Abstract:
Described herein are eating utensils forks, spoons and chopsticks which have imparted upon them the function of liquid dispensing and aspirating via fluidic passages inside of the utensils which attach to a container of a liquid affixed at a point either within or at the top end of the handle of the utensil. The attachment coupled with the action of the user of the utensil actuates the flow of the liquid from the container to the eating surface of the utensil.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention pertains to the field of eating utensils, mainly forks, spoons and chopsticks. This invention also pertains to the field of food condiment dispensing devices, as well as devices for dispensing orally-dosed liquid medicine, vitamin and liquid supplements. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The object of this invention is to impart the function of liquid dispensing and aspirating to the eating utensils forks, spoons and chopsticks. Inside the utensils are fluidic passages connecting to a container of a liquid affixed at a point either within or at the top end of the handle of the utensil. The fluid in the container attached to the utensil is allowed to flow through the passages in order to be dispensed at a point at the bottom end of the utensil, the bottom end being the working end. In the case of a fork, the working end contains an ordinarily shaped fork having at least two prongs. In the case of a spoon, the working end contains an ordinarily shaped spoon bowl. In the case of a chopstick, the working end contains an ordinarily shaped chopstick tip. Fluid dispensing is actuated by gravity after the container is affixed or by manual pressure, as in squeezing the container or depressing a syringe-type plunger into the container. These fluidic utensils are useful in applications for the dispensing and aspiration of liquid formulations of medicines, nutritional supplements and food condiments. Dispensing and aspirating fluids in this way is advantageous since the user may control the volume of fluid dispensed and the location the fluid is dispensed to. The user of these fluidic utensils may also control what is aspirated into the utensil, as in switching from various condiments or dressings over the course of a meal. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  depicts perspective views of the working ends of four embodiments of the claimed invention. In  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C, the section lines denote the internal fluid passages found within the utensil through which fluid is dispensed from or aspirated into a container piece containing a liquid.  FIG. 1A  is a spoon embodiment of the claimed invention. In  FIG. 1A , the internal fluid passage shown by section lines extends from the handle body and exits at the working end at any point in the downward sloping region of the juncture of the spoon bowl working end with the handle body.  FIGS. 1B and 1C  show two fork embodiments of the claimed invention. In  FIG. 1B , section lines depicting the internal fluid passages extend to at least one of the tips of the fork, the fork having at least two prongs. The fluid passages exit at the tips of the fork prongs after branching off a single passage extending through the body of the utensil handle. The point of the branching is a junction located inside the utensil at any point between the inner edges of the fork prongs adjacent to the utensil handle body and the juncture of the working end with the handle body. In  FIG. 1C , the fluid passage shown by section lines extends through and exits the utensil at any point between the inner edges of the fork prongs adjacent to the utensil handle body and the juncture of the working end with the handle body.  FIG. 1D  is a chopstick embodiment of the claimed invention. The working end of the chopstick embodiment contains an exit hole at its tip and a single fluid passage extending to the tip through the handle body. 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  depicts perspective views of the top end and handle body portions of two embodiments of the claimed invention. In  FIG. 2A , the section lines starting at the top of the handle body and extending down to the sectionally drawn cylinder are the cage legs of the handle body which are hidden from view. The remainder of the section lines in  FIG. 2A , including the aforementioned cylinder, depict the internal fluid passage that extends to the working end of the utensil. The handle body of the utensil shown in  FIG. 2A  is a hollow cavity defined by at least three handle cage legs. This cavity may or not contain a fixed or removable cover at its top end. A fluid container is placed into the hollow cavity of the utensil handle body and the container&#39;s dispensing end is inserted into the fluid passage. The section lines of  FIG. 2B  represent the internal fluid passage of another embodiment of the handle body of claimed invention. The portion of the handle body in  FIG. 2B  above the sectionally-drawn cylinder is a hollow cavity with solid or flexible walls. Into this cavity is inserted from the top a fluid container with a dispensing end being inserted into the fluid passage. 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  depicts perspective views of the top ends of two embodiments of the claimed invention. In all the views in  FIG. 3 , sectional lines represent the internal fluid passages. The fluid containers shown are a squeezable bag and syringe assembly. These fluid-dispensing or fluid-dispensing and fluid-aspirating containers can be attached to the top of the utensil handle body by a snap- or screw-fit as in a Luer-Lock fitting as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3   c . An alternative fitting of the fluid container to the top of the handle body is a threaded screw as shown in  FIGS. 3B and 3   d . When attached to the top of the utensil handle body, fluid may be dispensed or aspirated to and from the holes found at the working end of the utensil, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The attachments depicted in  FIG. 3  of the fluid container to the utensil handle body are also applicable to the handle body embodiments depicted in  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]      FIG. 1  of the drawings depicts the working ends of four embodiments of the claimed invention. In the spoon embodiment,  FIG. 1A , an exit hole  2  of the internal fluid passage  3  enters into the spoon bowl  1 . The fluid passage  3  passes through the utensil handle body and extends upwards through the handle body toward a fluid container as depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . This internal fluid passage is separated from the surface  4  of the utensil handle body by the material of construction  5  of the utensil. The fluid passage interior surface  6  may be cut or bored through the utensil handle body or may be a fitted tube including a replaceable or disposable tube. The fluid passage  3  depicted in  FIG. 1A  exits at one exit hole  2  located at any point in the downward sloping region of the juncture of the spoon bowl working end with the handle body. 
         [0007]    In one of the two disclosed fork embodiments shown in  FIG. 1B , the internal fluid passage  3  branches into at least two branching internal fluid passages  9  at an internal junction  8 . The branching internal fluid passages  9  extend through at least two fork prongs  7  and exits the tips of least two of the prongs at exit holes  2 . In the case of a fork embodiment having an exit hole  2  at the tip of only one of the fork prongs  7 , the branching internal fluid passages and internal junction  8  are unnecessary and can be replaced by a single internal fluid passage  3  that extends to an exit hole  2  at the tip of the fork prong  7 . 
         [0008]    A second fork embodiment of the claimed invention, depicted in  FIG. 1C , does not make use of branching internal fluid passages  9  but rather employs the single exit hole  2  as in the spoon embodiment of  FIG. 1A . The fluid passage  3  depicted in  FIG. 1C  exits the utensil at one exit hole  2  located at any point between the inner edges of the fork prongs  7  and the juncture of the working end with the handle body, which may or may not be downwardly sloping. 
         [0009]    In the chopstick embodiment of  FIG. 1D , a single fluid passage  3  extends through the utensil handle body, exiting at the eating-end through a single exit hole  2 . 
         [0010]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , two embodiments of the utensil handle body of the claimed invention are shown.  FIG. 2A  is a hollow cage structure  10  having at least three cage legs whose material of construction  5  and surface  4  may be of the same type and be continuous with the working end of the utensil. A top enclosing structure  11  may or may not be present. The surface of the cage legs  4  and the surface of the remainder of the handle body  4  may or may not be continuous and the hollow enclosure structure  10  may be detachable or disposable. Into the hollow enclosure structure  10  may be placed a fluid container with a nozzle-like structure to be fitted into a receiver  14  which connects to the internal fluid passage  3  extending to the working end of the utensil. Fluid are dispensed from the container affixed into the hollow enclosure structure  10  and the receiver  14  by squeezing or by gravity, or a combination of these forces exerted by the user of the utensil. 
         [0011]    The utensil handle embodiment shown in  FIG. 2B  makes use of a closed fluid containing space  12  with an open top orifice  13 . A fluid container is placed into the space  12  with its dispensing end fixed into a receiver  14 . The embodiment of  FIG. 2B  is also suited to the use of a syringe to be used for dispensing or aspirating fluids into the closed fluid containing space  12 . In that case, a syringe plunger may be employed alone by insertion into the space  12  through the top orifice  13  without having any container affixed to the receiver  14 . Alternatively, an entire syringe assembly may be inserted into the closed space  12  with the plunger extending out of the top orifice  13  and the bottom dispensing end of the syringe affixed permanently or removeably into the receiver  14 . 
         [0012]    Fluid containers may be affixed within the utensil handle body as in  FIG. 2  or to the top end of the handle body as shown in  FIG. 3 . In  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the fluid container  15  is a squeezable or otherwise actuated to dispense bag whose flow into the internal fluid passage may be commenced after a protective cover  22 , as in a peeling adhesive foil, is removed from the container&#39;s nozzle  16 , prior to the nozzle shaft  18  being affixed to the receiver  14  by such conventional fittings as the Luer Lock  17  or screw threads  21 . 
         [0013]    These fittings are located on the nozzle shaft  18  and fit to mating fittings  23  in the receiver  14 . The fluid container to be affixed to the top of the utensil handle body may be a bottle-type container or may be a syringe-type assembly with a syringe body  19  and a plunger  20  as shown in  FIGS. 3   c  and  3   d.    
         [0014]    Fitting of fluid containers as depicted in  FIG. 3  may also be employed to fitting the container inside the utensil handle body as in the embodiments shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0015]    In the case of disposable embodiments of the claimed invention, the fluid containers may be directly fixed and be pre-filled with the fluid to be dispensed and the sealing cover  22  could be affixed over the exit holes found on the working end of the utensil until the utensils are to be used.