US2697531A - Flexible disposable nursing bottle - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 21, 1954 R. c. HOOD FLEXIBLE DISPOSABLE NURSING BOTTLE Filed June 8, 1951 BY I / ATTORNEYS United States Patent O FLEXIBLE DISPOSABLE NURSING BOTTLE Robert C. Hood, Arlington, Va.

Application .lune 8, 1951, Serial No. 230,540

6 Claims. (Cl. 21S-11) This invention relates to the art of special packages, and particularly to a flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a nursing bottle of the type described, which in its package form is substantially flat, with a nipple portion tucked in at one end in invaginated form, and a funnel within the other end having an inwardly open check valve, the bottle containing the solids constituent for the feeding, the ends of the bottle being closed by removable sealing strips. In preparing the bottle for use, it is held inverted following removal of the sealing strips. The liquid constituent in the desired quantity and proper temperature is poured into the funnel, enters the bottle through the check valve, distends the bottle, and contacts the food solids. The weight of the milk evaginates the nipple when the bottle is shaken to mix the ingredients, causing the nipple to protrude normally, and also presses the check valve closed, preventing leakage. The bottle is now ready for the baby.

Another object of the invention is to provide the bottle in tlat sealed form as described, in plurality in stacked arrangement in packages to be vended by drug stores, for example, for household use, and particularly convenient and advantageous for those on tour with a baby, who may keep a package of the bottles in the automobile and prepare the feedings at any place and time, with the minimum of trouble and health risk to the child, discarding the bottle after use.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of the following specification, and throughout the several figures of which the same reference numerals have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a nursing bottle embodying the principles of the invention, in at sealed condition;

Figure 2 in full lines is a longitudinal section taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1. The broken lines indicate the shape when distended with liquid and in nursing condition;

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a medial longitudinal section through the nipple distended, the adjacent body portion of the bottle being shown;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the bottle with the nipple extended, the rear portion of the bottle being broken away to reveal the funnel;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the bottle, the latter being held inverted, illustrating the method of introducing the liquid.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the bottle which as a whole is designated by the numeral 1, is preferably made from an inexpensive exible waterproof heat sealable plastic, in sheet form, such as polyethylene lm or rubber hydrochloride. As shown in Figure 5, it comprises a tubular body 2, having a projecting convex prolongation 3 at one end defining a nipple, preferably approximating in shape the human breast. It is open at the opposite end 4, having an inserted funnel 5 in this end, the peripheral edges of the funnel be ing adhesively united as by heat sealing to the contiguous edges of the tubular body. The funnel is inherently at, extends some distance into the tubular body,

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its inner end 6 being structurally free from the body, and having a slot 7 preferably at an intermediate point in its inner end. The sides of the funnel tend inherently to lie close together, normally closing the slot. When liquid is poured into the funnel its Weight distends and opens the slot, permitting the liquid to ow into the bottle. The weight of the liquid within the bottle presses against one or the other of the sides of the funnel and holds the slot closed, preventing leakage back into the funnel. Thus, the slot functions as a check valve.

The tubular body, including the nipple prolongation, is preferably formed of a pair of congruent sheets 8 and 9 of the plastic material, heat sealed together along the side edge margins 10 and 11 and along the peripheral margin 12 of the nipple portion. When the nipple is evaginated the sealed seam which incorporates the margin 12 is on the inside of the nipple, giving the opposite sides of the latter the inherent tendency to stay apart so that the liquid contents of the bottle will intervene between said sides when the baby sucks, avoiding the collapse of the nipple by suction, which would block the low through the nipple. The nipple is provided with the perforations 13. In the finished bottle the side margins 10 and 11 of the body preferably extend outward@ ly, inturned, promoting normal atness of the tubular body. Prior to the heat sealing of the sides of the bodyr the funnel 5 is inserted. The funnel in the form shown consists of two congruent sheets 14 and 15 of the same width as the body, so that when they are positioned, their side edges will coincide with the side edges of the sheets 8 and 9 and lie between them. The inner end of the funnel is closed by heat sealing the intermediate portions of the inner edges of the sheets 14 and 15, as indicated at 16 and 17 in Figure 5, leaving the middle portion unsealed to constitute the slot 7. In this stage the two sheets constituting the funnel are positioned between the sheets 8 and 9. The side margins 10 and 11- of the body, together with the side margins of the funnel sheets 14 and 15 are heat sealed into a single closed seam. At this time the peripheral outer end margins of the funnel and the contiguous outer end margins of the tubular body are heat sealed together, a sheet of paper or similar material being temporarily inserted in the mouth of the funnel to prevent the mouth of the funnel being sealed.

In manufacturing the bottle, the sides of the body sheets 8 and 9 which will eventually be on the inside, are placed outermost, and the margin 12 of the nipple is heat sealed. 'Ihen the body sheets 8 and 9 are folded back over the nipple so that the nipple is on the inside of the tubular body, with its sealed margins lying flat. The rest of the sealing operation then follows as described. When the nipple is evaginated, its sealed margin will be on the inside of the nipple. After the bottle has been completed, the solids constituent ofthe feeding, including the milk solids, constituted according to approved physicians formula, is injected through the slot. The bottle with the nipple in invaginated position is then sealed by means of removable sealing strips 16 and 17' folded over the opposite ends of the bottle and adhesively applied. Preferably the sealing strips may have small projecting tab portions 18 to facilitate their removal.

After the application of the sealing strips the bottle and its solids contents is subjected to sterilizing temperature for a sufficient time to render sterile the entire in# side portion enclosed by the sealing strips.

In its finished form the bottle may be stacked in any convenient plurality, and packaged for sale.

In using the bottle, the sealing strips are first removed, then the bottle is held in inverted position, as shown in Figure 6, while water or other liquid at proper feeding temperature is poured into the funnel, and discharges through the slot 7 into the bottle. The bottle is, of course, distended by the liquid introduced. It may be shaken to thoroughly mix the liquid with the solids constituent. The shaking causes the weight of the liquid to push out the nipple. The bottle is then ready for the infant. The liquid contents will not leak back through the funnel, since the normal tendency of the funnel is to maintain the slot 7 closed, and the weight of the liquid pressing upon one or the other sides of the free inner end of the funnel positively holds the sides of the slot closed. After the baby has finished feeding, the bottle is discarded.

While I have in the above description disclosed what l believe to be a practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the specic details of construction and arrangement of parts, as described, are by way of example. and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle comprising a normally at tubular body portion of flexible, waterproof material having invaginated portions at its opposite ends, one being permanently invaginated and constituting a lling funnel havingy a wide opening at its outer end and formed as an inwardly opening cheek valve at a point remote from said outer end, the other being nipple shaped and being adapted to evaginate responsive to pressure of liquid introduced into'said body portion by way of said funnel.

2. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle as claimed in claim 1, said bottle being rectangular in shape wlhen said nipple shaped portion is in its invaginated p ase.

3. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle as f.

claimed in claim 1, said bottle being rectangular in shape when said nipple shaped portion is in its invaginated phase, and sealing strips hermetically sealing the outer ends of said invaginated portions.

4. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle comprising a normally flat tubular body portion of exible, waterproof material having invaginated portions at its opposite ends, one being permanently invaginated and constituting a funnel having a wide opening at its outer end and formed as an inwardly opening check valve at fa point remote from said outer end, the other being nipple shaped and adapted to evaginate responsive to pressure of liquid introduced into said body portion by way of said funnel, the inner ends of said invaginated portions being spaced apart within said body portion, defining with the encompassing walls of said body portion, a chamber for containing the formula solids of a feeding.

5. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle comprising a normally flat tubular body portion of flexible, waterproof material having invaginated portions at its opposite ends, one being permanently evaginated and constituting a normally collapsed funnel having opposite at side walls normally in surface interengagement,

said funnel having a wide opening at its outer end and a discharge opening at a point remote from said outer end positioned inwardly with respect to the area of interengagement of said walls to be valve controlled thereby, the other portion being nipple shaped and adapted to evaginate responsive to pressure of liquid introduced into said body portion by way of said funnel.

6. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle cornprising a normally at tubular body portion of exible, waterproof material having invaginated portions at its opposite ends, one being permanently invaginated and constituting a normally collapsed funnel having opposite flat side walls normally in surface interengagement, said funnel having a wide opening at its outer end and a discharge opening at a point remote from said outer end positioned inwardly with respect to the area of interengagement of said walls, to be valve controlled thereby, the other portion being nipple shaped and adapted to evaginate responsive to pressure of liquid introduced into said body portion by way of said funnel, said nipple shaped portion having opposite flat side walls united in a marginal seam inturned when said nipple shaped portion is in its evaginated phase, thereby tending to keep said at side walls apart.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Journal of the American Medical Association, March 19, 1949, page 31, article entitled The nearest approach to breast feeding.

Food, September 1950, pages 329-332, inclusive, article entitled Collapsible tubes as food packs.

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