Anti-choking plate and method of preventing choking

Abstract

The present invention in one embodiment is a dinner plate with a gauge in the form of a “test cylinder” or the outline of a ring attached to the plate that is used to gauge firm food size for children or other people susceptible to choking to keep them from choking on the firm food. In one embodiment, the “test cylinder” is molded into a child's dinner plate as a slightly raised ring on the surface of the plate. In another embodiment, a ring is printed on to the surface of the plate. The “test cylinder” and the printed ring may take a variety of shapes and sizes in addition to cylindrical or circular so long as they provide a gauge against which to measure the size of firm food that is intended to be eaten by the child or person susceptible to choking.

1 . A device to assist in preventing choking on food comprising:
 a plate having a top surface with a protrusion that extends away from the top surface of the plate, the protrusion having an upper end.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the protrusion extends away from the top surface of the plate at approximately a right angle. 
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the inside diameter of the protrusion is about ½ inch. 
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the protrusion extends from the top surface of the plate by an amount between about 0 to about 12 mm. 
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the upper end of the protrusion is smooth and rounded. 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the plate is made of plastic. 
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the plate is made of a material chosen from the group consisting of plastic, metal, ceramics, paper, cardboard or foam. 
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the plate is molded and the protrusion is molded at the same time the plate is molded. 
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the protrusion is made separately from the plate and attached to the top surface of the plate. 
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the protrusion is located on the surface of the plate in a fashion to blend into the features or pictures found on the surface of the plate. 
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the protrusion is located on the surface of the plate in a fashion to stand out so that the protrusion is clearly visible on the plate. 
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the protrusion is cylindrical. 
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the protrusion has a cross-sectional shape chosen from the group consisting of circular, oval, elliptical, egg shaped, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal or other closed geometric shape, free form closed shape, the shape of a state, cartoon character, trademark symbol or other closed recognizable shape that is sized appropriately to serve as a gauge. 
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the protrusion extends away from the top surface of the plate at approximately a right angle, wherein the inside diameter of the protrusion is about ½ inch, wherein the protrusion extends from the top surface of the plate by an amount between about 0 to about 12 mm, wherein the upper end of the protrusion is smooth and rounded and wherein the protrusion has a cross-sectional shape chosen from the group consisting of circular, oval, elliptical, egg shaped, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal or other closed geometric shape, free form closed shape, the shape of a state, cartoon character, trademark symbol or other closed recognizable shape that is sized appropriately to serve as a gauge. 
   
   
       15 . A device to assist in preventing choking on food comprising:
 a plate having a top surface with a printed ring located on the top surface, the printed ring having cross-sectional size whose inner diameter indicates the maximum size recommend to avoid choking.   
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the inside diameter of the printed ring is about ½ inch. 
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the plate is made of plastic. 
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the plate is made of a material chosen from the group consisting of plastic, metal, ceramics, paper, cardboard or foam. 
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the plate is molded and the printed ring is printed on or formed in the upper surface of the plate at the same time the plate is molded. 
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the printed ring is attached to or made in the plate after the plate has been made. 
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the printed ring is located on the surface of the plate in a fashion to blend into the features or pictures found on the surface of the plate. 
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the printed ring is located on the surface of the plate in a fashion to stand out so that the printed ring is clearly visible on the plate. 
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the printed ring has a cross-sectional shape chosen from the group consisting of circular, oval, elliptical, egg shaped, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal or other closed geometric shape, free form closed shape, the shape of a state, cartoon character, trademark symbol or other closed recognizable shape that is sized appropriately to serve as a gauge. 
   
   
       24 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the inside diameter of the printed ring is about ½ inch wherein the printed ring has a cross-sectional shape chosen from the group consisting of circular, oval, elliptical, egg shaped, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal or other closed geometric shape, free form closed shape, the shape of a state, cartoon character, trademark symbol or other closed recognizable shape that is sized appropriately to serve as a gauge. 
   
   
       25 . A device to assist in preventing choking on food comprising:
 a member chosen from the group consisting of a plate, a gauge separate from the plate, a high chair tray or a placemat, the member having a top surface with means for determining whether the size of food that is intended to be eaten is within a prescribed size, the means chosen from a group consisting of a protrusion that extends away from the top surface of the member or a printed ring that is located on or in the top surface of the member.   
   
   
       26 . A method of preventing choking on food comprising the steps of:
 providing a plate having a top surface with a protrusion that extends away from the top surface of the plate;   placing food in the protrusion;   determining whether the food fits within the protrusion;   resizing or discarding the food is it is larger than the protrusion; and   allowing the food to be eaten if the food fits within the protrusion.   
   
   
       27 . A method of preventing choking on food comprising the steps of:
 providing a plate having a top surface with a printed ring located on the top surface of the plate;   placing food in the protrusion;   determining whether the food fits within the protrusion;   resizing or discarding the food is it is larger than the protrusion; and   allowing the food to be eaten if the food fits within the protrusion.   
   
   
       28 . A method of preventing choking on food by those with vision impairment comprising the steps of:
 providing a plate having a top surface with a protrusion that extends away from the top surface of the plate, the protrusion having an upper end;   feeling the upper end of the protrusion to form a mental picture of the acceptable size of firm food.