EATING UTENSIL CAPABLE OF AUTOMATIC BITE COUNTING

• US 20080276461A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steven Gold
• Original Assignee: Steven Gold
• Inventors: Gold, Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/035,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276461A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/142
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/02 Forks; Forks with ejectors; Combined forks and spoons; Salad servers
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/183 indicator
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/186 meter; timer
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/12 Consumption counters combined with table-ware or table-service

Abstract

An eating utensil includes a food carrier configured to convey food to a mouth, a sensor configured to sense the weight of food carried on the food carrier, a handle attached to the food carrier and configured to be engaged by a hand of an eater, an electric circuit in communication with the sensor and configured to count a bite of food in response to the weight of food carried on the food carrier, and a display device configured to display a number of bites consumed by the eater.

Claims

1. An eating utensil, comprising:

a food carrier configured to convey food to a mouth;

a sensor configured to sense the weight of food carried on the food carrier;

a handle attached to the food carrier and configured to be engaged by a hand of an eater;

an electric circuit in communication with the sensor and configured to count a bite of food in response to the weight of food carried on the food carrier; and

a display device configured to display a number of bites consumed by the eater.

2. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the electric circuit includes a timer configured to measure time elapsed from a previous bite of food using the food carrier by the eater.

3. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the electric circuit is configured to compute time elapsed from a previous bite, and wherein the display device is configured to display the time elapsed from a previous bite.

4. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the electric circuit is configured to produce a suggested time for a next bite after the previous bite

5. The eating utensil of claim 4, wherein the display device is configured to display the suggested time for a next bite after the previous bite.

6. The eating utensil of claim 4, further comprising means for emitting a light, sound, or vibration signal to indicate the suggested time for a next bite after the previous bite.

7. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a pressure produced by the weight of food carried on the food carrier.

8. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the food carrier is a spoon or a fork.

9. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the display device is housed inside the handle, and wherein at least a portion of the handle is transparent to allow the display device to be visible by the eater.

10. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the electric circuit is housed inside the handle.

11. An eating utensil, comprising:

a food carrier configured to convey food to a mouth;

a sensor configured to sense the weight of food carried on the food cannier;

a handle attached to the food carrier and configured to be engaged by a hand of an eater;

an electric circuit in communication with the sensor, wherein the electric circuit is configured to count a bite of food in response to the weight of food carried on the food carrier and to compute time elapsed from a previous bite; and

a display device configured to display the count of bites consumed by the eater and the time elapsed from a previous bite.

12. The eating utensil of claim 11, wherein the electric circuit is configured to produce a suggested time for a next bite after the previous bite, and wherein the electric circuit is configured to display the suggested time for a next bite after the previous bite.

13. The eating utensil of claim 11, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a pressure produced by the weight of food carried on the food carrier.

14. The eating utensil of claim 11 wherein the food carrier is a spoon or a fork.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising measuring time elapsed from a previous bite of food by the eater.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying the time elapsed from the previous bite by the display device.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

producing a suggested time for a next bite after the previous bite by the electric circuit, and

indicating a suggested time for a next bite by the display device after a previous bite.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of indicating comprises emitting a light, sound, or vibration signal to indicate the suggested time for a next bite after the previous bite.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the food carrier is a spoon or a fork.

15. A method for taking bites of food using an eating utensil, comprising:

conveying food to a mouth of an eater by a food carrier attached to a handle held by a hand of the eater;

automatically sensing the weight of food carried on the food carrier by a sensor;

automatically counting a bite of food by an electric circuit in response to the weight of food carried on the food carrier; and

automatically displaying on a display device a number of bites consumed by the eater.