EP0004771A1

EP0004771A1 - Nursing bottle holder

Info

Publication number: EP0004771A1
Application number: EP19790300547
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kenneth Thomas Greenwood
Original assignee: ELLWOOD BABY PROD; ELLWOOD BABY PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: ELLWOOD BABY PROD; ELLWOOD BABY PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1978-04-03
Filing date: 1979-04-03
Publication date: 1979-10-17
Also published as: IT1112371B; FR2421603A1; IT7921546A0; NO791096L; FI791069A

Abstract

nursing bottle for location around a person's neck whereby a baby cradled in one arm of the person can be comfortably fed from a bottle positioned in the holder, leaving the other arm of the person free. The bottle holder includes a halter member (2) and support means (8, 17, 25, 26, 34, 36) mounted on one end of the halter member for gripping therein the bottle, the support means being freely rotatable on the halter member in a substantially horizontal plane to permit the bottle to follow any side-to-side movements of the baby's head. The support means is also pivotable in a generally vertical plane against an adjustable frictional resistance whereby the bottle can be retained as desired in a retracted, inoperative position to enable winding and the like of the baby.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a nursing bottle holder for location around, to be supported by, the neck of a person feeding a baby.

BACKGROUND ART

When feeding a baby from a bottle, it is common practice for a-person to cradle the baby in one arm and .to hold the bottle to the baby's mouth with the other hand. Such a procedure requires the use of both arms, thus restricting the person from performing any other activities during feeding. Further, it is necessary to put the bottle down before, for example, winding of the baby can take place, free-standing bottles being very prone to accidental spillage and to contamination of the teat.
It has been proposed to overcome the above problems by providing bottle holders each including holding means for receiving a bottle, said means being suspended from or otherwise carried on a halter member supported around the neck of a user. Although such known arrangements succeed in freeing one of the user's hands, known bottle holders of this type suffer from a number of disadvantages.
Not the leisst of these are that the holdens them- selves are cumbersome in construction, operation and appearance, movement of the bottle holding means (and therefore the bottle) relative to the halter member often being very restricted. Further, known holders often comprise a fabric, for example elasticated, halter member the material of which can readily entrap therein foreign matter and provide an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and the like, while they may alternatively or additionally include a plurality of metal components which are very difficult to clean and are toxic.

DISCIOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a baby bottle holder in which the manoeuvrability of the bottle holding means relative to the halter member is greatly improved and which is such as to enable a bottle to be held, when desired, in an inoperative retracted position out of the way of the baby to facilitate winding of the baby and the like.
According to the present invention there is provided a nursing bottle holder comprising a halter member to be supported around the neck of a person feeding a baby, and nursing bottle support means including a holder member to receive therein a nursing bottle, said support means being mounted on one end of the halter member, the holder being characterised in that the halter member is of substantially U-shape and includes a one end extent terminating, in use, at or adjacent the chest of said person, and
means are mounted to permit substantially free pivoting movement or the holder member relative to the halter member about the central longitudinal axis of the one end extent of the halter member and to permit damp- ened pivoting movement, against a frictional resistance, of said holder member relative to the halter member about an axis extending perpendicular to said central longitudinal axis of the one end extent of the halter member.
Such a device has the major advantages of substantially universal manoeuvrability of the holder member on the halter member, which manoeuvrability is such as to enable a bottle in the holder member to track lightly the baby's mouth/head movements and also to enable the bottle and holder member to be pivoted against a frictional resistance to any one of a number of unobtrusive retracted positions in which it is held until required.
Further, the holder can be made of a plastics material to a relatively simple construction, providing a very hygienic article which can readily be washed or wiped clean, while it is preferred that holders according to the invention have an inherent adjustability which ensures positive, comfortable location of the halter member on the user, which enables alteration of the relative positions of the halter member and the holder member to suit a particular user, and which enables the holder member to grip therein any one of a wide range of shapes and sizes of bottles.
More particularly, the halter member may comprise a length of pliable material, such as copper coated mild steel rod encased in a plastics sheath, which can readily be deformed into a shape suitable to a user, the material retaining its deformed shape thereby enabling the position of the holder member relative to the neck of the person feeding the baby to be altered. Alternatively the halter member may include means for adjusting the length of the one end extent thereof to permit said alteration of the position of the holder member relative to the neck of a person using the bottle holder.
The support means conveniently includes a pivot member in which is received the one end of the halter member whereby said pivot member is substantially freely rotatable through 360° on said one end of the halter member about the central longitudinal axis of the one end extent of said halter member.
The holder member of the support means preferably comprises a flexible strap, conveniently of a plastics material such as polythene, including a first end extent mounted on the pivot member to be pivotal relative to said pivot member, against a frictional resistance, about an axis extending perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the one end extent of the halter member, the strap further including an intermediate extent in the form of a loop for embracing a bottle and a further end extent received on, to lie parallel with, the first end extent.
The first end extent of the strap may be of bifurcated form, the arms of said extent being located one to each side of the pivot member, the support means further including a bush having a head portion and an internally-threaded shank portion. and a co-operating screw having a head portion and an externally-threaded shank portion, the shanks of the bush and screw extending through aligned bores in said pivot member and two arms, the central longitudinal axis of the bush/screw combination comprising the axis about which the dampened pivoting movement can take place. The frictional resistance between the abutting faces of the bifurcated one end extent of the strap and the pivot member can be adjusted by appropriate rotation of the screw and threaded bush tc alter the pressure therebetween.
The further end extent of the strap may have formed therein a longitudinal slot through which the shank of the bush or screw passes whereby, on drawing of the shank portion of the screw into the shank portion of the bush to bring the undersurfaces of the head portions of the bush and screw into pressurised contact with the strap to effect the frictional resistance between the abutting faces of the one end extent of the strap and the pivot member, said further end extent of the strap is retained in a given position relative to the first end extent of the strap between the undersurface of the head portion of the bush or screw and a surface of one arm of the first end extent of the strap.
Each side face of the slot conveniently has formed therein a plurality of longitudinally spaced notches in any pair of which can be received a pair of co-operating, diametrically-opposed projections formed on the undersurface of the head portion of the screw or bush whereby, on tightening of the bush/screw combination, the further end extent of the strap can be positively located in any one of a plurality of different positions relative to the first end extent of the strap to alter the diameter of the intermediate extent of the strap and thereby accommodate bottles of various sizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TRANINGS

Fig. 1 is a side view of a bottle holder according to the invention in an operative feeding position;
Fig. 2 shows the bottle holder of Fig. 1 in an inoperative retracted position;
Fig. 3 shows, in exploded form, a pivot member, a screw and a bush of support means of a holder according to the invention, the screw and bush being shown in both side and plan elevations, together with a halter member to a smaller scale;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of a holder member of a holder according to the invention, showing the bush and screw of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a view in the direction of arrow V of Fig. 4 with part of the further end extent of the flexible strap cut away;
Fig. 6 is part longitudinal section through the assembled support means and holder member of a holder according to the invention, and
Fig. 7 illustrates an alternative halter member of a
according to the invention and including means for adjusting the length of the one end extent thereof, said means being shown in plan, side and end elevations.

BEST MODE OF CARMYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring in particular to to Figs. 3 to 6 of the draw- ings, the bottle holder comprises a halter member indicated generally at 2 of substantially U-shape to seat round the neck of a person using the holder, the halter member including a central core 4 of copper coated mild steel rod encased in an outer plastics sheath 6.
One end 7 of the halter member 2 is shaped to be received within, to be substantially freely rotatable relative to, a pivot housing indicated generally at 8 and as will be detailed below, while the other end of the halter member terminates in a smooth-faced end cap 10.
The pivot housing 8 comprises a pair of opposed, plastics side plates 12, 14 which are a snap-fit together to form the housing 3, the plates 12,14 being internally recessed at 15 to receive the one end 7 of the halter member 2 whereby said housing can, as mentioned above, be rotated substantially freely through 360° on the one end 7 of the halter member 2 about the central longitudinal axis of the one end extent of said member 2.
The side plates 12,14 each have formed therethrough aligned apertures which, on completion of the housing 8, define a bore 16 through said housing extending perpendicularly to the central longitudinal axis of the one end extent of the halter member 2.
The bottle holder further comprises a holder member in the form of a flexible moulded strap of a plastics material including a bifurcated first end extent 17 having a pair of parallel arms 18,20 spaced apart to receive therebetween the pivot housing 8, said arms being apertured at 22,24 respectively to provide, on location of the housing 8 between the arms 13,20, continuations of the bore 16 through said housing.
The strap further includes an intermediate extent in the form of a loop 25 to receive therein a nursing bottle, and a further end extent 26 which lies substantially parallel with the arms 18,20 of the first end extent 17, said extent 26 being narrower than the extent 17 and passing through a bridge 28, integrally formed on the outer face of the arm 20, to lie along said outer face.
The further end extent 26 of the strap has a central, longitudinal slot 30 formed therein, the side faces of said slot each being castellated to provide a series of lonoit- udinally spaced notches 32 for reasons to be detailed below.
The pivot housing 8 and holder member are interconnected by means of a screw indicated generally at 34 and a co-operating, internally-threaded bush indicated generally . at 36. The external diameter of a hollow stem portion 38 of the bush 36 corresponds substantially with that of the bore 16,22, said bush further including an increased diameter head portion 40 having a flat, annular undersurface 42 and an indented outer surface to facilitate rotation of the bush.
The screw 34 includes a threaded stem portion 44 and an increased diameter head portion 46 the undersurface 47 of which has formed thereon a pair of diametrically-opposed spigots 43 and a pair of straight-edged depending portions 50 defining a channel across the surface 48 of a width corresponding with that of the further end extent 26 of the strap.
To assemble the holder, the stem portion 38 of the bush 36 is inserted through the aperture 22 in the arm 13 of the strap end into the bore 16 in the pivot housing 8, while the stem portion 44 of the screw is inserted through the slot 30 in the further end extent 26 of the strap, through the aperture 24 in the arm 20 of the bifurcated one end extent 17 of the strap and into the bore 16 in the pivot housin₃. The undersurface of the head portion 46 of the screw is located to embrace the extent 26 of the strap with the spigots 4S received within opposed ones of a pair of the notches in said extent 26 of the strap and the depending portions 50 abutting the outer face of the arm 20 of the strap. The aperture 24 in the arm 20 is also provided with a pair of diametrically opposed notches 51 aligned with the notches 32 in the further end extent 26 of the strap, said aperture 24 otherwise being of generally elliptical shape to receive therein a correspondingly shaped annular boss (not shown) surrounding the stem portion 44 and extending axially of the stem portion beyond the spigots 43. Such an. arrangement facilitates initial location of the screw 34 in that it can only be inserted through the slot 30 and bore 24 with its spigots 48 aligned with, to be received in, notches 32. Further, any tendency for the screw to be rotated once received within the support means is resisted not only by the co-operating spigots 43 and notches 32 but by the co-operating annular boss (not shown) and aperture 24.
Once the bush and screw are so positioned; the bush is rotated to draw the bush and screw together and to urge the undersurface of said components into pressurised contact with the outer surfaces of the arms 18,20 respectively of the first end extent 17 of the strap. Consequent ly the pivot housing 8 is compressed between said arms by an amount dependent upon the torque applied to the bush and screw.
Thus the mating faces of the arms 18,20 .and the pivot housing 8 provide a friction clutch arrangement between the strap and the housing which enables dampened rotation of the strap, bush and screw relative to the pivot housing 8 about an axis extending through the bore 16, and against the frictional resistance existing between said mating faces. The bcttle holder member can thus be located, and will remain in, any chosen position relative to the halter member 2 within the available arc of rotation about the axis through the bore 16.
In use of the holder, a nursing bottle is located within the looped intermediate extent 25- of the strap and the further, end extent 26 of the strap is positioned on the one end extent 17 of the strap such that, on tightenin of the screw 34/bush 36 combination, the spigots 43 on the screw are received within notches 32 in the slot 30 of screw are received within notches 32 in the slot 30 of said further end extent 26 whereby the bottle is securely the strap The adjustability of the strap gripped by the strap. The adjustability of the strap provided by the notches 32 enables the holder to receive therein any one of a wide range of bottle shapes and sizes. The internal surface cf the loop 25 of the strap is provided with a series of laterally-spaced ridges extending longitudinally of the strap thereby permitting manual rotation of the bottle within the loop if desired. The gripping of the bottle o_' the loop 25 is also such as to permit longitudinal manual movement of the bottle within said loop if desired to adjust the position of the bottle teat relative to the strap and provide more comfortable feeding for the baby.
The halter member 2 is then located around a user's neck, the shape of the halter, as well as the location of the holder member and the angular position of the bottle relative to the pivot housing 8, being suitably chosen to enable comfortable feeding of a baby held by the user. typical feeding position of a bottle holder is shown in Fig. 1 in which it can be seen that a baby is cradled in a mother's arm with a bottle ideally located for comfortable feeding, the other arm of the mother being free.
During feeding, the relatively free rotation of the bottle, holder member and pivot housing as a whole about the one end of the halter member allows the bottle to track lightly the baby's mouth/head movements.
When it is desired, for example, to wind the baby, the bottle and holder member can be pivoted against the frictional resistance about the axis through the bore 16 to a retracted position out of the way of the baby, the bottle remaining in said position until it is desired to resume feeding, the fricticnal resistance being sufficient to counter the weight of the bottle and its contents. Such an inoperative retracted position of a bottle holder is shown in Fig. 2, the bottle still being firmly held but out of the way of the baby to enable the mother to wind or otherwise attend to the baby with both hands..
The 360° rotation of the holder member relative to the halter member enables right- or left-handed use of the holder, the construction and operation of the holder being such as to enable substantially universal adjustment of the position of a bottle within the holder whilst at the same tine leaving free one arm of the user during feeding. Further, a bottle is securely held in the holder even during winding thereby eliminating the possibility of spilling as often occurs under normal circumstances.
Referring to Fig. 7, there is shown an arrangement which enables the main extent of the halter member 2 to be preformed in, for example, solid plastics, into a rigid given shape whilst still enabling adjustment of the position of the attached holder member relative thereto. More particularly, the halter member terminates in a hollow end section 52 the bore 54 of which has a longitudinal flat thereon. One end of a correspondingly-shaped rod 56 is-received within said bore, a flat 58 on said red co-operating with the flat in the bore 54 to prevent rotation of the rod relative to the end section of the halter member. The other end 60 of the rod 54 is shaped to be rotatably received within the pivot housing 8 in the manner of the embodiment of Fig. 3.
Integrally formed with the rod 56 is a parallel, upstanding arm member or selector clip 62 having an inwardly facing projection 64 formed on the free end thereof, the undersurface of said projection 64 being undercut as shown at 66.
The external surface of the end section 52 of the halter member has a plurality of axially-spaced notches 68 formed therein, the operative surfaces 70 of said notches being angled inwardly and downwardly. Thus it will be appreciated that the rod 56 can be located in any one of a number of different axial locations relative to the hollow end section 52 of the halter member thereby providing for adjustment of the elevation of the holder member and bottle relative to the neck of a user. The co-operation between the angled surfaces on the projection 64 and the notches 68 reduces the possibility of accidental removal of the selector slip from the halter member, particularly when in use with a laden bottle held in the holder.
Other ways of achieving this adjustment will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
As well as the advantages apparent from the above description, in particular the inherent manoeuvrability of the halter member and the the bottle and support means on the halter member and the adjustability in the position of the bottle relative to a user, bottle holders according to the invention can also incorporate a number of additional advantages over known arrangements.
The preferred holder is moulded from quality plastics material providing a non-toxic, very hygienic, easily wiped-clean device which is very easy to manufacture, simple to operate and light and attractive to wear.
The constructional simplicity is such as to enable the device to be easily and quickly disassembled or stripped down for cleaning purposes, while reassembly is also a very straightforward matter that even the most non-technical of persons can undertake.
The design of the halter member is such as to achieve positive neck engagement with a minimum of interference with hair style or fashion clothing.
The friction loading provided by the relative positions of the screw 34 and bush 35 can be adjusted to personal choice, rotation of the bush being facilitated, as has been mentioned above, by indenting the head portion thereof to provide good finger grip.

Claims

1. A nursing bottle holder comprising a halter member (2) to be supported around the neck of a person feeding a baby, and nursing bottle support means including a holder member (17,25,26) to receive therein a nursing bottle, said support means being mounted on one end of the halter member, the holder being characterised in that the halter member (2) is of substantially U-shape and includes a one end extent (7) terminating, in use, at or adjacent the chest of said person,and the support means are mounted to permit substantially free pivoting movement of the holder member (17,25,26) relative to the halter member about the central longitudinal axis of the cne end extent of the halter member and to permit dampened pivoting movement, against a frictional resistance, of said holder member (17,25,26) relative to the halter member (2) about an axis extending perpendicular to said central longitudinal axis of the one end extent (7) of the halter member (2).

2. A nursing bottle holder as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the halter member (2) comprises a length of pliable material (4) which can be deformed into a shape suitable to a user, the material retaining its shape until further deformed.

3. A nursing bottle holder as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that the material of the holder member (2) is copper coated mild steel rod (4) encased in a plastics sheath (6).

4. A nursing bottle holder as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the halter member (2) includes means (52, 56, 64, 68) for adjusting the length of the one end extent thereof.

5. A nursing bottle holder as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised in that the support means includes a pivot member (8) ·in which is received the one end (7) of the halter member (2) whereby said pivot member (8) is, substantially freely rotatable through 360° on said one end (7) of the halter member (2) about the central longitudinal axis of the one end extent of said halter member.

6. A nursing bottle holder-as claimed in claim 5 characterised in that the holder member of the support means comprises a flexible strap including a first end extent (17) mounted on the pivot member (8) to be pivotal relative to said pivot member (8), against a frictional resistance, about an axis extending perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the one end extent of the halter member (2), the strap further including an intermediate extent in the form of a loop (25) for embracing a bottle, and a further end extent (26) received on, to lie parallel with, the first end extent (17).

7. A nursing bottle holder as claimed in claim 6 characterised in that the first end extent (17) of the strap is of bifurcated form, the arms (18, 20) of said extent (17) being located one to each side of the pivot member (8) the support means further including a bush (36) having a head portion (40) and an internally- threaded shank portion (38) and a CO-operatingscrew (34) having a head portion (46) and an externally-threaded shank portion (44), the shanks (33,44) of the bush (36) and screw (34) extending through aligned bores (22,16,24) in the pivot member (8) and two arms (13,20) of the first end extent (17) of the strap, the central longitudinal axis of the bush/screw combination comprising the axis about which the dampened pivoting movement can take place.

8. A nursing bottle holder as claimed in claim 7 characterised in that the further end extent (26) of the strap has formed therein a longitudinal slot (30) through which the shank portion (38, 44) of the bush (36) or screw (34) passes whereby, on drawing of the shank portion (44) of the screw (34) into the shank protion (33) of the bush (36) to bring the undersurfaces (42,47) of the head portions (40,46) of the bush (36) and screw (34) into pressurised contact with the strap to effect the frictional resistance between the abutting faces of the one end extent (17) of the strap and the pivot member (8), said further end extent (26) of the strap is retained in a given position relative to the first end extent (17) of the strap between the undersurface (47) of the head portion (46) of the bush or screw (34) and a surface of one arm (20) of the first end extent (17) of the strap.

9. A nursing bottle holder as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that each side face of the slot (30) has formed therein a plurality of longitudinally spaced natches (32) and the undersurface (47) of the head portion (46) of the bush or screw (34) has formed thereon a pair of diametrically-opposed projections (48) adapted to. be received within any pair of opposed notches (32) in each of said side faces of the slot (30), whereby, on tightening of the bush/screw combination (34,36) the further end extent (26) of the strap can be positively located in any one of a plurality of different positions relative to the first end extent (17) of the strap to alter the diameter of the intermediate extent, (25) of the'strap, each position being determined by co-operation of said projections (48) with an associated one of the pairs of opposed notches (32).

10. A nursing bottle holder as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9 characterised in that the surface of the looped intermediate extent (25) of the strap to engage a bottle has formed thereon a plurality of spaced, parallel ridges extending along the length of said intermediate extent (25) of the strap.