US20060201954A1 - Assisting instrument for drinking and eating - Google Patents
Assisting instrument for drinking and eating Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060201954A1 US20060201954A1 US11/368,412 US36841206A US2006201954A1 US 20060201954 A1 US20060201954 A1 US 20060201954A1 US 36841206 A US36841206 A US 36841206A US 2006201954 A1 US2006201954 A1 US 2006201954A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- drinking
- eating
- assisting instrument
- container
- main body
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
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- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 11
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- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 claims description 9
- 229920001971 elastomer Polymers 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000000806 elastomer Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
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- 239000000057 synthetic resin Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000036544 posture Effects 0.000 description 9
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 6
- 239000011324 bead Substances 0.000 description 5
- 235000013305 food Nutrition 0.000 description 5
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000008267 milk Substances 0.000 description 4
- 210000004080 milk Anatomy 0.000 description 4
- 235000013336 milk Nutrition 0.000 description 4
- 230000003405 preventing effect Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000002390 adhesive tape Substances 0.000 description 2
- 210000000481 breast Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 210000000038 chest Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 239000004794 expanded polystyrene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000499 gel Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
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- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 229920000915 polyvinyl chloride Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 239000004800 polyvinyl chloride Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010902 straw Substances 0.000 description 2
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- 239000010419 fine particle Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000011389 fruit/vegetable juice Nutrition 0.000 description 1
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Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J9/00—Feeding-bottles in general
- A61J9/06—Holders for bottles
- A61J9/063—Holders for bottles having a particular supporting function
- A61J9/0638—Holders for bottles having a particular supporting function for supporting in a feeding position
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J9/00—Feeding-bottles in general
- A61J9/06—Holders for bottles
- A61J9/0653—Holders for bottles characterised by the type of support
- A61J9/0684—Holders for bottles characterised by the type of support having a self-supporting base
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J9/00—Feeding-bottles in general
- A61J9/06—Holders for bottles
- A61J9/0653—Holders for bottles characterised by the type of support
- A61J9/0661—Holders for bottles characterised by the type of support attachable to other devices or furniture, e.g. crib, commode or stroller
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an assisting instrument for drinking and eating that is suitably usable when a help-needing person such as a patient, an elderly person, an infant or the like drinks/eats, and particularly to an assisting instrument that can be used even when he/she lies down on his/her bed or at a place other than the bed.
- assistance service by helpers is required to help in eating/drinking of muscle-weakened persons such as patients, elder persons, etc., who are confined to their beds for a long time.
- muscle-weakened persons such as patients, elder persons, etc.
- assistance of his/her mother or the like is generally needed.
- a helper or the mother is absent, it is very inconvenient for a help-needing person, such as a muscle-weakened person, an infant or the like, to be provided with service.
- a drinking assisting instrument designed so that a support post is provided to a base so as to stand up from the base, a clip or a receiving portion is provided to the tip of the support post adjustable in height and angle, a drink container such as a baby bottle or the like is held or mounted on the tip of the support post and the tap of the drink container is located on the lips of a help-needing person, or a drinking assisting instrument in which a fixing seat is fixed to the frame of a bed, a pair of ribbons are suspended from the fixing seat, rings are provided to the tips of the ribbons so that the neck portion and the lower portion of a drink container are inserted through the rings so as to be held, and the tap of the drink container is located on the lips of a help-needing person.
- the conventional drinking assisting instrument is designed so that the drink container is held at the tip of the support post and the tap of the drink container is disposed so as to face the help-needing person from the upper side thereof. Therefore, the assisting instrument is liable to be bulky, and when a place at which the base is mounted, such as a bed, a futon or the like is unstable, the assisting instrument may fall toward the face of the help-needing person. Therefore, this is not preferable for safety.
- the present invention has been implemented in view of the foregoing problem, and has an object to provide a drinking assisting instrument that can be used even when a help-needing person lies down on a bed or at a place other than the bed.
- the inventor of this application has eagerly-made studies and manufactured prototypes repeatedly in order to solve the above problem, and has implemented the present invention by paying attention to the technical idea that the upper surface of a drinking assisting instrument is set as a reception face for receiving a drink container and the slippage of the drink container is prevented by the reception face, whereby the drink container can be held in a desired posture on the reception face of the assisting instrument, and also the present invention can be applied to general containers for drinking and eating including not only drink containers, but also bowls, dishes, etc.
- a drinking/eating assisting instrument is a drinking/eating assisting instrument on which a container for drinking/eating such as a baby bottle, a plastic bottle, a bowl, a cup, a dish or the like is mounted, and it is characterized in that at least the upper portion of the main body of the drinking/eating assisting instrument is formed of a flexibly-deformable material so that when the drinking/eating container is mounted on the assisting instrument, the reception face of the upper surface thereof is pressed by the drinking and eating container and deformed along the shape of the mount portion of the drinking/eating container to support the drinking/eating container.
- the drinking/eating container can be held in a desired posture by mounting the drinking and eating container on the reception face of the assisting instrument main body.
- the assisting instrument main body may be placed near the face of a drinking/eating person, for example, on a bed or a futon near the face, or on the chest. Therefore, the assisting instrument can be used even when a drinking/eating person lies down on a bed or at a place other than the bed, and also the assisting instrument main body is not bulky. Accordingly, there is no risk that the assisting instrument falls toward the face and thus it is safe.
- the assisting instrument in a polyhedral shape so as to have a slanting reception face, the height thereof in the mount direction can be suitably set.
- the drink container when a drink container such as a baby bottle or the like is held at a prescribed place, the drink container can be held on the reception face while being inclined with the tap thereof facing obliquely downward or erected with the tap thereof facing upward and set at a suitable height.
- At least the upper side portion of the assisting instrument main body is designed to be deformable by pressing, and the drinking/eating container is mounted on the reception face of the assisting instrument main body so that at least the upper side portion of the assisting instrument main body is deformed, whereby the drinking/eating container can be brought into contact with the reception face of the assisting instrument main body over a broad area, and held on the reception face of the assisting instrument main body in a desired posture.
- the assisting instrument By constructing the assisting instrument so that at least the upper side portion thereof is deformable by pressing as described above, at least the upper side portion of the assisting instrument main body is deformed when the drinking/eating container is mounted on the reception face and the drinking/eating container is pressed against the reception face as occasion demands, and thus the drink container can be held in a desired posture. Therefore, a help-needing person can drink or eat smoothly.
- a patient, an elderly person or the like can smoothly drink water, juice or the like from a proper drink container such as a drink container having a drinking straw by turning his/her face toward his/her side or toward his/her chest, or an infant can smoothly drink milk from a baby bottle by turning his/her face toward his/her side. That is, they can drink/eat safely even when no helper is present.
- a proper drink container such as a drink container having a drinking straw by turning his/her face toward his/her side or toward his/her chest
- an infant can smoothly drink milk from a baby bottle by turning his/her face toward his/her side. That is, they can drink/eat safely even when no helper is present.
- a container such as a bowl, a dish or the like can be held while safely being mounted on the reception face of the assisting instrument main body. Accordingly, a patient, an elderly person or the like can smoothly scoop and eat food on his/her own by using a spoon or the like, or a helper can handle a spoon or the like with one hand and scoop food from a drinking/eating container to help a patient, an elderly person or the like to eat the food smoothly while supporting the patient, the elderly person or the like with the other hand.
- the assisting instrument main body may be designed to be deformable by pressing at least the upper side portion thereof.
- the whole of the assisting instrument, or the whole or an upper side portion, for example, the upper half portion of the assisting instrument main body is constructed by putting a fluid member in a bag-like member acting as a coating so that the fluid member can be fluidized.
- any material may be used as the coating material insofar as it does not obstruct the fluidity of the fluid member, and for example, flexible thin woven cloth or non-woven cloth, or a flexible soft resin sheet such as a polyvinyl chloride sheet, a silicon resin sheet or the like may be used.
- an adhesive agent such as an elastomer resin, silicon resin or the like is impregnated into or attached to the mount surface of the bag-like member on which a drinking/eating container is mounted and/or the bottom surface thereof when it is set up, and further it is preferable that the reception face is stretchable.
- any material may be used as the fluid member insofar as it has fluidity, and for example, many minute spherical members, fine particles, powder and granular materials, powder, particles or gel materials may be used. Particularly, it is preferable that many minute spheres (fluid member) such as light and inexpensive expanded polystyrene are filled.
- At least the upper side portion for example the upper half portion of the assisting instrument main body, or the whole of the assisting instrument main body may be designed so as to include a argilliferous member that is deformable by pressing.
- the argilliferous member may be directly exposed, or it may be constructed by putting an argilliferous member in a coating similar to the coating described above. Any material may be used as the argilliferous member insofar as it is deformable by pressing, and synthetic resin of a polymer having low repulsive property or an elastomer resin may be used, for example.
- the reception face of the assisting instrument main body can hold the drinking/eating container.
- the drinking/eating container may be held by using a coating having a high viscosity or high friction coefficient such as a silicon resin coating or polyvinyl chloride coating, and particularly a stretchable material is preferably used as the coating because it can elastically hold the drinking/eating container.
- many projections for preventing slippage may be formed on at least the reception face of the coating so as to hold the drinking/eating container.
- the drinking/eating container may be a drinking/eating container with which a person can drink/eat while he/she lies down, such as a baby bottle, a plastic bottle having a tap which is designed so that food or drink can flow out therefrom by pressing the tap, or a container such as a bowl, a cup, a dish or the like may be used.
- a tap disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-62815 may be used as the tap designed so that food or drink can flow out therefrom by pressing the tap.
- the assisting instrument main body may be used while being fixed to a slanting portion near the face, a backrest of a chair (containing a baby carriage, a wheelchair), a frame of a chair (containing a baby carriage, a wheelchair) by an adhesive tape, a clamping fastener (for example, trade name: magic tape), magnet or a length-adjustable belt having hooks at both the ends thereof.
- a clamping fastener for example, trade name: magic tape
- magnet magnet or a length-adjustable belt having hooks at both the ends thereof.
- the disposable range of the assisting instrument main body can be enlarged.
- FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a use example of an embodiment of a drinking/eating assisting instrument according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 ( a ), ( b ) are partially broken perspective views showing use examples of the drinking/eating assisting instrument suitably set;
- FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a use example of another drinking/eating assisting instrument of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the above embodiment
- FIGS. 5 ( a ), ( b ) are diagrams showing a user state of the above embodiment
- FIGS. 6 ( a ), ( b ), ( c ) are diagrams showing other embodiments
- FIGS. 7 ( a ) ⁇ ( e ) are diagrams showing other embodiments.
- FIGS. 8 ( a ) ⁇ ( c ) are diagrams showing another embodiments.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 show preferred embodiments of a drinking/eating assisting instrument according to the present invention.
- a drinking/eating assisting instrument main body 11 of a drinking/eating assisting instrument 10 is designed as a small receiving table having a polyhedral shape that is rectangular in plan view and trapezoidal in side view, and a reception face corresponding to one surface of the polyhedral shape is designed to be slanted.
- the drinking/eating assisting instrument main body 11 is manufactured as follows. For example, many bead type minute spherical members (fluid member) 9 of expanded polystyrene or the like are filled in a bag-like member of a flexible and soft coating 12 in which both the side surfaces thereof are formed of cotton cloth and the peripheral surfaces such as the upper surface, the slanting surface, the bottom surface, the back surface thereof are formed of stretchable cloth achieved by mix-spinning polyester yarn with polyurethane yarn, and the peripheral surfaces of the coating 12 are provided with a slippage preventing property and adhesive property.
- projections 13 for preventing slippage may be fixed to the surface of the coating 12 as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 . Rubber material, silicon resin material or the like may be used for the projections 13 , and in place of the minute beads of the foamed plastic, buckwheat chaff of natural material or small pieces of straws may also be used as the fluid member.
- the assisting instrument main body 11 is placed near the face of the infant on the futon so that the slanting surface of the reception face is disposed at a proper angle, and a baby bottle (drinking/eating container) 20 in which milk is filled is placed on the reception face 11 A of the assisting instrument main body 11 and pressed against the reception face 11 A, whereby the minute beads or the like in the assisting instrument main body 11 is fluidized and the reception face 11 A is concaved.
- the reception face 11 A receives the baby bottle 20 with a broad contact area, and the baby bottle 20 is prevented from slipping while being disposed in an inclined posture with the tap 20 A thereof facing downward, and held in that posture.
- the bottom surface of the assisting instrument With a slippage preventing property, it makes it hard for the assisting instrument main body 11 to move.
- the tap 20 A of the baby bottle 20 approaches his/her lips. Therefore, the infant can drink milk by putting the tap 20 A of the baby bottle 20 in his/her mouth and sucking the milk.
- the assisting instrument main body 11 when the upper surface of the futon is inclined, by mounting the assisting instrument main body 11 with the slanting surface thereof placed face down, the assisting instrument main body 11 is stabilized as shown in FIG. 5 ( b ), and the baby bottle 20 can be reliably held.
- the positional displacement can be prevented by using an adhesive tape, a clamping fastener (trade name: magic tape).
- FIG. 6 shows modifications of other embodiments.
- the shape of the assisting instrument main body 11 may be designed not only in heptahedral or hexahedral shape, but also in a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 6 ( a ) or in any shape as shown in FIGS. 6 ( b ) and ( c ).
- the assisting instrument main body 11 may be manufactured by using a synthetic resin of a polymer having low repulsive property, for example, a foamed urethane resin, or an argilliferous member such as an elastomer resin or the like.
- FIG. 7 shows other embodiments.
- a cup for example, a nursing-care cup 50 is kept in a standing posture, and the reception face of the assisting instrument main body 11 is made to embrace the nursing-care cup 60 so as to hold the cup.
- a tap is secured to a plastic bottle (drinking/eating container) 52 , and it is held by the assisting instrument main body 11 while being inclined or erected.
- a bowl (drinking/eating container) 52 is put on the reception face of the assisting instrument main body 11 and pressed against the reception face so that the bowl 52 is held in that posture.
- FIG. 8 shows other embodiments.
- the assisting instrument main body 11 is designed in a flat-plate shape, and various kinds of drinking/eating containers such as a cup 53 , a dish 54 , bowls 55 and 57 a monkey dish 56 , etc., can be held in desired postures.
- the assisting instrument main body 11 may be fixed to any place of a baby carriage 62 and a wheelchair 63 by using a band 64 as shown in FIG. 8 ( c ).
Abstract
A compact drinking/eating assisting instrument can be used when a person lies down on a bed or at a place other than the bed, and also poses no risk that it falls toward the face of a help-needing person. The main body of the drinking/eating assisting instrument is formed of a flexible coating member so as to have a bag-like shape, and a fluid member is filled in the bag-like member so as to be fluidized.
Description
- The present invention relates to an assisting instrument for drinking and eating that is suitably usable when a help-needing person such as a patient, an elderly person, an infant or the like drinks/eats, and particularly to an assisting instrument that can be used even when he/she lies down on his/her bed or at a place other than the bed.
- In many cases, assistance service by helpers is required to help in eating/drinking of muscle-weakened persons such as patients, elder persons, etc., who are confined to their beds for a long time. Furthermore, when an infant is breast-fed by using a baby bottle, assistance of his/her mother or the like is generally needed. When a helper or the mother is absent, it is very inconvenient for a help-needing person, such as a muscle-weakened person, an infant or the like, to be provided with service.
- Furthermore, there has been proposed a drinking assisting instrument designed so that a support post is provided to a base so as to stand up from the base, a clip or a receiving portion is provided to the tip of the support post adjustable in height and angle, a drink container such as a baby bottle or the like is held or mounted on the tip of the support post and the tap of the drink container is located on the lips of a help-needing person, or a drinking assisting instrument in which a fixing seat is fixed to the frame of a bed, a pair of ribbons are suspended from the fixing seat, rings are provided to the tips of the ribbons so that the neck portion and the lower portion of a drink container are inserted through the rings so as to be held, and the tap of the drink container is located on the lips of a help-needing person.
- However, the conventional drinking assisting instrument is designed so that the drink container is held at the tip of the support post and the tap of the drink container is disposed so as to face the help-needing person from the upper side thereof. Therefore, the assisting instrument is liable to be bulky, and when a place at which the base is mounted, such as a bed, a futon or the like is unstable, the assisting instrument may fall toward the face of the help-needing person. Therefore, this is not preferable for safety.
- Furthermore, there is known a drinking assisting instrument that is fixed to the frame of a bed. This drinking assisting instrument poses no risk that it falls toward the face of an infant or a patient, however, it cannot be used when a help-needing person lies down at a place other than the bed.
- The present invention has been implemented in view of the foregoing problem, and has an object to provide a drinking assisting instrument that can be used even when a help-needing person lies down on a bed or at a place other than the bed.
- The inventor of this application has eagerly-made studies and manufactured prototypes repeatedly in order to solve the above problem, and has implemented the present invention by paying attention to the technical idea that the upper surface of a drinking assisting instrument is set as a reception face for receiving a drink container and the slippage of the drink container is prevented by the reception face, whereby the drink container can be held in a desired posture on the reception face of the assisting instrument, and also the present invention can be applied to general containers for drinking and eating including not only drink containers, but also bowls, dishes, etc.
- A drinking/eating assisting instrument according to the present invention is a drinking/eating assisting instrument on which a container for drinking/eating such as a baby bottle, a plastic bottle, a bowl, a cup, a dish or the like is mounted, and it is characterized in that at least the upper portion of the main body of the drinking/eating assisting instrument is formed of a flexibly-deformable material so that when the drinking/eating container is mounted on the assisting instrument, the reception face of the upper surface thereof is pressed by the drinking and eating container and deformed along the shape of the mount portion of the drinking/eating container to support the drinking/eating container.
- According to the present invention, the drinking/eating container can be held in a desired posture by mounting the drinking and eating container on the reception face of the assisting instrument main body.
- Accordingly, the assisting instrument main body may be placed near the face of a drinking/eating person, for example, on a bed or a futon near the face, or on the chest. Therefore, the assisting instrument can be used even when a drinking/eating person lies down on a bed or at a place other than the bed, and also the assisting instrument main body is not bulky. Accordingly, there is no risk that the assisting instrument falls toward the face and thus it is safe. By designing the assisting instrument in a polyhedral shape so as to have a slanting reception face, the height thereof in the mount direction can be suitably set.
- For example, when a drink container such as a baby bottle or the like is held at a prescribed place, the drink container can be held on the reception face while being inclined with the tap thereof facing obliquely downward or erected with the tap thereof facing upward and set at a suitable height.
- That is, at least the upper side portion of the assisting instrument main body is designed to be deformable by pressing, and the drinking/eating container is mounted on the reception face of the assisting instrument main body so that at least the upper side portion of the assisting instrument main body is deformed, whereby the drinking/eating container can be brought into contact with the reception face of the assisting instrument main body over a broad area, and held on the reception face of the assisting instrument main body in a desired posture.
- By constructing the assisting instrument so that at least the upper side portion thereof is deformable by pressing as described above, at least the upper side portion of the assisting instrument main body is deformed when the drinking/eating container is mounted on the reception face and the drinking/eating container is pressed against the reception face as occasion demands, and thus the drink container can be held in a desired posture. Therefore, a help-needing person can drink or eat smoothly.
- For example, a patient, an elderly person or the like can smoothly drink water, juice or the like from a proper drink container such as a drink container having a drinking straw by turning his/her face toward his/her side or toward his/her chest, or an infant can smoothly drink milk from a baby bottle by turning his/her face toward his/her side. That is, they can drink/eat safely even when no helper is present.
- Furthermore, a container such as a bowl, a dish or the like can be held while safely being mounted on the reception face of the assisting instrument main body. Accordingly, a patient, an elderly person or the like can smoothly scoop and eat food on his/her own by using a spoon or the like, or a helper can handle a spoon or the like with one hand and scoop food from a drinking/eating container to help a patient, an elderly person or the like to eat the food smoothly while supporting the patient, the elderly person or the like with the other hand.
- The assisting instrument main body may be designed to be deformable by pressing at least the upper side portion thereof. For example, the whole of the assisting instrument, or the whole or an upper side portion, for example, the upper half portion of the assisting instrument main body is constructed by putting a fluid member in a bag-like member acting as a coating so that the fluid member can be fluidized.
- Any material may be used as the coating material insofar as it does not obstruct the fluidity of the fluid member, and for example, flexible thin woven cloth or non-woven cloth, or a flexible soft resin sheet such as a polyvinyl chloride sheet, a silicon resin sheet or the like may be used. In order to prevent slippage, it is preferable that an adhesive agent such as an elastomer resin, silicon resin or the like is impregnated into or attached to the mount surface of the bag-like member on which a drinking/eating container is mounted and/or the bottom surface thereof when it is set up, and further it is preferable that the reception face is stretchable.
- Furthermore, any material may be used as the fluid member insofar as it has fluidity, and for example, many minute spherical members, fine particles, powder and granular materials, powder, particles or gel materials may be used. Particularly, it is preferable that many minute spheres (fluid member) such as light and inexpensive expanded polystyrene are filled.
- Still furthermore, at least the upper side portion, for example the upper half portion of the assisting instrument main body, or the whole of the assisting instrument main body may be designed so as to include a argilliferous member that is deformable by pressing. For example, the argilliferous member may be directly exposed, or it may be constructed by putting an argilliferous member in a coating similar to the coating described above. Any material may be used as the argilliferous member insofar as it is deformable by pressing, and synthetic resin of a polymer having low repulsive property or an elastomer resin may be used, for example.
- It is important that the reception face of the assisting instrument main body can hold the drinking/eating container. For example, the drinking/eating container may be held by using a coating having a high viscosity or high friction coefficient such as a silicon resin coating or polyvinyl chloride coating, and particularly a stretchable material is preferably used as the coating because it can elastically hold the drinking/eating container. Furthermore, many projections for preventing slippage may be formed on at least the reception face of the coating so as to hold the drinking/eating container.
- The drinking/eating container may be a drinking/eating container with which a person can drink/eat while he/she lies down, such as a baby bottle, a plastic bottle having a tap which is designed so that food or drink can flow out therefrom by pressing the tap, or a container such as a bowl, a cup, a dish or the like may be used. A tap disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-62815 may be used as the tap designed so that food or drink can flow out therefrom by pressing the tap.
- Furthermore, the assisting instrument main body may be used while being fixed to a slanting portion near the face, a backrest of a chair (containing a baby carriage, a wheelchair), a frame of a chair (containing a baby carriage, a wheelchair) by an adhesive tape, a clamping fastener (for example, trade name: magic tape), magnet or a length-adjustable belt having hooks at both the ends thereof. In this case, the disposable range of the assisting instrument main body can be enlarged.
-
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a use example of an embodiment of a drinking/eating assisting instrument according to the present invention; -
FIG. 2 (a), (b) are partially broken perspective views showing use examples of the drinking/eating assisting instrument suitably set; -
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a use example of another drinking/eating assisting instrument of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the above embodiment; - FIGS. 5(a), (b) are diagrams showing a user state of the above embodiment;
- FIGS. 6(a), (b), (c) are diagrams showing other embodiments;
- FIGS. 7 (a)˜(e) are diagrams showing other embodiments; and
- FIGS. 8 (a)˜(c) are diagrams showing another embodiments.
- The present invention will be described hereinafter on the basis of the embodiment shown in the drawings.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show preferred embodiments of a drinking/eating assisting instrument according to the present invention. InFIGS. 1 and 2 , a drinking/eating assisting instrumentmain body 11 of a drinking/eating assistinginstrument 10 is designed as a small receiving table having a polyhedral shape that is rectangular in plan view and trapezoidal in side view, and a reception face corresponding to one surface of the polyhedral shape is designed to be slanted. - The drinking/eating assisting instrument
main body 11 is manufactured as follows. For example, many bead type minute spherical members (fluid member) 9 of expanded polystyrene or the like are filled in a bag-like member of a flexible andsoft coating 12 in which both the side surfaces thereof are formed of cotton cloth and the peripheral surfaces such as the upper surface, the slanting surface, the bottom surface, the back surface thereof are formed of stretchable cloth achieved by mix-spinning polyester yarn with polyurethane yarn, and the peripheral surfaces of thecoating 12 are provided with a slippage preventing property and adhesive property. As occasion demands,projections 13 for preventing slippage may be fixed to the surface of thecoating 12 as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. Rubber material, silicon resin material or the like may be used for theprojections 13, and in place of the minute beads of the foamed plastic, buckwheat chaff of natural material or small pieces of straws may also be used as the fluid member. - Furthermore, for example when an infant is breast-fed while lying down on a futon, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the assisting instrument
main body 11 is placed near the face of the infant on the futon so that the slanting surface of the reception face is disposed at a proper angle, and a baby bottle (drinking/eating container) 20 in which milk is filled is placed on thereception face 11A of the assisting instrumentmain body 11 and pressed against thereception face 11A, whereby the minute beads or the like in the assisting instrumentmain body 11 is fluidized and thereception face 11A is concaved. Therefore, thereception face 11A receives thebaby bottle 20 with a broad contact area, and thebaby bottle 20 is prevented from slipping while being disposed in an inclined posture with thetap 20A thereof facing downward, and held in that posture. By providing the bottom surface of the assisting instrument with a slippage preventing property, it makes it hard for the assisting instrumentmain body 11 to move. - When an infant turns his/her face toward his/her side, the
tap 20A of thebaby bottle 20 approaches his/her lips. Therefore, the infant can drink milk by putting thetap 20A of thebaby bottle 20 in his/her mouth and sucking the milk. - Furthermore, when the upper surface of the futon is inclined, by mounting the assisting instrument
main body 11 with the slanting surface thereof placed face down, the assisting instrumentmain body 11 is stabilized as shown inFIG. 5 (b), and thebaby bottle 20 can be reliably held. - When the assisting instrument
main body 11 is mounted on a slanting portion as described above, the positional displacement can be prevented by using an adhesive tape, a clamping fastener (trade name: magic tape). -
FIG. 6 shows modifications of other embodiments. The shape of the assisting instrumentmain body 11 may be designed not only in heptahedral or hexahedral shape, but also in a cylindrical shape as shown inFIG. 6 (a) or in any shape as shown in FIGS. 6(b) and (c). - In the embodiment and the modifications, beads of a plastic material, particularly foamed material are used. However, a gel material may be used in place of the minute beads. Furthermore, the assisting instrument
main body 11 may be manufactured by using a synthetic resin of a polymer having low repulsive property, for example, a foamed urethane resin, or an argilliferous member such as an elastomer resin or the like. -
FIG. 7 shows other embodiments. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 7 (a), a cup, for example, a nursing-care cup 50 is kept in a standing posture, and the reception face of the assisting instrumentmain body 11 is made to embrace the nursing-care cup 60 so as to hold the cup. - In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7(b) and (c), a tap is secured to a plastic bottle (drinking/eating container) 52, and it is held by the assisting instrument
main body 11 while being inclined or erected. - In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 7 (d), a bowl (drinking/eating container) 52 is put on the reception face of the assisting instrumentmain body 11 and pressed against the reception face so that thebowl 52 is held in that posture. -
FIG. 8 shows other embodiments. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 8 (a), the assisting instrumentmain body 11 is designed in a flat-plate shape, and various kinds of drinking/eating containers such as acup 53, adish 54, bowls 55 and 57 amonkey dish 56, etc., can be held in desired postures. - In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8(b) and (c), the assisting instrument
main body 11 may be fixed to any place of ababy carriage 62 and awheelchair 63 by using aband 64 as shown inFIG. 8 (c).
Claims (11)
1. A drinking/eating assisting instrument on which a container for drinking/eating including a baby bottle, a plastic bottle, a bowl, a cup or a dish is mounted,
wherein at least the upper portion of the main body of the drinking/eating assisting instrument is formed of a flexibly-deformable
1. A drinking/eating assisting instrument on which a container for drinking/eating including a baby bottle, a plastic bottle, a bowl, a cup or a dish is mounted
wherein at least the upper portion of the main body of the drinking/eating assisting instrument is formed of a flexibly-deformable material so that when the drinking/eating container is mounted on the assisting instrument, the reception face of the upper surface thereof is pressed by the drinking and eating container and deformed along the shape of the mount portion of the drinking/eating container to support the drinking/eating container.
2. The drinking/eating assisting instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the main body of the drinking/eating assisting instrument is formed of a flexible coating member so as to have a bag-like shape, and a fluid member is filled in the bag-like member of the coating member so as to be fluidized.
3. The drinking/eating assisting instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the coating member of the reception face is formed of a stretchable sheet member having a high friction coefficient.
4. The drinking/eating assisting instrument according to claim 3 , wherein adhesive agent such as an elastomer resin or silicon resin is impregnated in or attached to the coating member of the reception face.
5. The drinking/eating assisting instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the fluid member filled in the bag-like member formed of the coating member comprises bead-like minute members of foamed plastic.
6. The drinking/eating assisting instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the fluid member filled in the bag-like member formed of the coating member is formed of a synthetic resin having a low repulsive property or elastomer resin.
7. The drinking/eating assisting instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the main body of the drinking/eating instrument is formed of a synthetic resin having a low repulsive property or elastomer resin.
8. The drinking/eating assisting instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the drinking/eating container is a drink container of a baby bottle or a plastic bottle, and the drink container is held n the reception face under the state that the drink container is inclined with the tap thereof facing obliquely downward or erected with the tap thereof facing upward.
9. The drinking/eating assisting instrument according to claim 3 , wherein the main body of the drinking/eating instrument is designed in a polyhedral shape so that one surface thereof corresponding to the reception face is slanted.
10. The drinking/eating assisting instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the coating member of the reception face is formed of a stretchable sheet member having a high friction coefficient.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JPJP2005-064958 | 2005-03-09 | ||
JP2005064958A JP2006247001A (en) | 2005-03-09 | 2005-03-09 | Eating and drinking aid |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20060201954A1 true US20060201954A1 (en) | 2006-09-14 |
Family
ID=36969742
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/368,412 Abandoned US20060201954A1 (en) | 2005-03-09 | 2006-03-07 | Assisting instrument for drinking and eating |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20060201954A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2006247001A (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20070284381A1 (en) * | 2006-06-12 | 2007-12-13 | Mccroskey Suzanne | Decorative Cover |
US20100147861A1 (en) * | 2008-12-11 | 2010-06-17 | Andochick Scott E | Storage tray with magnetic attachment |
US9549861B2 (en) * | 2013-01-08 | 2017-01-24 | National Taiwan University | Early warning method and device for preventing wheelchair from tipping over |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
USD282969S (en) * | 1983-03-07 | 1986-03-11 | Sukoff Ira E | Feeding bottle holder |
US4606524A (en) * | 1982-09-24 | 1986-08-19 | Conee Paul T | Camera support cushion |
US5048121A (en) * | 1989-07-17 | 1991-09-17 | John Kordecki | System for bottle feeding an infant |
US6098934A (en) * | 1998-02-13 | 2000-08-08 | Skelton; Christie Lynn | Drinking container support apparatus and method for infant feeding |
USD439671S1 (en) * | 2000-09-22 | 2001-03-27 | Danielle Casillo | Baby bottle holder |
US6581888B1 (en) * | 2000-10-10 | 2003-06-24 | Kenneth Antonio Castillo | Irregular-surface glass holder |
US6592084B1 (en) * | 2002-07-11 | 2003-07-15 | Lance A. Nile | Resilient flexible tracking baby bottle feeder |
-
2005
- 2005-03-09 JP JP2005064958A patent/JP2006247001A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2006
- 2006-03-07 US US11/368,412 patent/US20060201954A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4606524A (en) * | 1982-09-24 | 1986-08-19 | Conee Paul T | Camera support cushion |
USD282969S (en) * | 1983-03-07 | 1986-03-11 | Sukoff Ira E | Feeding bottle holder |
US5048121A (en) * | 1989-07-17 | 1991-09-17 | John Kordecki | System for bottle feeding an infant |
US6098934A (en) * | 1998-02-13 | 2000-08-08 | Skelton; Christie Lynn | Drinking container support apparatus and method for infant feeding |
USD439671S1 (en) * | 2000-09-22 | 2001-03-27 | Danielle Casillo | Baby bottle holder |
US6581888B1 (en) * | 2000-10-10 | 2003-06-24 | Kenneth Antonio Castillo | Irregular-surface glass holder |
US6592084B1 (en) * | 2002-07-11 | 2003-07-15 | Lance A. Nile | Resilient flexible tracking baby bottle feeder |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20070284381A1 (en) * | 2006-06-12 | 2007-12-13 | Mccroskey Suzanne | Decorative Cover |
US20100147861A1 (en) * | 2008-12-11 | 2010-06-17 | Andochick Scott E | Storage tray with magnetic attachment |
US9549861B2 (en) * | 2013-01-08 | 2017-01-24 | National Taiwan University | Early warning method and device for preventing wheelchair from tipping over |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2006247001A (en) | 2006-09-21 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |