Patent ID: 8181785

Claim:
A bariatric bowl system ( 10 ) for receiving and supporting food for a dieting person while selectively measuring the portions of the food, the receiving and the supporting and the measuring being done in a safe, convenient and economical manner, the system comprising, in combination: a generally rectilinear first bowl ( 14 ) and a similarly configured second bowl ( 16 ), each bowl having end walls separated by a length and side walls separated by a width and a depth forming a chamber there within, the length being between 2 and 3 times the width, the width being between 1.5 and 2.5 times the depth, the chamber having downwardly and inwardly extending opposed inner and outer side walls; a divider assembly formed within the chamber, the divider assembly including three sets of reception slots ( 20 ), ( 22 ), each set of reception slots including an inner slot ( 20 ) on the side wall and a laterally spaced outer slot ( 22 ) on the outer wall, a plurality of divider panels ( 24 ) selectively positioned in the sets of slots, the panels having horizontal upper and lower edges ( 26 ), ( 28 ) and downwardly angled side edges ( 30 ), the side edges each forming an angle with respect to the vertical of between 10 and 20 degrees, the divider panels when inserted into the sets of slots dividing the chamber into equal sized segments equal to 25 and 50 and 75 percent of the size of the chamber; a generally rectilinear first receptacle ( 34 ) and a similarly configured second receptacle ( 36 ), each receptacle having end walls separated by a length and side walls separated by a width and a depth forming a space there within, the length being between 8 and 12 times the width, the width being between 1.0 and 1.5 times the depth, one side wall of the first bowl being integrally formed with one side wall of the first receptacle to form a first container, one side wall of the second bowl being integrally formed with one side wall of the second receptacle to form a second container; a first lid ( 40 ) adapted to selectively cover and uncover the first container, a second lid ( 42 ) adapted to selectively cover and uncover the second container; utensils ( 48 ) including a knife and fork/spoon, the knife and the fork/spoon adapted to be positioned and stored in the receptacle and then removed there from for use in eating food in the containers; a retainer ring ( 52 ) having end walls separated by a length and side walls separated by a width and a depth forming a space there within, the length and width and the depth being of a size to accept the first container and the second container with the first and second receptacles in contact with each other, the retainer ring and the bowls and the receptacles and the lids being fabricated of a low density polyethylene; indicia ( 56 ) formed on the knife and the fork/spoon and the lids and the divider panels.