US3346133A

US3346133A - Dispensing device for use with nursing bottle assembly

Info

Publication number: US3346133A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles W Herdman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-11-30
Filing date: 1966-11-28
Publication date: 1967-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-10

Description

Oct. 10, 1967 c. w. HERDMAN DISPENSING DEVICE FOR USE WITHv NURSING BOTTLE ASSEMBLY Original Filed Nov. 30, 1965 FIG. 2.

FIG. 1.

I NVE N TOR. 0945A EJ 60. Hagan 14m United States Patent 3,346,133 DISPENSING DEVICE FOR USEWITH NURSING BOTTLE ASSEMBLY Charles W. Herdman, 35 Royal Palm Drive,

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33301 Original application Nov. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 510,613. Divided and this application Nov. 28, 1966, Ser. No.

2 Claims. (Cl. 215-11) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for dispensing liquid from a nursing bottle regardless of the position of the bottle, and to minimize air swallowingby the infant. A tube is connected to and depends from the nipple into the bottle and is ,provided with a removable check valve at its connection to the nipple for preventing flow of liquid back from the nipple to the bottle.

Cross-references to related applications This application is a division of application Serial No. 510,613, filed November 30, 1965, and now abandoned.

Background of the invention (1) Field of invention.-This invention generally relates to a nursing bottle assembly intended for usein feeding infants and more particularly, to a dispensing device in the assembly through which the contents of the bottle may be withdrawn, regardless of the position of the bottle, and in such a manner as to minimize air swallowing by the infant.

(2) Description of the prior art.l nfants are usually fed milk or formula from a bottle capped with a flexible nipple. The bottle is tilted and the milk or formula is placed by gravity adjacent an orifice in the tip of the nipple, which is sucked by'the infant. As a result of the vacuum created by sucking of the nipple, the liquid formula or milk is drawn int-o the infants mouth.

This type of nursing bottle assembly has the inherent disadvantage of having to be held in an inverted position during feeding of the infant, as well as placing the infant in a reclining position. Furthermore, if the bottle is set upright during a feeding interval, the liquid formula or milk in the nipple is replaced by air in the bottle. Upon resumption of feeding, some of this air will remain in the nipple and be swallowed by the infant, which may result in a common type of colic. Collapse of the nipple during feeding may also occur, causing excessive sucking action and air swallowing.

The provision of a tube fitted into the interior of the nipple of a nursing bottle assembly and extending downwardly therefrom to the bottom portion of the bottle has been proposed heretofore -(see, e.g., Patents 2,744,529 and 1,577,988) to eifecttransfer of the liquid in the bottle to the nipple, regardless of the position of the bottle, upon suction being applied to the nipple by the infant. Thus, the infant may sit upright and hold the bottle during feeding.

Patent 2,744,529 also discloses the use of a'discharge control means, in the nature of acaptive check valve in the tube for preventing the return of liquid from the nipple to the bottle upon cessation of suction on the head of the nipple by the infant. The liquid, being forced to re- 3,346,133 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 main in the nipple will prevent collapse thereof and the It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device for a nursing bottle assembly including a removable discharge control means operable to an open position in response to suction applied to the head of the nipple of the assembly to provide a flow of feeding liquid to the nipple and infant user, and which is operable to close upon cessation of such suction, therein retaining the feeding liquid in the nipple to prevent its collapse and replacement by air.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device of the character indicated wherein the control discharge means constitutes a removable and replaceable check valve.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device of the character indicated which includes a tube adapted to extend from the interior of the nipple to a position adjacent the bottom of the bottle, thereby permitting withdrawal of liquid from the nipple regardless of the position of the bottle.

in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of

, the nursing bottle and nipple assembly having a dispensing device according to the present invention associated therewith. I

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view, with a part broken away, taken on the line2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, showing the discharge control valve of the present invention in closed position.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged elevational sectional view of the assembly of FIGURE 2, showing the valve in open position.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5' of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged exploded perspective view, partly insection, of a dispensing device according to the present invention.

Description 0] preferred embodiment Referring to the drawing, numeral 10 designates, generally, a nursing bottle and nipple assembly, the assembly including a nursing bottle 12, FIGURE 1, which is provided with an open neck 14 and a nipple 16 which is provided with a flange 18 at the base thereof, the nipple surmounting the open neck 14 of the'bottle 12 and having the flange 18 compressed against the open neck of the bottle 12 to close the bottle. An internally threaded thimble 20 compresses the flange 18 against the open neck 14 of the bottle 12. This is of conventional structure, and, therefore, no further amplification is necessary. 7

Mounted Within the base of the nipple 16 is a dispensing device according to the present invention, which is generally indicated by the numeral 22, the device being fabricated of compressible material, such as plastic, rubber, and the like. The device 22 embodies a compressible plug member 24 which extends into and sealingly closes the nipple 16 and which is sealingly compressed against the nipple flange 18. The plug member 24 is provided on its external surface between the upper and lower ends thereof with spaced continuous ridges 26 which extend thereabout the external surface of the plug member, and sealingly engages in the wall of the nipple, as clearly seen in FIGURE 1. On the lower end of the plug member 24 is a projecting collar 28 which is sealingly compressed against the nipple flange 18.

The plug member 24 is provided with a discharge control means, such means being disposed in the upper end of the plug member, and in cooperative relation with an axial passageway 32 formed in the plug member 24, the passageway opening out of the lower end of the plug member, and having the upper end opening into the discharge control means in the upper end of the plug member 24. This discharge control means includes a groove 30 formed in and opening out of the upper end of the plug member 24, the groove 30 opening into the upper end of the passageway 32, and a horizontal valve means 40 which is housed within the groove 30 of the plug member 24. The upper end of the passageway 32 which opens into the groove 30 is flared, as at 34. A tube 36 depends from the lower end of the passageway 32 and is in communication with the lower end of the passageway, the tube being of a length such that the free end is adjacent to and spaced from the bottom 13 of the nursing bottle 12, as shown in FIGURE 1. Preferably, a small weight 38 is provided on the free end of the tube to permit the siphon to recover liquid from the lower corner of the bottle 12, when it is held at an angle with its contents nearly exhausted, or when held in an inverted position, the weight being formed of plastic or a chemically resistant metal, such as stainless steel.

The horizontal valve means 40 of the discharge means is housed within the groove 30 of the plug member 24 and bridges and closes the flared upper end 34 of the passageway 32. Specifically, this valve means 40 is a horizontal flap valve 42 which is hingedly connected intermediate its ends to the wall of the groove 30 for movement between the closed lay-down position of FIGURE 2, and the open raised position of FIGURE 4. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 6, the wall of the groove 30 of the plug member 24 is provided with an opposed pair of horizontal pins 44 which are received between spaced pairs of vertical pegs 46 rising from the upper face of a thickened part 43 of the flap valve 42, the thickened part 43 extending transversely across the midpoint of the flap valve 42. The thickened part 43 has a stud 45 between the pairs of pegs 46, the studs serving as a handle for withdrawing the valve 42 from the groove 30 for cleaning or replacement. The interposition of the pins 44 between the spaced pairs of pegs 46 constitutes a hinge connection of the flap valve 42 to the wall of the groove 30 of the plug member 24.

In operation, with the nursing bottle and nipple assembly 10, as shown in FIGURE 1, and with the bottle 12 filled with a feeding liquid, application of suction applied to the head of the nipple 16 by the infant user causes the flap valve 42 to shift to open position, as shown in FIGURE 4, permitting the liquid to flow into the mouth of the baby user as long as suction is applied. Upon cessation of the application of suction to the flap valve 42, the flap valve promptly returns to the closed position, as shown in FIGURE 2, stopping the flow of liquid to the mouth of the baby user and trapping the liquid in the nipple. It is to be understood that the nursing bottle and nipple assembly may be in an upright position of FIGURE 1, in an in e e p sit on, or at an angle, and in any of such positions the baby user can secure the contained feeding liquid by the application of suction to the head of the nipple, and upon cessation of such suction, the flow of feeding liquid is immediately stopped.

By trapping liquid in the nipple upon cessation of suction, the nipple is prevented from collapsing and the entrapment of air within the nipple is minimized, thereby reducing the chance of excessive air swallowing.

Since valve means 40 is removable, the components of the dispensing device may be cleaned or replaced upon malfunction, such as can be caused by clogging.

While the presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction disclosed herein, but should be construed as covering all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for dispensing feeding liquid from a nursing bottle to a nipple in seated engagement therewith,

said device comprising a plug member adapted to extend into sealing engagement with the interior of the nipple and having an axial passageway therethrough,

a tube having one end depending from and in communication with the lower end of said passageway and an opposite free end adapted to extend into and be spaced from the bottom of the bottle, thereby providing communication between the bottle and the interior of the nipple,

the improvement comprising:

discharge control means including a groove formed in and opening out of the upper end of said plug member, said groove being in communication with the upper end of said axial passageway,

a pair of opposed horizontal pins provided in the wall of said groove,

and valve means for alternately opening and closing said passageway to communication between the bottle and the interior of the nipple in response to the application and cessation of suction, said valve means including a flap valve having pairs of vertical pegs rising from an upper surface thereof housed within said groove and bridging the upper end of said passageway,

each pair of vertical pins on said flap valve receiving a horizontal pin in the wall of said groove for forming a hinged connection between said flap valve and the wall of said groove.

2. In a device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flap valve includes an upstanding stud serving as a handle for withdrawing said valve from said groove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 213,375 3/1879 Badger et a1. 137-5124 X 1,930,107 10/1933 Rang 137--525.1 2,868,203 1/1959 Tichy 21511 X 2,979,078 4/ 1961 Witz 215-11 X 2,987,209 6/1961 Leonard 215-11 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,524 3/ 1902 Norway.

JOSEPH R. 'LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DONALD F. NORTON, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING FEEDING LIQUID FROM A NURSING BOTTLE TO A NIPPLE IN SEATED ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A PLUG MEMBER ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE NIPPLE AND HAVING AN AXIAL PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH, A TUBE HAVING ONE END DEPENDING FROM AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID PASSAGEWAY AND AN OPPOSITE FREE END ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO AND BE SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE, THEREBY PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BOTTLE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE NIPPLE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: DISCHARGE CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A GROOVE FORMED IN AND OPENING OUT OF THE UPPER END OF SAID PLUG MEMBER, SAID GROOVE BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID AXIAL PASSAGEWAY, A PAIR OF OPPOSED HORIZONTAL PINS PROVIDED IN THE WALL OF SAID GROOVE, AND VALVE MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY OPENING AND CLOSING SAID PASSAGEWAY TO COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BOTTLE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE NIPPLE IN RESPONSE TO THE APPLICATION AND CESSATION OF SUCTION, SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING A FLAP VALVE HAVING PAIRS OF VERTICAL PEGS RISING FROM AN UPPER SURFACE THEREOF HOUSED WITHIN SAID GROOVE AND BRIDGING THE UPPER END OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, EACH PAIR OF VERTICAL PINS ON SAID FLAP VALVE RECEIVING A HORIZONTAL PIN IN THE WALL OF SAID GROOVE FOR FORMING A HINGED CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID FLAP VALVE AND THE WALL OF SAID GROOVE.