US2610400A - Feeding spoon - Google Patents

Description

P 1952 M. L. WEYNDLING 2,610,400

' I FEEDING spoon Filed June 5, 1950 ATTORNEY INVENTOR. MILDRED L. WENDUNG Patented Sept. 16, 1952 FEEDING SPOON Mildred L. Wendling, Portland, Oreg. Application June 5, 1950, Serial No. 166,103

My invention relates to spoons and more particularly to a spoon for feeding babies.

The feeding of babies, .before they learn to feed themselves, is rather difficult because none of the prior art implements are specifically adapted for that purpose. Necessarily, because of the small size of the infants mouth, a spoon having a small bowl must be employed but, because the babys lips tend to push the food back on the spoon bowl, there is considerable spillage. Moreover, the baby has difliculty in removing the food from a normal dished bowl, and the spoon is not very efficient in scraping surplus from the babys mouth because of the convex periphery of the bowl.

Having in mind the foregoing defects, it is the primary object of my invention to provide a spoon that is particularly adapted for use by an attendant in feeding an infant.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spoon that is adapted to fit the mouth and chin of an infant to facilitate feeding and also to enable storage and removal of surplus food that may cling to the chin or lips of the infant.

A further object is to provide a baby feeding spoon for adult use that embodies simplicity of design, economy of construction and efilciency in operation.

The foregoing objects and others ancillary thereto, are preferably accomplished, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, by a spoon having a perfectly fiat bowl or spoon portion and. a handle of a size that is adapted for adult use. The so-called bowl or spoon portion has a rounded reduced front-portion, for fitting in the infants mouth, which extends from an enlarged base portion for catching and storing surplus food. These two portions are connected on each side of the bowl by concave edges which are curved to conform to the shape of the mouth, lips and chin 'of the infant, so that surplus food, that usually clings to the lips and chin of the infant, can be easily removed by the spoon portion.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and 1 Claim. (01. 30-324) its method of operation, together with additional I objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a feeding p or lips of the infant.

spoon according to the present invention, the spoon being shown in use for scraping surplus food from the lips and chin of the infant;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the spoon;

Figure 3 is a side view in elevation of the spoon,

particularly the flat spoon portion; and

Figure 4 is a front end view of the spoon. Referring now to the drawing, a spoon, according to the present invention, comprises a fiat spoon portion I, having a suitable handle 2 forming part thereof and being connected to the spoon portion by an angular joint 3 which positions The spoon, as a whole, is only slightly smalleror substantially the same size of a standard teaspoon, the handle 2 being about the size of a teaspoon handle, but possibly a little shorter, to enable easy adult handling. The spoon portion I is about the size of a teaspoon bowl with the front portion 6 being smaller and rounder than the usual teaspoon bowl to be easily inserted in an infants mouth without excessive penetration or interference with the tongue, while the rear portion 5 may be slightly broader than the usual teaspoon bowl to receive and retain excess food that may be pushed back by the infants lips and tongue.

The concave edges 4 adapt the spoon portion 1 to fit-against the lips and chin of the infant being fed, as illustrated in Figure 1, readily removing food particles, as indicated at F from the chin Due to the fact that the spoon portion l is fiat, the infant has the least possible trouble removing the food therefrom while being fed. Thus the present invention provides an efficient implement for use by adults in feeding babies.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claim. a

What I claim is:

A baby feedin'g spoon for use by adults, com- 2,610,400 3 4 prising a spoon substantially the size of a stand- REFERENCES CITED ard teaspoon and having a flat spoon portion The following references are of record in the including a rounded front end portion of a an fil of this patent: for easy insertion in a babys mouth, and. a relatively larger rear end portion with concave side 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS edges substantially tangentially of said front end Number Name Date portions and blending into said rear end portion D. 20,541 Durgin Mar. 3, 1891 for fitting around the babys lips and chin and D. 53,548 Wilson July 8, 1919 scraping food therefrom, and a handle extend- D. 93,644 Adler Qct. 23, 1934 ing fromy the rear end portion and at an angle 10 I to the plane of said spoon portion and being of a size for use by adults.

MILDRED L. WENDLING.

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