to each other to obtain a "three-dimensional" arrangement. With reference to the above joining of the biscuits according to the invention and to the easy achievement of a mutual fixed, even if removable, engagement, there is a technical drawback deriving from the nature of the dough and, in particular, from its behavior during the rising and cooking steps. In fact, it can easily be seen and is well-known that, during these stages, the dough undergoes deformation, which can be even considerable and at any rate such that it is unlikely that the above-mentioned appendixes and seats maintain the same shape and size in the final biscuit as they had before rising. In order to overcome said drawback, and to allow stable fixed engagement, according to the present invention, the trapezoidal seat 5 has a major base 5a slightly greater than the width of the appendix 1a (2a, 3a, 9a), and a minor base 5b slightly smaller than this width. The desired fixed engagement between the two biscuits takes places by arranging them substantially at right angles and inserting the appendix 1a (2a, 3a, 9a) of one of them into the seat 5 of the other biscuit, at the major base 5a of said seat and pushing it towards the minor base 5b, until movement is prevented by interference fitting of shapes. If the appendix (1a, 2a, 3a, 9a) of the biscuits of the first plurality is wider than the thickness of the corresponding biscuit (1, 2, 3, 9), the seat 5 of the biscuit/base 4 may be formed with different widths (figg. 4, 5) corresponding substantially to the thickness and the width of said appendix, respectively. The seat 5 is preferably formed in a central position (median or radial) of the biscuit/base 4, or in a peripheral or marginal position, as in the biscuit/base 6 of fig. 6, in which the corresponding seat 6b has the major base "open" on the biscuit's profile. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, each biscuit/base of the second plurality of biscuits may be advantageously provided (fig. 7) with at least one seat 7b of the above-mentioned type, and at the same time with at least one appendix 7a, of the above described type, protruding externally from the corresponding biscuit and substantially lying in the same plane as the biscuit. In fig. 8 a biscuit/base 8 is schematically illustrated, which is provided with a seat 8b, which opens on the border of the biscuit, and with an appendix 8a, protruding from any other position of said border. Advantageously, said appendices 7a and 8a have substantially the same size and shape as the seats (6b, 8b) which open on the peripheral border of the biscuits, in order to be mutually engageable and modular, substantially in a planar puzzle-like fashion. It is clear that with modular biscuits/base units designed in this way it is possible to form supporting composite bases of various sizes, in which suitable receiving restraining seats are present in different preselected positions of a same number of biscuits 1, 2, 3 and 9, which are supported in a standing position. It is important to note that with a suitable selection of sizes, it is possible to fit two or more feet or appendices of corresponding biscuits of the second plurality in the seat 5 of a "base" biscuit of the first plurality of biscuits according to the invention, in order to obtain, for instance, a more evident three-dimensional appearance of the standing figure (see for example Fig. 9, where a biscuit 3 according to Fig. 3 is juxtaposed to a biscuit 9 according to Fig. 3a, whose cartoon figure-like shape is specular to that of biscuit 3; the two juxtaposed biscuits are engaged in a seat of a biscuit/base through their respective appendixes 3a and 9a and supported in a standing position) Through appropriate joining of biscuits of the first and second plurality is thus possible to create backgrounds and stage designings for setting tales and stories, what can be of big help in getting the children to have their meals.

Claims: A kit of dry biscuits and similar baby food products, characterized in that it comprises: a first plurality of biscuits (1, 2, 3, 9), which are provided with an appendix (1a, 2a, 3a, 9a) protruding from a border of each biscuit and substantially lying in the same plane as the biscuit, said appendix (1a, 2a, 3a, 9a) having a predetermined width and being formed in the same forming step of the corresponding biscuit (1, 2, 3, 9); a second plurality of biscuits (4, 6, 7, 8), in each of which at least one substantially trapezoidal seat (5) is formed, having a major base (5a) and a minor base (5b) which are slightly wider and slightly narrower, respectively, than the width of said appendix (1a, 2a, 3a, 9a) of biscuits (1, 2, 3, 9) of said first plurality; the biscuits (1, 2, 3, 9; 4, 6, 7, 8) of said first and second plurality being engageable in a modular fashion by means of a removable fixed engagement of said appendices (1a, 2a, 3a, 9a) into said corresponding seats (5) with mutual positioning, substantially at right angles, in order to create three-dimensional imaginative arrangements, in which the biscuits (4, 6, 7, 8) of said second plurality form bases for supporting the biscuits of the first plurality in a standing position. A kit of biscuits according to claim 1, characterized in that at least part of the biscuits (7, 8) of said second plurality are provided with at least one appendix (7a, 8a) protruding from the border of the corresponding biscuit and lying substantially in the same plane as the biscuit. A kit of biscuits according to claim 2, characterized in that the major base of said seat (6b, 8b) in the biscuits (6, 8) of the second plurality opens outside the corresponding biscuit. A kit of biscuits according to claim 3, characterized in that said seats (6b, 8b), which open outside the biscuits of the second plurality and said appendices (7a, 8a) of same biscuits, have substantially the same size and shape, so that they are mutually engageable in a modular fashion, forming a substantially planar puzzle.

Inventors: LAURO ANTONIO, LAURO, ANTONIO
Applicants: BARILLA ALIMENTARE SPA, BARILLA ALIMENTARE S.P.A.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A63F9
IPC codes: A63F9