Finger-Mountable Eating Utensils and Related Methods

Abstract

Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of finger-mountable eating utensils and related methods. In an exemplary embodiment, an eating utensil generally includes a handle for supporting a utensil piece. The handle has a distal stem portion and a widened portion proximal to and substantially coaxial with the distal stem portion. The widened portion has an opening configured to receive two or more user fingers to support the handle and utensil piece without the received fingers having to contact the distal stem portion during use of the eating utensil.

Description

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to finger-mountable eating utensils and related methods.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

It can sometimes be difficult and/or painful for an arthritis sufferer to use a fork, spoon or other eating utensil having a slender handle that the user must grasp with bent fingers.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of finger-mountable eating utensils and related methods. In an exemplary embodiment, an eating utensil generally includes a handle for supporting a utensil piece. The handle has a distal stem portion and a widened portion proximal to and substantially coaxial with the distal stem portion. The widened portion has an opening configured to receive two or more user fingers to support the handle and utensil piece without the received fingers having to contact the distal stem portion during use of the eating utensil.

In another example embodiment, an eating utensil generally includes a utensil piece and a handle. The handle has a distal stem portion connected or connectible with the utensil piece, and a widened portion substantially coaxial with a distal stem portion. The widened portion has an interior sidewall defining an opening in the handle configured to receive two or more user fingers to control the utensil piece without the received fingers being required to contact the distal stem portion.

Also disclosed are methods that generally include a method of using an eating utensil. The method includes inserting two or more fingers through an opening defined by a sidewall in a widened portion of a handle of an eating utensil, the widened portion being substantially coaxial with a distal stem portion of the handle. The inserting is performed without having to bend the fingers. The inserted fingers are positioned against the sidewall. A utensil piece of the eating utensil is controlled without the inserted fingers having to touch the distal stem portion of the handle.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an eating utensil in accordance with one example embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of a handle of an eating utensil in accordance with one example embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2B is a side perspective view of a handle in accordance with one example embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2C is a partial top perspective view of a handle in accordance with one example embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a utensil piece including a fork in accordance with one example embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a utensil piece including a spoon in accordance with one example embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of an eating utensil in accordance with one example embodiment of the disclosure.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The inventor hereof has recognized that people who suffer from conditions such as arthritis often have difficulty grasping and controlling a fork or other utensil. Accordingly, the inventor has developed and discloses herein exemplary embodiments of finger-mountable eating utensils that provide (without limitation) spoons, forks, knives, sporks, etc., that a user can control using two or more fingers inserted through an opening in a handle of the eating utensil. The user optionally may direct his or her fingers away from the handle as the user eats with or otherwise uses the utensil. In various embodiments, the fingers inserted in the opening are not required to be bent toward, extended along, or in contact with a stem portion of the handle of the eating utensil.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure, a finger-mountable eating utensil may be provided in which a utensil piece is integral with a handle. In other various embodiments, a finger-mountable eating utensil includes a handle and a utensil piece connected or connectable with the handle. In some embodiments, a given utensil piece may be interchangeable with another type of utensil piece. A user, for example, may connect a handle with a first utensil piece that includes a spoon. The user subsequently may separate the handle from the first utensil piece, and may then connect the handle with a second utensil piece that includes a fork.

With reference now to the figures, FIGS. 1 through 3 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a finger-mountable eating utensil embodying one or more aspects of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, an eating utensil 20 includes a utensil piece 24 that includes, e.g., a fork 28. A handle 32 is reversibly connected with the utensil piece 24. Generally, the terms “proximal” and “distal” may be used in the present disclosure and the claims to establish relative location with reference to an end of an eating utensil that would be most distal from a user's fingers on which the eating utensil is mounted. Thus, e.g., the eating utensil 20 has a proximal end 36 and a distal end 40. As a further example, the utensil piece 24, when connected with the handle 32, may be referred to as being distal to the handle 32 and the handle 32 may be referred to as being proximal to the utensil piece 24.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the handle 32 has a proximal stem portion 44, a distal stem portion 48, and a widened portion 52 proximal to and substantially coaxial with the distal stem portion 48. In the present example embodiment, the proximal stem portion 44 is shorter than the distal stem portion 48 and is substantially coaxial with the rest of the handle 32. Embodiments are possible, however, in which proximal and/or distal stem portions may have different sizes, lengths, curvatures, orientations, etc. Embodiments also are possible in which no proximal stem portion is provided.

FIGS. 2A through 2C illustrate the handle 32 with no utensil piece attached. As shown in FIG. 2A, the widened portion 52 has an opening 56 defined by an interior sidewall 60 of the widened portion 52. In the present example embodiment, the sidewall 60 has six flat surfaces 64 defining a hexagonal shape of the opening 56. In other embodiments, other opening shapes are possible, including but not limited to rectangles, other polygons, circles, ovals, squares, shapes that have both straight and curved segments, etc. In some embodiments and as further discussed below, one or more flat surfaces of an interior sidewall may serve to facilitate a frictional fit between a user's fingers and the sidewall.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the example handle 32 has a substantially level upper surface 68 and a substantially level lower surface 72. In the present example embodiment, the interior sidewall surfaces 64 are substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces 68 and 72 of the handle 32. Handle embodiments are contemplated, however, in which one or more surfaces, including but not limited to one or more upper, lower, and/or sidewall surfaces, have at least some curvature and/or non-orthogonality in relation to other handle surfaces.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the handle 32 includes an attachment device 76, e.g., a slot 80. The utensil piece 24 is shown in FIG. 3 with no handle attached. In the present example embodiment, the utensil piece 24 includes an attachment device 84 configured for connection with the attachment device 76 of the handle, e.g., a blade 88 configured to fit securely into the slot 80. It should be noted that in various embodiments, various attachment devices could be used, including but not limited to pins, screws, sleeves, magnets, etc. In the present example embodiment, the handle 32 may be disconnected from the utensil piece 24 and connected with another utensil piece. For example, FIG. 4 illustrates a utensil piece 100 including a spoon 104. The utensil piece 100 includes a blade 108 configured to fit securely into the handle slot 80 and may be connected with the handle 32 to provide a finger-mountable eating utensil 200 as shown in FIG. 5.

In various embodiments, a utensil piece and handle may be configured so that when connected together, the utensil piece is oriented at a predetermined rotational angle relative to the handle, e.g., to make it convenient for a user to eat with the eating utensil. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface 68 of the widened portion 52 of the handle 32 is shown as generally parallel with the page while an upper surface 92 of the fork 28 is shown as tilted toward the top of the page. Various rotational angles and various ways of rotational offsetting could be provided in various embodiments. Rotational offsetting can be provided, e.g., in one rotational direction to accommodate a right-handed person, and in the opposite rotational direction to accommodate a left-handed person. The example eating utensil 20 is configured for use by a right-handed person. Accordingly, the upper surface 92 of the fork 28 is oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees toward the top of the page. In such manner, a finger-mountable eating utensil may be configured to accommodate anticipated movement, e.g., of a user's fingers, wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder, etc. as the user picks up food, e.g., with the fork 28, carries the food and fork 28 into the mouth at a convenient angle, and/or lowers the fork 28 from the mouth. As shown in FIG. 5, the spoon 104 also is rotationally offset from the handle 32, e.g., by about 45 degrees, in the same or similar manner as shown in FIG. 1.

Various configurations could be provided dependent, e.g., on a user's age, size, physical capability, a utensil piece's shape, size, anticipated use, etc. Such accommodations are not necessarily limited to rotational angle offsetting, but could also include, e.g., varying curvature, length, etc. in a handle and/or utensil piece. In some embodiments, a handle may be adjustably connectible with a utensil piece. For example, a utensil piece could be rotatable in a sleeve of a handle, e.g., so that a spring-based pin of the utensil piece might be inserted into a selected one of a plurality of slots in the sleeve to provide a desired angle between the handle and utensil piece.

A user may perform the following steps to mount an eating utensil, e.g., the finger-mountable eating utensil 20, on his/her fingers for use in eating. The user may place the eating utensil 20 on a support surface, e.g., a table top, and slide the eating utensil 20 towards an edge of the support surface, e.g., to a position in which the opening 56 of the widened portion 52 of the handle 32 overhangs and is not obstructed by the support surface. The user may then insert two or more fingers of one hand into and through the opening 56. The inserted fingers may be extended as far as possible through the opening 56 or only partially, depending, e.g., on finger thickness and/or how many, and/or which, fingers the user chooses to insert into the opening 56.

The user may optionally use one or more additional fingers of the same hand to further stabilize the eating utensil 20, e.g., by resting the additional finger(s) on the distal stem portion 48 and/or proximal stem portion 44 alongside the widened portion 52. For example, in some implementations in which a user chooses to insert a middle finger, ring finger, and little finger into the opening 56, the user may optionally rest the index finger on the distal stem portion 48, alongside the widened portion 52 such that the index finger optionally is extended away from the distal stem portion 48. Alternatively, the user may choose to insert an index finger, middle finger, and ring finger into the opening 56. In such case the user may optionally rest the little finger, e.g., on the proximal stem portion 44, alongside and proximal to the widened portion 52 such that the little finger optionally is extended away from the proximal stem portion 44. In another implementation in which the user chooses to insert only two fingers, e.g., a middle finger and ring finger, into the opening 56, the user may optionally rest the index finger on the distal stem portion 48, and the little finger on the proximal stem portion 44, with all fingers optionally extended away from the handle 32. In yet another example implementation, a user may insert a thumb and at least one other finger into and through the opening 56. It should be noted generally that a “finger” may include a thumb in the present disclosure and claims. There are various ways in which a user might mount an eating utensil on his/her fingers, and the foregoing methods are exemplary only.

It also should be noted that in each of the foregoing example methods of use, fingers that have been inserted through the opening 56 can be extended away from the opening 56, e.g., so as to be generally perpendicular to the widened portion 52, during use of the eating utensil 20. In various embodiments, fingers inserted into the opening 56 are not required to contact the distal stem portion 48 or proximal stem portion 44. The user is not required to wrap or curl the inserted fingers around the widened portion 52, distal stem portion 48 or proximal stem portion 44. Further, the user is not required to bend or extend any fingers toward the utensil piece 24 during use of the eating utensil 20.

The foregoing example finger-mountable utensils and methods of use can provide arthritis sufferers with comfortable yet effective ways to prepare and/or eat food. A user does not have to bend any fingers in order to prepare to use such eating utensils and/or to eat with them. A handle can be configured with a widened portion that has interior sidewall surfaces so as to provide a frictional fit between inserted fingers and the sidewall. Such surfaces can be configured, e.g., with various textures, curvatures, etc. so that the eating utensil remains firmly in place when mounted on the user's fingers, e.g., while the user is eating.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. In addition, advantages and improvements that may be achieved with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are provided for purpose of illustration only and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure, as exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may provide all or none of the above mentioned advantages and improvements and still fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Specific dimensions, specific materials, and/or specific shapes disclosed herein are example in nature and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure herein of particular values and particular ranges of values for given parameters are not exclusive of other values and ranges of values that may be useful in one or more of the examples disclosed herein. Moreover, it is envisioned that any two particular values for a specific parameter stated herein may define the endpoints of a range of values that may be suitable for the given parameter (i.e., the disclosure of a first value and a second value for a given parameter can be interpreted as disclosing that any value between the first and second values could also be employed for the given parameter). For example, if Parameter X is exemplified herein to have value A and also exemplified to have value Z, it is envisioned that parameter X may have a range of values from about A to about Z. Similarly, it is envisioned that disclosure of two or more ranges of values for a parameter (whether such ranges are nested, overlapping or distinct) subsume all possible combination of ranges for the value that might be claimed using endpoints of the disclosed ranges. For example, if parameter X is exemplified herein to have values in the range of 1-10, or 2-9, or 3-8, it is also envisioned that Parameter X may have other ranges of values including 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3, 3-10, and 3-9.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The term “about” when applied to values indicates that the calculation or the measurement allows some slight imprecision in the value (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly). If, for some reason, the imprecision provided by “about” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” as used herein indicates at least variations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring or using such parameters. For example, the terms “generally,” “about,” and “substantially,” may be used herein to mean within manufacturing tolerances. Or, for example, the term “about” as used herein when modifying a quantity of an ingredient or reactant of the invention or employed refers to variation in the numerical quantity that can happen through typical measuring and handling procedures used, for example, when making concentrates or solutions in the real world through inadvertent error in these procedures; through differences in the manufacture, source, or purity of the ingredients employed to make the compositions or carry out the methods; and the like. The term “about” also encompasses amounts that differ due to different equilibrium conditions for a composition resulting from a particular initial mixture. Whether or not modified by the term “about,” the claims include equivalents to the quantities.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements, intended or stated uses, or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. An eating utensil comprising:

a handle for supporting a utensil piece, the handle having a distal stem portion and a widened portion proximal to and substantially coaxial with the distal stem portion, the widened portion having an opening configured to receive one or more user fingers to support the handle and utensil piece without the received one or more fingers having to contact the distal stem portion during use of the eating utensil.

2. The eating utensil of claim 1, further comprising the utensil piece.

3. The eating utensil of claim 2, wherein the utensil piece comprises one or more of the following: a fork, a spoon, a spork, and a knife.

4. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the opening is defined by a sidewall of the widened portion, the sidewall having one or more flat surfaces.

5. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the handle and the utensil piece are reversibly connected or connectible at a distal end of the distal stem portion of the handle.

6. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein a sidewall of the widened portion defines a shape of the opening, the shape comprising one or more of the following: a curve, a straight line, a polygon, a hexagon, an oval, a circle, a rectangle, and a square.

7. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the distal stem portion of the handle is connected or connectible with a utensil piece such that the utensil piece is tilted relative to the widened portion of the handle.

8. The eating utensil of claim 7, wherein the utensil piece is oriented at a 45-degree angle relative to the widened portion of the handle.

9. The eating utensil of claim 1, wherein the handle is connectable with a plurality of different utensil pieces.

10. The eating utensil of claim 1, the handle further comprising a proximal stem portion adjacent the widened portion and configured to support a user finger not received in the opening of the widened portion.

11. A utensil comprising:

a utensil piece; and

a handle having a distal stem portion connected or connectible with the utensil piece, and a widened portion substantially coaxial with the distal stem portion, the widened portion having an interior sidewall defining an opening in the handle configured to receive one or more user fingers to control the utensil piece without the received one or more fingers being required to contact the distal stem portion.

12. The utensil of claim 11, wherein the utensil piece comprises one or more of the following: a fork, a spoon, a knife, and a spork.

13. The utensil of claim 11, wherein the sidewall comprises one or more flat surfaces forming one or more interior angles of the sidewall.

14. The utensil of claim 11, wherein the handle further comprises a proximal stem portion proximal to the widened portion.

15. The utensil of claim 14, wherein the proximal stem portion is substantially coaxial with the distal stem portion.

16. The utensil of claim 11, wherein the sidewall defines a shape of the opening, the shape comprising one or more of the following: a curve, a straight line, a polygon, a hexagon, an oval, a circle, a rectangle, and a square.

17. The utensil of claim 11, wherein the utensil piece is connected or connectible with an end of the distal stem portion so as to orient the utensil piece at a predetermined angle of rotation relative to a substantially common axis of the distal stem portion and the widened portion.

18. The utensil of claim 17, wherein the predetermined angle of rotation is plus or minus 45 degrees relative to the common axis.

19. A method of using a utensil, the method comprising:

inserting one or more fingers through an opening defined by a sidewall in a widened portion of a handle of the utensil, the widened portion being substantially coaxial with a distal stem portion of the handle, the inserting performed without having to bend the one or more fingers;

positioning the inserted one or more fingers against the sidewall; and

controlling a utensil piece of the utensil without the inserted one or more fingers having to touch the distal stem portion of the handle.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising connecting the handle with the utensil piece before the inserting is performed, and/or wherein the utensil piece comprises one or more of the following: a fork, a spoon, a knife, and a spork.