Method and apparatus for determining desired quantities of comestibles for consumption

• US 6,428,320 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jenny Craig Incorporated (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Jenny Craig Incorporated (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Talamini, Lisa Marie, Slakoff, Matthew Ryan, Garvey, Cathy-Ann Halkovich, Dunn, Lisa Ellen, Tomovich, Maryann Denise, Griffith, Michelle, Baranowski, Susan Patricia, Archuleta, Nicky Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Application Number:
  US09/428,693
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 434/127, 283/115, 283/61, 283/49, 283/67, 600/300, 600/301
• US Class Current: 434/127
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

An apparatus and method facilitates the determination of the desired quantity of portions of comestibles to be consumed by the user. The apparatus includes a visual cue indicia device having indicia thereon being configured in the shape of a familiar object of a size similar to the size of a desired portion of a comestible product to be consumed. The user can control the quantities of portions of comestible groups being consumed. In one form of the invention, the apparatus includes a book having a plurality of pages, at least one of the pages having the visual cue indicia device being removable disposed thereon. The visual cue indicia device preferably includes a paper board sheet having its indicia on the front face thereof to facilitate carrying it conveniently with the user so that it can be use discretely for gauging the size of a portion to be consumed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating the determination of the desired quantity of portions of comestibles to be consumed by the user, comprising:

a book having a plurality of pages, at least one of said pages having a visual cue indicia means thereon for facilitating the determination of the desired quantity of portions to be consumed;

means for facilitating the removal of said visual cue indicia means from its page; and

said visual cue indicia means having a visual cue indicia thereon for facilitating the determination of comestible serving portions, said indicia being illustrative of a non-comestible object having a known function other than for measuring comestible portions,

said object being of a size similar to the size of a desired quantity of a serving of one of a group of different types or kinds of comestible products to be consumed so that the visual cue indicia can be removed from the book to determine the desired quantity of comestibles to be consumed so that the user can control the quantities of portions of comestible groups being consumed,

said visual cue indicia means further including a comestible group indicia illustrative of a description of a certain group of different types and kinds of comestible products, the servings of which are to be determined by said visual cue indicia.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said indicia means includes a backing sheet having said indicia means on the front face thereof.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for facilitating the removal includes means defining perforations, and means defining a push out opening in said at least one page.

4. A kit for facilitating the determination of the desired quantity of portions of comestibles to be consumed by the user, comprising:

a plurality of different visual cue indicia means for facilitating the determining the desired quantity of portions to be consumed; and

each one of indicia means having a visual cue indicia thereon being illustrative of a non-comestible object having a known function other than for measuring comestible portions,

said object being of a size similar to the size of a desired quantity of a serving of one of a group of different types or kinds of comestible products to be consumed, so that the plurality of visual cue indicia means can be carried conveniently by the user to determine the desired quantity of a variety of different comestibles to be consumed,

each one of said indicia means further having a comestible group indicia illustrative of a description of a certain group of different types and kinds of comestible products, the servings of which are to be determined by said visual cue indicia.

5. A kit according to claim 4, wherein said visual cue indicia is illustrative of a die.

6. A kit according to claim 4, wherein said visual cue indicia is illustrative of a sponge.

7. A kit according to claim 4, wherein said visual cue indicia is illustrative of a cup.

8. A kit according to claim 4, wherein said visual cue indicia is illustrative of a pin cushion.

9. A kit according to claim 4, wherein said visual cue indicia is illustrative of a playing card.

10. A kit according to claim 4, wherein said visual cue indicia is illustrative of a nail polish bottle.

11. A kit according to claim 4, wherein said visual cue indicia is illustrative of a light bulb.

12. A kit according to claim 4, wherein said visual cue indicia is illustrative of a computer mouse.

13. A method of facilitating the determination of the desired quantity of portions of comestibles to be consumed, comprising:

providing a plurality of pages, each having a different visual cue indicia thereon for facilitating the determination of the desired quantity of portions to be consumed, the indicia being illustrative of a non-comestible object having a known function other than for measuring comestible portions, said object being of a size similar to the size of a desired quantity of a serving of one of a group of different types or kinds of comestible products to be consumed, each of said plurality of pages further including a comestible group indicia illustrative of a description of a certain group of different types and kinds of comestible products, the servings of which are to be determined by said visual cue indicia;

removing said visual cue indicia from its page; and

gauging a quantity of a comestible where the size of the comestible quantity is similar to the size of the non-comestible object so that the plurality of visual cue indicia can be taken by the user to determine the desired quantity of a variety of different comestibles to be consumed so that the user can control the quantities of portions of comestible groups being consumed.

14. An apparatus for facilitating the determination of the desired quantity of portions of comestibles to be consumed by the user, comprising:

a book having a plurality of pages, at least one of said pages having a visual cue indicia thereon for facilitating the determination of comestible serving portions, said visual cue indicia being illustrative of a non-comestible object having a known function other than for measuring comestible portions,

said object being of a size similar to the size of a desired quantity of a serving of one of a group of different types or kinds of comestible products to be consumed so that the visual cue indicia can be removed from the book to determine the desired quantity of comestibles to be consumed so that the user can control the quantities of portions of comestible groups being consumed,

said pages further including a comestible group indicia illustrative of a description of a certain group of different types and kinds of comestible products, the servings of which are to be determined by said visual cue indicia.

15. A kit for facilitating the determination of the desired quantity of portions of comestibles to be consumed by the user, comprising:

a visual cue indicia being illustrative of a non-comestible object having a known function other than for measuring comestible portions;

said object being of a size similar to the size of a desired quantity of a serving of one of a group of different types or kinds of comestible products to be consumed, so that the user may determine the desired quantity of a variety of different comestibles to be consumed; and

a comestible group indicia illustrative of a description of a certain group of different types and kinds of comestible products, the servings of which are to be determined by said visual cue indicia.