Patent Publication Number: US-7910146-B2

Title: Tool to facilitate the consumption of ingestible substances

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a 371 of PCT/EP2005/006671, filed Jun. 21, 2005; the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a tool to facilitate the consumption of ingestible substances, of the type with a container which stores a flavouring product, to flavour food or drink, or a pharmaceutical product intended to be mixed with said ingestible substance. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Document ES 1017619U discloses a device to package and/or supply food and/or pharmaceutical products manufactured preferably in plastic, comprised of an oblong body provided at its end with a widening which defines the bowl of a spoon. The oblong body has, at its other end, a prismatic widening which defines a receptacle wherein a food product such as sugar, coffee, jam, etc. is introduced. The oblong body has a weakened area to detach part of the receptacle from the rest wherein the bowl of the spoon is defined. Specifically, the part of the receptacle which is separated from the rest is formed by an easily opened sheet. 
     Document ES 1004858U discloses an improved single-use spoon, characterized in that it comprises a hollow control, determining a sugar containing receptacle, its volume adapted to one dose of this product, said receptacle being fully attached to the handle, i.e. extending from the proximities of the bowl to the free end thereof and finishing off at the end corresponding to the bowl in a small pouring orifice, whilst at its free end it is finished off in a large opening, which facilitates its filling and which is aided by the corresponding plug, wherein an air intake has been provided to facilitate the emptying. 
     In the aforementioned embodiments, the body or control of the device is configured to store a food or pharmaceutical product inside, so that the body acts as container. This involves an increase in the manufacturing cost of the device with these characteristics. Likewise, in the known embodiments the user of the device is not guaranteed that that this is going to be used for the first time as the containers can be filled more than once after their first use. 
     EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION 
     The tool to facilitate the consumption of ingestible substances object of the invention, is of the type provided with a container adapted to store an additional ingestible product, such as a food flavouring or a pharmaceutical product, and they are provided with an end suitable to facilitate the handling of an ingestible substance together with the additional product once this has been added to the ingestible substance. 
     In essence, the tool of the invention is characterized in that the container comprises at least one end portion comprised of a flexible, tearable material whereby the container is joined to the body of the tool, intended to be torn on separating the container from the tool body, being able to pour its contents of additional product into the ingestible substance. 
     Thus, when the container is separated from the tool, the container stays irreversibly open on tearing it at the end portion that serves as connection to the tool body. Indeed, as the container cannot be separated from the tool without opening it, the join of the container to the tool according to the invention acts as a seal, as it guarantees that the user is the first to perform the action of separating the container from the tool. 
     In a preferred embodiment, one of the ends of the tool is provided with a groove, inside which is introduced, at least partially, the end portion of the flexible material of the container, which is adhered to either or both of the contact surfaces of the tool with the end portion of the container. 
     According to another preferred embodiment, the end portion of the container is embedded between a portion of the tool body and a second auxiliary body, solidly joined to the tool body and provided with means to favour the tearing of the end portion of the container. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the auxiliary body is provided with a perforated end area, which forms said means to favour the tearing of the end portion of the container. 
     In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, the auxiliary body is provided with at least one portion configured as a wedge, the corner of the acute angle thereof comprising the means to favour the tearing of the end portion of the container. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the end suitable to facilitate the handling of the ingestible substance is removably coupled to the tool body, meaning that it can be replaced or substituted with another end configured in a different form. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The attached drawings illustrate, by way of non-limiting example, several preferred embodiments of the tool to facilitate the consumption of ingestible substances object of the invention. In said drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a first embodiment of the tool according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the tool of  FIG. 1 , wherein the container is joined to the tool body; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the tool of  FIG. 1 , wherein the container has been separated from the tool body, causing it to open; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the tool object of the invention, wherein the different parts that comprise it are separated; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the tool of  FIG. 4 , wherein the different parts that comprise it are joined together; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the tool object of the invention, provided with two containers. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The tool  1  represented in  FIGS. 1 to 3  is provided with a container  2  which stores a food flavouring or a pharmaceutical product  3  (see  FIG. 3 ). This container  2  may be manufactured and filled separately without it interfering in the slightest with the manufacturing of the tool  1  body  6 . 
     The container  2  is formed from a flexible, tearable material, such as paper or plastic material, and its end portion  5  is introduced in the groove  8  that one end  7  of the tool  1  body  6  is provided with, also being solidly joined to said tool  1  body  6 . 
     In  FIG. 3  we can observe that the container  2 , on separating from the tool  1  body  6  is broken off when you tear the end portion  5  thereof, which causes the container  2  to open, being able to pour its content of additional product  3  into the ingestible substance desired, whether solid or liquid. The end  4  of the tool  1  is further adapted to facilitate the handling of the ingestible substance or to optimize the mixture of the additional product with the ingestible substance. This end  4  may be in the form of a spoon, knife, fork or it can be a simple spatula which can be used to dissolve the additional product  3  in a liquid. 
     Said end  4  of the tool  1  is removably coupled to the tool  1  body  6 , e.g. by pressure, in a known way, meaning that this end may be replaced by another end  4  configured in another form, depending on the use one wants to give it. 
     In the example of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the tool  1  comprises an auxiliary body  10 , originally separated from body  6  of the tool ( FIG. 4 ), designed to be fixed to the body  6  of the tool (as indicated in the arrows of  FIG. 4 ), the end portion  5  of the container  2  being interposed between said auxiliary body  10  and the tool  1  body  6  ( FIG. 5 ). Thus, simply and economically, a tool  1  is produced provided with a container  2  so that the consumer can be provided at the same time with a utensil to stir or handle an ingestible substance and the dose of an additional product stored in the container  2 . 
     As the end portion  5  of the container is comprised of a flexible, tearable material, when you try to separate the latter from the tool  1  body  6  it causes the container to break, causing it to open. 
     As is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the auxiliary body  10  is provided with means which favour the breaking of the container  2 . Indeed, the auxiliary body  10  is provided with a perforated end area  12  designed to cause one or several cuts in the end portion  5  of the container, thus facilitating the subsequent tearing thereof. Likewise, said end portion of the auxiliary body  10  of  FIGS. 4 and 5  is in the form of a wedge  13 , the corner thereof contributing to the breaking of the container  2  when this is separated from the tool  1  body  6 . 
     The tool represented in  FIG. 6  is provided with two similar containers  2  and  2 ′, arranged with each one resting on one of the sides of the tool  1  body  6 . Unlike the variants of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the tool of  FIG. 6  comprises two auxiliary bodies  10  and  10 ′ solidly joined to retain the containers  2  and  2 ′, respectively. According to this variant, the product stored in each container may be different, meaning that the versatility of the tool object of the invention is even greater. Each one of the auxiliary bodies  10  and  10 ′ is in the form of a wedge  13 ;  13 ′ to tear the containers  2  and  2 ′ when they are separated from the body  6  of the tool. Naturally, if the auxiliary bodies  10  and  10 ′ are provided with means to facilitate tearing the containers, such as a serrated configuration, said means may be different to one another, each auxiliary body being adapted to the characteristics of the container it holds, which vary in accordance with the product stored therein. 
     It is also designed that the containers  2 ;  2 ′ may be compartmentalized, meaning that one container can store more than one product without them being mixed before pouring them into the drink or the food, if they are flavouring products, or preparing the solution if they are pharmaceutical products. 
     Despite the fact that here reference is made to ingestible products, it is understood that, without altering the technical characteristics of the tool claimed, the container can store non-ingestible products, designed to be mixed with the aid of the end  4  of the tool  1 , to prepare the solutions, pastes or other type of mixtures intended for other uses, such as manufacturing glues, varnishes, paints, chemical products in general, etc.