Cuttlery

• US 4,207,673 A
• Filed: 07/31/1978
• Issued: 06/17/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph E. Digirolamo, Mariam E. Digirolamo
• Original Assignee: Joseph E. Digirolamo, Mariam E. Digirolamo
• Inventors: DiGirolamo, Joseph E., DiGirolamo, Mariam E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simpson, Othell M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zatarga, J. T.
• Application Number:
  US05/929,349
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 30/142, 30/123
• US Class Current: 30/142
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/02 Forks; Forks with ejectors; Combined forks and spoons; Salad servers
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/00 Handle constructions

Abstract

An implement for assisting people in developing better eating habits comprising an instrumentality such as a fork, knife or spoon detachably attached to a hollow handle and wherein there are window openings at the top side of the handle, diodes of two different colors visible at the windows and circuitry including a battery and an on/off switch for causing the diodes to be alternately turned on and off at predetermined intervals.

Claims

1. A dietary control implement by means of which one may feed himself at controlled intervals of predetermined length, said implement comprising in combination an instrumentality for conveying food to the mouth, and a handle for manipulating the instrumentality, said handle embodying a signal-producing device a battery, a timer, and an on/off switch which may be turned on when the implement is being used to produce visible or audible signals at predetermined intervals while the implement is in use for indicating when the implement is to be used to convey food to the mouth and when it is not to be so used.

2. An implement according to claim 1 wherein the instrumentality is a fork.

3. An implement according to claim 1 wherein the instrumentality is a knife.

4. An implement according to claim 1 wherein the instrumentality is a spoon.

5. An implement according to claim 1 wherein the instrumentality is removably attached to the handle.

6. An implement according to claim 5 wherein the handle contains at one end a socket and the instrumentality has a stem adapted to be received within the socket.

7. An implement according to claim 6 wherein there is means for frictionally retaining the stem.

8. A dietary control implement by means of which one may feed himself at controlled intervals of predetermined length, said implement comprising in combination an instrumentality for conveying food to the mouth and a handle for manipulating the instrumentality, said handle being hollow and containing a window opening, light-emitting means visible through said window opening and circuitry including a battery, a timer and an on/off switch contained within the hollow handle.

9. A dietary control implement by means of which one may feed himself at controlled intervals of predetermined length, said implement comprising in combination an instrumentality for conveying food to the mouth and a handle for manipulating the instrumentality, said handle being hollow and containing two window openings, a diode of one color in one window and of another in the other window and circuitry including a battery, a timer and an on/off switch contained within the hollow handle for effecting alternate operation of first one diode and then the other at intervals controlled by the timer.