EP1933802B1

EP1933802B1 - Soother

Info

Publication number: EP1933802B1
Application number: EP06779294.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Barry Metcalfe; Willie Wright; Arnold Edward Rees
Original assignee: Jackel International Ltd
Current assignee: Jackel International Ltd
Priority date: 2005-09-09
Filing date: 2006-09-05
Publication date: 2013-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2026-09-05
Also published as: EP1933802A1; PL1933802T3; GB0518439D0; WO2007028971A1

Description

This invention relates to a soother or pacifier for infant use.
When a mother is trying to establish breast feeding with a new baby, getting the baby to "latch on" correctly can be difficult. The baby needs to learn to open his or her mouth wide around the breast and to take in as much of the areola region as possible. During this learning period, the introduction of a soother or bottle can cause problems. A breast fed baby that has not yet learnt to "latch on" properly may become confused by the introduction of a soother or bottle. Furthermore, because soothers generally require a different type of sucking action, which is much easier that that required to "latch on" for breast feeding, the baby may become accustomed to this easier type of sucking and become unable to breast feed properly.
This problem of "nipple confusion" is widely recognised and has been described in relation to soothers, for example in WO0215840 (Roust ). The soother described in WO0215840 comprises a flexible teat, including a bell shaped portion and a nipple portion extending therefrom, attached to a rigid base. The soother is constructed to encourage the baby or infant to utilize the same oral motor skills as those used during breast feeding.
DE 1795813 (Trabold ) discloses a soother including a baglet, a shield ring and a handle ring.
Various problems arise with this and other prior art soothers. Because soothers are often left for long periods in the baby's mouth, their design and manufacture are subject to very strict safety regulations. The soft teat portion, or baglet, must be firmly secured to a shield and the shield must be of particular dimensions and rigidity. This requirement to have a rigid shield, which is sufficiently large as not to be a choke hazard, often means that there is a hard plastic area in contact with the baby's nose and mouth. The outer edge of the rigid shield can cause irritation and discomfort to the infant, particularly to smaller babies.
A further problem associated with conventional soothers is the method of attachment of the baglet to the shield. Often a plug is used to attach the baglet to the shield, wherein the plug is forced into the neck of the baglet, compressing the baglet against the shield and holding it firmly in place. This introduces stress around the neck of the baglet, which can lead to tearing in this weakened area.
Several attempts have been made to overcome the problems associated with conventional soothers. One piece soothers have been designed to eliminate the problem of choking on small parts or tearing of the baglet. In many one piece constructions, however, the baglet is too hard and will cause discomfort to the baby or the shield is too soft so will not meet safety requirements.
The invention is set out in the claims. Because the soother has a teat feel and action that is similar to breast feeding, the baby can comfortably interchange between breast feeding, bottle feeding and soothers. In particular, because the baglet material extends beyond the periphery of the rigid shield, the soother has a soft outer edge in contact with the baby's face, as would be the case in natural breast feeding. Furthermore, the enlarged areola portion of the baglet provides a latching on area for the infant.
As well as providing a soft surface around the baby's mouth and nose, the enlarged baglet area and ribs allow flexing in the areola region. Furthermore, the helical channel inside the nipple gives flexibility in the nipple stem, allowing the sucking action on the soother to closely mimic that of breast feeding.
The soother construction is safer than that of conventional-soothers because the baglet is trapped through the shield. The baglet is not compressed in order to hold it in place, meaning that stress on the baglet is reduced, so it is less likely to tear. The broken ring embodiments of the soother enable the hard parts of the shield, which are necessary for safety standards but can feel unnatural and uncomfortable to the baby, to be kept to a minimum. Hence a soother is provided which enables the baby to easily interchange between soothers, breast feeding and bottle feeding, whilst providing improved comfort and enhanced safety for the baby.
The invention will now be described, with reference to the drawings, of which:

Fig 1 is a sectional front view of the soother according to the invention;
Fig 2 is an underneath view of the soother;
Fig 3 is a side view of the soother;
Fig 4 is a plan view of the soother;
Fig 5 is an underneath view of a second soother;
Fig 6 is a front view of the second soother;
Fig 7 is an underneath view of a third soother; and
Fig 8 is an underneath view of a fourth soother.

Referring firstly to Fig 1, a soother (10) is generally elliptical in shape and includes a baglet (12), a shield ring (14) and a handle ring (16), wherein the handle ring comprises a grip portion (18) extending across a shorter dimension of an elliptical portion (38). The baglet (12) comprises a nipple region (20), an areola region (22) and a flange region (24) terminating at the upper edge of an elliptical shoulder (25), and further includes a periphery comprising a continuous elliptical external bead (32) extending from the lower edge of the shoulder (25) around the periphery of the baglet. The flange region (24) provides a lower baglet surface (52) through which the handle ring (16) attaches to a shield ring (14). The shield ring (14) is generally elliptical and extends over the flange region (24), adjacent the external bead (32).
The baglet (12) has air holes (26) in the areola region (22) in order to improve ventilation for the baby. There are also undulating ribs (28) in the areola region (22) and a helical channel (30) in the nipple region (20) to aid stretching and flexing of the baglet (12). The areola region is of sufficient dimension to provide a breast-like "latching on" region for the infant.
As also shown in Fig 2, the baglet (12) is hollow and the back of the soother (10), in the vicinity of the handle ring (16), is open. The grip portion (18) of the handle ring (16) comprises a substantially flat disc (34) located axially downwards of the tip of the nipple region (20), with two upwardly or curved sloping arms (36) adjoining the disc (34) to the elliptical portion (38) of the handle ring (16).
As can be seen Figs 2 to 4, the baglet (12) is clamped between the shield ring (14) and the handle ring (16), with the external bead (32) of the baglet (12) protruding beyond the periphery of the rings (14, 16). The shield ring (14) comprises pins or pegs extending from its lower side, around its circumference, which locate in holes in the handle ring (16), passing through holes in the baglet flange region (24) and into the holes in the handle ring (16). The shield ring (14) and the handle ring (16) are then welded together, clamping the baglet (12) between them. The dimension in plan, of the soother, defined by the baglet bead (32) are 60.2mm (major axis) and 42.1mm (minor axis), and the height from handle ring back to baglet tip is 45.2mm.
Preferably, the shield ring (14) and handle ring (16) are formed from polycarbonate and the baglet (12) is formed from silicone. The external bead (32) of the baglet (12) extends beyond the periphery of the rings (14, 16) by approximately 1.5mm. The shield ring width varies from around 1.3mm at the top edges (minor axis) to 3.5mm at the side edges (major axis). The baglet and rings can be two-shot moulded to reduce the number of parts. The rings can comprise continuous rings or discontinuous rings, defining ring segments.
Fig 5 shows a second, alternative soother. The handle ring (16) comprises a grip portion (18) including three upwardly sloping arms (40) which extend from the disc (34) to three separate handle ring segments (42). When viewed from below, the arms (40) extend from the disc (34) in a generally "Y" shaped formation. Each of the three handle ring segments (42) extends along a portion of the circumference of the lower surface (52) of the baglet (12), having a length equal to or greater than the width of the sloping arm (40) to which it is adjoined. The degree of curvature of each handle ring segment (42) is dependent on its length and its location on the soother (10) circumference and generally correspond to the curvature of the baglet in that region.
As shown in Fig 6, the baglet (12) comprises a continuous, for example elliptical, periphery clamped in the flange region (24) between the three handle ring segments (42) and three shield ring segments (44). The length, curvature and positioning on the upper surface (54) of the shield ring segments (44) mirrors exactly the length, curvature and positioning on the lower surface (52) of the handle ring segments (42). In embodiments in accordance with the invention, the external bead of the baglet may protrude beyond the periphery of the shield and handle ring segments. Alternatively, as the ring is cut-away in the regions of potential contact with an infant's skin, the bead may be clamped between the handle and shield ring segments so as not to protrude radically. The proportion of the soother (10) circumference which comprises the three handle (42) and shield (44) ring segments is dependent on safety regulations, however it is possible to choose the location of the handle (42) and shield (44) ring segments such as to provide maximum comfort to the baby. For example, it may be desirable to position the ring segments (42, 44) such that the area of the soother directly underneath the baby's nose comprises soft baglet (12) material only. The baglet material itself remains uninterrupted defining a generally ring shaped periphery and hence including soft portions in regions of potential contact with an infant's skin.
Fig 7 shows a third soother, wherein the handle ring (16) comprises a flat disc (34) from which four upwardly sloping arms (46) extend to adjoin four handle ring segments (48). According to this embodiment, the arms (46) extend in a generally cross-shaped formation, with the disc (34) at the centre. The length of the handle ring segments (48) is such that oppositely positioned segments (48) are substantially the same length as one another, with the pair of segments (48) which are connected across the longer elliptical axis being longer than the pair of segments (48) which are connected across the shorter elliptical axis.
As with the second soother, the baglet (12) is clamped in the flange region (24) between the handle ring segments (48) and four shield ring segments (50). The length, curvature and positioning on the upper baglet surface (54) of the shield ring segments (50) mirrors the length, curvature and positioning on the lower baglet surface (52) of the handle segments (48) exactly. In embodiments in accordance with the invention, the external bead of the baglet protrudes beyond the periphery of the shield and handle ring segments. Alternatively, as the ring is cut-away in the regions of potential contact with an infant's skin, the bead may be clamped between the handle or the shield ring segments. The proportion of the soother (10) circumference which comprises rigid ring segments (48, 50) is determined by safety regulations, however it is possible to choose the exact positioning of the segments (48, 50) according to comfort for the baby, as well as manufacturing constraints.
The second and third soothers are manufactured in a manner similar to that of the soother of the present invention, wherein pins pass through the shield ring segments (44, 50), through the baglet flange region (24) and into the handle ring segments (42, 48). The shield ring segments (44, 50) are then welded to the handle ring segments (42, 48), clamping the baglet (12) between them. Preferably, the baglet (12) is formed from silicone and the ring segments (42, 44, 48, 50) are formed from polycarbonate.
In operation, when sucking on the soother (12), the infant's tongue contacts the nipple region (20) and his or her lips contact the areola region (22), usually in the vicinity of the ribs (28). As a result, as the infant sucks on the baglet, the nipple region (20) and the areola region (22) flex towards and away from one another by virtue of respective collapsing and extending of the areola region (22) around the ribs (28). This back and forth motion of the baglet (12) mimics very closely the natural movement of the human breast during breast feeding by effectively allowing the baglet to move and stretch as skin moves and stretches.
The helical channel (30) is formed around the inner or outer surface of the nipple region (20), and provides enhanced torsional and rotational compression and extension of the baglet (12) along the length of the nipple region (20). This flexing action of the baglet (12) again mimics closely the action of the human breast during breast feeding, therefore enabling the infant to interchange between soothers and breast feeding more easily.
The provision of baglet (12) material around the outer edge of the soother (10) provides a soft surface against the baby's face, in particular against the nose and chin. This makes the soother (10) more comfortable for the infant to use, and reduces the risk of possible irritation when the soother (10) is left in the baby's mouth for a prolonged period of time. Along with the large areola region (22), the soft outer edge also makes the soother (10) feel more breast-like than conventional soothers do, which further enables the child to interchange readily between soothers and breast feeding.
The broken ring formations of the second and third soothers further enhance the interchangeability and comfort benefits associated with the soother (10). By having the rigid shield and handle ring segments (42, 44, 48, 50) at a minimum and having soft baglet material around the periphery of the soother (10), the soother (10) feels more breast-like to the infant. Furthermore, the omission of hard parts from sensitive areas, such as the region directly below the infant's nose, reduced the risk of irritation to the infant. This is particularly beneficial to smaller or premature babies, for whom conventional soothers are often too large and/or too hard to be comfortable for use.
The manner in which the baglet (12) is clamped between the shield ring (16) and the handle ring (14) provides a secure and safe soother (10) construction. Furthermore, because the baglet (10) is not plugged or compressed to keep it in place, stresses on the baglet (12) material are reduced. This makes the baglet (12) less likely to tear, even when the infant applies biting pressure to it.
Whilst the soother (10) has been described with reference to Figs 1 to 7, it will be appreciated that several other soother embodiments are possible. For example, the soother (10) may not be elliptical, but may be substantially circular, or may have a dip or indentation, for example to accommodate further the infant's nose area. The baglet (12) may be provided without ribs (28) in the areola region (22) and/or without a helical channel (30) in the nipple region (20). The entirety of the periphery of the baglet may extend beyond the shield and handle rings, or appropriate parts thereof at least in skin-contact regions.
Although two particular broken ring embodiments of the soother (10) have been described, it will be further appreciated that several others are possible. For example, the handle ring (16) could have a single ring segment which extends along the circumference of the soother (10), except in the area underneath the infants nose, where only soft baglet (12) material would be provided. The grip portion (18) may comprise any number of arms, dependent on safety and manufacturing constraints and may be of any appropriate configuration, for example as shown in Fig. 8, a pair of opposed generally C-shaped portions 800 extending symmetrically from the central region 802 about the minor axis, providing interrupted regions 806 at opposed ends of the minor axis (where the C-shaped portions diverge from one another) and at opposed ends 804 of the major axis (where each portion itself is interrupted). In that case the portion of the shield at the periphery acts as shield segments generally corresponding with segments of a continuous shield ring.
Whilst the baglet (12) and rings (14, 16) are preferably formed from silicone and polycarbonate respectively, any appropriate materials may be used. The actual dimensions of the soother may be varied according to safety regulations and manufacturing constraints, and may be tailored to suit the needs of infants of different ages and sizes. For example the soother may comprise a teether having a teething portion of any conventional type, mounted in the same manner as the baglet or the soother may be configured for premature babies.

Claims

A soother (10) comprising a baglet (12) and a shield ring (14), the baglet (12) having a periphery (32) which extends beyond the outer periphery of the shield ring (14), characterised in that the shield ring (14) is provided on an upper surface of the soother (10), extending over a portion (24) of the baglet (12).
A soother (10) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a handle ring (16), wherein the periphery (32) of the baglet (12) extends beyond the outer periphery (32) of the handle ring (16).
A soother (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the baglet (12) is retained between the shield ring (14) and the handle ring (16), or wherein the baglet (12) comprises a substantially open rear face.
A soother (10) as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the baglet periphery (32) extends beyond the shield ring (14) periphery at least in the vicinity at region of the soother (10) which, in use, contacts a user's skin, or wherein the shield ring (14) comprises at least one discontinuous shield ring (14) segment defining the outer periphery.
A soother (10) as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4 wherein the shield ring (14) comprises at least one discontinuous shield segment and the handle ring (16) comprises at least one discontinuous handle segment, configured to correspond to at least one discontinuous shield segment.
A soother (10) as claimed in claim 5 wherein the baglet (12) is retained between the at least one discontinuous shield segment and the at least one discontinuous handle segment.
A soother (10) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the baglet (12) further comprises an areola region (22).
A soother (10) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the baglet (12) further comprises at least one of a flex or stretch or grip region .
A soother (10) as claimed in claim 8 when dependent on claim 7 wherein the areola region (22) includes undulating ribs (28) providing a latching on region as a grip region.
A soother (10) as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a nipple region (20) having a helical channel providing a flex or stretch region.
A teether comprising a teething portion and a shield ring (14), the teething portion having a periphery (32) which extends beyond the outer periphery of the shield ring (14), characterised in that the shield ring (14) is provided on an upper surface of the soother (10), extending over a portion (24) of the teething portion.
A method of constructing a soother (10) or teether comprising retaining a baglet (12) or teething portion with an outer periphery (32) in conjunction with a shield ring (14) such that the outer periphery (32) of the baglet (12) or teething portion extends beyond the outer periphery of the shield ring (14), characterised in that the shield ring (14) is provided on an upper surface of the soother (10), extending over a portion (24) of the baglet (12) or teething portion.
A method as claimed in claim 12 further comprising retaining the baglet (12) or teething portion between the shield ring (14) and a handle ring (16).
A method as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13 in which the retaining step comprises one of clamping, welding or a two-shot moulding.