Device for supplying food to a person while avoiding choking

• US 5,364,348 A
• Filed: 10/04/1993
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald P Berry Sr (Donald P. Berry)
• Original Assignee: Donald P Berry Sr (Donald P. Berry)
• Inventors: Berry, Donald P. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US08/130,763
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 606/234-236, 604/890.1, 604/19, 604/54, 604/57, 604/82, 604/92, 604/264, 604/77-79
• US Class Current: 604/77
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 17/00 Baby-comforters; Teething rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/00 Devices for administering medicines orally, e.g. spoons calibrated capacity measures for fluids or fluent solid material G01F19/00; weighing spoons G01G19/56; Pill counting devices; Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0023 Spoons
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0053 Syringes, pipettes or oral dispensers

Abstract

A device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking, my device comprising a handle member in combination with a food dispensing member. The handle member has a generally circularly configured end thereon, upon which circular end, a ring mounting arrangement is provided. A ring having a circularly-shaped aperture therein is utilized with the handle member, with an inner surface of the ring being equipped with a component for tightly engaging the ring mounting arrangement. The component inside the ring for engaging the ring mounting arrangement is configured to operably engage the circular end of the handle member. The food dispensing member is an elongate container of fine mesh material having an aperture therein through which solid or semi-solid food can be inserted, with such food intended to at least partially dissolve in the mouth of the person being fed. The aperture in the container is of a size that can be readily accommodated in the circularly-shaped aperture of the ring as well as being able to fit over the ring mounting means of the handle member, whereby upon food being placed in the container and the open end of the container placed over the ring mounting arrangement, the ring can be tightened upon the handle member so as to form a unitary device that can be held by the person, and the container placed in the mouth of the person.

Claims

1. A device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking, said device comprising a handle member in combination with a food dispensing member, said handle member having a generally circularly configured end thereon, upon which circular end, ring mounting means are disposed, a ring utilized with said handle member, the inner surface of said ring being equipped with internal means for being tightly interfitted with said ring mounting means, said ring having a circularly-shaped aperture therein, said internal means on said ring being configured to operably engage said ring mounting means disposed around said circular end of said handle member, said food dispensing member being in the form of an elongate container of fine mesh material having approximately a minimum of 144 openings per square inch, said container having an aperture therein through which semi-solid food can be inserted, with such food intended to at least partially dissolve in the mouth of the person, said aperture in said container being of a size that can be readily accommodated in said circularly-shaped aperture of said ring as well as being able to fit over said ring mounting means of said handle member, whereby upon food being placed in said container and the open end of said container placed over said ring mounting means, said ring can be tightened upon said handle member so as to form a unitary device that can be held by the person and said container placed in the mouth of the person.

2. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as recited in claim 1 in which said handle member has a dome-shaped portion surrounded by said ring mounting means, and said ring has an inwardly extending flange coming into tight contact with a part of said dome-shaped portion at such time as said food dispensing member has been placed over said dome-shaped portion and said ring tightened, said tight contact assuring that said food dispensing member will be tightly gripped.

3. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as defined in claim 1 in which said container is made of a cloth mesh.

4. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as defined in claim 1 in which said container is made of a plastic mesh.

5. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as defined in claim 1 in which the length of said container is more than twice as great as the diameter of said container.

6. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as recited in claim 1 in which a care giver can determine the length of said container by a suitable adjustment of how much of said container is placed over said ring mounting means of said handle member before said ring is tightened.

7. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as defined in claim 1 in which said handle member is of unitary construction and made of plastic.

8. A device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking, said device comprising a handle member in combination with a food dispensing member, said handle member having a generally circularly configured end thereon, upon which circular end, ring mounting means are disposed, a ring utilized with said handle member, the inner surface of said ring being equipped with internal means for being tightly interfitted with said ring mounting means said ring having a circularly-shaped aperture therein said internal means on said ring being configured to operably engage said ring mounting means disposed around said circular end of said handle member, said food dispensing member being in the form of an elongate container of fine mesh material having an aperture therein through which semi-solid food can be inserted with such food intended to at least partially dissolve in the mouth of the person, said aperture in said container being of a size that can be readily accommodated in said circularly-shaped aperture of said ring as well as being able to fit over said ring mounting means of said handle member, whereby upon food being placed in said container and the open end of said container placed over said ring mounting means, said ring can be tightened upon said handle member so as to form a unitary device that can be held by the person and said container placed in the mouth of the person, a tightening means is provided around said hole of said container, said tightening means being a draw string.

9. A device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking, said device comprising a handle member in combination with a food dispensing member, said handle member having a generally circularly configured end thereon, around which circular end, external screw threads are disposed, a ring utilized with said handle member, said ring being equipped with internal threads and having a generally circularly-shaped aperture therein, said internal threads of said ring being configured to threadedly engage the external threads disposed around said circular end of said handle member, said food dispensing member being in the form of an elongate container of fine mesh material closed at one end, but with the other end open, said container being adapted to receive therein, food intended to at least partially dissolve in the mouth of the person, the open end of said container being of a size that can be readily accommodated in said generally circularly-shaped aperture of said ring as well as being able to fit over the threaded end of said handle member, whereby upon solid or semi-solid food being placed in said container and the open end of said container placed over said threaded end of said handle member, said ring can be tightened upon the threads disposed around the end of the handle member so as to form a unitary device that can be held by the person and the closed end of said container placed in the mouth of the person.

10. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as recited in claim 9 in which said handle member has a dome-shaped portion surrounded by said external screw threads, and said ring has an inwardly extending flange coming into tight contact with a part of said dome-shaped portion at such time as said food dispensing member has been placed over said dome-shaped portion and said ring tightened, said tight contact assuring that said food dispensing member will be tightly gripped.

11. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as recited in claim 9 in which a tightening means is provided around said open end of said container.

12. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as recited in claim 11 in which said tightening means is a draw string.

13. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as defined in claim 9 in which said container is made of a cloth mesh.

14. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as defined in claim 9 in which said container is made of a plastic mesh.

15. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as defined in claim 9 in which the length of said container is more than twice as great as the diameter of said container.

16. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as recited in claim 9 in which a care giver can determine the length of said container by a suitable adjustment of how much of said container is placed over said threaded end of said handle member before said ring is tightened.

17. The device for feeding a young child or impaired adult without the threat of the person choking as defined in claim 9 in which said handle member is of unitary construction and made of plastic.