GB2164860A

GB2164860A - Disposable feeding container

Info

Publication number: GB2164860A
Application number: GB08424322A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Douglas Juan Thompson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-09-26
Filing date: 1984-09-26
Publication date: 1986-04-03
Also published as: GB8424322D0

Abstract

The container comprises a hollow body 1 having a flexible teat 3 secured thereto. The teat is enclosed in a transparent envelope 5 which is sealed to the body and encloses a sterilized atmosphere around the teat 3. The envelope 5 can be torn away when required, using a tear strip 13, to expose the teat 3 ready for feeding a baby. The teat may be punctured before use or it may comprise an aperture sealed by a thread (Fig. 2). A container warming device is also disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to baby's feed containers The present invention relates to Baby's feed containers.

Conventionally a baby is fed subsequent to or instead of breast feeding, using a bottle which is closed by a flexible teat. The teat has a small hole in its end region, through which the baby's liquid feed e.g. milk, can be drawn by the baby sucking. The bottle is usually made of glass or a suitable plastics material, and the teat is made either of a flexible, resilient rubber or equivalent plastics material.

In use the baby's feed is usually prepared as and when required, and poured into the baby's bottle, the flexible teat being stretched over or secured by a screw top, to the open end of the bottle. Thus the bottle and teat have to be sterilized before use, each time the bottle and teat is to be used. This is somewhat tedious and extremely time consuming when taken together with the preparation of the actual baby food.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a container for baby food, which container may be purchased from a food store or other appropriate location, already filled with the baby's feed, and which may be heated as and when required, and used directly to feed the baby. The container may then subsequently be thrown away.

According to the present invention there is provided a disposable container for use in feeding a baby, the container comprising a hollow body which can be pre-filled with a fluid, a flexible teat being provided on the hollow body and communicating with the inside of the hollow body, the teat being enclosed within a closure which is secured to said hollow body.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the said closure is a flexible envelope made of transparent cellophane (R.T.M.) and sealed to the hollow body. Alternatively the closure may be made of plastics material or any other desired suitable material. The closure thus provides an enclosed atmosphere around the flexible teat, which atmosphere is rendered sterile during manufacture. To expose the teat, the cellophane (RTM) closure is preferably provided with an opening strip which can merely be pulled as per the cellophane strip around a cigarette packet, to open the closure. A similar tear strip could be provided in a plastic closure.

Whilst the flexible teat may be a sealed item requiring a hole to be made to allow the fluid to be drawn out of the container by a baby's sucking action, the teat may alternatively be manufactured with an aperture. In the latter case the hole is preferably maintained closed by a thread of a different plastics material e.g. Nylon (R.T.M.). The thread preferably extends from the teat to a wall of the closure so that when the closure is removed the thread is pulled out of the said aperture leaving the teat ready for use. The thread may have a grooved or threaded exterior which mates with a complimentary surface in the aperture. In this manner an efficient seal is obtained. By using a different plastics material, than the teat meaterial, the teat may be originally moulded around the thread.

In this preferred embodiment of the present invention the hollow body is made of a plastics material and is preferably a modified form of container as already used for storing cream, yogurt etc. the body being sealed by metal foil.

Thus the present invention provides a disposable container for baby food, enabling baby food to be purchased in the container and heated in a suitable appliance to the required temperature, as and when required. The closure can then be removed revealing a sterile teat, and the baby can be fed; the container being subsequently thrown away.

The present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the thread and teat construction of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of one form of heater suitable for use with the container of Fig. 1.

The dispoable container constructed according to the present invention and illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a hollow body (1) with a flexible teat (3) mounted at one end thereof and enclosed by a closure (5).

The hollow body (1) is frusto-conical in shape and made of a flexible plastics material.

It is generally of the form of a conventional cream or yogurt container which is sealed by metal foil (7), and which has been inverted.

The base (9) of the conventional container is secured to the flexible teat (3) and enclosed in closure (5) which is formed by a transparent cellophane (RTM) envelope. The envelope is sealed to the wall (11) of the hollow body so that the teat (3) can be maintained in a controlled e.g. sterilized, atmosphere. The envelope is also provided with a tear strip (13) which can be simply pulled to enable the envelope to be detached from the hollow body to thus expose the teat (3).

The teat (3) communicates with the inside of the hollow body (1) and is manufactured with an aperture (15). To maintain the aperture (15) closed prior to use, a thread (17) passes therethrough and is preferably secured to the envelope. Thus when the envelope is detached from the hollow body (1), the thread (17) is pulled out of the aperture (15) leaving the teat (3) ready for use. To provide a good seal between the thread (17) and aperture (15), the thread and aperture can be compli mentariiy shaped e.g. grooved or threaded.

Further, provided the thread (17) is made of a different material from the teat, the teat may be manufactured i.e. moulded, around the thread to thus produce a good seal therebetween. Alternatively the teat (3) may be closed and an aperture may have to be formed after the envelope is detached.

Whilst the envelope is described hereabove as being made of transparent cellophane (RTM), it may alternatively be made of any other suitable material e.g. plastics, provided the seal with the hollow body (1) can be simply broken.

Thus, the container of the present invention can be manufactured, filled with baby food and sealed with the metal foil (7). The prepacked baby food container can then be sold in the shop or supermarket. When purchased the container can be stored ready for use and when required the container can be heated in, for example, a heater as shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings. Then by tearing off the tear strip (13) the envelope and thread (17) can be detached, exposing the pre-sterilized teat (3) ready for immediate use. When the baby has been fed, the container can be thrown away.

The heater shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings is basically in the form of an electrical plug having appropriate electrical connection pins (21). The heater has a twopart construction with a cavity (23) being formed between the parts (25; 27); said parts (25; 27) being hinged together. The cavity (23) is shaped to receive the hollow body (1) of the container of Fig. 1, so that the closure (5) and teat (3) project out through the hole defined by curved regions (29) of said parts (25; 27). Further the wall of the cavity (23) has electrical heating wires (31) embedded therein. By closing the said parts together when the pins (21) are located in an electrical socket, the lock (32) closes the electrical circuit and the heater is switched on as evidenced by warning light (33). A timer (not shown) dictates the heating period.

Thus the present invention provides a simple disposable baby's food bottle which can be readily stored, pre-sterilized, ready for virtual immediate use.

Claims

1. A disposable container for use in feeding a baby, the container comprising a hollow body which can be pre-filled with a fluid, a flexible teat being provided on the hollow body and being communicatable with the inside of the hollow body, the teat being enclosed within a closure.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which the closure is made of a flexible ma

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, in which the closure is in the form of a transparent envelope.

4. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the closure is sealed to the hollow body.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4, in which the closure is provided with an opening strip which can be merely pulled to open the closure.

6. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which a thread seals a hole in the teat.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6, in which the thread extends from the teat to a wall of the closure.

8. A container as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which the thread is grooved or threaded to mate with a complimentary surface defining the hole in the teat.

9. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the hollow body is made of a plastics material and is sealed by metal foil.

10. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the atmosphere within the closure is sterilized.

11. A disposable container for use in feeding a baby, constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.