Eatwell Assistive Tableware

The Eatwell Assistive Tableware Set is an integrated 9 piece set of tableware that includes a bowl for solid foods, a matching tablespoon, a bowl for soups, a soup spoon, a cup and a detachable lid, a mug with a handle and a detachable lid, and a serving tray. One of the more noticeable features is the high contrast color tone. Adapted from a study from Boston University that found high contrast colors increase food and drink intake substantially. The interiors of the bowls and cups have a solid blue tone to reduce visual confusion and provide a stark contrast to foods and liquids, and the exteriors are colored either solid red or yellow, which was scientifically determined to stimulate appetite and thirst.

The interior basin of each of the bowls and cups is slanted on one side so that liquids; semi-solid, and even some solid foods naturally collect on one side. This simplifies the scooping motion by eliminating longer strokes, and increasing repetition and practice of the same shortened motion. In the cups, the slanted bottom allows the position of a straw (which is fixed by the accompanying lid) to reach the deepest section of the cup so that the straw does not need to be re-positioned to consume the entire volume.

The walls of the bowls are sharply angled on the side immediately adjacent to the slanted bottom to provide an easier surface to scoop against, the higher relative surface also helps to prevent foods from being accidentally scooped over the walls of the bowl. The curvature of each spoon's head precisely matches the curvature of the bottom surface and sidewalls, so that the bottom of the bowl and the wall acts as a natural guide against which a scooping motion can be made. The handle of the spoon also extends in an arc that ergonomically mimics the natural alignment of a hand to increase gripping comfort.

Each bowl has a bottom base ring made from thermoplastic rubber elastomer that resists slipping and tipping. The cup also includes a wider base ring that provides the same functionality. The handle of the mug extends to the bottom surface to provide an additional support. The bottom of the serving tray also has anti-slip features on its bottom surface

The bowl for soups includes an upwardly angled rim that direct spilled foods back into the bowl. Each bowl also includes a tab that allows a server to orient the bowl correctly so that the slanted bottoms of the container is closest to the user. The tab also functions as an surface to grasp the container without unnecessarily contacting the interior surface. The lids have flanged openings to secure straws and a similar tab to orient the cup properly with the user. The spoons have a small hilt to provide additional leverage and a tactile endpoint to grasp the spoon. The tray also has small mechanisms to securely position a food protector to catch any spilled foods and prevent clothing and carpet stains