ELECTRONIC FORK COMPRISING A HOLLOW TOOL AND AN ELECTRONIC KEY THAT COOPERATE WITH ONE ANOTHER

• US 20150143702A1
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slow Control
• Original Assignee: Slow Control
• Inventors: Lepine, Jacques
• Granted Patent: US 9,560,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/123
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/00 Table-ware crumb trays A47L13/52; table knives B26B
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/02 Forks; Forks with ejectors; Combined forks and spoons; Salad servers
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/023 Forks; Forks with ejectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/12 Consumption counters combined with table-ware or table-service
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/413 using electromechanical or electronic computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4146 for controlling caloric intake, e.g. diet control
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/42 for counting by weighing G01G19/387 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic fork for measuring eating rhythms comprising a conductive fork (F) head with its shoulder and its truncated handle interacting with an electronic card (20) characterized in that on the conductive fork (F) between the neck of the fork (F) and its shoulder is overmolded an insulator (11), on the insulated fork (F) and shoulder assembly is then overmolded an oblong hollow conductive handle (12), the assembly forms an oblong tool (0) inside of which is plugged an electronic key (30) made by assembling an insulated shell (32) around an electronic card (20), the electronic card (20) comprises two contact tracks (P1, P2) between which a capacitive sensor detects the closing of the circuit between the contact tracks (P1, P2), two contact blades (31a, 31b) are housed in the shell (32) in contact at one end with the contact tracks (P1, P2) and exiting the shell (32) to be housed in the position in which the key is plugged into the tool, first against the truncated body of the fork (F) and second against the conductive handle (12).

Claims

1. An electronic fork for measuring eating rhythms comprising a conductive fork (F) head with its shoulder and truncated handle interacting with an electronic card (20) characterized in that on the conductive fork (F) between the neck of the fork (F) and its shoulder is overmolded an insulator (11), on the insulated fork (F) and shoulder (11) assembly is then overmolded an oblong hollow conductive handle (12), the fork (F) head is insulated from the conductive handle (12), the fork (F) head, insulated overmolding (11) and conductive overmolding (12) assembly forms an oblong tool (O) inside of which is plugged an electronic key (30) made by assembling an insulated shell (32) around an electronic card (20), the electronic card (20) comprises two contact tracks (P1, P2) between which a capacitive sensor detects the closing of the circuit between the contact tracks (P1, P2), two contact blades (31a, 31b) are housed inside the shell (32) each in contact at one end with the contact track (P1) for the first blade (31a), and (P2) for the second blade (31b) and each exiting the shell (32) to be housed in the position in which the key is plugged into the tool, first against the truncated body of the fork (F) for the first contact blade (31a) and second against the conductive handle (12) for the second contact blade (31b).

2. The electronic fork for measuring eating rhythms according to claim 1 characterized in that the top edge of the insulated overmolding is at least 1 mm and is positioned in the neck of the utensil (F), and in that the axis of the conductive handle adopts an angularity (t) with the utensil holding angle of between 12°

and 22°

.

3. The electronic fork for measuring eating rhythms according to claim 1 characterized in that the tool (O) presents an oblong form perforated on the bottom, the electronic key (30) is plugged into the hole at the bottom, the key cooperates with the tool (O) both mechanically and electronically.

4. The electronic fork for measuring eating rhythms according to claims 1 and 3 characterized in that the electronic card (30) forms a cap on the hole of the tool and on the cap, a transparent elastomer shell is formed with user interfaces positioned facing each other, the user interfaces are an On-Off push button (18) and lamps known as warning light-emitting diodes (19).

5. The electronic fork for measuring eating rhythms according to claim 1 characterized in that the electronic key comprises an alarm (29) that is a vibrator and/or a microphone.

6. The electronic fork for measuring eating rhythms according to claim 1 characterized in that on the lateral side of the electronic card is positioned a socket (25) that passes through the shell (32) and is connected to the electronic card (20), by fully pushing the key (30) into the tool (O) handle, then the socket (25) is protected by the tool (O) handle.

7. The electronic fork for measuring eating rhythms according to claim 1 characterized in that the conductive handle (12) of the fork comprises a hole (15) positioned closer to the insulated shoulder and that has two functions, a first function is to promote the flow of water during washing of the handle alone without the electronic key, a second function is to serve as an attachment clip in cooperation with a complementary protuberance (35) of the electronic key (30) when it is plugged into the hollow of the conductive handle (12).