US3363630A - Pacifier with collapsible shield - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1968 c. F. HINES PACIFIER WITH COLLAPSIBLE SHIELD Filed May 7, 1965 INVENTOR CHARLES F. HINES BY 5 HAL Z2444? 1,

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,363,630 PACIFIER WITH COLLAPSIBLE SHIELD Charles F. Hines, Rte. 6, Box 70, Richmond, Va. 23231 Filed lVIay 7, 1965, Ser. No. 453,988 Claims. (Cl. 128-360) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure describes a baby pacifier having a collapsible shield adapted to protect the nipple from dirt. In use in the babys mouth the shield is adapted to collapse around the base of the nipple and to immediately cover the nipple upon withdrawal from the babys mouth.

This invention relates to an infant pacifier, and particularly to a pacifier having a novel protective shield adapted to prevent nipple contact with foreign, unsanitary objects.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a novel infant pacifier having a resilient shield surrounding the nipple to protect it from contamination, as for example when the pacifier is dropped from the infants mouth. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description of the best mode of carrying out this invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view showing a pacifier constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the nipple shield in its extended position;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the pacifier shown in FIGURES 1 and 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of a modified pacifier.

Referring now to the drawing, the preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3,

and is comprised of a nipple it) having a conventional handle or ring 14, and a collapsible shield 20. This shield is preferably attached to or made integral with, disc 22 fixed to the small end of nipple 10. Thus as shown in FIGURES l and 2, ring 14 is secured in the small end of nipple 1t) and holds disc 22 in place. This construction is not important to the present invention except to the extent that shield 20 be secured in place around nipple and at or near the small end thereof. On the large diameter end of shield 20 is a face plate 24 having a central opening 28 therein through which nipple 10 passes as the shield is collapsed or extended.

The shield may be of any suitable resilient material, preferably soft resilient rubber, and is shown in its normal position in FIGURE 2 when no external forces are applied thereto. In use, nipple 10 may be pushed through opening 28 and placed in the infants mouth. As the infant sucks on the nipple, shield 20 will be partially or completely collapsed as shown in FIGURE 1; however, should the nipple slip out of the infants mouth, it is immediately covered by the shield springing back into its normal, FIGURE 2, position. Thus the nipple is protected from contacting the ground, floor, etc., wherever the nipple may fall, thereby preventing the wet nipple from picking up dirt particles.

Although face plate 24 is not essential to this invention, it is an element of the preferred embodiment. In the collapsed position plate 24 serves as a guard limiting the nipple length that may enter the infants mouth, It also enables shield 20 to be more positively collapsed.

A rim 30 located around the perimeter of face plate 24 is adapted to space the plate from the floor and thereby prevent the plate from picking up dirt and transferring it to the infants face. Rim 30 is of sufficient diameter 3,363,536 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 "ice that only a small portion thereof will contact the infants face, and since it does not normally become wet during use, will not pick up dirt in the first place.

The shape of shield 20 as shown is preferably conical and collapsible in a bellows-like fashion; however, any suitable shape permitting the resilient shield to normally cover the nipple is intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Shield 20 is preferably removably secured to the rear of face plate 24 by means of mounting brackets 32 which are spaced equidistantly around the back edge of plate 24. The sides of resilient shield 20 may 'be squeezed together and easily placed behind brackets 32, and permitted to expand into place. Four to six such brackets, evenly spaced, is preferred. Of course, if desired, shield 20 can be glued or otherwise fixed to plate 24. A removable shield 20 permits access to the nipple should it be desired to scrub it, or gain access to the interior of shield 20 if thorough cleaning on the inside should be desirable.

Another advantage of the present invention resides in the ability of resilient shield 20 and face plate 24 to retract nipple 10 from the infants mouth when suction subsides as the infant falls asleep. This prevents the nipple from remaining in the infants mouth continuously during sleep, thereby eventually making the infant less dependent on the pacifier and more adaptable to discontinuing its use when desirable.

A second embodiment is shown in FIGURE 4 wherein face plate 44 is constructed to be concave toward the infants face, thereby providing a supporting rim on the perimeter thereof similar to rim 30 shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The primary advantage of the FIGURE 4 device is that it would be more economical to manufacture without loss of any functional feature.

In addition to rim 30, or the concave surface of plate 44, tabs or support legs could be substituted in lieu thereof to support the plate from the ground.

The present invention may be embodied in other spefic forms Without departing from the central characteristics thereof. The present invention is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All the changes that come within the meaning and range of the equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A baby pacifier comprising a nipple one end of which is adapted to be introduced into the mouth of a baby and the other end constituting a base for handling, and a shield member attached at one end thereof to the base end of and disposed about said nipple, said shield being of flexible, resilient material and being open at its other end; said shield extending over said one end of said nipple and being adapted to collapse about the base end of said nipple as the nipple is introduced into the mouth of a baby through the open end of said shield, and to rebound to cover the nipple upon Withdrawal from the babys mouth.

2. A baby pacifier comprised of a nipple having a base end for handling and a free end adapted to be introduced into a babys mouth, and a protective shield normally disposed about and extending over the free end of said nipple, said shield being of resilient, collapsible material engaged at the base end of said nipple and having an opening in the other end whereby said shield may collapse around said nipple as it is introduced into a babys mouth and return to its original position upon withdrawal therefrom.

3. A pacifier as defined in claim 2 further comprising 3 4- a face .plate attached to the other end of said shield and R fer Cit d having an opening therein through which said nipple UNITED STATES PATENTS may pass as said sl'neld IS collapsed.

4. A pacifier as defined in claim 3 further comprising 216287912 2/1953 Horan 123-252 X means on said face plate extending away from said shield 5 3,301,423 1/1967 Soto to support said face plate. FOREIGN PATENTS 5. A pacifier as defined in claim 3 wherein said face 261,502 8/1949 S it 1 d plate is provided with means for detachably fixing said shield thereto. DALTON L. TRULUCK, Primavy Examiner.

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