WO2009147655A1

WO2009147655A1 - Domestic bottle cleaner and sterilizer

Info

Publication number: WO2009147655A1
Application number: PCT/IL2009/000476
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoram Zur
Original assignee: Yoram Zur
Priority date: 2008-06-05
Filing date: 2009-05-12
Publication date: 2009-12-10
Also published as: IL192017A0

Abstract

A household appliance designed for cleaning and sterilizing baby feeding bottles, which includes: a casing, a set of brushes, hoses that convey and spray water, a device for gripping bottles and nipples, and an operating system that includes an electric motor. The casing comprises a base unit that contains the set of brushes and a top unit that contains the appliance's operating system. The set of brushes includes a brush for bottles, a brush for nipples, and a central brush. The hose system includes a perforated pipe that serves as to spray water. The gripping device for bottles and nipples is in fact a set of coils consisting of coil-grip for bottles and coil-grips for nipples.

Description

DOMESTIC BOTTLE CLEANER AND STERILIZER

Description TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to a household appliance designed for cleaning and sterilizing bottles, and more specifically for cleaning and sterilizing baby feeding bottles.

BACKGROUND ART

The general public customarily uses feeds babies using bottles that are usually made of plastic. The feeding bottles designed for feeding babies comprise an elongated container with an opening at its top, with a thread that matches a screw-on cap that ends with a nipple. The bottle, its cap and its nipple must be cleaned and sterilized after use and before re-use, especially when dealing with infants who are sensitive to disease. The present invention refers to a household appliance designed for cleaning and sterilizing baby feeding bottles after use and in preparation for re-use. The appliance, subject of the invention, provides a suitable and good solution to the above-mentioned problem of cleaning and sterilizing feeding bottles. THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a household appliance (1) designed for cleaning and sterilizing baby feeding bottles.

The first embodiment of the invention is the appliance (1), which is designed for cleaning and sterilizing baby feeding bottles, and contains the following main components: A casing (2), set of brushes (3), hoses for conveying and spraying water (4), a device that grips the bottle (5), and an operating system including a motor (not shown in drawings) and auxiliary components that will be detailed in the present application.

The casing (2) is composed of a base unit (21) and a top unit (22); The set of brushes (3) includes a brush for bottles (31), a brush for nipples (32) and a central brush (33); the set of hoses for conveying water (4) is composed of a hose that connects to the water supply (41) (hot and/or cold water), a perforated pipe that serves to spray water (42) and thinner tubes that convey water to the brushes (43); the gripping device (5) holds the bottle and its parts and is composed of a coil-grip for the bottle (51) and a coil-grip for the nipple (52). The casing (2) is composed of a base unit (21) and a top unit (22). The base unit (21) is shaped like a hollow box that is open at the top, and is depicted in Drawing No. 2. The base unit may be made from a variety of materials and it may be made of a heat-resistant plastic, so as to withstand the temperature of the hot water flowing through the base unit. The base unit may be made from a transparent material. The top unit (22) is also shaped like a box, but a closed box, as depicted in Drawing No. 3. The top unit may be made from a variety of materials and it may be made of a heat-resistant plastic, so as to withstand the temperature of the hot water flowing through the appliance (1), and also because it houses the appliance's motor.

The set of brushes (3) is attached to the floor of the base unit (21), as depicted for example in Drawing No. 2. It is preferable that the appliance (1) include two brushes for bottles (31), two brushes for nipples (32) and one central brush (33). It is preferable that the bottle brushes and the nipple brushes be attached to the floor of the base unit (21) at four points that form a square, with the central brush attached at its center, as depicted for example in Drawing No. 2.

The brushes (31) (32) (33) are permanently fixed to the floor of the base unit. The brushes may be made of plastic bristles, like any standard dishwashing brush, although the brushes may also be made of sponge or, for that matter, any other material suitable for cleaning. The brushes can be replaced when they wear out.

The bottle brushes (31) are cylindrical in shape so as to fit the inside of a standard baby feeding bottle, and are designed to clean and brush the inside of the feeding bottle. The nipple brushes (32) are shaped like a cylinder that tapers off forming a narrower part at the top so as order to match the inner cone shape of a feeding nipple. The central brush (33) is cylinder in shape and is designed to clean and brush the outside of the bottles and nipples.

The top unit (22) contains the appliance's operating system (1). The top unit also contains a motor with a transmission system (not shown in drawings). On the outer, bottom part of the top unit there are four axes (6). One end of each axis (6) is attached to the transmission system and the motor, and the axes rotate when the appliance is switched on. The other end of each axis (6) is attached to a coil-grip (5). The axes (6) are located opposite the brush platform (3), and the top unit (22) sits on top of the base unit (21), as depicted for example in Drawing No. 1. A coil-grip for a bottle (51) is attached to the axis (6) located opposite the bottle brush (31) and a coil-grip for a nipple (52) is attached to the axis (6) located opposite the brush for nipples. The coil-grips (51) (52) are made of a springy metal wire that is twisted into a cylindrical coil, and are designed to grip and hold the bottle or the nipple placed inside them, as depicted for example in Drawing No. 3. The invention covers any means of gripping the bottle and the nipple, and not necessarily the coil-grip type.

The water hoses (4) are designed to convey hot and/or cold water into the appliance (1), as depicted for example in Drawing No. 2. The hoses include a hose (41) that conveys water to the appliance. The water hose (41) is connected to a splitter (44) that distributes the water flow into the spray pipe (42) and the tubes (43) that convey water to the brushes (3). As mentioned, the hose system includes a spray pipe (42), which may be made of either metal or rigid plastic and is located at the middle of the top part of the base unit. The spray pipe (42) has perforations along its entire length, preferably mainly facing downwards, so as to spray water on the bottles and nipples while the appliance is running. The hose system also includes, as mentioned, a set of tubes (43) that convey water from the splitter (44) to the brushes, and thus water is sprayed into the bottles and the nipples while the appliance is running. A water drainage system (45) is located at the bottom of the base unit to drain the water that accumulates on the floor of the base unit while the appliance is running.

The top unit (22) is also equipped with ON switches (71), an OFF switch (72), two grasping holes (73) for holding the top unit while placing it on, or removing it from, the base unit, and an electrical connection (74). The appliance can run on power supplied by the electricity mains or on direct current (DC), whereby the transformer is adjacent to the electrical socket. This method is the preferred method, mainly so as to avoid electrocution due to the proximity to water. The appliance can also contain an ultraviolet lamp that both destroys microorganisms, serves as a lighting element, and enhances the aesthetic value of the appliance. The appliance also contains locking devices (81) (82) designed to lock the top unit onto the base unit while the appliance (1) is running. In addition, the base unit is equipped with handles (23) for carrying the appliance. The locking devices (81) (82) also include a mechanism that stops the operation of the appliance if the locking device opens or is opened, as a means of protecting the user and his or her surroundings.

The appliance (1) is used as follows: The bottle and nipple are positioned on the coil-grips (51) (52), as depicted for example in Drawing No. 3. The top unit (22) is placed on the base unit (21) and locked using the locking devices (81) (82), as depicted for example in Drawing No. 1. When the top unit is placed on the base unit, the bottles and the nipples fit over the brushes (31) (32), whereas the central brush (33) is in the center. The appliance (1) is switched on, so that water flows through the hoses (4) and is sprayed from above through the spray pipe (42) and is also sprayed into the bottles and the nipples through the tubes (43) whose ends reach the top part of the brushes (31) (32). When the appliance is running, the motor runs and rotates the axes (6). Thus, the grip-coils (51) (52) that tightly hold the bottles and nipples rotate, and the brushes inside them perform the cleaning and sterilizing action. The water that accumulates at the bottom of the base unit (21) is drained by the drainage system (45).

It is possible and even preferable that the top outer part of the top unit be flat, so as to serve as a work surface while the appliance is running and also so that it is convenient to place it upside down on the work surface (table or kitchen countertop) while inserting or removing the bottles and nipples.

The second embodiment of the invention is the appliance (1) depicted for example in Drawing No. 4. The main difference between the appliance that is the subject of the first embodiment and the appliance that is the subject of the second embodiment lies in that the appliance that is the subject of the second embodiment contains a water tank (9), operating switches (91), and an internal water heating system, all of which constitute an alternative to the need to use the hose (41) to connect the appliance to an external water supply, as is the case in the system that is the subject of the first embodiment. The appliance (1), subject of the present invention, has many advantages, including the fact that it is designed to clean and sterilize efficiently and to a high standard, thus saving manual labor for the adults who usually perform such cleaning. In addition, the appliance is relatively small in size, inexpensive, and enables fast and effective simultaneous cleaning of two bottles, their caps, and their nipples.

The present invention describes and covers all similar appliances that operate according to the same principles, regardless of the number of brushes, coils, grips, external design and size of the appliance.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings attached to the application are not intended to limit the scope of the invention and the possible ways of its application. The drawings are intended only to illustrate the invention and constitute only one of the many possible ways of its application.

Drawing No. 1: Drawing No. 1 depicts the appliance (1), subject of the invention, including the base unit (21), top unit (22), set of brushes (31) (32) (33), set of hoses and spray pipe (41) (42) (43), ON switches (71), OFF switch (72), locking devices (81) (82), and carrying handles (23) (73).

Drawing No. 2: Drawing No. 2 depicts parts of the appliance (1), subject of the invention, including the base unit (21), set of brushes (31), (32), (33), set of hoses and spray pipe (41) (42) (43), and locking devices (82).

Drawings Nos. A3 and B3: Drawings Nos. A3 and B3 depict parts of the appliance (1), subject of the invention, including the top unit (22), set of coils (51) (52), and axes (6). Drawing No. 4: Drawing No. 4 depict parts of the appliance (1), subject of the invention, including the base unit (21), set of brushes (31) (32) (33), set of hoses and spray pipe (41) (42) (43), locking devices, and water tank (9).

Drawings Nos. A5 and B5: Drawings Nos. A5 and B5 depict the appliance's handles.

Drawings Nos. A6 and B6: Drawings Nos. A6 and B6 depict the brushes. Drawing No. 7: Drawing No. 7 depicts the spray pipe (42). Drawings Nos. A8 and B8: Drawings Nos. A8 and B8 depict the parts of the bottle.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is:

1. A household appliance designed for cleaning and sterilizing baby feeding bottles, which consists of the following components: A casing, a set of brushes, hoses for conveying and spraying water, a device for gripping the bottles and nipples, and an operating system that includes an electric motor.

2. The appliance mentioned in Claim No. 1, whereby the said casing comprises a base unit that includes the said set of brushes and a top unit that includes the said operating system; the said set of brushes includes one brush or more per bottle, one brush or more per nipple, and a central brush; the said hose system includes a perforated pipe that serves as to spray water and one or more tubes for conveying water into the said brushes; the said device for gripping the bottles and nipples is in fact a set of coils comprised of grip-coils for the bottles and grip-coils for the nipples.

3. The appliance mentioned in Claim No. 1, including also a water tank that serves as the water source when using the said appliance.