Abstract:
Disclosed is a combined pacifier and spoon device comprising a handle attached to a sucking body. The sucking body comprises a posterior region proximal to the handle and an anterior end distal to the handle. A curved upper side of the sucking body defines a recess extending at least part way between the posterior region and the anterior end thereof thereby forming a spoon for feeding food to a person with the recess for holding the food.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates generally to pacifiers and in particular to a combined pacifier and spoon device for feeding or soothing an infant. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Infants and small children typically feed upon a number of soft food items such as pureed food, and/or a number of beverage items including frozen beverages. Frozen liquids can become a mixture or slurry of frozen and liquid material after the child is given the food and it begins to melt. 
         [0003]    Infants and small children also often use teething rings or pacifiers to stop teething pain. Some commercially available pacifiers are solid, and of a flexible material such as rubber or plastic. Other pacifiers have a liquid filled interior such as a rubber or plastic pacifier having water on its inside. 
         [0004]    Pacifier-like dispensing devices have been introduced which have a cylindrical chamber and a push rod for forcing liquid from the chamber through a pacifier or nipple dispensing end portion. Thus, infants and small children can obtain sustenance via these pacifier like devices. Another, similar device allows the child&#39;s normal squeezing pressure upon the apparatus to produce the dispensing of the food/beverage product. 
         [0005]    However, such dispensing devices can be complex, making them relatively expensive and unwieldy. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least some of the problems of the prior art. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a relatively simple dispensing device. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a combined pacifier and spoon comprising a handle; a sucking body attached to the handle, the sucking body comprising: a posterior region proximal to the handle; an anterior end distal to the handle; and a curved upper side defining a recess extending at least part way between the posterior region and the anterior end thereof thereby forming a spoon for feeding food to a person, the recess for holding the food. 
         [0007]    According to another aspect of the invention the sucking body is made of silicone. 
         [0008]    According to another aspect of the invention at least one of the handle and the sucking body change color in response to temperature. 
         [0009]    According to another aspect of the invention the recess extends the entire length of the sucking body. 
         [0010]    According to another aspect of the invention the handle is hingedly attached to a ring opposite the sucking body, ring defining an aperture. 
         [0011]    According to another aspect of the invention the combined pacifier and spoon further comprises a guard, the guard attached between the handle and the sucking body, the guard for preventing both the sucking body and the handle from entering a person&#39;s mouth. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a combined pacifier and spoon in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a combined pacifier and spoon in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a combined pacifier and spoon with food in the spoon in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a combined pacifier and spoon showing in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    For convenience, like numerals in the description refer to like structures in the drawings. Further, for ease of explanation only, the following description will refer only to infants. However, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the teachings may also be applied to others, such as small children, for example. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a combined pacifier and spoon is shown generally at  100 . The combined pacifier and spoon  100  comprises a sucking body  114  attached to a handle  120 , which may itself be hingedly attached to a ring  102 . A guard  108  is attached between the handle  120  and the sucking body  114 . 
         [0019]    The sucking body  114  has a posterior region  118  proximal to the handle  120  and an anterior end  116  distal to the handle  120 . A curved upper side defining a recess  106  extends between the posterior region  118  and the anterior end  116  of the sucking body  120 . 
         [0020]    The curved upper side of the handle  120  together with the recess  106  form a spoon for feeding food  300  (see  FIG. 3 ) to an infant, with the recess  106  holding the food  300 . 
         [0021]    Between the handle  120  and the sucking body  114  there is a guard  108 . The guard  108  is a curved surface having a concave side directed towards the sucking body  114  and a convex side directed towards the handle. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the handle  120  (and hence the sucking body  114 ) extends through the centre of the surface of the guard  108  and hence the centre of the concave and convex surfaces. 
         [0022]    The guard  108  may be curved at the edges so as to prevent injury to the infant who may be using the combined pacifier and spoon  100 . 
         [0023]    In an embodiment the guard  108  may be secured by a friction fit to either the handle  120  or the sucking body  114 . Alternatively, the guard  108  may be integrally formed with at least one of the handle  120  or the sucking body  114 . 
         [0024]    The guard  108  is shaped and configured to abut against the mouth of the infant to prevent the entire combined pacifier and spoon  100  from entering the person&#39;s mouth, thereby preventing choking Thus, the guard  108  prevents both the handle  120  and the sucking body  114  from entering the mouth simultaneously. 
         [0025]    A hinge  110  attaches a ring  112  to the end of the handle  120  opposite the sucking body  114 , thereby hingedly securing the ring  112  to the handle  120 . The hinge  110  attachment allows the ring to swivel and rotate in relation to the handle  120  (see  FIG. 4  for example). According to an embodiment, the ring  112  is fabricated from rigid material such as plastic and forms a circle defining an aperture. The aperture may, for example, be sized such that the infant&#39;s finger can fit there through to provide easy grasping of the combined pacifier and spoon  100 . It is recognized, however, that the ring need not define an aperture. 
         [0026]    Additionally, the ring  122  may be fabricated from different material from any or all of the handle  120 , sucking body  114  and guard  108 . 
         [0027]    The sucking body  114  may be made of silicone or other material suitable for having an infant eat of off and/or suck on. 
         [0028]    The recess  106  of the sucking body  114  forms a spoon that can hold and transport food  300  to a mouth of a person. The recess  106  is configured and sized to hold an amount of food that is a comfortable spoon-sized serving for the infant. The size of the recess  106  may thereby vary between different embodiments to cater to the needs of infants and small childrens of different ages. The edges and sides of the sucking body  114  may be curved so as to prevent injury to the infant. 
         [0029]    The recess  106  of the embodiments shown in the Figures extends part way between the anterior end  116  and the posterior region  118  of the sucking body  114 . In accordance with another embodiment, the side of the sucking body  114  opposite the recess  106  extends substantially flat in the longitudinal direction. 
         [0030]    The combined pacifier and spoon  100  can be used to both pacify and feed the infant. However, the principal use of the combined pacifier and spoon  100  is intended to be for feeding the infant. In use, an adult, or other responsible person, will scoop food into the recess  106  of the combined pacifier and spoon  100  and place it in the infant&#39;s mouth. The natural instinct of the infant to suck on the combined pacifier and spoon  100  will cause the infant to ingest the food from the recess  106 , thus assisting the infant with learning to eat. 
         [0031]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention the material of at least one of the sucking body  114 , the guard  108  or the handle  120  is made from a temperature sensitive material such that the respective sucking body  114 , guard  108  or handle  120  changes colour if and when the temperature reaches a certain level. 
         [0032]    Although the description refers to a particular shape and configuration of the guard  108  and the handle  120 , the invention is not limited to such a configuration. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that there are a number of different configuration for the guard  108  and the handle  120 , many, if not all, of which may be implemented in conjunction with the sucking body  114  described herein. 
         [0033]    One or more currently preferred embodiments have been described by way of example. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.