Eating assist device, and methods of eating

Abstract

The invention provides an eating assist device which can be used by persons who have lost all or substantially all use of their hands for gripping or grasping items. Once a piece of food has been placed in the device, the person needing such assistance can eat substantially all the food without further assistance. The device generally comprises a support stand, a food holder mounted on the support stand, and a food advancing mechanism which the eater can activate, manipulate without gripping or grasping anything, for advancing the food frontwardly in the food holder. The advancing mechanism is illustrated as a reel which can be activated to advance a sheet material which is threaded into the food holder in such a way as to advance the food in the food holder as a cord or strap is accumulated onto the reel.

What claimed is: 
     
         1 . An eating assist device comprising:
 (a) a support stand having a front and a rear, a bottom and a top, said support stand comprising a holder support, spaced above the bottom of said support stand, said holder support having a top;   (b) a food holder mounted to said holder support, said food holder having a bottom including a bottom surface, and a top; and   (c) a reel at least temporarily fixed in position relative to said support stand.   
     
     
         2 . An eating assist device as in  claim 1 , a central portion of the bottom surface of said food holder being spaced above the top surface of said holder support so as to define a space which accommodates inserting a paper between the top surface of said holder support and the bottom surface of said food holder. 
     
     
         3 . An eating assist device as in  claim 2 , the central portion of the bottom surface of said food holder being spaced above the top surface of said holder support by a spacer which is integral with said food holder. 
     
     
         4 . An eating assist device as in  claim 2 , the central portion of said bottom surface of said food holder being spaced above the top surface of said holder support by a spacer which is separate and distinct from said food holder. 
     
     
         5 . An eating assist device as in  claim 1 , said eating assist device further comprising a sheet gripper. 
     
     
         6 . An eating assist device as in  claim 5 , said sheet gripper comprising a support block, and a grip assembly mounted to said support block. 
     
     
         7 . An eating assist device as in  claim 1 , said food holder comprising an upper jaw and a lower jaw, one of said upper jaw and said lower jaw being movable toward, and away from, the other of said upper jaw and said lower jaw, while facing surfaces of said upper and lower jaws maintain a relatively constant angle with respect to each other. 
     
     
         8 . An eating assist device as in  claim 7  wherein the facing surfaces of said upper and lower jaws maintain a relatively parallel relationship with respect to each other. 
     
     
         9 . An eating assist device as in  claim 1 , said food holder comprising a jaw mounted to said support stand so as to accommodate movement of said jaw toward, and away from, said holder support. 
     
     
         10 . An eating assist device as in  claim 9  wherein said jaw is mounted to said support stand so as to accommodate upward movement of said jaw away from said holder support and downward movement of said jaw toward said holder support. 
     
     
         11 . An eating assist device as in  claim 1 , first and second guide pins being mounted to said support stand, said food holder further comprising a jaw, said jaw being mounted to said first and second guide pins. 
     
     
         12 . An eating assist device as in  claim 11 , said jaw being mounted to said first and second guide pins so as to be adapted to accommodate upward movement of said jaw relative to said first and second guide pins and away from said holder support, and downward movement of said jaw relative to said first and second guide pins and toward said holder support. 
     
     
         13 . An eating assist device as in  claim 11 , first and second apertures extending through said jaw from a top of said jaw to a bottom of said jaw, said jaw being mounted to said holder support by said jaw being positioned over said guide pins and moved downwardly while receiving said first and second guide pins through the first and second apertures, such that said guide pins extend through the apertures, said guide pins thereby acting as jaw direction guides confining jaw movement to a limited up/down direction of sliding movement of said jaw on said guide pins. 
     
     
         14 . An eating assist device as in  claim 1 , said eating assist device further comprising a sheet gripper, a cord or strap being mounted on said reel, an end portion of said cord or strap extending to, and being mounted so as to move with, said sheet gripper. 
     
     
         15 . An eating assist device as in  claim 14 , said eating assist device further comprising a brake adapted and configured to accommodate accumulation of said cord or strap onto said reel, and to hinder release of said cord or strap from said reel, while said brake is being applied to said reel. 
     
     
         16 . An eating assist device as in  claim 5 , a cord or strap being mounted on said reel, an end portion of said cord or strap extending to, and being mounted so as to move with, said sheet gripper, said food holder comprising a lower jaw above said holder support and an upper jaw above said lower jaw, said upper and lower jaws each having a front and a rear, said apparatus further comprising a length of sheet material, first and second end portions of said length of sheet material being gripped by said sheet gripper, said sheet material extending, from said sheet gripper, frontwardly of the fronts of said upper and lower jaws and extending rearwardly between said upper and lower jaws, such that an intermediate portion of said length of sheet material defines a U-shaped loop between said upper and lower jaws, with a base of the U-shaped loop between said upper jaw and said lower jaw and facing toward the fronts of said upper and lower jaws,
 such that rearward movement of said sheet gripper results in frontward movement of the U-shaped loop of sheet material between said upper and lower jaws.   
     
     
         17 . An eating assist device as in  claim 16 , said upper and lower jaws each having an upper surface and a lower surface, said sheet material extending, from the first end portion in said sheet gripper frontwardly below the upper surface of said lower jaw, thence about the front of said lower jaw and rearwardly to the intermediate portion of said disposable sheet material between the upper surface of said lower jaw and the lower surface of said upper jaw, thence to and about the front of said upper jaw and rearwardly to the second end portion of said sheet material in said sheet gripper. 
     
     
         18 . An eating assist device as in  claim 16  wherein rotation of said reel so as to accumulate said cord or strap onto said reel results in rearward movement of said sheet gripper 
     
     
         19 . An eating assist device as in  claim 16  wherein rotation of said reel so as to accumulate said cord or strap onto said reel results in frontward movement of the intermediate portion of said sheet material. 
     
     
         20 . An eating assist device as in  claim 14 , said eating assist device further comprising a first cord or strap guide disposed rearwardly of said sheet gripper, and a second cord or strap guide below said holder support, said first and second cord or strap guides guiding said cord or strap rearwardly from said sheet gripper, thence toward said reel. 
     
     
         21 . An eating assist device, comprising:
 (a) a support stand having a front and a rear, a bottom and a top, said support stand comprising a holder support, spaced above the bottom of said support stand, said holder support having a top; and   (b) a food holder mounted to said holder support, said food holder comprising an upper jaw and a lower jaw, one of said upper jaw and said lower jaw being movable toward, and away from, the other of said upper jaw and said lower jaw, while facing surfaces of said upper jaw and said lower jaw maintain a relatively constant angle with respect to each other.   
     
     
         22 . An eating assist device as in  claim 21 , said eating assist device further comprising a sheet gripper disposed toward the rear of said support stand. 
     
     
         23 . An eating assist device as in  claim 22 , said eating assist device further comprising a reel at least temporarily fixed in position relative to said support stand. 
     
     
         24 . An eating assist device as in  claim 21 , said eating assist device further comprising a reel at least temporarily fixed in position relative to said support stand, and a cord or strap mounted on said reel, an end portion of said cord or strap extending to, and being mounted so as to move with, said sheet gripper. 
     
     
         25 . An eating assist device as in  claim 24 , said eating assist device further comprising a brake adapted and configured to accommodate accumulation of said cord or strap onto said reel, and to hinder release of said cord or strap from said reel, while said brake is being applied to said reel. 
     
     
         26 . An eating assist device as in  claim 21 , said food holder having a bottom, a central portion of the bottom of said food holder being spaced above the top surface of said holder support so as to define a space which accommodates inserting a width of sheet material between the top of said holder support and the bottom of said food holder. 
     
     
         27 . An eating assist device as in  claim 22 , said sheet gripper comprising a support block, and a grip assembly mounted to said support block. 
     
     
         28 . An eating assist device as in  claim 21  wherein facing surfaces of said upper and lower jaws maintain a relatively parallel relationship with respect to each other. 
     
     
         29 . An eating assist device as in  claim 21  wherein said upper jaw is mounted to said support stand so as to accommodate upward movement of said upper jaw away from said holder support and downward movement of said upper jaw toward said holder support. 
     
     
         30 . An eating assist device as in  claim 21 , first and second guide pins being mounted to said support stand, said upper jaw being mounted to said first and second guide pins. 
     
     
         31 . An eating assist device as in  claim 30 , said upper jaw being mounted to said first and second guide pins so as to be adapted to accommodate upward movement of said upper jaw relative to said first and second guide pins and away from said lower jaw, and downward movement of said upper jaw relative to said first and second guide pins and toward said lower jaw. 
     
     
         32 . An eating assist device as in  claim 31 , first and second apertures extending through said upper jaw from a top of said upper jaw to a bottom of said uupper jaw, said upper jaw being adapted to being mounted to said holder support by said upper jaw being positioned over said guide pins and moved downwardly while receiving said first and second guide pins through the first and second apertures, such that said guide pins extend through the apertures, said guide pins thereby acting as jaw direction guides confining movement of said upper jaw, while so mounted on said guide pins, to a limited up/down direction of sliding movement of said upper jaw on said guide pins. 
     
     
         33 . An eating assist device, comprising;
 (a) a support stand;   (b) a food holder mounted on said support stand; and   (c) a food advancing mechanism which an eater can activate without gripping or grasping anything, for advancing the food frontwardly in the food holder.   
     
     
         34 . An eating device as in  claim 33 , further comprising a reel which can be activated to advance a sheet material in said food holder as a cord or strap is accumulated onto the reel, thereby exposing, for eating, an additional element of the food in said food holder. 
     
     
         35 . An eating assist device as in  claim 34 , further comprising a sheet material threaded into said food holder, thereby to advance the food in said food holder as the cord or strap is accumulated onto the reel. 
     
     
         36 . A method of assisting a person needing assistance with eating, the method comprising:
 providing an eating assist device, the eating assist device comprising
 (i) a support stand having a front and a rear, a bottom and a top, the support stand comprising a holder support spaced above the bottom of the support stand, the holder support having a top, 
 (ii) a food holder mounted to the holder support, the food holder comprising an upper jaw and a lower jaw, one of the upper jaw and the lower jaw being movable toward, and away from, the other of the upper jaw and the lower jaw, 
 (iii) a reel at least temporarily fixed in position relative to the support stand, 
 (iv) a sheet gripper, 
 (v) a cord or strap mounted on the reel, an end of the cord or rap extending to, and mounted so as to move with, the sheet gripper, and 
 (vi) a length of sheet material, first and second end portions of the length of sheet material being gripped by the sheet gripper, the length of sheet material extending, from the sheet gripper, frontwardly of the fronts of the upper jaw and the lower jaw and extending rearwardly between the upper and lower jaws, such that an intermediate portion of the length of sheet material defines a U-shaped loop between the upper and lower jaws with a base of the U-shaped loop facing frontwardly from between the upper jaw and the lower jaw, and upper and lower legs of the length of sheet material extending frontwardly from the base of the U-shaped loop: and 
   (b) mounting a food item into the food holder between the upper and lower jaws such that the food item faces the upper and lower legs of the sheet material, while leaving a portion of the food item exposed, extending out of the food holder in front of the upper and lower jaws.   
     
     
         37 . A method as in  claim 36 , the method further comprising positioning the eating assist device proximate the person needing assistance with eating. 
     
     
         38 . A method as in  claim 36 , the method further comprising the person needing assistance taking bites of the exposed food. 
     
     
         39 . A method as in  claim 38  wherein, after the person needing assistance has eaten at least some of the exposed food and has left a remainder portion of the food in the food holder, rotating the reel so as to accumulate an additional portion of the cord or strap on the reel and thereby causing the base of the U-shaped loop of the sheet material to move frontwardly relative to the upper and lower jaws, thereby pushing some of the remainder portion of the item of food out of the food holder, and providing an additional exposed portion of the food item available for eating. 
     
     
         40 . A method as in  claim 36 , the eating assist device further comprising a brake adapted and configured to accommodate accumulation of the cord or strap onto the reel, and to hinder release of the cord or strap from the reel while the brake is being applied to the reel. 
     
     
         41 . A method as in  claim 36  wherein the sheet material comprises grease resistant paper. 
     
     
         42 . A method as in  claim 36  wherein the sheet material comprises parchment paper.