Dispensing – Movable material discharge guide – Foldable – bendable – collapsible or flexible
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-18
2001-07-24
Shaver, Kevin (Department: 3254)
Dispensing
Movable material discharge guide
Foldable, bendable, collapsible or flexible
C222S205000, C222S192000, C030S141000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264074
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a mouthpiece for the feeding of especially small children with food from a tube filled with a nutrient exhibiting such a consistence and nature that can be squeezed out from the aperture portion of the tube, at which the mouthpiece is placed or can be placed prior to the feeding procedure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the invention has been to provide a feeding device for food contained in a tube, wherein soiling is substantially reduced in relation to feeding from a bowl, using a child's spoon.
In accordance with the present invention, this object has been achieved through shaping and designing the tube mouthpiece such that it exhibits the features as defined in the characterizing clause of claim
1
. The mouthpiece may constitute a sort of permanent, screwed on hood following the tube, said hood being surrounded by an external closure hood; or the mouthpiece may constitute an additional equipment to be screwed or pushed onto the aperture portion of the tube subsequently to the removal of an ordinary closure hood.
Food for small children in finely powdered condition, suitable to be contained within and fed out from a tube, is packed in e.g. 125 grams tubes, such as the conventional metal tubes used for mayonnaise, caviare, etc.
On the aperture portion is attached a feeding mouthpiece according to the invention having a shape substantially corresponding to a table spoon blade, the axially outer portion thereof being free and uncovered, while the remaining, axially inner blade portion is assigned an opposing diaphragm having an outer, free edge portion positioned adjacent the spoon blade tip, but spaced therefrom in the axial direction. This diaphragm which is connected to the mouthpiece body at the axially inner edge portion thereof, may consist of a soft plastic material. Approximately two third of the axial length extent of the table spoon blade are covered by the soft diaphragm.
The diaphragm and its mounting in relation to the table spoon blade counteract soiling during the feeding of a smaller child.
When one squeezes the rear portion of the tube, the mashed food is urged forwardly, out through the aperture portion of the tube where a “mouthful” of food lands on the table spoon tip, the upwardly concave depression cavity being filled with food, so that the diaphragm is stretched and takes an upwardly convexly curved shape.
When the table spoon blade in this condition is passed into the mouth of a child, the diaphragm prevents the upper lip of the child from coming down into the food in the axially inner portion of the table spoon blade in relation to the tube. Such food-lip-contact will ordinarily occur when a child is fed by means of a common spoon, and this is the most frequent reason to soiling.
When the table spoon blade filled with food and partially covered by the diaphragm has come into the child's mouth, its upper lip will now be capable of squeezing the distended diaphragm, so that the food below the compressed diaphragm is pressed forwardly and, thus, onto the table spoon blade tip, from where the food will land in the oral cavity of the child. When the table spoon blade is in the process of being withdrawn, the upper lip of the child will retain the food remaining on the uncovered table spoon blade tip. Now, the child has received a portion of food, which can be controlled by exerting a larger or a smaller pressure on the rear portion of the tube.
The tube with its nutrient content may be heatable in a micro wave oven, or through the use of a water bath, while some nutrients do not require any heating; room temperature being sufficient.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3104032 (1963-09-01), Hansen
patent: 3116152 (1963-12-01), Smith
patent: 3133679 (1964-05-01), Brown
patent: 3259132 (1966-07-01), Katter
patent: 3383018 (1968-05-01), Grimsley
patent: 3473221 (1969-10-01), Flanders
patent: 5269445 (1993-12-01), Tobler
patent: 2258164 (1974-01-01), None
patent: 2697331 (1992-10-01), None
patent: WO 80/02875 (1980-06-01), None
Emilsson Bjorn
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Shaver Kevin
Willatt Stephanie L.
LandOfFree
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