Abstract:
A self-feeding apparatus for the disabled and elderly, which comprises: a support base a holder for an open food container, pivotally connected to the base; an article for scooping food from the container; a system for moving the scooping article from a food scooping position from the container and a food dispensing position at a selected height from the base corresponding to the user&#39;s mouth. The system includes a first arm slantingly extending from the base and a second arm, arranged in a substantially horizontal position and slidably mounted on the first arm, the food scooping article being slidably mounted on the second arm. A motor is further provided for sliding the second arm along the first arm and the food scooping article along the second arm and for rotating the food container holder. At least one tank for liquid or semi liquid food and for beverages is placed on the base and a conveyor is provided for transporting the food from the tank to the user&#39;s mouth. The apparatus also has a programming and control system that includes a mouth operable control at the outlet end of the conveyor.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for the self-feeding of disabled or elderly people. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    Many devices and apparatuses are known aiming at restoring a certain degree of independence in the process of eating to people with various levels of disability. They range from low-tech solutions such as the device commercially known as “Eatery” to robotic hi-tech solutions such as the apparatuses sold under the names “Handy 1” and “My Spoon”. Their specific design goals differ from one case to another one. In some cases the aim is to provide a low-cost and easily manufactured device or a portable, small and easy-to-use device. In other cases attention has been paid to the modularity and adaptability to the user needs. Other differences among the various devices proposed till now concern their user interface, their control structure, their mechanical form and artifacts, and their levels of user involvement in the device operation. In general, the self-feeding apparatuses both of the commercial type and research prototypes can be categorized into two main groups: body-controlled feeders (i.e. controlled by a user&#39;s body part such as the mouth, a hand, a foot), wherein the user controls directly all the steps of the eating process, and automatically controlled feeders, wherein the user activate a switch or some type of mechanism to initiate all or part of a pre-programmed eating cycle. 
         [0003]    Automatic feeders are mechanically more complex, with simple to complex embedded electronics and control systems, and automate a part of, or all of, the process of selecting, getting a portion of food and offering it to the user. Usually, the feeders use a spoon utensil to scoop the food and some mechanism to transport the food-filled utensil to a predetermined position where the user can eat it. Often users must at least have the capacity to move body and/or head forward to take food off the spoon and must be cognitively able to differentiate between the switches. The advantage of these powered feeders is in their ability to allow users with more severe disability to operate them with minimum effort and with any residual movement available. The disadvantage is in their increased mechanical and electrical complexity, which results in a feeding device with greater safety risks to the user. 
         [0004]    The most common automatic feeders are the Arm Feeders which often have 1 or 2 degree-of freedom mechanical arms with a tool attachment that can be lowered to a movable plate or bowl to scoop food and raised to a fixed position at the height of the user&#39;s mouth. Three commercial examples of Arm Feeders are the Winsford feeder, the Neater Eater feeder and the ADD (Assistance Dining Device) feeder. These feeders are equipped with arm mechanisms that are able to get food from one location only and as such it is required to provide for a degree of freedom (DOF) in the food container. Therefore, the typical Arm Feeder has a total of 3 DOF: 2 DOF in the arm and 1 DOF in the rotating or translating plate. For example, the 2 DOF arm of the ADD feeder rotates to scoop food from one of the three food bowls that have been rotated into position to allow the arm have access to the food and, later, translates to offer the food to the user. On the other hand, the arm of the Neater Eater feeder rotates downwardly under a 2 DOF cable drive mechanism to scoop food from a plate that has been rotated to access to food in a specific position on the plate and, later, rotates upwardly to offer the food. 
         [0005]    Robotic Feeders can be categorized as more sophisticated Arm Feeders. They are designed with servo-controlled arms with higher degrees of freedom (3 to 6 DOF). Unlike the regular arm feeders, they do not require a moving food container since their increased DOF&#39;s permit them more flexible methods for retrieving the food from the plate. Two examples of alternate food retrieval methods can be seen in the 4 DOF, Handy 1 Robot, which scoops food with a flat-tipped spoon from one of seven compartments of a fixed plate, and the 5 DOF, My Spoon Robot, which grasps solid food with a spoon and fork hand mechanism from compartments in a Japanese lunch box. Also, as a result of higher DOF, some of these robotic systems are able to offer users the ability to perform other self-care activities of daily living (ADLs) in addition to feeding. Examples of these are the 6 DOF, DeVAR prototype system that permits users to shave and brush their teeth and the Handy 1 commercial system that permits users to make-up their face. 
         [0006]    The MySpoon robotic feeding system (marketed by the Japanese company Secom Co. Ltd.) is the system that implements the more flexible arm mechanism in a small non-invasive package. It has implemented a novel mechanism for selecting particular pieces of food. On the other hand, the Neater Eater (of the English company Neater Solutions Ltd.) has the more flexible and modular system that allows it to serve a large variety of users. The fact that the system is modular means that it is easily reconfigurable (e.g. the arm can be separated from the base and the end-effectors can be replaced). The possibility of using regular plate and spoon makes it more familiar. Finally, the ADD (of the US company Meal Time Partners, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,711) has the best system for handling semi-liquid and liquid substances with minimum spills, a very flexible system for presenting food to the user and a very safe, force-feedback system governing the interaction of the device with the user. 
         [0007]    Other types of automatic feeders are also known that do not have an arm configuration. For example, the devices according to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,162,868 and 4,624,613 comprise mechanisms with one or two degrees of freedom with a spoon that translate to scoop and dispense food at a fixed position close to the user&#39;s mouth. Food is moved by another mechanism on the spoon. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,868 a cam mechanism moves food in the spoon dispensing it to the user. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,613 pressurized food is dispensed in a pneumatically moved spoon. 
         [0008]    Despite their effectiveness the commercially available self-feeders for disabled people are still not being utilized in large numbers. As a matter of fact, these are still too expensive, too difficult to use, unreliable, inconvenient, difficult to transport, unattractive and too time-consuming in set up. It has been noticed that, even in those case wherein the operating effectiveness is higher, they are unable to meet the needs of users with minimum head and trunk control, i.e. with the most severe disability degree. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the self-feeding of disabled users and elderly people, that would be capable of operating both at a base level to perform the function of assistant for the feeding of people with severe spine lesions and at an higher level to involve the user in the feeding process focusing on her/his residual abilities and offering opportunities for the rehabilitation and diagnosis. 
         [0010]    A particular object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the above mentioned type capable of meeting several functional needs in the feeding field and usable by various user types (severely disabled people, elderly persons, children). 
         [0011]    A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the above mentioned type that, contrary to the commercially available apparatuses, would be featured by a non-invasive, familiar appearance, such that of an household appliance, being able, inter alia, to use regular plates and cutlery. 
         [0012]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the above mentioned type that would be of the easily transportable type and usable in different situation, also thanks to an autonomous battery power source. 
         [0013]    An additional object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the above mentioned type wherein the user would be able to select the requested function through a mouth-actuated device through which liquids and semisolid food can be fed as an usual drinking straw. 
         [0014]    These objects are achieved with the apparatus for the self-feeding of disabled users and elderly people whose essential features are set forth in claim  1 . 
         [0015]    Other features and advantages, of the apparatus for the self-feeding of disabled users and elderly people will be apparent by the following description of an exemplifying, non-limiting embodiment made with reference to the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    In the drawings: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an assembly of the apparatus according to the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the internal structure of a first arm of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the internal structure of a second arm of the apparatus of the invention, the arm bearing a spoon; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the first and the second arm in an assembled configuration; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a plate holder of the apparatus of the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a side sectional view of the plate of  FIG. 5 : 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the mouth-operated control device of the apparatus of the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a longitudinal section of the device of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram showing the interaction among the various parts of the apparatus of the invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is block diagram of the liquid dispensing device; 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram of the spoon moving device; 
           [0028]      FIG. 12  is a substantially front, perspective view of a simplified embodiment of the apparatus of the invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 13  is a top perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 12 , separated into two parts; 
           [0030]      FIG. 14  is a top perspective view of the apparatus in the configuration shown in  FIG. 13 , but without the external casing. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , the self-feeding apparatus according to the invention comprises a support base  1  for a box-type frame  1   a  containing tanks for liquid food and beverages (which will be described later on) as well as the apparatus electronics, and a first arm  3 , slanted and connected to the base  1  through a rotoidal joint  4  allowing the inclination of arm  3  to be adjusted between two limit positions, i.e. a substantially vertical position and a substantially horizontal position. A second substantially horizontal arm  5 , is mounted on the arm  3  in a longitudinally slidable fashion. On second arm  5  a support, generally indicated at  6 , is mounted for a food scooping means, such as cutlery, in particular a spoon  7 , said support  6  being also slidable longitudinally on second arm  5 . Furthermore a third arm  8  extends horizontally from support base  1  and is equipped with a support  9  for a plate, not shown, or more in general a container for solid food to be fed to the disabled user through the spoon  7 . From the free end of the first arm  3  a flexible tube  10  for feeding liquid and semi liquid food and beverages projects and ends with a control device  11  operable with the mouth by the user to control some functions of the apparatus. A control panel  12  with a LCD display  13  for visualizing the control menu of the different component systems of the apparatus is placed on the box-type frame  1   a.    
         [0032]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , the apparatus is equipped with a two-degree-of-freedom motion mechanical system comprising two linear guides embedded in the arms  3  and  5  respectively. In particular, arm  3  comprises internally an elongated support  14 , on which a rail  15  and a rack  16  are mounted. On the rail  15  is mounted a carriage  17  of a ball linear guide. A DC motor  18  is mounted on carriage  17  transversely to rail  15  and a pinion  19  engaged with the rack  16  is fixed to the drive shaft of motor  18 . The elongated support  14  is also provided with a bracket  14   a  at one end for the connection of arm  3  to the base  1  through the rotoidal joint  4 . 
         [0033]    Likewise, the arm  5  comprises internally an elongated support  20  on which a rail  21  and a rack  22  are mounted. A carriage  23  of a ball linear guide is mounted on rail  21  and a DC motor  24  arranged transversely to rail  21  is fixed to carriage  23 . A pinion  25  engaged with rack  22  is fixed to the drive shaft of motor  24 . The support  20  is fixed to a bracket  27  integral to carriage  17  of the linear guide arranged in the arm  3  through a pivot  26  passing through a longitudinal slot  27  formed along arm  3 . A fourth arm  28  extending perpendicularly out of second arm  5  through a slot  29  formed longitudinally on the second arm  5  is fixed to the carriage  23  of the linear guide arranged on the second arm  5 . The fourth arm  28  is provided with a connection  30  for the spoon  7  or other cutlery. The position of the connection  30  can be adjusted axially along the arm  28  by means of a locking knob  31 . The arm  28  is connected to connection  30  through an elastic joint  49  fit for providing the food scooping utensil with the suitable stiffness to allow to scoop and transport food from the plate and at the same time, fit for taking up sudden impacts without damaging the apparatus or injuring the disabled users. Thanks to the elastic joint  49  the system can provide a reaction both in the direction perpendicular to the food container, thus avoiding the spoon to break off against the container, and in the longitudinal direction, thus avoiding strong impacts against the mouth of the disabled user, as far as a maximum deformation beyond which an overload device is activated to take up any additional load. 
         [0034]    The plate bearing device, which the apparatus is equipped of, the apparatus is shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In particular, third arm  8  supports at its free end a DC motor  32  with a vertically positioned drive axis perpendicular to the arm  3  and with a plate  34  integral to the plate support  9  fixed to drive shaft  33 . 
         [0035]    In the present embodiment of the invention two tanks  50  and  51  (schematically shown in  FIG. 10  only) for liquid and semi liquid food and beverages, respectively, are placed inside the box-type frame  1   a . Each tank is provided with a respective pump  52  and  53  (see  FIG. 10 ), preferably of the peristaltic type, for dispensing the liquid contained in the relevant tank through a respective pipe extending within the first arm  3  and projecting from its free end with the flexible tube  10  at the height of the mouth of the disabled user. 
         [0036]    The mouth operated control  11 , set at the end of the flexible tube  10  and shown in detail in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , comprises a tube  35 , through which the liquid to dispense flows, and a mobile sleeve  36 , fitted in the flexible tube  10  coaxially to the tube  35  and bearing four mini-switches  38  arranged crosswise on its inner surface. The mini-switches  32  of the sleeve  36  can be connected to the device to be controlled by a cable or a flexible rip cord (not shown) applied on the sleeve and ending with a proper connector. The operation of the control  11 , obtained by a relative movement of the tube  35  and the sleeve  36  to press selectively the mini-switches  38  like a joystick, allows the user to move through the menu shown in the display  13  of the control panel  12  and to select the wanted function. While control  11  is intended essentially for use by a disabled user, similar controls are provided, such as push buttons, on the control panel  12  which can be used by an assistant. 
         [0037]    A block diagram showing the interaction of the various components of the system (control  11 , two degree-of-freedom spoon motion system integrated with plate motion system, liquid dispenser and control panel  12 ) is shown in  FIG. 9 . The operation of the spoon motion system and the liquid dispenser can be controlled both through the control panel  12  and the mouth-operated control  11 . Either systems can be separately used and for this reason each of them is equipped with an individual control system comprising a microcontroller and the necessary sensors and actuators. When the two systems are used together, at least a part of the user interface, i.e. the input/output peripheral units used by the disabled user (external sensors), is shared and is substantially constituted by the mouth operated control  11  and the control panel  12  with the display  13 . These peripheral devices can be indifferently connected to either system through a connector  44  allowing the passage of the input/output signals between the two systems. On the other hand, it is necessary to avoid that both systems operate together to prevent conflict situations to occur. Indeed while there are no problems for the input, as far as the output is concerned it is requested that the system, not active at a certain time, put its outputs to high impedance. To be sure that only one of the systems be active, a control group  45  is provided for receiving signals from the system that is active at that time and on the basis of these signals determines which of them must be active. 
         [0038]    A block diagram of the liquid dispensing unit is shown in  FIG. 10 . The unit is equipped with a control electronic board  39  for selectively operating the two pumps, which the unit is equipped of, to dispense the liquids stored in the tanks. In particular, the dispensing unit is both electrically and mechanically connected to the other parts of the system through three connectors  40 ,  41  and  42  connected to the display, the spoon motion system and, respectively, the mouth operated control  11 . 
         [0039]    The block diagram of the spoon motion system is shown in  FIG. 11 . A control board  43  is provided for receiving signals from encoders which motors  18  and  24  are equipped of and from the end-of-stroke sensors, in particular of the Hall-effect type, so as to correctly drive the trajectory of the spoon from the plate to the user&#39;s mouth and vice versa. The same board also controls the rotation of the motor  32  of the plate holder  9 . Even in this case three connectors  46 ,  47  and  48  are provided for the electrical and mechanical connection between the control board  43  and the dispensing unit and the control  11 . The position control is of the closed-cycle type, while the velocity control is of the open-cycle type. The encoders detect the position of the two links and the control system moves the motors through PWM to reach the wanted position. In some parts of the spoon trajectory speed changes are provided to the end of improving the food scooping movement and the transfer movement to the user&#39;s mouth. The liquid dispensing system and the spoon and plate motion systems are provided with a specific software to implement the respective functions and display suitable menus to the user. 
         [0040]    The feeding cycle comprises a step in which the second arm  5  moves towards the plate, or other open food container, placed on the plate holder  9  with the spoon  7  at the distal end-of-stroke position of the arm  5 . The spoon  7  then moves along the second arm  5  towards its proximal end-of-stroke position to scoop food in the plate. To this point the second arm  5  start to slide going up along the first arm  3  until it reaches the free end of arm  3  leading the spoon  7  at the height of the user&#39;s mouth. When the spoon comes back towards the plate, the plate holder  9  performs an angular displacement of a prefixed angle to allow the spoon to collect food in a different sector of the plate. By means of an initial calibration procedure the above movements can be adjusted in an optimal way, as well as the rotation type (continuous or intermittent), the rotation width, the spoon position (plate bottom or plate edge). 
         [0041]    Advantageously the apparatus according to the invention is equipped with a resistor (not shown) embedded in the rotary plate holder, by which food can be kept warm all over the user meal. 
         [0042]    Furthermore, the apparatus according to the invention is equipped with a push-button alarm device for an aid request in case of choking, by which all the system motors are switched off. 
         [0043]    The self-feeding apparatus for disabled people according to the invention has a familiar look, typical of a household appliance, and is designed to use regular plates and cutlery. It is not very noisy and of such low dimensions as to be placed on a table, a bed or a wheel chair. It is portable and light, easy to handle and dismount, battery powdered, water proof and easy to clean (some of its components can be washed in a dishwashing machine). 
         [0044]    The apparatus according to the invention is also easy to program and calibrate through automatic or servo guided movements, so as to be easily usable by several user in Rehabilitation Centers and is designed especially to stimulate the active participation (physiatric training during feeding) of the user. 
         [0045]    The apparatus according to the invention can perform the requested tasks with continuity and in a time comparable to the human gesture of feeding, enabling the user to choose when and what to eat by rotating the plate and to drink without the aid of an assistant or simply to autonomously feed himself or herself by intake of liquid food. 
         [0046]      FIGS. 12 ,  13  and  14  show another embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention designed to the aim of simplifying its structure, yet maintaining all the essential functions and adding the possibility of physically separate the part of the apparatus intended for feeding solid or semisolid food from the part for feeding liquid food and beverages. In these figures the components of the apparatus equal to those of the apparatus shown in  FIGS. 1-11  are referred with the same reference numbers and will be not described further on. 
         [0047]    In the apparatus according to the embodiment shown in the  FIGS. 12 ,  13  and  14  the support base is formed by two parts  101   a  and  101   b , releasably connected to one another by connection means, for example of the snap-on type, of any known type. Box-like frames  102   a  and  102   b  stand on base parts  101   a  and  101   b  respectively and act as casing for the electronics, batteries  103   a  and  103   b  and a pump  104  with relevant motor for liquid food or beverage contained in an outer, removable vessel  105  in which a tube  106  connected to the pump is dipped. The arm  3  for moving the spoon  7  and the rotary arm  8  bearing the food plate holder  9  extend from base  101   a . A slot  107  is formed on casing  102   a  to house the plate holder  9  and the relevant rotary arm  8  when the apparatus is not in use. The flexible tube  10  coming from pump  104  and ending with a mouth-operated control  11  extends from base  101   b.    
         [0048]    Set up buttons for the apparatus calibration and LED&#39;s  108  indicating the on/off condition of the system, the battery charge status and the calibration conditions (i.e. they indicate when the calibration menu is active and when the two scooping positions of the spoon have been saved) are also available on casing  102   a . On the casing  102   b  there are available LED&#39;s  109  indicating the on/off condition and the battery charge status as well as a trimmer, not shown, to vary the pump speed. The operating start of the apparatus is obtained through a push-button connected via a jack, not shown, placed in the rear part of casing  102   a.    
         [0049]    Various modifications and alteration to the invention may be appreciated based on a review of the disclosure. These changes and additions are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.